Welcome

This week we've got a great antidote to hot weather, and a little insight into the Finchley-connected founder of the Pearly Kings and Queens.

Special thanks to readers Mark and Julia for the heads-up on great topics to explore. You can email us if you've got anything you think we should write about.

🏄‍♀6 Finchleyish Watersports Spots

man surfing through enormous waves — Great way to cool down Image: Jeremy Bishop

Hot weather makes you think one thing – where can I get in the water?

Whether you’re looking for sailing, windsurfing or canoeing, The Welsh Harp – also known as Brent Reservoir – has been called London’s best kept secret and is only a few short miles from Finchley.

The Welsh Harp Sailing Association manages the site – you can learn a range of water sports from the clubs on the Harp.

Welsh Harp Sailing Club

WHSC will teach you to sail or windsurf, you can race GP14s and Lasers, go offshore and indulge in social activities from quiz nights to ski trips.

They offer sailing, windsurfing and wing foiling against the stunning backdrop of Wembley Stadium.

For those wanting to learn to sail and windsurf, there are weekly free training for members as well as RYA courses for Juniors and Adults for all levels from beginner to racer. There’s also £10 sailing and windsurfing taster sessions for adults and children on Thursday evenings and courses over the summer.

Phoenix Canoe Club

Affiliated to the British Canoe Union and accredited with Sport England’s “Club Mark”, the club operates a progressive programme of training and activities including river trips, whitewater and surf training.

Membership is open to children over 9 and adults. Open most Sundays. The Outdoor Centre runs a range of activities for schools, youth and community groups and the general public while the Canoe Club offers a range of kayak and canoe courses and recreational activities.

Wembley Sailing Club

Offers year-round racing, social sailing, and RYA-recognised training. The club features a friendly bar and galley with stunning lakeside views. Members enjoy Sunday morning races all year and Wednesday evening races in summer. With expert coaching and a clear pathway from beginner to regional level, it’s a welcoming hub for sailors of all abilities.

Regatta Safety Boating Base

The home of water safety and first training, RSBB offers a range of courses and memberships.

Sea Cadets

The Marine Society, more familiarly known as the Sea Cadets, have a base on the Harp which provides tuition to Sea Cadets on sailing and rowing.

Finchley locals have five great ways to get on the water - no sea required. 🛶

Events

KIDS

Sunday 29th July

Children's Garden Party - Keats Community | Sun, Jun. 29 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | Keats House & Community Library Hampstead | Free | Mark your diaries for the Children’s Garden Party later this month - lots of activities for both children and adults to enjoy, a very happy yearly event organised by the volunteers of Hampstead Summer Festival and with thanks to Keats House Museum for hosting in their beautiful historic garden.

ARTS

Saturday 28th June

East Finchley Open Artists Open House Weekends | Sat, Jun. 28 | 11:00 am to 6:00 pm | Artist’s houses in East Finchley area | Free | Join us for the East Finchley Open Artists’ Open House Weekends, happening over two weekends: 28/29th June and 5/6th July. Discover the captivating work of our local artists as they transform 14 homes in East, Central Finchley and Muswell Hill into vibrant galleries. This is your perfect opportunity to connect with artists, learn about their creative processes, and purchase unique, handcrafted pieces directly.

Sunday 29th June

Junko O'Neill: Miscellany | Sun, Jun. 29 | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Burgh House, New End Square, NW3 1LT | An exhibition of contemporary abstract paintings using ‘Iwaenogu’, traditional Japanese paints.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday 24th June

LFA 2025 Place At The Table: Voices Across Generations | Tue, Jun. 24 | 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Brent Cross Town Visitor Pavilion, 145 Claremont Road, NW2 1FE | Free | How can cities support more inclusive, connected and intergenerational futures? ‘Place at the Table: Voices Across Generations‘ is an interactive event that will bring together city-makers, community leaders, and local residents to explore how places can support well-being, connection, and collective agency.

Thursday 26th June

Interview with Women’s Prize Longlisted Author Pam Williams at Church End Library N3 | Thu, Jun. 26 | 7:00 pm to 8:09 pm | Church End Library, N3 | Free | To mark Windrush Day I’ll be interviewing author Pam Williams about her Women’s Prize longlisted novel, A Trace of Sun, set mainly in North London and inspired by her own family story.

Sunday 29th June

The N21 Summer Dog Show | Sun, Jun. 29 | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | The Sidings, Winchmore Hill, next to the train station, N21 3NG | £5 | Love Your N21 market, Muddy Mutley and WH residence association have joined force and we are holding Love Your N21 Summer Dog ShowIt’s set to be a great day with brand new stall holders selling dog treats and food and some firm favourites lined up for you to do some shopping, grab a bite to eat with a cheeky drink and support our amazing local stall holders PLUS an amazing dog show.

Hooray for Hendon: a Guided Walk | Sun, Jun. 29 | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | Meet outside Hendon Central tube station NW4 3AS. | £15, £5 under 12s | A thousand glorious years, from the Domesday Book to Hendon Aerodrome and beyond. With Paul Baker, City of London guide. Email.

MUSIC

Saturday 28th June

Sunday 29th June

North London Youth Orchestra - Music Of The English Landscape | Sun, Jun. 29 | 5:00 pm | The Free Church, North Square, NW11 7AG | £10 | The North London Youth Orchestra is gearing up for our second concert on Sunday 29th June, with beautiful music by Vaughan Williams and Elgar.

SUSTAINABILITY

Saturday 28th June

Muswell Hill Repair Cafe | Sat, Jun. 28 | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Muswell Hill Methodist Church, 28, Pages Lane, N10 1PP | Free | This is the new launch of the Muswell Hill repair cafe. Muswell Hill sustainability group is ensuring that broken items are diverted from the landfill and back into the hands of the people. up-skilling up people to repair items in the future.

Events - Book Ahead

Sunday 6th July

Big Fair Day | Sun, Jul. 6 | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3, Near Hampstead Tube Station | Free | Heath Street is closed to traffic and will be lined with over 110 stalls selling artisan crafts, designer fashions, and international food and drink. A fantastic day out for the whole family, there’s entertainment for everyone including a funfair, the Sport Zone, and a Circus School for children.

Thursday 10th July

Lila Dance: Fault Lines | Thu, Jul. 10 | 7:30 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | £18 | Fault Lines pulls at the tension in our relationship with nature. Our constant pursuit of progress increasing the speed of life has left us out of sync with the natural world. Fault Lines explores the environmental damage we’ve inflicted but asks what happens when we stand together with hope? What will that take?

Saturday 28th June

West Reservoir Saturday Swim | Sat, Jul. 19 | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | West Reservoir Water Sports Centre, Green Lanes, Woodberry Down, N4 2HA | Free | Mental Health Swims is a community that welcomes and empowers everyone – people of all body shapes, skin colours, ages, backgrounds, genders, sexualities and abilities to enjoy the healing power of cold water and community.

Local Lowdown

Remembering

Glowing green for Grenfell. Hendon Town Hall was lit up in green last week to honour those lost in the Grenfell tragedy. A moment to reflect and stand together.

Saving

Historic heartbreak. Barnet Museum’s dream to save Tudor Hall has crumbled. Trustees have pulled out due to lack of funds. The Grade II-listed gem, once a grammar school founded in 1573, remains up for grabs. Local groups are gutted, and the future of this slice of Barnet history hangs in the balance.

Playing

Game, set, match. Over 1,000 locals have snapped up Barnet council’s affordable tennis membership, with court bookings smashing 60,000 a year. Thanks to a £1.3m revamp, you can now play for just £36.15 annually. Grab a racket - Wimbledon dreams start right here.

Traveling

Superloop speeds up. TfL plans a new express SL13 bus to connect Ealing Broadway and Hendon. Public consultations will happen in autumn. If approved, this route could turbocharge cross-town journeys and connect us to even more of London’s hotspots.

Developing

Skyline showdown. Almost 2,000 locals have signed a petition. They oppose Regal’s plan to replace the Tally Ho Corner buildings with 855 flats in blocks that are up to 21 storeys high. Residents call it “over-development” and want to be heard before the skyline changes dramatically.

The Finchleyite: Henry Croft

Who know that pearlies have a Finchley connection? Henry Croft was a humble road sweeper in Islington who founded London’s Pearly Kings and Queens tradition. Last week saw a celebration at Maddens Bar in East Finchley. Pearlies also paid their respects at Islington and St Pancras Cemetery, where Mr Croft is buried, to mark 150 years since he started it.

Croft was born in a Somers Town workhouse in 1861. He decorated his clothes with East End mother-of-pearl buttons to raise funds for local hospitals. By 1880, his dazzling "smother suit" became a fixture at charity pageants.

By 1911, every London borough had its own pearly royalty. When Croft died in 1930, his funeral – filmed by Pathé – drew 400 pearly kings and queens. He was buried in East Finchley’s St Pancras Cemetery.

A life-sized marble statue of Croft, standing 5 feet (1.5 m) high, wearing a pearly tail-coat with top hat and cane, was restored and removed to the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields in 2002.