Welcome

This week we've got great Finchley-centric places to get your bluebell hit in the next week or so. And the most Kafkaesque parking story with a Finchley-edge.

Don't say we don't spoil you.

And Happy Birthday to Anna M for last week - 23rd April.

🪻5 Finchleyish Bluebell Bliss Spots

Blubell Woods painting by Alex Uxbridge at Highgate Arts

April into May is peak bluebell season. Move quickly - you’ve got a couple of weeks.

Step into ancient woodlands where carpets of bluebells transform the landscape each spring. These timeless forests offer a peaceful escape, rich in colour, history, and the scent of wild blooms.

And of course bluebells are good for the planet, supplying early pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.

Plus they look stunning.

Here are 4 bluebell hot spots within easy reach of Finchley, where you can fully appreciate these woodland wonders:

1: Coldfall Woods, N10

Spanning 15 hectares in Muswell Hill, blanketed in blue, Coldfall Woods is one not to miss. It offers extensive trails for bluebell seekers.

Nearest station: East Finchley

2: Highgate Wood, N10

The bluebells at Highgate Wood are a favourite for Londoners seeking their annual bluebell fix. This ancient woodland bursts into a sea of blue roundabout now. accessible via the Cranley Gate or Bridge Gate, enter at the north edge.

Nearest station: Highgate

3: Hampstead Heath, NW3

Hampstead Heath has plenty of bluebells to delight and surprise. The best displays are found on Lime Avenue Bank, which runs from East Heath Road to Millfield Lane. Other good spots are the area opposite Kenwood House, along the edge of the North Wood, and around Beech Mount, as well as the woodlands near the Pergola and Hill Gardens.

Nearest station: Gospel Oak

4: Ashridge Estate, HP4

A bit further afield, Ashridge Estate is renowned for its breathtaking bluebell displays. There are lots of conservation efforts in place to ensure the area is protected.

Nearest station: Tring is 3.4 miles away, and around 40 minutes direct train from Euston

We hope this season’s bluebells enchant and inspire you. They’re not known as fairy flowers for nothing – the violet glow of a bluebell wood in an incredible wildflower spectacle.

We'd love to see your bluebell pics.

Happy bluebell hunting.🪻

Events

KIDS

Saturday 3rd May

An Audience With Children’s Author M. G. Leonard | Sat, May. 03 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Finchley Church End Library, N3 2LN | £3.50 - £5 | Meet award-winning author, M.G. Leonard as she talks about her new book ‘Hunt for the Golden Scarab’. M.G. Leonard is the author of the bestselling Adventures on Trains series, The Ice Children, and Beetle Boy, currently in development as a live-action series for television.

ARTS

Sunday 4th May

Clare Mulley Discusses Agent Zo | Sun, May. 04 | 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | Finchley Church End Library, N3 2LN | £5 | Award-winning historian, author and broadcaster Clare Mulley discusses her book ‘Agent Zo’, The Untold Story of Fearless World War 2 resistance fighter Elzbieta Zawacka. Elzbieta trained secretly in the British countryside and was the only female member of the SOE-affiliated forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland.

Tuesday 6th May

Sip and Paint | Tue, May. 6 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | The Windsor Castle, N2 | £30 | Unleash your creativity at Sip ‘n Paint, where painting meets laughter, good company, and a relaxed atmosphere. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced painter, this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a fun evening. Step-by-step guided session. All materials provided.

COMMUNITY

Sunday 3rd May

Thursday 8th May

VE Celebration At Barnet Church | Thu, May. 08 | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | St John the Baptist Church, Chipping Barnet, EN5 4BW | Free | Celebrate and commemorate VE day with St John the Baptist Church, Barnet. The Tower will be Open. Pimms, tea, and cake are provided.

Monday 12th May

A Whistle Stop, History Of Barnet | Mon, May. 12 | 3:00 pm | St John the Baptist's Church, EN5 4BW | £2 | The Next Lecture in the Barnet Museum lecture series has been announced as "a whistle stop history of Barnet". More details will be revealed closer to the date.

MUSIC

Saturday 10th May

Birds, Beasts and Bugs - A Musical Menagerie | Sat, May. 10 | 7:30 pm | Trinity Church, North Finchley, N12 7NN | £18 | All creatures great and small have frequently been a source of inspiration for composers of choral and vocal music. In this concert, you can enjoy pieces in the widest variety of styles, from the Renaissance to the present day, all with an animal theme.

Sunday 11th May

Concert: Obsidian Baroque, Sonatas and Sarabandes | Sun, May. 11 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley Parish, 26 Hendon Lane N3 1TR | Free | Join us to enjoy an hour of Baroque concert of Salon and Dance music performed by prize-winning Obsidian Baroque, directed by Hannah Blumsohn.

COMEDY

Saturday 10th May

Bull Theatre - Open Mic Night | Sat, May. 10 | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | The Bull Theatre, Barnet, EN5 5SJ | £10 | popular Under 18s Open Mic Night is back again, Entry deadline 26th April. First come, first served. You will need to send in the backing track before 26th April.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sunday 4th May

Plant and Play | Sun, May. 4 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | 66 Windermere Avenue, N3 3RD | Free | Plant a pot with pollinator-friendly plants and take it home to add beauty and biodiversity to your outdoor space. All materials provided. Enjoy the lovely vibe of a car-free Play Street.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 7th June

Barnet Medieval Festival | Sat, Jun. 07 | 10:30 am to 5:30 pm | Lewis Of London, Fold Farm, Gallery Lane, EN5 4RA | Free for Under 12s, £5 for 12 - 17 year olds and £10 for 18+ | The Barnet Medieval Festival is dedicated to engaging people in the history of the Battle of Barnet and its significance within the Wars of the Roses. Fought on 14th April 1471, the Battle of Barnet saw Edward IV lead his Yorkist army to victory against the Lancastrian forces led by the Earl of Warwick

Sunday 29th June

Race The Neighbours - Summer | Sun, Jun. 29 | Cherry Tree Wood, 88 Summerlee Avenue, N2 9QH | £20 | North London Hospice is excited to be back with our Summer Race the Neighbours event. Join this fantastic 10K run through East Finchley and Muswell Hill for the friendliest community crowd and incredible views over London.

Sunday 6th July

Hampstead Summer Festival: Big Fair in Heath Street | Sun, Jul. 06 | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Heath Street, NW3 6UA | Free entry | Fun fair, 100+ craft stalls & international food and drink, circus school for kids, rocking music to get you dancing in the street. From Hampstead Tube to Whitestone Pond.

Local Lowdown

Running

Running royalty in our midst. North Finchley's Bill O'Connor, 79, just completed his 44th consecutive London Marathon. The Queens Park Harriers president first ran in 1981 aged 35 and hasn't missed one since. His club celebrated with a portrait in his honour. When asked if marathons got harder over time, Bill simply quipped: "It got slower."

Living

Housing heatwave. N6 is sizzling while the rest of London cools off. Highgate and Hampstead are going against the trend. They saw a 15% rise in homes under offer, even with a citywide sales slowdown. Family-friendly, village vibes and City commutes keep this postcode hot-even as others freeze up.

Banking

Branching out - literally. Santander's Ballards Lane branch will close permanently on 6th August. This is part of a nationwide plan that cuts 95 branches and puts 750 jobs at risk. If you’re a local, you’ll need to bank online, at the Post Office, or find another branch.

Reading

Bookworms, rejoice. The British Library is getting a £1.1bn glow-up starting in 2026. Look forward to a stunning new foyer, more entrances, and an extra 100,000 sq ft for browsing, learning, and enjoying a coffee or two. The big reveal is set for 2032, and the works have been approved by Camden Council.

Surfing

Speedy surfing. Barnet is getting a broadband upgrade. This will make our internet speeds some of the fastest in Europe. The upgrade is part of Openreach's £15 billion UK-wide telecommunications investment. About 8,000 households from Barnet Homes will benefit, plus many other homes in the borough. Time to say goodbye to those buffering wheels.

Stacked, Stuck, Finally Freed. Finchley?

Grey van finally freed after 2 years. Really.

After over two years trapped in a central London mechanical car park, Steve Davies and Mark Lucas of HCS Furniture, have finally recovered their electric van after an enforced holiday in Rathbone Square’s car park.

A fault with the automated stacking system had stack-trapped up to 40 vehicles since December 2022. The dystopian parking-technology saga has cost them nearly £50,000 for a replacement van, plus more for recovery and servicing. “The coffers are fairly low at the moment” says Steve.

The BBC News story quotes Finchley-based mechanic Laura Kennedy at all-female garage Spanners With Manners, warning that retrieved vehicles could face serious damage. I sense some litigation on the horizon. Legal experts say owners may seek compensation for “loss of enjoyment” and inconvenience, although liability remains in question.

Steve Davies says he’s relieved to see light at the end of the tunnel – or should that be exit sign finally in sight?

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Editors' Note - From Sasha

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Sasha Frieze

Finchley Now

🗞️ Where are the most stunning bluebells in North London?