Welcome

It's our second birthday on 2nd October. 179 emails. 3,082 subscribers. A lot of celebrities. Can you believe it.

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We've rounded up some of our favourites, and got a hyper-local Finchleyite... scroll down.

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And if you ever use Regents Park Road and are concerned about the safety aspects of the new (paused) Bus Lane please sign and share the petition. ​

🎂 Happy 2nd Birthday To Us

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Happy 2^nd birthday. So much community, connection… love. We love our overflowing inbox and our Insta followers. We love YOU.

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Here’s some of our highlights.

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Quadrantid meteor shower in January 2024

Stargazer alert. The Quadrantid meteor shower is set to dazzle North London, peaking with up to 110 meteors per hour on Jan 3-4. Head to spots like Hampstead Observatory for the best view. Lie back and let the cosmos do the talking. More here (scroll down).​

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Antiques Roadshow June 2025

Who can forget this Finchley first - the BBC's Antiques Roadshow was filmed at our very own Stephen's House & Gardens.

​And what a day – a fabulous mix of community, friendship and history with a little bit of queuing thrown in. And strawberries and cream. A perfect Finchley sunny day. More here. Watch here. And here.

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Five Finchley podcast episodes February 2024

In the age of digital connection, podcasts are a window to insight, entertainment, and education with a personal touch. We shared 5 Finchley-focused podcasts to connect you more closely with the community.

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Fanksy Street Art October 2023

One of our earliest posts – we named local face-based street artist “Fanksy” (Finchley’s Banksy, geddit?)

We came over all arty and said: “Street art has an ephemeral quality. Our local artist creates thoughtful, site-specific installations that leave no permanent mark.

​Is the work a meditation on impermanence, a commentary on our throwaway society?” More here.​

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Kindness Project Jan 25

​East Finchley actor and film-maker Joshua Ford, 31, wanted to spread kindness across London. He left 100 handwritten notes of encouragement in unexpected places for strangers to discover. More here.​

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Other little snippets. Terry’s Chocolate Orange – it’s a Finchleyite. Karen Harris, first female train driver in Britain – born in Finchley.​

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A reminder

We work on this as a side-gig, because we love Finchley (and the surrounding areas).

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We convene the community to spread good vibes about local initiatives and activities.

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We love it when you share your subscriber link and give more people the Joy of Finchley Now.

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We want to hear from you – local events and local news.

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And we’re very open to sponsorship – 3k+ engaged subscribers with open rates around 40% and click through rates at around 6% average.

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Thanks for reading – and happy birthday to us. 🎂

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Events

ARTS

Saturday 4th October

​Open Mic Night | Sat, Oct. 04 | 7:00 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £10.69 | Open Mic - Young Singers Showcase. Support our local talent at our under 18s Open Mic Showcase.

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Thursday 9th October

​The Coveryard: Dancing On Our Own | Thu, Oct. 9 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £21 | A genre-blending celebration of the alt-divas of the 90s with mash-ups and reinterpretations of the music of Alanis Morissette, Björk, Sinéad O’Connor and more.

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Saturday 11th October

​Open Studios Muswell Hill & Alexandra Palace - Free Art Trail | Sat, Oct. 11 | 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | Free | Muswell Hill & Alexandra Palace N10 | Free | For one weekend in October, you are invited to wander from one artist's studio to another, viewing paintings, ceramics, jewellery, handmade dolls and more. Discover hidden artistic gems in unexpected places - from converted garden sheds to Victorian drawing rooms.

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THEATRE

Thursday 9th October

​Accidental Death Of An Anarchist | Thu, Oct. 9 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Upstairs at the Gatehouse | £15 concessions £13 | A razor-sharp political farce that proves the most dangerous weapon isn't a gun - it's laughter.

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COMMUNITY

Tuesday 7th October

​Wild Women Campfire Circle | Tue, Oct. 07 | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Green Well-Being Hub, Mays Lane, EN5 2AG | TBA | New Monthly campfire sessions. Recognise the seasons, craft and make things and take a bit of time for yourself.

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​Barnet Borough For The Sight Impaired | Tue, Oct. 07 | 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm | St Mary's Church Hall, Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free | Friendly meetings offer an enjoyable exercise class or discussion group followed by a talk by a visiting speaker usually for eyesight related subjects, live entertainment, and refreshments.

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Thursday 9th October

​Our North Finchley Public Meeting | Thu, Oct. 09 | 7:00 pm | St Barnabas Church, N12 8QJ | Free | Join for a major community meeting to hear from local and regional elected representatives and others with expertise. This is a chance to have your say on the Masterplan and GNLP development proposals for North Finchley.

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KIDS

Saturday 11th October

​Halloween at Lewis of London | Sat, Oct. 11 | Lewis of London, Fold Farm, Galley Lane, Barnet, EN5 4RA | From £4.93 | Mountains of pumpkins, frightful fun, and chilling ice cream… all this at Lewis of Londons Halloween special event. Roam our frightful field, haunted hay bales, and the Shop of Horrors to choose your perfect pumpkin.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Sunday 5th October

​Rewear The Revolution, Fast Fashion and Eco Action | Sun, Oct. 5 | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Jewish Vegetarian Society, 853 Finchley Road, NW11 1LX | 10 | Discover how fashion connects to climate, creativity, and justice at this inspiring afternoon with fashion activist Leah Thorn and artist Miki Shaw. Join honest, inclusive conversations about fashion, the environment, and social justice.

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NATURE

Monday 29th September

​90 Mini-Meadows In 60 days | Mon, Sep. 29 | 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Finchley Church End Library | Free | "Bee" a pollinator and food-security hero and make a mini-meadow in your Finchley-based driveway, balcony or garden. Whether in the ground or in a pot, small patches of wildflowers can be a lifeline for biodiversity. Sign-up to this initiative by the Finchley Pollinator Project to get FREE wildflower seeds as well as advice and support. Collect your seeds on Monday (Finchley Church End) or Tuesday, 7pm-8pm (North Finchley Library). We can also mail the seeds to you.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 18th October

​Enfield Poets Literary Festival 2025 | Sat, Oct. 18 | 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | Forty Hall, Forty Hill, Enfield, EN2 9HA | Free | A variety of different poetry events including: Visions of poetry by Anthony Fisher, Gilded Poems, The neurodivergent process in creative writing and so many more poetry events.

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Wednesday 29th October

​Half-Term Gardening Volunteering | Wed, Oct. 29 | 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm | The Hive, Hampstead Heath, Nassington Road, NW3 2TY | Free | In this session participants will be gardening and taking part in light conservation tasks around the Hive area.

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Monday 3rd November

​Highgate Watercolour Group Annual Exhibition 2025 | Mon, Nov. 03 | Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, N6 5HG | Free | The Highgate Watercolour Group are welcoming visitors to the beautiful historic setting of Lauderdale House, where 20 artists will exhibit around 200 framed works on paper at their 2025 exhibition.

Local Lowdown

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Scaffolding

• Hollybush House on Hadley Green is now safe to clear. A fire in May had turned the Georgian gem into a hollow shell. With scaffolding now stabilising its fragile walls, crews will start removing debris before repairs begin. The owners promise a full restoration of this historic 1790 landmark.

Busing

• Brake lights back on. Barnet Council has 'paused' the Regents Park Road bus lane after a wave of protests from locals and politicians. More than 420 residents joined a WhatsApp group opposing it, raising safety and congestion worries. For now, the 13 and 460 routes are back to business as usual.

Tidying

• McTeamwork in action. Staff from local McDonald’s branches joined forces in High Barnet for an annual litter pick. Five teams cleared footpaths, alleyways, and open spaces often skipped by council cleaners. It’s part of the chain’s push to keep areas within 200 metres of each branch tidy.

Millionairing

• Fancy addresses get fancier. The average house price in South Hampstead has now surpassed £1 million. While London prices dropped 2.4% since 2022, South Hampstead bucked the trend. South Hampstead's winning combo includes top schools like South Hampstead High School and proximity to posh neighbours like St John's Wood.

Elevating

• Heights calling. While London Underground sounds subterranean, only 45% actually runs underground. The Northern line rises 18 metres above ground on the Dollis Brook Viaduct, between Mill Hill East and Finchley Central. This elevated stretch offers dramatic views but might unnerve those with height fears.

The Finchleyite: Paul Kaye

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Actor, comedian and Finchley resident Paul Kaye is best known as Thoros of Myr in Game of Thrones.

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He first found fame as Dennis Pennis, the outrageous red-haired interviewer on The Sunday Show, later skewering Hollywood stars in Very Important Pennis.

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His TV highlights include Mike Strutter in MTV’s Strutter, Vince the fox in BBC’s Mongrels, Vinculus in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, psychiatrist in Netflix’s After Life, Malcolm Donahue in ITV’s Vera, and Patrick Katz in Netflix’s The Stranger.

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On stage, he shone as Mr. Wormwood in the RSC’s Matilda, earning an Olivier nomination. A former musician and Spurs graphic designer, Kaye features in the forthcoming BBC comedy Small Prophets starring Mackenzie Crook and Sir Michael Palin.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

Just back from a flying visit to Manchester - school reunion, Friday night dinner with the family and that lovely fresh Manchester air.

Photographic evidence of the reunion (including a couple of now-Finchleyites) is embargoed. But spied this poster on a school tour - really spoke to me.

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Also, let us know about local events or local news. We curate our content to keep it a 5-minute read, so can't include everything we're sent.

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You can now get a guaranteed (paid) listing for local events or local lowdown/news items.

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​And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.

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Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze