Welcome

This week we look at making the most of the Welsh Harp, and also the campaign against the Great North Leisure Park development.

🍳 6 Finchleyish Watersports Spots

The hot weather looks like it's back this week. And it 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.

​1: 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.

2: ​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.

​3: 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.

​4: Regatta Safety Boating Base​​

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

5: ​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

ARTS

Saturday 13th June

​Introduction to Watercolour Painting | Sat, Jun. 13 | 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm | Clitterhouse Farm, Clitterhouse Playing Fields, Claremont Rd, NW2 1AP | £15 adults, £10 children | Join local artist Janine for a laid-back Saturday afternoon watercolour workshop in the beautiful Clitterhouse Farm gardens. You will learn how to produce different effects with watercolour, such as layering colours and blending. A practical workshop for beginners or anyone keen to build their skills. No experience needed, all materials provided.

COMMUNITY

Thursday 11th June

​Barn Conversation: Alice Vincent & Joycelyn Longdon on Listening | Thu, Jun. 11 | 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm | OmVed Gardens | From £6 | Join writer Alice Vincent and environmental justice technologist Dr Joycelyn Longdon for a powerful conversation about how listening shapes their work. They explore their latest books, Hark: How Women Listen and Natural Connection, digging into the ways listening fosters resilience, empathy and reconnection.

FOOD

Saturday 13th June

​Fair in the Square | Sat, Jun. 13 | 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Pond Square, Highgate, N6 6BN | Free | Highgate Fair in the Square is one of the highlights of the Highgate summer calendar. Expect many local handmade stalls and street food stalls with live music, plus a big raffle this year. Come and join in.

MUSIC

Monday 8th June

​Operabites | Mon, Jun. 8 | 6:30 pm | St John-at-Hampstead Church, Church Row, NW3 6UU | £25 | Join British Argentinian soprano Ceferina Penny for an evening of glorious music from Mozart to Puccini. An alumna of the National Opera Studio, this is a recital not to be missed.

NATURE

Wednesday 10th June

​Drop-In Family Gardening | Wed, Jun. 10 | 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm | The Hive, Hampstead Heath, Nassington Road, NW3 2TY | Free | Join the family-friendly drop-in volunteering sessions, with gardening and light conservation tasks around the Hive.

Sunday 14th June

​Terrific Totteridge: a Guided Walk | Sun, Jun. 14 | 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Meet outside Totteridge & Whetstone tube station | £15, £5 under 12s | One of the wealthiest and loveliest of all London suburbs, with stunning houses, famous names and a gorgeous green. With Paul Baker, City of London guide.

OLDER PEOPLE

Tuesday 9th June

​Ageing Well with Right at Home - Art for the Mind | Tue, Jun. 9 | 11:30 am to 12:30 pm | Chipping Barnet Library, 3 Stapylton Road, EN5 4QT | Free | A creative wellbeing cafe supporting memory, connection and joyful ageing through art. Fire up your imagination and experiment with materials and techniques such as printmaking, felt making and collage to create exciting artwork.

SHOPPING

Saturday 13th June

​Artisan Makers Market | Sat, Jun. 13 | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | Stapylton Road, EN5 4JJ | Free | You are all invited to an Artisan Makers Market at Wesley Hall behind The Spires. Shop local and support your local small businesses.

SPORTS

Monday 8th June

​Tai Chi in the Park | Mon, Jun. 8 | 4:00 pm | Bury Lodge Gardens, N9 9LL | £5 | Tai chi in the walled garden of Bury Lodge Gardens, running every Monday until early October. A gentle, welcoming way to start the week.

Sunday 14th June

​Healthy Heritage Walk | Sun, Jun. 14 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley, 26 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free | A fascinating 5-mile circular route, curated by guides, to soak up some history, get some exercise and celebrate our green spaces, with drinks and nibbles from 4:30 pm. Why not stay for the Cello Concert in church from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, with wine and soft drinks afterwards?

Events - Book Ahead

Tuesday 30th June

​Shakers Re-stirred (play) | Tue, Jun. 30 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Incognito Theatre | £11 | Carol, Adele, Nicky and Mel work in a bar that is worse than hell. Welcome to the 80s, where every town has its Shakers, the oh-so-trendy cocktail bar where everyone wants to be seen, from the checkout girls to the chinless wonders.

Friday 3rd July

​The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School presents "The Shim Sham Club" | Fri, Jul. 3 | 7:00 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £21.38 | The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School welcomes you to experience The Shim Sham Club. Grab a drink from the bar and immerse yourself in the 1920s jazz era. The talented pupils of North London's only full-time stage school always leave their audience wanting more.

Sunday 5th July

​Jazz On The Green | Sun, Jul. 5 | 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Hadley Green West, EN5 4PL | £13 | The Hadley Residents' Association presents Jazz and more on the Green 2026, a vibrant open-air concert on the beautiful Hadley Green. Join for an afternoon of live music, food, drink and fun with friends and family. Doors open at 12:00, with live music from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

Local Lowdown

Remembering

• A north London food legend has died at 82. Peter Vogl, known to all as Peter Panzer, ran St John's Wood's beloved Panzer's deli for decades, turning it into a culinary institution famed for its smoked salmon and bagels. Friends and customers are remembering Peter Panzer this week.

Winning

• Forget the runners-up, North London has a champion. Local cook Jhane Gibson, 29, has been crowned MasterChef 2026, winning the first series under new judges Grace Dent and Anna Haugh. The British-Jamaican chef wowed with vibrant Caribbean flavours drawn from her family's parties and celebrations. A worthy local winner.

Fostering

• Hats off to nine Barnet foster carers honoured for five years of service at a recent awards ceremony. The council says its carers now give over 300 local children a loving, stable home. With more still needed, you can find out about fostering in Barnet and the support on offer.

Exporting

• Barnet brains are going global. Queen Elizabeth's School, the High Barnet grammar founded in 1573, becomes the first UK state school to open affiliated branches abroad, with new Queen Elizabeth's Schools opening in Dubai and India this August. Any revenues will be reinvested in the original Barnet school.

Basking

• Sun's thinking about coming out, drinks are out. Sunseekr, the app that tracks which pub gardens are bathed in sunshine in real time, has had a makeover and now shows hour-by-hour sun on individual terraces. Plan your next pint with this handy sunny pub-garden map and never sit in the shade again.

The Finchleyite: Finchley Lido

​Our North Finchley is campaigning against the approved redevelopment of Great North Leisure Park, which would demolish the Hollywood Bowl, Vue cinema, restaurants and Finchley Lido leisure facilities to build 1,485 flats in tall, dense blocks.

Residents say the scheme offers too little affordable housing, no social housing, poor design, inadequate parking, weak public transport links and risks damage to Glebelands Nature Reserve, home to protected wildlife.

Barnet Council rejected the plans in December 2025, but Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe overturned that decision on 27 May 2026.

Campaigners now need to raise more than £8,000 for legal costs to seek a Judicial Review (GoFundMe here). They want a better plan: affordable family homes, community infrastructure, improved leisure facilities and protection for local green space.

There’s a Community Gathering/Walkathon Sunday 14th June 2026 at the Glebelands Nature Reserve.

​Sign the petition here.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

Late spring has sprung or early summer has come early - just very very excited about my newly planted planters.

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.

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

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

Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze