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This week we've got 3 unique trips to take you outside of Finchley, and the amazing Club bringing women together.

🥳 3 Unique Day Trips Outside Of Finchley

Looking to venture outside of Finchley for a day?

Sometimes, a change of scenery is all it takes to recharge.

Here are our top 3 picks.

1: Step into a Living Painting at Painshill.

Just an hour and a half from Finchley lies Painshill, a stunning 18th-century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey.

Imagine walking through a living work of art. Painshull has a mesmerizing Crystal Grotto, elegant ruins, and serene lake views. Painshill is like stepping into a landscape painting.

Don't miss their architectural walk or the fully accessible route for a leisurely exploration of the grounds.

2: Aromatic Adventures at Mayfield Lavender Farm

An hour-and-a-half drive will also take you to Mayfield Lavender Farm in Banstead, Surrey.

This 25-acre farm revives the splendor of an original Victorian lavender field.

The scent of lavender fills the air, creating a tranquil backdrop for stunning photos.

Beyond looking at the gorgeous lavender the farm offers a charming café, a shop with unique lavender products, and even tractor rides through the fields.

Entry is just £5, with children under 12 admitted free. Plan your visit by exploring their site here.

3: A Haven for Book Lovers at 66 Books.

Closer to home, just 25 minutes away in Hemel Hempstead, book enthusiasts can unearth literary treasures at a unique book wholesaler.

66 Books is open to the public just one weekend a month. You pay a nominal £2 membership for your household. Then you get 70% off retail prices.

It has over 15,000 titles and us a paradise for readers.

Open dates over the summer include: the 3rd to 4th August and the 31st August to the 1st September.

So why wait?

Plan your next day trip today and make it worth leaving Finchley for.

🥳

Events

KIDS

Skateboarding With Keep Rolling Project | Sat, Jul. 27 | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | Claremont Park Basketball Court, NW2 1BY | £2 | Join the Keep Rolling project in Claremont Park for skateboarding lessons, designed to empower young people aged 7-15 through skateboarding. The lessons will be run by the Keep Rolling Project, female certified skateboard coaches, and youth workers.

SHOPPING

Barnet Furniture Centre - Vintage Pop Up | Sat, Jul. 27 | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | 4 Queens Parade Close, N11 3FY | Free entry | Hosted by the Barnet Furniture Centre, join others in a day of bargain hunting for vintage furniture, clothes and other household items.

MUSIC

Beyond The Baseline - 500 Years of Black British Music | Mon, Jul. 22 (until Wed, Jul. 31) | 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm | British Library, NW1 2DB | £10 for under 30s | Beyond the Bassline is a map through Black music in Britain. Transporting experiences give way to absorbing soundscapes, artworks, and films produced by artists and collectives across the UK all collected under the roof of the British Library.

Metalbrew Festival | Sat, Jul. 27 | 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm | Hendon Rugby Football Club, NW4 1RL | from £16.96 | Welcome to Metalbrew, the ultimate one-day heavy metal music festival nestled in the heart of North London. Prepare to immerse yourself in a relentless onslaught of thunderous riffs, bone-crushing beats, and electrifying performances from both new and seasoned metal acts.

SUSTAINABILITY

Helping Local Business Go Green | Tue, Jul. 23 | 9:00 am to 10:45 am | The Visitor Pavilion, 145 Claremont Rd, NW2 1FE | Free | You’ll have the chance to learn more about what free support is available to help businesses become more sustainable. You can meet with Council officers, sustainability experts, and local councillors who will share more about what the council’s target of becoming a Net Zero council by 2042 means for you as business owners.

Finchley Pollinator Project - Creative Nature Series | Sun, Jul. 28 | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Albert Place, N3 1QF | Free | Join the Finchley Pollinators and help to continue replanting the planters in Finchley Central to make Finchley Central more pollinator friendly. Registration in advance is required.

SPORTS

BTTC - Summer Camp | Thu, Jul. 25 | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Barnet Table Tennis Centre EN5 2DN | £40 | This table tennis camp runs during every school holiday for all levels and abilities at the training hub. The first part of the day involves learning new techniques and the second part is all about having fun in a disciplined environment.

COMMUNITY

Friday Night Funnies | Fri, Jul. 26 | 7:00 pm to 9:15 pm | 290 Chase Side, N14 4PE | £13 | Live comedy at Chickenshed presented by Resistance Comedy! Grab your drinks from the bar, enjoy some tasty snacks, and strap-in for a night of funnies at this month's Friday Night Funnies. Booking in advance is advised.

N2 Mums Speak | Sat, Aug. 03 | Barnwood Community Forest, N2 8HU | Free | Talks for and by mums in the East Finchley area and beyond. A safe and inclusive space to meet other mums in the community and a way to share stories. Email N2MumsSpeak@gmail.com to book.

South Asian Heritage Month Celebrations | Sat, Aug. 10 | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | Barnet Multi Cultural Community Centre Ltd Algernon Road, NW4 3TA | Free | Join Barnets South Asian Heritage Month celebrations at the Barnet Multi Cultural Community Centre for a day filled with cultural performances, delicious food, and vibrant festivities.

THEATRE

Go! The Musical | Tue, Jul. 23 | 7:30 pm to 9:15 pm | Upstairs At The Gatehouse | £18 | This new musical retells the messy part of Exodus with rhythm and rhyme, power and politics. A prince has sacrificed everything to free his people from dictatorship, only to find his mission descending into chaos. At the beginning of the story, Moses has rescued the slaves from Pharaoh, his ‘mother’, but soon realises that that was the easy bit.

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck | Wed, Jul. 24 | The Bothy Gardens at Stephens House & Gardens, N3 3QE | £12.50 under 2s go free | New for 2024, Quantum presents a delightful new adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved tale — The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck . Prevented from hatching her eggs at the farm, foolish Jemima goes in search of a nesting place in the forest where she finds things are not what they seem.

Much Ado About Nothing | Sat, Jul. 27 | 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm | Keats House, NW3 2RR | £25.00 | Much Ado About Nothing by Moving Parts Theatre Company coming to Keats House. Full of the twists and turns of love and life, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, inventively adapted by Moving Parts Theatre Company for modern enjoyment. This is a fun and lively production accompanied throughout by a fantastic original score, which is inspired by everything from Sicilian tarantella to 60s pop and is performed live by the actors themselves.

Events - Book Ahead

Finchley Federation - Pickleball Tournament | Sun, Sep. 01 | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre, NW4 1PX | £10 | Enjoy a Pickleball taster session followed up by a doubles competition for both children and adults. All equipment will be provided and there will be prizes as well as a charity raffle for the day. make sure to prebook.

Wisenthall | Tue, Sep. 03 | King's Head Theatre N1 1QN | £10 - £27.50 | Wiesenthal is based on the life of Simon Wiesenthal, who survived the Holocaust and devoted the rest of his life to bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. A post-show Q&A with the performer and director, hosted by Terri Paddock, will take place on 9 September. Free to ticket holders for that performance.

Free Dr Bike Sessions Barnet | Wed, Sep. 11 | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Lodge Lane Car Park, N12 8JH | Free | Dr Bike sessions run by qualified bicycle mechanics. Members of the public can take along their bicycles to have a free, full safety check, including checks on the condition of tyres, rims, gears, brake function and tyre pressure and adjustments can be made if required.

London's Secret Jazz Age Experience | | 7:00 pm | Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, SE15 3SN | £139.50 | A decadent Jazz Age Super-Speakeasy in the heart of London. Have a lovely sit-down dining experience with up to 6 courses, accompanied by Park Avenue cocktails. Worth leaving Finchley for.

Local Lowdown

The Kingsway Tunnels... Image from WilkinsonEyre

Culture

Spy central. Kingsway Tunnels, once home to Britain's covert operations, are transforming into a cultural hub under Camden's streets. Expect James Bond-themed exhibits, a historical timeline, and even an underground bar. Planning has recently been approved. Watch this space.

Food

Summer snooze. Tony's Continental bids adieu for a summer break. Swing by 140 High Road, N2, before July 23rd to get your fix of artisan treats. They’ll be back to serve up more goodness starting August 20th.

More (or less) food

Freshen up. The Waitrose John Barnes shop on Finchley Road is in makeover mode. It closed its doors on July 7 for six weeks. It promises a snazzy new look and exciting new features. No exact reopening date yet, but hang tight for updates.

Leaders

Centennial service. Congrats to Eva Greenspan, Kath McGuirk, Gill Sargeant, and Geof Cooke. These four Barnet councillors have collectively clocked over 100 years of dedicated service. They have covered everything between them from pioneering recycling initiatives to expanding local festivals. Hats off to our local legends.

Community

Creativity unleashed. Barnet Libraries in Colindale and Chipping Barnet are set to boost community wellbeing with a new Loving Life project. Thanks to a £29,910 grant from Arts Council England, residents facing social isolation or dementia can enjoy art, theatre, and exercise classes. They will start in January 2025.

Friendship And Healing At Yaran Club

Yaran Women's Club in N12 has become a beacon of hope and renewal for many Farsi-speaking women.

Its members include refugees and asylum seekers from Iranian, Afghan, Tajik, and Kurdish backgrounds. These women often arrive carrying the weight of isolation, depression, and trauma.

It started in June 2021 with three members. Now the club has grown to over 140 active participants today.

Yaran Club is a place for language learning and exercise. It is also a sanctuary where these women forge deep connections and rediscover their strengths.

Weekly offerings at the club include English classes, therapeutic art, and mindfulness sessions.

What makes Yaran unique is its staff. They are individuals who have navigated their own mental health challenges and now share their journeys with others.

The impact of Yaran Club is profound.

Members describe it as life-changing.

A place that teaches them English, but also helps them integrate back into society with newfound confidence.

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Editors' Note - From Tessa

I've been away for a few weeks but it's good to be back in Finchley hanging out with my family.

We enjoyed summer finally arriving with a Friday family BBQ.

Nothing like sunshine and good company.

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

Finchley Now

🗞️ Want to find a fabulous 25 acres of Lavender?