Welcome

This week we've got the lowdown on A-Level results, and we hear about our local dramatist who passed away this year.

And happy Bank Holiday Monday. If you're off work, check out the leisure centres below. And if you're working, thank you.

🧑‍🎓 Finchley Aces A-Levels

St James' student Andrew Dias proudly sharing his results

In the latest round of A-level results, several North London schools celebrated outstanding achievements.

Woodhouse College, North Finchley: The 2022-24 cohort achieved the highest results ever, with over 17% of grades at A*, 48.4% at A*-A, and 79.2% at A*-B. Notably, 241 students earned three or more A/A* grades, and at least 28 students secured places at Oxford or Cambridge.

Christ College Finchley: Over half of the grades were A*-B, with a 98% pass rate overall. Subjects like Further Maths, History, and Sociology had 100% of students achieving A*-B, reflecting another year of strong academic results.

The Compton School: Exceptional individual performances included Rangina Taraki, who earned two A*s and an A, and Arianna Parker, who achieved a triple Distinction in her BTEC, leading her to study Midwifery at Kings College London.

Highgate School: With 76% of grades at A*-A and 38% at A*, the school saw nine out of ten university applicants securing their first or insurance choices. A notable 12 students are heading to universities abroad.

Channing School: This year, 68% of grades were A*-A, up from 54% last year. A remarkable 88% of grades were A*-B, with perfect scores in subjects like English and Latin.

Fortismere School, Muswell Hill: Standout students included Freya Bielby, who earned two A*s and an A, and will study Classics at Cambridge, and Louis Iacuzzi, who excelled in BTEC Creative Digital Media Production.

Hampstead Fine Arts College: The school reported a rise in top grades, with 33% at A*-A. Success stories included Sophie, who earned A*s in English, Film Studies, and History of Art, and Maddie, who will pursue Fine Art after achieving top grades.

The Totteridge Academy: Hung-Wen Liao achieved three A*s and will study Maths at Cambridge, marking a significant academic success for the school.

St James Catholic School, Barnet: The school celebrated excellent results, particularly in Religious Education (100% A grades) and Art (72% A*-B). Among the top students was Andrew Dias, who earned four As and will study Physics at King’s College London.

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet: For the 19th consecutive year, the school saw over 95% of grades at A*-B, with more than half at A*. A quarter of the students achieved straight A* grades, and a record 62 offers were received from Oxford and Cambridge, further solidifying the school's reputation for academic excellence. Additionally, 55% of students received offers from universities in the World Top 5 QS rankings, and 22 Russell Group universities offered places to QE pupils.

These results highlight the academic prowess and dedication of students across schools in Finchley and the surrounding area, setting a high standard for future cohorts. And of course, results absolutely don't reflect the whole person. If your results take you in a different path, that's ok too.

Now, time to celebrate. 🧑‍🎓

Events

SPORTS

Wednesday 4th September

Young Barnet - Charity Golf Day | Wed, Sep. 04 | Old East Barnet Library, 85 Brookhill Road, EN4 8SG | £150 | Get ready for a day of golf, fun, and giving back. The second ever YBF Charity Golf Day 2024, held at The Shire London in Barnet. This event promises a memorable day filled with friendly competition, networking opportunities, and fundraising activities.

OLDER PEOPLE

Wednesday 28th August

Tech and Tea Classes | Wed, Aug. 28 | 11:45 pm to 1:30 pm | OneStonegrove, 5 Hayling Way, HA8 8BN | Free | Need support learning to use your phone, iPad, tablet, or laptop? Or maybe you would like to learn about other technology? Then this is the session for you.

Thursday 5th September

Cook And Eat Supper Together | Thu, Sep. 05 | 4:15 pm to 6:15 pm | Ann Owens Centre, N2 8LT | £8 | Age UK Barnet’s new cookery class for over 55s. Will take place every Thursday at The Ann Owens Centre. All recipes and ingredients provided for a loving meal | Contact Stacey on stacey.kanolik@ageukbarnet.org.uk or call her on 0208 129 7621.

ARTS

Sunday 1st September

Heritage Sunday | Sun, Sep. 1 | 11:30 am to 4:30 pm | Stephens House & Gardens | Come along and find out more about your local heritage. Meet some of the organisations who are championing it and how you can get involved.

The Sky is Moving Sideways | Sun, Sep. 1 | 8:00 am to 6:00 pm | Stephens House & Gardens | A free sculpture trail in the grounds of Stephens House & Gardens running 1-9 September 2024. Curated by artist Rebekah Dean, with work by twelve national and international artists.

Monday 9th September

MUSIC

Friday 13th September

Lady Clares Consort - Christ The Light | Fri, Sep. 13 | 7:30 pm | St Dominic's Priory - The Rosary Shrine, NW5 4LB | £10 | The premier vocal ensemble from Cambridge University presents Christ The Light. A programme of choral music centred around the settings of Compline hymn, Christe Qui Es Et Dies by William Byrd and Robert White.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday 27th August

RAF Museum - The Vulcan Experience | Tue, Aug. 27 | RAF Museum London, NW9 5LL | £50 | The Vulcan Experience is back for 2024, giving you the chance to get up close and explore some of the most significant Cold War aircraft in the RAF Museum’s collection.

Friday 30th August

Mug Making Workshop | Fri, Aug. 30 | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | The Viaduct, St James Lane, N10 | £50 | Come make a mug or two in this friendly and relaxed class open to all abilities. Supported by your class tutor you will make mugs, cups, and drinking vessels, using slab and pinch techniques. Suitable for complete beginners or more experienced potters.

Wednesday 18th September

A walk through Finchley Church End Town Centre; past, present, and future | Wed, Sep. 18 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Meet outside St Mary-at-Finchley, N31TR | Free | A Finchley Society supported walk through the 'town', sharing memories of the past and pointing out some interesting sights.

THEATRE

Thursday 5th September

Kim's Convenience | Thu, Sep. 05 | Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9BN | £25 | The award-winning play which inspired the Netflix Comedy returns by popular demand. Running from the 5th of September till the 26th of October, this hilarious and heartwarming drama about a family-run Korean store is written by and starring Ins Choi. He the play his ‘love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who now call Canada their home.

Friday 6th September

In My Head | Fri, Sep. 06 | 7:00 pm | Millfield Theatre, N18 1PJ | £15 | In My Head follows the intertwined lives of 7 young adults living in Tottenham with an abstract twist - we can hear everyone’s thoughts (well nearly everyone). Becoming who you’re meant to be is never an easy road. With themes such as; addiction, sexual assault, gang culture and mentions of suicide, this play is rated at 14 plus.

Sunday 15th September

Little Red Riding Could | Sun, Sep. 15 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | From £12 | Little Red Riding Hood is no longer little, she no longer wears a hood and she wants to be called by her real name. She’s questioning everything. And so are Mother, the Woodcutter and even the Wolf. A playful and mischievous retelling of the familiar fairy tale, with original songs and signature.

Friday 20th September

Live at the Radlett | Fri, Sep. 20 | 7:00 pm | The Radlett Centre, 1 Aldenham Avenue, WD7 8HL | £20 | Live at the Radlett returns to The Radlett Centre this Autumn, for another night filled with laughter. September's show sees the one and only Suzi Ruffell headlining, and she'll be joined by Live at the Apollo's Laura Lexx & ITV's Russell Hicks

NATURE

Hampstead Heath - Bat Walk | Thu, Aug. 29 | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | Parliament Hill, Heath Lodge, NW5 1QR | £12 max | Join the bat walk on Hampstead Heath and find out all about these fascinating creatures and their habitats. You will walk around the Parliament Hill area at dusk. Look and listen out for bats in flight with the help of bat detectors, and learn about the ecology of bats.

Events - Book Ahead

Sunday 6th October

The Makings Of A Murderer 2 | Sun, Oct. 06 | 7:30 pm | Millifield Theatre, N18 1PJ | £29 | Join for a chilling, thrilling night at the theatre as Colin, who was head of a Metropolitan Police murder squad tells us the stories of how he caught some of the UK’s most evil murderers. In this all-new show, Colin; who the ITV drama series 'Manhunt,' played by Martin Clunes, is based on, will talk you through his remarkable career and what it is like to chase and catch a serial killer.

Saturday 12th October

Leon The Magician: Table Tennis is Magic! | Sat, Oct. 12 | 7:30 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN 5 5SJ | £15 | Enjoy a night of magic, illusion, table tennis exhibitions, stunts, humour, mind trickery, audience participation and live sound as Leon is back where it all started at his local Bull Theatre in Barnet.

Saturday 26th October

The Silencerz | Sat, Oct. 26 | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £17 | Back by Popular Demand. As always a fantastic night with The Silencerz bringing their energy, and great mix of original and well-known songs.

Local Lowdown

Heath Times

Sunset swims, take note. Summer's dusk adjusts the clock at Hampstead Heath bathing ponds. The opening times have changed. Now, get in until 7:15 pm, out of the water by 7:30 pm, and leave the facility by 7:45 pm.

Diversions

Detour ahead. Starting this week, urgent sewer repairs will reroute access to Barnet Hospital for about 6-8 weeks. If you’re traveling by bus, prepare for a brief walk from the new stop on Wood Street which is 300 m away. Driving? Expect some diversions but normal parking.

Doughnuts

Revamped and ready. Swing by the newly re-opened Waitrose John Barnes on Finchley Road. There is a fresh layout with enhanced fruit and veg sections and high-tech lighting that dims based on foot traffic. There are also exciting additions like a dedicated doughnut stand. Don’t miss the dry aged ribs or the new self-serve cheese counter.

Fly-tipping

Cleanup crew. Barnet Council is tackling fly-tipping head-on with their new Caring for our Places campaign. Deploying a dedicated team daily, they aim to clear up hotspot locations and track down offenders. 8,000 fly-tipping incidents last year put a £100 dent per tonne in council funds.

Exercising

Fitness frenzy, All 5 of Barnet’s leisure centres are open today. Bank Holiday Monday. Barnet Burnt Oak, Barnet Copthall, Finchley Lido, Hendon, and New Barnet Leisure Centre are ready and waiting for you.

The Finchleyite: Bernard Kops

Bernard Kops was a British dramatist, poet, memoirist, and novelist. He spent his later years living on the Finchley Road in West Hampstead with his wife Erica.

Born in London to Dutch-Jewish immigrants, he was evacuated during WWII, a story he later shared on TV. His first play, The Hamlet of Stepney Green (1957), became a key work in British "kitchen sink" drama.

Kops wrote several other notable plays, including Enter Solly Gold (1962) (improbably starring Bob Monkouse as Solly in the ‘60s TV version) and The Dreams of Anne Frank (1992). He also authored radio plays, television scripts, poetry, novels, and memoirs, including Shalom Bomb, detailing his battle with addiction. His television works earned critical acclaim, including a Silver Hugo Award and an International Emmy nomination.

Kops passed away at 97 in 2024.

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Editors' Note - From Sasha

I've got a thing about hydrangeas. This beauty has now been planted, with ericaceous compost which will hopefully keep the blooms purple.

Hydrangeas need hydrating. Doing a lot of watering. I'll keep you informed.

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Tessa Davis

Sasha Frieze

Finchley Now

🗞️ Which school did best in their A Level results?