News from The Barnet Society

In seizing Chipping Barnet for Labour with a respectable majority, Dan Tomlinson -- at the age of 31 -- has broken the Conservative Party's hold on what in the past was one of their safest seats. Tomlinson is only the second Labour MP to be elected for Barnet.

Unlike other veteran Conservative MPs and former ministers who opted to stand down, Theresa Villiers had no wish to join the Tory exodus from the House of Commons but like so many of her colleagues she was swept aside in the Labour landslide.

A challenge to re-imagine the appearance of familiar buildings in High Barnet's town centre -- such as the parish church, Tudor Hall or the twin towers at the entrance to The Spires shopping centre -- produced some dramatic results at an art workshop.

Fun and enjoyment but also frustration -- that was the buzz when hundreds of residents and visitors enjoyed a day out at the Barnet Vale Festival in support of a long-running campaign to refurbish and reopen the former pavilion in Tudor Park.

An extension to a community garden and green space which is now along three sides of a New Barnet church was officially opened at a garden party to celebrate the success of Barnet's Incredible Edible campaign.

For its fourth annual series of classical concerts, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festival opens with The Mithras Trio who are returning to the parish church on Saturday 29 June after their sold-out recital in the festival's debut season.

A joint commitment to work to protect the Green Belt was delivered by Chipping Barnet's two leading parliamentary candidates -- Conservative MP Theresa Villiers and Labour challenger Dan Tomlinson -- at a general election hustings at the parish church. They both agreed that the priority should be to build more family homes rather than one-bedroom flats.

Barnet and Southgate College have been told that no further action can be taken during the next six months to sell off the vacant Tudor Hall on its High Barnet campus opposite the parish church. The historic former schoolhouse has been listed as an asset of community value.

The five leading candidates standing in the general election for the Chipping Barnet constituency have been invited to appear at an election hustings to be held at Barnet parish church on Saturday 22 June at 7pm. Questions are now being invited. They will either be read out or can be put in person at the meeting.

High Banet's popular Byng Road allotments owe their existence to the Dig for Victory campaign at the start of World War II which encouraged the home cultivation of fruit and vegetables.

Monken Hadley Church was one of 800 locations across the country where beacons were lit to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Hadley Football Club -- the oldest playing in Barnet -- has a surprise away fixture playing a friendly match in the tiny European state of San Marino on Sunday 9 June when they take on a well-placed local team AC Juvenes Dogana.

Up to three free books can be taken on any one visit to a new charity shop established in The Spires shopping centre by Global Education Trust Bookshops. All the unwanted books have been donated and would otherwise have been pulped or gone to landfill.

Cyclists needing an emergency repair -- or perhaps to pump up a tyre -- can now take advantage of instant bike repair stands which have been installed by Barnet Council, including one outside the police station in Barnet High Street. So far three have been erected.

Three evening concerts are to be held this summer in a woodland glade beside Jack's Lake -- a chance to enjoy classical music in the open air while celebrating the popularity and appeal of Monken Hadley Common.

Barnet Museum is to take another step in its bid to try to convert the historic Tudor Hall into a national centre for explaining and commemorating the Wars of the Roses and the role of the 1471 Battle of Barnet.

Barnet Medieval Festival, which was due to take place over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday June 8 and 9, has had to be postponed because the Byng Road playing fields have become too waterlogged due to recent heavy rains.

Eleven Lotus Cars were lined up on the top deck of The Spires car park for the ninth Barnet Classic Car Show in tribute to automotive engineer Colin Chapman who lived in New Barnet when he designed the famous Lotus Seven.

Highlight of the revived Arkley community fair was an all-comers dog show which resulted in two surprise winners -- a blind dog and a rescue dog took the rosettes for best in show.

A 24-year-old history of art graduate has taken on the tenancy of one of High Barnet's notable public houses -- Ye Olde Monken Holt which is at the Hadley Green end of the High Street.