Local Heroes


Tracy Cooper

Tracy Cooper

Chief Executive of artsdepot

artsdepot opened in 2004 and has been going from strength to strength ever since. Last year 154,000 people stepped through its doors, attending over 527 events. Tracy took up the post of Chief Executive at artsdepot in 2006 after gaining a huge amount of experience in charity and events during time at the Royal Albert Hall and Marie Curie Cancer Care, among others. Tracy is deeply passionate about maintaining artsdepot’s presence and mission in North Finchley and wider London, returning early from maternity leave in 2010 to steer the venue’s fortunes after it lost all London Borough of Barnet funding. It broke even in five months.

artsdepot continues to be a major asset, providing opportunities to experience and participate in the Arts to people of all ages, from the 11,477 children & young people, to the 244 hot lunches served to socially isolated older people this past year. artsdepot received a grant of £300K from Arts Council England in 2016-17, but paid £303K back to the public purse in taxes during the same period. With artsdepot’s impact on the local estimated at around £3.23 million, it’s money well spent

Read more about Tracy Cooper


Rosie Canning and Lindsay Barnfield

Rosie Canning and Lindsay Barnfield

Organisers - Finchley Literary Festival

Rosie and Lindsay founded the Greenacre Writers group in 2009. The group’s activities spurred them into producing their first literary festival with Greenacre Writers' Mini Lit Fest taking place in 2012. Owing to its success that they repeated it with added events in 2013. Seeing that there was a need and wider interest within the local community, they re-named the event ‘Finchley Literary Festival’ in 2014 and expanded it to include various workshops, readings, talks, walks and a Spoken Word event in several venues around the Finchley area. Perhaps the highlight for many participants at the last event was the popular Music and Performance Poetry Palooza!

Rosie continues to organise Greenacre Writers but Lindsay has stepped down although she continues to collaborate on a number of projects. Greenacre Writers has a strong online blog presence and has expanded into three writing groups: Finish That Novel group, a Writers' Workshop group and a Novel Focus group providing support for dedicated writers at every stage of their work.

Read more about Rosie Canning and Lindsay Barnfield


David Lardi

David Lardi

Director - Finchley Chamber Choir, Finchley Symphony Orchestra

David may have retired as conductor of the North London Symphony Orchestra (NLSO) in December 2015 after 40 years of service, but he continues to bring his enthusiasm and experience to bear with the Finchley Chamber Choir and Finchley Symphony Orchestra. David started with the NLSO aged 24, when they were struggling on many levels, and took them from being unable to get through a whole piece together to "performing large scale repertoires that they couldn’t have dreamt of before."

During the course of his career, David has conducted on ITV, recorded for the BBC, LWT and London Radio. He has also broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3, where he has been interviewed by Petroc Trelawney. Thanks to David, the Finchley Chamber Choir and the Symphony Orchestra continue to put on captivating evenings at the Trinity Church in North Finchley, usually every couple of months.

Read more about David Lardi


David Smith

David Smith

Chairman - Finchley Society

The Finchley Society exists to preserve and improve the buildings, open spaces and transport around Finchley and Friern Barnet, while seeking to explore and protect the history and special features of the area. It’s a completely independent organisation, existing on donations alone but buoyed by solid support from the local Mayor, Councillors, MPs and many big names from the arts and entertainment world. David has had the honour of being a member of the society since its founding in 1971, and became Chairman in 2007.

The society was initially formed by the famous entertainer Spike Milligan, who lived in Finchley for 19 years and was dismayed at how many of the town’s characterful buildings were falling into dereliction. He became the society’s first President and helped enlist Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman as the first patron. David oversaw the unveiling in 2014 of the Spike Milligan statue in the gardens of the stunning Stephen’s House, where the Finchley Society meets eight times a year.


Councillor Daniel Thomas BA (Hons)

Councillor Daniel Thomas BA (Hons)

Finchley Church End (Deputy Leader)

Daniel Thomas is one of the three Conservative Councillors for Finchley Church End Ward, serving now for nearly eleven years since being first elected in May 2006. He’s deeply involved with many matters at Barnet Council and sits on the committees for Assets, Regeneration and Growth, General Functions, Housing, Policy & Resources, Urgency and Local Strategic Partnership (and others where he sits as a substitute).

Always working hard for the ward, Daniel has only missed one Council meeting in the last year, and regularly hosts surgeries on rotation with fellow councillors Eva Greenspan and Graham Old on the first Wednesday of each month at Stephens House, East End Road, at 7.00pm. Most residents contact Daniel via email, asking for help with planning issues, potholes, street improvements and much more. Daniel was instrumental in securing a new local library on Regents Park Road and the council financially supporting improvements at Stephens House. Outside of his work for Barnet Council, Daniel also works with the Finchley Charities as a Trustee.

Read more about Councillor Daniel Thomas BA (Hons)


Malcolm Godfrey

Malcolm Godfrey

General Manager - Stephens House & Garden

Malcolm came to Stephens House and Garden in August 2012, having established a great reputation for working with historic venues to maximise their profile and returns. Starting his work with heritage venues just before the turn of the millennium, Malcolm has a wealth of experience in coordinating their use for TV and film productions, as well as enabling them to host exhibitions, events and corporate hospitality days.

A former Naval officer with 28 years of military service, Malcolm is also a keen amateur historian and has enjoyed researching the past of all the buildings he has had the pleasure of being involved with. He has also presented on TV and radio about various historical subjects. Stephen’s House is of course home to the well-known statue of Spike Milligan, posed on a bench as if about to engage in conversation, unveiled in 2014. The statue was erected at the initiative of the Finchley Society, of which Spike was President.

Read more about Malcolm Godfrey


Geoffrey Hanson

Geoffrey Hanson

Director - East Finchley Arts Festival

Geoffrey founded the East Finchley Arts Festival in 1997, initially solely programming classical concerts in the All Saints’ Church in Durham Road. However, since then it has expanded to include a wide range of performing arts and venues. At the annual event every October, audiences can now enjoy poetry, children’s entertainment, school performances, piano recitals, theatre, folk music, local walks, a choir as well as The London Mozart Players in three venues: The Phoenix Cinema, Black Gull Books as well as All Saints’.

Last September, Geoffrey announced his retirement as Director of Music at All Saints’ after nearly 30 years, having started there in 1987, although he still continues in his role with the Festival. Geoffrey is a distinguished composer and organist in his own right, and his career has seen him travel to Paris, Italy and the USA. You’ll see him again at the East Finchley Arts Festival later this year, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Read more about Geoffrey Hanson


Elizabeth Davies

Elizabeth Davies

Chairman of the Trustees - The Finchley Charities

In 2018 The Finchley Charities celebrates 530 years in existence. The Finchley Charities operate sheltered housing for elderly residents of Barnet who are in need, at three sites around Finchley, providing beautiful settings and a caring community, with a total of 156 flats. Work is now almost complete on a further 16, one-bedroomed flats in Wilmot Close, N2. Elizabeth was first appointed a trustee in May 2010 and was then appointed Chairman in September 2014. Elizabeth has a particular interest in caring for the older population and is interested in the NHS and elder care.

Having been fortunate enough to be able to buy her own house, Elizabeth realises the great comfort that having a safe and secure home gives an individual. She is involved in local Barnet activities, a former chairman of Dollis Park Residents’ Association, a member of the Friends of Montclair (the US town twinned with Barnet) and a member of the Gordon Road Allotments Association.

Read more about Elizabeth Davies


The Archer Team

The Archer Team

East Finchley newspaper

Running the vibrant local free newspaper since 1993, The Archer team have covered every interesting local event and personality for the last 25 years and have an intimate knowledge of the people, places and stories of East Finchley. Named in honour of the dynamic statue that stands over East Finchley station, The Archer is totally independent, non-political and non-religious. It is run by and exists for the community in East Finchley, and is delivered every month to over 9,500 households in the area.

Starting solely as a print paper, The Archer has expanded with the times to have a website and an active Facebook page. Both feature more regular updates, photos and comments on local stories and issues, but all of it is still written, designed, produced and delivered entirely by a team of volunteers. Costs are covered by support in the form of advertising by local businesses, and everyone contributes for free. In 2010 the paper received the London Borough of Barnet Civic Award for services to the community, and long may it continue.

Read more about The Archer Team


Peter Hale

Peter Hale

Co-founder of East Finchley Open

Peter Hale is one of the founding members of East Finchley Open Artists, a fantastic organisation that supports local artists by helping them to develop their work. It was established back in 2004; initially as an exhibition at All Saints’ Church on Durham Road.

What started as a few members soon flourished into a huge, proactive group. At the time of writing, over 130 artists have been members of EFOA since its formation, which is a staggering achievement. In addition to supporting artists, they’ve also helped numerous charities, such as Whittington Babies, Friends of Finchley Youth Theatre, and Ambitious About Autism.

Peter is not only a keen supporter of local artists; he’s also one himself. His impressive ceramics are inspired by a fascination with ‘space, form and function’, and through the group, he’s had opportunities to showcase his work to a wider audience. Most of his work is wheel thrown clay, and is hugely popular with art lovers and collectors in the area.

Read more about Peter Hale


Alan Dobrin

Alan Dobrin

Owner of Alan’s Records

Alan’s Records is one of Finchley’s best-loved independent shops and can be found in between East Finchley station and the North Circular. Set up back in the day by Alan Dobrin, it’s a celebration of old school vinyl collecting, with a formidable selection of second-hand records to browse through at your leisure.

Once inside, customers will find a treasure trove of musical genres, covering everything from soul to techno, and punk to laid-back jazz. Alan has also installed listening stations, giving you the chance to try before you buy.

Time Out magazine calls the shop a ‘wonderful spot for all ages’, and it even boasts some celebrity customers, such as Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) and Ray Davies (The Kinks). As for Alan himself? There’s very little he doesn’t know about music, and he’s always happy to answer questions, or help you with tracking down that elusive record you used to love.

Read more about Alan Dobrin


Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan

Comedian

Spike Milligan is undoubtedly one of the nation’s best loved comedians. He’s best remembered for creating the Goon Show, but in his lifetime, was also a poet and author. He’s also one of Finchley’s most famous ex-residents.

The comedian called Finchley his home from 1955 to 1974. He was also an active member of the community, and in 1971, joined the Finchley Society. Later on, he became the group’s President, and a few years after, its Patron.

After his death, some of Spike Milligan’s family and friends joined forces with The Finchley Society to raise money for a statue of the comedian. Their fund-raising was successful, and in 2004, a life-sized bronze sculpture of Spike was placed on a bench, as though in conversation with someone next to him. It’s gone on to become an iconic feature in Finchley, with many people posing to have their photo taken next to it.

Read more about Spike Milligan


John Parr

John Parr

WWI Soldier

John Parr is believed to be the first soldier to have fallen in action during World War I, on the 21st August, 1914. He was born in Finchley (Lichfield Grove), and spent most of his years living in Lodge Lane, as the youngest of eleven children.

Before signing up, John worked as a butcher’s assistant, then as a caddie at the local golf club. He joined the Middlesex Regiment in 1912 (when he was just fourteen), having lied about his age to get in. People used to call him ‘Ole Parr’.

He was killed at the age of 16, while stationed in Belgium. It’s still not known if he was shot by the Germans, or accidentally killed by friendly fire. Afterwards, the whereabouts of his body was unknown, though later, it was discovered that he’d been buried in a battlefield grave. On the 100th anniversary of his death, a plaque was laid outside his old house, to commemorate his sacrifice.

Read more about John Parr