11/01/20: North Finchley

After a satisfying round of charity shopping, I caught the bus home from North Finchley and remembered again why I don’t use buses:
1. had to wait for it.
2. banged my head on a mirror.
3. had to sit next to a boy eating stinky fried chicken.
4. had to walk home from the bus stop anyway.
5. same fare no matter how few stops you travel.

05/03/18: East Finchley to Whetstone

My birthday. Took the day off work and went via bus to the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley to see Lady Bird. It’s a touching, emotional film about growing up, about a mother-daughter relationship, about friendship, about identity, and about where you come from and where you’re going. There are many funny moments and some deeply poignant ones. Particularly good is Laurie Metcalf as the main character’s mother.

Deciding to walk home, I left East Finchley along the main road, past the library, past Alan’s Record Shop and over the flyover that crosses the noisy North Circular, then up the ridiculously titled Leisure Way.

I walked past the Hollywood Bowl and the Vue Cinema, and there was a strong smell of marijuana lingering in the air – like Camden Town on a summer evening. I walked up into North Finchley, trying not to be put off by the constant roar of traffic.

There was litter everywhere: beer cans, bits of cars, bits of pizza, broken biros, broken umbrellas, cigarette butts, cigarette packets, coffee cups, coffee cup lids, Coke cans, crisp packets, drinking straws, exploded fruit juice cartons, food packaging, fried-chicken boxes, lost gloves, McDonald’s wrappers, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic bottle lids, soggy cardboard, sweet wrappers and two bottles of glue.

What a horrible mess we have made of this country. I’d like to think there's still time to fix this problem – all you need is a forward-thinking government. Is that too much to ask?

In North Finchley, I couldn't resist going in a few charity shops. In North London Hospice I bought a £1 DVD (Bill Forsyth's 1983 masterpiece Local Hero, which I have been looking for for a long time), and in Cancer Research I bought a couple of CDs.

From North Finchley to Whetstone I was walking in medium-to-heavy rain, but it was quite refreshing because I had got hot wearing too many clothes following the "snowpocalypse" of last week.

Miles walked: 3.59
Cats spotted: 0

22/12/17: Totteridge to North Finchley

In the alleyway, a pretty black-and-white cat was startled by a dog and leapt onto the top of the fence with impressive speed and agility. (1) My own cat isn't capable of such feats.
1:

The journey was enlivened by debate over the merits of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, which was highly entertaining – whatever the orchestrated social-media backlash might tell you.

In North Finchley, some men in ludicrous festive suits climbed out of a black van. Possibly they were going to give a concert. (2)
2:

Eight charity shops later, I walked home ready for lunch.


Miles walked: 3.25
Cats spotted: 2

30/09/17: How to destroy a library

I walked the three-mile round trip to North Finchley Library. Since I last went, they have pretty much finished it off.

In place of any staff is a single security guard. In place of a welcoming open door is a PIN-coded entrance gate that would not let me through. With the help of the security guard, I got in, but then had to fill out a form to request future access.

The new version of the old library is empty, lonely and a little scary. It's certainly not a place you want to hang around in.

All music CDs are gone. The three I tried to return came up on the machine as "unknown item detected / return failed", so I could not give them back. But I'm sure they'll be happy to fine me for overdue items anyway.

It's for matters like this that a member of staff would have been useful, but of course they have all been sacked or had their hours cut.

I had to leave the CDs at the vacant desk with a handwritten note and hope that someone will check them in later. Pathetic.

The children's library room now looks like this:

I was told that it has been sold off. So will we be refunded the taxes we paid for it? I don't think so.

The "teen zone" area is also gone. Funny how the next generation has to suffer for decisions made by inconsiderate adults.

There were some signs up, but they made little sense:

It's absolutely criminal what Barnet council are getting away with. The library service I took for granted as a child has been all but destroyed for the next generation. And why? Because of greed.

Forget literacy. Forget education. Forget community. It's all about the money. And yet we are all so much poorer for these terrible decisions.

25/03/17: Whetstone to North Finchley

A simple four-miler from Whetstone to North Finchley and back in the sun. We walked along Church Path, starting in Murder Alley alongside the tube (1) and following the path all the way to Nether Street. 

1:

There was some interesting graffiti, including a picture of a male reproductive organ (2). We were startled by two squirrels running along a wooden fence. There was the usual dumped mattress. Also, evidence of the first barbecue of the season. 

 2:

In North Finchley I wondered what the "1396" means in the window of the Emmanuel Patisserie (3). We went in a few charity shops and walked back to Whetstone along the main road.

 3:

Miles walked: 3.95

Cats spotted: 0