Issue 121 · Winter 2015www.hgs.org.uk

the Church and Square. The sound of coins being thrown into the donation buckets echoed around the local streets as Collectors shamelessly approached all and sundry for loose change and grate-fully received several notes too.

The crowds were ushered out of the Church well in advance of the midnight countdown and, as Big Ben rang for the 12th time, the display went off with a bang.

This year’s piece was truly spectacular; lasting just short of 10 minutes, necks were craned and phones held aloft to record

expert evidence, said: “The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust is very pleased that the Court has taken these offences seriously and imposed such a substantial fine on the building owner.

The Suburb is an area of international significance in the history of town planning and architecture, and alterations to

the colourful and creative display. Comments on the HGS message boards on New Year’s Day bore testament to the 2014 event being the best to date.

More residents than ever before came to the display, not forgetting those who were lucky enough to see it from their homes! As a result, the Residents Association raised in excess of £1,100 on the night.

Thanks must go to Reverend Alan Walker of St Jude’s Church, to our Sponsors Glentree Estates & Melissa Conway Opticians; to Vicky and the team at Waitrose Temple Fortune for the complimentary drinks and nibbles; to all of our additional Volunteers; to the Firework Sub Committee for their hard work in preparing and organising the event; and finally to you, the Residents for both your support and generosity.

If you enjoyed the Firework display and would like to get involved next year or in any of the other events run by the Residents Association, please email your details to raevents@hgs.org.uk. We are always keen to recruit more volunteers.

AMANDA REUBEN

its buildings need to be carefully considered in order to retain its special characteristics.”

In more Trust News Jane Blackburn is retiring at the end of January after 10 years as Trust Manager, and Nick Packard, the present Estate Manager, will take over. Our next issue will include interviews with both of them.

Starting the New Year with a ‘Bang’

Unauthorised alterations on Suburb incur £45,000 fine

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David Littaur sets the sky alight – to everyone’s delight!

Tributes to ‘Mr Suburb’ Richard Wakefield, pages 2 & 3

HGSRA chairman presents the 2014 annual reports, pages 6 & 7

What an incredible turnout from HGS residents, their families and friends to the Annual Firework Display on Central Square as 2014 turned into 2015.

Shortly before 10.30pm, local residents began to arrive at St Jude’s Church to enjoy champagne and home baked cookies, and to chat to friends and neighbours.

Outside meanwhile, the fireworks were being set up on the Tennis Court and volunteers, proudly sporting their newly branded high-viz jackets were marshalling the crowds towards

In Willesden Magistrates Court, in January, the owner of a Grade 2 listed house in Wildwood Road was fined £45,000 for four offences of unauthorised alterations, plus costs of £14,000 payable to Barnet Council who had brought the proceedings against the owner.

David Davidson, Architectural Adviser for the Trust who gave

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Central Square Make Over(Above) New Year’s Eve morning view of Central Square and its new lamp posts put in by Barnet following pressure from the Central Square Residents Association and the RA’s Consam with the support of the Trust.(Right) Sunday 16 November was Mitzvah Day when Jewish communities around the world engage in social action projects. Central Square Minyan, the independent orthodox synagogue which meets in St Jude’s Church Rooms on Central Square, asked the Suburb Trust for a project and as a result a group of volunteers (Alex Halfin, Judith Tobin, Edward Black, Angela Gershon, Ben Tobin) found themselves sweeping, raking and collecting rubbish. The Central Square Residents’ Association acted as liaison between the volunteers and Barnet Council which provided plastic bags and then cleared away the full bags. Richard Townley, Chair of the Central Square Residents’ Association, expressed his appreciation to the volunteers.

A spectacular display on Central Square starts the new year off on the Suburb

will take place on Monday 30 March 2015 after the 7.45pm Special General Meeting (re constitutional change) in

the Henrietta Barnett School Hall, Central Square.

Motions for the agenda must be received by 16 February 2015. Nominations for the posts of officers and members of the Council must be received by 20 March 2015. They should be

submitted in writing, signed by proposers and seconders and have the consent of nominees.Please send notices of motions and nominations to:

The Assistant Secretary, Rosemary Goldstein,,1a Church Mount, N2 0RW(Members will receive notice of both meetings with agendas by 16 March 2015)

The 103rd RA AGM

Join Suburb Library Toddler TimeThe Suburb Library at the junction of Market Place, Hill Rise and Northway runs children’s activities twice a week.

On Thursdays there are two sessions of Sing Song Time at 10-10.30am and 10.45-11.15am for under threes and their carers. The aim is for the children to join in singing familiar songs, enjoying both the music and movement and gradually building up their confidence and enjoyment. On Tuesday there is Story/Song Time from 10.15-10.45am. Toddlers and their carers are welcomed into a warm, friendly group, providing rhythm and rhyme making activities alongside both new and familiar songs, and an introduction into the

world of exciting and boundless stories beyond home provision.

For further information go to www.gardensuburblibrary.org.uk. Or you can contact them at mail@ gardensuburblibrary.org.uk.

THE FUTUREBarnet’s consultation on the future of the borough’s libraries is incredibly important. It asks questions on our attitudes to unstaffed libraries and what kind of organisations we want running the libraries e.g. councils, charities, commercial providers etc. It gives you the opportunity to choose one of three new plans for the libraries or turn them all down and suggest something else.

Importantly, for the Garden Suburb Library, question 17 asks

if the council should continue to offer financial assistance to the community libraries in Hampstead Garden Suburb and Friern Barnet. Without this funding it would be difficult for the library to continue.

Please take the time to fill in the survey; it takes about 30 minutes. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/lwyjckt. Copies of the questionnaire plus the full options paper and a prepaid envelope are available from the library and the consultation runs until 22nd February.

The library now has Twitter and Facebook accounts that you can follow for up to the minute news from the library. Details on the website.

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2 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS

Today we have all come together to celebrate the life of a closest friend, Richard beloved for 70 years that as time took its course enabled us to become like brothers, able to pick up the threads of our diverse lives as if they had occurred yesterday.

Our first encounter in 1942 came about as pupils of Leas House Prep School, Kingsley Way – Richard aged 7 years and yours truly a little older at 8 years.

As the years passed at Leas House a mutual unspoken agenda took hold between us ‘does school work really matter’ which inevitably lead to Middleton-Evans – the Headmaster writing separately to our long suffering parents in the late forties ‘your sons are only fit to become gardeners’; a duty we were both assigned from time to time to do within the school grounds.

Richard you became the head gardener, I followed as the apprentice – naturally!

I think we can say, Richard, that the art teacher at Leas House School came to our aid and fate granted us entry to the Willesden College of Art – you with Fleet Street Wakefields beckoning via graphic design and I mesmerised by 1951 Festival of Britain design.

That same year granted our wish to cycle from London to relatives of my family living in Freiburg, Germany – christening I believe our mutual life long love for exploration and travel. I recall Richard vividly, even today the consternation writ large on both our faces as we disembarked at Ostend in

In her own lifetime – and she died 70 years ago – Dame Henrietta was already disappointed in her creation. In fact, all the institutions she designed to foster a common social purpose failed; her school is largely populated by pupils from off the suburb, the educational Institute is gone, Fellowship House is a shadow of what she hoped for it, The Tea House is entirely private, the numbers attending Suburb churches are low and the Suburb has no coherent, integrated social character. The groups of social interest, educational, professional, recreational, commercial, religious and ethnic, are often only feebly interconnected, few of them are co-extensive and most are not centred on the Suburb. Kathleen Slack has described how Henrietta’s dream “was fading even before her own eyes”.

Richard Wakefield’s life on the Suburb was simply a defiance of these facts. If it were actually the case that Henrietta Barnett’s great idea had slowly dissolved in the face of the recalcitrant facts of social change, nobody had told him. Richard was a ubiquitous force that persisted in treating every aspect of life on the Suburb as if it were the manifestation of Henrietta Barnet’s purpose.

Richard’s life’s work would not have been complete if he had not served on the Council of the Trust. He had worked with or for all the most important social organisations on the Suburb and his service as a Trustee from 2005 to 2011 brought all his experience to bear on the body which preserved the material framework of the Suburb; perhaps the most permanent and most completely fulfilled of all Henrietta Barnett’s intentions.

He was first elected as a residential Trustee in 2005. It was a critical time. The Trust was financially and administratively weak and could neither fight its cause in the courts nor manage its estates effectively. Radical reforms were needed. Because the Trust knew that the review and reform of the Trust would

“At present we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but one day we shall see face to face…” (1 Cor. 13, 12a). “…Where I am, you may be also…” (John 14, 3c).

I regard it an extraordinary privilege to be asked to take part in this service, and I am particularly grateful to Jocylene and the family for giving me this opportunity. It goes without saying that not one of us is able to do justice to the life of Richard Wakefield, and no doubt many of you have me at an advantage as you are likely to have known him for much longer than I, and would have had much greater involve-ment with him. Nevertheless, I trust that in my recollection of the all too brief time that I had to get to know Richard, I will find myself striking a chord with your more wide ranging memories of him. Richard first introduced himself to me on the telephone, not long after we had moved to the Suburb. He wanted to come and take my photograph for Suburb News as a way of introducing the new minister at the Free Church to the wider community. This he duly did, and in so doing demonstrated that it is perfectly possible to ‘make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’; the camera may never lie, but in Richard’s hands, at the very least it was made to embellish the truth. First impressions count for a lot, and that is how I will remember him; he and his camera rarely parted. If it was at all possible Richard attended the various celebrations, anniversaries, exhibitions, concerts and other special events held in the Free Church; he would take photographs and make sure at least one was published. Rather poignantly, next Saturday will be the first occasion in my time that Richard will not be present, with his camera, at our Church Bazaar. In fact, as I became increasingly familiar with life on the Suburb, it was as if everywhere I went I found myself tripping over the name of Richard Wakefield; it was as if every time there was a suggestion made, an idea floated, a proposal to be considered, an issue to be addressed, a controversy to be debated, a decision to be taken that affected life on the Suburb, Richard would be involved. He knew his own mind; he was a clear thinker, a straight talker, someone who was entirely

transparent as far as the opinions he expressed, the arguments he put forward, and the decisions with which he either agreed or disagreed were concerned. We weren’t always on the same side of the argument, but at least he made it easy to disagree with him. I knew where I was with Richard.

During the short time he and I were together as members of the Council of the Residents’ Association, that was an education in itself. Richard was content to listen to a range of opinions on any subject under discussion; he was rather less contented when different people felt it necessary to express the same opinion for what he no doubt imagined was just for the sake of it. He would sit in the corner of the room, doodling, gently rolling his eyes back and forth, until he could stand it no more before intruding back into the discussion in a way that left no one in any doubt that he was by now extremely exasperated. Yet for all that, it is without doubt that both the Suburb Trust, and the Residents’ Association owe Richard an enormous debt of gratitude in respect of his commitment, devotion, and sheer hard work in ensuring that what needed to be done got done. Perhaps most strikingly illustrated by, on the one hand his sense of fair play that saw him resign from the Trust board because he felt the way charges were being levied was unjust, yet his still being willing to submit himself for re-election, and together with his fellow trustees at the time, to do what was necessary to ensure the Trust’s financial position was secured for the sake of all its charge-payers; and this in spite of vociferous and sometimes deeply unpleasant criticism from those who took an opposing view.

His immediate tangible legacy to us as a community is Suburb News; the completion of the latest edition Richard was able to oversee, and the Gallery, serving as both a show case and a shop window for talented local artists; we owe it to Richard to ensure that both are enabled to flourish in the future.

It seemed that throughout his whole life, duty and responsibility were his watchwords, and at times it seemed that Richard allowed himself to be overwhelmed by

A reflective snapshot

Richard and the Suburb

Richard J Wakefield 22 March 1935 – 23 October 2014

An Appreciation

Belgium to discover – what are they saying?

I was so privileged when you asked me to become the best man at your marriage to Jocelyne 40+ years ago. Your choice of the Guildhall in the City of London was of course, as usual an in-style venue. It enhanced the dignity, joy and pleasure of that happy occasion for all and sundry.

Your gift in 2010 of Leo Tolstoy’s novel ‘Resurrection’ first published in 1947, given I came to realise as a cultural awareness companion for the duration of the ten day journey across Russia, has taken on a truly precious status. A snapshot here for us:

“Nekhlúdov endeavoured to forget all this, to close his eyes to it, but he had lost the power. Although he could not see the source of the light which revealed it all to him, just as he could not see the source of the light which lay that night over Petersburg, and although the light itself seemed dim, obscure and unnatural, he now could not help seeing what that light revealed, and he felt both happy and disturbed.”

As the second apprentice gardener, your gift does so neatly slip into my jacket pocket.

Richard, your wonderful 70 years of generosity, loyalty, integrity, jokey company and winding-up humour laced with that quiet quixotic smile of yours lives within me, all are in a state of constant recall and will remain so for my remaining years.

PETER METCALFE

not be universally popular it had announced its intention of petitioning the Lands Tribunal (then the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal) to adjust the incidence of the Management Charge so that it was related to the various values (at that time from £150,000 to £17,000,000) of the properties on which it was levied. Inexplicably the Trust changed its mind and decided to devote considerable resources to resisting any such change. Richard was not a seeker of publicity; he valued loyalty and could be relied upon to think before he spoke. But he resigned from the Trust as a matter of principle.

Although the action for the change failed, the strength of the sentiment behind it altered the direction of the Trust, and brought about a fundamental change in the residents’ representation on the Council. In 2007 Richard was one of the four returned unopposed to a Council now committed to a thorough review and reformation of all aspects of its affairs.

Richard was his own man and held strong views on the Suburb very firmly. During his time on the Trust, Trustees were not always united in their view of the policies to be adopted and Richard’s was never a voice to be taken for granted. But once debated and agreed, whatever his misgivings, Richard was steadfast in his support of decisions.

In these trying times Richard energetically rallied support against Trustee candidates whose avowed intention was the enfeeblement or overthrow of the Trust and his presence on the Council was a reassurance to members that the purposes of the changes introduced were constructive and were achieved against the carefully conservative management of funds. He served the Suburb selflessly and well.

Richard always had a glint in his eye. It could be a humorous sparkle but was sometimes much closer to what is to be found in the eye of an eagle.

ANGUS WALKER

The following two tributes were delivered by Ian Tutton and Peter Metcalfe at the service held in Richard’s memory on 4 November 2014 at St Jude’s.

They have kindly allowed Suburb News to reproduce them in full so their words can be shared by a wider audience.

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the demands being made of him. Richard had been very ill for a number of years; it is likely that none but those closest to him knew just how ill he was, but he refused to give in; what had to be done had to be done whatever. He was driven by duty, that sense of responsibility, and at times managed to drive others up the wall as a consequence, but such was his life and he was determined to live it to the last as he had always lived, reinforced by duty and responsibility, underpinned by faith; a faith that was undemonstrative, a faith that worked itself out in devotion to and service of all he

held most dear. The briefest of conversations with his immediate family is enough to make anyone realise that he was very much loved as a father, and as a husband and their sense of loss is obvious to all. Richard was, and is irreplaceable. As such he will be most sorely missed by us all. The community that is the Suburb will always and forever owe him a huge debt of gratitude, one that is beyond repaying; but may be, having known Richard, he would not want us to feel in any way indebted to him, rather to accept his giving of himself for what it was, a gift.

REV DR IAN TUTTON

Richard, tending the guinea pig

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In 1970 I joined C P Wakefield, a small advertising agency in Fleet Street, wedged between the imposing buildings that housed our national press. I was twenty and working in Fleet Street was about as exciting as it could get. Its history was ubiquitous – at the east end, Ludgate Circus, looking up Ludgate Hill to the imposing St Paul’s Cathedral – at the west end, the Royal Courts of Justice with the famous and infamous continuously appearing on the steps explaining their battles within to an ever-eager press that hadn’t had far to travel. All around so much history – The Inns of Court, St Bride’s (another Wren creation), Wynkyn de Worde (William Caxton’s apprentice), Dr Johnson, Sweeney Todd, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (where we celebrated Richard’s 70th), El Vino’s (the journalist’s watering hole) – it seeped into your very being.

But in the 70s the hustle and bustle of Fleet Street was real and vivid. Massive open lorries constantly delivering gigantic rolls of newsprint to feed the insatiable appetites of the noisy letterpress printers endlessly spewing out the news and gossip of the day. Politicians and celebrities diving in and out of cabs. Delivery lorries setting off in the early hours to the four corners with the latest news. Here I was to meet Richard for the first time.

Richard had recently taken over his father’s agency after his untimely death. A few years later, when my own father died young, I vividly remember Richard and I sharing our emotions – deep sorrow, but anger too, at our fathers leaving us so abruptly and unprepared. Richard wasn’t one to share his emotions lightly, unlike me, who wore my heart on my sleeve.

As a child, Richard suffered from a congenital disorder which left him with a limp, at that time quite severe. Wakefield House was a tall building comprising offices flanked by stairs either side; their was no lift. Richard mastered these stairs with aplomb, preferring the western flight for ascending, the eastern for descent. His office was in the middle of the building. The advantage for

Richard was an active member of the St Jude’s congregation and served for many years on the church council. His special gift, of course, was for publicity and design, and he encouraged us to think closely about the ways in which we present ourselves to our own community and the wider world. One of his small, but important, roles at the church was taking photos of new worshippers for our information board so that we would quickly be able to link names with faces. As he always seemed to have his camera with him he became the semi-official recorder of the life of the church, and many of his images appeared in the ‘Suburb News’ and our own magazines, the ‘Gazette’ and now the ‘Spire’.

His interests were broad and deep. He had a keen knowledge of ornithology. If I spotted some unknown (to me) species in the garden, a telephone call to Richard would usually soon confirm that it was just some thing quite commonplace: It’s a jay; they’re blue. He knew about art, and was instrumental in acquiring for the Trust the William Isaac Aston album of watercolours ‘Impressions of the Garden Suburb Hampstead 1923 -1925’ before it was broken up and the pictures sold separately. The dealer, a friend of mine, reported a nice man with a limp has been in and bought them all.

Richard soon involved me with the Residents Association after my arrival here as vicar twenty years ago. We worked closely every year on the Michael Rowley memorial event, which

Richard Wakefield was really ‘Mr Hampstead Garden Suburb’. He gave freely of his time to the RA, the Institute, the Suburb Gallery. He was an ever-present at any Suburb event with camera at the ready. He and his family also worshipped at St Jude’s.

Richard was also responsible for Suburb News, which I believe is one of the best, if not the best, publication by a Residents Association. Under his guidance it became essential reading for anyone interested in what was happening in the Suburb.

Richard was an effective Chairman. He chaired the first Election hustings in 2001. Their success has ensured that we now have hustings at every election.

In his latter years Richard was dogged by ill-health. However that did not lessen his commitment to the Suburb. He and his camera were still ever present. The last time I saw him was when he came to Fellowship to check on the progress of the Gallery. I was very touched when he phoned me only weeks before he died asking after my health.

The Fleet Street years

Richard and St Jude’sMr ‘Suburb’

Richard J Wakefield 22 March 1935 – 23 October 2014

SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 3

combined a talk on some aspect of Suburb life or history with a slap-up tea party. I hope we find a way of similarly memorializing Richard’s enormous contribution to the Suburb.

Richard also encouraged me in my own exploration of Suburb lore and history. He delighted in hearing of references to the Suburb in obscure works of literature and biography. When we were planning to celebrate the centenary of the consecration of St Jude’s in 2011 he turned my notes and jottings into the professionally designed and handsome ‘Centenary Book’ he thought the church and the Suburb deserved. At the very end of his life I was working closely with him on a companion volume about Walter Starmer, the painter of the murals in the church. This will now be my small memorial to Richard.

REV ALAN WALKER

In the 1990’s the Suburb was racked by two controversies – the Eruv and the future of the Institute and Henrietta Barnett School. Although protagonists were happy to impugn the motives of others I never heard anyone bad mouth Richard. He was universally respected.

When there was some talk of re-examining the future of grass verges I will always remember Richard’s comment – ‘we are the Garden Suburb’. This reflected his life long commitment to the Suburb. Others came and went but Richard remained steadfast to the end of his life. When I told a friend that he had died their immediate reaction was one of shock because they had seen him at a Suburb event just before his death.

We already have the Michael Rowley Lecture. I hope that Richard’s unique contribution to the Suburb over many decades can be marked in a tangible way.

This gentle man was a true English gentleman.

JOHN MARSHALL

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If any reader feels prompted to send in a few words of their appreciation of Richard from their personal experiences they are more than welcome to do so. These would be then be considered for publication in future issues of Suburb News. Email the editor at rapublications@hgs.org.uk.

Richard, working on another issue of Suburb News

Richard, his camera momentarily replaced with a glass of champagne, at a Proms at St Jude’s event

Richard, the Fleet Street ad exec

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us minions was that, depending on which way he left his office, we knew whether he was coming up to see us or going down to someone else. This gave us notice of potential, impending admonishment and, there being two staircases, the means of a quick exit!

To us young, impressionable employees there was an air of mystery about Richard. Suave and sophisticated, a house in Hampstead and a luxury flat in Paternoster Square next to St Pauls, always jetting off to clients abroad, spotted with a stunningly beautiful French air-hostess sitting beside him in his open top sports car. There was definitely something 007 about Richard which earned him the nickname of Tricky Dicky in the agency. Not that any of us would have had the guts to call him it to his face!

Romance was to catch up with me at Wakefield and I was to marry a girl I had met there. As a wedding gift, Richard kindly organised our honeymoon at a luxury hotel in Jersey. Jersey Tourism was Wakefield’s largest client at the time and we were treated like royalty. It was a very generous gesture which has never been forgotten.

My time at Wakefields was filled with many happy memories and although I left to further my career, a few years later Richard asked me to return to run his Creative Services department which I did with much zeal. It was my first managerial role.

Later our paths were to cross again when I rented an office from him to start my first art studio in the early 80s. And yet again, in 1995, when he asked me if I’d redesign and produce Suburb News. We worked together on nearly 70 editions and the last, issue 120, I had emailed him a final proof for his approval on the day he died.

I will remember Richard with great affection. Never once did I hear him complain of the many ailments that inflicted him over the years. He fought for what he believed in; he lived true to his principles. He was strong, courageous and unpretentious. The very best kind of man.

TREVOR HUTTON

4 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS

SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 5

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Horticultural Society’s 100th AGM

Combat Stress Winter Fair

RA carries out speed checks

TfL Top Schools Award

The HGS Horticultural Society’s 100th Annual General Meeting was celebrated on November 11 in the Free Church Hall by the cutting of a large, beautifully decorated cake. This was executed jointly by Press Officer Marjorie Harris, Chairman Chris Page and Vice-Chairman Yvonne Oliver.

The Horticultural Society was founded in 1909, but no meetings or shows were held for five years during the Second

Very many thanks to the huge number of Suburb residents who came to the Winter Fair in support of Combat Stress, held at the Free Church Hall on 1 November. Organised by the Winter Fair committee – Gerlinde Crossley, Kathy Cunnold, Marjorie Harris, Norma Milner, Yvonne Oliver, Angela Phillips, Emma Rodwell and Ruth Smith, and opened by

No subject is raised with the Roads & Traffic Committee more often than speeding on Suburb roads but it is not clear how much of a problem this truly is. Whilst some residents are convinced that speeding is widespread others see no evidence of this and certainly accident statistics on Suburb roads remain very low.

In order to obtain an accurate picture the RA has bought a speed checking ‘gun’ which has been used by the Roads & Traffic Committee in a number of roads during the build up to Christmas with a summary of the results as set out below (full details can be found on our website):Hampstead Way (opp Heath Extension)No. of vehicles monitored: 100Speed limit: 30mphAvg speed recorded: 30.87mphAddison WayNo. of vehicles monitored: 70 Speed limit: 20mphAvg speed recorded: 26.5mphMeadway(Holne Chase jct)No. of vehicles monitored: 105Speed limit: 30mphAvg speed recorded: 26.37mphWillifield Way (between TF Hill & Asmuns Hill)No. of vehicles monitored: 25Speed limit: 20mphAvg speed recorded: 27.88mphTemple Fortune LaneNo. of vehicles monitored: 50Speed limit: 30mphAvg speed recorded: 27.32mph

These tests are only a snap-shot in each location but they allow residents to see actual

Brookland Junior School was awarded the School of the Region award by Transport for London (TfL) in November 2014 for their commitment to sustainable travel and work with the wider school community. Three Year 5 pupils attended with School Travel Plan Champion, Bryony Davies.

Jed Langham commented that the day at City Hall was special because “it looked amazing and the views were great, especially of the poppies. The food was also amazing, my lunch was delicious! We were very proud to win the School of the Region award.”

Here is what was said about the school: Brookland Junior in Barnet has been awarded School of the Region for taking a whole school approach to their School Travel Plan (STP) work; involving the whole school community including the adjacent Infant school which write their own plan. The STP Champion, Bryony Davies, has effectively embedded this into the school ethos as can be seen from their walking bus, walking zone around the school, unofficial one way system and

World War, hence the fact that this was not the 105th AGM!

Afterwards the business of electing and re-electing committee members and handing out cups, medals and prizes to show winners was carried out.

To mark the auspicious occasion by saying thank you, special silver medals were presented to two people who had played a unique role in the society’s life for a very long

Martin Bell, the fair made well over £4,000 to support the charity’s outreach remedial programmes for armed forces veterans who have returned from combat with mental health issues. There is still money to be added from November’s green disc charity collection at Waitrose, Temple Fortune. The final amount raised will be announced in the next

rather than anecdotal speeding evidence for the first time where our roads are concerned.

The most striking aspect of the results is the high degree of observance among motorists on the 30mph roads. However within the 20mph zones at Willifield Way and Addison Way traffic speeds are barely different from those where 30mph prevails. Whereas the great majority of motorists seem to be driving within the law in the 30mph section the opposite appears true where 20mph prevails.

If the R&T Committee’s findings are indicative the effect of creating 20mph zones has been merely to criminalise most users of those roads without having any impact on traffic speed. Whilst a few residents would no doubt call for draconian treatment of drivers doing 24mph or 25mph where 20mph is the maximum it would seem likely that most observers will recognise that 20mph is simply the wrong limit for most Suburb roads. Our tests so far show that the great majority of motorists drive at sensible speeds suited to the circumstances of the particular road irrespective of whether the limit is 20mph or 30mph. We would probably all agree that the handful who drive recklessly ought to be urgently apprehended but the idea that practical safety can be achieved by simply lowering the limit is unlikely to prove correct.

The R&T Committee is very keen to carry out further checks on Suburb roads and residents

many, many more initiatives they undertake each year. It is hard to get all school staff involved in a STP but at Brookland Junior all the staff took part in a pedometer challenge where the children had to guess who would walk the most over a period of time. The STP has been discussed by governors and is also part of the School Development Plan.

The school has had a STP since 2006 and through their on- going commitment has reduced their pupil car use from 43% to

time. Nigel Sutton had taken countless photographs of the society’s events for Suburb News and the Ham & High and Hilda Williams had set up Fellowship House for meetings until her recent retirement.

In addition gold membership cards were presented to three people who had been members for 50 years – John and Margaret Reeve and Joyce Wheatley. Later Chris Page gave an overview of the very successful year it had been for gardeners, growers and the society; the new committee was duly elected and prize winners rewarded.

HGS SEED SWAPThe HGS Horticultural Society and Garden Suburb Allotments are holding a joint HGS ‘Seed Swap Day’ on Thursday February 26 at 7.30pm at The Free Church Hall. Anyone interested is invited to bring along their saved flower and vegetable seeds to swap with others, in addition to their hints and tips on all matters horticultural. For further details email ruthbeedle@tiscali.co.uk.

Details of the Horticultural Society’s 2015 events can be found at www.hortsoc.co.uk, in the Suburb News listings and in Horticultural Society members’ newsletters. To join, call David Broome on 020 8444 2329 (details on the website).

MARJORIE HARRIS

issue of Suburb News, after an outsize cheque has been handed over to Combat Stress’s HQ in February. The 2015 fair promises to be even bigger and better, and will be held on Saturday 31 October. Please put the date in your diaries and, if you would like to take part or donate goods or money, contact Ruth Smith on 020 8458 8191.

are encouraged to contact us if they believe they have identified a problem area. In this way, and with the help of residents, we hope within a few months to have more comprehensive speeding statistics from which we can both gauge the true extent of any problem and if necessary plan for the most genuinely effective solutions.

GARY SHAW

15% and increased walking from 39% to 51%. The percentage of staff walking to school has also doubled, from 10% in 2006 to 20% in 2014. Local residents are kept informed about the STP via a residents’ newsletter.

There are plans for another residents’ newsletter in the spring term and more than half of Year 6 has received Bikeability training this year. There are plans to work with the Infant School and neighbours to improve driving and parking.

Front, Jed Langham, Alisa Goldstein, Maya Rosen. Back, Leon Daniels (TfL Managing Director, Surface Transport), Bryony Davies

WordsearchThe autumn Wordsearch winner was Mrs Cristina Lago. She is Spanish and moved to the Suburb fairly recently. She writes mainly for Spanish newspapers and magazines, and enjoys local talks and lectures. She sailed home with all the correct answers. Congratulations!

Cristina has also, most timely, agreed to take over Wordsearch from Diana Woodfield, who is retiring from Wordsearch after creating 38 Wordsearch teasers spanning ten years! Suburb News would like to thank Diana for her wonderful contribution which has proved to be such a popular feature of this newspaper. Also welcome to Cristina, who picks up the mantle, with her first mind-bender appearing in the spring edition.

The answers to last autumn’s Wordsearch, 20 names of rock, stones or metals, were: aluminium, amber, basalt, capstone, chalk, crystal, diamond, gold, granite, jade, jasper, lapis, lead, limestone, oolite, quartz, sandstone, silver, slate and zinc.

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SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 76 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS

COMMITTEE ACTIVITY REPORTS – 2015 AGM

When I was elected last year, I said that my objective was to involve residents in two of the RA’s constitutional aims:

• the maintenance of the character of the Suburb

• the promotion of community enjoyment.

You only have to glance at the committee reports on this page to see the work being done to promote these aims. However, the challenge to all of us is to bring new members on to those committees. A survey monkey the previous

year brought out the volunteering spirit, and resulted in two heavily refreshed committees, and the establishment of a third, marketing.

The RA’s governing body is its Council, and this Report from me is on behalf of Council. It too has to bring in new people, and in April we did so, four entirely new, and one a returning old hand. We need to repeat that process in the coming year.

Reaching out to residents so that you become aware that ‘nothing does itself’, and that in the RA we have something of communal value for which it’s worth giving some time, and obtaining some pleasure, is one of our key objectives.

Community is an opportunity for both giving and receiving. Fellowship House is an example. The RA collects with its membership fee donations for Fellowship which is a separate charity for senior residents with a programme of events run

by volunteers, but the RA also benefi ts from holding meetings in Fellowship House, at a modest fee, and is looking forward to returning there after the rebuilding.

This report will not refer to each committee, save to record the Council’s appreciation for their work and also for the work of residents who represent us on other Suburb bodies, as listed in the annual Directory that we distribute each May, to

which I add my own appreciation of the work of the offi cers, Council, Rosalind Josephs’ litter picker team, Mary Whiting for maintaining the Master tradesmen’s list, Steve Morris for hosting us on his website and our many other volunteers. Most

importantly, I wish to add to the tribute I paid at the last AGM to my predecessor, Janet Elliott, whose tireless work as chairman over fi ve years has left us in such good shape, and who has continued in her other role as Membership Secretary.

The Directory and Suburb News are our key publications. The latter has been uniquely produced by the late Richard Wakefi eld whom we dearly miss, and to whose Jocelyne and family we have expressed our grateful thanks and deepest

condolences. Fortunately, Terry Brooks, our chair of Publications, has been its editor in recent years, and in November was already gathering copy for the 2015 fi rst issue.

The Suburb Gallery was another brainchild of Richard. It was in recent years at Fellowship House until closed for rebuilding in July. The enlarged Eileen Whelan room will no longer be available for our exclusive use, so the

plan is to hold special exhibitions there and in other venues, while exploring additional ways to promote Suburb art such as via the website and possibly café art and open

house venues.

Council decided that we should, this year, reach back to the early ‘noughties’ when our report was printed in Suburb News, and we have therefore adopted a modern layout to highlight key bullet points. This means that some further details will be in the formal report on the website www.hgs.org.uk and set out on chairs at the AGM detailed above. The accounts will be added to the website when signed off in February, and will also be available at the AGM, as well as on prior application

as to be detailed in the notice of AGM.

JONATHAN SERES (rachair@hgs.org.uk)

In January 2014 Pia Duran retired from the Allotments chair; the committee would like to thank Pia for all her hard work. We have a new logo designed for free by Leslie Mello. All allotments

are fully taken, but vacancies arise when holders move away from the Suburb. Residents for the waiting list should contact me on 8455 2033.

PATRICIA MAJOR – Chairman (raallotments@hgs.org.uk)

• Over 100 allotments in use throughout the Suburb

• Phyllis Young Trophy for the best kept allotment was won by Pamela Hall

• An unwelcome development on Big site has been theft of produce and equipment throughout 2014

• Allotments’ party was held in the Free Church Hall inSeptember and was a great success; it was great to see new

and old faces and some whole families.

Richard Wakefi eld’s sad death ended an era for our committee. He produced 120 issues of Suburb News over 30 years, and oversaw the design standard for all RA publications including the Directory, our posters and the more recent Suburb eNews. We will attempt to maintain the

high professional standards he set as we continue his work and also keep abreast with changes in modern media.

TERRY BROOKS – Chairman (rapublications@hgs.org.uk)

• Suburb News published quarterly with its costs covered by advertising revenue and delivery carried out by over 100 volunteers co-ordinated by Lorna Page

• Annual Suburb Directory delivered to every household with the spring issue of Suburb News

• Liaising with Steve Morris on the new design of the RA pages on his HGS website

• Arranging in the coming year for the entire Suburb News archive to be available online

• Administering the Facebook page of ‘The Hampstead Garden Suburb Group’.

We continue to work to preserve and, indeed, enhance the character and appearance of the Suburb and its trees and open spaces; by surveying the streets and ensuring Barnet’s replacements fi t with

the historic planting scheme; by organising working group action days in Bigwood, and by working with local resident groups to plan improvements such as those in Northway Gardens

playground and Central Square, and with the City in relation to the Heath.

TONY GHILCHIK– Chairman (ratrees@hgs.org.uk)

• Funded an extra 40 street trees, trebling the number to be planted by Barnet in early 2015

• 6 Saturday morning monthly action days, out of bird-nesting season, in Bigwood coppicing and clearing glades, and planting another 30 oak saplings to maintain

age diversity

• Finalised with Barnet and users’ group the refurbishment of the Northway Children’s Playground, opened by the Mayor, supported by RA Centenary Fund

• Helped plan an improved planting scheme proposed for Central Square.

Our committee, an innovation for the RA, was created in January 2014. We are committed to developing and implementing strategies to increase the awareness of the RA and its functions

within the Suburb, and to attract new members.

We seek to promote HGS as a vibrant community, an ideal place to live with unique and attractive features. We see our role as establishing closer links with all residents, to identify

what they care about and seek to fulfi l this requirement.

With these aims in mind we have undertaken the following activities over the past year.

DIANE WALSH – Chairman (ramarketing@hgs.org.uk)

• Held two New Resident parties in February and May

• Manned an RA table at the Summer Fun Day

• Placed new HGS Notice Boards in and around N2

• Redesigned the RA Annual Report into this two page format for attractive and easy reading.

Issues this year continue to illustrate the pressure on Suburb heritage arising from high prices and the consequent deep pockets for over-development. Consam representatives on the Trust’s PPC and Barnet’s CAAC committees oppose these as forthrightly as their remit allows. Unauthorised development is also a problem, and we encourage the Trust to require reinstatement or

sometimes an improved adaptation.

JOHN SELLS – Chairman (raconsam@hgs.org.uk)

• Obtained Barnet’s agreement to paint green the new short CPZ posts

• Survey of tall posts almost completed

• Car club bay proposed to Barnet

• Unauthorised pool pavilion opposed

• Participated in successful resistance to height of fl ats behind Reynolds Close

• Information gathered on possible development overlooking rear of Heathcroft

• Draft energy booklet progressed.

We have opposed higher on-street parking charges and a potential cost increase for Suburb parking permits in the CPZs. We have responded to several consultations and continued to

campaign against TfL’s infl exible enforcement at the Market Place, one of several locations where we have again successfully helped residents overturn unjustifi ed parking tickets this year.

GARY SHAW – Chairman (ratraffi c@hgs.org.uk)

• Liaison with schools and local authorities to help avoid disruption to residents

• RA operated speed checks to ascertain whether speed limits are being observed

• Assistance with fi ghting parking tickets

• Constant monitoring of Council plans for Suburb roads

• Responded to retain shoppers’ parking bay in Kingsley Way.

March and September renewal reminders were posted as usual, with a good response. To help fulfi l the RA Council’s drive to reduce both costs and the physical burden of the May renewal reminders,

emails were sent to those who had registered with us and letters to others who had yet to renew. The outcome has been a reduction from 1,964 members in 2013 to just over 1,800 in 2014. Another contributing factor has been the loss of about 60 associate members living outside

the Suburb when the Theatre Club requested a termination of the link. Through the continuing support of our Hon Treasurer, Jeremy Clynes, we have issued eNews and

membership emails via Mailchimp.

JANET ELLIOTT – Chairman (ramembership@hgs.org.uk)

• 1,800 households in membership (probably about 6,000 individuals represented)

• Directory contained membership form for fi rst time, delivered to whole Suburb

• All membership work done by volunteers

• For new residents’ parties, see Marketing committee

• Discount scheme now in over 40 local shops, thanks to Charles Gale and Ann Spencer. Vouchers emailed in May, and equivalent membership cards delivered or posted to others.

Key events are shown in the bullet points below. We have refreshed our committee with marvellous volunteers from our online survey of the previous year. Thanks to Radio 4’s Alan Dein and the Archive Trust, our annual Michael Rowley event presented the historical sounds of the Suburb to

a packed hall.

DAVID LITTAUR – Chairman (raevents@hgs.org.uk)

• New year’s eve party and fi reworks – to the delight of so many, this event returned to begin 2014

• Toddlers’ party in March – innovative, and a great success

• AGM organised by our committee, including complimentary wines and canapes

• In May the Rowley event – sounds of the Suburb – and the Hustings for Barnet and Euro elections – two crowded and participative audiences.

• Summer Fun Day – fairground and a galaxy of activities on Central Square

• Councillors for Suburb and East Finchley interacted with a spirited audience at the 7 October open meeting.

Issues this year continue to illustrate the pressure on Suburb heritage arising from high prices and the consequent deep pockets for over-development. Consam representatives on the Trust’s PPC and

We continue to work to preserve and, indeed, enhance the character and appearance of the Suburb and its trees and open spaces; by surveying the streets and ensuring Barnet’s replacements fi t with

the historic planting scheme; by organising working group action days in Bigwood, and by working with local resident groups to plan improvements such as those in Northway Gardens

• Funded an extra 40 street trees, trebling the number to be planted by Barnet in early 2015

• 6 Saturday morning monthly action days, out of bird-nesting season, in Bigwood coppicing and clearing glades, and planting another 30 oak saplings to maintain

age diversity

• Finalised with Barnet and users’ group the refurbishment of the Northway Children’s Playground, opened by the Mayor, supported by RA Centenary Fund

• Helped plan an improved planting scheme proposed for Central Square.

We have opposed higher on-street parking charges and a potential cost increase for Suburb

Key events are shown in the bullet points below. We have refreshed our committee with marvellous volunteers from our online survey of the previous year. Thanks to Radio 4’s Alan Dein and the Archive Trust, our annual Michael Rowley event presented the historical sounds of the Suburb to

• New year’s eve party and fi reworks – to the delight of so many, this event returned to begin 2014

• Toddlers’ party in March – innovative, and a great success

• AGM organised by our committee, including complimentary wines and canapes

• In May the Rowley event – sounds of the Suburb – and the Hustings for Barnet and Euro elections – two crowded and participative audiences.

• Summer Fun Day – fairground and a galaxy of activities on Central Square

• Councillors for Suburb and East Finchley interacted with a spirited audience at the 7 October open meeting.

In January 2014 Pia Duran retired from the Allotments chair; the committee would like to thank Pia for all her hard work. We have a new logo designed for free by Leslie Mello. All allotments

are fully taken, but vacancies arise when holders move away from the Suburb. Residents for

• Over 100 allotments in use throughout the Suburb

• Phyllis Young Trophy for the best kept allotment was won by Pamela Hall

• An unwelcome development on Big site has been theft of produce and equipment throughout 2014

• Allotments’ party was held in the Free Church Hall inSeptember and was a great success; it was great to see new

and old faces and some whole families.

in July. The enlarged Eileen Whelan room will no longer be available for our exclusive use, so the plan is to hold special exhibitions there and in other venues, while exploring additional

ways to promote Suburb art such as via the website and possibly café art and open

Council decided that we should, this year, reach back to the early ‘noughties’ when our report was printed in Suburb News, and we have therefore adopted a modern

Richard Wakefi eld’s sad death ended an era for our committee. He produced 120 issues of Suburb News over 30 years, and oversaw the design standard for all RA publications including the Directory, our posters and the more recent Suburb eNews. We will attempt to maintain the

• Suburb News published quarterly with its costs covered by advertising revenue and delivery carried out by over 100 volunteers co-ordinated by Lorna Page

• Annual Suburb Directory delivered to every household with the spring issue of Suburb News

• Liaising with Steve Morris on the new design of the RA pages on his HGS website

• Arranging in the coming year for the entire Suburb News archive to be available online

• Administering the Facebook page of ‘The Hampstead Garden Suburb Group’.

Our committee, an innovation for the RA, was created in January 2014. We are committed to developing and implementing strategies to increase the awareness of the RA and its functions

• Redesigned the RA Annual Report into this two page format for attractive and easy reading.

CONSERVATION AND AMENITIES

ROADS AND TRAFFIC

MEMBERSHIP

EVENTS

ALLOTMENTS

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

PUBLICATIONS

TREES AND OPEN SPACESMARKETING

YOUR RESIDENTS ASSOCIATIONCome and discuss Suburb issues with your neighbours at the Residents Association AGM

Monday 30 March 2015, 7.45pmHenrietta Barnett School Hall, Central Square

All residents welcome • Refreshments

March and September renewal reminders were posted as usual, with a good response. To help fulfi l the RA Council’s drive to reduce both costs and the physical burden of the May renewal reminders,

emails were sent to those who had registered with us and letters to others who had yet to renew. The outcome has been a reduction from 1,964 members in 2013 to just over 1,800 in 2014.

• Discount scheme now in over 40 local shops, thanks to Charles Gale and Ann Spencer. Vouchers

8 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS

862 Finchley Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 6AB · 020 8455 1066 · mail@hgstrust.org www.hgstrust.org · twitter: @HGSTrust

Martin Bell, OBE – Former BBC correspondent, Independent MP, historian, writer and poet and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Martin Bell moved into the Suburb with his young family 40 years ago in December 1974 and still considers it “the best place to live; it is friendly, quiet and tranquil.” A huge contrast to the vicious and deadly Balkan and middle east wars he has witnessed. The Lullaby of Sarajevo was the sound of bombs and gunfire and sirens and smashed glass and bricks during the time he was reporting there for the BBC so that when he returned for spells of respite the total quiet kept him awake. Bell was working abroad for seventeen years and let the house out during this time – but now he is glad to be home and relishes the calm of the Suburb with its woods and green spaces and the local shops. It is the complete antithesis to a violent noisy war zone. He took great pride in showing me the great oak tree in his garden that is possibly the oldest and largest in the Suburb.As a member of the Suburb Residents Association, he enjoys many local events and activities.

Born in Redisham Suffolk on 31 August 1938, Martin was one of the last batch of young men to do National Service; perhaps it was his time in the army during the fading years of the British Empire and time spent fighting Archbishop Makarios and the EOKA movement in Cyprus that sparked his life interest in war zones. He was refused a

commission because he failed the army intelligence test but ended his term as a corporal. After the army he went to Cambridge where he gained a First Class Honours degree in English and joined the BBC in 1962. Two years later he moved to north London to be near Alexandra Palace which was the BBC’s broadcasting centre until 1970. In 1974 his doctor, who lived in Southway, told him of a friend’s house that was for sale and he and his family moved in in December.

In 1991 when he was ‘embedded’ with the British army (a new concept for journalists then) he wore army combat kit and was given the serial number 001, but a few months later, in June 1991, when the civil wars in Bosnia were in full force he was wearing a white suit (it’s actually a dusky cream colour) and avoided a lot of bullets. He then felt he should continue to dress this way and, back in Britain, it became his trade mark and he was known as The Man in the White Suit. (He only wears a dark suit to funerals.) Having finally retired from the BBC and expressing disgust at the sleaze in Parliament, 24 days before the general election of 1997 he was persuaded to stand against Neil Hamilton, the conservative MP for Tatton, who was embroiled in the questions for cash scandal. When both Labour and Lib Dems withdrew their candidates he found himself elected with a majority of 11,077 votes, a seat he held for four years. Though he spoke rarely in the House of Commons, he took his duties as a

constituency MP very seriously. He did not seek re-election in Tatton in 2001 when the new conservative candidate, George Osborne, was selected and later won but he did stand as an Independent against Eric Pickles. Pickles won but Bell gained 32% of the votes cast – an impressive performance on his part. At this point, Bell retired from active politics and concentrated on writing and lecturing with a brief return to TV in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. He became a goodwill ambassador to UNICEF in 2001 and received an OBE for services to journalism in 1993.

Martin Bell is the author of several books that reflect his experience in the dangerous war zones of the world. The first, published in 1995 is ‘In Harm’s Way’. This was followed by ‘An Accidental MP’ in 2000 and ‘Through Gates of Fire: a journey into World Disorder’ in 2003, ‘The Truth that Sticks: New Labour’s Breach of Trust’ and ‘A Very British Revolution: the Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy’ in 2009. In 2011 he published a volume of light and dark verses entitled ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’.

Interestingly, his latest work which is due to be published next year by Pen and Sword is called ‘End of Empire: a soldier’s story’ and deals with his time as a conscript National Service Soldier. This, he says, was prompted by the recent release of classified documents and the discovery of a hundred letters that he wrote to his parents that were stored in the attic. I am looking forward to reading it.

‘The Man in the White Suit’ by Diana Brahams

in conversation with……Martin Bell OBE

The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust is organising

conservation and repair of parts of the Great Wall on

behalf of the property owners and assisted by the City

of London Corporation.

This Grade II Listed structure was designed as a

divide between the rural Heath and the built-up Suburb.

In recent years the wall has become overwhelmed

by the vigorous growth of ivy and other vegetation. This

is invasive into the brickwork and its weight is a

significant strain on the structural stability of the wall.

The work will be to remove ivy, repair the wall and

re-establish controlled vegetation. It is a similar scheme

to that which the Trust successfully carried out at

Sunshine Corner.

Once the work has been completed the re-growth of

vegetation in front of the wall will be allowed, but

maintenance will prevent it from becoming too vigorous

and therefore posing a future threat to the wall.

The Great Wall - Conservation and Repair

An early photograph of The Great Wall Invasive ivy and other vegetation Trust staff surveying the Wall Repair and conservation work in progress

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SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 9

On the corner of Finchley Road and Willifield Way – on the very edge of the Suburb – is a redbrick building. Resources for Autism says the nameplate on the door.

Many people will be totally unaware of the activity behind that door and the way the people there help youngsters – and many adults too – whose lives are utterly defined by the word autism.

The figure presiding over the activities and support provided by the organisation is its director, Liza Dresner, who is no stranger to Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Born close to the Suburb and having spent much of her childhood in this area Liza left to explore other places but the lure of HGS brought her back.

Liza attended the Garden Suburb School and one of her earliest memories was sitting with her class on Willifield Way whilst her treasured teacher read to the children as she gently dozed off in the sunshine! Her mother took her there for picnics, she took her children there to do the same thing. It is now the route she walks with her dog.

Liza spent 14 years as a social worker and then decided to train as a teacher before her career plans were put on hold

when she gave birth to her daughter, Rebecca.

At this point she became a full-time mother to her daughter and went on to have her son, Alex. But nothing could stop Liza from getting involved in other projects. She was and still is very interested in cooking which led to her volunteering for an HIV food charity where she eventually became a trustee.

“I applied for the job as director of RFA, little knowing that the headquarters were at 858 Finchley Road, which I knew well from my childhood. It was a happy return,” she said.

The charity was set up to support children, young people and adults and their families with autism. Her brief was not only director but fund-raiser as well and to help with the growth of the organisation.

From their beginnings in a room at Avenue House to another two venues, RFA was expanding and needed more space. Number 858 was originally a GP’s surgery. The local MP for Finchley, Hartley Booth, was the pioneer of the organisation and was moved by the plight of families needing support for their children with autism. Booth had succeeded Margaret Thatcher as the Conservative Member of

Parliament for Finchley from the 1992 general election. He was the co-founder and first chairman of the organisation and his driving force got things moving.

Local loans funded the cost of the alterations to the space at 858 which includes offices, sensory room, art and music rooms and a playroom with a small back garden space.

“The Suburb’s involvement has always been supportive – volunteers help us and local people work with us. There is a volunteer who does the gardening, for example, and we have received grants from the Garden Suburb Trust to help finance plants for the garden,” said Liza. When she arrived at 858 the garden was in a dreadful state but now it’s admired by people who enjoy sitting there and having their lunch. “The building matters and it reflects what the suburb is about – a caring community,” she said.

Resources for Autism offers so much: play services, holiday play schemes, art and music clubs, young people’s evening clubs, a befriending home service for families who may have a family member with autism. They provide one-to-one support from paid staff, a volunteer team who give up to three hours a week support and a youth service.

But what exactly is autism? Liza explained: “One person in 100 in the UK has autism – or is somewhere on the spectrum. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people and the world around them.

“It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in different ways.

“Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

“Some people barely communicate and are lost in their own world. Others are relatively able. It is a lifelong condition but those affected can be supported and guided to manage their lives more effectively. We try to provide an anchor for them and their families, for whom things can be very tough.”

This anchor is not exclusive to Barnet – many boroughs across London and also Birmingham are now receiving help. Birmingham became part of the action in 2007 when Liza was approached by a mother and daughter who asked to visit 858. The mother told Liza about how her daughter had been excluded from various support organisations due to her challenging behaviour. Things grew from there, a strategy plan for the Midlands was written and RFA expanded yet again.

Kathy Brodbeck chats to Liza

… Liza Dresner, Resources for Autism director

Liza works tirelessly for this organisation – determined to give the very best to all who need the support. Her energy is astounding whether she is addressing a group of staff, travelling back and forth to Birmingham, talking to families, supporting volunteers, writing bids for grants, writing policies, carol singing outside Marks and Spencer. It goes on...

One of the most important aspects of resources for autism is that it provides support for

anyone on the spectrum regardless of age or level of need and to families as well. It’s a life-long journey.

Willifield Green was an important place in Liza’s child- hood. Now Willifield Way is the centre of her professional life.

“These days I love to wander in Bigwood,” she says.

“I visit regularly with my dog about three times a week. I have so many memories of treasure hunts and parties in this special place with my

children – it’s a haven of peace and tranquillity.”

858 Finchley Road is not a haven of tranquillity – there is too much going on there for that. But with Liza Dresner at its centre, it does provide hope and support for all those whose lives are touched by autism.

Resources for Autism are always looking for volunteers. If you have time to spare and would like to help their work, please ring 020 8458 3259.

Serving the suburb for 30 yearsYou’ll want us on your side.

746 Finchley Road, Temple Fortune, London NW11 7THEmail: info@gadllp.co.ukwww.gadllp.co.uk

For fast and competitive conveyancing, call Oliver Joseph on 020 8209 0166

PropertyLawyers

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SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY10.30am The Hidden Heath Heath & Hampstead Society guided walk, led by Michael Hammerson (Vice President, The Highgate Society). Meet between the Old Kitchen Garden and English Heritage staff yard, east of Kenwood House. Admission £3. Enquiries only (no booking required) to 07941 528 034.

TUESDAY 3 FEBRUARY10.15-10.45am Story/Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place. Toddlers and their carers welcome into a warm friendly group. Rhythm and rhyme-making activities alongside both new and familiar songs and an introduction into the world of exciting and boundless stories beyond home provision. Join us for some fun with your little ones. Admission free. To book 020 8458 3301.2.30pm A Short History of British Railways from the Year Dot! Fellowship Talk by Bob Chandler in the Free Church.8pm Residents Association Council Meeting at the Quaker Meeting House. Hear Suburb issues debated and raise your concerns at Question Time (8.30pm).

THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY10-10.30am & 10.45-11.15am Sing Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place. A first library activity for under threes and their grown-ups. Rhyme, rhythm and repetition are all fundamental to a baby’s speech, language, listening and concentration skills. Admission free. To book 020 8458 3301.

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY3.30pm Book Club Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place. A different book every month, discussed over cake and tea. Pick up a copy of the current book at the HGS Library and join us at 3.30pm on the first Friday of the month. Admission free. To book 020 8458 3301.

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY TO FRIDAY 19 JUNE1-5pm The Mysterious Mr K. & Company Works by Patrick Hourihan, Highgate Gallery. This is the second visit to Highgate Gallery for Patrick Hourihan, an artist who embraces the imagery and methods of the original Surrealist group of the early 20th century. As well as paintings, on this occasion Patrick brings an assemblage of objects, as he explores the wild outpourings from the subconscious. He writes: The Mysterious Mr K. & Company is a collection of 25 boxed objects. Lost, anonymous objects, brought together, reveal a story of surprises and take the viewer on a journey though the many chambers of the Mysterious Mr K.’s wonderful abode. The journey continues via 200 automatic drawings and paintings which are excavations in search of marvellous sensations and strange half-hidden places. www.patrickhourihan.com.

SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY10.30am Drop in Coffee Morning, Traidcraft Sale and Clothing Exchange at The Free Church.

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY10am Borough Councillors’ Surgery at HGS Trust offices. Ask for advice on local problems. 7.30pm Martinu Piano Trio at Henrietta Barnett School Hall. Presented by Mill Hill Music Club. Pavel Šafarik – violin; Jaroslav Matejka – cello; Petr Jiríkovsky – piano. Hummel – Trio No 3 in G Op 35; Beethoven – Piano Trio in B flat Op 11; Dvorák – Piano Trio No 1 in B Op 21. Prices for tickets: Single concert - £15.00. Season Ticket for all 7 concerts - £95.00. By arrangement with the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, all aged 8-25 are admitted free. Tickets for concerts are available in advance from: Mill Hill Music Club Box Office, Mr Michael Rawling, 2a Millway, Mill Hill, NW7 3RE. 020 8959 3866, info@millhillmusicclub.co.uk.

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY2.30pm Did Marco Polo Go to China? Fellowship Talk in Free Church by Fraces Wood, formerly in charge of Chinese Collections in the British Library.

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY2.30-4.30pm Moonlight and Roses Avenue House, East End Road, N3 3QE. Afternoon tea in the Drawing Room with live musical entertainment. 8pm Historical Association AG & Committee Meetings 2 Wild Hatch. Full HA members only.

TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY2.30pm Lightening Fellowship Talk by Lester Hillman in the Free Church.

THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY2.30pm Free Church Thursday Fellowship Free Church Rooms. Flower arranging with Mrs Takahashi.8pm Wartime Hysterics, Alcohol and World War One Historical Association at Free Church Hall. Illustrated talk by Dr Stella Moss, Teaching Fellow in Modern British History at Royal Holloway, University of London. Dr Moss has focused her research on the effects of alcohol (including the ‘Red Biddy Ruin’ – meths), the impact of the Children Act of 1908 and the regulations relating to Public Houses during 1908-39. Visitors £3. Fellowship House members £1.

THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY2.30pm Medieval Middlesex – the archeological remains 2 for 2.30pm. The Finchley Society presents Adam Corsini from the Museum of London, who gives this illustrated talk. Avenue House, East End Road, N3 3QE. Non-members £2. Info 020 8883 3381. 7.30pm HGS Seed Swap at Free Church Hall. The Horticultural Society and Allotments Committee come together for a collaborative evening. Pick up or exchange locally-grown seeds including flowers, vegetables and herbs. There will also be a panel of celebrated Flower Show prize winners who will give their tips for successful growing and answer your questions. If you would like a leaflet about general rules for seed saving, envelopes for saving seed or any more details about the evening, please contact Ruth Beedle at ruthbeedle@tiscali.co.uk. Entry free for members of the Horticultural Society and HGS Allotmenteers. Non-members £3.

TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY2.30pm Progroms to Public School Life Fellowship Talk by Jenny Manson in the Free Church. She will read extracts from family diaries.

FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY1pm Piano and Violin Recital at Free Church. Litsa Tunnah (violin) and Petr Romanov (piano). Lunch in support of Christian Aid served from 12.15pm.

SUNDAY 1 MARCH10.30am The Pergola, the Hill Gardens and Golders Hill Park Heath & Hampstead Society guided walk, led by Peter Tausig, member of the H&HS Committee and Heath Sub-Committee. Meet in North End Way, on Hampstead side of Inverforth House. Admission £3. Enquiries only (no booking required) to 07941 528034.

TUESDAY 3 MARCH10.15-10.45am Story/Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place, NW11 6LB. (Details as 3 Feb).2.30pm A short film and slides to demonstrate the new audio-visual equipment in Fellowship House.8pm Residents Association Council Meeting at Fellowship House. Hear Suburb issues debated and raise your concerns at Question Time (8.30pm).

THURSDAY 5 MARCH10-10.30am & 10.45-11.15am Sing Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place, NW11 6LB. (Details as 5 Feb).

FRIDAY 6 MARCH2pm Free Church Women’s World Day of Prayer Claremont Free Church, 167A Cheviot Gardens NW2 1PY. 3.30pm Book Club Garden Suburb Community Library (Details as 6 Feb).

SATURDAY 7 MARCH10.30am Drop in Coffee Morning Traidcraft Sale and Clothing Exchange in Church at The Free Church.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH7.30pm Skampa Quartet at Henrietta Barnett School Hall. Presented by Mill Hill Music Club. Helena Jirikovska - violin; Adela Stajnochrova - violin; Radim Sedmidubsky - viola; Lukas Polak - cello. Haydn String Quartet Op 77/2 in F; Pavel Fischer - Morava; Suk - Meditation for string quartet Op 35; Dvorak - Quartet No 12 in F “American”. Prices for tickets: Single concert - £15.00. Season Ticket for all 7 concerts - £95.00. By arrangement with the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, all aged 8-25 are admitted free. Tickets for concerts are available in advance from: Mill Hill Music Club Box Office, Mr Michael Rawling, 2a Millway, Mill Hill, London NW7 3RE. 020 8959 3866, info@millhillmusicclub.co.uk.

SUNDAY 15 MARCH10.30am Mothering Sunday Service at St Jude’s.

THURSDAY 19 MARCH2.30pm Free Church Thursday Fellowship Free Church Rooms. Talk by People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).8pm The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: empire, nation and Hampstead Garden Suburb Historical Association at Free Church Hall. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (founded in 1885) is the national record of men and women who have shaped British history and culture. Visitors £3. Fellowship House members £1.

SATURDAY 21 MARCH1.15pm YMC Chamber Music Concert at HGS Free Church NW11. All chamber ensembles of the Youth Music Centre will perform various exciting repertoire. Admission free. Info 020 8450 9290.8-11pm Charity Blues Night at Free Church Hall, 11 Northway, NW11 6PB. Hosted by ‘The Blues Filled Saucepan’, an evening of Chicago, West Coast, Delta and Rock & Roll music. All proceeds shared between North London Hospice and the Akili Trust. Doors open 7.30pm. Tickets £15 from Ros Berg 020 8455 6558; email rosandmichael@hotmail.com.

MONDAY 23 MARCH10am Borough Councillors’ Surgery at HGS Trust offices. Ask for advice on local problems.

THURSDAY 26 MARCH8pm Hustings at Avenue House. 7.30 for 8pm. The Finchley Society presents a Q&A session with General Election candidates or their representatives at Avenue House, East End Road, N3 3QE. Non-members £2. Tel 020 8883 3381. For further details, please check with the Finchley Society web-site nearer the time.

FRIDAY 27 MARCHCoach Trip To RHS Wisley Plant Fair for Horticultural Society members only. Free entry to RHS Garden Wisley and the opportunity to buy high quality plants at the prestigious Plant Fair in the grounds as well as in Wisley’s own Garden Centre. Price of coach travel, departure time and further details to be announced. 1pm Free Church String Quartet Recital David Richmond (violin) and friends. Lunch in support of Christian Aid served from 12.15pm.

SUNDAY 29 MARCH10.30am Palm Sunday at St Jude’s.5pm Palm Sunday Music by Free Church Choir and UK Japan Choir, conducted by Jonathan Gregory.

MONDAY 30 MARCH7.45pm Residents Association General Meeting re constitution followed by AGM, at Henrietta Barnett School Hall. For Annual Report, see pages 6 and 7 of this issue or www.hgs.org.uk.

TUESDAY 31 MARCHRA Publications Last copy date for What’s On in May, June and July for insertion in the Spring Edition of Suburb News. Details to David Littaur, 84 Wildwood Road NW11 6UJ. Tel 020 8731 6755 or 07510 308997. Email dvdlttr@gmail.com.

THURSDAY 2 APRIL10-10.30am & 10.45-11.15am Sing Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place, NW11 6LB. (Details as 5 Feb).8pm Maundy Thursday Service at St Jude’s.8pm Maundy Thursday Service at The Free Church.

FRIDAY 3 APRIL10.15-10.45am Story/Song Time Garden Suburb Community Library, 15 The Market Place, NW11 6LB. (Details as 3 Feb).10.30am Good Friday Service at St Jude’s.3.30pm Book Club Garden Suburb Community Library (Details as 6 Feb).6.30pm Good Friday Preaching Service at The Free Church.

SATURDAY 4 APRIL10.30am Drop in Coffee Morning Traidcraft Sale and Clothing Exchange at The Free Church.8pm Holy Saturday Service at St Jude’s.

SUNDAY 5 APRIL10.30am Easter Sunday Service at St Jude’s.11am Easter Sunday Family Communion Service at The Free Church.

TUESDAY 7 APRIL8pm Residents Association Council Meeting at Fellowship House. Hear Suburb issues debated and raise your concerns at Question Time (8.30pm).

SUNDAY 12 APRIL7.30pm Aviv Quartet at Henrietta Barnett School Hall. Presented by Mill Hill Music Club. Sergey Ostrovsky - violin; Evgenia Epshtein - violin; Timur Yakubov - viola; Aleksandr Khramouchin - cello. Beethoven - String Quartet Op 132 in A min; Schubert - String Quartet in D minor D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’. Prices for tickets: Single concert - £15.00. Season Ticket for all 7 concerts - £95.00. By arrangement with the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, all aged 8-25 are admitted free. Tickets for concerts are available in advance from: Mill Hill Music Club Box Office, Mr Michael Rawling, 2a Millway, Mill Hill, London NW7 3RE. 020 8959 3866, info@millhillmusicclub.co.uk.

THURSDAY 16 APRIL2.30pm Free Church Thursday Fellowship at Free Church Rooms. Spring Fever, with contributions from members. 7.30pm A Year in the Life of Sunshine Garden Centre Horticultural Society at Fellowship House. Sunshine’s popular Manager, Denis Lynch, tells all about the running of one of the best garden centres in North London, highly-recommended by Which? Gardening. Members free, non-members £3.00.

SUNDAY 19 APRIL10am Borough Councillors’ Surgery at HGS Trust offices. Ask for advice on local problems.

FRIDAY 24 APRIL1pm Piano Recital Masa Tayama (piano) at Free Church. Lunch in support of Christian Aid served from 12.15pm.

SATURDAY 25 APRIL11am-3pm Spring Book Market at St Jude’s. Sale of second-hand books. Admission £1 per adult. All welcome. Info 020 8455 1025.

SUNDAY 26 APRIL1.30-4pm Spring Book Market (Details as 25 April).

SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 11

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Welcome to St Jude’sSundays:8am Said Eucharist10.30am Sung Eucharist (Junior Church meeting in the Vicarage Rooms)

Thursdays: 10am Said Eucharist

Mothering Sunday: 10.30am 15 March

Palm Sunday: 10.30am 29 March

Maundy Thursday: 8pm 2 April

Good Friday: 10.30am 3 April

Holy Saturday: 8pm 4 April

Easter Sunday: 10.30am 5 April

All Welcome

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25th November 2014 at Golders Green ClinicOPEN DAY

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To attend an Open Day or book an appointment call

A concert for Fellowship House

Suburb shapes up to yoga

Scared to death

Northway Rose Gardens Charity Blues Night

An enthusiastic audience packed the Free Church on Sunday 23 November for a special concert by local professional musicians, generously giving their services free, to raise funds for the current refurbishment work at Fellowship House. The atmosphere of friends playing together was delightful.Soprano Lucy Knight (née Roberts) was partnered by Deborah Calland (trumpet) and Free Church Music Director Jonathan Gregory (organ) in two favourite arias by Handel – Eternal Source of Light Divine and Let the Bright Seraphim. Placing the soloists on either side of the organ was an excellent choice, both visually and musically, with well-matched voice and trumpet bouncing phrases off each other and the fine Norman & Beard organ providing a perfect foil.

Jonathan continued with two movements from JS Bach’s organ trio sonata No 2 in C minor: accomplished and stylish playing, although leaving out the first movement was, I thought, a mistake. The sublime Largo middle movement needs to be preceded by the opening Vivace for the complete contrast to be appreciated.

I may be branded a heretic, but I do in many respects prefer the Free Church organ to that in St Jude’s. It’s not just a question of who is playing: it’s the airiness of the space (thank God for an east window!) and the visual impact of the characteristic non-conformist layout, which places the organist (and choir) in full view of congregation or audience.

Robert Max then gave a magisterial account of Brahms’s first cello sonata (Op 38 in E

minor) – an intensely serious work by a still young composer (just turning 30). Barry Milllington was a perfect partner on the piano; he is to be congratulated on venturing to cross the tracks (as the programme notes put it) from writing to performing – with skill, sensitivity and power that demonstrated that Brahms’s original title – Sonate für Klavier und Violoncello (that way round) – was correct.

Next, a mini-Lieder recital by Lucy and Barry: one song by Schubert (Suleika I) and four by Richard Strauss, relatively unfamiliar examples of his craft apart from the final Zueignung (‘Dedication’), a masterpiece of the composer’s late teens. The Free Church’s acoustics are not ideal for vocal articulation where words matter; but even without a word sheet we could enjoy the composers’ wonderful melodies and the musicality and passion of the performances.

Finally Pierre-Emmanuel Largeron and Daniel King Smith played César Franck’s Violin Sonata – a tour de force from the cusp (1886) of late romanticism and modernism. It is another example of a work where (as in the Brahms sonata) the two players form a true duo, rather than one being accompanied by the other, and in this case the church acoustics were kinder, I thought, to violin and piano than to cello and piano. There are some highly virtuosic passages for the piano and Daniel excelled in the frenetic passagework of the second movement. Pierre delivered his

equally virtuosic part in an appropriately Gallic and lyrical style throughout and the two of them brought the concert to a rousing finish, on a distinctly happy note.

THOMAS RADICE

Fellowship House Refurbished

Fellowship is extremely grateful to the performers for generously donating their services to the Gala Concert arranged by Barry Millington and Sally Botterill in aid of the Fellowship House Refurbishments Appeal.

Fellowship House reopens on Monday 2 March after the completion of the works which are on schedule and on budget. The building will be open for viewing by all residents on the weekend of 7/8 March between noon and 5pm. An art exhibition, including work by Suburb artist Shizue Takahashi, will be on show.

Please contact Louise Scheuer (8455 5459, scheuer.louise@gmail.com) for information on bookings of the Main Hall or the smaller, renamed, Eileen Whelan Room.

The Fellowship website is being revamped and will be up and running soon.

Performing for Fellowship: Deborah Calland, Robert Max, Pierre-Emmanuel Largeron, Daniel King Smith, Barry Millington, Lucy Knight and Jonathan Gregory

A year on and how Yoga has kept many Suburb residents in good shape.

In the summer of 2013 Hilda Silver started her Hatha

Suburb resident Alex Pearl has had his second work of fiction, Scared to Death published; one of 23 short stories in an anthology entitled The Clock Struck War produced to mark the centenary of the First World War.

His story is a sad one, which relates a fictional account of the last days of Private Thomas Highgate from Shoreham who served in the Royal West Kent Regiment. He was the first of 306 members of the British armed forces to be executed during the Great War for dereliction of duty, cowardice or desertion. He was just 19 years of age. The story is subtly written and gives rise to

Brian Ingram told Suburb News of the progress being made at the Northway Rose Gardens,

“We were able to dig and plant for three weeks before rain stopped play for the winter and the beds became muddy clay.

Although Barnet preferred us to start next spring we were keen to plant some bulbs for spring, to get some early flowering shrubs into the ground and, at the same time, explore the soil. We also planted roses to test the beds for possible rose sickness. In theory new roses need new soil but this would cost thousands of pounds. Summer bulbs will be planted as well as many new shrubs once the weather improves. At least one bed will be for bees and butterflies.”

On Saturday 21 March a Blues Night hosted by ‘The Blues Filled Saucepan’ is being held on behalf of the North London Hospice and The Akili Trust, an educational charity working in rural Kenya.

Yoga for seniors’ (and beginner’s) class in Fellowship House. It was so popular that a second class was started in the Free Church Hall in October.

A core group of students have enabled Hilda to provide small groups of around 12 with personal attention, enabling them to see great improvement, both physically and mentally.

Many students find the class enjoyable because it is the only time in the week when they can focus on themselves. Yoga can be adapted for all ages and all levels, so beginners can work together with the more advanced.

The only male student to stay the course started about 11 months ago. He realised that he was not taking exercise and that he had poor posture. Arthritis was starting in his toes, fingers and elbows. His partner suggested he come along to the class and he has not looked back.

some uncomfortable reflection, as can be imagined. All 306 executed service personnel were eventually posthumously pardoned by the government in 2006.

Alex Pearl is an advertising copywriter and a keen blogger who lives in Ludlow Way. His first book, Sleeping with the Blackbirds, was written for children from 14 and up. It was reported in the Summer 2011 issue of Suburb News, which can be found in the online archive at www.hgs.org.uk.

The Clock Struck War is available as an ebook from the publisher, Mardibooks, or on Kindle from Amazon. It is

Brian Ingram added, “It looks a bit patchy now in mid-winter but over £800 of manure and John Innes No. 2 has been used. The top soil is only 3-4 inches deep and then it is thick heavy clay which needs improvement before more can be done. In fact one 2 feet deep hole took 45 minutes to dig.”

So far the Northway Gardens Organisation has relied on the great support and donations of residents. Residents who would like to donate or learn more could send a cheque payable to

“Northway Gardens Organisation” or contact Brian Ingram (NGO) at 69 Brookland Rise, London NW11 6DT, or by phoning on 0208 8458 5313 or e-mailing at RosegardensNW11@gmail.com.

The doors of the Free Church open at 7.30pm and an evening of Chicago, West Coast, Delta and Rock & Roll music continues until 11pm. Tickets, £15, available from Ros Berg, 020 8455 6558, rosandmichael@ hotmail.com.

Initially it was challenging. After 6 weeks, however, he noticed his balance was improving and some postures were becoming easier. The exciting thing about yoga is that you can grow and so there is always a challenge ahead. Like everything, there needs to be consistency.

He loves his class and would not miss it. He leaves feeling relaxed and exhilarated. He can feel that all his body has been working out.

Why not start 2015 by trying something new that will help you with aches and pains and the many ailments associated with maturity. Join one of Hilda’s yoga classes in The Free Church Hall Thursday at 10am or Friday at 9.45am. Private sessions and teenage groups are also available.

For more information visit www.yogawithhilda.yogaclass nearyou.co.uk or call 07810 205343.

possible a paperback edition will be published later this year. Meanwhile Alex Pearl’s story can be read at rhubarbrabbit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/scared-to -death-one-o f -23 - shor t -stories.html.

Please help make Suburb News your newspaper. Articles, letters and news items welcome, send to the publisher with High Res

pictures at rapublications@hgs.org.uk

EDITOR: Terry Brooks, rapublications@hgs.org.uk

WHATS ON EDITOR: David Littaur, dvdlttr@googlemail.com

Views expressed in Suburb News are not necessarily those of the publishers the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents Association.

Deadline for the Spring issue is March 28 for publication on April 25

The RA website is www.hgs.org.uk

The Trust held a Members’ Event in December when David Davidson gave those present an interesting, informative and entertaining lecture on the subject of the medieval Bavarian town of Rothenberg and its influence on Hampstead Garden Suburb’s chief architect and planner, Raymond Unwin.

We discovered that last summer’s study visit to the town was born of the Conservation

Outside influences on the Suburb

Area Appraisal carried out by residents, the Trust and Barnet Council. This appraisal prompted the question of why is our Suburb as it is? A part of the answer lies abroad we were told.

There were already continental influences at work in Britain, but Rothenburg’s architecture and townscape had a very considerable influence on Unwin. A fact of which the people of Rothenburg were unaware, and we were told

there were gasps of surprise when the importance of the German influence of the late 1800’s was explained to them in the lecture that was given there.

The medieval walled town was an urban setting that possessed individuality, was picturesque and of human scale; qualities all evident in the design of the Suburb. Unwin’s most important text, Town Planning in Practice: An Introduction to the Art of

Designing Cities and Suburbs, shows much German influence including many maps and plans of German origin.

Unwin’s design gave the Suburb the appearance of being the result of organic growth rather than the more familiar unnatural urban grid development. The Great Wall, typically medieval, was built first and marked the divide between town and country. The Germanic influence can be seen in the Suburb gateways at the end of Hampstead Way in Temple Fortune and at the end of Northway in The Market Place. The old Club House on Willifield Green and Waterlow Court were among the other examples of this influence that were mentioned. Roofscapes were an integral part of the design and incorporated focal points such as the Willifield tower.

The difference between Letchworth and our Suburb are striking and not only because of Parker’s greater influence in the former. For the Suburb the constraints imposed by the amount of land available created a space problem that encouraged a contained settlement with defined borders favouring the ideas Unwin had formed from his study of Rothenburg. By contrast land was not such a problem for Letchworth and so the characteristics of the Garden City and Suburb differ. Unwin’s vision was better controlled in the Suburb and included many

English vernacular themes; in part because he was able to exert more influence through the approval of architects. We were even given a hint of the friction that existed between Unwin and Lutyens over the imposition of the latter’s brand in Central Square.

The whole talk was amply illustrated with a number of slides both old and new from the Suburb and Rothenburg demonstrating the influences and similarities being described, and three of which are reproduced here.

A very unscientific piece of eavesdropping after the event appeared to show that the audience went home with a new understanding of the Suburb’s architectural heritage and a

feeling of having shared a special event with their neighbours and others who attended out of a mutual interest in something special – Hampstead Garden Suburb.

JAN

A T

ETER

IS

(Above & right) Members of the congregation of the Free Church enjoyed the annual Christmas Tree Gift Service when the children performed a traditional nativity play

(Below & below right) With the traditional nativity play under pressure, St Jude’s maitains tradition with angels as angelic as ever

Children display their artworks at the end of an art session at the Garden Suburb Library with local artist/teacher Hazel Lopatkin in July 2013, where the children created masks inspired by the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. (See more on the Suburb library on page 1.)