Recollections of Finchley
The Good Old Days?
Having lived and worked in Finchley for most of my life, my first thought was, yes, things have certainly altered. When, as a seven year old, I came to live in Church End in the summer of 1946 there were about a dozen grocers, other assorted food shops and a wide variety of services and suppliers that provided for most family needs. We had a roller skating rink, the New Bohemia Cinema, and, in Albert Place, even a traditional blacksmith who was fully employed. The trolley buses to North Finchley and Barnet were fairly regular and the efficiency of the Tube was never doubted. All day Sunday and on Thursday afternoons, when all the shops were shut, Ballards Lane was a ghost town. The only exception being the newsagent at 401 Nether Street. If memory serves correctly, the only retail outlets from those far off days still in situ, are the Post Office and Boots the chemist.
BUT …….was it really a better place to live? St Margaret’s Church, which used to stand on the site now taken by Barclays Bank, may have had a more pleasing appearance but this can be offset by the convenience of 24 hour shopping across the road at Tesco’s. Popes Garage has gone but “The Joiners Arms” remains, albeit altered. Get away from the main road and most of the side streets are largely unchanged apart from improvements to the exterior of properties and the effects brought about by our demand for the motor car. In Victoria Park and Avenue House Grounds we have two open spaces that would be the envy of many London boroughs, and College Farm remains intact. In 1946 there was a `civic restaurant’ in Essex Park but you would have been hard put to find any kind of eatery open for business in the evening. St Mary’s Church awaited repairs to bomb damage, and large, ugly air raid shelters adorned Redbourne Avenue and Hervey Close.
In 1988 I was involved in an accident that left me confined to a wheelchair. It’s not much fun getting around these days, but I dread to imagine how it must have been years ago. Now most pavements are ramped at junctions, there are light controlled crossing points and access gets easier all the time. I can, for instance, gain entry to the library without assistance. Buses are beyond me, but I can, and do, use mini cabs. In 1946 even a Black Cab was a rare sight in Church End.
The good old days? I’m still not sure but don’t forget that for our young people, the present time will be their old days. Let us try to make them good ones.
Prepared for The Finchley Society by Finchley Society member Tony McTeare
