83-464: Childs Hill is one of two areas at the south end of the London Borough of Barnet along with Cricklewood which straddles three boroughs. It took its name from Richard le Child, who in 1312 held a customary house and "30 acres" of its area. It is a mainly late-19th-century suburban large neighbourhood centred 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross bordered by the arterial road Hendon Way in
166-559: A Green Flag Award for 2008–2009: The borough has sixty-seven Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation , eight Local Nature Reserves , and it is jointly responsible with the London Borough of Brent for the Welsh Harp (Brent) Reservoir , which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . These are listed in Nature reserves in Barnet . The A5 ( Edgware Road ) forms the border between Barnet and
249-454: A YouTube channel, showcasing videos of various bike rides. In 1974, Sayle married Linda Rawsthorn. He lives in Bloomsbury in central London and is a keen cyclist. He also owns a house near Granada , in southern Spain. He was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 1990. A recurrence of this condition in 2015 led to him being rushed to hospital and then transferred to a neurological unit for
332-480: A character actor ranging from serious ( Gorky Park , 1983) to humorous ( Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , 1989). He appeared in the 1992 Carry On film, Carry On Columbus along with other modern comedians, including Comic Strip founder Peter Richardson , as well as surviving members of the original Carry On team . He narrated the 2023 political documentary film Oh, Jeremy Corbyn: The Big Lie and
415-533: A ward of the United Kingdom and which has always taken in the heart of the area and many other neighbouring streets. It currently reaches to take in Cricklewood and in the opposite direction most of Golders Green ; to give it a population of 20,049 across 3.089 square kilometres. Due to large-scale exclusion of the parkland to the east and north-east, the ward as drawn is currently the most densely populated in
498-518: A "laboratory experiment for some very ill-thought out policies". In 2004 cycle lanes were removed and cycle training funding cut by the controversial pro-motorist councillor Brian Coleman . The A5 is a major road in that forms much of the borough's western border. It is also the first Roman built road in England. It later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling Street . The Great North Road passes through
581-508: A 'satirical memoir', was published in 2010. In 2012 he joined The Daily Telegraph as a motoring columnist. In early 2015 he toured giving readings from the second volume of his autobiography Thatcher Stole My Trousers , published in 2016. In November 2020, Sayle began hosting a monthly podcast, The Alexei Sayle Podcast . Produced/co-hosted by Talal Karkouti; guests have included Josie Long , Stewart Lee , Omid Djalili , Lise Mayer , Diane Morgan and Jeremy Corbyn . He also launched
664-529: A 10-point pledge by the Board of Deputies of British Jews intended to combat anti-semitism, should they be elected. The letter was organised by Momentum activist Jackie Walker and former Labour MP Chris Williamson , both of whom were expelled from Labour in relation to controversial allegations of anti-semitism. In May 2021, Conservative MP Matthew Offord wrote to the BBC's Director-General urging, unsuccessfully, that
747-643: A 1988 comedy about Britain's first communist football team. He has since contributed to many other radio shows, including writing the five-part sitcom series, Sorry About Last Night (1999), in which he also played the leading role. On 3 November 2006 he presented Chopwell Soviet , a 30-minute programme on BBC Radio 4 that reviewed the Chopwell miners 80 years after the village of Chopwell became known as Little Moscow. Sayle returned to Radio 4 in 2016 with Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar , which has run for four critically acclaimed series so far. In 2019, he narrated
830-647: A British tabloid newspaper around the same time, he indicated that he wanted to become the "first Socialist Doctor ." He also appeared in several episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... between 1985 and 1993, playing the two leading roles in Didn't You Kill My Brother? which he co-wrote with David Stafford and Pauline Melville . Sayle has co-written and starred in many other programmes, including three series of Alexei Sayle's Stuff (1988–1991), two series of The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994–1995) and one series of Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round (1998). In 1989, Sayle
913-561: A Colonel Evans speculatively built "The Mead", where brickworks had been, renamed Granville Road, the street name today. By the 1870s laundries were a major local industry. The last, the Initial Laundry in Granville Road, closed in 2006. Childs Hill has streets of leafy semi-detached and relatively plain terraced housing. It is also characterised by four high rise blocks of flats and some blocks of mid-rise apartments. The first block of
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#1732904960260996-474: A community sports stadium and is still used in this capacity thanks to Saracens using movable stands for their matches. As well as athletics facilities, the complex also has a swimming pool. In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 6,404; and the area was characterised by farming and woodland — with settlement principally around the Great North Road . By 1830,
1079-635: A full UK stand-up tour in October and November 2012 and a sixteen-night residency at the Soho Theatre in January and February 2013, where he performed new material. He played a further ten nights at the Soho Theatre in April 2013. He also performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe . Sayle's early work included several performances for Capital London . In 1979, he wrote and performed the radio series, Alexei Sayle and
1162-651: A lot of different words than like what we use. For instance: they say 'elevator', we say 'lift'; they say 'drapes', we say 'curtains'; they say 'president', we say 'seriously deranged git!'" In 1988 Sayle played the role of Trinculo the King's jester in Shakespeare's The Tempest , directed by Jonathan Miller at the Old Vic theatre in London. Sixteen years on from his last stand-up comedy tour, Sayle returned in 2011 as an MC, compering
1245-483: A new turnpike , the Finchley Road was constructed and horse-drawn omnibuses introduced. The population rose dramatically with the arrival of the trams and railways in the middle of 19th century, and new estates were built to house commuters. As industry relocated away from London during the 1960s, the population entered a decline, that has begun to reverse with new housing developments on brownfield sites. According to
1328-430: A quarter of people belonged to non-white ethnic groups, up from 18% in the 1991 census. 12.3% were Asian and 6.0% black. Barnet had the largest Chinese population of any London borough in 2001, at 6,379. As of 2011, 13.3% of the borough's population is over 65 - the sixth-highest of London's boroughs. The 65+ population is 47,400, the second-highest after Bromley . The Jewish population is 54,084 and represents 15.5% of
1411-676: A resident John Constable , who lived in nearby Hampstead , painted Childs Hill in oils in 1825. (The work is entitled Childs Hill with Harrow in the Distance ). The painting shows the view northwest along what is now Cricklewood Lane, with Harrow on the Hill visible beyond. Hendon, Child's Hill, Golders Green and Mill Hill , by Stewart Gillies and Pamela Taylor ( ISBN 0850338751 ) Hampstead Heath , by Alan Farmer ( ISBN 0948667400 ) London Borough of Barnet The London Borough of Barnet ( / ˈ b ɑːr n ɪ t / )
1494-532: A three-part television series in which he reconnected with his home town. He stated in the programmes that on first hearing that Liverpool was to be awarded the European Capital of Culture , he received much criticism for describing the city as "philistine". He now feels that he does not know whether or not his original statement was true but as a result of making the series he does now consider Liverpool to be his home, and he has vowed to go back there more often in
1577-566: A week. Around the age of 15, Sayle decided to join the Young Communist League , but only went to a few meetings. In 1968, he joined a Maoist organisation, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) . In 2009, he said that, while no longer active in left politics, "I still would adhere to those philosophical and economic ideas of Marxism that I got when I was sixteen. ... it's seemed to me as true now as it did then". Sayle
1660-566: Is Barnet Council, which meets at Hendon Town Hall and has its main offices at 2 Bristol Avenue in the Colindale area of the borough. For elections to the Greater London Council , the borough formed the Barnet electoral division, electing four members. In 1973 it was divided into the single-member Chipping Barnet , Finchley , Hendon North and Hendon South . The Greater London Council
1743-399: Is a local authority area on the northern outskirts of London . The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire . It is the second largest London borough by population with 389,344 inhabitants as of 2021, also making it the 17th largest district in England. The borough covers an area of 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi),
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#17329049602601826-549: Is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to Members of Parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron 's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004 . In February 2016, Sayle said of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn : "He's ascetic and morally incorruptible. The propaganda that's thrown against him is disgraceful. Until he appeared, you had to vote for one kind of Oxbridge twat or another, people who all go to
1909-570: Is a large multi-building museum built on part of the site of Hendon Aerodrome , dedicated to the history of aviation , and the British Royal Air Force in particular. Church Farmhouse Museum on Greyhound Hill in Hendon is a grade II* listed 17th-century farmhouse used by Barnet Council as an exhibition space and museum until the Council closed it to save money on 31 March 2011. Early in 2014 it
1992-468: Is included in two purely Childs Hill census output areas though it borders too Golders Green . Another park, Clitterhouse Recreation Ground is just over the usual borders of the area. Childs Hill has blue plaques commemorating two famous former residents: Sportsman C. B. Fry who lived at Moreland Court, Lyndale Avenue, and Aviator Amy Johnson , who lived at Vernon Court on the Hendon Way. Though not
2075-469: Is now inside the boundary of the London Borough of Camden ). An Act of Parliament in 1826 enabled Finchley Road giving a new road to the north other than two further east through hillier and higher, sometimes narrow urban lanes, which met at Highgate ; it was completed by 1829. It had a tollgate at the Castle Public House. The road has a double-width bypass skirting Childs Hill. In the early 1850s
2158-709: Is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service . There are two police stations in the borough at: Colindale and Barnet. Though only Colindale is open to the public. The Peel Centre at Hendon is the Metropolitan Police College. Statutory emergency fire service is provided by the London Fire Brigade . There are four fire stations that operate in the Borough of Barnet. These are mobilised to protect around 330,000 people. The main risks identified in
2241-488: Is represented by Dan Tomlinson . Finchley and Golders Green is represented by Sarah Sackman . Hendon , in 2024 the most marginal Labour-held seat in the country with a majority of 15 votes, is represented by David Pinto-Duschinsky . The borough covers a group of hills on the northern edge of the London Basin . The bedrock is chalk which is covered with clay. Some of the hills are formed from glacial till deposited at
2324-491: Is the last of these with a home ground in the Borough; Hendon and Edgware play in the Borough of Brent, and Barnet F.C. play in the Borough of Harrow. Barnet is also home to the Barnet Nightingales Girls Football Club and Barnet Judo Club. Since 2013 rugby union Premiership outfit Saracens F.C. have called the borough home, playing matches at StoneX Stadium at Barnet Copthall which was previously
2407-595: The Sunday Mirror . He was one of eight contributory authors to the BBC Three competition End of Story , in which members of the public completed the second half of stories written by established authors. The winning entry to Sayle's story, Imitating Katherine Walker , was written by freelance writer Arthur Allan. Sayle's autobiography, Stalin Ate My Homework , which deals with his early life, and which he describes as
2490-527: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and became his manager. Sayle became the leading performer at The Comic Strip . He appeared on The Comic Strip Album (1981) and recorded Cak! (1982). He also appeared in the stage show, film and comedy album of The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1981–1982). An example of Sayle's humour was his attack on American phrases: "If you travel to the States ... they have
2573-599: The Green Belt . The local authority is Barnet London Borough Council , which meets at Hendon Town Hall and has its main offices in Colindale . The area covered by the modern borough has a long history. Evidence of first-century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill and Roman coins from the third and fourth centuries were found at Burnt Oak . Both sites are on the Roman road Watling Street from London ( Londinium ) to St Albans ( Verulamium ) which now forms
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2656-721: The Local Government Act 1894 . Barnet was enlarged in 1914 to take in Totteridge , and Hendon was enlarged in 1931 to take in Edgware . Hendon was made a municipal borough in 1932, as was Finchley in 1933. East Barnet Valley was renamed East Barnet in 1935. The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Finchley and Hendon and urban districts of Barnet, East Barnet and Friern Barnet. The area
2739-505: The M1 motorway are in the borough. London Gateway services is at the site of the abandoned third junction. The bus routes in the borough are managed by Transport for London . The borough is served by the northernmost sections of the London Underground 's Northern line , including all three of the line's northern termini (Edgware, High Barnet, and Mill Hill East). The surface sections of
2822-484: The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust , which runs Barnet Hospital , Chase Farm Hospital and some clinics at Edgware Community Hospital, and Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust , which runs Finchley Memorial Hospital and other services at Edgware Community Hospital. The London Ambulance Service responds to medical emergencies in the area. Home Office policing in the borough
2905-402: The 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic of all time on Channel 4 's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007. In an updated 2010 poll he came 72nd. Much of Sayle's humour is in the tradition of Spike Milligan and Monty Python , with riffs based on often absurd and surreal premises. His act is known for its cynicism and political awareness, as well as physical comedy . Sayle
2988-422: The 2001 census the borough then had a population of 314,564 though the most recent ONS projection for 2008 is 331,500. 67% of householders are owner-occupiers. 47.3% of people described themselves as Christian, with the second largest group being Jewish at 14.8%, the highest percentage in any local government area in the United Kingdom. The third largest was people who said they had no religion at 12.8%. Just over
3071-606: The 2024 sequel, The Big Lie II: Starmer and the Genocide . Sayle has released five comedy singles with full musical backing, and one live recording from the Comedy Store in London 1981. This was "Dedication", released as a double A side with Alex Arundel, the London-based Scottish songwriter and founding member of Alternative Cabaret, with the song "When The Gold Runs Dry" being the other A side. Sayle's most successful single
3154-627: The Fish People , for which he won a Pye Radio Award (later known as the Sony Radio Awards ). An album based on the show, The Fish People Tapes , again featuring Sayle, was released. This was followed by Alexei Sayle and the Dutch Lieutenant's Trousers in 1980, the name being a reference to John Fowles ' The French Lieutenant's Woman . He also starred in two series of Lenin of the Rovers ,
3237-511: The Hendon Way, is the Palm Hotel, formerly the Garth Hotel. Alexei Sayle 's short story Barcelona Plates goes into some detail as its protagonist stays there for a while, noting, amongst many other features, the idiosyncratic design of the building, an amalgamation of suburban houses. It has an off-centre park, Basing Hill Park . Golders Hill Park borders the east of its area; over half of it
3320-495: The High Barnet and Edgware branches are entirely in the borough. The High Barnet branch surfaces just before East Finchley station . At Finchley Central station there is a single-station spur to Mill Hill East station . The rest of the line continues north through West Finchley , Woodside Park and Totteridge and Whetstone stations to the terminus at High Barnet station . The Edgware branch emerges at Golders Green station ;
3403-563: The Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few." In January 2020, he was condemned by some Jewish groups after being one of thousands to sign an open letter criticising Rebecca Long-Bailey and other Labour leadership candidates for saying they would sign
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3486-574: The Lord of the Manor of Barnet to hold a twice yearly horse fair . The first example of an American style out-of-town shopping centre was built at Brent Cross in the 1970s. McDonald's has its UK headquarters at East Finchley. Argonaut Games once had its head office in Edgware . Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone said once said that Barnet's transport agenda is "recklessly anti-public transport, anti-pedestrian and anti-cycling" and that Barnet has become
3569-564: The album Panic , the cover of which parodies the cover of the Michael Jackson album Off the Wall . Sayle has written two short story collections, five novels, including a graphic novel and a radio series spin-off book, as well as columns for various publications. His book Great Bus Journeys of the World , co-written with David Stafford, is mostly a collection of his columns for Time Out and
3652-477: The borough include Brent Cross Shopping Centre , Coppetts Wood Hospital and Barnet Hospital . Between the four stations; six pumping appliances, One Operational Support Unit and a High Volume Pump are operated. The London Borough of Barnet has 86 primary schools, 22 secondary schools and four special schools. Woodhouse College is a single site state sixth form college in North Finchley . The main college in
3735-465: The borough is Barnet College , with five sites. Middlesex University has its main campus at Hendon. University College London has its teaching observatory at Mill Hill. Alexei Sayle Alexei David Sayle (born 7 August 1952) is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian , television presenter and former recording artist. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement in
3818-529: The borough starting at East Finchley and crossing into Hertfordshire at Monken Hadley . It was a coaching route used by mail coaches between London, York and Edinburgh. The many inns on the road provided accommodation, stabling for the horses and replacement mounts. A section of the A1 road was built to bypass this route through Mill Hill, eventually joining the Great North Road at Hatfield . The Finchley Road
3901-524: The borough. For 2018-2022 it sends to Barnet Council two Conservatives , Shimon Ryde and Peter Zinkin, and one Labour Party councillor , Anne Clarke. The area has two Residents' Associations: Childs Hill took its name from Richard le Child, who in 1312 held a customary house and "30 acres" of its area, believed to be on the ancient long-held borders within Hendon rather than Hampstead , the area having always whilst rural been so split. The earliest known use with
3984-630: The boroughs of Brent and Harrow , with an exception being the West Hendon area and part of the Welsh Harp . Barnet has two Grade I listed buildings , both designed by Edwin Lutyens : the Church of St Jude , the parish church of Hampstead Garden Suburb with a Gothic spire and on the opposite side of Central Square, the Free Church , of similar design but with a concrete dome. The Royal Air Force Museum
4067-429: The dramatisation of four of his short stories in the series Alexei Sayle's The Absence of Normal , again on Radio 4. A second series was broadcast in 2021. Since February 2022 Sayle has presented BBC Radio 4's Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train . Sayle's first high-profile television appearances were on Central Independent Television 's late-night alternative cabaret show O.T.T. (1982). He left nine weeks into
4150-740: The eastern side grew around what is now the High Barnet Underground branch of the Northern line . The western side grew around the Midland Railway and what is now the Edgware branch of the Northern line. Further south, around the borough's centre, the development becomes steadily more intensive around the suburbs of Cricklewood , Colindale , Hendon and Finchley . Golders Green is renowned for its Jewish minority ethnic population and forms part of
4233-426: The expulsion of Marc Wadsworth from the Labour Party, Sayle commented: "The Party should walk over broken glass to beg people of Marc's calibre to work with them – they are very few and Marc is one of the best. There is a battle going on to destroy and reverse the unexpected and amazing gains the left has made in the last three years. Marc is a casualty in that battle and I am joining the fight to see him re-instated to
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#17329049602604316-463: The farthest extent of glaciers during the Anglian glaciation . The pattern of settlement is somewhat diverse. In the north of the borough on the eastern side is Barnet , also known as High Barnet or Chipping Barnet, Totteridge , and Whetstone . In the north on the western side is Edgware and Mill Hill . The central northern part of the borough is largely countryside. This division is largely because
4399-531: The four was built by the building company Tersons for the Metropolitan Police in about 1956. These were homes for police families. Orchard Mead House, on the Finchley Road, later became Quarters/homes for armed/other emergency Services families for a short time before moving into the private sector. The second and third blocks, in Granville Road were built in about 1960, by the local borough as housing in
4482-750: The fourth highest of the 32 London boroughs, and has a population density of 45.8 people per hectare, which ranks it 25th. Barnet borders the Hertfordshire district of Hertsmere to the north and five other London boroughs: Camden and Haringey to the southeast, Enfield to the east, as well as Harrow and Brent to the west of the ancient Watling Street (now the A5 road). The borough's major urban settlements are Hendon , Finchley , Golders Green , Friern Barnet , Chipping Barnet , Whetstone , and Edgware ; there are also village settlements notably Totteridge and Arkley along with rural areas and countryside part of
4565-404: The front line." In November 2019, along with other public figures, Sayle signed a letter supporting Corbyn, describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the 2019 UK general election . In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, he signed a letter endorsing
4648-503: The future. Sayle also narrated the Public information film (PIF) Moon Lighters about two moon creatures, Biblock and Hoblock and the dangers of lighters . Sayle replaced Rolf Harris as the narrator for the Nick Jr. and Milkshake! series Olive The Ostrich . Episodes featuring Sayle's narration commenced broadcasting on 22 July 2013. Sayle alternates his comedy work with performances as
4731-432: The least populous of the five predecessor districts at the 1961 census; nearly half the new borough's population lived in the old borough of Hendon. When the present borough was created, it included part of Elstree . On 1 April 1993 Barnet's northern boundary was altered and some of its more rural northern parts, including Elstree, were transferred to Hertfordshire (and its district of Hertsmere ). The local authority
4814-525: The line continues on a series of viaducts through Brent Cross station to Hendon Central station . Here it goes through a tunnel before continuing above ground through Colindale and Burnt Oak stations to the terminus at Edgware station . The Piccadilly line , although in the Borough of Enfield, is very close to the border, with buses in Barnet connecting people to the stations. There are two National Rail routes in Barnet. The Midland Main Line passes through
4897-520: The local community. The fourth block, presumed to be the same, was built some time later. Childs Hill has a public library , as well as a square park, Childs Hill park, which also contains the Childs Hill Bowls Club, several shops and restaurants, small businesses, offices, primary schools and two churches (All Saints C of E with Primary School and Childs Hill Baptist). At the Western extreme on
4980-401: The middle section of At Last! The 1981 Show , produced by Stewart Lee at the Royal Festival Hall . Although this was mainly a nostalgia night with comedians such as Nigel Planer and Norman Lovett revisiting their material from the 1980s, Sayle premiered some new material that was more anecdotal than his previous work. Sayle says of his old style, "What I was doing, which I hadn't realised,
5063-399: The planned broadcast of Desert Island Discs featuring Sayle, on 23 May, be halted on the basis that every broadcaster "should be wary of giving a platform to anyone who is seen to be 'excusing' antisemitism". There was an outcry on social media in response, rejecting the claim that Sayle was doing this, with support for Sayle (whose mother came from an orthodox Jewish background) from across
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#17329049602605146-407: The population - the highest in the United Kingdom. 41.2% identify themselves as Christians, and 16.1% with no religion. The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Barnet. Faith in Barnet (2021) Chipping Barnet has been a market town since the thirteenth century, the rest of the area was agricultural. In 1588 Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to
5229-450: The same dinner parties, people like the Ed Ballses and George Osbornes . Jeremy has shown that, within a democratic tradition, other things are possible." In 2016, he wrote a comment piece for The Guardian saying that he was happy to mock New Labour in his act, but now that Corbyn was about to "reform the party in his own image – ascetic, socialist, kindly and ethical", he would stop making jokes about Labour. In May 2018, regarding
5312-411: The show's run to tour Australia with the Comic Strip. He played various roles in the situation comedy The Young Ones (1982–1984), along with Adrian Edmondson , Rik Mayall , Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan . In the programme Sayle portrayed several members of an Eastern European family; the Balowskis. In 1985, he appeared in the Doctor Who serial Revelation of the Daleks . In a column for
5395-430: The south of the borough, along with Hampstead Garden Suburb and Childs Hill . Much of the borough is within the Metropolitan Green Belt , and it has many parks and open spaces. In addition there are large areas taken over by cemeteries and golf courses , and part of Hampstead Heath , Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park . Barnet describes its 16 main open spaces as 'premier parks', nine of which achieved
5478-427: The top of residential Platts Lane where Hampstead Heath starts. From 1789 to 1847 the east of Childs Hill hosted an optical telegraph station. In 1808 this became one of a line of telegraph stations stretching from the Admiralty to Great Yarmouth, erected as part of Britain's national defences. Only the name, Telegraph Hill, remains; it has been covered with housing (the Telegraph Hill south-east corner of Childs Hill
5561-476: The two sides of the borough, part of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway which was going to be part of the Underground's Northern line "Northern Heights" expansion, but steam passenger services beyond Mill Hill East ended in 1939, and the completion of the electrification of this railway was eventually abandoned in the 1950s, primarily because the full extension would have breached the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 ( 10 & 11 Geo. 6 . c. 51). What track
5644-524: The west and south-west, Dunstan Road in the north, West Heath and Golders Hill Park which form an arm of Hampstead Heath to the east and the borough boundary as to the short south-east border. Child's Hill reaches relatively high ground in London along its eastern border. Adjoining Hampstead Heath features, less than a mile from the centre of Child's Hill, the summit of London's third-highest escarpment . From 1789 to 1847 Child's Hill hosted an optical telegraph station. The area has long given its name to
5727-554: The western border of the borough. Hendon is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the districts of Barnet, Edgware and Finchley were not referred to, possibly because these areas were included in other manors. In 1471 the Battle of Barnet was fought in Monken Hadley , just within the present borough's boundary. It was here that Yorkist troops led by King Edward IV killed the "Kingmaker" Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu . A local government district called Barnet
5810-413: The western edge of the borough, and is served by Thameslink at (from north to south): Mill Hill Broadway , Hendon and Cricklewood . The East Coast Main Line crosses the north-eastern corner of the borough, and is served by the Great Northern Route at New Barnet , Oakleigh Park and New Southgate (which straddles the border with the London Borough of Enfield ). There was a railway line joining
5893-403: The word Hill is in 1587. Today, the apostrophe in the name is optional. In the 18th century, Childs Hill was a centre for brick and tile making, supplying material for building Hampstead . The Castle Inn, since demolished, dated from this period: the first record of it is in 1751. The land drains steeply from east to west. It reaches over 259 feet (79 m) above mean sea level in the east at
5976-454: Was " 'Ullo John! Gotta New Motor? ", which achieved Top 20 chart success in the UK upon re-release in 1984. Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (who also produced for Madness and Elvis Costello ), the record (in its 12-inch version) achieved notoriety owing to its extensive use of profane language. The two follow-up singles, "Didn't You Kill My Brother?", and "Meanwhile", were taken from
6059-574: Was a comic persona. The guy in the tight suit was actually a creation. I thought it was me in a sense but it wasn't". With artists such as Isy Suttie and Jim Bob , Sayle appeared at the fourth " Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People " event at the Bloomsbury Theatre in December 2011. In January and February 2012, he compered four nights of stand-up comedy at the Soho Theatre . He completed
6142-830: Was abolished in 1986. Since 2000, Barnet Council along with the 31 other London boroughs and the City of London Corporation share local government powers with Greater London Authority . The Barnet and Camden London Assembly constituency covers the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Camden and is represented on the London Assembly by one constituency Assembly Member. The residents of London Borough of Barnet are represented at Westminster by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three parliamentary constituencies . All three MPs are represented by Labour since 2024, overturning three previous Conservative MPs. Chipping Barnet
6225-527: Was awarded an International Emmy for Stuff . In conversation with Mark Thomas on BBC Radio 4's informal chat-show Chain Reaction , Sayle revealed that the first he knew of the award was when he watched Channel 4 News and saw, to his amazement, Benny Hill collecting the award on his behalf. In 1990, Sayle had a fatwa proclaimed against him by a Muslim cleric from Syria after a joke on his BBC comedy show Stuff , which has never been withdrawn. Sayle
6308-595: Was born and brought up in the Anfield suburb of Liverpool , the son of Molly (Malka) Sayle (née Mendelson), a pools clerk, and Joseph Henry Sayle, a railway guard , both of whom were members of the Communist Party of Great Britain . Sayle's mother was of Lithuanian Jewish descent, and some members of his family were devout Jews. Sayle was named after Maxim Gorky , whose real name was Alexei Maximovich Peshkov. From 1964 to 1969, he attended Alsop High School in Walton , and
6391-519: Was built as a turnpike in the 1830s linking the West End to Finchley . The A41 splits off from the Finchley Road just before it crosses the borough boundary, briefly merges with the A1 through Mill Hill, leaving the borough at Edgware. The North Circular Road (or A406) is part of a north orbital route for London; it crosses the borough east–west linking all the other major routes. Junctions one, two and four of
6474-547: Was created in 1863 covering the town of Barnet, also known as Chipping Barnet . Such districts were subsequently also created for East Barnet Valley in 1874, Finchley in 1878, Hendon in 1879, and Friern Barnet in 1883. Barnet and East Barnet Valley both straddled Hertfordshire and Middlesex until 1889 when they were placed entirely in Hertfordshire; Hendon, Finchley and Friern Barnet were all in Middlesex. All five districts were converted into urban districts under
6557-659: Was expelled halfway through sixth form . After that, Sayle took a foundation course in art at Southport , before attending Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. He attended Garnett College in Roehampton , a training college for teachers in further education. When The Comedy Store opened in London in 1979, Sayle responded to an advert in Private Eye for would-be comedians and became its first master of ceremonies . In 1980, comedy producer Martin Lewis saw Sayle perform at
6640-569: Was given the classification of "vulnerable" by English Heritage after having stood abandoned for almost three years. It now houses units of Middlesex University . Friern Hospital was a large Victorian psychiatric hospital located in Friern Barnet , which has been converted into expensive apartments. The borough is traditionally home to a professional football club, Barnet F.C. and non-League football clubs Wingate & Finchley F.C. , Hendon F.C. , London Lions and Edgware Town . Wingate
6723-415: Was laid, was removed in the 1960s, with a small part of the trackbed used for the M1 motorway extension in the 1970s. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents aged 16–74 used to travel to work were (expressed as percentages of all residents aged 16–74): Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group commissions NHS services for Barnet residents. Health care providers active within Barnet include
6806-569: Was signed in 1992 to a seven-year contract to play an Eastern European chef as a regular character on the American sitcom The Golden Palace , the sequel to The Golden Girls , but was fired and replaced by Cheech Marin before the pilot was filmed. The series was cancelled after one season. In 1994, he presented the miniseries Drive , which gave advice for safe driving through Sayle's signature form of humour interspersed with serious pieces. In 2008, he wrote and presented Alexei Sayle's Liverpool ,
6889-602: Was transferred from Middlesex and Hertfordshire to Greater London, to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The 1963 Act did not include a name for the new borough. A joint committee of the councils due to be amalgamated suggested "Northgate" or "Northern Heights". Keith Joseph , the Minister of Housing and Local Government, eventually chose Barnet. The place name Barnet is derived from the Old English bærnet meaning "land cleared by burning". The old Barnet Urban District had been
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