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Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet photos
Displaying the first of 6 old photos of Friern Barnet. View all Friern Barnet photos
Friern Barnet maps
Historic maps of Friern Barnet and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Friern Barnet maps
Friern Barnet area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Friern Barnet and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Friern Barnet
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Friern Barnet.
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Family Weddings
My parents were married In St James Church, Christmas Day 1935. Both my mother's sisters & her brother were also married there, as was myself, two sisters, a cousin & nephew. He being the last, in June 1990. Before I moved away my eldest daughter was baptised there, along with myself & siblings, plus two cousins, (one at St John's), a nephew & niece. There could possibly be more, these are all I know of.
My maternal grandparents are buried in the churchyard, by the gate on the corner of Friary Road. When my mother's generation were married they all lived in Park Way. My grandmother died when I was eight, so my grandfather came to live with us eventually, & we were a fifteen minute walk from the church. When I was about twelve I would accompany my grandfather to church. Occasionally he would play the organ. These were very happy days in my childhood, & I always have fond memories of going to services there. Unfortunately, I have... Read more
Greater London memories
Oakwood
I lived in Oakwood in the 50s as a child and would regularly be in Oakwood park all day on a Saturday. Quick return home for lunch in between playing on the swings, fishing nets at the wild pond, buying a packet of crisps with a twisty blue salt bag at the cafe. The boating lake on a Sunday would be covered in toy yachts one of which my brothers and would frequently get marooned out in the middle. In the school holidays mum would pack up a picnic of sandwiches and tizer and we would go to 'the log'- an old tree trunk which lay in the middle of the park and play ball and cricket. Later, as a teenager, I played tennis on the tennis courts - I think it was 1s 6d for the hour. Before the large petrol station was built near the shops we used to climb the trees on the 'wasteland' and make camps. There was a track through the trees to the... Read more
The ABC
The photo featuring the ABC bakery brings back memories of being met from school (St Angelas - just round the corner in Oakthorpe Road) by my mum at half terms or holidays and taken for tea as a treat to celebrate the start of the holidays! The counter, if you sat down to eat used to be at the back of the shop. If I was lucky , a friend used to join us! It was the only time I was allowed to eat in public whilst wearing my school uniform.It was very strict back then!
General
I was born in at 72 Bowes Rd on 7th Jan 1940, after being bombed out we moved to 72 Bowes Rd and then to 62 Ulleswater Rd and then to 14 Eaton Park Road. My earliest memories start from when I was on the pot - not the smoking kind, that came later - and when I could not reach the door handles. My brother, who could, had great fun annoying me and then running out the door and shutting it knowing I couldn't follow. In the war years I would go with my mum into Palmers Green from Ullswater Rd.... to be continued, I'm going to bed.
War Years
I was born in at 72 Bowes Rd on 7th Jan 1940, after being bombed out we moved to 72 Bowes Rd and then to 62l Ulleswater Rd and then to 14 Eaton Park Road. My earliest memories start from when I was on the pot - not the smoking kind, that came later - and when I could not reach the door handles. My brother, who could, had great fun annoying me and then running out the door and shutting it knowing I couldn't follow. In the war years I would go with my mum into Palmers Green. We would go up Ullswater Rd into Conway Rd and then turn into Fox Lane and walk down over the railway bridge and come out opposite the Post Office. At the side of the Fox Inn there was a gents public toilet which I liked to go in, while mum waited outside, there used to be empty spirit bottles left in there and I used to like smelling the scent from... Read more
Southgate Swimming Club
Hi, I'm writing about Southgate Seals Swimming Club and the Halliwick School for Crippled Girls. Can you help me?
1/10d A Pint
The Cherry Tree was my main watering hole as I had so many friends in the area. Stan Chrees from Oakleigh Road, Bernard Downes, Edwin Hodson, to name but a few. Oh the days before mindless fruit machines, when pubs were for drinking and making friends.
The beer was good, but the Old Forge restaurant was superb. A real posh nosher as Stan used to call it; their food was just so excellent.
I had many girlfriends from the area. Margaret from The Bourne and Christine from The Mall. I do hope that life has been good to them.
Had the photo been of my era, I am sure that my Riley would have been in the photograph.
No mention has been made of the "stocks" opposite on the village green. I wonder if they are still there or have been victims of mindless vandalism.
