Hey Neighbour,
Thank you to everyone who's reached out to help with the Know Thy Neighbour event. Between pub suggestions and offers to help organise, I'm feeling good about this. Honestly, this community shows up.
Anyway, here are some ideas for the weekend.
Plan Your Weekend:
Round Up
Bits and bobs worth knowing.
🛍️ Scandi homeware shop Søstrene Grene opening at Angel Central: Danish store selling homeware, furniture, craft supplies. Similar vibe to Flying Tiger but more home stuff. Opens 9.59am on 6 Feb. First 100 people get voucher for free blanket plus tote bag.
🍽️ Michelin names five North London restaurants for quality food at good prices: Cadet (Newington Green), Goodbye Horses (De Beauvoir), Singburi (Shoreditch), Calong (Stoke Newington), and Oren (Dalston) got Bib Gourmands. Michelin's Bib Gourmands for restaurants serving excellent food without the big bill. Not as fancy as a Michelin Star but means you'll eat well for less.
🍺 They did it: Black Cap pub reopening in March after 11-year fight: Famous LGBT+ pub on Camden High Street shut in 2015 when Faucett Inn bought it. Locals fought for over a decade to get it back. Reopening this spring. The Black Cap was legendary - drag shows, safe space since the 1980s, known across the country. Owners had form for buying pubs, running them down, converting uppers floors to flats. Campaigners never gave up.
🎬 Walk through Toy Story and Monsters Inc at Wembley next week: Mundo Pixar opens 13 Feb at Wembley Park. Life-size recreations of Pixar film scenes you can walk through - Andy's bedroom from Toy Story, Monsters Inc factory, Radiator Springs from Cars, plus Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Coco. 14 rooms total. Tickets from £19.
🎂 Donald from Enfield just turned 105 - local school kids made him 350 cards: Donald Howkins lives at Elsyng House in Forty Hill. During World War Two he landed on Normandy beaches aged 23 as part of the invasion that defeated the Nazis. He just turned 105. Four Enfield schools got their kids to make him handmade cards. Nearly 350 of them. They delivered them in person, sang for him. His son Alan flew from America for it. Donald had afternoon tea and his favourite whiskey (reckons that's his secret). King Charles and Queen Camilla sent a card too. Donald used to run butcher shops in Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green and Edmonton. Retired in 1992. Lived in Winchmore Hill with his wife Dorothy, raised three kids.
🍽️ 8 days left: North London restaurants doing cheap set menus: Over 350 restaurants doing set menus until 13 Feb as part of Restaurant Month. North London options include: MEATliquor Islington (dish, drink, snack £9.95), Chuku's Tottenham (three plates, drink, dessert £35), Perilla Newington Green (chef's choice £50).
⚖️ Whitewebbs campaigners taking Enfield Council to High Court - again:
Guardians of Whitewebbs got permission for judicial review over planning decision that approved Tottenham Hotspur women's training centre. Claim planning committee was misled on biodiversity and council policies misinterpreted. Case could be heard April. Second High Court battle (first one in 2024 failed). Group raised £30k from 900 people for legal fees. Dame Judi Dench now backing them. Council says decision was lawful, will defend vigorously. Spurs got 25-year lease for over half the park. Council says 80% stays public with new café and toilets.
🎪 Rudimental headlining Ally Pally festival this summer: Kaleidoscope Festival back Saturday 11 July. Rudimental topping the bill, plus Groove Armada, MJ Cole, Black Grape, Roni Size. Russell Kane doing comedy. Tickets on sale now.
🌙 Night buses, noise complaints, and empty shops: What could change?
I read the 2026 London Nightlife Taskforce report so you don't have to, and honestly? things may be are looking up. It's the biggest study of London's nightlife ever done, and no it's not just about clubs and pubs. It covers things like night buses, noise complaints, empty shops, and whether you can actually get home alright after a night out.
Here's what could change for North London.
Source: Mayor of London - Independent Nightlife Taskforce
🚝 Better late transport: night bus routes would get reviewed, especially the areas that are rubbish right now. Depending on where you live in North London, your nearest night bus could be down the road or a 20-minute walk away. It's all over the place. Worth knowing: 44% of night workers get zero help with transport costs even though they're traveling when barely anything's running.
🎧 Fairer noise rules: instead of just going off complaints, councils could use actual sound monitoring and mediation before shutting places down. Camden and Islington would see this first since they're the main nightlife hubs, but the point is settling disputes without killing venues or ignoring problems anywhere.
🍻 Help for struggling pubs and venues: business rate relief, lower VAT, help with energy bills. Right now, 68% of venues say rates and VAT are crushing them while costs keep going up.
☕️ More stuff opening in Haringey: Haringey could see more cafés, performance venues, community spots, and creative spaces opening over the next few years. The report flags it as an "emerging area" for independent evening spaces.
🏬 Empty shops could actually get used: vacant high street units could get fast-tracked for temporary evening stuff: community spaces, markets, venues. This would especially help Barnet, Brent, and Enfield, which don't have loads of evening options right now. Places like The Cause and Grow Tottenham started exactly this way.
What's different about this approach:
The report treats nightlife as culture, not just commerce. Pubs, music venues, and grassroots spaces get viewed more like theatres or galleries—cultural assets, not just businesses to regulate. Whether you agree with that or not, it's a shift.
What happens next:
The Mayor will respond in the coming months. Individual councils will vote on bits of this when they're ready.
My North London Top Events
London Black Marketplace | 📍St Michael's, NW1 | 7-8 Feb | Free
Weekend marketplace with 40+ Black-owned brands in Camden. Fashion, beauty, skincare, homeware, art, books, wellness - things you won't find on the high street. Meet the people making what you're buying. African and Caribbean food, live performances. Celebrating African and Caribbean heritage, supporting Black entrepreneurs.
Hampstead Heath Bryophyte Walk | 📍Hampstead Heath Overground, NW3 | 7 Feb | Free
Walk identifying mosses and liverworts on Hampstead Heath with expert Jeff Duckett. Bryophytes are the tiny plants you walk past without noticing. Learn to spot different species. Run by London Natural History Society. Four hours, bring lunch, toilets on Heath. Good if you want to learn about nature beyond birds and flowers. Meet outside Hampstead Heath Overground. Free but limited places, email [email protected] to book.
Big Fat Quiz 4 Alex | 📍The Archer Academy, N2 | 7 Feb | Free + Donation
Alex is 23, halfway through medical school, and was having dinner with friends in Liverpool in May when he suddenly fell ill. Emergency brain surgery revealed a grade 4 brain tumour. He's finished NHS radiotherapy and chemotherapy but needs immunotherapy in Germany to keep fighting (treatment that's not available here yet). The Quiz night at Alex's old school The Archer Academy raising funds for his treatment. Canapés included, drinks to buy, raffle prizes. Teams or solo welcome. Good night out supporting someone local who needs help.
Kentish Town Pedals | 📍Peckwater Centre, NW5 | 7 Feb & 7 Mar | Free
Monthly bike ride for people who can ride but aren't confident on London roads yet. 5-6 miles over 2 hours, gentle pace with cafe stop halfway. Uses cycleways, quiet roads and parks.
Year of the Horse Fundraiser | 📍East & Southeast Asian Community Centre, N1 | 7 Feb | (£)
East and Southeast Asian Community Centre celebrating Lunar New Year with food, crafts and games. Try Pitch Pot, Bean Sorting Challenges, Ring Tossing to win prizes. Food from ESEA chefs, market vendors, cookery classes, craft workshops. £3 gets you in and one token for games or activities. Buy more tokens inside. Timed slots so it's not too packed. Card only for everything. Fundraiser for the community centre.
Source: Hampstead Health City of London Facebook
Wilderness Talks: Historic Smithfield | 📍Wilderness Kitchen, EC1M | 8 Feb | (£)
Blue Badge guide Diane Burstein talking about Smithfield's history. Area tourists don't usually see it but it is full of medieval monasteries, Victorian Meat Market, execution sites, Old Bailey stories, where Newgate Prison used to be. 18th-century houses, art deco building from Poirot, City's oldest church and hospital still on original sites, poet's house, church with dark pas.
Enfield Feasts: Urvashi Roe | 📍Dugdale Arts Centre, EN2 | 7 Feb | (£)
Dugdale Arts Centre doing monthly supper clubs with local chefs. First one is Urvashi Roe cooking Indian food - green chilli margarita, veg dumplings, beetroot chaat, chickpea masala.Different chef each month til May. Check their website for price and future dates.
Cross Country Races | 📍Parliament Hill Bandstand, NW5 | 7 Feb | Free
Fancy being a spectator this Saturday? Thousands of runners competing in cross country races on Parliament Hill from 11am. All ages racing, kids through to elite athletes from across the country.
Joan Hodes Exhibition | 📍Highgate Gallery, N6 | 6-19 Feb | Free
Painter Joan Hodes studied with Oskar Kokoschka and developed expressionist work responding directly to nature. This exhibition shows her landscapes from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Italy and Suffolk - capturing changing weather and light with energy. See how she worked from sketches through to finished paintings and watercolours. Oils, pastels, lino prints, etchings showing powerful images through colour and line. At a time when women artists are being reassessed, chance to see work that deserves wider recognition.
Dickens in North London Birthday Walk | 📍High Barnet Station | 7 Feb, 2pm | (£)
City of London guide Paul Baker leads this birthday walk on Dickens's actual birthday. You’ll hear about Dickens connection to Barnet, Highgate, Hampstead and Finchley. Two hours, 2pm outside High Barnet tube.Exclusive for My North London readers: £12 adults, £3 under 12s ( usually £15/£5). Just mention My North London when booking. Email [email protected] or call Paul on 07506 761294
🏈 SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
Source: The 411
The 411 | 📍EC1V
This American neighbourhood bar is rolling out the full Super Bowl experience from 7pm—DJs, cheerleaders, beer pong, wing-eating comp, NFL quiz, and more surprises.
BOXPARK Wembley + Camden | 📍HA9 + NW1
Touch down at BOXPARK Wembley for the big game on 08 Feb! Huge screens, surround sound, DJs, live bands, bucking bronco, cheerleaders, beer pong, and Bad Bunny at halftime.
The Blues Kitchen, Camden | 📍NW1
Watch the Super Bowl LX on the big screen. Kitchen and bar open late for Buffalo Wings, Burgers, Ribs and more. Table reservations for 4-5 people, £6 per person.
🎟️ Heads up
Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.
Melanie C Acoustic Performance | 📍Union Chapel, N1 | 30 Apr | (£)
Sporty Spice playing intimate acoustic set at Union Chapel celebrating new album Sweat. Rough Trade presenting. About 45 minutes as it's an album release showcase.
Cheese & Wine Tasting with Morgan McGlynn Carr | 📍Cheeses of Muswell Hill, N10 | 12 & 18 Feb | (£)
Cheese expert Morgan McGlynn Carr (appears on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch) doing tastings at her family's 40-year-old Muswell Hill shop. Six seasonal cheeses with six wines in the tiny 2m x 7m space known as London's "cheese grotto."Only 8 seats are so intimate, sitting with Morgan learning proper pairing. She's a world cheese judge who wrote The Complete Cheese Pairing Cookbook. Winter cheeses - Alpine, British soft, blues. Choose one extra from the counter.
Lamb Bottle Feeding - Adults | 📍Lewis of London, EN5 | 1 Apr onwards | (£)
Feed baby lambs at Lewis of London ice cream farm in Barnet. Evening sessions for adults - 30 minutes feeding a lamb with a bottle, staff show you how, then help put them to bed.
Walking Tour: Cold Comfort Farm in Highgate | 📍The Gatehouse, N6 | 12 Mar | (£)
Walk around Highgate learning about writer Stella Gibbons who lived on Holly Lodge Estate. She wrote Cold Comfort Farm, the comic novel about a London sophisticate visiting her rural relatives that became a huge success in the 1930s. Neighbours John Betjeman and J.B. Priestley also lived on the estate, all writing about single professional women living independently. Holly Lodge Estate was built on land owned by Angela Burdett-Coutts, the Victorian banking heiress.
London Eurovision Party 2026 | 📍HERE at Outernet, WC2H | 19 Apr | (£)
17th annual Eurovision pre-party at HERE at Outernet. Acts from 2026 Eurovision (Vienna) performing, plus special guests.
💌 VALENTINE & GALENTINE EVENTS
Here’s what i found so far.
Red Flags & Roses Valentine Comedy | 📍O2 Forum Kentish Town, NW5 | 14 Feb | (£)
Valentine's comedy celebrating the chaos of modern love. Slim, Dane Baptiste, Selam Amare, Kyrah Gray, Kojo Anim, Travis Jay, Christopher Savage on dating highs and heartbreaks. Hosted by Andrew Mensah and Gbemi Oladipo.
Valentine's Dog Walk | 📍The Garden Gate, NW3 | 15 Feb | (£)
Show your dog you love them more than anyone else by walking Hampstead Heath on Valentine's weekend. Meet at The Garden Gate pub 10:30am, walk 11am, back by 12:30pm for raffle. Prizes for best dressed loved-up dogs and humans. Dress your dog in Valentine's gear if you're that way inclined. £5 adults, kids free, money goes to dog rescue. Book ahead, limited spaces.
Adult Creative Painting Workshop | 📍Alexandra Palace Creativity Pavilion, N22 | 14 Feb | (£)
Alternative Valentine's evening at Alexandra Palace. Paint with friends, your partner or parents instead of expensive dinner. Artist Virginia Sutton guides you through making your own painting over two hours. Easel, canvas, paints and brushes provided. Take your painting home. Wear old clothes. Two hours, arrive 10 minutes early. All ages but under-16s need an adult. £10.
Valentine's Day Paint and Sip | 📍The Three Johns, N1 | 14 Feb | (£)
Afternoon painting and drinking at The Three Johns pub on Valentine's Day. Canvas, paints and brushes provided, trace Valentine's images if you want or paint whatever. Take it home. Come with your partner, friends or solo to meet people. No instruction so it's chatty and social, not a serious art class.
Valentines Weekend Singles Run | 📍Regent's Park, NW1 | 14 Feb | (£)
If you're single on Valentine's Day, run Regent's Park with other single people. Three laps, you switch who you're running with after each lap so you meet people. Free drink at a cafe after.
Galentine's Craft Night | 📍Assemble Space, N21 | 13-14 Feb | (£)
Galentine's weekend crafting with your friends (the day before Valentine's for celebrating your mates). Make a pottery trinket dish, candle holder, paper collage or lino print. Choose when you arrive. Two hours, bring your own drinks and snacks. Good if you want something to do with friends that isn't just another dinner. £35 per person, all materials included. Limited spaces.
Galentine's Day | 📍Whittington Park Community Centre, N19 | 13 Feb | (£)
Celebrate your besties, BFFs and platonic loves on Galentine's Day (the day before Valentine's for friends). Silly games, arts and crafts, quiz about famous friends, banging playlist, snacks. Declarations of undying love for your mates are encouraged. Come with friends or solo. Low-key creative activities, reminisce about your friendships. Bring your own booze, soft drinks and snacks provided. Cis-women, trans-women and non-binary folk welcome.
Sip & Paint Galentine's Day | 📍Marley's Bakery, EN5 | 10 Feb | (£)
Galentine's Day sip and paint at Marley's Bakery in Barnet. Paint while drinking Prosecco, all materials provided. Hosted by artist Elise. Beginners are welcome, bring your friends or come solo and meet people.
THANKS FOR READING!
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