Hey Neighbour,
Last month, 91% of you said you'd come to a My North London event.
Well I've narrowed it down to two ideas and you get the final say.
Option 1- Dinner with a chef: A local chef creates a seasonal menu, we eat together, we chat. Simple.
Option 2- Know Thy Neighbour: Meet at a pub, rotate tables every 10 minutes with conversation prompts.
I don't have all the details locked in yet, but vote for the one that sounds more like your thing. Once I know what wins, I'll figure out the logistics and come back to you.
Which event sounds more appealing?
In the meantime...
Plan Your Weekend:
🏴 Burn Night Celebrations
Round Up
Bits and bobs worth knowing.
🏛️ Ally Pally launching rooftop walk on Valentine's Day: you can walk across the palace roof 130m above sea level. Hour-long guided route to Angel of Plenty statue with 360-degree London views. Sunset slots available.
☕ Highgate Wood café getting new operator after tender reshuffle: Cosmin Stuparu awarded Highgate Wood Café lease after losing his Golders Hill Park Café (15 years) to Daisy Green group. Takes over from Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez, who lost bids for all three of their cafés. Matthews calls situation "bizarre musical chairs" and is challenging tender process legally. City of London says new leases enable long-term investment and London Living Wage for all Heath café staff. Changeover expected 2 Feb.
🎭 New sketch comedy festival coming to North & West London in March: SketchFest running 16-29 March across Canal Café Theatre and Hen & Chickens. Two weeks of live sketch shows from emerging and established acts. Applications open for performers until 31 Jan - lineup announced February.
🍽️ Want to meet new people over free Nigerian food in Tottenham?
Chuku's restaurant running free Ejikoro dinners for people wanting to make friends. You'll sit with 5 other Londoners (mixed ages, backgrounds) over Nigerian tapas. Completely free, no catch. Named after Igbo word for "connected" - aims to tackle loneliness by bringing strangers together.
🛒 M&S wish list includes 10 Barnet areas - but don't hold your breath: M&S published 500 potential UK locations including High Barnet, New Barnet, and 8 other Barnet neighbourhoods. Planning to nearly double stores nationwide but this is a wish list, not confirmed plans. Remember, an M&S on Barnet High Street closed years ago as loss-making. Meanwhile, Whetstone M&S is actually closed right now - upgrading until spring with new bakery and coffee counter.
🌳 Remember that 500-year-old oak in Whitewebbs Park? Well a restaurant cut it down: Toby Carvery owner Mitchells & Butlers chopped down the ancient tree in their car park last April without asking Enfield Council (their landlord). Council now trying to evict them after company refused to apologise or pay compensation. The oak, sometimes called "Guy Fawkes oak," was cut short its expected lifespan. Stump showing signs of regrowth. At toy company boss offered £10k for life support system but needs Mitchells & Butlers to cooperate with installing equipment. Court case coming later this year.
My North London Top Events
London Art Fair | 📍Business Design Centre, N1 | 21-25 Jan | (£)
London's big art fair returns to the Business Design Centre. 120+ galleries from the UK and internationally selling modern and contemporary art - everything from affordable prints to major works. Browse and buy paintings, sculptures, photography, editions. Work ranges from established names (Warhol, Hockney, Tracey Emin) to emerging artists. National Trust exhibiting 20th-century modern art from their collection. Talks and tours throughout.
Airfix Model Club | 📍RAF Museum, NW9 | 24-25 Jan | (£)
Monthly Airfix model building at the RAF Museum. This month is Supermarine Spitfire. Build it alongside other kids and parents, all materials provided.
Hackney Flea Market | 📍Abney Public Hall, N16 | 24-25 Jan | Free
Monthly vintage market at Abney Public Hall with 40 handpicked traders. 20th-century furniture, records, vintage clothing, French homeware, collectables, textiles, industrial fixtures, lamps, bric-a-brac. Free entry, dog-friendly. Stoke Newington Church Street has cafes and pubs nearby for breaks between browsing.
World of Wasps | 📍Grant Museum, UCL WC1E | 24 Jan | Free
Last chance to see World of Wasps at UCL's Grant Museum. Turns out wasps purr, wag their bodies and tap antennae to communicate. Who knew? VR lets you zoom inside a virtual nest and see through a wasp's eyes. Specimens and nests from around the world, plus a large-scale paper sculpture nest. World's first exhibition focused on wasps. Free, family-friendly.
Jimmy | 📍Park Theatre, N4 | 22-24 Jan | (£)
One-man theatre show about tennis legend Jimmy Connors' 1991 comeback. Comedian Adam Riches plays Connors - in 1974 he was the world's greatest player, by 1991 he's 39 and getting destroyed at the US Open. Then he pulls off one of sport's greatest comebacks. Five-star reviews: "Solo shows are ten a penny, this feels like one in a million" (Telegraph), "Grabs you with both hands and doesn't let go" (Entertainment Now). Fast-paced, funny, intensely physical hour. Sold out in July, back by demand. One hour, 16+, strong language. Evening shows gone, only Saturday 24 Jan 3pm left.
Source: London Art Fair Instagram
Creative Packing Community Day | 📍Oasis, NW1 | 24 Jan | Free
Why not volunteer on Friday morning? HandsOn London in Camden are doing a creative packing session. Decorate canvas bags and pack them with essentials for people who need them.
Silent Comedy: Safety Last! | 📍St Mary-at-Finchley Church, N3 | 24 Jan | Free
Harold Lloyd's Safety Last! (you know the one where he hangs from a clock tower) at St Mary-at-Finchley Church. Silent film with live organ improvisation by Darius Battiwalla using the church's acoustics. Free entry, suggested £15 donation for the church's Give Me Shelter appeal. Drinks available.
Ethical Matters: Green Crime | 📍Conway Hall, WC1R | 25 Jan | (£)
Criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw on environmental crimes. People are murdered, ecosystems destroyed, corruption everywhere. How do the Earth's killers think? Who's bringing them to justice? She's a bestselling author and TV presenter specialising in the criminal mind. Her latest book Green Crime will be available at the event. In person or livestream. All ages, under-16s with adult. Doors 2:30pm. Ground floor, wheelchair accessible.
📣 NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOUT OUT
Big shout-out to Hayley from N17 for hitting 3 referrals and bringing a bunch of new neighbours into the fold.
If you're reading this because of Hayley, welcome! Glad you're here 🙂
Thanks for spreading the word, Hayley - means a lot!
✨ WHAT WE’RE RUNNING
Where neighbours share the clubs, groups they're running and how you can get involved.
Newington Green Writers' Group | 11 Feb | 📍The Snooty Fox, N5 | Free
Alice from N5 used to love her old writing group - the accountability of working alongside people, getting to know other writers, hearing about their projects. When she finished her MA in Screenwriting, she missed that space. So she thought, why not start one?
The Snooty Fox has let her use their function room every Wednesday for focused writing sessions. Ninety minutes of getting your head down, then time to chat about what everyone's working on eg screenplay, novel, journal, whatever. Drink from the bar optional but encouraged. For more info, email Alice directly: [email protected]
*Running something your neighbours should know about? hit reply and tell me about it.
🎟️ 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.
Fresh: Art Fair | 📍Alexandra Palace, N22 | 29 Jan-1 Feb | (£)
Art fair at Alexandra Palace with 75+ galleries. Paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, glass. Prices from £100 to £30,000. Emerging artists and established names like Hockney, Picasso, Chagall. Workshops and artist demos running throughout. Food and drink available. Under-16s free, free return visits all weekend on your ticket. Private view Thursday 29 Jan 5:30-9pm with wine. Public days Friday to Sunday.
Ultimate Snowdrop Sale | 📍Myddelton House Gardens, EN2 | 31 Jan | (£)
Snowdrop sale at Myddelton House Gardens. Nurseries selling snowdrops including rare varieties, then walk the eight-acre gardens to see thousands in bloom. First flowers of late winter. Gates open 8:30am for keen buyers, sale 10am-12:30pm. £6.50 entry. Former home of Edward Augustus Bowles, famous Victorian botanist. Heritage kitchen garden and grounds to explore.
Crossover Jazz Room Grand Launch | 📍Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, N8 | 27 Mar | (£)
Crossover Jazz Room returns with a grand launch at Hornsey Town Hall. Live music night crossing blues, soul, reggae and gospel - different genres throughout the evening. Licensed bar, food on sale. 7:30-11:30pm.
Bring Your Baby Pub Quiz | 📍Three Crowns, N16 | 24 Feb | (£)
Pub quiz designed for parents with babies at Three Crowns. Slower pace with two breaks for feeding and changing. Questions repeated because baby distractions and baby brain are real. Picture round from noon, five rounds til 2:30pm. Teams max 6, come with friends or join others. Professional quiz writer, prizes include £60 bar tab. Mobile baby change station so you don't miss rounds. Sweet treats provided. Food and drink available to buy.
🏴 BURN NIGHT CELEBRATIONS
Scotland's national poet turns 267 on Sunday 25 January. Here's where to raise a dram, eat haggis, and celebrate Rabbie Burns in North London.
What’s Burn Night about? A scottish celebration on 25 January marking Robert Burns' birthday (he wrote Auld Lang Syne).
London Kilt Run | 📍Robert Burns Statue, WC2N | 25 Jan | Free
Scottish-themed 10k social run around London on Robert Burns Day (or walk it, doesn't matter). Start at Robert Burns Statue, route past Scottish sights - Scotland Yard, Tower Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe. Finish back at the statue, then pub for whisky. Hosted by the Kilted Personal Trainer, fifth year running. Wear a kilt or tartan, prize for best outfit.
Burns Night at Rotunda | 📍King's Cross, N1 | 23 & 25 Jan | (£)
Rotunda doing Burns Night on Thursday 23rd and extended Sunday roast on 25th. Three-course menu with cullen skink, haggis neeps and tatties, raspberry cranachan trifle. Address to the haggis, bagpipes, Glen Moray whisky tasting.Sunday 25th: choose your roast, comes with haggis pressed potato and Arbroath smokie on soda toast. Caledonian cream for dessert. Open til 8pm.
Byrne's Night | 📍KOKO, NW1 | 24 Jan | (£)
Burns Night party centered around David Byrne who was born in Dumbarton, Scotland. Bands with members from Goat Girl, Black Country New Road, Fat Dog, Porridge Radio, The Last Dinner Party covering Talking Heads and David Byrne songs. Started at Moth Club, sold out every year, now moved to KOKO because it got too big. Drag performer Ash Kenazi hosts.
Burns Night Extravaganza | 📍Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, EC1 | 23-24 Jan, | (£)
Burns Night celebration at Bourne & Hollingsworth's Clerkenwell townhouse. Multi-course supper with optional whisky or cocktail pairing for each course. Selkirk Grace, haggis piped in and addressed, toasts, live music. Ends with Auld Lang Syne and ceilidh dancing. Wear your tartan.
Burns Night | 📍Potters Pantry, EN5 | 24 Jan | (£)
Burns Night celebration at Potters Pantry. Haggis, neeps and tatties, Address the Haggis by Gary the Scottish piper, then Joe and Jess Duo finish with a Scottish-themed set. Kate Munday draws throughout. £30 per person. Book by calling 020 7018 2500 or email [email protected].
What’s On This Weekend: 24-25 January 2026
Your guide to what’s happening in North London this week. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.
🐶 Paws & Pours Wine Tasting | 📍Humble Grape Islington, N1 | 24 Jan | (£)
Wine tasting for you, treats for your dog. Humble Grape and Reva doing a social for dog owners. 45-minute tasting of four sustainable wines (each paired with a dog breed), then hang out on the terrace meeting other dog people. Your dog gets dog-friendly drinks, treats and surprises from local pet brands while you're tasting. House rules: dogs must behave (no peeing on the floor, no dancing on tables). Limited spaces.
🦜 Big Garden Birdwatch | 📍Your garden/balcony/local park | 23-25 Jan | Free
Help RSPB track bird populations. If you've got a garden or outside space, spend an hour between 23-25 January counting birds that visit. No garden? Your local park works too. Count any birds that land, note what you see (even if it's nothing), then report to RSPB. They use the data to spot patterns and species in danger. Why winter? Birds need us most when it's cold. There more likely to visit gardens for food and shelter, easier to count. This one weekend Creates a snapshot they can compare year on year. Free, any time of day works. Do it solo or with your neighbours. Report online at RSPB website.
💥 Camden subSTRATUM Community Wassail | 📍Castlehaven Community Centre, NW1 | 24 Jan | Free
Community wassailing in Camden. Basically the ancient tradition of singing and making noise to celebrate nature in winter. Make a crown and shaker 12:30-1:30pm, then process to subSTRATUM banging pots and pans. Bring a pot or pan and wooden spoon. Dress as a green being (tree, plant, whatever). Family-friendly. Free, meet at Castlehaven Community Centre.
👻 The Ghost of White Hart Lane | 📍Jacksons Lane, N6 | 21-31 Jan | (£)
Play about Spurs and Scotland star John White who was struck by lightning and died at 27 in 1964. His son Rob was five months old. The play follows John's journey from Edinburgh to football fame and Rob growing up without a father.Based on the Sunday Times bestseller by Rob White and Julie Welch. About grief, growing up without a dad and male mental health.
🧠 In My Head | 📍Dugdale Arts Centre, EN2 | 22-24 Jan | (£)
A play following seven young people in Tottenham navigating mental health, identity, addiction and gang culture. Written and directed by Kyra April, produced by Intrusive Theatre who put love and healing at the heart of their work. Raises awareness of what young people face. Signposts to support services like Young Minds UK and Lives Before Knives.
🖼️ Dreams Art Exhibition | 📍Indra Gallery | Opening 24 Jan | (£)
Group exhibition exploring dreams, the subconscious and surreal imagery. Multiple artists showing work that represents fragments of memory and dreamscapes. Opening night 24 January 3-10pm with drinks and live music.
THANKS FOR READING!
↳ Street food market? Your mate's coffee shop event? New launch? Festival? Art gallery? Nothing is too big or too small, you can send it all here.
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