Monday 3 November 2008

50 things to do before your 50 !!!!! (in The London Borough of Barnet)

Despite all of the the moans and whinges I seem to spend my life posting, I thought I'd make one of those infuriating lists. This is 50 things to do in The Borough of Barnet before your 50. Now there a few things I'd like to do, but have to leave out for reasons of decency (yes even I can be a bit censorious at times). Hey it's Monday so lets have some fun. In no particular order.

1. Write a blog about life in Barnet.

2. Watch Barnet FC win at Underhill.

3. Have a Curry at "The Mill Hill Tandoori" restaurant (I'd recommend the chicken Tikka to start, the Bengal Fish Bhuna as main, a Keema Nan and Bindi Bhaji (I don't like rice). Wash it down with a pint of Kingfisher Lager.

4. Score a Hat Trick against your mates at Powerleague 5-a-side on a Thursday night.

5. Walk the dog across Arrandene Open Space on a gloriously sunny Winter Sunday afternoon.

6. Have a fry up breakfast at the cafe on Apex Corner.

7. Thrash your kids at Bowling at the Hollywood Bowl in Finchley.

8. Do the walk from the Ridgeway in Mill Hill via Darlands Lake to The Orange Tree in Totteridge for a nice leisurely lunch.

9. Sail a boat on the Welsh Harp.

10. Visit the RAF Museum in Grahame Park for an activity day.

11. Watch live jazz at lunchtime at "The Rising Sun" pub as part of the Mill Hill Music Festival.

12. Go to The Finchley Lido and play in the waves from the wave machine.

13. Go To Alfresco Italian restaurant in Whetstone for a dinner. Try the Fried Smoked Cheese and the Parmiagana.

14. Have dinner at the Good Earth Chinese restaurant in Mill Hill, The lobster is out of this world !

15. Buy a bottle of the finest Plonk known to man at Mill Hill Wines in Mill Hill Broadway.

16. Take said bottle of wine and have a picnic as the sun goes down on the Millfield on the Ridgeway in Mill Hill on a glorious July Saturday night.

17. Visit Highwood House at the Top of Highwood Hill for a summer open day, they have a fantastic garden.

18. Watch Hendon & Edgware cricket club play on a Sunday in Mill Hill Park.

19. Pick Blackberries with the kids at Arrandene open space on a glorious late summers afternoon.

20. Catch a carp in Totteridge ponds as a 251 bus goes by.

21. Watch a great jam at The Mill Hill Jazz club on a Wednesday Night.

22. Go on a fairground ride at the Watling Festival at Montrose Park.

23. Watch a band at the East Barnet Festival.

24. Watch the School band competetion at the Finchley Carnival.

25. Watch the End of Term concert at the Finchley Music Centre at Moss Hall School.

26. Watch the Mill Hill School marching band perform at Finchley Nurseries as part of the Mill Hill Music Festival in the summer.

27. Collect conkers with your children in Wills Grove, Mill Hill in the Autumn.

28. Go toboganing at Bunns Lane Park in Mill Hill in the Snow in the Winter.

29. Attend the fantastic Firework display at Mill Hill County High school (sadly not on this year).

30. Have a kebab at the Mill Hill Kebab house at the Green Man, at 2am after a great night out (I'd recommend the Lamb Shish with Chilli source)

32. Take some great photographs of the Totteridge valley in it's autumnal glory.

33. Walk down Sanders Lane, the country footpath in the middle of Mill Hill East.

34. Watch Exorcist at The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.

35. Check out an exhibiton at the Church Farm Museum at the Top of Greyhound Hill, Hendon (Currently it's Calligraphy).

36. After you've done number 35, go for a long lunch at The Greyhound pub.

37. Go for a mad friday night of drink at the Claddagh Ring in Hendon.

38. Go to a wedding reception at The Hendon Hall Hotel of some good friends.

39. Buy the Elvis Presley CD Box set in Woolworths on Mill Hill Broadway.

40. Catch a comedy show at the Arts Depot in Finchley.

41. Check out the animals in Golders Hill Park on a hot, sunny, summer Sunday.

42. Have an Ice Cream at Golder Hill Park in the Summer.

43. While you're doing no 42, Watch a band on the bandstand.

44. Fish for Tadpoles with your children in Angel Pond.

45. Get fish and Chips from the King Neptune chippy in The Green man.

46. Walk along the Ridgeway, Mill Hill on a clear day and spot the Gherkin, the Telecom Tower and the Wembley Arch.

47. Go to The War Memorial on the Ridgeway for rememberance Sunday.

48. Watch The Battle of Britain Flight fly north from central London, from The Ridgeway in Mill Hill.

49. Walk through St Josephs College fields and give the horses a carrot with the Children.

50. Best of all, play loud rock and roll with a Punk Rock band at The Mill Hill Music Complex.

Well that's my choice of decent and legal things to do. Some are free, some are expensive. All of the one's Ive done I've really enjoyed and all of the ones I haven't done I will in the next few years. If there is anything I've missed which you think should have made the list, please feel free to comment. I know there are lots of great eateries & drinkeries I've missed, but these are my very favourites.

I'm always on the lookout for new ones though.

4 comments:

valblog said...

Have a big party in the back garden and invite 60 people youre related to! (On the 20th?)

Unknown said...

51. Be a pedant and post a comment on a blog entry pointing out that the title should be "50 things to do before you are 50" or "50 things to do before you're 50"...!

Duncan Macdonald said...

Climb the tower of St John's High Barnet (when they open it)for one of the best views in the area.

Citizen Barnet said...

Hello, Roger,

was just checking out your restaurant recommendations in the area, and came across this.

Nearly four years on, a number of these 50 have gone, eg, Church Farmhouse Museum, courtesy of Barnet Council cuts.

Sorry for the down! It's a lovely day and I'm going for a birthday meal with someone this evening! Sure it'll be great...

Vicki