Outdoor Activities

Outings – please note

If your group goes on outings, you will be asked to provide an Emergency contact and telephone number to be called in case of accident or illness.

Art Appreciation Outings

See Arts & Crafts

Basic Gardening in the Suburb

Leader: Brian Ingram

Various close-ups of flowers surrounding wide shot of garden

This is an informal group designed to give you the confidence and skills to do basic gardening activities such as planting, propagation, and maintenance using plants suitable for the heavy clay in the Suburb. Buy it, plant it and water it. Perhaps even prune it! Learn to deal with gardeners, garden centres, and online suppliers; knowing what to specify and what to expect. Emphasis will be on gardening in HGS. Members should ideally have a project in mind. No digging is involved! Just look in some nearby gardens to see what can be done.

  • Start date: Already active
  • When: Days and times by arrangement
  • Location: At residents’ homes, and private and public gardens
  • Frequency: By arrangement
  • Charges: None

Days Out

Leader: Barbara Bliss

Organised visits to places of interest, travelling by coach or other transport.

Trip duration varies depending on venue.

Most recent trip – special guided tour of Horace Walpole’s famous and unique collection of masterpieces at Strawberry Hill House.

Watch this space for more visits.  Next is planned for February.

Growing Vegetables

Leader: Eric Hess – blog: http://treesrockandwater.BlogSpot.com

An opportunity to learn from the group leader’s experience and to share group experiences. A mixture of practical and theory. Leader’s early background working in agriculture abroad. After returning to the UK he established a Horticultural Project for Adults with Learning Difficulties, focussing on growing and selling vegetables.

Topics will include:

  • preparing the soil
  • growing winter vegetables
  • pests
  • sowing

Clothing: Hats and closed shoes

  • Start date: Already active
  • When: Wednesday mornings from 11 am – flexibility to suit the group
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Location: Gordon Road Allotments, London, N3 1EL –  off Elm Park Road and Nether Street near Finchley Central station
  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Charges: 50p donation for refreshments
  • Number of places: 8

Lawn Bowls

Leader: Patricia Taylor, assisted by Andrew Rix and Phyllis Ellis

Seven-week course: coaching and introduction to lawn bowls. Learn the rules of the game and how to play lawn bowls. You will be able to enjoy informal games with other members, and gain confidence in delivering all types of shots.  You learn how to score, deliver the small jack on the rink to start play, and which shots to choose to play.

  • Start dates: Resuming Spring 2019
  • When: Mondays 2 pm – 4 pm
  • Location: Temple Fortune Club, 122 Bridge Lane, NW11 9JS
  • Frequency: Weekly
  • Charges: £3.00 per session to club payable through coach
  • Number of places: 15
  • Notes: Wear comfortable clothing and flat soled shoes

Photography in London

Leaders: Michael Jacobs & Roger Cookson

Members of the group on a shoot in the Hill Garden

A group that meets alternately at a London venue to take photos, and at a location where we can show each other our best photos of the venue projected on a screen, and discuss them. Outside locations will be notified to members a week in advance.

It’s intended to be a fun-oriented group rather than a technocratic, competitive society.

  • Start date: Restarts 10 October 2018
  • When: Wednesday 10.30 am – 12 noon
  • Location: Shooting takes place at various London locations, and screenings are held at Alyth Synagogue, Alyth Gardens, NW11 7EN
  • Frequency: Fortnightly, alternating between location shooting and screening
  • Charges: We will not go to locations that levy charges without prior agreement of the group, but participants will be expected to make their own travel arrangements
  • Number of places: 15

Theatre

See Music & Theatre

Walking Groups

We currently have three walking groups:

    • Historical London Walks
    • Short Sunday Walks
    • Thames Path in London & Other Walks

The Historic London Walks tend to make frequent stops to look at landmarks en route, whereas the Thames Path in London group focuses more on walking.  Short Sunday Walks are closer to home and less demanding.

Historical London Walks

Leader: Mary Fraser and some members of the group

Books about LondonGet to know London better!These are walks in various areas of London explore new places and look more closely at more familiar ones to find out about their history, buildings and places of interest, and their present character.

Walks start from a station within the Freedom Pass area and end at the same or different station. Walks are led by volunteer members of the group. (new members willing to lead occasional walks are particularly welcome!) Notes on the historical background together with walk description are circulated in advance of each walk. The length of walks varies but participants can expect to walk with some standing for 2 hours. There will be a short coffee/comfort stop along the way. Walks will normally finish by 12.45 – 1 pm, but a few  may offer the option of a lunch and early afternoon extension.

  • Next dates: 12 September 2018, 10 October, 14 November, 12 December.
  • When: Wednesday morning
  • Duration: Usually about 2½ hours (plus travelling time)
  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Number of places: 25 members can register for this group, but a maximum of 15 places are available on each walk
  • Currently full with a short waiting list

Thames Path in London & Other Walks

Leader: David Powers

Thames Path near Hampton Court

Walking is an excellent way to get and keep fit. We try to get into the fresh air away from busy roads, exploring not only the Thames, but London’s canals, waterways, and green spaces. The length of each walk varies, but is generally 4–4½ miles, usually with a break in the middle for coffee. We walk at a moderately brisk pace, but not so fast that it’s impossible to talk. In fact, good conversation is one of the many pleasures of this group.

Joining instructions for each walk are usually sent out a few days in advance. Most of us meet in the ticket hall of Golders Green station shortly after 9 am (the actual time depends on where the walk starts); but others join at the starting point if Golders Green isn’t convenient. The walk usually finishes at 12.30 pm or 1.00 pm close to a pub or reasonably priced café/restaurant. Most members stay for lunch, but there’s no obligation to do so.

  • Start date: Already active
  • When: Second and fourth Friday of each month 10.15 am – 1.00 pm (approximate times — longer if you decide to stay for lunch)
  • Location: Starting and end points are usually within the Freedom Pass zone
  • Charges: Pay for own food and drink
  • Number of places: 15
  • Notes: Comfortable walking shoes essential

Short Sunday Walks

Leader: Daphne Berkovi

For members who want to walk more locally than further afield, once a month on a Sunday morning, ending at a café for refreshments.

  • Next walk: Sunday 27 January 2019
  • When: Starting at 10.15 am
  • Location: Outside 140-142 Hampstead Way (Temple Fortune end).  Following in the footsteps of Henrietta Barnett, using the route in Rachel Kolsky’s book “Women’s London”
  • Duration: 45 minutes – 1 hour excluding refreshments
  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Charges: Café refreshments
  • Maximum number of places: 15
  • Advance booking necessary: Yes please to group leader