Around Whetstone & North Finchley

This fascinating collection of photographs documents the dramatic transformation that has taken place over the last one hundred years in the area around Whetstone and the Great North Road. The book gives a vivid impression of buildings, streets and districts that have vanished or been changed almost beyond recognition. The collection includes graphic images of Whetstone, Totteridge, Friern Barnet, New Southgate, Brunswick Park, Woodside Park and North Finchley. The photographs give an evocative insight into the daily lives and living conditions of the residents. They also provide a valuable visual record of the way in which the quiet, isolated villages of the late nineteenth century developed rapidly into the suburban communities of today. Most of the photographs in the book, which has been compiled by John Heathfield, the well-known local historian, date from the turn of the century, and many have never been published before. They create a memorable picture of local people at work and at leisure, of notable episodes in the history of the district and the nation, and of changing modes of transport and fashion which older readers may well remember.