Many of us are fortunate to live and work in, or close to Highgate with its green spaces, historic buildings, local shops, schools, churches and businesses.
The Highgate Society is keen to preserve and enhance this rich mixture for everyone’s benefit, including the many visitors who help to support our pubs, arts and entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes.
We work closely with other local groups including the neighbourhood forum, the HLSI and others to make a positive difference.
Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us to thank everyone – especially volunteers who give so much of their time and expertise throughout the year.
There isn’t room to name every individual, organisation or event with so many to choose from. No doubt many who flocked to Pond Square to watch Rupert Grint magic the festive decorations into glowing light, will long remember this special occasion. Others will have good memories of the Queen’s Jubilee Tea Party under the plane trees or the Fair in the Square and Highgate Festival.
Raising money and support for charitable causes matters too: donations at this year’s Carols in Pond Square on December 12, organised by the society’s great social events team, will go to the Harington Scheme (Jacksons Lane benefited in 2021).
Weekly Saturday coffee mornings at 10A helped raise money towards the Ukraine Emergency Fund and all are welcome on December 17 when a charity Saturday special will offer festive mince pies and a chance to mingle and meet some of our local councillors.
This is a good moment to thank our MPs and Camden and Haringey ward councillors
With so much going on in the neighbourhood it can be quite hard to keep up: luckily, we have the excellent weekly Highgate Hitlist so we don’t miss out.
Breakfast meetings organised by Katherine Ives, director Lauderdale House, are another bonus allowing leads on organisations across the wider area to meet in person, share updates, seek and offer mutual support.
Our planning group continues working hard throughout the year as pressure grows for more housing and development, while volunteers from the Community Projects Group are out there picking up litter, cleaning our listed phone boxes, monitoring vital defibrillators, and doing some guerrilla gardening in our streets.
The icing on the cake is that Camden has confirmed our application for Asset of Community Value status for our wonderful local theatre, Upstairs at The Gatehouse. Let’s all celebrate by enjoying their Christmas musical and raise a glass to Highgate.
Elizabeth Millar is president of The Highgate Society (highgatesociety.com).
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