The villages of Finchley and Whetstone developed around the Great North Road, and even before railways transformed the area many solid villas were built in this essentially agricultural district. On the whole, development reflected its affluence. Its notable residents have included people as diverse as the entertainers Gracie Fields and Peter Sellers; Joseph Baxendale, who made the firm of Pickford`s a household name; and Sir George Barham, who founded Express Dairies. The author is a former chairman of Barnet Local History Society.