Lester Finch

[Chirpy]

Hi everyone wonder if anyone can help. I’m clearing out some some stuff from the home of a relative who has recently passed away and he was a big Bees fan back in the day. He has a picture painted and signed by Lester Finch 1993 and that name is familiar to me as an old Barnet player. The picture is of Barnet Church by the way. Is there a BFC connection or is the name a coincidence?

Cheers all

[MCB]

here's some background reading - someone with more historical knowledge will certainly add more - but Lester Finch is a key name in the history of the club.

http://reckless-guide-to-barnet.blogspo ... leher.html

[John Hunt]

Hi Chirpy

Sorry for your loss. Please mention the name of your relative. Maybe some of his friends from back in the day are active here.

Did Lester paint the picture?

Please can you take a picture of it and post it here?

It it was up for sale I am sure there would be many interested parties.

It would be great if it were displayed at the club.

[Chirpy]

Thanks for the good wishes and I’ve attached a photo of the picture. Unless I’m mistaken this must have been painted by Lester himself I imagine. If the club would give it a good home and acknowledge it came from my cousin that would be a suitable destination for it in my opinion. My cousin was Pete Hildersley although he was likely known from his mother’s family the Piggotts who lived at the bottom of Bells Hill. I had many Uncles and other family who went along to Underhill in Barnets amateur days.

[John Hunt]

Thank you very much for sharing this. It is a beautiful picture. It would be nice if the club could give it a home and a nice place to display it. Alternatively a more suitable place for it may be with one of our fans who would cherish it and display it like Reckless or Steve Percy.

best wishes

John

[DerekRocholl]

The attachment BFF27F81-1DBE-4894-85D2-0B78F09B8B60.jpeg is no longer available

Thanks for the good wishes and I’ve attached a photo of the picture. Unless I’m mistaken this must have been painted by Lester himself I imagine. If the club would give it a good home and acknowledge it came from my cousin that would be a suitable destination for it in my opinion. My cousin was Pete Hildersley although he was likely known from his mother’s family the Piggotts who lived at the bottom of Bells Hill. I had many Uncles and other family who went along to Underhill in Barnets amateur days.

Chirpy sincere condolences on the loss of your cousin. Barnet museum have a small section of historical artefacts associated with Barnet FC, that would be a very good place for the picture to be on display if the Club can’t meet your request.

The museum already holds a collection of photographs donated by Mrs Finch, including this one which is a picture of an FA tour in Egypt with Lester sitting on a camel (7th from the left in the back row)

[John Hunt]

I think it may be the best place for it Derek. I am sure it will be well looked after there and the church is just around the corner.

[John Hunt]

Actually do you think the picture is painted from a view in the Old Court House park which is behind the museum?

My spatial awareness is not the best so possibly not!

[fordybarnet]

BFF27F81-1DBE-4894-85D2-0B78F09B8B60.jpeg

Thanks for the good wishes and I’ve attached a photo of the picture. Unless I’m mistaken this must have been painted by Lester himself I imagine. If the club would give it a good home and acknowledge it came from my cousin that would be a suitable destination for it in my opinion. My cousin was Pete Hildersley although he was likely known from his mother’s family the Piggotts who lived at the bottom of Bells Hill. I had many Uncles and other family who went along to Underhill in Barnets amateur days.

What a beautiful painting of Barnet Church by Lester.
Lester was a brilliant winger in his day, i think he played for England and possibly Spurs as well as mainly Barnet after the 2nd World War years. I think he played for England in the Olympics as well.
He did have 2 sons, Derek and Brian.
I think Lester is featured in the Ledgends bar at the Hive.
I think i may have seen him play at Underhill, i'm 75.

I hope the club would like to feature the painting, thanks Chirpy.

[beew]

As soon as I saw this beautiful watercolour I thought Barnet museum, but didn't want to suggest it as I'm a newish supporter and way after Lester Finch. Knowing the church I actually think the view comes from the museum grounds, so to me that's where maybe it should reside. Wherever it is displayed, it will be enjoyed and I will certainly be booking a visit.

[Chirpy]

Evening chaps, Barnet Museum is a great idea and I’ll investigate that when it reopens. I see a guy down The Mitre who helps out there and he says it’s reopening in August some time. Yes it is painted from the park point of view I think, it’s a great picture from a great man

[John Hunt]

Evening chaps, Barnet Museum is a great idea and I’ll investigate that when it reopens. I see a guy down The Mitre who helps out there and he says it’s reopening in August some time. Yes it is painted from the park point of view I think, it’s a great picture from a great man

And without doubt it was by the great man himself. A fellow supporter showed me another picture Lester painted for her and her husband. Lester always painted birds as part of his paintings!

[hughm]

Hello- can I add some family background- my mother was a Finch, born in Barnet, and her father (my grandfather) was Robert Edward Finch, born 1894, and he was Lester's cousin. Lester was always called "uncle" Lester when I was young, and we often went to see him and Valery in Milton Avenue from where it was possible to see at least the main stand roof and floodlights of Underhill. Lester's parents died when he was relatively young, and whilst playing for Barnet he lodged with his Uncle and Aunt, Samuel and Annie Finch, my great-grandparents' at 5 Byng Road, where even after he got married and moved to Milton Avenue, the front room was always called "Lester's room". The house passed down to my great- aunt Frances, my grandfather's sister, after Sam and Annie died. She never married and lived alone there until her death. The third sibling, Stan Finch was a well-known local builder, and Auntie Frances did all the secretarial and accounts for the business. Stan went up-market to Hadley Wood and lived in Waggon Road.
In the house at Byng Road were pictures of Lester in his England amateur caps, and a stuffed koala bear from the trip to Australia with Middlesex Wanderers. There was also a picture painted by Lester, and my sister Lois sent me a shot of it- another church, but this time Hadley Church- perhaps harking back to where Lester was born.
I first went to Underhill in 1959, and until going to University in 1968 was at most home games, just below the tea hut on the East Bank, where my sister and I got good views of Reg Finch (no relation) when downhill second half, and Don Whyte and later Paddy Powell going up the slope. I now live in Northampton and got to matches at the County Ground and Sixfields to see the Bees, and even once to the Dog and Duck at Wellingborough, as well as often to Rockingham Road Kettering. The last live match I saw was in 2013- the famous 4-1 win over Morecambe with a Dani Lopez hat-trick and a Luke Gambin goal- and Barry Roche got sent off for a rugby tackle on Gambin. But guess which result I always look for first on matchdays....COYBs.

[beew]

Hello- can I add some family background- my mother was a Finch, born in Barnet, and her father (my grandfather) was Robert Edward Finch, born 1894, and he was Lester's cousin. Lester was always called "uncle" Lester when I was young, and we often went to see him and Valery in Milton Avenue from where it was possible to see at least the main stand roof and floodlights of Underhill. Lester's parents died when he was relatively young, and whilst playing for Barnet he lodged with his Uncle and Aunt, Samuel and Annie Finch, my great-grandparents' at 5 Byng Road, where even after he got married and moved to Milton Avenue, the front room was always called "Lester's room". The house passed down to my great- aunt Frances, my grandfather's sister, after Sam and Annie died. She never married and lived alone there until her death. The third sibling, Stan Finch was a well-known local builder, and Auntie Frances did all the secretarial and accounts for the business. Stan went up-market to Hadley Wood and lived in Waggon Road.
In the house at Byng Road were pictures of Lester in his England amateur caps, and a stuffed koala bear from the trip to Australia with Middlesex Wanderers. There was also a picture painted by Lester, and my sister Lois sent me a shot of it- another church, but this time Hadley Church- perhaps harking back to where Lester was born.
I first went to Underhill in 1959, and until going to University in 1968 was at most home games, just below the tea hut on the East Bank, where my sister and I got good views of Reg Finch (no relation) when downhill second half, and Don Whyte and later Paddy Powell going up the slope. I now live in Northampton and got to matches at the County Ground and Sixfields to see the Bees, and even once to the Dog and Duck at Wellingborough, as well as often to Rockingham Road Kettering. The last live match I saw was in 2013- the famous 4-1 win over Morecambe with a Dani Lopez hat-trick and a Luke Gambin goal- and Barry Roche got sent off for a rugby tackle on Gambin. But guess which result I always look for first on matchdays....COYBs.

I just love this forum.

[John Hunt]

Thank you Hugh. There should be a blue plaque in his honour.