East Barnet

East Barnet was in Hertfordshire until 1965, and most of it still behaves as if the paperwork never came through. The semis went up between the wars, the hedges went up shortly after, and on most streets the biggest event since has been someone's loft conversion. The Tube stops at Cockfosters, which suits people who need a train into town more than they need a hedge. Alan Coren grew up here and became one of the funniest writers in the country, which tells you how much spare time a childhood in East Barnet gives you.