Things you didn't know about... Cricklewood

Cricklewood wildlife really is wild
After 10 years of locals reporting seeing a "puma-like creature" in their back gardens, the so-called Beast of Barnet was finally caught in Cricklewood in 2001. It was in fact a Eurasian lynx who has since been named Lara. She now lives happily in London Zoo.

Goodie times were had in Cricklewood
Iconic 1970s comedians, The Goodies, were based in Cricklewood. They always gave their address as "No Fixed Abode, Cricklewood", and often referenced the area in their comedy. A recent BBC Radio 4 documentary about them had the same title.

Cricklewood is a modern literary inspiration
Author Zadie Smith grew up in the area and still lives nearby. The first line of her bestselling debut novel White Teeth is: "Early in the morning, late in the century, Cricklewood Broadway".

Legendary snacks come from Cricklewood
Frank Smith, founders of Smith's Potato Crisps Ltd, started his company in his garage in Cricklewood. The company that went on to provide a generation with Smith's Square Crisps was based in Cricklewood for many years following World War 1 before eventually moving to Brentford.

Music wouldn't be the same without Cricklewood Stylophones, the futuristic 1970s instrument beloved of David Bowie and Rolf Harris were made in a building on Cricklewood Broadway in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The Mayor of London chose Cricklewood as his home
Not Dick Whittington, though. Despite having all of London under his jurisdiction, Ken Livingstone, Mayor since 2000, is a long-term resident of Cricklewood. Famed for using public transport rather than being driven, he can often be seen at coffee shops in the area, or taking a bendy bus to work.

Cricklewood was indeed once a wood
Taking its name from a dialect word meaning "bend", Cricklewood describes the shape of the wood that once grew in the now-bustling urban area.

Alan Coren was determined that Cricklewood would become famous
Much-loved journalist and satirist Alan Coren led a long-running campaign to bring eternal fame to Cricklewood, and published several books describing life in the area. Toujours Cricklewood? and The Cricklewood Tapestry are examples of their ambitious titles.

Hell has been raised in Cricklewood
In 1987 the first of Clive Barker's Hellraiser films was shot in Cricklewood. In a dramatic change of direction, the site used is now a local health club.