Things you didn't know about... Golders Green

Golders Green—Little Japan
Golders Green is well-known for its Jewish population, but it also has a considerable Japanese community. There is even a Japanese estate agent.

A famous crematorium
What do late T Rex glam-rocker Marc Bolan, father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and curmudgeonly comic novelist Kingsley Amis have in common? They were all cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, sometimes known as the "celebrity crematorium".

What's in a name? No one is quite sure
The origin of Golders Green's name is obscure: some say it was named after a mill called Goldherd's; others claim it was after a local family called Godyere. The first record of the full name Golders Green dates back to 1612.

The first electric-powered restaurant was in Golders Green
The Refectory, which opened in 1916, is said to be the first restaurant to have been supplied by electricity. It's now a pub.

Archbishop Tutu worked here
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a curate at St Alban's church in Golders Green in the 1960s. Other famous Golders Green residents include Harold Abrahams (of Chariots of Fire fame) and music-hall singer Marie Lloyd.

From Golders Green to NFL
Osi Umenyiora—considered to be one of American Football's best defensive ends—was actually born in Golders Green! In Nigeria, where he grew up, he's an honorary village chief.

George Harrison penned a song about Golders Green
The song is called Going Down to Golders Green and appears on Harrison's 1999 album, Through Many Years. It tells of the times he used to visit the group Badfinger who lived in the area.

The Golders Green Hippodrome
Some of the most famous names in popular culture, including Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich, AC/DC and Roxy Music, have appeared at the Hippodrome. It was also used for a scene in one of the earliest nude films in British history—1961's Naked as Nature Intended.

Time warps in Golders Green
The four clocks on the War Memorial, sited at the main crossroads in Golders Green, reputedly never show the same time. Check it out.