1:22pm Monday 7th July 2003
By Leigh Collins
Golden Globe-winning actress Miranda Richardson was the star of the topping-out ceremony at the artsdepot in North Finchley.
Ms Richardson, best known for her roles in Blackadder and The Crying Game, is a patron of the centre.
She joined arts lovers and politicians at the ceremony last Thursday (June 26) to mark the structural completion of the arts centre.
Conservative councillors — who originally protested with placards at the launch of the project — were also there to pledge their 100 per cent support.
The guests were taken up to the second floor of the still-to-be completed building at Tally Ho Corner to see the site of the 400-seat theatre, 150-seat studio theatre, gallery and rehearsal and education spaces.
Ms Richardson skimmed the last ceremonial brick with a trowel as part of the traditional ceremony, which dates back to Saxon times. "Thank you for asking me to uphold this pagan ritual. Good luck to the building and all who sail in her," she said. A small yew tree was then raised and circled above the building by a crane for good luck.
Councillor Peter Davis, cabinet member for youth and leisure, said: "I'm immensely proud of this project. It's going to be a wonderful community asset for all the community and my vision is to have this as the Barbican for north London.
"We're not going to be arms length about this, because this is going to be very important to Barnet.
"We're going to do everything we can to make it a complete success."
He acknowledged the initial Conservative campaign against the artsdepot, which included spending more than £100,000 on external consultants to see if the site could be turned into a library.
"If it had been the other way round I'm sure Labour would have gone against it," he said.
"It's politics. But when you have decided to do something, you've got to back it up 100 per cent. That's what we're doing."
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.times-series.co.uk