Independents Day calls on residents to save our local Finchley shops (on 9th July)

Finchley is celebrating its first Independents Day on Saturday 9^th July. Community group Finchlinks is calling on residents to make a point of shopping in their local high street and independent shops for the day in place of using supermarkets, buying online or visiting other areas.

Shops are doing their part by offering special incentives to encourage people to visit them on the day – an extra excuse for people to try a new shop or discover something different about an old favourite. To find out what shops are offering people can look up www.finchlinks.com/independents

Independents Day has been set up by local community group Finchlinks. The group hopes that the day will remind residents in Finchley of how vital it is for us to support our local shops. This is the first time the group have run the day and they hope it will be the first of many.

Across the UK high streets independent shops are under increasing pressure of low spending, competition from the internet and out of town shopping centres, as well as rising rates and parking fees. Town centre vacancy rates have doubled in the last two years and Finchley’s high streets bear witness to these statistics.

Finchley’s Independents Day is part of a nation wide movement to stop this decline. In May Mary Portas, or Mary Queen of Shops, agreed to take on the challenge of saving our high streets after being invited to chair a review by David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Independents Day has also been taken on by other high streets across the UK. As petrol prices rise people are starting to wise up to the benefits of shopping on our doorsteps. Hard times are also proving fertile grounds for new businesses and this can be seen with the emergence of new shops like Mr Simms Old Fashioned Sweets Shop and Tailors Corner.

Paul Evans, one of the founders of Finchlinks said, ‘Independent shops are the heart of our community. We all love the idea of having good friendly shops on our doorstep but it’s up to us all to support them to keep them there and to encourage new ones in. It’s easy when money is tight to put savings above everything else and just shop in the supermarkets and on line but these could be short sighted savings if we end up with boarded up, depressing high streets.

 

[Ed: Small businesses can get a free listing from FinchleyCommunity.co.uk a sister website of the Finchley arrow.] 

The Big Society is Alive in Barnet – at the launch in the arts depot.

Paul Binks

By Paul Binks

The Launch of Barnet’s Big Society Innovation Bank .

‘Barnet will be one of the fastest growing areas in London over the coming years. With reductions in public spending to tackle the deficit mean that times will be tough for the next few years, for both those who depend on good public services and those who provide them.’ Councillor Robert Rams.

The Barnet Big Society Innovation Bank has been launched so that we in Barnet get the biggest bang for our buck. This works by ensuring that the public are primarily involved in the decision-making process of where our money is spent.

From the revenue budget allocated to the Borough of Barnet, the council has set aside £600K to be invested in community-minded projects proposed and delivered by the local populace over the next 3 years.

As the Government’s Big Society agenda gains momentum, local citizens and communities will have more opportunities to take the reins in addressing local issues. Cynics would say that this is just another example of how the Government are transferring costs to the voluntary sector and alleviating themselves of responsibility should anything go wrong. The Government argue that at a time of financial constraint in the public sector, ‘business as usual’ is not an option. Nationwide polls show that the people largely accept this sentiment and which is why we are seeing a great shift in the landscape of public services.

Nick Hurd MP

The Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner patroned the scheme with an appearance and furthered the Big Society notion stating “too much power has been taken away from local Government and centralised. The transference of power back to the community is a big weapon every MP knows about.” He continued to eulogise the principles of the Big Society before changing focus to the people within the room, “Seize the opportunity in the challenge to test the notion that local communities know best.” This statement seemed to underpin the scheme’s true value to us in Barnet. For time immemorial many have exalted their wisdom in criticising the ‘powers that be’ in the administration of taxes with countless schemes suggested as superior models to those implemented. Not because of intellectual superiority but of local knowledge.

Well this is our opportunity to prove this, one never given to our forefathers and like our recent vote on the Alternative Vote, one which may never see again for generations if at all.

Councillor Andrew Harper

The Interim Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew Harper stated that the introduction of the bank was part of the ongoing realignment in the relationships between the Council and the people and Not-for-profit organisations and charities. He stated ‘the council is not the single depository of wisdom in the borough’ which requires no convincing on my part. He continued by saying ‘you are better at judging the effectiveness of grants and so it is your ideas not ours which will drive the scheme, ideas which will be properly supported by the Council and turned into practical solutions.’ In a similar vein to Nick Herd he challenged the audience by saying “go on, surprise me”.

Ultimately the new scheme is to galvanise creativity from all sectors of the borough so that local people can innovate and find new solutions for old problems. Ideas which have previously been overlooked are very much on the table should we have the aptitude and the conviction to push them forward.

To summarise how the scheme will work a key initiative outlined in the Big Society Innovation Bank Prospectus is SUSTAINABILITY. ‘We are using grants to kick-start community-led activities that can sustain themselves through new income streams such as charges to clients, trading income and corporate giving, as well as public sector and charitable income.’

The first theme is for new projects that strengthen the bonds within the community or reduce the need for public sector support or intervention.

The second theme is to enable groups or individuals to seize control of existing projects that currently rely on public sector support and run them in such a way they will no longer rely on that support.

The funds are allocated in the form of grants which are available to any individual or group. Unconstituted groups are eligible for grants from £500-£5K and constituted groups are eligible for grants ranging from £500-£50K. A project or scheme must be submitted to the council to be assessed and if successful the funds will appear in a one-off payment devoid of any conditions or external arrangements with the council. If a scheme fails in the application process it can be resubmitted to a later round of assessment.

“Have you ever got together with someone to make Barnet a better place?” Councillor Andrew Harper. If you have or haven’t but would like to, the opportunity is there for anyone to put forward the suggestions they believe will make this a stronger and more cohesive community.

Question from audience

For more information – http://www.barnet.gov.uk/highlights/highlights-big-society-innovation.htm

The Finchley Arrow, Twitter and Facebook. What happens at present.

Warning – the following is a little technical.

I have been very sporadic with Twitter in the past, but now, whenever I publish an article in the Finchley Arrow, the software automatically takes the article title, adds a shortened link (to the article) to the title, and posts it automatically to the Finchley Arrow account on Twitter. (@FinchleyArrow)

I have a certain amount of automation on Facebook but, at present, the software will only post to a personal account.

The following should only be relevant if you are a regular user of Facebook:

Rather than just the title, the software posts the allotted characters to Facebook which is approximately the Title and about one medium paragraph. Enough to see if you want to read the article and if so, there is a link to the newspaper article there.

Facebook pages have changed. You can now view a Facebook Page without signing into an account if you have a link. However you cannot add comments if you are not signed into a personal account.

I have a personal account called Andrew Ampers Taylor which is used just to link articles to. So if you want to view our page, also link into my personal page to read the articles. I don’t use the account for anything else.

Sue Walder who used to be on our newspaper team, had set up a Facebook Group called Finchley Arrow, and this is now a little confusing. I have asked her to delete the account as only she has the authority to do this. With a bit of luck this should be done within a few days.

More information on the CPZ action Group

Barnet Council are to increase Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) charges from 18th April this year. A residents’ car permit would increase from £40 per year to £100 (for the first car). Visitors’ vouchers would increase from £1 each to £4 each. The impact of the proposed visitor voucher charges will be particularly harsh on CPZ residents in East Finchley with all day restrictions. For example, a daily child-minder or carer alone will amount to over £1000 in visitors voucher charges per annum.

The aim of the new charges is to increase revenue from CPZ residents to help pay for road maintenance across the borough of Barnet. As most people in Barnet do not live in CPZs, this means East Finchley CPZ residents are being targeted to fund road repairs across the borough.

Despite strong local opposition to the charges at the Barnet Council Cabinet Meeting on 14^th February, the charges were approved by the committee. Subsequently the story received media attention, including BBC London Regional news and various newspapers and radio shows. As a result, residents havey formed a new committee, the Barnet CPZ Action Group.

The first public meeting was held on 9^th March and got off to a flying start with approximately 60 residents attending. Over £2000 was raised to start the legal proceedings and everyone offered either their expertise and support take the legal action forward. David Attfield, a solicitorm is acting as Chairman and said; “we have tried all other avenues and have been left with no alternative other than to legally challenge the new charges in the High Court. We have sought independent advice from a barrister and believe we have a good case to apply for Judicial Review”.

Treasurer Nigel Linton also explained; “the increases in charges are driven by the need to raise revenue and not by the need to regulate parking. This is not what CPZs have been established for and we have the evidence and the law to prove this”.

Local resident Philippa Worke adds; “if these new charges are approved it will set a very bad precedent for CPZ residents all over the country. We have a race against time now”.

The Barnet CPZ Action Group are fundraising with some urgency given that the court rules mean that, by the time you read this, the claim will have had to be issued. In total £15,000 needs to be raised if there is to be a good chance of successfully taking this case through to trial. The action group are calling on all residents who are affected, and those who see that this should be fought on principle, to give generously or to act as fundraiser along their road.

If the case is a success the action group expect to return the bulk of money donated. Cheques made payable to ‘Barnet CPZ Action’ can be sent to 88 Summerlee Avenue, East Finchley, London N2 9QH.

The group also has a website www.barnetcpz.blogspot.com and they can be contacted via email barnetcpz@gmail.com

Avenue House to close down?

You heard it here first!

We are in the possession of a document from Avenue house which quite clearly states:

“We have been told by Barnet Council that the Mansion could then be boarded up, with minimal ground maintenance, or the whole Estate even disposed of as a private school.”

Apologies for the superfluous capitals but we wanted to publish it eactly as it is in the document.

The link above refers to our News Flash on the 8th February.

Is Avenue House closing down?

Yesterday I got a call from Mike Langton, a press officer for Barnet Council, saying I would have the full details by the end of yesterday. I also got a call from Janett Durrant of Avenue House promising me information after their board meeting yesterday.

I didn’t receive anything from the Council yesterday, and from Avenue House, I received an email saying would I hold up any more articles until they could put together some information for me. Naturally I told her I couldn’t do this.

This morning I received the following from an unnamed council spokesman via Mike Langton at the Barnet Council Press Office: “The Council is the Corporate Trustee of The Avenue House Estate, the freeholder of the property. Avenue House Estate Trust (AHET) hold a 125 year lease of the property expiring in the year 2127. AHET are entirely responsible for the management of the estate, principally Avenue House, its outbuildings, The Bothy and the grounds, which have full public access. “The council is therefore merely a trustee of the property and has to accord with the terms of the trust. As far as the council is aware there are no plans to dispose of the property.”

This, unfortunately opens up more questions than it answers as, essentially, this doesn’t explain why the council, and the trust, have been so secretive. One such question is, what would happen if the Avenue House Estate Trust ran out of funds and had to liquidate, and is this likely?

I asked our Arrow Historian, Stewart Wild, what he thought about this new development. He said: “Whatever the future of Avenue House, it is essential that the house and grounds remain freely available and in public ownership. This is because, under the terms of his will, local benefactor and former MP Henry ‘Inky’ Stephens, whose home this was from 1874 until 1918, left his estate on his death “to the people of Finchley”, and as such we believe it should under no circumstances be sold by the Council or anyone else into private ownership.”

Andrew Ampers Taylor.

NEWS FLASH: Avenue House to close down?

New information coming in is that the situation is indeed serious with threatened closure at end of this month when the building and grounds could be closed to the public.

I have contacted the Barnet Council Press Office, and also Avenue House but have been met with a wall of silence. We will keep you informed if they contact us about the situation.

David Smith of The Finchley Society says; “This is quite alarming news as all our archives are at Avenue house. Then there is the Stephens Ink museum on the premises. And, Spike Milligan statue committee will not be able to put his statue in the grounds if they are closed to the public.”

There is a rumour, and we stress it is just a rumour, that there is a possibility that a school is interested in acquiring the premises and land.

 

 

Resident Wins Court Battle Over Police

By Ayisha Khan

A Finchley resident has won an appeal against the police after the court overturned a ruling that he had been driving whilst using a mobile phone.

The restaurant owner, 29, appealed last month against Harrow Crown Court’s decision to uphold the police report that claimed he had been using the phone whilst stuck in slow-moving traffic in North Finchley last year.

The man had made a previous appeal against a police decision to charge him with usage of a handheld device whilst driving, an offence which he denies. His appeal was turned down.

The police officer who charged him gave evidence at a hearing claiming he had observed the man using his mobile phone for half a minute whilst he was driving in the opposite direction. The officer then pulled him over immediately.

However, the man refuted the accusation, stating that the police car had been stationary on the same side of the road in front of his own vehicle and the officer had issued some standard checks before handing him a £1,000 fine and 3 points on his licence.

The court originally ruled in favour of the police officer’s testimony, increased the fine and retained the licence points. However, the man called for police CCTV evidence to be shown, on the basis of which the court then overturned its decision, revoked the penalties and awarded full damage costs .

The police were not available to comment on this case and it is unclear at this point whether any disciplinary action is to be taken for the officer’s conduct.

DP&DRA – An AGM with a difference

by Pam Taylor

Dollis Park & District Residents Association AGM was held on 3 February 2011

The Chairman, Mike Walsh, welcomed all those present. This was followed by a very interesting and entertaining talk on ‘Fabulous Finchley‘ by Paul Baker of Barnet Walks. Firstly, he spoke about Henry Charles Stephens (known as Inky), the son of Dr Henry Stephens (the inventor of modern ink). Inky moved to Avenue House in 1874 and became MP for the Hornsey and Finchley area in 1877. His second famous person was Richard Cromwell, the son of Oliver Cromwell, who lived in the area which is now Cromwell Close from 1683-1700.

Paul then moved on to two infamous inhabitants of Finchley: Lord George Sanger who was the most important man in circus history during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Paul told how Lord Sanger was bludgeoned to death by one of his workers who was suspected of stealing and sacked. The second infamous person was William Whiteley (of Whitely Stores in Queensway) who lived in Manor Farm, Finchley between 1880 and 1900. Apparently he lived with a shop girl who was described as his housekeeper. Whitely was stabbed to death by one of his “housekeeper’s” illegitimate sons, Horace Rayner. Rayner got off scot free after a huge campaign on his behalf and a signed petition which was presented to William Gladstone.

Paul told us about some of the many comedians who have lived in the Finchley area. Eric Morecombe lived at 85 Thornton Park 1956-61; Spike Milligan at 127 Holden Road, Woodside Park 1955-74, who was the founder of the Finchley Society; Peter Sellers at 83 Oakeley Avenue 1958-9 who sold his house to Alfred Marks.

Members at the AGM

Police Sergeant Alison Preece introduced herself and two PCs, Paul Brown and Colin Barker and talked about the problems with burgaries, the numbers of which did come down last month. There is a 24 hour service at Colindale Police Station and she gave two contact numbers for the Safer Neighbourhood team: 020 8733 5598 and mobile 07920 233740.

She warned that people are knocking on doors saying that they have a relative in hospital and asking for £20 for a taxi. There are also bogus builders telling vulnerable people that they need work done to their roof. In fact, one person paid £10,000 to them. The good news is that there are hardly any street robberies in the area.

There are going to be Safer Neighbourhood cost cutting changes which will probably involve less PCSOs and a merger with East Finchley, the Garden Suburb and perhaps one other district, but they do not know when this will happen. She gave the Colindale main switchboard number: 0300 123 1212.

There was a presentation by Katy Hobson, Deputy Head of St Mary’s School on the school travel plan and the local community. Katie is one of those people who is full of energy and only sees the positive side. She described how they formulated their current travel plan and review which were sent to Barnet Council in November 2010 and approved at the end of the year.

She went on to list the major concerns which included the extra traffic in the area, dangerous roads, crossings, poorly lit areas, various ways of travel to the school and relationships between the school and local residents.

Her talk continued on what they are trying to achieve and their targets, what they have done since October 2010 which involved electing children to be Modeshifters and Junior road Safety Officers, implementing a one-way system from Dollis Park into Lyndhurst Gardens at the beginning and end of the school day, purchasing a bike and scooter rack, purchasing high visibility jackets, carrying out cycling training, organising Road Safety Awareness, re-implementing a “walk once a week” scheme. Katy also listed what is left to be done and what they still want to achieve which included writing to Neil Richardson, Highways Manager, regarding gritting, zig zag lines outside school, speed signage on Dollis Park to name but a few.

They also want to organise more cycle training, maintain supervision levels of school traffic, lead more school trips using public transport, purchase pedometers and set walking challenges. Her talk ended with the request for people to attend their next travel plan meeting on Monday, 14 February at 9:15 am.

This was followed by a presentation by Julian Larkin, MD of C&G Properties on plans for the development of Winston House. He explained that they had, after earlier consultations with the residents association, removed the gym from the proposal and replaced it with three residential units.

The parking has been increased and they have cut back some of the upper storey of the hotel. He showed many diagrams which included the size of the hotel and its impact on Dollis Park, the landscaping of the scheme and what it would look like in Regents Park Road. They have reduced the size of the hotel and increased the total number of hotel and residential parking places to 166. There were many extremely difficult questions during and after his presentation but they were, on the whole openly acknowledged and answered to most people’s satisfaction.

There was then a presentation on the petition to amend the CPZ in upper Dollis Park from Tim Bizley who is a Dollis Park resident. They canvassed 38 people, of which 34 were in favour, 3 were not and 1 was indifferent. They have 51 signatures. This was presented to Councillor Graham Old who said that he would certainly look into this. There was considerable discussion.

There were four councillors at the meeting, two from West Finchley and two from Finchley Church End who spoke, and fielded questions in the following order. Ross Houston of N12 and Jim Tierney of N3, both Socialist councillors in West Finchley. Then there were Gramham Old of N2 and Daniel Thomas of NW4, both Conservative councillors of Finchley Church End.

The business of the meeting took part at the end with lightning efficiency, the minutes of the previous AGM were agreed and the officers relected in no time at all. This is the sort of AGM I really enjoy.

Work on Henlys Corner junction improvement scheme to begin in February 2011

Advance work to upgrade junction to begin 7 February, with main works beginning in April. Work will see the junction improved and new pedestrian crossings installed. Project funding secured following Government Comprehensive Spending Review. This scheme has been prioritised because of the broad range of benefits

A major scheme to dramatically improve traffic flow at Henlys Corner junction will begin early next month Transport for London (TfL) announced today. The work on the A406 North Circular Road, beginning in early February, will provide much-needed and long-anticipated improvement to the busy junction.

Right turns, which currently cause significant queues on the local roads, will also be upgraded, allowing cars to move forward and queue in a central area of the junction. This will increase the number of vehicles that can pass through the junction, helping to smooth traffic flow through the area.

New signal-controlled crossings will also be installed, making crossing the road easier for pedestrians and cyclists. The crossings will be automated during the Jewish Sabbath due to the proximity of Finchley Synagogue.

Preparatory works on the footways and grassed areas around the junction are set to begin on 7 February, with the main carriageway works starting on site in April. Work on the £8m scheme is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Find out more

TfL is currently working with Barnet Council to minimise as much as possible any disruption during these works.

Letters will be sent to local residents and businesses during March, explaining more detail about the work phasing and the measures TfL will be putting in place to reduce disruption while these improvements are taking place. A public exhibition about the scheme will also be held, allowing local residents to find out more about the works from TfL officials.

Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor’s Transport Advisor, said: ‘The Mayor showed his determination to protect these vital local transport improvements by securing crucial funding from the Government during the Comprehensive Spending Review. This scheme has been prioritised because of the broad range of benefits for pedestrians, cyclists, traffic flow and improving the public realm. The people of Barnet can now look forward to this busy junction being greatly improved.”

Safer crossings

David Brown, Managing Director for Surface Transport at TfL, said: ‘The important works at Henlys Corner will bring huge benefits to all road users along the A406 North Circular Road, and deliver smoother traffic flow along this key arterial route. Working with our contractor and Barnet Council, we will as far as possible make sure that any disruption caused by these works is minimised.”

Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Lynne Hillan, said: ‘I am delighted that Transport for London, working alongside the council, has given the Henlys Corner scheme a high priority despite the current pressure on resources. The council has been lobbying for this scheme for some time. The benefits of improving this junction – which currently sees 94,000 vehicles pass through it daily – are many, from providing a better traffic flow, improving the quality of our signals and roads, to providing safer crossing conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. We look forward to working closely with Transport for London in the future as work progresses on this major improvement project.”

Find out more about the scheme, the contract  of which has been awarded Tarmac Ltd

Barnet Museum Closures

Further to my enquiry about a recent Barnet Council meeting, I received this press release from HADAS (Hendon and District Archaeological Society)

Closure of Church Farmhouse Museum and Barnet Museum

Barnet Council’s cabinet met on Monday 13th December and proposed the withdrawal of funding from the only two council-supported museums in the Borough; Barnet Museum and Church Farmhouse Museum. There will be a period of public consultation until 17th January 2011, and then a final recommendation by the cabinet in February.

The Borough of Barnet contains a long and rich history dating back to the Romans and beyond, and this has been a significant contributor over the years to the sense of community and coherence within Barnet. It is essential that this sense of history and community should continue if Barnet is not to become just another outskirt of the Metropolis, and these two museums are important factors in this. For example, in addition to its educational exhibitions, every year Church Farmhouse Museum in association with HADAS, the Barnet-based archaeologists, hosts demonstration excavations in its grounds for local schools. These have proved extremely popular and educational, helping the pupils gain an understanding of their history and that of Barnet.

Whilst we recognise the need to economise, the benefits to the Borough of keeping these museums open are out of all proportion to the relatively small sums of money involved, and we strongly oppose any suggestion of their closure.

For further comment contact:

Don Cooper
HADAS Chairman
www.hadas.org.uk

Festive Public Transport Guide for Londoners

 

Transport for London (TfL) has today published its Festive Travel Guide to help Londoners and visitors travelling around the Capital between Christmas and New Year.

Those travelling in and around the city over the festive period are urged to check the guide before they travel as there will be some changes to normal services.

The guide contains details of Tube, bus, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), tram, London Overground and Riverboat services as well as the Congestion Charge throughout the entire festive period from Friday 24 December 2010, to Bank Holiday Monday 3 January 2011.

The guide is available at all Tube stations, online and at most information points at bus, DLR, tram and London Overground stations.

Travel will be free on all journeys between 23:45 on New Year’s Eve and 04:30 on New Year’s Day on Tube, bus, tram and DLR services.

London Overground services will also be free from 23:45 until the last train.

Barclays Cycle Hire members and casual users will be able to hire bikes as normal through the festive period, although some docking stations will be temporarily unavailable for use on New Year’s Eve for safety reasons.

Essential Tube and Overground engineering works will be taking place over the festive period, TfL is advising all passengers to check before they travel.

Details of line closures can be found online.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, a Saturday service will operate on the Underground until 19:00, then a reduced service for the rest of the evening.

Last trains will run at Sunday times.

A Saturday service will operate on the bus network with some exceptions.

There will be no night buses and on 24-hour routes, buses will operate until just after midnight.

On the DLR, a normal Monday to Friday service will operate until 19:00 after which a reduced service will operate with last trains at Sunday times.

On the Overground, buses will replace trains between Gospel Oak and Stratford due to major engineering upgrade works.

A Monday to Friday service will operate on other Overground routes with last trains departing from 20:00.

On Tramlink, a Saturday service will operate.

Riverboat services will be running a reduced timetable.

Many coach operators will reduce services from early evening, with last departures from Victoria Coach station at around 21:00.

Christmas Day

On Christmas Day there will be no Tube, bus, DLR, London Overground, tram or river services.

Boxing Day

On Boxing Day from 08:30, a Sunday service will operate on the Tube, buses and trams.

A reduced service will run on the DLR from 08:30 with trains every 15 to 30 minutes.

There will be no service on the Overground.

There will be no Riverboat services except for the Westminster – London Eye – Tower – Greenwich service which will run as normal.

London Underground (LU) hopes to run a Sunday service on Boxing Day.

The leadership of the ASLEF union have announced that they are directing their members to strike on that day, and LU is calling on them to drop their threat.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel.

New Year’s Eve

Revellers planning to see in the New Year in central London are advised to plan ahead to take full advantage of free travel on public transport and in particular be prepared for large crowds, and long waits for the designated viewing areas for the fireworks display.

Peter Hendy, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: ‘The New Year’s Eve fireworks display that takes place at the London Eye provides spectacular entertainment and is enormously popular, attracting large crowds that should be prepared for a long wait at the designated viewing areas along the Thames.

‘As a result people with young children may wish to consider celebrating nearer to home.’

‘For those wishing to brave the crowds and long waiting times, public transport will be the best way to get around the Capital on New Year’s Eve, and I’m pleased we can offer this for free, but I urge revellers to plan their journeys well in advance.’

There will be free travel on all journeys between 23:45 until 04:30 on the Tube, DLR, buses and trams.

Tube, DLR and tram services will run all night on New Year’s Eve.

Some selected Tube stations will be closed completely or for periods at a time, the Festive Travel Guide lists these closures.

A Saturday night service will operate on night buses and 24-hour routes, subject to road closures in central London.

More than 50 extra routes will be operating through the night to enhance the service.

Free travel will apply on London Overground trains running after 23:45 until normal last train times on the Watford Junction and the Dalston Junction to West Croydon/Crystal Palace/New Cross route, but services will not run all night.

London River Services will run a normal service however after 14:30, London Eye Millenium pier will not be served due to preparation for the fireworks display.

Some routes will operate on New Year’s Day, but a normal service will not resume until Sunday 2 January.

Some Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations will be temporarily suspended for safety reasons at various times on New Year’s Eve.

For the latest information on docking station availability, users should check online.

There will be a reduced number of UK coaches departing from Victoria Coach Station with the last coaches leaving at around 20:00.

National Rail will operate modified timetables with additional departures between midnight and 02:45.

Normal rail fares will apply.

 

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London Overground

London Overground passengers should be aware that the Gospel Oak to Stratford route will be suspended from 20:00 on 18 December until 27 December 2010 to allow upgrade work to be undertaken.

The network’s Richmond to Stratford route and Shepherd’s Bush to Willesden Junction route will also be suspended from 27 December until 3 January 2011, to allow further upgrade work to be undertaken.

Congestion Charge

From Saturday 25 December until Monday 3 January inclusive, the central London Congestion Charge will be suspended and motorists will not have to pay.

From Tuesday 4 January 2011 the western extension of the charging zone will no longer be in operation, more information can be found online.

From 4 January 2011 the daily charge for driving within the Congestion Charging zone will increase from £8 to £10, however motorists who have a Congestion Charge Auto Pay account will be eligible for a reduced daily charge of £9.

Motorists can pre-register now for a CC Auto Pay account with a credit or debit card and will have to pay a £10 registration charge for each vehicle on the account.

Once an account has been set up drivers will only be charged for the days they travel within the zone and charges will be automatically deducted from their debit or credit card.

Dial-a-Ride

Dial-a-Ride will be operating every day over Christmas and New Year and all members have been sent details of how to book journeys over this period.

For further information please contact Dial-a-Ride on 0845 999 1 999.

Caring for the toddlers

Many parents are calling on the Town Hall to safeguard children’s centres after it emerged they could face closures in 2011.

Because of our national financial situation the council cannot guarantee the futures of 21 centres after the end of the financial year in April 2011, causing concern among parents with children aged five and under in the borough.

The Newstead Centre in Fallows Close, East Finchley, recently had £1m spent on it during a refurbishment programme and has been judged as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – yet still may be under threat as the council looks to cut services to save cash.

Jenny Borst, whose two-year-old son Tom has recently joined the centre, says for younger children the drop in sessions helps both child and parent.
She said: “It not only helps younger children get used to socialising and prepare them for school, it also provides great support for parents. You can come in for a session and there are plenty of toys and books for your children to use.”

Mother of two Cheryl Connell, has used the centre for her oldest daughter Alice (aged 4) for 18 months, and Mrs Connell hopes Alice’s sister Sophie will also be able to join next year. She said: “Alice has formed strong bonds with the staff and children. She has benefited academically, psychologically and socially – we have watched her self-confidence blossom here.

Channelling funds into areas where the council believe the people are in more need is laudable, but the idea that East Finchley is only home to middle class parents who could afford private childcare is wrong. This centre caters for people from all sections of the local community. Barnet Council has to safeguard these centres, even if funding from central government dries up.

The Newstead Centre is exceptional as, in addition, it does vital work for children with special needs – the supposed savings of closing centres like these simply don’t make sense. As well as giving our children the best start in life, it helps people in tough circumstances go out to work and not be a burden on the tax payer. The decision to cut any of these children’s centres would simply be wrong.

Catcher in the Quiz

by Don Pepper

Over a loud speaker came an announcement introducing the host Harry Ainsworth, followed by loud canned applause. Harry Ainsworth appeared, a somewhat smarmy character, singing and walking around the pub shaking customers hands and greeting them. The persona was that of a game show host who can make some people cringe.

The quiz started with canned music, canned cheering and laughter. It consisted of eight rounds, with five questions in each round. There was a general knowledge round and a sports round, but most of the quiz was based on music, cinema and TV.

The quiz is held every Tuesday night at The Catcher in the Rye, 315 Regents Park Road and starts at 9pm.

I took part in the quiz and scored abysmally, although I was playing on my own and my team name is ‘Crap at Quizzes’. Personally I felt it was aimed at a younger audience than myself ( I am getting on a bit), but I still found it to be great fun. The host was extremely funny, and after only a short while he had the audience eating out of his hands.

My description of a quiz night as a show may sound a little strange; yes, you do answer questions in teams, but on the whole it is a theatrical performance by the host. Harry Ainsworth, as played by Garth Cruickshank, was a character of Garth’s invention that won him a Perrier Award at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival.

It is probably the most unusual pub quiz I have ever attended. I would recommend it to anyone young enough at heart to be able to answer questions on modern pop music, who watches a lot of TV and visits the cinema more than once every couple of years.

Quiz host Harry Ainsworth

Save money on your Christmas presents

All this week, leading up to Amazon’s Black Friday, Amazon UK are offering hundreds of special deals. If you log on via our EasyFundraising account, the newspaper will receive charity payments which will help it improve. And, we have made this easy for you below.

Black Friday has been such a success in the US over the last few years that Amazon have decided to introduce it to the UK. Read the Daily Telegraph article which will tell you more of what it is about.

Log on here, and type in Amazon in the box on the top left, and click on Visit store in the results column. It really is as easy this that. You gain with huge discounts and we gain with a 1.5% donation from Amazon.

This is the week the editor will be buying all his Christmas presents!

Andrew

The Arrow benefit night

The "Rockin' Boys" at the Finchley Arrow benefit night

ROCKING WITH THE ROCKIN’ BOYS
by guest writer Christopher Nicolas

The Dignity in Regents Park Road was filled to capacity with the Rockin’ Boys, who entertained the revellers on Saturday night, 6 November.

The Benefit Night, organised by Don Pepper, the Finchley Arrow’s wildlife columnist, started with a somewhat quieter yet brilliant acoustic duet consisting of James Mattocks (of the Rockin’ Boys) on guitar and Jenny Parsons on vocals.

Then came the Rockin’ Boys, who really made the place shake. This classic rock band have been playing with this line-up for three years: Paul Stapleton on vocals, John Kushner on bass, Pat Casey on drums, and James Mattocks and Dave Bennett on guitar. Sound man Matt J Bate from F1:Sound Co Ltd, a North Finchley company, also did an excellent job.

In total £238.18 was raised. This included a generous contribution from Bill Brooks comprising £45.65 in five-pence pieces collected throughout this year, as well as a pair of squirrel pants given as a raffle prize. (Squirrel pants are men’s Y-fronts with nuts sewn into them.) The raffle prizes (over a dozen) were given out as a winner’s choice on a first come, first served basis. The squirrel pants were one of the first prizes chosen!

Other prizes included a meal for two with a bottle of wine, donated by The Dignity, and a lot of computer stuff, film DVDs and other items donated by the Finchley Arrow. Thanks should also be given to Vinnie and Pete for going round with a bucket for donations.

 

Customers at The Dignity on the Arrow's Benefit Night

Editors note: This benefit night was set up and run entirely by our resident twitcher (bird watching writer), Don Pepper. He single-handledly arranged the prizes, the posters, the marketing and the management on the night. A huge thank you to Don from the Finchley Arrow editorial team.

Henlys Corner gets the green light.

Some very good news from Transport for London (TfL) – the Henlys Corner improvement scheme is going ahead as planned.

As Mike Freer said in last month’s email he’s been lobbying TfL, Government Ministers and Boris to make sure the vital work was not cancelled.

The Government’s Spending Review meant that all major projects were put on hold, but the Government have listened to the argument that transport needs to be funded to keep the private sector motoring, so to speak.  Work on the notorious A1/North Circular junction should now begin early next year, taking around seven months to complete.  When finished the traffic flow should be smoothed and crossing Henlys Corner will no longer be for the brave or the foolish.

This is where the news will go

…

From 1st November, all the news concerning Finchley N3 and N12 will go here, on the main page.

You should click on one of the links on the far right if you want to stay informed on a day to day basis. Ignore the RSS feeds if you don’t understand what they mean, and just click the Email sign me up button.

We don’t envisage more than half a dozen posts here each month, with all the main features going on the features page (above right) at the end of each month, so the short emails won’t be a bother and will include a link straight to the page.

Keep entering your events in the form on the Finchley Arrow’s website in the normal way and these will also be posted in the Events Page (above right).

We hope you will appreciate the new system and the fact that we can get the news to you much faster from now on.

Andrew Ampers Taylor – Acting Editor