7 THE ARCHER - 08717 334465 DECEMBER 2006 Ask told “on yer bike” By John Dearing As reported in last month’s edition of THE ARCHER, the Ask chain of pizza restaurants has applied to Barnet Council to take over the former Barclays Bank building at 84 High Road. The application for change brief for the committee. of use to a hot food takeaway Delivery downside (reference C02502D/06) was When it emerged that the considered at the meeting of consultation notice had been the Finchley & Golders Green distributed only to buildings planning sub-committee on immediately adjacent to the Thursday 9 November. There former bank, the planning com- was no mention of converting mittee voted to defer consider- it to a restaurant. ing the application until its next At the meeting, it emerged meeting on 7 December to give that the company planned to the planners time to consult eve- run a delivery service from the rybody who would be affected. rear of the building, using the The planners, however, have alleyway between the gardens merely distributed essentially at the rear of Fairlawn Avenue the same notice more widely, and the buildings on the east side and there is still no mention of of the High Road as access for deliveries. Naty and Raffaele de Martino bring a real taste of Italy to Church Lane. their vehicles, potentially a fleet There are no planning limits of small motorcycles. on the density of hot food None of this had been men- takeaway sites in any given A rocketing success tioned in the planning applica- town centre, so the only other By John Lawrence tion (the plans reveal provision grounds for refusing this appli- Those living near Church Lane know it’s already one of East Finchley’s hidden for a driver area and helmet shelf, cation are that there has been treasures, with its excellent general store, florist and beauty shop, Indian takeaway but it is not obvious), nor in the no study on the effects of noise restaurant, fish and chip shop and newsagent. consultation notice distributed or fumes on nearby residents. Now it’s even richer with and panini mixed in with a dash a real pizza oven right in front by Barnet’s planning depart- If it goes ahead, the residents the arrival of a new Italian of poetry and painting. of diners and the quality of the ment. It was, however, discussed of the west side of Fairlawn restaurant in the experienced Raffaele, who has run the Da food on offer is high. The walls in the planning appraisal, a docu- Avenue are likely to experi- hands of Raffaele and Naty de Vincenzo Italian delicatessen in are decorated in warm red and ment prepared by the planning ence the sound of motorcycles Martino. Fortis Green for three years, brown tones and hung with officers from discussions with just behind their gardens until The couple have opened La reckons Church Lane is ideal paintings and poems by local the applicants, and used as a late every evening. Rugoletta, serving pizza, pasta for his new business. artists. “I’ve always liked this spot. Raffaele, from Salerno, I go by instinct and I think it’s near Naples, and Naty, from going to be good here. News northern Spain, want to give La Spoil the fraudsters’ Christmas spreads very quickly and we’ve Rugoletta the feel of a proper By John Dearing already had a lot of people trying pizzeria, but this doesn’t stop In the weeks before Christmas, identity fraudsters can easily conceal fraudulent us out,” he said. them offering a full English transactions among the increased credit card transactions their victims make. For The premises has stood breakfast for the morning some unfortunate people, the New Year can start with more discomfort than just a empty for more than two years trade too. hangover. after an earlier attempt to turn La Rugoletta opens Monday it into a restaurant fell by the to Saturday from 9am to National Identity Fraud Pre- Check your credit card and cies from time to time to make wayside midway through 10.30pm, closing slightly later vention Week ran from 16-22 bank account statements care- sure there are no accounts ille- redecoration. at weekends. A licence has been October. Organisations taking fully, as soon as they arrive. gally set up in your name. Spotting its potential and applied for but, in the meantime, part included the Police, the If any statement is late, assume Never give PIN numbers to unable to reach the landlord customers are welcome to bring Identity and Passport Service, it has been stolen and check with anyone, especially unsolicited any other way, Raffaele and their own drinks. credit checking companies, and the relevant company. callers. Naty put a note under the door And for those wanting to the Federation of Small Busi- If possible, regularly moni- For more information, visit and now the place is theirs. know the meaning behind nesses. The ways in which tor your accounts online. the National Identity Fraud Poems, paintings and the name, La Rugoletta is the your identity can be stolen Obtain a credit report from Prevention Week web site at Neapolitan dialect word for were highlighted, and the steps one of the credit reference agen- www.stop-idfraud.co.uk. pizza rocket, the delicious leaf that This is a genuine Italian res- you should take to prevent this also happens to be Raffaele’s taurant with a chef working at happening. favourite ingredient. Typical tricks include: Be a-mazed by new Bin raiding, where people go through your rubbish looking for museum attraction bank statements, pre-approved By John Dearing credit offers, utility bills and anything else they could use to Visitors to the Church Farmhouse Museum in Greyhound establish an illegal account in Hill, Hendon, can ‘get lost’ now that work on a new maze your name. has been completed. The turf and brick maze is believed Card skimming, where a to be the first of its kind in the borough of Barnet and shop assistant or waiter copies will be officially inaugurated next spring, although visi- the information from your card tors to the museum can explore it now. and sells it to professional crimi- The maze is known as a Barnet Museum and Church nal gangs. ‘puzzle maze’, because it has Farmhouse Museum. Church Unsolicited phone calls several false trails as well as the Farmhouse decided to use its asking you to update your per- correct one. Made from nearly share to enhance the museum sonal information. 1,000 bricks set into grass, it garden’s appeal to children and Similarly unsolicited emails was designed by the borough’s create a lasting memorial to Ms (this is called ‘phishing’). Heritage Officer Hugh Petrie and Fontaine’s generosity. Theft of your wallet or purse, building contractor Martin Cragg Councillor John Marshall, together with bank cards, driving and was constructed through Cabinet Member for Learning licences and many other sources money left to the museum by the Infrastructure, said: “This maze of personal information. late Colette Anna Fontaine, from is a fine addition to the Church Fighting back Edgware, with additional fund- Farmhouse Museum which will, There are many ways to ing from the Friends of Church I am sure, be popular with visi- protect yourself against iden- Farmhouse Museum. tors old and young. Mazes are tity theft: Museum benefactor magical things that can provide Purchase a home shredder Ms Fontaine was an artist hours of fun for children. I am and shred all documents that and a museum enthusiast. On looking forward to testing my could possibly carry personal her death, she left an equal puzzle solving skills to reach information. amount of money to both the centre of the maze.”