The Local News is our Aim residential sales 6 lettings 6 management 020 8444 5222 www.jeremyleaf.co.uk 20p ISSN 1361-3952 where sold Archer August 2020 No. 316 A community newspaper for East Finchley run entirely by volunteers. Fire risks and litter hazards in Coldfall Wood By Ann Bronkhorst Like most green spaces in London, Coldfall Wood and the playing fields beyond have been a blessing to hundreds of people during the lockdown. For some it’s been a revelation to find a little nature reserve within easy reach. Families, jog- gers, dog-walkers, they’ve criss-crossed the wood off Creighton Avenue day and night … and unfortunately the heavier footfall has left its mark. Four large bin bags of rub- bish were collected in one hour in June by five volunteers. Dog- poo bags are still being tossed Best friends: Michelle and her two dogs. Photo Mike Coles into trees, and picnic leftovers, usually non-decaying plastic and metal, often surround dens and Morning after: Litter and a smoking fire in Coldfall Wood. Michelle has her campsites. Den-building is the Photo David Bellis fashion in north London wood- sparks chose to light fires there. extension, playground or party lands so beetles and bugs must One fire was photographed still venue rather than a nature compete with humans for the smouldering at 7.30am; it had reserve? hands full dead wood needed for survival. been lit the night before. The Anti-social behaviour in Stage and TV star Michelle Collins has been keeping Smouldering fire very angry photographer put it busy with a fundraising project for her fellow actors… out using water from the stream. Cherry Tree Wood By late June Coldfall was At the same time, residents and the arrival of a new four-legged friend. Read the Every summer the Friends of very dry so several bright living near Cherry Tree Wood full story on page 7. Coldfall Wood worry about fire are being kept awake by noise hazards and are grateful to the from people using it at night for local ‘eyes and ears’ for react- barbecues and meet-ups with Find your new home today... ing quickly to danger signs and Phoenix friends. Several local people sharing their concerns. Successful independent estate agent, established since 1992 have found the litter left behind Can this small ancient wood Residential and commercial, sales, lettings and management specialists so unsightly and annoying that Our friendly and helpful staff provide a professional and genuine service recover from so much human 40 High Road, East Finchley on hold they have cleared it up them- Our office is situated 100 yards from East Finchley Station Trustees and staff at the activity or will it be seen, London N2 9PJ selves. Read the full story on increasingly, as a handy garden www.primelocations.co.uk Phoenix Cinema in East page 4. Estate Agents Valuations Sales Lettings [email protected] Finchley say they are work- Overseas Properties Management Services 020 8883 9090 ing hard to ensure it can reopen as soon as possible. A Phoenix statement said it wanted to make sure it was fully prepared to open safely for the sake of staff and customers before setting a date to open its doors again. Cinemas were Everything Electrical are Proud to be Stockists & Installers of all officially allowed to reopen Ring Security Products. from 4 July provided they Keeping East Finchley Safe at all times & always at home could abide by hygiene 38 High Road, East Finchley, London N2 9PJ regulations. Give us a Call on Freephone 08002796436 • Visit us online at www.the-archer.co.uk or Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @TheArcherN2 • 2 AUGUST 2020 The Archer - www.the-archer.co.uk The Archer USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS PO Box 3699, London N2 2DE Councils Help & Advice Drugs Helpline 0800 776600 www.the-archer.co.uk Email: [email protected] Barnet Council 020 8359 2000 Childline 0800 1111 Health Info Service 0800 665544 Recycling & refuse 020 8359 4600 Citizens Advice Barnet 0300 4568365 MIND 020 8343 5700 @TheArcherN2 Benefits 0800 882200 Cruse Bereavement Care 0808 8081677 National Blood Centre 0845 7 711 7711 Voicemail (messages only) 0800 612 0748 for editorial and general Haringey Council 020 8489 0000 EF Advice Service 0300 4568365 enquiries or 0800 612 4027 for Advertising enquiries only Recycling & refuse 020 88857700 Lone Parent Centre 020 3828 4834 Crime Published by Editorial Team Finance & Benefits 020 8489 2800 Missing Persons Helpline 116 000 Emergency 999 East Finchley Newspapers Diana Cormack Advertising National Debt Line 0808 156 7718 Police non-emergency 101 Copy Editor Daphne Chamberlain John Dearing Leisure NSPCC 0808 8005000 CrimeStoppers 0800 555111 John Lawrence Sub Editors Distribution Alexandra Palace 020 8365 2121 Rape Crisis helpline 0808 802 9999 Victim Support 0845 303 0900 Production Editor Ann Bronkhorst Toni Morgan East Finchley Library 020 8359 3815 Refuge Crisis Helpine 0808 2000 247 Alison Roberts Jeff Robson Jane & David Marsh Everyman, Muswell Hill 0872 436 9060 Relate Helpline 0300 100 1234 Hospitals Lucy Moorman Printed By Picture Editor Garden Suburb Library 020 8458 3301 RSPCA 0300 1234 999 NHS 111 Sharman & Co Ltd Mike Coles Muswell Hill Library 020 8489 8773 Samaritans 116 123 Barnet General 08451 114000 Thank you to The Bald Faced Stag and New Local Cafe for providing us with a Phoenix Cinema 020 8444 6789 SENDIASS Barnet 020 8359 7637 Edgware General 020 8952 2381 meeting place. Vue, North Finchley 0345 3084620 SENDIASS Haringey 020 3667 5233 Finchley Memorial 020 8349 7500 Oak Lane Clinic 020 8346 9343 The Archer team wishes to thank all the generous people who give up their Transport Health Advice Royal Free 020 7794 0500 spare time, in all weather, to deliver the paper for us. National Rail 0845 7484950 AIDSline 020 8363 2141 Whittington 020 7272 3070 If you have a story for us, please contact us at the above address. City Airport 020 7646 0088 Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 7697555 Comments to The Archer may be published unless clearly marked ‘ Not for Heathrow Airport 0844 3351801 Barnet MENCAP 020 8203 6688 OAPs’ Advice publication’ within the text. National Express 0871 781 8181 Cancer Support 020 8202 2211 Age UK Barnet 020 8203 5040 September: 14 August TfL 0343 222 1234 Carers’ Line 0808 808 7777 Independent Age 0800 319 6789 Copy deadlines – October: 11 September; November: 16 October Thameslink 0345 026 4700 Drinkline 0800 917 8282 Age UK 0800 169 2081 School opens its playing fields to all Now is a good time to By Sandy Barker, from Grange Big Local One of the many beautiful green spaces in East Finchley, which have been lying empty advertise with us during the pandemic, are the playing fields at Bishop Douglass School. With support By John Dearing from Grange Big Local and their volunteers, the school made the fields available for The Archer is East Finchley’s community newspaper local residents to use for play and relaxation. and is produced and distributed each month entirely It was a pilot scheme to see by volunteers. how it worked for everyone, Despite the chal- especially the school, and to lenge presented by the assess the demand. We had up Covid-19 pandemic, to 80 people, mainly families we continued to publish with young children, on the field throughout and bring with bikes, scooters, footballs, our unique focus on and one day even kites. East Finchley events, The fields were open for issues and features to two hours each afternoon for our readers. eight days last month, ending Thanks to our bril- with the school holidays, but liant team of volunteer we hope that arrangements can deliverers, we have now 10,000 delivered each month. be made for some further fun in restarted letterbox delivery to of adverts that we can offer. For August and September. Play time: Families enjoy Bishop Douglass School field. 10,000 homes and businesses in more details go to our website the N2 postal code area, starting at: www.the-archer.co.uk. on the first weekend of each Contact us for advice and Mature trees under threat in Queen’s Wood month. As East Finchley comes a quote by emailing us on By Ann Bronkhorst back to life with the easing of [email protected], In early July four mature, healthy oak trees in Queen’s Wood were due to be felled. lockdown, why not share in leave a voicemail on 0800 612 The reason? An insurance company would not meet the cost of underpinning a prop- our success by advertising in 4027, send us a message on our erty nearby and was likely to sue Haringey Council, which owns the wood, unless The Archer? website, or write to us at: The they removed the trees. Adverts in The Archer are Archer, PO Box 3699, London, Protest rapidly grew via writing protesters were on site priority. Catherine West, MP interspersed with the arti- N2 2DE. local press, social media and a daily and the trees had not yet for Haringey, and local council- cles and pictures throughout petition on Change, led by the been felled. lors lent support, as did other the paper, rather than being Friends of Queen’s Wood, who Supporting the petition, amenity groups such as the consigned to back pages that Snap happy believe that, as a nature reserve Professor Duckett of the Natu- Haringey Parks Forum and the carry only adverts. Our rates Amateur photographers and ancient wood, it should be ral History Museum argued that Friends of Coldfall Wood as are very competitive, starting across the capital are invited protected in law from claims preservation of ancient wood- well as activists from Extinc- from £20 for a small, single- to submit photos that show- such as these.