Art Reach Barnet

Mr Mustard had a parking consultation with a lady with mental health problems this morning at 10am in Hatch End so he could not hang around to see the unveiling of the mural in the Chipping Barnet Library Garden which volunteers rescued from council neglect

He did meet the project manager Amanda Lyddon and he has previously met landscape gardener Ali Amos both of whom are pictured here

 

the Art Reach charity helps people who are recovering from mental illness. You can read about them here and here.

The event was a success, here is the email which Mr Mustard received from Amanda

Hi Mr Mustard

It was lovely to meet you.

We had a wonderful morning celebrating the unveiling of The Library Garden Mosaic outside the library in Chipping Barnet.

Art Reach and Members of the Community Garden (their kids and dogs!), local residents and staff at the Library all toasted the unveiling with pink lemonade generously donated by Waitrose.

We raised £78 selling angel bracelets which will help us to fund our next mosaic.

Please support this charity if you can.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

The long way round

or go to Marks & Spencers in the High Rd or your corner shop?

Yesterday Mr Mustard had to pop to North Finchley. He took his motorbike so that he could park in the Lodge Lane car park for free. He was wearing a Mr Mustard t-shirt and a couple of people stopped him to say hello which was nice.

A visitor from Haringey couldn't believe that his coins were of no use. He had come out without his credit/debit card ready to spend his folding money in the local shops and was about to leave as he was going to follow the advice of Barnet Council and park elsewhere, which was going to be back in Haringey. Mr Mustard took the man's £1.30 and put a Mr Mustard credit card in the parking meter for him and handed over the ticket.

Then a lady told him that she was sick of listening to the PayByPhone message which, whilst you are actually trying to PayByPhone, pointlessly tells you that you can download an App or use the website. That is her time being frittered away on every visit, she doesn't like it. John, more of him later, told Mr Mustard that using the App is slower than using the calling up method. It is also very much harder when the sun is shining brightly as it was yesterday as flat screens are pretty useless except in the shade.

Mr Mustard took a while to get where he was going but that didn't matter as he wasn't in a rush. He did notice that from the far end of the car park where Mr Mustard had put his motorbike out of the way, that it was impossible to see the debit/credit card meter because there is a car space somewhat perilously placed right in front of it. Mr Mustard seems to recall suggesting to Cllr Dean Cohen, whose responsibilities include parking, that signs in the Car Park would be a good idea. He couldn't find his email so simply sent another one today. Let's see how long it takes before signs are put up alerting people to the presence of a debit/credit card meter. Surely the council want people to use these shiny new meters?

Now John, a splendid gentleman who paid for his parking with the App but couldn't remember the location number and has to check on the board every time, had different information for Mr Mustard about the hole in the road that is Totteridge Lane at the moment and here it is:

Hello Mr. Mustard,
It was interesting to meet you in the Lodge Lane car park today (and you too John). You suggested that I send you my thoughts on the Totteridge Lane diversion routes - so here goes.
During road works in the top stretch of Totteridge Lane, traffic is not allowed to enter Totteridge Lane from the High Road in Whetstone. Barnet Council have published two alternative routes, both of which are ludicrously long. They may be necessary for large vehicles, but there are much shorter routes suitable for cars.

Route 1 is to go south on the High Road to North Finchley, Ballards Lane, Alexandra Grove, Argyle Road, Chanctonbury Way, Southover, Longland Drive to Totteridge Lane. A much shorter route is to leave the High Road via Woodside Lane and take Ridgeview Road and Naylor Road to Totteridge Lane.

Route 2 is even more crazy (Mr Mustard thought Route 1 was pretty crazy). It is to go north on the High Road and continue all the way to Barnet Church. Then go via Wood Street and Barnet Road through Arkley to Stirling Corner. Then south on the A1 almost to Apex Corner and follow Marsh Lane, Highwood Hill, Totteridge Common, Totteridge Village to Totteridge Lane. A much shorter route is to turn left at the bottom of Barnet Hill, onto Mays Lane, then via Barnet Lane to Totteridge Village and Totteridge Lane.

The Whetstone branch of Waitrose has a car park entered from Totteridge Lane, just below the road works. I understand Waitrose issued leaflets to customers, recommending the alternative routes which I have suggested above. Waitrose were contacted by the Council and told that they must advise customers to use the official routes and not the alternatives. Waitrose complied and changed their leaflets. I do not understand what authority the council have to issue such instructions to Waitrose.

Yours sincerely

John

Of course local people will take the shorter routes that they know but sending strangers 10 miles out of their way isn't good for the planet and will probably be defeated by satnav. What was somebody thinking? If you have copies of the leaflets please send them to mrmustard@zoho.com

Here is the 200 yard journey turned into one of 10 miles.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Update: Unusually Cllr Dean Cohen has responded the same day and will get officers to sort out signs in the car park. Good man.

Second update: The Waitrose issued maps above shows their North Finchley store and the joke is that if coming north up Ballards Lane intending to go to Waitrose N20 you would be directed left by the council's sign 50m before the N Finchley store. Great.

Beyond a joke - double helping

Friday jokes are something of a tradition for the bloggers. It sounds like Richard Cornelius might be the laughing stock today if rumours are to be believed that he has not taken any action against Brian Coleman other than tell him of his displeasure. That isn't showing leadership Richard. In fact Mr Mustard can report that he has obtained a fly-on-the-wall photograph of Richard Cornelius discussing sanctions with Brian for, amongst other episodes, saying he won't apologise for besmirching the good name of Ron Cohen.

Apart from that London Councils are beyond a joke. Here was a car on Saturday morning in Chipping Barnet (Toyotas spell trouble!)

Feel free to tell Mr Mustard who the driver is

and here is the badge that was in the window.

The theory of this badge

Note the absence of an address on the little pad, just the house number is sufficient, which is meant to tell the traffic warden where the medical emergency is which the medical bod has been called out to. Now Mr Mustard knows everybody in his road and he has not heard of any medical emergency having occurred on Saturday morning and this would be the third emergency in a road of 40 houses in 2012 alone. Mr Mustard wonders if the emergency was actually here just across the road? (run out of tea bags or milk).

The next time Mr Mustard sees a London Councils supposed medical emergency car in the street he is going to hand around with his camera, or video camera & tripod and photograph or film the driver if they are carrying shopping bags. You have been warned! The Spires has a reasonably priced car park; use it if you are on personal business.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard