Whats Best in Barnet - Focus on Mill Hill - Saracens RFC

Continuing our theme this week of highlighting all that is best in Barnet, Mill Hill Councillor, the venerable John Hart contacted us and said

You might allude to the sterling efforts of Saracens RC to make their traffic movements on match days as undisruptive as possible. And their successful  matches so far.

John is of course spot on. The Rugby Premiership table attests to this. Congratulations to the team. It would be great to have the Rugby Champions in Mill Hill in their first season. Check out their website here - http://www.saracens.com/

Aviva Premiership

	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Bonus Pts	Points
1	Saracens	19	15	1	3	440	280	5	67
2	Leicester	19	13	1	5	445	282	9	63
3	Harlequins	19	12	0	7	473	399	8	56

Having a highly successful Premier league Rugby team in Mill Hill is a massive bonus for the local community in a state of the art stadium. The athletics facilities at the stadium have been hugely upgraded with a fantastic indoor all purpose track.

Allianz Park, home of the Saracens has also got fantastic facilities for community events. The Mill Hill Music Festival is hosting three major concerts indoors at Allianz Park in June. Whether you like Jazz, Klezmer or Rockabilly and Rock and Roll, there are great gigs for you

Here are the details of the concerts

THURSDAY 20TH JUNE - 7.30pm Stewart Curtis' K-Groove Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, NW4 1RL [MAP] We are doubly honoured this evening. Not only are we pleased to welcome the talented Stewart Curtis to this year’s Festival but we also have the pleasure of presenting K-Groove at the new Allianz Park. Multi–reedman Stewart Curtis and his award winning band are celebrating 20 years together as an ensemble. They will be playing many of Stewart’s quirky compositions and arrangements of Klezmer, Latin jazz and Middle Eastern folk music. The band features Stewart Curtis - saxes, clarinet, flute, piccolo; Paul Jayasinha - trumpet, flugelhorn and percussion; Rob Terry - keyboard; Eran Kendler - guitar; Brad Lang - bass; Hans Ferrao - drums and Ronen Kozokaro - darbuka! Stewart and the band have worked with a variety of stars including Nina Simone, Whitney Houston and Michael Ball. K-Groove is firmly established as one of the UK’s finest and most infectious Klezmer crossover bands.  Stewart Curtis is unpretentious, musicianly and serious fun, jostling klezmer and many other musical genres promiscuously together - Chris Parker of London Jazz Tickets: £10 (+ £1 processing fee for online or credit/debiit card purchases). Cash Bar.

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE - 7.30pm ’Now You Has Jazz’- The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band Tribute to the Great Louis Armstrong All Stars Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, NW4 1RL [MAP] The Festival is delighted to present this fantastic event at Allianz Park. After over 30 years in the jazz business, brothers Ian & Alan Bateman, trombonist and trumpeter respectively, have put together this heartfelt celebration of the world’s greatest jazz musician, focusing on Louis’ All Stars years from 1947 onwards. Featuring UK stalwarts Trevor Whiting (clarinet), Nick Millward (drums) Craig Milverton (piano) John Day (bass) and Maggie Reeday (vocals), the Bateman Brothers take you back to a time when jazz was swinging, melodic and above all, entertaining. The evening will include Louis favourites such as St. Louis Blues, La Vie en Rose, and When You’re Smiling. Winners of the "2011 British Jazz Awards for Best Jazz CD", the Bateman Brothers’ tribute is sure to be another fantastic evening of entertainment.  Tickets: £15  (+ £1 processing fee for online or credit/debit card purchases). Cash bar.  Prebookable food available (see below). Fish & chips or vegetarian option: £8.50*. *Please be aware that food tickets for Friday 21st can NOT be purchased after Friday 31st May

SATURDAY 22ND JUNE The Polecats plus Loaded Dice Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, NW4 1RL [MAP] Doors open 7.00pm, music from 8.00pm. The Festival always ends with some great rock and roll and this year is no exception. Rockabilly band, The Polecats started life in Mill Hill in the late 70s. In the early 80s the band began carving out a name for themselves to become an integral part of the British rockabilly revival scene. Fronted by Tim Polecat and Boz Boorer (who now tours with Morrissey and has played with Adam Ant and Edwin Collins) the Polecats will be playing many of their hits such as Rockabilly Guy, Big Green Car, Marie Celeste, John I’m Only Dancing (Bowie cover), Jeepster (T-Rex Cover), as well as a smattering of rock ’n’ roll covers. Boz, Tim and Phil Polecat, all born and raised in Mill Hill are joined by drummer John Polecat. The band have toured the world having hits on nearly every continent but after 35 years together they wanted to mark the occasion with a homecoming gig. Put on your dancing shoes and head on down to what will surely be a great evening of music and fun.  Tickets: £12  (+ £1 processing fee for online or credit/debit card purchases) (£15 on the door).  Cash bar. Prebookable food available (see below).  Burger & chips or vegetarian option: £6.50*. *Please be aware that food tickets for Saturday 22nd June can NOT be purchased after Friday 31st May

Full details of the Mill Hill Music Festival are available here
www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk

 There have been all manner of arguments about what might have been, but Saracens are here and they are here to stay. As a community we should give them 100% backing.