A few random thoughts on life, the Universe and everything in Mill Hill

I've spent the last month engrossed in writing my book. This is the story of The False Dots and Mill Hill Music Complex studios. It's reached 85,000 words and I've given the 2nd draft to a couple of trusted family members who are far more literate and less dyslexic than I am to proof read. I have kept all blogging and other activities to an absolute minimum during this time, as I have really had to focus on trawling through my memoirs. As I explained, the only things that I've really put any effort into are the Environment Monday series of blogs. The situation with Folly Brook has caused me a massive concern as we walk our dogs down this path 3-4 times a week. I've also sort of kept up with the Friday Joke. A friend sends me these every week and I quite enjoy trying to find one that is printable here. I also enjoy compiling the Saturday lists and the tweets of the week.

Writing the book has been quite a traumatic experience.  I've buried many dark memories and writing it all down has made me confront a few demons. I am not really sure that I was quite ready for the experience. In the history of the band, there were some pretty big feuds and fallouts. You tend to forget about them and get on with the next phase of your life, but digging it all up has been quite painful.

As to the story of the studios, retelling the story, and recalling the passing of Ernie Ferebee in 2001 was especially difficult. When you have spent seven years busting a gut with someone to set up a business and they pass away just as things are starting to bear fruit, it is a very cruel twist of fate, especially for his wife and kids. Life is like that, just when you think that things are going swimmingly something kicks you square in the nuts.

Tonight we have a planning meeting for the Mill Hill Music Festival. The festival will be happening in Mid June. We have more or less finalised the programme and so we are now sorting out the practicalities of putting it together. This is the type of thing I enjoy, putting on great music on our doorstep. It is amazing that the Festival is in its third decade. I doubt that when Jane Ellison and Marion Dewing first had the idea that they knew it would have such legs. Having a successful community means having such events and getting people involved. There are always plenty of people who talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, they don't cut the mustard. I am lucky to be part of the Festival committee as we have a solid track record and we all know what we are doing. I saw the same thing when I recently visited Cricklewood to meet the Town team. The secret is teamwork to deliver a common goal. Things break down quickly if cliques and factions stafrt to form or inner circles exclude people who do most of the work from decision making. It never ceases to amaze me when grown up adults start to behave like five year olds The trouble with some community organisations is that because everyone is a volunteer, they don't feel they have to compromise to achieve the agreed destination. I think that the secret of any successful committee is to restrict it to people who want to do work and give up time. I personally hate meetings, I'm far happier doing practical things on the operational side.

For the last couple of years, I've been helping John Gillett of the Mill Hill Neighbourhood forum to put together live music shows in the Broadway in the summer and at Xmas. It is great to have live music in our town centre. Last summer we had a particularly glorious summer festival.I have found it quite depressing at times to see how much John has had to do and I do wonder why more people don't pitch in and help  As a local business, we've probably donated over £5,000 worth of equipment and logistical support to the project. The only costs for the MHNF have been for the actual hours worked by freelance staff. If every business based in Mill Hill pledged 1% of their profits to supporting community activity in Mill Hill, be it in cash or logistical support, then we could have the most amazing festivities. I think that would have been an amazing investment. I'd love to see things like the local restaurants having free tasting platters etc on the Broadway at key times during the shows etc. I always hear the refrain that traders are busy, but I am sure none are busier than me. Our business probably has longer hours than anyone apart from the convenience stores. I make the time to get involved. If you have a product worth selling, then surely the best thing you could do is engage with your customers?

Last year, I put a post up on Facebook asking how many people would be prepared, in principle, to invest in a community pub in Mill Hill Broadway, I suggested a minimum investment of £1,000. I had pledges of over £150,000. I have been asked for an update. I have spent the last year trying to pull together a plan to do this that will work. I have done a huge amount of hard work, market research and planning. Despite the good will, any such plan would have to be finanically sound and offer a good product. There are several key issues. The biggest is that none of the current premises available are suitable. I think that for a town centre community pub on a High St to work, it has to do a lot of things that the size of the units seems to preclude or the costs would make prohibitive. The only units of the size/locatio that would fit what I want to do are Pizza Express, Prezzo and El Vaquera. All are currently occupied. Units such as the creamery are far too small, Hetheringtons would not have a suitable space for smokers and if they do not currently have food/drink there are licensing issues. I personally would not get involved unless there was space for regular live music, served a good range of proper beers and recognised the value of experienced bar staff. Nothing annoys me more than being served beer by bored looking people who make no effort to engage. I think that is a major reason for the decline of pubs. It is a reason why Emily and Are at the Chandos Arms in Colindale are successful. I am now considering a radically different scheme, but as this would require some good will from Barnet council it may not be feasable.

On the subject of the Council, I had a great meeting today with Hale Councillor Laithe Jajeh at Scratchwoods. I invited Laithe along to hear my ideas for improving the space and to show him a few problem spots. I'm pleased to report that it was a very productive meeting and Laithe pretty much agreed with me on all points raised and has taken away the actions. It seems to me that the new generatuon of Councillors at Barnet are a significant upgrade on some of the old guard. Helene Richman and Alex Prager in West Hendon are doing great things with regards to saving the Midland Hotel and other things in the locality. A rather silly person was taunting me saying that my efforts had been hijacked by the Tories and Matthew Offord. His new leaflet has him posing outside the pub. As far as I am concerned, if he has got involved good luck to him, that is what I want local politicians to do and it would be ridiculous to get upset if someone helps. In Cricklewood Anne Clarke is also doing great things. Barnet Council is in a massive mess. I just wish that we could have a sensible, grown up debate, putting politics to one side and resolving the issues. I know that there is quiet, behind the scenes agreement on this among many of the newer, more sensible councillors.

There are a couple of bigger stories going on as we speak that I'd also like to say a few words about. I was born, raised and still am a practising Roman Catholic. At the Vatican, the Pope is currently chairing a special session to try and resolve the problems the Church has had with paedophile priests. Growing up, I personally never saw any of this abuse. I was an alter server as a child and attended local youth clubs etc. When reports first started to surface I found them hard to believe. As the truly industrial scale of the abuse became clear, I have become more and more horrified.  I have lost faith in the ability of the Church to administer its own affairs. If the Pope and the church was serious, the answer is obvious. Simply open the files and invite the Police in and do it in every country on the planet. Every single paedophile in the Church, who has abused anyone should be turned over to the relevant authority. If they are a true Christian and repent, they should hand themselves in. If they are not, then bang them up. The sheer hypocrisy of the church opposing adult, consensual sex between people of the same gender, whilst facilitation the molestation of minors is revolting beyond belief. As far as I am concerned, the church for me personally has been a hugely positive part of my life and the priests I have known have been wise and honest councillors to me. I am however in the position where I simply cannot defend or excuse what has happened any more. It has made me think more widely about the issue. Paedophiles wangle their way into all manner of postions of responsibilty where they have access to vulnerable children. The damage they do is a lifetime curse. Their re-offending rates are far higher than just about any other sort of criminal, a friend of mine was a former Governor of one of the UK's best known prisons. He told me that in his experience paedophiles only stop when they cannot physically abuse any more, because it is their most primal desire. I am not a believer in the death penalty, but do believe that convicted abusers should not be able to re insert themselves into positions of trust in the community. I wouldn't mind if they became lighthousemen in the outer hebrides, but do we really want such people in positions where they could have access to young people? I would suggest well monitored gated communities for people who there is any chance of re-offending.

And finally I've got to say something about the current spate of MP defections. It is early days. It  remains to be seen if they have a coherent plan. My view has been for some time that we need a realignment of the parties. Over half of the Labour Party MP's are out of step with the leadership. As for the Tories, I think they are in denial as to how much of a mess their party is in. Sadly in both the Tories and Labour, many MP's are unprincipled and are only interested in their pay checks. They know that if they join the independents, they are effectively dead in the water after the next election. My best guess is that this is all a flash in the pan and in 20 years, the names of Soubrey et all will be long forgotten. Whilst I thought that the coalition showed that such a government could deliver and produce stable government, Tories and Labour hate the idea. In short, they'd prefer a completely broken party clinging to power, than a realignment where the majority of the UK's voters had a government that represented them.