Tuesday 24 December 2019

Christmas Eve - The Barnet Eye Xmas message

This is the eleventh Xmas Eve message that I've written. I will continue the tradition started last year of posting an extract from my blog of ten years ago, just to remind us what stays the same and what changes. I was quite shocked to see the news I reported. I must confess I totally forgot this story.

This blog has won a huge victory for the commuters of Mill Hil. First Capital Connect are offering 5 days free travel to all holders of season tickets of 1 month or longer. 
The full story of the First Capital Connect  compensation is reported in the Mill Hill and Edgware Times here. This blog has been relentlessly campaigning for decent compensation for Thameslink customers since the start of disruption. It seems that First Capital connect have finally realised that it's good for a business to look after it's customers.We've had more hits on this theme than any other issue since the blog started.
Wow. I'd completely forgotten that First Capital Connect had given Season Ticket Holders five days free travel. Having had a nightmare on the service recently, I wonder if there is any chance this will ever be repeated. It certainly should have after the chaos of the new timetable last year. Some things change. We're on our third different Prime minister since that was written. We are headed for the exit of the EU. My mother always used to say "Thank the Lord for small mercies" and the one small mercy is that we're not talking about Brexit anymore. 

I fell asleep yesterday evening and had a bizarre dream that I'd awoken in hospital in a coma after 40 years. The nurse told me that Margaret Thatcher was no longer Prime Minister, I asked how she'd got on. At that moment the dog woke me up. I was a tad disturbed and thought "How could I possibly have forgotten John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson?". As I thought about this, I realised that if I possibly could erase all memory of the lot of them, I'd be very tempted. Between the lot of them, so little of real value added to the UK. I thought I'd see if I could find one positive thing to say about any of them. John Major? Decent enough bloke and wasn't Margaret Thatcher. Tony Blair Ended the civil war in Northern Ireland. Gordon Brown? Saved the UK's banking industry. David Cameron? Ended discrimination in marriage. Theresa May? Erm..... Any help here team? Boris Johnson? Isn't Theresa May and ended the interminable conversations about #Brexit. 

I feel really bad as I genuinely couldn't think of anything at all positive to say about Theresa May's term. It will perhaps be interesting to see what I write in ten years when I revisit this blog (assuming I'm still around and blogging). I hope I can be a bit nicer about her.

I started the day with a six mile walk around Mill Hill and Totteridge. I got up at 6am and took the doggies for a long and winding route up to Totteridge long ponds and back. I wanted to see the transition from Dark to light.  Here's a few of the sights I saw on the way.

Scroll through to see the walk.

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 It is amazing how light changes the world. Let some into your life!

I couldn't finish without a mention of one of my heroes who passed away. Dr John, the Night Tripper.  If you listen to one tune today, listen to this. Have a peaceful and wonderful Xmas.





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