My year in blogs 2022.

 As we wind down towards new year and 2023, I am sticking with the old Barneteye tradition and having a look at the year in blogs. One from each month as the year progressed, trying to paint a picture of what 2022 was like. Yesterday I did my fave blog of the year and looked at my musical year. This is always less fun but possibly more enlightening.

January - Barnet Council Tories come clean on the failure of Capita.

It seems like a very long time ago when we had a Tory council. I beleive the damage they have done to the Borough will last for decades. In January, they finally came clean about the abject failure of Capita. Of course you had to read the council papers, it was never somehing they would trumpet, but sad person that I am, I did read the papers.

Thus blog is worth a read. http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/01/barnet-council-finally-releases-much.html

February - Boris 'Napoleon' Johnson faces his Waterloo!  

An odd one, a blog that I started writing as an explanation of why I rejected a guest blog, morphed into what I thought was a pretty good analysis of the mind of Boris Johnson. The Daily Express was full of stories yesterday that Boris is coming back. Nothing would surprise me with the Tories, but they'd be bonkers, given that he landed them in the mess in the first place. February was around the time I realised that Boris's days were numbered.

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/02/boris-napoleon-johnson-faces-his.html

March - The Greatest hits of the Barnet Eye week - Day 1 - Friern Barnet People's Library

March 22nd 2022 marked the 15th anniversary of the conception of my blogging career. I sent an email to Phil Crowther, editor of the Barnet Times, suggesting I could write a column about local music. After a years worth of nagging, I started writing a blog on the Barnet Times. The rest is history. I celebrated this last year, with a series of blogs andthis was the first. A blog about the Friern Barnet Library campaign. It was important to me, not least as this year was the 10th anniversary of the Friern Library campaign

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-greatest-hits-of-barnet-eye-week.html

April  - Congratulations to Hadley FC on their promotion to step 4 of the Non League pyramid 

This was a massive highlight for me. Hadley FC are my local non league team and this was a wonderful moment. I've been there for the journey and it was amazing. 

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/04/congratulations-to-hadley-fc-on-their.html

May -  TFL and Barnet Council conspire to cause traffic chaos in Mill Hill

The big news in May was the fall of the Barnet Tories after 20 years, but the blog I've chosen is one that had a far more immediate impact on hundreds of residents in Mill Hill. The absolute chaos and lack of planning by TFL and Barnet Council, who closed Pike Road to allow TFL to do Bridge repair works. Much of Mill Hill ended up in gridlock, as the true effects of this failure became clear. This blog lead the campaign to sort the cock up out.

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/05/tfl-and-barnet-council-conspire-to.html

June - I shed a tear as the Lancaster flew over Mill Hill for the Queen's Jubilee flypast 

Back in June, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Jubilee and the Battle of Britain flight flew over Mill Hill. As my dearly departed Dad was a bomber pilot, I always shed a tear at this sight. The blog finshed with the words about my Dad. 

All I have to remind me is a Lancaster passing over my head. Forgive me my little tear. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is just about the last link I have with that era. Long may she reign. 

Sadly we all know what happened next....

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/06/i-shed-tear-as-lancaster-flew-over-mill.html

July - The Saturday List #353 - My Top Ten Ice creams, Ice Lollies and Ice Pops 

Every so often I write a blog and it grows legs. This particular one inspired Mark Amies, a good friend of this blog, to do a slot about Ice Cream manufacturers on his slot on The Robert Elms show on BBC Radio London, that was very well received! It is noce when a fun blog hits the spot.

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-saturday-list-353-my-top-ten-ice.html

August - Happy Birthday to me - The big 6-0 arrives 

This was big news for me, if no one else. It also included a taster of The Burnt Oak Boogie, which has become a massive local hit with it's accompanying video

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/08/happy-birthday-to-me-big-6-0-arrives.html

September - Time to shake up BBC1's evening schedule - What I'd do if I was Director General 

Regular readers will know that I am a regular listener to BBC Radio London and I'm none too chuffed with the changes the station's bosses and the schedule changes that they've made. In September I appointed myself Director General of The BBC and made some changes to the BBC1 TV schedule. It caused quite a stir amongst my Facebook friends, particularly one who was the Head of Light Entertainment at The BBC responsible for orignally cancelling Dr Who!

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/09/time-to-shake-up-bbc1s-evening-schedule.html

October - Guest Blog -Mill Hill memories - St Vincent’s Orphanage on the Ridgeway Mill Hill by Chris Fanning 

In October, I was spoiled for choice, it was perhaps my most interesting monthly selection. I've chosen this wonderful guest blog by Chris Fanning about St Vincents Orphanage in Mill Hill. It is well worth a read. 

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/10/guest-blog-mill-hill-memories-st.html

November - How a tragedy spawned a great album   

In November, I chose to dicuss how a tragedy inspired my band to put together a great album. This blog is as much about supporting your friends as it is about music. 

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-tragedy-spawned-great-album.html

December - The shocking truth about the health care for vulnerable people in the Borough of Barnet in 2022

This blog is nothing if not about trying to right some of the wrongs in the Borough. We started with Capita, a folly that has destroyed the finances and the public spirited ethic of Barnet Council. We end with an appalling tale of bad housing, that hopefully we are on the way to sorting out.

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-shocking-truth-about-health-care.html

If I am honest, this has not been a classic year for the Barnet Eye and the blogs I write. There's been some good stuff here, I've said some important things, but in truth I am more frustrated than ever at what is happening in the Borough. I am totally appalled at the lack of proper opposition to Barnet Labour from The local Tories. If they don't do their job properly, then it is good for no one. I've talked to a few local Tories and they say the same thing "It's terrible in opposition, you can't get anything done". This drives me nuts. I've stood for council three times and as someone who is a Lib Dem, the chances are that had I been elected, I'd always be an opposition councillor and I would love the platform to sort out some of the issues I blog about. They have to stop sulking, pull their finger out and get stuck into doing proper scrutiny.

I'll leave you withe the Xmas edition of The Burnt Oak Boogie video. If you like to see how our locality looks, check it out