Rog T on the Londonist Out Loud Podcast

I took part in this weeks "Londonist Out Loud" podcast, recorded at Barnet Museum.

http://londonist.com/2012/07/londonist-out-loud-a-podcast-for-london-16-july-2012.php

There is a great discussion about the crisis facing Barnet Museum, also appearing were

• Mike Norona, Treasurer of the museum
• Dr Gillian Gear, Archivist at the museum

We also discussed the death of the Boroughs other museum, Church Farmhouse museum and how the artefacts are being flogger off. Dr Gillian Gear explains how when she joined the museum she was the only woman involved. She also explained how she went from being a girl who failed at school to getting a PhD as a result of her involvement with the museum. She is a living example of the role such establishments have to play. The discussion also turned to the One Barnet project and previous mistakes in procurements.

We then got into talking about chips at the Olympics site and the MacDonalds. Strangely this led back to Helen Michael being interviewed by S015 about the Olympic torch route. We also discussed harrassment of homeless people by the police in the run up to the Olympics. I explained my experience of talking to people using the Passage homeless centre and how they are being moved on.

Dr Gear gives a fascinating tour of the museum, explaining the history of some of the artefacts. There are also discussions about other hot topics.

Well worth a listen. The Londonist is featured in our sidebar, keep an eye on it for all the best London stories

Rog T on Londonist podcast

If you want to hear Rog T talking about the issues of the week on Londonist Out Loud podcast, just click here

http://londonist.com/2011/08/londonist-out-loud-a-podcast-for-london-12-august-2011.php

Riots, planning, and a whole host of other topics are covered. Also featured is the West Hampstead blogger Jonathan Turton. Hosted by N Quentin Woolf.

Top Ten Things To Do In The London Borough of Barnet

I got asked by the Londonist Listings website to list my top ten things in Barnet.

http://londonist.com/2011/03/top-ten-things-to-do-in-the-borough-of-barnet.php

They say a holiday is as good as a rest. It's great to write a blog occasionally about the good things in Barnet. Feel free to add your picks for the benefit of our fellow Londoners. And in answer to the question you will doubtless ask, if you know me, when you read it. Yes I am !

Rog T on the Londonist !

And now for something completely different. I was recently asked by Londons top online listings magazine, The Londonist to contribute a guest article. The only brief was to do something of interest on a cross London level. Anyway, I doubt they expected what I came up with CLICK HERE TO SEE. When I was first asked by the Hendon Times to do a blog, this was the sort of stuff I really wanted to do. Sadly the ineptitude and stupidity of our local Conservative Council got in the way. When the local Tories finally succeeded in persuading the Times to stop the blog ( for exposing the council for putting Nazi propoganda on their Youtube site), I set up the Barnet Eye and all thoughts of a generally entertaining blog about life in Barnet and London went out of the window. It is great to receive some recognition from the wider media world. Dave Hill at the Guardian has long been a friend and a supporter of this blog, having chosen us as one of his very first Top London Blogs - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/15/barnet-eye-london-blog - Every blog I write gets linked to the Guardian.

When I started writing blogs, I seriously doubted that anyone would want to listen to the rantings of a left leaning, dyslexic Punk rock guitarist. On Sunday, I took to the Podium at the Arts Depot and addressed a crowd of 500 or so local residents who cared enough about the council to give up a few precious hours of their Sunday afternoon. Having spoken after people such as Tariq Ali, Frances O'Grady and Yvonne Hossacks, I wondered for a moment if the audience thought "Who is this thick, big mouthed C**T" or similar things. Having been a performer all of my life, I know when I have the audience and I realised they were with me. I'm nowhere near as educated or clever as Tariq Ali and I've made nothing like the contribution of Yvonne Hossacks or Frances O'Grady, so why should anyone be interested in what I have to say?

As I looked out at the audience, I realised that there is a very simple reason. What I say in this blog and what I said on the rally needs saying. Afterwards people thanked me for "everything I've done". I feel like a fraud, I don't think I've done anything except speak my mind. How can that be commendable? All I really want is for everyone else to do the same thing and bombard our local Council with their views. I really want to write blogs about football, three legged dogs and Ashtanga Yoga, but I'll write about Barnet until there is no longer a need.

As to there being a need, here's a joke which a local promenant local Tory told someone I know whilst canvassing :-

My Friend : What are you going to do if you get elected?
Tory : The first thing I'm going to do is set up an advice centre for Asylum Seekers
My Friend : Really ??? What sort of advice will you give them
Tory : I'll tell them to go home

Ho Ho F*****g Ho. They are funny guys these local Tories.

Have a good evening, I'm off to see Wire at the Scala in Kings Cross.