This morning, I woke to hear Finchley MP Mike Freer on the radio. He was speaking about the arson attack on his office on Xmas eve. I was horrified to here of this. Let me be honest, I personally cannot stand Mike Freer. I consider him to be duplicitous, dishonest and divisive. He is also rather abusive. In a press interview, as leader of Barnet Council, he called me a "One Handed Blogger", clarifiying that I write with one hand, as I masterbate with the other. In a column for the Barnet Times, he stated that I was an armchair critic, living on my inheritance. He published this a couple of days after my mother passed away, in a clear attack when I was grieving. I reported both to Barnet Council standards committee, Freer lied and stated that he wasn't referring to anyone in particular and it was a general comment on critics.
To some extent, his mate Brian Coleman exposed the lie on the one handed blogger claim, when he emailed me (and the rest of the councillors in the Borough of Barnet) to say Freer was right and added abuse of his own. As he'd copied the rest of the council, using his council email, I took him to the Standards committee and won, making Coleman the only standing Mayor to be found guilty of abuse by The Standards Committee. Freer got away scot free. Amusingly enough, his claim about me living on my inheritence was rather wide of the mark. My mum left her estate to Charity, and a significant chunk went to the Mayor of Barnet (Tony Finn) Charity, the Noah's Ark Childrens Hospice. Unlike Freer and Coleman, I got on rather well with Tony. But I digress.
Violence and attacking people's property is always wrong. Much as I personally dislike Freer, he was democratically elected by the people of Golders Green. He can only be got rid of by them. The Conservative party has every right to have an office and the people of his constituency have the right to see their MP, so he needs an office. Anyone who firebombs an MP's office is by definition not a democrat and they force me to stand with a man I can't stand.
I've had the misfortune to have to spend time in Freer's company on many occasions. I am always polite to him. He has not always returned the compliment, but that's his business. I believe that honesty, hard work and reasoned arguments always win in the long run. Violence always fails. My argument with Mike Freer was not personal (until he embarked on a string of personal insults), it was a determined attempt to prevent him damaging the Borough of Barnet with his bonkers One Barnet outsourcing scheme. I have been 100% vindicated as the scheme fell apart costing tens, if not hundreds of millions. Freer, long since abandoned any links to the failed scheme. As an MP, he has kept a Trappist vow of silence on the matter. The electorate will have their say on this weak and rather unpleasant man next year. That is how it should be done. If you know who took part in the attack, please report them to the police. My Grandfather was killed in a fire, so our family knows that fire is dangerous and indiscriminate. If you believe in the democratic process, that means standing up for it, even when it means defending people you can't stand. So lay of Mike Freer except for exposing his failures, bad policies and ineptitude.
It's here. In the blink of an eye, it seems, it's Christmas Eve. I'd like to wish all the friends and readers of The Barnet Eye a very Merry Christmas.
A special thanks to everyone who came down to the Dublin Castle last night to watch the False Dots at our sold out show with The London Sewage Company. It was a brilliant night. Our Xmas present to you, the False Dots are pleased to announce our 45th Birthday gig at The Dublin Castle on Saturday 3rd February - Tickets here >>>>> www.wegottickets.com/event/600663
Tonight, The False Dots do our 2023 Xmas gig at The Dublin Castle. An Xmas Gig (by definition, a gig in the month before Xmas, so starting from 25th November is a long tradition with the band. We love a party, as the band inches towards it's 45th Birthday, I thought I'd list every single one. It sort of tells a story of the rise, fall and rise of the band
13 December 1980 - Harwood Hall, Mill Hill. Our first gig. No one would have us, so we set up our own gig at a church hall in Mill Hill. It was both a triumph and disaster. Our singer, Pete Conway didn't bother to turn up, but about a hundred people did and it was a good laugh. I said that if we could survive that we'd survive anything. This was what we looked like!
26th November 1982 Gooners club, at The Copper, Tower Bridge Road. The start of a mini residency. By this stage, we had Eleanor Caine on vocals. We'd toured Sweden and played a few decent London clubs. The Copper loved us. The residency ended abruptly when the promoter was busted for dealing cocaine.
18th December 1983 - Barnet College lig, Crouch End, Eleanor had departed and the force of nature that was Venessa Sagoe had joined, we were brilliant, even if I say so myself. I don't actually remember this gig at all. We did a lot of gigs with Venessa and they all merge into one.
22nd December 1985 - The Three Hammers, Mill Hill. Sort of the end of an era. Venessa had left, Allen Ashley joined. This gig was amazing, we played with Soldier Bike. We'd just got back from a gig in Belgium. I met Clare at this gig, we adjourned to a Warehouse party in Aldgate after. Little did I know that this would be our last Xmas gig for 17 years. Allen left the band shortly after. He persued a career in teaching. The band never really got itself back to a working unit, and although we did a few sporadic gigs until 1990, none were at Xmas until.....
20th December 2002 - The Three Hammers Mill Hill. I hadn't realised until I put this together, but the gap was started and finished at The Three Hammers. Boz Boorer joined us for an Xmas party gig. We were not particularly taking things seriously, but it was a bit of fun, playing old songs.
18th December 2007 - Mill Hill Music Complex Xmas Party. We thought a studio party in studio 7 was a good idea. Staff, friends and customers were invited, a brilliant night.
15th December 2009 - The Claddagh Ring. This was sponsored by Unison, an Xmas party for local activists opposing the One Barnet project. It was a great night.
13 December 2012 - Friern Barnet Library, A special night, the party to celebrate the end of the Occupation of the Library, after we'd saved it. It also saw the return of Allen AShley to the band, having left in 1985. Allen sang for nearly a decade.
20 Dec 2014 - The Midland Hotel, Hendon This was the start of our long association with the Midland. It became our spiritual home. We played a few numbers at the open mic night, the landlord loved us and asked us back.
19th December 2015 - The Chandos Arms, Colindale. Another local pub that we were proud to support. Award winning singer, Emily Ovenden (now the vicar of St Judes) took over the pub. She announced that she wanted to put on music, so up we rocked. She became great friends. We launched the live music at the pub, with an Xmas bang! It was also the start of the live Barnet Eye Community Awards.
16th December 2016 - The Midland Hotel, back at The Midland for the Barnet Eye Awards. Another great night
9th December 2017 - The Chandos Arms, Colindale, we were back at The Chandos for the awards, we used to move between the two, as we loved both pubs.
11th December 2018 - The Mill Hill Rugby Club. We decided to do the 2018 awards at The Rugby club, as we wanted to do one back in Mill Hill and support the Rugby club, as they were having some financial challenges.
13th December 2019 - The Midland Hotel. In many ways, the end of an era. The last live Barnet Eye awards, the last gig with Allen Ashley. It was the night after Boris Johnson won a landslide. A real Friday 13 nightmare all around, although the gig was fun. COVID hit shortly after.
Tonight's gig will be our first post COVID Xmas gig. I am now singing, We have Tom Hammond on Drums, Fil Ross on Bass and Grahame Ramsey on drums. I think the current line up is possibly our best ever, it sounds amazing. No one knows the future, when we played the 2019 Xmas gig, I had no idea that the world and the band would see such changes. But that is life. Please join us tonight!
Ok, as its Friday, in the time honoured tradition of the Barnet Bloggers, we start with a joke and once more I'm endebted to the rather wonderful Mr Robert Wilkinson.
Last night my wife asked me if I want to go upstairs with her and she'll put on the Black Lace number for me. I said "No thanks, I hate Agadoo".
This particularly made me laugh, as I went to see Black Grape recently. Clare got some cheap tickets for the gig and asked some friends. They go to a lot of gigs with us, and although they hadn't heard the band, trusted our judgement. A few days before the gig, they decided to gen up. They went on youtube and not quite remembering the bands name, spent the evening learning the words to Agadoo so they could join in. They got a bit of a surprise, to say the least!
How's your week been? For me, Xmas officially started yesterday. I always say Xmas starts with The Pogues. As they are no longer around (RIP Shane), we have been going to The Pogue Traders Xmas gig instead. Last night it was at a packed Dingwalls. I saw the Pogues a few times in the early days. I must admit that recalling those gigs, it would be hard top believe that The Pogues would become a massive part of the way the world celebrates Xmas.
I think I first saw them at this gig >>>>>>>
My mate Boz Boorer and his missus Lyn were in the Shillelagh Sisters. I always try and get along to watch mates bands and Boz mentioned that "Shane O'Hooligan's" (as he was known at the time) new band were playing with them. I mostly knew of Shane via the tabloid fury that surrounded the incident where his ear was bitten off at the Roxy by his girlfriend. I'd quite liked his band "The Nips" and their single "King of the Bop", but although they'd been going for about a year at that point, the Pogues weren't on my radar. There were a lot of bands around at that point, in truth we were spoiled for choice. Not only that, it was relatively cheap as well, to get in and the drinks were also reasonably priced at most venues.
My band, The False Dots were in a very active stage, with the brilliant Venessa Sagoe on vocals. We had a gig coming up at Dingwalls, so I was going to as many gigs as I could to rustle up support from my mates (no mobile phone or Facebook then). I'd make up a stack of flyers (on the photocopier at work when no one was around) and hand them out. I think you can see from the listing on the left from the week we played just how spoiled we were, Dr John, Ruby Turner, Katrina and the Waves, The Shilleleaghs, Back Roots all played the same week. If you arrived before 8pm at Dingwalls, booze was half price, so it was dead cheap! You'd also get to rub shoulders with Lemmy, who propped up the bar and was always amenable to a chat if you bought him a drink!
Anyway, I digress. I went down to watch the Shellelaghs, who were generating a fair bit of interest at the time. I didn't really get what the Pogues were doing. In my mind, Irish music was what you heard on drunken nights at the Burnt Oak Catholic club, with old men playing it. I loved up beat Irish music, like the Wild Rover, but hated the slow, maudling ballads such as Danny Boy. I watched the Pogues and I felt that Shane had let the side down a bit by abandoning his punk roots. I thought they were enjoyable, but sort of assumed that Shane had decided he could make more money putting together an Irish showband. I don't really remember any of the songs they did, mostly because I rarely was sober at gigs back then. I had no idea that forty years later, I'd be one of their biggest fans. In truth it took me a few years to really get it. I bought Rum, Sodomy and The Lash in 1985, mainly because I wanted to play "The Band Played Waltsing Matilda" to my Dad, as it was about The Anzacs and Gallipoli, something my Dad had an interest in, as an Aussie and ex military man. I played it to him, but he told me he preferred cheerful music. He explained that during the war, he wanted music that was cheeful and took his mind off the fact that death was all around. I was a bit disappointed, but got into the album.
The next album featured Fairytale of New York, which brought the Pogues to the masses, it is ironic that having opened the door to a massive audience, the subesquent albums didn't really measure up to the first three. What they did do was open up the world to Celtic music. I suspect that the music of the Pogues will endure far more than just about any other popular genre, artist and band.
Christmas gigs are a big thing for me. The first one I went to, I was still at Finchley Catholic High School. Eddie and The Hot Rods played at The Roundhouse in 1977. They had topped the charts with Do Anything You Wanna Do. The support were The Only Ones and The Stukas. The Rods were amazing, but at the end, they had big fans and to celebrate Xmas put a load of expanded polystyrene balls in front to simulate snow. It was going in everyone noses and mouths and it nearly suffocated the audience. Since then, I think I've done an Xmas gig or two every year.
This December, as well as Black Grape and The Pogue Traders, we've seen the BBC Elstree Concert Band, Shalamar, The Dub Pistols, Madness and The Lightening Seeds. All have been great nights. We particularly enjoyed Madness in Brighton, we stayed down for the night, it was a proper mini holiday. Madness are a great band at this time of the year especially as everyone was in a brilliant mood!
My band, The False Dots have a big tradition of doing an Xmas gig. In recent years, this was at The Midland Hotel, but post Covid it closed. This year, we are delighted to be playing at The Dublin Castle in Camden. It should be a brilliant night, so please try and come along. If you've never visited the venue, it is without doubt London's best music pub.
Music has given me everything. I met my wife at the False Dots Xmas gig in 1985 at The Three Hammers in Mill Hill. It has given me a business and my friends. I like to think I've put something back!
The band has a new single out, that we think it is rather good!
This morning, Barry Rawlings, the leader of the Council, considered the ACV nomination and APPROVED the Midland Hotel Pub to be listed as an ASSET OF COMMUNITY VALUE.
This is very great news as it means the pub has a layer of protection from demolition and any changes of use that may reduce its community status.
We would like to thank each and every one of you who wrote in with evidence of personal or community use of the pub.
WIthout this written evidence, the ACV nomination would have failed no matter how many say they would like the pub to stay.
We would also like to thank those who showed their support by signing the petition that was started by a local resident and those who lobbied their councillors and other local politicians.
The future: there might be an appeal by the owner against the ACV decision or planning applications if the owner does not sell the pub
We will continue to keep an eye out for any developments.
We hope we can count on you again should the needs arise.
Have a very good Christmas and New Year.
CHEERS 🍻🍻🍻
Dave Paterson
Midland Hotel Community Group
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The Barnet Eye has been a supporter of the groups since its inception, we are proud to be able to bring you this news and look forward to The False Dots playing at The Midland Hotel when the pub reopens.
In the meantime we are playing at The Dublin Castle on Saturday 23rd December and would live you to join us! (click here for a ticket)
***** Warning - This blog contains stuff that people who've not had a radical prostatectomy may find uncomfortable.
Christmas is coming. This year will be a bit different. I had my prostate removed and I've had to change a few things and I've learned a few things.
So lets start with what has changed.
I can only drink three cups of non decaffinated tea per day, if I want to have a regular toilet usage pattern
I can only drink a maximum of four pints of beer on a session, if I don't want to wake up in a damp patch.
I am vulnerable to stress and anxiety in a way that I have not felt since I was in my early teens.
I am not alone in any of this.
And what have I learned (look away now if you are easily shocked by discussions of bodily functions)
I can have an orgasm without having an erection (Both at the same time is a challenge after an RP proceedure for me at the moment)
It is possible to think you are having an erection when you are not
I am older than I thought I was before the op.
If I go out, I need to plan a route that includes a toilet stop a maximum of 45 minutes apart, if I am drinking beer or tea.
Being happy or even in mental balance takes a lot of work after a radical prostatectomy.
Viagra type medication is not only for other people.
People aren't psychic and will know none of this, unless they've been through what I have been through.
There. I put it out there and it wasn't easy. But I am not the only person dealing with this right now. As I write this, a friend is under the knife, having his bladder and prostate removed. I thought I'd had a bad time, I've been trying to encourage hi,. He's been told that if he doesn't have it, there will be no 'Next Xmas'. I thought I had bad time. There is always someone who is deeper in the mire.
What is rather strange is that if it wasn't for that day in August (and the surrounding stress which started in March, or in November 2011, depending on how you look at it), 2023 has been a decent year. My business will make a profit, albiet a small one, following the Pandemic, which nearly killed it. My football team, Manchester City won the treble, which I'd never have dreamed of when I was diagnosed. My band (The False Dots) has had an absolutely awesome year, with some brilliant gigs at The Dublin Castle in Camden town and locally (we are playing again on Saturday 23rd so come down, TICKETS CLICK HERE). We released our first digital single as well! Please have a listen if you can!!
In any other year, I'd be buzzing. But this year? I can't lie, I feel anxious and apprehensive. Not because I am particularly concerned about the cancer at this point. The PSA test I had post op was very positive. What bothers me is that, post op, I don't really feel like a proper man anymore. I have an extremely supportive partner, who assures me that the most important thing is that I am alive and the cancer has most likely been dealt with permanently. My friends couldn't really give a stuff. But as far as I'm concerned, I do not feel good with myself. Maybe it's in my head. Maybe it isn't. I still have the same sort of dreams that I had before, but I wake up and they bother me. I realise that now, those things are dreams, there is no prospect at all currently of me being what I was on the 8th August. I was very reluctant to have a radical prostatectomy because I didn't want to be in the situation I am right now, with regard to my male potency. I find intimacy mildly stressful at time, whilst still embracing the idea. I have darl thoughts, where I wonder whether I'd have been better off not having the RP and taking my chances. If I'd simply let the cancer develop and when it started to be a problem, gone on hormone therapy (which is in effect chemical castration), I'd have had a few years where I felt vaguely normal. Of course, I'd have been in a very different situation 5-10 years from now, potentially, but who knows, medical science, may have pulled my nuts out of the fire then. My wife told me, when I mentioned that, that it would be a really selfish thing to put the family through. Although it wasn't an option for me at the time I decided, in hindsight, there are times it seems like a better option.
But, and this is the big but. My PSA had doubled in a year. My prostate had a signficant number of contained tumours, it was in far worse shape than I or my doctors had realised. It was probably caught just in time, before it started metastasising. Things are improving. With the assistance of a Cialis prescription, there are rumblings where there was nothing. Apparently, the situation with erections can improve for three years and according to my mens health physio, I am ahead of the game and the prognosis there is far better than it seems to me right now.
I share these dark thoughts, not for any other reason than because when I talk to friends who have been through the same thing, these are the feelings we all have had. We work through them. In truth, four months after surgery is really no time at all. In a years time, I will have a far better perspective on where I am. This Christmas, I have 22 family members coming for Xmas. My nephew and Godson has a new baby, my sister and her husband are over from the USA for the season (he had a prostatectomy a few years back and is enjoying life). I am going to see one of my favourite bands on Thursday. Normally, this is accompanied by a hefty supply of Guinness. This year, I will limit it. I have to work on Friday anyway, so probably not the worst thing.
In truth, this Xmas is very much a time when I am feeling very conflicted and anxious, but am also in some ways more optimistic and positive than I've been for a long time. The cancer has made me more determined than ever to embrace my music and my life. With regards to what will happen with the cancer, whatever will be, will be. The prognosis is as good as it can be. It is highly likely that I have been cured permenantly, but only time will tell. Maybe drinking less is no bad thing. I only really drink to excess when I am out with friends, I don't drink when I am in on my own. I've never felt like "I need a drink" on my own. I have resigned myself to just living with whatever the situation is regarding my potency. I am doing what my mens health physio tells me to.
The thing that I am 100% happy with is that I don't feel like I have the Sword of Damacles that has been over my head since 2011, when I was first diagnosed with a Gleason 3+3 cancer over my head. I feel that I can at least approach 2024 from the viewpoint that things can and will get better (yes I know that is a foolish viewpoint, as men make plans and God laughs).
Back at the start of the year, I wrote a blog about my New Years Resolutions. I had no idea that my cancer would flare up and cast such a shadow. However, I have by and large met all of my resolutions.
I stuck to my alcohol pledge, in fact probably exceeded it due to the op!
I met. I have finished my book, I just need to sort out the pictures and it's ready. I think its is pretty good. I've decided to not do the cancer episode. I think that warrants it's own little book.
I only managed two instalments of my London Symphonies project, despite committing to six, I simply didn't have the band width withe everything else going on.
The band has finished the album and done more gigs.
And the biggest plus, I've finally learned to ignore the idiots on Social media. Life is to precious to waste on such people.
I will leave you with the very best wishes for the festive season. None of us know what the future holds, so enjoy the time with people you love and celebrate as you see fit. Count your blessings, enjoy the good things, persevere with the challenges.Whatever else is or is not true, we live at the best time ever to face Prostate Cancer. The treament options increase constantly and we will eventually beat this nightmare. Some of us may not see the promised land, but we will get there.
I leave you with a little gift. My amazing band partner, musical director and engineer, Mr Fil Ross, has recorded an Xmas single. It is rather good, so if cheesy Xmas numbers are your thing, have a listen and tell your friends. It makes a big change from the amazing rock and roll bass guitar he plays with The False Dots.
So you may recall that back in July, I woke up to find myself on the end of a fixed penalty notice for a traffic violation in Finchley. I was incensed. I hadn't even realised Id broken the law until the notice arrived. The road in question, Crescent Way, has a no traffic during school opening closing times. Although I am sympathetic to the reason Barnet Council operates the restriction, the signage was hopelessly inadequate. I went back and had a look and if, like me, you don't know the area and are directed up the road by a Satnav, you will have no time to change course, even if you see the signs. Barnet set up a fixed camera to snare mugs like me. They clearly realise it's a nice little earner!
Anyway, the good news is that the independent adjudicator agrees with me. If you have received a ticket on the same junction, then contact Derek and he will be able to help.
Here is the adjudicators decision.
Adjudicator's Reasons
The Appellant did not appear but was represented by Mr Dishman.
The Appellant raised the question of the adequacy of the signage for a motorist turning into this side
street. It seems to me that this is not a case where it can be said the Zone signs are visible from such
a distance that the motorist has a reasonable time to see them, absorb the information and comply
with the indication before already committed to the turn. Advance warning signage is clear y required
and the Council is required to prove that it is present and clearly visible. The Council has provided
photographs of advance warning signs for both left and right turning vehicles but there is no clear
evidence as to where these are located in relation to the junction in question. They are not shown in
the Council's plan. I am unable to be satisfied that adequate warning was given and the Appeal is
therefore allowed on this ground alone.
Edward Houghton
Adjudicator
14th December 2023
Many thanks to Derek and I have made a suitable donation to The North London Hospice as suggested, as a sign of appreciation for his efforts.
I am fuming. I woke up this morning to I awoke to a surprise, courtesy of Barnet Council. A penalty charge notification for driving down a time restricted road. I was turning from Crescent Way into Crossways in Finchley on 28th September, at 15.46. The council kindly sent me pictures to show just how naughty I was. It seems there is a time based restriction, to stop motorists turning up the road during school hours. Now of course, having received a penalty notice, I am aare of this. However, at the time, I was completely unaware of the restriction. In fact, I had no intention of driving down this road at all, however, Barnet Council had closed Summers Lane at the Junction with Upway. We had been to the recycling centre and our satnav sent us this way.
Now of course, I fully accept that motorists should ensure they read all road signage, but I'd make the case that as this road is closed at this time, the signage is simply too badly positioned and too complicated for a motorist to reasonably react to it. As a driver, entering an area with a school, on a tight bend, your eyes are on the road. I had a look at Google Earth, it appears that there is a warning sign, however, if like me you are not familiar with the road and are following a diversion, you will not be aware of the road name. Given the name of the road, I would have probably assumed it was referring to a zebra crossing. The sign should say "No right turn between these hours". That is clear and obvious. You can see that actual restriction sign is not visible as your approach. Even if you clock the sign (which I didn't), by the time you've realised you'll have a ticket.
If you look at the pictures below, it is clear that you are on the signs before you have a chance to react. They are angled so motorists will
I don't have an issue with roads being closed for traffic for such reasoms. but drivers should be given proper notice by signs. It is especially galling for me, as I was only on this unfamiliar road, due to a road closure. I will be appealling the ticket. I accept that I should have not turned, but I do not accept that the signage was fit for purpose. It is simply too far back and not angled in such a way that a motorist will see it. I am sure that parents of kids at the school will see it, but when you have been diverted, you don't stand a chance. I imagine this is a nice earner for Barnet Council, which is why there is a camera there. My first reaction was to nip back and take some more photo's but I'd probably end up with another ticket.
Why not come down to the Dublin Castle in Camden Town on Saturday 23rd December, to help me celebrate this wonderful victory for decency and common sense! - Tickets at www.wegottickets.com/event/598026
Two tweets really caught my eye this week. The first was the top ten rail stations in the UK by passenger numbers in 2022 and the second was this years figures, which see a marked change due to the opening of The Elizabeth line.
Tomorrow we'll reveal our estimates of station usage stats, showing the busiest #railway stations in Britain from April 2022 to March 2023.
It's all change for the top 10 stations in Great Britain!
Elizabeth line opening sees London Liverpool Street with most entries and exits for April 2022 to March 2023. Paddington is 2nd and Waterloo is down to 3rd.
I was astounded to see some of the figures. A station I use all of the time, Farringdon, now has more passengers passing through it than Euston or Kings Cross. In fact, five of the top ten are now Elizabeth line Stations. It is also worth considering that Farringdon, London Bridge and St Pancras are on the Thameslink lines. The Elizabeth line and Thameslink have seen massive, multi billion investments. These figures show that investment pays off. Even more telling are the figures for the busiest passenger flows
Again, many of these aree brand new flows, created by The Elizabeth line. The Elizabeth line was a massive and very expensive project, which many queried the value of. These figures vindicate the project. The line uses electric trains, which are the most sustainable form of travel. The millions of passengers using this, not travelling in cars etc are the way forward.
I've used the Elizabeth line a few times since it opened. I don't often have need to go to East or West London, but when I do, it is an amazing addition. I use Thameslink most weeks, and the interchange with the Elizabeth line at Farringdon is one I have regularly made use of.
When we talk about climate change and the environment, we always talk about problems. There is not enough time and money spent developing solutions. Transport is a major contributor to CO2, so it is clear that we need better solutions and we need to invest. In the London Borough of Barnet we saw Brent Cross West station open earlier this month. For this to really justify it's investment, we need the West London Orbital Railway to open ASAP. Unlike the Elizabeth Line, all of this railway already exists. It simply needs upgrading to fascilitate regular passenger trains.
A whole swathe of West London will see massive improvements in public transport, which should mean less journeys and pollution on the North Circular. The existing rail line is a lightly used freight line, which has Victorian age signalling. I'd also like to see the line upgraded for freight, much of which moves in the early hours of the morning, removing Lorry journeys and even more pollution.
The bottom line on all of this, is that we need to spend money. London is a City that deserves world class public transport. There is no central, joined up plan to strategically improve London's transport. There are just big one off schemes, that always seem to be delivered 20 years late. The purpose of having a London Mayor was to sort this out, but sadly this simply hasn't happened. Most of London's railways were built in the Victorian era, many for freight rather than passengers. What we need to do is to work out where passengers need to travel between and build lines that go there or stations that serve them. In our Borough, we have a huge national museum at Hendon, which is next to the Thameslink line. There is no station. We have Saracen's Rugby stadium, that sees huge crowds every fortnight. It is next to an abandoned tube line to Mill Hill East, on the Northern Line that could easily be reinstated. Perhaps the strangest of all these planning cock ups, is that Brent Cross now has two stations and neither properly serves the shopping centre. Luton Airport recently had a new link from the station to the terminal, such a link between the shopping centre and the two stations seems to me to be a no brainer, but no one has even suggested it.
As the year draws to a close, I have realised that this is the year when I started to feel old. Given that I'm 61, it's not really that surprising. Age has started to catch up with me. I have stopped playing five a side football, not because I wanted to, but because it was becoming too painful to actually play. Then there was the ravages of a radical prostatectomy. I am still coming to terms with the implications of that. One of the implications is that when I need to go to the loo, I have to go ASAP. I've been lucky, U am not incontinent, as many people are after the op, but when I need to go I need to go. I was walking abck from football last night and I realised I needed to go. There was a large bush, up a small incline that offered a degree of privacy on public land, so I though "I'll just nip up there". It was another moment when I realised I was 61 not 16, it was slippery and difficult to climb. Had I not needed it, I would have made a plan B, but I was committed. I'm pretty fit for my age, but I am learning that there are limits.
I'm not interested in pretending I am 'down there with the kids'. The one place this has caused me a lot of thought is in the music I make. I think the band has managed to sound very current but also quite nostalgic. We've had a relatively busy year gig wise. A residency at The Dublin Castle (our final gig of the year is on Saturday 23rd, please come down) has reaffirmed to me my love of playing music. The lyrics I am writing ado tend to be reflective. There are references there that I guess you'd have to be my age to get, but my kids tell me that the music grooves and they love the ambience of the band. Recently we added brilliant Trumpet player Tom Hammond to the band. That makes our sound completely different. It works well with the new material. I am getting the hang of writing songs with trumpet parts. Being musically illiterate, I whistle them and Tom works them out.
There is a saying that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". As a dog owner, with an old dog, I know this to be untrue. Clearly you can't expect them to be puppies, but they certainly can learn tricks, especially where there is a reward. For me, it is the same with music. The reward is that I love playing. Doing gigs also gives us an excuse to get together with mates. I have actually started to realise that the concept of "being old" is a myth (unless you don't want to enjoy life). Things change, but they can change for the better. Clearly if you are debilitated in some way by an age related condition (dementia, mobility issues etc), that is a whole different kettle of fish, but if you are in generally good health, it's about adapting to a different pace of life.
When I was a 16 year old punk rocker, and I co-wrote Not All She Seems with Pete Conway, I never dreamed I'd be singing the song at The Dublin Castle 44 years later. I guess what would have supprised me even more, was that we'd be playing it as a far more punky thrash than when we first wrote it. Much of the set is now based on Ska music, but we always finish with a bang. This week, the band digitally released our first single. You can listen on Spotify, Apple music etc, here's a link to Spotify.
Life changes, things move on. Have a great Sunday
We've also knocked up a special video, we hope you like it. It even features The Tardis at Mill Hill Music Complex (yes really!).
The Asset of Community Value(ACV) application for The Midland Hotel in Hendon is coming up for renewal. This gives the pub a degree of protection from the greedy developers, who are hell bent on removing every community space from the Borough of Barnet and London in general and replacing them with 'luxury flats', that never seem to end up housing anyone on the waiting list in the Borough of Barnet, but do line the pockets of the people who put them up.
So why should everyone in the London Borough of Barnet support the proposal to renew the Midland Hotel ACV?
Here are ten reasons.
1. The case has already been made and proven. This was done in 2018, when the original ACV was granted for five years (the normal term of an ACV). The only thing that has changed is that, in anticipation of the expiration of the ACV, the developers who own the pub, got rid of the tenant and have closed the pub. They are hoping that this will undermine the case, but in fact it makes it stronger, as it means we can demonstrate that there is a large gap in the community for a pub/community space.
2. The pub hosted many community events. These events are now homeless. One good example of this are the regular events The Barnet Eye blog would arrange at The Midland. We'd hold our community awards at the pub every December, this was last held in 2019. Sadly Covid and the owners intervened. Now we are homeless and have nowhere to do this. You may ask "What are the Barnet Eye Community Awards?" - We asked local people to nominate local people, campaigners and good people who deserve a shout out and a pint on us. We'd give them a certificate and they'd get a mention on the blog. The best thing of all, was that it gave nice, decent people a chance to get together and mingle. We devised it to build community and the Midland Hotel was the heart of the awards. Click here to read about and watch the video from the last awards.
3. The pub hosted many charity events, raising money for great causes. I attended many such events and even organised a few myself, for charities such as MacMillan Cancer relief. Charities rely on such events for funding and to do this, spaces are needed.
4. Local people need a space to chill out, relax and talk. If we want to build a sense of community, we need spaces for people want to get out, have a drink, a cheap bite to eat and a chat with friends. These friends becomes a mutual support network. Such things keep many of us sane and happy.
5. There is no other convenient pub in the locality. I did a search on google for pubs in the locality, this is the map. It is extremely handy for people using Hendon station, who might want a drink or a sandwich after a stressful day at work. Before covid, over 1 million people a year were using the station, and numbers are creeping back up to those levels. It is a busy location, but there is literally nothing else in the area for locals and commuters passing through. I am amazed that the developers could not see the potential for doing more with the pub as a pub. For commuters arriving on a train, when their bus is not coming for a while, the pub also provides a handy refuge.
6. With the closure of the Midland, the west of Barnet Borough has no music pubs. My band has played at the Midland Hotel numerous times, usually at least 3-4 times a year. We'd always put on two or three other bands with us, often young artists, giving them vital live experience. Music contributes 4-5 Billion a year to the UK economy. It would contribute nothing without artists starting off at such grassroots venues, that is why we need to protect assets of community value. My band has been playing regularly in Camden Town at The Dublin Castle since the pandemic. That is the nearest music pub accessible by the Northern Line Edgware Branch. Barnet is the mopst populous Borough in London. They are bidding for the London Borough of Culture. To my mind this is ridiculous, if they can't even protect the one music pub on the western side of the Borough. In 2015, this blog launched the Barnet Save London Music Campaign at the Midland, specifically to stop music pubs from closing.
7. A society that doesn't value community is a society that will fail. We need to build bridges in our community. Not everyone goes to pubs, but for some they are the absolute centre of their life. The best pubs are local pubs, where you will know a few people and have someone to chat to when you are feeling down. They are open every day of the year. For some people, in these desperate times, they will go into a pub and have a half just to warm up and see a friendly face. In times where many cannot afford to pay for heating and are stuck on their own, is it too much to give them a bit of respite from this, without walking miles in the rain? Pubs are communities and the people in them look out for each other.
8. Pubs provide employment opportunities and economic activities. Working in a bar is a very transportable skill. For many teenagers, doing a few shifts in a pub is a great way to legally earn some money. Pubs also employ cleaners, chefs and require maintenance that also keeps people in work. They support the local business community. Many commercial deals are done in pubs, staff have events and drinks etc.
9. People need spaces for Funerals, Weddings and other events. On several occasions, my band would turn up to the Midland Hotel to perform gigs, to find that there was a wake in full swing in the pub. Local people saying adios to friends, in the manner they lived their lives. This is absolutely key. Both our drummer Graham and myself had our 50th Birthday parties at the pub. I would have had my 60th there, had it been open. I had it at the Bohemia in Finchley instead, that is a great example of what the Midland should be with committed owners.
10. Well situated local pubs are good for the environment. Barnet Council should be actively encouraging anything which puts facilities as close to people as possible. If there is a good pub at the end of your road, you won't get in your car. The Railway Hotel is in a brilliant location, being next to the rail station and next to a bus stop. It is less than 20 minutes from central London. One of the reason I've promoted dozens of gigs at the pub is because people can easily get to it. Our band had built a good following in Hendon on the back of local gigs there.
Yesterday, my band launched our Xmas single. It is fair to say that the band wouldn't exist without the Midland Hotel and other such grassroots pubs. My band is playing next Saturday 23rd December in the Dublin Castle in Camden, another great music pub (click here for a ticket). I love the Dublin Castle, but we need such venues in our own Borough. Please check out our new video, sadly, we won't be playing this in Hendon this December, as there are no venues.
