Sunday, 10 December 2017

The Barnet Eye Community Awards 2017

Last night we held the Barnet Eye Annual Awards 2017at the Chandos Arms in Colindale. I am thrilled to say that the evening was absolutely brilliant. The pub was packed, thanks to all the award winners for turning up in such good heart. All of them thoroughly deserve the award they received. We were also thrilled to raise over £100 for Colindale foodbank. Massive  shout out to Mill Hill Rugby club, The Day of the Raj Express at Mill Hill East and The Mill Hill Music Complex for donating the fantastic prizes. Also a special thank you to our old friend John Keough for taking the time to video the events for us. And finally for everyone who came down for making it a special evening.




Here's a few tweets of some of the fun!








Barneteye Person of the year
Councillor Jack Cohen
Nominated by The Barnet Eye

Citation : “Over three decades, Jack Cohen has been the most effective local councillor in Barnet, representing the Childs Hill Ward. During the period of Lab/LibDem administration, Jack was Mayor and has worked tirelessly for Childs Hill Ward, ensuring that local interests are defended.”

Barneteye Charity of the year
The Colindale Foodbank
Nominated by Emily Kollviett

Citation: “Colindale Foodbank has become a sadly essential part of many desperate local residents lives. Their work has literally saved many families from hardship and hunger and deserve recognition for their efforts.”

Barneteye Pub of the Year
The Chandos Arms
Nominated by Graham Ramsey

Citation: “Emily and Are have turned a failing boozer around into one which won the national pub awards for best community pub. Who are we to argue”

Barneteye Band/Artist of the Year
Drop Pink
Nominated by Mill Hill Music Complex

Citation: “Heading the new generation of local bands, Drop Pink have not only made some great music, but they’ve put themselves at the heart of the local scene with great performances at the Mill Hill Broadway Festivals this year”

Barneteye Sports Club of the Year
Mill Hill Rugby Club
Nominated by Richard Logue (Prospective Lib Dem Candidate for Mill Hill)

Citation: “Mill Hill Rugby Club exemplify what a community sports club should be. They have been at the heart of the local sporting community for decades”

Barneteye Community Event of the Year
North Finchley Music Festival
Nominated by The Barnet Eye & Mill Hill Music Complex

Citation: “Staging an event with 50 live bands at six venues was a monumental achievement.  Roll on next year”

Barneteye Campaigner of the year
Philippa Whitecross
Nominated by John Burgess (Local UNISON Branch secretary & campaigner of the year 2016)

Citation “. I’ve known Philippa for quite a few years and have watched her confidence grow as she embraced different campaigns across Barnet. I admire her courage, her enthusiasm and her sense of self. She is always willing to learn and take on new ideas if it means the campaign will be a success.”

Barneteye Local Campaign of the year
Stop Paddy Power in Colindale
Nominated by The Barnet Eye
Award preseneted by Andrew Dismore (Local GLA Assembly member)

Citation: “A fantastic campaign, bringing the whole community together. Amazing work done by Colindale Village Residents Association to ensure that this unwanted addition was stopped”

Please note that Phillipa Whitecross and John Burgess were not present at the awards so we will present that award at a later date.

We also had a performance by The False Dots and Drop Pinj to entertain the masses. Here is a clip of "Espresso Soho" and "Her Question" by the False Dots.

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Saturday, 9 December 2017

A message from the Mayor and Mayoress of Barnet about our local Mayoral Charity

The Mayor and Mayoress of Barnet
This Sunday evening the Mayor and Mayoress of Barnet will be hosting the Mayor's Christmas Carol Service. Expect an evening of festive carols and readings, complete with a multitude of mince pies and mulled wine. It will take place at Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church, NW11 7AA between 6pm & 8pm.

This is a free event but there will be a collection for the Mayor's Appeal, which as you may know, is supporting Homeless Action in Barnet (Featured in the Barnet Eye Advent Calendar this Monday). This will be the last event benefitting the Appeal in 2017 with a busy programme planned for 2018. Among other things, there will be an Old Tyme Music Hall , a tour of Mansion House and a dinner with Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP.

If you would like to come to the Carol Service, it would be appreciated if you would let us know by clicking here. It is free to attend but it helps us cater refreshments if know how many people are attending

Hope to see you there,

Love from Kate
Download the Mayor's Carol Service Flyer

The Mayor of Barnet's Carol Service

Sunday 10th December - 6pm

Join us for an evening of joyful carols and festive readings complete with minced pies and mulled wine. This is a free event at Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church, 2 North Square NW11 7AA
Tell us you're coming to the Carol Service by clicking here

Mayor's Charity Bridge Night

Thursday 18th January - 7pm

Mayor of Barnet's Charity Bridge Night hosted by the Queen of Heart's Bridge Club, Wingate & Finchley FC, Summers Lane, N12. Directed by Sue Simon and Allan Lipton, kindly sponsored by Joan Lipkin Edwards. Tickets are £25 or £45 for two-partner players.
Book here for the Bridge Evening

Old Tyme Music Hall

Sunday 4th February - 7pm

Join in with the choruses, listen to the songs, be amazed by the magic at the Mayor's Old Time Music Hall. Free Church Hall, Northway, NW11. Tickets are £15 per person.
Book here for the Mayor's Old Tyme Music Hall

Barnet's Multi-Faith Service

Sunday 11th February - 3.00pm

Celebrate diversity in the London Borough of Barnet at the Mayor's Multi-Faith service, Mill Hill School, The Ridgeway.

Exclusive Tour of Mansion House

Monday 12th February

Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. The treasures in the Vault are amazing, as are the works of Dutch and Flemish art, the decor, the sculptures and the marvellous chandeliers. Superb.
Tell me more about the tour of Mansion House

Dinner with The Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP

Thursday 22nd February - 7pm

Born in Finchley, educated in Finchley and returning to Finchley for this dinner. Hold the date because we are planning a fabulous evening. 
Tell me more about the dinner with John Bercow
Mayor of Barnet's Charity Appeal

Homeless Action in Barnet
For 20 years HAB has been supporting the most vulnerable across Barnet, from its home in Woodhouse Road. I have long been a supporter of this Charity. It started as a soup kitchen in Finchley Methodist Church and Finchley Reform Synagogue. I remember helping them secure the premises in the mid 1990s and am proud to be supporting them as my chosen charity.

I intend that the money raised during the year will be used to improve and extend this building, enabling HAB to provide its valuable services for future generations.
Learn more about HAB
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The Barnet Eye Awards are happening tonight at 9pm at The Chandos Arms - Please come along



The False Dots 
You are cordially invited to attend the Barnet Eye Annual Xmas Party and community awards, with live music by The False Dots + Drop Pink. It's all happening at The Chandos Arms from 9pm to. The Chandos Arms has been nationally recognised as the Community pub of the year at the British Pub awards, so what better way to see what all the fuss is about.


For those readers new to the blog,every year we hold the Barnet Eye Community Awards and it gives our community a chance to celebrate, let our hair down and have a party. And the more of our friends who come along, the better the party we have.



Best of all, it's all free



We'll be presenting our awards to outstanding local people and organisations

 Please come along to show your appreciation to these marvellous organisations and people


The categories this year are


Barnet Person of the year


Barnet Charity of the year


Barnet Pub of the Year


Barnet Band/Artist of the Year


Barnet Sports Club of the Year
Barnet Community Event of the Year


Barnet Campaigner of the year


There will be some great sounds being played by the resident DJ after the live music and we'll be boogie'ing into the early hours. 

Live music will be provided by the False Dots doing an extra special show comprising an acoustic and an electric set! They will be ably supported by up and coming Mill Hill Band, Drop Pink, who have given us two amazing shows as part of the Mill Hill Broadway town square festival.


Please join us for an excellent nights entertainment. We will also be having a charity auction for the Charity of the Year, so please bring a few readies!

Here is a number from the False Dots forthcoming album to get you in the mood!

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Friday, 8 December 2017

The Friday Joke - 8/12/2017 - The Dangers of Technology

Image result for technology joke
Technology
Hi, Fred, this is Dan next door.  I have a confession to make. I have been riddled with guilt these past few months and have been trying to get up the courage to tell you face-to-face, but I am at least telling you in text as I cannot live with myself a moment longer without you knowing.
The truth is I have been sharing your wife, day and night, when you’re not around.  In fact, probably more than you.  I haven’t been getting it at home recently, but I know that’s no excuse.  The temptation was just too great.  I can no longer live with the guilt and hope that you will accept my sincerest apology and forgive me.  It won’t happen again.  Please suggest a fee for usage and I’ll pay you.  Regards,  Alan.


NEIGHBOR’S RESPONSE*
Fred, feeling so angered and betrayed...then grabbed his gun and shot his neighbor Dan dead.  He returned home, poured himself a stiff drink, and sat down on the sofa.  Fred took out his phone where he saw a second message from Dan.

SECOND MESSAGE*
 Hi, Fred, this is Dan next door, again. Sorry about the typo on my last text. I expect that you figured it out and noticed that darned  Auto Correct changed “wi-fi” to “wife.” That’s today’s technology for you, hey?
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Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Rog T's Cancer blog - My Cancer nightmare and thoughts on assisted dying

For those of you who are regular readers and have read the previous posts on Cancer, you can skip this first paragraph. I write this blog because knowledge is power and if you know what you are dealing with, you have more weapons in the locker to fight it. It is a personal view, I'm not medically qualified. This is for the sole purpose of information for those who are interested.This is the latest installment in my occasional series about how I'm adjusting to living with a big C in my life.  For those of you who aren't, here's a quick summary. I'm 54years old and in October 2011 I  had a prostate biopsy following two "slightly high" PSA tests - 2.8 & 4.1. The biopsy took ten tissue samples and one of these showed a "low grade cancer" which gave me a 3+3 on the Gleason scale. I'm now on a program of active monitoring.  In early February, I got the results of the a PSA test - down to 3.5 and an MRI scan which found absolutely nothing, two more tests in 2012 were at 3.5 and 3.9, in 2013 my test was 4.0, Jan 2014 was 3.8, August 2014 was 4.0,  February 2015 it was  up to 5.5  and my latest in August 2015 was down again at 4.6. In October 2015 I had a transperinial Prostate biopsy, that revealed higher grade cancer and my Gleason score was raised to 3+4 (Small mass + more aggressive cancer). On 22nd Jan 2016 I had HIFU (Hi Intensity Focused Ultrasound) treatment at UCHL). My post procedure PSA in May was 4.0 which was down, followed by 3.7 in August, and 3.5 in October  which means that the direction is positive . However in January the follow up MRI revealed "something unusual which requires investigation" After a follow up biopsy, it appeared this was nothing to worry about. I've no symptoms apart  from needing to wee quite regularly and sadly for a few people, if I'm gonna die soon, it won't be from Prostate cancer. Got the picture? 

Since the cancer last blog in April, I've had one PSA test in August. This was good, PSA stable at 3.7. So we are back in the holding pattern. Another MRI early in 2018. I have made a decision to cut back on my working commitments. I have enough stress in my life, so I have rearranged my diary to try and concentrate on less stressful work themes than some of the things I've been doing over the last two years. In August, I realised that I really needed to focus a little bit more on my quality of life. I spoke to someone recently who councils people with cancer, as part of some research I was doing. They gave me a brilliant illustration as to why people develop cancer. Consider your body as a building. Consider Cancer as a fire. Everybuilding has the potential to be damaged by fire. However there are three elements that you need to make a fire. The first is fuel (ie something flammable). Consider your genetic makeup as the fuel. All houses have flammable items, wood, plastics furnishings. Most of the time they are safe, some people have houses that are more prone to fires than others. If you do, you should take some more care. That is like your gene's. The next thing you need for a fire is oxygen. You should consider things like smoking, bad diet and lack of exercise as giving oxygen to your fire. But flammable materials and oxygen only give you the potential for a fire. The third key element is a spark.
For many of us, that spark is stress. There is good stress. We have sparks in our homes all the time. We light our cooker. Our gas heating ignites. Hopefully we manage those in a safe manor. However bad stress is like a spark from a cigarette, falling on a flammable soft furnishing. You may put it out. You may not. But the best strategy is to avoid the spark. So I've stepped back from some lucrative work, that I felt was not good for my general health.  I recently had a holiday in Fuertaventura as part of my mission to de-stress. I've started to plan projects for 2018 that will be more amenable to my general health. My trouble is that I'm a workaholic, so I am not scared to take work on that I don't really want. As I don't really need the money, it is really just stupid behaviour. 

 So, here I am in December 2017, sitting down and trying to construct a new way of approaching things. Some people say "Isn't blogging stressful?". No it isn't. It allows me to work through issues and collect my thoughts. I really enjoy things like the Advent Calendar series we are running at the moment. How could you not enjoy putting such a thing together. What is stressful is working for other parties, where you are expected to deliver things, not given the tools you need and then held to account for the failure of other people to deliver the things you require from them. So if you can, walk away is my advice. If you can't then at least sit down and try and develop a strategy to cope. 

 You are probably thinking "what has this got to do with Rog's cancer nightmare and thoughts on assisted dying". Well I wanted to give you a little background. I stepped away from some stressful work commitments in mid November, had a great holiday and am chilling out, planning what I want from next year. The cancer seems to be behaving itself and generally I am in a pretty good place. 

 But cancer lurks. For me, as I've said before, the worst issues are the psychological ones. The fear at the back of my mind. These manifest themselves in all manner of ways. On Monday, they manifested themselves in a most disturbing manner. For reasons I can't quite fathom, I had a pretty awful and very vivid nightmare. I was lying in bed, feeling just fine and a nurse came in. She said "I've two patches here". They looked like large nicotine patches. She explained "the green one will sedate you and make you calm and the brown one will make you painlessly slip away". I was quite shocked. I announced "Why would I want to do that, I am absolutely fine, there is nothing wrong, I'm not in pain". The nurse replied "You are on a high dose of morphine and you are simply not aware of the pain". I said "I'm not killing myself because it's inconvenient for you". She said "It's your choice, you simply put them on when you feel you need them".

 At that moment I woke up. I was disturbed and angry. My wife then brought me in a cup of tea. In the dream, she'd obviously been colluding with the nurses, so I was cross with her, but of course, in the real world, she'd been making me a cup of tea.

 I spent most of Monday thinking about what happened in my dream. Of course, I don't need the patches. Even if I did, no such thing exists (to my knowledge) and even if they did, no nurse in the UK would give them to me. Assisted dying is illegal. But it really made me think. 

 Should assisted dying be legalised. I think my dream summed up a few of the issues. Firstly, my biggest worry would be that the decision would be made on cost and convenience grounds. If you were in a situation where you were in unbearable pain, and you knew it would only be worse every day until you died, then I'm sure many would take the two patches. I know some have religious objections to suicide. For the record, I am a Roman Catholic, but I don't believe that God is a torturer, so I can see no reason why anyone should not be able to take such a decision if the only alternative is endless and unbearable pain. Of course, there should be strict guidelines and regulation.  Would I take the patch option? I really don't know. I'm inclined to say no, but I'm not in the "two patch" scenario, so I really can't say. Should nurses be criminalised for offering that as the only alternative to a terrible drawn out death. 

 Five years ago a good friend died of cancer of the Oesophagus. It was so painful that he was put on super strong opiates that meant all he could do was sleep and dribble. But he fought to the end. He did not want to die. So it really isn't that clear. I think h should have had the option, although how that could be practically managed I don't know, as he was so doped up that he was really in no condition to grant consent. 

 One thing I've found rather strange is how few nightmare's I've had about cancer since I was diagnosed. I also find it rather odd that I had this at a time when I was relatively chilled. I hadn't drunk any alcohol on Sunday or Monday and I don't eat cheese.  It was very vivid, I was wondering if anyone else has experienced such things? I tend to believe that dreams and nightmares are the way the subconscious deals with our fears and problems, so clearly there is some sort of issue lurking in my psyche that I need to address. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any advice to offer.


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Sunday, 3 December 2017

The Tweets of the Week in the London Borough of Barnet - 03/12/2017

Here it is again, the Tweets of the Week. Don't forget to follow any Tweeters who tickle your fancy.

1. Great to see local residents support Small Business!


2. I am breaking a golden rule here, but another tweet from Barnet Council. The reason, this is a great small business in Burnt Oak and I love the doggy standing guard, so I hope you'll forgive me!


3. We rathe like this from Burnt Oak Library


4. I'm glad some of our tweeters are damn persistent. @Superfast72 has been on the case with this for an age. We fully support his efforts


5. And Colindale Foodbank is another cause we fully support


6. And if you want a party, we thoroughly recommend our favourite Rugby club


7. We love a great historical tweet. This is a cracker!


8. Want to see one of Finchley's oldest buildings demolished? If not, you know what to do


9. I think we can all agree this is one Tory we'd like to see returned


10. Sometimes it's nice to be appreciated. I was so cold by the time this finished!


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Friday, 1 December 2017

The Friday Joke - 10 films that really should be remade! 01/12/2017

Image result for Spoof movie posters Trump
The New Alt Right 
I said to my darling wife  "let's go out for dinner later. She said 'lets stay in and get a takeaway and watch a classic film". I said what do you fancy? She said "I'd love to watch Oh Brother, where art thou". I quipped back "Is that the Ryan Giggs lifestory? As a City fan I'm not that interested". As ever I was dismissed as an idiot. However it got me thinking. What films should be remade?

I got to thinking about some of the great films I've seen over the years. How could they be remade to have a more modern theme. I was surprised at how easy it was to come up with a list. Do you have any suggestions?

Here are my top ten.



1. Oh Brother, where art thou - The story of Ryan Giggs and his beloved bro!

2. Citizen Kane - I suppose this will only be made if Harry Kane moves to Manchester City!

3. Apocalypse Now - A film I hope isn't made (well I suppose it wouldn't  be, would it). The Story of Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un

4. Psycho - The Stuart Pearce story (Nuff said!)

5. Some Like it Hot - The true story of the Mill Hill Rugby Club Xmas Curry 1988 at the Mill Hill Tandoori (It is a hilarious story, I'll retell it sometime)

6. The Blair Witch project - The story of how Mrs Tony shaped Tony into "How Cherie Moulded Britains most successful Prime Minister of modern times" (It's Hollywood!) (I'd cast Hugh Grant as Tony and a young Bette Davis as Cherie in a perfect world, and with access to a time machine!)

7 . Zombieland - The Story of Donald Trumps Whitehouse

8.  Dumb and Dumber - The rise of Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and The Alt Right in the USA

9. Dazed and Confused - The Boris Johnson Story

10. Groundhog Day - The life of an Arsenal fan in the 21st Century

Have a Great Weekend. Why not join us for some fun at the Mill Hill Market today or tomorrow.

Mill Hill Markets Line Up
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