The Burnt Oak preservation society

I wanted to show my appreciation for the efforts my beloved has put in for me recently. I am not the easiest of people to live with with. I'm moody, I take her for granted. We have three school age children and I have to juggle running three businesses (employing 9 people), playing football twice a week, playing guitar in a rock and roll band, writing a blog, standing for Barnet Council, being the trustee of a charity and setting up a youth music project for disaffected youngsters. My daughter is a national swimming champion so has to be taken to the pool and picked up eleven times a week (usually at ungodly hours).My son plays for an under 10 team (as well as the school team) and also needs carting around.

So whats all this got to do with Burnt Oak? Well as I said, I felt the need to show my appreciation. I wanted to cook her a rather nice meal. Now you may think that as there is a M&S at the end of my road in Mill Hill, it would be a simple matter of buying a few tasty dishes and bunging them in the oven for 10 minutes. A nice posh bunch of flowers and viola ! Instant appreciation. Oh yeah? Where's the effort and appreciation in that. Nope, if I want to show I care, a trip to Burnt Oak is order of the day. My wife doesn't eat meat, but loves fish. Whilst M&S does a great line in pre wrapped, pre packed fish, there are two fantastic fishmongers in Burnt Oak (three on a Saturday with the van at the Market). Sadly there isn't one in Mill Hill. A quick perusal of the items on sale and three beautifully fresh sea bass were selected. All for £5. Then next door to the greengrocer. Again, whilst M&S does fantastic pre prepared vegetables, they don't do what I needed. I wanted fresh Okra (ladiesfingers). These require a trip to Burnt Oak. An Aubergene and a lemon were also procured. £2.65 for the lot.

Having obtained all of the necessary ingredients, over the road to the flower shop. Now despite my artistic pretensions, I'm not much of  a whizz on the old flower arrangements. For this, I turn to my middle daughter. She's the artist of the family. Sure, in Mill Hill you go in and you say "I'd like a nice bunch of flowers for the wife" and they say "that will be £50" and you get a magnificent spray. In the flower shop in Burnt Oak, you pick the individual flowers out of the buckets and they wrap them up for you. My daughter ensured I had a bunch far prettier and far superior to anything I could procure elsewhere, all perfectly blended to my wife's personal taste in colours.

Anyway, a dish was served up of Baked sea bass, spiced tomato and okra and fried aubergene and mushroom (in my very own sauce). The flowers have pride of place on our dining room table. Whilst shops such as M&S are superb and I'm glad to have one in Mill Hill, if you love food and you love cooking and you are serious about it, Burnt Oak is a goldmine. All of the shops are run by small traders, who work their nuts off for a living. People get on with their business and get on with each other. When I was a kid in the 1960's it was a white working class enclave. Places such as the Annunciation Church social club was the centre of the Irish Catholic community. Watling boys club hosted boxing and football. Stars such as Spurs Steve Perryman started their career there. Sadly both of these have long gone. Watling FC continues (my son plays football for them) at the Burnt Oak lesuire centre, but the clubhouse is derelict. Pavillion Way playing fields lay derelict and the market is on it's last legs. Why does this matter? What do youngsters do when they are bored, skint and demotivated? Well, everyone is different but some drift down the wrong path in life.

Burnt Oak has changed, but it is the most vibrant and edgy high street in the Borough. It has the best selection of small shops and the best selection people (it probably has the most culturally diverse make up of anywhere in Barnet) . It makes me sick to the core how Barnet Council neglects this community. My advice to anyone living in Mill Hill, who is struggling to make ends meet on a budget. Check out the shops in Burnt Oak. If you like fresh food you'll be amazed at what you can get there.

We have a Mill Hill Preservation Society, a fine organisation dedicated to keeping Mill Hill a green, pleasant, leafy town. We need a Burnt Oak preservation society as well. This should have a very different mission. To protect and develop facilities such as Pavillion way, Watling Boys club and the other facilities. Most of all it needs to preserve the community spirit in Burnt Oak.