Do you know that feeling, when you are half awake and half asleep and you are not quite sure whether you are dreaming or not? Sometimes strange and inexplicable things happen, sometimes you wake up with a start and are not quite sure. Well last night, I got in rather late from having a drink with friends at the Mill Hill Services Club. The last job of the night is to take our two dogs out for a comfort break. Usually when we return, I'll have a cup of tea and sit down for ten minutes with them to settle them down. We have two dogs. Both are rescue dogs and have stress issues. Bruno is eight and resembles a large Labrador. He is fairly chilled out in the house and would love to be a lapdog, but he's a 40kg beast. He loves a cuddle and is very affectionate. When he gets in he just lollops on the couch. Kira is a white german shepherd. She's around 18 months old and is still very nervous. When we are on a walk, she is a model dog. She has great recall, she will fetch a ball and really enjoys it. She will placidly return to me to be put on the lead and is happy to be petted. As soon as we get in the house, she won't come near me. We assume that she was maltreated, which is why she ended up with the RSPCA. She is fine with my wife and daughter, but in the house, she gives me a wide berth, until its time for a walk, when she will be fine. She is an incredibly intelligent dog, unlike Bruno who is lovable but stupid. The first time I took her to Mill Hill Park, she slipped the lead and ran straight home, having only walked the path on the way up. Once she realised that I was a friend on a walk, she instantly developed recall and learned to fetch balls.
As she is nervous, she benefits from some time to chill, before we go to bed. So as I went through my routine, got a cup of tea and sat down, she settled into her bed, at the other end of the house. I started reading a magazine, had a few sips of tea and my mind started to wander. Then a very strange thing happened. Kira came up and nuzzled me. This does happen very, very occasionally when I am still and chilled. I gave her a stroke, then something very strange happened. I could hear her speaking to me. This was not vocally, but I could feel her thoughts and that she wanted to talk to me. I was intrigued, so I said "What's up Kira?". She replied "I really feel sorry for people". This surprised me. I've always thought humans were the ones who felt sorry for dogs. She then explained. Here are her reasons.
1. People don't know how to enjoy themselves. She said "When we are on a walk, it is amazing, you are outside, you can run, there are lots of smells and sights, there are other people on the way, but you ignore them. If I see a dog and it is friendly, I play with it, but if you see someone you like the look of, you still ignore them. I can tell because I can smell when humans like people".
2. People don't know how to show their emotions. She explained "When mum comes home, I am really pleased to see her, so I greet her and let her know. You just grunt. But then, when people you don't like visit, you are overly friendly to them, even though you don't trust them".
3. People don't know how to clean themselves. She explained "If a dog has something which is annoying it, we will clean it. Humans couldn't do this even if the wanted to." Replied "We have showers", she replied "Once a day, dogs clean themselves all the time, especially the bits that smell".
4. People don't enjoy their food. She explained "A dog knows the value of food. If I have a bone, it is precious and really good to eat. I don't want to share it with Bruno, even though I like it. You are always sharing your food. That is really stupid".
5. People don't know how to tell when other people wish them ill. She explained "A dog will instantly know if another dog doesn't like them. They give off strong body language. Humans do the same but they seem oblivious to it. When people who are ill meaning come to the door, you tell us to be quiet, even though we are protecting you. That is very stupid".
6. People get angry over nothing. She explained "Dogs get angry if you tread on their tail, steal their bone or mistreat them. We also get angry if we are treated unfairly. However people sit around doing nothing and all of a sudden are angry with each other, it is difficult to understand why and makes us nervous".
At that point I stirred with a start. Kira was sitting in her bed, looking at me in a rather strange fashion. Wheras normally I could remember nothing of such interstate moments, I could recall every word and quickly noted it. As with many things, I am not entirely sure whether it was my imagination or a moment of connection. This morning, she was back to her usual self. Good on the walk, now sitting in her bed. I've often wondered what dogs think about and whether they actually think about human behaviour. Oddly a former housemate of mine had a very similar experience with my old cat. He'd taken LSD at the time, which I thought offered a sensible explanation. Last night, I'd had a couple of pints of Carlsberg. The odd thing is that all of the observations make perfect sense from a dog's perspective, but I really don't see much prospect of people changing their behaviour.
I would suggest to all dog owners, that they give some consideration to the idea that maybe the reason their dog takes such good care of them is because the dog is feeling sorry for them. With that in mind, maybe we should give our dogs a bit more affection and appreciation than we sometimes do. Whether or not it was genuine bona-fide communication or a dream, I feel I have learned something.
Mel Brooks is probably my favourite film director. Anyone who heard the disgraceful chanting at the Trump rally this week, would probably draw a strong parallel with this scene from Blazing Saddles, you could almost imagine the Sheriff riding in!
I would love to see a Mel Brooks take on the Trump administration
Whilst we never need a reason to show a Mel Brooks clip, I think that this one occasion where there is certainly a good reason. Have a great weekend. If anyone is at the Heart of Wembley Festival, see you there.
Tonight, as I do every Thursday at around 8pm, I will make my way to Powerleague in Pursley Road to play five a side football. For nearly 20 years, this has been a ritual and one I am loathe to break. I've missed concerts, not asked important questions at Council meetings and upset family members by not attending parties and other celebrations because I've been playing football. When I started playing with the boys, I was 38. I had played eleven a side football until I was 33 with Hendon School old boys, stopping when my eldest daughter was born. I felt that it would be unfair to my wife to miss every Saturday afternoon. It also gave her a break from childcare. As I put on a couple of stone, she was quite supportive when I suggested I might start playing again. The group were roughly my age, including several old school mates from Orange Hill. It was a good standard, but friendly. We'd also have a beer in the Three Hammers after the match. As time went by, most of the original group retired, moved away or got injured. Now there are just three originals, who were there when I joined the gang. Some of us bring our sons to join in. They are faster, more skillful and better players than me, but it keeps an edge. Around five years ago, the original organiser, Tony retired. I stepped up and added the organisation to the long list of things I do. Unlike most of the other things, there is a big payback. For me, it is a highlight of the week. It helps me deal with the stresses of life. You can't take your cares onto a football pitch, so you are forced to chill.
Over the weekend, I was thinking about my father. Watching the Cricket world cup reminded me of his love of Cricket. He was a very good cricketer in his youth, playing at a good level in Australia before the second world war. When he left the RAF in 1946 and settled in England, he played for several seasons for Finchley Cricket club. I once asked him why he stopped and his reply was that when he realised that he was not able to physically perform to the level he wanted, he saw no point in playing. He switched his allegiance to snooker at The Mill Hill Services club. He could have a pint while he played and that became his Thursday night ritual. In the mid 1960's his snooker partner was film star Patrick McGoohan, a club member famous for the Prisoner and Ice Station Zebra. As he loved cricket, I never really understood his decision to stop. He was fiercely competitive and I suspect that he didn't like the idea that sooner or later he'd lose his place in the team to someone he considered an inferior player. As I pondered these thoughts, celebrating Englands victory, I realised that as I've never been a particularly good footballer, I've probably enjoyed it far more than if I'd been someone who actually had a chance of success. On Tuesday night, I went to Borehamwood to watch the team play QPR. I went with my old music mate, Boz Boorer, his daughter and my son. We bumped into Boz's mate, QPR legend Kevin Gallen and had a few beers with him, before watching the match.
Much fun was had, but on the way back Boz commented that, given the dire quality of football and the lack of first team players, for Kev it must have been like when Boz, as a musician watches a duff tribute act. Kev was there to check out a few players, he now works for Crystal Palace. I am not sure that his trip was worth the effort, as the Wood won 2-1 in a poor game. The QPR goal looked to me rather like a dodgy penalty.
Although I'd love to have scored the winning goal for England in a World Cup final or for Manchester City FC in the FA Cup final, the fact I was always quite rubbish meant that I've always been able to enjoy my football. I enjoy the camaraderie of playing in a team.
Powerleague in Mill Hill is a wonderful place. It gives a fat, unfit 56 year old like me the opportunity to kick a ball about, long after the age when I should be. Having a 4G Astroturf pitch and floodlights, means we can play at 8.30pm, come rain or shine. It has given me the chance to play football with my 19 year old son, which is something I'd guess most blokes would love to do. It means that I see my group of friends on a regular basis and I've made many new ones over the 20 years with the team. We organise curry nights and have been to comedy clubs etc as a group.
So when you hear that Mill Hill isn't the place that it was 40 years ago, just remember that people in my Dad's generation didn't have Powerleague. For me, Powerleague is the best new business to arrive in Mill Hill in the last 25 years. Ironically, it is on the site of my old clubs clubhouse. I was quite upset when it was knocked down, but have to admit, Powerleague is actually a huge improvement. It is great to see all of the young people playing sport there. Powerleague is a jewel in Mill Hill. I haven't been paid for this article, but if they want to give us a few beers in the clubhouse next Thursday, I won't say no!
There is a bit of a back story to this. When I was about seven years old in 1969, I asked my Dad where the Mill was. I assumed there was a big Mill somewhere. He suggested that we jump in his car and have a look for it. We spent a joyous half an hour zooming around the streets of Mill Hill, looking for it. Then we got to the junction of Highwood Hill and Lawrence Street. There was a group of people gathered outside the 'Old Forge tearooms' on the small green. Dad suggested we stopped an had a look. To my great delight, the Old Forge was having a strawberry fair. So we had tea, with strawberries and cream. It was delightful. I completely forgot about our mission to find the Mill. As a parent, I now realise that Dad had probably planned going for strawberries all along, as bunch of his mates were there. A couple of weeks after, I said to him that surely they should change the name of Mill Hill, as there was no Mill. He said if I could think of a better name, he'd have a word with Mayor and get it changed. Sadly, to this day, I've been unable to come up with a better one.
A couple of weeks ago, I took my grandchildren to see The Flying Scotsman hurtle through Mill Hill at around half past eight on a Saturday morning. It was a sight to behold. I am pretty sure it was the first time I went to Mill Hill to watch trains since the late 1950's. I mentioned this to my grandchildren, who were fascinated to hear that all of the trains were steam engines back then. I explained that there was no M1 Motorway and that there was another railway line that used to pass under the Thameslink line.This line carried goods to Mill Hill East, a depot in Flower Lane and a depot in Edgware, based where the Broadwalk Centre has been built. There is an excellent write up about this service by Eric Stuart, with some nice pictures of the Northern Line freight services. In the 1950's, Mill Hill East gasworks was still producing Town Gas, and the area always had a rather unpleasant aroma!
The tweet below has a link to an excellent video of the event
This morning I had the pleasure of seeing 60103 Flying Scotsman on a different route for a change, at the head of @railwaytouring's "The Yorkshireman" from Ealing Broadway to York, seen here at Mill Hill Broadway accelerating away on the fast line!https://t.co/JjTUrXzEPopic.twitter.com/ob3xTFMwfs
Watching the Flying Scotsman gave me a great feeling of nostalgia. At the end of the 1950's I was around 14 years old, my childhood was drawing to a close. By the end of the next decade, not only had I changed beyond recognition, so had Mill Hill. The M1 had been built, the Mill Hill East to Edgware railway line had disappeared, along with the coal depots and builders yards associated with it. The station at Mill Hill had been knocked down and rebuilt. Double decker buses could pass under the railway bridge, reshaping all of the local bus routes. Many other changes had taken place. The famous London smogs of my youth had disappeared as people stopped using coal to heat their homes. Ordinary working people had televisions and telephones. But what was it like growing up in Mill Hill in the 1950's?
There were a few notable moments that stick in my mind. When I was around seven, rationing ended. I was born with rationing and so it was just normal life. One day, out of the blue, we were told that rationing had ended. We were excited to learn that banana's and sweets could be bought, as many as you liked, so long as you had the money. In practice, this was usually when you'd had a birthday or just seen your granny!
Mill Hill had a cinema and our family would often visit. As well as the features of the day, the programme would feature Pathe News. This was our link with the world. As a boy, I loved the features on the latest RAF jets, the UK's rocket program in Australia and anything featuring developments in cars and trains. I loved the war films, which were jingoistic and highly entertaining. Britain seemed a very important country in the 1950's. We were ahead of the game. Frank Whittle had invented the jet engine, Fleming had invented penicillin and we had our own nuclear weapons and rocket program. News of these developments made us proud to be British. My scariest cinema moment was watching a Pathe News film about the effects of Polio. Polio was always a fear in the early 1950's and the shot of an iron lung was perhaps the scariest thing I could imagine, as we had seen classmates affected by the disease.
Cinemas in the 1950's were a very different experience. It seemed everyone smoked and people would seemingly enter and leave at random times, as no one had a clue when the programme actually started. People would talk about catching fleas at the cinema and people generally had no idea if the films were any good before going. Often you'd hear people walking out half way through saying "what a load of rubbish', having turned up on spec and gotten bored after a few minutes, realising the film was of a genre not to their taste. Local cinema's were cheap, cheerful and generally good fun.
Cinema was popular as most people did not have televisions, our family certainly didn't and none of our friends had one either. Radio was the most popular mass media method of communication, We loved the radio drama's such as Journey into Space. You would learn about such gems in the playground through word of mouth. As I recall, their was only one channel and the broadcasts were of a most eclectic nature. You would listen to things you had no interest in, as there was no choice. As such often you learned all manner of information that normally you'd have no exposure to at all. This was especially true in winter when there was literally nothing else to do.
In the milder months, we found other ways to have fun. Groups of boys would congregate in the park to play football. We'd go to Angel and Sheepwash ponds armed with fishing nets and jam jars to collect tadpoles. We'd make our way to Mill Hill Broadway to watch trains. We used to love standing on the footbridge that passed over the railway lines, as steam engines passed, to be completely enveloped in steam as the engines passed. Children would play football in the road. Go karts would be built from discarded prams. These would be used in frantic races up and down the pavements. Everyone seemed to have nicknames and small gangs of children would form, not to deal drugs, but to organise trips to collect conkers and collect tadpoles. Occasionally we'd take a trip to a local Fair in Burnt Oak or the Finchley Carnival to partake in the fun. Any fair with Dodgems was something that would be well worth the trip.
Our homes were freezing cold in winter, as they were heated by coal. As a boy, my job was to go to the coal bunker for a refill in the night, as the snow fell, the wind whistled and the frost bit. I useed to feel like Scott of the Antarctic. On winter evenings night we didn't have milkshakes, we preferred Bovril, as it warmed you up. The lack of central heating and TV meant that the four seasons loomed large. Winters were cold and bleak. Home was cold, your classroom was cold and the walk home was miserable. The one saving grace was the football season. As Mill Hill had no team, we'd make our way to Edgware to watch Edgware Town FC. There's an excellent article about the old ground by Peter Miles.
The Old White Lion ground
1956 Edgware Town programme
Groups of boys would make their way, drink Bovril and enjoy real, grass roots, old school footie. The big game of the seasons was the FA Cup, but the 50's was a very dry time for 'The Town'. The team invariably went out in the first qualifying round. In my memory, it was always raining and freezing cold, but there was also an amazing atmosphere. There was no violence and little bad language on the terrace. Each season had smells we associated with the season. The overriding smell of winter was the coal fires that kept us warm. Coal gave a very warm, pleasant, reassuring smell off and returning from a cold walk back from school, this was perhaps the finest smell of all. The smell of my fathers cigarettes was also an abiding memory, for reasons I can't quite fathom, tobacco smoke smelled far better in the 1950's, especially from Grandpa's pipe. There was also the smell of turkey at Christmas. The tradition was to cook these overnight. You would awake at 4am on Christmas morning, to a glorious smell. Although they say it is not the best way to cook turkey, the smell was glorious and worth the effort. The Christmas turkey was the only time of the year we had more meat than we could eat. Perhaps thats why we found it so special
Spring was a time of fun. Catching tadpoles in Sheepwash and Angel pond, slow worms in Arrendene, and enjoying the experience as the days got longer and warmer. Easter was more about hot cross buns than Easter eggs and church attendance was compulsory. Grand Victorian hymns were sung to the blaring background of a zealously played organ, with only a few bum notes. The air always smelled fresher in the spring. Lawns were mown, hedges were trimmed, each had their own special smell. The smell of hot cross buns at easter was another favourite. Another smell at this time of the year was when the farms did their muckspreading. This involved dumping tons of slurry from the cow and pig sheds on the fields, to fertilise the grass. The whole of Mill Hill ponged for a week!
Summers were glorious, the day that school broke up was a liberation, We'd spend our days in the park, the smell of freshly mowed lawns is perhaps my favourite smell. The parks in Mill Hill were spotless, ferociously guarded by the park keepers of the Hendon Borough Council. They kept a beady eye on the kids. They had a great sense of civic pride. They would always refer to "my park" and "my flowerbed", We loved the swings, made with steel and large chains. We loved the large slide. Most of all we loved the roundabout, the game was to spin it as fast as possible and try and hang on. Failure meant a grazed leg if you were lucky and a trip to Edgware general if you were unlucky. Cricket in the park was a must. I developed an interest in Cricket via the Mill Hill Village Cricket club, It had a clubhouse and is set in the idyllic Totteridge Valley. Perhaps the best of all was the glorious Mill Hill Swimming Pool. This was the social centre of Mill Hill youth in the summer. On a sunny day in the holidays, there was not a square inch of space. The pool had fountains and diving boards (a slide was added in the late 1960's). All of your friends would be there as well, we would buy ice creams from the ice cream van outside on the way home, which announced its arrival with happy chimes and Perhaps my happiest memories from the time were at the pool. Mind you, we all hated the place when we went there for swimming lessons when it was freezing cold in April. The smells of summer were mown lawns, the smell of Mill Hill swimming pool and the woods, where we whiled away the long days.
Autumn was perhaps the most interesting time. Much as we all hated the return to school, it was the season of scrumping apples, picking blackberries and the football started again, it always seemed that the season started in glorious sunshine. Playing for the school team was a joy. As the autumn drew in and the coal fires were lit, the smogs began. Conkers were collected around the time we entered the season for proper London smogs. The smogs seemed to me like the end of the world, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Adults would stay in and insist you did the same. Doors and windows kept firmly closed. Stories of lost buses would be told on the radio. How could we have beaten the Germans when we couldn't even get a bus from Edgware to Golders Green? The smells of autumn were bonfires and fireworks. November the 5th was a big event. We made guys and collected money to buy fireworks. There were no restrictions on children buying them, so we'd have great fun with bangers, many of which would horrify modern parents. Garden rubbish was burned and it seemed every weekend was filled with the acrid smell. You also noticed the smell of coal, which had been largely absent for the summer, as fires were lit as the chill set in.
As for food, eating out was an alien concept, although once in a while, Dad would take us to Sids Cafe in the Broadway for a bacon Sandwich. Dad didn't cook, so when Mum wasn't around, this was a rare treat. Mum used to grow vegetables and rhubarb in the garden of our small council house, mostly tomatoes, potatoes and rhubarb. She also planted an apple and pear tree. These would bulge with fruit in the autumn and we'd have a season of apple pies and pear tarts. Before she passed away, I asked mum why we grew so much rhubarb. She explained that it meant we could have pudding on a Sunday nearly all year around. In terms of volume, it was the most economical of the possible fruits to grow. Cash was tight, so a small plot meant a big difference in household budgets.
In 1959, I got a job working assisting a local milkman. I loved this, at Christmas there were generous tips and there was always the opportunity to earn a few bob extra. This was where I first learned about the British love of an innuendo. The new milk boy was always the victim of bawdy banter between the milkman and the various ladies on the round. At first, this was a complete shock to me, but I soon embraced it. As I started to take notice of their daughters, having a few bob in my pocket was a wonderful thing. I'd see many of them at the swimming pool in the summer and it was great fun, at that age all very innocent. I still hadn't decided that holding hands with girls was more fun than collecting conkers with my mates!
In the summer, old ladies needed lawns mowed and fences painting. It gave me a real work ethic. In hindsight, the milk round was an a very green concept. Everything was geared up to minimise waste. The milk was delivered to the depot by train, the milk floats were electric and the bottles were recycled. Best of all though, the round gave me money, which I used to save up for a bicycle. Bicycles meant liberation. Cash was scarce, but with a bicycle, you could go fishing in Totteridge, the Welsh Harp and Stanmore Common pond. Having a bicycle gave me a practical outlet for my interest in engineering. Like many 1950's boys, I had a mecano set and built crystal sets. The bike had a far more practical purpose and being able to fix it myself saved cash and kept me mobile.
There were various youth groups in Mill Hill. I was involved in the ssea cadet and the boys brigade. I recall one trip, to Scotland. This was planned with military precision. All of the equipment was loaded onto a rail wagon at Mill Hill and the wagon was attached to the train. When we eventually arrived in Scotland our equipment was with us. The wagon sat in a siding for a week and was re-attached for the journey back. I also loved the Boys Brigade, with its band parades through Mill Hill. A huge amount of work went into the preparations for the parade. Our expectation was that this would be a good grounding for National Service in the armed forces, but this was abolished in 1960. I had been fascinated by the army and the air force. Although now there is a touch of derision about 'square bashing' and National Service, we thought the idea exciting as 14 year olds. We dreamed of glamorous postings. Fortunately, I never got to learn the truth!
By the mid 1950's, the world was changing and the safe, old ways seemed to be being eroded. When "Rock Around The Clock" was screened at Hendon Odeon in 1956, it made the front page of the Daily Mirror as Teddy boys rioted. My Dad was disgusted and told me I'd be kicked out if I ever behaved in such manner. As a ten year old, I didn't understand why anyone would smash up a cinema.
By the age of 14, a group of us had furtively cycled down to the Ace Cafe, an infamous Rockers haunt on the North Circular. The purpose? purely to see the Juekbox. We were fascinated. The place seemed scary and the Rockers on their BSA's and Triumph bikes seemed impossibly cool. The jukebox was a wonder to behold. As I recall, I plucked up the courage to put on a Lonnie Donegan track. One of the Rockers asked if I liked Skiffle. I lied and said 'Yes'. He suggested that I check out "Only sixteen" by Craig Douglas. It was number one, I put my penny in the machine and the track started. As a fourteen year old, sixteen sounded very grown up and the idea of falling in love seemed a very strange concept, We were all rather naive. The friendly rocker told me that if I wanted to get the girls I should do three things, get a bike, get a guitar and join a band. As a fourteen year old from a working class background, none seemed very feasible, however a subsequent trip down to Edgware to Rex Judds and Edgware Music on the bicycle convinced me that if I saved up my milk round money, I would be able to afford one or the other in about a year's time. As my father would not approve of either, this would be a rather difficult decision. I figured if it was my own money, he would have less grounds to complain. I then read an article explaining how musicians could make good money playing at dances. It seemed to me that this was a way around the problem and swung me towards saving for a guitar. This was a very big difference between the 1950's and today. If we wanted things, we had to save up. Parents would not help, especially if they disapproved.
Family news came via letters. we didn't have telephones. That was a luxury and as your friends didn't have one, why would you spend all of that money. Letters would turn up from far flung relatives announcing that an auntie had died or someone was getting married. Letters from aunties required lengthy, perfectly written responses, in excellent handwriting. To not bother would lead to family rifts, especially if the letter contained a sixpence (2.5p) for your birthday. The coinage was different then. In 1960, to our horror, the farthing was abolished. Although worth almost nothing, to children they were a great coin, you could collect a few and buy sweets. Adults would often give you one or two, especially for your November 5th guy. Pocket money was a thruppeny bit if you were lucky. This would buy a decent bag of sweets.
Communications was different and by todays standards seemed very tricky. Often a letter about family business would have the telephone number of a phone box with an invitation to ring at a set time. Queues would form at the phone box and people would be viewed as anti social if they chatted too long. As a child, phone boxes seemed strange and glamorous, I couldn't imagine wanting to phone anyone. As for photography, Pictures were taken at school, at weddings and at the seaside. Very few working people had cameras and those that did were enthusiasts, needing light meters and all manner of other gadgets to get a picture from a camera the size of a box of strawberries. The idea that we'd be buying mobile phones with camera's built in for our children at age 3 would be totally beyond belief. There was no concept of junk mail.
The world seemed to move a lot more slowly. As the 1960's approached, we were excited by the new decade. In 1957, Harold MacMillan had said "You've never had it so good". In ten years we'd gone from rationing to Rock and Roll. The USSR had launched a Sputnik in 1957 and the USA had responded in 1958 with Explorer. In Mill Hill, we could cycle down the road to Hendon Aerodrome and watch the annual Hendon Air Show at the RAF base. It seemed as if we were on the dawn of a very exciting era, however Mill Hill was in many ways one of the sleepiest parts of London. Built by the Quakers, there was a bye law forbidding a pub within a mile of the town centre. Wednesday was early closing day, when the Broadway closed after lunch. You would see nuns in strange habits from the convent on the Ridgeway and priests with red sashes from St Josephs College. The roads were quiet after rush hour and the Broadway deserted after 5pm, save from commuters catching buses. There were no convenience stores, ATM's or late night takeaways. If you wanted a pound of sugar, you bought it when the shops were open. If you forgot, you'd knock on a neighbours door.
The world changes all of the time. Mill Hill has probably changed far less than many places in London, but the it is a different world. By and large, the smells are gone, the innocence has gone. Children don't play in the street, take themselves off to Edgware, The Ace Cafe or anywhere else in gangs on bicycles. 13 year olds do not work on Milk rounds. Steam trains do not chug through, spewing out smoke that causes smogs, except for very special trips with celebrity engines such as The Flying Scotsman. The Broadway has a small pub called the Bridge and you can get a pint of milk from 6am til the early hours. The Hendon Aerodrome is now the Grahame Park Estate, the railway from Mill Hill East to Edgware is long gone and all of the freight is moved by road. But we have just about hung onto the Green Belt, we still have Cricket at Mill Hill Village and we still have Angel and Sheepwash pond. Luckily, the best parts of where we live are still recognisably Mill Hill.
On my Mill Hill website, I have put some links to some amazing libraries of historical pictures. If you are interested in such things, check these out, they are fascinating. I've lived in Mill Hill for a very long time and loved every minute of it and it is a pleasure to share this with you.
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Richard Wilkinson is a local resident. He's put together a helpful website for visitors and local residents who want to know more about the area - https://millhillbroadway.org/
This morning, BBC Radio London has been talking about Extinction Rebellion going national, as part of a 'summer uprising'. We all vividly remember the scenes from the Central London protests. Many friends locally went down to take part. What we now need is a local, Mill Hill flavoured mini 'Extinction Rebellion'. Given Mill Hill's almost unique geographical quirks, we see a microcosm of many of the issues that affect London.
London is a great city, if you pay the property premiums we have to, you must like some aspect of it. If you live in Mill Hill, you probably also enjoy a bit of tranquility
Mill Hill has perhaps the best transport links of any London outer suburb. The Thameslink service and The Northern Line give excellent access to Central London, with quick journeys. There are eight bus services from in and around the Broadway. We have some decent shops such as M&S, Iceland and the amazing independent retailers. We also have beautiful parkss, the Green Belt and the Conservation area. We have Darlands Lake Nature reserve, several picturesque ponds and many small streams. We have an amazing array of wildlife living in and around this. We are one of the few London postcodes that have working farms and herds of cows.
I like to think I do my bit, we’ve planted 5 trees in the garden, an apple, a plum, a cherry and 2 pear trees. Free fruit later in the year pic.twitter.com/WuOGsx76pZ
— Roger Tichborne/RogT #CTID (@Barneteye) July 8, 2019
1. Properly protect natural habitats and refuges in the Borough of Barnet. We've seen constant attacks on these. Sadly there is no evidence at all of proper enforcement. The debacle of Darlands Lake is perhaps the worst example. This week we had a meeting of "The Environment committee" at the Council. This week the environment committee met. One item was the Parks and Open spaces strategy. There was no mention at all of measures to strengthen protection of our natural habitats. That is bordering on criminal negligence. The first thing we need is a proper audit of the wildlife and the habitats they need in Barnet. I am shocked at how many people are unaware of the diversity of reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals in the Borough. I was recently chatting to some young people at the studios I run, talking about our trip to Australia. One said "I wouldn't live anywhere with snakes and spiders!". When I said "Did you know thare are adders and grass snakes inthe Borough?" they were shocked. What sort of education are children getting, when they don't even know of the reptiles on our doorstep? Something is sriously wrong. 2. Waste management. One of the most criminal acts against our neighbours in the future has been the abandonment of seperate food waste collections by Barnet Council. This was deliberately concealed from the public before the last election. That is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of Barnet Council and waste. Most of what we produce is sent to incinerators or buried in landfil sites. The council is constantly trying to find cheaper ways to get rid of the huge grey bins full of rubbish we produce every week. When I was a kid, we had one small metal bin. Now we have three that seem to be full every week. The simple answer is to have less packaging. If the govt forced supermarkets to cut packaging, every council would have a huge windfall and our future neighbours would have a far more pleasant planet.
3. Energy management. Back in 2010, I proposed that all libraries and public buildings in Barnet be fitted with solar panels. I made the case that this would have paid for itself in five years and then made a huge profit. Had they done this then, the council would have been £2 million better off and used an untold amount less CO2. Sadly the generous tariffs that applied then have long gone, but there is no reason why the Council should not still invest. The payback would be 8-9 years, but as the recent Saracens deal has shown, money can be borrowed from the public works board at low rates. If this was done over 20 years, the council would see profit next year on its budget. It is a win-win and one that there is no sane reason not to persue. Every school, library and other public building should do this. When you consider that schools use energy during the day when the sun shines, they would end up paying almost nothing in energy costs for most of the year. 4. Electric vehicles. I simply cannot understand why Councils do not use them. Birmingham Council had a whole fleet of them decades ago. Barnet must commit to ensuring the next generation of vehicles are fully electric. Volvo have announced the launch of one with a range of 200km. As far as I am aware, that is more than ample for Barnet. I would ask the council to commit to electric for the next generation. We can't win all of the battles today, but we must start planning for the future. 5. Encouraging walking and cycling. Barnet has appalling air quality by major roads. The undercroft of Mill Hill Broadway station has been measured as having the worst air quality in Western Europe. That is scandalous. We urgently need to reduce the number of car journeys. There are several practical ways that this can be done. I would start with the school run. I would give precence to all applications for schools where parents commit to walk to school. I would then give schools the ability to sanction parents who make a commitment to walk and then renege. As for cycling, Barnet has an appalling record in providing safe cycleways. I believe that this is vital not only to protect our neighbours in the future, but to regenerate our High Streets. I have long wondered if there is any way that Councils could be encouraged by reductions in business rates, to get more customers cycling. As someone with a background in card technology, I was wondering if we could have a system where customers who use a cycle dock could get a 5% discount on products etc? If this was funded by a Business rates cut then it would be good for all. Now I am sure someone will say "who will pay for this?" The answer is simple, bicycles cause no wear and tear on roads. When we see potholes on roads, these are caused by cars and lorries. It seems there are no official studies that show increased cycling reduces highways maintenance, but it is clearly something Barnet Council should study. Another point worth considering is that walking and cycling improve health (except when bad car drivers become a part of the equation). This will save in healthcare costs. If we start planning eco friendly, viable foot and cycle networks now, our neighbours of the future will surely have less reason to hate us.
6. Tree/shrub planting. Where I live, I have the M1 motorway at the bottom of my garden. When I walk my dogs to Mill Hill Park, we cross both the A1 and A41 trunk roads on the Watford Way. The Road has a grass verge. It is generally full of litter and really adds no value to anything. I discussed this situation 20 years ago with a leading UK environmentalist. He suggested to me that we should replace all such grass verges with hedgerows, trees and shrubs. He explained that species with sticky leaves actually pull diesel particlautes out of the air, making it cleaner. This reduces asthma. It also gives a habitat for birds and small mammals. Noise is reduced and rather than staring at concrete, we have a pleasant shrub/tree lined vista. Urban greenways are the way of the future. I believe that citizens of the Borough would buy into such spending. The associated improvements in air quality would also have benefit for health budgets. 7. Action on littering. Littering is perhaps the most widely seen anti social activity that is tolerated by society. I completely fail to understand why this is. A litter strewn street or park is pehaps the most depressing sight of all in our borough. Over the last year, local citizens in Barnet have been forming litter picking groups, but I'd like to see Barnet Council, schoos and local enforcement agencies take a far more proactive role in addressing the problem. There are three simple measures that we should do. Schools should educate children to realise that littering is anti social and boorish. Sadly the worst places for litter in the Borough are outside some of our schools. The second thing is that Barnet Council should ensure that the bins are properly emptied and the final thing is that anyone caught littering, even with cigarette butts, should be given the choice of a large fine or have to participate in a litter picking session. As my wife broke her arm in October after being tripped by a piece of litter, I realise this not simply a matter of tasteful ambience. 8. Pesticides. Barnet Council uses dangerous pesticides to kill weeds on pavements etc. There are alternatives. We have seen decimation of bee populations, that poses a clear and present threat to the food chain. The seriousness of this cannot be underestimated. Barnet should take the lead by banning them ASAP.
9. High Street regeneration. You may wonder what this has to do with protecting the environment. The answer is quite simple. The carbon footprint of a pint of milk you buy when you walk to your local shops is far lower than the one you buy after a car journey to a superstore or when an online delivery brings it to your house. In Mill Hill, we are lucky to have Marks and Spencers, Tesco's, Iceland, Gerards Butchers, Mill Hill wines and a range of great convenience stores. Shopping in these and cutting out the car journey makes a big contribution to reducing your carbon footprint. The more shops we have, the less need there is to travel far and wide. Sadly the council has no policy on trying to protect our High Streets.
10. Planning Policies. This is the biggest one. I've left it until last. My views will not be universally liked. There is a housing shortage in Barnet, as there is across London. There is a labour shortage and there are homeless people. Whatever we do in terms of planning, has to address these issues first. A cursory glance at the planning portal on Barnet Councils website shows a plethora of planning applications. I can see virtually none that address these issues and none that demonstrate joined up thinking in relation to the issues that face our society. My view is that any speculative building must be forced to address these issues in some way, shape or form. Barnet needs robust guidelines that developers know will be enforced. Perhaps the most scandalous aspect of planning in Barnet is the antagonistic relationship between the Council and the Mayor. Between the two of them, they have a responsibility for planning. Barnet's Conservative Council passed a politically charged motion declaring the Labour London Mayor an "enemy of the people". This was 100% guaranteed to ensure a bad working relationship. We need an end to name calling and a council and Mayor that puts the real issues first. If the Council and Mayor can't they will both be quilty of crimes against our future neighbours. One other thing Barnet Council needs to do is take enforcement seriously. For too long, developers have thought they "can simply get away with it". If the expectation was that Barnet Council will enforce the law, they would soon change tack. Barnet Council should announce a zero tolerance policy towards breaches of planning law. In the long term, this would save money, as developers would soon take the hint and comply with the law.
Sadly, there has been no improvement on any of these issues, if anything matters are worse. As we stated, the most important issue is the issue of planning and overdevelopment. Mill Hill is seeing huge, very intensive schemes. These are not delivering properties in the price range of key workers.
The Barratts scheme at the National Institute for Medical Research, has started advertising and the cheapest dwellings listed are £799,000 for two bedroom flats. My daughter works in Finchley Nurseries, next to the development. The chaos this development has caused to local businesses and residents has been considerable. Whilst this would perhaps be acceptable if the properties were in the price range of the junior teachers who work in the many schools located on the Ridgeway, with such price tags, they have once again been left behind. The developers have now put in planning permission to squeeze another 50 dwellings into the scheme.
I would suggest that the following grounds be considered.
Lack of parking and public transport infrastructure to support such a development
Overdevelopment of an already intensive development
Will interfere with the activities of Residents, Finchley Nurseries and the MillHill Village Cricket club.
The Mayor has already approved the previous plan, which Mill Hill Residents felt was over intensive
This scheme is clearly an attempt by Barratts to squeeze even more profit out of an already very flawed scheme.
As you can see from the pictures on the illustration, the blocks Barratts are erecting are of a very uninspiring design. The premium is purely derived from the 'stunning views' that they will afford over Totteridge Valley, Mill Hill and Central London. I used to work in the Medical Research centre and can confirm that the view from the top is stunning. On a clear day you could see what we then called 'The Post Office Tower'. Sadly these blocks are not sympathetic to the ambience of Mill Hill. Asking for good design and appealing buildings is not an issue of snobbery. It should be a matter of principle for all developments. The really sad thing for me about the Barratts development is that there was competition to design the new development. The winning design was quite attractive. Sadly this went out of the window when Barratts started on the scheme. It is not hard. If you look at what has been done at the St Josephs College site, another Mill Hill landmark, you will see that it is not impossible to build great flats without building eyesores.
My biggest fear is that developers are continually seeking to encroach more and more into the green space. If we lose the green belt, the effects on air quality in Mill Hill will be catastrophic. Mill Hill Bus station already has the worst recorded air quality of anywhere in Western Europe. It is a scandal that school children have to wait for buses in such a place. It is no wonder that Asthma and other respiratory illness is on the rise.
As for our waterways, we have seen raw sewage polluting our streams. Last summer Darlands lake dried out completely, causing a complete extinction of the mature fish in the lake. Angel pond also dried out. Who knows how many small animals and reptiles died for lack of water, during the heatwave.
Then there are pesticides. These are dangerous, but still in use. We need to stop using these as a matter of urgency. If we don't, then pollinators will be wiped out.
The council has done nothing to improve energy management and use of renewables. Sadly the government has removed many subsidies. All new schools and libraruies should be solar powered. Given that they are primarily open during daylight hours, this would make a big difference.
Oh and before you call me a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) type, let me tell you that at the bottom of my back yard, I have the M1 and the Thameslink Railway. I also have these adjacent to my business. Both my business and home are solar powered. In my garden, I've planted over 5 fruit trees, 15 evergreen trees and 10 shrubs of types that reduce pollution. At our business, we've planted over 50 trees. In my garden, we've built 2 wildlife ponds, to give birds, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals a watering hole.
The M1 verge at the bottom of our garden has become a de-facto nature reserve, many birds nest and we see mammals such as Hedgehogs foraging. It has been left to grow wild. Such spaces are vital.
What we need in Mill Hill is a concerted campaign to identify, protect and manage all such areas. Sadly, many are targeted by developers, seeking to fill in every little bit of green space in the Borough. We need everyone who cares to get together and we need a proper plan for the Borough of Barnet that recognises that we need a safe, healthy and attractive environment. Humans are not robots. The natural world is key to the survival of our species. We should recognise this. We should insist that those who get paid allowances to represent us, do that, rather than represent vested interests, that make huge profits and move on to the next project.
Once more we have seen a fine bunch of intelligent and informative tweets in the London Borough of Barnet. I was asked by one of our tweeters what you have to do to get on the list. The answer is simple, post a really interesting, informative or funny tweet with some sort of relevance to this little patch of London where we live, tag me in and if I like it enough to make my top ten, viola!
As it's the weekend, I generally avoid political tweets.
1. Fancy a bit of school fair action? Check out the Frith Manor fayre.
4. A big shout out to these guys! What a great way to spend your Sunday
FREE HOT MEAL & GOOD COMPANY @rumiskitchenuk community kitchen for local homeless, hungry & lonely back up and running every Saturday 12.30pm-2pm @ Harlesden Ummah, 21 Craven Park Rd, Harlesden, NW10 8SE /also Sundays in Cricklewood NW2, join us as a guest or volunteer #Brentpic.twitter.com/RWDbBH0e7r
5. NCT do great work. We attended the courses before the birth of our children and it helped prepare for the experience. Support them
Come join us for a picnic at Victoria Park, Finchley. £3 monkey music and baby sensory sessions! Homemade cakes and toys for the kids! pic.twitter.com/0N1hLN9y2K
— Alexandra Sherburne (@AlexandraSherb5) July 13, 2019
8. Mark Amies AKA @Superfast72 has made a huge effort to ensure that the Railway Hotel is not let go to rack and ruin. We are proud to have supported him along the route
John Fry's Home Cookin'-17 July-Tenor sax man John leads the Big Chief band - Home Cookin' is the driving force behind that band and they are a great treat when the come to MHJC. Home Cookin' produces funky, soulful, dextrous, foot stomping, shoulder rolling jazz-blues... Plz RT
So what makes a Twitter account worth following? For me it is an account that posts information I find interesting. This may be someone who takes interesting pictures, posts interesting stuff about music or history or just off the wall stuff. It may be that they are just rather witty. I have a bit of an aversion to feeds that are over filled with GIF's and Emoji's as I tend not to find juvenile accounts very interesting and grown ups wanting to get down with the kids even worse. Don't get me wrong, the odd one can occasionally make me smile, but that is when they are used to emphasise an already interesting point. I thought I'd have a look and see who has caught my eye. Now don't get me wrong, not everyone on this list of people are people I like and admire, although most I admire very much, but if you were new to Twitter, these are the ones to follow first. I've picked one from each sphere of interest that I have.
1. @RealDonaldTrump - When the history of the 21st Century is written (if we ever make the 22nd), I wonder what the books will say of Donald Trump. Love him or hate him, he was the first President to embrace Twitter and although much of what he tweets is truly horrific, if you are not following him, you are probably missing out on the Social Media show of the century. I believe that Trumps behaviour will become the norm not the exception in years to come. Donald Trump has redefined the art of political tweeting and I don't think that the Genie can be put back in the bottle.
Paul Ryan, the failed V.P. candidate & former Speaker of the House, whose record of achievement was atrocious (except during my first two years as President), ultimately became a long running lame duck failure, leaving his Party in the lurch both as a fundraiser & leader......
2. @NancySinatra - Daughter of Frank and living legend. If you need an antidote to Trump follow Nancy. I had a massive crush on her in the '60's when I saw her amazing rendition of 'These boots were made for walking'. I was only six and I wasn't quite sure why I was fascinated, but fascinated I was. Out of curiosity, I checked her out on Twitter and found that like a good wine, she's improved with age. She strikes me as someone who would be great to sit next to at a dinner party. But best of all she is full of humanity. A big credit to her Dad.
Nazi who drove car into crowd and killed Heather Heyer sentenced in federal court to life in prison https://t.co/F4aaUfR8kI
3. @JamesMartinSJ - If you think all US Roman Catholic Priests are raving bigots, check out Fr James Martin. He gives me a degree of hope for the Roman Catholic Church and for humanity. I am amazed at his fortitude in the face of a truly vile campaign of harrassment on
What might the story of the "Road to Emmaus" have to say to #LGBT Catholics? What might Luke's beautiful story of the Risen Christ appearing to two bereft disciples (24:13-35) say to a group of Catholics that often feels marginalized from their church?https://t.co/mI8ZYJS64u
4. @RodneyMarsh10 - Football is one of my big loves. Rodney Marsh was my hero in the mid 70's. A marque signing for Manchester City FC and a mercurial talent. His twitter feed is hilarious. I especially enjoy his baiting of Manchester United Fans. I don't think anyone is better at this.
>Fantastic , maybe at the end of the season the club can have an open top parade and give every fan a copy of their P&L......... https://t.co/ajfHKwmQzi
5. @CrowleyOnAir - BBC Radio London DJ Gary Crowley is a massive figure in the London music scene (and by default the global music scene). His championing of new bands is legendary. He has probably got the best Twitter feed of any DJ. If you like music, it is well worth following. Gary gets Twitter and really uses it to interact with fans. This tweet is an excellent example
6. @BritainElects - Now for something completely different! This site lists all of the election results and opinion polls. If you write a blog which sometimes covers politics, as I do, it is invaluable. I find the results from obscure council's elsewhere in the country fascinating. I also love the way that the politically motivated (me included) usually retweet these to gloat when their political flavour of choice is doing well.
Bridlington North (East Riding of Yorkshire) result:
LDEM: 42.7% (+42.7)
CON: 26.6% (-44.5)
YORK: 11.4% (+11.4)
UKIP: 6.4% (+6.4)
LAB: 4.4% (-24.5)
IND (Dixon): 4.1% (+4.1)
IND (Robson): 2.5% (+2.5)
IND (Milns): 1.9% (+1.9)
7. @YesteryearTweet - The work of Mark Amies, who is great friend of this blog and the Industrial History correspondent for BBC Radio London. I enjoy looking at historical pictures and Mark does this very well. It's worth having a listen to him every other Tuesday on the Robert Elms Show.
R.I.P Freddie Jones.
One of the screen's great character actors, there was no one quite like him......although I used to get him mixed up with Aubrey Morris! pic.twitter.com/wdNhOAdbmi
8. @Boakand Bailey - If like me you like beer, then beer tweeters are a very handy source of info for fine pubs and tasty ales. For me, Boak and Bailey are the best.
10. @DoonesburyComic - Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury cartoon has consistently been the finest newspaper cartoon strip for decades. Follow it on Twitter if you don't but the Guardian.
Apologies to all my loyal readers who were eagerly awaiting a joke this morning. Fortunately I found something even funnier than the joke I had prepared. As most of my Barnet readers will know, my fellow blogger Mrs Angry's political beliefs are firmly placed on the left of the left, no Blairite, she. Oddly one of her biggest admirers (well he likes all of us Barnet bloggers, but especially her) is the former Conservative local government secretary, Lord Pickles. Recently the two have become pen pals. Being a bluff Yorkshireman, Lord Pickles has long been an admirer of Mrs Angry's feistyness and straight talking. He also, as a proper Conservative, he likes the idea of local residents holding their local authority to account. Mrs Angry wrote to Lord Pickles, asking him of his opinion of the attempts by Barnets Conservatives to restrict the rights of the public to ask questions at Council meetings.
Lord Pickles response leaves no one in any doubt.
Dear Theresa (or Mrs Angry, if I may) I am pleased to see that you and your fellow citizen journalists and armchair auditors are continuing to highlight how councils can further save taxpayers’ money. I hope that the legal rights to report and film council meetings under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 have proved useful.
You might find of interest that MHCLG has announced a post-implementation review into the 2014 Act yesterday, which will include looking at whether the financial information provided in local authority accounts facilitates scrutiny by local taxpayers and the local press. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-07-10/HCWS1706/ In relation to your concerns about questions from the public at council meetings, public participation is an important part of council scrutiny and helps keep councillors (of all political colours) on their toes. I will table some Parliamentary Questions on the issue of questions to Ministers on this matter.
With best wishes, Rt Hon The Lord Pickles
All of the political parties have their strengths and weaknesses. Whatever you may think of the Conservatives, they have historically prided themselves on both their commitment to openness and to their commitment to be prudent with taxpayers pennies. Lord Pickles is wise enough to know that difficult questions from committed citizens are the best way to ensure good local government. Lord Pickles knows all too well that transparency allows people like myself and Mrs Angry to keep an eye on the council. A sensible council would embrace this and use it to drive down costs and inefficiency. Lord Pickles knows all to well that the reason Barnet Council don't like this is because they are going through a very difficult period, but unlike the Tory Leadership, Lord Pickles is wise enough to know that with a big majority and three years to the next council election, they should be listening to bloggers and residents, where savings and efficiencies are identified, even if these are difficult.
The sad truth is that the mess the council have found themselves in, is wholly because they didn't listen to their own residents before embarking on the One Barnet program. It is a matter of public record that Barnet failed to properly consult. The only reason that the deal wasn't thrown out was the Judge ruled that the case brought by residents was out of time, and the council escaped on a technicality. Mrs Angry, who rather enjoys corresponding with elderly gentlemen from political parties she dislikes, also emailed Lord Palmer, who was a Lib Dem and chair of Barnet Council's audit committee between 2010 and 2014. Lord Palmer said this
'I suspect that they are not breaking the law but what they are doing is against guidance'
Lord Palmer also described the changes as disturbing. At a recent meeting Mrs Angry asked the chair proposing the changes and the monitoring officer if they'd read the guidance Lord Palmer referred to. They both, rather shamefacedly admitted they hadn't. Sadly this didn't prevent them from changing the rules.
If you agree with the esteemed Lord Pickles and Palmer that Barnet Council should be well run, open and transparent, please Click here and sign the petition started by John Dix to oppose these changes. People such as myself, John Dix and Theresa Musgrove dedicate a huge amount of our time to writing blogs and keeping an eye on the council. All we ever ask in return is that if you agree with us, you occasionally sign a petition or attend a rally. John is around 50 signatures short of 1,000 which is a huge number for a petition concerning technical arrangements at the council. Please ensure that we hit this milestone today.
