I was shocked to read a report on the BBC website stating that Barnet is responsible for just under one fifth of all incidents. This is horrific and gives us a clear indication that not only is there a problem, but that in Barnet not enough is being done about.
I had a long conversation about the subject today with a police officer about a local incident that I reported. It is clear to me from the conversation that the police are tied up in red tape and doing anything pro-actively is almost impossible. I had laboured under the misapprehension that if a Police officer was made aware of a crime, then they had a duty to investigate it. I was told in no uncertain terms that this was not the case. The only way to get anything investigated is to report it through the official channel by calling 151 or by filling in a report on their website. When I asked whether the report would be investigated, I was given no reassurance that it would. I asked a very simple question "Is it worth me reporting this, or is it a waste of my time and the time of the Metropolitan Police". The answer I got was not at all reassuring. I was told that was a matter for me to decide. I explained that if it would simply be filed and nothing done to actually deal with the issue, then it was pointless.
Despite my frustration, and having decided that I couldn't be bothered wasting my time if the Police were uninterested, I met a friend from the local Jewish community, who was aware of the incident, who advised me that it should be filed so that the incident was on record. If the Police chose not to investigate it, I could have a clear conscience, if the individuals involved committed further offences. The report could be used in evidence in future cases. This has now been done.
I would advise all members of the local community to report crime. It takes about 15 minutes to do this through the Police website.
https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
Police resources are allocated based on where crimes are occurring, so if they are not reported, we end up with less officers locally. In light of the BBC report, we all need to do more.
Thursday, 6 February 2020
Wednesday, 5 February 2020
How to report fly tipping in the London Borough of Barnet
Regular readers will know that this blog actively supports local litter picking groups and has campaigned for years for Barnet Council and the local police to address the issue of fly tipping.
We are disappointed to learn that Barnet Council has decided to make the process of reporting cases of Fly Tipping more difficult. Many residents use the Fix My Streets app to report problems, but Barnet Council have now stopped using the service.
This has upset local residents and litter picking groups, who enjoyed the transparency and ease of use of the app. It is especially difficult to use if you are on a Mobile phone, which is when you are most likely to encounter tipped rubbish.
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/roads-and-pavements/report-problem-road-street-or-pavement
If you find this process to be less than user friendly, I urge you to email the leader of the Council and tell him. His email address is cllr.d.thomas@barnet.gov.uk
We are disappointed to learn that Barnet Council has decided to make the process of reporting cases of Fly Tipping more difficult. Many residents use the Fix My Streets app to report problems, but Barnet Council have now stopped using the service.
This has upset local residents and litter picking groups, who enjoyed the transparency and ease of use of the app. It is especially difficult to use if you are on a Mobile phone, which is when you are most likely to encounter tipped rubbish.
We are also disappointed that the council have taken this regressive step. However, we urge all people to continue to report fly tippings. Please use this linkThis is not good. #FixMyStreet is a smart app, clever technology which makes reporting issues easy for us— Colindale Litter Pickers Association 🚮♻️ (@ColindaleLitter) February 5, 2020
I hope @BarnetCouncil Councillors can look into it.
Plus, Barnet web site is not mobile friendly, nor its GUI pic.twitter.com/IZGA6oiVqN
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/roads-and-pavements/report-problem-road-street-or-pavement
If you find this process to be less than user friendly, I urge you to email the leader of the Council and tell him. His email address is cllr.d.thomas@barnet.gov.uk
Why the BBC is essential for the UK music industry
What industries does the UK lead the world in? There is only one I can think of only one (but then I work in it). That is the music industry. Have you ever wondered why this is? There are several major reasons for this.
* Our Multi Ethnic society has proven to be a fertile breeding ground for musical crossover and innovation.
* The English Language being the worlds favourite second language means people globally can enjoy UK music
* The size of the UK means that it is easier for new talent to emerge than in geographically larger countries, giving sustainable careers to tier 2, 3 and 4 artists.
* A public sector broadcaster that does not need to take account of commercial pressures to help break new artists.
Whilst the first three of these reasons are likely to remain, the BBC is currently under threat in a way that has not been the case previously. Critics of the BBC never mention the cost/benefit ratio of what the BBC does for the UK economy. Every time a global sensation such as The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, etc emerges, this gives a huge global boost to the UK music industry. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things at the BBC that could be better and no organisation must be beyond criticism, but this has to be fair and reasonable. The current attacks on the BBC are based on the fact that one part of the political spectrum has decided that the BBC is outdated and people should be given choice in what they spend their money on. But does that really mean that it is wise to spend taxpayers money on things we get a direct, visible benefit from? When the BBC helps an artist such as Amy Winehouse to build an international profile, this brings huge revenues into the UK. It is hard to quantify this, but the UK Music industry generated revenues of £5.2 billion last year. The tax revenues off that are huge. Then there is the tourism to the UK, where people select this cold, wet island off the shores of mainland Europe for a holiday, because of the great music and musical heritage.
Back on the 8th March 1962, The Beatles made their first appearance on BBC Radio, performing on "The Teenagers Turn". It had been recorded the previous day at the Playhouse Theatre in Cheadle. Two months later, on 2nd May, they had their first no 1 single, Love Me Do. Building a career in music is a series of steps, but it is clear that a major radio show was a signifcant landmark and the first of many. I can remember sitting with my sister and her friend, eagerly awaiting the much trailed first play of Penny Lane on Radio 1.
In the 1970's, there were several highly influential BBC shows. Perhaps the most important of all was The John Peel show, which was broadcast nightly between 10pm and midnight. Peel almost singlehandedly popularised punk and reggae music. This revolutionised the music scene, creating the Independent sector, which help break ever more boundaries down.
Top of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test were shows that cemented artists and ensured that they had an audience. Bowie's appearance on TOTP singing Starman was an iconic moment, one of many on Top of The Pops, that transformed him from an also ran into an icon. The Old Grey Whistle Test brought artists to life that would never normally be heard on the radio, let alone get a national TV slot. That investment is still bringing cash into the UK and bring joy to people globally.
I will hear the critics say "But things have changed, now things are different". Generally these critics are not people who actually understand the UK music industry. The BBC continues to shape and establish artists. BBC Introducing has proven to be a major plank of the UK industry. It has helped establish many new artists. Local radio shows such as Robert Elms and Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London have given thousands of artists their first exposure and helped build the careers of dozens of artists that we now know as household names, in recent years Amy Winehouse being one of the most significant. Another show that has elevated many artists is the Later with Jools Holland show. Just about every mainstream UK artist to emerge over the last couple of decades has appeared on the show on the way. Holland is vastly respected and an appearance on his show is gold dust to your career.
Another element that has added to the amazing work the BBC does for the UK music industry is the coverage of Glastonbury, which has elevated the festival to have the status as possible the worlds no 1 festival.
Quite simply, without a public sector broadcaster, who doesn't have advertisers to satisfy, the UK's music scene would have a major issue getting new artists and new music into the public consciousness. The UK music industry is in rude good health. We lead the world in the field. To do anything that damages it would be a huge act of self harm for our economy.
I have seen just what a play on The Gary Crowley show can do for an artist. Back in 2010, an amazing Sudanese singer Connie Abbe was singing with my band, The False Dots. We made a video for a song of ours, Spotlight. Gary played the song and within about three hours, we got over 1,000 views. The song got picked up by Manchester City FC and used for their goal of the month video program on their website, getting tens of millions of plays. Connie got a gig as the backing singer for Rapper Emmanual Jal and a world tour ensued.
There is a great video of Connie appearing with Emmanual Jal on Capitol Hill here later in 2010.
That is how careers are built. It is just a shame that we didn't get a playlist. If one play can do that, just imagine what a regular playlisting can do for an emerging artist.
* Our Multi Ethnic society has proven to be a fertile breeding ground for musical crossover and innovation.
* The English Language being the worlds favourite second language means people globally can enjoy UK music
* The size of the UK means that it is easier for new talent to emerge than in geographically larger countries, giving sustainable careers to tier 2, 3 and 4 artists.
* A public sector broadcaster that does not need to take account of commercial pressures to help break new artists.
Whilst the first three of these reasons are likely to remain, the BBC is currently under threat in a way that has not been the case previously. Critics of the BBC never mention the cost/benefit ratio of what the BBC does for the UK economy. Every time a global sensation such as The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, etc emerges, this gives a huge global boost to the UK music industry. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things at the BBC that could be better and no organisation must be beyond criticism, but this has to be fair and reasonable. The current attacks on the BBC are based on the fact that one part of the political spectrum has decided that the BBC is outdated and people should be given choice in what they spend their money on. But does that really mean that it is wise to spend taxpayers money on things we get a direct, visible benefit from? When the BBC helps an artist such as Amy Winehouse to build an international profile, this brings huge revenues into the UK. It is hard to quantify this, but the UK Music industry generated revenues of £5.2 billion last year. The tax revenues off that are huge. Then there is the tourism to the UK, where people select this cold, wet island off the shores of mainland Europe for a holiday, because of the great music and musical heritage.
Back on the 8th March 1962, The Beatles made their first appearance on BBC Radio, performing on "The Teenagers Turn". It had been recorded the previous day at the Playhouse Theatre in Cheadle. Two months later, on 2nd May, they had their first no 1 single, Love Me Do. Building a career in music is a series of steps, but it is clear that a major radio show was a signifcant landmark and the first of many. I can remember sitting with my sister and her friend, eagerly awaiting the much trailed first play of Penny Lane on Radio 1.
In the 1970's, there were several highly influential BBC shows. Perhaps the most important of all was The John Peel show, which was broadcast nightly between 10pm and midnight. Peel almost singlehandedly popularised punk and reggae music. This revolutionised the music scene, creating the Independent sector, which help break ever more boundaries down.
Top of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test were shows that cemented artists and ensured that they had an audience. Bowie's appearance on TOTP singing Starman was an iconic moment, one of many on Top of The Pops, that transformed him from an also ran into an icon. The Old Grey Whistle Test brought artists to life that would never normally be heard on the radio, let alone get a national TV slot. That investment is still bringing cash into the UK and bring joy to people globally.
I will hear the critics say "But things have changed, now things are different". Generally these critics are not people who actually understand the UK music industry. The BBC continues to shape and establish artists. BBC Introducing has proven to be a major plank of the UK industry. It has helped establish many new artists. Local radio shows such as Robert Elms and Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London have given thousands of artists their first exposure and helped build the careers of dozens of artists that we now know as household names, in recent years Amy Winehouse being one of the most significant. Another show that has elevated many artists is the Later with Jools Holland show. Just about every mainstream UK artist to emerge over the last couple of decades has appeared on the show on the way. Holland is vastly respected and an appearance on his show is gold dust to your career.
Another element that has added to the amazing work the BBC does for the UK music industry is the coverage of Glastonbury, which has elevated the festival to have the status as possible the worlds no 1 festival.
Quite simply, without a public sector broadcaster, who doesn't have advertisers to satisfy, the UK's music scene would have a major issue getting new artists and new music into the public consciousness. The UK music industry is in rude good health. We lead the world in the field. To do anything that damages it would be a huge act of self harm for our economy.
I have seen just what a play on The Gary Crowley show can do for an artist. Back in 2010, an amazing Sudanese singer Connie Abbe was singing with my band, The False Dots. We made a video for a song of ours, Spotlight. Gary played the song and within about three hours, we got over 1,000 views. The song got picked up by Manchester City FC and used for their goal of the month video program on their website, getting tens of millions of plays. Connie got a gig as the backing singer for Rapper Emmanual Jal and a world tour ensued.
There is a great video of Connie appearing with Emmanual Jal on Capitol Hill here later in 2010.
That is how careers are built. It is just a shame that we didn't get a playlist. If one play can do that, just imagine what a regular playlisting can do for an emerging artist.
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Five random 'What if' questions about the Borough of Barnet
What if? That is a question I often ask. There are five questions which I've often asked myself about the Borough of Barnet. What if things had been different. What if sense had prevailed. I wonder what you think about these questions.
1. What if the railway between Mill Hill East and Edgware had been converted to a tube line instead of being closed?
The History
Back in the 1930's, there was an ambitious plan by London Transport to extend the tube from Finchley Central to Edgware. The plan was to convert the existing LNER railway to a tube line. Due to world war II, the plan was scrapped. Only Mill Hill East got a tube service. The railway was used for BR freight services until 1964 and then the tracks pulled up. The building of the M1 ended any chance of the decision being reversed.
The What if?
Just suppose that it had been completed. We would now have a direct tube service to the Allianz Park stadium. Getting from Edgware to Finchley central would take ten minuites and be on an electric tube train. There would be a direct interchange between the Thameslink service and the Northern Line at Mill Hill. Think how many fewer car journeys and how much less CO2 we'd have produced. Of all the acts of infrastructure vandalism in London, this is one of the worst.
2. What if Andrew Dismore had lived up to his word and saved Edgware General Hospital?
The History.
John Major's government announced that it was planning to close Edgware General hospital in the mid 1990's. The then local Tory MP for Hendon North, Sir John Gorst vowed to fight the closure. He voted against the government. In 1997, Labours Andrew Dismore was swept to power on a platform of saving the hospital. As soon as he was elected, this was completely forgotten. In 2009, I wrote to Dismore saying I was thinking of quitting the Labour Party. He invited me in for a chat. I told him, amongst other things, that the reason it was closed was because it didn't have a large enough catchment area to maintain a general hospital with an A&E. I asked if he knew how people from Burnt Oak, Colindale and Mill Hill were supposed to get to Barnet General by public transport. He shrugged and said that I had to live in the real world. I quit the next day, feeling I'd been completely duped in supporting him and helping him get elected in 1997, when it was clear he had no intention of saving the hospital.
The What if?
So now the population of Colindale has doubled in size since the closure and is set for even more development. Mill Hill is similarly lined up for several more mega projects. Edgware is also in the developers crosshairs. If Dismore had been true to his word, would Edgware General still lack the catchment to be 'viable'? Anyone who has used Barnet general in recent years knows it is totally overrun at busy times. When my wife broker her arm 18 months ago, we were told there was a five hour wait. As she was deemed critical, she jumped the queue, but no fracture specialist was on duty (it was 11pm) so she was sent home with pain killers and told to come back the next day. Would we be subjected to such awful service if we had another A&E at Edgware, or would there be adequate capacity.
3. What if Barnet Council had allowed Barnet FC to move to Copthall stadium in 2006?
The History.
In the mid 2000's, Barnet FC realised that if they wanted to develop, they needed a new home. They wanted to stay in the Borough. Copthall was their ground of choice. The stadium was dilapidated and they offered regeneration. The Conservative Council was deeply anti Association Football, so refused. Barnet moved to The Hive in Harrow. It is only a matter of time before they cut the last tie and change their name.
The What if?
What if Barnet had moved to Copthall? There would be no £22 million loan, a huge swathe of Barnet fans who left the club when the club left the Borough would have remained. Saracens would never have moved in. We would probably have a third or fourth tier association Football club getting 5-6,000 fans a twenty times a season, rather than the now disgraced European Rugby champions and a huge civic debt. What would have been better for Barnet?
(Ed note - When researching this article, I was appalled to see that the Barnet Copthall Wikipedia page completely erases the history of the stadium prior to the arrival of Rugby. I will be writing a seperate article on this)
4. What if the M1 had never been built through Mill Hill and Hendon?
The History.
In the early 1960's, the then Tory Transport Minister Ernest Marples passed plans to extend the M1 Motorway from Watford to Staples Corner. Once it passed the Green Belt at Scratchwoods, the path followed the Midland Mainline, mainly being built on disused rail sidings, goods yards etc. The original plan was to continue it all the way into London. There is still the remnants of the plan at the end of the road in Staples Corner. Marples used his own company, Marples Ridgway to build the road.
The What if?
The concept of a Mill Hill without the M1 fascinates me. It is at the bottom of my garden. Just suppose that we'd become aware of Climate change in 1955 instead of 2015? Just suppose large urban roads weren't built and we'd gone for better public transport? Would the disused rail yards have been used for better public transport? More capacity? Or would I have a housing estate at the bottom of the garden instead of a road. We'd certainly have less noise and less pollution in Mill Hill. It would be a far nicer place. The stretch of the M1 from Staples Corner to the M25 is comparatively lightly used, compared to the section north of the M25. I think that the M1 linking with the A406 is probably a sensible junction, but if we had a joined up transport strategy, I am sure we'd have had a better scheme. A friend of mine, who is a transport planner, has long argued that the M1 should have ended at Scratchwoods, with a rail station interchange and links to the A1. His view was that the High Barnet Branch of the Northern line could have been extended, or the Mill Hill East line, giving a rail and tube hub. He also thought Victoria Coach station should be relocated there, with free tickets to the hub for all coach travellers to/from central London. It always sounded to me like a brilliant scheme. But we don't do joined up thinking in the UK.
5. What if Hendon Aerodrome had remained open?
The History.
By the 1960's, Hendon Aerodrome was used as an RAF base. It was not fit for purpose, having to short a runway and being set in an urban setting. There was a big requirement for Council housing, so it was redesignated as a site for GLC built council housing, sadly constructed to a very poor standard.
The What if?
Just suppose that instead of the closing the site, it had been transformed into an urban airport? The use of such short runways for urban airports has become quite common. City Airport is one such example. Hendon would have been an excellent location, far more convenient than City Airport with a mainline rail service and a Tube line passing by. With the Thameslink service, this would doubtless be a very popular airport for short haul travellers. I am not sure that locals would have liked an airport on their doorstep, but given that it was already their and the aviation industry was well established in Colindale, it would not be something new. As much of Grahame Park has had to be rebuilt and the development has been criticised from the moment it opened, it is an interesting thought.
Of course the opportunities all of these 'What if's' threw up are long gone. For me, it is just an interesting game speculating. But there are lessons to be learned. The main one is that when you destroy infrastructure, it is almost impossible to fix the problems that you create. The overcrowding at Barnet General is a prime example, as is the chronic local traffic that better public transport would create. As for the lack of an airport in Colindale. I think on balance, that is probably a good thing, but I'd love to know if anyone ever thought of it. The regeneration of St Pancras shows just what we can do when we use our imaginations. Who would have thought, when BR wanted to demolish it for being 'outdated' in the 1960's, that it would become such an amazing home for Eurostar and driven the whole Kings Cross Regeneration.
Once we erase the past, it is gone. That is why I help talented people make films like this
1. What if the railway between Mill Hill East and Edgware had been converted to a tube line instead of being closed?
Back in the 1930's, there was an ambitious plan by London Transport to extend the tube from Finchley Central to Edgware. The plan was to convert the existing LNER railway to a tube line. Due to world war II, the plan was scrapped. Only Mill Hill East got a tube service. The railway was used for BR freight services until 1964 and then the tracks pulled up. The building of the M1 ended any chance of the decision being reversed.
The What if?
Just suppose that it had been completed. We would now have a direct tube service to the Allianz Park stadium. Getting from Edgware to Finchley central would take ten minuites and be on an electric tube train. There would be a direct interchange between the Thameslink service and the Northern Line at Mill Hill. Think how many fewer car journeys and how much less CO2 we'd have produced. Of all the acts of infrastructure vandalism in London, this is one of the worst.
2. What if Andrew Dismore had lived up to his word and saved Edgware General Hospital?
The History.
John Major's government announced that it was planning to close Edgware General hospital in the mid 1990's. The then local Tory MP for Hendon North, Sir John Gorst vowed to fight the closure. He voted against the government. In 1997, Labours Andrew Dismore was swept to power on a platform of saving the hospital. As soon as he was elected, this was completely forgotten. In 2009, I wrote to Dismore saying I was thinking of quitting the Labour Party. He invited me in for a chat. I told him, amongst other things, that the reason it was closed was because it didn't have a large enough catchment area to maintain a general hospital with an A&E. I asked if he knew how people from Burnt Oak, Colindale and Mill Hill were supposed to get to Barnet General by public transport. He shrugged and said that I had to live in the real world. I quit the next day, feeling I'd been completely duped in supporting him and helping him get elected in 1997, when it was clear he had no intention of saving the hospital.
The What if?
So now the population of Colindale has doubled in size since the closure and is set for even more development. Mill Hill is similarly lined up for several more mega projects. Edgware is also in the developers crosshairs. If Dismore had been true to his word, would Edgware General still lack the catchment to be 'viable'? Anyone who has used Barnet general in recent years knows it is totally overrun at busy times. When my wife broker her arm 18 months ago, we were told there was a five hour wait. As she was deemed critical, she jumped the queue, but no fracture specialist was on duty (it was 11pm) so she was sent home with pain killers and told to come back the next day. Would we be subjected to such awful service if we had another A&E at Edgware, or would there be adequate capacity.
3. What if Barnet Council had allowed Barnet FC to move to Copthall stadium in 2006?
The History.
In the mid 2000's, Barnet FC realised that if they wanted to develop, they needed a new home. They wanted to stay in the Borough. Copthall was their ground of choice. The stadium was dilapidated and they offered regeneration. The Conservative Council was deeply anti Association Football, so refused. Barnet moved to The Hive in Harrow. It is only a matter of time before they cut the last tie and change their name.
The What if?
What if Barnet had moved to Copthall? There would be no £22 million loan, a huge swathe of Barnet fans who left the club when the club left the Borough would have remained. Saracens would never have moved in. We would probably have a third or fourth tier association Football club getting 5-6,000 fans a twenty times a season, rather than the now disgraced European Rugby champions and a huge civic debt. What would have been better for Barnet?
(Ed note - When researching this article, I was appalled to see that the Barnet Copthall Wikipedia page completely erases the history of the stadium prior to the arrival of Rugby. I will be writing a seperate article on this)
4. What if the M1 had never been built through Mill Hill and Hendon?
The History.
In the early 1960's, the then Tory Transport Minister Ernest Marples passed plans to extend the M1 Motorway from Watford to Staples Corner. Once it passed the Green Belt at Scratchwoods, the path followed the Midland Mainline, mainly being built on disused rail sidings, goods yards etc. The original plan was to continue it all the way into London. There is still the remnants of the plan at the end of the road in Staples Corner. Marples used his own company, Marples Ridgway to build the road.
The What if?
The concept of a Mill Hill without the M1 fascinates me. It is at the bottom of my garden. Just suppose that we'd become aware of Climate change in 1955 instead of 2015? Just suppose large urban roads weren't built and we'd gone for better public transport? Would the disused rail yards have been used for better public transport? More capacity? Or would I have a housing estate at the bottom of the garden instead of a road. We'd certainly have less noise and less pollution in Mill Hill. It would be a far nicer place. The stretch of the M1 from Staples Corner to the M25 is comparatively lightly used, compared to the section north of the M25. I think that the M1 linking with the A406 is probably a sensible junction, but if we had a joined up transport strategy, I am sure we'd have had a better scheme. A friend of mine, who is a transport planner, has long argued that the M1 should have ended at Scratchwoods, with a rail station interchange and links to the A1. His view was that the High Barnet Branch of the Northern line could have been extended, or the Mill Hill East line, giving a rail and tube hub. He also thought Victoria Coach station should be relocated there, with free tickets to the hub for all coach travellers to/from central London. It always sounded to me like a brilliant scheme. But we don't do joined up thinking in the UK.
5. What if Hendon Aerodrome had remained open?
The History.
By the 1960's, Hendon Aerodrome was used as an RAF base. It was not fit for purpose, having to short a runway and being set in an urban setting. There was a big requirement for Council housing, so it was redesignated as a site for GLC built council housing, sadly constructed to a very poor standard.
The What if?
Just suppose that instead of the closing the site, it had been transformed into an urban airport? The use of such short runways for urban airports has become quite common. City Airport is one such example. Hendon would have been an excellent location, far more convenient than City Airport with a mainline rail service and a Tube line passing by. With the Thameslink service, this would doubtless be a very popular airport for short haul travellers. I am not sure that locals would have liked an airport on their doorstep, but given that it was already their and the aviation industry was well established in Colindale, it would not be something new. As much of Grahame Park has had to be rebuilt and the development has been criticised from the moment it opened, it is an interesting thought.
Of course the opportunities all of these 'What if's' threw up are long gone. For me, it is just an interesting game speculating. But there are lessons to be learned. The main one is that when you destroy infrastructure, it is almost impossible to fix the problems that you create. The overcrowding at Barnet General is a prime example, as is the chronic local traffic that better public transport would create. As for the lack of an airport in Colindale. I think on balance, that is probably a good thing, but I'd love to know if anyone ever thought of it. The regeneration of St Pancras shows just what we can do when we use our imaginations. Who would have thought, when BR wanted to demolish it for being 'outdated' in the 1960's, that it would become such an amazing home for Eurostar and driven the whole Kings Cross Regeneration.
Once we erase the past, it is gone. That is why I help talented people make films like this
Monday, 3 February 2020
The Leadership Council - Rog T in conversation on Leadership + Interview with Geoff Hurst
I was recently asked to appear in a podcast on the subject of Leadership by The Leaders Council. This is an organisation dedicated to improving the quality of leadership in the UK. I was a privilege and I was delighted to learn that England Football hero Geoff Hurst was also appearing. Geoff's section is most entertaining and well worth a listen.
The mission of the Leaders Council is:
The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland brings together the most influential figures from across the country. It celebrates the hard work and achievements of the nation’s unsung leaders, while laying the ground for the next generatioFrom the CEO of a multinational bank to the founder of an innovative new start-up, these are the people who take risks, create jobs and empower their colleagues.
As Leaders Council members, they are committed to our code of conduct, with its stringent emphasis on high standards and a responsibility to share knowledge with others.
Through detailed case studies, news coverage, podcasts and leadership events, we are able to unearth the authentic voice of British industry. We chart the challenges, pitfalls and successes of leadership in the twenty-first century.
We put leadership in the spotlight and allow these inspirational people, who spend so much time empowering others, to receive the recognition they deserve.
The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: for the people who run the country and the people who keep the country running
It was great being given the opportunity to speak about how important leadership is and my style of leadership running my business Mill Hill Music Complex. The questions were interesting and I hope the answers were as well!
The chairman of the Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is Lord Blunkett and he commented ‘I think the most informative element of each episode is the first part, where Matthew O'Neill is able to sit down with someone who really gets how their industry works and knows how to make their organisation tick. Someone who’s there day in day out working hard and inspiring others. That’s what leadership is all about.’
Having built a now world famous music studio from scratch, having helped BRIT Award winning artists such as Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash a place to build their careers, from nothing is something I'm really proud of. I was delighted to be able to pass on some of the knowledge I've acquired over the years.
I have spent many years mentoring young people and helping them develop their talents. For many years, I've participated in the NCS The Challenge programme, mentoring young people. Our studios take young people on work experience every year and I've also mentored many of the young artists that have passed through the studio, some formally and some informally. It is amazing to see how many have become successful. It is important to give something back.
As a dyslexic, I think it is really important to spread the message that you do not need to be constrained by your limitations or defined by your disabilities. Building the studio to what it is today has been extremely hard work, often I've had to do other jobs to support it and raise the cash to develop it. But that has only made it all the more worthwhile.
Sunday, 2 February 2020
The Tweets of week in the London Borough of Barnet - 02/02/2020
Whilst the national press has been obsessing about #Brexit, we are more interested in what's been going on in our little corner of paradise. We've had some fun on Twitter this week. Don't forget to follow any Tweeters who tickle your fancy or anything else
1. As we've been around and about in Edgware this week, lets start with a tweet from Edgware
3.Another great tweet from the Mill Hill Historical Society
7. We love the historic buildings of our Borough. It looks like there may be some good news about one in Cricklewood
That's all folks!!!!
1. As we've been around and about in Edgware this week, lets start with a tweet from Edgware
2. And while on the subject of EdgwareCinemax Cinema, Edgware, Barnet— Modernism in Metroland (@mod_in_metro) January 30, 2020
1932
Major W.J. Kinghttps://t.co/gk4WdgJ52b pic.twitter.com/m8TcjEtgCi
The Railway Hotel, Edgware, in 1948. (Image by @francisfrith )
— Mark Amies (@Superfast72) February 2, 2020
This much-loved local heritage asset has been neglected for far too long. I recently did a video with a friend to publicise the neglect of the building and the area in general
Watch it here https://t.co/1e01ZNJxUq pic.twitter.com/RcPb8YgSqc
3.Another great tweet from the Mill Hill Historical Society
4. Tally Ho Corner has changed a bit, hasn't it!Some great footage here of the famous Jarrow March going through Edgware and staying at a school in Mill Hill.— Mill Hill Hist Soc (@MHHistSoc) January 29, 2020
In 1936 unemployed men in the Tyneside town of Jarrow marched nearly 300 miles to protest poverty and demand government action.
(skip to 26:30) https://t.co/McAEcJdFJl pic.twitter.com/AbwkTtXCne
5. This has to be the picture of the week!Last of the Penny Farthings - continued. This is the North Road Cycling Club on the Great North Road at #Finchley in 1893. pic.twitter.com/r5XLTkkA6A— Great North Road Geek 🚴🏼 (@Greatnorthroad2) February 2, 2020
6. I might take a trip up to the Mitre just to see this, Looks great. Might even sneak a crafty half on the way📷 cocoandgin2: RSPCA officers were called to Saracens High School in Barnet, North West London today, after pupils spotted a fox on the school grounds with its head trapped in a bin lid. The animal rescue officers used a hacksaw blade to... https://t.co/PDygcDzXik— Man in Black (@Man_in_Black_63) February 1, 2020
Fantastic to walk past Ye Olde Mitre this evening and see our board outside. Thanks to all who contributed to this local history project. pic.twitter.com/uz3Lfekljn— Barnet Museum (@MuseumBarnet) February 1, 2020
7. We love the historic buildings of our Borough. It looks like there may be some good news about one in Cricklewood
8. Come rain or shine, we are lucky that our litter pickers are keeping our town tidy. Please support themMost weekdays I park my coffee van next to this old station building... this morning it sounds like there might be a glimmer of hope that it’s saved and turned into something useful again, rather than just a dumping ground for the greedy business owners🤞🏻 ☕️☕️ pic.twitter.com/ovYl4rlYgS— Cricklewood Coffee Roasters (@nw2coffee) January 30, 2020
9. This is extremely upsettingToday we had our February pick in Mill Hill Park and the surrounding roads, seven people came along and we filled 14 bags, once again a big thanks to Mani & Niks for providing the yummy after pick brownies.#lovemillhill— Mill Hill Litter Pickers (@MHLitterPickers) February 1, 2020
Take action not issue Mill Hill Litter picking initiative. pic.twitter.com/RpxSAbQCHA
10. So what is the connection between Sir Tom Jones and Mill Hill?What sort of person smashes the window of a shop raising money to fight cancer? A sad sight in #MillHill pic.twitter.com/t8Q3XObnAT— A Better Mill Hill (@ABetterMillHill) January 27, 2020
#MHMCVidOfTheDay— #MillHillMusicComplex (@MillHillMusicCo) February 2, 2020
Today's video with Mill Hill connections is the one and only @RealSirTomJones with Chicane on TOTP performing Stoned in Love. The rehearsals for this were performed in Studio 7. https://t.co/mQChMPjV25
That's all folks!!!!
Saturday, 1 February 2020
The Saturday List #250 - 250th List celebration list!
Back on the sixth of September 2012, when I published list #1, I never expected to manage to make 250 lists. I didn't think there would be 250 things that you could make interesting lists about. How wrong I was. Of all the blogs I do each week, this is the one I most look forward to as I can have some fun. For this special list, I will start by reminding everyone of my first list. That was ten things that don't live up to their promise
1. Every England football team world cup and euro campaign since 1966.
2. Everything the Rolling Stones have done since they released "Start Me Up".
3. Every film Sequel, apart from Godfather II.
4. The remake of the Producers.
5. Flying home business class from Washington on US airlines.
6. Barnet's Jubilee Beacon, which failed to light.
7. Every dodgy establishment I've ever staggered into in Soho when drunk on a stag night.
8. Every recording ever made by Annie Lennox.
9. Chinese eat as much as you like buffets
10. Audley Harrison.
It is quite interesting to note that some of these things had completely slipped my mind, such as the Barnet Jubilee beacon. I don't think my opinion of sequels, Englands football team performance, chinese buffets and Annie Lennox has changed. As for Audley Harrison.....
Perhaps the most amusing of the early lists was list #16, the ten most bonkers things I've seen in Barnet
1. A double bed being driven down Mill Hill Broadway (for a film sequence).
2. A man fishing under the M1 flyover in Mill Hill Broadway (after a flash flood)
3. A naked man beating another fully clothed man with a baseball bat outside my house
4. Cows grazing on Mill Hill Circus Roundabout (they had escaped from St Josephs College farm).
5. An 8 ft high etheral ghost in a long coat walking down St Josephs College footpath in the mist at 2am.
6. Edgware High St under 9 ft of water
7. Armed hunters in search of hamsters in allotments in Burnt Oak
8. A zombie cucumber plant growing in Bunns Lane, Mill Hill
9. A man having sex with a goat in a field next to Mill Hill Broadway Station
10. A deranged vicar removing chairs from a Cafe in Finchley without the owners permission
As the lists progressed, I tackled more bizarre, diverse and unusual subjects. Perhaps the most bizarre of all was list #134, ten questions from a very disturbing dream. I had completely forgotten this blog. I must have had a very disturbed night. If you want to find out more click here, but here are the questions.
1. Are the victims "Martyrs fallen at the feet of the forces of greed and division". Martyrdom has got a bad name of late. But suicidal killers are not martyrs at all. A martyr is someone who has no choice in the matter, other than to give up their beliefs of way of life. The victims had no choice. It is pretty clear that greed played a roll in the tragedy.
2. My father said "That's it really, all that is left is love". We've seen a huge outpouring of love and compassion in London. Can that ever, in some small way, compensate for such a terrible tragedy. Can it give those suffering loss a degree of solace? I really don't know.
3. If I am having terrible dreams at the periphery of the tragedy, what on earth are those in the epicentre feeling. Theresa May has said £5 million will be set aside for victims. How much is being set aside for counselling of victims? It seems to me that this will be a very long term issue.
4. I am an adult, if my dreams about the subject are disturbing, what on earth are the children who have been touched by this issue dreaming about? Is there anyone for them to talk to? Is there anyone they can open up to.
5. One aspect of my dream, which I couldn't really get my head round was the Lenin like figure haranguing the gatekeepers. As I analysed it, the disturbing thought occurred to me that this really seems very like what is actually happening. The ordinary people are asking questions and they are getting no answers at all.
6. As I've listened to the coverage, it is clear that churches and places of worship have been key in the relief effort. They've thrown their doors open and acted as centres for people to get together. This is commendable. I think churches have a central role in communities. As religion is seemingly on the decline, what will happen if we lose these centres? We need community spaces. In disasters, we need places to gather and coordinate. Events such as this challenge any faith one may have (that is a central theme of my dream, I think), but the need for such space is beyond doubt.
7. Another thing which struck me was the sheer joy at the end of the dream of people being reunited with people they've lost. There may be people in hospitals, who have loved ones thinking they are dead. This is always a problem in a disaster, especially one like this where people may have no id. Disaster planning needs to address such things. I don't know how, but there must be a way.
8. "The forces of greed and division". The wanting of a bigger slice of the cake than we need or even deserve. Five years ago, I made a film called "A Tale of Two Barnets" about such division, with Charles Honderick". It was a play on "A Tale of Two Cities", Dickens tale of inequality. It is a theme which has got worse, in the five years of Conservative austerity for the masses since. There has been no austerity for the top 1% in our society.
9. "You are all safe now". But what about all of the people left in Tower blocks in London and the rest of the UK. There are a hell of a lot of people who really don't feel safe. This isn't an issue that can be put off at all. There should be a state of emergency declared for everyone who may be at risk. We cannot have children living in tower blocks that can burn like roman candles.
10. "There are no answers". Maybe for those that have gone, there are none, but there must be for the rest of us. More pertinant though, is what is the questions we should be answering. The first of these is "What are we doing today, to ensure that this does not happen again?".
I was quite surprised that it took me until list #173 to list my top ten football managers of all time. This sparked much debate.
1. Brian Clough (Derby, Nottingham Forest)
2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
3. Bill Shankly (Liverpool)
4. Bob Paisley (Liverpool)
5. Sir Matt Busby (Manchester United)
6. Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield,Arsenal)
7.. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
8. Bill Nicholson (Spurs)
9. Joe Mercer (Manchester City)
10. Don Revie (Leeds)
I suspect that this would be a different list today. I would replace Arsene Wenger with Pep Guardiola and Don Revie with Jurgen Klopp. I may change the order as well. I may well put Pep at the top. His techniques have transformed football in a way that none of the others have. Before his arrival at Manchester City, the concept of playing out from the back was seen as suicidal. If, as seems likely, Klopp wins the league, he will easily have surpassed Revie and Wenger, who never won the European Cup. The achievements of both City and Liverpool last season are without peer. To get that many points, and for City to win two domestic cups and Liverpool to win the Champions League is really way beyond anything any other manager in the UK has achieved.
List #225 is a favourite, my top ten pictures of Mill Hill that are a bit different. Check them out. That list got a great response.
You may wonder which of these lists was the most popular? The answer, and it's not perhaps too surprising, is list #159, the complete list of pubs in the London Borough of Barnet. It had a huge number of hits.
In my lists I try and share useful information, usually humourous, but occasionally deadly serious. List #232 was perhaps the most serious of all. How to spot a psychopath on Twitter. I really urge everyone to read this and share it. These are the tell tale signs. I urge you to read this blog, it may save you a hell of a lot of grief.
1. Glib and superficial charm
Key markers to look out for are grown up adults posting rather adolescent looking gifs of kittens, etc and liberally sprinkling all sorts of happy emoji's into tweets, to create an aura of friendliness. If these posts are interspersed with tweets of a vaguely menacing nature, it is a clear indicator.
2. Grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self
For psychopaths, it is essential to control situations. Posts from anonymous accounts, bragging of fantastic academic qualifications and top jobs that cannot be verified are typical behaviour. Often psychopaths are quite intelligent but can't work with other people, so will have had decent jobs at some point, but these were very short lived. They invariable end up 'working for themselves' bashing away on a keyboard into the early hours. Often to make up for the lack of real friends, they invent other Twitter persona's to chat with. If you notice an account where tweets are always liked by a subset of linked accounts, this is a sure sign of bogus self affirmation.
3. Need for stimulation
Often psychopaths are driven by paranoia. They tend to think everyone thinks like they do, so are constantly on the look out for new sources of stimulation to feed their delusions. They are very prone to fall for conspiracy theories, as they believe they provide a cover and an excuse for their poor behaviour. They will obsessively hunt out ever more bizarre information sources, the more absurd the better.
4. Pathological lying
As previously mentioned, the need for control is a pivotal feature of a psychopathic personality. When events and facts don't fit a narrative, they will invent one. They believe that if a lie is continually repeated, it will become a truth. Often on Twitter, a psychopath will get rumbled and then take on a campaign of harassment and intimidation of those they see as a threat. They will then construct a whole parallel reality of untruths about those they are targeting. This will involve inventing all manner of claims about what a person has done or said, none of which are ever substantiated with evidence.
5. Cunning and manipulativeness
Psychopaths are very cunning and manipulative. They will devise all manner of cunning ruses to ingratiate themselves with people they see as useful. Once they have dragged someone into their sordid world of fantasy, they make it very hard for those snared to escape. Fortunately on Twitter, it is quite easy to block such characters. The best thing is to block all of their persona's and ignore all of their nonsense. Eventually they will get bored and find someone else to pick on. If threats are made, report them to the Police.
6. Lack of remorse or guilt
This is the classic sign of a psychopath. However badly they behave, there is always an excuse. They seek out cases of other people who have been victims of injustice and convince themselves that they too have been unfairly treated.
7. Shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)
This can be quite hard to spot on Twitter. Something bad happens and whilst normal people seek to offer support and solace, a psychopath will see it as opening a door to exploit a vulnerability. They will seek out people who display vulnerability and offer support, but the purpose is purely to gain trust and confidence. Such individuals rarely create content of genuine interest, as they do not see the need to actually engage intelligently with other people.
8. Callousness and lack of empathy
This is far easier to spot. A psychopathic tweeter will seek out opportunity to undermine and make other people feel badly about themselves. They will see a tweet where someone is genuinely upset and will try and inflict a devastating knock out response to it to ensure the person feels awful. They lack empathy, so will have no qualms about saying things that upset people. There is never the slightest effort to see the other persons point of view or to find common ground. It is dominate or destroy.
9. Parasitic lifestyle
Twitter psychopaths are generally rather unemployable. They often have self defined non jobs, claiming all manner of business interests. Often they will see themselves as 'social media experts' and imagine that they are in charge of huge organisations with multiple employees, but are simply bashing away at a keyboard in their bedroom. They make inflated claims about their social media reach, they actively seek spam follows as validation, so that they can con people into supporting their non productive lifestyle. If they have websites, you will see no evidence of anything to back up these claims. No large offices, no names, no official partners. And yet they seek your cash, don't be fooled.
10. Poor behavioral controls
Indiscipline on their accounts is another telling sign. They will often set up an account for one purpose, but when they need to 'dominate a debate', the account will be re-purposed to another, role. The typical modus operandi is to set up an account that will generate interest from the wider Twitter community, then when a following has been gained, the account will suddenly start posting all manner of bonkers nonsense, unrelated to the original purpose of the account. If you spot this, then I'd recommend unfollowing. Twitter psychopaths always have an agenda and it is never your health and well being.
Do I have another 250 lists in me? I have no idea. The lists will stop when I stop enjoying wring them
And I promised a special 250th celebration list. As readers will know, I don't like to disappoint.
So here it is. Ten things you never knew about the number 250!
1. The 250 bus route runs from Brixton to West Croydon. I didn't know this as this is the other side of the great divide (AKA The Thames)
2. Sergio Aguero scored his 250th goal for Manchester City against Crystal Palace on the 18th January 2020.
3. 250 Years ago, in 1770, Captain Cook was circumnavigating the world.
4. There is a book about Eric Cantona's Kung Fu attack on a Crystal Palace fan called "250 Days"
5. April 2020 will see the 250th anniversary of the poet Wordsworth
6. The British Rail Class 91 train was the first to travel faster than 250KM/H in the UK back in 1998
7. The Isle of Man is 250 miles from Mill Hill, where I live. I've never been there.
8. Pope Fabian died in the year 250.
9. Wikipedia states that the graves of more than 250 servicemen from the Netherlands are in Mill Hill cemetery.
10. Sly and The Family Stone's song "Hot Fun in the Summertime" is no 250 in the Rolling Stone all time Top 500 tracks. It is a great track, check it out. Probably the most inappropriate song ever for a cold February morning.
Sly and the Family Stone, ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime’
Enjoy! And here's to the next 250 lists.
1. Every England football team world cup and euro campaign since 1966.
2. Everything the Rolling Stones have done since they released "Start Me Up".
3. Every film Sequel, apart from Godfather II.
4. The remake of the Producers.
5. Flying home business class from Washington on US airlines.
6. Barnet's Jubilee Beacon, which failed to light.
7. Every dodgy establishment I've ever staggered into in Soho when drunk on a stag night.
8. Every recording ever made by Annie Lennox.
9. Chinese eat as much as you like buffets
10. Audley Harrison.
It is quite interesting to note that some of these things had completely slipped my mind, such as the Barnet Jubilee beacon. I don't think my opinion of sequels, Englands football team performance, chinese buffets and Annie Lennox has changed. As for Audley Harrison.....
Perhaps the most amusing of the early lists was list #16, the ten most bonkers things I've seen in Barnet
1. A double bed being driven down Mill Hill Broadway (for a film sequence).
2. A man fishing under the M1 flyover in Mill Hill Broadway (after a flash flood)
3. A naked man beating another fully clothed man with a baseball bat outside my house
4. Cows grazing on Mill Hill Circus Roundabout (they had escaped from St Josephs College farm).
5. An 8 ft high etheral ghost in a long coat walking down St Josephs College footpath in the mist at 2am.
6. Edgware High St under 9 ft of water
7. Armed hunters in search of hamsters in allotments in Burnt Oak
8. A zombie cucumber plant growing in Bunns Lane, Mill Hill
9. A man having sex with a goat in a field next to Mill Hill Broadway Station
10. A deranged vicar removing chairs from a Cafe in Finchley without the owners permission
As the lists progressed, I tackled more bizarre, diverse and unusual subjects. Perhaps the most bizarre of all was list #134, ten questions from a very disturbing dream. I had completely forgotten this blog. I must have had a very disturbed night. If you want to find out more click here, but here are the questions.
1. Are the victims "Martyrs fallen at the feet of the forces of greed and division". Martyrdom has got a bad name of late. But suicidal killers are not martyrs at all. A martyr is someone who has no choice in the matter, other than to give up their beliefs of way of life. The victims had no choice. It is pretty clear that greed played a roll in the tragedy.
2. My father said "That's it really, all that is left is love". We've seen a huge outpouring of love and compassion in London. Can that ever, in some small way, compensate for such a terrible tragedy. Can it give those suffering loss a degree of solace? I really don't know.
3. If I am having terrible dreams at the periphery of the tragedy, what on earth are those in the epicentre feeling. Theresa May has said £5 million will be set aside for victims. How much is being set aside for counselling of victims? It seems to me that this will be a very long term issue.
4. I am an adult, if my dreams about the subject are disturbing, what on earth are the children who have been touched by this issue dreaming about? Is there anyone for them to talk to? Is there anyone they can open up to.
5. One aspect of my dream, which I couldn't really get my head round was the Lenin like figure haranguing the gatekeepers. As I analysed it, the disturbing thought occurred to me that this really seems very like what is actually happening. The ordinary people are asking questions and they are getting no answers at all.
6. As I've listened to the coverage, it is clear that churches and places of worship have been key in the relief effort. They've thrown their doors open and acted as centres for people to get together. This is commendable. I think churches have a central role in communities. As religion is seemingly on the decline, what will happen if we lose these centres? We need community spaces. In disasters, we need places to gather and coordinate. Events such as this challenge any faith one may have (that is a central theme of my dream, I think), but the need for such space is beyond doubt.
7. Another thing which struck me was the sheer joy at the end of the dream of people being reunited with people they've lost. There may be people in hospitals, who have loved ones thinking they are dead. This is always a problem in a disaster, especially one like this where people may have no id. Disaster planning needs to address such things. I don't know how, but there must be a way.
8. "The forces of greed and division". The wanting of a bigger slice of the cake than we need or even deserve. Five years ago, I made a film called "A Tale of Two Barnets" about such division, with Charles Honderick". It was a play on "A Tale of Two Cities", Dickens tale of inequality. It is a theme which has got worse, in the five years of Conservative austerity for the masses since. There has been no austerity for the top 1% in our society.
9. "You are all safe now". But what about all of the people left in Tower blocks in London and the rest of the UK. There are a hell of a lot of people who really don't feel safe. This isn't an issue that can be put off at all. There should be a state of emergency declared for everyone who may be at risk. We cannot have children living in tower blocks that can burn like roman candles.
10. "There are no answers". Maybe for those that have gone, there are none, but there must be for the rest of us. More pertinant though, is what is the questions we should be answering. The first of these is "What are we doing today, to ensure that this does not happen again?".
I was quite surprised that it took me until list #173 to list my top ten football managers of all time. This sparked much debate.
1. Brian Clough (Derby, Nottingham Forest)
2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
3. Bill Shankly (Liverpool)
4. Bob Paisley (Liverpool)
5. Sir Matt Busby (Manchester United)
6. Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield,Arsenal)
7.. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
8. Bill Nicholson (Spurs)
9. Joe Mercer (Manchester City)
10. Don Revie (Leeds)
I suspect that this would be a different list today. I would replace Arsene Wenger with Pep Guardiola and Don Revie with Jurgen Klopp. I may change the order as well. I may well put Pep at the top. His techniques have transformed football in a way that none of the others have. Before his arrival at Manchester City, the concept of playing out from the back was seen as suicidal. If, as seems likely, Klopp wins the league, he will easily have surpassed Revie and Wenger, who never won the European Cup. The achievements of both City and Liverpool last season are without peer. To get that many points, and for City to win two domestic cups and Liverpool to win the Champions League is really way beyond anything any other manager in the UK has achieved.
List #225 is a favourite, my top ten pictures of Mill Hill that are a bit different. Check them out. That list got a great response.
You may wonder which of these lists was the most popular? The answer, and it's not perhaps too surprising, is list #159, the complete list of pubs in the London Borough of Barnet. It had a huge number of hits.
In my lists I try and share useful information, usually humourous, but occasionally deadly serious. List #232 was perhaps the most serious of all. How to spot a psychopath on Twitter. I really urge everyone to read this and share it. These are the tell tale signs. I urge you to read this blog, it may save you a hell of a lot of grief.
1. Glib and superficial charm
Key markers to look out for are grown up adults posting rather adolescent looking gifs of kittens, etc and liberally sprinkling all sorts of happy emoji's into tweets, to create an aura of friendliness. If these posts are interspersed with tweets of a vaguely menacing nature, it is a clear indicator.
2. Grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self
For psychopaths, it is essential to control situations. Posts from anonymous accounts, bragging of fantastic academic qualifications and top jobs that cannot be verified are typical behaviour. Often psychopaths are quite intelligent but can't work with other people, so will have had decent jobs at some point, but these were very short lived. They invariable end up 'working for themselves' bashing away on a keyboard into the early hours. Often to make up for the lack of real friends, they invent other Twitter persona's to chat with. If you notice an account where tweets are always liked by a subset of linked accounts, this is a sure sign of bogus self affirmation.
3. Need for stimulation
Often psychopaths are driven by paranoia. They tend to think everyone thinks like they do, so are constantly on the look out for new sources of stimulation to feed their delusions. They are very prone to fall for conspiracy theories, as they believe they provide a cover and an excuse for their poor behaviour. They will obsessively hunt out ever more bizarre information sources, the more absurd the better.
4. Pathological lying
As previously mentioned, the need for control is a pivotal feature of a psychopathic personality. When events and facts don't fit a narrative, they will invent one. They believe that if a lie is continually repeated, it will become a truth. Often on Twitter, a psychopath will get rumbled and then take on a campaign of harassment and intimidation of those they see as a threat. They will then construct a whole parallel reality of untruths about those they are targeting. This will involve inventing all manner of claims about what a person has done or said, none of which are ever substantiated with evidence.
5. Cunning and manipulativeness
Psychopaths are very cunning and manipulative. They will devise all manner of cunning ruses to ingratiate themselves with people they see as useful. Once they have dragged someone into their sordid world of fantasy, they make it very hard for those snared to escape. Fortunately on Twitter, it is quite easy to block such characters. The best thing is to block all of their persona's and ignore all of their nonsense. Eventually they will get bored and find someone else to pick on. If threats are made, report them to the Police.
6. Lack of remorse or guilt
This is the classic sign of a psychopath. However badly they behave, there is always an excuse. They seek out cases of other people who have been victims of injustice and convince themselves that they too have been unfairly treated.
7. Shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)
This can be quite hard to spot on Twitter. Something bad happens and whilst normal people seek to offer support and solace, a psychopath will see it as opening a door to exploit a vulnerability. They will seek out people who display vulnerability and offer support, but the purpose is purely to gain trust and confidence. Such individuals rarely create content of genuine interest, as they do not see the need to actually engage intelligently with other people.
8. Callousness and lack of empathy
This is far easier to spot. A psychopathic tweeter will seek out opportunity to undermine and make other people feel badly about themselves. They will see a tweet where someone is genuinely upset and will try and inflict a devastating knock out response to it to ensure the person feels awful. They lack empathy, so will have no qualms about saying things that upset people. There is never the slightest effort to see the other persons point of view or to find common ground. It is dominate or destroy.
9. Parasitic lifestyle
Twitter psychopaths are generally rather unemployable. They often have self defined non jobs, claiming all manner of business interests. Often they will see themselves as 'social media experts' and imagine that they are in charge of huge organisations with multiple employees, but are simply bashing away at a keyboard in their bedroom. They make inflated claims about their social media reach, they actively seek spam follows as validation, so that they can con people into supporting their non productive lifestyle. If they have websites, you will see no evidence of anything to back up these claims. No large offices, no names, no official partners. And yet they seek your cash, don't be fooled.
10. Poor behavioral controls
Indiscipline on their accounts is another telling sign. They will often set up an account for one purpose, but when they need to 'dominate a debate', the account will be re-purposed to another, role. The typical modus operandi is to set up an account that will generate interest from the wider Twitter community, then when a following has been gained, the account will suddenly start posting all manner of bonkers nonsense, unrelated to the original purpose of the account. If you spot this, then I'd recommend unfollowing. Twitter psychopaths always have an agenda and it is never your health and well being.
Do I have another 250 lists in me? I have no idea. The lists will stop when I stop enjoying wring them
And I promised a special 250th celebration list. As readers will know, I don't like to disappoint.
So here it is. Ten things you never knew about the number 250!
1. The 250 bus route runs from Brixton to West Croydon. I didn't know this as this is the other side of the great divide (AKA The Thames)
2. Sergio Aguero scored his 250th goal for Manchester City against Crystal Palace on the 18th January 2020.
3. 250 Years ago, in 1770, Captain Cook was circumnavigating the world.
4. There is a book about Eric Cantona's Kung Fu attack on a Crystal Palace fan called "250 Days"
5. April 2020 will see the 250th anniversary of the poet Wordsworth
6. The British Rail Class 91 train was the first to travel faster than 250KM/H in the UK back in 1998
7. The Isle of Man is 250 miles from Mill Hill, where I live. I've never been there.
8. Pope Fabian died in the year 250.
9. Wikipedia states that the graves of more than 250 servicemen from the Netherlands are in Mill Hill cemetery.
10. Sly and The Family Stone's song "Hot Fun in the Summertime" is no 250 in the Rolling Stone all time Top 500 tracks. It is a great track, check it out. Probably the most inappropriate song ever for a cold February morning.
Sly and the Family Stone, ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime’
Writer: Sly Stone
Producer: Stone
Released: Aug. '69, Epic
16 weeks; No. 2
Producer: Stone
Released: Aug. '69, Epic
16 weeks; No. 2
Summer was already under way when Stone handed in this heavenly soul ballad to Epic, which was wary of releasing a summer song in August – but it was a smash anyway. The single came out just before the Family Stone performed at Woodstock – they were the first band to sign up for the historic festival. Michael Jackson later bought the rights to the song.
Appears on: Greatest Hits (Epic)
Enjoy! And here's to the next 250 lists.
Friday, 31 January 2020
The Friday Joke - On for all of us pensioners!
Apologies to all of the younger readers, but I thought this was rather funny, so felt impelled to share it. I would say ask your grandma, but if you weren't there, it probably isn't funny!
Hat tip to our twitter friend https://twitter.com/DriverPotter
Wednesday, 29 January 2020
The Fall of Edgware - Time for action on the massive Edgware Railway Hotel fly tip - Do this now!
There has been huge interest in the film by Mark Amies and the blog we wrote detailing the issues. About the fall of Edgware and the appalling state of the pub and the huge fly tip at the back, on the former metalworks. Marks film is the most watched video in the Borough of Barnet this week, with over 1,500 views in a couple of days. This is quite unprecedented for a locally produced film and shows the strength of feeling.
Now is the time for action. There have been hundreds of comments on Facebook and Twitter, but this means nothing. If you want to stop the destruction of Edgware then you need to take action. Several people have asked for a petition. There is no need for a petition, as there is something far more powerful, that ensures the Council take notice. That is to leave an objection on the planning application. There are currently 24. The time to do it is now and it is very easy. This is the text of the comment I left.
Click this link now to enter your objection. We need as many as possible to show the stength of local feeling. Barnet Council needs to be made aware that local people have had enough of this neglect.
https://publicaccess.barnet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=Q2YYJ6JIIEZ00
When you have done that, share this with all of your friends and family who know about the pub and make sure they do. If you haven't seen Marks film yet, please watch this and share with all of your friends (click on this to play)
Thank you for your support
Now is the time for action. There have been hundreds of comments on Facebook and Twitter, but this means nothing. If you want to stop the destruction of Edgware then you need to take action. Several people have asked for a petition. There is no need for a petition, as there is something far more powerful, that ensures the Council take notice. That is to leave an objection on the planning application. There are currently 24. The time to do it is now and it is very easy. This is the text of the comment I left.
"This site was formerly an industrial site. The policies of both the Mayor of London and Barnet Council state that industrial sites should not be turned into car parks. The owner has deliberately allowed the site to become a rubbish dump to pressure the local community into accepting their plans. The council should issue a compulsory purchase order and use the space for the benefit of Barnet residents, rather than someone who clearly is unfit to manage such a space"Put your own comment in the comment box, make sure you click the "Object" box and also select whether you are a member of the public or neighbour.
Click this link now to enter your objection. We need as many as possible to show the stength of local feeling. Barnet Council needs to be made aware that local people have had enough of this neglect.
https://publicaccess.barnet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=Q2YYJ6JIIEZ00
When you have done that, share this with all of your friends and family who know about the pub and make sure they do. If you haven't seen Marks film yet, please watch this and share with all of your friends (click on this to play)
Thank you for your support
Monday, 27 January 2020
The fall of Edgware and the demise of the Railway Hotel pub
Yesterday I got up a tad earlier than usual to visit Edgware to make a short video with Mark Amies, the BBC Radio London local historian, about the appalling state of the Railway Hotel, a Grade II listed building that has been left to go to rack and ruin for several years. What greeted us was truly appalling, but what was even more appalling was it emerged that what we were seeing wasn't just the demise of a much loved pub. What we are actually seeing is the fall of Edgware as we know it. Please watch the video. It was a rather rush job, but I felt it was important to get this made, while there is still something to fight for.
It has become clear that the issue isn't just the railway, it is becoming ever more clear that Edgware is next on the list for "Colindaleisation". If you wonder what this means, have a drive around Colindale. Ten years ago, this was just another sleepy part of the Borough. Now it has been transformed into a hellish visionn of a mini Manhattan, with all the soul drained out (apart from a few small bastion such as The Chandos Arms).
The first phase of this has started, with an application for a huge car park on the land behind the Railway. This has become a huge rubbish dump, as you can see in the film. You can read about this application by clicking here.
The area in red behind the pub car park is the location
As we looked at the plan, the question became clear. Why is a temporary 175 place car park required in Edgware? As we walked around and discussed what was going on, it became absolutely clear. Any major construction scheme requires a base and a substantial amount of parking for workers and a depot for deliveries. A cursory trawl through the council website reveals that this has started. A plan has been submitted for the adjacent plot. This states
What is clear is that this proposal was only the start of the process. The Railway is a key site in all of this. The site is worth millions of pounds but a Grade II listed building is a very inconvenient obstacle. Why else would the current owner have allowed it to deteriorate and have open windows, holes in the fence etc?
You may ask what are the 'Local Councillors' doing about all of this. The answer is that they are rather sadly doing nothing. They are not rallying the community. They are not explaining why a developer wants a 'temporary car park'. They are not organising public meetings. why could this be? One of them, Sarah Wardle works as a 'planning consultant' has this expertise been used to the benefit of the local community who voted for her and pays her allowance, has her Could it be because of their lack of local associations with the site and the history of Edgware? I don't know, but I do know that the Railway Hotel is loved by the local community and the total lack of action is completely bemusing.
A few words must be said about English Heritage and Historical England. Both have been made aware of the situation on numerous occasions, by many people. Mark Amies has campaigned non stop, but has received nothing but fob off communications saying Barnet Council are dealing with it. One of the reasons I make these films is to ensure there is a historical record of what has happened. This means that when local politicians tell porkies, we can hold them to account. We made this video a year ago on 7th Jan 2019.
.
These two videos, a year apart, show exactly what happens. What do you think the video and blog we put together in January 2021 will show? If I was a betting man, I'd say that it will show something very different indeed. I would also put my house on these planning applications not being the last major changes to the High Street in Edgware.
You may have your view on what we are seeing. I have mine. I believe we are witnessing the fall of Edgware as we know it. I honestly believe that unless people wake up, what we are seeing in Colindale will spread all the way up The Edgware Road, around the corner into Edgware. I don't think that this will be as part of a single grand scheme that we can unite against, but as a 1,000 small cuts, none of which benefit the local population and as small schemes, none of which will deliver any of the infrastructure needed to support such a change. Make no mistake, none of this is about providing social housing. This is about 'luxury flats' to make billions for developers.
It has become clear that the issue isn't just the railway, it is becoming ever more clear that Edgware is next on the list for "Colindaleisation". If you wonder what this means, have a drive around Colindale. Ten years ago, this was just another sleepy part of the Borough. Now it has been transformed into a hellish visionn of a mini Manhattan, with all the soul drained out (apart from a few small bastion such as The Chandos Arms).
The first phase of this has started, with an application for a huge car park on the land behind the Railway. This has become a huge rubbish dump, as you can see in the film. You can read about this application by clicking here.
The area in red behind the pub car park is the location
As we looked at the plan, the question became clear. Why is a temporary 175 place car park required in Edgware? As we walked around and discussed what was going on, it became absolutely clear. Any major construction scheme requires a base and a substantial amount of parking for workers and a depot for deliveries. A cursory trawl through the council website reveals that this has started. A plan has been submitted for the adjacent plot. This states
Non-material amendments to planning permission reference 16/0112/FUL dated 13/01/2016 for 'Demolition of 120-124 Station Road and full planning permission for the rebuilding and extension of 102-120 Station Road to provide 1,705sqm retail floorspace (Use Class A1/A2) including a new frontage to Approach Road; redevelopment of rear car park for new buildings ranging in height from 3 to 17 storeys with podium level to provide 122 flats (Use Class C3) and a further 150sqm of new retail floorspace (Class A1/A2/A3) to Approach Road. The provision of car parking, landscaping and amenity areas and environmental improvements to Station Road and Approach Road, a pedestrian site access from Station Road and Approach Road and vehicular site access from Approach Road'.Amendments to include, roof handrails for safety reasons, balcony detailing, fire escape route, blocks C and D are relocated 225, away from the boundary, door and column omitted on the east elevation.You can read all of the details here. This has been approved with no objections and the local population seems totally unaware that plans for a new 17 floor tower is about to appear on the High Street. When I studied the plan, I realised that it was simply changes for a previous plan, also approved with five objections. It is clear to me that the community were not made properly aware of this application.
16/0112/FUL | Demolition of 120-124 Station Road and full planning permission for the rebuilding and extension of 102-120 Station Road to provide 1,705sqm retail floorspace (Use Class A1/A2) including a new frontage to Approach Road; redevelopment of rear car park for new buildings ranging in height from 3 to 17 storeys with podium level to provide 122 flats (Use Class C3) and a further 150sqm of new retail floorspace (Class A1/A2/A3) to Approach Road. The provision of car parking, landscaping and amenity areas and environmental improvements to Station Road and Approach Road, a pedestrian site access from Station Road and Approach Road and vehicular site access from Approach Road | 102-124 Station Road And Car Park To Rear Edgware Middlesex HA8 7BJThe full details are listed here. Oddly three of the five comments are not shown. This is very much a Trojan horse development. Although there is already a tower on the site, this is a massive increase in size and scale, as this drawing shows.
What is clear is that this proposal was only the start of the process. The Railway is a key site in all of this. The site is worth millions of pounds but a Grade II listed building is a very inconvenient obstacle. Why else would the current owner have allowed it to deteriorate and have open windows, holes in the fence etc?
You may ask what are the 'Local Councillors' doing about all of this. The answer is that they are rather sadly doing nothing. They are not rallying the community. They are not explaining why a developer wants a 'temporary car park'. They are not organising public meetings. why could this be? One of them, Sarah Wardle works as a 'planning consultant' has this expertise been used to the benefit of the local community who voted for her and pays her allowance, has her Could it be because of their lack of local associations with the site and the history of Edgware? I don't know, but I do know that the Railway Hotel is loved by the local community and the total lack of action is completely bemusing.
A few words must be said about English Heritage and Historical England. Both have been made aware of the situation on numerous occasions, by many people. Mark Amies has campaigned non stop, but has received nothing but fob off communications saying Barnet Council are dealing with it. One of the reasons I make these films is to ensure there is a historical record of what has happened. This means that when local politicians tell porkies, we can hold them to account. We made this video a year ago on 7th Jan 2019.
.
These two videos, a year apart, show exactly what happens. What do you think the video and blog we put together in January 2021 will show? If I was a betting man, I'd say that it will show something very different indeed. I would also put my house on these planning applications not being the last major changes to the High Street in Edgware.
You may have your view on what we are seeing. I have mine. I believe we are witnessing the fall of Edgware as we know it. I honestly believe that unless people wake up, what we are seeing in Colindale will spread all the way up The Edgware Road, around the corner into Edgware. I don't think that this will be as part of a single grand scheme that we can unite against, but as a 1,000 small cuts, none of which benefit the local population and as small schemes, none of which will deliver any of the infrastructure needed to support such a change. Make no mistake, none of this is about providing social housing. This is about 'luxury flats' to make billions for developers.
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