The Friday Joke and a new music documentary based in the Borough of Barnet!

 It's Friday again. It only seems like last week that it was Friday! Anyway, in the time honoured tradition of the Barnet Blogs, we always start the weekend with a joke. This is actually a true story, at the time I didn't see the funny side, but I do now. When we were campaigning for the local elections in 2022, my fellow Lib Dem Candidate Richard Logue contracted Covid and was unable to do any canvassing or face to face campaigning. Richard contacted me and said that a lady who lived in Page St had contacted him and wanted to speak to him about a problem with Barnet Council. Richard asked if I could nip in and see her. I went around and she explained the problem and the fact that nothing had been done. She said she'd spoken to the Conservative councillors three times and they'd done nothing. She was at her wits end and very cross.

I took all of the details, contacted the council, explaining that it was causing a lot of problems for an elderly lady. To my astonishment, two days later, it was sorted out. A nice council official emailed me to tell me and to pass on the council's apologies to the lady in question. I went around to her house, knocked on her door and we inspected the perfectly completed work. She was very pleased and so I said "It's been a pleasure to help, I trust that we can rely on your vote at the election". Her smile disappeared and a frown appeared. She screamed "Vote Lib Dem, I wouldn't be seen dead voting Lib Dem, I am a UKIP supporter, now get lost". I was absolutely stunned. I have seen the said lady several times since, most recently at the Mill Hill Music Festival and she always growls at me. As they say, no good turn goes unpunished. In hindsight, it has given me a rather amusing anecdote.

And as mentioned, we are proud to launch a new series of documentary films. These are a fly on the wall look at the workings of working band. In the first episode, The False Dots invite you in to watch the process of recording a new single. Being in the band is an absolute scream. The best moments are often behind the scenes. If you enjoy music and wonder how it all comes together, this will give you some sort of insight. Enjoy. 

It's raining in Edgware! - Weather, Climate Change and Global Warming

Sometimes, I have to write blogs, as I am driven to distraction by crass stupidity and willful misinterpretation of proveable facts by people who are either very thick or very malicious. 

Let me start, with a short diversion, to explain why this interests me and why we should all educate ourselves on the subject. About 40 years ago, Gray Ramsey, the drummer in my band excitedly played me a cassette demo of a new track by the legend that is Steve Strange called "It's Raining in Edgware". Steve had bought a sampler and sampled a fart and played a melody with it at the beginning of the track. It was a rather good track and since then I've always associated Edgware with rain (rather like I associate Borehamwood with overripe tomatoes, but that's another story). My Dad was also there. He roared laughing and berated me for not being able to make such amusing music. Later that evening, he took me to one side and said, in his thick Aussie accent "I really like your mate's song. But did you know that Mill Hill is the coldest place in the whole of London?". Dad had been a WWII pilot and part of the qualifications was in meteorology. For bomber pilots such as my Dad, it was literally a matter of life and death to understand the weather. He explained that as Mill Hill was the highest point with a London post code and was the most North Westerly, it was colder, up to four degrees colder than central London. Dad came from Australia, they didn't have weather in Blackall, Queensland. He was born during a drought, a proper drought. There had been no rain for five years, he told me that he first saw rain at the age of four. What had been a dustbowl was now a huge river, called Coopers Creek. The land sprung into life. Plants and strange animals, dormant for years, sprung into life. When we had what we called droughts and hosepipe bans. he'd laugh.

Dad died in 1987, he was an intelligent man. He believed that understanding the patterns of weather was a something that was fundamental to an education. When he first heard of the subject of global warming, he was fascinated. As an Aussie, born in the outback, where the temperatures were always around 40 degrees, he dreamed of such a climate in England. When he studied it, was horrified. He told me that it would not make Britain like the outback of Queensland. He explained that due to the unique position of the UK, the prevailing change was that the UK would simply become wetter and more miserable. This is because the more the earth heats up, the more water will evaporate in the seas. This will form clouds in the Atlantic, that will dump water on Edgware and Mill Hill. Dad felt that the reports he'd read failed to take into account many factors, not least this evaporation. As clouds are white, they actually reflect sunlight, so to some degree would offset the rises. None of the papers he read mentioned this. He did however 100% accept the science and explained it's effects to me in detail. It is a shame that schools seem unable to do the same.

I was lucky. Dad took time to explain everything to me properly, in terms I could understand. What makes me laugh is just how stupid most of the people who tweet about the subject are. They look out of the window, see clouds in July and dismiss the whole matter, stating that as this July is colder than last July, climate change is nonsense. I felt it is high time, that I explained the fact that weather, climate change and global warming are three different things. I am under no illusion that this will be wasted on people, who cannot tell their backside from their elbow, but you have to try and help the poor darlinghs.

So first of all, we need to understand the difference between weather, climate change and global warming.

Weather. This is what we describe the state of the atmosphere at a given time, in a given place. As my Dad explained, Mill Hill is colder thand Edgware. Inverness is colder than London. In Mill Hill, the thing that determis the weather is the direction the wind is blowing. If it is blowing from the South West, off the Atlantic, it is likely to be wet, as that is where clouds are former. If it is blowing from the north, it is likely to be cold. If it is blowing from the South East and up from Africa, it is likely to be warm. If it is coming from the East, in Winter it will be dry and cold and in summer it will be warm.  

In the UK, the most common weather pattern is prevailing winds from the South West. The sea is colder than the land in Summer and warmer in winter. Presently, this is the way the wind is blowing, so that whilst Europe swelters, the air we are getting is colder and damp. Last year, when we were sweltering, we had a large area of high pressure, that is fairly still, with air moving from the warm south east. The biggest factor in determining our winter and summers are the jet streams, huge air currents that determine how the air systems move around the north atlantic. When these move north or south, we get different weather, hot summers such as 1976 and cold winters such as 1962/63.

Weather in the UK is often almost impossible to predict, even with massive computers and hundreds of stations monitoring weather. Knowing exactly where clouds will drop rain is very difficult to know. Sometimes, it rains in Edgware and is sunny in Mill Hill. This year, the Mill Hill Music Festival cancelled an outdoor gig, because rain and Thunderstorms were predicted. They never materialised, although South West London had flash floods. This is what weather is like. If you see someone comparing a random day this year with last year, they simply don't understand that the wind in the UK was blowing in a different direction. 

Climate Change is a different thing all together. This has little to do with day-to-day weather. Climate change means that prevailing temperatures and rain patterns show a marked difference over a longer period of time, which results in physical changes to the landscape. This may mean crops won't grow, animals lose their environment, waterways disappear or flood become common place, when they weren't before. I went to Pune in India in 2015 and the locals told me that the dates for the monsoon, which used to be accurate almost to the day, had completely changed. Areas that, unlike the UK, are not surrounded by water, see this to a far greater extent. As my Dad noted, there are all manner of factors, which we may not understand until we see the effects in action. But the bottom line is that when climate changes and food supplies are affected, that results in huge impact on local populations.

Global Warming is different to climate change, although it is also a driver. This is the thing that the armchair army of tweeters understand least. They see clouds today, when we had glorious sunshine last July and announce that Global Warming is a myth. It is a shame that they don't actually understand what it means. Across the globe, there are tens of thousands of stations that monitor the temperatures, humidity, air pressure and wind levels. Any one of these, on any one day, records the weather. When you take the sum of them all, from across the whole planet, and analyse the changes over a number of years., this tells you whether the planet is warming up or cooling down. Having all of this data, is a relatively new phenominum. We have no idea of global temperatures in Roman or Neolithic times. Does that mean that the modelling we have now is invalid? Of course it doesn't. The job of scientists is to analyse the data, identify trends and postulate theories based on this data. The way science works is that until someone disproves a theory, we tend to accept it if the data supports it. Sadly, what climate change deniers and people who refute Global Warming tend to do is look at very small subsets of data to make their point. So the fact that it's raining in Edgware in July, to them means that the fact that subsistence farmers in sub saharan Africa cannot grow crops due to the changing climate is 'nonsense and a scam'. It may well be that the people who decry climate change and global warming are correct, but if they are, they need to base their theories on complete data sets, rather than a small subset that they can manipulate to suit their rather fatuous arguments.

If you want to know which way the wind is blowing in the UK, check out the Met Office Surface pressure charts. As you can see, the wind is coming off the Atlantic from the North West, which explains the clouds and the slightly lower temperatures. If it was coming from the opposite direction, the temperatures would most probably be 15-20 degrees hotter. 

 

Were the disabled deliberately culled in the first wave of Covid? A father speaks out

John Sullivan with his Daughter Susan in 2011

 Some things are too horrible to contemplate, especially when they touch on your life and affect your friends and family. Long time regular readers of this blog will be familiar with long time contributor to this blog, Mr John Sullivan and his daughter Susan, who passed away in 2020 from covid. 

John believes that Susan died as a deliberate policy of 'culling' disabled and vulnerable people in the first wave of Covid. When Susan was admitted to hospital with Covid, Johns family expressly requested that Susan did not have a "Do Not Resuscitate" notice placed on her and all efforts would be made to save her. Susan lived with the Downs condition. She was in good health prior to covid. The families wishes were ignored. 

John is not a man who ever gave up on Susan and he's not going to start now. Please watch this video podcast and read this article, which explains his campaign

John's Podcast

https://sites.libsyn.com/123829/who-do-we-not-save

Article

https://markhonigsbaum.substack.com/p/who-do-we-not-save

I have to confess that when John contacted me and asked me to help publicise his campaign, I struggled to deal with what he was saying. Not because I don't have immense respect for John and his family, but in all honesty, what he was saying dug up a lot of very raw emotions, that I have struggled to deal with. 

This is especially painful for me to deal with. My cousin Theresa Fanning, who also lived with Downs Syndrome,  died of Covid. Theresa was in poor health prior to contracting Covid and was suffering from demetia. I was very closed to Tessie, as I knew her. I, rightly, had no say in any decisions about her treatment. She has brothers and sister who felt that the DNR was the right path for her, given her diminished quality of life in recent years. From what they told me, it was unlikely that much could be done for her by the time she was admitted and her passing was peaceful.

I used to take Tessie to Lourdes with our group in the summer, but she had become unable to travel, several years previously. My main reticence about publicisings Johns campaign was that I didn't want my cousins to see my comments as a criticism of their decisions. I thought about not mentioning Tessie at all, but that would be plain dishonest. When it comes down to it, I realised that the two situations were very different. It would be a dereliction of my duties as a blogger to not give John's campaign a platform. Every family has the right to do what they feel is best for their loved ones, and to fight for justice for them. I have no criticisms of what happened with Tessie, her siblings are comfortable with her treatment and the decisions made and I fully support that. John's situation is different and I support the Sullivan family as well.

Whilst, I am not criticising Tessie's treatment or the circumstances leading to her passing, I am sickened by the fact that we couldn't properly mourn her, due to covid regulations, but Boris Johnson and his cronies were partying, ignoring the rules that meant we simply had to mourn alone, in silence. I sincerely hope that when people vote in the Uxbridge by election, they do not forget the behaviour of their former MP and his cabinet chums, including the current Prime Minister, who was up to his neck in the shenanigans. 

 I also have to question whether protocols were properly in place to protect Tessie at her home, in the care of Barnet council. We all know of the appaling death toll at care homes. Everyone knew Tessie was highly vulnerable. Was every measure possible taken to prevent her contracting covid? I genuinely don't know. What I do know is that in tens of thousands of cases, vulnerable people in care were let down. The sad truth is that this has saved HM Government a fortune in care costs, as looking after vulnerable people with dementia and other similar conditions is extremely expensive for them. 

In truth, I'd rather not think about the whole thing. Yes, that is cowardly and dishonest, but it is far more comfortable to think of the future, of your next holiday, or the next family barbecue. But John and his family have an empty chair at their family parties and they believe the were failed. As for Tessie, when she passed, we didn't hold a wake, we had a gathering a year later when the regulations allowed. It was nice to see the family, but I feel she was robbed of the send off she deserved, which is important in our Irish tradition. Me, All I could really do was make a video and put some of my music to it. She was a beautiful and fun person. Many people seem to think that people with Downs syndrome have no right to exist, are sub human. I disagree profoundly, I celebrate the fact that humanity embraces our differences. This was my tribute to Tessie, please have a look. It may give you some insight as to why John feels that people with Downs syndrome are people and they deserved better.

“Isn’t it awful what they did with Edgware" - A guest blog by Muted of Edgware

By Muted, of Edgware,  

This is going to be the first of I hope many contributions I am going to make to the blogs of Barnet Eye. I have long admired the work that Roger Tichborne has done over the many years (Ed note: I didn't pay them to say this, I'd rather people didn't but I don't edit guest blogs unless asked to check). He has dedicated himself to what is truly a community-centred journal. It gives residents of Barnet borough and beyond a different take on what goes on in this part of London.

So, what is my first contribution? Well, it’s Edgware. That often-maligned town on the A5 and the end of the Northern Line. Once a place of 1920s suburban aspiration, where new homes were built in what was Middlesex countryside. Of course, it existed before then, as a linear village along the old Roman Road of Watling Street, with many inns serving the coaching trade that ran along the road from London to St Albans and beyond. Many historians will probably tell you that Edgware has never really known stability, it has responded to change and grown over the years, it is therefore not a place for stagnation. Just as the A5 brought people through Edgware in the pre-Victorian era, so too did the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in the 1860s, and then the London Electric Underground in the 1920s. 

Now in the 2020’s Edgware is about to undergo another moment of change – the arrival of the Ballymore redevelopment of the town. Since buying the late 1980s Broadwalk Shopping Centre , in 2020, the company intends to build a huge new housing and retail development that will swallow up the old shopping centre, as well as the car park and some of the surrounding land. You can read more about the scheme here, given favourable support on a housing journal - https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/ballymore-unveils-plans-for-4000-home-edgware-redevelopment/5122344.article

Naturally, this new proposal has shaken up many residents, and quite rightly so. The very fabric of Edgware town centre is going to be changed forever and it is likely to mean that Edgware will have a very different feel to it. As usual with many of these schemes, Ballymore has promised much, along with its partners in the scheme, Transport for London ( who will donate the land their bus garage and bus station which currently sit on the site, as well as some legacy land along the Northern Line), Barnet Council (who since the scheme was initiated changed from Conservative to Labour control), and the ever-so -fluffy looking NLA ( New London Architecture), who describe themselves as “…an independent, purpose-led organisation for everyone with an interest in London’s built environment.  NLA’s programme and its family of brands and projects engages the broadest possible audience across government, business and the public to educate, challenge, connect and create positive change.” NLA is composed of the Corporation of London, City of Westminster, London & Partners (yes, that is a new one to me too), something called ‘London Councils’, the Mayor of London, Network Rail and Transport for London. 

The overall scheme clearly uses the need for housing in London as its primary excuse for existing. Yes, London needs more homes, in fact what it needs is more affordable homes, and the Ballymore scheme will include this, but it is not a major component. In September, Ballymore will submit its planning proposal, and at that point the residents of Edgware will have an opportunity to voice their thoughts. One thing is for sure, Ballymore and its partners will have their way. They spent a reported £75 million buying the Broadwalk shopping centre, and they will want a return on that investment, plus profits.

As a soft front to this major scheme, New London Architecture, along with Ballymore, Barnet Council and Transport for London came up with a jolly thing called ‘More Edgware, Less Anywhere’  - a competition described as ‘ … inviting emerging architects, landscape architects and designers to develop and submit a proposal for a new public realm intervention that will test ideas for ‘re-greening’ Edgware town centre and can help inform long term improvements to the area.”  - if you can make sense of that, then you are a better person than me. 

Effectively it means a load of opportunities for these applicants to create art installations murals and such like to make it look like the developers are caring and understanding…which they may be, (I do not think so myself, but do not let me cloud your opinions). The first of these ‘interventions’ have already appeared in the form of some wooden boxes on the island in the forecourt of Edgware tube station.

So, with this huge development, (that will apparently take ten years to build), one would think that the voices of disquiet would be piercing the suburban air of north west London…., but as yet it seems not. There appears to be two Facebook groups one with over 600 members called ‘Save Our Edgware’ and another with about 270 members called ‘Local residents against Broadwalk development’. There is also an anonymous platforms that exists in the form of a website, Twitter and Facebook accounts, called ‘Edgware Voice Future Edgware’. The weblink is here - https://www.edgwarevoice.org/ . It claims ‘We are an independent community-run account’, but there are no physical addresses and no names attached to it. Its Facebook page was set up in June 2022, and has 38 followers. Its Twitter account was set up at the same time and has 85 followers.  Of course, there are other voices of disquiet to be seen on social media all acting independently.

One thing I must say is that the NLA competition name of ‘More Edgware, Less Anywhere’ is really quite something. It is effectively suggesting that Edgware is currently a place that (to quote the Beautiful South), could be anywhere, at all. It gives the impression that Edgware is just another dull, anonymous London suburban town, and that somehow, the benevolent forces of Ballymore and its partners will magically transform it into …’a destination’. Pretty insulting stuff really. It is the sort of mission that is carried out from a central London office, by a team of 20 to 30 somethings called ‘Seb’ and ‘Jaz’,  who have probably never visited Edgware. 

The fact is that Edgware is a place, that has a history, that has an existing community and quite frankly the idea that these assorted bodies can come in without any proper opposition and change the face of Edgware is rather galling.

So, how do you feel about that? Maybe you don’t care. Maybe you are one of the many people who exist on Facebook memory groups who used to live in Edgware and now consider it past its best (or in other more colourful and vulgar terminology). Maybe you do care, and maybe you might just want be ready in September for that Ballymore & Co planning application and get ready to speak your mind. Either way, don’t be the person who says in ten years’ time. “Isn’t it awful what they did with Edgware, someone should have done something”.

--

Back in January 2020, I made a film about the decline of Edgware with local historian Mark Amies. Who knew then that things would get worse?

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Muted of Edgware is a local resident who is sick to death with what they are seeing happen in Edgware. They do not wish their name to be public.

Guest Blogs are always welcome

BBC Proms - Northern Soul Prom - Review

 On Saturday night, myself and Clare made our way to The Royal Albert Hall for the Northern Soul Prom.

At the @RoyalAlbertHall for @bbcproms Northern Soul night. Full of real music lovers who enjoy a boogie! No armchair critics here! pic.twitter.com/PYUzCZ3xjz

— Roger Tichborne/Rog T (@Barneteye) July 15, 2023

Northern Soul was a genre I was introduced to fairly late. Not least, as a Southerner and being into punk bands, it all seemed rather strange. Northerners, speeding to the eyeballs, gyrating wildly into the early hours, at venues with names such as "The Wigan Casino", to old B sides from the US seemed odd to me. Perhaps my first proper interest was when Soft Cell covered Gloria Jones Tainted Love and went to no 1. I sought out the Gloria Jones version. It sounded nothing like Marc Almond, but I thought it sounded great.

I'd occasionally check the genre out, with no great effort expended, until late 1984. When Venessa Sagoe quite the False Dots, I started looking around for new musicians and a new direction. I had a brief hook up with "Bob from Stoke". A sax player, who was also a Northern Soul nut. Bob persuaded me that a Northern Soul review band would be the way to go. He lent me a stack of records. I spent a week making notes, listening and trying to get the vibe. I wrote a song in what I thought the Genre was, called Maybe Once More. A week later I met up with Bob to discuss the way forward. I said I really got what he was saying, played him the new number, which left him completely non plussed. He then asked if I'd learned all of the songs. I hadn't realised that was the plan. When I said no, he called me a "f***** c***" told me I was an idiot and stormed off with his bag of records. I never saw Bob again. I was taken completely by surprise, but the brief musical collaboration gave me a love of the new genre and a cracking song.

When Clare suggested going, I didn't hesitate. I was fascinated to see a 2023 on thiis genre. I've always regretted not taking a train up to Wigan for the evening, but in truth the  scene was almost done by the time I'd have been in a position to go. Clare loves the Proms and always attends at least three or four. I pick and choose, but this was a must. We shared a bottle of wine in the Stella Artois Bar and took our seat. The songs included ‘You’re Gonna Make Me Love You’, ‘Open the Door to Your Heart’, ‘It Really Hurts Me Girl’, ‘Hold Back the Night’, ‘Time Will Pass You By’ and ‘Just Like the Weather’.  The BBC Concert Orchestra sounded amazing and the six vocalists were wonderful, with Darrell Smith being the pick of the bunch. Stuart Maconie came on before the end to intoduce the the '3 before 8': "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is All Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe, and "I'm on My Way" by Dean Parrish.These were always the last three songs before the gig finished at 8pm at The Wigan Casino. 

Of course there was an encore. To no one's surprise this was "Tainted Love", a far more Gloria Jones version with Vlula Malinga on vocals. The night was a breathless celebration of the genre. If I hadn't seen Blur last week, it would have been my gig of the year. 

And one amusing aside. Halfway through the second set, there was an altercation, down to our right. Too far away to see exactly what went on, but I am sure one of the men was "Bob from Stoke", he had a very distinctive look. Of course it probably wasn't, Clare says "You always say you know everyone".

All in all it was a wonderful night, don't miss it when it was broadcast.

As an aside, I thought I'd just mention that Bob from Stoke did inspire me to write a few songs in that genre. It was a real shame that we crossed paths after Venessa Sagoe left the band, as I'm sure his influence would have made us an amazing band. In 2010, we hooked up with Connie Abbe, an amazing Sudanese singer. I dusted down a few of the songs and we did some amazing gigs. Sadly, Connie was so good that she departed for richer work before we could really get going, but here is one of the songs performed live at Camden of that ilk. I was inspired to have another listen and despite the basic recording, I think it sounds great. One day, we'll nab Connie and record this properly with brass added. 

The tweets of the week in the London Borough of Barnet - 16th July 2023

 I've had a wonderful week. The highlight was the BBC Northern Soul Proms last night. The BBC has it's detractors, but it has kept the UK at the very top of the league culturally and continues to do so. If you've never been to the Proms, check it out. It's not stuffy, how could it be with a Northern Soul night. 

The only people who would want to see the end of such wonderful things are clearly people who hate the UK and probably hate themselves! 

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, how's about the Tweeters of Barnet? Once again they've not failed us.

1. How could I not start with this wonderful tweet!

Pony Express - A horse bolting through Burnt Oak with an Express Dairy van behind after taking fright. The horse galloped for half a mile before being pulled up. This picture was taken from a passing car on June 10th, 1939.

Topfoto image. pic.twitter.com/DazrqwRrRe

— NW London TimeMachine (@time_nw) July 11, 2023

2. We've had some wonderful butterflies in our garden this week. Our good friend Don has seen a few around Edgware. Excellent tweeting

On Friday 7 July, it was 30°C, & I was in a field full of butterflies in Edgware! Grassland species like skippers, meadow browns, ringlets & gatekeepers were everywhere, but the marbled white is spectacular! So graceful in flight & with exquisite patterning, & all in monochrome! pic.twitter.com/7rPzYtUIh2

— Donald Lyven (@barnet_rebel) July 13, 2023

3. How could I not include this. The wonderful fire fighters of Finchley! Spiffing tweeting

There’s something you don’t see every day….. crews from Finchley called in some help from Wembley’s TL to rescue Spider-Man at their Fire Station Open Day! Even super hero’s need hero’s!! 🚒💪🏼🕸️ @LFBBarnet @LFB_Brent pic.twitter.com/ZZX9PsJC0q

— Craig Carter (@NW_DAC) July 15, 2023

4. I love this. I remember the prefabs at Cricklewood, next to the railway line, just south of the station. I felt quite sad when they were demolished, but then again I didn't have to live in one.

Me and our dog Chummy
in the garden of our prefab 1955/6 in Cricklewood. pic.twitter.com/jqA50lHIrc

— Mellow drew💙 (@Envizage) July 15, 2023

5.If you want to get included in this list, post something like this. I can remember being gutted that I missed this gig, only found out about it after the fact. George Thorogood is an absolute force of nature

George thorogood and the original 3 piece destroyers performing at Hendon polytechnic college in North London 1979.
Here it is for you lot 👇https://t.co/HfTmfvXdTw pic.twitter.com/7MkoW5wsGY

— Gary Summers (@bullterrier80) July 15, 2023

George thorogood and the original 3 piece destroyers performing at Hendon polytechnic college in North London 1979.
Here it is for you lot 👇https://t.co/HfTmfvXdTw pic.twitter.com/7MkoW5wsGY

— Gary Summers (@bullterrier80) July 15, 2023

6. One of our local legends. Used to be a teacher at my old school, Orange Hill.

It was 50 years ago yesterday that David Bedford broke the world 10,000 metres record. A keen @HendonFC fan and trustee of the SJP Charity we hope he enjoyed the day reminiscing 💚 pic.twitter.com/46zK3JHKjJ

— Silver Jubilee Park (@JubileeSilver) July 14, 2023

7. Nice tweet from our friends at The Mill Hill Historical Society. Always wondered who John Keble was! Done quite a few shifts for the Mill Hill Homeless night shelter at the church.

Today is the Feast Day of John Keble, the anniversary of his 1833 "National Apostasy".

Churchman and poet, he kickstarted the Oxford Movement which brought the COE closer to Anglo-Catholicism. The church in The Hale is named after him.https://t.co/kzNxJYXckc@JohnKebleChurch pic.twitter.com/mIZeYoPnZQ

— Mill Hill Hist Soc (@MHHistSoc) July 14, 2019

8. Why indeed?

This sign at Apex Corner has always amused me. Why Hatfield? Borehamwood is nearer, York is more historically important, Newcastle is more Northerly, Durham has more Pink Panthers? pic.twitter.com/49LXuZE4Jv

— A Better Mill Hill 🔸🌈🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@ABetterMillHill) July 16, 2023

9. A fair question?

What’s your favourite bit of musical gear? pic.twitter.com/8dh9cHniJu

— #MillHillMusicComplex (@MillHillMusicCo) July 16, 2023

10. And to finish, some awful news. I am a Hadley FC season ticket holder. I knew Tony was unwell, but this is devastating. My thoughts and prayers are with Anthony and his family at this time.

We are devastated by this awful news and heartbroken for our manager Anthony Clark and his family.
Rest In Peace Tony, you will always be remembered ❤️ https://t.co/OVd3UM2T8q

— Hadley FC (@hadleyfc) July 14, 2023

Oh and being a shameless self plugger, please put the date in your diary and come down and see The False Dots on the 15th September at The Dublin Castle. This is what you'll get. If you like a bit of Ian Dury inspired slightly punky ska music, you'll love it

The Saturday List #411 - My top ten favourite football grounds (updated)

Back in October 2020, I did this list. I was looking at that old blog and I really felt I'd not said what I should. I also felt I'd changed my mind on a couple, so here is my 2nd attempt. I promise not to revisit this again. 

I will start this by taking about a few grounds I dislike. Top of the list is the London Stadium, home of West Ham. It is an impressive stadium, but it is rubbish for football. I've been there a couple of times and there is simply no atmosphere. You are half a mile from the pitch and you can't hear the other fans. I used to dislike Highbury.  Firstly it had one of the smallest league pitches, that lent itself to horrible, defensive football, exemplified by the George Graham era, when Arsenal fans favourite chant was "1-0 to the Arsenal". Arsenal have always been an anaethma to me. A club that moved from Woolwich to a posher area so they could make more money. They used to have the Met Police band on the pitch before the game, which always struck me as rather pompous, as did the ornate frontage. The Clock End, where the away fans stood was uncovered, which to me showed a disdain for other teams fans. Given Arsenal were a rich club, it always seemed a deliberate slight. I was none too keen on the old White Hart Lane either, there were pillars that obstructed the view. Perhaps top of my bugbears is The Hive, where Barnet FC now play. A soulless and drab ground, which has completely put me off a team that were second to Manchester City on my list of fave grounds. And finally, I must add Old Trafford. Now you may think that this is down to my allegiance, but it has been let rot. I went there for the Euro 96 championships and I thought the ground was decent. I went a couple of years ago, in the Utd end for a derby. I was shocked at the decrepid state of the stadium. The seats are uncomfortable with no legroom. The toilets were disgusting, not enough hand basins and the catering was appalling. I feel sorry for the Utd fans. Utd should be the richest club in the world, but their owners have fleeced them. Football allegiances aside, I hate seeing such behaviour. I think Utd fans are totally taken for granted by a callous and arrogant club.

Anyway, rant over. Here are the grounds I like

1. Maine Road, Manchester. Now you may think "He would say that" and it is probably true, but there were several things that I can demonstrate to prove it. Maine Road had the largest pitch in the league. This meant the football was exciting and wingers ruled the day. Seeing Peter Barnes and David White in full flight was a joy. Another slight oddity was the Kippax Street stand. Every other club put seats at the pitch sides and the cheap standing at the ends, where the view was worse. City had a huge standing area. Maine Road boasted the largest ever gates in the country. Even Manchester United had their biggest home gate at Maine Road, when Old Trafford was being repaired after the war. By the end, it was falling down, but watch the film Billy Grimble and you'll understand just how atmospheric it was.

2. Brickfield Lane, Barnet (Hadley FC).  Again, I would say this, wouldn't I. I am a season ticket holder. In some ways, I'd agree.

Final score @hadleyfc win 5-3, great goals, dodgy defence pic.twitter.com/QrrjZLTTHO

— Roger Tichborne/Rog T (@Barneteye) December 3, 2022

There are similar non league clubs all over the land, nice little grounds, good club houses, a great atmosphere. Hadley boasts a pitch that is better than some league clubs, it's own brand of beer and some of the best chants of any club in the world. If you love football, then you'd enjoy a visit.

Underhill - Pic www.stadiumguide.com

3. Underhill, Barnet. Underhill was always a bit of a mish mash of a ground, but it was a great place to watch football. A beer in the Queens Head before, a walk up the hill afterwards for a curry with mates and a couple of pints in the Mitre. As for the football, the heyday was the Barry Fry/Stan Flashman era, with the mad 5-4 results and crowds of 8,000 that would always appear in the paper as 2,000 (the cash going in Mr Flashmans pockets to the chagrain of the taxman and local authorities). The Barnet Torys and the Chairman simply didn't care that this was a gem in the crown of Barnet and it moved. I have fogiven neither.

4. The Old White Lion Ground, Edgware. In the  1960's and 1970's, my Dad, who had no interest at all in football, being an Aussie, sponsored the team through his business MacMetals. He'd take me down, usually spend most of the time in the bar chatting, leaving me to enjoy a hot chocolate and a bag of cheese and onion crisps. The football was full on. Some of the guys who worked for my Dad played for the team, others would watch and look after me. I used to love going. My Mum banned me, when she realised I'd learned a few new words. Dad ignored this and told me that I mustn't say anything I heard at football in front of Mum, if I wanted to keep going.

5. Loftus Road, QPR. So having got all of the clubs I have some affection for (well almost), now we move on to grounds that are 100% there on merit. Loftus Road is, in my humble opinion, the last proper ground in London hosting a major team. It is tight and noisy. The pies are good. If I want to show someone what a ground should be like, then this is where I take them. I quite liked the football of QPR in the 1970's. Sadly, it is not quite the same today.

6. Craven Cottage, Fulham. I will add a caveat on this that it is the Craven Cottage of the 1970's, I've not been since the new stand has opened. The last time I went was 1999, when City and Fulham were in the third tier. We got tickets from City legend Dave Watson, who is the uncle of my former chief sound engineer. Craven Cottage was always a friendly club, I loved the little house in the corner. In the 70's you could see Bobby Moore, George Best and Rodney Marsh on the same team. Perhaps the best defender and best forward to play in the league. The only problem was it was always freezing, with a wind blowing down the Thames. 

7. Upton Park, West Ham. Having started with a rant about the home of West Ham, I have to say that Upton Park had the best atmosphere of any London ground. For some strange reason, there was never any animosity between Hammers fans and City fans. They would drink in the same pub before the match with no tension. Both teams played football that was easy on the eye. The ground itself was quite claustrophobic in a good way, which seemed to amplify the noise. I especially liked attending games under the floodlights. You always felt like you'd been to a proper game.

8. Brisbane Road, Leyton Orient. A few years ago, I went to watch Wrexham play Orient at Brisbane Road. I'd not been to the ground previously. Both were in the conference and at the top of the table. It was clear as soon as we arrived that Orient were a league club. The ground was excellent. At the corners, there are tower blocks at the corners, where people loung on balconies, with a free view. The stadium has one of the best bars of any ground, with some amazing ales on hand.

9. The old Wembley Stadium. I used to go to every England match in the 1970's, which also was the time when England were at their worst. I loved going to Wembley. The old stadium felt like the "home of football". The beer and pies were not extortionate. I saw the 1981 cup final replay and the full members cup final in 1986. City lost both, but the day out was memorable. As to the new Wembley, the less said the better. Soulless, corporate and overpriced.

10. The Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

Well, I had a wonderful day in Manchester watching @ManCity thrash @ManUtd possibly best City performance I’ve seen. Credit to both clubs and sets of fans for #Ukraine️ solidarity before match pic.twitter.com/ALNxIAmuSH

— Roger Tichborne/Rog T (@Barneteye) March 7, 2022

I thought long and hard about including the Etihad. If I'd done this list ten years ago, it may have been in the rant list at the top. However, City have grown into the stadium. When I first went, it seemed completely soulless compared to Maine Road. However, the bar areas have been well decorated, the toilet blocks are clean and ample. The seats are comfortable with leg room and the City fans have grown into the stadium. The owners have done everything they can to make the experience better. The light shows for night games are wonderful. You have to move with the times. 

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I could not finish this list without a mention of the new White Hart Lane. In many ways, that is the best ground in the country now. The bar areas are amazing, the views are great, the atmosphere when Spurs are playing well is wonderful. But I feel that the owners of the club are simply not focussed enough on making the football worthy of the stadium. They seem to see the stadium as an asset that is as much for Beyonce gigs, American Football and Boxing as it is a football ground. I've no objection to clubs staging such things, but put the football first, if you want to make a list like this. 

The Friday Joke and a few musings on the absurdity of life and long lost pubs of the Borough of Barnet

 It's Friday, so in the time honoured tradition of the Barnet Blogs, it's time for a joke. Once again, I am endebted to my Twitter buddy, wonderful author and all round wonderful chap Robert Wilkinson for providing us with this weeks Twitter.

I guessed orange, but it was chocolate; I guessed toffee, but it was peanut; I guessed raisin, but it was coffee...
I was wrong on so many Revels.

— Robert Wilkinson (@robertwlk) July 14, 2023

It has been a good week for me. On Monday, my band, The False Dots released our Summer video. We did our best to make a fun video that people with North London connections would enjoy. As a musician, you know you've got it right when people you don't know stop you and tell you they like it. It's happened to me three times so far. With our recent videos, people have been as interested in the video side as the music. Both of our major video featuring local landmarks have generated a huge amount about long lost pubs. When we released the Burnt Oak Boogie, lots of people asked me about The Bald Faced Stag, The Prince of Wales and The Broadway in Burnt Oak. When I was growning up, Burnt Oak was defined by its pubs. Burnt Oak was a white, working class area and the pubs reflected that. As we documented in the song, we had a residency at the Bald Faced Stag in 1983-84. When I say this, many people have asked about it, expecting tales of Wild West style brawls, shenanigans etc. What surprises people is that we had no such experiences. It may be because my then girlfriends family were well known faces, who locals were a bit way of. We used to do the gigs, get well looked after and well paid and go home. What at first surprised me was the musical knowledge of many of the locals. When I'd been in the Stag before we started playing there, fearsome looking chaps smoking roll ups would scowl at you if you weren't a familiar face. Once we started playing there, I found many had encyclopedic knowledge of various musical genre's, especially Ska and Mod music. After a couple of gigs at the pub, we were well known enough to walk in and the same faces that used to scare the hell out of me when I was a teenager would bring down singles for us to play between the sets. The Stag was their pub and we respected that. The fact that we gave them a good night out and would play the music they wanted to hear was appreciated. I used to prefer playing there to posher boozers, where people were too respectable to enjoy themselves. The False Dots have always encouraged people to get involved, whether it was inviting local punk poets up to do a piece, getting the audience to become our "Dance troupe" or inviting people up for a jam (where we can), it's been the best bit of the journey. 

About seven years ago, I started to think that people had forgotten how to enjoy themselves. Pubs like The Stag simply don't exist. There are a number of reasons. Demographic shift is probably the main one, but the banning of smoking in pubs was also a huge factor. Pubs used to exist to sell the beer, in as large quantities as possible, to punters. Now they are more interested in selling food. As a result, they've become boring. That is why I love the last few outposts of proper boozerdom, such as The Dublin Castle in Camden Town. 

With our new video, we feature three pubs. Two, The Beehive and The Sparrowhawk, both in Edgware are long gone. In their day, they were iconic spots. Maybe a quarter of the population of HA8 existed at one time as a result of people hooking up in one or other of them. The Beehive had a reputation. A bunch of rather heavy bikers would deal illicit substances at the back. As fights and bad behaviour were bad for business, it was actually a far more laid back place than many people realised. For me, Monday night was the best. This was the night that the Au Pairs had their night off. It had a good juke box and was always fun. The Sparrowhawk was the local pub that did music. There was a big Rockabilly and rock and roll scene there, Friends of The Earth would host gigs, usually of hippy bands. Local charities would hold dinner/dances there. Now it is a Tesco. The Beehive is an Indian restaurant. 

The third pub we feature, and this was a point I was trying to make subtly, was the Orange Tree. This was always a far more up market pub. You could get a 251 bus from the Bald Faced Stag to the Orange Tree and go from an earthy, working class pub, to a doyen of footballers, accountants and Estate Agents. The cars in the Orange Tree car park were always the best motors you'd see in North West London. The Orange Tree was a gastro pub before Gastro Pubs were invented. Whilst the patrons of the Stag have largely died or moved away, The Orange Tree goes from strength to strength. 

If someone had come from 2023 to see us in 1983 playing at the Stag and said that in 40 years, of the Stag, Beehive, Sparrowhawk and Orange Tree, only the Orange Tree would remain, I would have thought you an idiot. But the truth is that the demographic change that his transformed Burnt Oak has not happened in Totteridge and it probably wont. I suspect that the Orange Tree may well be the last pub left in the Borough of Barnet at some point in the next 50 years. But, hey, what the hell do I know

I will never truly understand the absurdities of life. Reading the future is always a thankless task. What seems to be permanent and part of life, simply disappears and new normals emerge. The demise of Woolworths, the disappearance of Banks, the demise of the the White Lion football ground, the movement of Barnet FC to Harrow. I cannot imagine where things will be in another 40 years. I'll be 100 years old by then, if I'm still around. I wonder if I'll be making videos mourning the passing of Iceland and all the luxury flats that are the blight of the Borough of Barnet? It is worth remembering that in a capitalist society, things only exist because people want them. The UK's population would be dramatically falling if it wasn't for immigration. If Suella Braverman gets her way and immigration stops, in 40 years time we won't need these awful monstrosities. Who knows, maybe they'll be knocking them down and building decent houses where people are not housed in prison cell like tiny spaces, with no gardens and no sunshine?

Anyway, if you haven't seen it, please have a shufti at our new video

.

Where have all the Community Leaders gone?

 

We still have some great local organisations

As I walked home from my band rehearsal last night, I passed the home of an old buddy of my father. He was the 'local copper' called Charlie. A large, imposing man, with a stern demeanour but off duty good humour. When he nicked the local villains, they'd exchange banter with him and buy him a drink at the pub when they saw him "No hard feelings, just doing our jobs". He was an ever present at all manner of events locally, adding a 'security presence', not that one was needed. He'd wander around in his uniform, chatting to all. When he died of cancer, there were as many villians as police at his service, come to pay respects for his fairness and recognition that we needed such people, even if it was 'bad for business' for them. I should add that he wasn't close to the villians, he wouldn't drink with them, but he'd give them a friendly nod when both off duty and behaving themselves. 

Further down the road, I passed the home of another of Dad's mates called Harry. I have no idea what he did, but he was always around the house, organising various charity events. It seemed like every week there were meetings. Afterwards, the scotch would come out. They would be organising the St Josephs college garden fete, a big annual event where the college opened it's grounds and farm. It was loved by all. The committee wasn't just Roman Catholics (the college was a training college for Catholic priests), the treasurer, a Mrs Lorna Bowra was a Methodist, and a couple of my mum's Jewish friends also assisted. All recognised that the event was a wonderful part of the Mill Hill year, and a great chance to see the grounds, farm and ponds. The cash raised was used to maintain the grounds and keep them in good shape. One year, they fixed the statue of St Joe with the money raised. Another year, they cleaned and refreshed the ponds.  Other events included the Sacred Heart Xmas fete, and all manner of fund rasing do's for all manner of charities. 

I have walked this walk a thousand times, without thinking about it, but last night I got to thinking about all of the organisations and events my parents supported. There were the catholic charities such  as the ones above and The Knights of St Columbus. There were local business organisations, such as The Rotary club, The Inner Wheel and many that I've long forgotten. There were local schools, where my Mum was on the PTA etc. In our house, it was expected that all of us would pitch in and I have to admit, I loved it. 

My Dad, a Conservative party member, was on first name terms with the local MP and the local councillors. He'd see them at all manner of local events. Charity events organised by John Laings would be a big part of his year. He loved a good "Dinner and Dance". In truth my mother was less keen. My Dad used to love to "win the raffle", so he'd buy half the tickets and end up bringing bags of useless tat back. As an Australian, he was always a bit of an outsider, but staunchly believed in putting something back, as he had a successful business and had been lucky. He was incredibly superstitious and believed that if he didn't repay his good luck, bad things may happen.

As a result of all of this, I met many of the local community leaders. My Mum was chair of the Hendon Overseas Friendship Association, and Margaret Thatcher was the President. I was very embarrassed when I was walking home from School in 1974 in Finchley with my mates and was stopped by Margaret Thatcher canvassing for the election, who asked my name. WHen I told her, she warmly said "Please give my regards to your mother, she is a wonderfully hard worker". I was horrified. 

I was considering writing a blog on the subject of community leadership, when I saw a new blog from disgraced former local Tory bigwig ( he was convicted of assault by beating of Helen Michael, a local Cafe owner). This individual has just completed a term as President of London Rotary and has written a blog blaming everyone else for the demise of Rotary. I was quite disappointed to learn from his blog that the Mill Hill Branch had closed. My family supported it for many years. I may have considered joining, if it had not been for this unpleasant person being the local mouthpiece for Rotary. In his blog, he notes that 66% of members are over 75 and branches are dying off. 

Rotary used to do a lot of good in Mill Hill, but when you have people such as this person in positions of authority in such organisations, a man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman in the high street, is it any wonder that young people would not be seen dead joining. It seems to me that whereas in my parents era, community leaders were generally people who did it for the right reasons, these days, many do it to enable career progression. If there is nothing in it for them, they can't be bothered. Last month, we held the Mill Hill Music Festival. A huge event locally. It was massively successful, but not a single local councillor attended. The only person with a political connection that came was former Mill Hill Councillor and former Battersea MP Jane Ellison. Jane was one of the founders of the festival and to me is a good example of a proper politician. One who believes in something and gets her hands dirty. She was a leading advocate for making practices such as FGM illegal. I don't agree with her politics, but admire her work ethic and her campaigning abilities. 

I have no idea who our local police are. They do not turn up for local events. They probably can't afford to live around the corner. Our local schools are blessed with good parents, as demonstrated by the wonderful fete's, many of which I provide sound systems for, but that seems to be almost the last vestige of life in Barnet where people get involved en masse in community events. I volunteer with a couple of local charities, but most of the leadership are a generation older than me and I'm 60.

I am starting to fear for the future. If people no longer see doing things for the community as important, then we soon won't have a community. I know there are some wonderful exceptions to the rule, such as Maggie Lamb, who runs the night shelter project,  but most are working flat out, without the real support they need. It seems to me that concept of doing good things in your community, without want of recognition, is very much an outdated concept. Now we need to make TikTok videos and Instagram posts to show everyone how marvellous we are, and yes I know I'm not immune to a bit of that myself. But I do miss the days when the local copper would turn up in his uniform to local events, unpaid, just to make sure people knew that if they ever needed to tell him something, he was approachable. I miss the days when the good folks of Barnet would meet in smokey rooms, discuss doing good things, then all have a glass of scotch. I miss the days when the highlight of the year was a big charity dinner and dance (often at The Sparrowhawk Pub), where eveyone wore their best clothes, had a slap up dinner, a raffle and a dance, raising loads of money for charity and going home half cut. I even miss the boring, worthy speeches that whoever was the dignitary they'd roped in to do it had to make, with the bad jokes and forced laughs. But most of all, I miss the fact that we had things like St Joes garden fete, where the community would turn up and mingle, just for the sake of it. 

Sometimes, you lose sight of the important things

 Last Friday, I wrote a very down and negative blog. I feel that it is necessary to be honest in my journey, especially my travails with Prostate Cancer. Everyone I've spoken to has dark moments on the journey. I think last Friday was as bad as I've felt in my life. I actually felt physically numb, I have never felt such desolation. For a time, it really did feel too much. It isn't just the cancer, the past three years have been a nightmare for our business. I feel that the stress has contributed to the recent flare up. In 2019, everything was going wonderfully. I have never felt like giving up on music and the studios, ever, but I did on Friday. We were having a family celebration on Friday evening, to celebrate my son getting his the result of his degree finals. We had booked a meal at the rather wonderful jmoriental.co.uk Chinese at Beaufort Park. I'd agreed to drive. If I could have gotten out of going, I would have. I just wanted to lie in my bedroom, with the blinds shut. But out of respect for my son, I dragged myself down there. We had a pleasant evening and not drinking (well one small bottle of beer) was a good thing. 

On Saturday, the Sun rose and I felt different. The numbness and despair had disippated. I had a strong urge to work. I had been working on a new video for The False Dots and I finished it (I think it's come out rather well). We met friends for a pleasant meal and a few drinks in the evening, at The Orange Tree, which coincidentally appears in the video.

On Sunday morning, as I always do, I went to mass at 11.30. I am a very bad Catholic. I go to mass every week, I try and listen to the readings and the homily, but often I spend an hour in a world of my own. Mass is one link with my past, my parents, my youth. The church has changed, but I think how I deal with Mass hasn't. As a kid, I was an Alter Server. I was useless. I'd zone out in a world of my own and forget to ring bells and bring water over etc. But the reflective, medatative time does help. In truth, I wish that they still did sung Latin masses. I'd feel less guilty about not listening and it would be easier to quietly meditate. I came out, bought a custard tart for me and chocolate brownie for my son, for what I used to buy a curry and six pints for.  That made me laugh. Then we went off to Blur. It was wonderful. A day with friends watching amazing music. 

On Monday, it was back to work. Back to reality.  My band are playing at The Dublinb Castle on the 15th September, so it was the scheduled day to start getting people along. We work on an week cycle. We dropped the new video and sent invites etc.  All good. The initial response to the video has been wonderful. Monday was one of my non drinking days. All was fine, some nice customers and a few good chats. In the evening, I prepared a vegetarian barbeque in the garden and my daughter cooked Pizza's. It was lovely. 

You might find all of this rather dull, but there is something very important in all of this. I feel OK. I'm not just saying this, I do. I feel positive and the sun has come up again. I could have written this blog on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, but I wanted to make sure all was OK. Over the last five days, I've done a lot of thinking. I realised something that I should never take for granted. The good Lord has blessed me with the greatest gift of all. I am lucky. I am lucky with my family. I am lucky with my wife. I am lucky with my choices. I've made amny rash decisions, but almost always they've turned out well. I am also lucky with my enemies. I have a few. If you are going to have enemies, have ones that are not only stupid, but believe themsleves to be genius level intellects, with a stack of cunning plans (none of which ever work). 

I'd have achieved nothing without extraordinary good luck. All of the important things in my life are good. You may ask how someone may consider themselves lucky, if they have cancer and need to have treatment that may severely impact their quality of life? Well sometimes, we need a wake up call. If I died tomorrow, I'd have had a wonderful life. I don't want to, but that is the truth. Things will change, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself. I just have to adapt. In my life, all of the important things are good. We all have challenges, my response to them is what my response always is. I work harder. There will be bumps on the road, I know that, but there are things to do

If you haven't seen it yet, please check out The False Dots new video. I'm rather proud of it.