The Mill Hill Music Festival Diary Day 4

Tuesday was day 4 of the Mill Hill Music Festival. It was Opera night at the Trinity Church in Mill Hill. This newly rebuilt venue was a pleasant setting for Opera Up Close, who performed La Boheme. The show sold out weeks ago and an enthusiastic audience turned up. The festival team of Gerry and Dan turned up at noon to start the preparations. A piano was delivered, drapes were erected and a lighting rig installed. We also ran a bar.

My involvement was limited due to other work arrangements, but it was great to see such a fine turnout on a Tuesday night. The show finished around 10pm and the whole caboodle, that had taken all day top put together, was stripped out in an hour and packed into the fleet of vans. Everyone left the hall on a high.

Tonight we have Tina May at the Mill Hill Jazz Club at Mill Hill Golf club. We then move to Allianz Park for the final three days. We have Stewart Curtis K-Groove playing Klezmer music tomorrow, The Bateman Brothers tribute to Louis Armstrong on Friday and on Saturday we have The Polecats with Loaded Dice. The Polecats feature the talents of legendary guitarist Boz Boorer, whilst Loaded Dice feature another legend Mark Harman. It should be a great night !

Checkout the festival details here
http://www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk/main.php/programme

Guest Blog - Richard Cornelius in the Press - A response, by John Sullivan

By John Sullivan,

I am responding to a letter from Cllr Cornelius in the local press that also carries his photograph in the letters page which makes his letter harder to miss than yours or mine, it seems strange that CADDSS ( Campaign Against Destruction of Disability Support Services ) was conceived in the letters to the editor column at The Press by two strangers that have since become friends and allies, and yet still Cllr Cornelius gets the headline and others get the bi-Line , once again the Cornelius definition of truth gets centre stage whilst the whole truth gets the bi-line. He knows  full well that his one liners cannot be answered with a simple one liner, which undermines the ability of the challenger to get across his or her viewpoint, thereby denying the right of the whole truth to be heard because the journalists have to cut your letters up to fit the page rather than send the whole message, hence the need to request a guest blog on Barnet Eye so I can have my say within reason.

Cornelius claims  (June 13th Edition)  " no relentless drive to outsourcing " whilst going on to refer to fully retaining just one service namely recycling which he now realises is a profit making enterprise, and was recently rescued from its planned outsourcing, whilst knowing  full well 90% of all other public services are to be outsourced that he misleadingly refers to as " some back office functions". He claims  " no race to the bottom at Your Choice " whilst driving out or demoting skilled staff, cutting  support staff numbers, replacing skilled staff with unskilled staff a potential for our very own Barnet version of Winterbourne View , making up to 30% cuts in already low paid staff wages , and changing staff terms and conditions in many other detrimental ways to numerous to mention, all of which will have a detrimental effect on staff morale and therefore quality of services. So how can this be anything other than a race to the bottom in service and staff quality, he claims he is avoiding savage cuts to services, well  how more savage could the cuts be than this .

He implies that forming  the LATC that Your Choice is a subsidiary company of was inevitable due to the direct payments legislation which is such a red herring, if this were completely true then why has every borough across the country not formed an arms length LATC to comply with the legislation

He claims " your choice is designed to create a service people can and will choose balancing quality & cost ". Designed by whom ?, not by parents or family carers or service users who were banned from any meaningful consultation, on the proposed changes mentioned above. The fact a potential legal challenge is pending on this very issue, qualifies just how deaf dumb and blind Cornelius is to the opinions of anyone other than his very expensive consultants that Barnet tax payers have given approximately  6 million pounds to date, who have only one vested interest and that is to line their pockets.

In this race to the bottom in services and staff quality, because the quality of the service is only as good as the quality of the staff. Who would choose a service full with low paid unskilled demoralised workers with no vocation for the job simply the need of employment, or perhaps forced to take the job or have their benefits stopped. More importantly where is the "Choice " he speaks of where are the alternative facilities, for many service users there is  " No Choice " never mind " Your Choice ", so where does the ability to "CHOOSE " enter the debate.

He then chooses to attempt to publicly smear the name of Tirza Waisel and all members of Baps & CADDSS, branding us a hard left pressure group that should be scrutinised when nothing could be further from the truth. This is the man that denied Barnet residents the right of scrutiny and consultation on the Massive One Barnet Outsourcing Programme, he misleadingly attempts to palm off as a small outsourcing programme of " some back office services ". This is the man that has denied parents , family carers and services users of all elements of YCB services, family members with collectively hundreds of years of front line experience across the board, the right to scrutinise the March 1st document that the above proposals are a part of, along with the right to consult on their future well being  or the future well being of disabled family members , in fact they refused to provide us with a copy of the document that outlines the race to the bottom in service and staff quality at Your Choice Barnet.

As a member of both Baps ( Barnet Alliance for Public Services ) and CADDSS, I am sure all members of both groups would be happy to be scrutinised as suggested by Cornelius, first and foremost unlike Cornelius we have nothing to hide we are an open book. We have no need to tread the slippery slope the finite line between truth and untruth that Cornelius appears to have chosen. Scrutiny of Baps & Caddss will expose the complete untruth of the Cornelius claim we are hard left activists, it will prove we are very concerned parents, family carers, service users and residents of all political persuasions and none, that are deeply concerned with the race to the bottom in all public services in Barnet  particularly in my case YCB services, demanded by the craving to outsource at any price by Cornelius and co. Based unbelievably on a contract that Cornelius admits he has never even read, can you believe that statement from Cornelius, he bangs on about how wonderful everything will be with the One Barnet programme yet he has never even read the contract, you could not make it up.

Baps & Caddss stand for democracy, the democratic right to scrutinise . the democratic right to be meaningfully consulted, along with the truth , the whole  truth and nothing but the truth, a concept that is apparently alien to Councillor Cornelius. Who I repeat continues in my opinion  misleadingly to refer to the massive One Barnet outsourcing programme of One Billion Pounds in Barnet public services as " some back office functions ".

SO  I SAY BRING ON THE SCRUTINY.

 

STOP PRESS - 

I have just been advised by Irwin Mitchell, the solicitors I instructed on behalf of my daughter Susan, that the proposed changes to services have been put on hold until they consult with, the parents, family carers and service users they should have lawfully consulted in the first place. But for this legal action these changes would have been forced through as was the formation of YCB in the first place, Cornelius leads an undemocratic council that denies scrutiny and consultation  whilst demanding others be scrutinised, a council more like a Politburo than a democratically elected council, and he has the nerve to refer to others as  " Reds Under the Bed "  or some such nonsense.

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John Sullivan is a parent carer and regular guest blogger at the Barnet Eye 

The Mill Hill Music festival diary - Day 3

If you've already read the festival diary this week in previous blogs, skip this first paragraph, it's just the explanation. For those of you who don't know, I am on the organising committee of the Mill Hill Music Festival, which is taking place this week. For the duration of the festival, this blog becomes my festival diary. The festival is run by a group of volunteer helpers on a not for profit basis. The purpose is to promote live music in Mill Hill. 

So those of you who've checked our festival program may be a bit surprised to find we're doing stuff today, especially as there are no gigs in the programme 
http://www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk/main.php/programme

Actually today has been pretty hectic ! Try running a business and organising a festival! Today has been spent on the phone. We've had to coordinate the collection of drapes, the collection of lighting rigs, the guest lists for bands, the exact timings of soundchecks etc. We've also had to arrange last minute rehearsals for some of the artists. As I speak writing this in the reception of Mill Hill Music Complex (it's 8:30 pm, I got up at 7am), Stewart Curtis's K-Groove are rehearsing for their gig on Thursday night. 

We've also had last minute ticket sales, a plethora of enquiries and a whole stack of other logistical queries. On top of that we've had to do a load of last minute maintenance on our large PA which we'll be using between Thursday and Saturday at Allianz Park for Stewart Curtis K-Groove, The Bateman Brothers tribute to Louis Armstrong and The Polecats/Loaded Dice. 

We've also had Boz Boorer of the Polecats in doing a video shoot for another project "Happy Martyr". All in all a busy day. I had a nice bowl of fruit at 7:30, a humus salad at 1pm and now I'm starving. On top of that, my good lady, who is Festival treasurer, is having a night off the Festival by doing a gig with her band, The BBC Elstree Concert Band at the Ark Theatre in Borehamwood http://www.bbcelstreeconcertband.co.uk/ - Sadly I'm to busy to support her tonight. 

And I'm the one who had the easy day. Dan & Gerry have spent the day running around actually doing the collections and the hard work !

So there you go ! Who'd be a musician !

The Mill Hill Music Festival diary - Day 2

For those of you who don't know, I am on the organising committee of the Mill Hill Music Festival, which is taking place this week. For the duration of the festival, this blog becomes my festival diary. The festival is run by a group of volunteer helpers on a not for profit basis. The purpose is to promote live music in Mill Hill.

So here we are at the end of day 2 (as far as the festival is concerned). Yesterday we had two events, the Holbrooke String Quartet at St Pauls and The Alan Warner All Stars at the Adam and Eve. Due to my inability to bi-locate, I was unable to attend the Holbrooke Quartet. My good lady (also a committee member) attended this event and said it went really well. The band were excellent and the music was well received.

My day. Well it started with my boy attending a trial for Watling Youth FC at the London Academy. My son has played for the team for the last six years. Recently new coaches have been appointed and the club is being restructured. I enjoyed the three hour session and it was great to see a group of around 20 boys being put through their paces. The facilities at the London Academy are excellent. It is great to see how one of Barnets formerly more run down schools has been transformed. After the session, I went to work at Mill Hill Music Complex, Saturday afternoon is a busy time. We have drama and singing, which brings lots of young people into the studios. It is pretty full on. I was also preparing for the week, as I'll be busy with the Music Festival. I had to pack up our lighting kit and then take it to the Adam & Eve for 6pm. I arrived to find the pub nearly empty. The management have not seen a festival night before and were a  tad apprehensive as to how the evening would go. Due to the weather, the plan for Alan Warner to play outside was dropped and space cleared indoors. I set up the lights and had a beer whilst waiting for the band - the calm before the storm.

Around 7pm Alan Warner and the boys arrived. Alan is an old friend of mine. He is perhaps the best guitarist I know. As a founder member of the Foundations, he has been around a long time, but still loves music and guitars. It is always a joy to hear him play.

By 8.30 pm when Al kicked off his first set, the pub was heaving with people. Many had driven miles to see Alan in action. His set was the usual eclectic mix of his favourite songs. For me the highlight of the first set was "Sweet Home Alabama". Many bands cover the song, but few do it justice. Alan certainly does.

At pub gigs, the pub covers the band cost. The festival hold a raffle to cover our costs. It was clear how the crowd react to the band by the monet raised. The raffle was a big success, thanks to the hard work of Jenni Bond, who takes responsibility. My job was simple, provide the lights,MC the show and make sure things ran smoothly. They did. By the end of the evening, the pub was rocking. Al blasted out all manner of hits, another highlight being Sultans of Swing, and a whole selection of excellent blues numbers. A great way to start the festival. We got home around 1am.

We had an early start today at the Rising Sun. At 10am I had to collect 10 white chairs from the studio and then help Gerry & Dan build Gazebos, ably assisted by Jenni & Clare. Due to the weather we also leant the pub a gazebo. All was built in time for the crowds. The weather started to threaten, with a very mild drizzle for the first half of the set, lightening up later. The Vo De O Do orchestra play 1920's jazz and ragtime. The band were very well received, as people munched through a tasty fathers day lunch. By the end, the crowd were up dancing. The pub was packed and thrilled with the response.

The band finished at around 4pm and we then broke down the gazebos etc, home for 5pm. A quick cuppa and now I'm off to Mass at 6pm and then out to play football at 7.30pm. We'll wrap up with a fathers day chinese at around 9pm. It will be nice to actually see the kids !

Life is never dull in Mill Hill during festival week.

Day 1 - The Mill Hill Music Festival

Today is day 1 of the Mill Hill Music Festival. Over the next 8 days, Mill Hill will come alive with an amazing series of concerts at venues all around the town. As part of the festival organising committee, it will be a busy week. My role is to provide the sound systems and logistical backup for the festival. The festival takes place every two years and this is the tenth festival. For the duration of the festival, this blog will become the festival diary. I will record how the festival is going and try an give some idea as to what being part of the team is like. Lets start with a little background. The committee started planning the festival back in September 2012. The first question we always have to answer is whether we actually want the hassle of running the festival. It is a major commitment. The next question, a major problem this year, was whether there were enough suitable venues. Over the last few years, Mill Hill has lost a number of key venue including St Josephs College on Lawrence St (venue for the Irish night), Hartley Hall (Mill Hill Amatuer Dramatic Society), Holcombe House (keynote Jazz night), The Mill (Festival Party Night), The Rose & Crown (Later Events). On top of that, due to exams in the week we chose, the school venues were unavailable.

Having lost so many venues, the challenge was to find some new ones. We were lucky that two excellent venues have opened. We have the stunning, recently rebuilt Trinity Church. We are also lucky to have the new Saracens stadium at Allianz Park. So having identified the venues, we then set about trying to line up an exciting and varied program. I think we've done a great job. This weekend we see three concerts. Today we have the opening concert, featuring the Holbrooke String Quartet at St Pauls church on the Ridgway. Doors open at 7.30pm and there are a few tickets left for the event. Tickets cost £12 and this includes a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink.

At 8pm, down the road at the Adam & Eve pub, we have a great night of blues, rock, pop and soul from The Alan Warner All Stars. Alan is a founder member of the Foundations and a co writer of their mega hit Build me up buttercup. Even better, the gig is free. Weather permitting there will also be a barbeque. This was a very popular night at the last festival, so get there early !

Tomorrow we have the Vo-de-o-do Orchestra at the Rising Sun pub. They are a ten piece Jazz band, playing the hits of the 1920's and the gig is free. Mill Hill has some lovely areas and I'd recommend that the Rising Sun is best sampled after a nice walk across Totteridge Valley, taking in Darlands Lake.

The other events this week are

Tuesday 18th - Opera up Close - Trinity Church - Sold out
Weds 19th - Tina May at the Mill Hill Jazz Club at Mill Hill Golf Club - tickets £15
Thursday 20th - Stewart Curtis K-Groove - Klezmer music - Allianz Park - £10
Friday 21st - The Bateman Brothers Tribute to Louis Armstrong - Jazz - Allianz Park - £15
Saturday 22nd - The Polecats with Loaded Dice - Rock and Roll/Rockabilly - Allianz Park - £15 (£12 in advance)

Try and come along and support the festival if you can. All of the nights promise to be rather special.

http://www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk/main.php/programme

Guest Blog - Your Choice Legal Action - By John Sullivan

By John Sullivan,

I have instructed Irwin Mitchell solicitors on behalf of my daughter to challenge Your Choice Barnet’s consultation process and decision (if the decision today was to implement the proposals).

Irwin Mitchell have sent a letter before action to Your Choice Barnet and await a response on Monday 17 June. If the challenge is successful it may result in staff members being able to stay in their current posts without any changes. I am aware that some members of staff have already shown interest in taking voluntary redundancy and would want them to be aware of the possibility that they could keep their current jobs, if this challenge is successful.

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John Sullivan is a parent carer and a regular guest blogger at The Barnet Eye. Guest Blogs are always welcome

The Friday Public Safety Announcement (Friday Joke Cancelled)

Is this the right way to choose a Leader of Barnet Council

Since 2002, we've had a Conservative administration. Every four years there is a Council election where we choose 63 councillors. Most people in Barnet naively think that the person who leads the party at the election is the person who we've chosen and so will continue to lead the party. Sadly in Barnet (Pop 320,000), things don't work like that.

This is what has happened
2002 - Tories Elected - Victor Lyon Elected -  replaced by Brian Salinger 2005
2006 - Brian Salinger elected - replaced by Mike Freer 24 hours later. Freer steps down in 2009 to be replaced by Lynne Hillan.
2010 - Lynne Hillan Elected, passes away 2011, replaced by Richard Cornelius.

Many people in Barnet are unaware of the way the Leader is chosen.  This is done on a vote of the 36 Conservative councillors. So the Leader of Barnet Council can be changed at whim by a mere 19 people ( a majority of the Conservative Group) in a secret vote, the day after an election (as happened in 2006) - not democracy in my book. What makes me uneasy about the process is the fact that under the Barnet Council cabinet system, jobs within the 11 person cabinet are at the gift of the leader and these come with substancially enhanced allowances, as do the roles of chair of various committees.The cabinet has almost total power, to the exclusion of the other 52 councillors.

Any process within local government where people with a possible vested interest in a decision have a key role in the decision making, is to my mind not a good way to do business. I am in agreement with the current Leader of the Council, Richard Cornelius, that the Cabinet system is flawed. Richard is keen to return to the committee system, where all 63 councillors have a role and a part to play. As committees would elect their own chair, this would ensure a degree of independence. Barnet has seen some awful decisions since the Cabinet system was introduced (under Labour). The council has repeatedly ended up in court, facing all manner of legal actions from residents, unions and even suppliers. No one can claim that the system is delivering.

For the record, I don't think that the process is corrupt and anyone who thought any of the present or past leadership "bought the office" is being rather silly. There are clear factions within the Barnet Tories and the jobs tend to roll out accordingly. I do not believe the system has been abused, but clearly there is significant room for improvement. Whilst there is no way that the Conservative group can be dictated to on how a leader is elected, we can ask that the cabinet system is scrapped, so that all councillors have a degree of say in the structure and it is transparent.

Whilst I disagree with many of the policy decisions that Richard Cornelius has made, I still believe him to be a decent and honest chap. I sincerely hope that he recognises the flaws in the system and carries through his promise to bring back the committee system. If he does he will be doing a big service to Barnet. I also believe it will make the job of Leader easier as it will ensure that "big personalities" in the cabinet have to take regard of all of their colleagues.

What has gone wrong with planning in Barnet?

Ten years ago, I put in a planning application for a loft conversion. This was turned down due to the fact that t "the scale of the design would affect the street scene". The council said they had a responsibility to protect the character of the road. As I ponder the developments springing up all over Barnet, I wonder why it is that the little guy always seems to get clobbered when he wants to do some minor change, whilst millionaire developers can knock down churches, pubs, garages, schools,  gaden centres etc.

In Mill Hill Broadway, we've recently lost a church hall. This is being replaced with a four storey concrete monolith, towering over and dominating two adjacent churches. What has happened to the street scene rules?

Just asking

London braces itself for the Carnival against Capitalism

Today sees the "Carnival against Capitalism" where various anti capitalist groups are targetting up to 100 premises across London for demonstrations and possible protests. The protests are a response to the G8 summit (and the Bildeburg group meeting) taking place in the UK.

Londoners generally have a relaxed view towards protests. We are very used to them. For many city workers, it is simply an issue of hoping that the protests cause no hassle and don't disrupt journeys. As for protestors, the aim is to get as much exposure as possible.

The Barnet Eye is a believer in protest, however we are of the view that you need to be specific about what you protest against and have a specific aim. We are sympathetic to some of the aims of this group of protestors, however we feel that the brush is too broad in a message of simple "anti capitalism". There are things wrong with unregulated greed and rampant privateering in the public sector. We'd prefer to see specific issues targetted, such as tax dodging corporations, corporations who attack public services and firms involved in dodgy practices. Just to attack the concept of Capitalism per se, seems to us to be a very blunt tool to deal with a whole range of specific problems. We'd prefer to see more focussed protests against specific organisations, where there is scope to raise public awareness and influence buying patterns.

We hope that the protests are peaceful. That is the bottom line