Saturday 24 July 2010

The Barnet Eye Saturday Blog round-up

There have been some excellent blogs this week. Whilst I recommend all of the blogs I link to in the sidebar, there are a few I'd especially like to mention. Firstly there is a great blog on the Hendon Times by former Editor, Dennis Signy. Dennis recalls the days when councillors didn't get allowances and purely stood out of public duty. He also applauds the Times campaign against allowances, as well as describing a terrifying experience on Highwood Hill :-

http://www.times-series.co.uk/blogs/8290405.A_moment_of_fear_on_Highwood_Hill/

I had my own terrifying moment on Highwood Hill a few years ago. I was walking down the Hill on a Saturday morning. As I walked down, I noticed Lord Levy's entourage turn the corner and start walking up - This was when  he was part of the Blair government and received a full escort of armed outriders. As he walked up, a young lad of muslim appearance jogged past me. He had his ipod on and a backpack on. Oblivious to the world, he jogged towards the Levy posse. The bodyguards clocked the threat and took immediate evasive action. For a horrible moment, their body language indicated that they were about to shoot the poor lad, who probably hadn't a clue who or what he was running into. Luckily they seemed to realise that he was probably just late for a train and he jogged past unimpeded, but in the light of the John Charles Menezes incident, it really worried me for a while. As I pondered the incident, I wondered what I might have told a post mortem.

If you want a laugh, check out this post on Daniel Hoffman-Gill's blog. It's a selection of defaced Conservative election posters.

http://danielhg.blogspot.com/2010/07/disfigured-conservative-election.html


There is also an interesting bit of news on the Adam and Eve pub blog. They've found the original pub sign (the one with the naked pair on). As a kid at St Vincents, we used to take great delight in peeking at the naked lady, especially when Father Corkery informed us it was a sin ! (actually I made that last bit up, but I'm sure he would have, if he'd thought about it).

http://adamandevenw7.blogspot.com/2010/07/mill-hill-times.html

Another blog which made me laugh was the "Mog in a Box" by Ainelivia, who is a regular commenter. Given our old moggy Norman (a Short haired British Blue) passed away a few years ago, I'd forgotten who moggies like to park themselves in boxes. It made me feel a bit nostalgic. We've switched to the doggy world, although I've been considering buying a Pot Bellied pig and calling it Brian. I love the way moggies have the "I'm really comfy" look when they find such a place.

http://ainelivia.blogspot.com/2010/07/early-gray-box-takeover.html

Next off for a vist across the pond to Roger Owen Green. Following my bit on Corporal punishment this week at Finchley, he writes a great blog on spanking (as a punishment for children). Roger gives his reasons for opposing it. My views on corporal punishment have changed. When I first had children, I thought it was Ok & used to smack them when they were naughty. One day I sat down and thought about it. I realised that smacking as a punishment of small children is only OK if as a parent you lack the wit and intelligence to resolve the issue any other way. Now I'm against it. There are many reasons, but Roger sums many up quite nicely here.

http://www.rogerogreen.com/2010/07/23/the-spanking-policy/#more-2633

Enjoy the weekend

4 comments:

baarnett said...

Looking at the Lynne Hillan picture lower down on your blog, it is extraordinary that she awards herself a huge pay rise, and then tells the press:

"It makes good sense to me."

This must be the most disreputable cases of being 'in it for the money', and having no public service ethos, that we could imagine.

It really does rate up high against the "duck house" and "dirty moat" scandals of the House of Commons. In LOCAL government, Lynne Hillan leads the way!

But why "No comment" from Andrew Harper? Is he calculating that he will replace her, when she topples? But isn't he tarred with the same brush, as Deputy Leader?

Anonymous said...

Baarnett, Andrew Harper should not only be 'tarred' but he must have been fully involved and supportive of this move.

The core of this strategy has got to be Lynne Hillan (Leader), Brian Coleman (Chief Whip) and Andrew Harper (Deputy Leader). If any one of those three were not 200% behind all of this, including Brian Coleman's media enslaught, they would surely have had to resign.

As Andrew Harper is silent, one can only assume that the agreed strategy is to push the, by convention, silent Chief Whip forward to be spokesman for the Conservative Group.

The other silence, which is incredible given she is a Minister in this government is Theresa Villiers'.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

Thanks for the name check sir!

ainelivia said...

thanks for the mention Rog, absolutley love how you roped in a pop at Mr Toad as well.... ah you do make me laugh....