99% is ....... The Barnet Eye

The Saturday List #515 - My top ten images of mundanity from the family archive

2026-11-07T12:15:53.925+00:00

Next time you are out and about on your local high street, take a look around. See the most mundane thing you can. Take a picture of it. Print it and put it in an envelope, with a note saying "Not to be opened until 2076". You and I may not be around (if I am, I'll be 114!). Leave nothing to say why you too it. What will whoever opens it make of it?

I saw a quote from Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. He said there are no pictures of him as a child, as his family were too poor to have a camera. I was lucky, my Dad had a camera and was a keen photographer. My Mum also had the bug. They would quite often snap the mundane. At the time, these pictures seemed dull. Now they are priceless to me. I've put various ones on my Flickr site. Here are some of my favourites.

1. My Mum snapped this picture in the mid 1990's. A mundane high street scene. Two institutions that were fixtures of many London High Streets. Now just dim memories.

2. Dad took this snap in the 1960's. I suspect that there was a business related reason, as he ran MacMetals crash repair business. Usually such pics were related to disputes over payment with insurance companies. The picture was taken in his car park. There are a few details of interest. Howard Farrow who owned the van were a local builder. In the background is the old Mill Hill East to Edgware railway goods depot, now Flower Lane industrial estate.

3. This is a picture I took, A casal glance might think this dull, but there is something a bit odd. It was taken during lockdown. It is almost impossible to get such a picture with no carspassing, just the lorry emerging from Marks and Spencer car park. Nothing passing on the M1 either

4. I took this picture during lockdown on a trip to UCLH at St Pancras. Again, you'd not see it this quiet during normal times.

5. As I mentioned above, Dad ran MacMetals. This was his new panel shop in 1966. He was very proud of it! It is still there but the setting has changed beyond recognition. Click here to see it on Google Earth.

6. Dad would've taken this in the 1960's outside the Sacred Heart Church, as some rellies I don't recognise emerged from a car. I am more interested in the cars and shops across the road. I find it tragic that modern cars are so boring looking! The COOP and Payantake stores were a integral part of the Broadway, like most things, they are gone. As are the red and white awnings.

7. Fast forward to the 1990's. Mum would've taken this picture. Who'd have thought Midland Bank would disappear and that the Broadway would have no banks at all! The knitting shop also is a thing of the past. I rather like the Cortina and the Jag in the picture!

8. Taken in 2019, just before Lockdown in the Midland Hotel, Hendon. The False Dots were playing. Our drummer Rambo posing by the chalk board. They couldn't even be bothered to put our name up. The pub is no longer open sadly.

9. I don't really know what possessed me to take this rather badly composed picture but I rather like it. The False Dots have played a few toilets over the years! We are playing tomorrow at The Barfly in Camden at 6pm if you are at a loose end.

10. Graffiti fascinates me, as do ghost signs (old signage from long lost companies). This is one of my favourite ones that you see as you pass Kentish Town. I have passed this thousands of times on the train to London. I t constantly evolves. This was taken in 2020.

I hope I've managed to persuade you that mundanity is a wonderful thing! That's all folks

Rock and Roll Stories#82 - Crossing over to the dark side

2026-11-06T12:45:54.317+00:00

The 'music business' has always had a very dark underbelly. There have been some very unscrupulous people involved over the years and I've come across a fair few of them. Usually I give such characters as wide a berth as possible, however on occasion, you have to deal with devil if you want to get on. In the earlier incarnation of the band, when we were still teenagers, we had a decent following and were attracting a degree of interest. There was a venue I rather fancied playing and we dropped a casette in with my number on and a note saying "If you are interested in giving us a gig, please call us". I gave my home number. Mum acted as our secretary taking the calls and making sure I returned them promptly. I'd also leave a stamped addressed envelope and request them to return the tape if they weren't interested (no one ever did, whether they called or not). Tapes were expensive.

A couple of days later, Mum told me someone had called about a gig. I called back. It sounded too good to be true. They would pay us a decent fixed fee, give us free beers and a sandwich and they wanted us to play with a band that there was "industry interest" in. They had head we had a following, so thought we were the ideal support. I agreed to the gig. Later in the week, I went out for a drink with a few mates. I was very excited. However my friend gave me some bad news. The promoter was 'a bit of a gangster', who would promise bands the earth, then not pay them. Bands were also presented with an inflated bar tab at the end of the night, usually by a large bouncer. I was in a quandry. I wanted to tick off the venue and I was genuinely quite excited, but I didn't want to be mucked around. I had agreed to do the gig.

As we were discussing it, another mate of mine joined us. Big Ernie Ferebee. He was 6' 6 and had worked in the music industry as security, for some fairly shady people. Ernie heard the conversation and made a suggestion. "I've got a mate called Porky, he's into music, we can act as your management and make sure you get paid and don't get any hassle". Porky had a fearsome reputation. He had actually worked for my Dad in the motor industry and was known as one of the people in Mill Hill you didn't mess around with. I had my reservations, but I'd always got on with Ernie and I thought that the if nothing else it would spare us some aggro.

When we turned up at the gig, I introduced Big Ern and Porky to the promoter and said that they were our managers and they'd deal with all financial matters. He turned a pailer shade of white. As we had promised, our fans packed the venue and it was a great night. The beers flowed, we got sandwiches and had a great time. TBH I'd almost forgotten the money issue. I'd agreed that I'd meet Porky and Ernie at the Three Hammers the next night and we'd sort the cash out. They had said "We want to keep you away from the negotiations".

When I arrived at the Hammers, I was greeted by a beaming Porkie and Ernie. Ernie bought a round. Porky said "Ok firstly. The negotiations were more complex than I anticipated. We agreed a 20% management fee, but this doesn't adequately compensate us for our efforts" I thought to myself "Here we go". The fee was £100 which was a small fortune for us back then. I had semi expected some sort of conversation like this. I didn't expect what he said next. "I renegotiated your deal, so you got £200, me and Ern get £40 each for our efforts and I've got you another gig there with £200 guaranteed". I was gobsmacked. He added "Thats the art of managment, we all do better!". He was right, inder the original deal, the band got £80, with Porkys negotiations, we got £120. He then said "At £40 its worth my while.

For the next gig, Porky never showed up, but Ernie came and sorted things out. In fact we never really saw Porky at a gig again and he didn't arrange any more or take a cut. Years later, I discussed the incident with Ernie. I'd never really understood the sudden generosity of the promoter. Ernie explained that Porky had realised that music venues offered certain "business opportunities" that weren't entirely legal. Being able to say he was our manager gave him an in. As the promoter was a nefarious sort, he was quite up for some 'extra income'. The promoter disappeared quite soon after the whole business and a new one took over. The special deals ended but they were fair and proper.

The False Dots next gig

It is funny because even though he passed away years ago, people still talk of Porky in hushed tones in Mill Hill. He was a true character and a proper scalliwag, but I have to say he was fair and decent with us. He was very much a man of pound notes. He would always advise The False Dots to become a covers band and tell us that he could get us "loads of well paid gigs". He never really got what we were about, but he was a good laugh as far as I was concerned..

The False Dots next gig is on Sunday. We play at 6pm at The Barfly for Camden Rocks Festival. The last 47 years has been a colourful journey.

None of us are perfect.....

2026-11-02T20:43:13.403+00:00

I used to be fascinted with Greek mythology, of all the stories, the one of Ixion used to fascinate me most. Here is an AI summary (the full story is even more interesting).

The Murder of His Father-in-Law

The conflict: Ixion promised a rich bride price (dowry) to his father-in-law, Eioneus (or Deioneus), when he married Dia. When he failed to pay, Eioneus took some of Ixion’s horses as collateral

The betrayal: Ixion hid his anger, invited Eioneus to a feast, and pushed him into a concealed pit filled with burning coals and wood.

The outcast: This act of kin-slaying and violation of xenia (guest-host hospitality) shocked the mortal world, and no one would perform the ritual purification required to cleanse his guilt.

Offense Against the Gods

Forgiveness on Olympus: Zeus took pity on Ixion, brought him up to Mount Olympus, and even offered him a place at the table of the gods.

Hubris: Instead of showing gratitude, Ixion grew arrogant and lusted after Zeus’s wife, Hera.

The cloud trick: Zeus caught wind of his intent and formed a living cloud shaped like Hera—named Nephele—to trick him. Ixion coupled with the cloud, which later gave birth to the Centaurs (half-man, half-horse creatures).

Eternal Punishment

Tartarus: For his extreme ingratitude, arrogance, and betrayal, Zeus blasted Ixion with a thunderbolt and cast him out of Olympus.

The fiery wheel: Zeus ordered Hermes to bind Ixion to an eternally spinning, winged fiery wheel in Tartarus (the deep underworld), where he would whirl in agony forever.

I have always found the Greek mythology fascinating. It is filled with strange ideas, concepts and morality. The thing that intrigued me, as a child, brought up a Roman Catholic, to believe that there was one God, who was all powerful and all knowing, was just how human and petty the behaviour of the Greek Gods seemed to be. The story of Ixion is a bit of an outlier, with Zeus showing fogiveness and giving Ixion a chance of repentenance. However Ixion, a vain and arrogant man, his response to his second chance is perhaps more interesting. He simply couldn't help himself. His personality reminds me of a certain promenant world leader. Sadly, I've met a few people who remind me of Ixion over the years, although thankfully, most don't hang around for too long.

I think that such tales aare useful cautinary tales. Is there a bit of Ixiom in all of us? Are we truly grateful for our blessings. Do we recognise when we are being given a second chance? Do we show gratitude in such situations, or do we get caught up in our own hubris.

We all make mistakes. I certainly do. When I do, I believe that the best thing to do is to apologise and move on. I there are amends to be made, make them. We don't have to win every argument. If you know you are right, isn't that enough? Sometimes, I do silly things, make silly comments, make bad decisions that affect people in a negative manner. I have learned that seeking to justify the unjustifiable is foolish. Far better to say "I screwed that up, how can i make amends and learn". Only fools never learn.

The punishments meted out by the Greek Gods are another thing that fascinate me. If Ixion lived, he would have lived around 1300-1200 BC. That means he's been stuck on the fiery wheel for over 3,200 years. I wonder if he's learned his lesson yet? Just remember Every turning wheel, every broken promise between kin, and every guest who forgets the laws of hospitality carries some echo of Ixion, the first mortal to dine with the gods and the first to be cast into their deepest prison.

The Sunday Reflection #104 - The end of a very bad week indeed

2026-11-01T22:17:53.355+00:00

I have had a horrible week. On Tuesday, we said our final goodbye to Bruno, our dog of 14 years. He was a very special dog, never easy, but always the most lovable companion. He was a rescue dog and he'd been extremely badly treated by his previous owners. He was extremely nervous and would completely lose his rag when spooked. He would get triggered by the strangest things. He once went mental in the pub when an old lady entered with a walking stick. She put the stick down then came up to us. She asked if he was a rescue dog, I said yes. She said "His previous owner must have beaten him with a stick". Bruno was now making a big fuss of her. He was a lazy dog, always loved a cuddle. When my daughter was upset, they'd sit cuddled up on the sofa. She has been hit particularly hard.

We decided on Tuesday that the time had come. His legs had all but given up, he'd more or less lost his appetite, except for nice treats. He had developed an abcess on his back leg, which he was lying on. We asked the vet if there was any realistic prospect of improvement. She said "No, we could give anti biotics for the abcess, but it will come back when you stop as he's lying on it".

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A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

So, surrounded by us all, we put his head on a pillow, a blanket over him, stroked him and the vet administered an injection. Very peacefully, his life just ebbed away. Within a minute, he was in peace and out of pain. Many tears were shed, but it was a beautiful ending for him. Now there is a massive Bruno shaped hole in our family.

There are several thoughts I have had over the following days. The first is that if we allow dogs to have peaceful, pain free endings, how can we deny humans who want the same the choice? I am a Roman Catholic, but I cannot agree with the position of the Church when it comes to people who have a terminal illness and are faced with a life where the pain will get worse every day, with no way out. I don't really want to subject my family to watching me dying screaming in agony, if that is what it has to be. I see no moral or ethical grounds for preventing someone like Dame Esther Rantzen choosing the time and method of her own end. If someone has strong religious beliefs, then they should have the absolute right to refuse euthenasia. I may do so myself, but I do not believe I have the right to decide for other people. Watching Bruno just drift off clarified my views. I understand that there must be stringent controls. I understand that people may consent initialy and then change their mind. This must be respected and dealt with. But forcing people and their families to witness undignified endings is to me not kind, it is evil.

Another thing I've really come to realise is how great the effect of dog ownership is on our mental health. Most dogs are pretty empathic. They pick up when you are down and are there. They don't judge you. They don't want anything. They just want to be with you and help you. It has hit me is just how awful some members of the human race are. Bruno was an incredibly loving dog, who had been totally traumatised by cruel owners. I believe that people who abuse animals should be dealt with very harshly by the courts. I believe that anyone who hurts animals is a despicable bully and will most likely do the same to humans if they can.

We have another dog. The inevitable question of whether we should replace him has come up. If we do it will not be until next summer. I am proud that we gave Bruno 14 years that hopefull offset the first year, which was horrible.

Camden Rocks Festival Returns next Sunday 8th November

2026-11-01T10:07:54.977+00:00

Camden Rocks Returns

Camden Rocks Presents returns for another full-day takeover, bringing ten bands and ten hours of live, loud rock ’n’ roll to Chalk Farm Road.

Featuring Star Circus, Bugeye, Healthy Junkies, Glitter Kick, The False Dots, Catfight, Thegreenribbonclubband, Death by Bunny, Damned_ To Dirt and The Fourth Talisman .

Back in the heart of Camden Town, Barfly’s keeping that grassroots spirit alive with a new generation of hard-rock, punk and alternative artists.

Tickets are on sale NOW https://link.dice.fm/camdenrocks

Ten bands. One stage. All-day rock ’n’ roll in Camden Town.

STAR CIRCUS
https://youtu.be/WOTMbu6tVOk
Star Circus are a hard rock band based in London, with influences ranging from 70s hard rock to 90s alternative rock. Our sophomore album "From The Wreckage" was released in June 2025 via Renaissance Records US to much critical acclaim, with Classic Rock Magazine labelling the band "The missing link between ELO and Def Leppard" in response to the single "One Hit Wonder".

BUGEYE
https://youtu.be/hPIyZiWo7uU
Dirty guitars. Sharp lyrics. Big hooks. Zero apologies.Bugeye makes songs for dancing while the world burns. Expect biting social commentary, filthy riffs, massive choruses and a high-energy sweat fest guaranteed to leave a mark. Come for the tunes. Leave converted. Welcome to the Bugeye cult. Worship here.

HEALTHY JUNKIES
https://youtu.be/2rYvqmCW42g
Mixing Punk Rock with Grunge, Psychedelic Rock, New Wave, Garage Rock and Goth, add a soupçon of theatre: you have Healthy Junkies. Formed in 2010. Never stopped touring. Never stopped creating.

GLITTER KICK
https://youtu.be/40t8Lhi5Id8
Glitter Kick are a London based glamorous power rock band fronted by Roxi Gregory.Big drums come from the powerhaus of Ivan Panella accompanied on bass by Antony O’Neil with low slung guitars by Greg Paco Radcliffe.It’s all wrapped in smooth and rasping synths with haunting but distinctive vocals cutting through a barrage of sound. The vinyl of their debut album “ Make The Rainbow Sing” will hit the streets late October 2026.Until then you can have a sneak preview on Spotify

THE FALSE DOTS
https://youtu.be/UMAX23up0SI
The Falsedots - Barnet post punk legends, founded in 1979 showcasing their pithy blend of Ian Dury like London Town poetics and punky ska/ reggae party dynamics and we all love a party! as established by founder Roger Tichborne. This sees the punky ska, London Town inclined observational wits pondering issues such as Americanization of the UK, bully boy drug dealers and how it’s only certain species of corvids who avoid the slavery of everyday life- and all done with a smile, a lilt and a sizzling skank. That new album is called We Don’t Live In America, released Independence Day, 4th July…For fans of Madness, The Specials, The Piranhas, Alternative TV and other such street wise artniks

CATFIGHT
https://youtu.be/LNMPvaQ0vP8
Catfight are a London-based punk band self-proclaimed as “riot grrrl and anarcho’s cute baby sister”. They have drawn strong reviews off the back of their debut Rebellion Festival performance for their “sound that pulls hard from 80s rock, 90s grunge and modern punk frustration” (LOUD WOMEN). CATFIGHT’s songs include: the snarling ‘Gym Lads’ and how they’re killing the planet; ‘Security Fucking Love Me,’ the slogan on the back of the band’s t-shirts; and the grand finale ‘No Breakfast’ – a cutting and powerful criticism of the punk scene. Join the four piece (or five piece if you count their band mascot Siouxsie the Cat) for a fiercely feminist, sometimes funny, but always fun set!

THE GREEN RIBBON CLUB
https://youtu.be/091WaTs69aw
The Green Ribbon Club is Juan Solo on Bouzouki, Rob-o-rant on Vocals / Double Bass , Jane-Marie on Vocals / Ukulele, and Mad Vaz on Drums. The Green Ribbon Club play acoustic punk music, taking their inspiration from the rich heritage of non-conformism, equality, creativity and fun that infuses the darker recesses of history. The Green Ribbon Club is committed to playing great songs that hit you in the feels as well as the feet, four accomplished accomplices who know playing together makes them stronger and happier.

DEATH BY BUNNY
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2g2MisCAZGBJJCWK9XKjH5
Death by Bunny is a London‑based metal/industrial project blending cinematic tension, heavy riffs, and dark electronic textures. Formed in 2018, the band crafts a world of distortion, atmosphere, and visual storytelling, merging sound and image into a single immersive experience.

DAMNED TO DIRT
https://youtu.be/3WhUKWwLtvk
Alternative and metal powerhouse, Damned To Dirt offer a serious injection of raw intensity, groove and melodic depth, delivering a live show that is both heavy and immersive. Their self-titled debut EP established the band’s identity and sound, with a new album now on the way, pushing that sound even further. With a growing presence in London’s heavy music scene, Damned To Dirt are carving out their place as a rising force in modern alternative metal.

THE FOURTH TALISMAN
https://open.spotify.com/track/5kRjKPjQIyH2GadzGti2k4
Emerging from London, England 2022, The Fourth Talisman are a three-piece heavy metal band. They're known for their metalcore/groove-metal with prog and power metal elements. Their music is a combination of fiery guitar riffs, high-octane vocals alongside energetic drums and powerful bass guitar. With years of experience performing live, The Fourth Talisman have a dedicated following who recognise their expressive, other-worldly approach to music.

— at Barfly Camden.

The Saturday List #515 - My top ten celestial events

2026-10-31T11:07:22.052+00:00

I have had a lifelong fascination with the skies. I put this down to my father being a WW2 bomber pilot. Dad used to fly Wellingtons on night missions to bomb axis sites. He told me that pften he'd be overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the skies. He saw meteorites, lunar eclipses and all manner of other things. He was taught astral navigation as part of his pilot qualification. If your compass failed, you had to know where the North Star was to get home safely! Dad explained that with the North Star and a watch, you could navigate anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. He also informed me that if Germans were chasing you and ou needed to evade them, move at night and navigate by the stars. He bought me a chart of the night sky and would point out the constellations to me. It cemented an abiding love. He also bought me a small telescope for my 11th birthday. I would look for the crescent of venus, the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. I felt affirmation of this love when my favourite musicians such as Bowie did Starman, Space Oddity and Life on Mars and Steve Miller did Space Cowboy (although maybe I misunderstood this connotation!). I have enjoyed many moments looking at the skies, although some have been a disappointment. Anyway here are my top ten moments

1. The partial Solar Eclipse on May 20th 1966. This happened at about 10 in the morning. I was 3 3/4 and I'd not started school. Life was good. Dad was very excited about it. He brought home a welding mask and showed it to me. He explained that the Chinese believed that it was a dragon eating the Sun. It never occureed to me to question this until now, but I just googled it and this was what came up "Yes, ancient Chinese mythology held that solar and lunar eclipses occurred when a celestial dragon or a heavenly dog (tiangou) tried to devour the sun or moon." . Dad explained all about eclipses and used a table tennis ball and a football to show how it worked. My Dad had been a pilot instructor for the RAF and I realise now he was an excellent teacher. Just because I was three years old, was no reason not to explain things properly.

2. Lunar Eclipse January 18th 1973. My sister Caroline was most excited about this. When there is a lunar eclipse, the Moon turns dark blood red. It was really spooky. We sat up on the balcony and watched it. Dad told us about watching a lunar eclipse when he was on leave in Italy in 1944. He said his crew drank wine and stared up. He said that he was wondering whether my Mum was looking up at the eclipse and thinking of him!

3. Watching a satellite pass overhead with the family in our garden in 1966. I recall Dad dragging us all out into the garden to watch a satellite pass overhead. It seemed like a big event. Dad was always fascinated by such things. He explained that as we could only see sateliites because they reflected light, they were only visible just after sunset. Now there are so many that we've lost our wonder.

4. Comet Kouhoutek January 1974. This was billed as perhaps the most spectacular comet ever, when first detected. It was going to be the brightest thing in the sky, barring the Sun. But it was nothing like that. It was a faint splodge in the sky when viewed through binoculars. I was much excited by comets at the time, however none has lived up to the hype.

5. The Bovedy Meteorite in 1969. This was the single most spectacular thing I ever saw. As was my want as a kid, I was sitting out on our balcony staring at the stars and suddenly this amazing fireball passed overhead travelling south to north. I'd never seen anything like it. It was on the news later, it crashed in Northern Ireland. Had it been a bit bigger, maybe I'd have met the same fate as the dinsosaurs! It was one of those moments I'll never forget.

6. The Persiends meteor shower in 1982. This is the most spectacular of all the regular meteor showers. In 1982, a bunch of us decided to watch it properly. We went up to Dunstable downs and took a picnic. I thought it was amazing, my then girlfriend was far less impressed. She enjoyed the night out and the socialising, but thought it all a waste of time! I googled why it was supposedly a special one and the reason was because it was a new moon, so the sky was darker than usual.

7. UFO in 1972. As I mentioned, I used to love sitting out on our balcony looking at the stars for hours on end, before I discovered punk rock and girls. The holy grail for me was to see a UFO. I used to hope they'd abduct me and give me trip around Mars, Venus and Saturn. I wasn't aware of the claims of the terrible things they are meant to do then. I usually sat staring at the stars, when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I never saw one until one time I was staring up at the night sky. I saw a strange orange cigar shaped object travelling from Southwest to Northeast. It had no lights or other markings. It made no noise. It travelled at the speed that a plane normally would. The conditions were perfect. I never saw anything like it again. There were no press reports of anything. It was rather mundane in every other way. As it passed directly overhead, I got a proper look at it with binoculars. It had no distinguishing features at all. This is what it looked like. I did this on paintshop, but even if I'd had the best camera in the world it would look. What was it? I've always wondered. It was not chased by the RAF. It was either massive or at the height that planes normally fly over London. It was evenly lit, so I do not believe it was reflecting light, as it was well past sunset. It was moving far too fast to be a balloon. I am sure that there is a mundane explanation, but I've never had one. Apparently 17% of UFO sightings are this shape, but not normally this colour. I know what it wasn't. A planet. a metorite, a comet, a conventional plane, a balloon or a satellite. As I knew all of the stars etc, and checked the satellite tables in the papers, I knew it wasn't one of them. A satellite wouldn't have a shape like that visible with the naked eye. I asked my Dad about it, I assumed he'd know. He said "Draw a picture of it, describe all of the conditions, and sooner or later you'll figure it out". I haven't!

8. The near total solar eclipse in London. The 11th August 1999 there was a near total solar eclipse over London. I was working for Centrefile and we went up on the roof. It was quite eerie and the temperature dropped several degrees. I was pretty overawed by it. When the moment passed, we all went to the pub!

9. Two Suns in the sky. I saw this with my mates John McGeough and Pete Conway in the infant school playground at St Vincents in 1968. We all wrote about it in our "News" book. The teacher told us not to be so silly and that we shouldn't make stories up. I told my Dad about it, he said it was called a Sun Dog and was caused by ice crystals in the sky forming and orb like configuration and reflecting the Sun , appearing as a 2nd Sun. He told me it was rare and we were very lucky to see it. Around this time I started doubting whether my teachers were worth listening to at all!

10. A black line in the sky. Regular readers will know I walk my dogs regularly and I always keep an eye on the skies. About 10 years ago, I was in Mill Hill park and I saw the most strange straight black line, in a clear blue sky. It looked as if someone had taken a pen and drawn it across the sky. Apart from the fact that it was completely straight, I would have said it was a massive rope. I was thinking "That is really strange" when I noticed a plane flying along the line. Behind the plane is what some people call a chemtrail and others call a contrail, that blotted out the black line. It was the most curious thing I've ever seen. I have done some research and the best explanation I have seen is that it was a shadow cast by the contrail. Had I known this possible explanation, I'd have checked the postion of the Sun, but as mundane explanations of odd things go, it is very plausable.

Writing this blog made me realise just how much I miss my Dad, even though he's been gone for 39 years. He was a sane, rational man, who always sought answers and neve dismissed what even my teachers dismissed as childish fantasies. I often discussed UFO's with him. He said that he knew dozens of pilots who'd seen bizarre things. He said that people such as pilots are good observers and cannot be dismissed. He said that if something is unexplained, you shouldn't assume anything. He said that in his opinion, there is no reason why there shouldn't be more advanced civilisations in the Universe, but there are all manner of practical reasons why it would be very unlikely for them to account for most of the sightings. He said that usually a simple explanation eventually surfaces, such as undocuented atmospheric phenomina, experimental military craft, optical illusions. However to discount every testamony or to ascribe things that were clearly "bad answers" to difficlt questions was most counter productive. His view was that most sensible, advanced aliens would probably give us a wide berth until we learned how to peacefully co-exist with each other, before they sought to engage with us. It is a view that I have realised is very wise. He sought to educate me and taught me to ask questions and seek answers. I couldn't be luckier really to have had such a man in my life.

Rock and Roll Stories #81 - White Light/White Heat

2026-10-30T13:24:40.690+00:00

The False Dots next gig

The Velvet Underground. The proto punk band? Where it all started? One of the biggest influences on my early tastes in music was my eldest brother Laurie. He signposted many bands and artists to me and when I started playing guitar, showed me a few tricks (most of which became the foundation of my playing style). He had a wide taste in music and a record collection to die for. Laurie is far more intelligent than me and he was very open to anything that he thought was interesting. He played in a band that performed traditional Irish music, when he was at school studying to be a priest. When he discovered psychedlic music and culture, he got into things like Pink Floyd, Country Joe and The Fish and The Electric Prunes.

When I told him I was into punk, he said "Oh that all started with The Velvet Underground" and lent me a compilation abum of their tracks. I was quite intrigued. It was unlike anything else in his collection. The band went from sheer noise to the tenderest of love songs, but all had a dark edge. There was something indefineably interesting about them. Oddly, although I loved supercharged punk, with them it was the softer songs, many with Nico singing that really did it for me. In many ways, it was as much the forerrunner of Indie pop as punk. Jangly pop songs about being ravaged by heroin, wrapped up in a sugar coated topping worked for me.

Around that time in 1978/80, I did a lot of babysitting for Laurie and my mate Pete, who I was putting the band together with would come along to keep me company. Laurie would buy us a bottle of cider and tell us to play records, so long as we didn't wake up the kids. When we hearad The Velvet Underground, we both agreed this was the way to go. Dark edged songs, that had very poppy overtones. We decided that we'd overdub an acoustic guitars to give it that feel. I don't know what people were expecting, but it certainly wasn't what they heard. I guess as cunning plans go, trying to sound like one of the least commercially successful bands of all time is not the best. But for us it was a liberation. We were no longer trying to sound like every other punk band and it gave us a degree of freedom lyrically that had disappeared from punk.

It is odd how many people cite the Velvet Underground as an influence, but clearly never really listened to them. We'd occasionally see bands do covers of VU songs, but invariably if it was a rock band it will be heroin, or occasionally White Light/White Heat. These days there are some cracking covers (check out this article) but I used to find it depressing that people didn't see beyond the obvious.

When the False Dots did our tour of Sweden, we needed to add extra songs to the set. We decided to do a VU song. We decided on Sweet Jane. Paul Hircombe suggested i, because his girlfriend was called Jane. By th time we got it together, he'd left her for a girl called Christine. It's a great song. We did a version of it at a bikers rally in 1982. A huge biker made eye contact with me at the back of the hall. He looked terrifying. He marched up to me and put a large spliff in my mouth. After the gig, he told me it was his favourite song. His wife was Jane and she'd recently passed away. He hadn't been expecting to hear it. He told me that for a moment, she was with him, holding his hand as we played. It was, perhaps, the moment that I truly realised that music is spiritual.

The False Dots had many influences over the years. When we first started concieving the band, I think we envisaged a cross between Wire (Pink Flag era) and Anarcho punk band Crass. "Wrong", from our last album is the best recorded example of this era. I then discovered 2 Tone and The Specials. I really wanted that sort of set up, but we didn't know any brass players. We expermented with Reggae but it sounded wrong. When we discovered the Velvet Underground. we realised that it was within our capabilities to achieve that sound. I was never into their worship of narcotics, but there is no dount Lou Reed and John Cale were musical geniuses.

I could never really figure out the total lack of commercial success of the VU. Perhaps that is why the False Dots never acheived a mass following. Lou Reed eventually received the recognition for his talents when David Bowie produced Transformer. It may be the best aalbum ever made. It is truly awesome. People started revisiting his earlier work. Punk artists were especially keen to explore the back catalogue. This was partly because when the punk movement started, there were no records. You had to see the bands to find out what they sounded like. Actually having something you could listen to at home was rare, so obscure bands like the VU, who shared the nihilism and minimalism of punk were influential. Another band in this genre were the Stooges, but they were far more a rock and roll band. The VU were far darker and deeper.

In 1980, we had a meeting with an A&R guy at a major record company and played our demos. He asked about our influences, when we mentioned the VU, he said "Have you actually listened to them? Have you heard 'waiting for the man'. I replied "Actually we were going for the vibe of beginning to see the light", he was bemused. I guess that quoting an obscure album track from a commercially unsuccessful band was not going to win any arguments. But for me, it was what we wanted to sound like.

Last night, The False Dots rehearsed our set for our next gig at "The Camden Rocks Festival". We will be doing a slightly different set and we will be doing one of our 1980 tracks, Not all She Seems, which was perhaps the song most influence by The Velvet Underground. The song has had many incarnations, and is probably the song the band have played most times live (I have no record of this though). As I was playing it, I recall sitting in my bedroom with Pete who I formed the band with, working out the chords and lyrics. I never imagined I'd still be playing it 46 years later. We wrote it to be as shocking as possible, very influenced by the VU and Lou Reeds obsession with people of a non binary sexual orientation. It was based on a conversation we had with trans prostitute, who told us they'd been sleeping with a Tory MP for cash. We used to see the said individual at gigs, then one day they disappeared off the face of the earth. A mutual friend said "She met someone she used to know, she packed her bags, she had to go". We assumed it was a violent pimp she'd been trying to escape from.

I think that it stands up well for a song written 46 years ago. It is funny to think that without the VU, it wouldn't be there.

Budget Commentary - Small business are always the whipping boys for the taxman

2026-10-28T11:05:11.079+00:00

I was just on the Eddie Nestor show on BBC Radio London discussing todays budget. One of the points I made was that small UK businesses never get a break. The big multinational companies such as Amazon and Google etc pay little if any tax on the business they do in the UK. Companies like mine are taxed to the hilt. Small business is simply not on the radar of governments when they plan economic policy. We survive as we operate in small niche markets, where there is no economy of scale for multi nationals to make huge profits. Often we do the things that keep the economy running, adding huge value to the economy and getting nothing in return. Let me give just one example. Amy Winehouse started her musical journey rehearsing at Mill Hill Music Complex. She went on to be a global star. Sales of her music have brought huge amounts of money into the UK economy. Without a business like us, where would she have started the journey? But there are so few music studios and we are run independently, so we don't get a seat at the table. Councils don't recognise the value we add, national governments are not interested. They talk a good game about supporting the arts, but they do nothing at grassroots level for venues.

Someone recently criticised me, saying that all I was interested in is my business and making a profit "why should music studios be a special case". Well firstly I have to talk about our sector, as no one else is. Secondly, if a business adds huge value to the UK economy, and is charged a higher proportion of tax than huge offshore businesses that do little, if anything, for the UK, then surely something is wrong?

The last few budgets have added massive costs to my companies operational costs. We have responded by using less staff and investing nothing in training and very little on replacement of equipment. If we had an environment that all of our profits didn't go in taxes, we would employ more staff and invest more in equipment, much of which comes from UK suppliers. All of this would bring in far more tax revenue, but this is never recognised.

I will update this later, if the chancellor surprises me!

No good deed ever goes unpunished

2026-10-26T14:54:51.283+00:00

Sometimes, I despair, I really do. My mother once informed me that "No good deed ever goes unpunished". This is a saying that has bit me on the bum many a time. Yesterday is one of those occasions. You do something which is quite clearly a good turn. The person thanks you at the time. A month later, they are seeking a financial advantage in an unforeseen (by me) situation, and it gets re-invented as a terrible thing. I'd love to share the details, however it would be wholly inappropriate. In this particular case, it is something that is pretty trivial (unless I am missing something), which makes it all even more annoying. It is not the first time. I doubt it will be the last. In business, I've almost lost count of the times I've tried to help a colleague, associate, customer, only to find that not only is it unappreciated, it is actually a source of resentment and hostility for them.

The human brain is a strange thing indeed. If you give someone a discount to try and help them, their assumption is that previously you were trying to fleece them and the discount is proof. If you give them career advice, as you can see they are making basic mistakes when seeking promotions, new jobs, if they succeed using your advice, they then tell everyone "I'm glad I didn't listen to him" even though they clearly did. When you make business introductions to help people forward their career, you find they try and cut you out.

Normally, I sail through such things. You learn and you move on. Today my sciatica in my back is driving me mad, so it is really annoying me. As sciatica is caused by nerve related issues, for me, it affects the wiring in my head and makes me want to kill people (not literally). So today it bugs me.

Sunday Reflection #103 - The day I've been dreading is almost upon us

2026-10-25T10:13:21.644+00:00

I'm off to mass in a minute at The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mill Hill. The church is implacably opposed to assisted dying. It is fair to say that its stance does not reflect my opinions. It is my opinion that if a compos mentis and they are in excruciating pain, with only the prospect of it getting worse, I would have no isssue with them deciding the time and the place of their departure from this mortal coil, surrounded by their friends and family. I get all of the arguments abouts safeguards and I know that there are all manner of complex issues, but I do believe that in the case of someone like Esther Rantzen who had clearly decided the path she wanted, it is not the business of the state or the law to prevent this happening in the most pleasant way possible for her. Do I believe that a just and compassionate God would send her and her to Hell? I cannot possibly reconcile that with my personal views of faith. I get all of the arguments about "bumping off inconvenient individuals", but where a medically diagnosed progressive terminal illness is diagnosed, for me the matter is one of compassion.

Why am I writing this. Well there is some very disturbing news in my close family. A day I have been dreading for a very long time seems to be looming. I will have a very important decision to make and I suspect it may be in the next couple of days. It is one that I have deep sorrow in making, but I also believe that if pain and suffering cannot be addressed and it will only get worse, then the most humane thing for everyone is to have a dignified end. Our beloved dog Bruno is fifteen years old. We've had him since 2012 and he is a superstar. But he has become almost lame, lost control of his bowels and is off his food. He hasn't wagged his tail for a couple of weeks. He doesn't sleep at night, waking up panting and getting agitated. We have tried various things from the vet and nothing works. He has had uncontrollable diarrhoea (which as a dyslexic is a word I cannot even spell). Over the last week it has rapidly gone down hill. He does not seem to be enjoying life at all. Initially we thought it was a stomach bug, but it has gone on for four days and there seems no improvement, despite medication.

Sadly, it seems that a phone call to the vet is imminent. There will be tears and it will be a terrible day. But such decision have to be made. We will of course take the vets advice. But it has brought home to me the truth that such decisions are almost impossible. I think people who care probably make them a long time after they really should. As regular readers know, cancer has been part of my life since 2011. I have given the matter a lot of thought. What would I personally do, and I don't know. I think I'd want to hang on until the last possible moment. But is that fair on the family? In 2012, I watched a friend die of oesophageal cancer. He fought until the last moment. It was horrific for all of us. I am 99% sure that the opiates that he was given to alleviate the pain was what ended his life, not the cancer. What was shocking was just how hard he fought. Three times in the last few hours, we thought he'd gone, then he'd rally. He finally left, when everyone left the room for a quick cigarette break. It was almost as if he didn't want anyone to see him depart. My sister, who is a retired hospice nurse told me that this is quite common. Does the Grim Reaper wait around the corner for a clear run?

I believe that dogs have a semi spiritual role in our lives, to make us better people and teach us lessons. The current lesson we are being taught is brutal, but it is a good thing in the bigger picture. No lesson in life comes without a price to pay. Dogs have about one seventh of the lifespan of a human, so if we look after them properly, we might have seven or eight in our journey. In mine, I've had five. We had a puppy called Christine, who lasted a matter of weeks before she ran in the road and got run over. It was horrible. Then we had a Beagle called Bruce. He was a wonderful dog. He'd been dumped in Mill Hill Park and ended up in our house. When my parents went to Australia in 1981 and I went to Sweden, we asked our neighbours to look after him. They had two small girls. When we all returned, they asked if the could keep him as the girls loved him. Much to my annoyance, my parents agreed. As I moved out shortly after, it was clearly the right decision. I still saw him. We then got Tilly the Boxer in 2004, when our cat died. She was a reaal character. I love Boxers, they are great fun. We got Bruno in 2012, as we wanted a dog to keep Tilly company. Bruno was a rescue dog, completely bonkers. He drove Tilly mad. he was twice her size,a fox red labrador/ rotweiller cross. He'd been badly treated so has always been very unpredictable. But he is also the best fun and the silliest dog ever. Much to our surprise, he has reached fifteen. He has always had a dickie stomach, but always seems happy. When Tilly died in 2017, we got Keira. She is another rescue dog. A white German Shepherd. She is the lovliest dog, but is also the most nervous and territorial. She is extremely scared of men and to this day will not approach me, except when we are walking, when she becomes the perfect dog and my best friend.

All of our dogs apart from Tilly have had difficult starts and there behaviour reflects this. I have a very low opinion of people who mistreat animals. If people don't like animals and don't keep them, that is fine, but people who abuse them disgust me. I nearly punched someone at the gym, after I heard them saying they were looking to rehome a 4 year old labradoodle, and would put it down if they couldn't, as they wanted a puppy for their children. It was a moment when I realised the anger management had paid off. I think the person is one of the most disgusting individuals I've ever seen. I avoid him like the plague when I see him, as I don't want to get triggered and do something stupid. For me, putiing an animal down is a last resort. A moment when something you love has reached a point where it is more cruel to let them carry on suffering.

In such moments as this, I pray for guidance, to do the right thing and to see the right path. Generally when such moments come along, I think I do the right thing. I can sleep at night.

The Saturday List #514 - My five greatest moments of spiritual awakening

2026-10-24T09:55:24.145+01:00

Do you ever have moments in your life where everything changes, where the door that had been holding you back in life opens and you move to a new chapter? I am of the opinion that our society is deliberately designed to divorce us from our true self. Our consumer society is designed to distract us from the things that should really matter. How many times are we too busy staring at our phones to see the beautiful sunset above our heads. I was considering the issue of spiritual awakening and realising that there is something deeper and more important that we should be focussing on. I am not talking about Jesus appearing and suddenly we become a Holy Joe, quite the opposite. I think that often organised religion is one of the biggest problems, because it puts us off finding the deeper meanings in things. I personally do believe it has a place in society, as it provides a focus for ommunity and churches are great spaces. However, I have never actually had any sort of spiritual awakening in a church or at a church service.

I have, however, had moments. These are those moments.

1. Walking around Cornwall in November 1984. I'd just split up with my then girfriend and I needed some headspace. I decided to take a couple of weeks off work and walk around the Cornish coast. There were no toursits around. The weather was cold and crisp. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing or where I was going. I didn't really know myself. I just facied walking around the Cornish coast. There was one moment, when I'd pitched my tent in a farmers field and walked up to the top of the cliffs to watch the sunset, that I sat there. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I was totally at peace with everything. I just enjoyed the silence. When the sun finally set, the stars and the moon were spectacular. It was probably the most beautiful moment of my life. I can remember thinking that although I was a very small part of creation, I was the only person in the Universe who had witnessed that amazing moment. I think this was perhaps the first, maybe the only time in my life that I'd felt completely at peace with the Universe. Then I realised I was cold, hungry and I went to the pub and it was gone. I had no idea of the storm that was brwing for me personally.

2. On a train to a mates birthday party in Surrey in early Spring 1985. I was at a rea low. I had split up with my long term gilfriend, all my fault really. My health had been awful following a serious stomach bleed. The band had split up and I was totally bereft. It was one of the old style trains, the ones where you could open the door whenever you wanted. I decided to look out of the window and I saw a train hurtling towards us on the other track. I thought to myself "I could open the door, jump in front of it and in a second it would all be over". It seemed a very attractive thought. I am not given to such negative thoughts, but I was in a bad place. It seemed like the perfect solution to everything. For a second I was going to do it. Then I thought "What about the bloke driving the other train?" I realised what a terrible experience it would be for him. I thought of all of the people on the train, off for a night out in London. All would have their evening ruined. I thought "Do I really want my final action to be one of devastating selfishness?" I realised that this was not really me. It pulled me back from the edge. I sat back down and started to focus on the the solutions to my problems. By the time I arrived at my friends party, I was in a better place.

3. A yoga class in 1987 in Flower Lane. After my health issues in 1984, I started doing yoga to try and rebuild my health. There was an amazing class in Flower Lane, lead by the redoubtable Joyce, who was a real inspiration. I just did it as a gentle exercise class when I started, to try and rebuild my fitness gently following my healath issues. Joyce was possibly the most spititual person I've ever met. The class was about an hour and a half. We'd do a 10 minute relaxation at the start, an hour of yoga exercises, then a 20 minute meditation at the end. When I started the class in 1985, I dismissed the meditation completely. As time went on, I started to appreciate it. Following the death of my father in 1987, I was devastated. I simply couldn't get my head around it. In 1988, Joyce announced at the start of the class that we should all think of something that was troubling us and when we did the meditation, we'd address that. I immediately realised that it was my Dads death. After the exercise bit finished, we lay down, she dimmed the lights and explained that all problems could be solved, you just needed to free your inner spirit to allow it to guide you. I wanted to know what had happened with my Dad. So as we sank into the medetitive state, through breathing exercises. I wanted to see my father and understand why he had to go. I found myself in the most beautiful garden I could possibly imagine and my Dad was their, fit, young and healthy, with members of his family who had passed. He was delighted to see me. He said "Rog its great to see you". I was totally overcome with joy. Then he said "You shouldn't be here, it's not your time. With that, I was back in the class, but I was completely at peace. From that moment, I knew things will always be alright.

4. Getting run over in 1988 at Burnt Oak. I got hit by a car crossing Burnt Oak Broadway. The driver was doing 40mph and jumoping the lights. I still bear the physical scars. When I saw the car hurtling towards me, I knew I was going to die. There was no way to get out of the way, no where to go. But I felt totally at peace. I realised that I had no fear of death or dying at all. It is just part of the natural cycle of things. But then, a little voice in my head said "Jump", so I did. The bonnet of the car crashed into my thigh, my feet went through the windscreen, I rolled over the roof and then fell on my head. I have never felt such pain, but I was alive. I was pleased to be alive. I have never worried about death since.

5. April 2020 Lockdown. I decided that this was the perfect time to "finish my book". I had been writing it for two years. I started to read through it. I started to get very angry. All of the betrayals, all of the people who'd let me down. All of the people who'd used and exploited me. There was nowhere to go and no way to escape the clautrophobic environment and no outlet to release the anger that was building. I took the dogs for our 1 hours exercise around Darlands Lake. I was very deep in introsective thought and then I realised "It's all done, it all worked out OK, they didn't win, they didn't destroy me". I realised that I was OK, I'd done OK. I'm not perfect, far from it. I don't have all the answers, maybe I don't have any of them. But I am not going to be defined by anger driven by other people who clearly have some sort of agenda. It is easy to forget this, but it is true.

To sum up there were five real aspects, maybe there will be more. But for me, spritual awakening is recognising the beauty in the universe, that is the for all of us for free, realising that self destructive behaviour affects other people and is not the fix for your problems, realise that there is more out there and sometimes you need the right person to help you find it, that in the worst moments you can find peace and enlightenment and finally that letting other peoples anger define you simply holds you back.

I am blessed and lucky. I have good things in life. The most important thing is to appreciate them. Nothing lasts forever. I was inspired to write this, as I was woken up by our inconsiderate next door neighbours builders at 7am. There was a terrible crashing and banging. I looked out of the window and saw this. It reminded me that sometimes, God/The Universe/Random stuff (delete as you please) is trying to get your attention, when annoying stuff happens.

Have a great weekend!

Stocking up for an emergency

2026-10-23T19:02:45.353+01:00

So I see Andy Burnham has advised us all to 'stock up for an emegency' and have 'at least three days food and some cash' handy. I did some googling and it has been suggested that figures of between £60 - £100 per day per person. All across Europe similar advice is being given. I think having a bit of cash is not a bad idea, I always try and have some in my wallet. Back in the days when I did IT Consultancy, I did some work, for a very brief period for the FDA, for a company that had a contract with them. It was in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of the biggest problems was that people all congregated on the football stadium and services got overwhelmed. It was suggested that it would have been far more cost effective to give everyone $1,000 dollars in cash, so they could get out of the disaster area. This stuck with me. I am quite frankly appalled at the complete failure of the UK government to actually give us any proper advice at all.

Having large amounts of cash and a big stoc of food is not necessarily the best way to survive a disaster. There are all manner of not very nice people who night just decide to help themselves. Although I am no fan of open access to firearms, the US mentality is far better suited to Armagheddon than the British. What would we all do if we can't boil the kettle for a cup of tea. Whilst there is a mindset in the US that fantasises about being hold up, eating corned beef with assaukt rifles, the British would prefer to sit at home, drink tea and wait for things to return to normal.

My mother told me that the most surprising thing about the second world war was not that the British survived, but that people did everything possible to not let the blitz and the privations affect their normal life. When there was an air raid, as soon as the all clear went, if your house was still there, you went home and had a cup of tea. When rationing was at its height, people would try and have one day a week, where things were as normal as they could be.

We are being advised to stockpile bottled water and tinned food. This is presumably because government disaster planners think we'll lose access to safe water and cooking facilities. They are not advising those of us with gardens to stock up on charcoal for barbecues and beer. To me, this seems far more sensible. when covid struck, I spent most of lockdown in the garden, drinking beer and having barbecues in the sunshine. Do you recall what the first shortage was? It was toilet rolls, but Burnham seems to have forgotten. The government has rushed headlong into decommissioning of analogue TV and Radio, which are far moreresilient to cyber attack than digital ones. We should also be stocking up on batteries and torches.

But all joking aside, does anyone really believe that any of this is about cyber attack or bad weather. If it was, all they have to do is legally require shops to have resilience plans in place to take cash and distribute products. What no one wants to say is that we seem to be lurching into WW3. If you are a survivalist in Montana, that would be you big moment. If you live in Mill Hill, not so. I am not sure if MilL Hill would survive a nuclear atatck on central London. I'm not even sure I'd want to. If I did, I'd much rather have 20 bottle of whisky than 20 tins of sardines.

I always believed that the world was ultimately run by sane, rational people, who would never by so insane as to start a nuclear war. Now I am not so sure. I do not believe the Russians would. I am not so sure about Trump and his cronies. Someone asked me if I thought Trump was a Russian agent this week. I said "I hope so, because if he is, he won't lose his rag and start nuking them". But I honestly do not know.

One of the interesting things is that it was suggested that we have 'enough food for 3 days'.My first thought was "We probably keep enough food for a week without even trying", although a few bottles of water wouldn't go amiss.

Anyway, I gave this some thought and this is what I think you'd be advised to have in the house

1. A weeks supply of water.

2. Two weeks supply of bog rolls.

3. Two weeks supply of wet wipes, deodourant, etc

4. Two weeks supply of alcohol.

5. Enough choocolate and biscuits to keep youself stuffed for a week.

5/ Any tinned foods that you actually enjoy eating cold/

6. Some good books.

And if it is a nuclear attack and you survive, I'd do all the scotch in one go, as I suspect that will be a quicker and more pleasant end than one where there are no hospital services working and you are succumbing to radiation sickness.

And on that note, have a lovely weekend

Rock and Roll Stories #80 - The perfect mix or too much egg in the pudding

2026-10-22T11:22:20.848+01:00

Our next gig

Ever since day 1 of the False Dots, I've been on a mission to have the perfect band. This doesn't mean I wanted Jimi Hendrix, Debbie Harry, Keith Moon et all in the band. I wanted the perfect band to play the noise that was going around my head. That is a very different thing. When we started, it was very much a case of simply getting anyone we could to get going. In a strange sort of way, that was the perfect band for where we were. It meant we could develop our ideas of what a band should be and find our own direction, without someone who "knew the ropes" corralling us in a direction we didn't want to go, before we actually knew what we wanted.

It took over a year to get to the point where I felt we were sort of ready to be unleashed on the world. We got Alan Warner of The Foundations down, as we wanted to record and sought his advice as to whether we were ready. Alan suggested we get a new drummer who could play in time and suggested a mate, Dav Davies. When Dav joined, we suddenly started to sound like the noise in my head. Recording in 1980 was expensive, but we were ambitious. Our first demo was good, but the band started to fracture. Pete, the co founder left, I recruited a new guitarist, Craig and Paul Hircombe moved to bass. Pete then decided he was coming back and so took over on vocals. On the day of our first gig, he didn't bother to show. It was a baptism of fire, but was the best thing that could happen. We felt that having got through that, we could get through anything. A second demo was done, it was a massive step up. However, all it really did was inform me of what we could do. Paul Hircombe got it. Craig didn't, but he'd go along with it.

After our tour of Sweden, we decided that we'd try and get a deal. Paul suggested that we get a female singer and a better drummer. We did. The band sounded amazing, but it really wasn't the sound in my head anyomore. It was sort of a bit like Blondie, but I'd learned a lesson. If you want a specific sound, then you need the right person, not just one who could do the job. The singer departed with Craig and the drummer. I had decided to simplify the sound, strip it back and I met Venessa Sagoe, who was an amazing singer. We got Adam Francis on drums, he was a very metronmic drummer, no frills. Ideal for what I wanted. We then added keyboard player Chris Potts. The band was exactly what I had wanted. They could play anything, Venessa was a brilliant performer. It had taken four years, but we'd got there. I thought we had the perfect mix, but something happened that I hadn't really expected. I found it was getting harder to bring new ideas and songs to the band and get them to be played how I felt they should. We were an amazing band, but as the new members settled in, they wanted more and more of a say over everything. This was not unreasonable, but I felt that not everything they were suggesting was particularly helpful or good. I think the moment when it became difficult was when Chris joined. He was a superb musician, but he had a different vision to me of what a band should be, Neither of us was wrong, but Chris lacked the drive to run a band, but he had lots of things he was not happy with. As he was a great musician, it became harder and harder to argue my case. In hindsight, I realise that before he joined, we had a perfect mix.I thought Chris was the final ingredient, but in truth, it was just a bit too much sugar in the mix. The problem was that Chris was too much of a perfectionist. I am not. Chris would be upset if the band played bum notes at gigs. I didn't care so long as we went down a storm,

What happened was we lost momentum. Because Chris was a perfectionist, everyone started to question everything. Although Chris was technically right that the songs could be better, we'd played a sol out Dingwalls just before he joined and blown the doors off it. The highlight of the set was Action Shock that was just two chords repeated all of the way through. It's secret was that it was simple. It took me a very long time to realise that our secret weapon was always the simplicity. It worked for the Ramones, it worked for us. Whenever we tried to make things more musically complicated or cleverer, it became dull.

The experience with Chris was difficult for me. He was a lovely bloke, did a great job and was absolutely committed to making The False Dots a better band. However it changed the dynamic and although we were musically better, we lost momentum and within six months it had all fallen apart. I must add that at the time Chris joined, we also took on a manager, who did nothing and caused all sorts of issues. It also didn't help that I was sharing a house with Venessa and Bill and I am the worlds worst housemate. By the time we split, they were well and truly sick of me. But creatively, the change of dynamic made it impossible to write and develop songs in the way we had. Since the start of the band, the way we've developed songs has been the same. I'd sketch out some chords and the lyrics and we'd play them through as a band. Once we had a basic structure, we'd work on refining them. Chris thought we should work them our before we played them as a band and get all manner of fancy bits in. Recently, I was given a video of the band playing live at The Bald Faced Stag in Burnt Oak. It was the full set. As we were playing a local pub, there were a few covers, the songs we'd been playing for ages and a couple of the new songs we'd written with Chris. I was struck by the fact that although the songs were more complicated, they lacked the hooks and energy that the older songs had. Perhaps the most interesting thing of all was that I simply had no memory of them at all. I have always believed that the 1984 version of The False Dots was brilliant and should have been signed. I think getting Chris in at the time was the right thing, it was a tragedy we couldn't make it work. Watching the video of Venessa performing only reinforces that. Here is Action Shock with her at the Bald Faced Stag.

Fast forward to 2026. The False Dots are still going. We are now a five piece band. This time last year, we added Derek Treadwell. Derek plays percussion and does backing vocals. It adds a new dimension to the sound. I've always believed that percussion is a secret weapon. A tambourine or wood block can lift a chorus, and having a bit more vocal welly on choruses makes a huge difference. Since I took over main vocal duties from Allen Ashley in 2021, I've become increasingly more aware that it is restricting playing guitar and singing. It is hard to be as expressive as I'd like to be as a singer. I have thought about either getting another guitarist, or getting a bassist and switching Fil back to guitar. However, I am also well aware of the risks of putting too much egg in the pudding.

My advice to any young bands and musicians, who think they need to "develop their sound" by adding extra band members is to ask yourself whether the band has momentum and if you are still finding inspiration. If you are, then be very wary of disrupting it. The False Dots played at Nambucca last week. We played a brand new song called Cut Priced Hedonism. I am rather happy with it! Mind you, it would probably sound better with Chris's keyboards on!

Social media commentary - Hatred will destroy you if you are not careful

2026-10-21T12:41:23.848+01:00

Do you remember June 2000? I do for many reasons. My son was one month old back then. My Mum was still alive, healthy and enjoying life. Manchester City were promoted to the Premier League, having achieved back to back promotions. I was making big plans for my studio with my business partner Ernie Ferebee. I had just started to put The False Dots together after a 10 year break, to "record a few of the old nubers for posterity". I had an extremely lucrative log term IT contract, suppoorting POS systems for Streamline. In short,, life could not have been much better. But little known to me, a mate of mine was about to change the world, literally. I wasn't a blogger. There was no such thing as social media, as we understand it now. But Steve Pankhurst, who I'd been at Orange Hill School with launched Friends Reunited that month. I joined early on. I got in touch with a bunch of old school mates. Oddly, there were lots from Orange Hill, but none from FCHS!

It was wonderful. Within a year, we'd have a reunion. I was a big fan. A few years later, Facebook was launched. Again, I was an early adopter. I saw the potential for band and business promotion as well as keeping up with friends. When Twitter was launched, I thought it was a waste of time. I was eventually persuaded to join in 2011, I think I've regretted it eber since. I soon realised that Twitter offered endless opportunities for Twitter Trolls to spend their life being unpleasant to everyone. For such people, a victory was to force a nice, pleasant, worthy soul to shut their account.

In Barnet, we all laughed at our local ogre, Tory Politician Brian Coleman, as he simply blocked everyone he took a mild dislike to; We thought he lacked gumption. I hate to admit it, but he was probably right. Friends Reunited disappeared. Twitter became X, where hatred is turbocharged. Facebook morphed into something indecribably awful. I still use it, as I still have a band and a business, and occasionally I see something interesting, however 90% of what it serves up is stuff from people I don't know and are not interested in, adverts or on the odd occasion I actually see something from someone I actually like, they are off on one. Oddly, when I actually look at friends accounts, most of what they post is stuff I'd actually like to see, but the algorythm never shows me.

The biggest problem for me is the sheer anger and hatred of much of what people are posting. The venom directed at people like SIr Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Andy Burnham et all, is to me vile. By all means criticise their policies. I write a blog that critcises the policies of all manner of people, but if I don't know someone, I refrain from personal criticism. Now you may say "You hypocrite what about the bile you poured on local Tories like Brian Coleman on your blog?" This was a central plank of Brian Colemans defence, when I took him to the Barnet Council Standards Committee. Coleman stated that I'd been personally abusive about his private life. Barnet Council paid £10,000 for a lawyer to defend him. He lost.. The reason? Sure I'd criticised him for his spending of public money, the endless gifts in his hospitality register, his behaviour in council, his arrogance towards members of the public, but I'd never actually mentioned his private life. I have to admit, when he assaulted Helen Michael, who is a good friend, I widened my attack, but not on his personal life. I just felt his behaviour was not compatable with being a public servant.

The bile directed on Facebook and Twitter, the AI genereated Memes, the lies people spread, the anger, the hatred are, to me, deplorable. What upsets me most though, is I see keyboard warriors, who are retreating into a hate filled echo chamber where anything goes. Often the claim to be patriots, but to me , good manners and tolerance are a fundamental part of the British/English character. We don't like bullies. We don't do bilious hatred. But Social Media has seemingly made it all OK.

The worst aspect is the sheer futility of screaming in an echo chamber. All your mates agree with you, so you think its OK and you are winning. In truth, you are just damaging your own mental health and losing touch with reality. By all means say if you think Andy Burnham is wrong to seek investment from the owners of Man City or to grant drilling licenses in the North Sea. However a soon as you stray from criticism of policies, and into the personal, you lose the arguement. Shouting the loudest may well make you think you are right, but in truth, it simply means you've lost control of yourself and the argument. I was accused of being 'over educaated' this week. Odd really, I never went to Uni and when I left school and became a painter/decorator for three years. But becasue I stay calm and don't get cross, people seem to think I am "over educated". I'm happy to argue policies with friends. However if they get cross when they lose the argument, I'd suggest that it is all a bit counter productive.

I look back to June 2000. The world was a better place then.

If something doesn't make sense, then you don't have all of the facts

2026-10-19T14:16:43.355+01:00

My Dad used to be an air accident investigation officer for the RAF, at the end of the war. At home, we have an old biscuit tin, with copies of pictures of crashes he investigated. I was fascinated by some of the stories Dad told me of crashes. Dad was a superb engineer and advised me that he never investigated a crash where there was a single point of failure. It was always the result of a culmination of events. He told me that flying is the safest form of transport, because every single crash is investigated and the results mean that every crash makes flying safer in future.

He said that it was almost always pretty clear what had happened and why. However, he recalled one crash, where a plane's engine blew up in mid air, resulting in a catastrophic failure of the airframe and the death of all of the crew. The crew were experienced, the maintenance records were spot on. The debris was scattered over a large area, but it was pretty clear that something had fundamentally failed in the engine. Examination of the recovered engine did not indicate a fundamental problem. It was not a new engine, but well within its operational lifetime and was a reliable model. The more Dad looked, the less sense it made. After a couple of days at the base, he'd made no progress. He knew he was missing something, but even though he was experienced, he didnt know what. When he retired to the officers mess for a beer at the end of the day, he noticed something odd. Usually people were more than happy to chat to investigators, especially pilots. They knew that a pilots life was dependent on good procedures and investigations. However no one was that keen to talk to him, apart from the base commander, who sat with him and chatted away merrily. Dad noticed that the other pilots were reacting in an odd manner, when they entered the mess and saw him with the CO. It was not the usual reaction. Dad was a good reader of people and body language. He also noticed that several pilots were having a drink and then leaving the mess. He realised they were not comfortable.

Dad was becoming rather suspicious, so after a few beers, he made his apologies to the CO and said he had an early start. He then went to the gatehouse and asked where the nearest pub was. He was told it was about 200 yards down the road. Dad took a stroll down and was unsurprised to find the pilots, who had left the mess, all having a beer. When Dad entered, they all did a double take. He explained that as an Aussie, he was not really one for drinking with the top brass and as he'd been an operational pilot, he always felt better in the company of aircrew. He bought a round and started regailing them with stories about his crew and his escape from the POW camp. After a while, he was accepted as one of the boys.

Once he had their trust, one of them said "You know this isn't the first crash here, I hope it doesn't get swept under the carpet again". As Dad had suspected, there was an element to this he'd not been told. He didn't tell me what that was, but the crews told him of their suspicions, what to look for and where to look. It became clear that there were serious issues with the way that the engine had been maintained. The CO had been complicit. I am not sure what happened to all involved, but Dad said it was not good.

Dad told me the story when I was quite young. When I was working for BT, I was having issues with my then boss. As he often did, he revisied the story. He explained another aspect to it. He said that the CO of the base sounded like my then boss. The base commander was someone who had favourites and protected them, whereas he was happy to shaft good people, who he didn't like. It turned out that when there had been a previous crash, he scapegoated someone he didn't like. The reason the crews were cautious of this, was because they knew. They were coming to the end of their time in the RAF and they knew he'd cause problems if they said to much.Dad then gave some very sound advice. He said "If there is someone in the department who is not much good, but seems to be doing better than they should, be careful, as these sort or people thrive by having snakes in the grass". Dad also said "Whereever you work, make friends with the tea lady and the cleaners, they are the only people who really know what is going on, and those with arrogance and power ignore them".

That conversation was 40 years ago. It has stood me in good stead. The number of times in my life I have been mystified by situatations, only to find the missing piece of the jigsaw, often from the cleaner or the tea lady. With all of the information, usually it all becomes blindingly obvious. Dad also explained that when shenanigans are going on, it is always for one of three reasons. Money, sex and power. People behave very badly if they get a sniff of any of these. If something doesn't seem right, ask yourself "Is money, sex or power involved?". Sometimes it might even be two or three of them. Once you figure that out, work out who is benifitting and how. It is quite sad really, how often so many horrible situations are created over such unimportant things, but that is life. This weekend, Poppies went on sale at The Mill Hill Services Club. I always think of Dad when I see them. He died nearly 40 years ago, I still miss him. I count mylucky stars to have had such wise council in my life.

Destruction of Green Belt in Barnet - The leader of Barnet Council responds

2026-10-18T13:36:52.845+01:00

There has been a huge amount of discussion about rumours that the Green Belt in the London Borough of Barnet will be bulldozed and developed. I emailed the leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Barry Rawlings to respond.

This is what I asked

Dear all

Please see the attached document. Is this correct and if so, why have residents not been asked to comment.

The plans for Barnet are appalling

Regards

Roger Tichborne

This is the document that I asked Barry to comment on

Dear Roger

Thank you for reaching out to share your concerns around the Draft London Plan published by the Mayor in July and its implications for future developments in Barnet.

I wanted to respond and take the opportunity to share some information regarding the Draft London Plan which I hope helps to reassure you and clarify some of the points raised around new developments in Barnet.

I understand there has been a list of sites circulating on various WhatsApp groups. I cannot find that site list on any meeting agenda nor in any published document. It looks like it was taken from the London Green Belt Assessment.

The assessment was produced by consultancy LUC for the Greater Londoner Authority (GLA) and 12 participating London boroughs, including Barnet. The study was commissioned by the GLA to assess green belt land within Greater London and to consider how existing green belt land contributes to the five national green belt purposes set out in the updated National Planning Policy Framework.

The Assessment specifies that it is designed to “support London boroughs in their local plan making and development management processes…London boroughs may decide to build on the assessment findings with finer grained assessments where considered necessary”.

It also highlights that while it “identifies broad locations in the Green Belt where designation to Metropolitan Open Land is likely to be a reasonable prospect…the identified extent of each of the Green Belt areas identified could in many locations be refined into different shapes and sizes depending on the scale of future ambition and nature of future proposals that may come forward.”

This means that, while a site may be highlighted in the Assessment, it does not mean it will be declared to be Grey Belt.
The Draft London Plan does not contain a specific list of sites that will be developed. It places the duty of site identification on the boroughs, rather than City Hall.

On Monday, Barnet Cabinet approved the response to the Draft London Plan made by a cross-party group of councillors.
While the Draft London Plan consultation deadline has gone, I will continue to scrutinise the viability of the housing targets set out by the Mayor, alongside other key issues affecting our constituency throughout the Examination in Public taking place next year.

Best wishes,

Cllr Barry Rawlings

Friern Barnet Ward
Leader of Barnet Council, and the Labour Group

Now I know that many people do not trust politicians and that a lot of people are very worried about this matter. I have known Barry for many years. It is fair to say I have been a very stern critic of his on many occasions. However, I have to say that whilst I think Barry gets many things wrong, he is basically an honest decent person and I believe his response is a true and accurate summary of what the situation actually is. I would advise everyone to treat such documents circulating on social media with a degree of scepticism. I would also advise people to ensure that they do not assume that there will be no building on Green Belt. If we want to protect it, we will need to be very vigilant. I am also aware of how planning consultancies and developers work. One of their tricks is to start rumours of impending doom, then when something that is less bad emerges, people think they have won. What Barry says about the London plan is correct. Much of what is in these plans never happens, but the other side of the equation is that it does make things more likely to happen. I personally think the Green Belt is worth fighting for. My view is that there are plenty of better solutions than concreting over green space. The sad truth is that builders prefer building on such land as it is cheaper and more profitable for them.

The Sunday Reflection #102 - Mementos of a life?

2026-10-18T12:01:10.322+01:00

You never really know what is going through other people's minds, do you? You also never really know if those special moments in your life will seem so special in a few years time. As social media becomes more 'mature', we see more and more people posting comments on memories from a few years ago, saying "That didn't age well". What this generally means is that we believed something to be true but events have shown that a completely different reality to the one we perceived at the time has emerged.

As I mentioned earlier this week, someone who I had believed to be a close friend 'defriended me by email' this week, the email was not even directed to me. I was just cc'd into an email to a third party. I cannot tell you how surprised this turn of events was. I believed the person to be a very steady, reliable, trustworthy sort of person. The sort of person who I felt I understood. I have flaky mates, who I know are very unpredictable. This was very different. Once I got over the initial shock of something that was totally unexpected, I started going through all of our interactions over many years. I was trying to work out what the clues were. When we went to football together, and he bought me a beer, what was going on? If he had said that he had come to the conclusion I was a terrible person and was no longer my friend, that would make some kind of sense, but his email made 100% plain that he has not considered me a friend for a considerable time. During that period, there has been no indication to me in regards to our friendship. I am now faced with the fact that many of my good shared memories with him are something rather different to what I thought they were. To me memories are important mementos of a life. Good moments shared with friends are like cherished coins in a collection.

I feel like a coin collector, who has spent years collecting valuable coins. I have paid handsomely for a fine, rare coin. I've displayed it in my collection with pride. Just imagine how I'd feel if I was informed that this fine rare coin was actually a knock off fraud. I hadn't known, I hadn't spotted it. I'd wonder how many of my coin collector friends had spotted what should have been obvious a mile off. I'd wonder if they were all laughing at me behind my back. I'd call my own naivety and trusting nature into question. I'd look at all the coin collector events I'd displayed my collection at in a different light. The memories would be tainted. Now I am not a coin collector. To me my friends are like the valuable coins. And one is not what I thought. It is different to having a great friend and falling out with them. I founded the False Dots with my best friend from school. We fell out. It was a specific moment in time. It didn't taint the memories we'd shared before. There was no duplicity over a long period.

I very rarely fall out with people. If someone is a friend, I try very hard to maintain that friendship. I try to be honest. I put my hands up when I am in the wrong. When I have fallen out with people who matter to me, it has usually been over a specific event or episode and it has been clear to me why. It is like walking a path with someone and meeting a fork and off you go in different directions. But when there is no fork it is a very different thing. I find myself looking for clues in the memories. They are there. The odd bit of strange, out of character behaviour. Things that made no sense at the time, suddenly becoming apparent.

I have a good friend who's wife was cheating on him for a long time. One day, she cleaned out the bank account and left him with two kids under 8 years old. It took him a long time to get over it. For a couple of years, we'd invariably end up in the pub and he's always say "I just can't believe I never saw it coming, all the signs were there". The circumstances make it very difficult to take anything positive out of the relationship, apart from his children, who are wonderful. I thought it was very sad, but quite understandable, that he had seemingly erased the good times completely.

The events reminded me of my father. He was betrayed by his solicitor, who was also a personal friend. Unlike what happened to me, it had a huge financial impact. My father ran a business called Mac Metals in Mill Hill. In about 1982, he had the opportunity to by the former railway depot site on Bunns Lane from British Rail. Dad had rented a portion of the site from BR for many years for use as a car park. Dad negotiated a knock down price, as he knew the BR property department well. He instructed his solicitor to proceed with the sale. It kept stalling. Eventually Dads solicitor advised him that he should withdraw his offer, as BR were no longer playing ball. Dad, trusting his solicitor implicitly, followed his advice. Within a matter of weeks, the site had sold to a developer. The next time Dad saw his solicitor, Dad expressed his surprise that the developer had bought it and got planning permission. The solicitor replied "That's because he had a good solicitor". Dad was taken aback by this comment. He asked "Who is that solicitor?". The reply was "Me!". Dad exploded in rage and said "You were acting for me, you said BR wouldn't sell it". The solicitor said dismissively "You don't know what you are doing so I thought it was a bad idea if you bought it". Dad realised he'd been completely stitched up. I discussed it with him a couple of years later. He said "When I calmed down, I realised it was just an expensive lesson. Never trust solicitors, instruct them and sack them if they don't do what you tell them." He added "When the dust settled, it made me realise how lucky I'd been. He wanted to go out with your sister. Just imagine if a snake like that had been part of the family. I was actually quite sad she didn't like him as I thought he was a solid bloke with a good job". In my case, the only damage has been to my memories. Dad was right though, in all such things, there are lessons and not only that, things could have been a million times worse.

It also made me reflect on the things that cast a different light on our perception of things. Perhaps an illustration of this happened on Friday night. The False Dots did a gig at Nambucca. It was an amazing night. We played really well. However there was one small problem. The venue has a brilliant lighting system. As a guitarist, I play with guitar pedals. These add effects such as echo and distortion to your guitar sound. Although it has a good sound system, it is actually quite hard to hear your instrument properly on stage. This is not normally a problem. I know that the guitar pedal is functioning and giving the desired sound because it has a red light on when the effect is operating. The problem? The lighting system was very powerful and one of the most common effects was to bathe the stage in red. When this happened, I simply couldn't see whether the effects were on or off. The light was shining red, but because everything else was red, I couldn't see it. The sign was there shining brightly but you cannot actually see it until the colour changes.

It made me realise that a simple lighting change can alter your whole perception of the world. The lights were very hypnotic and during one musical section of a song, it appeared that there was a 'light curtain' in front of us. For about a second, the hypnotic effect overcame me, and I thought I was lying in bed and the sun was shining on a curtain. It was very strange and I almost missed my cue to come back in. Thinking you are in bed at home, when you are in the middle of a gig is a very odd feeling indeed. But it made me realise just how fragile our hold on reality and perception can really be. I am sure that anyone who was watching had not the slightest clue what was going on in my head, as we played.

Which bring me back to my opening statement " You never really know what is going through other people's minds, do you?". If I can think I am at home in bed, when I am onstage in front of a 100 people, it really isn't that surprising that I didn't pick up that someone was not being honest with me. It is sad that the shared memories are now, to some degree, tainted. However, some perspective is needed.

Here is the moment from Nambucca when I simply drifted off. You'd not notice.

The Saturday List #513 - My top ten theatre shows

2026-10-17T12:06:59.116+01:00

Last Saturday, Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London asked listeners about the best Theatre shows they'd seen. It got me thinking, what are the best shows I've seen. I am more a gig person than a Theatre lover, but I have seen some banging shows. Here is my Top Ten.

1. Jersey Boys. Absolutely the no 1 show I've seen. No Question at all. Not only are the songs brilliant, but the inter band relationships and politics are so well portrayed. I've seen dozens of films, etc about bands and it is rare that they get anywhere near portraying the complexities of having several creative people working in close proximity for years and sometimes decades. One of the things it showed so well is how the dynamic changes over time.

2. The man in the womens shoes. I saw this at the Tricycle theatre in Kilburn (now The Kiln). It is the work of Irish actor/playwrite Mikel Murfi. It tells the story of a man in rural Ireland who is unable to speak and works as a cobbler. It is a one man show and Murfi shows us two sides of Pat Farnon, what he is thinking and what everyone else sees. It is a brilliant depiction of rural Ireland, but also an object lesson for all of us into how we judge and misjudge people. This is definitely my No 1 non musical show. I've now seen it three times.

3. Love and death and rock and roll. The story of Wilko Johnson. Few musicians had such a fascinating life as Wilko. A founder of Dr Feelgood, a member of The Blockheads. One of the few people to recover from pancreatic cancer. We saw it at the Southwark Playhouse. Paul Weller was in the audience. Well worth seeing.

4. All or Nothing. The story of The Small Faces. A band I love. For some reason, despite being massive in the 1960's they seem to me to be criminally overlooked and underrated. It was on at the Arts Theatre

5. The Harder they Come. This was originally a film vehicle for Jimmy Cliff. As I love Jimmy Cliff, it was great to see the production at Stratford. It did not disappoint.

6. Don Juan. We went to see a production of Don Juan, performed by a Georgian Theatre company. I can't recall where or when. It was a bizarre night as there was meant to be alive translation subtitle system, but it broke down. It was a truly bizarre evening. I thought it was wonderful.

7. Once a Catholic. This was the first theatre production I saw without my parents. I think it was in 1979 at The Wyndham Theatre. I believe I went with my mates from Orange Hill. I think I was the only Catholic, so I saw it in a completely different light. They didn't really get how most people felt about nuns who'd been taught by them. It made an impression on me.

8. The Ferryman. A Jez Butterworth play, about an Ireland during the troubles. Intense and gripping. Perhaps the best really serious play I've seen. I am a fan of Butterworths work.

9. The Rat Pack. The story of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin et all. It was the last show I went to with my dearly departed Father in Law, Mr Leslie Harrison. Les was a wonderful man. He loved Sinatra, et all. I had never really been into that whole thing. However, the play was fascinating. not least the way that the pack stood up against the racism of the USA and how they stood up for Sammy Davis Jnr. A good play, for me, is one that engages you and maybe, you learn something from. This one ticked all the boxes. Perhaps the thing I recall best, was a technical point. The main characters had microphone cables, coiled on the floor so they wouldn't trip over them when singing and performing dance routines. I was fascinated by this (I know, its a bit sad!).

10. Lazarus. We went to see this at the Kings Cross Theatre soon after Bowie passed away. It is a sort of follow on from the film "The man who fell to Earth". I think we were all still mourning Bowie at the time and it felt like a connection to him. I am not sure if it was any good, but it was quite cathartic for me as a Bowie fan. I think I enjoyed it more than any of the mawkish tribute concerts we saw.

What are your favourite Theatre productions? Why?

And finally, a couple of bits of housekeeping before I dive into the list. Thanks to everyone who came down to Nambucca last night for The False Dots show. There was a great support set from The Monoversals. I am also delighted to announce the next False Dots show, and it will be a banger

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A post shared by Camden Rocks Festival (@camdenrocksfest)

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

A few thoughts on the Manchester City vs Premiership case

2026-10-16T13:54:14.328+01:00

On Wednesday night, I was in Manchester, to watch my team, Manchester City FC play PSG. Although City lost, it was one of the best games of football I've seen. PSG were unbeleivable in the first half, City the better team in the second half. At thise stage inthe Champions league, there is no real jeopardy, so botth teams could play expansive attractive football, which they did.

But no supporters of other teams want to talk about football when it comes to City. Last night, I spoke to two fans of other clubs. They support Man Utd and Arsenal. Both are reasonable guys. Both strongy feel City should be stripped of all titles and relegated. Both challenged me and asked my opinion. I stated that the case has not been resolved and I'll accept whatever the final punishment is. It is irrelevant, as the memories will always be there. I understand that both feel especially aggrieved as they feel their clubs, respectively, have 'suffered'. I have no real sympathy with this position.

There are many reasons why. Now whilst I don't like the setup of the Premiership and have explained my reasons at length, I believe that they are extremely blinkered. Let us first start with an alternative world. A world where Roman Abramovich never took over Chelsea and City were never bought by an oil state. Would the Premiership be more competetive and exciting, or less? It is highly likely that the Arsenal/Man Utd hegemony would have continued. Would their owners have invested more or less in their clubs? I think we know the answer. Arsenal made a huge profit on transfer dealings with City. Without that influx of cash, would they be in the position they are?

And the rest of the league? City and Chelsea have amazing youth team systems, unarguably the best in the league. Squads up and down the league are full of gradtuates of the schemes. This has benefitted the whole of the league. Better players, more skill. Then we have the managers that have come in Guardiola, Mourinho. Can anyone argue that both haven't had a massive positive effect on the quality of football in the Premiership? Would English teams have done better in European had the money not come in. I do not believe it would and I believe that the Premiership would be a far less valuable product for TV etc.

Now lets consider what happens if City's owners are banished and the club relegated. You may hate the fact, but a billion has been invested in players by the owners. This has, you may argue, artificially inflated transfer costs and wages, but when that money goes, every club will be faced with a huge asset write down. The balance sheet of every club will take a hit. For a club like Man Utd, who are already massively in debt, it would be ironic if their campaign against City results in liquidity problems.

A BBC report this week showed just how dire the finances of English football are. Anyone who argues that taking the City billions out will improve that is simply detatched from reality. There is a massive possibility of a mass exodus of the best players to foreign leagues, once the investment dies down. The cost of football is ridiculously inflated. This is justified by the sheer quality of the football we see. Would fans pay the same, if they were payng Premier league prices to watch Championship style football? Of course, many like me, who are also season ticket holders for Non League clubs would, but I doubt it would attract the reach that the current setup has.

Does this mean that I think City should "get away with it" if they are found guilty? Ask yourself this. If you are a fan of say Arsenal or Liverpool. If the people running your clubs, who are Americans who care nothing about football, engage in rule breaking and the club gets trophies stripped and relegations, their only concern is financial. It is you, the fan, who has done nothing wrong, and will support your team no matter what, who will suffer. Do you seriously believe if Man Utd were stripped of every trophy since the Glazers took over, that the Glazers would care, so long as the money rolled in?

The punishment should fit the crime. English football has hugely benefitted from the investment of City's owners. If the owners are not fit and proper owners, then boot them out. The shame and their financial loss in a fire sale would act as a cursory warning to other dodgy owners. Of course, this is based on the premise that City lose their appeal.

In five years time, if City are in the Northern Premier League, stripped of titles and UK football is in dire financial straits, with all of the stars playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, where FFP does not matter, you may look back at recent events and say to yourself "How did we kill the goose that laid the golden egg". Footbal in England is running on fumes, clubs are living on debt. When they all have a massive write down of their playing assets, and there is no one to bale them out with injections of cash, don't say I didn't tell you.

I guarantee that in five years time PSG, Real and Barca will all still have plenty of cash.

You are in for a treat

2026-10-14T12:36:33.746+01:00

Our next show

Music makes life better! Much better! I have had a strange week. I've been attacked by crocodiles, unfriended by email, had a lurgy and perhaps worst of all, our 15 year old, geriatric doggy is not in good shape. By about 8pm yesterday. I was feeling pretty down, if I am honest. However, I had a rehearsal with The False Dots, as we have a show at Nambucca on Friday (on the Holloway Road, Near Archway and it's free to get in to). I really wasn't feeling like it at all. Yesterday was also one of my designated non drinking days. Generally I don't mind, but if it wouldn't have inconvenienced everyone, I'd have just gone to the pub. But I didn't. With regards to my band, I am anything, if not professional. So I printed out the set lists, printed some updated lyrics and waited for the band to arrive. When I rehearse, I have to get my 'rehearsal head' on. When I play with the band, I step into my band persona.

When the guys turned up, we had a short listen to some of our recent recordings, before we started. I had made some changes to arrangements and I wanted the boy to be clued up. We all had a cup of tea and a brief chat. As it was a gig rehearsal, it was a short run through of the set. We have different patterns of rehearsals, depending on what we are rehearsing for. When it is a gig rehearsal, we only run through all of the songs once and we time it, to ensure that we don't overrun. We are playing for an hour, so we timed the set.

There is one new song in the set, called "Moderately priced Hedonism", which is both the slowest and the fastest song in the set. We play the songs in order and I also do intro's. These usually change, but it helps with timings etc. The band has been going for 47 years, we've had many incarnations and some brilliant musicians and vocalists in the band. I do however believe that our current incarnation is one of the best, if not the best in terms of the show we do. We have a really strong set of songs and a very good band dynamic. The set lasted 58 minutes, which is more or less bang on the money.

When we play live or do a full gig rehearsal, it expends a fair bit of energy, but it also gives you a massive ebergy boost. I left the rehearsal feeling 20 years younger and in a brilliant frame of mind. This is what music does. There is a famous song called "last night a DJ saved my life". I am not going to be so dramatic as to say "The False Dots saved my life last night", but the band certainly helped get my mindset back on the right path. Music doesn't get old or ill, it doesn't cheat or lie. It doesn't demand anything in return. I believe that as a musician, I am just channelling something bigger, more powerful, something good. It is a privilege to play with my fellow False Dots and I will always be eternally grateful to everyone who has ever helped keep the band on the go. That includes not only musicians, but roadies, promoters, bar staff, journalists, radio presenters and prorducers who have helped us to do what we do. Most of all though, thanks to all of the people who come to the shows and listen to the tracks. Without them, we'd be nothing.

And as to Fridays gig, I beleive The False Dots always play our best when we play live. Nambucca has a brilliant sound system and is a great venue. I believe that if you are coming, you will be in for a treat.

Unfriended by email - What a strange world we live in

2026-10-13T19:11:29.414+01:00

My friends mean the world to me. I rather hope that for all of my flaws, of which there are many, they know I am decent, honest and I have their back if needed. I am pretty careful who I make friends with. I have lots of casual friends, who I might have a drink or a chat with, if I bump into them, but people I seek to spend time with and trust, that is a far smaller group. Sometimes situations arise that cause friction between people. Usually, it has been because there is a problem with a third party. I have a life policy of trying not to drag my friends into disputes, or force them to pick sides. It is unfair and in most such situations, both parties think they are right. It is pretty rare for one side to be totally wrong. So I try and refrain from slagging people off to mutual friends and performing character assassination's. Generally such behaviour may secure some sort of short term advantage, but I believe the truth will always out and often when it does, it ends up with everyone falling out, when people realise they have been taken for mugs. There is a downside to this. I have, perhaps far too often, let things go unchallenged at the time.

I also don't seek people out to sow division and turn them against people. If I have a genuine problem with someone, I will say what I have to say to their face. I try and do this as politely as I can, but on occasion this is not possible. Life is to short to be eaten up with petty grievances and settling scores. I have a band to run and people I like to spend time with. It is a philosophy which works pretty well. It is not perfect, but holding on to grudges is a negative waste of energy.

So today, I found myself in a very strange situation. I was copied into an email by someone I considered a very good friend indeed. So imagine how I felt to see this contained in the email "he added that 'I am a very close friend of his', referring to me. This is the second time now that Roger has openly made this statement that is both untrue and incorrect.". I was absolutely taken aback by this. I won't go into the details, other than to say, our families have known each other for decades and we have spent a lot of time, very cordially, in each others company.

I was shocked to see this. Now, I perfectly accept that maybe my friend has always hated my guts and the time we spent in each others company was done by him as penance as a good Catholic lad. I don't know, but I do know that he has never given an inkling to me that we weren't good friends. It is up to him. Once I got over the initial shock of being unfriended in a cc'd email, I saw the wider picture. I'm a grown up. I have strong views and I speak my mind. This means I can upset people. Maybe he just never had the gumption to tell me the truth and because we have lots of mutual friends, he felt obligated to pretend to like me to keep the peace.

The fact that I had no inkling of this probably reflects worse on me than it does on him. I am hoping he feels a great sense of burden lifted, now he no longer has to pretend to like me. That is one of the wonders of technology. We can unfriend people, ghost them, without ever having to actually say anything to their face. Personally, I am old fashioned, and believe that men should say what they have to say to each others faces and be damned. But why waste your time chatting to someone who you don't like, when you can tell them in a cc'd email and then list 13 other reasons as to why they are a terrible person.

Given our social circle and other things we have a common interest in, we are bound to see each other face to face at some point. That is perhaps the most awkward part of this sort of thing. This is where life experience is a great help. I have worked for five decades in one job or another. I have spent my life in offices, etc, where someone hasn't had a good word to say about me, belittles my work, talks about me behind my back, sticks the knife in. This email made pretty clear that despite the cordiality, that is exactly what has been going on. So I will do what I always did at work. Be polite and keep my powder dry. But most of all, tell the truth. The problem for such individuals is that they have clearly not been upfront about anything. They have said and done things, without giving due respect to a friend or colleague, to explain whatever it is they were upset about, talk it through and get both sides of the story.

Life is full of sad people with ill intentions towards you. You can either get dragged down by their malicious little world or take a step back and say "fine, jog on". The one lesson I've learned in life is that when people bear you ill intent and they show their hand, it is a good thing. You know where you stand and you know that the said individual is untrustworthy. That is on them, not you.

But always remember the wise words of Richard Hell - Betrayal takes two - so I am sure if he is reading this, he is fuming at all the terrible things I've done that he's never had the gumption to pull me on to my face!

Last night I nearly got eaten by a crocodile at the Virgin Active gym in Mill Hill East

2026-10-13T12:16:46.839+01:00

I go to the gym most days. Since I had to stop playing 5-a-side football, it is my concession to healthy living. I don't massively enjoy it, but I've found if I go on an exercise bike for 30 minutes and do an online Soduko puzzle, I don't get bored out of my brains. I used to do a lot of rowing, which I actually quite enjoyed, but my ankle gets inflammed by this, so I've had to stop. Yesterday I went as normal. I was feeling really under the weather. I didn't enjoy it, my brain was struggling with the Soduko and I felt totally cream crackered. But I am not a quitter. I stuck it and did my 30 mins.

I shuffled off with all the grace and poise of a 90 year old man. I decided that a sauna and a soak in the Jacuzzi was order of the day. I was rather hoping to see one chap, who is a barrister and a Liverpool fan to discuss the match on Sunday, but he was nowhere to be seen. In fact the sauna was empty, which suited me as I didn't really want a chat. As I always do, I lay down in the hot bit and did 10 minutes. I then made my way to the Jacuzzi, which was also empty. I put the jets on and started to relax. Probably due to not being to well, I drifted off. Before I knew it, I was sparko. It was lovely, I was on the beach in Australia. I was just relaxing without a care in the world, in the sea. It was wonderful, then I spotted a large saltwater crocodile, eyeing me up from the beach on the other side of the river. I decided that perhaps, I should slowly make my way out. As I was thinking about this, bang! Something touched my leg. For a millionth of a second I thought the croc's brother had got me. Happily it was just another gym member getting in the pool, who'd brushed my leg. I am rather glad I didn't scream!

I genuinely don't know whether I was pleased or gutted to find I wasn't on holiday and being chased by crocodiles. As it was, I went home, had dinner and then had an early night! I feel much better today.

A conundrum for you, well more for me actually!

2026-10-12T19:23:28.096+01:00

For my sins and perhaps much to my surprise, BBC Radio London seem to like me and I get periodically invited on to shows to do 'guest slots'. Today, I was invited onto the Eddie Nestor show, currently being hosted by Jim Davis, to do the trends at 12 slot. I have done this a few times and generally I enjoy a bit of banter with Eddie. I've spoken to Jim a few times, but this is the first time I've done the Trends slot with him. The slot involves me picking three stories that are of concern to me. A local one, something we should know about and something fun.

I do not need too much encouraging to get up on my high horse and tell the world my views. I know the format and I had three things that I was determined to discuss. The first was the appointment Laura Johnson as a senior housing officer for Barnet Homes. She was in charge of housing an Kensington and Chelsea Council and was involved in cost cutting measure at Grenfell Tower. Now clearly there were issues at many levels, but given the current state of play with the investigations etc, it seemed to me a very unwise move and on many levels an unfair one. Barnet Residents and Trades Unions were preparing a lobby of Council offices on 20th October. Last night, I was informed that she was "no longer working for Barnet". I felt that residents really should be aware of what has been going on. It is my view that where potential negligence leads to deaths, the Police should investigate from day one. This was my first story and I was delighted that the BBC have now picked the story up.

My second story? Something we should all know about. I chose the fact that TFL are consulting on a new passenger rail service, using existing freight only lines, between Hendon and Hounslow, known as the West London Orbital railway. This proposal has been knocking around ever since I started the blog, in various forms. Like all important Infrastructure projects in the UK it seems to take decades to bring absolute no brainers to fruition. You can read more about the consultation here.

The False Dots next gig

The third story, a fun one, was about the relaunch of Nambucca as a fully fledged music venue. I am delighted that my band, The False Dots are part of this. We are playing on Friday. The full listings are here. I am really excited to see that 70's Stiff Records sensation Lene Lovich is playing. When I told Jim, he said he'd seen her recently supporting the B52's and she's great.

You can listen to the show again here. Now I mentioned a conundrum. Before we started chatting about my stories, we had a chat about music and vinyl. I could chat all day to Jim about records and vinyl. As I mentioned to Jim, I have a huge collection of vinyl and I love it. However, all of the recent False Dots releases have been done purely on line. The main reason for this is it is cheaper and we can connect easily with our fans. However, the purist in my says we should put stuff out on Vinyl. No record companies are interested in bands with 63 year old singers. They (to me rather foolishly) think there is no market and no money in bands like me. Whereas it costs a tenner to release an album digitally, it costs a significant sum to put one out on vinyl and you've no real idea if it will sell. So what do you think, should we bite the bullet and do it?

The Sunday Reflection #101 - A better man than me

2026-10-11T14:35:49.135+01:00

As often happens, when I go to mass on a Sunday, I drift off into my own little world of memories. It is a constant throughout my life. I get it isn't for some, but an hour's peace, no interruptions in a spiritual setting is, in my opinion, highly beneficial. The Priest who said todays mass is one Fr Stephen Monaghan. He is an Irish Vincentian priest. Many of the local Irish community like him, as he brings Irish brevity to his masses. Our wonderful African priests prefer to say a longer mass. Anyone who knows Irish culture, will know that not all of the Irish community enjoy a long mass.

Once we get past the readings and the sermon, I do tend to mentally drift. I used to think I'd go to hell for this, but now I am pretty sure God is OK with it. I tend to find a thought pops into my head, then my brain runs away with it. For some reason, Fr Stephen reminded me of our Sunday ritual in the 1960's. We would always go to the 11am Mass, as Dad liked a lie in. He would round up all of us younger kids at around 10.30am. Myself, Caroline and Valerie. He'd load us all into his motor, I believe it was a Humber Sprite to start with. It had bench seats and walnut panelling. He then got a Ford Zephyr 4 followed by a Ford Zodiac. He'd drive up to the Cottage Homes, now known as The Retail Trust, and pick up a posse of Old Ladies. I can recall Miss Monaghan (this was what started the train of thought, was she a relative of Fr Stephen), Miss Faller and I think a Miss Devereaux. The estate was also known as The Drapers Homes, as many had worked in the clothing industry. They were always immaculately turned out, incredibly polite and pleasant. Often, they'd bring us sweets for after mass. Dad would take them and drop them back.

I never really questioned why Dad had started doing this, or how he knew the ladies. I assume, a Priest had asked him to help. It was the sort of thing Dad would do and he took it very seriously. He'd always tidy the car up beforehand and make a big song and dance of escorting the ladies to and from the car. I'd never really thought it through, but in hindsight, Dad was clearly trying to make them feel special. When Dad was on holiday, he'd get my brothers to do the run. As I recall both had decided Church wasn't for them. Frank would wait outside for the mass to finish, listening to the radio in the car. Laurie would go in and sit with them. Both were quite happy to help, although they'd volunteer the other if they could.

I can't recall when this stopped or why. I can recall one of the ladies passed away, and also that Dad had a row with the Parish priest and started going to Burnt Oak for a while, but I don't know if he'd stopped before that. After Dad dropped them off, he'd take us to a little convenience store, run by his mate Bill Cardon, on Shakespeare Road. Dad would buy fresh cut ham, garibaldi biscuits and tinned salmon. My mum would berate him, as it was expensive, but Dad didn't care a jot. Bill was a mate from Mill Hill Services club. He was also a Watford FC season ticket holder. He had a green mini van and I thought he was a pretty cool dude. As I recall, he had a heart attack and retired. Some ladies took the shop on. They upset Dad because during a sugar shortage, they wouldn't sell him any. They said he wasn't a regular, even though he'd go in every Sunday and spend a small fortune. That was the end of that tradition. Sadly, they didn't last too long. The shop is now a house.

One of the big differences between myself and my Dad was that he'd never walk to church. He'd always drive, even though it is only five minutes walk. I queried this and he said "What is the point walking if you have a car?". I actually quite enjoy walking. I was mulling over all of this, and I got to thinking of my Dad's funeral. Although it was held in the Sacred Heart, it was not held in the current church, but the old one that got knocked down in 1996. I was quite pleased when they knocked it down, as going in always reminded me of that day, which was the worst period of my life. I was totally in awe of my Dad and believed him to be indestructible. He'd survived WW2 as a bomber pilot, being shot down, a POW and escaping. He had a seemingly total self belief and would always back himself to win in any situation, no matter how sticky. I always felt almost embarrassed to be his son, as I felt I lacked all of the attributes that made him such an amazing person.

This week, we saw the burial of the President of Mill Hill Services Club, Jack Leach. Jack joined the club in 1967. HE knew my Dad quite well. He was 97, twelve years younger than my Dad. He'd been conscripted into the Royal Engineers, which was why he ended up in Mill Hill/Edgware. Jack's funeral was packed. It is sad that there are so few of the old members now, who remember my Dad. I believe Jack was our oldest member who still regularly attended. It is odd to think that Dad would have though of him as a youngster. When they first met, Dad would have been 50 and Jack 38, both men in their prime.

If I had a time machine for a day, there is nothing I'd like more than to go back to those times and have a drink with Dad as a mate and a peer. We never really did that. I have often thought about that, but today at mass, a darker thought entered my head. What if I could collect Dad and take him for a day out in Mill Hill in 2026? What would he make of it? What would he make of learning his errant Punk rock son had become the chair of the Mill Hill Services Club? What would he think of the new Sacred Heart Church? What would he make of Mill Hill Broadway, with no butcher, no greengrocer, no telly shop? What would he think if he saw Bunns Lane Works, where he ran MacMetals for nearly 40 years? What would he make of the fact that there is not a dedicated off licence and that La Katarina, where he enjoyed succulent steaks has gone? Dad was someone who had travelled the world and loved progress, so I suspect he'd be OK with all of that. What he may be less OK with would be if we saw the news and he learned of what the President of the USA was doing. I thought of Dad and his respectful treatment of those old ladies that he drove to mass. Dad believed that men should always be gentlemen around ladies. I think that things like the Epstein files, Trumps totally uncouth behaviour and worst of all the revelations of clerical sexual abuse would have been too much for a man who was both very Conservative and very Roman Catholic. I have no doubt in my mind that Dad was a better man than me. I am glad he didn't live to see all that. It would have broken his heart.

The Saturday List #512 - Ten reasons why 512 is a magical number

2026-10-10T10:09:59.360+01:00

When I realised what the number in this series of blogs was, I was immediately reminded of my 37 year career in IT. I'm going to go a bit nerdy on you all today, but 512 is one of those significant numbers in the world of legacy data processing. Although I am dyslexic, I am pretty good at maths. I once got 96% in my O Level mock at FCHS. I was accused of cheating and copying the work of Simon Stebbings, who was sitting in front of me. I had a simple refutation to this heinious charge. How could I have possibly cheated and copied his work, if I got a higher mark. My maths teacher, Mr Small (no not the Mr Man) hated me, but he couldn't refute the logic. In actual fact, I had cheated slightly. Myself and Simon finished at the same time. He then held his paper up to check his answers. I could see them and I realised I'd got one wrong! The funny thing was, so had he, hence the cheating accusation. We both had the same wrong answer (which I copied from him). When this was queried, I simply said "great minds think alike".

When I started working in IT, I soon realised it was important to learn what key numbers are. The computers I worked on, worked in Octal (Base 8) and Hexadecimal (base 16). A lot of the time, I worked in support, which was all about fixing systems when they went wrong. I'd say 90% of the problems, were caused by systems adding numbers together that were bigger than the space available for the answer, which caused a crash. Numbers that are to a power of 2 were the point at which this happened, so understanding this was an absolute key.

When I went to Orange Hill, I did an A level in Maths. Our teacher was a certain Mr Rackyliffe. He was brilliant. He took the time to explain to me that if you wanted to succeed in maths, you should learn to enjoy 'doing sums' and see equation solving as simply doing a big, really interesting puzzle. Sadly, he left after a couple of terms, and his replacement was rather uninspiring. These days, I don't get out of bed until I've done the Soduko puzzles in the paper. Strictly speaking, they are not maths but I find the patterns fascinating.

Anyway, here are ten interesting things about the number 512.

Power of Two: 512 is equal to 2⁹ (2 raised to the 9th power).

Cube of 8: It is the cube of 8 (8 × 8 × 8 = 512).

Digit Sum: The sum of its digits (5 + 1 + 2) is 8, which is the cube root of 512.

Palindromic Bases: It is a palindrome when written in base 7 (1331₇) and base 15 (242₁₅).

Divisors: It has 10 divisors in total (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512).

Disk Sectors: 512 bytes is a traditional and standard size for a single computer disk sector.

Kibibytes: It is exacty half of a kibibyte (1,024 bytes).

VGA Graphics: 512 (2 × 256) is the highest number of glyphs that a VGA character generator can use simultaneously.

Binary Scaling: It represents a classic milestone in binary doubling (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512).

512 is the telephone area code for Austin Texas: Austin is famous for North America's largest urban bat colony, housing about 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats from March through October at the Congress Avenue Bridge. You may wonder what this fact has to do with my career in IT? Well one of my first jobs was constructing Mini Bat detectors for Queen Mary College. I've taken an interest in Bat colonys ever since.