tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post8251017597340020031..comments2024-01-30T07:41:20.885+00:00Comments on Broken Barnet: Happy Anniversary: the closure of Church Farmhouse MuseumMrs Angryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-86864479465024580342012-04-10T11:01:10.428+01:002012-04-10T11:01:10.428+01:00Oh please ... normally in any administration, the ...Oh please ... normally in any administration, the obvious thing to do is appoint members to responsibilities for which they might have some understanding, if not expertise. Clearly in Broken Barnet,the reverse is true. Brian Coleman in charge of the environment, and Robert Rams in charge of libraries & museums, Tom Davey in housing ... All part of the cultural revolution: destroy what you don't understand and create a new reality based on fear, control and conformity.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-72092620270024363912012-04-10T10:23:45.684+01:002012-04-10T10:23:45.684+01:00Even Boris has twigged that having the only battle...Even Boris has twigged that having the only battlefield site in Greater London might make Barnet rather important. When Rams first visited the Museum in 2010 to size us up for the chop he stared blankly at the battle display and then uttered the immortal words 'why does Barnet need a Museum'. Gillian and all of us there were totally 'gobsmacked'. That question encapsulates Rams.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-28204893286170965152012-04-10T09:59:03.337+01:002012-04-10T09:59:03.337+01:00Anon: the fact that a councillor has apparently su...Anon: the fact that a councillor has apparently suggested this demonstrates how little understanding they have of the way in which museums work, or the importance and sensitivity of the items in the collection. Just what you might expect from our philistine councillors, in other words. <br /><br />Our borough has a long and fascinating history, but perhaps the most significant event that has taken place here is the Battle of Barnet: an event of huge significance for the nation - for this reason alone the Barnet Museum should be supported by the local authority. The rest of the borough's history, and all the archival material and pictures have nowhere now to be displayed - this would be shameful in any borough, but in one of the most affluent areas in outer London, there is no excuse. Funny how we can subsidise a library in a shop for the millionaires of Garden Suburb, but nothing for the children of the less advantaged families in Barnet, isn't it?Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-34681061290792546142012-04-10T08:40:49.605+01:002012-04-10T08:40:49.605+01:00The Council most certainly do not own the Museum c...The Council most certainly do not own the Museum contents and they know this. I doubt many Barnet people would want to see their ancestors' treasured possessions, donated to the museum in good faith over decades, trailed around the borough in a Council van.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-67267740045354095352012-04-09T20:40:03.439+01:002012-04-09T20:40:03.439+01:00I think we must fight: and that includes the activ...I think we must fight: and that includes the active and continued opposition of the development of any of these properties. For generations these public buildings have been used by the community, were bought for the use of the community: the council may think they have the legal right to flog them off, morally they have no right whatsoever.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-30729877645899922812012-04-09T18:57:30.098+01:002012-04-09T18:57:30.098+01:00We learn lessons. Last year when CFM closed a few ...We learn lessons. Last year when CFM closed a few of us - not enough - turned up with the intention of staging a protest there. <br /><br />I won't go into the details but the museum closed early with that few of us not showing enough determination to go through with our plan. That was a big mistake in my view and I've regretted it for a year.<br /><br />We were more numerous at Friern Barnet Library last Thursday and had learned some lessons from the failure at CFM: turn up early, get inside, and when the time comes to decide whether to carry through your plan, stick to your guns. <br /><br />We did and I'm glad we did. I am going to write up some other lessons from Thursday. We don't need to re-invent the wheel and in truth we don't have time for it.<br /><br />Remembering our history also means remembering the history of protest. Thank you for this blogpost, because it reminds us of the continuity between all these stories.<br /><br />When push comes to shove, we have to decide whether we will hand over our culture on a plate for it to be destroyed by people who don't value it, or whether we are going to fight to keep it.Citizen Barnethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539991855658960354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-22657606839750386382012-04-09T18:26:13.354+01:002012-04-09T18:26:13.354+01:00oh and there is a petition which you should sign -...oh and there is a petition which you should sign - this link probably is not live, sorry, Mrs Angry is running out of steam, http://ow.ly/9IUjQ you can find it if you want to, so please do.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-33387550176298008612012-04-09T17:44:40.505+01:002012-04-09T17:44:40.505+01:00Never underestimate the power of a book, Mr Mustar...Never underestimate the power of a book, Mr Mustard. <br /><br />Alice: you are so right. I think some of our Tory councillors are now travelling on a very sharp learning curve as to the impact of the policies they have adopted in this borough.<br /><br />Anonymous: yes, indeed, nothing could be more clearly a statement of intent in regard to the Museum than that Barnet Council has shifted responsibility for negotiations regarding the future of Barnet Museum from Libraries etc to Property Services.<br /><br />The thought that Barnet could be left with no museums is just awful, shameful. I wish you every success in your bid for survival, and I urge every reader to visit what is a fabulous local archive of our heritage and history.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-18921491096612284822012-04-09T17:15:03.872+01:002012-04-09T17:15:03.872+01:00No, we're not naive, becoming the 'respons...No, we're not naive, becoming the 'responsibility' of Property Services sharpens up the wits wonderfully. But as you say they have no proof that they own the building and we will fight tooth and nail to keep it. We owe loyalty to Barnet town and to generations of dedicated volunteers like ourselves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-47391120858448336132012-04-09T17:06:06.608+01:002012-04-09T17:06:06.608+01:00I think this is downright disgusting and dreadful ...I think this is downright disgusting and dreadful Mrs A. No respect more like utter contempt these politicians clearly have for peoples heritage and their wishes as well as rights. Yes rights because people should have the right to have a say what at happens and the chance to do something to preserve them.Taking a van around with historical bits and bobs like a mobile library is NO substitute for the experience of visiting one of these places where you can step back in time. <br />I am so pleased to see you still have a very strong community spirit there Mrs A and people wont lie down and take things like they do here.Good luck.Alice in Blunderlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09515729723847406557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-14322010474852312712012-04-09T14:34:59.359+01:002012-04-09T14:34:59.359+01:00That looks like the famous "book power" ...That looks like the famous "book power" salute being given on the steps of FB library Mrs A or did I not pay enough attention in my history lessons - I must have been sat next to Robert Rams.Mr Mustardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12522242686839965655noreply@blogger.com