Friday 23 December 2011

Further proof of my existence: Thursday was my birthday; plus a libraries update

I'm still working long hours and struggling to find time to blog - it's not that there isn't plenty of inspiration about.

I walked down Oxford Street this evening (Thursday 22nd); the lights, particularly at the western end, were quite spectacular. I came home via Golders Green where some sad garlands were strung across Golders Green Road; at the northern end a couple of shrimp-like creatures picked out in light bulbs were clinging to the top of two lamp-posts. If it's this bad in Golders Green I can't think how shoddy the lights will be in Burnt Oak.

On Twitter this evening, campaigners to keep Friern Barnet Library open have posted:
#FriernBarnetLibrary Open Xmas Eve 9.30am-1pm.Make sure you pop in & spread the festive cheer, it may be our beloved library's LAST XMAS :(
I don't know what progress has been made towards opening the "replacement" for North Finchley and Friern Barnet Libraries in the Arts Depot. If anyone has any updates, please let us know.

As things stand, Friern Barnet and Hampstead Garden Suburb Libraries are scheduled for closure at the end of March 2012. However, the council is currently reviewing the "community proposals" from campaigners at Friern Barnet.

My screensaver is a photograph I took outside Church Farmhouse Museum on the day it closed, 31 March, this year. There had been a community proposal to keep that building in public use, but the Council was not interested. They are interested in selling property.

Brent libraries campaigners have lost their latest legal appeal to keep six libraries open. They are considering whether to take their case to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK.

With the news this week that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have let big business off £25 billion of tax people surely cannot accept that their libraries will close to save cash-strapped councils a relatively small sum.

And while I am in a shopping-list mood, can't Barnet have some better festive lights?

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