I never thought the day would come when I would publicly say that I could kiss Justice Secretary Jack Straw. In my mind's eye he has always been a downtrodden supporter of Blackburn Rovers rather than an outstanding political decision maker.

How wrong I have been. In these depressing days when politicians can't seem to get much right and are propping up estate agents and journalists at the bottom of the table of public esteem, Mr Straw hit the nail right on the head when he announced that Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs would be refused parole.

I mused in June about chaining myself to some railings outside whichever municipal building now represents the heart of the borough of Barnet. Not content with extracting our money by making us sponsor the 2012 Olympics via our council tax, the idea was to place Mr Biggs in a care home in Barnet and get us locals to cough up even more.

Enter my hero, Jack Straw. May he inspire some of his colleagues to get something right and may Blackburn Rovers escape relegation. Who says there aint no justice?

Presenting a blog can have some particularly pleasing moments. When Barnet FC travelled to Notts County last season I found a mention of the Signy blog in the home team's programme. I unearthed readers in Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire - maybe they can't understand me up North! - and today present an international success.

I have just been reunited with cousin Lorna, who moved to Canada as a young girl many decades ago and caught up with me through my blog by contacting the Times.

The downside of the story is that she went to the Times offices when she was over here a year ago and my name was not recognised. Ouch.

It reminds me of the time in the Seventies when I wrote my first book about Tottenham Hotspur. When it was published Spurs had a display in their club shop, then at the High Street entrance.

I stood quietly outside gazing at the rows of books and watching fans go in an out. Finally. a fellow who knew me came up. "Read your book", he said. I purred. "The pictures were good", he added.

Incidentally, my father took Lorna and my brother Larry and I to Paris for her 17th birthday and we sat at a table at the Lido night club next to Errol Flynn, the swashbuckling Hollywood star. I was at my name - dropping best in my e-mail of remembrance back to Lorna.

So, the football close season is at an end and Barnet earned a creditable 2-2 draw with the mighty Arsenal at the weekend in the traditional pre-season friendly at Underhill.

We mustn't get carried away though. Last year, in our final pre-season game, we entertained Championship Watford, played some splendid on-the-ground football and beat them 3-2. Then the League season opened .... and we didn't win for six games.

Just before I go I must congratulate the Artsdepot at North Finchley for organising a magical musical evening with Michael Law's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra. They perform music from an era when dance band music was played on the radio every night at 10.30 p.m. - and 18 million tuned in.

It's been a nostalgic few weeks what with the Mill Hill Music Festival presenting an in-form Humphrey Lyttelton Band at Mill Hill School.

I'm a dinosaur brought up on dance music, swing, big bands and jazz. I lied when I went for an interview in Whitehall for the Intelligence Corps in 1945 and was asked my musical taste.

Thinking that something more upmarket than Louis Armstrong might be more appropriate for the role I opted for what I considered middle range music. "Strauss", I replied. "Which one?" asked the interviewing major. I just smiled. Nobody had told me there were more than one.

Calling north of Watford ... anyone out there reading me?