PennyDreadful

empmak, I'm sorry about your mother's passing. Just wanted to thank you for your post, as it's something I've often wondered about and I've found the replies in this thread helpful.

Morley College (at the Elephant) runs various courses for people who want to know more about starting their own business: http://www.morleycollege.ac.uk/courses/search?keywords=route+to+business&department=enterprise&sub_department=&term=&time=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SZ2eT_T0AI

Another great, authentic, non-hypermarket place in Calais itself is Le Bar a Vins, 52 Place d'Armes, Calais 62610. Very near the main ferry terminal, but completely 'old worldy' and lovely. Don't think there's a website, but you can phone proprietor Luc (who can speak English) on: 0033 (0)321 96 96 31. I've been to two weddings where all the wine and fizz came from there at bargain prices and was delicious! Think it's closed on Wednesdays. More info here: http://www.calais-guide.co.uk/wine-and-beer-outlets/bar-a-vins.html

Count me in!

Care needs to be taken when pulling ticks out because it's easy to either: (a) snap them, meaning you pull away the body but the mouthparts stay buried in your skin, causing horrible irritation, or (b) squeeze them so that they basically vomit their contents into you...which is dangerous, because they can carry awful diseases. (Believe me, Lyme Disease can really mess up your life good and proper.) There are cheap but brilliant little gadgets you can get which sort of twist the tick out (a bit like taking a cork out of a bottle). If it's getting ticky around here, might be worth tooling up! Here's a link - hope it works, I'm not very good at this - to the official UK Lyme Disease website page which has advice about tick removal with or without these wee gadgets: http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/about-ticks/tick-removal/ Like they used to say on Hill Street Blues: 'Let's be careful out there'...!

Ah yes, just seen your newsletter giving this project a mention - fantastic!

Given the thriving folk scene locally, just thought people might like to know about this kickstarter campaign to fund a documentary about folk icon Shirley Collins. The team behind the planned film seem to have some solid work under their belts and it looks like a really interesting project. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shirleycollins/the-ballad-of-shirley-collins What's more, there's a local angle (which is how I came to hear about it), in that one of the pledge rewards on offer is an album which features two East Dulwich-based musicians: Joe Murphy of Sergeant Buzfuz and Polly MacLean of Slate Islands. (They're in good company: the album also includes tracks by Alasdair Roberts, Graham Coxon, Will Oldham and Sharron Kraus, amongst others.) Anyway, the crowdfunding thing is only running until 22 July, so get pledging! Shirley Collins is amazing and her story deserves telling...

Very sad to hear about the loss of this lovely little local character. I always enjoyed my encounters with her.

Just up the road in Camberwell, there's a wonderful place that does gluten-free savoury crepes: Cafe Maloko, 60 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ (near corner with Camberwell Grove, look for blue awning with orange lettering). Great for vegetarians and vegans, too. A bit further afield - but on the 12 bus route - is a good, authentic Italian restaurant which offers gluten-free versions of almost every dish (the owner is coeliac himself) - Cotto, 89 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HR (top of Kennington Road). You might also be interested in this blog by a Camberwell-based coeliac nutritionist: www.glutenfreerosie.com Good luck - and please post details of any useful places you discover!

Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert's radio show 'The Truth About Markets' on Resonance FM, Saturdays 6.30-7.30pm. (104.4 FM within London or listen online at http://resonancefm.com.) Also TV show 'The Keiser Report' on Russia Today (channel 85, if you can get it, or just look for 'Keiser Report' on youtube). The style may be somewhat histrionic, but Max and Stacy do know their stuff!

I was just about to suggest Celia Hammond - the number is 0208 694 6545. Good luck!

Bruges is lovely - and bloonoo is right that wandering around on foot is really all you need to do. But I?d also recommend a boat trip along the canals ? there are various different start points near the Burg and boats leave regularly throughout the day, with the round trip taking about half an hour. Things to see: the obvious place to head for is the vast Markt square with the Belfort - the bell tower which you can pay to climb up (and up and up)... be aware that the steps do narrow tremendously the higher you get! Adjoining the Markt is a smaller square called the Burg, where you?ll find the Staadhuis (with a grand frescoed hall), and the Heilig Bloed Basiliek (Basilica of the Holy Blood). My tip is that if you visit the Basilica, you?ll find that everyone heads up the wide staircase to the big, ornate church but few notice the door tucked into a corner near the foot of the stairs; this opens into the much plainer and more peaceful vault, which we found made a lovely contrast to the grandeur above and the crowds outside... We also really liked the Gruuthuse Museum ? the grand 15th-century house of a wealthy merchant. It?s in a lovely spot by the canal and right next door to the huge Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady)...and the wealthy merchant cheekily got permission to build a special viewing room jutting out from his house right into the church so that his family could worship without leaving the comfort of their own home! It?s amazing looking down from the windows of this room straight into the church and seeing people wandering around oblivious to you peering at them... Food (1): I?d recommend a restaurant called Poules Moules (9 Simon Stevin Plein) - a lovely old building; friendly/attentive but not bothersome service; great food ? not over-fussy, just good, fresh stuff, beautifully cooked and delicious. We had pasta, can?t vouch for their poules or their moules... Food (2): Friends who?ve been to Bruges swear by Restaurant Jan Van Eyck (12 Jan Van Eyck Plein), which also seems to have a lot of rave reviews online...if I ever get back to Bruges I plan to eat there. Food (3): Just to echo what bloonoo said about restaurants closing earlier than you might expect (both at lunchtime and at dinnertime...) Bar: Lokkedize (33 Korte Vuldersstraat) Not the kind of place where you can watch the Grand National (can?t help with that, I?m afraid) ? but Lokkedize is a great place for a drink. Cosy, quirky, frequented by locals as much as visitors. Does food, too ? Mediterranean meals and snacks. And often has music: jazz/blues/chanson. It?s something of a Bruges institution. Hope some of this is useful. Have a great time!

The Hole In The Wall pub at Waterloo (Mepham Street, SE1 ? right next to Waterloo station) has a great Irish session on Sunday nights from about 7pm onwards. Loads of ace traditional musicians play every week ? if you were to go along, I?m sure you?d find someone whose band could play at your party. In fact, I?ll PM you with contact details for William Barr, who organises the sessions ? I know he?s sorted out bands for private functions in the past.

Surely was written with East Dulwich in mind...

A lovely Scouse lad called

Insanely catchy song by local lad

The Winter Fair outside the South Bank Centre had a stall with some great hats last year, including the ear-flappy ones you seek...not too pricey, either.

Sergeant Buzfuz - great south London band - are bringing out a series of songs covering the entire history of the papacy - check out (I also heartily recommend Part 4, which boasts a truly magnificent bassline and the striking opening couplet 'Anacletus the Second liked to rape nuns / His sister was the mother of some of his sons'...)

My friend shot a two-part video of the race from an upstairs window about halfway down Barry Road. (The video's in two parts because he thought all the runners had passed, but then suddenly the second phalanx hove into view!) Here it is on YouTube: Champions all - bravo!

first mate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have a question- why can't women write good > lyrics? Or can they? If they can why no mention of > any here? > > Answers? Theories? I mentioned Rennie Sparks of the Handsome Family - she's female (just has a deceptive name)! But you've made a good point.

Twenty-odd years down the line, I still love

Cathal Coughlan - any and every era - absolutely! Rennie Sparks of the Handsome Family Georges Brassens

Come now - would a force for good be responsible for THIS ? Actually, now I think about it, yes! You're right after all - Rolf is the man!