Loz

In that case, we're probably on the same wavelength, though using phrases like "lighten-up-luv/it's-political-correctness-gone-mad" doesn't help to explain your position and does tend to seat you on fairly tall animal of the equine variety. I assumed that you had the same thoughts as Jeremy - if [cultural pigeon-hole 1] slaps [cultural pigeon-hole 2] then it's a terribly Bad Thing, but the reverse is somehow OK. Anyway, I think the original perpetrator is in for a rude shock next time he heads out to Goosing Green. Sounds like there is going to be a hoard of ED ladies waiting for him. More like 'Benny Hill' than 'On The Buses', Snorky.

Oh, go on then Jeremy... enlighten me. What are these 'obvious reasons'?

And if the sexes were reversed again and the 14/15 year old schoolgirl gave a "firm slap" to a 30 year old man, would you still be sitting on your high horse?

To be fair on the Postie, it was actually delivered to the address on the parcel! I think Ratty is trying to avoid some of his relatives by providing them with slightly false addresses...

We have an (pretty much) confirmed owner to the parcel. Sorry folks, phone lines are closed and all that. Stay tuned next week to see what else the postie drops off.

I've just had a parcel delivered for someone who doesn't live here. The address is mine, but the postcode isn't and there's no return address. Before I send it back to the Post Office to be lost forever, does anyone know a Jack Barker in ED? PM me if you do.

Not always foolproof, it has to be said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk

There is a small laneway between two houses that they want to use, and that the developers would need to purchase. Hopefully the current owner of the laneway - whoever that be - won't sell to the b&ss*%ds. AFAIK their plans don't (currently) include knocking down a house for access.

It was rejected by Southwark, but then approved on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. We are hoping Southwark will now take this to the High Court. The most ridiculous thing about the plan (and ignored by the appeal tribunal) is that the gym proposes to have access via the St Francis Estate residential area. That means people coming in via the road to Sainburys, past the already dangerous curve next to the football club, up Abbotswood Road, into Talbot Road and then taking a small driveway between two houses on Talbot Road to get to the gym. They have an option to use the driveway next to Dominos, but the don't want to do that for reasons best known to themselves. The local residents association - led by a very formidable lady called Jean - haven't given up on stopping this, or at least stopping it diverting dozens of cars at peak times through a quiet residential area.

Unsurprising, I'm with Sean here. I'm not against CCTV as such, it's the unregulated side of it. I think CCTV in railway stations, for instance, is a good idea. Airports? Can't argue there. But, Marmora Road? Why? The problem is their is no rules or regulations about how and why it is used - and RIPA (the council snooping charter) means they are being used in more and more insidious ways (i.e. tracking parents to make sure they live in school catchment areas). Also, there is a strange cloak of secrecy about them and what happens to the recordings. In the thread about the guy who had the accident with the bus someone said check the CCTV - I'd actually be surprised if Southwark released the pictures (data protection act waved erroneously at this point). They're not there for US, you know. Like speed cameras, there are few studies into their effectiveness. If there is a crime problem, at best it just pushes it somewhere else.

The best estimate I've heard is 4.2m, and even that was based on a rather dodgy premise of extrapolating Putney High St. The truth is that no one actually knows how many CCTV cameras there are in the UK. That is a worry in itself. No, no, no. Please not the 'won't somebody think of the children argument'. Apart from anything else, it's a classic thin-end-of-the-wedge approach. Anything that is rather unpalatable can these days be shoved through under 'just think of the children' or 'it will prevent terrorism'.

Careful here - a friend's father hit a bus. It was only a small hit - details were exchanged and he didn't report it. Later on, one of the passengers decided that their 'neck hurt' (smelling potential damages) and the cops came around because he hadn't reported an accident where there was an injury - even though it wasn't apparent at the time. The police didn't end up pursuing it, but they looked for a while like they were going charge him with not complying. Yep - says in big letters in every motoring policy I've ever had.

I believe that chillis don't effect birds. The idea of the plant being hot is to dissuade other animals from eating the seeds in favour of birds, who then disperse the seed far and wide (though generally on the windscreen of my car...). Nature, eh?

I laughed at this. I am a bad person... I hope they do put in gates on that side - stop me wandering onto the trains on the day my pass expires and/or I leave it at home. But I doubt they'll stick in gates. I believe that gates have to be manned and that's never gonna happen. More likely Oyster readers for prepay - when it is introduced.

The article doesn't refer to ED station, but says that the line is used by ED people, which is correct. And East Dulwich is a deprived community. There's not an M&S Food or Waitrose in sight.

Camberwell Grove Village - 3 bed Townhouses for a million quid? 2 bed apartments for ?600K? In the current economic environment?? http://www.briskoda.net/forums/images/smilies/orb/lol.gif

Paula McFadden: I thought you said you were decent. Elliot Garfield: I am decent. I also happen to be naked. Neil Simon - The Goodbye Girl

And if you don't like it, we'll kick the crap out of you.

Tony.London Suburbs - if you look out the window and find someone who looks like Mike Tyson's bigger brother trying to break into you car. What do you do first? a) punch him in the mouth or b) kick him in the goolies?? Summary justice only 'works' (and I use the term lightly) when you are a lot bigger and/or outnumber the person in question, really, doesn't it? When that doesn't apply, the bravado ain't so strong.

Damn right. Vegans should be eaten as well.

Obviously, being so near the mural, he was a performance artiste. It was a clever and witty comment on modern art in general. You really should have stopped and applauded or, at the least, scratched your chin while saying "hmmmmm, deep".

Beth - that sounds like a cloning. Get in touch with your bank PDQ.

Ratty - so close and yet... Try: "Hey, nice day we're having. What about those Gunners/Blues/(insert football or other sporting club here), eh? So which one's yours? That little tyke over there, I reckon..." >:D

Yep, fourth'd.

Reboot it. Reach around the back of the box and pull the power cable out, wait 30 seconds and plug it back it. It'll take another 30 seconds or so to reboot and another short while to find the satellite, but it should be right from there. If you have Sky+ it might take a little longer, but the whole thing should complete in well less than 2 minutes. If that doesn't work, it may be that your dish has moved a little out of alignment, which will need someone who knows what the are doing to fix (i.e. Sky).