Jamma

Our water has gone off winter, spring, summer and fall. Every time Thames Water fail to give any warning that they're about to shut off supplies and fail to accurately predict when the water might come back on. They are, if you'll pardon the pun, a shower.

God I hate Thames Water. It astounds me the number of times the water has gone off since I've lived in East Dulwich, at least once a year and 2009 is no different. We're in Etherow Street and currently got low water pressure and have just spoken to THames Water who tell me that the main has been shut off since around 4pm. They hope to have it fixed within 6 hours but from bitter experience I know the Thames Water concept of time is quite different to real time. Anyway, they advised me to fill some pans etc in case the supply goes off altogether later so figured I'd pass that on.

Best eats in Dulwich bar none.

Interesting comment that home industry is to be encouraged in these straitened times. With a teapot up the arse and Bob's 'almighty cynic cannon' perhaps it's the, ahem, home movie industry that we ought to be looking at. Recession or no there'll always be a market...

Since moving to East Dulwich a number of years ago the water has been cut off at least once a year (most famously for a number of days in the long hot summer of 2003) and on every occasion Thames Water have been woeful in providing information or help. (This year I was accused by their helpline of being a bad father because I hadn't stockpiled water to feed/wash my baby. My mistake was taking them at face value when they said the water would be off for just a few hours, it was actually off for 24 hours). Basically what I'm saying is that Thames Water are an utter shambles and I think Tom isn't alarmist enough. Having said all that - I bet the tunnel boring machine is really cool.

He lives just round the corner. But I hadn't seen the flyer. Tickets still available? What an excellent Christmas night out.

How many 'last nights' has this place had, or will be having in the future??

Woo hoo this is very good news indeed

Indeed I remember the last time it closed for refurbishment a few years back. Re-opened weeks later with no discernable changes at all. Doesn't bode well for the next 'refurbishment'. It's a shame. I thought we're supposed to be trying to fight the national flab

The gents shower is next to the urinals. You'd probably be less clean after showering than before you went in.

I just want to comment further in support of Homecraft DIY. I've been in there lots, I am a DIY dick, they are always really good and often save me a fortune by pointing out that I don't need to buy a whole new thing but can repair what I've got, use a different but cheaper tool etc.

I'll second the recommendation for Collings and Herring. Also try Robin Ince's Utter Shambles free from iTunes and featuring local(ish) girl Josie Long. Women's Hour is my favourite though.

If it was me who'd written Sean's comments discretion might make me go back and edit it then draw Steve's post to the attention of Admin rather than telling tales publicly and acting like the arbiter of what's allowed and what's not. (hint Sean)

It's pretty good. We used to favour Chopsticks but that seems to have gone downhill recently so switched our allegiance to Mr Liu on the basis of recommendations on this here forum and haven't been disappointed. And in response to Cassius my vegetarian other half raves about the crispy tofu dish they make there.

Does it matter that they differ?

The man's a genius and it's high time for a reappraisal. Post Beatles stuff? Try Junk, Only Love Remains, Beautiful Night. Or listen to the horror that was Free as a Bird by the Threetles, the McCartney bit was great. His songs are modern hymns - stuff like Yesterday, Let it Be, Eleanor Rigby are songs that will surely be around in decades to come, unlike most of John's Beatles output (though I'm not trying to start a John vs Paul thing here). Even Mull of Kintyre is amazing - a dreadful pop song and Number One but a brilliant folk waltz that, again, will be around in decades to come.

I don't know how ironic Rabbler was being but a working class chain pub in E Dul would at least increase the choice available. Which in my opinion would be a good thing. I liked the Mag. I have a horrible feeling the New Mag is going to be a ponceteria

I'm not saying there shouldn't be choice. But there is only true choice when faced with full information. The facts of the matter are that alternative therapies (and I accept that's a rather broad term) don't work. Or at least not in the way their practitioners claim. Fact. And Moos no I don't care if you dislike me (but be aware that your mind is made up by one forum thread, you might think differently if you met me if indeed we haven't met already) but to want to disagree with me on the basis of my language not my argument, that is irrational. And a nutjob is a nutjob.

So I'm faced between walking away and allowing Monica (against whom I have nothing personal) and the other woo merchants to spout the dangerous guff that they spout or I try and challenge it and fight it aware that I'm unlikely to make much progress. I'll choose the latter on the off chance that something I say will stick. Emotive language isn't necessarily irrational. And if someone is a nutjob it's not emotive or irrational to call them a nutjob. It would be irrational to tiptoe round them and respect their stupid beliefs. They have the right to believe in woo, I absolutely have the right to point out that their woo is utter tripe. And Keef don't bring Dawkins into this. He tends to polarise opinion and distract from the real issues these days unfortunately.

Moos - nutjobs and quacks don't listen to careful, reasoned argument. If they did then they would renounce the woo they follow because it simply doesn't stack up in the face of the facts. And that is a fact. A truth. Something that is entirely undeniable. And indiepanda brilliantly proves my point by defending alternative medicine (I'm saying you're a defender but your anecdote is a defence of sorts) by coming up with a tale of personal experience. I love the idea that if you put enough steroid cream round your eyes the skin will break and disappear leaving you with massive eye holes. Science doesn't progress through anecdotes. I really do despair that this is the 21st century and we're still arguing about whether sticking pins in your feet can make magic happen. But like I have said above, this matters and that's why I have to keep fighting.

Well here's the thing. I didn't get personal, I tried to discuss the issues, the science but as always with such discussions the woo-merchants have to make it personal by referring to their experience. That's not how science is done. And I'm not inclined to let it go because this stuff is important. So what if a few people's feelings get hurt along the way. If those people are pushing remedies and treatments that demonstrably don't work then I'm fine with that. There is a lot at stake here. At the risk of getting into hyperbole there are problems in the world today caused by people believing in nonsense. If they looked at the evidence and made a decision based on that we'd all get on a lot better. This stuff is important, it's not about scoring points off people who are sadly not equipped to know better it's about creating a better world. And for that reason I'll fight the forces of superstition and unreason wherever they may occur and whenever they cross my path. (Just ask the Catholic who sits opposite me at work - poor girl)

Oh Monica. If you're coming up with this stuff just to keep me entertained then I'm very grateful. Allopathic medicine? You mean actual medicine. The only people that use the term allopathic are nutjobs and quacks looking to differentiate between medicine that's shown to work and their line of work, which is not shown to work. I love the way you seem to think hanging round a clinic makes it proper medicine. I could open up a nutritional therapy 'clinic' in my kitchen this afternoon and then invite folk to hang around learning my methods but doesn't mean those people would know anything about actually helping people with serious medical conditions. I think what you mean is that you turned to nutritional therapy because proper medicine was honest and said it couldn't 'cure' you whereas nutritional therapy can make entirely outlandish claims and no-one is going to pull them up for it.

I think you're being a bit harsh on Waterstones. I find most of the staff quite passionate about their books actually. Shame Never Ending Story closing, it was a good stop for a present for a particularly brave child following jabs at the doctor/trip to the dentist next door etc.

Oh come on, it's got to be The Graduate. "Dulwich Mum, are you trying to seduce me?"

Does one pronounce Etherow St - Eth-e-row, or Eathrow (like Heathrow but without the H)? It's a stupid name either way