sallyfran

riled

Slightly outside ED, but looked out of the window of the Quaker Meeting House in Forest Hill last week to see a sparrowhawk finishing the remains of a pigeon. Also, (back to ED), had several garden visits from coal tits this year, for the first time as far as I know.

You can still buy blancmange powder but it's getting harder to find.

My sister went to school with Elvis Boswell.

I second that junction by the Harvester. There is no allowance made for pedestrians at all at those lights - just one set of cars followed immediately by another, and it is a crossing much used by pedestrians and dog walkers going into the entrance of Sydenham Woods. I hate scampering across, and I am at least fit enough to make the dash (at least for now).

I'm not sure that anything is going to change anybody's mind on this thread, but my sense is that a lot of feeling comfortable is based on familiarity. The longer you spend somewhere without anything happening to you then the more relaxed and at home you feel. Those people on this thread who are speaking up for Peckham seem to be the ones who have spent a lot of time there, have had reasonable experiences and tend to appreciate the many things it has to offer. Anecdotal experience can only offer so much (and I have a horrible unease about tempting fate) but I have worked in Peckham for almost six years. For the first three years I was based in Camberwell and walked through North Peckham daily (to get to different schools in the area). Currently I work in the centre of Peckham. I also use the station a lot, sometimes coming back in the evening. My 20-something niece lived with us for a few months and often used to come home very late via Peckham Rye station. For what it's worth, it has always been fine. I think it helps too that through work, I know a lot of children and young people who live in Peckham and generally, I like them a lot.

One I got from my mother-in-law and use often when I am pissing around/putting off doing something/looking on the EDF when I should be working: "This won't get the baby a new 'at"

Has anybody else noticed a pattern of driving styles on the different buses? 63 drivers seem in general a calm and steady bunch but I've always found the 176 drivers to be frustrated boy racers who aim for maximum acceleration between stops, making for a lurchy ride.

rectum

Me too. Nothing but an indoor aerial and mostly fine, but there are about three different aerial positions needed to get all the channels.

subsidence

Limitation

I had a parcel stolen from the front garden last Friday. The carriers put a note through the door saying it had been left behind the dustbins, but it was taken before I got home. Might have been opportunistic on the part of somebody who saw it being left, but maybe something a bit more systematic is going on. All they got was 50 seed potatoes - useless to them but annoying for me.

spokes

offer

Lidl Quavers tinned salmon (and I prefer tinned tuna to fresh) houses completely plastered in flashing lights and dancing reindeers at Christmas

Mr SF got a shock at 6.30 one morning when he looked out of the kitchen window to see a heron in our side alley, nicking all the fish that lived in a sheep trough out there. Sue, there are long-tailed tits in ED, they seem to scoot around in little flocks at certain times of year, presumably when some kind of food source is around. We had a flock in our garden (Upland Rd) a couple of weeks ago and I've seen them in a friend's garden in Friern Road.

Here Comes the Sun - Beatles

Being able to walk across Peckham Rye Park, cross a road and go up to my allotment on the hill just behind. The walks around Nunhead Cemetery and round Sydenham Woods. The lovely Tam in Village Way hairdressers who shows just as much charm and courtesy to old ladies and untrendy people with rubbish hair as to funky young people and minor celebs, and who always knows by instinct whether you want to talk or not. Chatting with Jeff on the fish van on Northcross Road on a Saturday morning and buying his smoked mackerel. Val as mentioned. The great selection of cards and courteous staff in the card shop. Bunmi Stephens, unusually friendly and cheerful dentist on Forest Hill Road. Knowing more of my neighbours than anywhere else I have lived.

Puppy Love Jimmy Osmond

How many of you play a musical instrument? East Dulwich seems to be full of musicians and I wondered about setting up some kind of list of people who might be interested in getting together to play for pleasure now and then. My interest is mostly in classical music. I played piano as a child and reached Grade 8 and started learning cello in mid-life - probably around Grade 6 level. If there's enough interest I'll set up some mechanism where you could register your details.

Please keep the jokes coming, I use them wherever possible with the teens I work with. Filthy is obviously out, and they have some learning difficulties so nothing too long or needing an understanding of subtle puns. Most popular so far is the 2 thieves on a washing line ('pair of nickers'). If you got anything in that vein in your Christmas cracker do post and don't worry about denting your carefully nurtured image of wit and sophistication.