embellina

Some - but not all - meat can be unhealthy and immoral. How moral can a ?2 chicken be? Can it be raised well, fed well, given time to develop well - or is it full of growth hormomes, reared in barns where it can't move and gets hock-burn from sitting in its own faeces? Don't get me wrong, I'm actually not a veggie, I just believe in good farming methods. Properly raised meat tastes better and, in my opinion has more nutrients. I rarely eat meat because I feel much better when I eat a veggie diet. I know people who are vegetarian because they don't like the taste and texture of meat. I used to think it was weird that people wanted meat substitutes, but surely it's just a way of eating other things, adding variety to your diet. In the way a meat eater wants to eat vegetables or vegetarian dishes. And what about those who do like the taste but don't eat meat because of ethical or moral reasons, why not have meat substitutes?

It was amazing - it took me a long time to get discover it though. Just always thought it was for spoddy boys. How wrong I was. Or maybe I was just a spoddy girl...

None? The amount of parcels delivered by the ED sorting office recently? Number of forumites who were happy to see Foxtons come to town? (sorry for the blasphemy)

S'pose but that's temporary, no? A 2 bed, split level flat for ?850pcm, smack by the train station is still a pretty good deal, even if it doesn't look so pretty from the outside. That said, I couldn't persuade mr embellina to look at it. I think his experience of estates was marred by living in Hackney!

There was a 2-bed going on DKH estate a couple of months ago for ?850. Reckon that's gotta be worth the money

Maybe there should be an ED veggie supper club?

I'd love to open a veggie place in ED - the barriers are no restaurant experience and no cash. Should be a breeze...

Delivery from New Fujiyama in Brixton? Lots of veg noodles etc - and are aware of the difference between 'vegetable' dishes and 'vegetarian' dishes (ie will specify when fish sauce is used). There are supposed to be a couple of nice veg places in Crystal Palace. But of course this lacks the advantage of actually being in ED :(

It does seem to have jumped up massively in the last year, which is really annoying if you want to change your circumstances! Saying that, keep your eyes open for decent private landlords. I live in a bargainous 1bed that's only ?660 a month (price of a tiny studio, basically) that I found on Gumtree by fluke not long ago. Good luck!

I really must come to the next EDF drinks - I feel left out not really knowing the faces behind the names yet! That's what happens when you're a long-time lurker I guess! x

Aaah - that's what I like to hear!

Thought a warm upbeat thread may help us all procrastinate further this afternoon... I've had a really lucky year with lots of good things coming my way. Mainly I fell in love and quit my job - both of which were unexpected yet set my life off in an even better direction that it was going in before.

Right! While I'm thinking of what I actually want to say. I use to say "I'm not being funny" a lot, but it's amazing what watching Charlie from Big Brother can do for stopping a habit like that.

addicted AND procrastinating - a terrible combination

Like. I, like, put, it in front of, like, nearly every word I, like, say. Will I ever be able to stop? I'm sick of sounding like a Californian teenager. Arrrgh.

How horrible flong. We had a break in, in Glengarry Road, a couple of weeks ago. Might be same person. When they time came to seeing about getting a new lock for the front door the guy at Dulwich DIY said our Yale was the most rubbish kind and people would take one look and definitely try to get in. We've been double-bolting since but worth getting the best lock possible for the detterent.

I've lived in ED for about a year and half after moving over to be nearer my friends. I haven't looked back and even enticed my boyfriend down from Hackney (which didn't prove at all difficult actually!). What I like about it is that you have so much on your doorstep. There are good bars, pubs, plenty of restaurants, a huge variety of independent shops (beauty, sweets, meat fish etc) and, of course, a Foxtons (joke). Being sandwiched between at least three parks (Brockwell, Dulwich and Peckham Rye) gives it a really green feel. Plus it's got a great mix of being bustling and villagey. I feel much less stressed about living in London because I feel like I'm far removed from town - yet well connected with buses and trains to get there easily enough. It's in easy reach of everything you need as well - chichi shops on Lordship Lane, Peckham's Primark/Woolworths/markets etc, live music in Brixton and New Cross and the quick (if erratic) 78 bus to Shoreditch (if you like hanging out in that part of town). There are also lots of cyclists in the ares too so it has a great, green feel to it. There's loads more to say but I guess I should stop now!

I'm in Berlin this year too - must be the place to be. The walk home isn't quite as easy as from The Rye though...

I take same route but veer off to Waterloo bridge - which is my most hated part of the journey (busy, trafficky, tiring!) - and straight up into Covent graden. The amount of pedestrians that cross that cycle path on the pavement without looking or with their headphones on/phones clamped to their ear is quite scary. They should make it more obvious that it's also a cycleway I reckon. I can't blame people for not knowing.

I freelance so go to a variety of places in town - most often Covent Garden, which takes me about 30mins. I love it and hate those times when I have to take the bus. Definitely agree with the comment about feeling sluggish when I don't cycle. Always hated the gym too so it's the perfect exercise! What I really get fed up with though is punctures (another one this morning and I've only ridden the biek twice after getting the puncture repaired!). I ride a hybrid and had tuffa tape to protect my inner tubes. Still get a huge amount of punctures. Was thinking of looking into puncture-proof tyres. I know these are good for racing/road bikes. Any thoughts/experience of them for other styles?

Glad he's doing his bit to maintain juvenile crime rates, then. We definitely need more like him!

The ground floor flat was broken into last night (having its door kicked in) after the main front door was opened with a credit card/piece of plastic. Not much taken but still not very nice! The Police said it's been a crazy week with lots of crime so I'm urging everyone to be careful and double lock your front doors if you don't already. I know Yale locks are notoriously easy to open but it's only when it happens to you that you realise just how easily it's done. Also - and is this weird? - when the police came to check it out at about 3.30am and secure the flat, no one appeared to let them in. We caught up with them on their way out. So did they get in the same way as the burgalers?!

Much as I like live football/sport, I do think it can ruin a pub. Alwyas loved the cosiness of Page 2 - especially when the knitting circle were in (tuesdays?) - and would like to see this retained. So I vote no sport (sorry)

Not even nearly ED but if you're ever Brixton way, Khan's on Brixton Water Lane is fab. Not much to look at and don't deliver as far as ED (boo) but my fave curry house (so far) in the area. Lots of unusual dishes like Pumpkin Masala mmmmmm. No artifical colours, not to greasy and pretty cheap - what more could you ask for?