MrBen

Keef I still cant work out who you are in the CPT. But MrBen knows your forum personality well and likes it. Best wishes to you both. And I will buy you a pint when you are next in....

True BarryMarshall - I worry too much about what people think. Whilst clothes dont HAVE to say anything about you the fact is to many people they do. We all judge someone on their outward appearance whether subconciously or not. Or whether we like to admit it or not. For example, if I wore a grass skirt and flowers round my neck on the 8.35 train in you would not think "MrBen is an investment banker". You would more likely think think "Labour's Care in the community is not working" or " there is a native Zulu warrior going to London Bridge". Barry- you me and the suits. Tomorrow night. Inside 72. Be there.

Modern Love - Bowie California Soul - Marlena Shaw Hey Ya, Hey yaaaa. R-E-S-P-E-C-T Summer in the city

I find use of the word "vagina" to be offensive. It sounds horrifically clinical and unfriendly. It also lacks the same impact. Imagine winding down your window and shouting "You stupid vagina!". Doesnt work.

fish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is ED becoming too posh? Yes but not quite. I once made the grave and horrific mistake of walking into Inside 72 with my tailored suit and a tie on. I call this the "suit test". If people stare at you then the area is not officially posh. If the barman welcomes you with a smile it almost certainly IS posh. The barman at Inside 72 did not exactly welcome me with a smile. So next time I went, I put on some skin tight black jeans, a sleeveless T Shirt with a daft slogan on it and a pork pie hat. And I got free shots. Recently I dressed in a full gorrilla outfit and walked down Northcross Road, peering through the busy window of Thai Corner. It was....liberating. Because all people thought was "there is a strange man dressed as a gorilla". The Bishop now has lots more suits on a Friday night as does Liquorish. They never used to. I have a large collection of suits but I also have an issue with wearing them out here based on how I'm judged wearing one (city boy, wealthy, arrogant, lack of indiviudality, probably votes Tory etc etc). So I get changed so as not to cause offence. I'm not a demographic I AM AN INDIVIDUAL! Weirdly I also dont like to see anyone else wearing them either. Do you all hate me already. Am I talking boll*cks? I'll stop then.

As has been said many times there have been chains here for ages anyway - Somerfields,Iceland Barclays etc. But surely a balance is best for all. And if you have some great independent local shops they add to the character of a place and give it individuality. Supermarkets are great for convenience - get everything in one place when you are in a hurry. But if you really wanted you could go to the butchers get your steak, grocery on Northcross get your veg, the deli get your posh sour dough loaf, cheese block (how good is that shop?!) and get your er...cheese. Thats what people did before supermarkets! Iceland cannot last much longer - the value of the real estate will soon be of greater interest than it's takings from its (rapidly declining) clientele. So a Waitrose or M&S is only a matter of time there. MrBen votes for what we need round here: - Yes agree that an organic bakery would fly - A communal seating cheap Asian food type joint - An organic pizza place - An organic kebab shop - A menswear shop called Mr Robinson (selling stripey jumpers and Stalin esque hats) - An organic estate agents - A hemp based, organic fairtrade babywear store - An organic three wheel buggy showroom (with a waiting list for the most in demand models) - Some stocks on Goose Green for putting estate agents in like they did in 1796. Allow the ED public to throw mushy tomatoes and plums at them. - A new paint job for the CPT and a menu serving Thai food. They also need to bump up the price of beer there as it is way too cheap. - A good place to buy organic hemp underwear (M&S is always good but it seems my pants are made by child slaves in France) - An small independent cinema showcasing the latest indie film on oppression in Iraq alongside classics like Rambo:First Blood - A B&Q could be built instead of that proposed school on Peckham Rye - much greater benefit to the community - A new range of luxury penthouse flats opposite the CPT (for ease of access) That's all....

Best Pub with Novelty Dog - and its a close run thing between "Clarence" at The Bishop and.... Blue at The Drum! I have to pick Blue - he is smaller but carries a lot more weight. Clarence has really smelly farts too from all the left over organic burgers and apple crumble they must feed him. I really love The Drum - they do really good filled rolls for lunch for a fiver. And its the kind of well run yet slightly erratic home made operation that warms your heart. The night they ran out of beer sticks in the memory...I mean what pub runs out of beer?!!! But unphased, Mr Drum just went down to Budgens and bought a load, handed them out for free and the party continued. Truely excellent. I recommend the rolls at lunch too. Did I just say that.

An interesting one this because these are all totally different establishments. Is it just me or does anyone else make a subliminal distinction between "bars" and "pubs" (and tend to stick to one type). Unless I'm mullered of course in which case who gives a damn :-) But to me, Green and Blue, Black Cherry, Liquorish and Inside 72 are bars. And Bishop, Castle, CPT, EDT and Palmerston are pubs! And isn't it great that we are now so lucky round here that we could even have a (horror)...SUB CATEGORY! There was a time when I would only go to the EDT. Because The Forresters Arms was too scary. My pals who love CPT would never go to the Liquorish and vice versa. So what is the criteria for this Forum award? Just sheer number of votes or could it be more intelligent? Here are the MrBen award winners: Best UK reproduction of a Lower East Side rock n roll bar - Inside 72 Best bar to buy a small plate of olives for ?25 - Green & Blue Best attempt to deface a nice traditional frontage with bright purple paint- CPT Best place to sit outside with sunglasses on - The Bishop Best chain pub attempt to appeal to a new middle class crowd by revamping the menu and hiking prices yet serving average microwaved food- Clock House (congratulations!) Best pub with wood fired Pizza thing - Gowlett Best pub for fighting and pool - The Castle (the table is not hampered by a wall like the gowlett. Also pool cues are heavier and do more damage)

Sean I apologise. I suppose some of the jumpers are alright - if you like that kind of thing. But to get back on thread the white stuff that contributes most to violence is coke not bad jumpers and coke + alcohol + rich people living next to poor people = occasional violence on any high street (and of course all the other social factors). To back up Chav - I have lived in the Treme in New Orleans for 6 months (city had highest murder rate in US and The Treme had most of those)) , walked the ar$e end of Brooklyn drug strip at 3am, have lived /played in London 9 years and never had any bother. But in Stirling Scotland where I grew up, I got mugged twice and was badly assaulted a third time (hospitalised ). On a Saturday night it was like the wild west..... So comparatively ED is a walk in the park and nasty though it sounded, the odd violent incident is not particularly reflective of some kind of simmering evil in SE22.... unlike the jumpers! (Oooops sorry again Sean)!.

Yes.... the fashion police! Those jumpers are one of the worst local offenses I have seen. Ban them now.

I agree that ED is essentially a safe place and no worse than other parts of South London. In fact its quite often much better. But with more bars open later of course you are going to get more trouble. The endless London coke epidemic we are in doesnt help.... The Bishop was full of runny noses the other night and one guy doing lines out a bottle right in front of the bouncer! Michael Eavis once said he'd happily have 100,000 nicely stoned than the same number all beered/coked up. Clearly you get more aggression with that particular combo. Thinking about all the countless nights out when I have staggered up the hill with a kebab or badly chatted up girls in LL bars I have never had any problems. Although I had two shootings close to my place in 2004 and 2005 , one where a bullet lodged into the wall of the hairdressing supply shop on Sylvester road at about head height the other a drive by on Barry Road at the junction with Underhill where they found bullet cases but no casualties. But that stuff happens all over London all the time. I like the feel about LL and ED in general. It still seems safe. Thats a good thing. It has a long way to go before it rivals Clapham high st which is now essentially a chain bar / club style destination place rather than all locals. In ED, I meet people who come up from Forest Hill, Crystal Palace or Honor Oak but thats about it...and there are CCTV camera everywhere now (noted when I scrapped a graffiti attempt to replace the "W" of White stuff with an "S" - I can live with drunken behaviour but not pastel yachting sweaters which I find deeply offensive).

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Declan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 'there is complete and utter filth' > > Bit judgemental are you not considering you state > you are not passing judgement? What are you doing > then? Sorry I should have added an exclamation mark to indicate I was joking. And one mans filth is another mans pleasure. Don't ever take MrBen too seriously!

Excellent Snorky! Any more?

In a bid to avoid another thread on the same old stuff I wonder if I may venture this mildly controversial topic for discussion. My apologies to anyone if they are offended in anyway. I pass no judgement here either! But it goes like this.... Look into the window of any local newsagent and next to the adverts for yoga and cat sitters you'll often see a brightly coloured cards with something like "Mature buxom African massage, East Dulwich". With an 8299 number. I cant help but be amused that next to these innocent homely messages there is complete and utter filth. It is a sure sign that the oldest profession in the world never dies. Even in up and coming ED. Fantastic! Joking about it to someone who's been here for years I was told that there are a number of very discretely run massage parlours in the neighbourhood. And when I get bored on my way home I have had great fun trying to guess where they are (without calling them up of course). Imagine....just above Foxtons there could be a large mature African lady in a rubber dress......waiting by the phone. :-)

Please to say that I dont work at the EDT. I've just been there on and off for the past 4 years. Back when it was the only decent pub worth going to And I suppose I've seen a few things come and go there. And....SHOCK HORROR.... I happened to have a meal that I enjoyed there ALRIGHT???!!! :-) As it was a bit indifferent before I just thought I'd share my experience. I am up for the comedy as well this thursday...

About 3-4 years ago or Pre Liquorish, The Vale was def the best place to go at 11.30 kicking out time. And it was and still is the only place I have ever danced in ED. If you half shut your eyes and with its mobile disco style colour flashing lights it *almost* felt like a club. This was quite easy after seven pints in the EDT. And then they changed the lighting to some harsh weird flourescent glow and I couldnt go there again. But I have fond memories of one epic night there, the dancefloor had two city suits, three builders, myself (a random 29 year old), a woman in a white shell suit and best of all two friendly lady pensioners punching their arms in the air to Armand Van Helden. For a moment, the diversity of ED was brought together as one.....(getting wistful). I agree the owner is a bit weird. He doesnt seem to trust the bouncers to take his cash at the door on Sat nights(why is he charging anyway this is a PUB!). The crowd in there is a bit odd. And a bit of an edgy vibe. But isnt that what half the forum keep harking back to when they bemoan gentrification?! But never mind Foxtons, fish shops etc surely somewhere will open soon that will have DJ's and a small dancefloor to cater to the 20 something influx. Bring it on. I got some MC Hammer style sheeeyat and dormant B Boy moves just busting to get out.....

Again....totally not in South East London. But occasionally we all have to brave the west end. And for a great fish and chips after shopping I would urge you all to head 2 blocks north of Bond St ( 5 min walk) where you will leave behind the horrible impersonal Oxford St and find yourself in the genteel streets of Marlebourne. There you have two of my all time London Secrets - The Golden Hind for fish and chips (sit in option on old wooden tables, fresh fish, byo wine/beer). Its about 100 years old and still Italian run. And reasonable! (?6-?7) Then have an after the shops pint at the tiny but great Golden Eagle - one of the last pubs in London to have a piano player and a singalong (Thurs and Sunday nights). If I ever win the lottery and get round to buying a lease and opening a pub here I promise to install a piano player!

For what its worth I just wanted to say that after several years of visiting the upstairs restaurant at the EDT (with variable experiences) I had a truely great (well by pub standards) meal there last night. A great big sirloin steak. Rocket salad with that fruity thick balsamic vinegar and best of all a fresh very fruity summer crumble made with fresh berries that the chef had made that day - with custard! fantastic! And great service from a lovely friendly smiley French waitress. Its nice to go back to a place and find it going well again. I was told they will shortly be opening the restuarant every night for the winter after closing it during the week in the summer months. Except for the Thursdays when the comedy is on. Hope they keep it up.

As promised to HeidiHi...I was in The Bishop last night and was sorry not to find her with a bevvy of ED nannies dowing bottles of Chardonnay. It definitely is the best place to pull and if you are sober at 1am in there it is hilarious to watch the happenings around you. We saw two girls get approached by a creepy man in a suit who asked them both back to his "roof terrace". ED is the new Fulham! Best Bishop highlight - MrBen was approached by a tall very polite and very horsey lady just after midnight who offered the immortal line " Do you work at Barclays Capital? "!! To which I replied "No I do not". Great conversation. But that question alone is very telling of the new demographic! What a great line! But like it or not I must face a cold harsh reality - I look like an investment banker. I used to meet actresses struggling writers and teachers. And people who owned chip shops. And nannys. God bless The Bishop.

Where to pull in ED? Definitely The Bishop! Whether you like it as a pub or not it is where you have the largest concentration of singles (both sexes). It's good on a Friday and Sat as it gets so busy you have plenty of chance rubbing shoulders around the bar area or at an adjacent table. A girl I know also likes to get there early and bag one of the window booths - do that and she says you get a constant stream of guys coming over - especially if you are looking to meet people. I know she has done well on occasion there. It has that vibe about it where eveyone always seems to look at anyone walking in - not in a bad way but just checking them out - I get that feeling on weekends anyway. As for me (and quite by surprise) I got approached by two nice women last time I was in there. I cant be as ugly as I thought. My girlfriend was not too impressed though and I got in trouble. Incidentally I will be in there this Friday night (navy v neck jumper, grey t shirt :-) ) and will be with my single male 30 year old friend, friendly, good looking, considerate and with a job in magazines. Thought I'd let you know! We might even hit Inside 72 just for good measure as they do great bourbon. Also smoking! If you dont then pretend to / take it up and hang around outside - the ban is a great way to meet people. Anyway what do i know I have a girlfriend and am VERY HAPPY.

I was told that Jerk Rock closed because the landord who owns half of that strip (from the tyre shop)to the fried chicken place has bascially put up all of the rents. You'll see that flats above have all been repainted and are up for let too. Thats the same reason the tyre shop closed down - new rents are too high. I love the frontage of the tyre shop that apparently has been there 30 years and will be taking some pictures of it before they re do it. In fact...if it was in Shoreditch or New York they would keep the frontage untouched and turn it into a bar. Called Tyres or something. With an oil based cocktail menu. I think it has been said elsewhere and that Jerk Rock is going to be the second outlet of Mrs Robinson. Selling womenswear but also some mens stuff too (hooray more stripey jumpers!). Jerk Rock was always empty yet was open for a very long time with no discernable turnover. I'll let you work that one out!