Jo

re platform announcements at London Bridge - I recently discovered through the use of an iPhone that if you check the National Rail live departure boards website they have the platform available long before they appear on the screens at the station...

I got mine done at the photo shop on Lordship Lane, opposite the Locksmith's. Aside from the fact i had the giggles and it took ten minutes, I got great photos, got to choose from three that he took, and they were printed off in seconds. Sent them off and got my passport back in a week, no problems.

I had afternoon tea at Black Cherry - 3 kinds of sandwiches, finger sized (two/thee bites each), two of each kind. Little bites of cake, and a decent sized scone a piece. From the sounds of it it sounds as if it might feed the appetite more than Le Chandelier, although they only do it Monday to Friday. I did go to Le Chandelier at the weekend and really liked the place, but we were ten minutes too early to try the tea sadly. Had a delicious but expensive sort of spinach pastry instead. All of which means I would go to have a nice cup of tea in pleasant surroundings, but scoff a samosa from Cheese Block on the way there.

Not quite that amount of actual driving. I drive somewhere, stay there and then come back. Petrol is nowhere near that much :) But I admire your sums so I did them again based on your criteria - the actual cost of my car comes out at ?40 a month (I said it was old) and it's paid for so no interest. On the average of the last couple of years the MOT, services and wotnots come to ?40 a month (but it's damn reliable), then there's insurance at ?40, a tenner for road tax...So I'm at ?130, plus petrol, and I honestly don't put that much in (tiny car) - at most ?40 a month. It's not so much of a won't as a can't - everywhere I can go I go by public transport, and firmly berate those who don't. I know someone who lives in borough and drives to the barbican, which is obviously absurd - that's not the kind of car owner I am. The other thing is that I was a new driver in the beginning and they wouldn't have me, otherwise I probably would have gone that way from the start, because I do think it's a great idea. My circumstances are different now too. It all adds up. That's all I'm saying.

They do take beginners - it's what I am. It's run by a really lovely woman called Emma over in Greenwich arts centre. Ritmo Flamenco Mostly we do basic steps and clapping rhythyms and seem to be putting together a routine of sorts. I highly recommend getting the shoes if you do go - it's a bit of an outlay but a very satisfying noise indeed. It doesn't matter how old you are, what size you are, or whether you have danced before either.

My issue wasn't really the 10 seconds planning. I could happily sit on the net and book a number of journeys. My problem was the ?240+ per month it would cost me to do the journeys I usually do, plus the extra for the spontaneous. I'm not earning the way I used to so it's a consideration. I'd much rather use streetcar - I'd love not to have to look after a car:)- but can't afford to - it's that simple. (Perhaps this works out this way for me since the car was 'old' and cheap and I don't have to make payments on it or anything like that.)

I was in the same position Bawdy Nan, when I passed two years ago and looked into streetcar, and again last year when I passed the magic milestone. The other thing was that I kept going to look at the car, since it's just round the corner from me and it was never there. And I only ever went at the times I wanted it, which are regular and about three times a week, for about four hours at a time. In the end it worked out cheaper to keep my reliable little old car, even according to their calculator, which is a shame really. If it goes kaput then I'll think again before buying another one though. Good luck with your driving test too!

I like the sound of this - I heard the N1WI on Radio 4 the other day funnily enough and thought it would really work down here and look - you're already on the case. Would love to come along on Tuesday but can't as I have a Flamenco class on Tuesdays. Hoepfully you'll be posting up results of the meeting here so those who can't make it stay in the WI loop?

That's outrageous. But I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feeels intimidated in there - that youngish guy who is always in there watches like you're a criminal when all you fancy is some overpriced pesto and a nice ciabatta, and then can't be fashed to find even a smile when you hand over your tenner...

it's because they race past my house instead. I see a lot of fire engines - they zoom up bellenden road and avondale rise on a regular basis. If you want to see firemen, that's where you need to be.

Forgive me for butting in... Maths schmaths - I don't much care about investments. I'd just like to have a house to live in and maybe raise children in. We bought a couple of years ago and hoped for a flat with a garden, but everything was so small for the sizable mortgage payments, we ended up in a flat with stairs, because it had an extra bedroom. The idea of being able to afford stairs and a garden is just pie in the sky if we want to stay here. And we like it here - we've lived here for five years. But we'll probably end up out in Croydon or somewhere equally distant...

Firstly I refuse to lose the funny little furniture shop with the cigar smoking posh talking owner. He's hilarious. In a non laugh out loud sort of way. But they do have some nice furniture sometimes, and if rent went up along there I doubt they'd be able to survive. And where would the local teenagers get their rice and peas?? It is a bit of shame about Starbucks - it was the only way I could get my lovely young man to come shopping. Now there's no promise of a decent latte he'll never come. Admittedly we mostly use Ocado now, and whenever he did come shopping we spent twice as much and still had nothing for dinner so perhaps it's not such a bad thing.

Thanks for the link to the online logs place. Since we had our fireplace put back in before Christmas I think we've saved money through not having the heat disappearing up the open chimney - and no, I don't know why the people who owned the house before us thought it was a good idea to have a big hole to the sky in the living room. There's no draught and we can keep the heating lower in the rest of the house because we only really need to heat the one room. The other thing to say about burning wood is that you should only burn older, dry wood. Young wood and wood that's damp smoke a lot more. And a bit of smokeless glowing well under the log means you tend to use fewer logs but get decent heat. it's not quite the same as a coal fire (I grew up with them) but it does. And you can have marshmallows :)

No I'm not joking - so sorry DM. He was the union rep and had to go to all the meetings - we had a very good conversation about the extension by the million different kinds of muesli aisle. And my neighbour works in the wine department and said the same. I feel like I've just kicked a puppy.

One of the chaps who works in Sainsbury's told me that they were going to have a Sainsburys cafe instead of getting Starbucks back so perhaps it's not unfeasible that they want that early morning crowd on their way to the City.

I don't mind grumpy retail staff if the product's good (used to work in retail so I get it), and to be honest I get weirder stares in EDD, where the cheese isn't as good or as varied and they have no samosas. This last one is very very important. Cheese Block samosas rule. (and yes they are the same company as smbs)

Just wanted to say arigatou for the nod to Pham sushi, bald marauder - will definitely give it a try. Might be a struggle to top the breakfast sushi I had in Tsukiji but then it would be... Agree about the need for a proper japanese chef - it's tiring finding koreans in kimono serving up sad sushi. The trouble is that the appetite for japanese food is much bigger than the appetite for korean food so I guess they're just trying to make money. Are you sure Mrs M doesn't want to open a restaurant? ;)

No it's not just you ... :)

Because the cheapest t-shirt I saw in Ed today was just under ?40 and wasn't even that nice...I'm not saying it's rock bottom, just normal. I've looked at men's t-shirts in there and they're ?50! The prices in Moo Too are just shocking as well and their stuff is even weirder.

Likes: The butcher Seacow Cheese Block samosas Farmers the books sections of the charity shops The Bishop The picture framer on North Cross road Liquorish's burgers Green and Blue The card shop SMB Hisar Kebab & wine Dislikes: Blue Mountain. Had a panini that was cold in the middle, a breakfast that took over an hour to arrive and was mean in proportion and soon just gave up going altogether. The Amusements. Trying to cross Lordship Lane The empty unwins Prices in EDD Wants: A japanese restaurant. Frightened of: The owner of the stationery shop. That guy freaks me out.

Shame if so. I know I'm in a minority but I like them - cheap and cheery skirts and frocks, and the option of getting a plain old t-shirt without having to schlep to town was appealing. I like the stuff in ED but some of it just isn't 'everyday', nor is it cheap for students like me.

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread. I just had to have my cards replaced becasue I'd been scammed through the internet so it would have been a complete nightmare to go through it all again. (Incidentally, my bank gave me my money back the same day - no waiting at all.)

A lick of paint isn't really the problem, although it does help make you feel as if someone cares for the things they're selling. The real problem is the consistent leak - last I heard water plus paper equals bad news. Damp really isn't good for books. For now I'll stick to going to Review. and Black Books was the 1990's, and a highly accurate representation of working in such an establishment...:)

This new thing doesn't look much like your traditional gym - one of their specialities is treating circus injuries. Lots of that on Lordship Lane...It also says that all cardiovascular sessions are a maximum of 4 per class and take place with a pysiotherapist. How is that like a normal gym? Fusion isn't the worst gym I've seen, true, but it is the worst gym I've worked out in, or been given a workout induction in. The staff were so uninterested I could have tied myself up in a skipping rope and they wouldn't have noticed. The fact that I have a bad knee seemed lost on them too, and yes, I have decided to travel all the way to Streatham - I get excellent advice, and knowledgable staff to talk to, and I actually want to get in the pool...