Lucius Rex

Oh god! I now seem to have unintentionally started a Mrs T thread (a poltician who I recall disliking almost as much as TJ when I was a student). Yes, you are all correct that the Bad Baroness bought her strange Barrett home as an investment (and a very profitable one) and hardly ever visited, however in the public mind Dulwich is inextricably linked with Mrs T. Thus I am convinced that the move to make Dulwich a 'safe' Labour seat was motivated by a degree of malice - it was certainly regarded as such by many Dulwich residents at the time. My concern however is not with failed and discredited politicians of the past, but with the failing and discredited politician who curently represents us. One was moved on, it is time the other was (though dear god, please, please not to the House of Lords!)

Exraordinary info from Amelie that our constituency representative sometimes actually does her job and represents the interests of the people of ED (at least according to her own publicity). One other interesting point is that "she has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since the constituency was created in 1997". Yes, that was when the new constituency bounderies were drawn bringing a huge area of solid labour supporters into the Dulwich contituency which had been pretty solidly Tory for many years. I'm sure lots of people had a good snigger about turning Maggie's home turf into a safe Labour seat but I do feel the joke has backfired on the people of ED now.

Shaggy, you have my sympathies as I use Kings X about once a week to travel from ED to Hatfield (incidentally the ED connection is that the 63, one of the few useful busses in ED, has one terminus in Forest Hill Rd and the other at KX). During the many years I have been making this journey I have lost count of the numerous times I have been driven mad by the incompetance and rudeness of KX staff, not to mention the fact that if any train is going to leap off the rails or go sideways into a station it will probably do so on the Hatfield line. The other week I arrived back at KX on a Friday evening, when inexplicably they only have one ticket window open. I needed a travel card for the next day which I wanted to purchase with my network card discount, but when I requested this of the slumped oaf behind the ticket window said he could not do it. I pointed out I had bought this ticket numerous times before on the evening before it was required so why was he unable to sell it to me, to which he responded that the computer would not let him. I enquired why the computer should have a particular antipathy to him when it allowed other ticket sellers to sell the self same ticket, and (extremly politely) sugested he did not know how to operate it and would he get someone down who did. He slouched off to make a phone call and a few moments later I was surrounded by three British Transport Police who tried to arrest me. I asked if it was common pratice to try to arrest someone for attempting to buy a ticket at Kings Cross and they looked confused before attempting beligerence to try and break my reasoned and calm demeanour. Eventually the youngest officer, who was slightly above Neanderthal interlect (he'll never last) realised this may be a case where the customer was right and suggested I went downstairs to the Underground ticket office, where they promply and without question sold me the ticket I required. One tip when buying tickets at busy times at KX is to use the small booking office over by platforms 9-11 which is usually much less conjested as many people do not even know it is there.

Just joined EDF, though an ED resident for 24 years (having moved here from distant Upper Norwood). Part of my reason for joining was to share my merry recolections of the wicked witch of the North. First dealt with TJ when I was campaining for 'Keep Sunday Special' when in a letter to me dated 7 May 1992 she declared herself in favour of "restriction of Sunday Trade by a type of shop approach" then went on to vote for deregulation after Tony had made it clear how which way his 'friends' should jump in a supposedly free vote. Disgusted, I stood against her at the 97 General Election - it was an eye-opener. When we met up at the hustings all the other candidates got on well with each other, but when our beloved representative (with entourage) arrived she would not speak to any of us, even to wish us "good day". Her total inability to answer any questions put to her during these hustings, and her clear lack of knowledge about the issues being raised, was laughable (literally at times). All she could do was parade out the 'Tony line' on a variety of issues, whether they were the ones under discussion or not, as was pointed out from both the floor and the platform. As someone who works in the arts I know that her tenure as supposed 'Minister for the Arts' was regared with contempt by most people who work in the business. We can only be delighted that Gordon has stripped her of most of her ministerial duties, leaving her just the 'Olympics' portfolio, and we all know that this is so that she can be made the scapegoat should the whole venture become a fiasco. In short I have rarely had dealings with such a self serving, ignorant, rude and ungracious person as our parlimentary representative. What a shame Gordon has denied us the opportunity to vote her out in the near future. North London is welcome to her, Dulwich and West Norwood are worthy of much better, they could hardly have worse!