belladonna

Spent three months there in 92-93, fell in love with the place, though it's certainly not an easy place to travel as a lone female traveller. I went there to do film stills which was great in a place called Matheran outside Mumbai, an old hill station, with a single gauge railway. Fantastic colours, scenes...what's not to like as a photographer? Well it's awful busy, the hectic streets of the towns and cities, full of cars, bikes, street sellers and beggars, it's very easy to get overwhelmed by the buzz. Make sure you stay somewhere you can chill out, and don't over do it. Also the women often are not keen on being photographed and can get quite upset by instrusive westerners if you don't remember to make contact with people and ask their permission. Remember to put the camera down for a couple of days and just absorb the place...it's too easy to create a wall behind which you just click away without connecting or appreciating the amazing scenes that unfold before you. It's poor, don't get angry at beggars, but don't make the mistake of trying to give money to everyone. Udaipur was lovely, I loved Jaiselmer, which was much quieter then, just riding the rails into small towns can show a different side to the tourist sites. Mind your equipment. Drink plenty water, hat for the sun, no salads or ice. I never suffered from Delhi Belly, and was eating delicious omlettes from station vendors and other snacks. Lucky you.

I say do May Day before the tories abolish that holiday as they are already threatening due to it's association with the labour movement. As for Royal Wedding....come the revolution!

I completely concur with Woodleigh's the argument is unassailable. i think someone should print off this thread and forward it to the Co-op! Another point, the people who shop in Iceland are in a different economic bracket from those ordering their weekly shop from Ocado. Those agitating for a Waitrose may forget not everyone from East Dulwich is looking for Ciabatta and Walnut Oil...oh I expect they come from the 'Peckham' end of LL...(unbelievable comment that one) woodleigh Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > A categoric "no" from me for the following > reasons. > > - Detrimental impact on small independednts: this > has been covered extensively in previous threads. > The choice of good quality independent shops, > particularly food shops, is what gives ED its > character and sets it apart from anywhere else I > can think of in London. Almost without exception, > it is what friends of ours comment on when they > come to visit. It is also not true (in all but a > few cases) that the local independents are > overpriced - it is simply that most of them are > selling premium products. A Waitrose or M&S would > slowly but surely kill off a lot of these shops. > Waitrose in particular, which sets itself apart > from other supermarkets by the quality of its > fresh meat and fish, would be in direct > competition with the likes of Moxons and William > Rose. Laziness will take hold, and people will > pick up their veg, meat and fish at the > supermarket instead of local shops. I absolutely > do not buy the argument that a Waitrose would > bring more footfall to LL. The average Waitrose > shopper gets out of their car, shops for the week, > gets back in the car and drives home. They are > not going to do their Waitrose shopping and then > walk round the corner to Pretty Traditional to > pick up a broccoli. > > - I can see the case for a Waitrose or M&S in an > area where it fills a gap - i.e. where there is > something missing. In Earlsfield, for example, > residents were ecstatic about the prospect of an > M&S Local because there's didly-squat on the high > street except estate agents (although they got a > Sainsbury's local in the end!). Similarly, in the > average provincial town, there is usually no > alternative to supermarket shopping. But we are > in a completely different position here - there is > nothing that a Waitrose or M&S can offer that we > can't already get on LL, or (for non-fresh items > and household goods) Sainsbury's on DKH. > > - The potential catchment area of a Waitrose or > M&S on LL worries me. Neither of these stores has > a branch anywhere close to ED, and a new store on > LL could potentially draw a huge number of > shoppers in from surrounding postcodes. The > problem is, there is no infrastructure to cope > with this influx. Parking would become unbearable > (even if the store had a carpark, it would fill > quickly during peak times, and spill out onto > surrounding streets). > > - The statement in the initial post that a > Waitrose or M&S would "help the area" puzzles me. > It suggests that the area needs help. Help in > what way exactly? I can only assume that what was > meant here is that a Waitrose or similar would > help the area in its continued gentrification and > in establishing East Dulwich as a desirable > postcode. I certainly have nothing agaist that > (and everything to gain so far as house prices are > concerned!) but to be honest ED is basically > "there" already - only, unlike many other > "aspiring" neighbourhoods, it has so far done so > while maintaining individuality and character. To > lose this would be a great shame, and it won't > just be those who currently shop in the local > independent shops who will notice the difference.

Southwark Freegle, Lewisham Freecycle...I put an iron on and was deluged with people's requests.it went to a woman whose autistic son needed clothes ironing...she's broke and delighted.. probably better than Manor place if the item is still working, plenty of people need your cast offs. Or on EDF.

Oh M & S would be the death of Lordship Lane, as would waitrose...it would entice more cars, kill local business, What are you on? Co-op at the moment isn't brilliant,write to them, at least they espouse ethical shopping ( and the lack of choice means you don't s-pend So MUch...With a huge Sainsbury's each end of ED, what else do you need? M& S nice, but so much packaging. I'm so bored with supermarkets anyhow, Pretty Traditional, Cheese Block, William Rose SMBS and ED Deli, what else do you want? do people want to stick a knife into locally run businesses? I've started shopping in Broca, too. Or hit Peckham, Honor Oak Forest Hill, Enough of the shopping!

Over at Brockley station next to Broca Browns do the best coffee for miles around, and the flat white is marvellous. then you can get a train to fashionable Shoreditch, Brick Lane etc

This is the recession biting, i had a bicycle wheel taken from outside me house, the neighbours came back to find front door open, all valuables gone, and friend had car taken by theives who broke in and stole the keys...this is Nunhead, where nothing ever happens!

There's always deptford pool, very nice very deep, very quiet....Peckham is lovely, but you have to know the hours, women only, over 50s....look forward to trying goose green

Any one stopping at a junction during rush hour over the last couple of years will observe the incredible increase in the number of cyclists as they whiz past those selfish sods who sit in their fancy cars, stationary, held up by hundreds of other unenlightened commuters who refuse to recognise that when it works London's transport system could eliminate the need for these vehicles which pollute the air, increase the amount of respiratory disease and kill pedestrians and cyclists by the dozen. This is the 21st century time to forget the idea that we have the right to congest cities and destroy the air quality. Cyclists keep themselves fit, save time and can enjoy wonderful views of London that others never see. Most experienced cyclists that I know avoid main roads and traffic. Even Boris is on the side of the Bicycle, more cycle lanes, less car domination of our roads and shopping areas. The Horizon Deepwater ecological disaster is caused by the demand for the fuel to keep people on four wheels. Now repeat after me: Two wheels good, four wheels bad!

Was this in Ivydale road?

Is it time to put advertising so you can get paid for all the hard work?

It was an easy journey until they closed the East London Line, which whisked you up to Canary Wharf from New Cross Gate in no time at all. That will be re opening supposedly in December. I'd rather use public transport, and the thought of driving to Canada Water would add so much time to the journey. I found that if I cycled or drive to Deptford Bridge, there's parking just off Friendly Street Taking the DLR was quick and cheap only a pound gets you to Canary Wharf in no time. People whinge on about transport in London, I don't buy it. The other night I left Kensal Rise at 11.45 and got home to Nunhead in just over an hour the buses were flying and safe and comfortable. Try living in a country town then you'll know all about it.

Man I can't believe this discussion. If you believe someone's behaviour is unacceptable, turn around and confront them directly rather than hollering for the boys in blue. You might have an interesting discussion with someone who's been taking pictures all their life as a hobby or a profession, you might even learn about shooting from the hip. How unfortunate to grow old and therefore become suspect. People are so suspicious of photographers these days it's hard to take a natural reportage photograph Look back at the work of Bert Hardycould be interpreted as suspect gosh young boys fighting with no shirts on. Bert Hardy took fantastic pictures of ordinary people on the streets that remind us of a bygone era, when a child in trouble could turn to an adult and ask for help, instead of fearing the worst. How often i've heard kids say 'are you a paedo or something' to any adult trying to be human around them. Oh it's a mad mad world.

In Lewisham there is a cashpoint which someone has grafittied 'where's my money' so amused was i by this i got the camera phone out and was photographing my tenner etc etc. (see attached file)...to my horror as i got all arty the machine indeed sucked the money back in, my last tenner too! Took a couple of weeks and phone calls etc, but it was credited back to my account. So wishing you luck

There's one miserable librarian who used to seem to delight in telling me about my over due fines, never seemed to believe me as i tipped my remaining coppers on the counter that's all i had, i had to give up the library, for a while what with the mortification, in fact i might just go and renew now and see if they smile when i pay the fine off finally!

They used to run brilliant boot fairs, i appreciated that, and good quality tat too! What ever happened to them? That was somewhere them and us could rub shoulders.

Guardian finance had an article about the Co-op buy out of Somerfield, apparently the old school ethical business model of the Co-operative is finally having its day...the store in Forest Hill Road has upped its game...and won't be sorry to say good bye to Somerfield which has been overpriced for a while, not to mention going in there in search of butter or butter based product to see the shelves empty...was forced to resort to Iceland...where at least they had some and it was cheap.