*Bob*

That Scientologist chap who constantly harried the Beeb man.. what a charmer! I love it when someone makes a point of invading your personal space when they speak to you. And I loved his 'The Man' mirrored sunglasses - nice touch. He was definitely a bit of a cult (sp?)

Tom, I'm not defending crappy old pubs! What I suppose I meant was: there are still lots of pubs in London in which you get all the good stuff of the current crop of ED pubs (good food, no fighting, friendly atmosphere, full of punters) but which have managed to avoid the toll of gruesome refurbs over the decades. So you've got places with lots of original charm remaining, and I suppose, a wider mix of people inside (the older clientele still come, the younger clientele appreciate the character too). But once you've had a bad refurb somewhere down the line, you can't put the character back (unless you like drinking in places with a dodgy mock-tudor makeover) The people who took-over the pubs and bars in ED did exactly the right thing. I'm just saying it's a shame there aren't a couple of older pubs which made it through without being mucked about with over the years - I think lots of people here (old and new to the area) would appreciate them now.

Badger and Ratty on the same thread. When Mole and Toad pitch-up it's all gonna kick-off.

The lack of old-fashioned pubs in ED is a shame. But that's down to the short-sightedness of developers over the years. I disagree that 'ED posh types' (whatever they are) demand gastropubs and flocked wallpaper. Indeed, the (proper) posh types to be found in Finsbury, Islington, Chelsea and Ken etc etc love their good awld pubs, and the developers there had the foresight to realise this. The "Just So's" of this world.. didn't. And the damage was done! Here in ED we can only choose between what the developers put on offer. And personally, seeing as my ideal night doesn't finish with a punch-up, I'm happy to settle for the current range of pubs and bars.

Oh god. Planet Alan. A very.. strange.. place...

The Booth tip-off is top! And I think it's a fantastic building too. I'm guessing the Sally Army doesn't get enough new converts to fill all the rooms these days. But Al, Why not admit you boo-boo'd, rather than backtrack furiously into minor semantics - in an attempt to establish some bizarre rationale to your argument? Not knowing the price of a Travelodge room isn't anything to be ashamed of, you know.

Jimmy Carr.. why why why?! For some reason C4 seem to have given him first dibs on every new panel show and programme featuring 'talking heads' that they make. It won't be long before we'll be seeing 'Top 100 Jimmy Carr Moments' - presented by Jimmy Carr, naturally. Alan Carr is funny though. He makes me laugh before he even says anything.

Mike, Does this free-up your previously registered name? I might change mine to that and litter the forum with inappropriate postings, sullying your good name forever. that ok?

Alan Dale Wrote: > > Hi Jeremy- are you Bob's best mate? Good of you to > help him out. Alan.. I think Jeremy is just helping me out on a small matter of, er, basic common sense.

Indeed: Kathryn.. there's a gap in the market as wide as the English Channel here. Over the last year I've had to rummage around the area for rooms on three occasions - two of which there was nothing closer that London Bridge, so I can't see how you can go wrong!

Alan.. there's a double room with ensuite available at Travelodge (Battersea) next Thursday. It's ?60. Shall I book you in? It was you who said "The PRICE is comparable to a travel lodge" Obviously there will be NO COMPARISON between this hotel and a Travelodge. But it does cost 100% more, so the PRICES are not COMPARABLE.

Anyone been to any houses they can recommend?

I wouldn't disagree with most of that, Alan. I'm just saying students aren't often able to spend ?89.99 on a room for the night - so it's odd that the article trumpets them as one of the hotel's target potential guests. Mrs *Bob* has visited the (old) Karaoke night at the SB.. alas I have only ever been on the outside looking in (on the way past en route to The Castle, usually) Back to the hotel: A travelodge is ?60/night en suite in London, I think. This hotel is ?120/night en-suite So the price is comparable - but only if you double it.

Hotel looks good! Though unless students are more generously provided for when I was one I dunno how many of them will be able to afford the 'budget rooms' (with shared bathroom) - at ?89.99 / night. I'd be interested to see what literature on the local area they have in the foyer (Karaoke night at the 'Silver Buckle', anyone?)

I think you'd be on to an immediate winner here. There are a few other threads on local B&Bs on the forum somewhere.. A quick read will tell you that when it comes to putting someone up in SE22 the pickings are slim to say the least.

Congrats.. But surely you should have made the proposal via the forum? Now that would have been a coup.

and.. Bottom of the list? That's a hard one. Bernard Manning's an obvious easy target (literally). Jim Davidson?

I think it's great when you see someone you think you know (from mainstream tv work, usually) really surprising you in a small venue - making you laugh more than you ever thought they ever could. Roy Chubby Brown is near the bottom on the list - save for one 'joke' which I still believe is the perfect example of how it is possible for something to be both totally out of order and yet still very funny - something which I really believe is important in comedy. Speaking of which, why doesn't Jerry Sadowitz get more tv work? (hmmmm...)

The Bedford is a good comedy venue, but 70% of the acts they have are the same old so-so circuit stand-ups who trudge from Banana to Jongleurs and back, doing the same old gags about the (hilarious) 'differences between men and women' etc etc. I wasn't around when comedy was at the EDT so I dunno what sort of acts they had on there. By contrast, places like The Red Rose comedy club (Near Finsbury Park) tend to avoid the 'filler comics' and make an effort to get new and more offbeat stuff in - as well as allowing 'names' to try-out new shows and hone their stuff before they go on tour.

Bin-dipping. It's not for me - but then that's all the more left for the rest of you, right? Fill your boots!

Perhaps we can rustle up a special award and get it presented it to the lucky winner - by his employer? (.. along with his P45)

They'll make a bee-line for The Bishop, surely?

Yes, I'm sure it depends entirely on the restaurant you go to.. some are obviously better prepared than others!

I think it's www.toptable.co.uk (no 'the'! - unless I'm thinking of another site) I've had mixed experience with it.. I've made one booking through the site, which the restaurant in question had no record of when we arrived. And on another occasion we did try-out one of the 'special offers' but (as nutty says) you're probably better-off sticking with a la carte. In our case, it took the staff some time to actually find-out whether any special offers existed, and once it became clear we were there to eat 'on the cheap' their interest levels dropped in our table. But this was all a while ago now..

I like the Edinburgh Castle.. tis a good pub. I'd love it if ED had some (one?) pub a little more down the Camden line. Rough and Ready doesn't mean you have to get a glass in your face for looking at someone in a funny way. I remember the pubs of my youth (sigh).. slightly grotty in a good way, band posters haphazardly plastered over the walls, old knackered leather sofas and a jukebox - and they were full of punters (mostly, er, under-age) I honestly think such a place would do well here. The only thing that comes close is Inside 72, which has a really nice vibe (oddly though, when myself and Mrs*Bob* moved here, I-72 initially looked the least appealing. We woz wrong!)