owen.g

Aston spent a day at mine helping me fabricate and hang acoustic panels. Well, actually I helped him. A bit. He is really amenable and goes the extra mile - he stayed until the job was finished and left at nearly 7pm. He has fantastic attention to detail and isn't happy until you are. Oh, and don't expect the usual "turn up within the half hour of the arranged time." He is there on the nose. Usually ahead of time. I will definitely have him back. Great job.

Yep. Aston came round the day after I contacted him to fit a pulley airer. Excellent man. I'm going to make a list of those things I don't trust myself to do. For this amount of recommendations, I figured he'd be a good bet (considering how hard it is to judge - we've all been bitten by that one!) and he was great.

Let us know how you get on. I was caught out by this as I hadn't "got the memo" so my zipvan was a waste of money. Had no idea about needing a permit as I didn't last year.

And who now also turn you away if you're in a van without a permit. As of Jamuary this year. Found out the hard way in my hire van last weekend.

Someone did the same to my car over the weekend. Two pairs of sunglasses stolen. No point claiming on household as they're pretty much the excess value. At least they didn't hotwire it and clear off. Was in Archdale road.

I wonder if the two ladies walking along Lyndhurst Way on Tuesday 2nd who saw the older gentleman tell me to "f*** off", get back in his car and drive away after reversing into my motorbike because he'd obviously pulled out too early from Lyndhurst Grove are reading this? If so, could you give me your numbers please, as they both appear not to be recognised? You said you were Bridget and Miranda? Similarly would the friendly chap called "Martin" sitting on the wall just up Lyndhurst Way who saw the rude gentleman flee the scene without passing on his details please contact me? Your phone number also appears not to be listed. To anyone else (and myself), here's the tip: Call any witness on their phone the moment they give it to you.

Thanks lilolil. Nobody followed me home I'm sure. But I reckon it was probably spotted since the Saturday before last that I brought it home. Busy old road Archdale, what with the market etc. Probably had a few bikes to look out for and were patrolling the area looking out for when they were home. Honestly I've felt like I've had a target painted on my back since I got it. Guess that's the way this country makes you feel these days.

Did anyone see anyone pushing a big black motorbike at the Northcross Road end of Archdale Road this evening between 8.30 and 11pm? Or maybe loading it into a van? Maybe you have a description of someone or a vehicle? Some magnificent example of humanity has stolen my motorcyle from outside my house on Archdale. It was a Kawasaki Z1000sx in black. A week and a half old. Please do get in touch if you saw anything. Thanks.

Only worth reading this if you ride a motorbike and therefore are a menace to society. It seems the Jet Garage on East Dulwich Road has decided that all motorbikers have to pay for petrol before they can fill up. I found this out after I'd deposited ?1.38 in my tank, by which point the petrol ran out. No help from the kiosk. Thought it might have been a re-filling issue as the tanker was in the forecourt. Anyway, after a bit of "what's going on?" sign-language the bloke in the shop made a thumb and finger rubbing together sign. Unsure as to the meaning of this I ventured into the said establishment, only to be told, in as offhand a manner as humanly possible "too many motorbikes drive off without pay. You pay first." Of course I couldn't flounce off by way of making a point, as he'd so thoughtfully allowed me to put ?1.38 in my tank. So I gave him some money and some mind and left. No signs anywhere of course. Good job those CCTV cameras only pick up car registrations. All those ?15 tank fillups for free. Jet must be on their knees by now. Strangely the bloke in the Texaco didn't know what he was talking about. So all you biker outlaws get round there now! Oooh. I feel evil.

Yep. Gave up on the Dog last summer. Had lunch at the Plough on New Years Day though. Wasn't bad, although I nearly resorted to cannibalism as it took so long to arrive.

Went on long walk to the Dulwich Wood House on Sunday 5th October. Usefully it was closed for refurbishment so we walked in the lovely rain back down to the Plough in the hope of a Sunday Roast Rescue. Unfortunately as I was waiting with the other ten or so punters for the tall bloke in the glasses who was serving on his own to come back to my section of the bar, presumably the manager (or maybe just Head Of Disappointment) yelled "No more roasts!" at him. From abut five yards away. He looked a little flustered, poor man. I did wait at the bar for another ten minutes in the vain hope of at least getting a pint but eventually the sugar low had its way, and I dragged my long-suffering significant other out on the street, muttering the likes of "useless place", "never again" etc. My beer-starved mood wasn't helped by said tall gentleman's riposte to my observation that perhaps they needed some more staff working the bar, which was "we need a lot more of a lot of things".

I used to live in Balham up until two years ago. They introduced a CPZ there, four years before I left. It was a nightmare, and Balham had a commuter parking problem because of the tube and mainline stations which could have been said to justify it. I can't tell you how happy I am to live in such a lovely area with no CPZ. It would be a tragedy if it ever happened here. CPZs are not the solution to anything.