Quaywe

Is the 15th of September. There goes the neighbourhood....

So sounds like there really are "allotment police". You've got to love this country...

I just got a quote from Direct Line for ?690 for H&C cover for my 3 bed semi. Then I called my previous insurer: Higos Insurance Services and they beat the quote by 5% (now paying ~?650). I had to shop around for ages to get that price (I paid ?850 last year!) because of SE22 being a subsidence hotspot (though my house has none and never has) and because I have a lodger. All good now though and ?200 saved. Thanks Direct Line, and thanks Higos!

And how would one prove that a vendors fruit and veg came from said allotment? And would the "Allotment Police" really be stalking market stalls to find out?! If you have items surplus to requirements at the end of the season who bloody cares!? Really, cut the crap and just sell the things if you want to.

Here yee all ED Indie stores: Please change your midweek opening hours so we can shop in your indie stores in the evenings! For anything foodie related I reckon you'd do a roaring trade if you remained open for us ED'ites to pick up a quick meal on the way home. In particular I would like to see the following shops remain open at least Weds-Fri: SMBS William Rose (seriously, this shop could be open 24x7 and still have a queue out the door the whole time!) Moxons AJ Farmer Those three stores (+ AJF for when your potato peeler breaks and you need an urgent replacement or there'll be no mash!) remaining open would make a serious dent in Somerfield/Sainsbury's midweek evening shoppers revenue. Even if they don't, who cares? I know some of us will be very happy! Why not give it a trial run Indie's - say Wed-Fri until 7pm for a month??? Go on, you know you want to! All those in favour?

Dulwich Cricket Club has a ground available for rent midweek and also some good quality nets that could potentially be used for free the week before on say a Wednesday night. Whoever is organising should contact Matthew Craig on 020 7501 8604 to discuss. If we have a midweek game then I might be able to play too. Otherwise I'll be playing a bit more serious version (the type where you wait until AFTER the game to drink :)-D ) for my club on the 18th :( .

As the person whole lead the "Anti-Nero" movement (along with Angela from SE22 magazine back in January 2006) I am very happy to hear that Southwark have actually grown some balls and threatened to shut these capitalist muppets down. On the other hand; since Nero opened it's doors I have seen a shop become a very popular destination for a lot of ED locals. It appears that Nero the chain store and all it stands for has a really big base of ignorant customers simply willing to turn a blind eye to what it is doing to the area overall in exchange for a good "know what you're going to get every time" coffee and muffin. Now I am torn. I wouldn't like to see an empty shop left on LL. We have enough of them already. HOWEVER I also know that by allowing Nero to remain open despite its deliberate flouting of planning law would be to send a message to all chain stores (yes, there will be more folks) that this kind of activity is acceptable. If Southwark was to let Nero stay open because it "has therefore had a positive effect on the vitality of the key shopping frontage and Dulwich as a whole" OR "closing us down will only cost the employees their jobs" then it should be imposed with a very hefty fine. Not some piddly little fine, but something big enough to make HQ think "now that exercise really wasn't worth it was it". Ultimately I have never set foot through the doors of the ED branch of Nero so I wouldn't miss it. Although quite a few of you seem to like it I don't think those that do would all agree that the way that Nero has gone about setting up shop was a good way. Further, I don't think many of you would want to see every chain store that WILL open their doors here sooner or later use the same tactics. If they did and were allowed to get away with it I think we would see a very reduced set of "chain store loving" locals. It's time to think outside the square folks. It's not like you're going to be missing out on a good coffee as a result; there are plenty of places to get one in ED (Mon Petit Chou, Drum, BMC to name a few - and all non-smoking now). Shutting Nero down will teach all of those chain stores that their tactics are not acceptable and that they should follow the law like everyone else does. I'm all for it and will be writing to the council with such a message.

Those limey buggers must be doing a roaring trade on the "umbrella black market", what with the weather at the moment!

So come one Leon - which restaurant is it!?

It's amazing how far away we really think we are from the City because of public transport and traffic in this two-bit town. After 7/7 I bought a bike and started riding to Mayfair, where I worked at the time. Normal journey using public transport was 50-60 mins (bus to Denmark Hill, train to Victoria, then tube to Green Park). On the bike it was 30-35 mins. I couldn't believe it! The City is even closer. I reckon you could ride to Old St in 30 mins no problem. TfL's Journey Planner concurs.

Of course for those of you not in-the-know the bestest of the best coffee can only be found in one London suburb and that is SoHo, the home of Flat White; a kiwi owned and operated coffee bar. Kiwi Barista's have got coffee making down to a fine art. I don't know why but they do, just to go BMC to find out as they have a Kiwi whipping up the coffee's in there. Oh what I wouldn't give to have Flat White open their doors on LL or NCR. Mmmmmmm......Flat White coffee.....[aaarrrrrggggllllhhh] :)-D

For those that were speculating that karters new "Mum" secret Coffee Bar is going to be a Monmouth I sadly have to tell you it's not. See below for confirmation: ----------------------------------------------- Hello EDKiwi, Thanks for getting in touch, it?s so nice to hear you enjoy our coffee. Sorry to tell you the new East Dulwich caf? is not going to be a Monmouth shop. We are actually in the process of building a bigger roasting space so that in the future we may be able to open another site, at the moment we simply do not have the capacity to supply another. I hope you?re able to pop into the Borough site with ease. Kind regards, Rosanna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wholesale, Mail Order & Administration Monmouth Coffee Company 2 Park Street London SE1 9AB - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - tel 020 7064 4950 fax 020 7394 8581 beans@monmouthcoffee.co.uk www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------- So for those of you keen on a Monmouth I would start petitioning them so they are well aware that we would like their next premises to be here in good ol' ED!

WHO CARES!?

Take Hamlets over DLC. I've been a member of both. Hamlets is all right, but nothing flash. At least you get what you pay for though. AND it has a sauna (though some of the local football member boneheads like to urinate in there on occasion!). DLC really is understaffed and overpriced considering. The pool is tired, too busy and too small. It's nice to think you get all the extra's like use of the pool, classes etc, but when all you really want is a good gym where everything works, and helpful staff that's not what you get. Southwark Council needs to sharpen up its act. I bet they're going to spend the ?5m and none of it will go to improving customer service. Peckham Rye park is the best option me thinks, or maybe hold out until ES Physical Health opens in a couple of months (though I think you'll pay more with them than you will in the City!).

dulwichmum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I seem to remember it was open all night in the > very early 90's. That was useful on the way home > from a night club - in need of a chocolate bar and > a mag at 4 am. It was fab. Budgens is also open 24hrs DM. I'm guessing you've just moved on a little now and aren't awake that late any more. ;-)

[opportunity for karter to jump in here and advise that the "secret" new cafe opening on NCR is going to be independent and buggy friendly]

I've never given in and am still opposed to Nero in ED. They bullied their way in to the area; setting up shop and then applying for planning permission retro-actively. The whole process took so long that those opposed to it has little knowledge of when the planning application was being heard so it basically got approved by way of slipping under the radar. Nero (as well as other chains) have this exercise down to a fine art. That's why we're being overrun by them. It's amazing how forum's like this highlight how lazy some of us really are: (using this posts comments) Nero is grubby, understaffed, too busy and polluting Lordship Lane, yet you'll all still shop there because it's easy and familiar. How original! For those of you that love Nero, fair enough, but I bet you're not singing the same tune when we've also got Starbucks (except DulwichMum who appears to be obsessed with this place), Costa, AMT, Coffee Republic, Ritazza etc all setting up shop here. Lordship Lane will truly be a unique place then won't it!

I still reckon the cast iron floral decorated "Welcome to East Dulwich" arch is the go.

1) Where is Jacks? 2) I like BMC for: The great coffee's done by their kiwi Barista (why are kiwi's so good at making coffee!?) 3) I don't like it for: Only eggs they do are scrambled, no baked beans with the Full Monty.

Eureka I've got it: A new sign for Chener Books! ;-)

The Sustainable Communities Bill is part of the answer...

Lofty is that the One Tree Hill allotments?

As this area of the site gets more traffic than the lounge (and one could argue that money saving is an ED Issue I thought I'd post it here too. Click here for some great Money Saving Tips

Among other things: New footpaths for Lordship Lane!

Fellow Forumites, I thought wander into The Lounge and pass on a URL for a great web site that can save you all money in different way's shapes and forms every day. Some of you would have probably heard of it and be using this guys tips. Some won't. Basically his site is focused on giving something back to consumer. He gives tips on anything from reclaiming bank fees to saving on international phone calls or broadband to getting freebies on certain products. He's already helped me reclaim over ?200 from my bank in dodgy mortgage "admin" fees! Anyway I thought we could all do with some money saving tips, so here's the URL: Martin Lewis: Money Saving Expert Also there was a ditsy sounding Yorkshire woman yapping loudly on the phone (and in my ear) on the train on the way from Leeds yesterday. Although most of what she had to say was complete garbage she did mention this site www.SayNOto0870.com which gives you alternative free or local numbers to companies that try and charge you a premium rate just to call them. Again really quite a good idea! I would love to hear some future Lounge gossip here on how you saved money from Martins site too! Enjoy.