louisiana

There is a farmers' market at Dulwich College once a month, which has been running for some time. I think quite a few other similar markets also operate once a month. It might make sense to hold a farmers' market once a month *and to ensure that the date was different to the surrounding area farmers' markets*. In other words, to have a cycle of local farmers' markets, where there is a different market to go to each weekend. A once-a-month would also limit the impact on residents.

Some moaning and complaining to be sure. But then we are living in difficult times. On the other hand, there's plenty of love being shown for our lovely Lane of independent shops, on another thread. And the ED Nature Watch thread is invariably a positive read.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > SeanMacGabhann Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > And remember when someone on 400k > > a year is even threatened with a tax increase > they > > bleat far more than the people on 16k > > I dunno, where are the people on this thread > saying "this is unfair on us higher-rate > taxpayers?" I think SM means in the press, generally, not on here. We often seem to get reports of how all the wealthy / bankers / investors / what you will, will leave the country if they are asked to pay any more tax.

I first read about Serena's disappearance in The Guardian, on 31 December: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/31/chris-jefferies?INTCMP=SRCH That linked to coverage in one of the local newspapers on 23 December: http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/topstories/8755506.Police_appeal_for_missing_Tulse_Hill_girl/

Could the person who originally posted the 'Val's may close' comment please step forward and say where they heard this? (If this is just the old rumour from the pre-Sainbury's days then probably best if it's hit on the head now.)

I don't think that's quite the right question. AFAIK, I don't think anyone is suggesting that - for example - Waitrose is not the type of shop that should "be permitted on LL; hardly anyone would assign such a store a low value. Quite the contrary. The issue is somewhat more complex; as are the planning considerations. As others have mentioned, it's important to know the site proposed (and size/range of store). Highly likely that any directly competing shops within a short radius would end up in difficulties, but even non-competing shops seem to suffer from drops in local footfall where there is parking offered.

One of the points that came out of the Norfolk item I posted a link to above is that in the study, nobody but nobody shopped at the supermarket and then walked to the other shops.

I think the best thing that James could do wrt to LL retail is to ensure that we get the crossing we've all been waiting for for so many years, as soon as possible. Shoppers should not have to feel they are taking their lives in their hands on every shopping trip to the Lane. If something doesn't happen soon, I'll be tempted to mount a sit-down protest in the Lane. B)

Tarot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That sounds good, Noodle bar, and a cinema. > Most cimemas are quite small these days, one > could be fitted in somewhere. > I heard a rumour they may have one at Crystal > Palace, but I think that plan has been shelved > now. Sometimes I wonder whether you do think, Tarot. "That plan" has most definitely not "been shelved now", I can assure you.

Someone mentioned a store having a car park. An interesting study in a Norfolk market town showing impact on local footfall, both before and after the arrival of a supermarket: http://www.tescopoly.org/images/stories/stalham%20deposition2.doc The irony being that it was the original footfall data that encouraged the council to support a new supermarket... and then the data fell off the cliff once the supermarket opened. Interesting comments from the (originally supportive) local councillor too, and interesting point about the reductions in business rates caused by the arrival (with the council accepting that Tesco caused values of other business premises to fall). (Off course over that period of time there will have been other factors at play too, but several major ones seem connected to the arrival of the supermarket itself.) Truly bizarre that Tesco should claim this case as the one example nationally of a supermarket having contributed to local regeneration. I think the point about shop types 'downgrading', so you get clusters of Chinese take-aways replacing ordinary retailers, is a good one. I have seen this happen elsewhere. Edited to say apologies for having used the word 'interesting' so much in this post. :-$

I'm against. We have enough supermarkets in the area. A supermarket worth having would have a fresh fish counter and a cheese counter (and that doesn't mean M&S)... So that would be direct additional competition (and often unfair competition - promotional sales below cost) for certain local shops that are important to retain. And then there's the impact on rents for everybody, a big minus. If I absolutely must have Waitrose lemon curd, Waitrose horseradish, or Waitrose chilli pickled onions (and I must), I can always add them to a periodic Ocado order. I don't regard M&S as 'aspirational'. It's mostly junk/fast food (with far too much sugar) for people who are not interested in food. Given that we now have a Sainbury's full size, Sainsbury's local (the Plough), the Co-op, and Iceland, I think that's enough. The longer we can keep the Lane predominantly independent, the better. I would welcome another proper greengrocer on the Lane though.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Huguenot Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Please remember that the vast majority of > consumer > > necessities are zero rated, so as Crimewatch > says, > > 'don't have nightmares'!!! > > Yep - I was actually in favour of the VAT rise > when it was discussed a couple of months ago, as > seems to target people who regularly buy "luxury" > products. Many seemed to disagree with me though. Is a carpet a 'luxury product'? I need to replace some 30-yr old ones now cut to shreds after lifting floorboards repeatedly (and over which a wayward tenant has managed to throw several pots of paint, just to make them pretty, like). I can't think of the last 'luxury' I spent good money on (kitchen pans? blanket? stove? slippers? thermal underwear for this fri**in winter?) Most VAT is on very ordinary, day-to-day items.

Hm, 'far end' is relative. If junction with Friern, that's very near (to me) :-S

I had this happen to me as long ago as summer of 1992, in Queens Road Peckham. So not exactly a novel occurrence. Several similar incidents have happened in Sydenham (Kirkdale) area in recent months. The most worrying: the hijackers drove away with a toddler in the back seat. Luckily they abandoned the vehicle within a couple of hundred yards, probably when they realised they had a child in the back.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > When VAT went down to 15% a few years back, > businesses claimed it was costing them a fortune > and consumers said it made little - no difference > to them > > But taking the same starting point of 17.5% and > increasing by 2.5% seems to have everyone > convinced they are being mugged By "2.5 percentage points". Not by 2.5%. Do the math.

Matt S shut the LATOC forum some months ago. It tended to be a hang-out for tin-hat types of many hues. I think he probably got fed up with all the warring nuts. A more serious site is The Oil Drum: http://www.theoildrum.com/

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Whilst I agree with the principle IV, there's a > bit of a confusion between the means and the end. > > Would you prefer to have the UK fail in its > international strategy (for example regular > supplies of resources such as oil and gas that > keep everyine alive), but be principled in its > behaviour? > > It's easy to be 'principled' now, but you might > not feel so good about it if you find yourself > back in the stone age. Perhaps an element of pragmatism is required. Sometimes we do not appear to be acting in a principled way, even when the cost is nil or not great. And perhaps our international strategy should be adjusted to better reflect present and future international realities? What does it cost us to be principled with the Chagosians? Why feed our poodle status viz a viz the USA, when they don't even supply us with oil? :-S The US seems to have a remarkable hold over many governments, and influence seems palpable in many situations. Yet the US is a declining world power. Readjustment required?

CO alarm is for carbon monoxide.

ukdealguide, what a name, huh? :-S

Hill Dweller, you are not nearly amusing enough to be a wag. You are sadly merely a f-w drone. Stale. Right, where's my Crabbies...

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Tell daughter to cook/prepare her own food. My > daughter's vegetarian phase lasted less than a > fortnight under those conditions. Too right, PGC! But I confess, all my veggie-leanings happened after I left home and had to fend for myself, aged 17. I wouldn't have expected a parent to have taken a blind bit of notice of my dietary views. (My parents were more of the force-feeding variety: eat this or you're not moving from your seat in 48 hrs.)

Hill Dweller Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Dickensman Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Admin certainly are in the 'habit' of banning > > people, usually for disturbing the peace of the > > forum, as you will no doubt discover if you > > continue. > > > Jolly good, perhaps they (or you if you're being > modest) will jump on those accusing others of > making ad hominem attacks by doing nothing other > than that themselves. > On the other hand you/they could do some thinking > about OPers that expect their OPs to be agreed > with (or disagreers to stay off thread). > Back to IF you are, you could educate the > wannabe-MI5ers (who on other threads denounce that > organ's activities) that you have access to IPAs, > know that they are shown on every post, therefore > know that all my posts have come from the same IPA > at all times of day and night. Further on this > one you could let them know whether 'Wolf' has > ever functioned from that IPA and then ALSO you > could let them know how very flattering they are > being to 'Wolf' by letting him/her know how > obsessed with him/her they are being ..... if > s/he's looking in they are surely massaging > his/her ego. > > > BIG LOL. > Act on the real point, stop behaving like a > fecking paff Little Englander with your EDL-like > threats. I think I rest my case? B) :-S

aquarius moon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Rather than use a specific vegetarian cookbook, > you can cook all your usual recipes, eg. pies, > curries, chilli, cottage pie, stew, lasagne, > bolognese, casseroles etc. using a meat > alternative instead. It has a similar texture to > real meat when mixed with all the different > sauces. > Quorn mince & pieces are popular. You can buy them > either chilled or frozen in the vegetarian section > of Sainsburys. > Holland & Barrett do a good selection of veggie > stuff, including fishless fish fingers!, but they > are quite expensive. > Good luck to your daughter. I'm always pleased to > hear that a former meat eater, has become a fellow > veggie! Hmm, why try to re-create meat? Or fish? Isn't vegan food good enough? I think it is. You really don't need to make fake food (a la fake fish, fake cheese, fake meat). Like the agri-industrial business would like you to. You just really need to get back in touch with flavours and where they come from. And that doesn't necessarily mean meat or fish or vegan-style substitutions thereof. I'm dead against promoting supply chains that push yet more unsustainable land use in developing countries, McDonald's style. Palm oil, soya etc. Some of the agricultural issues created are massive. It's not about meat/non-meat: it's about industry. Vegetarian-vegan does not mean 'created without issues'. Anyone who is veggie/vegan should be aware of those issues. As should we all.

Thanks espelli, for the links etc. I've already had a seriously bad 'incident' in this building. British Gas engineer broke into my dwelling - gas switched off while I was away - through both window and door, in an attempt to avert an explosion, on a previous xmas. Nothing to do with me/my property/my gas supply! But incident could have blown up the neighbourhood as my neighbour had left his gas on! So interested in getting things right. Lucky I haven't had my personal effects blown sky high ;-). So far.

Anything by Rose Elliot tends to be good. e.g. Vegan Feasts. If your daughter is amenable, I think pulses make a good part-basis for a lot of veg/vegan cooking. There's a surprising variety there, and SMBS (on Lordship Lane) is definitely your friend on this score. Lentils, borlotti beans, chick peas etc. have plenty of protein and many other nutrients, they fill you up etc. Great for fibre too. And they are great in winter! And in salads. I love 'em! :) There are lots of Spanish recipes with chick peas, lentils etc. That's what many - non-coastal - Spanish people ate, before Spain joined the EU :-S Really, you could turn out an entirely different pulse-based meal every day for a month: Indian-tinged, Med-tinged, whatever. If you go down the pulses route, do check out the wonder that it the pressure cooker, if you're not already familiar with it. It makes light work of anything pulse-like, including chick peas. I can recommend the WMF range of pressure cookers (German): good ratings on Amazon; I have one of my own as a consequence, which has proved ultra-reliable. Also excellent for spare parts, unlike models from other manufacturers (where I have experienced some failures e.g. Tefal). I know this is just my own experience, but I've been doing pressure cooking (of pulses) for 30+ years. (Speaking as an ex-vegetarian), I think flavour is important, and that means taking care of herbs and spices and other major contributors to flavour such as celery (an incredibly useful flavour veg in stews, soups, bakes etc) or star anise or soy or mustard or cardamom or cumin or dried peppers or fennel or paprika.... I'm not a big fan of 'fake' as in trying to re-create meat-type experiences with soya etc. I would say stick with good food with good flavours, and avoid the 'potato-trying-to-be-cheese' thing. For inspiration, Terra a Terre in Brighton. They do the most fabulous food, and it is all vegetarian, and a lot of it vegan. For me, one of the best restaurants in the UK. Finally, a little recipe: Catalan spinach. Spinach (plenty), pine nuts, raisins, olive oil, garlic. Toss pine nuts and raisins and chopped garlic in olive oil, in a large pan, until browning. Add plenty of spinach. Voila. Totally tasty as well as incredibly nutritious.