david_carnell

Dear Ruth As a Leeds Utd fan I spent many a time joshing with Simon about our South/West Yorks rivalry. His love of the Blades defied all known logic! He was an eloquent writer; funny and always good natured. I only met him once in person but am pleased to have done so. His absence from the forum of late has not gone unnoticed. He will be greatly missed here and no doubt elsewhere. We are all poorer for your loss. You have my deepest condolences. If you are collecting for charity in remembrance, please let me know. With sympathy, David.

LadyD - as much as I might agree with you in general terms about Thatcher and her legacy, MM is spot on here. It wasn't even her suggestion, it was that of Geoffrey Howe.

The Dulwich Estate will do their nut if they find him. But seems a much better idea than sleeping rough in central London.

Worth having an oven thermometer for that sort of thing since age and manufacturer and design all influence temp. It's rarely what it says on the dial. And 10-20 degrees over 4 hours can change outcomes a fair bit.

MickMac - any large beef joint would need to rest for AT LEAST 30mins before being served which pretty much gives you time enough to sort out spuds and veg. Never, ever, carve straight from the oven.

Maybe you can learn how to resize things next.....

There is only one person here talking rubbish, MM, and it's not me. I don't think I have ever seen the Drawing Room so united on one topic before. A coalition from across our spectrum. That alone should tell you something. This isn't me and some loony "trots" having a pop at you. This is a list of the most rational, intelligent and often conservative members of the room all lining up to tell you that you are wrong. I'd reconsider your position if I were you.

MM - I'll add patronising to the list. No it's not. First of all, I cannot for the life of me see why a small tax break would encourage people to marry who weren't going to anyway. The cost of the wedding alone would eat up any financial gain for years to come. So you're merely doing to make a political point, not an economic one. Second, even if it did mean more people married, they are doing it for the wrong reasons. Not because they want to but because there will be a financial gain for them to do so. If that's the case it doesn't take a genius to work out that those are the very couples most likely to divorce anyway making the whole think both expensive and pointless. Third, you are discriminating in both a social and economic way against all those who choose of their own free will not to embrace your view of what a family should look like. They impinge on you in no way whatsoever. And yet you think it is the job of government to interfere with that free will and tax all those who disagree with your views on marriage. Lastly, and on wider point, I'd like Britain to be viewed as a progressive nation that embraces all forms of relationship, between all sexes, and doesn't discriminate against those who lead a life that doesn't match outdated 1950s social cliches. Instead, you're advocating a position supported by those in the USA who can only be described as "fringe". Perhaps a return of clause 28 next? After all, it's not normal is it. And you know how promiscuous those gays are....couldn't possibly have a stable relationship and raise a family. Utterly bonkers.

Err......where do you think the money for a benefit payment or tax cut for married couples comes from? A tax cut for married people is a tax rise for everyone else (all else being equal of course). I can't believe in this day and age this is even an issue.

Now you're just being plain obnoxious. There will be plenty of people on here in exactly that situation who don't particularly like being preached or moralised to in this manner. I'm just one of them. I come from a family littered with divorces. I've seen more unhappy marriages than I'd ever care to. Suggesting that I should marry my current partner to fit your outdated stereotypes of what a "family" is not only patronising in the extreme but logically unsound and ideologically hypocritical. As a social liberal I'm not in the habit of lecturing in how best to raise children. As a libertarian, I'm amazed you think government should be spending tax payers money on such a hair-brained scheme.

MamoraMan - I often disagree with you but in the past I have seen a logic of thought and a purity of ideology which I have respected. In this though, you offer a hypocritical standpoint in order to align it with your socially conservative viewpoints. As others highlight, this is as bizarre as it is misguided.

There's a Spanish deli on Tachbrook St in Pimlico that sells at prices much cheaper than Brindisia. But an air dried Spanish ham will always be pricey - it takes a long time to make.

An interesting article on Ron Paul's chances here.

Obama has been hamstrung by Congress, and as Quidsy says, unrealistic expectations on what he can do whilst essentially campaigning for a second term from day one. Ron Paul, the ultra-libertarian, is looking like a dark horse in Iowa and has been fundraising at a very high rate. Considering he's 70 the amount of young people supporting him, due to his "bring the troops home now" message is very high. Romney and Gingrich are off the scale.

Has anyone ever had a trace and access company search for a leak in their property? I'm thinking of asking but have no idea about costs. Unfortunately it is not covered on my home insurance policy. I'll ask in the business section for specific firms but any genereal advice or knowledge would be more than welcomed. I want to make sure I don't have a leaking pipe before getting some damp work done. Thanks.

Studied insouciance. That, or dreaming of Nannie. Dear, sweet, nannie.

I have a confession, Jah. Those instructions are from Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall. My own are somewhat more simplistic. These ones just make me laugh, though having once tried the method they do make a cracking cuppa.

Now, to make my tea, I need two good-sized mugs. I boil the kettle. The hot water goes into one mug first, stays for a few seconds so the mug is heated, then goes into the second mug. The tea bag goes into the first, hot, mug, boiling water is poured in, to within a couple of millimetres of the top, and the two mugs, one containing brewing tea, and the other containing hot water, are left to stand. After about five minutes, the mug of brewed tea is placed in the sink, where some new hot water (freshly re-boiled) from the kettle, is sloshed into it, so it overflows by about half a mug. This is to stop the well-brewed tea being too strong. The full-to-overflowing mug is now tilted a little bit, so it spills out enough tea to allow room for some milk. Remember the second mug, full of the hot (now not so hot, but still quite hot) water that was used to warm the first mug? That is now emptied. The tea bag is fished out from the first 'brewing' mug, and placed in the bottom of the empty 'warm' mug, where a small splash of milk is poured over it. The effect of the hot tea bag, and still-warm mug, is to take the chill off the milk - and impregnate it with a mild tea flavour. To encourage both these objectives, the mug is picked up and swirled, put down for a few seconds, picked up and swirled again, and left to stand for a short while longer. The tea-coloured, warm milk is now poured from tea-bag mug to brew mug, which is given a stir. The resulting colour is observed. A little more milk may be necessary, in which case it will go via the still-warm tea bag mug, into the brew mug. When the colour is exactly right, I will stir in exactly one rounded teaspoonful of golden caster sugar. The tea, which at this point is still far too hot to drink, will now be left to stand for at least five minutes, before a sip is attempted. Incidentally, my tea of choice is Clipper's Organic, and has been for some years now. Ridgeways Fair Trade is an acceptable alternative, and in other people's houses 'breakfast' teas, 'afternoon' teas and big brand builders' teas are always preferable to varietals. I no longer drink Earl Grey, ever. I sometimes drink Lapsang Souchong, but only after four o'clock.

@thatchapcarnell

Sweet. Barry news indeed!

Persepolis.

Back to long johns for a minute..... Presumably your problem lies in insufficiently warm trousers in the first place. Perhaps something like these in a nice thick wool or tweed would solve the problem of cold kidneys. I own a pair and can report not only are they toasty warm but attract many an admiring glance on Rye Lane. Then normal pants will suffice.

http://www.joannas.uk.com/breakfast.php If you don't mind heading to Crystal Palace, Joanna's would be a very civilised start to the New Year. Bet they do a mean Bloody Mary too.

g-rant Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > david_carnell Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Err....isn't there a coffee cart located AT the > > playground most days? One of those little > Italian > > three wheel scooter things with the van bit on > the > > back. Good coffee too. > > Er didn't they say 'really good coffee'? - the van > is not. > > SE22, 'East Dulwich' or otherwise, continues to > frustrate with inconsistent, dissappointing > coffee. > > If anyone, preferably a try hard bean snob like > myself, can recommend a coffee in the area to > rival flatwhite, milkbar, monmouth or similar, it > would be appreciated. > > rant over > g For country still in love with Nescafe I don't think East Dulwich does too bad when it comes to coffee. Sorry if the "die-hard bean snobs" amongst you can't find a "god-shot" locally but it's hardly a coffee wasteland. Whilst pushing your kids on a swing I'm sure the van does just fine.

Fair day's pay for a fair day's work? Asking two people to do identical jobs but different pay due to living in different areas is tinkering at the edges. It'll save peanuts but makes a nice statement for a Chancellor on the ropes