Marmora Man

Have just been searching EDF for a B&B fir a nights stay to visit sons (their flats too small to accommodate Dad). Took a nostalgic look around and pleased to find one of my threads still running. Can't resist a comment: I do not, cannot and would not want, to make a case against the emotional draw of "Scottishness" and thus a vote for independence. There's always been a small part of me that has been jealous of the Scots or the Irish or even the Welsh for having a glorious and emotionally satisfying heritage - kilts, swirling bagpipes, misty glens, craggy highlands and so on - all I've got as a mongrel Englishman is bloody Morris Dancing and warm beer. However, the Scots with England and Wales have been a nation for 407 years and a Union for over 300. To break that successful partnership up is, for me, just wrong. The argument central to the SNP seems to be - lets get rid of those nasty, usually Tory, Westminster politicians who have been so horrid to us. It's become a nasty chippy campaign - long on rhetoric and (very) short on facts. The timing of the independence vote coming, as it does, after 6 years of post recession austerity makes it easy to criticise Westminster polticians and much of the argument seems to be that Scotland would have been better if it had not been linked to UK. However, "wee Eck's" history as a master politician and economic forecaster is pretty weak too, remember his proposed "arc of prosperity" with Ireland and Iceland? The UK is, essentially, a provident organisation. We all contribute and we all take out - after all Scotland joined the Union to gain access to English overseas markets and counter the losses to Scotland of the failed Darien Scheme. (England wasn't being simply magnanimous - it wanted Scotland in a Union to bolster a Protestant monarchy). I don't agree Alex Salmond's analysis of the economics, but even if he were right about Scotland having a better per head GDP than the rest of UK his proposal to ring fence his part of the country and argue that it's income can only be used for itself is to go against the original concept of the Union. If that selfish argument were to prevail then London would secede taking 35%, or more, of the UK economy with it, East Dulwich would secede from Southwark, Marmora Road from East Dulwich. Selfishness never looks good. What would happen to the deprived areas of UK in that case? I still visit Scotland regularly and have classic "taxi driver" discussions - the last taxi driver told me ( in June) "every time I see that Alec Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon I want to give them both a slap" - that's the spirit! Brother, I don't want a divorce Cheers to all & sl?inte mh?r

It's been a while so I think I'm over the addiction. Currently overseas but returning UK in April. How is the world that is centred on ED?

Just had supper at Peckham Bazaar with Son No. 1. Excellent stuff, scallop, grilled octopus which was tender and beautifully charred. Good sea bass, great wine and friendly service. I was the oldest in the room by about 30 years but absolutely loved the place and recommend it highly.

The one positive thing a makeover could do is to shift the mountain of rubbish and delivery pallets / trolleys that sit outside the shop and make the area look and feel untidy.

This seems to me to be a GBO - or "Glimpse of the Bleeding Obvious" and politicking masquerading as help. If an individual has access to to this interwebby thingy I'm sure they can read the newspapers, listen to the radio and watch TV - it hardly needs a Lib Dem to point it out. But then state nannying is a Lib Dem policy.

I used to transport a small nuclear reactor around with me that was capable of generating quote "enough power to support a small town". As a full nuclear submarine costs, roughly, ?1bn the reactor costs about ?500m. The expertise resides in UK - mostly at Rolls Royce Associates in Derby. The units would take little more room than a decent sized detached house. The ?16bn Hinckly Point spend could fund 32 smaller units that could be churned out by RRA on an industrial scale pretty quickly. Would also create a second career for a bunch of my mates from the submarine world. PS: Not sure why there was any need to reference Mrs Thatcher in this discussion - she's dead.

When I first lived in Cornwall our house was assessed as being "radon positive" as it sat above a granite seam. The hamlet however had a graveyard and the average age of death in the previous two centuries seems to be well over 75 - so it didn't seem to me to be of major importance. Our new house in Cornwall has radon traps fitted which are, I understand, nothing more than thick polythene sheets with extraction vents to allow the radon to vent out into fresh air rather than through the floors to be concentrated inside the house.

Not touring -I'm returning to London for the weekend.

Off to see Midsummer Night 's Dream with David Walliams and the brilliant Sheridan Smith tomorrow and have high hopes of an entertaining evening.

It's a trend I applaud

It is likely GF, that if your ambition to freeze all developments in East Dulwich until the "community" has considered whether to raise funds to buy out a potential developer, will have two or three perverse effects. 1. It could reduce the likelihood of investment in the area 2. It could make every member of the community bankrupt - as I doubt it would bear the cost of more than one such community asset 3. It could engender a massive outburst of apathy and be totally ignored.

Try this http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d3628450-Reviews-Bar_Tozino-London_England.html

Well I liked it - tho no one followed up my post http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1135729,1135729#msg-1135729

I rather liked Bar Tozino on The Ropwalk, Maltby St, Bermondset. Spanish coffee, toast, oil, salt & tomatoes. Great stuff. Down here in the South West we don't do Brunch - just early doors Sunday pubs.

And my roof terrace with Kirsty ended up on the cutting room floor. Damn! Never mind - we sold the house anyway and are now Cornish!