Marmora Man

I use it 2 / 3 times a week for lane swimming and 1 / 2 times a week for the gymn. Old and tatty - yes, but adequate. A refurb would be good - but presumably means we'll be without either facility for the period of works?

The Brockwell gymn will have up to date modern equipment and plenty of it - ie 15 running machines, 15 rowers etc. It will be open 06.30 to at least 20.00 Mon - Fri and similar times at weekend. There are rumours that the pool will be heated and kept open year round. I think the ?20 "excess" is appropriate given limited access to JAGS.

monkeydoctor Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thought this might be of interest: the central > london skyline from our neck of the woods after 5 > yrs of planned building projects: Fantastic - great views now and into the future. I now live half way down Forest Hill and the clincher when looking at the house was the view from the top floor back bedroom, also known as Dad's study! Tonight I can see the Millenium Wheel, Houes of Parliament, St Pauls and so on. These new buildings add to London's charm - constantly changing, constantly challenging, constantly London. Unless central London planning has changed completely (and it may have) on the ground old rights of way and alley ways will still be preserved - so you can have the most modern glass and steel building athwart a Dickensian alley way with a Georgian pub or coffee house still part of the adjacent structures. cf "The Old Samuel Butler's Head" in the city.

jurasource Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Found the japanese bottle (and finished it!): > Yamazaki 10yr, very drinkable if slightly lacking > depth... I was told that when the Japanese decided to get into distilling their own whisky they bought an old still from a highland distillery, analysed the metal content to replicate it exactly, modelled it in three dimensions to recreate the exact shape - even down to the dents, scratches rivets and seams - then analysed the water, the malting process & sugar content, impirted the peat and used the exact temperatures as used in Scotland to malt the barley and brew the mash. The first tasting proved that the outcome was complete shite. After that they developed their own processes and now do create a very drinkable something that is Japanese Whisky - which I have drunk in curiosity and then with pleasure.

Forest Hill Road shops & restaurants suffer, at least in part, from a lack of regualr footfall. Those very local will walk past but otherwise it's not "on the way to .... wherever " so aspiring restauranters / shopkeepers presumably don't see it as a prime location. As it is my local area we do use it: I'd support Omrith raves, always had a good meal there, staff friendly but I assume they make their money from takeaways as it is never even half full. The Herne - good middle range gastro pub that isn't aspiring for a Michelin star. Well kept beer, helpful staff. Si Mangia - an excellent addition to the choice. Waiting to see how it develops but it has the potential to become a favourite local eaterie. FHT - OK for a beer, but I'm not a fan of pubs with TV screens. Menu is OK but not up to Herne standard. Turkish shop is alway open, always helpful. New owners of the paper shop next door are more on the ball than the previous owners. Always good for a bit of chart about cricket - tho' the Sikh owner is not sure whether to support Monty Panesar (and England) or India, tends to depend on the results. Co-op - is awful. Post office is much better than the LL branch. Long queues as a result but more interesting conversations. Haven't tried the barbers - never see anyone in there. What we need - a bookshop of similar calibre to Dulwich Bookshop in West Dulwich. A chinese restuarant - to compete with Chopsticks on LL and provide a more local takeaway for us on the East Side. A general sprucing up of the shops next to the Herne, along to the co-op and the odd yellow painted place next to the Post Office. The old Unwins is being refurbished but no clues, as yet, as to what is to become. The seond hand furniture / antique shop is closing - again no clues on a successor.

Shaggy Wrote: > > Once the 0% deal goes don't even *think* about > using Foxtons AND another estate agent. Foxton's > contract states that they are entitled to their > cut on sale, NOT if THEY make the sale. That means > that if the other estate agent sells your > property, Foxtons will still come after you for > their commission. You end up paying twice over. This practice is a well established custom of all Estate Agents - not just Foxtons. The commission is usually less if it's a multi agent deal. Moral - if you don't like to pay commission don't use them to sell your property. With the proliferation of websites, e-bay, YouTube, this forum I am sure the majority of sensible people could cobble together the necessary details, a couple of photographs to market their property and save themselves ?6,000 on the average ?300,000 house / flat sale in ED.

Called in today to check it out. Excellent - the proprieter was extremely friendly, taking time out to explain what's on offer. All the staff were interested and tthe cakes, snacks and dinks on offer all seem of the highest quality. The "Maroc" room upstairs looks brilliant - good spot for team meetings, or just getting away from it all. Will certainly return.

30+ years ago Singapore was edgy - US troops on leave from Vietnam, Australian air hostesses stripping in bars on Boogie Street, rickshaw races to Raffles Hotel, eating off banana leaves from market stalls in Change Alley - all accompanied by the ever present stench from the storm drains. I gather nowadays it is all rather staid.

Just for clarity I was referring to Scotch Malt Whisky - just failed to define my tastes / assumptions clearly enough. What we really need is a discerning landlord prepared to host a whisky tasting or two or three - or even a competitive Whisky / Whiskey tasting perhaps. Water, a few oatmeal biscuits, some cheese to help it all along and a designated driver or two to get us all home. Where is the George Canning man when you need him?

spadetownboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > you cant beat a black bush. Doesn't count - not Scotch!! Rum matured Glemorangie I haven't tried but the Havana Rum barrel matured Glenfiddich was a revelation - a drinkable Glenfiddich. Has anyone tried the Scotch Malt Whisky Society - I can recommend it as a present (remind wife / partner about 6 weeks before birthday / Christmas - that's what I did) Scotch Malt Whisky Society Good for single cask, cask strength malt whiskies with unique rather than blended flavours.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have to thank Iain Banks for the whole whiskey > thing. I had resisted for so many years, assuming > Bells/Teachers were the yardstick > > But his book (just a book) Raw Spirit touring all > the little distilleries was a revelation - I would > recommend it to anyone even half-thinking of > taking the plunge Good book but I found the political views, which were not to my taste, made me drink more. However, his stance on whisky is sound.

Beer is fine, wine is nice but whisky is the real thing. Some favourites: Highland Park - cask strength, dash of water for winter evenings. A 28 year old (I have about two tots left) is just brilliant. Glenmorangie - lots of cold water - before dinner. Talisker - 2 parts water, one part whisky while reading good book. Caol Ila - anytime, anywhere - simply one of the best. Any many others. Thoughts please - whisky tastings can be organised if there's sufficient interest.

dulwichmum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Darling Marmora Man, > > Here, have a Bendicks Bittermint! You couldn't make that a single malt instead?

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >Having .... and requested that the (now > remedied) pot-hole ridden Friern Rd be sorted I > had very swift responses. Sean, who did you contact? I'd like to get the council to fix the "speed bump" at the Friern Road / Peckham Rye junction. No matter what tye of car I go over it in the vehicle grounds. The gouges in the road are evidence of failed design / placement.

bald marauder Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yay! Music and books combined please... Music, books coffe & tea & cakes & Films (DVDs).

If you take Strictteacher's ideas to the limt just think how boring ED would be - I am a middle aged (well a bit over really) father of two teenagers, well acquainted with the positives and negatives of family life but I enjoy seeing others embarking on the same journey. Babies & buggies and yummy mummies make me smile and ED a pleasant place to walk around - I'm sure most people prefer their presence to a bunch of childless trendies reading their Saturday supplements to discover the latest fad. Pubs, restaurants, shops, public spaces, libraries, cinema, theatres are all the better for being shared and used by all generations rubbing along together. BM's example above of the Herne at a weekend is a good illustration.

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Marmora Man Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > - let's have > > fun discussing the world, the universe and > digital > > watches (and pubs to keep this rant on topic). > > There's something a bit Douglas Adams about that > statement. Well spotted. DA was a great fan of proper pubs.

Don't forget London Freewheel Mass bike in to a traffic free London from Peckham Rye Park Sunday 23 September

Next to the undertakers next to Camberwell Old Cemetry. Lots of action ins and outs recently but except that the interior has been almost stripped out - no clues.

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mockney, my nephew is in Iraq at the moment > working for a security firm. He was formerly a > soldier in the Royal Engineers and was involved in > the the war from the start. Doing two tours. He > also has experience of training and working > alongside American soldiers and he has often said > that they are probably amongst the worse and > indiciplined bunch of arseholes he has ever come > across. According to my nephew compared to the > British Army the American military are "f**king > useless and trigger happy dickheads." Hence my > lack of shock or surprise. You should meet their Navy - frightening!

This shop is being refitted - skips have filled and emptied. Anyone with any clues as to what it might become?

Louisa, The middle calsses cannot be both obscure and still be taking over the world (aka ED). Bars attract drinkers - usually drinkers from their vicinity. Good bars attract a varied clientele and a larger vicinity, lousy bars attract very few of any variation from a much shorter distance. The best bars will have admirals talking to dustbin men, judges debating with actors, civil servants discussing the news with doctors, buxom barmaids serving foaming pints of ale to thirsty men, groovy barmen mixing cocktails for attractive women. Try central London on any day of the week and you'll see all of this - and more.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree, I often go to Debenhams in Bromley and > the quality of clothing is far superior to that of > White Stuff in my opinion. Then again, I wouldnt > say no to buying a few woolies from WS in the > future. Louisa - shop in a chain store!!?? What happened to your anti globalisation stance?

Louisa Wrote: > > I think it is a shame that regional accents are > dying. The blandness of the newcomers into ED can > be summed up by the dreary middle of the road > accent. I dont know where they get it from, > probably 3 years of uni does the trick! Is there any subject Louisa that you can't turn into a rant about middle class, middle of the road, not like it used to be skewed view of real life? How about the following: Cooking: B***** Jamie Oliver - ruining the idea of perfectly good school dinners - gristel and lumpy gravy ain't wot it used to be. Reading: We didn't need to read in my day - only had time to work, sleep and drink beer watered down by unscrupulous landlords (state lackeys) Walking: We used to walk to work - now the middle calss have taken over this perfect working class habit as a fitness kick to get rid of the obese figures created by their over indulgence in middle class habits. Peckham Rye Park: Used to be so much better when vandals were allowed to roam and dogs could c*** where they liked. And so on. Personally I prefer to test a person by their mind and their thinking, not their accent. Narrow minds - not worth talking to. Open minds - let's have fun discussing the world, the universe and digital watches (and pubs to keep this rant on topic).

Jah Lush Wrote: > > And for the cricket bores. Get your own thread.:)) It's only possible for us cricketers to convert the unwashed and unbelievers if we speak to you in your own territory. :) What football match / contest can even draw comparison with the Ashes series in '05 ending at the Oval and again (disappointing for England - but the drama was still there) in '06 in australia - both just a single clash in over a century of sporting battle between Australia and England. Watching Pieterson smash a century in 55 minutes or Monty Panesar winkle out a classic international batsman such as Tendulkar is an aesthetic experience - as good as seeing a great painting, listening great music or walking through a rugged landscape alone. Recalling earlier players - and listening to them talk about old matches is like hearing wartime heroes reminisce. Cricket has 200 years of glorious writing to its name, it can even rouse John Major to heights writing almost decent prose and passion (only Edwina Currie could that otherwise - horrible thought). I urge you all to give it a go. Try the nursery slopes of a village or local team game all over in an afernoon and followed by several pints, or a 20 / 20 at the Oval before moving onto a proper county match and then the pinnical of joys - a 5 day Test matche.