Sue

Burbage Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Everywhere I go I seem to see new ones at the > > moment. My neighbours on both sides have them > :) > > Although some people clearly flatter themselves > that they're worth looking in on, a fear of > rubber-necked, prod-nosed and possibly > light-fingered, neighbours is not always > unreasonable. Shutters help reduce this anxiety > without the implication that the inhabitants are > reclusive documentary-fodder or dead. Moreover, > shutters never need taking to the dry-cleaners, > which means they're always ready for action. > > Whether your neighbours have spent good money to > allay an imagined fear, to hide their squalor from > the judgemental, or to mitigate a real threat, is > a question only you can answer. But, whatever the > motive, it doesn't seem an entirely healthy > development. xxxxxx Erm, I hardly think my neighbours see me as a threat of any kind :)) ETA: Despite the Stella :))

red devil Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's the 'plantation style' I was referring to > Sue. > > The origin of plantation shutters that are > currently used are from the early colonization of > the US. Spanish settlers that founded plantations > had brought the knowledge of the convenient and > adaptable window treatment with them. They made > the plantation stand out by painting them white > and creating wide louvers. Usually reserved for > sugar or cotton plantations, the shutters > eventually became a stylish but practical way to > control air flow and sunlight. Today, while still > recognized as a symbolic tradition of the South, > many people appreciate the creative ingenuity that > has remained almost unchanged since the colonies > sprung through the Americas. > > I can see you sitting in your rocking chair on > your front verandah, watching the world go by... xxxxxxxx In my case it's sitting on my front wall with a can of Stella watching the world go by ... :))

Yes that office is definitely on strike today. I took a parcel in on Saturday and was told if I sent it by the ordinary Parcelforce service it would not leave until Tuesday as they were on strike on Monday :(

Not in ED, but we saw a mother duck with FOURTEEN tiny ducklings on the Thames (near the Wetlands Centre in Barnes) yesterday. Seems awfully late in the year, and a very large brood! Hoping some of them at least will survive whatever eats them (herons?)

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm guessing Sue is thinking of the internal > blinds. Probably brown > > They do same job as curtains, just question of > preference really > > But yeah - dust magnets for sure xxxxxxx No - not blinds. Wooden shutters, hinged, which fold back. Usually seem to be painted white. Everywhere I go I seem to see new ones at the moment. My neighbours on both sides have them :) This sort of thing: http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350832785166?var=lv&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=66&ff19=0 ETA: I've also had leaflets put through my door from companies which make/fit them. The main reason I'm not all that keen is that I don't think they would fit in with my decor. I'm not bothered about keeping cool in the Summer, but if they were definitely better than curtains at retaining heat in the Winter then I'd definitely consider them. And/or if they worked out considerably cheaper than curtains overall when fitted in a front bay. But I suppose I'd have to have them on the back window as well as I have a through living room.

East Dulwich seems to have become full of shutters. Can anybody explain to me why? Is it because: They are supposedly on trend? They keep in heat (in the Winter obviously :) )? They stop people seeing in? They stop the sun fading stuff? Some other reason? It's a serious question. I was going to have full length thermally lined curtains in my living room and wonder whether I am living in the past and should be looking at shutters instead. Can't afford new windows/double glazing .....

Where did you go in the end? We had a good evening at The Old Nun's Head :) despite my OH being soaked to the skin after the walk there in torrential rain :)

worldwiser Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- try and name any part of zone 2 left > that doesn't have restrictions on every single > street during the working day. xxxxx And it's an absolute nightmare.

You can also change your maximum bid on JustSnipe right up to the time the eBay auction finishes. And they will also inform you by email if the bidding goes over your JustSnipe bid, in case you want to up your maximum bid. That does of course depend on you getting the email in time, though!

edhistory Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Without bad design, bad commissioning, bad project > management, and bad implementation there would be > no remedial contracts. > > John K xxxxxxx How cynical! But I'm sure you're right.

Bidding is much easier if you use a sniping website like JustSnipe. It's free if you don't use it too often. I've almost always won stuff I've bid for using it - the only time I didn't, my maximum bid was far too low, but I didn't want to pay the price the item finally went for anyway. I've generally got things much cheaper than I would have done if I'd bid openly (and therefore pushed the price up). I know it seems unfair, but it's allowed by eBay.

ratty Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think the nuns head has live music tonight xxxxxx Yes it has. Starts 9pm. Don't know what the rest is but Filthy Boy who are headlining are excellent, from what I've seen of them on YouTube. We're going. It's free.

There's a good band headlining at The Old Nun's Head tonight - Filthy Boy. I think the live music starts at 9pm and Filthy Boy are on at 10.45pm I think. It's upstairs. No idea what the other music will be like though. Good food and drink at the Nun, too :)

otter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm sorry but I think you are missing the point xxxxxxx It isn't clear who you are saying is missing the point? Not me I hope as your post follows mine?

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > OK - just pure speculation here, to make a point - > but, what if he had been crying for help because > he wanted another drink, or another fix, or > someone to give him a job, or a home, or his wife > back? There are so many reasons to cry for help - > that's why I suggested that if someone who had had > the time could listen to him it might help. But > until you know the cause, you have no way of > knowing the cure, and in some instances a cure > isn't in anyone's gift. The proximate and > immediate help you (society) can give someone in > acute clinical depression (assuming that's what > was the matter) is medical - once that's > refused... xxxxxxx According to a post above the man is schizophrenic, not depressed. They're completely different illnesses. And to "speculate" that he was "crying for help" because he "wanted another drink, or another fix" is just rude. ETA: To the best of my knowledge, which admittedly is somewhat out of date, schizophrenia is not helped by "listening". It is helped by medication. If the person refuses medication then there is little anybody can do, unless he were to be sectioned.

I live a few streets away from Crawthew Grove, off North Cross Road, and I definitely don't want a residents' parking scheme. If memory serves I was consulted about it at the time, and said the same thing then - as I presume did most other people, otherwise we'd have one.

I found this book (What Color Is Your Parachute?) very helpful many moons ago, although the author is American as you can tell by the spelling, and I don't know whether these days there are English references as well. No idea if it still is helpful, but it seems to have good reviews on Amazon judging by the star rating (I haven't read them). http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2013/dp/1607741474

Katy Tonbridge Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I just saw a couple of trees with lots of dead > leaves on Dog Kennel Hill (towards the top). A > reminder that trees need water too - do water your > local tree, especially if it's young. xxxxxx Sadly some trees have dead leaves because they are diseased :( Horse Chestnut is one where there have been problems in the UK over the last few years :(

gedwina Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi everybody - very happy as just spotted a frog / > toad in my new half barrell pond! Can anybody help > I'd this? Thought I hadn't seen as many slugs this > year xxxxxx Great picture! Congrats on your frog!

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Will need to be sorted out especially if the new > business (I hear it's McDonalds) attracts lots of > pedestrians. xxxxx McDonalds? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Where did you hear that, KK??

They will if you put it in a bin bag, tie up the top and put it in your green bin :))

They're late for their supper.

If it bothers you why don't you speak to the people who you think are feeding your cat, ask them to stop and explain why? Is your cat just greedy, or is it possible that you are underfeeding him? Or are people forcing food on him? Surely the person who catnapped him can't have realised he was your cat? That would be theft! Surely she must have thought he was a stray? I've twice "rescued" cats who turned out not to be strays at all, much to my embarrassment. In the first case I saw a poster and immediately went to tell the owner that I had her cat, upon which she accused me of stealing him!!! If I was a thief I would hardly have let her know about it!!!. I feed/look after a few cats in this area when their owners are on holiday, and recently fed a couple of beautiful Burmese cats for a week (in their own home). They live a few doors down from me, and now they have taken to coming into my house (if the back door is open) and mewing loudly at the back door (if it is closed). I have only ever fed them in their own home, so I'm unsure whether they are after food or attention - I do chuck them out of the house each time, but I then give them a cuddle in the garden :) I think it's nice that so many people like cats :)

buddug Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- They and us should be rioting in the > streets xxxxxx The relatively recent riots showed how quickly things can spread once the touchpaper has been lit. I wasn't joking when I talked about a revolution. There's a limit to how much people can take, and a limit to how long people can ignore what's going on/turn a blind eye. The cutbacks to basic services for vulnerable people are happening at the same time as others are lining their pockets at our expense. Actually I think what we're seeing is the collapse of this civilisation, and what's happening in this country is a manifestation of that. Hopefully I shan't be around to see the worst of it :(

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Putting aside the broader points for a moment, but > when did this government cut taxes? xxxxxxx I wasn't talking about this government. I was talking about a previous Tory government who cut income tax. Can't remember exactly when but it must have been either late eighties or early nineties?