Sue

I was in Varanasi around that time of year, it was fine (albeit twenty years ago!), not at all daunting. Don't remember it as a place where we were particularly ripped off. Arrived there quite late at night and seem to remember a scary time being led through dark narrow alleys, but all was well. Stayed in a hotel near the river (ie not in the posh bit) which was fine. Best time to take photos is very early in the morning by the river, when the ceremonies take place. You can get a boat and take photos from there, it's all very atmospheric. Only downside of Varanasi was it's hard to buy beer, being a Hindu holy place, and if you find a place which sells it they hide you out of sight :)) However I have to say the only place in India where from memory we didn't get really hassled was Jaisalmer. Oh and Poona, but that was a different trip. On the whole I didn't like India either, it was quite a disappointment. Nepal was much more chilled. And quite easy to get to from Varanasi if you have a visa and fancy straying over the border.

thebestnameshavegone Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Wow, this is great! > > East Dulwich, September 2010: 341 'suspicious' men > seen in Goose Green Area. xxxxxxx Would love to know how they define "suspicious" :) What do you reckon their criteria are? I can't even get onto the ED part of the site, it took forever to load, then came up with a blank page :))

I've just had a really useful discussion with somebody from the Energy Saving Trust who gave me loads of information. If you phone 0800 512 012 they can tell you which organisations are working in this area under the grants scheme. I did have an online chat first but they asked me to phone. I'm going to have the Nationwide Energy Services people come tomorrow to see what they say, but I might end up using someone else.

I've found this, and I'm very tempted to get a second survey done to see if they say the same thing .... http://www.government-grants.co.uk/loft-insulation-grants.shtml

I was previously under the impression that, as you say, there were only grants available to the over 70s, and that the government in any case was changing the scheme after April this year. However NES say that anybody is entitled to a grant worth 80% of the cost of installation, both for labour and materials. They also do cavity wall insulation, also via a grant. However my walls are solid (I hope!) brick. I'm going to check it out properly before I give them the go-ahead, will see what the surveyor says tomorrow.

Has anybody used this company? Nationwide Energy Services I was cold-called this morning, thought it was a scam and told them I wasn't interested, but having done a bit of research it seems they are bona fide. I have a surveyor coming tomorrow for a "free, no-obligation blah blah blah" and as far as I understand it they act as middle men/women for an 80% government grant to bring my loft up to the recommended standard. They've said I would pay around ?149 but that could vary up or down subject to the survey, and that this is cheaper than other companies (they quoted British Gas for one, as charging ?199). Anyone used them? Were you happy? Can I get this done cheaper elsewhere? My loft is currently part-insulated and part-boarded, I haven't done anything to it in the twenty years I've been here :-$ . It was on my very long house "to do" list (mainly getting previous builder's work done properly and/or finished (6)) but somewhere near the bottom :))

Great pic, ComputedShorty :) I remember a street party in Hopton Road in Streatham for the coronation.

MrTwirly, you have made me feel so much better :)

Pugwash, deffo speak to Citizens Advice Bureau, and if at all possible someone should stay with your daughter until this is resolved, for everybody's peace of mind. I'm so sorry, what a nightmare. Lodgers definitely have fewer rights than tenants, because the owner lives in the same place. But CAB should be able to advise on the exact ins and outs of this situation. Good luck.

Like an invasion of blob-like aliens descending on the Rye :) Nice tree though.

Ten police cars would hardly turn out to a burglary, would they? There was a helicopter out last night as well.

Daizie, that's really funny. The whole of East Dulwich would be one giant cat's cradle :))

legalbeagle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So there you go. No doubt there's a perfectly good > and scientific explanation for all of that. xxxxxxx You'll probably find that the usual suspects will pick out the bits of your story where they can find some alternative "scientific" explanation, however unlikely, and conveniently ignore the other bits. Hopefully you won't be subjected to the mocking and name-calling as well. :-S

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I haven't given up at all and loving it. Well > done for giving a boost to The Goose is Out! xxxxxx Hadn't noticed that :) If you're into folk/roots/blues, check out the Goose! (But I haven't updated the website since Friday's gig, ooops :)) )

Blimey, a compliment on here makes a pleasant change :)):)):))

What???

Wonder if anyone else who had stayed there had ever seen her, Jaws? Would be interesting if so, and to know who she was. When my Mum died, at her funeral, one of my sisters saw her turning cartwheels - although my recollection is that she said it was "in front of the altar", and I'm not sure they have altars in a crematorium? Will have to ask her. Just remembered something else which freaked me out somewhat. I went on this weekend course at the College of Psychic Studies, never done anything like it before (or since) but I'd had a few weird experiences and had found them quite scary and I thought if I found out more about what was going on I wouldn't be so scared. Anyway, the main thing I remember is that we did this exercise where each person wrote their name on a piece of plain paper, then crumpled up the paper and put it in a bag. The tutor came round with the bag and we each had to pull out one of the crumpled up balls, open out the paper again, and talk about what we "got" from it. With mine, I couldn't see anything on the paper at all really, and when it got to my turn I said all I could see was a boomerang, which meant nothing to me at all. The person whose paper it was then said she was about to emigrate to Australia. And no she hadn't mentioned this before, and I had never met her before.

Yeh I remember Miller and seven. I remember lots of useless things :)) Oh and I've found out from my OH how the vase got broken, but as it's a :-$ memory I will never divulge it :))

@minkturtle - I once had a friend who could affect stuff like that. Don't think she ever played machines though! She was also a healer, and worked with cancer (I think) patients (with the doctors' permission) in an NHS hospital (I mention the hospital work only in an attempt to stop further mocking, though I doubt it will). I agree that having precognition can be a curse. There are some things you just don't want to know about, particularly in advance. ETA - sorry, wrote the above before I'd seen your later post, what you say is very interesting. I have (another) friend who has a similar what I would call gift. She can also do absent healing, and I can always tell if she's been doing it on me even if she hasn't said she's going to, because I can feel it. @Jeremy - I believe what you say about particle theory (or whatever it's currently called) is correct, but the alternative to thinking that there's an actual scientific explanation for some of the incidents described above is that there is some "psychic" thing going on, however you choose to define "psychic". Isn't it? And we have no idea if or how parallel universes might interact, assuming they exist in some way. Many things, like flight and space travel, which used to be considered "in the realms of science fiction", as you put it, were subsequently found to be possible. And now I must get off the forum cos got a gig tonight and things to do for it. Damn!

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Sue you were getting grief for not being bothered > to wear REAL fur coat, for wearing a fake nylon > 'impression' of the real thing, goddammit why > couldn't you just wear REAL dead animals instead > of pretend dead ones ? > xxxxxxxxx :))

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And why aren't they looking to return East Street > to its former glory as a "destination market" to > recoup some of the losses? [/quote > > Because it's not the 80s anymore? xxxxxxxx Eh? I'd have thought in a recession more people would be looking to go to markets. Just, not expensive ones.

As a councillor, James, to whom ultimately presumably council employees are responsible, can you not put pressure on these particular employees? It does seem to me that somebody must have taken their eye off the ball (to put it mildly) if they did not realise what was going on at East Street, resulting in such a massive deficit. Or are we talking turning a blind eye? OK you probably won't want to answer that :)) And why aren't they looking to return East Street to its former glory as a "destination market" to recoup some of the losses? Too much effort compared to North Cross Road?

:)) But not in my case cos I've never taken any :)

Now can we get back to the subject of the thread, thanks.

I'm so sick of people mocking things they can't explain. And mocking the people who talk about the things they can't explain. It's pathetic and closed minded.