Sue

Celestial has a picture in ther window, presumably from CCTV, of somebody they say has stolen stuff from their shop, could it be the same person?

candp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- in answer to your question 'who is > going to pay for the planting and maintenance' - I > understand that Sainsbury's are responsible for > the park and that store looks pretty profitable to > me. xxxxxxx Apart from cost, another issue is that bedding and herbaceous plants would probably get trampled over and damaged. They would need constant weeding to look half decent. Bedding is not ecologically sound because it is changed twice a year (thus also very high maintenance) and the old plants are usually just binned. A lot of herbaceous plants need staking, division and replanting, etc etc etc.. Some wild flower or prairie planting might be nice, but I can't really see that park being completely redesigned and replanted.

So are the neighbours all going to paint theirs different colours too?!

Moos Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm all for folding pushchairs, especially when > their occupants are awake. xxxxxx I initially read that as you thought that pushchairs should be folded with the awake occupants still in them :))

Medley Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Although think the much cheaper Hurricane was the > workhouse. xxxxxx Workhouse? Crikey, didn't think they were that old :))

Cassius Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Bummer - I'm also a Brockwell park regular (esp > now that a trip to The Florence can be planned > before/after/both). xxxxxxx Blimey, you must have stronger elbows than us, we couldn't get near the bar at The Florence on the evening of the last fireworks - before or after :))

candp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue - the park in front of Sainsbury's with the > rats, the mugging, the litter and where the > lighting is non-existent and which generally > engenders (in me and some of my non-wimpy friends) > a sense of foreboding when walking along > Abbotswood Road listening to the yoofs who have > hopped the gates at night or across the park at > any time when it is quiet. I grant you that the > grass is cut and the trees pruned if that counts > as care but it could be significantly improved. xxxxxxx So far as I know there has only been one mugging, at night, which led to the gates being locked at night - as they were supposed to be before. Have there been other muggings? If the park is closed at night, presumably there is no perceived need for lighting? Are other closed parks lit at night? Not sure what can be done about people jumping over the fence, short of putting up barbed wire (very appealing). Surely this must happen in any park which is locked at night? I walk through there (when it's open) quite regularly. I've never noticed a particular problem with litter, no worse than anywhere else, anyway. Maybe I've been there at the wrong time. Never seen a rat, either, though clearly judging by this thread there are lots :) How would you improve the appearance of the park? It's clearly been planted with relatively low-maintenance shrubs, for completely understandable reasons, but so far as I recall they're all or almost all evergreen flowering shrubs, and personally I think the planting has been quite well done, with something flowering at all times of the year. I particularly like the rugosa roses, which have highly scented flowers followed by rosehips. And the bulbs in the Spring. Of course it would be very lovely to have bedding, or herbaceous borders - but who is going to pay for the planting and maintenance?

Is the road to Forest Hill still blocked off? There was a massive diversion operating recently, apparently due to the road collapsing.

Bic Basher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Even the Plough crossroads > has reopened! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hallelujah!

That's a shame, Brockwell Park fireworks were great last year, even though it took about an hour to get out of the park afterwards due to all the crowds! There's usually fireworks in Crystal Palace Park, but maybe they'll be cancelled as well :-S

berryberry Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The bus services in this part of london are > exceptionally awful. xxxxxxxx I use the buses in this area all the time. I haven't found the services to be "exceptionally awful". What are you comparing them with?

The other thing you could do is get a train from ED to London Bridge and then jog back to Waterloo - although it's going backwards, it might possibly be quicker than the bus option :) Good luck! ETA: You could have a nice run along the South Bank, by the river :)

peterstorm1985 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > candj Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > Sue - Not to be more confusing, but I believe > > that > > > Cate meant the apostrophes in It's was used > > > incorrectly. > > > > > > Sooo sorry, off topic. > > > > xxxxxx > > > > He didn't do that nine times though :)) > > > > Unless she's been through all his posts :)) > > I counted 9 incorrect apostrophes in his post. > > 1 -It's offered beer is bland > Stella/Fosters/Heineken/golden generic froth > > 2 -It's food is "ready meal" bland curry/pie/roast > > > 3 -It's interiors are bland repro pine/antique > brass/ stuff > > 4 -It's art is bland.... > > 5 -It's carpets are naff > > 6 -It's bogs smell of nasty air freshners.. > > 7 -It's service is bland.. > > 8 -It's staff are bland.... > > 9 -It's punters are...... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Oh yeh, you're right :-$:-$:-$ Oh well, maybe I won't apply for that job as a proofreader after all, then :)) Sorry Cate!

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Will the thrills of this thread ever cease?! xxxxxxx Glad you're excited, *Bob* - maybe you'd like to bring asterisks into the discussion :))

candj Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue - Not to be more confusing, but I believe that > Cate meant the apostrophes in It's was used > incorrectly. > > Sooo sorry, off topic. xxxxxx He didn't do that nine times though :)) Unless she's been through all his posts :))

You could get a bus part of the way (eg 40, 68, 171 or 176 to the Elephant) and then jog the rest of the way to Waterloo? Or have I missed the point here?

cate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue, > Ellipsis - apostrophe - what? xxxxx You were having a go at Woof about his punctuation - specifically, you said he was using too many apostrophes. I believe you had actually counted them, and said there were nine. Not sure why this was an issue for you, but I just wanted to point out, in an equally pedantic way, that an apostrophe is this: ' and I didn't see any of those in Woof's post. However an ellipsis (which Woof was using perfectly correctly as far as I can see) is this: ... Clearer?

cate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Woof - get a grip on your rogue apostrophes > please. xxxxxx I think you are confusing apostrophe with ellipsis. God, that makes me feel better :))

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What an intelligent response katie > zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... xxxxxxxx And that's a more intelligent response than hers?

Sorry should have quoted post referred to, see below

katie1997 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Doesn't mean that because I > like to eat or drink somewhere 'upmarket' > occasionally that I look down on someone who > prefers eg. Wetherspoons or a cheap chain. xxxxxxx But clearly a number of posters on this thread do.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's a great idea, Sue. > > If I might suggest - somewhere in Norfolk might > suit? It's relatively unpopulated anyway and - > should a 'Spooner' escape, any minor deformities, > limping or facial tics etc would be unlikely to > raise eyebrows amongst the general populace. xxxxxxxxxx :)) ETA: Has Norfolk replaced Essex now as the geographical equivalent of the blonde, then?

If they're crab apples, they are unlikely to be very sweet, so best to make crab apple jelly or something with :) ETA: There's a tree full of plums up at the Harvester, overhanging Lordship Lane, but sadly I'm only five feet four and I couldn't reach them!

candp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > In answer to your question sophiesofa, I emailed > Sainsbury's head office (in case they are unaware > of the situation) and the store about the state of > this park, which I think is a disgrace and a > dereliction of their responsibilities xxxxxxx Which park are we talking about? St Francis Park, or the park up the steps on the way to the adventure playground? St Francis Park has always seemed reasonably well cared for, to me.

james84 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- You > only have to look at Wetherspoons in Balham to see > that despite being an area considered to be > relatively affluant the alcoholics and youths > drinking in there really effect the impression of > the immediate area. > xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Presumably they are drinking in there because they can't afford the prices in the bars catering for the other "relatively affluent" residents of Balham. Christ, maybe we should just herd everybody earning below a certain wage into fenced off parts of the country and provide them with places like Wetherspoons which sell cheap ale, so that everybody else can sneer and look down their noses at them from the expensive bars elsewhere.