katie1997

hey kk yup i can identify with that feeling you had of us being a sad, lost people....after a few beers I was fine too LOL.. the eye - v funny happy new years peeps :)) *champagne chilling as I type*

KK i know exactly what you mean, I have lived and worked in India for several years; on my return to the UK I saw how ugly the western/UK drinking culture has become. However, there are so many more differences to take into account - India is an amazing country with so many people living relatively harmoniously side by side (take religion out of the equation) and they are happy to meet new people, you cannot compare the cultures in some respects. I found it weird to return to lagerlout/ladette territory (and I am guilty as anyone here) and it seemed like we had gone down the wrong path with our boozing culture. But in India they DO love their whisky and there is a very male-dominated middle class who get absolutely trashed. As other posters say, the Northern Hemisphere countries historically have a stronger tendency to dependency on hard liquors for sure....no idea what the answer is. The peeps who advocate introducing children to alcohol earlier (like France) possibly have the answer..

Oh and navy will be the 'new' black......

- the UK will decide it needs to invest in manufacturing again - the price of carbon will increase, creating a bubble ripe and ready to burst.. - Andy Murray WILL win Wimbledon - the Royal wedding will be dramatically called off - the Large Hadron Collider will find a clue to the Higgs-Boson - Dualit will extend its range to include rice cookers (in a variety of colours with the chrome one being the priciest for some strange reason)

er...can I say that there are also certain foodstuffs that make you feel old...for example, the horrible realisation that you actually like Stilton cheese, port, whisky...brussels sprouts!!!:))

I got it today and I am near Northcross Road area. I find it really useful being new here.(tu)

agree with others - go with the book every time.

..thinking that high heels are not as comfortable anymore and opting for more sensible shoes argh... ...thinking that its easier to stay at home all snuggled up with a glass of wine instead of the sheer bother of getting ready to go out to a noisy bar. ..the realisation that your boss would only have been 6 years old when you began your career ..highlight of the weekend is a visit to the garden centre and a good play on radio 4 LOL....

agree with woof, daizie and first mate...I hope that you manage to resolve this womanofdulwich...very good that you noticed this early on. Cruelty to animals is unforgiveable and I don't think leaving a new pup tied up outside is the best way to introduce him/her to the household. I really really hope that things work out okay!!!

Love that memory...how precious...cannot imagine London in 1926.....so much history...such an amazing city..that is really priceless! Homemade loaf of bread..what a fabulous pressie idea...love it. Now a towel for a gift is another matter altogether.... My worst present??...(not this year I hasten to add...), probably some weird brightly coloured liqueur in a shoe-shaped glass bottle!! OMG yes indeed..!!?? However, I think if you are getting any kind of presents at Christmas, consider that a blessing....

heya you have my sympathy...noisy neighbours have GOT to be the most irritating problem to deal with. It really can make peoples lives a misery and there a lot of inconsiderate people out there. I think you should firstly inform the landlord about the problem and if they value you as a tenant then they will look into helping to solve it by better insulation. I don't know the number but I am sure there is a noise pollution dept at southwark council that you could contact too (esp as you have already tried talking to your rotten neighbours about this). Best of luck...

ditto the previous posts if you are simply wrapping cocktail sausages in streaky bacon...if you are covering them in cheesy pastry too (pigs in blankets) then the good news is that they also cook on their own. good luck!! thank goodness you didn't ask about devils on horseback ;-)

'the past two decades'....I wish people would look at the temperature of the planet over the 4.5billion years of its existence rather than what has happened in the last century. The global carbon market and low carbon 'agenda' is huge in today's politics...people in developing countries such as Bangladesh that suffer from severe flooding would rather that people DO something to help them today rather than contributing to the hype and trying to create policies and agreements and global deals for 2015, 2020 and 2050 ad nauseum.. Arguing over whether climate change is happening...or whether its an inter-glacial....man-made...caused by Western industrialised nations...and so on...does not really help the people in poorer countries who are concerned about where their next meal or shelter is coming from.

ontheedge...cheers for that info!!! will give em a try.

... South Indian food....where can I get a masala dosa, idli with sambar and chutney or vada for breakfast even.. around here??? And it also needs a good cake-decorating shop...do I really have to go up to town to get edible gold sprinkles and Christmas themed decorations for my amateur baking attempts a la Nigella...... ;-)

Did anyone else have trouble getting home yesterday? 176 was cancelled (they didn't tell anyone who waited for an hour at the stop..). And the 12 which was running stopped without prior warning in Peckham ??(I think...don't know S.London well) and there was no way to get to Dulwich. Taxi companies had a 30m-2hr waiting time! I was extremely thankful to a fellow female passenger on her own who arranged for a group who were going in the same direction to walk together...it would have been very scary otherwise. To add insult to injury was the fact that a number of 'out-of-service' buses sped past us at breakneck speed after they said they weren't going near Barry Road (or anywhere!) as it was "too dangerous". Why are we always surprised by wintry weather in December in this part of the country?? *sigh*. However, the incident restored my faith in human nature...what a wonderful lady to meet and I hope she and the others made it home safely. (Locked because there is a duplicate thread (see next message)) - The Administrator

hmmm...i am guessing this will be v.difficult to deal with if your apartment is a conversion rather than purpose-built? guessing also you have already requested that they smoke outside? keeping your windows and doors shut constantly? not a great solution i know...

oh wow sounds totally amazing...thanks for sharing that info on iceland, really interesting to hear this..i would love to go there but don't like the sound of those flights!! need to get some icelandic friends too!! btw, have seen the aurora borealis in the highlands of Scotland..its amazing..also great being able to read newspaper outside at midnight in summer up there!

wow...thanks for all these top tips. I am so glad I asked on here, everyone has been v.helpful. I will def buy one after Christmas with good tyres, disc brakes and possibly even another Kona..or Trek..or....erm....I think I have to road test quite a few now :)

..er...I can confess that I went to the royal ballet circa 10-12 years ago when I was blessed with living with 'flatmates'. One of my wonderful flatmates worked at the ROH at the time and got me and another flatmate top tickets to a ballet which was (dare I say it now...) kinda wasted on us as we argued over who got the blue(!) smarties/skittles throughout the performance of the 'mainstream' ballet LOL :)on a serious note, it was truly great to see a ballet at the ROH and I think you and the misses will enjoy it wherever you go...where there's a will (there's a relative) there's a way.... ;-)

hi ya all....thanks SO much for all your wonderful suggestions ..muchos appreciation for all comments...I have checked out the mission website woof...totally amazing bikes or what??!! I reckon Iwill be too impatient to wait for delivery tho lol..will investigate cycle to work scheme ladymuck ta!!apple..trek sounds fabulous and I did see them in the shop. I am def taking on board advice about test riding them first - balfe's recommended this too :)lightest I can afford is great idea...i didn't know kona were considered cheesy...willsee wht feels best and will try to check out brixton cycles and beone also stevet and bon3yard. cheers peeps xx

I took my trusty Kona Hoo Ha bicyle circa 1999/2000 to Balfe's for a service when I recently moved to ED. I hadn't used the bike for while so was disappointed to find a hairline crack in the aluminium frame (Balfe's were great btw and v. helpful). I now need to buy a new one to commute into town and would appreciate any suggestions from any cyclists out there...I really liked the Kona Hoo Ha which was a hybrid.....can anyone recommend any brands?Cheers.

Oh WoD....I honestly don't think its you..I think its a very common feeling in people of all ages. Like the others say..it was probably just down to a bad day...or a few bad days...or a bad week. I think you sound very conscientious about your work and that is always a good thing...you wouldn't be worrying about it otherwise. I think that women worry about this more than men (although happy to be corrected on this one!) By all means think about changing profession if you want a change but certainly not for this one. I know for a fact that its very very common that people often feel like they are 'bluffing' in their role or not good enough for it or that someone else would handle it better....we ALL have that from time to time..honestly :)

I agree that the more lavish the wedding, the shorter the marriage ;-) I hate wedding lists but can see that others think differently....so if its their wedding and their friends then thats up to them. I hate the idea of dictating what my guests should buy or how much they should spend...I would just want them to be there to celebrate with me. Everone knows how costly hotels and new outfits are for the occasion. Its the thought that counts and if you know the couple well then I don't think it would be that difficult to buy them something nice, unique and special for around 50 bucks. 150 is like....very extravagant or it seems to me. Weddings should be enjoyable and not full of angst about spending enough on a gift. we do live in very materialistic times....guess it depends on who is doing the inviting and how well they know you..

Oh dear..I agree with Sean x2, Michael, Mr Ben, David, Applespider (and maybe more...) all at once. I don't know the right answer unfortunately. I used to frequently fly with BA longhaul and although their service wasn't as good as Virgin, I used them because they had the most direct route to my destination (and I hate flying..so the quicker the better) I do think the country will be judged without a 'national' airline...but they do need to stop having the public sector mentality towards running a commercial business..I am just SO relieved I don't have to use them at Christmas but I feel so sorry for the others that do. For those of us who hate flying, it is actually reassuring to fly with a known and trusted brand of which BA definitely is. I don't think this is the same situation as that of the 'management' at Royal Mail though..