kford

I would suggest, again, that ED 2.0 started with The EDT, Palmerston, Inside 72, Liquorice, East Dulwich Deli and Cheeseblock

Time to start investing in SE26 and SE23: http://www.thedolphinsydenham.com/ And they'll get the London Overground/East London Extension.

It's a tricky one, this. Clapham High Street, and indeed Clapham's regeneration can be traced back to the moment the Clapham Picture House opened its doors. There wasn't such a seismic event in ED recent history. Word of mouth from new residents must've played a big part. That's how we heard it was a great place to come.

Le Chardon?

Wasn't the Palmerson's makeover a big reason for the recent regeneration?

There's a dropped kerb at the end of the pavement, by the EDT. Is there a set distance? If not, there's nothing stopping you wheeling a bike across.

Have you considered Zagat/Time Out/Square Meal window stickers for our favourite ED places? THAT would be a sound endorsement.

True. Son't see many 4x4s in ED. The noisiest, most fume-ridden vehicles on LL are the (empty in the day) buses.

I think Les Alden's first point goes some way to answering this. A small independant, with no brand and less cash at their disposal, is more likely to follow the rules.

Barnet council got rid all theirs, much to the annoyance of Ken Livingstone, who tried to withold council funding as a punishment. They saw a 14% drop in casualty rates.

And no mention of Foxtons! Oh..

Saw that tonight. It's their land, like the concrete bit in front of the Co-op block and the sit down bit in front of the Dulwich cafe by shoe shop.

"Edit: ooh actually this says that "ambulances and fire engines will be able to cross the device with little discomfort, irrespective of their speed". Which means so will transit vans and bin lorries. Better than normal speed bumps though.

Mine's still full. They emptied the brown bin though.

The Bishop beats any pub in Clapham simply beacuse you can get a seat, the barman knows you and it has a dog.

Don't show Mr Livingstone that. It'll give him ideas.

Like Mark and Selma, we lived in Clapham for several years. When we moved there Clapham High Street was a jumble of charity shops; cheap local restaurants, like Eco and La Rueda; a great hardware store and a Budgens supermarket. Now, after ten years it is unrecognisable, with a huge Sainsbury's AND a Sainsbury's Local, a Tesco Metro, a GBK, a Sea Cow, Belgos and several assorted queues-on-weekends bars. Sound familiar?! Why? It's a destination. When we lived there it never felt like Our Town. You seldom saw the same person twice, even in your own street. Lots of flats, lots of 20-somethings, lots of transient Europeans and Antipodeans, all out to spend their hard-earned City cash. We moved here several years ago for some peace and quiet, and to have a sense of belongling. And can you imagine a forum like this in Clapham, with such strong views on the future of its community?

Those active road signs actually work. Everyone's happy. My car's had two new suspension bushes (?230 each) caused by speedhumps, and I tip-toe over the darned things. And BMW now make 'London-spec' bushes made from harder rubber to counter the effects of UK traffic calming measures, as they don't have the problem in Germany (and curiously, their pedestrian casualty rates are lower than the UK's; maybe drivers there have their eyes peeled for pedestrians rather than speedhumps).

And cushion bumps are there to allow ambulances on their way without further hurting the patient on board. Full bumps still don't stop the real speeders: the uninsured and un-MOT'd, van drivers in vans that don't belong to them, dustbin men and the police.

It is a bit echoey, and the pictures on the wall look like they came from Athena c.1988. A few sepia shots of LL and local characters would endear them to the locals a bit more. And not serving bland, expensive burgers too.

It's still the best of the 'good-for-you' burger joints, and infinitely better than McD's or BK in terms of quality and brand. Maybe it's just the way this particular franchise is run, if the Clapham one is still keeping up standards. Not being able to offer rare burgers does suggest that the patties are prepared off-site however. Time for Wm Rose's to set one up. Hnd home made are the best, as Keef says. Nice with a bit of ginger, red onion and coriander mixed in. Yum.

Well spotted, keef :))

And some geese.

???? is on the money. The rents argument is the stongest against this trend. The big boys have such buying power and arrogance - look at Nero; they've swaggered into town without even bothering to sort out their planning permission. And Foxtons' two fingered gesture of a shop front speaks volumes for their attempts to integrate into the community. Support the shops and eateries that are already here - the good ones will survive and thrive, the dross will be replaced by new indies, if the rent is still cheap enough.

B?arnaise sauce: 2 egg yolks 110g/4oz butter 2 shallots, roughly chopped 1 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped Method 1. Melt the butter in a small pan. 2. Place the yolks in a mini food processor along with the shallots and the tarragon. 3. Give the mix a quick blitz. Slowly add the melted butter to the processor and blitz until the mix becomes thick and creamy.