civilservant

The Greeks - all of them - want to stay in the eurozone. They FEEL European and the euro is the most potent signal of that. They're up a creek anyway whether they leave or stay. The country has been living on borrowed time, borrowed money and empty politicians' promises for years. Syriza is just the latest of a bad lot. It is painful to watch them - Tsipras, Varoufakis, various MEPs and MPs - twist and squirm and bluster under questioning. Its going to be painful no matter what

I'd have loved to join the chorus of 'it ain't good enough, DMC' especially since discovering today that I wss no longer registered as a patient there - however, the young man behind the reception counter sorted it all out and even got my repeat prescription issued without me asking having failed in the recent past to get a same-day appontment for a sick child, I'm reserving judgement on DMC, but want to give credit where it's due

we did it too, with a small child and a small dog - it was supposed to last 6 months, but went to 9. we lived in the sitting room which was converted to kitchen/living room - it helped to have access to cooking facilities (a portable induction hob and microwave), a washing machine and a fridge - although through lucky coincidence we were away for two weeks in the summer while they knocked down walls when it all got a bit much, it helped to remember that it was a lot like how most people lived well into the last century; and it was also useful that the child was young enough to be persuaded it was all an adventure! overall not an experience we'd want to repeat it, but not impossible to survive either; and of course it'll all be worth it in the end. good luck!

Blah Blah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The OP has a point though in that there seems to > be no catagory for things that warrant serious > discussion, but are not ED specific. there was a place called the Drawing Room or the Waiting room or something that was full of people opining about things far-flung e.g. Greece, the NHS, US voting habits. i rarely ever dared to venture in, let alone post, in there. It was closed down by Admin in his/her wisdom some time ago i don't think that this is what the OP is regretting, however

we might never know... can you live with that, Bob?

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Are there any glorious reviews in particular you'd > like to mention, firstchoicegary? i thought that was a pretty good first sarcasm salvo, Louisa

some very helpful tips from Michael P, but the OP's allegations didn't involve trouser investigation, just that they went about their business while being rats. For which Network Rail is going to pursue them - although given its track record, the rats might still have some hope... in case anyone thinks I'm some kind of undiscriminating rat-lover, I agree with prunellabutterworth that the Peckham Rye rat, with its complete lack of personal hygiene, was a disgrace to its community

so are they going to put up notices, possibly at ankle height, to advise the rats to stay off the platform?

what Sue said!

A reminder that it's tomorrow, and the weather looks set to be on our side See you there!

I have been asked by my spies to say" The souvlaki I had wasn't that great it was a bit boring as it was only really halloumi and they forgot about my order"

Does anyone have a gazebo to lend on the day? We need gazebos to shelter the band and the food! Please PM me if you do!

we've finally got the ok from the Council, and we're very pleased to confirm that this year's joint Crystal Palace Road/ Ulverscroft Road street party will be next Sunday 5 July from noon Live music from the Goose Is Out! see below for details. watch out for updates over the coming week - bring a dish to share and you'll be welcome to join us!

hi, James, we are hoping to have our street party on Crystal Palace Road on 5 July but have had no luck so far in getting the ok from the events/street closure team. as you know, the Goose is Out provide the music every year, and they have booked all the musicians for the date; we applied for community council funds and were awarded them, so it's a pity that no one in the events team picks up the phone to us! Is there anything that you can do to help? thanks! ETA - it seems that the mere threat of James Barber is enough to spur the Council into motion - we have just received our OK!

purplehaze Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > thank you everyone - looks like majority view is - don't do it. The whole point of it was to > increase resale value as the back room is a bit pokey. > cs I am going to knock the wall between front and > back living rooms good luck - you'll prob need an rsj to support the wall above as SB and others have pointed out, but ultimately well worth the impact on your own amenity and resale value!

in response to the OP's question, no, I wouldn't buy a Victorian house where the stairs opened into the back sitting room. it reminds me of the time when people got rid of fireplaces and panelled doors to 'modernise' their houses. Have you thought about opening up the wall between the front and back sitting rooms as an alternative that would be more sensitive to the architectural character of your house (and maintain its future resale value)?

Crystal Palace Road Big Lunch is scheduled for 5 July let's hope the weather is just as fantastic as it has been today!

having long admired Sue's skill with smileys, i finally get to learn how they're done! :) edited to add :))

hi, Simon, I am one of the folk who organise the street party. I and the others who were involved, such as KK, were (and still are) shocked and sorry to hear about your mother. We started up the street party in the hope of building community spirit, and it has indeed brought some of us together. But I certainly wouldn't claim that it has built the kind of caring community that you've got in your village. For most people it's just something that someone organises on their street. I actually find it quite galling to see how estate agents have used it to add interest and "local colour". We work hard every year to be as inclusive as possible of everyone on CP Road, but a few of the older folk on the road prefer not to engage with the street party and it's hard to tread the line between intrusion and inclusion. In all honesty, I am not sure what we could have done on the day, given that we didn't know your mother personally. I can only hope that your sad experience reminds people that they need to look out for their neighbours - it's a lesson that I will certainly bear in mind.

Loz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Unless you consider a nuclear missile is the same > as a hand grenade, on the basis they both go > 'boom'. :-)

MarkT, thanks! it's also good news that Renata has been involved in calling this one in for proper consideration.

um, no, Agent Orange is not the same as glyphosate...

I have a lot of sympathy for the OP. That stretch of Crystal Palace Road has so far escaped the attention of garden-grabbing developers. However sterling the qualities of the originators of the planning application, if approved this development will set a damaging precedent across all the local area. Pipsky, Renata Hamvas has every right to be involved - she is after all the councillor for the area. MarkT, you say "The end of the garden of no 51 borders onto a conservation area in which all trees are under blanket protection, regardless of the wishes of individual land owners." I wasn't aware of that and glad to hear it - do you have any more info?

Shoreham http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoreham,_Kent take the train from Denmark Hill or P/Rye towards Sevenoaks A nice day trip and you'll be home by dinner-time, Thameslink permitting