mattham

Before it goes in the recycling? Long shot I know but would love a copy if anyone has one. I can collect (just leave on the doorstep if you're out)

Sad to say but have just been down to the Lido to find it closed - apparently they had a break in last night and suffered some damage. They weren't sure if they'd be open later but what a terrible thing. Who vandalises a swimming pool? And how? The mind boggles. Gloomily.

Further to above, apparently ?30 is credited to your account if the supply is out for 12 hours or more; then ?10 for each 24 hour period. Which would be laughably poor if it was funny. But it isn't. Did anyone notice what time it went off? We've certainly not had any since about 07.00.

I'm trying to work out what they are supposed to pay in compensation - it's not exactly clear - https://www.thameswater.co.uk/Help-and-Advice/Customer-Commitment/Our-Commitment-To-You?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_source=Twitter. Can anyone decipher?

...is anyone else having a problem with Virgin wifi? I'm on Underhill and have no water OR wifi. Feel like I've stepped into the Middle Ages. Have just signed the Treaty of Delft too.

Another shout out for Dave and Down the Drain - he saved me a lot of work and bother this morning clearing a blocked drain. He arrived when promised and sorted the problem in five minutes. Recommended. http://down-the-drain.co.uk/

Another shout out for Steve who came and did some work for me at short notice; turned up super early as agreed and got the job done quickly and neatly. Cheers Steve.

can anyone recommend a good builder in the area? The ones I've tried are all tied up. Any advice gratefully received! ta, Matt

Not sure if this is the right section, but my little girl loves arts and crafts. She's four, and I wondered if it was worth trying to find a class for her? She's good at making shapes, details and can write her name, but I don't know what age you can start really 'learning' to draw. Obviously she does stuff at school, but she really enjoys it and seems quite good at it (to my untutored eye). Is four too young for a proper art class? I'm hopeless at drawing so can't really teach her anything myself.

Lewes is great. I've not been to Bonfire Night there for years (expect a LOT of crowds!), and not sure if the anti popery theme is still as strong; I remember local politicians and Sussex Police getting more stick. To be honest, there are probably...nicer times to see Lewes, but it'll certainly be explosive. Let us know how you get on!

Realising my beard has more grey in it than Jarvis Cocker's. I'm 34. Admittedly, having a beard isn't really doing me any favours.

apologies in advance for the techno-geekery, but I'd be interested in hearing some opinions from the forum snappers, who I think there are a few. Am considering an ultrawide zoom, as the crop sensor on my D200 isn't that great for landscapes. Whittled the choice down to the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 or the Sigma 10-20 f3.5... both cost about the same. Does anybody have any experience with these focal lengths? I've never shot a 10mm or 11mm lens before, so not sure if a millimetre makes a massive difference. Does anyone know? Have used Sigma kit before and found it reliable; anyone got any opinions/experience with Tokina?

This reminds me when my wife bought me an all in one bib/leggings thing. I looked like Freddie Mercury, circa 1975. If he can keep a pair of shoes at the office, a pair of cycling cleats and pedals might go down well. They take a bit of getting used to but he'll find they speed up the ride a bit. Shimano do a good system (SPD) that's got a lot of price entry points. You could get him the shoes and someone else could get the pedals. As has been mentioned, Wiggle.co.uk has all the gear (I got a really cheap lights/computer set from there a while back ? about ?25 I think), but I'm sure Balfe's Bikes could advise, or the bike shop opposite Brockwell Park in Herne Hill. If money was no object, try www.rapha.cc. But I think you have to be an eccentric millionaire for that one.

you can download (apparently completely legitimate) software from this site for a fraction of the shop retail price; it just won't come with a manual. Though if all you want is Office I guess that won't be a problem.

Snappy Snaps in Brixton is as close as I've found to a pro style lab on the high street; and they do all sorts of different finishes; canvases etc. Photobox no doubt a little cheaper.

What Applespider said. But honest, I'm not one of those holier than thou mac users. I've just bought a cheapo netbook PC which is great (apart from the crappy Windows operating environment). Oops. There I go again...

if you're on a mac I could give you a little widget that means you won't even need an adaptor. Have a few spare. Quite useless for a PC though.

OK, I don't know where to post this; frankly it's so important I might try and get it on the news. My daughter dropped a pink rabbit toy on Lordship Lane today and there will be hell to pay come bedtime if I can't find it. It's a flat, small blanket type thing made my Jellycat. If anyone has found it, please PM me! Thanks.

Has anyone already said Napoleon Dynamite? Most Powell and Pressburger, but especially Canturbury Tale, as has been mentioned. And Spinal Tap of course.

How much does it cost to swim there? Couldn't see from the website. And is it easy to park?

I used to think I could do without the products the space race gave us (even Rocket WD40, which is great on my bike), but SatNav is pretty bloody useful. I don't know if it justifies the billions spent though. Space exploration may just be the biggest vanity project in history.

I love suits. Hardly get to wear mine any more as I work from home. I think there should be an East Dulwich suit day, where we all get to walk around like extras in Mad Men. I'd love that.

What I was driving at was the fact the interviewer admits he doesn't like it, but goes on to discuss it at length and gives the band time to explain it all. Just seems the antithesis of the unwavering, gushing praise you get on pop tv today. I can't see Jonathan Ross conducting an interview like this. Maybe Newsnight Review or something, but never casual pop coverage. He does seem magnificently curmudgeonly on the first viewing, but I get the impression he actually cares about the music even if he doesn't like or understand it. It's hard to hear on this clip but his last words are: "after all, why not?" Top moustache too.

Been musing on this a while and seeing the BBC's vapid, gushing interview style from Glasto at the weekend reminded me. Witness this little nugget from 1967: Can you imagine music being discussed this objectively and intelligently today? Or am I just being hopelessly out of date and elitist? (I should add this was recorded long before I was born). The interviewer's first question, and the reaction, at 0:21 is a classic. His response might be even better. Some lovely little looks between Syd and Roger too. As usual, the user comments are fantastically bellicose. What does everyone else think?

If they stop publishing books tomorrow, most of us would find plenty to read from the tons already printed; classics, contemporary, non-fiction, whatever. But it would be sad to accept there is nothing new that's worth reading. I try (but don't always succeed) to read one classic, one new, one non-fiction in turn. You might have already read these Marmora Man, but recently I've enjoyed The Fight (Norman Mailer), Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe) and Katherine Whitehorn's autobio, Selective Memory. A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry was a very good contemporary novel, I thought.