mattham

I love the way cyclists fetishise their kit...kona, endura, specialized, XCR Hi Viz...I'm practically rubbing my thighs (and I'm not a leg shaver, honest). Chapeau to those riding fixed gear ? purists in the art. I asked about helmets before as I'm a bit of a geek in that regard ? seen a couple of bad spills in the past, bent bikes, blood all over the floor ? enough to make me want to cover up. Cookie, my route to Sutton is through the village, down turney rd towards tulse hill; lancaster avenue into york hill/leigham court, over streaham common, into greyhound lane/streatham vale, through Lonesome, over Mitcham Common, past Mitcham junction station; just before getting to Hackbridge station I turn right and take the back roads through Carshalton/Green Wrythe Lane, eventually popping out onto main Carshalton road into Sutton. It's quite a green and pleasant ride for the first two minutes or so. Then angry suburbia. Taryn, what kind of mtb do you ride at the moment? Have you thought about putting slick tyres on it? Not as much fun as buying a new bike but a lot cheaper. A modern, hard tail aluminium frame mtb makes a pretty good bike for London I reckon.

Great thread! I cycle (though not at the moment as am recovering from back surgery) to Sutton. Was thrilled to clock it on my computer at 10 miles each way ?? felt truly righteous doing 100 miles a week. Takes about 35 minutes on a good day. I have to say I love it ?? really gets the endorphins going ?? but the driving on my route (through streatham/lonesome/mitcham) is shocking. Lost count of the number of aggressive white van drivers etc. Cycle lanes lamentable too. But it's immensely preferable to getting the train. I was pretty depressed before I started biking and I really found it lifted my spirits. Oddly enough, I particularly enjoyed winter commuting ?? biked in all last winter and only got really soaked 6 or 7 times. And you don't get cold with the right kit ?? I favoured leggings, bikeshorts, thermal vest and my flourescent jacket...much to the amusement of my colleagues. That said, there's nothing like a summer's day when you can do it in shorts and a t shirt. What does everyone ride? I switch between road and mountain bike. Do you wear a helmet?

If you want a pizza, the Magdala pub (on corner of LL and Pellatt rd) is your best bet. Good bases and they do takeout. Please not a Strada...beacons of mediocrity

pah! up to 45 then hung around the low 40s in disgust, until my wifi failed and saved me.

Any of the classic blue note 50s covers. This Roxy Music one is pretty cool too.

Barry Rhode makes me laugh

Moroccan tiles are pretty cool ? either a geometric mosaic or a carved pattern ? zellige it's called. Don't know where you'd get it done in London, but you could ask in the Chandelier ? whatever you think of the ?11 sandwich, they do have some nice tiles. Or get some cool wallpaper and cover it with glass as has already been suggested.

I don't know if it's just me getting old, but does anyone else find all the streets around here quite noisy? I'm on Pellatt Rd, quite near Landcroft, and the speed people drive is terrifying. It seems any street without bumps on it now is a treated as an urban speedway. The post office vans are the worst ? at really unsocial hours too. I would complain but, well, who's going to take it seriously? No excuse I know. And don't get me started on that bloody ice cream van.

Yes it is a little old fashioned but what is so wrong with that? I've never found them to be un-friendly. In fact the lady in there was rather kindly. Plus, they sell spray mount and a load of other things you can't get on the high st/in Sainsburys. I dare say you can get cheaper printer cartridges in Peckham ? why not shop there if you're desperate to save 50p? Pretty much everything can be bought cheaper online these days anyway, but I'd rather have the shop to be honest ? a useful addition to Lordship Lane.

quite a few journalists on here then ? do you not get all your scribbling done on the day job? Like me, I guess not. I'm a features editor. But increasingly that just means managing other writers.

Roger and Me was the film in which he tried to track down the CEO of GM. It was his first documentary, and he remortgaged his house to make it. However, even some of that has been called into question now ? apparently he was granted an interview but didn't use it in the film. I guess we'll never actually know the truth; but either way, it doesn't change the message ? it's still a great documentary. Latterly though I think he's lost it; it all seems to be about him now. The bit towards the end in Columbine where he was comforting that schoolteacher was just vomit inducing. What's changed between his first film and now is that he gets in the way of the message. And because of imitation, his methods seem a bit old hat.

does anyone else find placing your palm in the crook of the opposite elbow, then raising the opposite fist to be the most comical offensive gesture? It's just so much more physical then the alternatives. Never been keen on shite as a word. That's probably my least favourite.

Harvey's Sussex Best. Cut my teeth on that. Samuel Kieth's is a nice Canadian IPA, if anyone's ever out that way.

I should have remembered Nimrod...played at my wedding and still does the trick. And also The night they drove old Dixie down (the Band) ? not played at my wedding but same effect. Seem to remember Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev are linked by one member *googles furiously*...ah yes: Jonathan Donahue ? left Lips to join Rev.

Glad I'm not the only one who goes a bit wobbly at the Flaming Lips. Also Mercury Rev (Opus 40) and most of Elliot Smith's last album. And the Stones; Moonlight Mile and Let it Loose...just gets the hairs on the back of your neck.

Domitianus, I appreciate not everyone has time for the butcher, baker, candlestickmaker route, but you can just as easily go to the supermarket. When I'm working (long story) I spend far more in Sainsburys than I do on the Lane. Ready meals aren't even "fairly" nutritious or "fairly" fresh ? check the fat content; the stabilisers, preservatives ? and take Sean up on his offer! re: overpackaged/overprepared, all supermarkets are guilty to an extent, but M&S is the worst I think ? four clingfilmed apples on a polystyrene tray? Packets of grated cheese? I mean, who doesn't have time to grate cheese? And as for Moxons, they do cook it for you! They've always got some ready made fishcakes that look pretty toothsoome.

An earlier thread on food shops got me thinking about what to have for dinner ? what's everyone cooking tonight? I'm trying to eat less meat, but don't have a great selection of veggie recipes ? can anyone recommend good, quick, healthy veggie meals? I'm lacking inspiration!

Where did M&S acquire its reputation for great food? All it sells is ready meals. What fresh stuff they have is always overpackaged, overprepared and overpriced. To say there's NOWHERE on LL to to buy decent grub to cook at home is a nonsense. Get a recipe book, buy your ingredients at the butcher, fishmonger, SMBS and the greengrocer (Northcross Rd admittedly), et voila ? dinner. There aren't many high streets with such a good selection. We could however, do with a really good baker: fresh bread of every description, and loads of cakes. That would complete the selection pretty well.

possibly the only way for the BBC to weather the future is to offer all of its content for download or podcast. That would certainly make the licence fee better value for money. viewing figures are lower now than they used to be as there are so many other media diversions ? this forum being a classic example. But if people could choose what to watch/listen to and when figures would certainly go up.

I should add, of course, that Americans make great TV (Deadwood, Six Feet Under etc), but just air it badly.

Mockney is absolutely right aboubt dumbing down ? the BBC needs to be careful. That said, it's still essential. I'd like to refer anyone who's been complaining about the whole Queen/Blue Peter cat debate to the US. Try watching any American network for more than 10 minutes ? it's impossible; not least with all the ads. Beside, Murdoch absolutely hates the BBC ? that must mean it's OK, right?

The Lady Vanishes, for the umpteenth time. For my money, Hitchcock's best British flick. Nothing wrong with a bit of Flash Gordon Bob! Appparently, people still shout "Gordon's alive!" at Brian Blessed. I don't think I could resist if I saw him in the street.

Fearing the wrath of the administrator, I love your phrasing Claire: "male paraphenalia"; screws, nails, string...what more could a man need to be happy? Where is Omrith? Might give it a go. Sounds like it should be in Scotland.

Spangles, my query was an open one to anyone viewing this thread, but from your last post you seem to assume it was directed at you. Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but as you highlight IVF mothers three times in this thread, it does seem to be something of a sticking point.

I'm interested to know what's so inherently evil about older parents with twins, IVF or otherwise. Not every couple you see with twins had IVF, but so what if they did? Likewise, not everyone who uses IVF are wealthy, older couples.