MrBen

Great. Thanks Gents and Ladies. Your advice is good. Still cacking it tho. I have a structure to my speech - keeping it less than 5 mins and have some good material. The brides brother is giving her away and was lead singer in a well known (and rather bad) 90's boy band - he called me the other night to swap notes. But I have to have a go at that.... I've been told stories of gambling and excessive drinking in Vegas are "inappropriate" but I plan to include a watered down version of events. I also want to switch from the jokes to some genuinely heart warming words about the groom and his bride to be. And charm them. All within 5 minutes. I want to walk away with all the bridesmaids swooning basically. And then get really drunk. >:D<

Good article in the FT Weekend - made interesting reading. I think one fact sums it up - that Foxtons annual interest payments on the BC partners loans are more than their 2006 profit (which was a good year). And they only have 8 years to pay it back. In a falling market. And they have no real assets other than the odd freehold, commercial leases on their 21 hideous branches. And 79 green mini coopers. Their founders sell out last summer was so perfectly timed, it makes me feel queasy. B**%%&!

According to paper they are showing the Swiss game tonight? Hope this is an error as surely the Turkish Czech game is more important!

I have the great honour of being Best Man at a wedding in a few weeks and it's my first time. I am happy to admit to you that I'm a bit nervous about my speech. That I'll go bright red, freeze and none of my jokes will be funny. Anyone who knows me reckons I'll breeze it. But inside I am totally bricking it. I've heard of the useful best man websites but I can't help thinking it would be better to be natural and personal than full of generic jokes. So, I kindly ask for your help. Any tips?! Is my fear normal? Have any of you been there and how did it go? Should I drink before my speech to calm the nerves? Would my gorilla suit help?

Ahem...yes anyway you are right the ground was pants.

snorky Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Italy ? having been spat upon, herded into prison > buses and dumped in the suburbs of MIlan and > Torino at 1AM after Games in Italy, I cant say the > same about the place. The less said about Bari > last year, with their oppressive police, fascist > ULtras, Alchohol ban and crumbling rickety > grounds, the better. Snorky! Behave yourself. I was in Bari for that game last year and I had a truely fantastic, memorable time. Some of the younger locals a bit snarly but they were all fine when we just lifted our kilts Braveheart style. We had locals queueing up to get their picture taken with us. And best memory was my mad cousin befriending a local publican who us jump behind his Jungle theme bar and serve our mates (and ourselves of course) all night. It was time to leave when, dancing on a ladder I smashed giant porcelin toadstool and fell over. I paid the owner 40 Euros for it - such is the Scotland way and a local lent me her bike to get back to my hotel, getting me to follow her boyfriend on a moped all the way. I was zig zagging all over busy road at 3am on a chopper in just in my kilt and a "Scotlands's For me!" T shirt before finally got arrested for drunk cycling. A laughing policeman gave me a lift back to bed. The other side of MrBen.......

Andrew D Black is one smart man. He silently realised that I hate getting my photo taken and so I'm not in any. And so my forum anonymity to the wider public remains.... *evil laughter*

VBC - Embarrassingly I couldn't make it back from the gym in time (!) - which rightfully got me some stick. But I arrived just in time to miss Floating Onion being sick in a flower bed. Even better - Sean Macs summer sprinting gear - black boots, black jeans and a black jumper. Like a kind of Irish, Barry Road version of Johnny Cash.

I much enjoyed my first ever Forum drinks. Nice to meet everyone and see all ages - what a very friendly bunch. What a wonderful thing the Barry Barry Run was, although I only saw the messy aftermath. Surely an annual event in the making. Hats off to Surfbobby!

Anywhere Keef's band are playing. It's full of young ladies throwing themselves at him. I was propositioned on my way out by a very large curvy and attractive lady on my way out Saturday night. I dont think she could see straight.

annaj Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh and I did meet MrBen, but since it was a first > meeting I thought it might be unfair to publically > mock him the next day. Oh dear! Was it my dancing to Guns & Roses annaj? Or was I just that drunk?! I cant remember.

Brilliant.The gentleman referred to as Whistling Man has been particularly active recently. On Friday night he was on the 12 bus. A women was talking loudly on their mobile and said something like "Jemima only eats fresh fish I wouldn't feed her anything frozen". So Whistling Man suddenly stands up and screams "Shad the F**K up we dont wanna hear your fac***ng rubbish you nonce this is the quiet end of the bus". Which made me smile. As I didnt want to hear any of her f**king rubbish either. It gets better. He got off at my stop, took his shoes off and walked in his socks down to Sema's Fish and Chips where he started to pretend to throw his shoes at passing cars with big whistles in the direction of the customers in the kebab shop.

Brilliant. In case you havent noticed Al, - almost everyone on a public internet forum is an "amateur" critic. And one could argue that an amateur criticism of amateur critics is even worse! So you find a professional critic anywhere here please let me know. All I said (as just one of many both good and bad) was that I found Locale bad value and the food mediocre compared to Si Mangia which offers a similar product up the road. And your only comments seem to imply "I can accept mediocrity and bad value if I have somewhere easy that I can go with the buggie when I can't be bothered to cook lunch that is good with kids". Well if thats your bag - enjoy! There's nothing wrong with liking what you like. I do agree that it is better to take a positive approach to anything in life rather than a negative one. I think I even started a simple thread once called "Great Food at the EDT" based on a positive experience I had. There is loads of praise to be found here if you look through the posts. As for "livlihoods being at stake" I know a little about this having given up my life as a wage slave to invest all of my savings, time and energy into starting my own business. We are not retail/service based but the same rules apply. If our product sucks then I want to know about it. When we have the odd problem we respectfully acknowledge the feedback and think carefully about how to address things and improve. That in itself is a positive dynamic. So I wont apologise for my amateurish comments on my mediocre experience at Locale. But I do tip my hat to Marco and wish him success in business. Why wouldn't I?

For the first time in my life I actually feel slightly sorry for John Terry....

Went last night. As above decor is good and they have made a big space feel good by dividing it up. Had the sausage pasta - very over salted. A bland rocket salad with bitter lemon juice on it and the dry, crisped up foccacia was alright but not great. Service was a bit patchy. Lots of standing around watching each other serve /huddling round the till yet missing tables that needed attention. The best waitress was the 19 year old English brunnette in second year at uni and on her first night. She was nice It's just a bit too expensive and a bit average - ?57 for just two mains and a bottle of average red. By contrast Si Mangia food is way better and much better value. You also get a great plate of pasta in Mon Petite Choux for about ?7....

Went there last night and was also one of only two couples in there. But thats kind of because they have only just started re-marketing it. I have always loved the space - elegant, suitably faded decor, nice background music and candle lit tables. I think it's actually quite a romantic spot. Anyway here are my honest comments: - I had tempura Whitebait for starters with garlic mayo and fresh lemon - 8/10 - Steak and chips with watercress salad - 6.5 / 10 (chips could be a bit better, steak good but not amazing, salad a bit bland but good) - Superb service from the waitress with the tied back hair. But if its quiet you sometimes have to find them for the bill. Cant comment on how fit my missus is and go off on a tangent like AA Gill so will continue on food: She had: - Asparagus - 9/10 awesome British in-season asparagus. - Steak - as above. I always compare it to the Gaucho Grill but that is Argentinian so prob not a fair comparison. If I could make a suggestion it would be: - Keep up the quality of the food and we will come. - Change the menu to use in season ingredients and keep the British theme - Do something with the entrance door downstairs - it looks like a fire exit. Hard to get passing traffic into an upstairs space - perhaps a bigger menu board ...fairy lights.... I like the bar at the back too. All in all a good venture and good service and one I'll be supporting.

Believe me - my vista is already more pleasant! I'm lucky to have a good boozer on my doorstep and can walk across in my PJ's for a pint. Now that it's posh green I may have to actually put some clothes on. An leave my dirty overalls /dog / takeaway food at the door.

A magical mystical thing has happened in East Dulwich. Somehow, seemingly in the middle of the night, the paint fairy has bestowed upon the CPT a fetching shade of GREEN. I have had to look at that shitty purple flaking paint out my front window for 5 years. It feels like I've moved house. I thank the lord! Now stick a juke box in the back and pick up the 72 clientele. GENIUS.

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The British male?s summer dress sense is a running > joke amongst those of us from sunnier climes. The > ladies all look lovely come the summer but the > blokes seem to just miss it somehow. They have the > right clothes but they just don?t seem to be able > to put them together properly. Brendan -absolutely! Not long ago the British males summer dress consisted of sports shorts, a football top and white trainers with socks (I'm thinking 90's here). Or worse - bare chested with the shirt kind of stuffed into the back of the shorts. A shocking look still worn today and one that screams "I'm British". Then there is what I call the Classic Clapham summer male look as worn by a certain demographic. This is tailored khaki shorts teamed with an untucked collared shirt and the vital moccasin style tassled deckshoes, usually in brown and worn without socks. Everyone knows that only Italians can wear closed toe shoes without socks! A year in Sydney and 2 Aussie girlfriends later and I have been forced to improve. I got some urban cammoflage shorts and Haiviana flip flops. So I'm trying. Ladies - you all mostly look great and THANK YOU again for improving the scenery this past week. And sorry for my hairy legs. If I may say so the only two things that can put me off a girl in summer are: - Ladies with big overhang bellies who wear crop tops or very short skirts - Really hard yellow cracked heels and bad half painted toe nails in flip flops But what do you like a guy to wear in sumer? Can we do flip flops? And should I shave my legs to a no 1 with clippers from Argos on Rye Lane?

Hooray - almost seven days of uninterrupted sunshine brings the masses out and acting as if they are in Mexico It always amuses me. In the past week I have seen some ridiculous outfits and some very silly sunglasses. Women you are far better at this than us men as we stumble awkwardly into summer with last years shorts, palid flesh and hairy legs....But enough about me.... What is YOUR summer wardrobe?

God Bless Inside 72. RIP The best music playlist of any bar In London. Adventure - sounds like a rehash of the old Be @ One I used to take bad dates to. With equally bad music and the worst Mojito on the planet. Sorry - change is a constant but I'm finding it hard to get excited about a formulaic clapham cocktail bar. Especially given the independent gem of a bar it has replaced. Toby - I have some questions: - Will you be playing "ironic" Bon Jovi songs followed by horrific remix of Sweet Child of Mine and Destinys Child? - Will you serve the worst Mojito in South London like Be @ One? - How will people dance in there without losing body parts? - Will you offer a rare and unexpecetd malt other than the Diageo Classic range? Suprise me.

Danrees - ever been to the Corner Bistro on West 4th and Jane st? The best burger in NY, a mug of McSorely's and all for $10! Personally - my last few meals at GBK not great and wont go back. Quality seemed to dive when they got big.

macroban Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Victorian stock, good schools and organic > butchers will prevent a 30% slide in East Dulwich > and my estimate is up to 15% off last summers > highs before we regain some stability in a year or > two. > > Estimate based on which data, or is this a guess, > or a joke? It was a joke and a guess Macroban. The end bit sounding a bit like the weedgie lady from Bushells.... Can you imagine the headline in the Southwark News: WILLIAM ROSE STAVES OFF GLOBAL RECESSION WITH ORGANIC SAUSAGE But uk prop 40% lower than now in 2012 and china ruling the world iBilly? Dream on! I'm an optimist and a lot of good will come from the downturn. You need a forest fire to spark the green shoots of recovery. As for local impact, nobody enjoys seeing a good business go under but if some have to fall then I wish it on the gift shops rather than something useful that I need (like the beef at the butcher). In a recession I still like a nice joint on a Sunday.

benmorg Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Prices > fell on average 13% in the UK in the early > nineties, but london prices fell 29%. We all know you can make statistics say anything. But generalised statements such as "london prices fell 29%" don't mean much unless you relate it to locality and time. From memory it was very specific to area and good areas actually held their value. In 1992, Battersea was a recently gentrified area and prices there fell by only 13% and even then that was only for a year or so. By contrast Hackney was down 30% and took longer (4 years or so) to recover. Victorian stock, good schools and organic butchers will prevent a 30% slide in East Dulwich and my estimate is up to 15% off last summers highs before we regain some stability in a year or two. Gordon Clown will get back into my good books if he can actually breathe some life back into the mortgage market as that would be a massive help. If you can get a mortgage they are still relatively very cheap -its when base rates rise and hit 10% you can all poo your pants. As someone who spends too much time in the city....I honestly dont see any signs of that happening soon.

Technically speaking....is bubble bath a cosmetic? I thought you put cosmetics on your face. And it had a seal on it Woodie. Us men have a hard time as it is shopping for girls. We often make mistakes. I'm now terrified of even thinking of going into Dr Boo and buying the wrong kind of designer retinol uplift cream with a high SPF factor. Only to be told to f**k off when I take it back in its tightly sealed unopened box. I cant think of anything worse - except perhaps having to spend a boring easter Monday on the forum in a debate about bubble bath.