dulwichmum

No dear Mr Batdog, Indeed it is not. This is a super blog, but nothing to do with my family. I wear Jo Malone - Lime, basil and mandarin perfume afterall! It is good to have a male perspective, but a little unnerving in that this dulwichdad claims to love my tipple and drive the same brand of car as me! I almost thought it was James for a moment! I cannot put a link on my blog to his though, despite the fact that I like it, because I do not know the writer, and for all I know he could claim that he and his wife are a couple of "swingers" in future posts! Whatever would my publisher say to that? You really are a super sharp dog to have spotted him! DM

No Dear Peckham_Perkster, I shall post the notes of what to expect in the morning, and just come back to us with your thoughts? The chap from the shop will pop on later - maybe even on Monday to sum up and tell us more. DM

Sydenham Wells Park is just fab - they have replaced the paddling pools with these tarmac thingies where the children jump on big coloured tarmac buttons and water shoots out of the ground. It is great in the sunshine for keeping them cool (my son cut his foot in Brockwell Park paddling pool a couple of years ago as you could not see the broken glass in the water!) and also great on an overcast day in their welly boots with their little umbrellas. My pair love that park. There are steep hills for scootering down and lovely swings and roundabouts and things in a quiet area at the top. There are really imaginative play frames too. Telegraph Hill park is amazing too, and well worth the trip. It was apparently designed by the same people. It has a great big slide built into a hill, where the children walk to the top of the hill to get onto it, instead of up steps. It has a very good one oclock club, and great play frames. I think that those two parks are just amazing. The dinosaur park in Crystal Palace is always great for a walk about too. DM

Ah Keefy baby, come and have a hug... DM

Poor Asset, I am very cheeky it has to be said. Ask Mr Mockney Piers! Shall we say 7.15 on Sunday evening? If lots of us join in, and we get an idea of numbers, I will try to firm it up for next time, so that we use a special code or something? DM

Yes please, only one bottle at a time. I like wine far too much at the moment. If I open two bottles - we drink two bottles, and we have work on Monday. DM

Oh how exciting! I am delighted now and can't wait to open my bottle! DM

Dear Asset, I am sure if Will sees people come into his shop to buy it, he will be more than happy to phone East Dulwich. DM

Dear Ant, I certainly think it is worth a try. Keep us posted! DM

Hi there everyone, I have just been in to Threshers on Park Hall Road, and spoke to "Will". He has suggested a lovely bottle of Saint-Veran, white Burgundy - he said it was a complete steal - at ?9! He gave me a special discount because I told him what we were intending to do, so if you go to the West Dulwich Branch you may get the same - he only charged me ?6! He has given me tasting notes and to put on line on Sunday morning, and he will come online himself some time late on Sunday to give us further guidance! He said that if we enjoy the wine, and the tasting is a success, he would do this for us regularly! He is a very nice man. DM How is that???

Dear Jah Lush, You sound like a man with connections! Will you have a chat with the person you know from Oddbins then and get back to us with a suggestion in time to get it for Sunday? I was being lazy you see, there is a Threshers at the end of my road! DM

Definitely Mr MacGabhann, It is just that I cannot really get out much as the kids are so small and my hubby is often working late. Perhaps you do the block wine tasting thingy, and then come away with some ideas of what to try out here on the forum and those of us who cannot make it can try them out from afar... That might be a better plan?

There is a super painter and decorators type trade shop on Norwood High Street (opposite Woolworths) next to the cemetary. They sell Farrow and Ball, William Morris and David Olivers Paint Library range (which I previously had to go to Islington for), they also sell Leyland paints - which our painter and decorator (now retired) swore by. They are incredibly helpful and always give discounts. DM

How about I pop into Threshers (because that is easy) and ask them to recommend me a bottle and give me some notes on it, which I will put on this thread. I know the grand total of nothing about wine, so I am really looking forward to seeing what other people have to volunteer about the bottle that we drink. Because this is the first week, and just to get the show on the road - how about I get a bottle of Chablis for under a tenner? We could drink it "together" on Sunday evening. Next week - someone else could choose. Perhaps in the order of who has replied to the thread initially - Ant, SeanMacGabhann, Badger, Peckham_Perkster, Fruitytarts, Spadetownboy, Mr Batdog and Jah Lush? Anyone else??? Have we any super wine connoisseurs on the forum who would be prepared to lead us? Otherwise, we shall end up with lots of comments like - "this is nice!" from me? DM

Dear Spadetownboy, You are talking about the IRA - yes they were decomissioned. The Murphia is my mother - and she will never stand down! DM

Dear Spadetownboy, Isn't that a wine bar? Couldn't we buy bottles from a shop and comment about it on the forum? It would be a really neat thing to do - to attend a wine tasting in your own home, especially with small children to look after. DM

Dear Fruitytarts, Yes I would agree with regard to the opening a bottle every night of the week, but to try to organise ourselves perhaps one a week should be enough to start us off? What evening and where from? Would someone not come forward and give us a discount? They would be sure to sell a couple of cases at least if we were all going to buy a bottle... DM

OK, I am prepared to admit that it might just be me, but does anyone else on here open a bottle of wine at least once a week - and kind of know what they like - but not enough? Wouldn't it be simply perfect if one of the super local alcohol emporiums would allow forumites a huge (and I mean completely enormous) discount every week off a good bottle of white (ok or red) and then we could all evaluate it's merrits here on the forum? It would be good advertising for them - and rather pleasant for us too? Has anyone on the forum got some super insight to spare? Some educated comments to make? Mr Administrator - could not the local establishments be contacted and asked to participate? What say you fellow forumites? DM

But James darling, Isn't there a dreadful IV drug problem in Edinburgh? Isn't it famed for it's "shooting galleries"? Doesn't it rain a huge amount? Wouldn't the Scotts eat is for tea as they would consider us Southern Softies? The cost of fuel just to keep our newly purchased capacious homes would surely be exorbetant??? (please excuse the spelling - I have just opened a bottle of Tesco's finest Sancerre)...

Dear Peckham_Perkster, Mums with prams are unfriendly - but that is simply because we are so exhausted and the world should pay!

Dear Mockney, I can't believe you said Buenos Aires! That is the one place I would gladly wave goodbye to Dulwich for. I saw on your flickr site that you had photos of Buenos Aires, it is the most beautiful city on the planet as far as I am concerned. I love Argentina. DM

Gosh Bagpuss, you are very lucky to have a note book like that - in your Grandpa's handwriting. I have a signiture my father wrote in 1976 on the top of a newspaper beside the date. I tore it out of the paper, and always carry it with me. It is probably the most precious thing I own - apart from my Audi Q7 of course! DM

Ha, ha, ha.

OHMYGOD!!! You murdered Taffy! DM Now the Taffia will be after you!

Yeah Asset - do share...