malumbu

TheArtfulDogger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Welcome to the 7:15 to Calcutta Rendle, plenty of > room on the roof, outside and in the luggage > racks.... People who assume that trains in India have people on the roofs, they don't

This was a reference to a Sinclair C5. Perhaps ahead of its time (and if the press hadn't ridiculed it) may have been a great success. Unbeknown to me there has been a revamp www.theengineer.co.uk/sinclair-c5-revamped-by-sir-clives-nephew/ If you want to declog a filter drive the car at 90mph in 3rd gear, that will get it hot enough. There are garages that remove the filters illegally and then weld up the box - sooner or later the MOTs will become sophisticated enough to detect this. Sadly trading standards are under-resourced and it is no longer in the police's job description to pull-up defective vehicles (as they did when I was a lad!). Sounds like a good job for PCSOs to do - they can be empowered to do this. To be fair I only see diesels pumping out black once or so a week. A good thing about Uber is the move to hybrids (for congestion tax not pollution reasons, but still the right result). Thought the Mayor in Robert Peston (which I saw whilst flicking channels) was very on the ball on Sunday. Hydrogen (fuel cells) has great potential for the future as you can have a national pipeline network. Still rather expensive at the moment.

Cheers, I was chatting to a colleague today and suggested we needed a very light single seater battery powered vehicle, that would have pedal assistance. Sadly someone tried this 30 years ago and it was ridiculed.

Thanks, the weather was hot so no problems with snow/ice. Thrifty were difficult to contact - could only upgrade insurance on line, and didn't want to phone up the office. But the car (Alfa) came with snow chains in the boot, not sure if there is any compulsion but it was very reassuring. They seem to be part of Hertz. They gave me an automatic. I've only driven them infrequently and this was one were it goes into a manual sort of mode if you grab the shifter and think you are driving a manual - freaky as suddenly you are stuck in one gear. Have no knowledge of how to drive an auto on slippy surfaces, is it easier than a manual. Is there not a thread on "where I go skiing, darling'? Or in my case - how can I minimise the costs and still have a good time?

Most of us voted for him. He had two landslide elections, almost unheard of. Yes he is annoying, you sort of want to brush him off your shoulder. The inability to give a straight answer for fear of offending. Being a Thatcherite, sort of, certainly in support of the free market. Not reversing the selling off of state assets. Toadying to the Americans (which we have seen before, and are seeing now) with the dreadful mistake of believing WMD, regime change etc. Not ending the boom/bust cycle. But if we can ignore much of that there were some good things as a moderniser, a more prosperous nation, social fairness, trade unions, and generally as a world stateman. He was not a control freak like his successor and more so the current PM, 7/7 showed this (of course it may not have happened if....) And not an idiot like the last bloke. Old labour, and 'new' old labour were/are unelectable. No answers I am afraid.

Hmm Rather simplistic. Golden Wonder were the bees knees when i was young. We had Smiths too, remembered in part from an earlier generation due to the blue packed of salt that you did yourself - as opposed to 'ready salted'. From memory it was better marketing at key times that destroyed this opposition and perhaps being in the right place at the right time

Dogs are pets. We have domesticated them for our own fun, company and occasionally practical purposes. They are overgrown puppies. That is why they bark in excitement. Adult Wolves are generally quiet and hunt prey. Dogs have generally had this bred out of them. Sadly as adorable as they are (I grew up with dogs in the house) some people seem to keep them for more sinister reasons. As far as I know there are no hunting dogs kept around here. Now cats, you are their pets and they still hunt, even if only to bring you a trophy back.

There is this non-gender non-ethnic, non-nationality, non-sexual orientation specific person giving a lift to a similar person. The driver runs through a red light. The passenger castigates him/her for doing this. "Don't worry" says the driver, "my relative" (say cousin for want of a better example) called, lets say Michael or Patrick, for a better example, "does this all the time". This happens a few more times, before the driver hits a green light which they then stop at. "why are you stopping" asks the passenger". "because my cousin may be driving on the other road". A ludicrous inappropriate joke. But that is what I think when someone decides to say all cyclists run through red lights, whether they be called Michael, Patrick, or whatever. Great if you discuss, am I being funny or just an assol? PS I liked the comment about virtual indicators. I fortunately can read the traffic so well I know most people's manoeuvres before they do. PPS most drivers and cyclists are fine. That incldues white van people, bus drives and taxis.

Pollution from vehicles is generally much lower than in the past. If you were teleported to London 30 years ago you would see and taste the difference. Three way cats and the move to petrol injection driven by concerns from the LA smogs of the 70s have cleaned up petrol vehicles. Filters on diesel vehicles are pretty effective. 'Invisible' nitrogen dioxides are the main concern with evidence increasing on the harm and to date strict emissions standards failing to deliver (as much due to the test procedures as probably one global maufacturer cheating). Burning gas for heating, hot water and generating electricity also results in nitrogen dioxide but not at the 'street level' concentrations you get from being near road traffic. There are lots of reasons that it has gone wrong - including less concern from us about the environment, lower vehicle occupancy, small uneccesary trips etc. Diesel vehicles are better for long distances but not so clever around town. Ultimately we are driving vehicles that are heavy and overpowered. But we wont change and government will not legislate against it due to it being unpopular (we lost the fuel tax escallator that put duty up each year in the early 00s). That said most don't respond to increasing fuel price (inelasticity of demand). The headlines in the Times and Grauniad are just repeating what is already out there but something that most of us wont do anything about. I doubt if they make a lot of difference. That said - if there was enforcement of dodgy cars - where the filter has broken down or worse still removed by a dodgy garage (the MOT isn't sophisticated enough to always catch this - and that is not a straight forward issue to address) and Westminster Council actually carried out their threats to issue vehicles stuck on the side of the road idling with fixed penalty notices. Though God knows why people sit there with their engine running in any case. And don't get me started on black cabs.... Road, brake and tyre wear tends to be bigger particles, relatively inert, that hopefully get caught in your upper respiratory tracts (ie you blow them out into your hanky), and similarly construction dust (which they should be dampening down in any case). We also get occasional bouts of pollution from the continent under certain weather conditions - May's wall will hopefully put an end to that, and once a blue moon dust from the Sahara. Not the black residue I remember in teh 80s when the farmers were allowed to burn the stuble. Which brings me back to the subject in a very long winded way. Combustion sources are a bigger source of harmful particulate pollution, as industry and vehicles have become cleaner. So don't burn wood, limit it to smokeless fuel if you have to. And as for the fire pit in the Forest Hill Tavern...... Yes I do know shedloads about this. I could have put heaps of references if I had time.

It is really not as bad as you think. Had it three times now. PM me if you want my NHS dentist recommendation. I have a big crush on them too - in a platonic way I hasten to add. Sadly if you are my age NHS dentistry was very interventionist in the 60s and 70s, not helped by sugar (it was just as bad then, even worse remembering Ribena) and lack of flouride in the toothpaste and water.

What happened to the proposed extension of the Victoria line from Brixton to Crystal Palace, that was all the rage amongst estate agents when I moved to the area.

Ah the misinterpretation of the written word. If you look at my second two sentences you may actually not I was expressing what a wonderful night it was. I am sure it is was for you too. I am sorry if my purely facetious first sentence caused offence. Actually I am not, it is nice to provoke such feelings. But do I really need to explain all of this? Football coverage was focused on the big teams when I was growing up, and far worse now. Nowt wrong with pointing out the pleasures of grass roots. Used to alternate between league and non-league as a kid (the latter club sadly has gone out of business). Jumpers for goal posts etc etc. Anyway looking forward to going to my first FA Trophy quarter final for 42 years.

What are you lot like with your Arse this, your Spurs that, and your Chels the other? Fugging brilliant tonight, best match I've seen for ages (5-2) and onto the quarters in a couple of weeks time. Perhaps you big boys will join us for that. Seriously excellent entertainment and a giant killing too.

Fancy going to a potential giant killing tonight - Dulwich Hamlet vs Braintree. But like the FA Cup does the FA Trophy still capture the imagination of the public or will both teams put out a weak team?

Didn't notice. There was a second hand furniture shop called Austins, a barbers (Desmonds) and a tower block (Mandella Towers).

Wow, some good posts. Thought I'd just have people taking the pee I've got a calculator that is 39 years old. Probably cost equivalent of over ?140 in modern money, and a few quid to get something equivalent now. So you'd just throw one away now if it broke. Throwaway society is also because things are so damnn cheap. But there again an I-phone 7 isn't cheap but I expect most owners want to upgrade within a couple of years. Anyway mixing my arguments here, and yes get some bloody good deals at Aldi/Lidl

I am too versed in consumer rights. It can become an obsession. I wonder why others roll over so easy or write to the Guardian when things go wrong. I am saddened at the erosion of local authority Trading Standards Services. Bur my question is why do we get bad products in the first place, and as a society why don't we care? I had it beaten into me that unfettered free market, with effective competition and informed consumers was the best way to efficiently deliver goods and services. Well this concept seems to be have overturned by recent popularist revolutions (I think I mentioned Trump/Brexit) and got away with it. But somebody most be specifying/ordering cheap nasty pens from a Chinese factory, pencil sharpeners that don't sharpen, other products that are un-ergonomic, short working life (foot pump from Dyas that broke after one use) etc because people, including me, thin they are getting a good deal. They are making a profit but it doesn't seem to be good for society. And then we throw them away, wasting resources and creating landfill, and then buy another one. Not learning and breaks a week later.

Thanks, I'd better double check with Thrifty. I usually book with Economy car rentals, web site is a bit clunky, and you get a token, but you can speak to people there. Only time it went wrong is that they booked me with....... Goldcar (Malaga airport). That really was bad. At Xmas booked off airport hire at Malaga - so that's why it was so cheap. It actually worked OK (almost in walking distance) and they checked every inch of the car over at the end to try to get their pound of flesh.

YESSSSS this is more like it. A proper East Dulwich Forum thread. Hiring a car from Treviso near Venice in a week or so's time and drivng up to the Dolomites. Main roads are kept clear but almost came a cropper a few years back as the snow was so heavy and the car had summer tyres. Once upon a time booked snow chains and was frustrated as didn't need them. Never booked them since, and in more recent years travelling in Germany/Austria winter tyres are compulsory so as long as you don't get stuck in snow roads are fine. Booked this time through Ryanair. Don't trust them an inch. No info on Thrifty who we have booked though Ryanair, and nothing about optional extras on the Website. I have a phone number that is all. Don't want to risk the same experience as last time. Snow socks could be brought over with us, but are not recommended for proper snow. What do you all reckon? I'll call the hire place if needs, but hate being fleeced as a "distress purchase" ie where you are forced into buying something at a silly price. Does this go down as middle class dilemma of the week?

Bluegrass club at the Foresters in SE23 aka All In one http://www.folklondon.co.uk/venues.html Also have a fiddle player, and a former pop star as mates so PM me and I can give you the contacts

Walnut Whips.

I paid the equivalent of one Walnut Whip every week from the time of the announcement that we would be host city for London 2012. People whinged and moaned. It was great. It was always going to be great. Not even that bothered of some of the legacy promises that were not fulfilled. Except the use for the ammers. I'm sure that the comparison with the Walnut Whip was not alt/fake news. Other items of confectionary are available.

ED - NAGAIUTB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is rich coming from the most Elitist poster > on the entire forum! > > Anyway, we made the top 10 locations voting > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38796357 Better move to Bristol then!

Jonathan Coe mixes up Forest Hill and Forest Gate in the Rotters Club - sort of done on purpose apart from he didn't research public transport. Fortunately I had the chance to put him right a few years ago.

An Everton fans' website converts profanities into Liverpool player's names. For example Donald Trump (or Bono or Clarkson) is a right Souness. It amuses me anyway.