malumbu

I moved to London in 87/8. The talk of the dinner parties wsa "oh I don't need to work any more as my flat is making more in a month than I do". Then two years later "I can't afford the 15% motgage and have given the keys to the building society. The Labour came in promising to end the cycle of boom/bust. Cue 2008 dinner parties - oh my kids of have got into this or that school and my house has doubled in two years. Then 2016 - oh your house must be worth ???? ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz shallow, shallow, shallow, shallow Look at historic house prices vs averabe earnings and you get peaks and troughs. Function of wages, interest rates, confidence, demand and supply. Still expect lots of money laundering from abroad so top end to retain value. As for those in the middle??? Clearly uncertain times ahead. Some people may have watned this out of Brexit.

I go on from time to time about high streets and independent shops. As a nation we prefer to do much of our shopping on line or at the supermarket at the loss of the old fashioned (and generally long since gone) high street. Once you are weaned off it much of the supermarket stuff is pretty awful - plastic bread (the Chorley Wood method), unripe fruit and veg, rubber cheese and I particularly like the 'taste the difference range' which often seems to be Emporer's new clothes. But it is still a shock at times to see how much more artesan (for want of a better term) stuff costs. I do buy the bread, it is good, but then I try to use it carefully to get maximum taste/vs cost! Some of the stuff like pies and cakes I think I can do better myself at half the price. But then I don't bother. Fruit and veg is OK. When it is closed then we will all whinge about its loss. And of course it put the final nail in the coffin on the Forest Hill Station Farmers Market. Anyway good discussion, hope Horniman is monitoring. PS In Paris what absolutely brilliant street markets and boy were they being used. Those damened Europeans doing things better than us. tut tut.

Doesn't get much better... The England team is a bit like the country. Lots of talent, no leadership, under performing yet a superiority complex and obsessed with former glories. Compare this with the other great nations of Europe! Will BFS be our Teresa May and lead us to a promised land. Or continue the slow decline? I'm not excited about either our nation or football team's prospects.

Thought that the big hole was between Forest Hill and Denmark Hill. Ho ho.

1985, punting on the Cherwell, picnic, booze, afternoon sleep. And avoiding Liveaid. Otherwise pretty good - including the Brooking header (from a non-West Am fan). 81 - Heaven 17, Haircut 100, Soft Cell, Postcard records, New Order and Factory, Wah Heat and Zoo records, Depeche mode and Mute records, Hicks from the Sticks, the tail end of new-wave and ska, the last time UB40 could be considered seriously

If parking is getting you down then it is time to ditch the car - as many urbanites have http://www.zipcar.co.uk/ Think about it - sitting there being unused for 95% of the time, depreciating, costing you loads just standing still. Alternatively on the subject of the sharing economy, share your vehicle with a neighbour. http://www.streetsalive.org.uk/my-street/car-sharing.aspx

Well you live and learn: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11779941/Flying-ants-everything-you-need-to-know.html Obviously warm and dry beards, with no predators (do you keep anything else in there titch) are particularly attractive.

Bike theft really saddens me. I feel much more attached to my bikes than motorised transport. I've had four nicked in the last 30 years. The last was stolen to order, they cropped through an armoured lock in central London. Ie they were intent on getting it. Disappointed that the police aren't well resourced to chase up such thefts - particularly as there was an ad within an hour of it being nicked on Gumtree.... There is always a balance between the cost of security and the additional weight. So that is the bad news. The good news is that I do not go out of my way to secure components including wheels. I had a small saddle bag stolen and that is it. I try to park where it is pretty visible. When my last bike was nicked if I had left it outside the pub it would have been fine as there were lots of drinkers outside. I always ask whether I can take it into a venue if possible. In Holland and no doubt other countries there are cheap secure bike parks. Wouldn't that we great! I never leave my best bike outside. I'd like to think that my other steeds are old and battered and not worth nicking. But that doesn't necessarily make a difference. I did come back outside the Scala in Kings Cross with a rear wheel kicked in. I suspect that was done for fun....

I am pretty grumpy nowadays but the wonderful documentary of the London 2012 opening ceremony really cheered me up. So here are my memories of good times and bad over the recent decades. 1978-9. Winter of discontent. Good times - latter stages of punk, gigs, girls and football 1989 - and then like Jerico the walls came a tumbling down 1992 - Bad times, realisation that times weren't a changing 1995 - summer of Britpop - a feal feel good factor Summer 96 - Euro 96. Things were brilliant for a while Ditto for May '97 July 05 - getting the Olympic Games - brilliant, then 7/7 awful, then winnng the ashes 05 - 12 Was always a great fan of the Games, despite the numerous moaning minies, and no matter how good the main bash was, the paralympics then took it one stage further. Bloody brillaint. Only disappointment was that I expected to be in a bunker, so didn't apply to be a volunteer. I've not included personal/family joy and tragedy in the above, rather my take on the world. Great to know what are yours

If I remember correctly there are people in the financial markets who make dosh out of good and bad things. Someone I know, not exactly a mate, made great fortune out of the recession, something to do with reinsurance. I should have course put my life savings into Euros a few weeks ago.

I don't know exactly when the museum took over publicising the farmers market, nor exactly what changed (if anything). It used to be popular but now seems to be dying a death. It would be great to hear others views. what is too twee, too expensive or has the novelty warn off? I quite like a few of the stalls and happy to occasionally pay a premium. Bobbsy, raise the soya milk issue with them or pop into my gaff and I'll lend you a cup full.

Had a look up from Barclays - clearly it didn't strike me as unusual Do you like having curtains symetrical and pictures hung level?

The death penalty. The perfect example of why big decisons should be left to our elected representatives rather than a public vote. One thing that I agree with Thatcher about (ie not having referendums on difficult issues)

???? So it is all the Turks fault then????

Would normally contact Horniman direct but I understand that they are very keen in monitoring social media. Anyway I understand that since you took over the contract the market is dying a slow death with reduced visitors and stalls. Hope others on this site can join in with me to encourage you to get this reversed.

Great, something to distract me from my overall mailaise. Apparently a good thing, but I shouldn't have turned the heap as I'll now wake with loads of little bite spots. Makes a change from the mossie's I suppose. http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/thread/?threadId=59032

The BBC news article in Stoke on Trent seem to have it right. Portmerion potery saying that they were expecting getting of for a reduction in 20% of sales due to economic uncertainty. The rabid lady on interviewed on the streets was more optimistic - come back in a year and we will show you. Why she was so angry I couldn't work out seeing as she had 'won'.

It's a basket cast with great strategic importance - water reserves, bordering countries, secular, questionable human rights, etc etc. Many of us consider that it is a wonderful place to visit. Amazing history not helped by being on the wrong side in the Great War. Discussions about joining the EU from my fairly priviledged take were - do we want it to be in, so we can get them to reform whilst getting the sort of deals that is good for European and world stability or get them to sort their act out first. Proper debate. The Brexit posters and those of you who believe and quote this is just horrid xenophobia and racism. Forget the small Polski Sleps and delis, every independent super and mini market from South side of Westminster Bridge all the way to Forest Hill Road is probably Turkish run. And we like shopping their too. Embrace it.

7 out of the 12 posts are off on a tangent. What are you lot like?! I've mourned the loss of the Big Chill but fancy this (for next year - but others may wish to try it this) http://lakefest.co.uk/ Sane venue and under a ton, I'm always horrified by the cost of most festivals, of course when I first went to to Glastonbury there was change out of a score, that is if you even paid. But with so much on the massive hike in price is no doubt justifice. Don't think so on the other biggies. And the above sounds far less twee than Lattitude (he says with his/her fingers down his/her throat)

I try to move on but it is so difficult. I hate the mantra - the British public has made up its mind. Well a snapshot of 52 % on a bad day is far from unanimous. I now have to be a good boy and tow the party line about the best deal and opportunities this all presents. Meanwhile more and more lunatics are taking over the assylum. I've just come back from the French Embassy and saw the golden mop of Bojo. Heard someone talk about booing and was pleasantly surprised that this in deed did happen. Being on business of course I was far too well behaved. But I have heard him talk in the past about London's position and influence amongst the great cities of Europe, without a hint of Eurosceptism. Now he dares to say how we are still an important part of Europe. Just pull up the drawbridge you loathsome duplicitous arrrrs. When will anger subside. When will it get better????

Got a place in Britanny. It cost bugger all and it was worth half of that even before the recent nonsense. Area is depopuated and there was already plenty of property for sale. Couldn't give a cuss about the expats out there as they are all rabid. They hate France, do not assimilate, but hate what Britain has become, whatever that means. They still managed to bite the hand that feeds. Should imagine that SW France is far more sophisticated in terms of oweners abroad. I am far more concerned about the damage to the UK than my place in France. Interesting that France seems to adopt much more protectionist policies than the UK including their builders. This ends up in higher prices for work, and then very poor English builders then offering to do it cash in hand. Careful of what you wish for UK builders! PS I've had a few nice EDFers at my place, I love the area and France.

No, they are horrid. Don't. Splash the cash and get hardwood, properly sealed, preferably finished with a white stain that it pressure blasted into the wood to give a good decade or more without refinishing. You'll be a convert and be forever grateful.

I've got a place in Liverpool if anyone wants to start up a BTL portfolio. Four bed Edwardian terrace, 3 miles from the town centre and a couple from Anfield/Goodison. Returns around ?650 a month unfurnished. ?85k. I would have sold it ten years ago but I had a family in it who were fine paying low rent and looking after it. Then they split up and the bloke treated it like a s... hole. It's been a pain in the neck and I have no interest in it whatsoever just couldn't sell it. I started in my 20s buying cheap terraces for students to live in. I was great, and most of my tenants loved me, some staying several years. When I was closer in age I'd occasionally socialise with tehm. Some weren't so nice and I took the damage on the chin. House prices and rents are still very cheap in Liverpool as there is no industry any more and the middle classes generally move out to Cheshire. The rise of the small BTL, larger landlords, universities building new halls, and changes in student life style/expectations changed the market greatly. It was no longer fun nor financially worth it so I sold on. There were no BTL mortgages when I did it so you had to box clever with loans. I've got no interest in the subject anymore, and this is merely me seeing if anyone is excited enough to make me an offer (with tenants til the New Year). Always paid my taxes - the jump in CGT was a hell of a shock but so be it. Funny how the investment programmes never mention CGT.

A bit of a late posting but what bloody awful kits at the Wales/Portugal match. Wales had to change being the 'away' team, but who on earth decided on the Portugal kit let alone advised them to play in it. And why didn't I watch the more entertaing Murray 5th set instead of the dull first half? At least we had white vs blue tonight.

I've been thinking further on this. The reason that the butcher, baker and candlestick maker shops aren't there is because people didn't shop in them. They'd prefer to go to warehouse shops (we had a cracking sports shop and a cracking camping shop in the 80s). On globalisation why have a camping shop when you can buy a whole Glasonbury camping kit for ?20 from Halfords and then dump it at the end of the day. Made in a sweat shop but do the masses care? Me I'd rather to to Finches for decent outdoor stuff, but it doesn't stop me from buying the cheap stuff from Decathlon so I am no angel.. France kept its tobaconists, local boulangeries etc due to proectionionism. Would we be prepared to pay the price for this? I doubt it. So, yes, it goes well beyond the EU but people get the high street that they deserve and voting leave aint going to magically change things. I was in Rochester High Street today which is quite lovely. But that and the voting of North Kent is for another day!