malumbu

Oh no. That has spoiled my evening. To be serious and not checked other conversations, Thatcher and the party in the 80s saw him as a terrorist. All credit to Jerry Dammers for how he got this into the national conscious.

Not a great pub, Foxes in Sydenham,but I wouldn't go this far.

Such a disinteteresting thread I don't even know why I am bothered to say anything. Before Fergie this was the norm for donkeys years (underperforming). Still the biggest sporting brand in the world, and this comes from someone who has no like of Manure and detests both those who are not remotely from Manchester nor have any connection with the team. After their first home defeat since 1979 by a certain team I will not reveal we had hours on 606 with whinger after whinger phoning in. Scottish accent. Whinge whinge. London accent, whinge whinge. Plymouth accent, whinge whinge. Mancunian accent - well we need to give Moyes a few years, I recall a very interesting team under Ron Fatkinson, who didn't win anything, but it was cheap and entertaining, let's just give it time. Norfolk accent, whinge whinge. Screw you Jonny come lateleys/London/Scottish/Devon reds. I did have my own private gloat of 'going down going down going down' though. More important what great results for the Lions and for the Glaziers (that is Crystal Palace not those American asses)

Where were you lot on Sunday when the Everlasting Yeah played the Ivy - the rump of That Petrol Emotion. Part timers the lot of you!

Free market, boys Rolling Stones would charge more. Not going to either I hasten to add.

Angle grinder (knife through butter) Or bolt cropper (knife through butter) Used both, once by New Scotland Yard and nobody batted an eyelid. Worrying.... (the story is a nice one, locked bike up many years ago on Vic Street, couldn't find key, retraced my steps etc. A few months later noticed something metalic in my water bottle, some nice soul had put my keys in there after finding them in my lock!)

You need a superior self adhesive DP eg a V profile http://www.stormguard.co.uk/products/ADS/m/VSEAL.htm Normal ones from DIY shops are poo. Trust me!

Does she have a return tag on her or other means of identification/address?

Google is wrong. Wiki is wrong. Paul McGann should not be on there. He was awful, and this was a nonsense unsuccessful American co-production that failed to spawn a TV series. And the post-Peter Davidson Drs had certainly lowered the bar before that. If you need to keep the numbers up Peter Cushing did a much better job in the two feature films in the 1960s

Much better discussion on a plea to cyclists thread. Some good debate here but loads of reactionary nonsense from both sides. Most drivers are good Most cyclists are good As cyclists we need to make sure we aren't caught out by the bad drivers Vice versa for drivers. The common enemy is of course the pedestrian walking out in front of us. That was a facetious comment. Go to the other thread, read, absorb, and only comment if you have something useful to add. As the block in Lordship Lane carpets said about me, "that's told you".

A refreshingly honest post by Savage, and an excellent reply by Polla. The debate here and on other threads continues to be useful (shame it is hijacked from time to time). I've been a militant/holier than though London cyclist for a quarter of a century, witnessing many changes including the increase in bikes. I think that I am an excellent cyclist, if somewhat shouty at times, but there is always need for reflection. And moderation. For example: 1. I was nearly hit by a car doing a u turn on a side road off the Old Kent Road a few months ago. The driver was more traumatized than me, which meant me comforting her rather than vice-versa. Nice not to have been sworn at for a change. But as this was a quiet time of day I was perhaps a fraction of a second off realising what was happening, even though none of this was my fault. 2. In a hurry I turned left whilst driving in the summer, not into a path of a cyclist but near enough that it concerned me that I had not checked more carefully. Worrying as my main form of transport is a bike. 3. I dashed across a road near St James Park a few years ago, and was clipped by a cyclist. I was very apologetic and the cyclist just shouted 'no worries'. If the situation was reversed I would have gone ape-poo at the pedestrian 4. Coming across too many bikes without lights, usually young 'leisure' cyclists rather than commuters like me. Usually in dark clothing. Particularly on the Peckham canal route, but I can also argue that it is difficult to see many pedestrians as well using this 'mixed' route, also in dark clothing. 5. Got stopped by the OB this (cloudy) Monday morning and advised that I should have my lights on. We got into a short discussion and I talked about my whole defensive/anticipative/make myself big and clear approach to cycling, and then kicked myself for not having a go at the feds for doing their campaign at the wrong time, ie they should have been there on the evening commute to have a go at those without lights, or those daft mini lights. 6. I do, and will continue, to weave through slow and stationary traffic. I don't and will continue not to, pass a HGV on the inside anywhere near a junction. In doing the former I am acutely aware of any sudden movement of the road vehicles that suggest that they have not seen me. My risk. 7. I was one of the last to go on the local authority/bike club voluntary motor cycle training that predated the two- part motorcycle test (and subsequent balls-up ever since). DID that teach me about positioning and indicating (and this was someone who thought having had a car license for a three years, that he was an excellent driver). So useful for cycling today 8. All of this is food for thought, not strong opinion. The only thing I do want to add that pees me off about driving (and I see this from what ever mode of transport I use) is the basic 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre'. This was drummed into me both through public info campaigns and my own driving test. So WTF do so many drivers not do not indicate in good time both for courtesy, but more importantly to show that they probably have looked first? There is a lovely clip on me on Youtube from 2007 cycling into central London with no helmet. I could still argue that I don't need one, but it is simpler just to put the thing on in any case. Ah, more carefree times.

I stayed in a gaol once (converted prison in Stockholm)

Yes, I understand where you are coming from. Now this no doubt isn't supposed to be a discussion thread, but.... An awful lot of people claim/advertise to be life coaches nowadays. My 'other' wife is a colleague who drives me mad for a variety of reasons. She is or was a life coach, and from time to time I see her go into coaching mode where she does 'if I was in your situation' which drives me mad. Example "my word that meeting went on for so long", reply "If I was you I would have made an excuse and left". The response should have been "did you think of leaving" or " was there not a chance to make an excuse and leave" ie a question not an instruction. I've done lots of management and influencing courses, putting your feet in their shoes etc. But when I feel someone is trying to do it to me I find it annoying to say the least. Now good readers you are probably saying what an arrogant pig I am, and poor partner/work mates. The simple question is how do we differentiate between those coaches who talk the talk, and those who can also walk the walk.

Sounds like a 'normal' long term relatioship to me. My other half often looks at my posts, so I may be sleeping in the spare room tonight. You did not include: my partner spends too much time on social networking sites vs My partner spends too much time on the I Pad.....

I apologise for being insensitive at a horrible time. I was met with the normal kneejerk response from non cyclists, particularly those in the outer boroughs, in Beckenham last night. Oh it is all your fault as you cyclists jump red lights. I said that they shouldn't make assumptions without evidence. On the ROSPA website: Reported Road Casualties [obviously most due to road vehicles] in Great Britain, 2012 Killed 1,754 Seriously Injured 23,039 (ROSPA estimate that due to many unreported accidents this is more like 80,000) Slightly Injured 193,784 (ROSPA estimate over 660,000 due to unreported accidents) All 195,723 Common causes of these unnecessary tragedies include: Speeding Around 400 people a year Drink Driving Around 280 people die a year in crashes in which someone was over the legal drink drive limit. Careless Driving More than 300 deaths a year involve someone being "careless, reckless or in a hurry", and a further 120 involve "aggressive driving". Inexperience More than 400 people are killed in crashes involving young car drivers aged 17 to 24 years, every year, including over 150 young drivers, 90 passengers and more than 170 other road users. Loosely dividing these numbers by total population/London population, and obviously not taking into account much greater vehicle mileage, shows far more deaths associated with powered road vehicles than push bikes and a significant number due to reckless/drunk/inexperienced driving. I am shocked that people do not express sympathy following the recent bike deaths rather than get on an anti-bike soapbox. Sadly I lost a close friend following a low speed motorbike accident many years ago and still remember someone saying that he deserved it for riding a motorbike... I've been lucky. Annabel so sorry to hear of your loss.

What are you lot like. I post something relevant - Mourinho is an arse Then slag you lot off as per usual for not supporting local teams Then give you my one experience of Parkhead which was frighteningly anti-English And you go on bitching about each other. Now back to important matters. Mourinho is an arse. Yes or no. Support your local team. Yes of no. Admire Malumbu being the only Englishman in the Jungle at Parkehead. Yes or no.

Buy petrol unless you are doing mainly long distance motorway miles. Better still buy a ultra low emission vehicle, EV or petrol hybrid. You wont be allowed in central London otherwise from 2020 when Boris's Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into force. Better still think about joing a car club so you only use it when you need it. Diesel fumes are the main contributor to about 29000 early deaths in the UK due to fine particulates and nitrogen dioxide.

I don't usually agree with Lineker, but Mourinho, 'precious'. You scrape a point that you don't deserve and you haven't even the humiliaty to admit it. A plague on you. I did enjoy the chants of "sacked in the morning" coming from the only noisy part of the ground. Tut tut, I forgot, Footba is a local game for local people. Well done to Palace for a deserved point, and to Bromley for their 5-0 victoria. DHFC were robbed by all accounts. Wont mention the Lions' result. In another world I lived in Glasgow and went to probably the most frightening match of my life, Celtic vs Forest in the UEFA Cup. About 400000 in the Jungle with the chants of Argentina, Argentina, and "IRA, Irish Rubublican Army (to the tune "we all agree, Man United are rubbish") before the match started and then naughty Cloughie silenced them with a 2-0 win. I'll leave it there.

Jah Lush It would help if you read my post. My points were - should it not be for the state to support veterans not a charity? Or if you sign up for the dangerous job (in theory of a free will) should there not be significant recompense? There was a third point about why a significant number of young soldiers start a family rather than waiting until more stable times of their lives. I am sure that there are studies out there which point to insecurity and the need to pass on genes to the next generation. I can't be bothered to list family members who were in the army either conscripted or through national service. Anyway, good debate, and some of this has made the broadsheets. We studied war poets for O Level literature (now that dates me) and Wilfred Owen means more to me than most of the others. I certainly did not indicate any disrespect, but there are other causes that I will give my spare money to, some caused by conflicts that the modern world has not eliminated. Over 40 years after we sent our aluminium spoons to Blue Peter for their Xmas appeal to help families then suffering starvation in Nigeria during the Biafran war. Incidentally I see that no forces or ex-services have contributed - some first hand views would be welcome. I was involved in a schools' project where service men and women were brought in, together with some older Londoners, to speak to the kids and share their experiences. And what were the kids interested in? The guns!

Friggin annoying and sycophantic. Well at least the exposure I have to it. BBC including fans and players tweets on football coverage. Davina McCall saying on the Million Pound Drop "oh Jonathan bloomin Ross has just tweeted about the show". I don't bally care. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Oh I am so angry. But I have just found out that I have four tickets to the Brazil World Cup. Now how do I do this tweeting?

This may be the most controversial thread I have started. I am ambivalent towards poppy day and the like. Not remembrance I hasten to add, I am old enough that the last World War was still a strong memory to the adult population when I was growing up. I then had living family who served in both World Wars. Growing up at that time I thought that Britain would never get involved in a major conflict again, surely the world had learned its lesson. The last three we have been involved in were certainly not in my name. However I feel that it is taboo to debate how as a nation we support our veterans. I don't feel it is safe in pubs, work and on the street to raise this without getting my head kicked in. At footy matches if you broke wind during a minutes silence a mob would attack you (conversely in one experience they were singing anti Irish songs before and after the minute's silence). Most of those who fought against facism are no longer with us. Was it not the states' responsiblity to look after the injured and the families that suffered? And in the last 30 years, all conflicts have been fought by those who decided, with their own free will, to enlist. Is not part of that equation that I may get injured or killed, therefore I want recompense to cover that. Peacekeeping forces is a more difficult equation - and the debate about Syria has shown this is far from simple. And finally. Choosing to have a family, many at a relatively young age. Again when I could be injured or killed. Is that responsible ?? The above points are gross generalisations, informed in part by casual/anacdotal knowledge. I am not one of these nutters that you hear about in the US who shout abuse outside the funerals of dead soldiers. By all means shoot me down, but please have a good argument. I am smply interested in people's views in what I hope is a relatively safe environment to discuss the issue. And my views on most things (apart Nigel Farage, and Switzerland) can change.

So after singing the praises of Catford/Forest Hill borders on another thread, this gent comes over to pick up the old tiles that I sold on e-bay (some had gone through the 'for sale' ad on this site.) I tell him that the tiles had been removed from the porch of my old flat, by the builder (many moons ago) who had damaged some (ie they were no longer a complete set). And the gent asks "oh what nationality were they" I reply "that is an inappropriate comment" He still insists on telling me his Punjabi builders story, where the builders removed and smashed up some Victorian fireplaces. (I was expecting him to say something about 'Poles, Pikeys or Roma'). What the flip the nationality was mentioned I don't know. Was he expecting me to say "oh those Punjabis, clearly don't appreciate heritage, they will be smashing up the Golden Temple next". Oh and Roy's story was in deed racist after all. He was inferring that American astronauts are less intelligent than primates, so this was an anti-American comment (he will be burning the flag next). Actually come to think of it it may be a factual comment, certainly I am sure that most Americans are more stupid than monkeys. For one monkeys don's justify the Second Amendment.

I walked through an East London park a couple of years ago to see a guy with a frame hanging from a tree that he was spraying. Modern art I asked? No he says, I have no yard at home and I didn't want to spray it in doors.

Interesting after the great give away of the Royal Mail that Dave has announced a single new nuclear power station. After we gave away British Gas and before we gave away CEGB, we had the vestiges of a national energy policy where profits (bearing in mind cheap coal) were kept by the State. Thatch (RIP) was very pro nuke power (in part because she hated the miners and the nukes had helped keep the lights on during the miners' strike) and announced a new power station, based on Sizewell B, every year. Approval was given to an earlier Hinkley Point C in Sept 1990. By that time Thatch had done an about turn and decided that we would burn all of our gas instead, prior to this natural gas was not a fuel of choice for power genenertation. And boy are we paying for it now (it is not a free market you plonkers, it is driven by OPEC, Russian gangsters, and cold US winters). Over 23 years later permission was given for a new HPC. In those 23 years a whole generation of UK nuclear engineers has not been replaced, together with the capability to build new plant. 23 years ago the UK still had one of the most advanced nuclear R&D capabilities, fuel fabrication and fuel processing. And earned zillions of yen. How ironic that the far East is now building the new power station for a French state electricity generator. OK so post Thatch governments didn't help, the world turned away from nuclear energy etc etc. And that dick Andrew Neal (joined in by his side kicks) slagged off the nuke industry with no real knowledge of the subject. Yep loads of mistakes were made with a UK nuclear power programme that was linked to production of weapons, and couldn't decide on a unified reactor design. But we were ahead of the world in so many respects (similarly telecomms). Not just rose tinted specs.

After Nationwide got rid of their cheap commission on using their debit cards abroad (zillions of us opened Flex accounts only for that reason) I now take heaps of cash with the brill rates offered by the Victoria Street places eg Changelink. It pees all over banks, the post office and I wet myself at the aiport exchange rates. Many years ago I used Barclaycard, then Barclays Debit card, not realising the silly commission charges. Interesting about Metrobank though. Got a Caxton card, forgot my login details, then Ryanunfair started charging on the pre-loaded cards, so that was the end of that.