Senor Chevalier

There is no controlled parking zone on Melbourne Grove (thank goodness) but parking there is not entirely without cost as I discovered last week when I got home and saw someone had scraped along the side of my car and dented the wheel arch. Fairly predictable I suppose given that the last bit of Melbourne Grove corner with East Dulwich Grove (used as a cut through to Grove Vale) is incredibly congested almost all of the time. If only the Council had implemented a one way scheme rather than mucking about with random pavement widening on Grove Vale...

Oh four fox ache people

When I sold my last place, one agent valued it significantly higher than the others, but guess what... their % fee was the highest. I asked them to justify the higher sales price. They gave me the usual flannel about being very confident, having identified buyers and having recently achieved blah blah. I told them I was prepared to go with them but that I could only justify their fee if they achieved their forecast sales price otherwise their fee rate would need to step down to match the other agents. They protested at this, but I simply said that it was up to them, take it or leave it, if they were so confident then they should put their money where their mouth is. Despite their fee being "non-negotiable" they went for it, as the only argument they could make to not accept my terms was that they didn't believe their own price forecast. Suffice to say it sold for less than their estimate, but at least I paid them at the lower rate. I also quite like having the agent properly incentivised to achieve a good price rather than the usual model of putting your place on the market and then pressuring you to drop the price 2 weeks' later.

Fair enough. I'll give it a crack and report back in due course...

Report them? Where do we start. I pedal to work down Grove Vale, Oglander, Bellenden, Lyndhurst, Southampton etc. The route is a non-stop slalem around all the holes in the road right until I cross Southwark bridge (along the patchy / holey cycle superhighway). A dangerous and very bumpy ride resulting in frequent flat tyres. The Council do not need these to be reported. They know all about them. They also know that if the cracks and holes aren't fixed ahead of winter then they will get worse still. The issue is not one of reporting. The issue is the lack of action which is inexplicable when resources are being misguided towards speed bump installation.

My recommendation for your wooden counter tops is a natural hardwax vegetable-derived oil called Polyx made by Osmo. Totally organic and hypoallergenic if that's a concern. Easy to apply with a brush, roller or just wipe on and polish with a cotton rag and always gives a fantastic finish. http://www.osmouk.com/osmopolyx.cfm?chapter=29 Personally, I'd always go for the satin rather than the gloss finish.

Now that's just plain rude. They seem like plucky birds not afraid to speak their mind. Ideal neighbours I'd say. Time we zoned up the whole of ED into for and against. Edited to add. Lentils versus lentil pissers.

Furry nuff... I was concerned that such a great thread had reached its natural end but I can see that revving it up again (the thread rather than your van) is a bit tedious... I think EVERYONE on this thread would agree with me when I say - hope you get it started tomorrow.

Is anyone buying this "van won't start carry on...?"

Yep - not a bad option for the money and they do look good but they used to look better and the sink area has got a bit soggy. It all starts with good intentions, but sooner or later they get wet and / or burn marks and over time they just don't look as good. Good intentions don't last and I can't maintain the completely fastidious approach needed to keeping them clean and dry so I'm going for something more robust on the next kitchen. Corian or Stainless Steel would be my picks, but then they are a lot more pricey.

The irony is, they are probably camping out whilst doing their kitchen / loft extension, paying council tax and contributing to the general embourgoisement of the area. Someone really out to find out their freakin' story.

Irony Huncs. RS was taking a shoeing so I thought I'd do the honorable thing and take some heat for her...

RS - I barely dare stick my head above the parapet given the way this thread is going, but I do sympathise. I'd also be a bit peeved if some pikeys had set up camp outside my house. Hopefully they'll find this thread on their iPads one morning when they're nicking your wireless broadband and take the hint...

But seriously guys, let's be clear on the whole Waitrose issue....yawn....whatever... Good idea, I would be happy to volunteer for 4 hours a month for a people's supermarket.

Do you need the bigger room for use right away? You talk about resale but have only just moved in! If it is spare capacity for the moment then why not enjoy the decadence of a larger bathroom for a bit. In due course you can switch the 2 rooms back to the conventional layout whether because you need a bigger bedroom or because you are trying to maximise your sale price. Of course if the bathroom is a bit naff and you are getting it redone then you will want to get it right first time... Do you mean 1.7m by the way? Doesn't sound right unless the the back of your house isn't square.

On Saturday, the North Cross Road market looked thinner than I remember having seen it before. Half a dozen stalls, 10 max I would say. Certainly nowhere near 20, let alone 30. If the increased capacity goes through, I hope it is taken up.

Twirly and others have made the "why don't some of the independent shops open later?" point on the previous page. Seems to me that the main argument in favour of a Waitrose is that we could get nice grub after work. LL is clearly awash with good nosh daytime. As it is I occasionally nip to William Rose on the dot of 8am mid week and get to work a little late but only as it is 50 yards from my door. Otherwise I am left sifting through the rubble at Co-op around 8pm. The scores so far seem to be largely anti-Waitrose though there is a material portion (perhaps a third or so) that are in favour. This is significant and whilst my vote is "no" (careful not to double-count it) I agree wholeheartedly with the late opening line of argument. The local independent foodshops have reason to be concerned as there is a persistent groundswell of opinion and let's face it LL wouldn't be the first high street to suffer the forces of embourgeoisement. Perhaps the best way to nip this in the bud would be for local food retailers to perhaps put heads together and try a later opening day mid week - say Wednesday. Then the Waitrophiles would no longer have a leg to stand on. I'm thinking bakery, butcher and veg (I assume nobody wants day old fish). If they tried it would we go or would it be one of those things we moan about and then fail to support when the change actually happens? Would it work or are VP, WR and BB too disparate? Do all roads lead back to the People's Supermarket - the one-stop shop for nice food of an evening? This should perhaps be a separate thread...

What Waitrose does really well is veg, meat, fish and cheese. Beats Sains and Co-op hands down. Would also be open in evenings which is convenient when all the local shops are closed. Whilst the views of those on this forum (medicated or otherwise) may not be representative, the argument that a Waitrose would have a negative effect on local independent shops seems hard to dispute and this is the reason I voted "no". I haven't seen many people claiming that it would not have such an impact. The Co-op and Iceland can not compete with the local independent shops whereas Waitrose could. So the more interesting vote would be for those in favour of a Waitrose to vote for their reasons. A. I believe it would not have an effect on local independent stores B. I believe it would have an effect on local independent stores but I just don't care Are you an A or a B? (or just puzzled)?

Is the spelling and punctuation in the book better than in your post? Edit: Do let us know when it is out on Kindle and I'll find out for myself...

A small local cinema would be a great addition to the area and I would definitely make use of it. I think exclusive use for groups of 20 would be difficult though and I can see myself only getting organised enough to sort that very, very occasionally.

For grabbing groceries after work the Co-op range is quite limited and stock levels seem prone to wild fluctuation so I would definitely make use of a Waitrose (no point whatsoever in another M&S ready meals outlet). However, the effects on the independent food shops are easy to predict and I just don't think it is worth the gamble with LL. So with some regret, no.

If it's a calculated risk then more the fool you and you have to take it on the chin. Similarly, some people argue that speeding tickets represent good value when you amortise them across all the times you speed and don't get caught... Absolutely no sympathy for frequent speeders moaning about the time they were caught. Thing that pees people off though is the underhand behaviour of some wardens. This moved the policy-makers in Wandsworth to include a provision in their parking policy that says that wardens should give motorists the opportunity to move first and act helpfully. Not sure if wardens are commission-based in Southwark or whether Southwark Council are happy for their wardens to act the way they do in the hypothetical situation of them spotting an offense and keeping quiet. Would be interesting to know whether this is the intended / endorsed behaviour...

[stoo] Nobody is disputing your indisputable logic that the way to avoid all risk is to avoid parking there. However, humans whether drivers in London (ergo "completely stupid"), cyclists or whatever occasionally make mistakes and some of us think that it would be a nicer world if any wardens that happened to be passing doffed their cap at tax-paying citizens and simply asked them to move along...

Had seen Kloeber advertised. Was actually looking for them when I did my original post as I couldn't recall the name. Think they're probably as good as any - best thing would be to get to a show room or better a grand designs trade fair or something where you could see them and others in action.

It is not their job to stand around advising ignorant motorists. Nor should it be their job to hide in the bushes and bust you as soon as you turn your back.