nutty

I'm with British Gas combined Elec & Gas and only pay ?30 a month total for a 3 bed house. I did fix my prices a while back though so may explain it being so cheap.

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My surname is already a double barrel name > (although with a ?van? preposition rather than the > Poncyville-Dickwadson kind) so when I asked my > fianc? if she would like to double barrel her > surname when we get married she told me I was > being an idiot. Don?t blame her to be honest. I > wouldn?t inflict a triple barrel name on my > children. > Therein lies the problem. On top of seeming a little pretentious, claiming a double barrelled name seems a little selfish to me as it doesn't allow your children to do the same. I felt quite strongly about my wife taking my name, I guess it's just a tradition now, but I think it's quite a nice one. I guess it's something for every couple to make their own mind up about, don't think there's a right and wrong, just how you feel. I know all my bloke friends wanted their wives to take their names, although in some cases a little bribery was required to get that to happen (normally spending even more on the wedding, or promise of kids asap!). I wasn't worried about my name being carried on, just found it nice to think that all the family would have the same surname (so we're the "Smith" family, rather than some concoction of names). I think I'd prefer that we'd both taken a new name of our choosing than kept our own surnames. Actually, that could be quite fun.... memories of a Friends episode where Phoebe changes her name to "Princess Conswela Banana-Hammock" :))

I clicked on this thread hoping it would be full of things like... "Save a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to Oxfam. They will wash and iron them and you can buy them back for fifty pence. J B Cartland, Brighton." weren't Viz top tips brilliant!?

I was just thinking I might set up a pitchfork shop ....

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is a very topical issue and one slightly > separate from where this thread started out. > > House prices in London at the moment are a major > social problem. An unnatural wedge is being driven > through our society. > > Estate agents like Foxtons are not the cause of > this problem. They are just one of the many > symptoms. But, like a secondary infection, they > can agitate the original problem. Well said - totally agree. I do suspect that this will be righted without any intervention required over time however, whether that's a slowdown or a crash who knows...

"Still, if we weren't all so obsessed with owning a place then things would be very different." Totally agree - percentage ownership in the UK is massively higher than in the rest of Europe. What is the big issue with more people having to rent? As alachlan said, if more people had this view then house prices would probably drop?

Alan Dale Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I definitely think they should be given credit by > homeowners or blaimed by those who can't afford > homes for their inflationary tactics. Whenever a > new office opens there is a sharp upward spike in > local values. > > They are perceived to be an indicator of > gentrification. It's sort of a self fulfilling > prophecy. Enviable position to be in. Them along with things like a nice butchers, fishmongers, good restaurants, pubs etc. Obviously Foxtons come in to an area which is already on the up and maximises it. Surely it wouldn't try and go into a run-down area and do the same? As I said before, I don't like Foxtons, but them arriving in ED is just another marker on it's upward spiral, they may cause a bit of a spike, but it's all just part of a general upward trend (for now). Brendan - I agree it seems a bit ridiculous, but I'm not sure there's anything we can do to change it as it just seems to me to be down to human nature, Foxtons just have a good (if perhaps not very ethical?) business model...

"What the bloody hell is the point of selling your property for an inflated price when the fact that you are doing so means that the bugger who is selling you your next house will be doing the same thing? " If only we could choose to sell our houses at a "uninflated" price based on an agreement the seller of the house we wish to move to would do the same! Unfortunately these two aren't linked other than that everyone wants to make as much as possible out of their home so they can buy bigger and better ones or just pay off the mortgage quicker. At the end of the day simple market forces apply I think. If you don't want to pay "inflated" prices then don't., but you'll most likely find that others are (despite the Sun's endless house price scaremongering about crashes). A house is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If some people think that makes current buyers stupid then fine, although I think plenty of us on here might have suspected we were being a little stupid when paying so much for our properties in ED - only to find out it currently looks like a good investment. No reason to blame Foxtons directly. I should point out here I hate Foxtons with a passion for their general bad practices (many alraedy documented in earlier threads), but blaming them for house prices being high does seem a little unfair...

I quite like their clothes tbh, at least we'll have a choice of places to buy mens clothes other than ED.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good grief, whatever happened to normal locals who > just fancied a quick half on a sunday afternoon? I > think the hands of PR comment from you all_star is > totally correct, and I cannot believe how damaging > these new venues are becoming to the traditional > culture of London Public Houses, I guess theres > always the castle :) In what way are these new venues "damaging" traditional culture? Did the motorcar "damage" the traditional culture of the horse and cart? Well I guess it did, but I for one am still glad we've managed to move on and change things for the better. (please don't let this trigger a green debate, that is not the point!) Venues will survive because people want to go and spend money in them, if people want to go and drink organic Austrian lager listening to jazz rather then go in a run down "local" for a pint then these venues will thrive. Don't blame the venue, they are just run by shrewd owners who want to make money. It really sounds like you have a problem with society as a whole unfortunately.

Didn't you watch the program? They are behind the houses on Landells Road. Only view from the road is the double doors in between two houses that open onto the alleyway that leads to them

spadetownboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > what do you get if you cross a pirate with a > robot? > > rrrrrrrrrrrr2d2. That's just brilliant - a wonderful follow on from the "Why are pirates called pirates?" gag.

Thanks for the extra stress karter. I was taking the Lotus money to the bank, but obviously had to bluff when I realised your comment meant I had just told the whole world I'd be walking down Lordship Lane with drug dealer levels of money on me :)) Is in now so no worries, will think more carefully before I post in future! And for anyone who plans to kidnap me and make me withdraw it, I'm afraid you're out of luck, I just paid off the loan :)-D

I think Fear n' Boozin summed up the real issue that caused this above.... Fans seemed to be forced to try the black market.

jim_the_chin Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > At the spa? yes, a really good one with a floor > that moves up and down to accomodate different > sized people. My kid does swimming lessons there. a floor that moves up and down?? So do they have different swimming times for people of different heights, or do you just have to hope they don't lower it while you're in there!?

Aha - just found one in Mayfair that's open until 5pm. I thought all banks shut at the same time - maybe this is this new premier service they've been going on about!

yeah - I guess it might be 20 in the Corsa ;-)

Ha ha - I wouldn't feel happy carrying that much cash, did a bank transfer for the car :) I remember going to Peckham Halifax a couple of years back with 4 grand I had taken for a Punto, was cr*pping myself in the queue!

Thanks karter early out of work for me then :)

Hi I need to pay some cash in at the HSBC on LL today on the way back from work. I think it closes at 4.30pm, can anyone confirm? thanks!

Not sure about a membership just for the pool, but can confirm the pool is lovely there!

To be fair it sounds like most of the people who got turned away were fans with the real tickets as fans with fake tickets had got there first and not been picked up. I can see why you'd be upset if you weren't allowed in after paying 2000 euros for a ticket and then got pepper-sprayed to boot!

bamboo towels ?!? Does that sound like a comfortable and absorbent material to anyone else? (!) Coffee shop - the wife will be pleased, will it sell (in her words) "proper coffee, not that watered down American cr*p"?

never even spotted that

Angel of East Dulwich?