bawdy-nan

ah - have royally messed up trying to edit my typo smattered subject heading and have now posted two - oh dear

During my endless driving lessons (damn reversing round a corner) I've been driving around the area a good deal. Now I'm not so horror stricken and afeared I have been able to notice my environment rather than just spotting "hazards". It seems to me that Honor Oak is a rather lovely place and reminds me a little of the "old" east dulwich. A mixture of a scuzzy and snazzy. Is Honor Oak actually east dulwich already (I mean does ed extend that far), is it lovlier than the old or new ed or am i looking at it through a rose-tinted windscreen?

During my endless driving lessons (damn reversing round a corner) I've been driving around the area a good deal. Now I'm not so horror stricken and afeared I have been able to notice my environment rather than just spotting "hazards". It seems to me that Honor Oak is a rather lovely place and reminds me a little of the "old" east dulwich. A mixture of a scuzzy and snazzy. Is Honor Oak actually east dulwich already (I mean does ed extend that far), is it lovlier than the old or new ed or am i looking at it through a rose-tinted windscreen?

casper - you are popping up in lots of threads "wondering" about the rumours you've heard about a new shop opening up which some "local nosey parker thinks is going to be a maternity shop" and "reckoning" we need a maternity shop. Your fingers wouldn't be inky from the fresh signing of a new commercial lease would they? Why not just come clean and say you're opening a new shop if you are. Your surreptitious marketing techniques are a bit transparent. Or perhaps you are just extremely interested in maternity wear? You're certainly right that there are plenty of bumps about, but to my eye they're always very nicely turned out already...

indeed. was thinking through the delivery option and had visions of the William Rose crew squeezing lamb burgers through letter-boxes forming a meaty mattress for a packet of squid from moxons - not really a winner, I can see that. pigeon post to franklins might work as long as they then served it up on a bed of barley

you could always ask for a delivery - I know that Pretty Traditional will take faxed / phone orders (or pre-orders) and deliver. You'd probably need a safe place for it to be dropped off but it might work

Great idea to have a vote. Not sure its been a whingefest though mockney ...generally I don't find people moan about things here (ED Forum) more than they do in person. There'd something a bit odd about a general Pollyannaish rictus grinfest. The world isn't thoroughly great, there's bound to be a diverse range of opinions about what is wanted or needed in an area and, indeed, what constitutes good service. People want and expect different things. People and (hush) businesses provide different levels of goods and services. Its not all hunky-dory. Some of "it" (East Dulwich, local businesses, councillors, leisure services)'s great and some of "its" ghastly.

Excellent idea PollyD But would the good burghers oblige? Could get them a bit of publicity and goodwill. Obviously, some already don't use plastic bags. Maybe Dulwich Paradiso could get hold of the film and do a special showing...

I've spent many a Devonian evening playing scrabble with my mother-in-law who is fearsome in her knowledge and application of the unusual 2 word finisher. Incidentally, do you play "Joan Collins" rules? Apparently invented by Joan Collins (?!) it involves being allowed, at any point in the game, to replace a blank tile on the board with the letter it signifies if you have it in your 7. I assume the actress with the icing dusted carapace is not the only player to insist on such a rule... Always seemed a little off-piste to me, but I've never felt it my place to mount a challenge, being in thrall to in-law etiquette.

Indeed. Isn't that great. Presumably it means that everyone's satisfied with the possibility of not getting their first or second choice - which means there's a general consensus that the local primary schools are all pretty good. Hurrah.

Interested to see what we get, but pretty happy with any of the 3 we went for ... Is anyone worried?

Yes, sorry Ko. I think the WI is pretty cool these days - active and useful. I too enjoy cooking am thriftastic and crafty to boot, though shopping makes me weep. It just shivers my feminist timbers somewhat - the celebration of tradional "female" pursuits in a retro floral fashion as well as post-feminist nonsense about pole-dancing being empowering. Not quite sure what I'd propose instead to replace it, however. Can't imagine even I'd enjoy scuttling down the "Lane" to a radical reading group. I'll simply wallow in my own misanthropy, read books and hurrumph.

I think there's a "stitch and bitch" that meets in ED too ...

The fabric shop near the Magdla sells a range of really lovely yarn and holds patterns and pins too...

Bad time for trying to get lottery funding. The Arts Council has just lost more than a 3rd of its normal lottery money to spend on one off grants and is scheduled to lose more of its core DCMS money (in 2009) though the lottery cuts are taking immediate effect. Its being diverted to the London 'Lympics look here and here Its not just affecting the arts but all the lottery "good causes" - Heritage, the Arts, the Big Lottery (which is all the community and voluntary sector grants) and, oddly 99million quid from Sport. detail on how it affects each of the good causes The "arts" are threatening to withdraw support from the 'Lympics in protest. They may have no choice in any case if there's much less money to spend. So - a major project not a great idea for the trying to fund from the lottery at the mo. There may be other ways. London development agency for example, there is financing available for social enterprise projects. There are existing agencies in southwark who might help - Southwark Arts Forum. Also, quite tricky to set up from scratch. Would be easier if we could congregate around a potential building and make it a hub for already existing organisations too - makes a stronger case for why its a resource that's needed. There was something kind of odd and interesting happening in the old timber place in Peckham for a while... The community centre on Darrell Road is well used but pretty run down physically and has quite a lot of space ....

saw some minutes from the dulwich community council where it was said 1-4 years for them to be out - I can't imagine the building will be put to community use though - I assume it'll be flats for dinkies ...

What about for pleasure? Or just daft little tips - for example, my legs would crumple trying to get up Lordship Lane hill. Instead, I weave up Crystal Palace Road, or if I;m feeling truly pathetic and afraid of the bendy buses on Barry Road, I make a dash for Friern Road (barely any cars) and mosey up there...

An ED Arts Club would be great. But where could it be? Maybe the police station? I suspect the rearing of the "A" word might ruffle some feathers, but in this brave new world that has such people in it, perhaps the waters will remain smooth?

Someone promised to post their favoured routes. I've recently joined the happy shoal of cyclists but am not sure of best routes. Has anyone got any top tips?

Or why not another week during which we all ask ourselves "do I really need to buy it". Maybe we could all do something to invest in the local community that doesn't involve spending money - I'm sure there are plenty of community resources that could do with a lick of paint, bloody good tidy up, guerilla gardening? Maybe the good traders of SE22 would like to support such an initiative?

?????

Blimey blinder - are you proposing the independent state of east dulwich?

Sounds like a good idea. I do it anyway. There's very little I can't get in ED and, in the main, the shops and people who work in them are pleasant, knowledgeable and help me expand my culinary horizons. We do a Sainsburys shop about once a month for enormous heavy things and splash out on a cab. Maybe the local businesses would like to do a joint promotion - with a treasure hunt card to be stamped or something like that

I once asked the man about the no testing policy. He assured me it was for public health reasons - something to do with the probably passing on of disease

Well putting aside my initial gasted flabber I thought I'd take a little look at what the WI is up to these days. Am absolutely delighted that such enthusiastic minds will be hanging up their Cath Kidston pinnies and applying their talents to this year's WI proposed campaign - "Preventing the Closure of Community Hospitals". I'm not convinced the issue is as straightforward as "all community hospitals should remain open" but maybe that could be the starting point for your debate. Or prehaps you could get cracking on last year's campaigns to rev you up a bit - 2006 RENEWABLE ENERGY 'This meeting urges all levels of government to put in place legislation and policy requiring the use of renewable energy technologies in all new buildings, re-building and renovation.' SPORT FOR A HEALTHY POPULATION 'This meeting urges HM Government to: recognise that participation in sport is an essential factor in the creation of a healthy population; ensure the re-establishment of competitive (mainstream) sport in the curricula of all schools; and take such steps as are necessary to reverse the decline in the availability of sporting facilities for all citizens, particularly in light of the 2012 Olympics being awarded to the city of London.' ED won't know what's hit it. Go girls, go...