Michael Palaeologus

It is replacing The Green - as I live opposite I am rather looking forward to the opening..

.............. Dulwichmum, damn her!

It seems to have turned into a "Snorky psychotherapy session"

Dashes into room - covered in soot "Dagnabit - those blue-belly Union soldiers have set fire to the warehouse, swiftly, grab the soda-syphon, we may be able to save it yet" Dashes out .....................

Pizza Hut.

Pop-corn and a Fanta anyone?

Fantastic - opposite my front door too. I think an EDF trip is called for!

A small but select and perfectly formed gathering of the curry club - Hibbs, Sean Mc G, Georgia and me. We met in Bar Story - nice place with a good vibe - I think I will revisit, their cocktail happy hour seems generous. My first time in Ganapati. Nice ambience, cool cafe feel. I liked the menu as it was quite short, but with a good variety. This gives me the impression that what I am getting will be freshly prepared and cooked and wont be one of an infinite variety of similar curries pulled from the freezer. I had the Murgh Khozi - cocanut flavour, nice and spicy, breast on the bone, boiled rice and a fun,layered bread. The main courses come with rice or bread depending. We drank Cobra and some mind bogglingly strong red wine. My only concern was that the popadum comes in portions and are broken and then artfully piled - they come with 4 pickles. Now, the quantity of popadum and pickle didnt in my mind justify the cost. I prefer the old fashioned approach of receiving whole popadoms and knowing what I am paying per pop and for the pickles. Minor thing, but the details do count. Cost for: pops, 4 main courses, rice, bread, beers and wine was ?25 each including tip. All in all a happy experience in a restaurant that is different from the rest, and in a good way. I will be returning and would be happy to take visiting friends. We retired to the Montpelier - my first visit for ages and certainly since the refurb. Nice pun with a modern restrained feel.

Demure? Demure? Frankly my Dear, I couldnt give a damn! Strides off through the door to find an Iced Tea ................

I'm up for a drink in the Castle - availability a bit limited over the next few weeks though.

Shshshshshsh.. I think somebody has a bit of head ache this morning.

OK - should be able to - will stay in touch by mobile later on this PM. Where is Bar Story?

I dont think I will be able to - I am driving back from Tamworth and sould be back in time for the curry - but would be pushing itfor the Badminton

I do like the internet, I am sat in a wind-swept depot in Tamworth interviewing scaffolders and have been for the past 3 days - a wearying experience enlivened by the passionate and heart felt debate back at home. Lookng forward to getting back home later this PM and a good curry. Am I correct in thinking that we have decided (sort of) that the next drinks will be at the CPT on 4 April. Also - I would be more than happy to have a session at the Castle at some point.

Have we decided where we are going to meet yet?

You are drunk, you cant drive. Get back to the Quiet Room and sober up.

Oh good grief. Fetches bucket, towel, large glass of water. Here we go again .......

That was what my Plane was dong last Friday.

Jah - we are sitting down at 8.30 - so I am sure you culd be slipped in.

You have calendar problems, the good lady wife has direction problems. How do you ever go on holiday?

I can do better than that dear Lady. Attaches an intravenous to the beautious creature and sticks a bottle of Courvousier in the other end. Now, to wait for her to drift away to sleep ...........

I agree with Keef that pubs should not be tarred with the "violent" brush for no good reason, based on received wisdom and few facts - some pubs often seem to go in cycles, a period of bad followed by a period of good. People should explore places and make their own minds up. BUT - I also agree with Belle - people need to explore at their own pace and under their own steam. Gentle encouragement is fine, but forcing people outside of their boundaries by having what is an EDF whole-community event in a venue in which they dont feel comfortable is not something I feel happy with. The fact is that such people will not turn up and may then never turn up. Their loss, but ours too. We do have sub-groups - the Badminton people, the Curry people, the CPT crew, the comedy fans, the Scrabblers and so on. These are not exclusive and people float in and out of them, but they do cater for specific interest groups. The EDF monthly drink up surely is intended to be as inclusive as possible and I think that the choice of venue should reflect this. This is not to say that EDF groups do not go to the Castle or the Vale or one of the gastropubs - but perhaps not the whole group. Given the cycle noted above it may well be that these places will eventually become more generally accepted either through positive feedback or through major change (e.g. The Plough). X

Herne cos I've never been there CPT cos its a good pub and an easy stagger

If Harry takes a sharp one then he will become a floppy without a doubt.

Well, whatever you say about the The Castle - it clearly isnt just "any old pub"! Keef - what about the Magdalla? Doesnt that have what it takes to be a Pub?