Michael Palaeologus

I am slghtly over 40, not very gorgeous, but I am single. If that helps..

I started off living in the area by default - I needed a place to live and a friend of a friend had a spare room. I purchased in the area (twice) because of the relative convenience of being close to the city centre, but because of the lack of tube, the relatively low property prices. The general upgrading of the area helped. I also suspect that the cluster of hospitals draws in people.

I have no time for Ms Jowell. When I went to see her she clearly sensed that my issue was a political hot potato and literally made her excuses and left. The problem with having a Minister as a local MP is that she will NEVER fight for her constituency if that might cause some discomfort to the Government or disrupt her career. So, we have an MP as a Minister, in charge of the Olympics, yet the area will see no benefit from the Olympics, the East London Line Extension benefits North London - we get "phase 2" which wont be funded until after the Olympics and so will never get funded - because of the inevitable Olympic overspend - which is Ms Jowell's responsibility. She is actually worse than useless. Far better to have a back-bench MP with metaphorical balls who will fight for the constituency and not spend her time being pictured sprawled over a gaming table.

or perhaps a Yuppie Incomers vs Down-Trodden Cockerneys sporting competition. The Yuppie Incomers would be given a handicap on account of the Down-Trodden Cockerneys all having rickets; and there's no mistakin', Guv.

Hughues - I think that the table is simply an indicative notion of the relative density of Starbucks in any given area. As you say it is not a map in the pure sense. For true picture you might visit the Starbucks website or possible write a politely worded letter to their corporate headquarters. Perhaps you could do this after your next recce visit to the new wet fish shop?

The squirrels of Goose Green have Nike ticks shaved into them - honest

Doh! I'm filling up!

I have no interested in playing, but am alwats interested in the drinking afterwards - when and where will that be?

I will be there. I have been in athens for the past week. Missed me? Nah !! - Swines!

Thats me - down with the Thinifers!!

Perhaps we should alternate week nights with weekends? Inevitably some people will have preferences. Maybe the next one in a few weeks time (mid-Feb)? Would people prefer another venue? - Huguenot did announce that the Black Cherry was a "girls bar" and that he went in there regularly....... Would the BC be that good alernative? How about week commencing 19/2?

Georgia - whydont you start a new thread to organise the next drinkie? It wil probably get lost on this one.

Confirmed Keef!

Good fun. People came and went but I think I counted about 12 people during thr course of the evening - members, friends and partners. Garulous discussions about a range of subjects. I seem remember Huguenot button-holing an innocent bystander and cross-examining them about Catholicism, at length. I wobbled home at about 12 - via the Yilmaz. More to follow hopefully. Thanks due to Mockney-P for staring the thread that caused it to be.

I dont have a problem with names. I left at about 12.30 ish, good evening - bit of a kebab finish night.

Sad but true.

Bargain!

Tankie = old style Stalinist. Derived from the Red Army's "Stalin Tank" of WW2 - a great lumbering monster of a tank, that had little relevance in the then modern battlefield, but made alot of noise. Prime Minister Harold Wilson told TU Leader Hugh Scanlon to "Get you tanks off my lawn" in the good old days of class and industrial warfare. Nowadays the most we have to worry about is where to park the car.

Ibo - the reason that ED is resurgent is because of the money that the newer people bring in. The changes in ED benefit all. "Working class" - "Middle class" are terms that have no relevance here. I come from a mining family, not many mines left in ED. Having been in the area for 19 years - I dont remember people revelling in a "cosmopolitan working class area". The place was a dump and the only people who revelled in it were those still fighting a pointless and irrelevant class-war. The days of the Tankies have long gone. The rest of us can get on with life without the hate-filled bile that they spewed.

Beth - "It will destroy alot of cental Peckham" - Your problem is .................?! Bellenden have received HUGE mounts of public and private investment over the past years - to deny that opportunity to other parts of the area sees a bit mean spirited. The fact that central Peckham will be re-built is a good thing. Woolies and the cinema are not things of beauty and the development of Peckham as transport node would see alot more businesses (including a new cinema and Woolies)and housing in the area, more than replacing those that were lost.

Oh God! I always hate photo of me. Somehow they dont seen to capture the stunning beauty that I see in the mirror every morning.

Ease my curiosity Capt B. How do you "weather" a cat? I hope it is not similar to "distressing". "Distressing" an innocent cuddly toy cat would just be so wrong.

There was no sign of Dylan at the Library yesterday evening - but when I asked the Librarians they looked rather shifty ...... Could we be about to expose cuddly toy trafficing in South London?

Basically it will link Peckham to Camden via Waterloo. There seem to be a variety of route options that people can comment on.

I am going to the Library this evening (book club) I will enquire as to Dylan's whereabouts.