Muttley

I'd say that price levels and the gobsmacking relentless rise in prices are now detrimental to East Dulwich life. In the 1990s I moved from an SE22 flat to a house. The move cost about ?3,000 including all fees, stamp duty, the lot. It was an irritation, but easily hidden in the mortgage. The exact same move today would cost ?30,000 or more, over ten times as much, which for many people is more than a year's salary simply being handed over to the taxman and professionals. And that's ignoring the six figure mortgage that would be needed. This means it is now much harder for a person to relocate in the area as their family grows. So we are losing people who would love to stay. The other negative impact on ED life is the inevitable change in the nature of people who are now able to buy. In the 1990s it was relatively easy, and common, for regular musicians, actors, designers, BBC employees etc. in their twenties to buy a big flat or a house in East Dulwich. Many still live here. Today, this category of young professional wouldn't stand a chance of starting on the ladder here unless they had an inheritance or a well-paid partner. I regret that loss of diversity, which is what created a lot of ED's personality in the first place.

and doesn't the magdala do pizzas too?

No never saw Gary in the flesh, though I did see his mum and dad once - they lived in the gatehouse (he bought if for them, apparently), and were unloading shopping from the boot as I drove past. They just looked like your typical retired couple and I guess that's how Gary will end up one day. Or maybe that's how he looks now - they can do incredible things with make-up and a TV camera.

DM, I used to live next door to Gary Barlow. Well, let me qualify that. If you looked out of our front bedroom window with binoculars, across the fields, you could just see the top of his stately pile. It's a gated mansion close to Delamere forest in the heart of Cheshire. So there's no particular reason why Gary would be wandering up Lordship Lane...on the other hand, I made it here, so maybe he'll be drawn here too.

Great to hear that you are returning to Lordship Lane after all these years, and that a bit of culture is returning to upstairs at EDT, the original home of East Dulwich comedy. What's the story behind your move from The Castle, neiljohns?

My recollection is that they only held the comedy fest on Goose Green once, in a huge marquee. Maybe 2001? It was a high point in East Dulwich history, but I suspect the residents of the flats got irked by the noise.

I remember when the shop on the Mrs Robinson site sold used cars. Not THAT long ago, either. If they get a bit sniffy, perhaps you should remind them of their origins.

It's one of those freebie glossy mags that gets stuck through the door ever so often, no idea how they decide who gets it, but like most of these rags its aim is to incite envy and greed. House on Wimbledon Common for ?3.5m, anyone?

A copy of "London Property News" has just flumped through the door. Near the back there is an advert that says 'All Lines Lead to East Dulwich', advertising the new, not yet finished flats opposite the exit to ED station, next to William Hill. The ad includes an illustration of how the building will look when it is finished, and filling the empty shop on the corner is "Coffee Shop", white on green. The ad says in small print "indicates possible use for the commercial space in the development" - white on green, hmm, maybe they know something already.

Joe LD - in fact even in the middle of a weekday, I'm surprised at how often there are no spaces at the top of Landells and CP Road - East Dulwich is becoming over-run with cars. Now there's nowhere to park my Volvo estate, it's a disgrace. (Just kidding about the last bit.)

My car was clamped (by a private co.) in the car park by the Plough the other week. Turns out that there is a warning on signs in the car park that non-customers will be clamped. It was the middle of the afternoon and the car park was empty so the punishment didn't exactly match the crime. I've often used that car park when nipping into the bank, but I won't be doing that again in a hurry.

How come "the drum east dulwich" appears twice, once with 65 votes then another with 9? Add to these "drum northcross road" (ten) and "the drum northcross" (six) and suddenly the drum hurtles into third place.

Just been told that Karavan is "being refurbished", so maybe all is well on the josstick front.

Just spotted that Karavan (fair trade artefacts, next to Bells) appears to be closed - or at least, they've smeared white over the windows. Anyone know what's going on there? Le Chandelier also out of action in the same strip of shops. There are more shops empty on LL now than has been the case for years. At least things are looking busy in 116, the new gym (?) on Bassano St, where workmen were busy laying a floor this morning. It looks like quite a large space in there.

It does seem odd that on the one hand Parkhill are hiking rental prices, while on the other there are places that have been boarded up for years (Miss Haversham next to the butchers being the most mysterious, that's now a prime site, can somebody pay her a visit?). By the way, teensy bit off topic, but I just did a search on this forum for the word "definAtely" - there are a remarkable 14 messages containing that word, including one in this thread. I then searched "definitely". Zero returns (except that now there will be one, since I just put it in this message). Even in liberal East Dulwich, 14-nil is a bit of a spelling shocker to be honest. I blame the 1980s and the disappearance of Latin.

Hmm, good to see this flurry of instant support for the idea, but how DO we make it happen? Two ways, perhaps. (a) lobby the community council, maybe via a supportive councillor - eg Robyn the tree-woman, or (b) somebody reading this who has access to a minibus just DO it as a private enterprise (but can private buses pick up and drop off people from regular bus stops, or other points on the street? I'll hazard a guess that they can't).

I have a suggestion for overcoming the annoying bottleneck between ED and Camberwell in the morning. The buses are often crammed to bursting point between Goose Green and Denmark Hill, and in the evening ditto in the reverse direction, meaning that between those stops, two or three buses may go by before you can squeeze on to one. Many of the passengers get off at Denmark Hill. Here's the idea: what about a shuttle (mini?)bus that just goes between Goose Green roundabout and Denmark Hill? There's probably a constant stream who'd make use of it, leaving more space for those doing longer commutes, and greatly improving the links with the wonderfully-connected Denmark Hill station. Another shuttle between Lordship Lane and Herne Hill would be good. Anything would be better than London's most unreliable bus, aka the 37.

Saint-Saens.

....and Cheers is one of the friendliest shops on Lordship Lane.

It seems that nobody objects to the location being used as a cafe, it's just that lots of people don't want it to be a chain. So the best outcome would be if Nero are sent packing (deservedly - they have no right to consider themselves above the law), and a local takes it over as an independent cafe. Then they should merge with Chener Books to make this East Dulwich's equivalent of Borders. Finally, they should put in a donations box for those who feel guilty about sitting with a laptop in the corner not drinking coffee. Voila.

Hello Janenap. Dulwich Hamlet's catchment area has got smaller and smaller because of the local birth explosion of recent years, so that inevitably its feel has become more and more Dulwich Villagey. Maybe that's what you are after, but you'll find a broader mix of family backgrounds at the other (state) schools in the area. Goodrich has the reputation, but Heber is a smaller school and completely transformed in the last five years. Some reckon it is now the best, and it is right in the heart of East Dulwich.

This is beginning to sound like the Freemasons.

There was something in the press recently about a major multi-million pound refurbishment of the "East Dulwich Estate". I'm assuming that DKH is that estate.

Blue Mountain...? Hope and Greenwood?...oh yes, now I think about it there's also that international conglomerate A J Farmer, and the famous Ralon franchise.

I'm not looking for people with HUGE city bonuses. There must be a few people who get "small" bonuses, like, I don't know, ?10,000, who live in East Dulwich. They certainly couldn't afford to buy in the Village with bonuses like that. But they could afford a new pair of shoes.