Nero

They are necessary, but they should be warning and not fining on the first instance. They ought to be doing other stuff, like reporting grafitti, getting overgrown trees and shrubs cut down, reporting dog dirt etc. There are other thigns they can do. Why not complain about them being always in twos if there is nothing else you can do? Can't understand that, myself. Two people to fine a cigar butt chucker is a bit excessive.

So... you lot. - Charmed, I'm sure Support the local businesses rather than slagging them off - they'll listen and improve, I'm sure. - That's a passive agressive statement if ever I heard one. You'll find that people want the place to work well. They don't want it to be a posh, gentrified parade of knickknack shops. They want good services and good prices. 'Slagging off' (such a playground phrase) doesn't come into it, Marge. By your logic, we should just carry on with shabbiness, poor customer service and be assured that things will get better. it doesn't work like that. BTW, I have yet to receive that phone call from teh Coop area manager I wrote about a few days ago. Says a lot, really. Marge, would you care to do something proactive (rather than traipse to and fro to shops that could do better in the vain hope your optimism will help them get better.) Nero

First Mate, I echo your sentiments. I've found that the best I can do is not litter myself, pick up crap that annoys me as long as it doesn't require me being too masochistic, and to leave it at that. There's little else you can do, really. If you let it wind you up too much it's bad. You can always report littered streets to 7525 2000 (council's enviro line) and report it, especially if it is a problem area. Nero

Yeah. Whack it in a bin. (If I can't find a bin for something, that's what I do. But I also pick up cans and tins and bottles and dump them in the first blue box I come across!) Nero

If you have uninsulated gaps between your sanded floorboards, try Gapseal. It's a roll of non-sticky 'tape' that fills the gap. It's invisible, too. I've been meaning to fill the gaps for ages, but couldn't be fagged with the putty-type stuff, and it's easy to use and good value at ?20 for 40 metres. Have a look at the site Gapseal Nero

Agreed with SteveT. I'd just walk out of the house at 9 or so, 50p or less in pocket for chips and pop, and just run around the streets or idle around in the church yard with the Seary brothers and their dog and others. It was great. Hardly any cars in 70s Stockport, so we could just run around and when there was a car, they'd be aware of kids on the street. Is it REALLY that scary during the day, during the school holidays, for kids to just hang around the streets, in East Dulwich? I still sometimes see kids playing football in the streets near me, which is nice but other kids are either in big gangs or with their parents in the park. Nero

THanks all. Kim's got in touch with me and will be coming next week. Nero

Hello, I need blackout blinds fitting for me. I don't want to do it myself. Anyone had any good experiences with a local fitter? Thanks, Nero

It's cafes. As in CDs and '80s. And Petitou could open a branch somewhere else, to keep it on thread? Nero

Good luck, but Mr Mayor is a law unto himself. Vote LibDem! Nero

KK - The 12 goes from Whitehall and Regent Street. Hop on at the start of the journey and you'll get a seat. I hate the 666 (my preferred name for the 176) too. A few years ago the buses were like something out of the 20s - wooden, grooved floors and scratchy seat fur. Nero

Petitou is good, but it has upped its babby and buggie quotient over the past two years. It's not that great if you want a quietish sit down and a read of your paper. If you do, be prepared to sit outside! And the menu IS boring after a while. All in all, though, a good place. Nero

Working for me. Weekends are but a concept when you do 4 on 4 off shifts. But better than 9-5, I think, at least for me. Nero

I don't want to extravagant, more-style-than-sunbstance shops and restaurants. I want good service, good prices, attractive but not stylised surroundings and, well, just a realistic and honest approach to doing business. I don't want recalcitrant shop assistants, ones that can't communicate with me, managers that don't get the idea of input from customers or who can't be bothered to, or worse still, don't understand that they might have to put their thinking caps on and change their business practices somewhat. Change is hard for all, but the way around it is to keep good, friendly, no-nonsense service even if the exterior changes. Nero

skim

Decided to go and see a friend in Fordcombe, Kent. Bought organic cocoa and honey to drink after planned walk there. Seethed when the train to E Croydon had to return due to some signalling problem. Got refund (the man was there). Went to Dulwich Library and got travelogues out instead. Rang council over dog dirt signs and tree planting. Rang Coop over its increasingly crappy shop in FHR. Watched Sebastiane then Victoria Wood. (Sublime to ridiculous actually fits, here.) Cleaned sink with bicarb of soda. Checked on wormery worms (more of them, less paper.) Spent too much time in between in EDF! Nero

Saw a big bumblebee today. It was mainly dark brown/black and could be heard through my double glazing. It was about 1.5 inches long. Think it might freeze later. Nero

Virgopunk, I staunchly believe that working fluency in the language of the country in which you are working, especially when that work involves constant interaction with customers, is not an optional extra. I'm a Coop supporter and am a member of its 'smile' bank and my family has used its insurance for years and years, as well as collecting its divvie stamps (ask your gran). Don't turn this into a class thing. It's been done before and is boring as hell. It's a decent sized shop that needs a revamp and a new manager and new staff. Being happy and smiley is not the be all and end all of customer service. I agree with prdarling that the parade of shops needs attention. The good ones are let down by the bad ones. Nero

*Bob* That made me laugh. Nero Re-editing - Just rang the Coop HQ in Manchester, told them my complaints (and those of others - yes, I will pass on the *Bob* post and others,) and am now awaiting a phone call back sometime from the area manager. I am hoping it will happen. Nero

Went into the Co-Op last night and was disappointed, again. No fresh pasta, only full-fat milk, no fresh pasta sauces. Told the bloke, whose English is negligible. Got much head shaking and embarrassed laughter. Went to the Turkish shop which was better stocked but with more non-English speaker on the aisles. Anyone with a TEFL and an O level in business studies could be onto something. Nero

Southwark is not planting new trees, due to budgetary restrictions. It is, however, replacing damaged trees, or ones that have been removed. So, if you know of a plot on the street that has no tree in it, please ccntact Rosalie Dobson via the 7525 5000 switchboard and ask her to get it replaced. There is a pit on G'rich Road near to number 85 which is empty and which will be replanted with a cherry tree. If you do, could you update this thread? Nero

ATG - go for it. I believe, to be fair, that BG did reduce prices last year, or that's what I thought I heard on the Today programme earlier. Wearing extra layers is a valid point. I know it's tangental to this thread, which is a chance for us to kick BG, but the less you use, the the less they get paid. *Bob* has a point too. I'm with nPower (or is it Npower?) and it's not that expensive (yet!). Nero

My perhaps hazy mind remembers Lordship Lane as being a bit second best. How times change! Rye Lane is now awful, dirty and samey. Let's hope it gets spruced up a bit in the future, not with organic caffs and knicknack purveyors, but with the return of M and S. Who knows? If it was nice then went crap it might become nice again. Nero

Nice doggy, shame about its owner.

There's Wok U Like near to The Cut in Waterloo. Nero