Nero

Shame again (see Drum thread). I really, really do not want an nick-nack shop or a cafe or boozer. Backlash here we come. Nero

It's a great place - really original and unique arou8nd these parts. Big shame! Nero

Looking forward to the roof garden on the new development. And the pressure that the new owners and the developers will put on the very recalcitrant Southern rail to clean up the awful mess behind the wire fences. Nero

It's also the way these 'warnings' are told by journalists. Often, they are sensationalist. Sometimes they are misleading. And some of the things that are attributed to the government are actually just findings from scientists and academics. Nero

*Bob* Hoorah! A realist exists in the midst! (Poetic, eh?) I think a lot of people who cry 'nanny state' either consciously or subconsciously are rebelling against self-control. They perhaps know that eating chips and gravy and drinking pernod and Cresta (*not available in all past lives*) non-stop is bad for them but they don't want to hear it. Their cry of 'nanny state' is just really another way of saying 'la la la la la la la, can't hear you'.

CaLm down dear, it's only a internet forum for the bored and restless! I live on planet earth and I don't take any medication. If I did, I'd be insulted by your comments, though. You are freer than most people in the world. You also don't have to listen to what the government says, never mind about paying heed to it. If you don't like what you hear or read, then listen to or read something else. Or let those people who cheese you off know it, like we all do on this board from time to time. Nero

Not entirely fair, Snorky. The library, the shoe shop, the music shop, the kids' outfitters, the DIY shop are all white owned and used mainly, I reckon, by white folk, and are all a bit down at heel. Are you projecting your thoughts, while shamelessly taking a higher moral ground than that one the ones you criticise? Discuss! Nero

I think Vietnamese cuisine is really underrated and unknown. For me, it's up there with the best Italian and French (and British, naturally). Will there be outside tables Kat? You might like this, Kat

What's with this nanny state business? Try China for size. Or the US of A, where rules and regulations and the rule of law is much more apparent. A sensible person would realise that the government is telling us what it thinks is a good idea for us to do, re drinking, eating, smoking, sexual relationships, child care, etc, so that we can make an informed choice. We don't live in a nanny state. What we do live in is a state in which newspapers like the Daily Mail and Express - which are businesses and which are answerable to noone but their shareholders - peddle lies and half-truths that, unfortunately, more people believe than information given by the government. If you believe you are being nannied, then you'll act like a baby. Nero

Hoorah! I am really looking forward to this. Will you have BaBaBa beer? Keep us up to date, please. Nero

Little Italy is great. Just walking around Bleeker, Houston, Mott and Elizabeth Streets is great fun. It's actually quite quiet down there, even at the weekends. And the farmers' market in the square near to the Flatiron Building (can't remember its name) is great - maple syrup and the like for a smaller price than here, obv. Nero

Go ahead, post away. You don't need permission, but you probably should know that some people will be amused, others appalled, some disgusted, others disinterested etc, and any one of those people might tell you and others what they think. If you are prepared for that, then go ahead. It might, though, be as good or even better for you to talk to a stranger at the end of a phone line, such as Childline, Sane, the Samaritans, NHS direct, or even your GP. Nero

It has to be said, the CPT is my favourite place because it's never packed. It's rare that I go, but when I do, it's usually to sit outside with a pint and a book in the spring and summer. I don't like rammed-to-the-gills places at all, never have since my student days, and would never think of spending a whole night in a pub (unless it's the Coach in Soho), so that's why I'd like the CPT to just remain but in a slightly revved up kind of way. Nero

A letter to your local councillor, copied to Tessa Jowell and to the leader of Southwark council spelling out your concerns and thoughts would help at least somewhat. If you can, include the names and contact details of the owners. Nero

JKE - Ask for a transfer ticket if your bus breaks down or alters its journey. It's your right! Nero

The psychological tide has turned on this one, in the same way, I predict, it will against over-drinking in about fifteen years' time. I do have sympathy for the smokers: I'm sure some of them feel truly aggrieved, but, unfortunately for them, they are now on the wrong side of history. Faster then I'd thought, people are now looking at the previous situation, where smokers could light up almost anywhere, as being strange and unbelievable. Smokers hanging around outside pubs look like recalcitrant sixth-formers, plugging on with their increasingly taboo habit with an unconvincing devil-may-care attitude. Nero

Keep it short, natural-sounding and devoid of any visual aids or props. I have never been a best man but have been to enough wedding receptions to know that the better ones share the above aspects. Nero

Liz, It won't happen. Nero

Kingfishers that live near water hunt small fish by diving. They also eat crayfish, frogs, and insects. Or so says Wikipedia. Nero

I'd talk to the local councillor first of all, whoever that may be, and explain that there is interest in restoring it. Is the person who painted it still around. Also, the jumpingjournalist on this site might be interested in it as a good community self-help story. Nero

My colleague kind of burst my bubble a bit by saying that she'd seen two up in Stoke Newington in a park there. So, does anyone know how many fish there are in PRP lake? Must be a fair few for a kingfisher and a cormorant. Nero

Female birds tend to be less showy than the males, so perhaps that might be the case with kingfishers. Nero

It was over the 'lake', which was where I saw the cormorant. I'm glad it was a bit of deal for it to be there. Is it likely, then, to be a solitary bird, and is it likely to be male or female? I'll keep looking for it. Nero

I saw one of the above flitting over the pond in the park. I was surprised to see it. I've only even seen them abroad before. Last year a cormorant took up residence on the island in the middle of the water. Both of these birds' presence would suggest that there are fish in the pond, yes? Nero

It's a good idea. It's managed to get a fair bit of free and mainly positive publicity from the EDF. It's got a range of shops, but it is a bit harum-scarum in terms of decor and atmosphere. It does lack cohesion, but it's never going to be Borough Market. I'd like the convener/manager to have a think about the overall feel and look of the place. 7/10. Nero