Nero

Monica, Could you post a link or give us a phone number so I can find out more please? Ta. Nero CWALD, I think the adventure playground in the Peckham Rye Park is already being done up, or at least there are funds to do that. Friends of Peckham Rye Park will know more.

Today I've found out, with the help of someone on this site, the name of a creature I'd never seen before in my garden. It was a hoverfly, Latin name Volucella bombylans It'd be good if other posters could keep an eye out for something they've seen for the first time, or something they've seen for a while but are not sure what it is and put it in this thread? Nero

You said 'incursion', which I take to mean that they really shouldn't be here. Is that right? I had lots of bees last year on my lavender, but few yet this year. Bee-shortage? Nero Update - The things I have seen in the garden are Volucella bombylans, I believe. They are a type of hoverfly. (Hoverflies only have one set of wings, unlike bees, or so it says on various sites.) Nero

Yes pls. Nero

Just rang the council re the fountain in PRP. I should get an email or call before 22/06. I will let you all know. Nero

I would like a fountain, and a water fountain too. I used to love drinking from the water fountain in my local parks when I was a kid. Then, for no reason, they just stopped and were then removed. There is a fountain-like shape in Peckham Rye Park, but I have no idea if it will ever spout. Doe you know the one, near the 'lake'. Nero

Ladygooner, Where did you get the board for the corks? I have tried looking for old frames and stuff but they are usually too ugly or have sides that are too deep for the corks to stand out from. Also, do you cut the corks in half first? Nero

No, not furry enough, not, er, bumbling enough. Kind of like a wasp but in a bees' shape, but not a thin-hornet like thing. I will have a search on the web. Nero

Avoiding E Dulwich beer yards

Garden-ish topic,. I was doing some today and spotted some rather large bee-like things. In fact, they looked like pumped up bluebottles with rather fake yellow stripes. Their wings were really triangular and large (like the wings of plastic joke flies). Any idea what they might have been. They were skulking around my ivy, looking hard. Nero

What is the blue place on the corner, exactly? BTW, hats off to the barber, the new Lorenzo, the beauty salon, Bonts, the chemist shop and the P Office for doing their bit to make Forest Hill Rd look better. William Hill is not that bad, really, but it is the acres of space outside the shops that make it look like a Tarmac'd ponderosa. Nero

I abhor 'meet with' nearly as much as I do the use of 'gotten' rather than 'got'. Yes, I know that the former actually predates the latter, but the latter is British English and has been for at least 200 years. The latter is being used by some people as a fashion statement, or an affectation that suggests cosmopolitanness. It then gets blended into the national vernacular. I even heard a BBC reporter say 'gotten'. 'Mom' is being used more and more too. Interestingly, the States is being invaded by Brit-isms too. Did you know that Americans never said 'has gone missing, went missing' etc. until a few years ago? American journalists imported it. I'll try to dig ouut the link to the article that featured this and other phrases. Nero

Hello, CWALD, The council does offer reduced price insulation for everyone, regardless of income. It works out at about ?150 I think. Ken was offering ?100 cashback as well. Worth ringing the council (7525 5000) and asking for their environmental department. You must, though, clear the loft yourself and provide access etc. Nero

Val, The Italian restaurant will be near to the Coop on Forest Hill Rd. It is the sister restaurant to one in C Palace - Lorenzo, I believe? Nero

How about an arts centre? Does anyone know whether the grant would cover this? Nero

But pass on the grub

Some forumites were 'working from home'

I tell ye - it's the way that I score 'em.

Sure. Spoke to the signor himself. Nero

I still manage to get a legover.

I have a thing about the 'c' word, by which I mean 'community', as in the X community or the Y community. It means nothing. Reporters etc should simply say 'X people' (eg deaf people, people of Asian/Celtic/etc origin'. I also don't like it when train drivers say 'next station stop'. Nero

Don't you very dare call Rocky a ponth! He'th nothing of the thort. In fact, he'th exthremely thtrong and handthome! Nero

I have a great postie. Friendly, efficient and listens to the Jam on his iPod. Nero (Upper E Side)

and set up a courier firm.

There was a forum fave called Keef