SimonM

They do seem to have done a fine job on the upper floors though - at least externally. It all looks quite impressive from the other side of the road.

>>She's a columnist for the Grauniad. Quite a good one, actually<< She sometimes does TV reviews too....but labours under the massive disadvantage of not being Nancy Banks-Smith...

They are basically just recycling ED's very own "dead granny" - "word on the street" indeed!

But M & S have said so "either way"...many many times. It's not happening (until/unless it does of course):))

What a relief!! I just hope Spain have something left for the semi-final and (maybe?) the final. Interesting how well Fabregas and Torres seemed to link up too...and Wenger was in the crowd...To be fair to Italy there was an awful lot of breathtaking skill on display from them despite the obvious more negative play

Well my list was based primarily on the quality of the double espresso and associated snacks/nibbles/cakes. Obviously chic people with super-chic kids in tow will employ different criteria :)) I agree absolutely that timing is key with both the Picture Gallery and the Horniman, but one soon learns which days or times to avoid. And I included 1 or 2 places which served me well in the past but are now somewhat tired and jaded...(no names, no packdrill!)

>> what are your top 10 SimonM? And what are your coffee habits?<< 1 Cafe 2050 2 Blackbird 3 Peckham Rye cafe 4 Jacks 5 Petit Chou 6 Blue Mountain 7 Green & Blue 8 Au Ciel 9 Picture Gallery cafe 10 Dulwich Village Deli 11 Caffe Nero 12 Horniman cafe 13 Drum & 14 Starbucks! :)) In practice it is almost always one of the 1st three

I find their cheescake stodgy and suspiciously SaraLeeish.... I suppose the place is OK if you're pressed for time and/or it is cats'n'dogs outside...but honestly I think Tarbuck's (don't you hate these Scouser chains eh?!) would barely scrape into the Top 10 ED coffee places...

There is - or was - a tiny chain of Delis in Brighton & Hove called "Bona Foodie": equally priceless if you remember "Round the Horne" And there's the superior chippy in Covent Garden called "The Rock & Sole Plaice".... And years ago the shoe shop on the King's Road called "R.Soles" >:D<

>>untill he moved to West Dulwich alongside the likes of Harriet Harman etc.<< Herne Hill surely??

This place never ceases to amaze me. Went there today and asked for a double espresso, croissant butter and jam. I was expecting the usual foil/plastic-wrapped mini-portions. Instead whatw as brought out was a butter dish with almost 250gms of butter on it, and a Kilner jar with home-made jam: both butter and jam were left on the table. Total cost was ?2.65. I swear this must be the best value, best quality continental breakfast in London and probably much of Paris too! Surely they will have to put the prices up soon?! A fine rustic baguette to take away was only ?1.25... Oh and I did not mention the glass of iced-water you get brought automatically which is, of course free. And the cafe now has Wireless Internet.... And no I have no financial interest whatsoever in this place!

I see both Birmingham v Sheffield Utd & Chester v Leeds are to be shown live on Sky! >:D

It looked packed out when I had a nose around...and the wait until reception was chalked up as "2 hours". So back to the attic with Grandma's neo-Georgian mahogany commode then...Not even a glimpse of La Belle Fiona to compensate either...:(

"Sit thee down" - Graham Norton...

It has not been "Tanna's" for a few years now alas. Mr Tanna was always incredibly helpful too!

I think Chener has always had a pretty good press in here. For every person who has grumbled at the seedy exterior half a dozen have leapt in to defend and indeed practically eulogise the place! Maybe someone should print out all the threads on it and present it to Mr Kennedy (it is still he is it not??)

North Cross Road, between Pretty Traditional & the Sparkes van!

>>Certainly for working people it means you don't need to take time off work to go to an appointment at an inconvenient time. << You do though have to take time off work to await a phone call which may or may not arrive, it would seem... I am not sure these "Studies" are terribly informative. I mean if you polled everyone sitting in a GP's surgery by asking "Would you rather you could phone a doctor for a diagnosis?" it would not be too startling if a majoriy grunted "yes!" :))

Sheffield United v Port Vale....that'll pack 'em in...

I know the Divine Ms Agutter used to live locally - Camberwell Grove IIRC - but thought she had moved out to Cornwall or somewhere? Fans of "The Railway Children" - the greatest kids' film ever cos it has both Ms A. and steam engines in it - may be intrigued to know that there is to be a new stage version this summer at the NRM in York, featuring a real steam engine onstage!

That is a fabulous pic!

I seem to have the worst of all worlds...use DKH Sainsburys' for some items Ocado do not stock, use Ocado for most of the store cupboard stuff and a few fresh things, also use LL/NCR for meat, cheeses, fruit and veg, posh bread...But at least we spend little at restaurants or home deliveries these days (coffee shops are classed as vital refuelling stops, not as "eating out"!) And, remaining on topic, there was indeed a Starbucks in DKH Sainsbury's for several years before the recent refurbihsments...It was smaller though

Well I once saw Princes Margaret in ED...:))

>>aah simon italy world cup winners 82, 2006. england nil point hehe sorry i couldnt resist.:D< I'd not rule out Italy just yet though. Time amd time again we see outstanding teams in group stages get knocked out in the later stages. Italy are quite capable of beating France I think, and then scraping through the knockout stages by attrition and penalty shoot-ouuts. But of course Holland may yet play the Second XI against Roumania! I hope Spain and Holland prosper because these two teams have thus far played a far superior game to the rest. Anyone know if Holland v Spain could be a finalor are they doomed to meet earlier on?

"Southwark Council" is not some anonymous clique of mobsters-cum-business men who use all their ill-gotten gains from parking (etc) offences to furnish their caribbean villas with precious antiques. Southwark Council is actually us and raising all that money helps reduce Council taxes etc. The figure quoted of around ?1600 million really is shocking though...it is shocking that people disregard or actively break these laws on such a massive scale and at the same time somehow believe they have been hard done by,...