SimonM

Popped in...sampled and then bought some nice Welsh cheese...and look forward to going again. preferably when more of the stalls are taken. I was surprised how big the place was inside!

Well I have now been twice and on each occasion there were loads of kids in, of every size, age, shape, hair colour. skin tone; quiet and boisterous, happy and subdued etc etc but, oddly never yet a crying one. Perhaps I just got lucky. or am less scary to look upon? :)) But...if crying babies put you off your squidgy chocolate cake then remember (1) these kids will probably be funding your old age pension eventually and (2) you can buy ear plugs....(and (3) it leaves more chocolate cake for me...)

Emphatically agree - and it's not the only recent example of a lapse into the inappropriately personal I have noticed in other threads: a most unwelcome development in what has hitherto been a friendly forum...

I'll be relieved when this thread is ova.....too many eggscruciating puns.

I hardly recognised her in the pic....so very stateswomanlike....almost...Thatcheresque in fact... (runs and hides)

>>and we'd best not go in if were dead old a bit deaf or use a walking stick either .<< I am sorry but this is total bollocks...as I know from my own first hand experience of this shop.

I think one reason the queue at William Rose moves so quickly, despite its length, is that there's no hold-up from people struggling to find cards and/or operate PIN machines, as you soften get at places like S**nsb*ry's. I myself doubt their customer base would increases much, if at all, by their embracing the great God Plastic. And they have certainly tried to expand their premises next door....

Smarts are great for commuting - we is a Smart household, like. But as they only seat 2 the ubiquitous supercompact is probably not the best choice for a small family...unless the non-driver gets left at home or sulking in the pub etc B)

I thought it was a Met. tradition not just an ED one? But to be honest I don't know....but - haha - I am *sure* they paid in full....

We don't have turkey we have goose. And we order and pay for it online and it is delivered to our door a few days before Christmas from Goodman's Geese (who also do bronze turkeys) at www.goodmansgeese.co.uk. We did try a WR goose one year admittedly...

*advance warning: gush alert* I just want to endorse what everyone else has said about this place. It is absolutely terrific and I urge people to visit and try it before word gets about and they are deservedly packed to the rafters. Dropped in today for a late, hot breakfast and a double espresso and ended up having three of the latter, at only ?1.50 a go. The blackboard was full of tempting stuff - had I not been alone I'd have been sorely tempted to have a whole baked camembert with honey and thyme and pitta (for 2). The soups looked wonderful (roasted coconut squash?!) as did all the breads.. The clientele was interesting. It is refreshingly unchandelieresque. As well as a (insert suitable collective noun here) of young/youngish mothers with assorted small/tiny children (I counted at least hafl a dozen high chairs) there were a couple of members of HM Constabulary in full uniform enjoying their "refs" by a window: so probably not a good place either to score drugs or mug anyone then... And the staff smile and are helpful. It is going to be a great place to go next summer (if we get a summer) to sit out and enjoy the view and eat and drink without inhaling exhaust fumes. There's a certain irony I think that this cafe would fit so well into Dulwich Park, whereas the one actually there is so unlovely...

Then deliver them by hand: with a press photographer prersent :))

>>(But doesn't he support Sheffield Utd ?)<< (6) No I did *not* use a dictionary! :)) I guess we Blades supporters are just that shade more literate...Seriously I was just persistent and got lucky with a string of familiar-looking words plus inspired guesses. (I knew that Latin A-Level (failed) would come in handy one day... )

>>Like others on here, I get a tad nostalgic about the "good old days" when the local lads played for the local team (and >>it still rings beautifully true when a liverpool player is interviewed on TV and he has a scouse accent) but then I >>wake up and realise that things have moved on.<< Oh goodness yes....I was reminded a short while ago of watching Sheffield United from the Kop when nobbut a lad and later a young rake-hell and youth-about-town, because quite a few of the players were local and a couple had even attended my school. One in particular - Frank Barlow - had captained England Schoolboys and was only 3 years ahead of me. And only a week or two ago that same Frank Barlow was appointed caretaker-manager of Wigan... Our most famous old boy though was Alan Sunderland, who even went to the same primary school as I did, and then went on to play for some London club or other...:(

>>Isn't it a tautology? ;)<< Oops yes of course...always get those 2 mixed up... :))

>>It's a luxury that end of the lane has not had since forever!<< "Sugar" is actually at the very end of Grove Vale rather than on LL. I wonder if this difference in address had a substantial effect on the rent payable?

>>The England team since 1966 has been at best average on the international/world scene.<< Only a minor quibble, but the England team that went to Mexico in 1970 was superior to the 1966 one which, lete's not forget, did not have to pre-qualify and played all 6 of its games at Wembley in a 16 team tournament..

>>....smug Gooners....<< Oxymoron of the week? :))

Hurrah! Managed to get to 50 at last and then immediately got one wrong...(6)

God yes that shop is definitely one of the jewels in the crown!

I was only able to pop by later but the wreath looked absolutely stunning (there were three in total)

I so agree "Birdsong" is a wonderful, powerful novel. Read and enjoyed most of his other novels too but this his best by a street...

Not if he buys his Yorkshire puddings ready-made he aint! SimonM (who has never seen any kind of celebrity in Sainsbury's dammit)

Aren't you at all worried some miscreant might now nip over and claim "Keef" for themselves though? :)

>>What I'm suggesting is that car-owners deal with the fact that other people have cars too. Infinite growth but finite >>space. There is no right to a space on the street where they live. Why can't I cordon off my square metres and have a >>little garden. Nope, just for cars apparently<< You say nothing in this message I disagree with really - I think we've all come to accept we have no right to park on "our" road, and that sometimes you get unlucky with the family next door but one who owns 3 or 4 cars. Going back to the seed message in this thread though, I think there is a substantial difference between living with this latter situation on the one hand and on the other with the business in the next street persistently parking 8 or 9 of it vehicles outside, using a residential road as its own free car park. I think this is more than just a difference of degree - it's frankly taking the piss...