Nick1962

Its a sad reflection of the society we live in....

I'm loving the idea of giving a sixpence to a banker :)... Brilliant.... Then you could watch him turn it into a thruppence.... and collect a shilling as a bonus!!

A 'beggar disguise' in the back streets!! Maybe that's what the odd woman spotted in East Dulwich gardens was doing... simply avoiding the 'pavement tax'!!

I recently came for a drink in Lordship Lane and was amazed at the amount of beggars who can be found after 7.00pm on the Lane. It's not that I object to them trying to make an honest quid or two but can someone help me with my dilemma? How much do I give them? I can't pay one and not the other 4! If I give them 50p each and then I see the Big Issue seller, that can come out at ?5 every time I walk down the road! Now I already donate ?5 a month to give Jacob in Africa a pair of glasses and a small operation for his eyesight. I pay ?5 a month to look after Clarence the abused Lion in London Zoo and I can't walk past the Sally Army guy outside Co-Op. What used to be a pleasant stroll down the Lane has turned into an expensive day out!. I forgot the awful buskers on the way to the station... ?2 every time (at least they are entertaining me!)

Just had a call from a guy called Scott Chegg... should I call him back or am I going to end up with egg on my face!!

Sainsburys... half price!! Wasn't much left though!!

Quite ironic really.. we are talking about a 'dodgy woman' and all the 'dodgy locals' have come out of the woodwork to post a comment!! The place is full of nutters, I'm moving to Fulham!!

The whole of Lordship Lane will be painted Red White and Blue... in Farrow and Ball of course!!

Sadly, Gidget and Maxxi, you cant stand in the way of progress! I am now firmly established as a Village (and East Dulwich is a Village in my mind) business and can only feel positive about the removal of a downmarket corporate, such is Iceland, to be replaced by an upmarket establishment like M nd S. If we were losing one of the more local independents then I may look at it differently. Having studied the businesses in LL I can see only a few places that would improve from a more upmarket corporate. Costcutter, Iceland, Co-Op, to be replaced by M&S Food, Laithwaites Wine and Waterstones. Subtle changes that would make a huge difference to the foot fall in the Village. My business? You all know it!!

S&M in Lordship Lane... good grief!!

Fantastic news - as someone who relies on customers through the door, the idea of an M & S in Lordsip Lane is extremely exciting.. more people coming to the Village means more footfall in LL and that means more customers through my door. Time to move on guys.. East Dulwich needs to continue attracting the right type of visitor to the Village and they might just spend ?4 on a punnet of Blueberries!

I think you are absolutely right! Why do we have to endure endless wailing from wannabee X Factor hopefuls on every street corner. My trip to work from Waterloo to ED this morning consisted of the following: 2 x beggars, both with very healthy pit bull style dogs, a juggler/fire eater with serious burns and scarring around his mouth and no teeth thanks to all the meths he holds in his mouth, 3 x Big Issue sales man, a pretend cryer from Turkey, who turns up with a smile on her face and starts crying to order for the duration of her shift.. a total con man, who I actually gave money to because he looked respectable and said he'd lost his wallet (only to see him pulling the same scam 30 minutes later in Peckham). The sound of a poor singer wailing at me would have been the final straw!

Hi Louisa, Really sorry for the delay in coming back to you but I've been busy working on my maths and preparing my street for a jubilee party. It's the likes of you that make me even more staunch in my support for both the monarchy and the government. Where is your pride? The fact that we live in a country that enables us to walk freely, vote without the fear of retribution, or no doubt in your case, pitch a tent at St Pauls and protest whilst taking drugs and stealing and where we have ready access to a free health service, is something to be proud of. Where to start? 1. The royal family generate millions of pounds per year in revenue from tourists - simple but true. 2. They are treasured accross the world by people who are equally proud to be a part of the commonwealth. 3. The value of the word they spread is impossible to calculate but plain to see on the faces of the locals they visit. Take pride in where you live.. we are so lucky to have what we have, yet there are always people like you moaning at every opportunity! Try a week or two in Darfur or time in Somalia and Djibouti.. see real suffering and then BE ASHAMED!!! . The Aussies are happy!!

Spoke to my very good friend Elains Tappin, whose husband is being held in a US prison having been extradited. He is doing well and has now been allowed books to read. He's met a similar aged (65 yr old) man who plays chess with him and they are able to walk around the parade ground for up to 3 hours a day. Still no sign of a trial date as the US government want him to plea bargain but the fact that he is coping is my very good news!

less than 50% of the poulation voted this mob in that run the country and yet 64% of the population(Mori 2009), would, if asked, vote to keep the monarchy... you're in the minority Louisa!! I'm getting my bunting out now and painting my face with the red white and blue of my National Flag!

Would this 'parlour' be as irremovable, once open, as the tattoos themselves? Could you not turn your obvious talent to opening an art shop and giving lessons to aspiring artists such as myself? My daughter is desperate for a second tattoo and placates me by saying that 'it's ok because no-one will be able to see it!'... what, I ask, is the point?

As an ex-resident of what used to be a beautiful village in Kent, called Locksbottom, it is a definite NO from me! The introduction of a huge Sainsburys, simply paved the way for what has to be the worst of the worst, NETTO, and so the beginning of the end for the Village way of life. The lovely greengrocers failed to compete, together with a dozen or so other small family run businesses that had previously given Locksbottom its charm and character. The empty shops on Princess Parade are testament to just how badly the small businesses suffered and the daily traffic jams and hiked up parking charges are all part of the slow death. We have something unique in East Dulwich and should be proud of it. What is wrong with walking five minutes to Sainsburys if you really need the shot of Corporate shopping?

Many thanks for that... summer nights only I guess!

Thanks for that. I'll look for it in the morning. Do we know if the park is open at the moment?

I have recently aquired a new bike and want to cycle into Lordsip Lane daily from my home in Waterloo. I heard that there is a dis-used track/canal/trainline that links East Dulwich to Elephant and Castle, popular with walkers and cyclists alike. Can anyone tell me where this is please or even if it exists?

I think that is what we are all hoping for - Thanks for the re-assurance.

'It is much easier to extradite people from the UK than the US because the US does not need to present evidence to a British court to request extradition. Conversely, the UK must provide "sufficient evidence to establish probable cause" in order to secure the extradition of an American citizen. DOESN'T SEEM FAIR TO ME GUYS!!...

Well Huguenot. I bow to your greater knowledge of the US legal system. I am simply a very good friend of Chris Tappin from my time spent living next door to him in Kent. He is a 'gentle man' and his wife, the former captain of Kent Ladies Golf, is a gentle woman. They are dear friends of mine and dreading the fact that they may never get to spend quality time in the UK during their retirement, together. I suggest that before commenting (negatively) on all the posts on the EDF, you furnish yourself with facts of the cases you are commenting on. My initial comments may have sounded like a 'cut and paste' job but I am actually quite eloquent and more than capable of posting a sensible, balanced piece, without having to crib it! Chris's mistake, having been in the business for 35 years, was to trust the clients he was dealing with. In this instance the 'sting' being operated by the US resulted in dreadful consequences for Chris and his family. The use of manacles and jumpsuits is sadly part of the 'shock treatment' used on all extradited prisoners in the state of Texas, where Chris will be held. Having spent the last two years living in Naples Florida, these cases are often reported and images shown around the US. Not hyperbole. just facts!

I am appalled at the one sided nature of the present UK - US extradition laws. My very good friend Chris Tappin, a 65 year old, Golf Club Chairman and family man, with 2 grand children, is to all intents, a pillar of society. His lovely wife and 2 beautiful children are about to be cast into a nightmare that we can only attempt to imagine. Having run a business exporting goods accross the world, Chris has found himself in the middle of a sting, instigated by the CIA, who in an undercover operation, have uncovered that battery parts intended for Holland, were subsequently, and without Chris's knowledge, forwarded to Iran, where they have been used in the assembly of arms. Chris has been well and truly used as a scapegoat and having lost his final appeal to the European High Court, now faces extradition, un-contested by the UK government, to a US prison to stand trial. This gentle man will be manacled upon arrival and held at a high security prison in Texas until he agrees to plea bargain for his freedom. Should he stick to his innocent plea, he will face up to 35 years in prison. I am anxious to know your thoughts on the comparison between Chris and Abu Quatada, the terrorist cleric, who has yesterday, won the right to freedom in the UK, as extradition would not allow him to have a 'fair trial!

It seems that the bad press estate agents get is justified in so many cases but I've found the new guys at Pedder, Nigel and Brendan, to be extremely helpful and actually (don't laugh) quite considerate! They really seem to be trying to change the reputation of agents in the village. Happy to recommend them to anybody.