Louisa

Southwark as a borough is head and shoulders above every other London borough, and gun and knife crime here is easily top of the table for London too. Luckily (not that it's much consolation), ED and the Village are the safest parts of the borough and are probably on a par with outer London boroughs in terms of violent crime. Louisa.

Loz what a load of dribble, honestly. First off, a peadophile is mentally ill and who is to say what turns one of them on? If he was a paedophile he may well not have access to a television, perhaps he sells these images onto people or puts them onto the internet? I find it hard to believe you can possibly justify someone using a video camera by suggesting that he has easier routes to get hold of footage than this! Paranoia is a good thing when it comes to children, the most precious thing in any parents life. The mother of one young lad who was abducted and abused by Hindley and Brady is still searching for her sons body over 40 years after his disappearance. In those days parents allowed their kids to run free and do as they wished and look where that ended up. You may well think that putting up a warning on a message forum is a step too far for someone who is potentially innocent, but I say, if this person was innocent, they would not really give a toss if their name was put up on this forum would they? Abuse occurs everywhere in all different shapes and forms and it is the responsibility of everyone to report it and to notify other parents of potential abusers (innocent or not) as a matter of course. Louisa.

It's just an expanding office space, I dont get what the issue is here? Estate Agents are running into difficult times so i'm sure they will sacrifice another office for this slight expansion, no big deal. On a lighter note how wonderful it is to see Londis return to ED after so many years replacing Budgens on the corner. Louisa.

We still going on about this place? What a waste of money! There are plenty of other places nearby who offer similar facilities whats the deal with having to travel a little further? Louisa.

I love the way this crime map proves my point about Fenwick RD. I told people a long time ago that those flats at the bottom of the road made the place more dangerous than surrounding streets, and yet I got a whole load of condemnation for pointing out an obvious observation to so many people who live near to this area. Louisa.

Nothing is sinister about walking around the park with a video camera taking footage of children on a work day when most adults would be busy with other things! I find it difficult to appreciate how anyone can possibly suggest that this is normal harmless behaviour? If I had been there I would have asked the man (politely of course) what he was doing and why he was doing it. The explanation may well have been perfectly innocent and if he was working for a newspaper or some sort of media outlet he would have happily produced some sort of badge or offered a telephone number of his boss giving a valid explanation. No issue then. Louisa.

Unless it is proven that this guy was working as a photographer or on behalf of a local newspaper, I would view him with suspicion as I am sure the police would too. Louisa.

PP, I must say I am very impressed with the weight you have been able to put behind this restoration campaign and I will attend the ceremony in September as I did last years Rememberance Sunday service. Could you please elaborate on the exact works which are due to be carried out as I last heard that the memorial was to be moved to a new location so seeing the works takinf place came as quite a shock to me. I have contacted various people at Southwark in recent months but was not aware Andrea Allen was in charge of the restoration project. Thanks a lot for the information you've provided so far. Louisa.

Walked past what was formerly raisin (some sort of boutique clothing outlet) on East Dulwich Road parade of shops and noticed a new sign going up and a large number of well polished bicycles being taken out of a van and placed on display inside. How very exciting! Louisa.

Glad to see this place has reverted back to its original name - albeit slightly shorter, the previous incarnation being "The Duke of Edinburgh". Louisa.

I left a voicemail on my friends phone today requesting any information on the paranormal club which I presume still wanders the streets of ED looking for spirits. Watch this space. Louisa.

Oh who bloody cares. Louisa.

The DPC used to meet regularly at various locations in ED, Forest Hill, the village, Peckham Rye, West Dulwich and many other places, i've not been now for well over a year. I found it through a good friend of mine and went on a number of ocassions was always a good night. They apparantly got into doing ouija board meetings and such like which I personally have no interest in so stopped going. I can get hold of details if anyone wishes to attend, but from recollection they would meet at the same time and the location would be decided upon from the week previously (or fortnight), so unless you happen to be in the fold it isnt easy to just go along (in my opinion), but they were a most welcoming bunch and did lots of research about locations, it wasnmt just off the cuff ghost hunting so to speak! Louisa.

Natasha is good at making a point when she really need not do so. I think she should start a new sport in the Olympic games, she would get Gold everytime. Louisa.

Sorry dear, didnt mean to patronise you. Louisa.

Natasha my love, what is your hang up with trying to prove a point about people who frequent this particular gay venue? Is the Royal Vauxhall Tavern a firm representative of the gay community in 2008? Did you make up your own website with a montage of moustaches and bawdy heads just to prove your point? Louisa.

If that is the case, then why is it that as a straight female I can socialise with gay females and be touchy feely without any references to sex or the perception that they are coming onto me, and yet for straight men the thought of a gay man (innocently in most cases) touching or offering affection to a straight guy is so frowned upon and blown out of all proportion. Equally, I know that not all gay men are camp or wear leather, and I know some very bitchy sour faced queens in their late 40's who I wouldnt give the time of day but I also know some very handsome gay guys who are 6ft plus, extremely straight acting and not very well groomed (perhaps they have the masculine touch?), and even these men are looked down upon when straight guys find out about the sexual preferences of this other guy who is probably more of a man than any of them. I hate political correctness, and for god sakes I am married to a straight man, all I am saying is for me personally an over confident man isnt too appealing, but to many women I am sure it is. I have seen overconfident straight acting gay guys pull women in pubs and end up becoming friends with them purely because the female fancies the pants off the guy she is never likely to bed. It's all highly amusing to me. Anyway, I dont care anymore if there is a gay bar in ED or a gay sauna or even a club for martians, who bloody cares who or what a bar/pub/club is and does as long as it serves beer? Louisa.

I disagree *Bob*, I think you are judging poor gay guys alongside straight guys with a hint of jealousy in that ladies feel more at ease and comfortable around them and in general do not see them as idiots, compared to the cheesy, dull and often offensive approach from a huge majority of straight men who should be taught how to socialise with their brains as opposed to their penis'. Louisa.

And is that insight negative or positive in your opinion *Bob*? Louisa.

Sean sorry I misread his post, you're right. Louisa.

If a person finds a term offensive then as far as I am concerned whatever you wish to call it, the other person should apologise and think before they act next time. I personally find many things offensive such as swearing in general for no apparant reason, the break down in manners from people who should know different. But I would not make a big deal of it unless I was directly affected by it, then it would matter. So I believe that this lady had every right to be upset and no one should judge her for being so. Whether it can be considered racist I dont know, but if she feels it was (and non of us were present to judge) then we should all accept that. Louisa.

*Bob* what exactly do women have to put up with in terms of gay men? Gay men are usually cleaner, a hell of a lot more fanciable and have interesting and insightful conversation. I think straight guys should take a lot from gay guys, but not in a negative sense, but more to do with the way they treat women, as opposed to going to a gay bar to see how bad men per se happen to be. Good grief i'd happily not have sex and be stuck with a gay man for life than some nympho freak of a straight guy who doesnt take care of his appearance and treats me like crap (I am not stereotyping here btw, in my experience of gay guys they are just a hell of a lot more interesting than straight ones). Louisa.

"You have asked me to elaborate as to why I don't want a gay bar in my area. Have you ever passed through Kennington/Vauxhall and seen a bunch of stereotypically looking gay men hanging outside a certain bar? It would lower the tone in Dulwich." NatashaD, have you ever passed a stereotypical straight bar with men outside in groups swearing and shouting at each other and girls as they pass? I am pretty sure that lowers the tone of any area, so why would a "stereotypical gay venue", as you put it, lower the tone more than any stereotypical straight venue, or are you just homophobic? Louisa.

It started off with straight girls wanting a guy free zone to dance, have fun and socialise with gay male/female friends. A certain class of straight man clocked onto that and decided it was worth going to a gay club to search for 'talent', but sadly these men failed to understand the fact that a gay club should be respected for what it is, and not used as a tool to get girls. This is why so many gay people have become hostile to letting straights in nowadays, perhaps they were too hospitable and it damaged their trouble free zone. Louisa.

I was in Woking last night we I drove through a pretty remarkable thunder and lightning display near Weybridge. Louisa.