Louisa

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000XEBI9K/ref=pd_aw_sim_263_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51FVHvAklML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL100_SR100%2C69_&refRID=1N1PD9M8ZHC4N7SJ0CHR Well I never! Front and rear bumper guards! Only appear available in the states though. Louisa.

May I suggest rah that you consider overnight flexible cushioning around the plate edges to cushion any unwanted attention from other drivers. Not sure if it's legal but I've considered it myself before. The problem is we have more cars and fewer spaces and people will literally try and cram an estate into a space barely big enough for a smart car. Louisa.

Happens all the time to me. Considered CCTV in front of house previously, but am rarely able to park directly outside my house in my space now so would be a waste of money. Louisa.

You cannot possibly know all the details and specific origin of an ingredient used in a cafe. Simply because a cafe looks posh and friendly and most importantly clean, cannot lead you to believe that the food served is of a different quality or standard than something you could get elsewhere. Or can it? This is ED so it wouldn't surprise if it did. Fried breakfasts are bad for you in excess, as is anything. I'm sure if you had organic eggs on sourdough toast every day for a year and nothing else beside you'd be considered to be unhealthy and consuming a poor diet. Unless you cook the food yourself, from scratch and know the origin and facts about the food you can't possibly use the argument that food served in establishment A (which charges more) is better than food served in establishment B (which is a greasy spoon and therefore must be terrible and processed). You are kidding yourself if you believe this to be true. Louisa.

I honestly believe the micro affluence of ED has gone bonkers. Totally on a different planet to the rest of us! Sue and Jeremy. Free range eggs (even the very best) served on two slices of (presumably sourdough toast & buttered), cannot possibly stretch to the ridiculous sum of 5.50/7 or whatever other ridiculous prices have been quoted, chill jam included or not! (whatever the Michael mouse that is). Even if you want to drag overheads into it. I can go to a greasy spoon and get filled up nicely with these basic ingredients, cooked in a indepedent caf which no doubt has similar overheads to these posho cafes aimed at the more money than sense brigade. You know, greasy spoons which have been functioning for 20/30/40 years in London and not overcharging for basic foods. I would honestly, genuinely rather eat at home than be ripped off for basic breakfast items on the menu in gentrified cafes. People need to stop comparing well established restaurants with greater overheads to establishments that have jumped on the gentrifying bandwagon. Louisa.

I guess I am imagining that the Grove tavern and 'dog' have vanished from our long list of public houses. Silly me! Louisa.

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Which local pub has closed down around here in the > last 10 years? > > DulwichFox Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > rahrahrah Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > especially when you ban anyone with children, > > > anyone who has been in the area for less than > > 30 > > > years, anyone who seems to have disposable > > income > > > and anyone who reads the Guardian. > > > > High chairs will be provided... Play area for > the > > toddlers... newcomers to the area welcome... > > Copies of the Guardian will be made available. > > > > Just bring your credit cards.... > > > > Foxy. > > > > P.S. With a new Pop-up cafe opening vertually > > every other day it seems a better option to a > > pub.. which are closing down. The Draft House, the third or forth incarnation of 'the Mag', the grove tavern, the 'dog', the heber arms? (Was that longer?). I could go on. Just because something closed and opened as something new doesn't mean pubs aren't closing! Louisa.

Yep I'm with foxy on this. Very happy to charge triple the normal price for something you can make at home and serve it on a slab of concrete. Maybe even through it at the hipster/yummy so they can enjoy the fad of working to get their food. They would lap it up. All drinks served in old jam jars too. For irony factor babychams will be on tap and three times the value of a bottled one. Bring your annoying kids and guardian newspapers, all most welcome. Just don't forget you credit cards and cash! I'll be specifically charging premiums on cooked eggs. Louisa.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > But if you don't want to eat one thing whereas you > do want to eat another thing and it's your money > then none of what you are saying actually makes > the blindest bit of difference *Bob* you are straying from the point here entirely. Who in their right mind would spend ?7 on eggs on toast when you can make it at home, or go to a greasy spoon charging ?2 for the same thing? Your comparison of curry (in a restaurant) with eggs on toast (in a cafe) is bizarre to say the least. You simply cannot compare overheads and other costs. So your initial point is invalid. Louisa.

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The cost charged includes paying staff and hiring > premises. You can't possibly analyse it based on > the ingredients. The ingredients are the least > expensive part of most restaurant costs. > LM I am well aware of overheads. I was using the food as an example of how poor *Bob* initial point was, but if we want to compare other overheads then sure. A restaurant charging 12 quid for a curry is hiring a number of kitchen and waiting staff to cook specialised food, both for eat in and eat out customers. Their overheads will be considerably higher than a cafe serving up basic breakfast items with (I am assuming) considerably fewer staff. Louisa.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Besides, three nice eggs probably costs about the > same as one cheap frozen chicken breast (I know > it's not the point, but stil...) That isn't the point of course, but yes if you want to like for like compare a cheap frozen chicken breast from any named brand supermarket with three free range eggs from harrods then sure. Louisa.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa... I think we've already established that > cooking is cheaper than eating out. Next. Jeremy, don't blame me. I didn't want to talk about food (again). *Bob* seems obsessed with people spending a fortune on breakfast items and comparing eggs to champagne and cavier ingredients. Louisa.

*Bob* are seriously comparing cooked eggs with chicken breast/lamb/king prawns? Honestly, I know you're having me on now. Louisa.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > *Bob* come over mine and I'll knock you up > > scrambled eggs on toast and I won't charge ?7, > in > > fact I won't charge a penny! Because three free > > range eggs mixed with butter/milk and served on > > two slices of fancy toasted bread (even the > > poshest bread in the world) doesn't take seven > > smackers out of my bank account to make! Quite > > simple. > > Any idea how much those ?12 curries cost to make, > Louisa? Those curries are entirely different. For a start they are evening meals served in a restaurant environment. This includes high quality table service. The number of ingredients and variation of base meat/fish within each batch are quite costly. Eggs on toast in an informal breakfast/lunch cafe cannot possibly be comparable. End of discussion. Louisa.

*Bob* come over mine and I'll knock you up scrambled eggs on toast and I won't charge ?7, in fact I won't charge a penny! Because three free range eggs mixed with butter/milk and served on two slices of fancy toasted bread (even the poshest bread in the world) doesn't take seven smackers out of my bank account to make! Quite simple. Louisa.

Sue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > >If I don't > > get any joy, I'll get her towed back up here > and > > contact those guys to see if they can help. > > Rather than pay for a tow, Don would probably be > able to come to the car and sort it there, > depending on what is wrong, obviously. That would be even better. It all depends on what's actually wrong with it. Had a sort of half diagnosis today, but I fear it's more than a road side repair, judging on what the kwik fit chap told me. I always fear that when I go into these places they're looking at me with those 'she hasn't got a clue what she's doing we can tell her anything' eyes. That's why I try to stay with them and get as much advice as I can on the matter. Louisa.

DulwichFox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > LondonMix Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > Rye Lane is quickly transforming becoming a food > hub that is a far cry to what it was before-- in > two years Rosie, Mr Boa, a new Vietnamese place, > Spike, Peddar, Blue Tit (which is hair but still) > have all opened in less than 2 years. > > Yes.. I saw Rosie why out walking the other day.. > > Todays Special:- Scrambled Egg on Toast.. ?7.00 > What a bagain eehh. ? > > DulwichFox I have to say I've walked past it a few times in the year or so it's been open, and it does look very nice (and clean) from the outside. I've been tempted to pop in and try a cake or sandwich but I'm afraid it's just not for me. I couldn't justify spending ?7 on 'eggs on toast' when as you say fox, I could easily make the same thing at home to the same standard. For ?7 I expect a builders breakfast with double everything, free tea/coffee refills and unlimited toast. I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would spend that much on something so basic. Odd. Louisa.

Huggers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa, Hackney was terrifying and shit in the > late eighties to nineties, even Stoke Newington > despite its quaint looks; it didn't start from a > higher ground than Peckham. Crossing Southgate > Road from Islington to Hackney,identical > residential streets but in postcodes just > separated by yards, filled us with as much > bourgeois trembling as ever beset an East > Dulwicher venturing across East Dulwich Road into > SE15. Every dog has its day and every part of > London will experience up and down. I am old > enough to remember Notting Hill in the sixties and > seventies and it was very down in the mouth. I > expect the Kensington crowd were apoplectic with > mirth when the 'pioneers' started talking about it > as interesting and eclectic. Oh absolutely agree there. Hackney and 'Stokey' as the locals call it, took a very similar path to Peckham through the late 1970's onwards. Hackney was certainly on a par with Peckham for inner city deprivation and crime rates absolutely. Hackney possibly maintained more high street big chains than Peckham managed, and therefore the first appearances would probably be that Hackney was as down at heel as Peckham appeared (at face value). Nonetheless, neither were great areas. Hackney started its gentrication a reasonable while before the 2011 riots though, and being north of the river isn't as historically isolated as Peckham has been. I think Rye Lane will catch up with Peckham Rye side roads in the coming years, and we will probably see the foodie side of things taking off dramatically along the lane (even certain chains are moving in, unheard of even five years back). Louisa.

Thanks Sue and jacks09. I'll certainly keep those two contacts to hand. I am booked in for a mechanic down near where I've left the car, but I won't be settling for any old quote without full knowledge of what is going to happen. If I don't get any joy, I'll get her towed back up here and contact those guys to see if they can help. What a ridiculous day. First time I've been on public transport in a long time, and was pleasantly surprised to be fair. I guess I should make more use of it! Louisa.

Well that was a bloody joke. Drove to St Mary Cray, engine light comes on saying 'air pollution faulty'. Got there and came out only to struggling to get it started. So rang the RAC again and they towed me to a garage near Orpington. Those guys got it up on the ramp and had a look and said there was some sort of leak coming from under the fuel pipe which was somehow sucking air into the fuel pump. I was dubious about this analysis after what the RAC guy initially told me, but it does seem to marry up with the air in the tank issue. They couldn't fix the problem but gave me details of an independent garage which came recommended. Contacted them, but they can't see it until Thursday. Said I was welcome to drop it off at their place whenever and I'd get a free courtesy car. It's all sounding expensive. They must have seen me coming. I decided to leave it on a side street down St Mary Cray and jumped a train back as recommended above. Thanks for everyone's advise btw. Louisa.

I have a Peugeot 207 Diesel. It has been driving fine for as long as I can remember, but after letting fuel run very low and parking on a hill at a friends, the car failed to start. RAC have been out and put fuel into the engine, and primed it. It's driven off fine, parked up and gone to use it again and the engine starts for a brief moment and then just cuts out unless I'm reving her a fair bit. What on earth could this be? My husband suggested a 'filter' problem? And I've been searching online and it says it could potentially be 'air in the pipes'- but I've discounted that as I had driven it long enough after the RAC man to ensure it was running. I'm beside myself I have to be in St Mary Cray for an appointment tomorrow morning. Help! Louisa.

The irony of that miga is that the very areas the young hip types want to go to, will not be edgy and on trend for long once they move there and kick start the gentrification process. And then the cycle goes round again. Maybe ED will become more suburban than Bromley (a kind of inside out suburbia) as the years go by? Louisa.

Everything is relative. I agree previous scruffy areas such as Shoreditch and Hackney have smartened up fairly quickly in the gentrification process, but they, unlike Peckham, we're not starting from such a low base. Peckham has changed considerably in just a couple of years, markedly so compared to two whole decades previous. But it's still scruffy to the untrained gentrifying eye, simply because it's began its journey in the dark ages. Make no mistake about it, Rye Lane had literally been abandoned for decades by big chains and up to and including shortly after the 2011 riots was a no hope for gentrification. I would suggest new towns such as Crawley and Milton Keynes have entirely different demographic make up to inner London and thus may appear 'pretty' with open spaces but have a hell of a lot of social problems under the surface. Peckham appears dirty and crime ridden, and to be fair is probably much safer than its been for decades under the surface. Louisa.

Seabag is Crawley entirely a 'new town', or does it have historic market town value? I've been there a few times and found it a little boring and pointless. In terms of social housing stock, would you say it has a similar demographic to Peckham? I just don't think it's a place anyone would choose to visit unless they were lost on the way to the airport. Louisa.

http://m.crawleynews.co.uk/Crawley-like-Peckham-result-flats/story-28883206-detail/story.html Fascinating article about housing. Oddly, the journalist seems to think comparing Peckham to Crawley is "unflattering" on the town. I've been to Crawley, and despite all Peckham's failings I would argue it's going more going for it than this provincial airport overspill town. Discuss. Louisa.