Louisa

How about buying a castle on a remote Scottish island (with land) for the same price? Just a thought. Louisa.

For almost my entire adult life I have grown up in a London filled with numerous colourful characters. Some of them may or may not have had mental health related issues, but nonetheless they stood out from the crowd and added to the spice of local life. Why do we now have dedicated threads talking about individuals as if they are somehow abnormal or not welcome around here? These people are becoming less and less apparent in a London where sameness is becoming the normal, and bland homogenisation is celebrated as 'gentrification' or 'up and coming'. Even the old accents are dying out in favour of a bland middle of the road standard English. I hear so many people on here moan about how bland the borough of Bromley is for its sameness and yet the very same things are happening right under our noses here in Southwark and not a single eyelid was raised! Cities attract all sorts of people. They aren't all acting suspiciously or trying to steal something from you, most of them are just going about their daily business in their own unique way, just as generations before them had done. Sick to death of individuals being pointed out of the crowd for no reason other than being different. Let's celebrate a bit of difference, this is inner London. Louisa.

What about a fruit and veg ghetto? And where's TSB going? We can have a bank ghetto? So many niche markets, so little space to fit them all in. Louisa.

The station square arches will become chain restaurants, Nandos, Wagamamas, Zizzi et al that's my hunch. Maybe a small tesco/sainsbury too. Louisa.

Great idea Jah. He owns a bar/restaurant/gallery in the coastal town of Ilfracombe where the Lundy visitor boat docks. We could have me washed up on a beach, you in formaldehyde and *Bob* stuffed in a grotty museum for fish hooks or similar. The whole area could be dedicated to bucket-kicked EDF'ers. Who needs Verity? Louisa.

Jez I am hopeful a hungry basking shark (or similar) will have first dibs at a three course on my behalf. Louisa.

*Bob* darling, we all know I have far too many people to piss off before I can kick the bucket. So yes, I will be brown bread my love. Louisa.

I've told everyone I know I wish to be chucked off the side of a boat somewhere off the coast of Lundy Island in North Devon, in a biodegradable coffin. I've never been able to swim, and I think it would be a fitting end for me. Louisa.

Dedicating specific areas to specific businesses sounds like a way of promoting gentrification, rather than creating a pleasant environment for everyone who lives works and shops in a specific neighbourhood. The whole area needs a deep clean and sprucing up, with mixed retail for everyone. But that shouldn't include moving current businesses off into a quiet corner where they're less visible. We all know how this process goes, the station square will attract big name retail, rents will rise and eventually the dedicated beauty area will be taken on by retail who can no longer afford the rest of the area. Louisa.

I must be getting old, but I miss good quality Light entertainment. Everything seems rehashed these days, and the entertainers themselves are second rate at best. I saw a clip of Les Dawson singing karaoke with an audience member on Cilla Black's surprise surprise the other night on YouTube and cried with laughter. Put Keith Lemon and chums on my screen and I don't flinch. I just don't get it, it's a desperate attempt at humour. Maybe I'm just old. Louisa.

I love catching a train from Bromley South station. It's so much more civilised than the dirty dangerous inner London stations. It's always busy and you can get a coffee/tea whilst you wait. Margate is very much on the up, it's been part of the same EU regeneration project as the one given to Packham, and looks what's happened there? Anything is possible. Louisa.

Low end touristy? Come on then. Where did you grow up? Near Bognor you say? I genuinely can't think of anywhere nice within striking distance which isn't a street that's featured on some channel 5 show about run down Britain. Louisa.

Seabag, I had to pee on your fire here, but you romanticised view of the British seaside you claim to have grown up in is a little bit further from reality in my experience. Most seaside towns are run down, way past their glory days, places where most people are struggling to survive because there are no jobs. I don't personally think they will be popping down to the harbour to pick up cooked crabs to take home and make merry with fresh produce in some 'darling buds of May' type world. They're more than likely going to be heading to Iceland to pick up a pack of frozen fish fingers in Hastings and Margate aren't they now? Louisa.

Seabag Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well yes, it's a big fish finger...like so what? > No beards, just made by a respected chef who's got > a good fish restaurant on the coast > > Fish = fish > Dog might indicate a bun or something similar. If > you want to call a long roll an sandwich, then > crack on, knock your self out Lou > Mushy peas but finer, so they don't fall out of > the bun > > Then crab meat with chips, like in any seaside > town. Is that something odd or new ? > > Yeah, is that all like TOTALLY San Fran OUT THERE. > Or are you on the vino again Not at all Seabag. It's yet again ANOTHER example of posh patronising food infiltrating working class neighbourhoods. I am sick to death of hearing about sandwiches with basic fillings being given fancy names, what's the bloody point? As for the whole "crab meat and chips like in any seaside town" what the actual funk? Who goes to Southend or Bognor and asks for that? Fish cake check, cockles with vinegar check, chips check - BUT crab meat and chips? Is there some middle class seaside destination only those 'in the know' are aware of? Or is this yet another made up 'discovered' menu option that's been magicked up by hipsters and other middle class folk to sound trendy? Yeah thought so... Louisa.

Yeah I didn't think of any of those ones either. Olly Murs is lovely. Louisa.

Yeah Seabag, so it's still a fish finger sandwich. Probably served by bearded hipsters. "Mushy pea pur?e" lmfao funniest thing I've heard all day! Crab chips? Really? What planet do these people live on? Is this even south east London anymore? I reckon we have been abducted and landed in San Francisco. I now claim my fiver too! Louisa.

To new or relatively new residents to the area, it must be hard to believe that right up until the early to mid 1980's Rye Lane was a hugely important retail destination. Numerous big chain department stores, including (as Foxy rightly points out above) two C&A stores. The current renaissance in the area will hopefully bring back some of that magic of the glory days in some form or other over the next decade. I don't personally believe Foxtons needs to be part of that though, retail/restaurant/bars I'm definitely all for though. Louisa.

Little Mix? Louisa.

I had a thing for Wagner too. Very manly, nice facial hair. I'd love to have seen him sing live. Louisa.

I personally love a good kebab, my allegiances have been with K&W for many years now and it will not be changing any time soon. Burgers are more a treat than a weekly occurrence for me. Louisa.

Looks as though the next season will be the last. The Voice UK is switching over to ITV from 2017, and X Factor has felt stale for quite a few years now. Louisa.

Seabag why are you talking in riddles? You sound like Russell Brand spaced out. Louisa.

Ps I hate having to quote guardian articles. Louisa.

Seabag Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Suffering at the rise of the 'hipster > burger'......really ? > http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/15/mc > donalds-serves-up-rising-uk-profits-despite-troubl > es-in-the-us Absolutely, the business model that article refers to covers the whole of the UK where, granted, McDonald's is doing very well for itself. But here in London the 'hipster burger' phenomenon has taken huge chunks out of the cheap casual dining burger joints such as the one you quote from the guardian article. Have a read of this http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/may/24/premium-burger-joints-rise-britain-datablog Louisa.

Also, the likes of McDonald's and Burger King are suffering at the rise of the 'hipster burger', it's a business model which clearly works, especially in London. I had been told Byron Burger were also interested in Peckham (and I genuinely enjoyed my meal I had at one of their restaurants), but surely one area doesn't need two fancy burger restaurants? Or does it? Louisa.