RosieH

hmm, it's getting a bit heated in here. I'd just like to say that I really like the Sea Cow, even though their chips have gone downhill, they're still better than any other chips I've found in East Dulwich (please feel free to disabuse me - I do like chips). And I like being able to have a bottle of wine with my haddock. And actually, looking at the haddock first, before it goes in the fryer might be an affectation, but at least you know it's COOKED fresh (frozen or no, it hasn't been sitting under a heat lamp for hours). And surely the whole cost debate is slightly redundant because you're not comparing like with like - they're cheaper than getting fish and chips from the Ivy, which I believe is also a restaurant selling the deep fried deliciousness. BUT: Ted Max - your comment about the extractor fans is fundamentally flawed - have you ever come out of there not stinking of chip fat? I haven't, but I don't mind it. Where I come from (in the north where we're no better than we ought to be and chips are good and Morrisons is king and we despise poncey southerners with their Sainsburys and ohmygodhaveyouseentheprices, Waitrose) it's considered on a par with Chanel No. 5. AND: I miss the banter I used to get from Mr Elaine's, who told me about his son's circumcision party (bad at sums but good at trumpet) and used to say of his chips "make 'em little, make 'em good".

and lowers the tone completely

I was hoping for a dark overlord

Don't need valium, we're getting the White Company (ah, that's another thread).

I've heard that a little antihistamine sends them right off to sleep...

I'm with simon. I make no bones about being lazy, but am I missing something: do we actually NEED to buy our clothes locally? We're only in zone 2 - if any of you are stuck I can recommend some very fine clothiers that have a fine array of non-identikit garb that won't leave you looking like a refugee from Clapham. And only a bus ride away Ye gads - the white stuff - my heart is sinking

the Orrery's very fine if it's romance you're after - food's delicious (it's a cliche but the chocolate fondant I had there was one of the sexiest things I've ever eaten) Or for a more decadent ambience, Les Trois Garcons. gorgeous food. sumptuous and slightly deranged interior

I think it's moved to Northcross Road now - they have a table outside with maraccas and be-staved tea towels thanks for the ideas. am lazy and went for booze (cachaca from Nicolas in case you care) - but these help enormously for the next birthday / Christmas

brilliant thanks - that shop keeps getting better and better

Ok, so I started trying to read through the whole thread but my eyeballs hurt. I'm putting together a list of local celebs I want to target for some charidee work - I want locals that have a vested interest in the kids in the area. I use the term "area" loosely - obviously I don't think the well-nourished, long haired young offsprings of Dulwich and its environs need my help - thinking more in terms of our south london neighbours. Anyway, I need people who might merit a photo in the press - from what I can see so far, I've got: Des'Ree, Timothy Spall, Jenny Eclair, Nesbitt, Jo Brand, Adrian Lester (do we think he local, or tourist)? anyone add any more?

AnotherPaul Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's an incredibly snotty comment from said > designer. "?the british public (who have no > taste)?". Boo! ha, you know it to be true though - only we in ED (or him in Richmond) have good taste. outside our hallowed borders I've heard they like X Factor and Big Brother and Comic Sans and the Daily Mail

AnotherPaul Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hi Rosie, please, this can't be compared with the > tube map. That was original, perfectly fulfilled > it's function and upset some folk because it was > thought too abstract. We know that's guff now but > that doesn't mean this olympic brand will follow > the same journey from ridicule to adoration. ok, I'm not going to win this one am I? Clearly it's not the tube map, but neither is it entirely without merit. and it's got people talking at least... you wait and see, some of them will say good things - a designer friend of mine (see I know something about it too) captured my sentiments: "it?ll probably grow on me, but I?m hating the way the british public (who have no taste) are getting all knee-jerk- arsey over a logo, and start demanding that the old logo (which truly was bland rubbish) is reinstated"

hell, in five years time it'll be a design classic - was the tube map considered "pleasant" when it was first launched? work of bloody genius... and I repeat, it's INTERACTIVE - you can download it and play with the shapes and colours - that's got to appeal to the kids (or is it just me?) frankly all of us are far too old to be taking part in 2012, but the youth, our unspoiled golden promise of tomorrow - they're the ones that matter here

maybe I did, or just maybe I think it's pretty fabulous

hey, don't knock it: it's vibrant, dynamic, interactive and inclusive.

you mean to say it isn't already? I would like to see Mr Tourette cards available in ED ( Modern Toss ), as a thoroughly anglo-saxon antidote to yet another French-lavender scented broderie anglaise rabbit

I assume it would be the same sort of thing as Deliverance (www.deliverance.co.uk)..? which is a fantastic idea and i would certainly place a (probably not infrequent) order. It's always bugged me that they and their kind deliver all over the SW postcodes, but not so keen on SE That said, they may have good reason (that goes beyond mere postcode snobbery), and that's that the market might not be there. However, I, and I would say 5 other local households of my acquaintance, would certainly welcome it.

kitchen shop, excellent. spirits, also excellent. the hug's a given. thank you sir, you are a gent

So I'm fundamentally quite lazy, need to buy a present for a friend's birthday and can't face going into town. Any genius ideas for a brilliant present I can buy locally for a 35 year old boy in a guitar band? he likes food, booze and the clash, although not necessarly in that order... all help massively, enormously and gratefully received

a shark did recently - but I think that was a first (recorded at least)

do only lady snails weep over relationships, or are you saying with the "don't cry over you" that snails a bit of both?

hmmm, wasn't suggesting the anthropomorphisation of the lemons - more that the armies that marched on plastic lemons would be riddled with scurvy and consequently a bit weak and possibly too depressed to fight I'm going to get lounged - I apologise

The spurning of the packaging has happened in the UK already, late last year - Ben Bradshaw urged shoppers to do the same thing. BBC The Today programme did a segment on it - how cashiers reacted when shoppers did leave the packaging behind - was quite funny but by and large it was the people behind them in the queue who got most incensed. I urge you to go for it - but you might get assaulted in Sainsbury's

yeah I know, didn't mean to bang on. it just exercises me somewhat. I work in food marketing - in theory I should be wise to it - but I still get suckered by new packaging / recipes / whatever. if we, the educated, greengrocer / butcher / fishmonger shopping, cloth bag carrying, demi-glace making denizens of right-on East Dulwich fall for their wiles, what hope the great unwashed..? the animal feed thing really got to me

without meaning to be a pedant, or particularly play devil's advocate, you were never really going to get a microwave meal in all-cardboard packaging. the brown and simple outer is meant to communicate healthier / balanced meal messages rather than being better for the environment necessarily (although there are doubtless superficial unbleached / recycled card or something messages..?) And the sad truth is that we can slate the manufacturers til the cows come home, but they're giving the punters what they want. People want ready meals. People want crisps in foil packaging because that keeps their crisps crisp for longer. People want extended shelf lives. and today they're suggesting we feed dead chickens to our livestock again. people want a good talking to.