Chartwell

David Sylvester came to fix a tap and I echo all the postive comments that have been left, friendly, professional, did the job and all at a reasonable price. I used him as recommended on the forum and would certainly use him again. Chartwell.

I smiled at a few people in Sainsbury's yesterday and got a few smiles in return. Haven't stood at the bus stop for the past 3 days so will try the smiling there tomorrow.

We have this one'Can-0-worms' and have had it for a few years. Very straight forward to use, add your kitchen waste, even the odd egg shell, kithen roll tube(!), and as the worms eat it and do whatever they do to it to make compost you rotate the trays. I think I've said this on another thread about worms - but the juicey bi-product that collects in the bottom tray is very good for the garden as is the compost itself.

I think that's a great idea. I stand at the bus stop thinking how many people standing with me are on the EDF. I may venture a furtive smile tomorrow.

Saw the Welsh cook (cock) and then went back to the wonderful Apprentice!

What I don't understand about this story is why was only the top quarter original? Had the rest been taken off and used in another customers alterations who might have come in and said 'any chance bringing some life back into this old garment?'

There was a report on BBC breakfast news this morning about this very thing. Clothes Aid have launched motor cycle patrols to catch people nicking the bags of clothes intended to support Great Ormand Street hospital. They estimated that 50 tonnes worth of clothing was going to these sharks! I've had several of those 'help people in Eastern Europe' leaflets through the door and in small writing at the bottom it says something like, by donating clothes the donor is supporting people in jobs in the UK who sort the clothes and do whatever they need to do to send them across to Lithuania! Hmm I wonder if they pay them the minimum wage?!

I now understand that you can top up the oyster card on the bus if you sign up to the service on-line. I attempted to do this and was told that I had to choose a tube station at which to swipe my card in order to activate the card. I called their customer services to tell them that I don't take the tube and was there some other way to activate it. I was told there wasn't - so basically I would have to incur the cost of a tube fare in order to be able to use the pre pay top up service on the bus! When I asked why it wasn't possible to activate it at the local newsagent or some other way I was told I would need to speak to a superviser. I therefore still go to my local newsagent to top up my oyster that way.

I am catching up on the forum after being away for the weekend and what a lot to catch up on! I think it is great that G&B take the time to come onto the forum to respond to the point raised. I also agree with the point that *Bob* made on this thread that we shouldn't expect businesses to have to respond to 'every gripe at the drop of a hat.' Unless I've misunderstood the purpose (if that's the right word) of forums like this, is it not for people to contribute in ways they feel able? Even if that is sometimes in the vein of the 'oo' and 'arrh' and 'well I never' type comments usually featured in 'water cooler' type chats. Notwithstanding the whole not saying anything that is liable to get the forum into legal hot water and as long as there isn't a consistent and sustained attack on ED businesses, my view is that many comments appear to me as a Victoria Wood-esque view of life. I agree with many of the comments made in the other G&B thread that the forum is certainly a broad church and that some balance has to be found between a sharing of personal experiences, for which there will be much debate, and not completely trouncing both ED businesses and those who attempt to make fair comment about them. I think G&B are really very good and they stock some fab wine, so much so that we took a selection of wines as a present to a wine buff in Manchester, on the strength of the fact that the selection is so good and unlikely to be found in great abundance at other wine shops.

Oh no! I use the Arterie fairly regularly it will be a travesty if he gets priced out of North Cross road, I hope that it doesn't come to that. If he has to move I agree that it would be a good thing to know where to so I can continue to use his services.

Hurrah! It was was down to a misunderstanding, glad to see that G&B don't run a 'no tap water' policy. Thanks for checking it out Mark.

Quite true we don't know the context other than what has been posted. I didn't mean to intend that G&B don't care, as generally the feedback on here is very good, it was a general comment on a specific situation. I really hope that the owner might give us a view. It wasn't my intention to begin a frenzy of negative feedback as has been seen on other posts on this forum, honest guv'!

...but iamyamyam did say that his wife asked for the water 'long with her food and wine'. I can understand that the manager would not be keen to offer water if nothing else was being drunk or perhaps one glass/bottle of wine was lasting all night and they were busy. Not allowing a customer to have a glass of water has the serious potential to affect the customer experience and as we all know bad news travels fast, especially via such things as this forum.

I had Aunts Edie, Grace and one called Willomena (not the actual spelling because I can't spell it!) whom we called Ena. I also had a great aunt Evelyn - prounced Ev-lyn and not Eve-lyn which I thought was how all such people named would pronounce it, until I came across the writings of Evelyn Waugh!

I can't understand why they wouldn't provide a glass of tap water, especially, as has been said, that customers are spending good money on wine. It seems a bit off to me. Perhaps the owner of Green and Blue might come on here and provide an explanation. I have never heard of that happening anywhere else, even in some of the more top range establishments.