Chartwell

The guy in the picture framers is always friendly, laid back and helpful and has a very nice dog. William Rose staff are friendly and efficient.

Now where have I heard this debate before....?

Parkers Folly, how do you get back to ED if not on the 12? I agree with you it's always packed and I have to stand most usually until Elephant before getting a seat. I have noticed though that sometimes an empty bus starts out half way down Whitehall and I have the luxury of getting any seat I want - hurrah!

Thanks Mark. I hope the work on Walworth Road is being done 24 hours, when I go past (very slowly!) in the morning there doesn't appear to be huge amounts going on, especially for the scale of the job!

I don't think that the TFL journey planner always gives the best route possible. For example to get to Victoria on the bus from Barry Road it advises you to take a range of different buses, rather than saying walk to Lordship Lane and get the 185. This thread of personal experience, I would suggest, is more helpful.

The 78 does go to Tower Bridge. I used to get it from the bottom of East Dulwich Grove on Peckham Rye. They could do with making the 78 a bigger bus though!

I used to commute to Regents Park; bus to Peckham Rye station, train to Elephant and then tube. I got a seat on the tube but I didn't really ever get enough time to get into my book! I now get the 12 to Westminster and that takes 50 minutes! 50 minutes to go 6 miles!! Although I suspect it might be a bit more than that going the route it goes. When I first moved to ED I could easily get a seat of my choice, now the bus gets pretty full at an early stage and if I don't place myself stragically on the pavement I wouldn't get the seat I wanted! :)) I'm sure I'm lucky to get a seat at all!! Staying on the bus for pretty much the whole journey does mean I don't get a break from the school kids screaming to each other, despite being next to each other, and playing loud music on their phones! But hey at least I've got a seat!

Perhaps, Polly, Ms Eclair became so fed up with looking out of her window to sea of faces peering in that she thought she might as well open up the house to all comers!

I do like Ms Eclair's house but everytime I go past it it strikes me as being so open. Great if you are in the countryside and have great vistas all about you, but on top of Denmark Hill and people coming past on the bus looking in your windows? Yes, I am one of those who can't help having a good old nose!

Crikey - it's all gone a bit hysterical in here!

*smiles at DM on her return, wonders if DM is the 'Clark Kent' to PP's 'Superman(woman)', have the two ever been seen in the same room? *wonders if DM has been away buggy ramming a deli's stack 'em high displays*

*thanks Keef for his tip off and hopes that PP is not bound to some chair in desperate need of release* *thinks, I wish people would clean up after their pet iguanadon - about to mention same to Huguenot when sees the size of said pet and moves slowly backwards making soft calming noises*

AROOO-GA made me laugh too! Bagpuss78 I hope your screen didn't suffer with any stray spittle! I'm sounding the alarm again as I am going to be sensible some more... Jimbo - document all your chats (even if informal) and make clear if no improvement it might lead to dismissal, if she's got more than one year's service you will need to follow a statutory dismissal procedure. Here's the link to ACAS who will tell you all you need to know!! ACAS Stand at ease...

Thanks for the link jim-the-chin, very interesting and he certainly had taste.

I think that the church at the top of Barry Road is pretty impressive (from a distance) as you look at it from the Peckham Rye end framed by trees. Agree also that the Passmore Edwards (who he??) Library is pretty fab.

Maybe all the red elastic bands can be put together and made up into a giant bouncy ball for use at the upcoming ED fair or if it gets big enough to be used a demolition ball for the concrete house!

*while waiting for mob, smiles over to bagpuss78 and feels reassured, contemplates calling mob off and goes in search of Ms Pitstop*

*makes call for backup to get out of this scary place*

Enters quiet room for the first time and by the ability empowered in me in this strange parallel universe, sees the dream of Crystalclear projected in huge format from the top of his head, thinks *the 80s sure had a lot to answer for*!

Different Strokes for different folks...now don't get me started on Different Strokes....

Have you asked her? Does she have set objectives to work towards? If you can set them, do, and review them. Is she clear of your expectations? Does she understand how she fits into the greater scheme of things? (at work, not necessarily in life!) Help her understand the impact of her work shyness on you (and the rest of the team?). Set a timeframe for improvement. Here endeth the lesson.

I remember that This Life had such an impact and I used to go into work and discuss it endlessly with colleagues. I wasn't in London at that time and so wanted to move and live in a house like Egg, Milly et al. The only other tv show with somewhere near the same impact, I think, was Queer as Folk.

Don't you think that the street cleaners of ED do a good job? I do, I am really impressed as the cleanliness of the streets and certainly every morning I see a guy working with real attention to detail on sweeping my road. I was so impressed in fact that I emailed Southwark Council to pass on my thanks. I am even working up to saying thanks to the guy I see every morning...oddly though I'm slightly worried what his reaction might be?! :-S

Isn't Lesley Ann Down in some truly awful American soap - but I guess you weren't thinking of her for her acting skills...

DM, do you have to practice that rather unique running gait or does it come quite naturally?