indiepanda

Have given up on DMC and registered with the Forest Hill Road practice this afternoon, let's see if they are any better.

DMC definitely hopeless, I was queued outside before opening this morning in the cold and still couldn't get an appointment - the last non emergency one went to the person two places infront of me and there were still many people behind me in the queue. I'm giving up and hauling myself to the office to use the pay GP service there tomorrow.

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The Cantillon Brewery - very near Bruxelles Midi > station. Wonderful beers. > http://www.cantillon.be/ I'd recommend this too, I went a couple of weeks ago. It's an old family run brewery still using the traditional methods.

I go to a private GP most of the time too - costs me ?150 for a year's worth of appointments which has turned out to be a bargain. They are based in one of the offices in my company, so a few minutes walk from my desk, can always get an appointment for the next day, sometimes same day, you get a 15 minute slot, so they very rarely run late. I only use DMC if I am too sick to get to work, which is not that often.

I just hope in the refurb they at least add some locks to the ladies loos, hardly any of them had functioning locks the last time I went in.

computedshorty Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My advice would be to marry a younger wife of a > few years as women do tend to live about seven > years longer, as you could stay together for your > life span. Great for the men maybe, but the typical age gap of a woman marrying a man 3 years older and living 7 years longer leaves her with her 10 years of widowhood and probably quite a few years acting as a carer for her husband before he dies. I'm sticking to younger men... well hopefully just the one man! My fiance is eight years younger than me.

I grew up in Essex and went to an all girls Catholic school. Most of the girls I was friends with didn't have boyfriends at 14, I certainly didn't. (mind you with bad braces, NHS glasses and a stoop caused by hiding from bullies it's no great surprise.) Even the girls who did have boyfriends didn't seem to date guys that old. I suspect as with most things in the media, there's a degree of exaggeration here. Never been out with anyone more than 3 years older than me and much more likely to date younger men to be honest - though that's mainly because I was too focused on work when I was younger and most of the good ones my age had already been snapped up by the time I realised my mistake.

edw Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I saw Paul McGann walking along Lordship Lane and > Northcross Road a couple of weeks ago. Ah, I thought I was going mad when I saw what I thought was Paul McGann going into Dulwich Leisure Centre the other day, maybe I am not after all!

I agree with Loz, I found St John's Wort did the trick for me - and was signed off with stress and near suicidal at the point I started taking it. I would definitely get some financial advice, it's not in your mortgage company's interest for you to end up defaulting, and the stress of doing multiple jobs while not eating properly could make you ill and unable to work at all and doing just that. Much better for them to get a bit less from you each month but have more chance of getting it longer term. Much easier for you to have that conversation while you are still managing to pay the mortgage than wait until you get into trouble - negotiating from a position of strength is always preferable. I do hope life gets easier soon.

Medley Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Given the times the OP needs to travel, by far the > best option is to get the 63 to P Rye and then the > Thameslink train. The 63 all the way will only > work when traffic is luckily light - you can't > count on it day in, day out. Heavy traffic, > schools coming back, roadworks, rain - there are > too many variables. I disagree, I aim to be at work near City Thameslink around 9.30 and don't often run into problems on the 63. Plus, with the trains what drove me mad was if I just missed the 8:44, its a twenty minute wait until the 9:04 where the 63s tend to arrive every 5 minutes. And in between signal failure, broken down trains, snow etc etc I never found the trains to be that reliable anyway. The only time I found the 63 painful was when they were doing roadworks round Blackfriars that led to slow traffic running back to Southwark tube, but even that didn't last long.

I've been to A&E a few times at Kings and though it's been a bit of a wait at times (which was no big deal as it wasn't life threatening stuff) I've always been very happy with the treatment, which is more than I can say for the local doctors. I've almost given up using my NHS GP (the infamous DMC on Crystal Palace Road), we can pay to see a private GP at work and it's much easier to do that despite the extra cost.

Lozellen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > P13 is a nightmare at any busy times of day and > you're so close to Forest Hill road anyway. I > would just walk the five minutes down Ryedale to > Forest Hill road and pick up the 63. You'd be > getting on at the first or second stop so > guaranteed seat! Agreed, I live very near the P13 bus stop and I very rarely bother to wait for it. Will often walk along the bus route to get to the pub which is about 20 minutes walk, and practically never see the bus go past even though they are meant to come every 20 minutes. I get on the 63 at the second bus stop and usually get a window seat. I know theoretically I can save a few minutes getting off the bus at Peckham Rye and picking up the train if I happen to be passing 5 minutes before a train is due, but for the extra ?2.30 (I think) it is on my pay as you go Oyster Card, it doesn't seem worthwhile.

I do the number 63 every day up to Holborn Circus and would recommend that over the train for the reasons RosieH and Clobags have outlined, can settle down in my seat, relax and enjoy a book etc. The trains via Peckham Rye can be a bit unreliable and the rare occasions I try to save time by using the train it ends up running late and I've paid more money to get to work at the same time, and had to stand too.

It's complicated. I was born into a working class family but then went to university (think am still the only one in my near family to get a degree) and then got a professional qualification afterwards which would make people consider me middle class, though I imagine a lot of my attitudes are shaped by my more modest upbringing. I'm just glad I'm old enough that I got to go to university without having to take on huge debts. I know with hindsight it would have been worth it even at current fee rates to get the job I have, but it would scared the hell out of me and might have put me off from going.

steveo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Inspector Montalbano on BBC 4 (I love a subtitle > me) YES! Love Montalbano, had read most of the books first and it's really well cast. Was on hols in Sicily last year and saw some of the locations including his house. (That wasn't actually the purpose of the visit I should add... I'd not even watched it at the time)

ClareC Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We are working our way through This Life at the > moment, scary to think its @ 16 years old now!! > > Have also worked through Cold Feet, Gavin and > Stacy, The Inbetweeners, Morse, Dalgliesh and > started Lewis! > > All very old school! I've done all of those bar Dalgliesh. Love them all, hard to pick a favourite, but I think I'd have plump for Gavin and Stacey.

MrBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Anyone else been mistakenly identified for a > pensioners-only heart throb? Pensioner only - are you kidding?? Loooove David Tennant and am a long way off pension age (given how things are with annuity values going probably getting further away by the day!) However, I think you might need the eye sight of a pensioner to confuse you. (And I don't mean that in the insulting way it could be read)

EPB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > When we moved here (not on a Saturday) we asked > the council about reserving a space for the lorry, > but they told us that they cant do anything on > streets where parking is unrestricted. > We took their advice and "bagged" the necessary > space by using our own car, a couple of traffic > cones, and the wheelie bins. Yes, I had the same experience. Funny how they seem to be able to restrict parking without any problem when it suits them (road resurfacing, tree lopping etc) - they say they can't, but what they really mean is won't. Fortunately what with a bit of bin placement and accommodating neighbours who moved cars for me I was ok.

I managed to fail 3 tests before I passed due to making mistakes because of nerves. In my last test I was in the loo when my examiner came looking for me, and my instructor told him I was very nervous, and fortunately he was a nice guy and did his best to settle me down, telling me to take my time and go when I was ready. He even told me half way round I hadn't made even one minor mistake (which he wasn't really meant to do) and if I carried on like that I'd be fine. I think it is a bit luck of the draw who you get as your examiner - the one I had my first test made me really nervous by telling me what he wanted me to do far later than my driving instructor would - e.g. asking me to make a turn that involved changing lanes at the last minute. He also sighed all the time like I was a dreadful driver, which made me really jittery. I made sure I booked my tests for a quieter period - i.e. not rush hour, usually morning and I think I did a lesson first too.

The Wimbledon men's final

I would also suggest trying a Neil Med nasal rinse - basically means you wash the pollen out of your nose so it doesn't irritate you. When my hay fever is at it's worst that's the thing that really makes the difference (on top of strong prescription only anti-histamines and a steroid nasal spray) http://www.amazon.co.uk/NeilMed-SinusRinse-Saline-Nasal-Rinse/dp/B000A0S5KC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340834101&sr=8-1

I've got a galaxy 2 for personal use and an iphone for work, and I prefer the former, though apps aren't that important to me. The iphone battery seems to run down quicker and the samsung feels lighter to me.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'd also like to see a bit of innovation and > creativity in the private hire market that has > been completely trousered by Essex based black > cabbies who refuse to go sarf of the rivva after > 4pm. That's so old. Over the last few years I've got black cabs back to East Dulwich all times of the evening and night and I've never had anyone refuse to go south of the river. And being quite chatty, I can tell you a lot of them are from Essex. By and large I'd rather use a black cab than a mini cab - at least they usually seem to know where they are going. Most mini cabs are too reliant on their sat nav these days. All for a bit of healthy competition but the black cab guys do have to put a lot of effort into their training and often it shows.

I bought my house via Haart and I think they did a good job.. They have someone who is only responsible for seeing things through from sale agreed to sold rather than leaving the chaser work in the hands of the original selling agent which means they are usually at their desk if you need to call e.g. to arrange surveys etc. They all seemed very helpful when I needed to get in touch.

I went not too long ago and walked straight in - guess it was late morning / early afternoon. Got left with a whopping bruise after though - lasted over a week. I've not had that happen before when I've had a blood test.