indiepanda

I usually go to the sub post office on Forest Hill Road - don't usually have to wait too long there. And at least being a newsagent I can buy my paper and read it while I am waiting.

What would be a good day out really depends what you are looking for in a day out, whether you have children with you etc. Northern part of the New Forest is probably just about within 2 hours drive if you get a good run out of London to the M3, although the interchange with the M27 north of Hampshire can be a nasty bottle neck in the summer and the main road into the forest off the A31 into Lyndhurst can get busy too. I'd be more inclined to go to somewhere in Kent / Surrey / Sussex if I wanted to keep the journey time under 2 hrs but I don't know if you've already exhausted options nearer to East Dulwich. The New Forest is lovely for walking - not all areas are as closed in as the "Forest" name might suggest and not many hills and there are lots of charming little towns / villages with quaint old pubs and the smaller ones tend to have the odd New Forest pony pottering around (you have to be a bit careful when driving through the forest as they will just wander out on minor roads at times) You can see lots of useful info on their official visitor site: http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/discover/

Gidget Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You have to call them. They then call you back > within an hour. You don't necessarily get an > appt., only if they need to see you which I think > they try to avoid. Have only had 2 dealings with > them. One time phone advice only and another time > I did go in but the doctor I saw had extremely bad > English and misdiagnosed me. Thinking about it, the advice I was given one time wasn't great - I got worse as they didn't give me strong enough drugs or tell me I needed to rest and I ended up down A&E the day after having got worse. For all the time you wait to get seen at Kings A&E if they are busy, they've always done a good job for me when I've been. But they've still been easier to get to see than DMC - but that is feint praise!

I would think a thank you gift would be nice to show her help is appreciated, but given it sounds like a good arrangement for her too (when I was in my shared house on campus I got quite fed up of having to fight to use the cooker / queue for the shower etc!) and cats are little bother, I wouldn't think making it seem like a job by paying in cash would be the best option. Maybe find out what her favourite perfume is and get some at duty free and leave a bottle of wine or two in the fridge for her to enjoy while you are away?

Yes, my one visit to the Lister centre they prepared me for a very long wait but it wasn't anything like as bad as I was expecting. I was expecting 2-3 hours based on the number of people in the waiting room and it was just short of an hour. And the doctor I saw was good too. I did go to the drop in centre in New Cross once and was less impressed. They took some stitches out of my knee which promptly popped open because it hadn't healed properly. A nurse friend told me that with any injuries somewhere difficult to heal like a knee (the bending when you walk doesn't help) that you should only cut alternate stitches and check carefully for any opening before you take the rest out so that there is something still to hold it if it hasn't healed. I was sent home with an open gash at least half a centimetre deep in my knee with a "come back in a week if you are worried" and a plaster over it... Called NHS direct in a bit of a state when I got home - when I explained and said should I really wait that long said no and sent me straight to Kings A&E who taped it up and put me on crutches till it healed.

Or you could try the out of hours service run by SELDOC based at the old Dulwich Hospital site. I've usually found it quite easy to get appointments there of an evening if you want to go after work. http://www.seldoc.co.uk/ It does say they want to know your GP name, but I don't know that they would insist on it - people move around a lot especially in London so they might be understanding. Oh, and when you do register - don't choose Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Road - it's a nightmare getting an appointment there - I've had to use both walk in centre and out of hours service because of their inability to fit me in at times when I have needed treatment. From what others have said, there are better practices locally.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The price of daffs this time of year is > practically free! It's like stealing penny > sweets. > > I had thought the point being made here was that > the objects being stolen were of little monetary > value - and therefore that there would be no need > to steal what could be so easily legitimately > purchased - not that the little value meant that > it was OK to steal them. Theft is wrong, theft of > something of no value is wrong and pointless. But > maybe other posters are reading it right. Well, I read it the same way as you.

Well, I like this idea so you've at least one person who doesn't think it's a terrible idea :-)

Lucky maybe, but I am guessing it wouldn't have happened without a lot of hard work on your part. I used to dream of writing a book but 20+ years after leaving school I've still yet to do anything even vaguely constructive to make it happen! I could feel envious of you, but frankly I've no right given my lack of effort, plus I've concluded that envy is one of the ugliest emotions and I'd rather nip it in the bud than doing anything to nurture such feelings. Oh well Mary Wesley didn't publish her first book till she was in her 70s so there's time for me yet, and in the meantime I can still enjoy other's efforts. Do let us know when your next novel is out :-)

I finished reading it yesterday, really enjoyed it. I only moved here in 2008 so I can't comment on how closely it reflects the area of the time, but it was nice being able to recognise places mentioned in the book. Though I am a bit younger than the characters in the book, I remember just enough of the late 70s to recgonise a lot of the contemporary references - funny to remember a time when Findus Crisy Pancakes seemed exciting! However, I think what really makes the book work is the wonderful characters - very real and likable and a story that in many respects is universal, trying to work out who you are and having the confidence to be it despite the punishment that's likely to come your way from your classmates. I think most people can identify with that, gay or straight. Do you have another book in the pipeline?

Just because I choose not to write "war and peace" every time I post doesn't mean I am regurgitating a corporate position (I don't work for an insurance company) and don't know what I am talking about. However, by the way you are talking it's pretty clear you don't know enough about the technicalities of SII to comment so I am probably wasting my breath on you. The UK industry is actually one of the best place to respond to SII as they've been operating a risk based capital regime for a number of years in the form of the ICA regime that was introduced by the FSA with a lot less fuss and debate than SII. It's fair to say it could have been developed further as a regime - but if SII hadn't come along they would probably have done exactly that. However both industry and the FSA have been too busy with preparations for SII to develop the local regime in recent years. But I can't recall any significant bankruptcies since ICA came in (think that was 2004) - although my knowledge is related to Life rather than GI. So tell me - which companies did go bankrupt in that period? Oh - and if they go bankrupt the majority of claims are covered by levies on other insurers in the industry - not the government as you erroneously suggested. http://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/about-us/how-we-are-funded/ The EU originally stated the purpose of SII was not to increase capital held across the EU but to redistribute it across products which were riskier, then set their rules in such a way that most products required more capital and it was hard to find any that required less. They have dithered incessantly about key issues which affect not just the UK but other countries, which make it quite hard for the industry to know where things will end up and plan accordingly. I would have no objection to the rules being set at EU level, if the EU seemed to know what they were doing, but the level of procrastination and the poor quality of some of the output is maddening. I've had to trail through consultation papers that are badly written, and seen people struggling to complete some of the EU's quantative impact surveys because the spreadsheets sent out to complete were riddled with errors. Things are often issued later than promised too. Done properly it would be a good thing - albeit better done globally that via the EU to ensure a level playing field across the whole industry, though somehow I can't picture that happening given the number of stakeholders they'd need to get on the same page. What I object to about the EU is where things are not being done competently we have limited clout to get it sorted.

the-e-dealer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ollies is good and so is Sema's on Underhill > especially when Rose is Serving. I'd second the recommendation for Sema's too. As well as the food being nice the portions are HUGE! My o/h and I both have big appetites and we could quite cheerfully share one cod and chips from Sema's

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Do you mean the Euro or the EU went to far? The EU went too far, the Euro was just a bad idea from the start - it went too far in as much as it shouldn't have been introduced in my opinion. > If you mean the Euro, then you do need to be aware > that the fiscal compact us an agreement on the > amount that can be borrowed, not financial union. I know we don't have financial union, but things are starting to head that way with the requirements imposed on Greece. I don't think it's really practical to have the same currency and make it work without something approaching fiscal union. > If you mean the EU, then what part went too far? Amount of rules / laws set at EU level - I'd prefer us to retain the power at a local level so the decision makers are more accountable to us. Just taking the sector I work is as an example, from the end of this year insurers are banned from charging different rates to males and females on the grounds it is discriminatory. This will ultimately mean insurers getting scared about the mix of men and women they will sell to so on average prices will go up. Not in consumer interests. As for Solvency II..... I would guess insurers in the UK have spent billions so far in trying to implement the new capital regime.... guess who will wind up paying for that?? Yes, those lucky customers again.

I think in large part I describe myself as English because it seems odd to call myself British when you'd struggle to find a Scotish / Irish / Welsh person who would call themselves British. It almost feels like calling myself British means I am ashamed of being English. They might have a point about the tendancy to slightly more isolationist policies though. All for free trade with Europe but the EU project went far too far for my taste and financial union would have definitely been a step too far. Mind you that looks quite a sensible stance at the moment.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I dunno, the bottom line for me is that I've never > seeb a tattoo that's that great....you know, > thet'd be ok if someone sKetched it on a bit of > paper and I looked at it for, oooh, maybe 30 > seconds, but some Celtic Rhun shit on my back or > round my ankle FOR EVER, behave. I feel the same. If I think about how my tastes have changed over the years I just know if I had a tattoo done 20 years ago I'd almost certainly hate it by now. And when I'm 70 and my skins gone a bit dry and saggy I reckon I would only hate it more. Perhaps others are a bit more constant in their loves, but I'd rather keep my artwork on my wall than on my body and be able to change it round as time goes by. Having said that, I've no objection to there being a tattoo shop in the area, though I would hope that they are responsible and don't let people make daft choices like having them done when they are clearly drunk and will wake up the next day and regret it.

Well, as both a pedestrian who shops and socializes on Lordship Lane and a driver, I have to say I am really pleased to hear about the new crossings. I think they will be of far more benefit to pedestrians than they will ever be bother to drivers.

I don't mind cheeky offers when I try to sell stuff, I can always ignore / refuse them. But don't get me started on people who arrange to come round to buy stuff so I make sure I am home for them, but then they don't bother to turn up or apologize for the no show. That's just bad manners.

I have bought all my sofas / armchairs from sofa workshop. They sometimes have very generous sales - my sofas I got on buy one get one free, the quality is good and they have a fair range of price points so there's something for most people. The online range is usually cheaper (you get a more limited choice of fabrics) though they usually have those models in the shop so you can see them in the flesh (so to speak!). I need to know a sofa is comfy before buying and ended up buying something completely different to what I was planning last time round once I'd tested a few. Looking at the prices, it would probably still be top end of your budget but I still think they are pretty good value for money. http://www.sofaworkshop.com/sofas/buy-online The branch on Tottenham Court Road were helpful when I was last buying armchairs.

I went for a wander round Knole Park nr Sevenoaks a couple of weekends ago - that's lovely walking and you might spot some deer too. Only pain is at the moment the car park and tearoom (with the all important loos - I hate ducking behind bushes!) are only open weekends.

I tend to call NHS direct first. If they don't reckon I need to see the doctor I don't go, just follow their advice on treatment. So far they've been pretty sound on the advice they've given.

dbboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Over the last 5 - 6 weeks in the morning my > experience has been that the 63 has been > terminated at either Ludgate Circus or Clerkenwell > Green when I've wanted to get to Kings Cross. On > the return I have noticed a lot of buses being > terminated at Peckham Rye. The reason is buses > running late. Amy extension will further > exacerbate this situation. Yes, I've found this too - and lots of buses being terminated at Peckham Library or one night Elephant and Castle. Never an apology for booting us off either. I've been using the bus for a couple of years and the service is definitely getting worse. The roadworks round Blackfriars haven't been helping.

Saffron Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > indiepanda Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > In any case, sticking to the "no artificial > > contraception/vatican roulette/avoiding sex > during > > your fertile period" method doesn't have to > mean > > tons of kids if you do it properly. > > While it's true that properly practiced, the > rhythm method for abstaining from intercourse > during a woman's fertile period does prevent > pregnancies, it is also true that it prevents a > woman from having sex during the time her libido > is most active. Therefore this demands that a > woman abstain from sex during the time that she > would most enjoy it. Smacks of mysogyny to me. Trust me, I wouldn't practice it myself - and I don't like an awful lot of what the Catholic church stands for, hence I am lapsed and haven't been to church for another than weddings for over 20 years. Come to that, I think most religions see women in a second class role, which is one of my many objections to them.

dbboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Which area exactly have you knocked lots of doors > in? Good question! I use the 63 most days and if anyone has knocked on my door I wasn't home when they did.

Peckham Hill Street was also taped off just north of Peckham High Street this evening, buses on diversion via Commercial Way

No idea, but sounds like Peckham's been lively tonight - the bottom end of Peckham Hill Street was closed when my bus got there this evening (8.30 ish) lots of police, flashing lights etc.