indiepanda

I might pop in late on way home from work xmas do, rather depends how late that runs.. Doubt I'll be in sequins if I do, though might have made it out of my jeans for a change.

Sounds like a very sensible choice - I reckon you'll be able to get something similar at a cheaper price and a lower mortgage rate in a year. Quite right not to trust a vendor who messes you around too - in today's market you'd think they'd be bending over backwards to keep a buyer happy.

I'm on Crystal Palace Road very near the CPT

Lizziedjango Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am thinking of going back to HSBC - owner of > First Direct - is there any REAL difference > between being with HSBC or First Direct? HSBC seem > to be the one bank which has emerged relatively > unscathed by all the financial troubles. I think from a financial perspective First Direct are part of HSBC so should be every bit as safe, but from a customer service point of view First Direct is almost universally loved by all it's customers and HSBC is much the same as the rest of the big 4, i.e. so-so at best. I've been with First Direct for 14 years and would really recommend them. You can still use HSBC counter services, their website is good and their 24x7 phone banking is fabulous - no IVR menus - generally straight through to a human, and if not the on hold music isn't annoying. Only downside I can see is that they require a minimum monthly deposit of ?1500 or you have to pay a ?10 fee for banking with them. But if that isn't an issue I would definately recommend you give them a try - they are even offering a ?100 back if you give them a try for 6 months and decide to leave. http://www.firstdirect.com/press/releases/release155.shtml

My iron bed with pocket sprung mattress and thick feather duvet... I have no desire to get out of it on cold days like these.

Anyway, not everyone wants house prices to rise again now - anyone not in the market, or anyone wanting to take the next step up the ladder should want prices to revert back to a more sensible level. I can't say as I would vote for Labour anyway, but my opinion of them would sink even lower if they tried to artificially increase prices back to their insane level. With all the serious economic commentators seeming to think prices have a way to go down yet, I can't see prices suddenly jumping now. The market commentary will almost create a self fulfilling prophesy because people will choose to keep out until prices have got down to the level the commentators suggest is more reasonable. In any case, just because banks are reducing their rates (most not as fast as the BoE - only trackers have a guaranteed price drop) doesn't mean their supply of mortgage lending has suddenly increased, or that they will go back to lending the silly multiples they were pre credit crunch.

MrBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > IndieP - I understand the concept of interest > rates and tracker mortgages - so it's not strange > that my tracker has therefore fallen with the base > rate! > > The point I was trying to make was....that quite a > few of us might be actually better off (although > certainly won't be shouting about it) as big short > term savings on certain mortgages will off set any > of the losses on fuel and food, both of which are > now falling again. > > Assumes that they still have a job. And dont get > too hung up about their current house price. Sorry, perhaps it was the way you worded it.... I do get what you mean. If you are one of the lucky ones that bought a house a while ago, or even bought recently but don't have a pressing need to sell, provided you are still employed, the situation isn't as bad as te media would like us to believe. For most people it's more the fear of what would happen if they did lose their job, not be able to find another and end up having to crystalize a loss on a house bought recently that is the issue. (And that is probably true to an extent even if that loss isn't a "real" one - i.e. selling for less than they paid for it - just a perceived one - i.e. had to sell for less than it was once worth.) I think most people are more scared by the thought of small possibility of a big loss than they are motivated by the thought of a more likely small gain, even if on balance they are more likely to end up better off than worse off. And I'd include myself in that "most" category. Whilst pretty frivolous with my money in general I am pretty risk averse when it comes to large costs.

I agree with Josh. Look, basic stuff - I read somewhere that the average salary in London is about ?30k and the average property was about ?300k, now however accurate those figures are - assuming they are roughly in the right ballpark, the average person can only just about afford to get on the housing ladder if they have a partner also earning at least average and they are buying a below average property and prepared to mortgage themselves up to the hilt. That says something is seriously wrong with the pricing. I think bank's slack approach to lending let prices reach a completely unrealistic point - it wasn't just sub-prime, it was excessive lending to those who could manage a sensible mortgage, just not a stupidly large one!

I do think it is wrong that this list was published for the many good reasons outlined by others already, but I have to say my desire for us to be in a country where free speech is allowed is tempered by my lack of sympathy for those who are genuine members of the BNP. My general principle of tolerance for others regardless of belief is really challenged when their main belief seems to be intolerance for others! Slightly off topic observation, but I can't help thinking sometimes that freedom is one of those things we can have too much of. Isn't part of the reason we have this banking crisis because the banks had a bit too much freedom?

I would have said my ipod until it stopped charging properly the other weekend. Still, I have had it for two and a half years, maybe time to upgrade. I guess my hi-fi I have had for about 10 years, bought with my first bonus at work - wasn't mega expensive, but not exactly cheap either, and I still enjoy it.

Horsebox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Also beware of the Crystal Palace Road / Goodrich > Road crime hotspot: Dillip, the owner of the > yellow shop on CPR was the victim of armed > robbery, as was the owner of the (now closed down > and converted to a house) newsagent on Goodrich, > between CPR and Barry Road, both within the last > 18 months. > eek, that's a bit too close to where I live for comfort!

MrBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > But strangely my mortgage is cheaper than ever > before. Is that just me or is there anyone else > out there who is also actually better off as a > result of this? Hardly "strange" for your mortgage to have got cheaper when base rates have dropped... surely everyone on a tracker should have received full benefit of the cut in interest rates, and those on variable should have seen a good drop too? Just those tied into fixed rates who can't remortgage (e.g. because LTV wouldn't be acceptable because house price has dropped too far) who won't have benefited. Course, inflation has been pretty high, so not a given that mortgage drops will have been worth more than enough to offset impact of higher fuel and food bills etc. As for the price drops, ever since I've moved up to London (18 months ago) people have been encouraging me to buy - especially since market started falling. I was never convinced, it's like people have forgotton how long the market took to bottom out and recover last time. I didn't need someone in the Sunday Times to tell me people were being overly optimistic, history does that.

I have to confess that I am a big fan of Strictly Come Dancing. (I know, I know, I can't help it...) It does seem rather unfair on those that take it more seriously that they get knocked out because the public are busy voting for John, but I have to say I think the judges are seriously missing the point. The more they tell the public they "shouldn't" vote for John because he is a lousy dancer (which by comparison to all those others left in, he certainly is), the more they are going to do so. No one likes being told what to do. If they want people to vote John off they should start being nice to him and the public will soon lose interest and start voting for someone with a bit more talent. It's a bit like Pop Idol all those years ago - Will Young's popularity soared after he dared to put Simon Cowell in his place in a polite way. He wasn't obviously the winner at first - his audition was pretty forgettabe, but the public like an underdog fighting back against unfair authority. (Admittedly whether you like his music or not, I think most would agree Young does have more singing talent than Sargeant has dancing).

Gerrard Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree whole heartedly with you Moos, Die Another > Day was my least favouite Bond movie for exactly > these reasons. I ddn't dig the invisible "We call > it the Vanish" Aston Martin either. Pierce had his > moments admittedly, but Mr Craig's performances as > Bond have made the previous ten films rather > forgetable. I agree. I was very sceptical when Craig was cast, but having seen both Casino Royale and (tonight) Quantum of Solace, I am quite happy to admit I was wrong. He is simply brilliant and makes the other films look like nonsense by comparison. Moore in particular seems like a ridiculous buffoom - more of a pastiche of the real thing - frankly closer to Austin Powers than Craig's Bond. I wouldn't say Daniel Craig is traditionally handsome... but I've never seen a man look so devestatingly sexy in a suit either!

I'm on Crystal Palace Road and I barely get BBC long enough to watch a full program never mind ITV and C4 - I basically use BBC iplayer for my TV fix. Gather I need to get an internal aerial because the one outside isn't enough to get a proper signal. Though I am quite enjoying watching TV when it suits me anyway.

Well, New Zealand is quite well known for it's Pinot Noir and Hawke's Bay is one of the main wine regions in the SW of the North Island, so Hawke might be referring to the location of origin rather than brand.

bump.. are people playing on saturday this week?

I wouldn't risk diving in just yet - Nationwide have said they expect prices to carry on falling through 2009/10, and Roger Bootle a pretty well known economist, has said he thinks prices will drop by 35% overall and they have only gone 15% so far (and the rest of his article makes pretty grim reading too) http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/0,1014,sid%253D5399%2526cid%253D233072,00.html

anthonyjp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks to everyone for welcoming me to my first > 'Friday Night Drinks', even if I did incorrectly > label it as 'the East Dulwich Drinking Club'.. > Had a very pleasant evening, even though I did not > last beyond Hooper's. Will look out for the next > one. > > Cheers, > Anthony Glad you enjoyed it, was nice to meet you Estelle

If we're talking nice bodies, then Mark Foster (British swimmer) is gorgeous, and even though he was a dreadful dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, he did come across as being super nice - found the fact he was a bit shy and not a show off somewhat endearing. Can't say I usually go for the guys with the super hot bodies though... suspect they would want someone a little fitter than I, and I am far more interested in finding someone really easy to chat to than good to look at (though nice eyes and a warm smile wouldn't go amiss ;-))

Well, I have bought a new racquet now and my knee is healed so no more excuses... well, save the one I am unlikely to be home in time to play during the week. Hopefully you'll be playing next Saturday?

Hmm, sounds like there were lots of people there I didn't manage to get round to speaking to. This is what comes of spending half the evening propping up the bar... or more accurately letting the bar prop me up! Oh well, I still managed to chat to lots of nice people including quite a few I hadn't met before so I am not going to feel too bad about it.

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Pah! I haven't been to bed yet. Fecking > lightweight. Lol, I've never claimed to be anything else. Mind you, I worked a 20 hour day on Thursday on top of going for a job interview, so I was relatively impressed to have made it out of the flat to the pub, never mind lasting beyond 10.

Oh dear, should have just come along on spec... Oh well, see you next time hopefully :-)

I was all ready to try to come along and play last night after talking to Mogs in the pub, but I can't work out where the hell my badminto racquet got put away in my move to East Dulwich this summer, so I will have to get a new one and come along another time. Looking forward to it, haven't played for a couple of years and I am really missing it.