Ultraconsultancy

Buildings insurance is a scam; but unfortunately one you have to walk towards like a lamb to the slaughter. Those of you who wonder what it is you are paying for; tsunami, flooding, global warming, subprime crisis should just about cover it. Those of you who wonder why you are paying more than elsewhere; it isn't because you are at risk of having subsistence, it's because you have a wealthy postcode and can afford it. If you can't then the insurance companies don't want your sh*tty risk business anyway. They like to pretend they are selling you a product [although I think they used to sell you a service...] but really it's just your cash they want. Forgive my cynical nature if you can; but I'm with CWALD. Ultraconsultancy.

TJS - I've been keeping an eye on 2 LL for some time, and can add a wee bit. The planning app is in the name Nadjafi, who is a partner in Dulwich Dental further up LL at 68 IIRC. And the builders I spoke to recently said they were working for said dentist, so it looks like the work is under way. However, a conversion from A1 to D1 dental is not the easiest change of use, and might take a wee while. bottom line is, as I have said above, it will boost that end of LL but it is unlikely that there waill be a nett increase in dental favilities in LL if Dr Nadjafi simply moves. It will however open up the unit at 68 LL for letting. If I'm mistaken about any of this do feel free to contradict me. Ultraconsultancy

Lady Ruskin My understanding is that there are some very interesting traders signed up, including a discount book retailer, a photographic printer, and some classy antique furnishing, among others in the planning stage. Certainly those of you disappointed by some of the recent business openings in LL will find something to grab your attention. you're right tho - it is a fantastic addition to the area. Plan is to open in grand style on second Saturday in November, 10th I think, and on schedule to acheive that. I'll keep you posted. Ultraconsultancy

yes, ladies clothes and accessories, and some 'acceptable gifts'. as i said on the other thread, the really useful thing about this site is that it effectively extends the retail strip by a good hundred yards or so. if you look at that area there is nero cafe, ED Warehouse coming soon, big empty, allans flowers, more empty, then walk in offices. sugar and ED Warehouse make it far more likely that the disused news agents at 2 and the big unit at 6 LL will be promoted and marketted as retail ventures, which, if the right businesses go in, will bee good for all of us. Ultraconsultancy - back to the main task of saying sensible things about retail SME start ups!

Mmmh - Thursday night is curry and beer chez UC - chicken sagwala for me i fink - mmmh

Declan - I've seen three or four cuts of Cinema Paradiso, and I think the shorter one is by far the best; I really don't like the one where he goes off to find the girl. Isn't it supposed to be about how life doesn't provide answers? The stroy Alfredo tells about standing outside the girls house for 99 nights is the same thing. Fantastic date movie tho. Guaranteed.

Anyone who doesn't cry buckets when Salvatore watches the reel full of kisses at the end of Cinema Paradiso, has a heart of stone. Similarly when the flower girl realises who the tramp is at the end of City Lights.

Is Chris Eubank dead?

hi ant - yep, i have good contacts at taschen konnemann, phaidon, and thames and hudson; and also have done a lot of import work from american photographic publishers [looking forward to shopping at chicago book fair with the favourable exchange rate again!]. I'm a big fan of O Winston Link among others. I'm hoping that my long-time watchfulness of ED tastes will mean we can match our offer to the demographic pretty speedily in the New Year.

Hi Thought I might use this thread to quietly announce that I'll be opening a discount bookshop in the new ED Warehouse in Zenoria Street, behind Nero Cafe, which will be opening early November. I've been in the remainders/ discount business for about twenty years and have access to stock direct from the publishers, all fantastic high quality stuff at prices around half of 'jacket' as we say in the biz. Plans at the moment are to concentrate on kids, gift stock, and art in the run up to chrimbo; but year round it'll be a top mix of literary fic, biog, travel, politics, and kids, all at half price. Reading the lists of ED favourites above, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship... Ultraconsultancy

Quite right Harry - stay on EDF, get a job in Kings Cross, and buy a sexy apartment in Paris.

Parkhill has bought heavily in that part of LL, but the newsagents is still in private hands and has a planning application pending for conversion to a dental surgery. Builders were in clearing it recntly looking to fix the roof, so maybe that might be brought back into use soon. It's a bit of an eyesore presently, and has been mentioned re it's use by wierd political bill posters, IIRC Ultraconsultancy

Rumour has it that the next two ideas for environmental taxation were chewing gum tax, and charging a penny for ATM mini-statement slips. Both would save hundreds of thousands in Westminster boroughI bet.

Why's that then Sean? There's a lot of seafood allergy in my [irish] wife's family. Not on the rise is it? What was that famous fish and chip shop in Dublin that was started by a cabin boy who survived the Titanic sinking? Stick to haddock rolled in oatmeal, as any scot will tell you. Ultraconsultancy

A fantastic idea, as any Irish person will attest [no piles of them in the bin or under the sink, or blowing around the roads] as long as the fiscal income generated is ear-marked for environmental project grants back into the community. UC

back on topic please... assuming this is the same sugar from camberwell then it sells individual ladies 'pieces' and accessories, and nice ormanents. it has a sign up in the window looking for staff. one of the good things about this business moving in here is that it moves the boundary of the retail strip a little bit further along; this will hopefully have the effect of increasing footfall for the flower shop, that scruffy empty newsagents, and the soon-to-open ED Warehouse. Ultraconsultancy

Haven't really got anything against scousers, santa, it's just that life's too short to spend much of it listening to people go on and on about how stan boardman is an under-rated comic genius and deggsy hatton is the greatest political leader we never had. And if i came from a city whose sole, short, period of economic prominence was built on the back of slave dealing, i'd keep the accusations of racism to meself, la?

Sadly all too true sean... Several people admitted to watching the abductors lead James Bulger away; one woman admitted meeting all three boys, and described Bulger as "distressed", but walked away. The same thing happens on our city streets on an almost daily basis.

The really disturbing thing about the Bulger abduction and murder was that so many scousers watched it happen and did nothing...

The youth of today is more criminal. they didn't used to shoot one another dead. they do now. the youth of today is more criminal.

I'm very much for grading attractions by the quality of the kids activities and interpretive staff; top as ever is the science museum, especially its two basement zones; Maritime, Imperial War, and Tate Britain kids activities are very good. if she is girly then V and A might suit. Tate Britains cafe has leaf tea by the way!

Don't chavs all vote tory anyway Simon, to keep out all the imigrants that steal their jobs and get free houses?

Hi Rose - at the last meet in the George Canning there was quite a good drift back and forth between the non smokers inside and the smokers outside. Was a nice warm night tho.Less true in November I spect. Even at the party in the Mag there was a lot of cross over, and that took a couple of minutes to walk form outside to upstairs, more when pissed. take your point about smoking tho, I'm a smoker who only smokes in [or now outside] the pub, and I love the ban! Cafes and restaurants are now so much nicer. Ultraconsultancy

There's a logo and a design scheme, so i'm pretty sure a warehouse website is in the pipeline. Eddie is concentrating on signing up the tenants, and managing the product profile at the moment. It will be a fantastic addition to the Goose Green area [Piers is that the West Side?]. Ultraconsultancy

Went in and had a meeting with Eddie this morning. The ED Warehouse looks to be well on schedule, and the list of signed-up tenants Eddie has is interesting, well-mixed, and will be great for a daily drop in and for special gift shopping. Watch this space for further details. Ultraconsultancy