Bellenden Belle

Wannabe - Spice Girls (ahem, that rather lowers the tone, sorry!)

Onions Brocolli tomatoes green pepper avocado - I know it's a fruit but I just couldn't do without.

My new year's resolution is to listen to a new artist each month... suggestions welcome (can we set up a Record Doctor as in Observer music monthly thread?); to be more tidy and organised; to relax more and to actually use my gym membership.

How terribly depressing... I always find betting shops a tad tragic - those screwed up bits of paper which offered so much hope, but just mean another pound in the bookie's pocket. I think it's ironic that Louisa equates them with working class culture - some would argue they are just another way of exploiting the working classes hard-earned cash (In Peckham we have bookies and churches - suprisingly appropriate bed fellows).

Just thought I would say that thanks to Jennys useful suggestion hubby and myself enjoyed a lovely unitarian carol service this evening. It had beautiful readings - both religious and secular (I particularly liked Maya Angelou's Amazing Peace and we even had a visit from Santa Claus! Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks Frisco - yes, I know most take place today ... I guess it's the ancient childhood tradition of Midnight Mass that I remember... will probably go along to St John's at Goose Green.

Okay - can anyone recommend a carol service for Christmas Eve that doesn't include a church service. Hypocritcal I know, but I would love to sing tra la la la la laaaaaa, but know my poor atheist husband could not tolerate too much religion. Don't mind whereabouts in London it is - though local of course would be lovely.

At least if we got a Wimpy we would know exactly what we were getting... Seems to me this shop has made a decision about the kind of "customer" East Dulwich is likely to have - ie one that cares about quality and organic produce - and is attempting to buy into that with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever. Grrrrr. The reason why shops like Green and Blue or The Cheese Block succeed and attract customers is because there is passion about the product - rather than about making a fast buck. It makes me really cross, as it makes me think that it is becoming the kind of area retailers just look at and think "suckers". And you know what I hate to? It's a really ugly shop. It's like someone has looked at the shopfront of Chener Books and said - mmmm, so that's how to do it.

Merry Christmas everyone! And thanks to Georgia for the sprout game - great sound effects!

I think that these posts should now be locked and redirected to one of the many many threads about Foxtons that already exist. Otherwise I think the forum is simply being abused by rival estate agents - oops I mean newcomers.

Sadly I can't make it tonight... but wish you all a very merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

I also tend to get a bit over enthusiastic > and come home with a tree that is far too big for > the front room. Last year we completely lost the > use of one of the sofas over the Christmas period > as the space was taken up by tree. Oh I so sympathise Brendan... it has taken us a year to get the front half of our living room sorted out (we don't look at the other half) and now we have had to rearrange the room all over again to fit the tree. The cats are not happy.

Who Gives A Flip luddite (or suchlike)

Just finished putting up ours! Oooh the decisions - this year's classy blue and white bauble theme has rather clashed with last year's all the colour's of the rainbow lights....such style dilemmas, I am quite exhausted. But gosh it's lovely!

Agree Asset - awful to admit it but there's a teeny weeny part of me that relishes a public domestic. Not one that is particularly painful, but an absolutely ridiculous bourgeois "tiff" can actually keep me in a shop "browsing" until it reaches a climax.

plus > i get to hang out with my sister in a lovely cafe > = priceless Omigod...Did you actually just quote a Barclaycard advert without irony? That's amazing... IN response to your post - I think you will find that someone said they have actually taken the time to email the company in question and have received no response... and besides, any business worth its salt will read this forum - one only has to see the responses made by such companies as JoJO Maman Bebe, White Stuff and Green and Blue to know savvy companies use sites like these as a barometer for their business.

Absolutetly not! Chez Bellenden Belle is more than happy to pay a little extra for nice bread and we regularly treat ourselves to a lovely loaf from Lucius and Richards (walnut and onion is particularly yummy) but for that pleasure we pay around the ?2 - ?3 mark. More than Sainsbury, but worth every penny. For ?4.50 I would expect it buttered and delivered on a silver tray. I think Bald Maraurder is spot on - prices would need to drop by at least 30%. There seems to be a trend developing with newcomers to Lordship Lane - for example La Chandelier; the new gym; and now this - selling overpriced "luxury" products" and I fear in the future there will be a divided lane - chains catering for one end of the market; overpriced independents for the other. A real shame.

Ive had a horrible cold this week - started Tuesday, climaxed Wednesday, thought I'd beaten it yesterday, but today ended up at the doctor as it has gone to my chest - as always. Boo hoo.

Michael Palaeologus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Maximay, > Your generalised observations are of no relevance > and soil this forum. Woooah - that's a pretty tough statement you're making there Michael. I disagree with Maximay and her ways of expressing herself but I think she should be allowed to say what she thinks - I doubt many of the people CWALD is canvassing will have the delight of meeting her at a forum gathering and so Maximay is in a position to make up her mind as she wishes. Put yourself up for public office and effectively you enter into a popularity contest based on very little substance (such is modern day politics).

I would like to wish CWALD the very best of luck in her campaign. I think people can change in their lives - it's what gives us hope each day surely - and I applaud Chav's example of this. I admit I don't like the mention of God coming into these things - nothing against it on an individual basis but it should be a personal and private thing and not have any bearing on politics (Mr Blair - are you listening?) I would argue with Maurices suggestion that the article promotes the view that "those who have worked hard from early days and made better choices are somehow cookie cutter politicians we should disdain, while those who made poorer choices but turned it around at halftime should skyrocket into positions of power." I think there is a need for both ends of the spectrum to be represented in the political system - far too many people probably feel excluded from political life for the very reason that they haven't a blemish-free past; or the right education; etc ... I think the choice by the Green Party to have CWALD as a candidate says a lot about them as a party and their willingness to take a chance and have the best person stand for the post.

bros, she says in a whisper. I even took a teddy bear to throw on stage.... the shame!

www.visiondirect.co.uk is where I get my contacts from - far cheaper and far more convenient - all you need is your prescription (just order the same lens that you currently buy and the same strength). All the regular brands and they get posted to you. Simple.

Well done to Laura Tension for her response. It's funny isn't it - I think the name JoJO Maman Bebe does make the shop sound very chi chi and pretentious. That's certainly what I thought when one arrived in my old stomping ground Chiswick (now is there a direct link between Chi-swick and chi chi?). BUT - after such heated debate I visited the website and actually it seems incredibly reasonable. And while I myself don't have children a lot of my friends do and so I am looking forward to popping in to buy lots of pressies. Definitely a welcome addition to Lordship Lane.

I think a cold is coming on ... feeling pretty rotten actually, so I am not going to come out to play tonight - sorry guys.Hope to see you soon.

I am at a gig tonight so can't make it... could play a game on sunday evening though.