Applespider

Yeah but I'm on Wood Vale so may be different incident. Went off about 10.30. EDF are digging further along the road. A neighbour who went out to ask was told that a cable went bang, they have to replace and it will be at least 2 hours. I have retired to bed with candles and phone... after remembering for a change to turn off the lights etc that were on so that I don't get woken up when it does come back on

I can see the point of going to Brixton for many if the fun reasons above plus of course the marvellous Franca Manca But I'm stumped on a reason to go to Stockwell other than to get on the Tube when Victoria line is down at Brixton or to get somewhere else. Are there any great pubs, shops, restaurants there that I am missing out on?

They do move bikes around. I saw a crew this morning around 8.25 emptying some out of the racks near Victoria. Assume they were taking back down to Vauxhall. Dulwichfox, you're missing the point. The scheme is designed for short usage hence free for 30 minutes which you could pretty much cycle across the zone in if you put some welly into it. If you work within the 30m slots, it is ?1 or less a day. And cycling, even ad a relatively recent surprise convert, is a lot more fun and pleasant than Tubes and buses.

The screen at the full docking station had an option to tell you where the nearest one with space is although no guarantees it will still have space when you get there. It also adds extra free time onto your account to help you get there. Or did you mean you couldn't find any docking station? I checked before I left if there was one nearby. There ate also apps available for a variety of smartphones and a map you can print out on the tfl site What did you think of the bike though?

185 from Library to Oval should take about 25 mins and Tube to Stockwell Or walk down to Dulwich and get P4 to Brixton which might be quickest

annaj Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > but website looks good > ("Italian food has to be home made...") Not entirely sure that this is the best advert for a restaurant... If it has to be home-made, then shouldn't we be eating in our own kitchens ;-) But, I'm game to try it out - perhaps we should offer the EDF's services as a practice group for a soft launch.... or should that be a soft lunch

I seem to recall that when gas works are being done, they have to leave the hole open for at least 7 days so that any leaks can be detected and dealt with more easily. Or at least, that was the reason we were given for them leaving holes in the pavement along our road a year or so back. They did come back promptly on day 7 to fill them in. That may be part of the reason why there looks like there is little activity on stretches of LL? Thoroughly agree that it's a pain though - I cycled into work despite the rain this morning just to avoid the frustration of sitting in a bus along LL.

Doesn't look too bad from that link... can we really call it a crappy chain if they've only got one other branch in London that seems to have OK online reviews... Wagas isn't what it used to be - they used to be relatively cheap and cheerful so you didn't mind stuff showing up at odd times etc. They really jacked their prices up a couple of years back (when they started to expand) but the service/food hasn't improved with it. I go to Busaba Eathai now when I want something fast but tasty. Carluccios went downhill too after Antonio sold out. Used to love their penne giardinera - still love the parmesan/spinach balls - but their pasta tends to be overcooked and flabby these days. The tarfufi from the deli are still good though. Hmmm.... or perhaps I'm just overly fussy :-$

Definitely moths... I have exactly the same issue and spot the little beggars at times. I didn't think they liked cotton either but they do seem to have a decided preference for Zara T-shirts

Anyone got any idea what they're doing at the roundabout in Dulwich Village near the Picture Gallery? It took an age to resurface and they'd built a little kerbed cycle lane. But I noticed last night that they appear to have removed the kerbs and tarmac'd over it although there's a 'hump' left in the road surface? Anyone got any idea why they wasted their money to build and then remove it?

I need to add 'out of tune' whistling to my grumps... since my neighbour has just started doing it and it's going right through my head...(6)

Given the particular situation, you could add Red Red Wine and some Amy Winehouse to the playlist...

People who loose keys rather than lose them. The words even sound different! The announcer at Denmark Hill who says that any train not stopping 'is not for customer use'. Actually, nine out of ten times it is. It's full of passengers. It's just 'not scheduled to stop at this station'. Kiwi fruit... hmmm, I'm obviously meeting less fastidious blokes then!

Dano Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I did wait, and the cash was not taken back (it > was only just hanging in there anyway so I doubt > the machine had much purchase). Most interesting... will remember that it doesn't always 'suck' back in again then. I think you've done all you can - only other thing I can think of is contacting the bank that runs that cashpoint if you know which it is. Good on you for proposing to give it to charity if not claimed though...

What karter says - does partly depend on whether it was on or not at the time. Either way, don't try turning it on until it's thoroughly dried out - it's got more chance of having survived if it's not a hard drive model by all accounts. I did once resuscitate an iPod shuffle that had inadvertently been through the washing machine...

If you just stand by the cashpoint (to stop anyone else taking it), the cashpoint should, after 30 seconds or so, just suck it back in again and register it back against the account. Or so I've been told in the past...

Hmm... most bus drivers seem OK to me although the ones who overtake you only to pull back in 20m further up the road at the next stop are a pain. My bete noire are minicab drivers - the ones in MPVs with the little white/blue roundel sticker in the window - and, in particular, Addison Lee ones. I'm beginning to wonder if there's an instruction booklet that comes with the little sticker that tells them to skim by cyclists with barely an inch of room and that they are allowed to ignore certain road-markings (eg solid white lines and ASLs) Katie - motorcyclists have the advantage of having to pass a test so should have better overall awareness. But I hate having them allowed in the bus lanes as a cyclist or when they come into the ASLs and block it so cyclists can't therefore get in.

Cyclists 'undertaking' on the inside will always be a problem since the placement of cycle lanes/bus lanes suggest to them that's where they should be - so they use them to get to ASL feeders. Personally, if the gap looks too narrow, the traffic is about to move off or the car ahead of me is indicating left, then I'll sit behind him - but there are lots who don't. There are good/bad cyclists and drivers. I nearly got taken out on Friday morning at Herne Hill while turning right by a bad driver. Coming out of Half Moon Lane I was in the right hand lane since I wanted to turn right into Dulwich Road. The lights for turning were on green, I'd signalled clearly (to the bus behind me) and was about to turn. An idiot (with headphones in) in a grey mini-van swung over from the left hand lane, across mine and turned right in front of me. Luckily, I spotted him and managed to slow down before we collided. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to catch him up or see if there were any markings on the van. Now he may have seen me but figured he was in a bigger hurry and could get round in front of me but either way, hitting me would have wasted more of his time in the long run. Steve T - thanks for the input on the lights. I'll continue to set them to flashing for now...

Home-made soup is your friend - particularly if you've got access to a freezer. Go to your local market and buy whatever they are selling off for a ?1 a scoop - broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, potatoes (and/or a mix) etc. Stock is better (less salty) if you make your own but stock cubes are cheaper and easier. Saute some onion with some butter or oil, toss in the vegetables and then add the stock and simmer for an hour. You can liven it up with chilli, make it richer with cream, add in bacon bits or cheese. Nothing like home-made soup with a bit of crusty bread on a winter night's after lectures. Other student staple is pasta - but learn/experiment with different sauces. Tins of tomatoes are cheap and again, you can add whatever veg is going cheap into it. Would recommend having the ingredients for a puttanesca around - it's really rich and flavoursome but v quick and you'll get multiple portions out of the jars (anchovies, capers, olives, chilli flakes) Dried pulses are another cheap option that you can do lots of different things with. Again, best if you have a freezer since they're easier to cook in big batches and freeze. Make your own wherever possible - raw ingredients are usually cheaper (tho possibly not from M&S). Even pizza nights can be cheap if you make your own bases - and a bit more of a giggle with interesting shapes/toppings!

Rinsing fruit/veg does get rid of dirt and helps remove any traces of pesticides, but it's not going to do much about harmful bacteria unless you're seriously advocating running scalding water over the fruit. Luc - might be worth ruling out anything else/or anywhere else you've all eaten/been except for the one non-sick person. Norovirus etc don't have to be spread through eating - it can just be contact with someone infected. Hope you all feel better soon - and try to stay hydrated.

Marvellous - I did know the Highway Code allowed flashing ones - but was curious to see what others did. As regards the pedal reflectors, mine keep falling off... and they're hard to get hold of. Evans/Cycle Surgery didn't have any - denied there was any need for them and said that they'd never heard of anyone get done for it - so didn't stock them. I haven't been riding that much in the evenings so only have front/rear. Good idea about having an extra one higher up too - will look into it if I do end up continuing the commute into the autumn evenings. Hmmm... guess it's lucky I didn't go for the fluorescent green hi=vis or it really would look like a Christmas tree.

Big groan... Came home tonight and it was starting to get dark (boooo!) so I switched the lights on... and wondered for the umpteenth time which mode is most effective for drivers to spot you... Steady beam, flashing or the weird 'ripple' on the rear one? I always think that the flashing draws the eye a little more and makes it more obvious but a driver pal said that he finds them more irritating.

My sis went to lasource as a single a couple of years ago and said it was absolutely amazing - with the 'singles' option being exactly that - options rather than being forced into activities etc. I'll also second Intrepid. I've used them a couple of times as have some other single pals and, so long as you enjoy company and organised stuff, they're pretty good. If you prefer the 'free spirit' take things as they come approach, they don't work quite so well.

And having had it happen to me before too, I do agree not to let the fear of it rule your life but it is sensible to be sensible wherever possible... And if you are suspicious of someone, scream blue murder - with any luck, the mugger will run off and/or someone will come to your aid. Only thing I regret after the fact, that I started off telling the mugger to f off rather than just starting to scream.

Definitely don't have room for a license plate on the bike that would be big enough to see easily (frame is too small to get all the things I HAVE to have - like lights and reflectors)! But I do agree that cyclists should have some form of 3rd party insurance in case they do cause injury/damage. We'd expect drivers to pay if they drove into us so it is only fair that it works the other way around. And yes, cyclists as a whole also have to recognise that it's not always necessary to filter to the front of the lights - yes, if there's an obvious safe route it makes sense. But squeezing down narrow gaps for the sake of a few seconds is a bit loopy.