Ted Max

So that means Bono must walk around Dublin thinking he's Bono? The bastard.

I think that's a much better argument that any made in the letter you posted, MM. The sense of opportunity lost to personal ambition is tangible to all. Where do you think that started? In Granita? With Brown's golden rule - meaning Labour became the PFI party - a true divorce from its own Parliamentary Party's gut instinct? With Blair's war? Do you think the lack of a counter argument from the Tories, epecially on the economy, has been because of the point I raised - it's hard for them to establish any "clear blue water" (remember that phrase?) from Labour's (mis)administration. After months of deepening crisis, and years in opposition to talk this through, they are only now "Beginning to work out a coherent set of policies"? You might say it's just as well they're not in power then, or we might be still waiting for a decision on Northern Rock. This is why Cable got an early lead on banking and financial policy, if not the economy as a whole, which he has kept hold of.

If it's any consolation, I heard that Keren already had her claws into Ridgeley by then, and got him to tell Bob that if the B-sisters didn't get their share, George M himself might just decide he wasn't interested, which could have nixed the whole project. What with O'Dowd still in New York at the time. So someone had to get the chop, and you did yourself no favours with that display at the wrap party, let's face it.

What do you think, Marmora Man? Is it legitimate, other than as a political tactic, to lay the blame for the Credit Crunch (and subsequent economic siutation) so squarely at Brown's door?

I agree this is a non-story in terms of re-location allowances. But as for reasons for the move - I don't think it's just a goverment wish to achieve geographical diversity. I think the Beeb has also been prodded by a hostile right wing press and elements of the Conservative Party that never misses the chance to bash it as representative only of the supposed left-liberal metro-centric elite. Of course, just moving the same elite lock-stock up to Manchester is not going to solve that problem. But something had to be done.

Is it the old glass to the wall routine, Kels? Me too, although I only ever seem to be able to pick up the idents from Living TV.

A proposal for inclusion: - No thread will ever better the living delight that is the 1950s Rodwell Road thread

Was it because when you recorded Band Aid, he insisted the mic was set at his height, meaning you had to lean right over to get any pick-up, which compressed your lung capacity, meaning you were "off" on the high notes, and got dumped out of the mix by Mitch?

The poor thing. Aberdeen? By the banks of the Don I lay down and wept.

My secret, exposed. I was the only boy in a family of six sisters, all of whose wages at the match factory were tithed by my parents so I could attend the school. It was a matter of no little heartbreak to me that the other children would not accept me (turning up on my first day in hand-me-down smock and my hair in bunches didn't help), and Mr Crossbeam would never cast me in the school plays, which were of course performed in world class theatrical spaces. I twitch to the sound of Maria from West Side Story to this day.

Sometimes I wish my inner snob would let me use emoticons.

Keep up, Asset!

Often worth reading the thread, C.

-ish. I'll let an impartial blog take up the story, and surely Mick Mac can post the next question as he got the two elements of this one. Hibs? Famous Five inspired Brazil 1970 You might have thought that Pele and the great Brazilian soccer team that won World Cup glory in 1970 did it all on their own. Like most others, you probably thought the mesmerising samba style was God-given and innate, a case of nature and very little nurture. But according to a new book they drew inspiration from a Scottish club - none other than Hibernian Football Club. Fans of Hibs claim that their legendary forward line of the Fifties, The Famous Five, provided the inspiration for the best football team the world has ever seen. They base their theory on what they have found in a Brazilian Football Encyclopaedia, printed shortly before the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. While there are no references to the national Scotland team, or the Old Firm, an entire chapter is dedicated to the skills of The Famous Five - Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond. Hibs at the forefront of football John Campbell, editor of the fanzine Mass Hibsteria, said: ?The encyclopaedia seemed to be a comprehensive manual on all aspects of tactics. The accompanying drawings seemed to be making the point about how The Famous Five used to swap positions during a game, bamboozling opposition.? He added: ?Hibs were included because they were, at one time, at the forefront of football and brought to it a style that was original at the time. ?The Brazilians recognised what Hibs brought to the game.?

Both parts of Mick Mac's answer (the Hibs forward 5 and the 1970 goal) are correct. Shall I spill on the link?

Football: Who were the famous five (you don't have to name them all, unless you really want to), and why were they indirectly responsible for what many people think is the best goal ever scored in a World Cup?

Rachel Heyhoe Flint. First female member of the MCC and also press officer (or similar) of Wolves FC.

Marmora Man, I think the problem with this kind of letter is that its weaker points, some of which seem a bit bizarre and edge towards the green ink, detract from the central accusation, which is that as the FSA is Brown's baby, and the FSA's failure is Brown's failure - which makes Brown wholly responsibile for the economic situation. That's as may be, but the problem for the Tories is that it just doesn't wash with people to hint they would have been for tougher regulation, for telling the bankers to rein it in. If Brown had tried any of that who do you think would have been accusing him of stifling creativity and wealth creation with red tape - and making our financial sector less competitive. Also, people are aware that we are not the only country in the schtuck. Sure, we are heavily exposed, due to a reliance on the financial and services sector. People are also aware why we are so reliant on these sectors, it is the flipside for many (no doubt you would disagree) of the collapse in our manufacturing sector. Making it stick as Brown's crisis takes more than a dislike of the man and tribal partisanship. It's politics, so people are going to play these tricks. But you don't have to believe in it, surely, as an advocate, in the recent past on the EDF, of serious debate.

Fun for Free Spring is a great time of year to get out and about in the great South London habitat, and this year is set to be a special time. Best of all it's all free. So we've asked local forager Kleinwort Schroder to list his top three things to do for free in South London. 1. Spend a morning in the library: For a state-funded facility, the decor's not that bad, and the staff are really quite bearable. You can even have a shot on the quaint little computers - they almost look like those old Bloomberg terminals! 2. Go blackberrying in the woods: Take your old email terminal down to the woods and flick the scroll wheel round nostalgically. OK, the SIM has been deactivated and all the data wiped and locked remotely, but it's been proven that it is important to keep the muscle memory active. 3. Do some hedging: A fantastic source of free riches for those in the know, hedges come for free and offer great yields for little effort, but the season doesn't last for ever, sadly. Hedging courses are now run at the old allotments behind the golf course - bring old clothes.

EYE ON THE MARKET - with Foxworth Ludshell's Jeremy Butt-Hughes. There's great value now in one, two, three and four bed flats, apartments, half houses and houses in East Dulwich, West Dulwich, North Dulwich, Bellenden, and into Forest Hill. We're seeing loads of handy living space for families at a snip in Sydenham, Peckham Rye, Nunhead and even into Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Denmark Hill. Studios, lofts and work-life spaces are going nowhere on the mantelpiece in the Village, Ondine Triangle and Amersham, North Peckham and Peckarwood Estates. It's certainly a fantastic time for estate agents at the moment, with all these fantastic properties on the market at fantastic valuations. But buyers shouldn't think they will have it all their own way. Just the other day one of our junior negotiators helped her vendor hang onto the shirts they wore, as they exited their dream three-bed in tears and a taxi we paid for. So hang in there for the best deals, but be realistic, and with interest rates at an all time low, be greedy too. Whatever. Jeremy Butt-Hughes' Top Property Tips for Spring: 1. Move the Kids into next door - after all, they're moved to Dubai and haven't been able to rent the place out, so who's going to care. More space for you, a lesson in looking after themselves for the kids. 2. Arrange a viewing: Spring is traditionally moving time in South London, so give us a call and we will come round a pretend to value your property, asking you all the right questions about your dream move. We will even produce a HIP for you, free of charge, for you to frame and hang in the unfinished loft extension. 3. Smell the gas: Kitchens are a great focus for buyers, so make sure yours has just the right finish by turning the oven on, sinking to your knees, maybe a little Grandaddy on the stereo, and then embrace oblivion.

Spring Cleaning with The Editor - Clara Fitzlightly Spring is just around the corner and what better way to beat the credit crunch blues than to have a really good clean? We here at South Dulwich Living have scoured (geddit?) our collapsing advertising ledger to bring you the best cleaning tips and products available in the Dulwich and borders area in our bumper eight page Spring edition. Pan the pan: Toilet Duck three for a fiver deal at A J Farmers in association with SDL. The smallest room in the house should also be the cleanest, and Maureen at this charming local boutique quincaillerie says, "If you want your lavvy cleaned, plain old bleach is just as good but people seem to like having a bottle with a twisted neck for some reason." So there you have it - top tips with lashings of old world charm from this long-standing organic family business. Hit the floor: Every mum knows her carpet will start to smell every now and then - and local emporium Khan's Bargains hits the spot with its "Fresh Shag" Turkish import. South London local, and keen angler, Safwan, says that he used it to get the cat shit out of his floor when he moved into his new, stylish, Norwood loft apartment. And it was alright, although the smell still lingers a bit by the radiator, he jests. SDL Best Buy. What's in Johnny's fridge? One of the delights of this job is being able to share cleaning secrets with local nightclub owner and music entrepreneur Johnny Forcem. Forcem, known to many for his elegant and exclusive Jizz and Jazz soirees at the local Norbury Hotel, recommends cleaning the fridge - as you never know what you might find there. Johnny's Balham fridge certainly has a few secrets to tell, and no doubt yours does too, although they're not likely to be as glamourous as my good friend Johnny's, sadly.

What was Glynis' drift, then?

Anyone think there is any relevance in how you use your vote on 4 June? Or prepared even, to make a case for voting one way or the other? Perhaps, when and if we go cap in hand for our handouts, it will matter whether it is the Forza Polski Nationalists Alliance that hold the key votes, or the Goat-Rearing Socialist Union. And maybe we could and should have voted with the party aligned to one or the other. I am a feather for each wind that blows, people. Whoever blows me hardest, as it were, has my vote on 4 June.

Oh aye, UKIP - the party that was going to protest at the culture of subsidies and corruption in Europe and then dived headfirst into the trough like a returning squaddie visiting his favourite brothel.

I don't get you.