david_carnell

Aye - although that doesn't take much. Most are dreadful. The Chancery, round the corner from the JW, and I think owned by the same people, is more food-orientated but does a cracking Sunday lunch. It's just got that feel, when you step through the door, that all will be well doesn't it? And they have about half-a-dozen ales on the go at onece, all immaculately kept. Little music, not tv (aside from when the rugby is on - another bonus) and no fruit machines or the like. Perfect.

Yes, that's the place. Woodman not Woodsman - sorry. Didn't want to confuse it with the Woodhouse - terrible place. My new favourite pub since I moved to Penge. Though it's a bit of a trek still.

Just pick up the phone then and save us all the bother.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > For the love of god can you people not leave me > anything? The man of kent is (was?) a lovely > friendly pub, maybe a bit tired around the edges, > maybe not a big snazzy collection of hipster > locally brewed ales, but plenty of banter, a great > atmosphere with live sports and most importantly > of all - the best pint of Guinness (along with the > pyro) for a good 3 miles around. > > Louisa. I didn't comment on how friendly it was, nor whether the decor needed updating, the banter of the patrons, the sports or the Guinness. I said the ale was awful and the toilets were terrifying. I was there with friends so didn't engage in the "top bantz" that Jeremy describes - doesn't sound like I'm missing much mind you. Do you know the Woodsman in Beckenham, Lou? Or the Blythe Hill Tavern on the south circular? Proper old boozers, no fancy grub at inflated prices or mismatched artisan furniture nonsense. Both cracking pubs I'd spend my day in. Why? Because the beer is good. And I can take a piss without worrying about xenomorph is about to eat me! So climb down of your "woe is little old me" hobby horse. The MOK is fine - if you don't mind a choice of three identikit lagers to drink. Or Guinness. Otherwise it's cack.

Hell no. I'll attack anything that's shit and charges me money for the priveledge. It's a good job your opinions are free.

Worst pint of ale I've ever had was in the MOK. Ruddles if I remember rightly. Tasted like someone had taken a piss in the barrel, buried it for a millennia and then served it in a glass that had previously held rancid milk. And the gents - I've seen HR Giger interiors that had more simplistic pipework and wiring. Other than that.....nice place.

All south of the river too.

steveo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And often English is their second language Well that's often a legacy of our colonial past as much as American movies and the BBC. French speaking Africans would naturally head to France and stay there rather than make the journey.

Mmmmm....refreshing lager beer. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwXjm64a3QE

Well it's tricky isn't it? And more nuanced than the Mayor of Calais or the media depictions suggest. Firstly, we are an island at the Western edge of Europe so theoretically no one would have the UK as their entry point unless they flew in (unlikely). So to take any sort of "share" across the EU some will have to cross from another EU nation into the UK. And for logisitical reasons that's going to be France. Secondly, try putting yourself in the shoes of these people for just a minute. Regardless of their status, economic migrant or asylum seeker, they will want to go to a country that contains a decent sized diaspora of their own people. You would too. It's why Brits tend to concentrate in villages in the Costas and the Dordogne and not the Balkans. Thirdly, the numbers we are looking at here are actually miniscule. Do you know what the displacement of refugees is just from Syria alone? Over 3 million have fled since that conflict began! Most have gone to neighbouring countries and if you think this is a "swarm" or a "flood" or any other pejorative term then check out the camps in Jordan or Turkey or Lebanon. That's just Syria. Now look at displacement from Iraq or Afghanistan that we directly had a hand in. Or in sub-Saharan Africa that we are talking about cutting aid budgets too. Those on tv jumping on trucks are a drop in the ocean not some biblical plague pouring into the country as some would depict them. Finally, perhaps, the UK is seen as bastion for all that is good. Justice, humanity, the rule of law, a good quality of life, a meritocracy that looks past skin colour, tribal alligiance, religious persuasion or any other characteristic that could get you killed elsewhere in the world. We should be proud of those things, protect them and as one of the richest economies in the world do what we can to shelter those who make arduous, and in some cases fatal, journeys to our shores.

Or are no longer able to leave the house due to their unwashed and dishevelled appearance.

Mo' belts, mo' money.

Any advice from the tech-competent forumites? I/partner need it for web-surfing, low-level word processing and spreadsheets and running a small book business. The Chromebooks look an attractive option in the spec-for-price issue. Chrome will run all the usual social media apps but I'm concerned over the ease of editing MS Word and Excel files using the GoogleDrive. Is it easy to do? Limited options? Anyone taken the plunge? Or best to stick to a Windows8.1 laptop for the time being? Albeit probably a lower-spec one for the money than a chromebook.

Can't see that ban being lifted anytime soon. Extension possible, mind you.

1/10

Just finished Meadowland by John Lewis-Stempel which charts a year in the life of a field on his farm in Herefordshire. It won this year's Wainwright prize for nature writing and was excellent. I'm now reading Melissa Harrison's second novel At Hawthorn Time - her first novel Clay was set in a non-specific South London area that was instantly familiar to any residents of ED/Peckham/Nunhead etc.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > JohnL - sounds like you are an incredibly slow > shopper. I don't enjoy the experience, so make a > list and get in and out asap. > > 3hrs is a very generous limit, why not just stick > to it? Or is this whole thing just about "sticking > it to the man".. It's whatever you want it to be Jeremy. If you ever receive a fine, feel free to pay it. If on the other hand you feel ?75 is exorbitant for a 15min overstay then feel free to use the template I used successfully. I'm not defending how or why I use Sainsburys car park.

Where?

Morris dancing and incest....just coincidence you find both in rural areas???!

Does anyone have a positive childhood story of growing up in the country?! Surely there must be Swallows and Amazons style adventures, den building, shooting at rabbits, poaching, scrumping, annoying farmers, teenage trysts in haybarns, long bike rides across commons on summer's evenings etc? Have I become John Major and just envisaged some mythical England that never has and never will exist?

MrBen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think that depends on the maps John and whether > you're going on ancient parish, municipal or > County boundaries.... *chuckle*

edhistory Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > david_carnell Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > I got one a couple of months back when I'd used > > the car park for about 15mins more than the > 3hrs > > allowed. > > 3+ hours shoppimg? > > John K No.

Someone PM'd me for the template but for ease of use I'll c&p it below. Dear Sirs Re: PCN No. .................... I challenge this 'PCN' as keeper of the car, on these main grounds: a). The sum does not represent a genuine pre-estimate of loss, nor is it a core price term. It is extravagant and unconscionable when compared to local parking charges issued by the Council so cannot be justified. b). As keeper I believe that the signs were not seen, the wording is ambiguous and the predominant purpose of your business model is to deter. c). There is no evidence that you have any proprietary interest in the land. d). Your 'Notice' fails to comply with the POFA 2012 and breaches various consumer contract/unfair terms Regulations. e). There was no consideration nor acceptance flowing from both parties and any contract with myself, or the driver, is denied. Your clients should be thoroughly ashamed of the shoddy way you treat consumers visiting their premises. Parking firms like yours fail to demonstrate even a basic understanding of customer service. The reputation of your business model appears to be more akin to a protection racket than 'parking management'. The public have no faith in the private parking industry and, as far as I have seen, your firm has not shown itself to be any different than the ex-clampers with whom you share a membership. The purpose of this communication is: 1. Formal challenge There will be no admissions as to who was driving and no assumptions can be drawn. As such, you must either rely on the POFA 2012 or cancel the charge. I suggest you uphold this challenge now or alternatively, send a rejection letter. 2. ''Drop hands'' offer The extravagant 'parking charge' is baseless but I realise that you may have incurred nominal postage costs. Equally, I have incurred costs to date, for responding to your junk mail dressed up to impersonate a parking ticket. It is clear that my costs and yours, at this point, do not exceed ?15. Therefore, this is a formal ?drop hands? offer. I remind you of the duty to mitigate any loss, so withdraw the spurious charge within 35 days without further expense and I will not pursue you for my costs. If you persist then I will charge in full for my time at ?18 per hour plus my out-of-pocket expenses and damages for harassment. 3. Notice of cancellation of contract I hereby give notice of withdrawal from this alleged 'contract' which was never properly offered by you and certainly was not expressly agreed. This 'contract' is hereby cancelled and any obligations now end. If you offer - and if I decide to use - IAS or POPLA, then the contract ends immediately on the date of their decision (whatever the outcome) so my notice of cancellation still applies. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Payments) Regulations apply now to every consumer contract, save for a few exemptions, which parking contracts are not. Following the EU Consumer Rights Directive, express consent must be obtained for consumer contracts now - not implied consent. You have failed to meet these requirements and you did not serve the driver with the terms by durable medium. By replying to the challenge you are acknowledging receipt and acceptance of points 2 and 3 above. I have kept proof of submission of this challenge. I look forward to your considered reply within 35 days. Yours faithfully,

Just for anyone who gets hit with a fine by these cowboys.... I got one a couple of months back when I'd used the car park for about 15mins more than the 3hrs allowed. They tried to claim ?75 and sent a couple of threatening letters. I downloaded a template from Money Saving Expert (happy to post here or PM if anyone wants it) and shortly received a reply back that they were cancelling the fee in light of my appeal. They are chancers and will do/day anything to scare you into coughing up. Don't do it.

I found this website very helpful indeed: http://amazingribs.com/ Great recipes, sensible advice, practical set-up guides, etc, etc