# Brixton news, rumour and general chat - January 2016



## teuchter (Jan 1, 2016)

Oh look, it's 2016.

I'll start the January thread (with title formatted according to relevant regulations) then, as everyone else is probably too drunk, not that I would want to judge them.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jan 1, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Oh look, it's 2016.
> 
> I'll start the January thread (with title formatted according to relevant regulations) then, as everyone else is probably too drunk, not that I would want to judge them.


that's not news rumour or general chat


----------



## teuchter (Jan 1, 2016)

Pickman's model said:


> that's not news rumour or general chat


I too wish you a happy new year Pickman's model and look forward to sharing many happy times with you during 2016.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jan 1, 2016)

teuchter said:


> I too wish you a happy new year Pickman's model and look forward to sharing many happy times with you during 2016.


never happened in the past so see no reason to anticipate change this year.


----------



## DrRingDing (Jan 1, 2016)

aaww


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 1, 2016)

2016 has got off to a good start, hasn't it?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jan 1, 2016)

Tricky Skills said:


> 2016 has got off to a good start, hasn't it?



This is Urban. What do you expect - goodwill unto all men, or somesuch?


----------



## CH1 (Jan 2, 2016)

Not exactly Brixton, but shows our gentrification preoccupations are maybe now universal
Cape Town's Bo-Kaap fights for its heritage


----------



## Winot (Jan 2, 2016)

All computer systems down at the Rec. Not possible to book anything or pay by card. 

Happy new year.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 2, 2016)

Travelled through Brixton on 1st Jan at 7am. It looked more like 10pm on a sat night - hordes of young people and the longest queue I've ever seen in McD's. All looking quite sober and well behaved.  It felt very odd to be rushing though all the slightly faded party people on my way to work.

Anyway Happy New Year Brixton.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 2, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Oh look, it's 2016.
> 
> I'll start the January thread (with title formatted according to relevant regulations) then, as everyone else is probably too drunk, not that I would want to judge them.


 So you weren't out partying then either?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 2, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> So you weren't out partying then either?


Depends on your definition of "out" and "partying".


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 3, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Depends on your definition of "out" and "partying".


whats your definitiom?


----------



## editor (Jan 4, 2016)

The Christmas funfair has left town for the year.







Wet scenes in Windrush Square – Brixton’s Christmas Fair leaves town for another year


----------



## editor (Jan 4, 2016)

Photos from the Offline NYE party in the Albert, It was a great night and it was brilliant to see so many locals in the house. 
















Thursday 31st December 2015, NYE party night at Offline Club, Prince Albert, 418 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9, with DJs playing ska, d'n'b, electro, indie, punk, rock'n'roll, big band, rockabilly and skiffle


----------



## editor (Jan 4, 2016)

Here's the rest of my night - after the Albert we carried on to the Dogstar and then the 414, obvs 
















Partying hard for New Year’s Eve in Brixton – three clubs in photos


----------



## twistedAM (Jan 4, 2016)

This Thursday (7 Jan) at the Windmill - Calais fundraiser with MOUNTAIN OF LOVE (live), SPACEHEADS (Live) and THE VERY REV D. WAYNE LOVE (DJ)
]Brixton benefit for Calais Camps: Mountain Of Love + Spaceheads at the Windmill, 7th Jan


----------



## Pickman's model (Jan 5, 2016)

wot no 'clapham south's secret wartime tunnels opened'? Clapham South's secret wartime tunnels opened to public - BBC News


----------



## CH1 (Jan 6, 2016)

Helen Hayes - MP for Dulwich and East Brixton currently speaking against some obscure clause of the Housing and Planning Bill.
It's past my bed time - so what the hell are the MPs still at it for? Is there a deadline on this bill?
Helen Hayes says this new bill is rolling back the localism agenda of the last (coalition) government.

She is also vigorously opposed to the outsourcing of planning. Quite right on this IMHO.

She worked as a town planner for 18 years she says.

She is opposed to central authorities offering "permission in principle" for building over the head of local council.

She also points out that local plans can be erroneous - e.g. zoning area for housing when it turns out there are subsidence issues.

Quire a good speech actually - although she was reading it, not extemporising.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 6, 2016)

Pickman's model said:


> wot no 'clapham south's secret wartime tunnels opened'? Clapham South's secret wartime tunnels opened to public - BBC News


Wow.


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 6, 2016)

CH1 said:


> She worked as a town planner for 18 years she says.



Sort of.

She was a senior partner at Allies & Morrison – the architectural firm that drew up the Brixton Supplementary Planning Document [pdf].

That document that her company drew up advised Lambeth Council:

"In conjunction with Network Rail, more railway arches should be brought into active use and the appearance of existing commercial arches improved."

The senior partner denies any knowledge of this part of the report.


----------



## bimble (Jan 6, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Helen Hayes - MP for Dulwich and East Brixton currently speaking against some obscure clause of the Housing and Planning Bill.
> It's past my bed time - so what the hell are the MPs still at it for? Is there a deadline on this bill?
> Helen Hayes says this new bill is rolling back the localism agenda of the last (coalition) government.
> 
> ...



That's interesting (clutching at any half- hopeful looking straws re Gordon Grove for instance).


----------



## editor (Jan 6, 2016)

Some pics: 











Misty January afternoon over Brockwell Park, south London – photos


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 6, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Helen Hayes - MP for Dulwich and East Brixton currently speaking against some obscure clause of the Housing and Planning Bill.
> It's past my bed time - so what the hell are the MPs still at it for? Is there a deadline on this bill?
> Helen Hayes says this new bill is rolling back the localism agenda of the last (coalition) government.
> 
> ...



Found what she said in full here If you scroll down a bit what she says is in writing. You are correct in your summing up. This Bill is attack on planning. Noticed even some Tory MPs express concerns about loss of localism and the neighbourhood planning that the earlier Tory government promoted. This Housing and Planning bill really is all about making life easy for fat cat developers.

Another issue Helen raises is that the Government will centrally impose on Local Authorities the so called "starter homes" will be main form of "affordable" housing on large developments. As she says this is yet another attack on local democracy to decide on the form affordable housing can take.

Worth quoting this part of what she said in the debate. She points out there is a lot of land with planning permission to build houses that developers are just sitting on. Its not planning thats holding it up.Good interventions on her part in the debate. She knows her stuff. 



> *Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab):* I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the planning clauses of the Bill, even at this late hour. The Bill represents a very significant rolling back of the policies of localism introduced by the last Government, who sought to give local communities more control over both planning policy and local planning decisions.
> 
> Planning is a progressive discipline. It is the mechanism we have for brokering the differences between individual interests and collective community needs, ensuring that those who profit from development contribute to meeting the needs of the communities in which they are building, and protecting the things that we hold dear—whether local heritage, natural habitats, special views or simply the character and diversity of our local high street or neighbourhood.
> 
> ...


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 6, 2016)

I am not a fan but I think she makes some good points.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 6, 2016)

Something else Helen Hayes was critical of is the outsourcing of planning. Read this and it means our friends the property developer can take agreeing planning application out of hands of the annoying Local Authority and all those whinging locals. 




> Lack of debate seems to characterise the entire bill, which saw several crucial amendments slipped in under the radar just before Christmas. In a change that opens the door for the privatisation of the planning system, communities secretary Greg Clark added a clause in December to allow the “processing of planning applications by alternative providers”. Rather than submitting a planning application to the local authority, it suggests that developers could assign a “designated person” to process the application for them instead.





> Dr Bob Colenutt, planning expert at the University of Northampton, describes the move as “iniquitous”. “It will replace a public-sector ethos with a developer-led ethos,” he says. “The ‘designated persons’ are likely to be consultants who also work for the private sector, which introduces probable bias and reduces the public scrutiny trail. And it is very likely to reduce the right that the public has to make comments on planning applications".



One of those in the article asked to comment says the bill is a panic measure to get more housing built. It think not. Its class war by the Tories. I agree with the writer of the article summing up:



> Instead, this bill represents a wholesale power grab, transferring both housing assets and planning powers from public to private hands in a drunken festival of deregulation.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 6, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> One of those in the article asked to comment says the bill is a panic measure to get more housing built. It think not. Its class war by the Tories. I agree with the writer of the article summing up:


I don't think it is class war. It is more another absurd extension of worship of "the market" in my view.

Of course the market no longer exists. The Chinese government is now intervening to prop up its financial markets in exactly the same way as the US, UK and Europe.

Unless prices are allowed to fall to their natural level - which involves negative equity, bank failures and so on we will be living in a micromanaged goldfish bowl where asset ownership is rationed and all policy will be driven by the needs of large corporations - including ATOS, Maximus, Crapita, Greenwich Leisure and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all.

Interestingly the US economy is still showing signs of growth, so a gap is opening up between US policy and that of Europe, UK and Japan - all of whom are still on the QE drip.

The idea of outsourcing planning applications is akin to employing private contractors to run hospitals - which of course dates back to Tony Blair.

Dr David Owen warned about the current collapse of GP services 18 months ago:
http://www.lorddavidowen.co.uk/wp-c...ew_-Rallying-support-for-the-NHS-GPonline.pdf

Frankly I find it nauseating that we have a media system which complacently ignores the complete dismantling of the welfare state whilst obsessing about the fate of a few misguided individuals in the Labour Party.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 7, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I don't think it is class war. It is more another absurd extension of worship of "the market" in my view.
> 
> Of course the market no longer exists. The Chinese government is now intervening to prop up its financial markets in exactly the same way as the US, UK and Europe.
> 
> ...



I heard a property developer on the radio a while back contrasting the difference between China and here.

He said it was much better in China. To get planning permission all one had to do was take the local party bosses out for lunch and decide it all there and then. Unlike this country where people can object to a planning application. All that democracy gets in the way.


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2016)

Well, it was livelier than might be expected for a Weds night in the Albert tonight. Good to be reminded what a great pub it is and that Brixton hasn't completely turned into a bland and predictable playground for posh people, tourists and those with more money than sense. I wish we had more actual pubs left.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> I heard a property developer on the radio a while back contrasting the difference between China and here.
> 
> He said it was much better in China. To get planning permission all one had to do was take the local party bosses out for lunch and decide it all there and then. Unlike this country where people can object to a planning application. All that democracy gets in the way.


Didn't Tescos in effect take Ted Knight out to lunch in order to get planning permission for the Acre Lane store back in the 1980s?


----------



## xsunnysuex (Jan 7, 2016)

wow.  Lovely weather out there.


----------



## happyshopper (Jan 7, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Didn't Tescos in effect take Ted Knight out to lunch in order to get planning permission for the Acre Lane store back in the 1980s?



This nasty comment in both its form and content belittles you. I've no idea whether or not such a lunch took place but to claim that the decision depended on such an occasion shows your ignorance of both the man and planning process.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

happyshopper said:


> This nasty comment in both its form and content belittles you. I've no idea whether or not such a lunch took place but to claim that the decision depended on such an occasion shows your ignorance of both the man and planning process.


As far as I'm concerned the "quid pro quo" would have been more parking for Lambeth officers in the new Tescos car park (think 1984 - the era when Livingstone's Fares Fare was ruled illegal by Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls and motoring was still very much the order of the day).

I think it is a shame that Acre Lane was developed in the way it was. It was a council owned site with a bomb damaged house on part of it which was actually the oldest house in Acre Lane (1803) - but the council did not see fit to have it conserved.

Added to this anyone who lived through Brixton the 1970s and early 1980s will be aware that the old Tescos in Popes Road had as much retail area as Tescos Acre Lane has. Obviously deliveries and maybe storage were more cumbersome.

The salient feature of the Tescos Acre Lane move was that it destroyed the long term viability of Brixton market.

How can you bemoan my Cassandra-like comment? Ted Knight and his Lambeth Cadres were seduced by Tescos. Just as subsequent Lambeth administrations were over Tescos Streatham superstore complex.


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2016)

Those wags at Ekcovision!


----------



## happyshopper (Jan 7, 2016)

CH1 said:


> As far as I'm concerned the "quid pro quo" would have been more parking for Lambeth officers in the new Tescos car park (think 1984 - the era when Livingstone's Fares Fare was ruled illegal by Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls and motoring was still very much the order of the day).
> 
> I think it is a shame that Acre Lane was developed in the way it was. It was a council owned site with a bomb damaged house on part of it which was actually the oldest house in Acre Lane (1803) - but the council did not see fit to have it conserved.
> 
> ...



I'm sure there is scope for a discussion about the development of Tesco's store in Acre Lane. However, you said in terms that Tesco got planning permission because they took Ted Knight out to lunch. You provide no evidence for such a claim and you can't because it's a lie. If you had any decency you should withdraw the comment and apologise.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

happyshopper said:


> I'm sure there is scope for a discussion about the development of Tesco's store in Acre Lane. However, you said in terms that Tesco got planning permission because they took Ted Knight out to lunch. You provide no evidence for such a claim and you can't because it's a lie. If you had any decency you should withdraw the comment and apologise.


I think you are going over the top in your reaction.
Back in 1983/4 we didn't have workshops where interested members of the public sat around planning Your New Town Hall etc.

Tescos must have had to discuss buying the Acre Lane site from the council, and discuss what the council would like to see on the site.

Why are you suggesting Ted Knight went into purdah because Tescos were around? He was the hands on go-to guy at the time.

Gramsci said "To get planning permission all one had to do was take the local party bosses out for lunch and decide it all there and then."

How is this different from what I am saying, then?


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2016)

I saw about eight women dressed in the latest fitness gear literally crawling along the road at the back of my block a few weeks back while a trainer barked instructions.  You pays your money....


----------



## snowy_again (Jan 7, 2016)

Latest CoolTan Arts shenanigans (potential paywall)


----------



## superfly101 (Jan 7, 2016)

editor said:


> I saw about eight women dressed in the latest fitness gear literally crawling along the road at the back of my block a few weeks back while a trainer barked instructions.  You pays your money....



You compete against me I'm hiding your favourite socks


----------



## Griffter (Jan 7, 2016)

editor said:


> I saw about eight women dressed in the latest fitness gear literally crawling along the road at the back of my block a few weeks back while a trainer barked instructions.  You pays your money....


Might be because there's a street gym there that's been going for a few years. Probably popular at this time of year


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2016)

Griffter said:


> Might be because there's a street gym there that's been going for a few years. Probably popular at this time of year


I'm aware of that but that doesn't take away from the strangeness of seeing a load of people in expensive sports clothing crawling around a road at the the back of a council estate. At least, I found it odd.


----------



## Griffter (Jan 7, 2016)

editor said:


> I'm aware of that but that doesn't take away from the strangeness of seeing a load of people in expensive sports clothing crawling around a road at the the back of a council estate. At least, I found it odd.


Does sound odd - good for them though


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2016)

Griffter said:


> Does sound odd - good for them though


Why 'good for them'? Is crawling along a road a thing to be celebrated?


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 7, 2016)

editor said:


> I'm aware of that but that doesn't take away from the strangeness of seeing a load of people in expensive sports clothing crawling around a road at the the back of a council estate. At least, I found it odd.


Give it a week or two and all the yuppies trying to shed the Xmas pounds will give up & return to their native environments of champers & posh cheese bars.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 7, 2016)

I'm fairly athletic (well, in between not being) and I don't think I could recognise an expensive ladies' lycra sports kit over a cheap one to be honest. Even less so at a distance. And certainly not without a damned good oggle.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Jan 7, 2016)

Oggling sportswear is a perfectly acceptable fetish activity....


----------



## Griffter (Jan 7, 2016)

editor said:


> Why 'good for them'? Is crawling along a road a thing to be celebrated?


I just meant good for them for getting off their arses and going out to do some exercise, presumably in the knowledge that some people might think they look odd. If it was at the street gym then it's not exactly a £60 a month gym -it's a pound or two a session and if it were women doing it knowing they will be watched I guess that they felt safer crawling round an estate rather than in the park. I just like the idea of people using their environment to exercise rather than staring in a mirror indoors on a treadmill.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 7, 2016)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Oggling sportswear is a perfectly acceptable fetish activity....


...m'lud.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 7, 2016)

Griffter said:


> I just like the idea of people using their environment to exercise rather than staring in a mirror indoors on a treadmill.


The environment is cold & wet, and my gym has tellys to stare at. And it's not cold & wet.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 7, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I'm fairly athletic (well, in between not being) and I don't think I could recognise an expensive ladies' lycra sports kit over a cheap one to be honest. Even less so at a distance. And certainly not without a damned good oggle.


I think expensive ladies' Lycra is more supportive iyswim.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

Tricky Skills said:


> Sort of.
> 
> She was a senior partner at Allies & Morrison – the architectural firm that drew up the Brixton Supplementary Planning Document [pdf].
> 
> ...


Can you clarify what the problem is exactly?

You link to your own article from nearly a year ago when she was not yet elected. When she became an MP she resigned from Allies and Morrison. 

Would it not be fair to mention that, instead of deliberately giving readers the impression that there is some kind of conflict of interest? It's not even clear from that article what you wanted clarified in the FOI you mention.

It looks like her commons speech was a good one making some important points. Maybe at this point in time where planning policy is one of the few realistic means to moderate the fairly drastic changes occurring in our area we should try to be optimistic about the fact that we have a well-informed MP who understands in detail the practical impact of planning issues. Rather than this kind of vague smearing with partial information.

If you think there's a conflict of interest as a result of her professional background then be specific about what it is and what should be done about it.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 7, 2016)

Maharani said:


> I think expensive ladies' Lycra is more supportive iyswim. Have a proper ogle and you will swim.


Thanks. I'm starting to come around to understanding how long distance sportswear value assessment could become a fulfilling pass time.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 7, 2016)

Griffter said:


> Might be because there's a street gym there that's been going for a few years. Probably popular at this time of year


what is a 'street gym' how does that work?

I'm always surprised to see the numbers of people jogging about near Brockwell park in the dark each morning, must say I haven't really noticed what they are wearing, and wouldn't know expensive from market cheap anyway. They usually look rather sweaty.

I've just been cheered up by learning two thirds of all the calories we burn, are used up by just sitting about not really doing anything. (I'm watching 'The Truth about calories' on BBC iplayer) I'm burning about 90 cals an hour here apparently.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> I've just been cheered up by learning two thirds of all the calories we burn, are used up by just sitting about not really doing anything.



That sounds suspiciously like Not The Truth About Calories to me.


----------



## deadringer (Jan 7, 2016)

Not quite sure how someone crawling around on the floor in supposedly expensive gym wear round the back of an estate is automatically a 'yuppie' but there we go


----------



## TruXta (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> That sounds suspiciously like Not The Truth About Calories to me.


Look up basal metabolic rate.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Look up basal metabolic rate.



That's interesting. I didn't know that


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Look up basal metabolic rate.


According to this someone doing little or no excercise will burn about 83% of their total daily energy expenditure on account of their basal metabolic rate.

And someone extremely active will only burn 52% of their total on account of their BMR.

So, the truth is that the proportion of calories we burn as a result of just sitting around varies between about 50 and 80% (ie quite a lot) depending on the amount of excercise we do. Not "two thirds".


----------



## TruXta (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> According to this someone doing little or no excercise will burn about 83% of their total daily energy expenditure on account of their basal metabolic rate.
> 
> And someone extremely active will only burn 52% of their total on account of their BMR.
> 
> So, the truth is that the proportion of calories we burn as a result of just sitting around varies between about 50 and 80% (ie quite a lot) depending on the amount of excercise we do. Not "two thirds".


Well done on deliberately missing the point.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Well done on deliberately missing the point.


What's the point then?


----------



## TruXta (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> What's the point then?


That BMR accounts for the majority of calories burned in a day.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 7, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> I've just been cheered up by learning two thirds of all the calories we burn, are used up by just sitting about not really doing anything. (I'm watching 'The Truth about calories' on BBC iplayer) I'm burning about 90 cals an hour here apparently.


90 calories is roughly 4 jelly babies.

If you dare to eat 5 in an hour, you'll put on weight!


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

TruXta said:


> That BMR accounts for the majority of calories burned in a day.


Saying that BMR accounts for 2/3rds of calories burnt in a day conveys that general point but obscures the more useful information, and additionally is untrue or at best misleading.
Saying that it accounts for 50-80% of calories burnt in a day depending on level of activity also conveys that general point plus the more useful information about the potential impact of physical activity.

So why are you saying I am "missing the point"? Do you think the "majority of calories burnt in a day" factoid is more important than the facts about the impact of physical activity? In what context is that point more important? And is it so much more inportant that we can ignore that fact that the 2/3rds claim is not really true?


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 7, 2016)

What's the title of this thread again?


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

Im surprised that sitting on your Arsenal burns more than 10% of a normal daily intake. I suppose it obscures the (to me) most important point about weight loss; you still need to burn _x_ calories to not be a fat burden on society


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> Im surprised that sitting on your Arsenal burns more than 10% of a normal daily intake.


Lets not start confusing percentage of daily intake with percentage of total daily expenditure, although given the cavalier disregard for accuracy and statistical literacy shown by some around here things are not looking promising.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> What's the title of this thread again?


Determined by protocol imposed by the management.

A futile attempt to constrain the intellectual and cultural scope of our discussions.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> Im surprised that sitting on your Arsenal burns more than 10% of a normal daily intake. I suppose it obscures the (to me) most important point about weight loss; you still need to burn _x_ calories to not be a fat burden on society


I wish to register my belief in the Ancient Scottish Mackarness Diet.
This seems to have been nicked, modified and patented by Dr Robert Atkins, who then proceeded to have a number of heart attacks. (Maybe he should have left well alone - Dr Mackarness lived to be 80!)
It's not calories but carbs that fatten you up.
Book and Amazon.com review below (that proves it)

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
***** More Atkins than Atkins!
I found this book at a flea market while on vacation this past week. It was the Pocket Book edition, 50 cents, published in 1958. As I read it I became both excited by the confirmation of the low-carb approach, and a trifle annoyed that Dr. Atkins has gotten most of the credit for "discovering" this more natural way of eating. I do not think that Dr. Atkins really added anything to Dr. Mackarness' regimen, and, in fact, added some "dubious dogma" in his endorsement of artificial sweeteners and what I call "fake food," e.g., his low-carbohydrate "bread."


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 7, 2016)

Private Eye on Helen Hayes.


----------



## T & P (Jan 7, 2016)

Who'd have thought exercising in public would be such a social minefield?

I guess the best way to avoid any awkwardness is to travel by car/mini cab/Uber from the front door of your house directly to the entrance of the park or the gym.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Lets not start confusing percentage of daily intake with percentage of total daily expenditure, although given the cavalier disregard for accuracy and statistical literacy shown by some around here things are not looking promising.



You are not surprised that doing nothing will burn well over 10% of daily intake? I am.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Saying that BMR accounts for 2/3rds of calories burnt in a day conveys that general point but obscures the more useful information, and additionally is untrue or at best misleading.
> Saying that it accounts for 50-80% of calories burnt in a day depending on level of activity also conveys that general point plus the more useful information about the potential impact of physical activity.
> 
> So why are you saying I am "missing the point"? Do you think the "majority of calories burnt in a day" factoid is more important than the facts about the impact of physical activity? In what context is that point more important? And is it so much more inportant that we can ignore that fact that the 2/3rds claim is not really true?


Physical activity is not a major factor in determining bmr. The 2/3 claim falls well within the accepted range of bmr proportional to total caloric expenditure.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I wish to register my belief in the Ancient Scottish Mackarness Diet.
> This seems to have been nicked, modified and patented by Dr Robert Atkins, who then proceeded to have a number of heart attacks. (Maybe he should have left well alone - Dr Mackarness lived to be 80!)
> It's not calories but carbs that fatten you up.
> Book and Amazon.com review below (that proves it)
> ...



I've never bothered with diets and such, being such a svelt athletic God of a man, but are you saying eating a gazillion calories won't make you fat so long as there are no carbs?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Physical activity is not a major factor in determining bmr. The 2/3 claim falls well within the accepted range of bmr proportional to total caloric expenditure.


Well done on choosing to ignore my point about the extent of the range being the more useful information than its midpoint. 

No-one has said anything about physical activity being a major factor in determining BMR, so not sure why you have suddenly brought that up now.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> You are not surprised that doing nothing will burn well over 10% of daily intake? I am.


It would be very surprising if it only burnt 10% of a mostly sedentary person's daily intake because that would mean that doubling their low level of physical actvity would allow them to consume nearly twice as many calories per day as normal, without any impact on weight gain. It would also suggest that by doing absolutely nothing other than sitting on a sofa or going to bed, they could consistently eat only one tenth of their normal intake without expiring.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> I've never bothered with diets and such, being such a svelt athletic God of a man, but are you saying eating a gazillion calories won't make you fat so long as there are no carbs?


I'm not personally, not being a doctor - but both Dr Makarness and Dr Atkins claimed that excess calories in the form of carbohydrate are laid down as fat in the body - distribution depending on age and sex of the overeater.

On the other hand excess calories in the form of fat just "pass through" as it were.

Excess protein does not cause fat build up in the body either, but apparently can be dangerous in people with certain kidney conditions.

Finally excess alcohol is OK in the form of pink gins - but not beer, which is chocker with carbohydrate.

Got the picture?

When you cease to be svelt and go socialising in the numerous expensive Brixton cocktail bars make sure they don't give you any cocktails containing any form of sugar.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I'm not personally, not being a doctor - but both Dr Makarness and Dr Atkins claimed that excess calories in the form of carbohydrate are laid down as fat in the body - distribution depending on age and sex of the overeater.
> 
> On the other hand excess calories in the form of fat just "pass through" as it were.
> 
> ...



Cease to be svelt, you comedian


----------



## CH1 (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> Cease to be svelt, you comedian


We can't all be Dame Ninette de Valois


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> It would be very surprising if it only burnt 10% of a mostly sedentary person's daily intake because that would mean that doubling their low level of physical actvity would allow them to consume nearly twice as many calories per day as normal, without any impact on weight gain. It would also suggest that by doing absolutely nothing other than sitting on a sofa or going to bed, they could consistently eat only one tenth of their normal intake without expiring.



If you say so. I still find it surprising someone will consume 2/3 of their daily calorie intake without even walking between the fridge and sofa


----------



## teuchter (Jan 7, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> If you say so. I still find it surprising someone will consume 2/3 of their daily calorie intake without even walking between the fridge and sofa


Why is it surprising? Are you unaware that you consist amongst other things of continuously moving fluids, perpetual chemical reactions which require fuel, and are constantly generating heat?


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 7, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Why is it surprising? Are you unaware that you consist amongst other things of continuously moving fluids, perpetual chemical reactions which require fuel, and are constantly generating heat?



lol


----------



## bimble (Jan 8, 2016)

CH1 said:


> We can't all be Dame Ninette de Valois


But it's fun to pretend. Thanks for the new avatar.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

I was gutted to discover that you don't actually use more calories eating a stick of celery than are contained within it. It's up there with discovering that there is no Santa Claus. It's been traumatic year.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I was gutted to discover that you don't actually use more calories eating a stick of celery than are contained within it. It's up there with discovering that there is no Santa Claus. It's been traumatic year.



Fuck off. That's a straight up lie.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 8, 2016)

the Brixton thread...oh...the Brixton thread...


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> So why are you saying I am "missing the point"? Do you think the "majority of calories burnt in a day" factoid is more important than the facts about the impact of physical activity?


What impact of physical activity? Who's being misleading? Admit you got it wrong eh?


----------



## boohoo (Jan 8, 2016)

Maharani said:


> the Brixton thread...oh...the Brixton thread...



Brixton news, rumours, general chat, dieting and exercise.


----------



## Angellic (Jan 8, 2016)

editor said:


> I saw about eight women dressed in the latest fitness gear literally crawling along the road at the back of my block a few weeks back while a trainer barked instructions.  You pays your money....



Were they wearing kneepads?


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 8, 2016)

boohoo said:


> Brixton news, rumours, general chat, dieting and exercise.


"Brixton _news_"?? On _this_ thread??!! Where???


----------



## boohoo (Jan 8, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> "Brixton _news_"?? On _this_ thread??!! Where???



Not on this thread but we have to stick with the standard wording of the thread title.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Angellic said:


> Were they wearing kneepads?


The most expensive ones available to humanity.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 8, 2016)

boohoo said:


> Brixton news, rumours, general chat, dieting and exercise.


AND curmudeondlyness..


----------



## boohoo (Jan 8, 2016)

Maharani said:


> AND curmudeondlyness..



what EastEnder ?


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Maharani said:


> AND curmudeondlyness..


Is that a thing? I like the sound of it.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Is that a thing? I like the sound of it.


It's a thing especially for this thread


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Maharani said:


> It's a thing especially for this thread


Curmudeondly sounds far too nice for this thread.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> What impact of physical activity? Who's being misleading? Admit you got it wrong eh?


The impact on calories burned of course, which is what was being discussed.

You are avoiding my question.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> The impact on calories burned of course, which is what was being discussed.
> 
> You are avoiding my question.


The impact is small barring very intense activity. BMR is mostly dependent on fat free mass.


----------



## Biscuits (Jan 8, 2016)

Brixton wise I would like to know what is happening with two shops up on the hill. The antiques shop is supposedly going to be a coffee shop but it looks like it’s still being fitted out. The old record shop opposite has some fancy new tiling and signage (I think it says ‘alkaline’) but is also still boarded up….


Anyone know anything?


----------



## Mr Retro (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm sitting on my arse working but am wearing expensive gym gear. It means I'm burning more calories than I consume. 

Those of you sitting on your arse wearing cheap gym gear are being merely calorie neutral. 

Worst of all is I bet some of you are mixing cheap gym gear with ill advised sartorial choices from the decade in which you were a teen/in your early 20's. You are all actively putting on weight.


----------



## Griffter (Jan 8, 2016)

Biscuits said:


> Brixton wise I would like to know what is happening with two shops up on the hill. The antiques shop is supposedly going to be a coffee shop but it looks like it’s still being fitted out. The old record shop opposite has some fancy new tiling and signage (I think it says ‘alkaline’) but is also still boarded up….
> 
> 
> Anyone know anything?


I know a little about the old record shop from Nicole in Christine's next door. It sounds like it's going to be some kind of health food shop which is taking a long time to get refurbished. It should be opening some time soon(ish).


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

I am on my knees wearing expensive celery. Can someone tell me whether this is calorie negative or positive. It certainly _feels_ very positive.


----------



## Griffter (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I am on my knees wearing expensive celery. Can someone tell me whether this is calorie negative or positive. It certainly _feels_ very positive.


is it the latest, most expensive celery?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> The impact is small barring very intense activity. BMR is mostly dependent on fat free mass.


I'm not talking about the impact of physical activity on BMR. I'm talking about the impact of physical activity on total amount of calories burned, and that impact is significant.

Telling someone what their BMR is might be interesting for them if they've never thought about it before. But it doesn't tell them much about their ability to adjust the number of calories they burn each day, which is what people are generally interested in if they are looking into how many calories they consume/expend. Telling someone that 2/3rds of the calories they burn each day happens while they are doing nothing doesn't tell them anything about the potential to change this, and it deosn't tell them that their personal rate may be somewhat lower than this if they live a largely sedentary lifestyle.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I am on my knees wearing expensive celery. Can someone tell me whether this is calorie negative or positive. It certainly _feels_ very positive.


Please can you tell us which street in which ward you are doing this before we judge you fully.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Griffter said:


> is it the latest, most expensive celery?


It was when I bought it with gold bars. It's a little droopy now but that makes it a while lot easier to crawl in.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 8, 2016)

You're wearing them wrong. Celery was designed as shin pads for football


----------



## Griffter (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> It was when I bought it with gold bars. It's a little droopy now but that makes it a while lot easier to crawl in.


and am I right in assuming you're wearing it outdoors, somewhere where it might be a little unusual to see someone with celery strapped to the knees?


----------



## Dan U (Jan 8, 2016)

SpamMisery said:


> You're wearing them wrong. Celery was designed as shin pads for football



or using as stumps when playing cricket with a stick of rhubarb as a bat


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Please can you tell us which street in which ward you are doing this before we judge you fully.


It must be a fairly deprived area because I'm the only one wearing organic celery. A casual observer would only notice the difference if they were an expert on celery.


----------



## Winot (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I am on my knees wearing expensive celery. Can someone tell me whether this is calorie negative or positive. It certainly _feels_ very positive.



Are you wearing the celery for support


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> I'm not talking about the impact of physical activity on BMR. I'm talking about the impact of physical activity on total amount of calories burned, and that impact is significant.
> 
> Telling someone what their BMR is might be interesting for them if they've never thought about it before. But it doesn't tell them much about their ability to adjust the number of calories they burn each day, which is what people are generally interested in if they are looking into how many calories they consume/expend. Telling someone that 2/3rds of the calories they burn each day happens while they are doing nothing doesn't tell them anything about the potential to change this, and it deosn't tell them that their personal rate may be somewhat lower than this if they live a largely sedentary lifestyle.


Firstly physical activity doesn't have a large impact on BMR, secondly diet will on average have a much larger effect on caloric balance than exercise.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

In fact, obesity is associated with a higher BMR.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Winot said:


> Are you wearing the celery for support


Nope. Just to be flash.


----------



## Angellic (Jan 8, 2016)




----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

That's the cheaper stuff. I'm more


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> I'm not talking about the impact of physical activity on BMR.





TruXta said:


> Firstly physical activity doesn't have a large impact on BMR,



Can you actually read?

You seem to be struggling to differentiate between (a) the effect of physical excercise on BMR and (b) the effect of physical exercise on the proportion of total calories expended via BMR. You keep going on about (a) when from the beginning I have been talking about (b).





TruXta said:


> secondly diet will on average have a much larger effect on caloric balance than exercise.



Same applies to diet as exercise. If someone is interested in adjusting their caloric balance, then they are interested in the calory-burning they can control, rather that which they can't. They can't have significant control over their BMR itself, but they can control the proportion of their overall calory-burning that is outside of their BMR. Which is why the potential range of that proportion is of more relevance than the BMR itself. Just to repeat myself all over again.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm not the person that brought up the impact of physical activity on BMR am I?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> It must be a fairly deprived area because I'm the only one wearing organic celery. A casual observer would only notice the difference if they were an expert on celery.


Just remember that not everyone earns a celery as high as you probably do.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> I'm not the person that brought up the impact of physical activity on BMR am I?



Yes, you are. You brought it up in this post:



TruXta said:


> Physical activity is not a major factor in determining bmr. The 2/3 claim falls well within the accepted range of bmr proportional to total caloric expenditure.



I had not said anything about physical activity impacting BMR previous to that post. You thought I had because you weren't reading anything properly.

Now is the point at which you should apologise to the whole class for disrupting the thread with your carelessness.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> According to this someone doing little or no excercise will burn about 83% of their total daily energy expenditure on account of their basal metabolic rate.
> 
> And someone extremely active will only burn 52% of their total on account of their BMR.
> 
> So, the truth is that the proportion of calories we burn as a result of just sitting around varies between about 50 and 80% (ie quite a lot) depending on the amount of excercise we do. Not "two thirds".


Excuse me?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Excuse me?


Please refer to this guidance:



teuchter said:


> You seem to be struggling to differentiate between (a) the effect of physical excercise on BMR and (b) the effect of physical exercise on the proportion of total calories expended via BMR. You keep going on about (a) when from the beginning I have been talking about (b).


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm clearly not the only one with reading comprehension problems.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> I am on my knees wearing expensive celery. Can someone tell me whether this is calorie negative or positive. It certainly _feels_ very positive.


If you're not careful you'll end up on the gay thread answering questions about the Brixton Fairies (as indeed I have been). I won't ask where you are wearing the celery.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> I'm clearly not the only one with reading comprehension problems.


Actually I take that back. Apologies, I was wrong. teuchter


----------



## Rushy (Jan 8, 2016)

Hang on. Is this even allowed ^^^?


----------



## Angellic (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Yes, you are. You brought it up in this post:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Does eating or wearing celery impact on BMR?


----------



## deadringer (Jan 8, 2016)

What constitutes expensive gym wear? I'm assuming the axis of evil of Adidas/Reebok/Nike, but these can be picked up fairly cheap at Sports Direct. It's a bloody mine field!


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 8, 2016)

deadringer said:


> What constitutes expensive gym wear? I'm assuming the axis of evil of Adidas/Reebok/Nike, but these can be picked up fairly cheap at Sports Direct. It's a bloody mine field!


I would imagine there may be an inverse correlation between swankiness of gym wear & attendance at a gym.


----------



## Winot (Jan 8, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Hang on. Is this even allowed ^^^?



Post reported.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> Actually I take that back. Apologies, I was wrong. teuchter


----------



## CH1 (Jan 8, 2016)

teuchter said:


> View attachment 81785


My own eyesight is not 100% with this shingles I've got.
That photo looked like Reagan and IDS for a moment.


----------



## editor (Jan 8, 2016)

Biscuits said:


> Brixton wise I would like to know what is happening with two shops up on the hill. The antiques shop is supposedly going to be a coffee shop but it looks like it’s still being fitted out. The old record shop opposite has some fancy new tiling and signage (I think it says ‘alkaline’) but is also still boarded up….
> 
> 
> Anyone know anything?


I love that old antiques shop. I hope they don't trash it too much.


----------



## editor (Jan 8, 2016)

Here's a selection of gigs and clubs for the weekend in and around Brixton: What’s on in Brixton this weekend – bar, gig and club selection for Fri 8th – Sun 10th Jan 2016

Full listing here: Brixton listings

Who's going where tonight?


----------



## MissL (Jan 8, 2016)

editor said:


> I love that old antiques shop. I hope they don't trash it too much.



Brixton


----------



## editor (Jan 8, 2016)

MissL said:


> Brixton


"Gospel" "nomadic by nature."


----------



## MissL (Jan 8, 2016)

editor said:


> "Gospel" "nomadic by nature."



i know. it's just a(nother) coffee shop right?


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 8, 2016)

TruXta said:


> I'm not the person that brought up the impact of physical activity on BMR am I?


 Sorry everyone on this thread I'll never mention food, exercise or BBC tv programs ever again



teuchter said:


> What's the point then?


 the point was that I hate jogging and lyrca



SpamMisery said:


> Im surprised that sitting on your Arsenal burns more than 10% of a normal daily intake. I suppose it obscures the (to me) most important point about weight loss; you still need to burn _x_ calories to not be a fat burden on society


that is a really impolite way to talk about me. 

Now all please shut up about it! unless it is particularly Brixton related.


----------



## Mr Retro (Jan 8, 2016)

deadringer said:


> What constitutes expensive gym wear? I'm assuming the axis of evil of Adidas/Reebok/Nike, but these can be picked up fairly cheap at Sports Direct. It's a bloody mine field!


<sniggers disdainfully at deadringer> At a push you can have Nike. At a push like.

If you're not wearing _as a minimum entry level _Lululemon and Athleta you're probably fat. Sorry.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 8, 2016)

editor said:


> Here's a selection of gigs and clubs for the weekend in and around Brixton: What’s on in Brixton this weekend – bar, gig and club selection for Fri 8th – Sun 10th Jan 2016
> 
> Full listing here: Brixton listings
> 
> Who's going where tonight?


Not much in Brixton for us older femmes these days so we're off to Vauxhall tonight. It's a big night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, drag, cabaret, armwrestling . . .  and no one has ever asked me for ID, or called me fat.


----------



## aka (Jan 8, 2016)

MissL said:


> i know. it's just a(nother) coffee shop right?


we've already got F-Mondays, but I guess that's on the other side of the road, so good luck to them.  I was holding out for a decent cafe to give 'cafe on the hill' a bit of competition.


----------



## SpamMisery (Jan 8, 2016)




----------



## aka (Jan 8, 2016)

F-Mondays is a coffee shop on the RHS of the hill (heading south) 100 yards after the White Horse.  HTH.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 8, 2016)

aka said:


> we've already got F-Mondays, but I guess that's on the other side of the road, so good luck to them.  I was holding out for a decent cafe to give 'cafe on the hill' a bit of competition.



A coffee shop's good news for us on this side of the road.

The ex-record shop is going to serve 'healthy alkaline pressed drinks'

Niece has been singing the praises of Cafe on the Hill, outstanding value breakfasts apparently.


----------



## Winot (Jan 8, 2016)

leanderman said:


> The ex-record shop is going to serve 'healthy alkaline pressed drinks'



For neutralising acid casualties?


----------



## editor (Jan 8, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> Not much in Brixton for us older femmes these days so we're off to Vauxhall tonight. It's a big night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, drag, cabaret, armwrestling . . .  and no one has ever asked me for ID, or called me fat.


There's a Bowie and Elvis night at the Effra Social tonight and Brasilian Beats and World Music at Cabana Brixton's Caipirinha Bar. I might pop in....


----------



## happyshopper (Jan 9, 2016)

leanderman said:


> Niece has been singing the praises of Cafe on the Hill, outstanding value breakfasts apparently.



I still miss the pad Thai.


----------



## Casaubon (Jan 9, 2016)

editor said:


> "Gospel" "nomadic by nature."



'Science has propelled the coffee industry into a new era of enlightenment. We’re now learning new ways to extract coffee, control variables and focus on details that produce the perfect cup of coffee. 

Baristas have become scientists in their own right and cafes are starting to look remarkably like labs.

We are not scientists, nor do we want to work in a lab. We are a couple of guys who have a passion for slinging good coffee, anytime, anywhere.'

They're not exactly winning me over.
 'Scientists in their own right' is the most pretentious thing I've seen in a long time.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 9, 2016)

Casaubon said:


> 'Science has propelled the coffee industry into a new era of enlightenment. We’re now learning new ways to extract coffee, control variables and focus on details that produce the perfect cup of coffee.
> 
> Baristas have become scientists in their own right and cafes are starting to look remarkably like labs.
> 
> ...


I thought that. But then I concluded that that was what they were trying to differentiate themselves from. Rather clumsily.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 9, 2016)

happyshopper said:


> I still miss the pad Thai.


Jars of chilli on every table. Oh yeah.


----------



## cuppa tee (Jan 9, 2016)

looks like the street market in electric avenue will be changing soon.
workmen were out painting pitch numbers in the middle of the street and removing bollards yesterday


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 9, 2016)

cuppa tee said:


> looks like the street market in electric avenue will be changing soon.
> workmen were out painting pitch numbers in the middle of the street and removing bollards yesterday


They're new "pop brixton" pitches, reserved for uber vibrant chai tea & eclectic cheese vendors.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 9, 2016)

I think you'll find they are not pitches at all but parking spaces for the BID board members.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 9, 2016)

Do the plans for doing up Electric avenue include reinstating the glazed arcade canopies along the pavements?


----------



## ShiftyBagLady (Jan 9, 2016)

Something good happening at Pop Brixton: a much needed skateshop run by local skaters. A very nice bunch of people.

They've got an event going on next Saturday too


----------



## Maharani (Jan 9, 2016)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> Something good happening at Pop Brixton: a much needed skateshop run by local skaters. A very nice bunch of people.
> 
> They've got an event going on next Saturday too



Love the can of K!


----------



## ShiftyBagLady (Jan 9, 2016)

Maharani said:


> Love the can of K!


Skate fuel!
(I love how grubby the hand holding it is)


----------



## Rushy (Jan 9, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Do the plans for doing up Electric avenue include reinstating the glazed arcade canopies along the pavements?


Pretty sure that's been ruled out.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 10, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Do the plans for doing up Electric avenue include reinstating the glazed arcade canopies along the pavements?





Rushy said:


> Pretty sure that's been ruled out.


1. I'm pretty sure the original materials were melted down for use in weapons of mass destruction in the Greenham Common era.

2. I am sure the council would be open to sponsorship offers from wealthy local entrepreneurs who have benefited from the community for such a worthy project. Step forward Jerrard M Knight?


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 10, 2016)

editor said:


> There's a Bowie and Elvis night at the Effra Social tonight and Brasilian Beats and World Music at Cabana Brixton's Caipirinha Bar. I might pop in....


Was that reply supposed to be serious suggestions for the older dyke? hmm.

Effra Social have asked me for ID early one friday evening, they did let me in without it but I don't generally bother trying there at weekends because of that.  I can't imagine Elvis and Bowie's music going together either.

How was the Caipirinha Bar?

No competition to RVT - it was better ever, loads of women and wotevers. great fun.


----------



## editor (Jan 10, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> Was that reply supposed to be serious suggestions for the older dyke? hmm.
> 
> Effra Social have asked me for ID early one friday evening, they did let me in without it but I don't generally bother trying there at weekends because of that.  I can't imagine Elvis and Bowie's music going together either.
> 
> ...


The RVT is a great bar - I've played there a couple of times and had some fantastic nights. The Elvis vs Bowie things was good fun, as it happens.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jan 10, 2016)

I'm doing the London Underground radio show this afternoon, *live from Brixton*, playing reggae, dub, hip hop, house, techno, electronica, drum&bass, tune in from 5pm to 8pm 

www.interface.n.nu 

Get in the chatroom for your New Year shout-outs!


----------



## happyshopper (Jan 11, 2016)

David Bowie mural in Tunstall Road becomes Bowie shrine, besieged by TV cameras.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 11, 2016)

happyshopper said:


> David Bowie mural in Tunstall Road becomes Bowie shrine, besieged by TV cameras.


Has that been there long? I've never noticed it. I may have the observational skills of Mr Magoo....


----------



## CH1 (Jan 11, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Has that been there long? I've never noticed it. I may have the observational skills of Mr Magoo....


certainly when it comes to Urban. There was a big hoo hah last year when some ad agency tried painting over it  Brixton’s iconic Bowie mural plastered over with corporate advertising


----------



## Fingers (Jan 11, 2016)




----------



## Fingers (Jan 11, 2016)




----------



## editor (Jan 11, 2016)

Bloody hell. I think tonight's Bowie tribute at the Albert is going to be busy. 

Both the Standard and the Mirror have now featured it. 







LET’S DANCE! Celebrate the genius of David Bowie at our Brixton tribute party TONIGHT


----------



## cuppa tee (Jan 11, 2016)

editor said:


> Bloody hell. I think tonight's Bowie tribute at the Albert is going to be busy.
> 
> Both the Standard and the Mirror have now featured it.
> 
> ...



there's this too........


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 11, 2016)

Fingers said:


> View attachment 81930


 I went past about 1pm and there was a crowd down there, mostly cameramen and media. You couldn't see the mural for cameras they had it completely surrounded. 

I wonder was it just coincidence that the adjacent Morley's windows had large ads for Iman cosmetics, very appropriate.


----------



## gdubz (Jan 11, 2016)

Fingers said:


> View attachment 81930


I wonder if there are similar displays of public grief in Bromley, where he actually lived, and whether the news crews have made it there....? I suspect not....


----------



## CH1 (Jan 11, 2016)

Double post - how did that happen when one has not imbibed since January 1st?


----------



## Sirena (Jan 11, 2016)

Fingers said:


> View attachment 81930


That's right outside my office door.  I shall have to go out with a big brush tomorrow...


----------



## Rushy (Jan 11, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Double post - how did that happen when one has not imbibed since January 1st?


Sounds like you could do with a drink.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 11, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> I went past about 1pm and there was a crowd down there, mostly cameramen and media. You couldn't see the mural for cameras they had it completely surrounded.



At least the attention will stop people pissing there for the next couple of days.  I'd be careful picking up any of those flowers...


----------



## CH1 (Jan 11, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Sounds like you could do with a drink.


I think my wifi needs a drink - now the original post has gone.


----------



## davesgcr (Jan 11, 2016)

editor said:


> Bloody hell. I think tonight's Bowie tribute at the Albert is going to be busy.
> 
> Both the Standard and the Mirror have now featured it.
> 
> ...



When you are fit to report back - an update / summary would be much appreciated. There in spirit....


----------



## colacubes (Jan 12, 2016)

davesgcr said:


> When you are fit to report back - an update / summary would be much appreciated. There in spirit....



Just got back from DJing there.  Had to bail early due to work, but it was an amazing night.  Packed from the start, with queues round the block trying to get in even when I left an hour ago.  Lovely crowd, lovely vibe.  Proper life affirming


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

What is going on? Chuka seems to be discoursing on the class system in Victorian courtship right now on Radio 4!
_
Is there no end to his talents?_


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

CH1 said:


> What is going on? Chuka seems to be discoursing on the class system in Victorian courtship right now on Radio 4!
> _
> Is there no end to his talents?_


Mea Maxima Culpa. Not actually Chuka - but some journalist/social historian who is the "spitting image" voice-wise.
The programme is about lonely herts ads through the ages.
Love the Edwardian ad which stated "No Theosophists."


----------



## twistedAM (Jan 12, 2016)

Are there any voluntary organisations or charities in Brixton that could make use of a load of t-shirts? We have an event at the Windmill on 23 Jan that includes a t-shirt swap and the record label organising it would like to donate any leftovers (there might be some cash too). 
I should also say the t-shirts will mostly be related to obscure indie rock bands


----------



## Winot (Jan 12, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> Are there any voluntary organisations or charities in Brixton that could make use of a load of t-shirts? We have an event at the Windmill on 23 Jan that includes a t-shirt swap and the record label organising it would like to donate any leftovers (there might be some cash too).
> I should also say the t-shirts will mostly be related to obscure indie rock bands



Barnado's? Otherwise there are various people here involved in Calais refugee aid 

Manter


----------



## snowy_again (Jan 12, 2016)

Hustle Bucks maybe?


----------



## cuppa tee (Jan 12, 2016)

nice new moon in clear skies overhead this evening 
e2a some cloud just blew in


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 12, 2016)

cuppa tee said:


> nice new moon in clear skies overhead this evening
> e2a some cloud just blew in


You just had to jinx it, didn't you?!


----------



## cuppa tee (Jan 12, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> You just had to jinx it, didn't you?!


back now but very low in the sky


----------



## trabuquera (Jan 12, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> Are there any voluntary organisations or charities in Brixton that could make use of a load of t-shirts? We have an event at the Windmill on 23 Jan that includes a t-shirt swap and the record label organising it would like to donate any leftovers (there might be some cash too).
> I should also say the t-shirts will mostly be related to obscure indie rock bands


 
Traid (secondhand clothes recycling place on Acre Lane, just opposite the mothballed Town Hall and clock tower) could probably make use of them, either for resale or recycling in Traid's own network, or to go to Calais or other places - they are doing collections specifically for the Jungle et al as well, you just have to mark the bags/containers FOR REFUGEES and take them to the Traid shop.


----------



## Manter (Jan 12, 2016)

trabuquera said:


> Traid (secondhand clothes recycling place on Acre Lane, just opposite the mothballed Town Hall and clock tower) could probably make use of them, either for resale or recycling in Traid's own network, or to go to Calais or other places - they are doing collections specifically for the Jungle et al as well, you just have to mark the bags/containers FOR REFUGEES and take them to the Traid shop.


Traid are collecting v specific things. Obscure indie band t-shirts are not one! Donations for Refugees - TRAID


----------



## Manter (Jan 12, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> Are there any voluntary organisations or charities in Brixton that could make use of a load of t-shirts? We have an event at the Windmill on 23 Jan that includes a t-shirt swap and the record label organising it would like to donate any leftovers (there might be some cash too).
> I should also say the t-shirts will mostly be related to obscure indie rock bands


Traid is a good suggestion, though they won't be suitable for their refugee specific collection. We don't need them in Calais at the moment, we are focused on warm outer layers. We have loads of tshirts etc. they may be eBay-able though if any of them are likely to be collectors-item obscure as opposed to just obscure-obscure?


----------



## Greebo (Jan 12, 2016)

CH1 said:


> What is going on? Chuka seems to be discoursing on the class system in Victorian courtship right now on Radio 4!
> _
> Is there no end to his talents?_


I fear there is _no beginning to his talents.  _


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 12, 2016)

I like the way some one has added Aladdin Sane lightning make up to the Iman cosmetics ad next to the mural.


----------



## aka (Jan 12, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> Are there any voluntary organisations or charities in Brixton that could make use of a load of t-shirts?  snip



suggest that the Remakery | Online would get use out of them for various events and courses.  PM me if you need to contact them.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

Greebo said:


> I fear there is _no beginning to his talents.  _


I'd sooner of had him than Tessa as my MP tbf.


----------



## Greebo (Jan 12, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I'd sooner of had him than Tessa as my MP tbf.


Really?  You'd rather risk being accused of racsim (yes, really) any time you mention that he's a less than great MP?


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

Greebo said:


> Really?  You'd rather risk being accused of racsim (yes, reall) any time you mention that he's a less than great MP?


I once asked Chuka where he was from (socialising after a non Labour party meeting) and he said his family were from Anambra State.
Didn't accuse me of racism then. But then it wasn't in any way a confrontational situation.

Some people are sensitive. I used to have a close friend from Grenada in the Caribbean (not Granada in Spain) who regularly accused me of having a "Jew nose"  though as far as I know I'm as Anglo Saxon as Hengist and Horsa. I would have said that sort of comment was racist - but it was all a long time ago.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 12, 2016)

CH1 said:


> As far as I know I'm as Anglo Saxon as Hengist and Horsa.



Culturally Anglo-Saxon ... the extent of their DNA on this island, compared with that of the earlier 'Britons', has been overestimated.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

leanderman said:


> Culturally Anglo-Saxon ... the extent of their DNA on this island, compared with that of the earlier 'Britons', has been overestimated.


You mean I might have a "Roman Nose"?


----------



## leanderman (Jan 12, 2016)

CH1 said:


> You mean I might have a "Roman Nose"?
> View attachment 81980



Nice try! But nope: their DNA is minimal


----------



## CH1 (Jan 12, 2016)

leanderman said:


> Nice try! But nope: their DNA is minimal


Yes, well that makes me an Amgle then. And accounts for my long felt desire to get rid of the off-shore St George associated with Edward III and replace him with St Edmund a less divisive figure from Bury St Edmunds.


----------



## longvi1991 (Jan 13, 2016)

I'm clearly not the only one with reading comprehension problems.


----------



## editor (Jan 13, 2016)

longvi1991 said:


> I'm clearly not the only one with reading comprehension problems.


Thanks for that but we won't be sticking around for the spam payload to arrive. Enjoy Ho Chi Minh City.


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 14, 2016)

Some Then & Now pics from The Graun.


----------



## happyshopper (Jan 14, 2016)

Tricky Skills said:


> Some Then & Now pics from The Graun.


 I'm dying to hear the Hugh Grant version of 'Electric Avenue'.


----------



## Tolpuddle (Jan 14, 2016)

Guardian today, Brixton gentrification in pictures

Brixton then and now: how much has gentrification changed the area?


----------



## editor (Jan 14, 2016)

Tricky Skills said:


> Some Then & Now pics from The Graun.


What a brilliant idea!


----------



## editor (Jan 14, 2016)

What's happened to the frontage of the old Electric Social (now part of the Blues Kitchen chain). They can't have bricked in the entire window (can they?), so I'm assuming it's some sort of opaque cover?


----------



## Maharani (Jan 14, 2016)

editor said:


> What's happened to the frontage of the old Electric Social (now part of the Blues Kitchen chain). They can't have bricked in the entire window (can they?), so I'm assuming it's some sort of opaque cover?
> 
> View attachment 82056


Window tax...


----------



## teuchter (Jan 14, 2016)




----------



## snowy_again (Jan 14, 2016)

editor said:


> What's happened to the frontage of the old Electric Social (now part of the Blues Kitchen chain). They can't have bricked in the entire window (can they?), so I'm assuming it's some sort of opaque cover?
> 
> View attachment 82056pic



That's now a live music venue so imagine the glass went.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 14, 2016)

The facade looked like it was being proper rebuilt at the time.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 14, 2016)

All that extensive redesign and they can apparently still hear the bass at Arlington Lodge on Brixton Hill.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 14, 2016)

Rushy said:


> All that extensive redesign and they can apparently still hear the bass at Arlington Lodge on Brixton Hill.


I've never met anyone with keener hearing that the chair of the Arlington Lodge TA.


----------



## kittyP (Jan 14, 2016)

Fingers said:


> View attachment 81930



I bet the flower man outside the station made a fortune that day!


----------



## snowy_again (Jan 14, 2016)

Haha, yes and they were quite happy about it too.


----------



## Fingers (Jan 14, 2016)

kittyP said:


> I bet the flower man outside the station made a fortune that day!



he did very well!


----------



## Rushy (Jan 14, 2016)

kittyP said:


> I bet the flower man outside the station made a fortune that day!


There are even more today. Huge heap. Also lots of messages written all over the walls and on Morley's windows.


----------



## xsunnysuex (Jan 15, 2016)

WTF			 

CCTV footage shows the moment a woman tried to stab a 15-year-old boy with a huge kitchen knife as he boarded a bus with his grandmother.

The incident happened on Boxing Day at around 12.30 pm on the Route 133 bus on Brixton Road in Lambeth.

The attacker, who was already on the bus, came up to the teenager and attacked him with a large kitchen knife.

The victim's 51-year-old grandmother managed to wrestle the weapon off the attacker, who then fled towards Oval.

Woman tries to stab 15-year-old boy with huge kitchen knife as he gets on bus with grandmother


----------



## editor (Jan 15, 2016)

For some reason, my story about Brixton being renamed East Clapham is all over social media again and spawning fresh outraged comments!


----------



## Dan U (Jan 15, 2016)

editor said:


> For some reason, my story about Brixton being renamed East Clapham is all over social media again and spawning fresh outraged comments!


Friend of mine in Brighton posted it up earlier on Facebook and someone pointed out the date to her. 

Good satire if it is still going and is plausible!


----------



## Ms Ordinary (Jan 15, 2016)

Anyone going to see this? (It's sold out both nights, today & Sat)

Where Will We Live



> _“Whether you’re green, you’re black, you’re white, we are together. We laugh together. But now I gotta leave. Where will I go?”_
> – Stella, Brixton Arches under threat of eviction
> 
> _“Yeah, it’s white middle-class coming spending their money. Is that such a bad thing? If that’s bringing people in, that’s bringing cash.”_– Jack Hopkins, Lambeth Councillor for jobs and growth
> ...


----------



## DietCokeGirl (Jan 15, 2016)

editor said:


> For some reason, my story about Brixton being renamed East Clapham is all over social media again and spawning fresh outraged comments!


I love the indignation. Its a good satire but theres a few telling hints its a joke.


----------



## editor (Jan 15, 2016)

DietCokeGirl said:


> I love the indignation. Its a good satire but theres a few telling hints its a joke.


I think "Tory councillor Chuck Munna" is a very convincing character 

10k page views today so far!


----------



## editor (Jan 15, 2016)

11.5 k page views now!


----------



## 299 old timer (Jan 15, 2016)

It demands a sequel:
"The backbench adventures of Chuck Munna and his dastardly Tory counterpart Chuck Wonga - ever wonder why you've never seen them in the same room together?"


----------



## CH1 (Jan 15, 2016)

299 old timer said:


> It demands a sequel:
> "The backbench adventures of Chuck Munna and his dastardly Tory counterpart Chuck Wonga - ever wonder why you've never seen them in the same room together?"


Hardly surprising. Streatham is hardly a place for a Tory councillor with lots of Wonga these days.


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 15, 2016)

Almost 22,000 hits for that story alone today. The modern interweb is BONKERS.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 15, 2016)

According to The Standard the former head of Railtrack has just been appointed to the £250,000 post of CEO of SEGRO - formerly known as Brixton Estate.

Railtrack collapsed into a government bail-out in 2003 after three rail crashes (Now called Network Rail). They know a thing or two about railway arches and shopping malls.

Hence the fit. Brixton Estate merged some years ago with Slough Estate and runs serviced offices, warehousing and shopping centres as SEGRO. Their first premises was the building a 1-3 Brixton Road now called Kennington Park, and partly occupied by Decca Records until the 1960s.

The moral of all this is:

1. There is nothing you can't live down in business
2. Big business in Lambeth is as bizarre and unaccountable as big politics in the Town Hall.


----------



## editor (Jan 16, 2016)

The Bowie shrine is still very popular.

















David Bowie Brixton Mural shrine: five days


----------



## editor (Jan 16, 2016)

Tricky Skills said:


> Almost 22,000 hits for that story alone today. The modern interweb is BONKERS.


It's unstoppable! Nearly 38k hits now with more ANGRY  comments.


----------



## gaijingirl (Jan 16, 2016)

For her 6th birthday my daughter wants dinner (aka FEB) at her absolute favourite Cafe Max.  We normally go Sunday mornings - do they still do FEB on weekdays at around 6/7pm?  Anyone know?


----------



## editor (Jan 16, 2016)

I didn't realise my interview would form the entire article on ITV News, but here you go: 
What it was like to be at the Brixton Bowie remembrance gig


----------



## editor (Jan 17, 2016)

The slither of snow from last night.


----------



## Ms T (Jan 18, 2016)

gaijingirl said:


> For her 6th birthday my daughter wants dinner (aka FEB) at her absolute favourite Cafe Max.  We normally go Sunday mornings - do they still do FEB on weekdays at around 6/7pm?  Anyone know?


I popped in for coffee earlier and asked what time they close -- not until 11pm.


----------



## gaijingirl (Jan 18, 2016)

Ms T said:


> I popped in for coffee earlier and asked what time they close -- not until 11pm.



Thanks for asking, that'd kind of you.  I knew they were open late (didn't realise it was *that* late) but wasn't sure if they'd still do the FEB.  It's actually her b'day today and, in the end, we went to another Portuguese place at the end of my road that she likes - which was probably the right thing to do as I'm bunged up with a cold.  Hopefully see you there some Sunday soon though.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 18, 2016)

Does anyone know/ have experience of selling gold to any of the pawn shops in Brixton? Will I get a decent price in Brixton or should I hawk it up town or elsewhere? I've only got one small item I need to sell. A quick look on line shows a huge variation in prices - but I don't know who to trust and I don't want to get ripped off.  Any recommendations would be appreciated, feel free to pm me. Thanks.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 18, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> Does anyone know/ have experience of selling gold to any of the pawn shops in Brixton? Will I get a decent price in Brixton or should I hawk it up town or elsewhere? I've only got one small item I need to sell. A quick look on line shows a huge variation in prices - but I don't know who to trust and I don't want to get ripped off.  Any recommendations would be appreciated, feel free to pm me. Thanks.



http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/gold-selling-sites


----------



## Winot (Jan 18, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> Does anyone know/ have experience of selling gold to any of the pawn shops in Brixton? Will I get a decent price in Brixton or should I hawk it up town or elsewhere? I've only got one small item I need to sell. A quick look on line shows a huge variation in prices - but I don't know who to trust and I don't want to get ripped off.  Any recommendations would be appreciated, feel free to pm me. Thanks.



Not in Brixton but I have sold gold (a filling!) in Hatton Garden. Went into 2 places (one of which has been recommended by a jeweller friend) and was offered pretty much the same price in each so figured I wasn't being ripped off.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 18, 2016)

thanks​


----------



## LadyV (Jan 19, 2016)

Got some takeaway fish'n'chips from the new take out window at Chip Shop on CHL/Atlantic Road on Friday, they weren't bad, not proper chip shop chips though which let them down, never eaten in the restaurant so can't compare. Price wise £7.50 for haddock and chips which I think is about average these days

Probably wouldn't go back for a few reasons, 1, it was far too cold to stand around in the outside waiting for them to be ready, 2, the chips, they just weren't right, 3, I felt as if I was being unfaithful to Jimmys Plaice plus Jimmys does proper chips!


----------



## editor (Jan 19, 2016)

LadyV said:


> Got some takeaway fish'n'chips from the new take out window at Chip Shop on CHL/Atlantic Road on Friday, they weren't bad, not proper chip shop chips though which let them down, never eaten in the restaurant so can't compare. Price wise £7.50 for haddock and chips which I think is about average these days
> 
> Probably wouldn't go back for a few reasons, 1, it was far too cold to stand around in the outside waiting for them to be ready, 2, the chips, they just weren't right, 3, I felt as if I was being unfaithful to Jimmys Plaice plus Jimmys does proper chips!


Indeed. Why go for second best (and pay more) when there's the magnificence of Jimmy's Plaice?


----------



## Rushy (Jan 19, 2016)

LadyV said:


> Got some takeaway fish'n'chips from the new take out window at Chip Shop on CHL/Atlantic Road on Friday, they weren't bad, not proper chip shop chips though which let them down, never eaten in the restaurant so can't compare. Price wise £7.50 for haddock and chips which I think is about average these days
> 
> Probably wouldn't go back for a few reasons, 1, it was far too cold to stand around in the outside waiting for them to be ready, 2, the chips, they just weren't right, 3, I felt as if I was being unfaithful to Jimmys Plaice plus Jimmys does proper chips!


Is that the same as the hip hop place? I was persuaded to have lunch in there last week and was surprised. Half roast chicken with rice and salad (or you could have chips) for £8 or £8.50. It was beautifully done. One of the people I was with had tuna steak - chunky and perfectly cooked. Same people who run Brixton Grill in the village. We were wavering about dessert so they gave us a slice of cheese cake to share. It was big enough for the three of us. And delicious. I find the hip hop theme a bit of a turn off but once inside it's not in your face at all.


----------



## Manter (Jan 19, 2016)

-5 in Calais last night and there is a real risk of hypothermia or even death. Children a pillows are frozen solid and there are still refugees without socks. If you have any money to spare at all please please consider buying something off www.leisurefayre.com (click on the help refugees banner on the main page and it will take you to a page of desperately needed things) 

It will be delivered free straight to the warehouse and is a wholesaler so really cheap. A blanket is £3.50 and might save someone's life.

I know this isn't Brixton specific but there is a huge Brixton crew that go out regularly and we'd be so grateful for the support.


----------



## spitfire (Jan 19, 2016)

4 blankets sent, thanks for the link.


----------



## Winot (Jan 19, 2016)

Done


----------



## sparkybird (Jan 19, 2016)

Just got back in  - it's freezing out there - I count my blessings that I can come back to a warm home.

Manter, thanks for reminding me about those who are not so lucky - blankets and socks on their way

xxx


----------



## Manter (Jan 19, 2016)

Thank you all so much. xx


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 19, 2016)

Manter said:


> Thank you all so much. xx


am at the checkout and it just occurred to me that I might be better giving cash with GiftAid?  Is there somewhere I can do that or is it best to buy direct from that site as they've already discounted and sorted shipping etc?


----------



## Manter (Jan 19, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> am at the checkout and it just occurred to me that I might be better giving cash with GiftAid?  Is there somewhere I can do that or is it best to buy direct from that site as they've already discounted and sorted shipping etc?


Sorry for delay responding- they get a discount and it works out at better than gift aid for those items.


----------



## Miss-Shelf (Jan 20, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> am at the checkout and it just occurred to me that I might be better giving cash with GiftAid?  Is there somewhere I can do that or is it best to buy direct from that site as they've already discounted and sorted shipping etc?


1-  You can give a donation with leisurefayre and the refugee organisations will get that as a credit and spend it on items they want which come straight to them (grassroots volunteer organisations I mean)

2- there are some other links down the page which ask for money towards things eg food for the camp kitchens 

3- most UK people operating in northern France are not charities and can't gift aid.  They are loose collections of people who got together to help in the absence of any proper charities


----------



## Winot (Jan 20, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> am at the checkout and it just occurred to me that I might be better giving cash with GiftAid?  Is there somewhere I can do that or is it best to buy direct from that site as they've already discounted and sorted shipping etc?



If you'd prefer to Gift Aid then one option is to donate to these people:

Gift Aid Explained

(Edited to add UK link)


----------



## LadyV (Jan 20, 2016)

editor said:


> Indeed. Why go for second best (and pay more) when there's the magnificence of Jimmy's Plaice?


Exactly, plus Jimmy's Plaice has somewhere to sit and it's usually nice and toasty in there. That said might go into Chip Shop to eat in next time I'm out in Brixton rather than just going home


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 20, 2016)

Manter said:


> Sorry for delay responding- they get a discount and it works out at better than gift aid for those items.


Thanks

Ended up checking out but thought it would be worth checking


----------



## mango5 (Jan 20, 2016)

snowy_again said:


> Latest CoolTan Arts shenanigans (potential paywall)


All the information about the shenanigans is quite incoherent. There was a demo outside last week. I spoke to various people and not got much more info.  Whatever the issues are, it's a rotten situation for local folk who participate in CoolTan's activities.
Some more info here


----------



## CH1 (Jan 20, 2016)

mango5 said:


> All the information about the shenanigans is quite incoherent. There was a demo outside last week. I spoke to various people and not got much more info.  Whatever the issues are, it's a rotten situation for local folk who participate in CoolTan's activities.
> Some more info here


I know nothing about this - though may investigate further if it is not resolved. I would say that unfortunately in Mental Health charities is is quite normal to have massive problems due to bitter personal disputes.

Southwark MIND came a cropper a couple of years ago and had to be restructured as the dispute became legal challenges, and being unincorporated, the organisation's trustees could have been at risk of personal financial liability.

The MIND functions were merged into Lambeth MIND (a company limited by guarantee) and the more free-wheeling community activities (mainly poetry writing I gather) moved into another organisation called Southwark Association for Mental Health.


----------



## Casaubon (Jan 20, 2016)

I've just received the latest edition of Lambeth Talk, and this piece on Somerleyton Rd caught my eye.



I'm sure the ex-residents of Carlton Mansions will be happy to hear that 'the local community will be involved in the long-term management of the development'.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 20, 2016)

Casaubon said:


> I've just received the latest edition of Lambeth Talk, and this piece on Somerleyton Rd caught my eye.
> 
> View attachment 82418
> 
> I'm sure the ex-residents of Carlton Mansions will be happy to hear that 'the local community will be involved in the long-term management of the development'.


If I have my north south east and west correct then that means the architects have designed the New Oval House Theatre as a tribute to Carney House opposite?

Couldn't they have got Ms Zaha Hadid to do a bit of pro bono and produced a giant cockroach astride the railway line?

Sorry - just really annoyed not to have been named and shamed as an anarchist!


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 20, 2016)

A sad sign of the times...

Had to phone up Boots opticians today to make an appointment, got through to their main call centre - which, as I learned from the nice lady on the phone, is in Nottingham.

She asked which branch I wanted to go to, I said the Clapham one as it's the nearest, she said yep fine, then she asked where I lived & I said Brixton, to which she replied "ohhh, very trendy!".

The mention of Clapham, for years the home of trendy yuppie wankers, didn't get so much as peep, but even yokels in Nottingham now think Brixton is super trendy. Where did it all go so wrong....


----------



## Manter (Jan 20, 2016)

Winot said:


> If you'd prefer to Gift Aid then one option is to donate to these people:
> 
> Gift Aid Explained
> 
> (Edited to add UK link)


MSF are wonderful- they are the first NGO I started working with in Calais (they have now passed waste and sanitation to Acted, and moved into more of their sweet spot). They are also building (and funding) the new camp at Dunkirk. Apparently the way they got permission is by saying they were going to build it anyway!


----------



## teuchter (Jan 20, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> A sad sign of the times...
> 
> Had to phone up Boots opticians today to make an appointment, got through to their main call centre - which, as I learned from the nice lady on the phone, is in Nottingham.
> 
> ...



Yes, I have noticed same on mentioning Brixton recently. Not that long ago that there was a still moderate chance of raised eyebrows and questions about whether "things had got any better round there".

I now seldom say I live in Brixton.


----------



## ffsear (Jan 20, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Where did it all go so wrong....




It started with the 1980's and 1990's deregulation of the banks.   London became the home of the greedy.  And they all need 3-4 houses.


----------



## Harbourite (Jan 20, 2016)

ffsear said:


> It started with the 1980's and 1990's deregulation of the banks.   London became the home of the greedy.  And they all need 3-4 houses.


perhaps you can escape from it all for an hour at the Oubliette on Acre Lane. Mr Benn for hipsters? My mild claustrophobia means I'll give it a miss - has anyone been or know anything about it?

Elsewhere, I wandered mistakenly into "Doddle" opposite the tube station yesterday and was greeted by a "parcelista". And I ran, I ran so far away. 

I just ran.


----------



## ffsear (Jan 20, 2016)

We also have a generation of self appointed "entrepreneurs"  and individuals who declare themselves as being part of the "creative class"

Creative being that they got as 2.2 in media studies at some mickey mouse university and now work a desk job at an advertising agency and can't afford to live in Balham.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 21, 2016)

Harbourite said:


> perhaps you can escape from it all for an hour at the Oubliette on Acre Lane. Mr Benn for hipsters? My mild claustrophobia means I'll give it a miss - has anyone been or know anything about it?
> 
> Elsewhere, I wandered mistakenly into "Doddle" opposite the tube station yesterday and was greeted by a "parcelista". And I ran, I ran so far away.
> 
> I just ran.


So you think parcel service is a form of prostitution?


----------



## Winot (Jan 21, 2016)

Harbourite said:


> perhaps you can escape from it all for an hour at the Oubliette on Acre Lane. Mr Benn for hipsters? My mild claustrophobia means I'll give it a miss - has anyone been or know anything about it?
> 
> Elsewhere, I wandered mistakenly into "Doddle" opposite the tube station yesterday and was greeted by a "parcelista". And I ran, I ran so far away.
> 
> I just ran.



Haven't been to Oubliette but I've done a similar thing a couple of times with mates. Escape rooms are increasing popular, and great fun.


----------



## Peanut Monkey (Jan 21, 2016)

Lambeth have just tweeted this about the Bowie memorial.


----------



## Happy House (Jan 21, 2016)

Peanut Monkey said:


> Lambeth have just tweeted this about the Bowie memorial.



A plaque? Naming a street in David Bowie's honour? The late, great starman would reject this.


----------



## Happy House (Jan 21, 2016)

ffsear said:


> We also have a generation of self appointed "entrepreneurs"  and individuals who declare themselves as being part of the "creative class"
> 
> Creative being that they got as 2.2 in media studies at some mickey mouse university and now work a desk job at an advertising agency and can't afford to live in Balham.


What's wrong with a desk job at an ad agency? The way property prices in London are heading, the majority of recent graduates cannot afford to rent a studio flat in Zone 6, let alone buy a house in Balham.


----------



## editor (Jan 21, 2016)

Brixton sunset:












In photos: A golden wintry sunset over Brixton


----------



## story (Jan 21, 2016)

Oh my god. Trinity Arms. Really white, really young, really beardy, really HomeCunties Pronunciation. really not from round here.


----------



## Winot (Jan 21, 2016)

story said:


> Oh my god. Trinity Arms. Really white, really young, really beardy, really HomeCunties Pronunciation. really not from round here.



Here for the Maccabees at the Academy?


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 21, 2016)

story said:


> Oh my god. Trinity Arms. Really white, really young, really beardy, really HomeCunties Pronunciation. really not from round here.


I really like the Trinity

I really dislike a load of the people that drink there now

Annoying

The point about the gig is good though - is a lot better/worse some times than others


----------



## Maharani (Jan 21, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I know nothing about this - though may investigate further if it is not resolved. I would say that unfortunately in Mental Health charities is is quite normal to have massive problems due to bitter personal disputes.
> 
> Southwark MIND came a cropper a couple of years ago and had to be restructured as the dispute became legal challenges, and being unincorporated, the organisation's trustees could have been at risk of personal financial liability.
> 
> The MIND functions were merged into Lambeth MIND (a company limited by guarantee) and the more free-wheeling community activities (mainly poetry writing I gather) moved into another organisation called Southwark Association for Mental Health.


Not all MH charities but indeed the larger ones are very political places.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 21, 2016)

story said:


> Oh my god. Trinity Arms. Really white, really young, really beardy, really HomeCunties Pronunciation. really not from round here.


Really white?! What does that mean?


----------



## Rushy (Jan 21, 2016)

Trinity has always been pretty white, in my experience. Even when the bar was mostly propped up by older local chaps. And I was probably in there two or three nights a week when I lived around the corner.


----------



## OvalhouseDB (Jan 21, 2016)

editor said:


> For some reason, my story about Brixton being renamed East Clapham is all over social media again and spawning fresh outraged comments!


Two of our young front of house staff told me this tonight, with some horror. I said it was old news and that Clapham residents were now asking that Clapham Common be re-named West Brixton. They believed me for a moment, until I rescued them from their even more extreme horror.


----------



## shifting gears (Jan 21, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Trinity has always been pretty white, in my experience. Even when the bar was mostly propped up by older local chaps. And I was probably in there two or three nights a week when I lived around the corner.



Much as it pains me to agree with the poster I'm quoting, as I have nothing in common with him and often retch when reading his posts, but the above is true. The Trinity has always been an inordinately white, middle class boozer, both clientele and staff. I took an Asian ex in there a few times, and although she liked it, she certainly noticed. All that said, it's a nice pub - just not one reflective of the diversity in Brixton (some of us) know and love.


----------



## editor (Jan 21, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Much as it pains me to agree with the poster I'm quoting, as I have nothing in common with him and often retch when reading his posts, but the above is true. The Trinity has always been an inordinately white, middle class boozer, both clientele and staff. I took an Asian ex in there a few times, and although she liked it, she certainly noticed. All that said, it's a nice pub - just not one reflective of the diversity in Brixton (some of us) know and love.


It's pleasant enough, but it's not the kind of boozer I'm interested in. All a bit too Home Counties to me.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 21, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Trinity has always been pretty white, in my experience. Even when the bar was mostly propped up by older local chaps. And I was probably in there two or three nights a week when I lived around the corner.


Older chaps = council hacks.
They are being "regenerated"!


----------



## Rushy (Jan 21, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Much as it pains me to agree with the poster I'm quoting, as I have nothing in common with him and often retch when reading his posts, but the above is true. The Trinity has always been an inordinately white, middle class boozer, both clientele and staff. I took an Asian ex in there a few times, and although she liked it, she certainly noticed. All that said, it's a nice pub - just not one reflective of the diversity in Brixton (some of us) know and love.



You've had a _girlfriend_?


----------



## T & P (Jan 21, 2016)

So long as venues do not seek to manage or influence the racial makeout of its clientele in any way, I have always been wary of criticising any establishment on the basis of its racial demographics myself. Some bars and pubs are pretty mixed, some have punters of predominantly one racial group, and others are almost exclusively patronised by people of the same skin colour. I'm not one to judge The Trinity because most customers are white any more than I would judge, say, the bar on Norwood Road which name escapes me whose clientele is almost exclusively black. That way madness lies IMO.


----------



## Manter (Jan 21, 2016)

That's easy to say when the predominant demographic is white and you're white I guess. I'd not speak for how a poc felt in a bar that was mostly white... I have no way of knowing and suspect it depends on the bar and the person involved.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 21, 2016)

Casaubon said:


> I've just received the latest edition of Lambeth Talk, and this piece on Somerleyton Rd caught my eye.
> 
> View attachment 82418
> 
> I'm sure the ex-residents of Carlton Mansions will be happy to hear that 'the local community will be involved in the long-term management of the development'.



Apparently the issue of the mural is not so clear cut. 

Perhaps boohoo can give us an update. 

I try to not read this PR. 

Its about time the Council explained how exactly the community will be involved in the management.

I would also like to know how the Tories new Housing and Planning Bill will affect the scheme. 

From what I have read having a Coop will not stop RTB under the new bill.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 22, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Apparently the issue of the mural is not so clear cut.
> Perhaps boohoo can give us an update.
> I try to not read this PR.
> Its about time the Council explained how exactly the community will be involved in the management.
> ...


I was taken with the picture of Jane Edbrooke's sniffer dog - which she will use to sniff out illegal tobacco apparently (page 5)

I don't think this means wacky baccy - more untaxed baccy.

Why is the council doing the job of Customs and Excise for them, when they normally complain they have been given 56% cuts and can't do anything at all other than cut their normal services, collect the council tax and award community grants to erect shipping containers?

Also I note that we in Coldharbour Lane have been spared this organ (at least so far this year). I only know what's in it due to flat minding for a friend in Morval Road.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 22, 2016)

Was checking out Brixton Domino Club on Facebook - and find the 2 nearest public facilities are HM Brixton Prison and Brixton Prison Clubhouse
Brixton Domino Club, Coldharbour Lane - London, United Kingdom - Clubhouse | Facebook

Ominous - is this sterotyping by Facebook, and if so by which criteria? I think we should be told!


----------



## Maharani (Jan 22, 2016)

Does anyone know if Clubhouse, the Mind organisation on Brixton Road has closed down?


----------



## CH1 (Jan 22, 2016)

Maharani said:


> Does anyone know if Clubhouse, the Mind organisation on Brixton Road has closed down?


Clubhouse is very much up and running, although it is nothing to do with MIND and is on Effra Road, not Brixton Road.

According to Lambeth Council's "The Collaborative" which is supposed to co-ordinate our mental health it is a Vibrant Hub.

The canteen is quite good - but much too cheap for Urbanites (50 p for instant coffee, 60 p for "percolated" I believe).

I go there on Mondays for them to weigh me, measure my blood pressure and ask me questions about my mood state.

You can get drawn into it - it has a "work ethos" which means people who have been dumped for years in bedsits on Olanzapine and now weight 20 stone can learn basic office skills, cooking or gardening.

If they are really keen they can the do a ¼ share job in supported employment, with a view to progressing further.

I have to say I don't fancy all that myself, but in my view the Club house pisses all over the Effra Day Centre which previously had that building.

Its just a pity their old premises in Thornton Ward were sold off to be used as a private Catholic Gells school charging £14,000 a term.

I expect that is where Mark Carney's daughters go.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 22, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Clubhouse is very much up and running, although it is nothing to do with MIND and is on Effra Road, not Brixton Road.
> 
> According to Lambeth Council's "The Collaborative" which is supposed to co-ordinate our mental health it is a Vibrant Hub.
> 
> ...



Thanks. I meant Mosaic not Mind!


----------



## trabuquera (Jan 22, 2016)

Does anyone know how long the road resurfacing work on Acre Lane/Coldharbour Lane/Brixton Rd junction is going to go on? The hammering beeping crushing drilling and flashing lights are doing my head in, haven't slept properly for days. (Of course I know the work is necessary, was looking at the bus lanes on Acre La the other day and noticing the road surface looked like an especially 'homemade' crumble topping, with massive craters and bumps all over - just want to know how long it will last.)


----------



## OvalhouseDB (Jan 22, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Apparently the issue of the mural is not so clear cut.
> 
> Perhaps boohoo can give us an update.
> 
> ...


The preservation of the mural is definitely within all the architects plans and costings - and is within the scheme approved at Planning. The Plannning committee specifically mentioned the preservation of the mural.

Long term management has been the subject of some intense scrutiny and exploration by a Task and Finish group (aka working party) - to take into account all the issues you raise and more, including the feedback from the community throughout all the various consultations, and the financial viability. I haven't been a member of that group and not yet party to the complexities of the discussion, but once the recommendations are reported the next steps will be publicly reported.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 22, 2016)

Local musician Misty Miller in today's Standard: Misty Miller on the Brixton Windmill, punk rock and her kind of feminism


----------



## boohoo (Jan 22, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Much as it pains me to agree with the poster I'm quoting, as I have nothing in common with him and often retch when reading his posts, but the above is true. The Trinity has always been an inordinately white, middle class boozer, both clientele and staff. I took an Asian ex in there a few times, and although she liked it, she certainly noticed. All that said, it's a nice pub - just not one reflective of the diversity in Brixton (some of us) know and love.



Retching when reading internet posts? time to visit the doctor.


----------



## boohoo (Jan 22, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Apparently the issue of the mural is not so clear cut.
> 
> Perhaps boohoo can give us an update.



I have heard little from anyone about the mural - It is something I need to chase up. 

It needs a lot of work as it has really deteriorated in the last few years.


----------



## OvalhouseDB (Jan 22, 2016)

boohoo said:


> I have heard little from anyone about the mural - It is something I need to chase up.
> 
> It needs a lot of work as it has really deteriorated in the last few years.


Do you still have Zac's contact?


----------



## boohoo (Jan 22, 2016)

OvalhouseDB said:


> Do you still have Zac's contact?



yes I do. Shall I chase him on this?


----------



## OvalhouseDB (Jan 22, 2016)

boohoo said:


> yes I do. Shall I chase him on this?


Yes, he will have all the details of the works scheduled to make the wall and render stable and preserve the artwork.
Timetable won't be known definitely until the procurement process for the contractors is complete.


----------



## kikiscrumbles (Jan 23, 2016)

Sad to hear today - while buying essentials from Diamond plumbers' merchants on Acre Lane - that they are soon to leave. Boss has sold the site for more than £5m! Inevitably, more flats. 
A load of jobbing fellas in the queue were really quite distraught...


----------



## CH1 (Jan 23, 2016)

kikiscrumbles said:


> Sad to hear today - while buying essentials from Diamond plumbers' merchants on Acre Lane - that they are soon to leave. Boss has sold the site for more than £5m! Inevitably, more flats.
> A load of jobbing fellas in the queue were really quite distraught...


Plumbase too Both Brixton Plumbers merchants to shut - flats push out more jobs


----------



## shifting gears (Jan 23, 2016)

boohoo said:


> Retching when reading internet posts? time to visit the doctor.



Nah I'm good, thanks. I get the same reading yours and teuchters often, too.

I'll cope.


----------



## shifting gears (Jan 23, 2016)

Rushy said:


> You've had a _girlfriend_?



Yes, even us poor people can get a date now and then , without being successful property magnates!


----------



## kikiscrumbles (Jan 23, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Plumbase too Both Brixton Plumbers merchants to shut - flats push out more jobs



Thanks CH1 - thoroughly depressing reading...


----------



## boohoo (Jan 23, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Nah I'm good, thanks. I get the same reading yours and teuchters often, too.
> 
> I'll cope.



Really? I am so controversial - organising clothes swaps and south london drinks.


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

Extremely fluff-tastic article on Brixton: Eight things you’ll learn if you live in Brixton


----------



## Ms T (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> Extremely fluff-tastic article on Brixton: Eight things you’ll learn if you live in Brixton


Amazingly, I have lived in Brixton for more than 20 years without succumbing to the siren call of McDonalds.


----------



## T & P (Jan 24, 2016)

That was a shockingly pointless article, that was.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 24, 2016)

Ms T said:


> Amazingly, I have lived in Brixton for more than 20 years without succumbing to the siren call of McDonalds.


I've been in there a couple of times for a pee. More a call of nature than sirens though...


----------



## Peanut Monkey (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> Extremely fluff-tastic article on Brixton: Eight things you’ll learn if you live in Brixton



According to her biog at the bottom of the article, the writer doesn't actually live in Brixton.


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

Peanut Monkey said:


> According to her biog at the bottom of the article, the writer doesn't actually live in Brixton.


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 24, 2016)

Anyone got recommendations for somewhere in Brixton/Herne Hill/Camberwell to cut a 2 year olds hair?
I'm too chicken.


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

Street market scenes:






















Brixton at night: street market scenes in photos


----------



## Rushy (Jan 24, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Yes, even us poor people can get a date now and then.



I'm delighted to hear it. A date is a great start and means that there is still every chance that you might find a girlfriend one day. You just need to work out what has been getting in the way of the former developing into the latter. It's only a hunch but I suspect that you may need to look a little further than the current state of your bank balance.


----------



## aka (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> Extremely fluff-tastic article on Brixton: Eight things you’ll learn if you live in Brixton





Peanut Monkey said:


> According to her biog at the bottom of the article, the writer doesn't actually live in Brixton.


yeah. Miles away in somewhere called Streatham apparently.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 24, 2016)

aka said:


> yeah. Miles away in somewhere called Streatham apparently.


Moved there from Brixton, she says. Shocking.


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

The great Valentine's cash in has begun. Salon are charging a minimum of £46.50 each for a set menu with a single glass of champagne. So around £100 for two people.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 24, 2016)

boohoo said:


> Really? I am so controversial - organising clothes swaps and south london drinks.







I understand that the character of Erik, perpetuously unimpressed teenager in "House of Fools" was based on urban75's very own shifting gears. I fear none of us will ever attain approval. Personally I am happy to take it as a compliment.


----------



## aka (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> The great Valentine's cash in has begun. Salon are charging a minimum of £46.50 each for a set menu with a single glass of champagne. So around £100 for two people.


Nowt on their website. Is there a link for menu etc.


----------



## aka (Jan 24, 2016)

perpetuously?


----------



## CH1 (Jan 24, 2016)

aka said:


> perpetuously?


What are you talking about - the perpetuous mortgage required to dine at such monstrous prices?


----------



## aka (Jan 24, 2016)

CH1 said:


> What are you talking about - the perpetuous mortgage required to dine at such monstrous prices?


I was being a twat on a different topic dude. That's the problem with general topic threading. Look up. (Or down - fucking threading)


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

aka said:


> Nowt on their website. Is there a link for menu etc.


Right here. Have you a £100 to spare then?


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> Right here. Have you a £100 to spare then?



Does their printer not have a '£' sign?


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Does their printer not have a '£' sign?


'£' symbols are just soooooooooo yesterday, dear.


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

Oh well done the doofus workers in Valentia Place who managed to block off the road to fire engines


----------



## editor (Jan 24, 2016)

Has Gamesmaster gone under? There's a sign saying they've 'closed for refurbishment' but then there's this:


----------



## CH1 (Jan 24, 2016)

editor said:


> Has Gamesmaster gone under? There's a sign saying they've 'closed for refurbishment' but then there's this:
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 82597


My vision is a bit dicky in this light. but looks like the landlords are off-shore.

What do you think? GOVERNSIDE LIMITED :: OpenCorporates

Have you come across them before?

Maybe they're the ones Private Eye used to moan about - who bought a job lot of tax offices for a song and promptly leased them back to HMG?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 24, 2016)

aka said:


> perpetuously?


Yes. It will be added to the next edition of OED.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jan 24, 2016)

CH1 said:


> My vision is a bit dicky in this light. but looks like the landlords are off-shore.
> 
> What do you think? GOVERNSIDE LIMITED :: OpenCorporates
> 
> ...



That was Mapeley.


----------



## Maharani (Jan 24, 2016)

Does anyone know how much residents'  parking permits are? Lambeth website wants me to log in before they tell me how much.


----------



## madolesance (Jan 24, 2016)

Maharani said:


> Does anyone know how much residents'  parking permits are? Lambeth website wants me to log in before they tell me how much.



No you don't- http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pts-emission-price-plan.pdf


----------



## Maharani (Jan 24, 2016)

madolesance said:


> No you don't- http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pts-emission-price-plan.pdf


Nice one. Thanks.


----------



## se5 (Jan 24, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> Anyone got recommendations for somewhere in Brixton/Herne Hill/Camberwell to cut a 2 year olds hair?
> I'm too chicken.



We took our children (and continue to take them) to Michaels hairdressers on Denmark Road, SE5 (near to Myatts Fields Park) mainly because my partner gets her hair cut there and its local - its been going for many years and has got a nice calm community feel. The owner and staff are all experienced and so able to advise/cut in the best way and make  children feel at home


----------



## Winot (Jan 25, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> Anyone got recommendations for somewhere in Brixton/Herne Hill/Camberwell to cut a 2 year olds hair?
> I'm too chicken.



Boki on Norwood Rd  overlooking the park. Gets very busy though so you will need to book.


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 25, 2016)

Ta for the tips


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 25, 2016)

Saw this in Brixton on Saturday. Sand sculptures. I have seen this in West End as well.


----------



## T & P (Jan 25, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Saw this in Brixton on Saturday. Sand sculptures. I have seen this in West End as well.


Apparently no one ever sees them being created from scratch. Still, if it brings coinage to them, fair dos.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 25, 2016)

T & P said:


> Apparently no one ever sees them being created from scratch. Still, if it brings coinage to them, fair dos.



This one was not finished when I saw it. Hence the tools around it. Asked the guy to let me photo it without him working on it.

I have seen him do it from scratch in the West End. As he starts it in the morning.

At end of day he keeps the sand in the cloth its on in photo and carries it off.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 26, 2016)

T & P said:


> Apparently no one ever sees them being created from scratch. Still, if it brings coinage to them, fair dos.



I have seen reports - denied - of a cardboard mould being used.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 26, 2016)

I would use a mould. Why waste time doing the same thing each day. And it's cold out.


----------



## twistedAM (Jan 26, 2016)

editor said:


> '£' symbols are just soooooooooo yesterday, dear.



So is putting a zero at the end, so £2.50 become 2.5. It's the artisan way of doing things. First noticed it at Fuck Mondays, the most artisan cafe on Brixton Hill.


----------



## editor (Jan 26, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> So is putting a zero at the end, so £2.50 become 2.5. It's the artisan way of doing things. First noticed it at Fuck Mondays, the most artisan cafe on Brixton Hill.


Gotcha. And shortening street names and making up local areas is on trend too, so if I opened up a cafe near me, my advert would read:

Artisanal Flat White for 2.7 at The Old Corrugated Iron Factory - 367 Coldharbour - Barrier Block Quarter - Brixton.

Fuck that place sounds great. I'm on my way!


----------



## twistedAM (Jan 26, 2016)

editor said:


> Gotcha. And shortening street names and making up local areas is on trend too, so if I opened up a cafe near me, my advert would read:
> 
> Artisanal Flat White for 2.7 at The Old Corrugated Iron Factory - 367 Coldharbour - Barrier Block Quarter - Brixton.
> 
> Fuck that place sounds great. I'm on my way!



I've got a rule of thumb that if the word artisan appears on a menu the place is probably run by some chancer who googled around a bit for an idea and asked daddy for a loan.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 26, 2016)

Insightful.


----------



## leanderman (Jan 26, 2016)

twistedAM said:


> So is putting a zero at the end, so £2.50 become 2.5. It's the artisan way of doing things. First noticed it at Fuck Mondays, the most artisan cafe on Brixton Hill.



Until the one opens opposite. It looks even more artisanal in there!


----------



## twistedAM (Jan 26, 2016)

teuchter said:


> Insightful.



Well if the place actually was any good they wouldn't have to ram the "a" word down your throat. 
Like what the hell is an artisanal brioche bun when it's at home? If a good place was proud of its bread it would name the supplier.


----------



## T & P (Jan 27, 2016)

I myself pay very little attention to whatever grammatical or writing style a given venue might use. At the end of the day what counts is the actual vibe and clientele of the place when you visit it, not what the management churns out for their literature/ menus, or whether Pound signs and decimal points are used.


----------



## Lucy Fur (Jan 27, 2016)




----------



## Rushy (Jan 27, 2016)

It would seem I've stumbled into the AGM of the little England conservative association.

Agenda:

Victuallers pricing: a threat to integrity of Great British pound.
The moral danger of unfamiliar food types.
A gentleman's guide to English address writing.


----------



## shifting gears (Jan 27, 2016)

Rushy said:


> It would seem I've stumbled into the AGM of the little England conservative association.
> 
> 
> [/LIST]



Stumbled? You're the chief treasurer.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 27, 2016)

shifting gears said:


> Stumbled? You're the chief treasurer.


I think you are confusing big and small C. Easy mistake Shifty. How was your date?


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 27, 2016)

Dropping this in here as the previous discussion about legal highs appeared in a monthly thread.

Eleven people have apparently been fined so far since Lambeth Council introduced the Public Space Protection Order:

"More than half of the fines (1584) were for littering, as well as over 500 relating to illegal waste dumping, 142 for unlicensed street trading, nine for urination, five for spitting and 11 as a result of Lambeth’s pioneering approach to legal highs."

[Council press release sent out today.]

It will be interesting to see how the police handle this legislation at events like Splash.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 27, 2016)

Wondered why I haven't seen so many of those little metal gas container thingys on the pavements of late. 
Is it because:
a) lambeth policy
b) fashion (they were so last year)
c) more responsible disposal
d) someone sweeping them up all night.


----------



## editor (Jan 27, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> Wondered why I haven't seen so many of those little metal gas container thingys on the pavements of late.
> Is it because:
> a) lambeth policy
> b) fashion (they were so last year)
> ...


I've got absolutely no problem with the gas being used - it's a lot less harmful than fags - but I wish they'd find a more eco-friendly way to package the goods. It seems an inordinately wasteful method of delivery.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 27, 2016)

Anyone have a link to the list of members of the Brixton Bid Board?


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 27, 2016)

Rushy said:


> Anyone have a link to the list of members of the Brixton Bid Board?



Brixton BID | We're Talking Business

If you scroll down its on the page above


----------



## Rushy (Jan 27, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Brixton BID | We're Talking Business
> 
> If you scroll down its on the page above


Cheers. I'd been on that page but got bored scrolling down and gave up!


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 27, 2016)

See the 99p shop on Brixton road is now being turned into a Poundland.

Poundland bought up the 99p shops a while back.

Will miss the 99p shop. Bit more anarchic that Poundland.

Controversially this merger got go ahead despite reducing competition.


----------



## Tricky Skills (Jan 27, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> See the 99p shop on Brixton road is now being turned into a Poundland.



Looks like the local economy is on the up then.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 27, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> See the 99p shop on Brixton road is now being turned into a Poundland.
> 
> Poundland bought up the 99p shops a while back.
> 
> ...


but we've already got a poundland - does that mean we will have two? 

To be honest I haven't noticed any anarchy going on in 99p shop and I find the staff in poundland marginally more cheerful, but there's not that much diffence in what they stock.  

All these £1 shops have replaced Woolworths in my heart.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 27, 2016)

Come to think of it there used to be so many places to buy cheap things/ plastic things/ cleaning products/ household bits and bobs/ diy stuff/ interesting tat - 
eg in no particular order - Woolworths, Robills International, Force Homecare, Fads, that place on Electric ave I never knew the name of, various places around the market, etc. 

and now I can only think of: Poundland, 99p shop and some places around the market.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 27, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> but we've already got a poundland - does that mean we will have two?
> To be honest I haven't noticed any anarchy going on in 99p shop and I find the staff in poundland marginally more cheerful, but there's not that much diffence in what they stock.
> All these £1 shops have replaced Woolworths in my heart.


I'm a bit worried about this.
Lidl have stopped their "Half Price Weekend" offers as well.

What we need is one of these


----------



## T & P (Jan 27, 2016)

Those shops are very useful but I do miss the 'next level up' kind of shops, like what they get in Spain. For some reason always run by Chinese people, as well as 1 euro items they have just about everything from leather belts to swimwear to luggage for just a few euros- the kind of products that just could not be offered for a quid, no matter how hard they try.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 28, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> but we've already got a poundland - does that mean we will have two?


I wondered this - surely they can't be allowed to have 2 identical shops within spitting distance of each other? Aren't there planning rules about this sort of thing?

I'll miss the 99p shop. The unpredictable stocking habits of these types of shops meant that having both brands nearby was very handy - I could buy a bunch of cheap stuff from one, then a different bunch of cheap stuff from the other, coming away with a full set of cheap stuff. Not much point in visiting the same shop twice in a row...


----------



## CH1 (Jan 28, 2016)

T & P said:


> Those shops are very useful but I do miss the 'next level up' kind of shops, like what they get in Spain. For some reason always run by Chinese people, as well as 1 euro items they have just about everything from leather belts to swimwear to luggage for just a few euros- the kind of products that just could not be offered for a quid, no matter how hard they try.


Have you tried the Sikh one opposite the Popes Road loo - where Tescos and KwikSave used to be in other words. They have extensive stocks as you describe.

All in the best possible taste as well.

Of course one could open such an emporium in Pop Brixton or the Villaaage and call it "King of Kitsch" or something like that and make a fortune.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> I wondered this - surely they can't be allowed to have 2 identical shops within spitting distance of each other? Aren't there planning rules about this sort of thing?
> 
> I'll miss the 99p shop. The unpredictable stocking habits of these types of shops meant that having both brands nearby was very handy - I could buy a bunch of cheap stuff from one, then a different bunch of cheap stuff from the other, coming away with a full set of cheap stuff. Not much point in visiting the same shop twice in a row...


I've never heard of Lambeth Planning stopping an over-concentration of identical shops? Whatever will Network Rail do if Lambeth adopt such a policy?


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 28, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I've never heard of Lambeth Planning stopping an over-concentration of identical shops? Whatever will Network Rail do if Lambeth adopt such a policy?


They're clearly not bothered about endless mobile phone & coffee shops, but exactly the same chain? I know supermarkets have been getting away with it for years, but I wonder if somewhere like Superdrug would be allowed to open another branch so close.


----------



## colacubes (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> They're clearly not bothered about endless mobile phone & coffee shops, but exactly the same chain? I know supermarkets have been getting away with it for years, but I wonder if somewhere like Superdrug would be allowed to open another branch so close.



The council can only get involved if there was a change of use in that example, so if Superdrug were taking over say KFC or McDonald's. There's nothing they can do if no change afaik. So in theory you could have 10 Superdrugs next to each other and the council couldn't act. Thank Thatcher as previously they could act I believe 

So yes, looks like double Poundland action.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> They're clearly not bothered about endless mobile phone & coffee shops, but exactly the same chain? I know supermarkets have been getting away with it for years, but I wonder if somewhere like Superdrug would be allowed to open another branch so close.


There's two Sainsbury Locals within 100 yards of the tube (going north).
As regards phone shops maybe that fits in with the council's policy on zones. Like a Phone zone, a hipster eatery zone etc.
Pity that didn't catch on in the 80s - we would have had a Clone Zone and the whole history of Brixton could have been different.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 28, 2016)

The 99p shop concept is mainly an effective strategy for ripping people off. I don't see that we should mourn the loss of them


----------



## Rushy (Jan 28, 2016)

teuchter said:


> The 99p shop concept is mainly an effective strategy for ripping people off. I don't see that we should mourn the loss of them


They are great for a few things. Some of the batteries are a proper bargain (don't ever buy Sony). Quite often things are more expensive, especially when you compare sizing.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 28, 2016)

teuchter said:


> The 99p shop concept is mainly an effective strategy for ripping people off. I don't see that we should mourn the loss of them


Only if one were a bit naive. I only buy things there that I would otherwise buy at a regular store, and I know the cost of those things, so it's piss easy to ensure I'm only ever buying cheaply.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Only if one were a bit naive. I only buy things there that I would otherwise buy at a regular store, and I know the cost of those things, so it's piss easy to ensure I'm only ever buying cheaply.


What are the best bargains?


----------



## uk benzo (Jan 28, 2016)

Rushy said:


> What are the best bargains?



Cleaning products, branded toiletries and multipacks of crisps.


----------



## Rushy (Jan 28, 2016)

uk benzo said:


> Cleaning products, branded toiletries and multipacks of crisps.


Toothpaste and deodorant, that's true. Cleaning products are often more expensive, I think. Washing up liquid, for instance. And Flash comes in tiny bottles. Cans of pop, are cheaper. Bird seed - but only when they have the large bags in!


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 28, 2016)

Rushy said:


> What are the best bargains?


You have to be quite opportunistic in pound shops - I tend to have a mooch around for stuff that I was going to buy anyway (rather than hapless random "bargain" hunting). For example, just the other week I bought a job lot of toothpaste there - not any old crap, but precisely the same type of Colgate that I'd buy in Boots. The only difference was that this was some imported version with French writing on it, but apart from that it's exactly the same stuff in the tubes. Only this was £1 a tube, rather than the £3.90 that Boots charge.


----------



## brixtonblade (Jan 28, 2016)

Rushy said:


> What are the best bargains?


Bottle brushes


----------



## Rushy (Jan 28, 2016)

brixtonblade said:


> Bottle brushes


I'll bear that in mind!


----------



## Lucy Fur (Jan 28, 2016)

99p Shops are for the posho's, I like to keep it real at the 89p Shop.


----------



## aka (Jan 28, 2016)

Only one toiletry mind you.  I wonder which one?


----------



## teuchter (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Only if one were a bit naive. I only buy things there that I would otherwise buy at a regular store, and I know the cost of those things, so it's piss easy to ensure I'm only ever buying cheaply.


I hope you are careful to check that they are actually equivalent to those things, and not some non-standard slightly smaller size, which is one of the tricks they use.


----------



## teuchter (Jan 28, 2016)

Lucy Fur said:


> 99p Shops are for the posho's, I like to keep it real at the 89p Shop.View attachment 82738


"most items only"
and
"and plus line"


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 28, 2016)

teuchter said:


> I hope you are careful to check that they are actually equivalent to those things, and not some non-standard slightly smaller size, which is one of the tricks they use.


Fear not, I am most fastidious about such things. I check everything twice, and know the equivalent prices charged by non-pound shops. I even write lists to ensure I buy only the things I set out to buy. My mother would be _sooo_ proud.


----------



## Lucy Fur (Jan 28, 2016)

teuchter said:


> "most items only"
> and
> "and plus line"


I trust you are not calling into question the integrity of these fantastic plastic tat merchants


----------



## teuchter (Jan 28, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> Fear not, I am most fastidious about such things. I check everything twice, and know the equivalent prices charged by non-pound shops. I even write lists to ensure I buy only the things I set out to buy. My mother would be _sooo_ proud.


I am proud of you too.


----------



## kikiscrumbles (Jan 28, 2016)

Oh lord, anyone seen this? Aghast...
Leader of Lambeth Tory councillors is being investigated after it emerged he runs an 'eviction specialist' firm in a borough where 1,800 families are homeless.
Revealed: Tory runs 'eviction specialist' firm in borough with 1,800 homeless


----------



## CH1 (Jan 28, 2016)

kikiscrumbles said:


> Oh lord, anyone seen this? Aghast...
> Leader of Lambeth Tory councillors is being investigated after it emerged he runs an 'eviction specialist' firm in a borough where 1,800 families are homeless.
> Revealed: Tory runs 'eviction specialist' firm in borough with 1,800 homeless


What an unscrupulous man. Not fit for public office.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 28, 2016)

CH1 said:


> Have you tried the Sikh one opposite the Popes Road loo - where Tescos and KwikSave used to be in other words. They have extensive stocks as you describe.


 Its great for diy stuff that one, and bright plastic tat.


----------



## editor (Jan 29, 2016)

The fabulous Misty Miller at the equally fabulous Brixton Windmill earlier this week!


----------



## editor (Jan 29, 2016)

kikiscrumbles said:


> Oh lord, anyone seen this? Aghast...
> Leader of Lambeth Tory councillors is being investigated after it emerged he runs an 'eviction specialist' firm in a borough where 1,800 families are homeless.
> Revealed: Tory runs 'eviction specialist' firm in borough with 1,800 homeless


That is disgusting.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 29, 2016)

Some may have seen me wittering on on another thread about 12th February being the 30th anniversary of moving to Coldharbour Lane - and being promoted from SW2 to "Proper Brixton" i.e. SW9.

I had been toying with the idea of throwing/gatecrashing a party at the domino club.

Then I was told about this:

which is apparently a fundraiser for Certitude (the charity formerly known as Fanon) which operate hostel accommodation for black people with mental health problems (in Railton Road and Dulwich Road)

The venue is the gallery in the basement of 336 Brixton Road (formerly Coutts Computer suite, now Age UK, DASL, Lambeth & Southwark MIND etc)

Not normally one to shell out £5 to go to a disco - but to me this looks quite interesting.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 29, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> I wondered this - surely they can't be allowed to have 2 identical shops within spitting distance of each other? Aren't there planning rules about this sort of thing?
> 
> I'll miss the 99p shop. The unpredictable stocking habits of these types of shops meant that having both brands nearby was very handy - I could buy a bunch of cheap stuff from one, then a different bunch of cheap stuff from the other, coming away with a full set of cheap stuff. Not much point in visiting the same shop twice in a row...



Read my link on my first post about this. It was referred to the watchdog that oversees competition.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 29, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> but we've already got a poundland - does that mean we will have two?
> 
> To be honest I haven't noticed any anarchy going on in 99p shop and I find the staff in poundland marginally more cheerful, but there's not that much diffence in what they stock.
> 
> All these £1 shops have replaced Woolworths in my heart.



Did use to get on with one of the staff at Poundland. But she got married and left.

I mean the hyperactive manager at the 99 p shop who never kept still. Also saw a few times people doing a runner from the 99p shop with a few items.  And a few rows when people were accused of shoplifting. Made it more entertaining.

Not so easy at Poundland as they use plainclothes security who pretend to be shoppers , more CCTV and the ultra bright lighting- which I hate.

99p shop was primitive in comparison. Which I liked. Give shoplifters a sporting chance I say

I


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 29, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I'm a bit worried about this.
> Lidl have stopped their "Half Price Weekend" offers as well.
> 
> What we need is one of these



Lidl and now Iceland are trying to go upmarket. Iceland is now doing posh food. Doesn’t get a lot of interest in Brixton from what Ive seen on the checkouts.


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 29, 2016)

kikiscrumbles said:


> Oh lord, anyone seen this? Aghast...
> Leader of Lambeth Tory councillors is being investigated after it emerged he runs an 'eviction specialist' firm in a borough where 1,800 families are homeless.
> Revealed: Tory runs 'eviction specialist' firm in borough with 1,800 homeless





> A statement on its website boasts of having "an impressive near 100% record in getting possession for landlords at the first hearing."
> 
> Another page with a list of legal costs is entitled: "Evicting tenants - as Easy as A, B, C"



He is on the Norman Tebbit boot boy wing of the party. So not surprised. Tories are such wonderful human beings.


----------



## editor (Jan 30, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Lidl and now Iceland are trying to go upmarket. Iceland is now doing posh food. Doesn’t get a lot of interest in Brixton from what Ive seen on the checkouts.


I must have missed the posh food bit - I'm always going through the bargains!


----------



## superfly101 (Jan 30, 2016)

CH1 said:


> I'm a bit worried about this.
> Lidl have stopped their "Half Price Weekend" offers as well.



Fear not my sweet Prince when you hear the beep you can now shop for Lidls' new Pick of the Week - 4 veg and 4 meat discounted it's a god dam Dale Winton epiphany 

ALDI super sixed all the Christmas veg Christmas week which basically forced every other supermarket to follow suit. Thankfully Lidl have now learnt that not everybody can or want's to shop there on a Sat/Sun and it's a bit silly discounting only on what would normally be your busiest 2 days of the week


----------



## leanderman (Jan 30, 2016)

If I had one complaint about Brixton, it would be the lack of an Aldi


----------



## superfly101 (Jan 30, 2016)

leanderman said:


> If I had one complaint about Brixton, it would be the lack of an Aldi



There's enough Lidls and there's only so many power tools and chainsaws you can buy with a loaf of bread and get away with it.

Aldi are launching an online non grocery delivery service about now so......

Personally I'd get rid of Tesco on Acre Lane as it's been utter shite for years.


----------



## CH1 (Jan 30, 2016)

superfly101 said:


> Personally I'd get rid of Tesco on Acre Lane as it's been utter shite for years.


It would make an ideal site for more buy to let flats to be bought off plan by investors in Penang.

They could kill 2 birds - and redevelop along the lines of the Stockwell Lidl.


----------



## Mr Retro (Jan 31, 2016)

It's been so quiet on this thread for the last year would it be better to make it a yearly rather than monthly thread? There would be more continuity I think.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 31, 2016)

So when does the Terry Wogan memorial floral dance in windrush sq start?


----------



## editor (Jan 31, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> So when does the Terry Wogan memorial floral dance in windrush sq start?


When hell freezes over!


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 31, 2016)

editor said:


> When hell freezes over!


So I take it that you're doing a special night at the Albert for him then.


----------



## boohoo (Jan 31, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> So when does the Terry Wogan memorial floral dance in windrush sq start?



I am sure there will be a special message from the Ritzy.


----------



## boohoo (Jan 31, 2016)

leanderman said:


> If I had one complaint about Brixton, it would be the lack of an Aldi


 196 to south norwood - aldi there - job done.


----------



## friendofdorothy (Jan 31, 2016)

boohoo said:


> I am sure there will be a special message from the Ritzy.


 do you think they might clear the listings and give us a consoling message?   what could they say to soothe the crowds of brixtons radio 2 listeners I wonder.


----------



## Winot (Jan 31, 2016)

friendofdorothy said:


> do you think they might clear the listings and give us a consoling message?   what could they say to soothe the crowds of brixtons radio 2 listeners I wonder.



Wo-gone but not forgotten?


----------



## editor (Jan 31, 2016)

I've posted some photos from Offline at Market House on Friday. It can be a really tough venue to get going but we had one of the best ever nights there ever. Which made for a nice change! And I played T Rex 












Friday 29th January 2015, DJ night at Offline Club, Upstairs at Market House, 443 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9, with DJs playing ska, electro, indie, punk, rock'n'roll, big band, rockabilly and skiffle


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 31, 2016)

Went to the ex 99p shop now a Poundland. And its crap now. Lot less food and the cheap stuff that 99p shop shop used to do.


----------



## EastEnder (Jan 31, 2016)

Gramsci said:


> Went to the ex 99p shop now a Poundland. And its crap now. Lot less food and the cheap stuff that 99p shop shop used to do.


I'm guessing they've put the prices up....


----------



## superfly101 (Jan 31, 2016)

EastEnder said:


> I'm guessing they've put the prices up....



Whilst you may think that you are getting a bargain on branded goods.......

What you are actually buying is specially made for those shops 

Those shops also figure heavily in Workfare schemes so people forced to work by the DWP and wanked over by IDS


----------



## Gramsci (Jan 31, 2016)

superfly101 said:


> Whilst you may think that you are getting a bargain on branded goods.......
> 
> What you are actually buying is specially made for those shops
> 
> Those shops also figure heavily in Workfare schemes so people forced to work by the DWP and wanked over by IDS



I thought that had been stopped.

But recently talked to someone I know who has been unemployed for a while and is doing some kind of workfare scheme in an Oxfam shop.I was under the impression Oxfam was all about volunteers and giving ones time freely. 

Some of the 99p stuff was end of lines stock so worth it. Sign of the times that people look for bargains.


----------



## deadringer (Feb 1, 2016)

People always have, and always will look for bargains. It's human nature and part of the fun of shopping


----------



## editor (Feb 1, 2016)

Thread continues into February right here!


----------

