Sydenham Town Forum

A very wealthy friend of mine once told me that to him the winter fuel allowance represented a tank of petrol for the Range Rover. This was enforce the drop in fuel prices. I don't go for the "baby-boomers screwed the young" argument, but I am very aware of what an amazingly privileged gen...

It might be something to do with having been brought up in a village with an active beagle pack and being completely unsentimental about wildlife, but it always amazes me when I encounter sentimental gushing about vermin. Do people feel the same way about rats? In those days, we used to send the ter...

G-man: You wrote: And there is hardly anywhere to have a decent meal on the high street. I merely pointed out that in fact there are a number of good places to eat, hardly a rant. it's important to celebrate what we do have locally. My dream pub would be a traditional boozer that serves a decent ses...

And just look at the correct use of the apostrophe and acute accent. They had standards in those days!

G-man writes: We need new pubs because new pubs and decent places to eat help lift an area. At the moment the only really decent place to go for a drink if you are someone like myself - Late 30s early 40s, professional, into music, ale art and such - is the Dolphin. No other pub works for me. And t...

Nigel writes: The Lampedusa point is very simple - an entry point for migrants and asylum seekers, mostly economic migrants , in southern Italy used as a launch pad to a better life in northern Europe . Main four destinations , Germany ,France Sweden and UK. Main country of origin Syria - highly un...

Does anyone have an idea when the new lighting will be installed in the remaining roads in the Thorpes, Kingsthorpe Road and Princethorpe Road? Just curious really, as personally I preferred the old lighting poles, but now most of the roads have been done it might add to the sense of visual coherenc...

I'm sure the new equipment an asset to the park and I speak as a daily dog-walker. I used to take he kids there 20 years ago when we lived in Forest Hill and it was a bit of a dump, it's improved immeasurably. It amused me to see that the notice introducing the trim trail says something like "n...

Just got my ancient Peugeot back from Knighton following service and MOT. Very satisfied with the service there, and about half e price of the independent garage in Beckenham I used for years. The bloke at Knighton seems positively committed to keeping clapped-out old scrappers going.

Hi.. Can you say a little more about the club? What sort of books, eg. Fiction or non-fiction, how "intellectual" or serious is it? How much beers gets consumed at the Dolphin get-togethers? How do you manage with the Stygian lighting levels if you want to read out a quote? BTW, this is a ...

Thanks, helpful. Maria- this is a forum. I sometimes post a thank you, sometimes I don't. When I respond to a requests for information I don't expect a personal expression of gratitude. If it's not freely given its not worth having.

I need a zip replaced in a waterproof jacket. Any recommendations? Thanks.

I need a small repair to a watch strap- replacement of the baton that attaches the strap to the watch body- any suggestions locally?

Ferfect roast chicken would probably feature on my "last meal" menu, but I wouldn't mess around with chorizo or saffron rice or any other poncy additions. The best chicken I can afford, Simon Hopkinson's recipe for roast chicken with the addition of a generous splash of Noilly Prat in the ...

Well done! Ive posted about the micropub movement on here before. This piece is interesting- http://deserter.co.uk/2014/08/pubs-fight-back/

Can I just ask if those questioning Billings' stuff had a chat with them first before coming on here?

Can I just ask if those responding to my posts read them first before coming on here?

I feel my intervention may have deprived sydenham of a source of good value free-range chicken. Seems like they are having a bit of a hissy fit. Can't they simply remove the labels from their whole chickens? This is what I supect the late lamented Parhams in Beckenham used to do. Then they can sell ...

We have an issue with the sign-age we can obtain from our supplier. We buy ungraded free range chickens, which are cheaper so allows us to keep the costs down for the customer. The chickens that are suitable for roasting are selected and the rest, the ones with blemishes and broken bones, are then ...

I don't think Tim was being disingenuous with his segue into the issue of housing as it's fundamental to the whole question of how we maintain diverse communities in inner London. A sufficient supply of good-quality rented accommodation and affordable owner-occupied housing is fundamental to balance...

Thanks for the clarification. I don't have a problem with the quality of Billing's chickens, they taste fine to me. My choice is based mainly on animal welfare grounds and I want most of the animals that I eat to have enjoyed a reasonable life before slaughter- and yes, I'm a hypocrite for eating fo...