Thanks for your really interesting message Liah. I too have lots of food allergies/intolerances but nothing too severe I'm glad to say. They make lots of different kinds of curry in South London, and not usually with coconut so you would have plenty to choose from.
No I've never eaten those snails, but I do own one called Brian. I bought him in Windsor safari park (now Legoland) about 14 years ago as a replacement pet for my youngest son when his mice died. The leaflet I got with him said they had been know to live for up to 10 years, so Brian is now on borrowed time. He is the ideal pet - quiet, doesn't run off and bite people, and sleeps for about 6 months each year.
Do you really get "The Bill" over there? This is another coincidence - they film it around Wimbledon and Tooting and when I was driving into work last Monday there they all were filming on the forecourt of an old car showroom on the road from Wimbledon to Tooting, getting in the way and holding up the traffic as usual.
It's difficult to imagine winter weather being warm. We are waiting for central heating to be installed in our house and meantime are making do with a solid fuel burner which heats up 4 radiators - you need to get this going about 3 hours before you think you are going to be cold and there is no way to regulate it. Today I have been very successful in my fire-making efforts and we are now in a bathe of sweat, but will no doubt be frozen by morning. You're right, we tend to take rain in our stride, otherwise we'd be in a panic a large part of the time. We only mind when it's rainy, cold and windy all at the same time, or if we've just spent ages conjuring up a smart hair do.
Yes, I've seen Bend it like Beckham, and it's lovely. I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you liked "East is East".
About the litter problem - there was a great article in Friday's Guardian which you really must read. I saved it as what this woman wrote rang so many bells with me that I loved it. May I refer you once again to Guardian.co.uk, then search on Janice Turner. Her article begins "The chances are I will die outside a newsagent's on a rainy day, stabbed in the throat for chastising some man for dropping his fag packet on the street. He will be acquitted on grounds of provocation and I will be martyred in the noble cause of a cleaner Southwark" ..... It is very amusing.
There's not much in the way of a multicultural community in Devon either, but there's also not so much litter as in London. You win some, you lose some. Our local newspaper had an article about the Dawlish youth against racism workshop - the picture showed some 20 or so kids and not a black face amongst them. Oh well it was a nice idea and you've got to start somewhere.
So, when were you in Wood Green and what were you up to? And you've never had a hangover? !!!! Is this because you don't drink, or you just have such a high tolerance that you never suffer the ill effects. Only joking, sorry!