OK, OH earns 125k, his secretary probably earns 35ish, how much should he spend on her Christmas present?

[DontWantToLookTight]

Just that really.
Hev namechanged cos don't want you to all think I'm minted!

Oh I love the South Bank - all that free culture. The little jazzy things they used to hold in the festival hall were my fave!

Oooh, I love this thread, all the twists and turns, starting with a request for help wqith a present, leading on to inevitable disgrunt about disparity of wealth followed by a discussion of the ridiculous London property market and concluding with a London love-in. London is fab, it's crazy, but fab.

So, you gonna get some wine then, DWTLT?

And do move to somewhere less absurdly expensive - there are lots of places you could live, surely?

Dontwanttolooktight, were you listening?
Next or Boots.

What is this "crack" of which you speak?

London is fab.

Not for everyone of course - but i am well looking forward to my next trip down there in the new year.

Always have such a laugh.

And where else can you sneak out at 6am and buy alcohol from a corner shop?

Fantastic.

Here, WW

It's got a "deep" and "powerful" meaning, but it's a crack in the floor. Modern art's there for us plebs to piss ourselves laughing at, I figure and this is no exception

Thinking either box of wine which is a great idea, or a £50 voucher from Selfridges, plus the bath and body stuff. DH arrived home and said that secretary has day off tomorrow which he didn't know about, so we will send it in post which means we have more time to sort it as it won't get there in time for Christmas anyway.
I know re location hunker, 'tis crazy!

It's madness! Come and live near me - it's much cheaper but still nice (if you like suburbs ).

A-ha - I'm going to go one better and hand-deliver mine to my secretary this weekend

Actually, I also didn't realise she had the day off tomorrow despite her writing it in my diary

Just a thought - if you're going to have to post it, why not wait 'til she's back at work and give it to her then. She probably won't get it before then anyway, will she?

damn all you super-fast posters making me look like I'm ten minutes behind!

Have no objection to suburbs, but we keep talking about it as though we'll make the move at some point in the future, and we're not ready just yet, think that may continue for a few more years. what are the suburbs then? Where are the suburbs, how far out do you have to go?

wine/champagne or her fave perfume if you know what it is. other wise vouchers for selfridges or john lewis.

Does Wood Green/Turnpike Lane count as a suburb? I used to live there for a while.

true cashncarry, much better idea, she can hate him all Christmas, and then when she comes back he can fill her with the joys of a fresh year with a jolly generous present. Not much point in posting it now I don't suppose

Email me? I promise not to blow your cover! I'm just not comfy going into huge financial detail on here, which I'll have to if I talk about how much our house was!

hunkermunker at gmail dot com

Awww - thanks, you cool Londoners

"it was a statement about racism and the gap between Europeans and the rest of mankind.
She went on: "It represents borders, the experience of immigrants, the experience of segregation, the experience of racial hatred.
"It is the experience of a Third World person coming into the heart of Europe.
Previous exhibits have included huge spiders and a large watery sun
"For example, the space which illegal immigrants occupy is a negative space. And so this piece is a negative space."

Er - right.

(Did this person get paid for this???)(And was it enough for a studio flat or a 2-bed maisonette?)

DontWantToLookTight - excellent idea! He could always say that he ordered it specially but those useless buggers at [insert website name] didn't deliver it in time despite him ordering it months ago...

don't know twinkle, they're still on a tube line, but they're by no means central.
Will do Hunker, cheers

Where are you HUnker?

I was seriously pissed off with your comment southeasatra. I live in London. I was born here, and have grown up here. I trained as a nurse here and have had my daughter here.

we cannot afford to buy a shoe box even. my DH works up north mon- fri so his salary does not reflect where we live... I cannot work, as i was injured at work. We have no way ever that we can see of being able to get out of the rental market, and back onto the property ladder.

I cannot choose to move away either, as my support network of friends and family who I have to rely on to get by day to day, live near to me here. my friends and family who sometimes have to come round at the drop of a hat, because i cannot lift my baby out of her highchair due to pain in my back due to just doing job which pays bugger all, where the confused elderly gent fell on me injuring me.
Yes, i'm so bloody self important, i really deserve to drown... FFS! I dont often let things get to me on here, but that was SO bloody un called for.

I'm not saying I'd recommend living there btw. It was a bit seedy for my liking.

Susie - you are one of the huge losers from the over-inflated salaries and house price situation in London. It's just as bad for you as for any of the rest of us elsewhere in the country and I'm really sorry you're in the situation. Has the Government come good yet with helping essential workers to buy houses in expensive areas?