Laurie Eggleston

It's going to be a french-style caf?. With a community room for hire upstairs.

Mick's letter was kindly distributed for him by the local Conservatives - along with a glossy leaflet about Diana Atuona. An attempt to try and get one of their candidates some local credibility after zero actual campaigning on their part, and potentially win one of the three local seats for her. Of course, you wouldn't know that from Mick's letter which is written to imply he took a reasoned view after meeting all of the candidates. As one of the (defeated) candidates I can confirm Mick has never made any effort to speak to me. So, naturally was a bit peeved when reading how he'd dismissed me outright - so much for choosing an individual! Still, while it might have a small impact on the overall vote, I don't think it effected the result. Reckon Lab would've still won without it, alas, as most local people I spoke to about it just thought it was all a bit of a bizarre intervention.

@skidmarks but remember many bus users are elderly and aren't comfortable using the technology (my mum wouldn't have a clue!), and many on Southwark on low incomes and can't afford posh smart-phones. So while the new services will be great for those that want to use them, they can't totally replace the traditional displays. We need both!

@sophiesofa Beginning of next year TfL plan to launch a new system, where you can text TfL with your nearest bus stop's code and get the live countdown information sent to your phone (for about a 20p charge). Can't come soon enough. This eliminates long waits at bus stops, and makes it much safer - no more waiting alone late at night for that elusive night bus. They have a system like it in Sheffield, and from experience I can say it is a godsend on a cold rainy morning! They got this years ago in Sheffield so it's about time we got it in London (although logistically it must be an immense challenge to get working!)

@ jack bauer - plan is for it to continue on and terminate at Brockley Rise. @ dbboy - EmmaG is referring to the planned scapping on the South London Line (I'm assuming, unless she's uncovered some new secret TfL plot). While there will still be other routes into central London, with the removal of the SLL, they'll be less frequent. Network Rail seem determined to chip away at inner south London rail services to make them less convinient and less of a 'turn up and go' service.

Vikki - I've asked around our activists from Saturday - the only conversation you could be referring to is when someone asked one of our activists if Labour were supporting the campaign. To which they answered that they hadn't heard if you were or not. This is not therefore mispresentation by us but fact, as I can see no public commitment to this up until now. Regardless, I'm glad you are supporting it and can we please now stop the point scoring. I've seen the answer Val got from TfL at Mayor's Questions, the same unconsidered refusal we got when Caroline Pidgeon asked a similar question for us earlier last year. TfL eh? Gotta love 'em.

Glad you're supporting the campaign Vikki. But yes, bit surprised that you've never mentioned your support for this earlier. Please do sign the petition and let me know how Val gets on. As with the South London Line campaign, if all the parties pressure TfL then it's harder for them to ignore people. It has always been made clear with our discussions with TfL that service standards and frequencies be maintained. We're asking for extra resources, not trying to stretch out the current services further. The reason the P12 isn't used much as it's too unreliable to be useful - especially for going to work etc, so any 63 extension must remain reliable. Currently we are collecting signatures to lobby TfL with, to try and force a bus route consultation so that they examine the issues around this route (linking the network, schools, Rye Lane congestions, etc) and take action to address them. People can add their names here: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/extendthe63 Several people have offered to take sheets and collect signatures in their own roads. Anyone interested in this please let me know. @dbboy - Southwark Rail Users Group, the Honor Oak Rise Residents Association and Forest Hill Society all support this proposal. thanks, Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org www.twitter.com/Laurie1984

Number is 0207 525 5777

Cazkid, All the info you could ever need about what action the council can take with regards to noisy neighbours can be found online here: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/environment/NoiseProblems/ Good luck! Regards, Laurie Eggleston

@VikkiM Going into coalition with the Tories was more for practical reasons rather than any great policy allegiance, as you know full well. Believe me, we're doing all we can so the coalition won't be necessary next year and we can have overall control :) (although speaking of policy, it's sad that will take the Tories to save us from your party's ID cards) Agree with you though that Zac Goldsmith is appalling and sums up the Tory attitude, for all their talk. Let's hope Lib Dem MP Susan Kramer can defeat him eh? While we're here, Vikki can Peckham Rye Labour please take down the google advert for themselves they've placed under my name. I'm flattered you want to be associated with me, but wouldn't want people to get confused. Think sometime after the election all us local activists from every party should get together one evening and talk shop. Would be interesting!

Since we've got ourselves a nice and interesting political debate going here, I may as well join in :) Marmora Man - I agree with you that much of the Labour vote will stay at home, but your belief that the Lib Dem vote will flatline will be proved incorrect. We've never been stronger in C&P. Our candidate Columba Blango knows the constituency better than anyone. He has links with many groups and communities who traditionally vote Labour, who are now offering to join and help with his campaign. People are fed up of Labour, but no one in C&P has any real appetite for the Tories. So in answer to your question of who is the better person and more attuned to representing an inner city constituency, there's no doubt it is Columba. I've met Andy a few times, and for a Tory he's OK, I don't think he's representative of the Tory party as a whole though. And the idea he will finish second is nonsense. Tell me, why do good candidates such as Andy never get near Tory seats they can win in? Still, I'm enjoying the fact that Harriet won't just be able to have it all her own way and we've got a decent contest on our hands now.

Yes but surely the gig would be listed all over London (and Thea's MySpace)? Would you not get it listed in Time Out, for example? The audience would consist of more than East Dulwich Forumites, numerous though they are.

Sounds good. Sure I can round up a few others to come along too. Good luck if you do decide to go ahead. It'd be good to have more things like this happening in the area.

Depends when it was, but yeah!

@dc Simply not true - people have signed without providing an email address. Name and postcode is all that's required. The email address function is so people can received news about this campaign. You only need to supply an email address if you want the updates (or general lib dem news). Even if you do give us an email address and request updates, you can ask us to remove your details from the list at any time, and we will. This really isn't a big lib dem conspiracy here, it is just us trying to do something which many many people have told us will make their lives easier. Laurie

@dc Simply not true - people have signed without providing an email address. Name and postcode is all that's required. The email address function is so people can received news about this campaign. You only need to supply an email address if you want the updates (or general lib dem news). Even if you do give us an email address and request updates, you can ask us to remove your details from the list at any time, and we will. This really isn't a big lib dem conspiracy here, it is just us trying to do something which many many people have told us will make their lives easier. Laurie

Hello! Thought I'd reawaken this thread instead of starting a new one, since it already answers a lot of questions people have. We have now set up a new online petition for this campaign. Since going live last night it hasn't stopped growing! Find it here: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/extendthe63 Now it doesn't matter is you normally vote Lib Dem or not. This petition is all about getting as many people as possible to add their voice to the calls for TfL to listen to local people. We won't contact you after you sign the petition, although you can choose to receive updates about this campaign, or any other lib dem news, if you want to. So many people have contacted me to tell me how much they'd value this extension. The first stage in making it happen is for TfL to begin a bus route consultation on the route. We need as many signatures as possible to make this happen. Once they begin the bus route consultation we can then make them review some of the other problems on the route. Please sign the petition! Cheers Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org www.twitter.com/Laurie1984

Hello! Thought I'd reawaken this thread instead of starting a new one, since it already answers a lot of questions people have. We have now set up a new online petition for this campaign. Since going live last night it hasn't stopped growing! Find it here: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/extendthe63 Now it doesn't matter is you normally vote Lib Dem or not. This petition is all about getting as many people as possible to add their voice to the calls for TfL to listen to local people. We won't contact you after you sign the petition, although you can choose to receive updates about this campaign, or any other lib dem news, if you want to. So many people have contacted me to tell me how much they'd value this extension. The first stage in making it happen is for TfL to begin a bus route consultation on the route. We need as many signatures as possible to make this happen. Once they begin the bus route consultation we can then make them review some of the other problems on the route. Please sign the petition! Cheers Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org www.twitter.com/Laurie1984

It's not an issue! Hash tags usually emerge from the zeitgeist on their own and people tend to settle on one. I think 5imon was just trying to suggest a common one now to speed things up. #eastdulwich is probably the most straightforward, when tweeting about East Dulwich.

I requested an explanation from Council officers about what went wrong with these road works and the Council?s Roads team have now given me an update. Southern Gas Networks were initially replacing gas mains on Forest Hill Road. SGN discussed these works with the Council prior to commencing, though they appear to have commenced the works without first having submitted the required street works notice. This is an offence and the Council are currently looking at enforcement options which may include fines being issued to the company or prosecution. BT were then also scheduled to start works on the road. They suggested at an early meeting with the council that they?d need temporary traffic lights and when they submitted their street works notice, it stated they?d only need signs and guards (no traffic lights). Obviously they then turned up and set up the traffic lights. Both companies failed to comply with the procedures in place - the Council are apparently now arranging a meeting between SGN, BT and themselves to see what steps need to be taken to ensure it does not happen again, and to notify them of what enforcement will be applied, so at least these companies will face a penalty for causing traffic chaos. Credit to iamyamyam ? as soon as he reported it to the council, action was taken to shift the lights. Cheers Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org www.twitter.com/Laurie1984

5imon, Great idea. Only I'd suggest using #EDF instead? Those 140 characters are very unforgiving! What's your twitter ID? I'm Laurie1984. Laurie

It's the other side of Peckham, but The Montague Arms near Queen's Road station is legendary - won Camra's 'Best Boozer' last year and is well worth checking out. Try their awesome Sunday roasts too. Maybe worth starting a best local pub thread? (if there isn't one already!)

Marcos, This does seem to have been going on for ages and I?ve been chasing up the council?s Play Services Department for what?s going on. What they?ve told me is that Phase One was completed on time in July, then work was suspended over the summer, as this is when the site was used by summer play-schemes, hence the delay. Work on Phase Two began last week and during the next 6/7 weeks a number of new features are being constructed, including a tyre swing, large border swing, nest swing, aerial runway, walkways and the 'assault' course finished. It?s being linked with this year?s Cleaner, Greener, Safer programme to facilitate the relocation of the two container units. The larger unit will be positioned in the vacant triangle, next to the play building and will be used by Southwark Carrib FC. Over and above the planned school use of the site (during the school day ), the facility and/or building can be hired for community use and appropriate child based activities, eg birthday parties, training sessions, local events, etc. The contact number for the site is 0207 635 5855. I?ve attached information which the Play Services Dept has given me regarding the open access times. So the work should be finished by the New Year. It sounds like it will be great when it?s finished. From next year Lottery funding will also enable the Play Services Dept, to offer a closed access session for children with disabilities, which is great news. I?m amazed at how many fantastic areas Peckham Rye Park and Common packs in nowadays ? it's a real tardis of a park. If you?ve got any other questions regarding the playground, let me know and I?ll get on to the council again. Thanks Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org Twitter.com/Laurie1984

Well done to Jenny Jones AM, she asked the question at MQT and got Boris to agree.

Hi all, Here's an update from today's Mayor's Question Time at City Hall. Boris Johnson publically agreed to meet a delegation from the SLL campaign at City Hall, and then join the delagation in a meeting with the Department for Transport, should Lord Adonis agree to meet them. Quote: "I will receive a delegation, and lead it. We will muster in City Hall and then we will go together". He also 'agreed in principle' to the retention of the South London Line service. He 'would not want to see any reduction for financial reasons'. He was under the impression that due to works at London Bridge the service would be unable to continue for logistical reasons. This is despite Network Rail telling us the other week that it was possible to keep the service, but that they deemed the ELLx2 as more important. It seems as though Boris had been briefed by Network Rail it was not possible (indeed, Boris said it was news to him that it was in fact). He then seemed to imply after further questioning that maybe it was a funding issue after all (while reading from briefing notes), and appeared thrown by the facts. It's great that he's agreed to meet a deputation as now the facts can be made clear to him in person. Once he knows the facts, it's crucial that as many people attend People's Question Time in Brixton as possible so he knows the strength of feeling in South London over this issue. If we can convince him of the logic and get him to argue in our favour, then a meeting with Lord Adonis could be the turning point for the campaign. Good stuff. Thanks, Laurie www.laurieeggleston.org twitter.com/Laurie1984