Lollipop

Tried but they are stubbornly blunt. Does anyone know how to get them sharpened? Can't bear to replace them just for being blunt....

Just received a letter from Southwark re the Gala consultation. There is a Zoom meeting tomorrow night at 6pm (Wed 25th). You need to contact [email protected] to get a link to participate. Southwark also have a consultation site - it is at https://www.southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-and-heritage/events/major-commercial-events/stakeholder-engagement?chapter=5 Reminder that consultation closes Tues 7 Feb at midnight. Postal problems may mean that lots of people did not get any letter.

There is an application in with Southwark for the Gala festival closure of part of Peckham Rye Park to be extended this summer . This includes the time to build and decommission - the festival itself will be for 6 days - three, then a break, then another three. A licensing application has been submitted to Southwark Council and there should be blue posters around the park outlining what they have applied for. Deadline for your views is February 7. Application reference is SWKEVE000569. Email [email protected] with the title Gala Consultation.

I called this week for a checkup and was offered the first NHS appointment in mid March 2022! Could have had an earlier one as a private patient. As it is just a checkup I took the March offer, though I am wondering whether all dentists operate like this post Covid??

Unfortunately there are no longer any bowling clubs who will take on the use of the site. The Friends of Peckham Rye Park (I am a committee member) have tried to find alternative uses for it, and are still trying. But a bowling green is expensive to maintain ( the grass needs special care). The park is a Heritage site, so whatever happens there needs to be appropriate for the status of the park. And Southwark want revenue from unused resources ( they say that area of the park costs more than ?5000 a year to maintain). But the consultation is to seek views for what would be acceptable so please get involved!

Great petition. I can't actually sign it because the Southwark website is so slow.... One question I think should be asked is "What is it they are measuring by closing off these roads?" Transparency seems to be lacking in Govt at all levels at the moment. They must have criteria to judge the success or failure and I think they should share that with those who vote for them. I'm all in favour of reducing pollution but I would like to see how they measure this particular strategy as a success.

Took Charlie my bike to repair this morning and he diagnosed a simple fix which he did on the spot and didn't charge me! Excellent service.

Signed and shared. I think it s fabulous.

I live in Dunstans Road and had this problem a couple of years ago. I asked the milkman to leave the milk out of sight on not on the doorstep. No more milk was taken. I also have had my milk delivered to the wrong house recently. Luckily the owner knew I got milk delivered and knocked on my door with the bottle!

There is a link on the Southwark website to report missed collections - I have used it (once only) and they came the next day to pick it up. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/general-household-waste/report-a-missed-collection you can also email your local councillor to complain. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/councillors-and-mps/your-councillors

Donated. I read the story and it is so sad...

Three episodes in the past few days. At the junction of Forest Hill Road and Colyton Road, I stopped at the red light. The car behind me overtook me and went through - obviously thinking that there was no traffic coming the other way, so why not? Turning onto Barry Road I came face to face with a car coming at speed on the wrong side of the road - overtaking someone who was driving more sensibly. He just managed to cut back into his lane without hitting me. Finally, someone refused to give way on the roundabout where I had right of way and drove straight at me.... I only drive in London locally and have never seen the need for a dashcam but I might be looking for one soon!

Southwark Community ( which I think is part of Southwark Council) has contacted lots of the local groups and asked for details with a view to publishing a list and using the generosity of volunteers where they can. They are working with Link Aid and the Southwark Food Bank among others. It might be worth offering them the chance to post here? The email from them only went out yesterday so not sure how long it will be until it bears fruit.

Hi Admin Thanks so much for setting this up. If I could make one suggestion it would be to ban any comments about small local shop profiteering from this crisis. East Dulwich's strength is in its local retailers and none of them I am sure would be prepared to put their business at risk by doing anything along those lines. They are simply trying to offer a service and often they may not get their supplies from the cheapest supplier. The Nunhead forum ( which is actually a Facebook group) today banned these sorts of comments after one or two retailers had been criticised heavily without being able to defend themselves. They have also been badly abused by 'customers' going in and ranting at them. One in particular is thinking of closing down his business after 40 years. That is the last thing that any of us who love East Dulwich (and Nunhead for that matter) want to happen. Just a suggestion....

Thank you New Wave. I know someone who runs a local business and says that for every delivery of key items, the prices from wholesalers have gone up. We may have to pay more temporarily for what we want. But many of us also want local shops to be here when this ends, so naming and shaming them online is not fair when you don't know all the circumstances. Some small retailers have posted on Facebook that they have had so much abuse they don't know whether they can carry on. There is a real danger that the East Dulwich/Nunhead that we love - with lots of quirky and local businesses and few chain shops - will disappear as a result of this virus. I have long shopped locally. I hope that those of you who are critical of local shops are regular customers of them. And if you are, why don't you discuss your concerns directly with them? Tough times and we need to be supportive where we can.

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I have organised a What's App group for Dunstans Road (still leafleting everyone) but please contact me if you wish to be a part of it. We've got about 30 people so far On the Facebook page, there is a map which shows that Barry Road also has a What's App group and I am sure the list of active groups will grow.

Fantastic Clare I have dropped notes through the doors of my neighbours to offer help and had a good response. I think all tactics are worth exploring. I will keep tabs on your Facebook page as well

Whoa. That is quite a trap! I live nearby and I know lots of us are plagued with mice at the moment. But I would never leave something like that out in the open. Glad to hear the cat is OK.

Since posting this I notice that Facebook has lots of local groups being created in Southwark to look after vulnerable people that live close. I'm think I will go down that route on my street - contacting everyone and exchanging phone numbers etc so we all have a support network. What'sApp is being used heavily. It doesn't help when supermarkets are picked clean by panic buying though! And I am assuming (maybe unfairly) that not a lot of that extra toilet paper and food was put into food bank receptacles in Sainsbury's .....

Just to be clear - The people I am thinking about are those who do not have access to technology - homeless and the elderly. How do we locate them and help?

Absolutely. I was aware of the Nunhead effort but my question is partly how we track the vulnerable. In my area there are still a number of elderly who live on there own. I see them out and about (or did) but no idea where exactly they live and whether they have family looking out for them. But will track the Facebook thread as well.

Not alarmist but I wonder if we can, as a community, look out for elderly people who are vulnerable and also assist food banks which may be under additional pressure in the current situation? I thought maybe we could use this forum to suggest ways of looking out for the vulnerable and working out how to help them and those using food banks. I've looked at the Trussel website but they have not updated it to reflect current needs. They may well be snowed under with demand and if they aren't now, they will be if things get worse I live near the Forest Hill Co-Op. I see a number of elderly people who shop there - but I have to confess that I haven't noticed whether they are still out or not. I thought I might talk to the staff in the shop to see who has not been in recently? But how do I track down where they live? Any ideas/contributions?