borderpaul

We are seeing both LTNs and CPZs being put in for the same reasons. They both have the same effect to remove traffic and parking from a residential area but those in CPZs have to pay for the privilege while those in LTNs have been given a privilege for free. It seems fair to have an LTN charge for this privilege proportional to property values such as the council tax bands.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" Whether you are for or against the LTNs, we should not forget that council acted in ways that many of us disagree with and hopefully they will be more democratic and listen to us in the future (unlikely but there is always hope). There is nothing wrong with holding people to account and reminding them of their past behaviour.

It does sound like another out of touch policy pursued by the political classes. We have had a u turn on tax cuts for the rich, perhaps it is time for a u turn on pollution cuts for the rich as well. I am totally in favours of cuts but they should be targeted where there is greatest need and shouldn't be regressive.

You make a good point which is that your experience is the sum of the components and it depends on your needs. I found out when I was doing the wired testing that initially it just did not perform and it was only when I investigated that I realised there was a slow network card that was always going to limit speeds to under 100Mb. Our BT ADSL speed was improved as there was a local issue but before that we were getting a lot slower speed which was causing issues with the kids when a new game update had come out on Xbox which their mates were playing already while they were waiting hours for a download to finish. If there weren't 5 of us and I didn't work in IT, the BT service would be my choice as my needs would be less.

Another recommendation here for Community Fibre, we struggled for over a decade with BT ADSL with no chance of fibre shared between five of us, got Virgin eventually and then a year later Community Fibre arrived. I have screenshotted the results as I now have three Internet providers coming into the house but will be getting rid of Virgin in a few weeks. Community Fibre has the best speed, downloads 25% faster than Virgin but 6 times the upload speed and a third of the latency/delay/ping which is good for gamers and some specialist applications. I went for the 1gb package, the first three screenshots show the wifi speed and the last screenshot shows the wired speed for which you will need a 1Gb ethernet adapter(a lot of laptops will have slower 100mb adapters). All tests were done using Google's Internet speed test. BT looks weak in comparison but although slow has proved very reliable and gives a £10 discount on BT Sport if you need it. It is worth your while using a referral code when signing up as you will get a £100 Amazon voucher which you can do by clicking on the link https://communityfibre.co.uk/friends?referral=tsviiwyseC Community Fibre Wifi Speed Virgin Wifi Speed BT Wifi Speed Community Fibre Wired Speed

I found Balfes reasonably good but do think bicycle shops tend to be very dependent on the staff member you get rather than the shop. Recently I tried the mobile bike repair shop in Northcross Road market, they had been brilliant in the past but recently I took my bike there and they needed to take it to their bicycle shop Bicycle Nation in Herne Hill. It took about 5 weeks and 2 visits to the shop and one to the market to get my bike fixed as initially they changed some components but didn't solve the issue. It ended up costing a lot more than I expected and I felt the person who initially did the work didn't know what they were doing and replaced components that were only a few years old, were not worn and didn't need replacing. I learned an expensive lesson and next time would write down exactly what they said they would do, get them to put in a proper estimate and then do a bit of research. I will be heading back to Balfe's next time.

I don't think the ridge part of Sydenham Hill gets a lot of cyclists from my experience of cycling across it. It is a local route feeding into the main cycling routes of College Rd or Kirkdale/Hill part of Sydenham Hill/London Road. There are 2 bus routes there that probably amount to more person journeys than are carried out by bike. It is not very headline grabbing but as many people have said installing speed cameras that measure average speed on that stretch would be the most sensible thing to do. If there is a need to spend money on a cycle lane then put it on the Hill part of Sydenham Hill where there is a greater need.

I cycle occasionally up/down and across Sydenham Hill. There is a cycle lane on part of it and a lot of cars park on it especially by the new flats where motorists are more in fear of private parking restrictions than council restrictions so segregation/rediweld curb in this case is good. Speeding is generally not such an issue where the road is used by cars to park on both sides or near the speed camera. I am not sure that removing parking will reduce speeding. I would expect it to increase with motorists not having to worry about parked cars or cyclists. I do think the main requirement for a cycle lane is on the hill part rather than the ridge/plateau. I have always found this the most hazardous, and often a major bottleneck for cars/bikes/buses because of parking on both sides combined with the speed going down and effort required going up as a cyclist.

I do think the Labour party plays a much better game in the local elections. In my local ward, they got three seats with 52% of the vote leaving the other 48% who voted unrepresented. The Greens got 23% split amongst 3 candidates. I'd say their vote would have stayed the same if they had just one candidate and they would have got that one candidate elected as they would have beaten the lowest labour candidate who got 15%. I would agree it is complete rubbish that it was an election on LTNs or make assumptions about the quiet people who may not live on quiet streets. grumpy old cyclist No.2 .........

The Missing by CL Taylor about a 15 year old boy going missing is a book you won't put down once you start reading it.

Sorry about the short notice but thought I had it organised. I am looking for somebody to help move a delivery from the road into my back garden. You will need to be reasonably strong and fit as there are steps up from the front of the house. Location is close to Forest Hill library. Paul

All we need now is Wetherspoons to take over The Greyhound when it re-opens.

Classic lofts did my loft and did a good job quickly. The staff were friendly and competent although there was one management guy whose competency seemed to be he was related to the owner rather than good but that was a few years back so he may have improved.

The Blythe Hill Tavern is worth a try but more Forest Hill/Catford than ED or take the 176 to the last stop and go the Pawleyne Arms in Penge. http://www.blythehilltavern.org.uk/blythe-hill-tavern/

I am looking to rewire a three bed house in Eden Park, does anybody know of an electrician who is out that way or would work there. House is empty and needs the work done as soon as possible. The house has got a mixture of old and new electrics but on balance we have decided to rewire rather than repair. PM me or reply to the thread if interested.

I have never hired a car in London but I regularly hire one using Hertz at Dublin Airport but they have branches everywhere. I'd echo uncleglen, check the paperwork, sometimes the rep comes out to check the scratches, be assertive and make sure it is accurate. They normally try and sell you excess insurance, check how much this is going to be as it is probably cheaper to get it online, google car hire excess insurance. Lastly check their fuel policy as you have to return the car with a full tank otherwise you pay a refueling charge plus expensive fuel charges.

I'd recommend a HUMAX recorder which I got from John Lewis. I have 2, one 6 years old and the other is three. The more recent one gives you series links allowing you to record a whole series rather than recording each episode manually using an Electronic Programme guide. The old one which all the kids can use is easy to use, the newer one has more functionality but probably a steeper learning curve. I have Virgin without the TV option as I felt it wasn't worth the monthly subscription unless you have got bad TV reception.

You will be happy to know Catholicism has revised the concept of Original sin. The old teaching was that everybody was born with the original sin of Adam and that if a baby died unbaptised, it would go to hell. Not surprisingly this was viewed as unfair and was later revised so that the baby would go to Limbo and then eventually that the baby went to heaven. I know it sounds a bit far-fetched now but having gone to a Catholic primary and secondary, we believed it. I think you should wait till a slot becomes available at your local church. Baptism in whatever religion is a celebration you should have when family and friends can attend especially the future Godparents. Unless of course, you are in it for schools, if you are then you need the child baptised within the first year. Most RC secondary schools have this as a rule, although I was told a few years back, some sharp elbowed parents were going to take them to court.

TownleyGreen, geography has nothing do with what an area in London is called. According to the local residents association it is West B, check out their website http://www.westbeckenhamra.org. I am sure their opinion is as valid as yours. West Beckenham Residents? Association (WBRA) supports residents in Eden Park, Elmers End, Clockhouse, Penge and Cator on many local issues, including: Langley Park schools put their address as Beckenham but the nearest station is Eden Park which confuses people even more.

Many people consider the BR3 part of Eden Park as West Beckenham which is within the Langley Park catchment area. It is expensive but the other side of Eden Park has the less expensive houses. Eden Park is a bit unloved but you will have access to the secondary schools and still be close to Beckenham. The compromise is that you will need your car for most things and the train service is slow and not so frequent.

Fuschia, yes we had the same issue, 3 kids under 5 but could never park outside the house, always wanted to paint a Parent and Pram sign on the road. Yes, some people would say that would be discriminatory against all those people who pay taxes so that we can overpopulate the world. Back to FH, while you are availing of the swimming pool and all the great shops on Dartmouth Road, call into Robert Stanford a really good estate agent or the other two and buy/rent a house there.

I think you might have been lucky to get a space on that road as during term time you have the parking from the two schools at either end of the road and of course the locals themselves. Fuschia, does your street have any nice amenities that the people from Forest Hill could avail of after parking outside your house? Care to name it? The 176 and 197 stop right outside the pool so it is within and easy bus ride of ED. BTW, I don't live on that street but I think Otta probably has loads of parking beside her.

GWOD, many parents have moved to places less than perfect for the sake of their kids but it can only be admitted to close friends and family or after the house is sold. I'd personally recommend Upper Sydenham, good amenities and transport. I managed to get rid of loads of rubbish just by putting it near the road including a bookcase, a filing cabinet and old laptops.

I have got an Irish passport and my wife and three kids have British passports. I have never thought of getting them Irish passports as I can't see any major advantages. I see both passports as being EU passports so not much difference. I feel they get their sense of Irish identity from myself, the sport we watch and visits to Ireland. I don't think an Irish passport would add much to that sense at this stage but if Britain was to leave the EU, I'd be queueing outside the embassy the next day.

The Irish Times have published an account by her husband and friends. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1124/1224327042133.html?via=mr I think what probably has been established in the court of public opinion in Ireland is that a medical team could now easily make a decision to carry out an abortion to protect the mother's life. This has been the law as handed down by the Irish Supreme court 10 years ago but which successive governments decided not to clarify. Irish politicians are as bad as everywhere else.