simonethebeaver

You can usually get away with stopping briefly for free in the car park too, especially if you sit in your car!

It's a step-free station according to TFL. Can't remember how you'd cross platforms - there's the tunnel but it has some steps, but if you're just getting off the train and leaving the station, it's step-free both sides.

Or head to Forest Hill? Although that is zone 3.

I hope you're enjoying yourself, 'localteacher'! Nits preferring clean hair is an utter myth though.

I resolved a long running complaint with Vodafone by using Facebook and Twitter before Christmas. Anyone hacked off but unable to leave might want to do similar. You get access to a more effective team of customer service people.

Even in school time, there's usually no problem parking on Thorpewood Avenue.

I know a replacement wouldn't be the same but we have 2/3 ignored Jellycat bunnies here. If you can tell me which one it is, I could see if we have a match?

Oakwood recommended both to me in this pregnancy. Having had flu several years ago, I jumped at the chance in both my pregnancies. I have never felt so ill. Having had a very heavy cold this time, which required a week off work, my only cheerful thought for a few days was that at least I wouldn't be getting flu! I do worry that people who have never had flu but THINK they have (I could easily have mistaken my cold for it) underestimate what a serious thing it can be.

Sainsburys also do the Science Museum range.

James Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have to say, this argument that says "Where will > the poor people get their food if there's no > Iceland" is flawed in several ways. > > Firstly, the price of food as a % of household > income has dramatically declined since the 50s, > thanks largely to aggressive pricing at the > supermarkets. If people are struggling to make > ends meet, there are many other areas to consider > first (the Sky subscription? Expensive car? Mobile > phone? Designer clothes?) > > I don't wish to generalise by any means but it > does amaze me how often people who claim not to be > able to afford paying a few pence more for better > food can still afford an iPhone 5 etc (I can't!) I > think it's more about priorities than necessity to > be honest. I think there are actually people around here we could call 'poor' who don't have much money for food OR designer clothes, an expensive car, a Sky subscription or a posh mobile phone. We're not talking Daily Mail middle class poverty but actual low incomes. I'm not saying that Iceland is the only answer to buying food on a budget but can we remember that there are people living in East Dulwich still who genuinely don't have much money. It's not about prioritising M&S food over designer clothing, but only having a state pension or income support to shop on.

The baby and toddler group at St Augustine's on One Tree Hill is having its Christmas party next Tuesday morning from 9.30am. It's ?1.50 for one child (any age) and parent (50p for each additional child), and that includes a drink for the adults and a snack and juice for the children. It's really friendly and I'm sure would love to see you and your son - I don't think there'll be Santa but there'll definitely be mince pies. There's usually a couple of dads around as well as mums and childminders/nannies. Obviously it's not in central East Dulwich but we've been going there for several months and have a great time.

Si Mangia is technically in East Dulwich, not Forest Hill - it's on Forest Hill Road! Obviously not Lordship Lane. Does Nina Christie do resizing/repairs or just her own stuff?

I may be wrong but I think all Lewisham secondaries band. They test the kids in yr5 in Lewisham primaries with the same test. If you look at the Lewisham secondary application booklet, it gives the distances and application numbers for each band. I don't know if Southwark publishes those figures?

Sorry, Londonmix. My response was to James. Yours appeared while I was typing. I would also like to know exactly how Harris' procurement works. Is it bound by public sector accountability?

What if though I don't WANT my daughter (who as current catchments stand will not get into any primary school) to go to a free school? What if I would like her to go to one of the existing very good schools a short walk from my house rather than a new one on the other side of East Dulwich? What are my options? It seems all I can do is lie. I am interested in the idea of permanently expanding our current schools-who do I tell? And as I said, I am fully aware of the history here. I'm not trying to make party political points. I'm just deeply frustrated.

I know nothing of Sweden but in the USA free schools are not the ONLY way to set up a new school. Surely they should be merely optional here too? A specialist complement to state provision?

I'd also like to publicise the fact that St Thomas' has a women's health physio department, unlike Kings, which is only general. Your GP can refer you. Having suffered badly in pregnancy one, I asked to be referred immediately this time round. The assessment is totally different to the generalists at Kings (who are lovely, I should add) and they are happy to do manipulation and specialist work. Obviously they are NHS with the constraints that brings, but having spent a fortune on a chiropractor last time because the physios couldn't help, at least it helps keeps the costs down.

I am simply astonished that we are in a situation where school provision is determined by people emailing to say 'I'd like my child to have a school place, please'. Is no one at all in a position of authority in charge of planning? Why have the very clear demographics been ignored to this extent? How can we be in a position where it is actually impossible for a local authority to provide education on the basis of need? As others have said, I don't know enough about Harris to have a view on it, but I am suspicious of any system in which public money is put into private hands without a thorough, transparent tendering process. Does any other country have this situation? Education should be an obligation on Government. We pay for schools through taxation but we can't have enough schools unless we email someone? I'm also not interested in talk about the last administration. I understand the legislative issues are not new to the Coalition. But why is the Free School policy, which funds schools that are often by nature non-inclusive, unrepresentative and selective, being pursued, to the detriment of adequate provision for our children?

I had my first encounter with an adult appointment at Forest Hill Road for a while last week. I rang NHS Direct about a symptom of my awful cold that was bothering me. They recommended I see the GP that day. I called at around 10.30am and was put on the duty doctor's call list. He called about 20 minutes later and said he thought I should come in. As I was 'luckily' at home because of the cold, I was 5 minutes away. I went in and was seen within 10 minutes. I think I possibly got kid glove treatment because I'm pregnant but even so it was very impressive and far better than I expected. Now, if they can just sort out the staff that deal with repeat prescriptions. One of my family takes 11 medications a day and something gets lost or forgotten by them every month.

Susyp, I adore my mooncup. I have always have fairly light periods but I have friends who have periods like you describe and say the mooncup changed their lives. One in particular is pre-menopausal with very heavy periods and went from a super tampon plus a towel, changing them every hour or two, to a mooncup changing it every two to three hours with no leaks. She just wishes she'd used one years ago.

St Augustine's on One Tree Hill has Carols by Candlelight at 4pm on 16 December. They are usually very child friendly there.

I'm not remotely interested in the political argument but my eyebrows are raised at the description of that spot as 'out of town'. It's scaremongering if you ask me, and an annoyingly Lordship Lane-centric view. Lots of ED residents don't live that close to Lordship Lane. That spot is also accessibly to the cash spending of Peckham and Nunhead. Plenty of shops on Lordship Lane sell expensive inessentials. Why should they be protected if a shop selling things people need is opening up a few hundred metres away? Personally I end up doing most of my shopping on the Internet or in Bromley or Bluewater, which are a darned sight more 'out of town'. I do use Lordship Lane shops for specific things but surely no one thinks that all needs are catered for on there?

Our car was keyed when we lived on Marmora Road.

Lewisham charge for collections. Eliot Bank is a fab school. My stepson is very happy there indeed. I wish our daughter could go but we live too far away now. You need to be close to get in though-its catchment is tiny. What put us off Sydenham was that further down towards Bell Green, where there are great houses, the schools aren't nearly as good. Secondary options are possibly better than East Dulwich.

I'd got my positive that morning and was still reeling! I've found it a bit better because of working part time but I'm lucky that my partner does most of the cooking so I could avoid food if I needed to. Are you feeling better now?