Sue

But doesn't "public" land belong to somebody? Sorry to go on about it, but I'm confused. Some years back, someone/some people picked all the lovely daffodils growing along the edge of Peckham Rye (adjacent to the main road). Do you think that was OK, because it wasn't on private land? It spoiled the potential enjoyment of them by a lot of other people, including me. And what is the distinction between "plants worth growing" and those apparently not worth growing? And why is it relevant to the theft of plants and flowers and cutting material? Or have I totally misunderstood your point?

Thank you, that's really useful.

Aren't all places with plants or flowers someone's property, or have I missed something somewhere?

Maybe so, but in both cases it is theft, in my view.

This happens in nurseries and garden centres as well. I imagine they think nobody will notice 🙄 Not quite the same thing, but years ago I had three fully planted window boxes stolen from my front bay. The police said someone was going round East Dulwich with a van. I think it was Mother's Day or something. I also knew someone in North London who had two very expensive planters (and plants) stolen from outside his house. He had to get the replacements chained down.

That's dreadful. There are snipping sounds. She must have come out with scissors or secateurs specifically to steal other people's flowers. What road is this?

The alarm outside the dentist hasn't been bleeping when I've passed it a couple of times recently. OP and others, have you heard the mysterious noise in the last few days?

Chern now sells alcohol including wine, and has Thai beer (Singha) on draft. And yes Chern is lovely and really good value!

You have an opportunity to set up a scheme to buy people's books,do you mean? And you will pay someone a huge amount to be allowed to set up the scheme? I don't understand. Is your final sentence unfinished? I buy a lot of books secondhand. If there's a particular book I want I always google to see if I can get it secondhand first. Quite often the book I get looks virtually new and unread, but much cheaper than if I had bought it new, even at a reduced new price. There are loads of places online with a huge selection of secondhand books. At least one of the websites sells them via a number of different secondhand booksellers who all apparently gain potential customers via their search online for a particular book. But I also give away a lot of books, either to friends or to charity shops (especially the Oxfam book shop in Herne Hill). It would be a huge hassle to send them somewhere like you are suggesting, especially if you have to put in the details first. I suppose at least these days you can easily google to find out if any of them are worth anything. When my dad died, on behalf of the family I took a carload of his books to Hay on Wye (I lived not far from there at the time) plus some of my old childhood books. They cherrypicked the ones they wanted and wouldn't take most of them, and I strongly suspect I wasn't given anything like they were worth.

I'm confused, sorry. Do you mean it's staying the same but just changing its name?

Does anyone have an air purifier they no longer need? Ideally combined with an ioniser, but not essential.

Ah, sorry, I missed the "French" bit on their ad. DUH! Thanks for the extra info!

I am not sure what the French have to do with this?! And I wasn't suggesting they change their existing potatoes, which was why I said "expand their range" ! Hopefully the Castle do still have an arrangement with Yard Sale as well. Does anybody know?

We enjoyed ravioli at Due Fratelli (near the bus stop on Lordship Lane which TFL for some reason calls Goose Green) the other evening. Though they seem to have more pizza options than pasta, and not many pasta options for vegetarians (though obviously that won't worry you if you aren't a vegetarian!)

Are you saying that if you are walking down North Cross Road from the direction of Upland Road that you can't hear it once you have passed the dentist? Because if so, it can't be the alarm next to the dentist which I referred to above (unless it coincidentally stops making a sound every time you pass it!)

Admin please move to lounge (or the nature thread in this section) if more appropriate. This article includes a link to a survey for people to comment on the reintroduction of White Storks to Greater London. I think this is a great idea, but the survey asks for all shades of opinion on various potential issues with doing this. Please read the article and fill in the survey if you are interested! It only takes five minutes! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/04/rewilding-group-to-assess-possible-return-of-white-storks-to-london?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Just wondering if you had already used Russell Perring (Perrin?) because I've always found him very reliable,honest and efficient. In the unlikely event you still got leaks after he had done a repair, I'm sure he would sort it. It might be worth asking him to have a look at the roof, I'm sure he wouldn't charge you for advice. I have no idea if he still works in this area, but the number I have for him is 07852 972052 .

I love the Castle, but I don't eat chicken. Any chance you might expand your range to include something veggie? Or the potatoes without the chicken fat?

This may not be what you mean, but there's what I presume is a burglar alarm near the dentist on North Cross Road which keeps going off, but I don't think all the time. I don't know who "owns" the alarm, but if I lived or worked near there it would drive me mad. I'm in Ulverscroft Road, so not far away, but I haven't knowingly heard it inside my house (but I have double glazing). I've only noticed it on many occasions when walking down North Cross Road.

That sounds a bit worrying. Have you tried googling or asking Thames Water?

Someone may be able to make use of them eg on an allotment or community garden, even if painted etc Definitely worth offering then free on here first (unless you need to get them off your hands ASAP).

Not sure they are "exotic"? They've always been around in ED in the Summer!

Do you mean The Dream Machine? Used to sell vinyl and musicians used to go there and play? Don't know about the hifi repair! If that's what you are thinking of, I can put you in touch with the guy who used to run it if you PM me.

I may have misremembered, but I thought I had recently read (via a link on here) a newspaper article about these faked "accidents" which said that the recent arrests by police in London were related to a Brazilian gang?

I'm sure many people would look to see if someone needed help, and if so would do something about it, and at least phone the police if necessary if they didn't feel confident helping directly. At least I hope so. I'm sorry you don't feel safe, but surely ED isn't any less safe than most places. It's hardly a hotbed of crime, it's just that people don't post on here if nothing has happened! And before that, there were no highwaymen, or any murders at all .... In what way exactly have we become "a soft apologetic society", whatever that means?