Sue

Yes, the man in Barry's was so nice I bought some stuff in there I hadn't intended to :)

I contacted Connect + via Facebook, and had a prompt and polite reply, however it said that "it sounds like this store may have had a surplus of parcels and were awaiting our driver to make a collection to grant them more space." I have pointed out that as I was told that they never take parcels in the afternoon, this wasn't a one-off situation. Anyway, they are passing on my comments to their stores management team, who will contact V7 to see if they can "improve their storage capacity moving forwards." (presumably as opposed to moving backwards :))). I shan't be using V7 ever again so it's irrelevant to me, however hopefully things may improve for others. ETA: If anybody else has had problems with Collect+ at this shop, it might be a good time to let Collect+ know. I couldn't find an email address or contact form on their website, but you can contact them via Facebook (as I did) or Twitter.

Robert Poste's Child Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > redjam Wrote: > ---------------------------------------------- > > get a haircut. > > Risky. What someone I know calls 'giving yourself > something to cry about'! Maybe they should change their hairdresser :))

tomskip Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I put spiders out when they come in from the cold > ... but flies?? Aren't you being a bit of a softy, > Sue? > > How about getting some fly eating plants if you > don't want to use chemicals? I don't want to use chemicals because of the effect on me, not the flies/moths!! Fly eating plants are a good idea, but given the number of flies they'd have to be very hungry plants :))

I'm pretty sure they are cluster flies which have been hibernating. They are very dozy indeed. Also the vast majority are in the kitchen and I can't see how flies originating from a corpse could end up there.

Since at least one other house in East Dulwich has had this fly problem, I'm wondering how common it is in this area.

JohnL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Fruit flies or drain flies (or dead body flies) > or just house flies. > > Can't miss the small fruit flies that I get loads > of in the summer (especially if a potato rots) These flies look like ordinary house flies, though I'm no fly expert. Though apparently you can get cluster flies which are the size of fruit flies. Googling cluster flies mainly brings up pest control information, and a lot of rather disheartening facts :(

JohnL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Siduhe Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Thanks DF. This one did not fly, just scuttled > > off to hide in the cracks in the shelving. I > may > > have got it, but not sure. Am going to take > > further steps this evening..just frustrated that > I > > didn't even think to check there before. > > moth balls ? You get strips these days, which do not have the hideous smell of moth balls. I have found them very effective, though they do have to be changed quite frequently, and it can work out very expensive. I also use sticky traps for the males - I don't like doing this because I think it's very cruel, but I don't want to use a chemical spray and in any case that depends on actually spotting the moths. I diarise when to change the traps/strips, and I keep a note of where I've put them all (many many places .....) Each time I renew them I google to find the best price, but it's still very expensive :( I have just found three more effing very dozy flies on the kitchen window. I imagine they are going to die once they are out in the cold, sorry flies. ETA: Re moths, it is amazing how fast those female moths can move, and how quickly they find somewhere to hide where you can't reach them. I have to admit I do sometimes use a spray in that case.

I have had a PM from someone who had the same thing, and they are most likely Cluster Flies. This would explain the drowsiness as they have been hibernating. It is also potentially bad news :( I've just googled them and evidently they return to the same house year after year, hiding away in crevices. If so, this must be their first year at mine. Bleurgh. I've just found another one drowned in a vase of flowers :(

Sorry but if they aren't willing to take in parcels then they shouldn't be part of Collect Plus. Edited for typo.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm afraid a dead animal under your floorboards is > a likely scenario. No smell though

In the last three days I have had ten flies in my kitchen, at one point three at a time and another point four at a time (all were put out of the window). Plus at least one more (possibly two or possibly the same one) in other rooms. I can't trace any source of them within my kitchen or the rest of the house. There's no food left out anywhere. Just wondering whether anybody else has had any or whether it's just me? ETA: Some of them seemed quite dozy. ETA: I'm just wondering whether they could come down the chimney? I don't have any windows open, though I have had over the past week, but surely so many wouldn't have come in the window?

Yay!!!!

Took it to Barry's food store/offie in Barry Road tonight. No problems at all, friendly and courteous service. Shan't be using the other place again. For anything.

It must have bee (n) an extremely large bee then :))

Yesterday morning I saw a small animal eating suet balls in one of my bird feeders. It was balancing on the stem of a climber and reaching across to get at the food. It wasn't a rat, and it had quite a short tail. I was at the window and not close enough to see it properly. Could it have been a vole? I have seen a mouse in my garden in the past, but I'm not sure this was a mouse.

shazza76 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Had a take away from Memsaab last night- very > disappointing. The last 4 occasions we've had a > take away the food has just got worse. We've had > either Lamb madras, naga chicken, chicken madras, > veggie korma, veggie dhansak, chicken and veggie > biryanis, onion bhajis, samosas, > The curries just seemed to be very watery with not > much flavour. The naga chicken was a big favourite > but now it's just so incredibly hot you can't > really eat it. Yes, it's a hot dish with naga > chillies but it's spoilt when ( it appears so much > chilli is used) you can't even enjoy it. The > biryanis seem very bland. Onion bhajis over > fried -unable to eat. > Not sure if they are so busy that the food is just > rushed out. > > It's such a shame as when this restaurant first > opened their food was delicious and fresh. > Couldn't fault it. This is interesting. I have eaten at Memsaab several times and the food has always been good. But a week or so back we had a takeaway from there and mine was very disappointing. I had a prawn Madras which as you say was really watery, and cucumber raitha which was a container of yoghurt with a few tiny slivers of cucumber on top. It took a very long time to come, too. In future I think I will have to pre-plan and make my own raitha, as the last one I had (can't remember if it was eat in or takeaway) consisted of huge great chunks of cucumber! I can't remember where that was from but I think it was Memsaab as well. One extreme to the other! I think I will stick to their specials from now on.

You must have a very small palm!!!

Are you sure it's not a wasp (?queen?)looking for a place to start building a nest?

Courtier? That will be expensive. You'll have to get references from the Queen, too :))

nxjen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That?s so annoying. Probably won?t be much help > in this case but would suggest you get in contact > with Collect Plus to let them know this particular > point is not operating as per their advertising. > Collect Plus say on their website their pick up > points are open early to late 7 days a week and > V7?s opening hours are given as 6.30am to 7 pm. > https://www.collectplus.co.uk Yes, thank you nxjen, I will. I may let John Lewis know, as well.

Admin, please move if not in the correct section. I have just lugged a John Lewis return package weighing nearly a stone down to the Collect Plus point at the V7 Local (just past Memsaab on Lordship Lane). It meets all the weight and dimension criteria to be returned via Collect Plus. I was told parcels had to be taken there in the mornings only because they "have no space" in the afternoons. When I asked where was a notice to this effect, they said there wasn't one. They point blank refused to accept it, and told me there was another Collect Plus in Barry Road (which I knew). There was no way I could carry it from there to Barry Road, and as it was I had to carry it all the way home again. I am really upset. How are they allowed to be a Collect Plus point if they have no space to Collect? Anyway, if you are using this place, be warned. Don't take anything there in the afternoon.

Jenny1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Perhaps one of those sepia-tinted, 1970s-themed > nightmares. Yes!! Brown walls! Or at least one. Orange somewhere! Habitat lamps! It all seemed so cutting edge at the time .....

malumbu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We'll lift the hardboard and see how good/bad they > are. When central heating is fitted generally a > lot of damage is done to the existing boards. > I have central heating and my floorboards are fine, apart from some old woodworm holes, but I think that just adds to the charm .....

fishbiscuits Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Varnished chipboard. It's the new polished > concrete. Yes it is, and it's just weird. But I'm guessing very cheap.