Sue

I think it's connected with the totem pole renovation celebrations They have passed now, but the notice has been there since then (at least that's when I first saw it - I passed it on the 484 and also took a photo!)

Well, I never go there, so I have no idea why it would be obvious 😔 And I'm not going to trek up to Dulwich Village just to ask them!

I find it worrying that the pH problem was considered bad enough for the pool to be closed. Something must either have been wrong with the water going into the pool in the first place, or something was added afterwards which shouldn't have been, or in the wrong quantity? Whatever, surely there should be checks every time a change of any kind is made to the water, and appropriate action taken? Or was this closure a result of such a check? In which case, I wonder what went wrong?

Why is it so quiet?

This is just something that is "being considered"! It could be years before it happens, if it ever does! I'm sure there must be many possible options to replace the services presently provided by Crown offices, including introducing more what are now called "sub" post offices (I think) in existing shops and other places. I'm sure there will be many different interest groups (for want of a better term) trying to make sure that groups of people who are likely to be most affected by the closure of Crown offices will have suitable alternative local provision. Especially given that presumably the existing Crown Offices are based in the areas where there are (or were) the most people to make use of their services, or were at the time they opened.

🤣 Very true! So how did the pH get "imbalanced" ? And how are they going to "rebalance" it? And how often do they test it, and what is the health implication of this "imbalance"?

Easy mistake to make, as they were all originally part of the Post Office.

Royal Mail is now privately owned, and completely separate to Post Office counters. Replying to Spartacus as well, whose post you were replying to!

It's a forum. People have different views.

It must depend what time you go? I've never had to wait long in there, and there was just one crate to put my parcels in.

I think I'm just pedantically quibbling about the use of the term "imbalance", sorry. Maybe all this cleaning stuff they seem to be putting in the pool has affected the pH 🙄

What on earth does that mean? Imbalance between the pH levels of what and what?

I don't understand?

I think the bad language started in the first post, to be fair. Whose language are you referring to? And who specifically do you think has been unkind, and why? A stolen bag of cat litter is quite amusing in my view, so I'm sorry if you think we should all be taking this very seriously and accompanying the OP to the thief's house to beat him up and get the cat litter back 🙄

There was a change in the company running the leisure centre, wasn't there? Who oversees that? The council? The pool manager or the general manager must ultimately be responsible to someone outwith that company?

Someone had a bag of cat litter stolen and now appears to be threatening the person who stole it ("I know where you live, now watch" ) etc. I'm not entirely sure kindness is warranted. We still don't know how the cat litter came to be (apparently) unattended at the bus stop. Nor why the OP hasn't gone to the thief's home to get it back. But are you a cat litter burglar?!

I think there is a separate swimming manager and an overall manager of the whole centre, but I might be wrong. It's a while since I've used the pool.

I'm sure there will be consultation etc etc with relevant interest groups, however at the end of the day physical banks and post offices are becoming less and less relevant to most people. Sadly, businesses can't continue to run if they are losing money. I'm heading towards eighty now, and most people I know who are my age go online, use smartphones, apps etc.. There are courses available if older people need help in getting to grips with - I was going to say new technology, but it's hardly new any more! I realise money is an issue for some people, but my understanding is that things like the state pension, job seekers allowance ( if it's still called that) etc are all now paid online. Forgive me if I'm wrong. So Post Offices are no longer used for that. And you can buy things like smart phones reconditioned, with a guarantee, if you can't afford a new one. And other couriers will pick up parcels, or you can post them at shops which have a sub post office, like the one in Forest Hill Road. And should anybody still be sending letters at extortionate prices, you can get stamps online 🤬

Royal Mail is run completely separately from the Post Offices. But I'm amazed Royal Mail has staggered on for so long. I thought it would close decades ago, when everyone started using email! That's often people with things like Amazon returns, which you can take elsewhere locally. The last few times I've been in, it has been virtually empty.

That's really awful. There must be someone further up the management chain who could be made aware of this?

I'm assuming that anybody who has a cat can afford its food, litter, vets' fees etc. Nobody was saying that two quid is "nothing", but it's cheaper than some brands of cat litter, so was hopefully useful to the OP. Still, hopefully your post made you feel better 👍 🤣 We still don't know why there was a bag of cat litter at the bus stop! Surely it would be rather difficult to take it away unnoticed if the owner of the cat litter was also at the bus stop? It's not like someone distracted your attention and picked your pocket and you didn't notice till some time later! But what is also confusing me is, if the OP knows where the thief lives, why don't they go and ask for their cat litter back?

The market is only there for a few hours on Saturdays! Surely all street markets are "a bit tatty"! That seems a strange reason to close a road permanently to traffic! There is already at least one seat in North Cross Road (which seems to be quite well used), apart from those for customers of The Palmerston, and several of the shops in the road have greenery outside

Why don't you lot meet up and have a nice friendly discussion over a pint? You don't seem to get very far on here, rehashing the same old stuff over and over 🤣

10l for £2.10 in Tesco with a club card. Even cheaper! I don't have a cat. I got a bag of cat litter last week to soak up used acrylic paint water, as you can't put it down the drain (who knew!).

Charming. Why was it at the bus stop?