steveo

Our existence is pointless so just enjoy yourself as stylishly as possible and drink Guinness

Yes, the bus shelter ads also promote the schools which in this area are oversubscribed. That doesn't seem very joined up.

This issue has some fake letters, a feature on first time voters, one on celebrating Southwark women, an events calendar, an interview with a GP, a feature on Southwark Muslims, another on spring cleaning and two page ads saying how great Southwark is. The rest of it might scrape by as useful. Do you think that's worth between ?25,000 and ?50,000 a month (depending who you believe)? The council may be obliged to publicise its services (although I've seen no evidence of this yet) but it doesn't have an obligation to run a magazine full of waffle. However, in the spirit of compromise perhaps it should consider occasional leaflet drops.

Don't preach to me Newcomer unless you have personal experience

As Mr Lush Head pointed out to me, in addition to the local press, bus shelters, library, posters and noticeboards, the council could use this very website and others in the area to communicate. Mr Barber and the Labour chappies are already spreading their word on it. I'm not suggesting closing the website, I simply want to know how much it costs. I maintain a couple of sites, it takes a lot of time and the Southwark site is immense. I am suggesting closing that magazine.

Siduhe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I also find Southwark Life pretty useless - > however, I accept and understand that it's not > aimed at me. > > All local councils have a statutory obligation to > inform residents about services, policies and > decisions I'd like to know more about that statutory obligation. I also think the minority groups in this multicultural area often have excellent networks and don't require as much of a leg up as might be thought. Let's narrow this down, who's benefitting from a full page full colour back page plug for Southwark's green spaces? They are green and you can see them from the top deck of a bus.

Library, bus shelters, noticeboards, town crier, skywriting - all way cheaper than a magazine. But your comment increases my interest in how much that website costs.

willow Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > For all the belly aching on here it's a wonder > that people would want to stand as councillor at > all. What a thankless task it seems to be as > people never seem satisfied with the answers > provided! You aren't Mrs Barber are you? Joking apart, these are extremely pertinent questions and since James has put himself in the frame I don't see any problem. To put it in perspective the ?25,000 a month (or more) that Southwark Life costs equates to 8 beds in a care home (my particular hobby horse). God knows what services could be saved if Loz's rationalisations were implemented

Thank you James, we are making some progress. However: a) I suspect the true costs have been massaged downwards (what's the opposite of massaged?). If you don't credit my estimates please look at ryedalema's figures above. b) I'll make efforts to get hold of a Hammersmith & Fulham magazine but in my experience of ad sales miraculously they are doing better than commercial publications to get costs down to the extent you or they suggest. c) true costs apart, the mag is propaganda with a bit of public information tacked on and therefore shouldn't be financed by us d) I find it inexplicable that the council isn't addressing making obvious savings as fervently as users of this forum

Posters in the library and on community noticeboards/bus shelters. That's the way it used to be done. If you add the multi million pound website, that would seem quite sufficient. Mmmm, I wonder how much that website costs?

Don't be shy to look at the scandalous cost of the purposeless Southwark Life magazine

Maureen's a slag

The extensive path relaying, widening and hump building in Court Lane has taken for ever, cost a fortune (how much I wonder?) and has caused a load of dangerous chicanes and opportunities to rip your exhaust off. The paths were in good order before the work started and as only about ten people a day walk down Court Lane a total waste of money. It looks like an exercise in using up budgets to me.

ryedalema Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We send out > 25,000 copies per issue (quarterly) and it costs > ?23,000 per issue. - we offset a lot of > the costs with carefully considered advertising, > from partners who are directly relevant to our > audience. That's ?1 a copy. Southwark has 100,000 homes and the mag has no advertising so maybe we're getting near my original ?50 grand estimate.

tomdhu Wrote: > > Given that there are 33 boroughs in London then > the average cost is ?303,030 per borough. > Well done Tom. It looks like my estimate of ?50,000 a month may only be ?25,000 but hey. I'd love to know about Southwark chapter and verse though. Close it. Close it now.

This month's inestimable Southwark Life is carrying a letter from one David Ofosu Appiah congratulating the magazine. Quote: "Its stories are interesting, its content is carbon friendly and it breaks generation and gender barriers." He goes on to say, "It projects Southwark as a suave, upmarket and cosmopolitan part of 21st century London." Now call me a cynic but do they sound like the words of a young man who according to his Facebook page is a fan of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Vin Diesel and Jesus Daily? In fact does anyone speak like that? Except perhaps for Southwark Life's editor?

And a rather smart buggy/wheelchair ramp has appeared. There'll be coffee and cakes soon!

I think he's doing his best although I can't get a straight answer out of him about the appalling waste of money that is the Southwark Life magazine. It will be interesting to see how interactive he is after the election.

Any geologists out there? Where did the oil come from? If it is from trees that were once on the Pangea land mass, why didn't it move with the separating plates? Were the Falklands once much bigger and covered with trees? Is there oil in the middle of the Atlantic/Pacific? I'd go back to school if they'd let me.

Both hands seems a bit strong

I heard that it's in their constitution that every president must challenge the Brits on the issue at every opportunity or be in breach of Argy law, so it's not going to go away easily, oil, sheep, fish, wind, whatever the harvest.

Steve T: If I wait until that time arrives, I won't know the way to Switzerland Sue: That's my point, she'll have no choice The big squeeze on care home costs that is coming up will result in lots of dead grannies - smothered by desperate relations. They won't be after gran's money, just trying to keep their own

No one tells you when you're born that you'll have this bloody cross to bear later in life. I never got on with my mother. Now she's in dementia care at the rate of three grand a month and I'm all she's got. Bye bye inheritance. She raised me for about fifteen years I reckon and I'll probably have had to look after her for twenty. I'll be off to Indignitas before I inflict that on my own kids

Apparently, BOSS used to employ the Richardsons to do some of their dirty work in London, in return for allowing the brothers to smuggle diamonds out of SA inside frozen fish (according to London Babylon)

Stansted isn't nearest but it might be quickest