tomskip

National Rail website just isn't clear. A group of 16 year olds of my acquaintance want to travel by train out of London (although with the journey beginning in London) this week. The National Rail website seems to suggest they should pay adult fares, or buy a 16-25 year olds railcard for ?30 to get discounted train fares for the year. It's questionable whether buying that card for ?30 would be worth it - not many of them are likely to travel by rail outside of London many times in the next year. Are these the only two options? These young people are still in full time education and use Zip cards to get around on the bus.

I do wonder how much more gruesome is it to sleep in a homeless shelter than to sleep rough, but am lucky in that I haven't had to experience either. If people don't want a room in a shelter, then fair play. There are folk who live on the street who really do not want to be helped. Give them plenty of offers but if those are constantly turned down then let them be, I say. Behaving aggressively or in a threatening manner to passers by is a separate issue.

We have been having trouble (yet again) in the past few days but are quite a long way from you (top of Upland Road). We're back online again but when they did their remote diagnostic thing, they saw something that warranted sending an engineer - who is coming next week.

If the charity shops in ED don't want them, there is an Oxfam bookshop in Herne Hill. There are second hand book sellers at Haynes Lane Market in Crystal Palace, who might be willing to give you a small donation for them. Or you could put them outside your house on a dry day and see if any of your neighbours or passing pedestrians might take a few. I find this is a good way of passing on unwanted books.

We paid ?1500 for our hall, stairwells and landings plus 4 upstairs doors in our medium sized terrace back in 2007. So ?2000 now seems ok to me, just perhaps a tiny bit on the steep side? The most helpful figure you could have in that quote is what they are going to charge per decorator per day.

Yes, I think I'm saying why do our town centre commercial rents have to be so high that independents cannot survive in them? It seems to work ok in other European countries. Can't comment on the US or other places as haven't visited enough. The UK is notorious for it's dull High Streets. I've lived in Brixton, Dalston and ED pre-gentrification. Wondering where to go next!

I find it frustrating that shopping and eating out in the UK is so dominated by chains. I guess it must be to do with high High Street rents but going in to central London and finding two Pret a Manger and two Starbucks (just for example) within a couple of minute's walk of each other makes me feel a bit meh. It feels so different in France/Spain/Greece/Germany/Italy and I don't understand why it has to be different here.

Or top end of Friern/Barry Road? It's annoying me from quite a distance, am feeling for the neighbours!

I remain loyal to the fabulous Greetings.

I thought they just decided not to trade in ED any more? Plenty of businesses do.

A British friend who has lived in the US for 20+ years is visiting London with her children. She is a bit nostalgic and very fond of sweets and chocolate. I googled Hope & Greenwood, in the hope of sending her in the direction of their Covent Garden Shop. The results of my Google search are a bit odd. When I click on the official H&G page, it seems that their shop in Covent Garden is no longer there, but Google hopes my friend might find what she needs in these other nearby locations (all illustrated with helpful pictures) 1. the Aldwych Theatre 2. The Real Greek 3. Toni and Guy Well I doubt it, given that she wants to buy small bags of sweets and isn't in need of seeing a show, a mediocre Greek meal or a haircut. So can anyone techy explain what kind of nonsense is going on here? I find it about as useful as my Samsung phone chosing to autocorrect x to xerox or X to Xmas every. single. time.

So Mr LS would be joining you in the trolling then? Do you not believe that child carers can be incompetent and neglectful or something? Or should people not care because ... well ... because there are lots of kids in East Dulwich?

So sorry for the loss of Roxy :( and what a very kind thing you did Rachel.

I cannot see the appeal at all of sitting near a fire. Unless its a freezing day and there is no alternative. Smoke smells awful!

It's a bit soon to bring charges of the scope and complexity that are going to be involved here.

You must know which house this is? Why on earth would you post it on the forum?!

I saw the cutest little rat under the shrubs at the edge of Morrisons car park yesterday. He was having a fine old time sifting through the litter. And I followed one up the path in Peckham Rye park the other morning.

I can't see why it's a problem. The very existence of Zip Cars means there's fewer cars on the road.

I booked Dulwich Property Maintenance recently to repair a broken gutter. Tony was very helpful and well-organised, and his guys arrived promptly and completed the job to a high standard very quickly. They also repaired another hole in the guttering that I wasn't aware of, at no extra cost. I am happy to recommend Dulwich Property Maintenance.

I would make the secondary school your priority MsMoppet, if you can. And yes, Dunraven is a very good school as Jan12345 says.

It really does depend so much on where you will be living MsMoppet. Are you absolutely determined to come to East Dulwich? The only mixed sex secondary we have in the area is the Charter School in Herne Hill and it has a tiny catchment. The second Charter School does not have a Year 10 (it only opened in 2015). Kingsdale admits on lottery and has a long waiting list (and how they handle new applications when there is already a long waiting list from the initial lottery is something of a mystery). Harris Boys is a good school but if your son really doesn't want to go to a single sex school then I would seriously consider moving elsewhere in London! Deptford Green and Elm Green schools are two that some children from ED go to, but you might choose to live a little closer to your preferred school if you aren't already tied to this area.

Can anyone put this thread into plain English?

Yes, anything with a citrus scent is a good deterrent for cats. Scatter orange and lemon peels on the top of your raised beds. Get Off My Garden (actual trade name) are green jelly crystals with a super strong citrus smell that you squirt on to the ground direct from the bottle. They do eventually wash away with rain but will survive a couple of light showers. You could also get spiky plastic grid to put in pots and raised beds, which makes the ground uncomfortable to walk on and hard to dig up. I make my own version with short lengths cut from bramble bushes and arranged over the soil between the plants. Have a water squirter or, better still, hose handy to spray cats and foxes with if you catch them at it. My garden is visited by many cats and I have one of my own who is too old and intimidated to go out in it much now to reclaim his patch. Dealing with the poo is tiresome but the impact can be vastly improved (see above). Despite all the cats - and the hideous foxes who have taken up more or less permanent residence (and whose poo is far more offensive imo) - we have plenty of birds in the garden. I'm laughing at the idea that cats have any significant impact on the bird population. Afraid I'm in the camp who thinks uncleglen deserves all he gets for that comment. Think it, if you must, but don't express it in a public place and not expect an angry reaction.

Been out and about this morning and noticed little piles of fly tipping on several street corners, including Goodrich Road and Barry Road. Its just so grim and infuriating!

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You remember when Burro e Salvia spurned the use > of freeze-dried sage in their agnolotti. Just this.