sallyfran

A friend of mine did this for a hen party last month, was tackled, and broke her leg really badly. She is currently off work for 2 months with a minimum of 8 weeks non weight-bearing on that leg.

I actually agree with much of what you say henryb. The Southwark proposals for regimented ranks of gravestones and wide tarmac paths are ugly, 'municipal' and anachronistic and will not be ameliorated by planting the odd native shrub. They show a woeful lack of imagination as well as a crass insensitivity to landscape. But equally, I do not agree at all with the no change/no new burials argument. I like the idea of opening up a wider area for quiet walks, through re-attaching zone Z to the cemetery and creating a wider network of paths. I think there is plenty of room for increasing the number of burial plots across a wider area and thinking more creatively about how they are arranged and what they might look like. I think that a half-decent landscape designer, working with expert advice re habitat/ecology/biodiversity could come up with something really quite beautiful and imaginative that increases public amenity, meets some of the demand for burials, and preserves (or even enhances biodiversity and a sense of a green oasis in the city. I think we should be lobbying Southwark massively to raise their game, not just resisting change.

What about elderly local people who want their relative to be buried in a place accessible to them to visit? Or families who want a spouse/sibling/child buried with other family members? These are choices that should be open to people and it is not the Council's job to tell people how to treat the remains of family members. I am not sure what the alternative is. That is not to say that a cemetery should be a place of sterile landscaping. I would have thought that there was scope for compromise with many more burial plots (for which there is clearly a demand) but accompanied by sensitive and naturalistic (with native plants) landscaping. Lots of churchyards are beautiful places.

Winter, drizzle, silence.

For special diets of many descriptions, Tesco at Surrey Quays has the best selection of gluten free and dairy free of any local supermarket and also a huge selection of ingredients (different grains, oils, flours, herbs, spices etc.) from all over the world, which you might only find otherwise in delis or specialist shops at much higher prices. A bit surprising maybe, but it is quite unlike any other Tesco I know and a bit of a treasure trove (also good if you are looking for obscure ingredients in Yotam Otolenghi recipes!).

I had one that you had to put in the freezer and never used it. I then got one (second-hand off this forum) which has its own in-built freezer and use it a lot to make great ice-cream and sorbet in just 25 minutes. It is a Gaggia gelatiera and makes about 0.7l at a time. The only drawback (apart from the price - I got mine at half-price) is that it probably needs to sit on a worktop as the refrigeration fluid needs 24 hours to settle every time you move it. If you don't mind the type where you put the bowl in the freezer, I think that the Andrew James was a Which best buy. And I'd recommend 'A Perfect Scoop' by David Lebowitz for recipes!

Hi Helen We had our bathroom done recently by Marcus Woloch and were very happy with the work he did. It was pretty much the same work as yours, though we took the old tiles off ourselves to save money. Marcus brought in an electrician colleague to fit an extractor fan but otherwise did all of the work himself. He has a website under MW plastering and tiling. We found him through the forum.

Where are the classes held?

We would highly recommend Marcus Woloch (think that is the name) who recently did our bathroom (plastering, tiling, fitting bath and sink). We found him through recommendations on this forum. Great work, checks carefully what your requirements are, very tidy and conscientious and a really nice person to have around. He has a website if you Google MW Plastering and Tiling.

Has anybody tried the low FODMAPS diet for IBS? Did it help? Any tips?

I used to be a civil servant and it was always the case that letters from a member of the public to a minister never got beyond a (relatively junior) official, who drafted a reply directly. Letters forwarded from MPs are guaranteed a ministerial response (even if only a standard reply). So do make sure you write directly to Tessa Jowell (even if you write to David Laws too), and if she forwards all the letters it will ensure that the minister sees the volume of interest and concern.

Does anybody have experience of either of these companies please (I believe the former makes wooden windows for the latter as well as operating independently). Thanks Sal

Really sorry this happened to you. There is a spate of similar burglaries in this area at the moment. A house in Upland Road was broken into in exactly the same way in the same circumstances (levered out a locked sash window mid-afternoon) and that one even had an alarm which did not seem to be a deterrent. Another house in Upland Road had patio doors smashed in and one in Friern had the front door smashed in. It is worth being observant re people in front gardens, even if they look like they are doing work there.

Though it's not that local, I think that Morley College runs at least one gospel choir. Or would second Nunhead Community Choir as v lively and friendly.

I don't have glaucoma but do have consistently high pressure in my eyes. I have found Paine and Hunter really helpful in carrying out the field of vision test and referring me to Kings for an expert opinion when my pressures looked borderline.

Yamaha Clavinovas are good but I don't know whether there is one that falls within your price range. They sometimes come up for sale second-hand. The really important thing is to get a model that is touch sensitive, ie is louder or softer depending on how forcefully you depress the keys. That way, children can learn to play much more musically and can more readily make the switch to any kind of piano if they were to have lessons with a piano teacher.

I'm guessing that they are clearing the wooded area to make room for more burials there. It wasn't that long ago that there was talk of using some of the park space round Brenchley Gardens for new burial space (can't remember where exactly). If people are still wanting local burials, I'd far rather that the council maximised existing cemetery space (even at the expense of losing some trees and 'wild' areas) than took up new space elsewhere. I don't know about the efficacy of the drainage work but it might have been a lot worse without it. Peckham Rye park is currently flooded in lots of places despite huge works when the park was regenerated a few years ago, though it's miles better than it used to be.

I had this a few years ago, with much the same symptoms. I took iron tablets as prescribed and everything got better. The doctors didn't explore potential reasons for it but the symptoms don't seem to have returned.

The Southwark one is in Southwark Park. You can get there on the Overground to Surrey Quays and it's a couple of minutes walk from there.

Contact the chair of governors and explain that your complaint is not being heard.

There is a very nice book called 'Playing, laughing and learning with children on the autism spectrum' author Julia Moor, published by Jessica Kingsley. There is also a book for parents called 'More than Words' which offers advice on developing communication skills for children with autism at different levels. PM me if you would like to come round and take a look to see whether they are the sort of thing you are after. I can also show you the Luke Jackson and a similar one by Clare Sainsbury but depending on your child, it can be as disheartening to read about high-achievers with autism as those who struggle to make progress. Often, some of the best advice and support can come from other parents.

Last year I used Julia Brundell in Lee and she seemed thorough and conscientious and got it in in good time. Not sure if she is searchable, PM me if not and you want further details.

Nunhead Community Choir sounds just what you are after. Come along to try at 8pm on Thursdays at Ivydale School. You can drop in and pay as you go, or sign up for a term if you prefer. Really friendly, good mix of ages and backgrounds, a good number of men (not always the case in community choirs). Currently singing Elvis (I Can't Help Falling in Love With You) and a Bob Marley mash-up. Other recent numbers include Imagine, One Day Like This (Elbow), Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon.

A third recommendation for Mr Jolly. Once you are on his list, he'll send an annual reminder.

This thread has also been (wrongly posted) on the for sale thread too and I have commented there as well. Just so as people don't make judgements based on a single experience, we have used this company for several years to service our boiler and have always had a good and reliable service. I have no axe to grind either way, but as a local self-employed person myself I always worry how potentially easy it is to win or lose a reputation based on limited but very public anecdotal information (however accurate).