jimmyay

Much of London is really blighted by ever present aircraft noise, it has a huge effect on your quality of life without you appreciating it. When you move to a city where the planes don't fly over at all you really notice the peacefullness, birdsong and calm. it was wonderful when the icelandic volcano blew up and all the flights stopped for 10 days. it was like living in a completely different city.

And saying " you live in a global capital city, get used to it" is nonsense. Many / most global cities don't have aircraft overflying the city to reach the airports. Heathrow is in the worst place imaginable. it would be far better to shift it all out the estuary and have no overflying of London at all.

i feel very sorry for all the burglaries that happen but it's a sad fact that if your property is vulnerable, you will be targeted.

Although there are cheap and effective crime prevention measures homeowners can take, serious ones to deter burglars including secure locked double glazed windows and properly secure, unbreakable doors do not come cheap. However they are available. I know, i fitted them to my own flat and they cost thousands. i am afraid it is the only way to truly keep people out in an urban environment plagued by burglars.

People pay an absolute fortune for their properties round ED and have tons of valuable kit in them. A one off, few thousand quid on new security windows and doors throughout a property however is rarely considered. But it's the only thing that truly works. You just need to make your house super secure.

sarahf Wrote:

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> A bit further afield but Thank Cod for Ken's on

> Half Moon Lane is a great, traditional chippie. Am

> from Yorkshire and used to a certain chippie chip

> (not meaning to generalise but Southern chips tend

> to be a bit firm and potatoe-y). Ken totally hits

> the spot and his curry sauce isn't bad either!

I think Ken's is an appallingly poor quality chippy to be honest. i was originally from Yorkshire too and have lived near that fish and chip shop on Half Mooon Lane for years, it's really not the best.

London tap water is totally rank when you've lived in other places. it's not poisonous but heavily treated and bears no relation to fresh spring water or water which has come from other parts of the country where treatment is minimal . Don't forget what you are drinking is merely heavily treated water from the River Thames, not the clearest mountain spring.

Why do people leave their locks anyway? In 12 years of cycling in London i've never left a lock , locked to something without my bike.........as the locks tend to come in handy when you are , you know, cycling around and need to stop somewhere else, as most riders do. Rather baffled - and not surprised a building owner would seek to remove them if permanently left in place. I have seen discarded locks around on my travels - and as a regular cyclist that's what i've always thought they were - discarded. It's never crossed my mind that someone would leave one deliberately.

I can't believe someone is so entitled and cheeky to resort to legal arguments and demand compensation , they need to get a serious grip on themselves.

Is this actually true though?

My perception is that Crystal Palace has regenerated quite substantially in part due to the ELL extension - many former subdivided properties have been converted back into family homes and the process continues.

Agreed improvements seem patchy at best in Forest Hill, not sure why that is - perhaps as the town centre didn't have a lot of character to begin with.

i've also had poor service and quality from this butcher.

The Jubilee weekend is going to be the party of the century. i am unashamedly going to have it large as are millions of others . Bring it on !

Sheds with beds - common in other, more scummy parts of London. Hope the authorites do not permit this.

Black youths do nearly all the mugging and robbery round here. Sad but true. Not racist to say so.

The world didn't end in crouch end when they got an m and s and a waitrose. There are still stacks of independent shops there. People need to get off their high horse. This will take east Dulwich upmarket.

Honestly there are so many inverted snobs and moaners around these days.

Fantastic idea having an M&S in Lordship Lane. It will help anchor the high street and bolster other businesses. As well as giving us locals more choice. I'm over the moon about these proposals!

in case anyone didnt know there is a tfl bus countdown app for smartphones which tells you when the next bus is coming to the stop nearest you . you can also set favourite stops. v useful.

People that say "can i ask you a question?" Arrrrggggghhhhhh

i saw a single swallow last Thursday too - they are back . about a week early this year - usually around St George's day.

it would be wonderful if that green area could be used properly by the community.

there is so much rubbish around the footpaths at the moment, it is a disgrace and whoever is responsible for cleaning the pathways etc (as well as those who drop litter) should hang their heads in shame.

The houses at the Herne Hill end of Half Moon Lane now go for ?2-?2.5m and are pretty large - busy at the front but nice gardens at the rear . Further down, opposite the gardens of Delawyk Crescent you are talking ?1m. The North Dulwich end is environmentally to my mind more pleasant. Many of the houses have been extensively refurbed in the last few years, you may just be able to find a do-er upper if you are lucky. Away from the lane, the streets in the North Dulwich triangle are lovely and quiet. Again , the houses are ?950k-?1,3m depending on size, 2 bed flats around ?400k. generally decent environment .

Half Moon Lane itself is busiest around school run time and rush hours, but it's never crazy busy or too loud. Good double glazing / secondary glazing and you will be fine. It's pretty quiet after 8pm. The North Dulwich roads are obviously quieter.

In the 7 years i've lived around the lane, i've never seen any "trouble" and it has always felt safe to me. The 24 hour bus service is really convenient too!

Around school closing time today i saw 2 children accompanied by a parent with their arms literally full of daffodils picking from the lovely display in East Dulwich Grove. Honked my horn at them. Shameless and disgusting. Part of the bed is decimated - obviously a lot of it going on this year - what on earth has got into people?

i've used Burgess Park for a couple of years ,daily on my commute to and from work. at the moment much of the park is shut so the cut through is shorter. however i have never experienced any problems. On dark winter nights i tend to go as quickly as possible, however - it's unlit and rather spooky but i woudln't say i've ever seen troublemakers around.

it really isnt too bad around here compared to much of London, although sometimes it is intrusive. when the ash cloud closed heathrow for a few days a couple of years back you could really tell the differnce - the constant background hum is inescapable wherever you live in London. i'm just thankful i don't live in west london.

max 4 arrivals between 4 and 5 . some days none. most flights start after 5.

the character of ED ( and environs - this isn't just confined to ED but to Herne Hill, Brockley, Forest Hill, Crystal Palace, Nunhead ) has changed a fair bit over the 7 years i've lived locally. There has been family overspill from areas that are out of reach in W London - Fulham /Clapham arejust no longer the first obvious choice to the 20 something first timers or those with young families as it was in the 90s and early 00s. Things have definitely moved east and that reflects London more generally , with more people working in the Wharf, East London creatives, the Shoreditch effect etc all starting to have an impact on this part of town. Yes there is much oveexcited estate agent nonsense spouted, but the trend is certainly recogniseable.

I wouldnt want it to become like Notting Hill round here - i think it's very unlikely anyway. But i can see a day when, say, Forest Hill is more Hampstead-ised than it is now , as old time retiring couples who bought their semis for ?130k in 1995 sell up to incomers for ?800k who think they have found a bargain ....lol!

More on the Roma gangs stealing our heritage

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/283504/Foreign-gangs-in-metal-raids

i've had it - version of the noro virus i think . has gone now but terrible scratchy throat, nausea and dizziness, coming in waves over a few days. horrible, but it does pass.