peterstorm1985

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In many cases the EMA has only served to send > people to college with no interest in learning > anything. I am afraid that this can be true in some cases (personal experience of a young family relative). But I am certain that it's only a small percentage who misuse the system and, for many who do want to learn, the opportunity might not otherwise be available. ?30 a week is a small amount compared to the amount of state aid that will be received in a lifetime by those who don't want to work so I think it is worth the risk for those who might benefit.

It might be worth giving an idea of your age/likes/dislikes.

This is a very long thread that I have tried to scan but may have missed someone saying something similar to my thoughts, so apologies if this is duplicated. I worked in Social housing for a while in three different parts of London. In one area there was no point wasting money looking for tenants who had gone up in the world - virtually all tenants had their rent paid by the state. In the second there was a very high percentage of elderly/disabled who needed special provision that is rarely available in the private sector. The few able bodied were often quite wealthy but were too important to the social mix (and socially responsible) to want to get rid of them. The third had a significant proportion of bankers, lawyers and other high income earners who were living in expensive period houses (mostly Georgian) at minimal rent that made me sick every time I looked at what they had compared to what I could afford in the private sector. There were certainly enough of them to make an annual salary assessment financially viable. I wouldn't throw them out of their homes but I would like to see the rents increased for them to a level similar to the private sector.

I have even more difficulty with 'team solution', and I don't actually know what is meant by 'talk up school', but I think that somewhere amongst all that jargon is an argument that I agree with.

Pearson Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think the fact is more that they (Iceland) are > more interested in PROFIT than customer experience > or brand perception. > As such they are not prepared to pay for a refurb. Customer experience and brand perception have a direct influence on profits so I'm absolutely certain that they will have considered how the ugliness of the building is seen by their customers. I suspect, as with a number of other budget stores, their branding requires the fronts to be a little down market. An upgrade could put off some of their customer base. It looks cheap so the natural reaction is to anticipate that what it sells will be cheaper than elsewhere. I buy some things there. I wouldn't buy any more just because it looked prettier.

I rather suspect that the appearance of this form has been designed with the less interested parent in mind. Those who do care about their child's education; by ensuring they're always in school on time, teach them to respect their teachers, never take them out of school inappropriately etc, would respond just as well to a photocopied piece of A4. Unfortunately, I'm sure there are a number of parents who need something that looks as if it has come from an official or outside source to take it seriously. It's a shame that so much money has to be spent for so few but then it is often the few who are the most disruptive (child and parent). Targeting those parents may be highly valuable in the longer term even if the means do so does cause some irritant to the majority. And if it does look like a pizza leaflet, maybe that's intentional.

When I was growing up 'pikey' was a term used to mean someone shifty and likely to steal anything they found, regardless of value or damage caused. They might very well be of no fixed abode but it didn't have any particular racial connotation, simply someone who had 'gone bad'. We would never have used it for the travellers that visited once a year and who came to the door looking for scrap metal (They had a glorious Romany caravan.) Nor would it have been applied to the very few tramps (as we then knew them) who might occasionally ask for money but weren't expected to steal anything. I suspect the OP put the term in inverted commas recognising that they might get shot down in flames but I immediately got the image that I think was intended.

Hi charliecharlie, They're probably saying that you can't put food waste into the garden waste paper bags (ie not in brown bin) simply because those bags are much more likely to be ripped open by foxes and make a mess on the street. That makes total sense to me.

I wish I hadn't opened my door this evening. Fool that I am, I thought it was someone in genuine distress and I had my wallet handy. Surprise, Surprise, I'd been taken in. It was some arrogant *** from NPower telling me that he really wanted to save me money. He even crossed his heart - I joke not - and then pretended to get upset when I told him to get lost. I'm not falling for that one again. If anyone knocks on my door after 4pm they'll need to pass a note through the letterbox giving all their details first.

Pearson Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'll show you a thousand similar videos from > Newport/ Glasgow/ Newcastle. > Peckham is not the only place singled out for > 'bad' press on this sort of level. > This hits the nail on the head. Google may now be listing the 'Peckham terminator' in the scroll down because it's had so many hits in the last couple of days by someone trying to create an 'issue' but it wasn't previously and it won't when something else takes a project creator's fancy. I actually found it returned two major items when I tried just now; the other was 'Peckham High School for girls'. Is that another 'issue'? More importantly, I can read Pearson's posts and understand what they mean.

I wonder if perhaps someone could suggest to a committee member of the EDS that they request a permanent thread on this forum - similar to the 'East Dulwich Councillor - Can we help' thread - this might resolve any lack of IT skills that is preventing the website being created and create an immediate link to those they are trying to engage with. I don't know any committee member but if anyone does.....

Bubbles Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They don't have a website > at present, so possibly this is something they > would look into in the future if there is a > willing volunteer to help set this up! Possibly set up? In the future? You mean they're not sure it would be an absolutely essential tool in 2010 to canvas opinion from those who it appears they may represent. How very odd. I'm nervous of suggesting that perhaps this group is made up of the very elderly, as I know someone will immediately leap at my throat for it, but perhaps the name should be changed to the VSEDS (Very Secret East Dulwich society) to reflect the organisation's true nature.

wee quinnie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- However, in my experience, when I am > out and about, most cafes/restaurants appear to > think that the vegetarian dish must contain > cheese. I know that not all do, but this appears > to be some kind of unwritten rule. You're right. I'm not a vegetarian (as you can probably guess), but I am a strict avoider of any meat that's been factory farmed, and sometimes do end up choosing the vegetarian option when I'm not certain of the origins of the meat. Cheese does seem to play a large part of the vegetarian option a little too often. But it often has eggs in it too, and then I spend a guilt ridden evening presuming they're from battery hens...... And of course, a lot of vegetables will be grown using animal manure (which wouldn't exist if the animals weren't grown for milk/meat/eggs), so if you think too hard you'd never eat.

The logic that 'vegetarians' should eat meat only follows if they drink cows milk or eat products made from milk. I've just never understood why it is seen as better from a vegetarian's point of view to avoid cheese made with calves rennet when the milk that goes into the same cheese has been produced at the expense of an animal's life. The additional wastage of not using a by product from calves seems to be more immoral.

If a vegetarian is to be defined as someone who doesn't eat anything that derives from the death of an animal, then how do they eat or drink anything that includes cows milk? Without the slaughter of all the male calves the milk industry wouldn't exist and because of the non-viability of veal as a saleable meat at the scale required (and milk production calves are not suitable to fatten up for beef), the deaths of these calves are directly attributable to milk production. So, as rennet comes from calves, you might as well give their lives some purpose. Consequently, if you are going to eat cheese it would seem morally responsible to eat Parmesan in its proper form.

Sorry Uzzy112, I'm afraid that you've just destroyed any argument for coming. I typed 'Peckham' into Google and the first page was a list of inane websites without anything bad to say about the place. I've also tried a number of other search engines with similar results. I think you may be creating a problem that doesn't exist simply for a college (or is that school?) project. You'll need to come up with a stronger argument to get me to come along. I'd also raise a warning that if you do get a journalist from any of the mainstream papers to attend, you may find this backfires on you - the way they report your meeting may not paint the rosy picture of Peckham you might wish for.

I would be keen on extra stalls on Saturday, with a road closure on that day, but I don't think it's fair to the local residents to extend to Sunday. Everyone should have one day of their weekend that is peaceful. I also think that extending to Sunday may dilute the Saturday trade and all year round it may be hard to maintain. I would be very interested to know if the requests for additional stalls have been made over the summer when it seems such a nice thing to do. Last Autumn there was a noticeable reduction in stall holders turning up the moment the rain started. A wet Sunday may cause a lot of disappointment to visitors who then don't bother to come again on either day.

Sorry Uzzy12, I'm having real trouble understanding your posts. I suspect that you are typing on a blackberry, or similar, and don't realise that one sentence is running straight into the next. Any chance of a bit of punctuation to make sense of that last one? You say that the media are coming; it would be helpful to judge the worth of attending if you would let us know which media outlets are sending representatives. Will it be mainstream media or just local papers? I think you are suggesting that the press gives an unfairly negative impression of Peckham. On a personal note I would say that this is not my impression. My experience of Peckham is that it has high levels of crime but, as long as you are conscious of that, then it's a vibrant place to live, work and shop. I'm not convinced that the mainstream media identifies Peckham as any different. If I lived in the North of the country I might have far more to complain about in terms of media generated image. I'm surprised that you are having this meeting during the day when only the retired, home-makers and unemployed will be able to attend. If the media do send representatives that may not send the right message - it would be a real shame if they reported that the local populous was dominated by non-taxpayers. That is unlikely to benefit the media image.

Uzzy12, you say that you have invited media and local councillors. Have any agreed to come? Also, just to clarify, are you suggesting that the media reports crime in Peckham at a disproportionate frequency to elsewhere in London/UK, or that somehow the same level of reporting has more effect on local opinion in this area due to some localised susceptibility to the press? Oh, and what's the purpose? Are you intending to attempt to gag the press or are you after some sort of positive PR campaign for Peckham?

I've had to visit Dulwich hospital twice this summer for blood tests; on both occasions I went early afternoon. Both times I waited less than 10 minutes. Perhaps I'm just lucky, or perhaps my timing is right. I do think it's a bit tatty but it works well for me so I'm not complaining.

Please explain more - Is this just a talking shop with no powers or purpose? Or are you organising this meeting on behalf of an authority or recognised organisation? It sounded a bit odd that you will send details of the venue and timings to those who PM you. Wouldn't it be better if you posted the details for all to see - or perhaps you are just trying to judge numbers?

I asked James Barber who I could write to in order to table my views on Southwark Life for the forthcoming community meeting as I am unable to attend. He responded simply, "Write to me at james.barber@southwark.gov.uk and I'll ensure your comments are fed in to officers. The meeting would have been 10 November at Christchurch." Please may I encourage all others that do not think that Southwark Life is a good use of taxpayers money to also write to him. I won't be asking for it to be scrapped entirely, as there may be some people without access to other sources of information (eg this forum, Southwark website) who find something of use in it but I will ask that it becomes available only on request - most likely free at the Library as this would significantly reduce printing costs and the amount of recycling.

Some years ago a neighbour dropped a note through my door that a)Apologised that there might be noise on the following Saturday due a party b)Invited me to come along (We'd never met) c)Gave me their phone number 'in case we forget ourselves' A nice note meant that I was quite happy to tolerate what was obviously a one off event and I didn't reach for the phone when there was still some noise at 2am.

Zebedee Tring Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > James, you've mentioned that there is a strip of > land that could be tarmacked over. Do Alleyns have > any specific proposals to tarmac over this land > for use as parking for coaches? If not, it would > be very helpful if you could suggest to the school > that they should take this action on the ground > that it is a subject of great concern for many > local residents. If they care what locals > residents thinks, then they really should do > something about this. I don't think James is saying that there is a strip of land that could be covered in tarmac. I think his point is that the strip of land that some people have suggested could be used is in fact not suitable because it is on a slope and covered with trees. The last bit about the trees is pretty important. Roads make quite good car parks as long as the vehicle is switched off. Leaving the engine running is what really annoys me.

James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Next Dulwich Community Council 10 November 7pm > Christchurch southern end of Barry Road. > We'll have an extended session talking about how > to change what Southwark does - what can be cut, > what promises to spend more have been made. > Come along and give your view about Southwark > Life. Is it possible to write to someone to table my views on the Southwark Life magazine as I cannot easily attend this meeting? I imagine there may be many other local taxpayers who may be prepared to email/write but who are similarly unable to attend a public meeting. (I have also sent this to JB by private message to alert him of my request)