BARA

I was just quoting from the letter we received from a local resident - who mentioned that this was happening in the block of flats he/she lived in. Just posting some of the comments received - this was one person's perception of a situation, it is not necessary that of all other residents. Most of the other comments received were about privacy, noise during construction, increased traffic flow, the properties over looking the school and blocking out light, subsidence, buildings not complimenting the character and appearance of the neighbourhood, possible increase in accidents especially during building phases. I gather TFL would like to put another bus stand in Etherow but have admitted there is insufficient room. The person who mentioned the young people, had other comments to make about the area, which were fairly negative, but bore no relevance to the proposed development.

Yes - we are, have only got the hall until 9 pm so we need people to be concise. Having spoken to various councillors etc we have been advised that as well as objections to the scheme, southwark planners will look more faviourably to 'protesters' if they come up with an alternative proposal/suggestions. I gather that the Banfield Woodyard site was given thrumbs up as it provided family 2/3 bedroom accommodation which many new builds are not catering for. East Dulwich has seen loads of flats being built in the smallest of spaces (Landells Road/Lordship lane end) and familys are not being catered for. BARA have suggested that since the developers have forked out around ?2 million they will want a high profit margin. Given the depth of the site you could get 2 rows of houses on the Barry/Etherow site. feedback from local residents have pointed to serious concerns re subsidence as many have quoted the collapse of road surfaces in Friern Road and Etherow Street due to the increased buses. Another resident has voiced concern over the underground car park as an attraction to local drug dealers/anti social youths who are currently gathering in the area surrounding Friern and Etherow. Those of you who hope to attend - it would be helpful if you could also write your objections and any alternative suggestions down just in case we do not have time to hear everyone's view. We will collect all papers at close of meeting. Bradfields have applied for outline planning consent - see yellow posters outside 359 and 278 Barry Road. BARA will submit a collective viewpoint from meeting but it would help if individuals also write in. See you at the meeting.

Henslowe Road has a NW Scheme.

No vouchers received in the Barry Road area yet

Currently working in Camberwell, but as an essential car user, have to cover a wide range of south london for my job, hence 10-20 mins drive depending on traffic, roadworks, temp.lights etc to office. Previous commutes - East Sheen - car via Clapham, Putney - minimum an hour. St. Helier Hospital Sutton- via Mitcham, approx 45 mins - hour. Job also takes me out of London at times - Hastings, Cliftonville, various parts of Sussex and Essex. Longest journey undertaken for my work was Cambridgeshire and Norfolk which meant that I could claim guest house b & b expenses, and 3 meals allowance plus mileage. Only time in 12 years that have done this. Although a colleague was asked to cover Bodmin Moor and Dorset over 3 days.

Some years ago the residents in Norcroft Gardens, fed up with St. Anthonys' school parents parking, put up a barrier and all residents had keys. It lasted about 9 months to a year, then council removed it after complaints from the same residents. I think it was that when delivery vans, including Royal Mail Vans, council contractors Some years ago, the council put up a barrier after complaints from residents re school parking. It lasted 6 - 9 months as residents found they could not get delivery vans, council contractors, Royal Mail etc to the street. If they had an idea of what time delivery was due, they could have their keys to the barrier ready to nip out and open up. One of the OAPs in the bungalows got the barrier up but the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.

I support the idea that having kids should not ruin your social life i.e.pub and restaurant. When our 3 girls were young, we made sure we took them out to a restaurant whenever we could afford it. This was to ensure that they knew how to behave in public, how to read a menu and order their food and to observe other diners. My eldest now regularly takes her 4 and 9 year old to restaurants/pubs - she makes sure they have colouring books, reading matter and a small toy - all pulled out when they get fidgety and likely to annoy other punters. This generally gets them through a 2 course meal before they start getting annoying - and then it's back home.

I usually find these bag collectors unreliable. I put Heart Foundation bags out on specified day, did not collect so rang number on bag. Person at other end states that no collectors available until following week. Leave bags out, no collection rang again, got answerphone, left message with my address, no collection. A week later got fed up,loaded up the car and drove down to Beckenham where I knew there was a shop and dumped them outside

The heating in Christ Church is noisy- it is the booster charge which goes like the clappers for a while. I too voted this morning but not as early. Usually the election day staff are pretty efficient but guess they must have some new staff who are learning the ropes. Not my idea of fun starting work at 5.45 am - my husband was on duty to open up the East Dulwich Community Centre in Darrell Road for election staff at 5.45 and will be going back there for 10 pm.

As a former do owner, I am amazed how irresponsible other owners can be. One of our greyhounds accidently caught a cat who suddenly appeared out of a gate. My husband hit the dog hard to allow cat to escape, he knocked on the door of the house the cat came from but got no reply, but got a reply from a neighbour, he explained what had happened and gave a telephone number in case the cat was injured so that he could meet vet's bills. All of our dogs have been insured, and I also believe we were insured under our household insurance. The cat was injured slightly but the owner did not want any financial assistance. From that day on, the dogs wore muzzles out in the street. We had to explain they were not dangerous to humans but only to cats and some other dogs (usually the small snappy ones). Much as we cared for our dogs, if they ever went for someone for no reason, we would have to have them put down. Hope your little girl is getting better. Have you informed yourlocal councillor of this attack?

When my daughters were of secondary age ( they are now 35 and 22) there was still the assisted places scheme, where bright/ academic children could apply for assistance with fees. A friend who was a single mum on benefits, got one for her daughter to go to St. Dunstans ( she did not like Alleyns). The Labour Party got rid of this. A number of children who attended Goodrich School ( which did not have the reputation as it has today) at the time of eldest daughter's secondary transfer, living in council housing in SE22, went to Alleyns on the assisted places scheme. Youngest daughter looked at St. Dunstans, refused to look at Alleyns and did not want to go to private school as none of her friends were. Both girls went to Sydenham Girls School and are graduates.

last time I heard anything was that there were going to be individual units (not sure whether shop of office) to hire. At one stage some of the units were supposed to be for the temporary use of Dulwich Library whilst they had their refit. But the building work on the shops and flats had taken so long that nothing ever came of it.

I wandered into the M & S in Walworth Road the other day,looked around for some tinned soup for my 84 year old Mum, just something different to the usual she has from sainsburys. 99p for a can of soup, normally 35 - 45 p in Sainsbury. The posh soups were around ?1.50 a can. Could not believe how much M & S prices have gone up since before Xmas - ended up with some Cornish Pasties which were buy one get one half price. I earn a decent wage and with all the kids gone,can afford to splash out on odd 'treat' Just to buy 2 pieces of frozen fish in a packet would have cost almost ?10 - cheaper to go to Sema's and get a takeaway. What surprised me was the number of OAPs loading up their baskets with food, lady in front of me had 6 items (mix of frozen and chilled meals for one) bill came to ?35 approx. Sommerfield may be expensive but would rather have them than M & S in terms of prices. I know many people on benefit who cannot get to Sainsburys who rely on Sommerfields cheaper foodstuffs (they tell me certain items are cheaper than Sainsburys).

Generally support idea of 20 mph on the basis that many will exceed that but as long as it is well under 30 mph, it will serve a purpose. Has anyone in the current 20mph zone posted comments as to how they have found scheme. If they propose to reinstate the Right turn from LL into Underhill, they should get TFL to put a pedestrian phase into traffic lights on the set by Harvester. They would give a few extra seconds safety for turning cars otherwise it will turn into the crash junction it was prior ro exsisting schemes. The Dulwich Community Council is a good forum for expressing views re traffic and has been successful in some cases in acheiving changes.

One person I met briefly, a teacher herself, had a boy and girl at the Charter. Boy was doing really well and she was very happy. Daughter was not doing so well, getting in with a 'lazy' crowd who did not value education etc. Despite keeping in close contact with form teacher re daughter's attitude and progress, her mother was not impressed with way school handled her concerns re daughter and was seriously considering removing her. She was checking out other schools and asking other parents of girls their views. Guess that regardless of the repuation of the school, it is down to the individual pupil. Also know of family who sold their house in the Barry Road areas and rented property off Townley Road, over a year prior to their child becoming 11+ as they wanted Charter School. Once child accepted they were going to move elsewhere.

We went to the Harvester at Beulah Hill a few weeks ago, Early Bird menu, food well cooked and presented. Seemed a little less greasy than Grove Tavern. Colouring sheets and crayons on disply. 88 year old father up from Sussex was very impressed and ate his biggest dinner of the week. Placed was paacked out with families by the time we left. Tend to use Harvester when middle daughter comes down from Harlow as very few places can accommodate 7 at lunch time. If all the family went out - there would be 15 of us - an early bird at Harvester would be a cheap option in comparison to other dinners. When the Plough reopened, 6 of us went there, as near to home, after 15 mins walked out as poor choice for kids, and would have cost us around ?60 for a main course and a drink. We ended up at the Grove Tavern, kids happy, daughter and son in law happy with choices of food and so was our wallet.

When we moved into our house in January 1975, it already had a cross over and tarmaced area for 2 cars. Cost the then owners ?75 pre 1974. The council did not permit them to tarmac all area so we still have 2 strips of 'garden' either side. This soaks up the rain and reduces the chances of flooding. A year or so ago we had very heavy summer rain and Barry Area Residents Association had a number of people who contacted us re flooding of their homes and the way LBS and Thames Water dealt with the situation. Was not so much a car space but more has houses were being converted into flats that the drainage was not sufficient- many ground floor properties having been extended but new drainage channels not being installed.

Not seen our missing cat since last sightings, must have moved further down Barry/Landells Road - search is back on.

We think we have found the missing cat, a neighbour spotted a tabby with similiar markings to her this evening. We have just come back from taking a relative home when we spotted a cat on our side gate. Definately looks like our missing one - unfortunately, she does not know us well enough to trust us to catch her. Have left a trail of food in the garden near cat flap - hopefully she will come back into the garden to eat and associate our garden with food. Obviously still within the Barry Road, Plough Lane area. Fingers cross it is the same puss!!!

Female tabby with green eyes, very recently rehomed, has escaped from her room in the house and through the cat flap this morning. May be making her way back to former home in the Hansler/Bawdale/Shawbury area. Had been introduced to other cats in the house, but not to the garden. Searched Plough Lane, Landells, Goodrich and Barry Rds this morning - please can you keep your eyes open for her.

Parking in the area is hit and miss - so many flats in the lower (Rye end) of Barry Road, you may have a job finding a space . Nearest Supermarket is Sainsburys in ED or in Peckham (Rye Lane) Good service on no 12 buses - they run all night. Generally a safe area at night but we have had a few 'bits of bother' over the years. I used to walk my dogs very late at night - around 1 am and felt safe.

I think it was generally accepted. Bit of a drag on wet days. It was in the days when most schools had to travel to play sports. Do you remember the the general sports/playing fields which Mrs. T and the Torys sold off to developers. Many of the southwark schools used Homestall Road Playing fields, either for their weekly sports sessions or school sports days. By the time my eldest was at school (1978 plus) school sports days were held either in Peckham or Dulwich Parks. She went to Goodrich School which was originally the Friern Upper School housing the 14 - 18 year olds. My youngest, who went to St Anthonys had her sports days in the Playing fields/sports club off Burbage Road. I have a feeling that even schools like Kingsdale, had to travel elsewhere for sports. I will have to check with my friend who was at Kingsdale in the 60s whilst I was at Friern. I think they went by coach somewhere near Epsom each week. Any of you oldies around remember?

In the old days when the site in question was part of Friern Girls, housing around 400 in the main building ( the extensions came much later) we all trooped up to the Homestall Road playing fields twice a week for sport/PE. When site was Waverley, the girls went to the old Honor Oak building (now Harris) for sport. There has never been, as far as I can recall, facilities for sport at this site. Ok for netball only and general playtime use.

Not only Granny/Grandad affected of course, younger disabled people as well. I agree that there should be alternatives but since the banks have tightened up their procedures - it is harder to open up accounts. If you do not drive and have not got a passport then you are up s**t creek, you can produce as many other proofs of identity - utility bills, letters from DWP re income, NHS cards, letters re hospital appointments, even birth certificates, yet banks will still insist on passport/licence. Post Office accounts for those on benefit are easier to set up, hence their popularity.

I too wondered why LL was bare of flowers, when Peckham and Camberwell have got plenty. I did hear that the council wanted to have floral displays but various shops/businesses objected to assisting with watering the lower level displays in warm weather. I am all for the various shops putting up their own displays - perhaps representing their own names - Foxtons could have Foxgloves. The Coriander could have a nice display of herbs. Moxtons - ? William Rose - a couple of standard roses in containers by the shop door. What flowers could represent the LL shops? Foxtons could have stinging nettles ( after all the are stinging their customers for money)