malumbu

Going back a few posts there were some generalisations about privitising state utilities and services. Personally I was, and am, against this. But there is always two sides to the story. Royal Mail was always loss making, which is why I expect the GPO was broken up, and then the post office made into a separate business as telecoms and the high street were profitable. Comments about lack of investment are simplistic too. Even in the heady days of the 50s and 60s where the UK led, say on telecoms and rail technology, the organisations were no doubt very inefficient. Society decided decades ago that the state should not be sponsoring potentially inefficient and loss making businesses, not throwing big money at R&D. The latter may have been a shame, and many including people more left wing than me, were happy to make a quick buck when sectors were privitised. But even now many fail to understand that the UK made massive investment in connectivity of supply with the continent, particularly gas, and that it is the international wholesale cost, not supply, that is an issue. Whether we should be better insulated from this, with state intervention, is a separate issue. Anyway as a numpty with no understanding of economics I've re-educated myself over recent times. Not that I am a fan, and still waiting the Minister of Energy's apology for some awful decisions made under the Thatcher Government, in particular burning much of our national gas supplies to make electricity. He hasn't responded yet.... Back to the topic, I was quite excited to get late Xmas cards.

I posted my experience of being in isolation on the Covid part of this site and only got one well wisher. I'm jealous!

Interesting debate on Jeremy Vine today, with both sides being aired fairly evenly. Understanding was that this didn't set a precedent. Ultimately the statue should have been got rid of many moons ago and more should be done to recognise the bad things as well as the good things in the past. Take a trip to the lovely city of Nantes, the French seem to have done a better job of this sort of thing. Anyway Cat, lets move onto the crimes that Britain made against Australia, both the indigenous population and the poor souls that got transported there (and some of the forced migrations that happened in the 20th century too). Be interested in your take.

Many strong views have been expressed about Southwark Council on this forum. Sadly a few of you have made this personal with your comments on some of your councilors. I've posted 1000s of times on the EDF over the last decade or so on numerous issues. I hope that I have never made things personal. Yes provocative at times, yes teasing and using humour, but never personal. Some have continued attacks, which were terminated by Admin on the LTN thread, here and on other threads. Perhaps you may wish to think about how you have behaved and apologise. This is not a discussion point, but a statement of fact.

Thanks for the distractiom, there was not a lot new of relevance that could be said on this thread. Here are some other 'crazy' things political parties have said in the past New Labour, New Danger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Labour,_New_Danger Support the Cuts, sexist campaign with a lady having her bra cut (sorry can't find the image but this link will need to suffice): https://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2006/07/the_federation_.html And unabashed racism http://equinoxconsulting.net/is-it-time-to-ditch-the-colour-black-for-our-true-heritage-african-3/ (May have been a hoax, but don't let that get in the way of a good story).

Don't spend a lot of time on Twitter, but thanks for posting, made me smile. Do join me for a bad taste Maggie Maggie Maggie, Out Out Out, by the posh estate in West Dulwich on the South Circ. Elsewhere others have suffered from a sense of humour failure.

I'm not sure if I was getting back handed compliments or not. Well I'll take that anyway.

Our Lidl one is going back in the garden, so have no personal interest in recylcing. Think that Lewisham are collecting them for example in parks, as yesterday I cycled past Mayow park and there were piles of them just inside the gates. I was a bit worried when I saw a few people carrying them, it wasn't quite like the army on maneuvers but did seem like an extreme bit of camouflage. Here's one from another time https://www.listal.com/viewimage/8418061

But Rocks, I expect you will still be going on about this in ten years time when hopefully most have moved on. Let's give the smoking ban as another example. In England we waited till the summer to soften the blow on those having to smoke outside the pub. But Scotland just said sod it and introduced it in the winter. And so many people said how undemocratic etc etc, show me the evidence etc etc, I'm not going to the pub etc etc. Yet it became quickly the norm and we look back now, smokers and non-smokers and can't believe that people used to smoke in cafes, restaurants and pubs. Hopefully in years to come we will look back and think, good heavens, were people really that attached to their cars, did they really think they were that entitled?

Lot of ignorance here. ULEZ is primarily for nitrogen dioxides, not soot. The latter is already picked up by the opacity and other tests on the MOT. NO2/NOx not cheap or easy to measure by MOT stations. Need sophisticated equipment. Those vehicles still spewing out smoke is still an issue, but not to do with the ULEZ and crying out for other means of enforcement but sadly doesn't happen. I yell you polluting selfish barstools but doubt if that bothers people. Fortunately it is rare. ULEZ enforcement nowt to do with the boroughs. Sad that a small minority think they are beyond paying the price for a more polluting vehicle.

I think the cancellation of the Forest Hill trains is due to Southwark Council. They have obviously prioritised the transport requirements of the more affluent (if not necessarily more leafy) East Dulwich. Anyway on more serious subjects. Great that France has banned plastic wrapping on fruit and veg. My recent visits, in the days when we did visit, they'd gone pretty far down this route and had long since banned carrier bags. The thing about the French is that they JDI. They do not faff around for ever and a day on long never ending consultations, evidence gathering and the like. They just do it because it is the right thing A bit like LTNs and other measures to reduce driving. JDI.

To go back to my original question - what was the reason for the posting? (a) sympathy (b) sympathy, indignation © letting off steam (d) Advice on how to get hold of the details of the other car/driver You seem to have got all of these. I'm not sure how bad the damage was, but dents, dings and scratches are fairly common when parking in super markets and similar places. I recommend getting a car that already has these so then you will not be too worried about parking.

Being regulated you can complain, here is the starting point: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/contact Of course nothing ever went wrong with it was in the hands of the State. All letters were delivered to time, none were ever lost. Or maybe not. Interesting reading: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239307/bis-13-756-royal-mail-myth-busters-revised-sep12-2013.pdf Please be my guest and lobby your MP about increases in costs, the changes to overseas postage rates were very sneaky - the 20 g rate to Europe no longer exists (and you could use the same rate for a 10g outside of Europe, just about's doable for a small greeting card. I expect that the cost of posting a small letter to Europe has doubled in real terms in recent years.

Out of interest what do you hope to achieve by posting on this forum?

Perhaps a New Years resolution should be to move on from Brexit, accept that it was the will of the people (no matter how silly that may have been) and focus your energies on how you can improve things for society, campaigning, getting involved in local or national politics, volunteering and the like.

Johnson gets the going rate for the job. If we don't like it we need to return to the days of super tax and/or renationalising. We seem to be returning to the 70s in many other ways.

Johnson as Mayor always talked about extending. It was his brainchild. We are central London in any case. Burbs start at zone for or 5 aka outer boroughs.

It's getting a little bitter and twisted. The announcement was made years ago, plenty of time to source an older ULEZ complaint car. And separately, Sue, no upper age limit on Zipcar if you fancy it. Assuming you are over 23. https://www.zipcar.com/en-gb/blog/how-it-works/who-can-join

Obviously not in isolation like me. OK tidied up the record collection, matched my socks, onto the tax return next. Wait a sec, maybe there is an interesting thread on this forum, better check just in case......

You seem to be arguing with yourself KK, I'm just reflecting on what our government says, for example: "The Environment Bill is at the vanguard of our work to implement the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth". The last part of the sentence would have included anti EU rhetoric a year earlier, rather than just inferring it.

Scottish paper is interesting in particular the societal/environmental factors which shape behaviour where the focus needs to be. Yes it sounds liberal and wishy washy, but more effective than the hang them and flog them brigade. This interesting documentary/panel discussion has some good solutions.

KK the point is that government can take the opportunity to go beyond what the EU does in protecting consumers, the environment, welfare etc etc. Whether they choose to do this is a separate matter. Noting that Johnson plays gesture politics and typically there lacks substance, funding or the political will to deliver many promises. An interesting review by the NGO Client Earth on the Environment Act here https://www.clientearth.org/latest/latest-updates/news/why-the-uk-environment-bill-matters/

It allows the UK to lead by setting higher standards for example on environmental protection and biodiversity. I don't believe that this outweighs the negatives but surely you can see there are some plus sides. I can be cynical about whether we will deliver these changes.

Oh and PCR test centre on 24th at Belair very quiet, swift, so interesting that no appointments in England at present/

Well I see that 200 odd of you have looked at this thread but not joined in. Lessons so far. You get inundated with messages from test and trace. [OMG LFT tests have literally just arrived on the doorstep ordered just before Xmas] T&T requires a ten letter password, whereas the other NHS ones an 8 letter so can't use the more generic ones OK for sites you wouldn't expect to be hacked. The system counts from when you put the test result into the system, rather than the date of the PCR, or even when you probably first had it, so there is a few days lag. So say got it on the 22nd, positive PCR on 24th, test result on 26th, and entered it a day later (thought it would go into the system automatically) 7 days takes me to the 3rd rather than around today. T&T wants to take you back quite a long way for your contacts, even though was not contagious as LFT'd regularly. T&T doesn't seem to align with family members/close contacts who are also positive and has beeped some of them. T&T does not take into account that the first thing you do when finding your household is positive is to contact those you may have passed it onto (fortunately nobody else has got it - although we older family members were not socialising much). Overall T&T a bit clunky but not dreadful. LFTs ran out in pharmacies before Xmas but fortunate to borrow some, and got an order in on the gov website in the short windows when it was taking orders, as said literally just been delivered. Younger members of household now negative and can be released tomorrow pending further negative LFT. Interesting to know how the lurgy progressed in the household, who gave it to who, original source (have some views on this). We've been very good in isolation as I am sure most of us have been/will be.