malumbu

On a related note there are plenty of community gardens looking for volunteers (although I expect that this will be on hold at the moment). Not sure where the closest to SE22 is but if you come over Lewisham direction there are many - Devonshire Road, Sydenham Garden, Wild Cats, ones popping up by other railway lines towards Telegraph Hill and Crofton Park. I'll put up links if people are interested, perhaps in a separate thread.

There are many here who feel that they could do a better job than their elected representatives. You are very happy to voice your concerns in some detail. Then the answer is easy, stand at the next local authority elections. Protest parties can be successful (as we found out during Brexit). 20 years ago a number of councillors got in at Greenwich on the return Charlton Athletic to the Valley campaign. You'll get some celebrity and other support - Farage, Clarkson and the like https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2020/nov/11/farages-anti-cyclist-article-shows-car-users-fear-loss-of-control Meanwhile further tips on putting together persuasive correspondence: https://www.quotes.net/show-quote/95216

Hey rockets, a bit of advice, that I learned the hard way. Do write courteous letters/e-mails. They can be firm, grumpy, whatever but don't use sarcasm, passive aggressiveness, make assumptions or snide insults. You'll find it works a lot better. If you have to use humour do it in a nice way. I was bought up in a family that wrote both nice letters and complaints to organisations. Generally getting a good reply. I remember using the phrase "its a whitewash" to some issue I had, and immediately the organisation shut up shop and I had to write an apology to get any further. This applies to all. Happy to rewrite your complaint in a more constructive way. I remember some planning row that went on up the road from SE22. I was ranting at a neighbour that he should join in. "why, the council have other important things to get on with". And as above councillors will have a whole portfolio of issues.

I work for an organisation that helps stop scam e-mails. I'll PM you my bank details and if you pay in ?50 you wont get any more dodgy e-mails. Honest..... Interesting to see what they will try next, we had two - one the classic refund of tax timed nicely for the self assessment timetable. An even better one was the "you've been caught in the congestion charging zone", it was relatively low amount, say ?28, even though the car is not registered in their name and hadn't been driven anywhere near. Obviously because the car is there for show (that's another thread). It appears easier to get caught out on the smart phone as you don't notice the dodgy address eg Paypa1 (those of you on your phones will not notice this isn't Paypal.) Separately I'd love to do jury service.... And I did once work for an organisation who looked after consumer rights, but I give my advice foc. l PS it was a 'one' at the end of Paypa1

Ahh but you don't know who I am, where I live and who my family are. I could be a police officer, I have certainly worked with them.

Perhaps Y-L could loan him some dosh.

That will apply to inappropriate use of social media https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28844500 I expect most cops have Facebook accounts etc. Nothing wrong with posting factual stuff on this web site, "I have a friend" or maybe a bit more clear if you are retired. So my experience is that things will have progressively improved over the decades, softer touch, a gay police officer on duty proposing to his partner during Pride (expect he had permission to do this). https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/26/police-officer-proposes-to-boyfriend-at-londons-pride-parade-video But that there are still barriers in part due to the intake and lack of diversity or cultural sensitivity.

Jet stream good, barometer good. BBC predicts high likelihood of rain over the next two hours, Met Office 5%. Met Office wins.

I expect that traffic did worsen around central London following the closure around Trafalgar Square, and there are some people who do live there. But once we got used to it no going back. As I know my interjections are greatly appreciated here's another article on reducing pollution, in particularly curbing the rise of urban deliveries, including the opportunities for active travel. The article talks about 'nudging' consumers, I think you need a sledge hammer. As before think you need to go to national government if you seriously want to change things. I've extracted the key paragraph: Next-day deliveries aren't the most efficient way to transport goods. So why not nudge consumers with a small charge, so they choose to pick up non-urgent deliveries within a few days by walking or cycling to a local high-street collection point? We've seen the difference just 10p has made to plastic bag consumption. We could plan better and restrict deliveries to certain times of day so it isn't a free-for-all. These actions could help to make transport more efficient and reduce the number of journeys made. https://www.transporttimes.co.uk/news.php/We-must-think-outside-the-delivery-box-before-it-s-too-late-576/?utm_source=Transport+Times&utm_campaign=e7c30dae5b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_10_30_11_03_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c0cafa3f39-e7c30dae5b-250793593 PS the article refers to the excellent work of Lambeth in using 'Pedal me' to deliver to the vulnerable during lockdown #1 Lambeth also phased their LTN road changes, and apparently more successful than other boroughs. Dare I say some learning points Southwark?

Was hoping for a Road to Damascus moment. Interestingly why no police posting on this thread? Does our demographic included the boys and girls in blue? Police do have their own on line chat rooms but maybe another sign of how insular their world can be. Or is it simply that they all live in West Wickham - I have statistical proof..... Another reason not to move to the outer boroughs.

Difficulty is Uncle that what you say is hate crime. I love to have a pop at hair shirted liberal lefties, no matter how much of one I am myself. Nothing wrong with an adult conversation but the second you go down your well trodden lines such as if "if you are white you are discriminated against" you have lost any high ground. Here is a real example, in talking to some of the police I worked with in the 00s one of them said "that Stephen Lawrence he was no saint". I've not come up with any evidence that he was a gangster, dealer and the like. Yet this was indicative of institutional racism/self protection (after the complete F up with the handling of the case) that was (hopefully not is) typical of years gone by. To add balance there was an excellent documentary a few years ago on the Lawrence case. There's an old Dixon of Dock Green character and you think here we go again, police institutional racism. And he is clearing out Deptford nick which is being closed, and finds boxes of documents connected to the Lawrence case - probably for disposal. He decides to go through them and this act is pivotal in subsequent investigations. Yet the cop's appearance was that he would be old school and the last thing he would do is expose police corruption. I wish I could find the specific link to this police officer (anyone help), as I am doing this from memory. But do take a look at yourself and your prejudices, and rather than just chuck 'wokes' into the debate try to see it from both sides. Yes I am being patronising but I try and be aware of my bias, and boy have I made some mistakes in the past (sorry to all those I unintentionally offended).

Here's a nice article about closing roads and the evaporation of traffic. It's from 1998 but from a proper scientific publication. Interesting that they refer to potential pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square. I remember the massive resistance to that from drivers and cabbies. Would we ever go back to having a road in front of the National Gallery? Hope you all appreciate the counter argument. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15721180-200-roadblocks-ahead/

I went to the doctors. I keep thinking that I am a famous Welsh singer. Ah Tom Jones Syndrome the doctor says. Is it common I ask? It's not unusual the doctor replies.

Agreed Cat on the first sentence. Actually I am having a good chuckle. But as the second paragraph this is one of the things that binds us together in the UK - little else at the moment. Sue, forecasting is a probability not an accurate prediction. Nigello, do compare the two. Beeb was useless today - forecast of occasional rain. Met Office gave 10% or less likelihood. I'm doing some work outside. Met Office won yesterday too. Often they are similar but generally Met Office better. Wow, I'm now optimistic that this thread will overtake the one on bus travel before the freedom pass is valid.

ianr Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Over its 45 months that's less than twenty views per day. It was a joke, silly, to highlight how ludicrous things are over the pond.

I found a sharpener in an old cutlery canteen. Two wheels and you simply slide the knives through. I thought that it would be useless. I sharpen my own chisels with a guide and abrasive so I know a little about this. But 'good heavens' (insert profanities as appropriate) I can now slice tomatoes and worryingly through my finger nail. Happy to share more Sue, it took seconds. Have no issue in posting on a thread with someone touting for business. But you can sharpen my garden implements.

When there is plentiful food in the fields, woods and hedgerows I suspect that our gardens are visited less. Trouble is me suet pellets keep going mouldy. I seem to get gold finch activity when it is raining. But agreed, sadly rather birdless at the moment. My view in the summer was all the building and garden work was putting them off, particularly you out there using petrol garden implements. And of course we used our gardens more. The blue tits disappeared really early. So I get pigeons, robins, great tits, occasional magpies but not a lot else at the mo.

This thread has over 26,000 views - no doubt all of you have managed to put an illegal vote in for Biden, so that makes things a bit closer

An earlier police training video helps to explain more:

Forecasting the weather is difficult as it is dependent on numerous natural and man-made phenomena. It is the reason that supercomputers were invented. The better the model and the higher quality the data, the more reliable (in terms of probability) forecasts become. The Met Office has one of the best services in the world. It is right that this executive government agency is run more commercially but I never understood why the national broadcaster had to go to a tendering exercise. The result is poorer quality forecasts from the Meteo group. So either switch to ITV or go the Met Office direct: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ I'm expecting that this is one of the most boring threads on the EDF and to get no posts.

Have I missed something? - did not our own President, sorry PM, nail his colours to the mask with his support of Trump? I assumed DT had had preferential treatment in terms of Presidential state visits, but it just felt that way due to the massive media interest. And that these visits were very different to the welcoming arms that Obama got. BJ never reflected that difference in public opinion, but I suppose that you can also argue that many in middle England supported Trump so out antipathy wasn't that clear cut.

I suspect that there is an issue with unconscious bias, reflecting the police intake in terms of demographics. Met Police acknowledged institutional racism many years ago, reflecting that they tended to draw from the white boroughs and counties. They looked to address that by encouraging a more diverse intake. I've worked with the police on and off over the years and found them excellent in terms of command and control, practical response, but not so great at the lateral thinking. It also used to amuse me when in a pub close to a cop shop you could tell the off duty police, neat hair, ironed jeans, clean boots, tidy shirt etc. Sweeping generalisations of course and I do have mates who are or were the OB/filth (my joke with them). I also spent time at one of the training colleges, they are a very close knit society, often marrying within the force, hence less experienced in dealing with a diverse society apart from at crime scenes etc. I remember drinking with the cops after a course, but not feeling particularly included, and generally speaking they would not form a friendly relationship outside of work - eg let's have a coffee sometime. I had the great pleasure of very briefly working with Leroy Logan - a character (i will have made no impression on him) who incidentally Boyega plays in a film to be show soon. As said generalisations, the world changes, and when volunteering at Glastonbury last year i worked with an ex cop and an acting cop, who couldn't have been more different - stereotypical and none-stereotypical. The Somerset and Avon police were wonderful joining in the festivities. Nice one. Disclaimer - some personal views and posted for debate.

I'm still really struggling to see these militant cyclists. In the past I went on critical mass rides, and thought it would be fun to gridlock central London. But quickly realised how counterproductive this would be. I've ridden with Southwark cyclists who seem like a nice lot. The only cyclist I could criticise is some of the clubs that can block the Surrey or Kent roads on a Sunday. One may be based round here - anyone own a light blue cycle shirt??? Well at least there is a bit more debate on the subject. But to be blunt we aint meeting our legal carbon targets for transport and stuff will happen one way or another that you may not like. As this is driven from the top then how does your MP feel and will they write to DfT on your behalf re other ways of cutting CO2 from road transport. I've posted elsewhere about financially incentivising reduced private road transport. I'd prefer road pricing but that may be seen as a stick by some. Greenshield stamps for being environmentally aware? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Shield_Stamps

Oh dear, time to blame the cyclists. It's a bit like being in the playground. I've been fined for everything, speeding, jumping a light, being a few microns in a bus lane, cycling, wearing a loud shirt in a built-up area (google that). Some fully deserved, others a bit over the top, and a few times told off and told not to do it again. There is a whole argument about proportionality - sometimes I fully deserved it, other times it felt unnecessary and over the top. I am far more annoyed at inconsistency where there are some drivers who flout the law all the time, where as other's who are nice law abiding citizens get alienated for a minor transgression. But I'd happily have average speed cameras everywhere, it would transform our whole attitude to speed. As coppers who let me off years ago racing from traffic lights on a motorbike said (it was brief bit of acceleration) - if you want to ride like that go onto the motorway (or race track, or go cart track, or get a road or mountain bike or other ways to get the adrenaline rush). Anyway I thought that local authorities were supposed to issue a warning first, rather than go straight to a fine, for LTN transgressions. I wont find out as I wont be driving in these areas, but enjoying the peace when I cycle, particularly on Court Lane. Abe_froeman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would agree with that on condition that they also insisted cyclists were registered and licensed so they could be penalised for all the red light jumping and pavement cycling they do. PS as well as being unworkable what a bureaucratic nightmare licensing push bikes and their owners would be. Oh, wait a second, did I hear Farage is proposing this?

Paved private area by the shop, happy now? And registered as off road. I can write a letter to to the Times apologising if this is not clear enough.