WickedStepmother

I think Zak's right. At the weekend, above Peckham Rye Park, I saw something far too big to be a kestrel, definitely a bird of prey but rather more "chunky" and less elegant than a kite or a falcon - no fork to the tail either. "If I were back in the sticks," I thought to myself, "I'd swear that was a buzzard. How odd." But then Wimbledon distracted me and that was as far as the ornithology moment went.

I've found Jane Cliffe of The Gardens to be very good indeed. She was very supportive through the two years that my husband battled leukaemia. I clashed with the receptionists once or twice I must admit but that was some time ago and lately they've been lovely and extremely helpful. The practice nurse is excellent too. Painless vaccinations. Brilliant.

I'm looking at the trees in question as I type this. What's been done looks a bit drastic to be regular pollarding, but I'm not an expert so I could be wrong.

Warning: the following suggestion will not immediately endear you to your neighbours (but if my experience is anything to judge by most of them might well thank you eventually). I know this is going to enrage a few people so I nearly didn't post it, but on the other hand I was desperate enough to try it once upon a time and it pretty much worked. Wagner or Beethoven played very very loudly until the miscreants give up and bugger off. (Or shut up and listen - either works for me in theory.) Philip Glass would probably be even more effective but I suspect that wouild consitute "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Geneva Convention and thus be highly illegal. Plus your neighbours would definitely never speak to you again.

SarahO, you are entirely in the right here and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you've made clear that you're not happy to be approached by this group of people, then continued wolf whistling, cat calling etc is sexual harrassment at a minimum and there's no earthly reason why you should have to put up with it. I would suggest a visit to complain to the centre manager. I understand that might be stressful for you. If you would like someone to come with you for support, I'm more than happy to be that person. I understand there is also some sort of community relations police team working out of the police station on Lordship Lane; they might also be able to offer advice.

A Hobbit? Possibly. Sexy? You cannot be serious. Please, please tell me you were joking. Otherwise I'm going to have to seriously question what's going on with my libido and indeed my all around discernment. The word "antithesis" is flashing before my eyes as I type... Oh dear.

I'm entirely in accord with kford. Once had an argument with a butcher in Borough Market because a sign on one of his trays read "Pig's Trotters". There were six trotters, you see. Actually, perhaps that doesn't qualify as a little obsessive.

Cool, but about bringing a donkey...?

OF COURSE you must notify the police. I'm not quite sure why you're posing the question. Actually, here's a thought: What about a "shame" section on the site - it's not hard to whip out your mobile and take a quick snap of someone behaving in an anti-social way. Then post it here with the date and time. Over time it might help to give the safer neighbourhood team more information about repeat offenders, local pains-in-the-ass and patterns of behaviour.

"As a matter of historical accuracy: the architect's view of (what is now) Dulwich Hospital has an impossible 2-2-2 steam engine on the railway tracks. If the LBSCR ever had such a locomotive it would have been scrapped in the 1850s." That might possibly deserve recognition as the the "Anorakiest Post of 2010". And I think it's oddly wonderful!

I have been wondering about this too. Perhaps there's scope for either an "Alternative Women's Institute" or a sort of "junior" sub-branch.

I think awilliams123 is asserting that A) bottle-feeding leads to anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and B) therefore we should all encourage more breast-feeding in an effort to hold back the tide of such undesirable behaviour. I'm not commenting on the validity of this belief in any way, merely interpreting the post.

I stopped to have a look this afternoon and they somehow managed to cheer up my whole day. I do have a question though. I'm originally from up north (just a tad south of Manchester) and before that my family hailed from Burnley (even further north). I was well and truly under the impression that flat caps were very much a northern thing. I even questioned my Dad about it on the phone this evening and he thought the same. So, what's the story with the crowd of blokes in flat caps gathered around a dray in the street outside the Crystal Palace Tavern? Are we wrong about caps being a northern thing or is this a bunch of Lancastrian interlopers sneeking into the picture?

I think a few forumite emails to Alleyn's junior school are called for here. This decision is sheer, unalloyed bollocks and exactly the kind of unjustified scaremongering nonsense that frightens parents of a nervous disposition into panicky over-protectiveness. The concrete risk to a child from the side-effcts of obesity resulting from lack of exercise is of far higher likelihood than the risk of them being abducted by some hypothetical paedophile. And that's to say nothing of the mental health issues that I strongly suspect are eventually going to spring up in adversity as a result of a childhood spent wrapped in cotton wool and coached to be scared of everything and everyone. Oh dear. I think I need a cup of tea and a nice lie down. My hobbyhorse could probably do with a good rub down too...

I've been commuting from the corner of East Dulwich Road/Peckham Rye up to Old St (1 stop north of Moorgate) for a couple of years now and as a rule I've found that I have to allow one hour to get to work in a morning but around an hour and fifteen minutes to get home.

Some years back Australia and/or New Zealand were planning to test out a system of laying baits laced with an extended release oral contraceptive as a way of controlling their feral fox population. I left the veterinary publishing field before finding out how that panned out. If they managed to make it work, it would seem a fairly humane option.

With so much pent-up demand for classes in tantric sex and intermediate level spanking in East Dulwich, it seems to me that what we really need here is an outpost of Coco de Mer.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with this little twat hooning around on his overgrown tricycle in the early hours of the morning. The rest of the time, well, I may not like it but I recognise it's more or less a free country etc etc But, but, but if he wakes me up at two in the morning again, my enraged and sleep deprived mind is going to start fantasising about cheesewire stretched across the road outside our flat.... (Or, alternatively, following the little sod home and playing some particularly dissonant piece of Philip Glass right outside his bedroom window VERY VERY LOUDLY at 5.00am in the morning.)

I've reached a sort of personal compromise with him. I don't ask him how he's doing or whether he's ok or where he lives or if he needs anything. I just buy him sandwiches and a bit of cake whenever I see him around. Just lately he has said thanks once or twice. I'm hoping that's a sign that he doesn't feel threatened or harrassed.

A little old lady who lived alongside my parents years ago used to religiously tear her name and address off every document that she put in the rubbish (pre-recycling days) or later the paper recycling bag. As a result, my mum began doing the same and, albeit rather self-consciously, eventually so did I. And now I feel really quite smug about it. ;-) But I do have a question... Can anyone suggest a ID-theft-proof useful end for a couple of carrier-bagfulls of small squares of paper with my name and address on them?

I love the name. Though I think if you're really going to live up to it you may need to stock both pretty pink sparkly wings and outrageously baroque purple silk corsets with matching garters. Put my name down for half a dozen ;-)

Are you suggesting deviating from the traditional shiny black leather boots, skin-tight white jodphurs and a nice fitted scarlet coat accesorised with the obligatory riding crop? If you are, you can count me out for starters... Unless I can opt for the full Victorian riding habit look and ride side saddle. (Just give me time to get a few lessons in first.)

It does look good. Whereabouts in the park exactly?

If an individual can be identified, that individual can bring a case. At least, that's my understanding. Quick disclaimer: ex-journalist. Did some basic media law at uni. Do not base any significant life choices upon what follows. It was a long time ago.... Their barrister then gets to tell the court what you said and you have to defend yourself against that. ("You don't get to say what you said. They get to say what you said and you have to defend yourself against what they say you said," as my media law lecturer put it.) And just being true isn't enough. To be defended succesfully, whatever it was that they say you said has to be A) true and B) in the public interest or C)fair comment, clearly identified as such, and based upon fact. In some jurisdictions (but not the UK I think) 'public interest' has been replaced by 'public benefit', which is interesting.

Here's my recipe for a quiet Halloween, free of the attentions of little ghouls, animated pumpkins and baby witches and warlocks... First year you move in, stock up on loads and loads of lovely, luscious juicy fruit! Peaches, berries, grapes, plums, tropical anything you can think of. Hand out in generous quantities with friendly smiles to all who knock at your door... And no one will ever, ever, knock on your door again. Kind of sad really. But it works.