HeadNun

I noticed more butterflies than ever this year - lots of red admirals and white ones. Couldn't understand why, then found this. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/18/big-butterfly-count-uk-numbers-recovery

In parts of Europe you just get charged tax at the end of your stay somewhere. Usually a couple of quid added to your bill. Most tourists are pretty happy to stump up the cost, as it's an expected expense. I think it's a good way to make money and remove the burden from locals. It's for foreigners, Sue - I'm sure Londoners and brits will still be able to freely cross the borough lines without having to go through checkpoint charlie 🙂

I edited my post because I couldn't be sure we were talking about politicians and I couldn't be bothered to read it all back. But it was off the back of a thread discussing labour councillors, so it went without saying really and I should have left it. What I said was 'There's something very aggressive about language like that - it's not big and it's not clever. Some of the angry energy that comes from the far left is pretty self-defeating.' (In relation to a labour councillor rather immaturely, in my view, wearing a jumper that read 'fuck the Tories'). But I don't recall saying that "violent rhetoric" is exclusively the domain of the left wing. So I do think you're taking a bit of a bit of leap here.

I never said that. Saying I don’t like some of the rhetoric coming from the left doesn’t mean I approve of Farage et al saying that Afghans being brought here to protect their lives and thank them for their service means there is an incalculable threat to women. Anything to score a cheap point. It’s pretty pathetic.

Oh come on.

Yes but what's the answer, Jazzer? No government can simply walk in and fix the economy - get the bills down, grow it and reduce debt. There is no silver bullet. The public (and the press) wants everything now, everything cheaper, but with better public services and lower taxes. In the radio and paper, all you ever hear is pundits, MPs, think tanks and economists saying what won't work, but no one seems to know what will work. I'm genuinely interested to hear what other views people have on here, and what they think will help, or make things worse.

I can't access the article - what's the gist? I took the markets getting jittery when she was crying at PMQs to be a sign that they trusted her. But maybe it was because they were simply worried about any form of instability. The NIC hikes have stymied the economy, which we could all see a mile off. Will a wealth tax improve things? Does anyone here think the trickle down has any impact and that chasing out the super rich will help things? Or are we just seeing off the biggest contributors to the economy? And has the Kwasi approach ever worked anywhere else? Economics is not my strong point at all, I'd love to know others' opinions, but it seems to be she has few options, especially as the party is so divided.

If you read the thread properly, you’ll see there is no reasoning with people like this. They are not interested in conflict resolution.

I've witnessed this level of aggression - someone once called me a 'putan!' for stopping at a pedestrian crossing to let someone cross, and he went into the back of me. I've also witnessed a man on a bike, aggressively pinging his bell at a FOUR YEAR OLD who was ambling along a path IN A PARK. Just last week a woman rang her bell at me in a park - sorry, if I'm on foot in a park, you can bloody well cycle around me. The aggressive bell-ringing really gets on my proverbials. Ugh, I can feel my blood pressure rising as I type. The worst thing is, even though I consider yourself to be a respectful and safe cyclist, I can feel my own anger levels rising when I get on the bike. There's something about cycling which can bring out the very worst in people. .

What a brilliant idea. I hope it went OK, Sue.

I think there's a similar square-type thing around Queens Road Peckham, which has stayed in pretty good nick. It was certainly a vast improvement. Having said that, it would be terribly sad if small businesses suffer in the process. I love the fruit 'n' veg stalls & shops on Rye Lane, and the atmosphere in general atmosphere and very much hope that a new station square and the stalls aren't mutually exclusive.

Oh dear, Angelina - get ready for the pile-on!

Would you have jumped down the OP's throat if they'd described the perp as white, 50s, male? How we morphed from a hurried post about a shop-lifter, to rampant racism, migrants and single mothers, I do not know. And I thought the thread about hot dogs was hysterical....

Some people find witnessing crime distressing. Maybe the poor OP was just rattled and wanted to let off steam here. Give them a break. It's the rest of you who jumped down their throat that require a little self reflection.

Forgive me for asking what's probably a silly question, I don't know how this works, but am I right in thinking these guys just use your registration number, find out your insurer and then approach them directly? Is there no opportunity for the driver to do the same - ie get their reg plate number, and claim on their insurance?

Good advice. Big stickers, a bit like those 'baby on board' ones, saying instead 'dashcam fitted' might also be a deterrent, I wonder if they exist... Aha! https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dashcam+warning&adgrpid=53601203672&gad_source=1&hvadid=578367414201&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9044980&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=6801300818625117392--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6801300818625117392&hvtargid=kwd-2417310850075&hydadcr=4616_2155301&mcid=78f5675ea56e3c31820de3753a431545&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_3cbmr26r5i_e

I took my dog out for a walk in the midday heat and it lived to tell the tail. BA-DUM TISH!

I don't think it's just dog-owners who are half-wits. An actual human has taken a dump in a newspaper and left it lying on CP Road. Flies are having a field day. I ought to tell the council but pity the poor person sent to clean it up.

It's continuing because you've continued it. Not because there has been a spate of dead dogs lying on the street in the last few days. Most people aren't half-wits.

Thanks for stating the bleeding obvious

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Please do report it - you never know. On Hallowe'en I saw something similar in that area - a bike drove straight into a slow moving car. But immediately the biker said it was his fault. It looked like one of these scams to me and I wonder if the biker said mea culpa straight away because there were loads of people out trick-or-treating, so the driver would have had a ton of witnesses.

Shaggy's continued fat-shaming of people who don't cycle (now removed from his / her previous post) reflects quite well the smug superiority of so many cyclists. Occasionally setting off before a light turns green at some junctions not designed for bikes, I can forgive if it's for safety. But there's no excuse for not stopping at a pedestrian crossing and I don't exaggerate when I say that the majority of times I see any type of cyclist - Lime or otherwise - approaching a crossing, they just plough through. I see it every. Single. Day. On foot and on my bike. It's pure arrogance and shows that they consider their journey and progress to be more important than anyone else's. So maybe, Shaggy, the person you previously mentioned (I see you removed all your comments about fat people) who got irate even though you did stop, has just had their fill of cyclists in general. And I say all this as a cyclist.

I had one leaving me a present outside my back door, three nights running. I made a spray of chilli flakes and garlic in water and sprayed it all over the poo sites (after cleaning them up!) and there was no repeat offending. It may be a coincidence...

The only way would be cameras and facial recognition. I saw two cyclists collide on Lordship Lane last night and an altercation followed. Much like others' experience on here, one man had stopped at the red lights / pedestrian crossing, and a cyclist, who had no plan to stop, went into the back of him. Anyone elderly and / or infirm crossing at that moment could have been badly injured.

I want more bat sightings! Can't remember the last time I saw one. Utterly fascinated by them.