sandyman

I'm no fan of privatisation but anyone who remembers the 1970s will recall that getting a phone line in the UK back then was often a nightmare. You could wait months for a line and could only choose one style of phone until they went all modern and brought in the trim phone - raising the number of choices to two.

I'm certainly not saying privatisation was the answer but maybe if they had had some competition they would have been a touch more dynamic.

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> BT separated from The Post Office in 1981 and was

> privatised in late 1984. Prior to the separation

> the Post Office had a 'negative' PSBR (Public

> Sector Borrowing Requirement) which meant it had

> to lend the government money. Much of that derived

> from BT profitability. I don't think the Mail side

> was especially loss making, but it was telecoms

> that drove value in The Post Office. BT's negative

> PSBR continued to privatisation, after which BT

> was able to start investing in the network.

It might be possible that Covid is a contributary factor right now, but it absolute must not be used to exonerate RM over this issue - it's clearly on record that the problem existed before the pandemic.

I suspect one can pretty accurately date the issue from the closure of the Silvester Road sorting office,

That suggests what a terrible mess things are at highshore road then - more cock up than conspiracy!

(although there does seem to be a pattern to the chaos - last week it was cards, yesterday we only got financial mail, maybe next time it will be cards again. maybe something to do with the way things are sorted for rounds).

Sue Wrote:

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> sandyman Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Yes, seems odd that we aren't receiving old

> > christmas cards now that we expected but are

> > receiving little bits of business-related mail

> -

> > it almost feels as if they are being

> prioritised

> > as RM might not want to lose business custom.

> >

> >

>

>

> I am still receiving Christmas cards, some posted

> weeks ago, but am still waiting for

> financial-related things, also posted weeks ago,

> so I'm not sure that that's true.

>

> It all seems totally random to me. Some larger

> items seem to have disappeared forever.

Yes, seems odd that we aren't receiving old christmas cards now that we expected but are receiving little bits of business-related mail - it almost feels as if they are being prioritised as RM might not want to lose lucrative business customers.

Sue Wrote:

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> Penguin68 Wrote:

> --

> > I suspect that the true appalling nature is

> being

> > hidden by local management from the centre to

> > protect their own backs.

>

>

> I suspect the same.

Another dribble of old post yesterday. One letter, dated December 6, was from a bank informing us of unpaid arrears on my partner's credit card. Except that she didn't ever apply for the credit card. Has anyone else had this recently? Any theories how it happened?

Also, what happens if a delayed letter is a fine for going through one of Dulwich's restricted routes and by the time you receive it it is too late to appeal and the penalty has increased? Does the RM accept any responsibility for consequences like this?

That's interesting. Given that Highshore Road didn't seem to be able to cope even pre-Covid I wonder if there is any way SE21's sorting office could take on some of the nearby SE22 streets to lighten Highshore's load?

Probably unlikely, but i wonder if it's ever been suggested.

KidKruger Wrote:

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> ? SE21 still has their own sorting office at

> Alleyn Road.?

>

> Of course they do !

Just out of interest, we are up near Dulwich Library - how do posties based at Peckham get here - do they get dropped off? Is their mail dropped off locally and they pick it up up here? I'm guessing they don't have to walk all the way from Highshore Road, although that would certainly explain why the post - when it comes at all - tends to come around lunchtime.

Also I notice there's a sorting office in Forest Hill - so what's the furthest south the Peckham office covers?

a few christmas cards trickled in this morning - one posted on December 10, one on December 12, but i imagine others can beat that delay!

Just adding to this that we've not received a single Christmas card in the post this year.

Maybe the people we sent cards to didn't get theirs either - when i went to post cards in the letterbox outside small Sainsburys a week before Christmas it was so full you couldn't get any letters in.

Did you solve your dripping tap?

the pipes that connect to our taps have isolators so if there's a problem you can turn tap off there to solve the problem temporarily rather than turn all the water off.take a look under the sink you might be in luck.

See badly taken picture below or DM me if you need more advice.

Otherwise i'd also recommend Nico.

Sorry, tried it last night on the basis of these recommendations, not impressed.

Will go back to alternating between Thai Corner Cafe and Lombok.

That can't be the case, surely, otherwise if you are already parked within the ULEZ zone you won't be picked up and charged unless you drive out of it.

KH Wrote:

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> CPR Dave Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Does that mean there are no ULEZ cameras on

> > Lordship Lane too

>

>

> Are those cameras solely at the ULEZ boundary - so

> the junction with Dulwich Common for example?

Are the Just Eat prices the same as the prices if you order directly from the restaurant? We had a voucher for deliveroo a while ago so tried to order a Thai but the range of dishes on offer seemed limited and looked like they were different prices to the normal prices.

Probably too late for you by the look of it but when we had this problem of narrow stairs we found a company that made lovely sofas that came in easy-to-assemble blocks.

Good luck!

that should be fine - at least I hope it is, we live round there and do that route regularly and have never received a ticket (could be crap postal service of course!).

But this is part of the problem with the signs - the red signs on Lordship Lane say that there is no through road ahead but don't actually tell you exactly where the no through road is - you have to get closer and spot the more detailed sign there, by which time you will have to act sharpish to avoid going the 'banned' way.

Pugwash Wrote:

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> I had to turn into Townley from LL to access

> Beauval Road to take some shopping to an elderly

> friend. Would have turned right from LL into

> Eynella but with bus diversions (12/197) road has

> been very busy all day and cars having difficulty

> in finding a space to turn. Hopefully I do not get

> a ticket! My understanding is that only if you

> travel the length of Townley (Alleyns end) that

> you get done.

I imagine what is being said here is being said all over the country right now. Can someone explain to me why the Government doesn't just throw a lot more money at policing/law and order?

Not that I want the Tories to be more popular but surely it would be a massive vote winner and they certainly seem able to find money (or print money) for things that they do deem are important.

Who actually funds policing, is it not down to the government at the end of the day?

pardon my innocence, how do you know your catalytic convertor has been stolen?

Sadly it seems that the police don't seem to want to get involved in certain crimes. A friend's phone was stolen recently ? she could see the address where it was on her find a phone app but the police wouldn't assist.

Isn't that what they do do in grove vale? It's still free, just that there is now the extra hassle of having to go through the 'payment' process just to register that you are stopping in a free space for less than 30 mins. A lot of bother to pick up a bun so, as you say it will still put shoppers off even if it's free.

KidKruger Wrote:

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> The pay areas there are a joke. Those areas should

> be supporting the local shops. Charging people for

> even 5mins to stop and pick up (say) some fried

> chicken, or bakery products is insane and doesn?t

> support the shops. It puts people off stopping, I

> think the parking limit there is 30mins. Why not

> just have no fee but those who overstay 30 mins

> get fined - I think my problem is I?m looking for

> an equitable arrangement.

Not sure which spot you mean, but one space is for loading only. Free for 30 minutes spaces on Grove Vale are still there i think but the trouble is you have to register that you are there. I guess it helps them to check you don't overstay. I think they've been like that roughly around six months.

thanks - just seen this - am away now but I've gone with Randox too and it's waiting for me when i get back.

southwark cathedral does look easiest place to drop it too - so much red tape to go through and scary warnings from ryanair about getting it right ? any other tips?

Can anyone recommend somewhere local to arrange test to take after two days back? There seems to be lots on the government website but can't see any close to SE22

I've only had one PCN since the new measures were introduced but it's probably not a coincidence that it was in Lewisham in an area I rarely go through.

The trouble is a lack of consistency. i went to visit a friend in Walthamstow and there were timed restrictions near his house but they were different to the times in Dulwich so I did have to do a serious doubletake to get my head round them.

sandyman Wrote:

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> Sorry to hear this - your post highlights exactly

> why i think my idea below should be adopted.

>

> I think for the first few weeks warnings were sent

> out to "offenders" but that's no good for someone

> who uses this route once a year.

>

> So I think everyone should get a warning the first

> time they "offend" - however long the restrictions

> have been in place.

>

> I live nearby and walking down Townley Road

> earlier this week came across an elderly lady

> holding a PCN in her hand - even though the photo

> evidence was all there she could not work out what

> she had done wrong until I walked her further down

> the road to show her the signs. i think you'd have

> to be pretty heartless to say if she can't take in

> road signs like that you shouldn't be driving. I'm

> much younger and I've had to pause to study them

> to work them out (or maybe i shouldn't be driving

> too).

Can anyone recommend anywhere local to get a jacket adjusted?

Any thoughts on Otherwise in Bellenden Road?

Sorry to hear this - your post highlights exactly why i think my idea below should be adopted.

I think for the first few weeks warnings were sent out to "offenders" but that's no good for someone who uses this route once a year.

So I think everyone should get a warning the first time they "offend" - however long the restrictions have been in place.

I live nearby and walking down Townley Road earlier this week came across an elderly lady holding a PCN in her hand - even though the photo evidence was all there she could not work out what she had done wrong until I walked her further down the road to show her the signs. i think you'd have to be pretty heartless to say if she can't take in road signs like that you shouldn't be driving. I'm much younger and I've had to pause to study them to work them out (or maybe i shouldn't be driving too).