redjam

They've put 'no exit' signs on all the steps leading out (i.e. the old side of the station) so it's much more visible that there's a one-way system in place; it's not just reliant on one guy standing there shouting and being ignored. I think it's a good thing they're introducing it - though I totally agree with edcam's post that the whole redesign was an utter balls-up in the first place and it should never have got this bad. We will all get used to making sure we get on our homeward-bound trains much further along the platform, so that when we're exit we're near the end by the new steps. As for FCB coffee, it's not exactly far for people to walk round on their way out, and they do enjoy a prime position for the incoming passengers. So I don't think they'll be much affected.

Still waiting for a parcel that was sent on 5 December by Royal Mail - nearly two weeks now...

Ah sorry, hadn't noticed the change of hands. Either way, it's one of the most depressing shops on LL. Wish someone would take that one over as it's a big space. Anyway, don't mean to derail thread... Wonder if the Superdrug rumour is true? I'd been hoping for Boots if it was to be a chain chemist as I like their skincare range!

Fair enough - won't argue with a council report. Just basing my impression on the fact that my daughter (at Kingsdale) knows lots of kids from E Dulwich and the surrounding areas who go there, and a decent proportion seem to go every year from her old primary school, Heber. Maybe it's a lower-than-expected percentage of the total but as it's such a big school it's still a significant number of children.

Loads of SE22 kids go to Kingsdale so of course it relieves the pressure. It's a bit disingenuous to say that 'Kingsdale accepts students from all over London' - while that's true, the vast majority actually come from the immediate surrounding area, especially as Kingsdale isn't well served for public transport. As someone says upthread, the new Charter relieves the pressure on Kingsdale and vice versa; it's all to the good.

I heard a 'chemist' rumour about the Londis site too. I agree Superdrug seems an odd fit for LL, though I'm sure I'll end up using it (Lloyds is good but has a rather limited selection of products and that Co-op chemist is hopeless and should be put out of its misery - you never see anyone in it).

What is the cSe?

I saw a guy walk out of M&S with his arms loaded with expensive steaks a few weeks ago - wonder if it was the same guy you saw in Co-Op, OP? (Obviously a carnivore...) The security alarm went off but no one seemed bothered and I didn't see any staff bat an eyelid. I had walked past him by this stage as my brain hadn't quite computed what I'd seen at first! V depressing if no one is even trying to stop them. I'd have more sympathy with a shoplifter if they were nicking stuff out of genuine need but this was clearly someone stealing high-price items to sell on.

I've voted on behalf of my Celia Hammond cat, snoozing by my feet as I type - thanks for drawing it to my attention, bcam. I'm surprised I didn't get an email urging me to vote from the Celia Hammond Trust itself as I'm sure I signed up to their mailing list at one point. I fear without a coordinated mobilisation campaign for their supporters they won't get enough votes to win. Or maybe I've just dropped off their list somehow... Anyway, all deserving causes, as Angelina says above.

Pumpkin has to be lit too. We had around 100 kids before we ran out of sweets!

singalto Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > According to him, everything is going to be > perfect within a couple of weeks! If you want to > complain, email [email protected]... The thing is, even if the deliveries are back to normal, the blooming sorting office is still in Peckham! Which is massively inconvenient compared to where it was. Unfortunately I couldn't make the meeting but did anyone ask about the likelihood that we might have a collection point back in East Dulwich within our lifetimes? Or is that just out of the question now?

We were in this tricky but privileged position with both our kids and ended up sending one to Kingsdale and one to Charter ED. Ultimately I think they?re both very good schools but very different so you have to see which one suits your child?s personality more. If this helps these are my thoughts: Teaching: Overall both seem very good with some excellent teachers in each (and some not-so-excellent, of course). CED is more consistent from what I?ve seen so far (my youngest has only just started). Kingsdale switches round teaching groups for everything and seems to set for ability in all key subjects, which I quite like, but some won?t. With CED you have the same teaching group for everything (mixed ability) so it?s more like primary school in that respect. My jury is out on that ? I think it?s fine if you?ve got a nice teaching group but you?re very stuck if you end up with one very disruptive kid or a friendship issue as there?s no getting away from them. They do a dissertation-style ?knowledge project? later in Year 7 in CED, which sounds great. Sport: Think Kingsdale edges this, as they have the scholarships and all that green open space. They?re opening a new multimillion-pound gym block, yoga space and dance centre after Christmas too. Obviously CED will have a brand-new sports centre when they?ve moved but there?s no getting away from the fact there?s not much open space on the site. Music: Kingsdale is excellent for this ? my oldest has a scholarship and she has free private lessons, plus ensemble groups, theory lessons, opportunities to hang out in the music block at lunch etc. There are heaps of talented singers, dancers and musicians at the school ? it?s very Kids from Fame. I?m sure CED is good too (my youngest isn?t as musical so hard to compare) but I think Kingsdale has the greater opportunities from its sheer size. Extracurricular: Again Kingsdale edges this from size alone, as there are dozens of clubs from horseriding to musical theatre to debate club to Ancient Greek. My daughter also has a maths scholarship at Kingsdale which is really brilliant. Loads of trips, too. We were a bit disappointed with CED as my daughter put down to do two ?enrichment? activities but only got into one and didn?t get offered a second choice ? though I?m sure this will improve as the school grows and they move to their new premises. Leadership: CED wins this for me hands down ? from what I?ve seen of their leadership team, they seem highly impressive: professional, focused, driven. I think the Kingsdale leadership team does good work behind the scenes but unfortunately the parental impression is one of endless sales pitches about how marvellous Kingsdale is (OMG, those awful, never-ending speeches at open days!) which make me want to shoot myself. There?s also very little in the way of parental community interaction with Kingsdale, whereas CED has a strong Friends society and seems much more outward-facing. Sorry, I?ve written an essay! Overall I do think it?s horses for courses ? Kingsdale is MASSIVE and I do think quieter/more quirky kids might get a bit lost there. It?s so huge your child will definitely find their own tribe, but might be harder at first if they?re shy. It?s good for kids who will seek out and make use of all it has to offer; less so for those who need prodding. CED is more nurturing, more of a natural extension of primary school, more community-focused. I think it?s better suited for kids who like familiarity and a less overwhelming environment. And I do have absolute faith in that CED leadership team so I believe the opportunities available there will continue to grow and improve once it moves premises and fills out. Hope this helps and good luck with your choice!

I emailed their customer service people about the various problems I've had (mail taking weeks to arrive, item left on doorstep with no one ringing the bell, items misdelivered, a booked redelivery that has still not yet appeared). I also registered my general concern about the ability of the Peckham sorting office to cope and the inconvenience of getting there. Thought I might share the reply on this, as people might be interested: [From Royal Mail] Turning to your comments on sorting office at Peckham. May I explain that we do not take operational changes such as this lightly and give them a great deal of thought. It is vital that we change to enable investment in new technology and equipment and upgrade operational facilities. This helps to ensure we have a world class organisation which will provide the most efficient and effective network for delivering the post and a safe working environment for our people. Whilst I understand your concerns I would like to reassure you that Royal Mail has amalgamated offices before and we will be working to ensure that there is a smooth transition. We appreciate any changes may impact on our customers and our planning activities always give due consideration as to how we can best protect and serve their interest. This will continue to be a top priority during any operational changes. Once again, please accept my sincere apologies on behalf of Royal Mail for the problem you've had, and our thanks for taking the time to make us aware of this. Please be assured that we take letting our customers down seriously and will use this information to make further improvements. [Ends] ... So in other words, tough sh*t, you're stuck with this. Sorry our 'world class' service actually sucks. I'm still waiting for the birthday present posted on 20/9, incidentally. Have booked a re-re-redelivery for Thursday. Third time lucky, perhaps?

Thank you Hazelnunhead, that's good to know - though it doesn't really reassure me on the medical knowledge front. Does anyone with a medical background out there know what the deal is re. beauticians carrying out minor surgeries? Is there some kind of qualification I should be asking to see to make sure that they're properly trained to carry out that kind of procedure?

So I've got a mole I'd like removed. I've had moles removed in the past, both privately - back when I had private health insurance - and in a GP's surgery when they just whipped one off there and then. But now I've changed surgeries and my new GP just shrugged and gave me the name of a private hospital when I said I wanted it removed. (She's assured me it's benign.) I don't mind paying but when I phoned the hospital they said it would be ?300 just for the consultation, never mind the actual surgery and histiology (which seems to be compulsory). So I can't imagine I'd be getting away for much under a grand, which is way out of my budget. So my question is, has anyone had experience of having a mole removed in a non-hospital environment? I notice that the Pro Beauty Clinic on Hindmans Road advertises mole removal and its prices are clearly much cheaper (a consultation there is a tenner!). But I'm wary of putting myself in the hands of a non-doctor to administer local anaesthetic and perform a surgery, albeit minor. And I don't really know what questions I should be asking about what experience/qualifications they have. Anyone have any experience or advice?

I wish I had the answer, BNG. I arranged for something to be redelivered on Saturday (I got the dreaded 'Something for you' card when I popped out on Thursday last week). I waited in all day for it but of course it didn't arrive. I vented my ire on the Royal Mail website and got a bland email back three days later saying they'll look into it. Meanwhile, the parcel is lost in the ether, despite the fact I've got a so-called tracking number for it. It's a child's birthday present and the birthday is tomorrow, hey ho... If it was just a one-off I'd overlook it, but we've had such a shambolic and slow 'service' recently it's absolutely beyond a joke.

Finally received a parcel today which was sent 1st class 13 days ago! Yesterday I got a whole other backlog of parcels, including one that wasn't addressed to us (different road entirely) and another that was left outside our door - even though I was in all day and no one rang the bell. It really has been appalling service recently.

Great work - v. cheery!

Thanks for posting that tweet from Helen Hayes, Katanita - what an excellent letter. Let's hope it has an effect. I'm still waiting for a parcel that was posted 1st Class by Royal Mail on 12 September. We didn't get any post at all today. ETA: Cross-posted with BNG!

See Boddle's post on the other thread re. reporting these examples to Helen Hayes so she can put pressure on RM: I emailed Helen Hayes with concerns about the closure of Sylvester Road, who replied last night. She?s asked we share details of issues with her to support her conversation with Royal Mail about setting up an ED collection if you?ve stood in a long queue or had issues with your post since the move I reckon it?s worth sending her a quick email or tweet. I?m receiving reports of queues, delays & problems with mail deliveries in #SE22 following the Royal Mail delivery office closure - if this is affecting you, please email me with details at [email protected] so I can represent your views to Royal Mail ? Helen Hayes (@helenhayes_) September 18, 2018

I second the comment about not buying everything new. You can easily get panicked into spending a fortune on a newborn but that phase passes in a matter of weeks and honestly, what do newborns really need? (I speak as someone who for some inexplicable reason bought a white towelling cover for my plastic changing mat, which lasted precisely one week before it got disgustingly stained with newborn baby poo - what was I thinking?!) Also think about your long-term parenting style and try to set those habits early (though accept that within the first few weeks you'll just be muddling through on bleary-eyed autopilot). For us, we wanted our kids to be comfortable sleeping on their own so we were always aiming for them to sleep in their crib/cot. Obviously some nights we ended up co-sleeping for whatever reason but we didn't let it become a habit because we knew our goal was always to get them sleeping independently. Other parents love co-sleeping and don't mind doing it for years so it's whatever you feel comfortable with - but bear in mind it can be hard for an older child to break the habit if that's all they've ever known! On the long=term front, I'd also recommend giving the 'dream feed' with a bottle (can't remember when we first did it but it was quite early days) - you can use expressed milk so they're still getting breastmilk but it means they get used to bottles as well as a nipple, which is very useful further down the line. It's also nice for you as a dad to give this and it gives your partner a break if she's breastfeeding. My final bit of advice is to not listen to any advice. I went out and bought a whole shelf of baby books and all they did was make me feel insecure and confused. In reality you just muddle along doing the best you can and frankly every day you keep them alive you're doing well. Then one day you look up and realise they're at secondary school and you wonder how on earth that just happened... (sniff!) ETA: Forgot to say: good luck!

Alan Medic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Can anyone who has moved from VM to BT or any > other provider in the area, advise if there was an > improvement in service? I'm getting a bit fed up > with VM. Yes - huge improvement. We switched to BT about a year ago and have had no problems at all since. I work from home so the constant Virgin disruption in this area (which has gone on for YEARS) was a nightmare. I wish we'd switched much earlier - Virgin are absolutely taking the mickey and their customer service is dismal. I am still inundated with junk mail from them begging us to switch back, to which I have a very succinct two-word answer...

Well I wrote to Royal Mail (got a bland corporate reply) though unfortunately wasn't available to come to the protest meeting. I don't think lack of people turning up to the meeting means very much - I suspect most people simply didn't know about it or (like me) had other commitments that day. I'm sure once the reality hits that they're going to have to get a bus to Peckham every time they miss a parcel then people will be more motivated to complain. I've just asked our new local councillor - over on his thread - whether he would be willing to take up the cause. Here's hoping. Seems mad for an area of this size not to have its own collection point.

Dear James I don't know if you've seen this thread about the imminent closure of the sorting office on Sylvester Road: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1804279,1964465,page=5#msg-1964465 All East Dulwich residents are going to have to schlep over to Peckham now every time we need to pick up a parcel, which seems madness. Can you bring any pressure on the Post Office to find somewhere to serve as a local collection point, as Penguin68 suggests? Is this a cause you could take up? Many thanks in advance for anything you can do.

Whereabouts?