dontpanic

Put double yellows on one side and traffic will speed up! As it is its relatively calm, easy to pull over and nip in a shop, easy to cross the road, and holds together without a busy road in the middle. That's why it's got some nice shops and a happy atmosphere, mostly. Any standoffs are amusements for the rest of us. I drive through loads and it's never really delayed me, except once when someone lost their nerve and refused to be coached through by bystanders. Honestly, try driving down a Devon lane or God forbid, a small Italian hill town if you think that's narrow.

Fully support Charter now it's to become a reality, looking forward to contributing to consultations. I think the process that has been gone through in this case has big implications for the way new schools are initiated going forward. Now we know that the Tories will continue the free school process it will be interesting to see how hey tighten up and refine the process based on situations like this. As well as Lord Nash making the decision- - by definition not having been as informed on the locality or individual applications - I also think that the DfE have made an arbitrary decision that this was a 'zero sum game' and that they must choose one or other of the bids at the application stage. As far as I know this isn't written into the free school application process? I'd be interested to know if it was - or will be in the future.

Have you considered registering it as an Asset of Community Value (Community Asset) This might slow them down at the very least: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200501/community_right_to_bid The Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations 2012 came into force on 21 September 2012 bringing the Act into effect. Their purpose is to give community groups a right to nominate property that is believed to further the social interests or social wellbeing of the local community,and gives them time to make a bid to buy the property on the open market if the property owner decides to sell. Only eligible community groups, local parish councils or local neighbourhood planning forums and charities can nominate properties.

James are you really interpreting Victoria Mills' letter to mean that Southwark are 'against nodal points'? If I'm looking at the same letter she is referring very specifically to the Nunhead Primary consultation having two nodal points - one quite a long distance from the site; and also 'for primary admissions' "Our view is that your planned nodal point admissions policy, with two nodal points, in different communities and one located far from the school site would be incompatible with this vision" I don't interpret that as being relevant at all to the proposed nodal point sited on a particular edge of a secondary school site, as the Habs bid was..

I have never seen anything like it. Amazing amount of people and a huge amount of wreaths saying all sorts. Quite a spectacle, and I wondered who it was..? Anyone know? Seems like he had a lot of friends and family so I send them commiserations of course.

I would get perspex and drill holes in the right places, then use cable ties to fit really tightly. Alternatively you could buy polycarbonate sheeting from B&Q and do similar. Then you can make it even higher than the banisters already are.

Thanks Tessa, you help is much appreciated

Yes but it was never called East Dulwich Hospital...

Haberdashers' Aske's Dulwich School HADS Doesn't need an 'East' the Hospital never did... If JAGS is ok and used as an official acronym then why not?

Yes to Virasoothe etc but also dose up on children's antihistamine for the itching

YouTube StampyLongNose if you want an insight in to the world they inhabit. He's famous, and seems a lovely guy. Mine crowd round and watch him touring minecraft worlds. He's got millions of views. He was on Breakfast TV the other day and is making a TV program with Jack Black; just from being affable and videoing himself playing Minecraft! The mind boggles.

Has anyone had this done locally? I know the brave among us can do it ourselves but I just YouTubed it and not up for it. Son has broken Ipod Touch screen and we also have a shattered iPad 2 screen - both a few years old but worth sorting... Suggestions? thanks

I think it would be great for Southwark children if this was not a competitive bid, and, knowing lots of parents in the North of the borough who are VERY worried about secondary schools I would have thought it would be something that would be welcome all round if a site could be identified there too.

It would be a free school and as LondonMix says non faith and non selective, and co-ed. Its a non-political steering committee leading the way with the secondary application and we have Haberdasher's Askes officially on board as a provider of the school in our applciation (as well as support form 500 local families so far). James Barber is the councillor who initiated the steering group - and he has put in a 'right to bid' application for the site. This is a very new way of asking Parliament to consider the use of government land - and the Dulwich Hospital site is the one of the first (if not the first) such applications - since it only came into existience in January. So we shall see what happens with it and whether this might enable a use for the site other than a developer buying and building residential - as could so easily happen. Healthcare would still be part of the site in any event I think.

You must have seen posts asking for members of steering committee? On this very forum.... Can't imagine where you think we may all have come from to spontaneously appear with a pre-made decision. Middle age is what happens after you have children, perhaps when they reach, maybe year 3 at school, when parents then might start to think about what school they might send their children to after primary. Not sure what the problem is with that one... For what it's worth I believe in state education of the highest standard for all, and for schools to have a true reflection of the diversity of the locality. I believe this benefits everyone. What's not to like?

Decision NOT pre made!!!

It's not political. I am not a Liberal Democrat. Members of steering group are cross party, support is cross party. James has stuck head above parapet, he's not 'leading' in terms of decisions. We've only just been able to announce our choice, but we did have a choice (fantastic!!!), and as soon as we can we'll have a whole questions and answers document ready for you to see what we considered.

Speaking for myself I have children in year 1 and 3, so my own children are the reason I'm on the steering group. Others will no doubt comment too, but I am almost 100% sure that each and every person on the group also has children they hope will go to that school, excepting James, who is representing his constituents who have those children of that age.(regardless of politics, he's been elected, that's his job). For what it's worth I'm not a member of a political party. If you are talking demographics I can hold my hand up to being white and (as of a few weeks back, gulp) over 40. Steering group people are whoever came forward first - I'm not sure what else we could have done in that regard.... really I don't - and that's a whole issue in itself - perhaps a wider one. You may have noticed that we've had a lot of public and private discussion about ensuring the entry system is as fair as possible and that we find a way to ensure that all socio economic groups get a fair chance to be part of a great school. I for one dearly want my children to be able to go to a great state school accurately reflecting the true make up of the local area. We are lucky enough to have that as our primary school currently - that's all I want from secondary education.

Also note that although not near in terms of catchment, Haberdasher's is really near geographically (it took me less than five minutes to from East Dulwich yesterday)

I'm part of the steering group - from our discussion it seems very do-able to have a school ready in time for 2016, given that of course it would only be year 7 starting. In terms of support for those children starting at a very new school I have been part of discussions and I'm reassured and more than confident that support from an established federation would be to hand continually.

Yes it's @NewSchDulwich and www.facebook.com/NewSchDulwich

It's for five year olds - so they are slightly more forgiving, thanks for your replies

Where is the nearest photo booth to SE15? Used to use WHSmith in Peckham but its gone.. Thanks for help

Oh interesting, thanks all. I used Suttons seeds in the end as I needed seed potatoes, will try the forest hill one as sounds good - I miss browsing

I am seriously missing good old Dulwich Garden Centre, where they used to put the compost in my car, job done... What garden centres do you use? I only know about the in Alleyn Park, but its expensive and very small, no great choice... Please don't make me go to B & Q. When I went two weeks ago they actually had NO compost.... Ideas?