Mrs P

Another recommendation from me - gave me advice over the phone to get our washing machine back up and running then came out to check it over and hopefully fix it. Have used before, doubtless will again (but hopefully not for a long time!)

Another recommendation from me - Steve gave me advice over the phone to fix the initial problem with our washing machine then came out to check it over and (hopefully) has fixed it.

Lenka - did you find anyone? We're looking for someone to do a similar project!

I recently used Charlie from F&S scaffolding after recommendations on here. His quote was lower than I expected. He was very busy at the time, so it was a few days later than planned going up (though I had probably been unrealistic in asking for it to be put up in 3 days' time!) but Charlie kept me informed so I could liaise with the decorator and it didn't cause any problems. Came down the day I told him the job was finished. Very happy.

Funnily enough a few weeks ago I found ?100 at that very same cashpoint; middle of the day, it was beeping and I walked passed before I realised there was money sticking out, walked back and took it. I went into HSBC, told them what had happened and handed it in but then as I walked back out a woman came running up to the machine looking like she'd just left ?100 behind so I told her I'd handed it in, hopefully she was reunited with it! From what they said I don't think it gets 'sucked back in' I'm afraid.

Mr P and I went to see Some Like it Hot in Dulwich Park last night and had a really lovely time!! Picnic-ing on the grass while watching a classic film was a fab way to spend the evening. I really hope that it was a success for the organisers and that they are able to go ahead with their plans for more next summer.

I've had the an NPower guy come twice in the last few months, not an the guy mentioned about I don't think, but really pushy, foot in the door so I couldn't shut it etc. As it happens we had recently changed supplier so I was quite clued up - we had chosen a supplier partly based on their 'green credentials'. When I asked him how much of NPower's electricity came from renewable sources he was flumoxed and I managed to get rid of him saying that if he could not provide me with this information I would not consider switching! So there's another potential way out! Not that it's right that we should have to try to trick people to get them away from our front door...

Just been reading through this thread and glad that it did eventually get pointed out the melbourne grove surgery has been taken over by a private company - in my opinion this makes it very different to your normal GP surgery (which I will admit may not be perfect but I think this due to a mismatch between the patient's expectations (e.g. I pay my taxes/your salary and I'm not feeling very well and want to be seen now and no i can't come tomorrow because i'm playing tennis (sorry, very stereotypical)) versus the reality of the system (e.g. this patient is more ill and takes priority right now)) I am a doctor and I have worked in A+E, GP, hospital and now in the primary care trust (statutory body responsible for delivering health care and health improvements to their local area) - but not, I hastily point out OUR local PCT, so it's not my fault concordia got the bid. As such I totally believe in the aims of the NHS and fully support it although it is less than perfect to be a patient in and a nightmare to work in. My husband has private health insurance through his work which I could also have but I refuse on principle - I don't think that I should work on providing a healthcare system if I don't have any interest in assuring its quality because I am safe in the knowlege that I can go somewhere else if I get ill - it's a conflict of interests like a private company running a GP service. I also do not believe that the internal markets work within the NHS as health is not a commodity - it is a right. I agree with previous clinicians' (!) comments about the difficulty of diagnosing over the phone and would not like to do this myself. I do think this is an efficiency (aka money saving) drive. I would also like to point out that GPs (or any doctors) earning ?100 000 is not that common and usually involves being a partner in the surgery or a consultant which requires huge monetary investment on your part and years of work after years of medical school and training. No one goes into medicine for the money - ask any junior doctor - basic salary ?22000 after 6 years of medical school and untold student debt. I am a patient at melbourne grove and being generally fit and well have thankfully not had to use the system very often. When I have it is been dissappointing at best and my latest experience, coupled with the fact it has been taken over by a private firm, a move which i personally object to, has convinced me to move. It is a business: it hit where it hurts!

I have never heard of a white poppy before, and certainly never thought that wearing a red poppy means that you are seen to condone war... surely something that noone in their right mind would do. For me the point of the poppy is to remember those who made the ultimate sacrfice for us, as well as those we were injured etc, in wars and to provide support for them or their families. The point of the white poppy, as it says on the website above, is to Therefore aren't they are serving two different purposes... and two purposes which are not mutually exclusive - you can believe that there are better ways of resolving conflicts than killing people, as well as wanting to show your gratitude and provide support to the people and their families who have made such sacrfices for our benefit... The red poppies raise money to help those people and, whilst i fupport what the white poppy stands for, I would worry if they were to take away from that as it seems invaluable...

Does anyone know the timing of all this? (I can't be bothered to trawl throuhg over 200 pages to work it out!) It's all very well closing the line we have in, for example, 2009 saying 'The RUS proposes to resolve this by calling for the early implementation of the East London Line Phase 2 extension.' but then it's, for example, 2029 before phase 2 is actually complete...

Last year was my first Halloween in ED and I (thankfully) stockpiled sweets in anticipation. Had loads of children (mostly with parents or older sibling) all dressed up and mostly very polite - had to get hubby to get more sweets on his way home! This year I have my pumpkin ready to be carved, I have bags of sweets.... and forgot that I am actually going out on wednesday night... gutted! oh well, lots of chocolate for me!