bawdy-nan

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > bawdy-nan Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > But don't you think having a racing cyclist > presents the wrong image? Probably not ideal, I agree, but he's doing a pretty good job (from my perspective)

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > So why did he go with Chris Boardman? One of my > beefs with the images promoting cycling is that > too many cyclists are clad in racing gear. Imagine > promoting everyday car driving and using Lewis > Hamilton as your spokesperson? No-one needs a > racing bike, loads of expensive lycra, > top-of-the-range goggles etc etc. Just jump on a > damn bike. When people do that, the cycling > lobby's battle will be as good as won. I think Chris Boardman and British Cycling invited him. CB has been doing a lot of work promoting "ordinary" cycling and that's what he was keen to emphasise to the minister.

And, about the Copenhagen / Dutch comparison, Robert Goodwill, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport has just come back from a fact finding trip (with Chris Boardman) to see for himself and his attitude has been transformed: Following the tour, Mr Goodwill said: ?It was rather a shock to see just how many people were cycling. When I say people, I mean just that - ordinary people in ordinary clothes; people of all ages, people with young children, and a lot of women. ?The other thing that struck me was that if all of those people on their bikes had been in cars, the place would have been completely jammed. So I think the motorists understand that having all these people on bikes actually gives them more space to get around. It?s all very impressive.? Mr Goodwill said his visit to Copenhagen had opened his eyes to ?innovative? ways of working and, although he acknowledged that Britain has plenty of catching up to do, vowed to kick-start the process which would allow cyclists in Britain to benefit from increased investment and improved infrastructure. He added: ?Here, we?ve seen vast numbers of people on bikes, very good provisions on the roads and a lot of innovative ideas that I?m sure we?ll be taking back with us. ?This has happened over a long period of time. The problem we have in Britain is that we should have started 30 years ago. That means we need to re-double our efforts to ensure we get what the Prime Minister called a ?cycling revolution? in the UK, so we can come here without having to hang our heads in shame a little bit. ?I?ve been blown away by what I?ve seen in Copenhagen, and that?s given me an additional feeling of wanting to re-double our efforts back home to ensure that we can do more for cyclists.? https://youtu.be/qFvw0_Znauc

slarti b Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > To TownleyGreen, Wulfhound and Bawdy Nan > > Car use has been decreasing in London for many > years now. This is despite the increase in > journeys resulting from improvements to the > economy and population growth. The main increase > is in public transport; cycling is insignificant > in the grand scheme of things. > > You talk about London's population increasing by 2 > million over the next 10-15 years. If so, it is > simplistic and wrong to claim this will be catered > for by concentrating on road schemes to benefit > cyclists. Even if number of cycle journeys doubled > it will have a minor impact. > > We need to improve and extend public transport and > this includes buses, particularly in South East > London where there are few tubes. The problem is > that many of these pro-cyclist road schemes are > poorly thought out (or maybe deliberate > obstructive to cars) resulting in severe knock on > effects and unintended (though predictable) > consequences. So, the militant cyclist > "anti-car" agenda ends up producing an anti-bus > and pro congestion\pollution outcome. > > So yes, lets improve cycling facilities but not by > messing up the roads for other users and lets not > pretend it will magically solve obesity, global > warming, world peace etc. I do agree with you about the need to improve public transport, especially locally. There's a comment somewhere on this thread about the difficulties of hefting small children around these parts and I remember this distinctly from when my children were small. I didn't have a car then and, for the most part, that was absolutely fine: we used a taxi from the supermarket or ordered online, went on holiday by train, took buses and trains into town, walked and cycled. Actually, with kids all of those things were a much nicer way to travel. The real difficulty was when I had to get them to and from, say, a childrens party in a church hall in West Dulwich. The journey was around a couple of miles but too much for a 4 year old to walk there and back in the rain and getting there by bus meant we had to change at least twice. Miserable. I do think also that the traffic situation in London is unsustainable. There are, of course, people that need or want to use cars for many or all of their journeys but the idea that you should be able to use your car as and when you please just isn't the case now: travelling a couple of miles in your car between 8 and 9 am would be unthinkable right now because it takes so long (much longer than walking). The fewer people that feel they have to use private cars for journeys in London the better able those that can't use other means of transport will be able to go about their business. Bikes are already an important part of commuting and getting to school locally (especially for local secondary schools where the distances travelled are further - there's no reason at all that I can see for primary school children to be arriving at school in cars and, for the most part, I don't think they do) integrating bicycles into the transport infrastructure so that they can be used to their full potential (and by the full potential of people) is a sensible part of planning for a city's transport system. The private schools are another matter and it is absolutely clear that their contribution to traffic chaos, danger and standstill is immense. They know this. There's all kinds of things that they could do to address these problems and they do encourage use of coaches rather than door to door driving but, I think, don't go far enough. The difficulty, of course, is that changes can inconvenience people. But that is already the case. The streets of East Dulwich weren't built to accommodate the hundreds of cars now parked on the roads but the increase in time in vehicle ownership means that all of the roads are "clogged" with parked cars inconveniencing all road users. The problem and the solution isn't only a local one but the consultations and impacts are (both good and bad).

upstairs at pizza express in the village? though I'd cheer for namdos too

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Have you got any advice on safe places to leave a > bike in Brixton? I would cycle here more often, > except I don't' really like leaving my bike there > and don't want to carry multiple locks. I just lock it up on the racks outside the station and have been for years. I use a decent d-lock and have an integral lock on the wheel. The only problem I have had is when I left it there for 4 days and my saddle was stolen. My bike is second hand and covered in markings from 2 bike identification schemes which might help (that, at least, was the idea).

I usually cycle to Herne Hill and get the train to St Pancras or you can do the same from Denmark Hill (obviously both stations can be got to by bus). My guaranteed quickest route is cycle to Brixton then Victoria Line to KX. Quicker because of the regularity of tube departures but not as pleasant as the train. If you're travelling with lots of luggage and late at night or early in the morning then the 63 bus is a pretty good bet and once you're on, you're on (goes from Peckham Rye, FHR). I can highly recommend the City Mapper ap which is real time and adjusts as you move. Very good for our option rich success poor transport situation. https://citymapper.com/london

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I didn't say it wasn't there. I just queried why > your only possible explanation was that it might > have been some sort of protest. For which you have > no evidence. erm - I didn't say it was that I said I hoped it wasn't

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > bawdy-nan Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > rode that junction with my 10 year old coming > from > > Calton to Townley via the new cycle path the > exit > > of which some knobber had parked across with > their > > car. I do hope this wasn't some manly small > minded > > "protest". > > And your evidence for that is what? No evidence other than a car was parked across the exit from the cycle path thereby blocking it - so, yes it was there. The motivation for doing it? Who knows? I hope it wasn't deliberate. At best it was inconsiderate. Manly it wasn't. But then I meant "meanly".

wow - but will the prices plummet accordingly?

rode that junction with my 10 year old coming from Calton to Townley via the new cycle path the exit of which some knobber had parked across with their car. I do hope this wasn't some manly small minded "protest".

From an article in the Evening Standard making the case for improving cycling for London where most residents don't have cars.... "Councillors say the easiest way to attract constituents? ire ? to get the usually-indifferent turning up at meetings foaming at the mouth ? is to threaten to impose or increase parking charges. If you make space for cycling, you often take away space for parking. And it tends to be older people ? the car generation ? who are directors of transport and heads of planning in town halls." http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/rosamund-urwin-councils-need-to-step-up-to-make-london-a-cyclists-city-a2986166.html

I'd totally recommend Pickle's idea of working for yourself. Almost every charity / arts organisation I have ever worked for has needed part-time accountancy / bookkeeping freelancers. Also, given the massive rise in self-employment recently there's got to be a need there too. Might be worth exploring and setting up a simple web-page, sending out some emails etc .... Good luck

wulfhound Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Right on to Court Lane & then > left on to Calton - no major problems there. Hmmm - this is the bit I find most problematic when I cycle- coming from Turney onto Calton and then right up Court Lane because cars coming down from Calton don't always recognise that the turn into Court Lane has priority and will drift across towards the lights. I've had several near misses here despite occupying the centre lane, ringing my bell to alert drivers that don't seem to have seen me etc.

thank you rch, a treat indeed!

RCH I'm not surprised this junction has been looked at before as it is awful. What were the suggestions when you were involved in looking at it?

Doesn't the reallocation of Calton as the through route just come down to fixing what looks like an ongoing problem: that much of the traffic already assumes that it is the through route i.e. that they don't need to stop for cars going "straight on" down Court Lane? Locals know the peculiar layout but I find you have to be extremely cautious when crossing the junction and going straight on / right into court lane. In a car I always indicate right and make eye contact with any car waiting to cross the yellow box, as a cyclist it's pretty scary and I've been "nudged" on a number of occasions and as a pedestrian trying to cross court lane or Calton it's extremely hard to judge the intention of cars because very few indicate to go "left" off the main road and onto Calton. I can't see how reconfiguring it will increase the traffic into Calton. Also, don't the plans show widening of the pavements at the crossing outside the school? I do agree with you about the segregated crossings being a likely problem, especially in the morning and at pick up when the pavements and crossings are full of not just pedestrians but buggies, scooters, dogs, bikes being wheeled across by children not confident enough to navigate the junctions on the road - I can't see how they'd all fit into the islands.

that's very disappointing vesti Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I heard that talk too bawdy-nan, and the similar > one last year when students began in yr12; the > very embracing of all abilities, want you to meet > your potential talk finished with -- and you will > not be able to continue if you don't get Ds or > merits .

when I looked round Sydenham girls a couple of years ago the head made a point of stressing that they encouraged all of their girls who wanted to to go into the 6th form not just those who were "high achievers" - was a very impressive statement about the school's attitude towards education. Looking round charter this year there seemed to be a very different emphasis from 2 years ago when it was all jazz hands for the 10a* kids and not a lot else. This time the head spoke about excellence but made a point of emphasizing that meant for all and that they were interested in excellent progress - the kids achieving at the best they could. The talk did also mention that the 6th form is in the top percentage ranks in the uk so I don't know if this new (to an outsider) inclusiveness extends beyond 16.

Just got info for about the HPV vaccination via school and my main reaction is to cheer for a good public health programme. There seems to be some resistance amongst some of the girls and parents at the school however. The stats seems pretty clear to me and I'm assuming the nay-saying on the internet is just anti-vaxxers hyperbolic noise. There is no evidence of side effects that I can see, looking at the NHS Choices and other sites. Does anyone have a different (rational and via proper evidence) perspective - I'm keen to be armed with facts, mostly when chatting with my daughter.

redjam Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I find the new emphasis on grammar in literacy > rather depressing - and I'm actually an editor, so > I do care about grammar! But when my 8-year-old > daughter comes home talking about fronted > adverbials and embedded clauses, it makes me want > to weep. Mind you, she seems perfectly happy about > it (she's a bit geeky), but I fear for the kids > who are put off literacy for life as a result of > all this clunky emphasis on the nuts and bolts of > language. I do feel that at primary school the > focus should be on getting kids to stretch their > imagination and come up with wild and creative > stories rather than ticking off a list of ploddy > grammatical learning objectives in every bit of > writing. I'm not knocking the school at all - I > think they do a decent job of making it > interesting - but the emphasis seems skew-whiff to > me. Surely you want to get kids loving reading and > writing for its own sake before you start on the > deconstructing and labelling? > > As you might be able to tell, I'm a product of > 1980s state education where we weren't taught > grammar at all - I had to pick it up myself later > when I was learning French and later still at uni > studying English, which I admit brought its own > problems. But overall I'm glad I came to it after > I'd already established a love of reading. I worry > that for some kids this change in the curriculum > will have the opposite effect. Yup - but the school can also foster a love of reading and problem solving and creating and all kinds of things and many do. I hated hearing all that guff from my primary school child but, what's interesting in secondary is that all that constant analysing and trying to demonstrate knowledge and tricks and turns of language seems to have left her with a more well developed awareness of language as a construction rather than a "natural" thing. So she's wiser to adverts and their persuasive language and seems more adept at shifting between registers in her own writing.

I've always had very good, helpful and speedy responses from my ward councillors, irrespective of any political affiliation.

thanks all - great suggestions and helpful thoughts

What's the concern about partial closure of Court Lane or Calton? Is it a concern about congestion and pushing traffic onto Woodwarde? Or is there something else?

ah - yes, that's something to explore, thank you simonethebeaver Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ackerman does rent-to-buy on instruments, and I > assume they're not alone. It's scary pricing, > isn't it? I have a lovely clarinet that cost a > fortune back in the day and I look back and feel > very sorry for my parents having to shell out for > it. I was shamefully oblivious at the time.