Clearer

We need someone to repair and paint a sash window, sand and paint some skirting boards and paint some walls at a reasonable price. Recommendations sought please. Camberwell area.

We are thinking of buying one of these high security bike sheds but would like to see one in the flesh before ordering on the internet. If anyone has one, and doesn't mind us coming to have a look, we would be very grateful. Please PM if you can help. Many thanks

My daughter is going to be 7 in October and she wants to have a Harry Potter party. I expect to invite about 20 kids - does anyone have any good ideas about how to do this. I would prefer it if we didn't have it at home.

I saw an African woman hitting a child of about 5 or 6 with something that looked like a stick on the pavement at Elephant and Castle. I stopped and looked at her, as if to make her understand that I had seen what she had done, but to my eternal shame I didn't say anything to her. I wish I had. When my child was much smaller and prone to tantrums I would give her very severe tellings off/time outs (nothing physical) and occasionally someone would say something to me. It is v v annoying - especially if the intervener only saw a part of what prompted the telling off. I also saw a man slap his child round the face on the bus because he didn't sit down when instructed to do so. The child was about 2 or 3. I was disgusted. Lots of people saw it happen. One man, as he was getting off the bus said "I saw you hit that child". The parent tried to explain his behaviour by saying that the boy was "bad". The man interrupted him and said "bring him up properly and he will do what you say. If you hit him again, I will hit you". I thought things might escalate but the parent who hit the kid seemed to accept what the man said. I was v v impressed. It is always very difficult in confined spaces to confront people because you never know how it will end up. But I feel that if we, as a society, stand by and watch people abuse children in public we are effectively sending out a message that this sort of behaviour is acceptable. I think you have to speak out when you see violence towards children. No matter what. If the "parent" is prepared to use violence in public what they do in private must be unimaginable. It must be condemned.