kitwhitfield

Our roof is collapsing - no holes as yet, but we've been advised not to sleep upstairs - and we need to clear the loft so builders can come in and sort it out asap! It'll involve hauling stuff downstairs; we can provide a bit of help, but it's a two-man job and one of us has a back injuiry. Awkward for everyone to do it over the Christmas period, but if anyone wants to pick up a day's work, please do get in touch.

Dad?

Hi. Published author/former editor here. :-) You could get a report, but fair warning, they're not cheap; I charge ?100 per 10,000 words. A cheaper way for him to get feedback would be to join a writer's group; a good one can be really helpful. As regards agents - Jazzer's right, they don't give feedback unless you're their client; they can only afford to spend time on people they represent. The way to find one when you're ready to send the book out is to get the most recent edition of The Writers And Artists Yearbook; that contains a section with all the reputable agents, including their submission requirements. Have a look at the kind of books they already represent, and start with a handful that seem like their taste would be a good match for the book. (Also, though this probably doens't need saying - if you do end up talking to an agent, be as lovely and likeable as you can. The author-agent relationship lasts decades, all going well, and agents want clients they're comfortable working with. ;-) ) Hope this helps! :-)

Testy.

Hello. :-) I have some fabric I want made up into curtains. The specs: 4 curtains - that is, two matching pairs. About 220cm. I have 10m of fabric, so with hems and pattern matching, as close to that as possible. Lined (lining provided). Curtain tape at the top (ie nothing fancy). Can anyone give me a quote, or recommend someone? I know there's a shop on Lordship Lane up towards the library end, but I had a bad experience the only time I tried there, so anywhere else? Thanks.

Hi. :-) We have an old cast-iron fireplace, and the hood has snapped off. The damage isn?t visible, it?s on the bit that attaches it to the fireplace, so what we need is someone who can weld on a replacement bit. Can anyone recommend a place /tradesman? Thanks.

Hi Robin, Sorry about the link! Is this any better? https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/preserve-southwark-s-street-trees The house number I'm not sure about, but it is (or was) the only tree on the block, so if you're standing across from Balchier Road you can't miss it. It's been cropped down to a stump at this point.

I'm very upset about the destruction of the woods, and I've written a letter. There are a lot more of us than you might think.

Other than posting it here, does anyone have experience of good places to share petitions? I'm a bit new to this...

I wonder if it would cost more than the cost of uprooting it and paving over the hole left behind? Seems questionable.

Anyone who's an expert on trees and horticulture, your input would be great here!

I figure that if they don't have the budget to replace damaged trees, they're perfectly free to make that call as and when. I'm just proposing that they don't have a blanket rule against it for non-financial reasons. Besides, given the strain on people's mental health in hard times, I figure that living in a depressing or non-depressing neighbourhood does actually have medical effects. I know plenty of people who are struggling that way, and feeling like everything good is vanishing is not helpful. Nature tends to be good for the spirits, and goodness knows everyone's spirits are under strain.

The tree they're refusing to replace in Dunstans Road is a small maple, for the record. Not a structural problem as far as can be seen: the pavement's perfectly smooth around it, and the arrangement of gardens means that it's quite a ways from any houses. I'm sure none of us would object if they replaced it with something slow-growing or naturally small, but it really was Not Guilty when it comes to structural damage! Surely the sensible thing would be for the Council to look at trees on a case-by-case basis. Damaging trees, nobody wants. Innocent trees, I think most of us really like. It's this blanket policy that's so unresaonable.

Thanks rbtdngl. Share it if you're willing! :-)

Thanks. :-) Our home insurance is fine, tree and all.

There is a tree outside my house. I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to it.

I'm sure some trees can be a nuisance, but we're talking about trees that people want replaced here. A blanket rule that they can't be replaced even if the neighbourhood wants them seems equally unreasonable.

Sorry about that, I don't think there's anything I can do. You can probably undo the effect by flagging their e-mails as spam; that way they ought to go straight into your filter. Hope you'll still sign it, though!

Southwark Council has a new policy about tree planting: that no trees are to be planted on pavements less than 2.1m wide, excluding the kerb. That is, as you'll see if you take your tape measure outside, a pretty wide pavement; most of our residential streets are narrower. Many of those streets already have trees on them. These trees are beloved parts of the neighbourhood: they freshen the environment, add beauty through the seasons, and make London feel a better place for people to live and thrive. The trouble is, Southwark's policy means that if any of these much-loved trees get damaged, vandalised or diseased, the Council is now simply cutting them down, rooting them out and paving over where they used to be, leaving behind a sadder, duller street. It's one thing to say that you won't plant new trees - though many of us would be happy to see more trees even in narrow streets - but quite another to say you won't replace old ones that were seen as a popular adornment, not a nuisance, by the people who actually lived in the area. We love these trees, and when they die, we mourn them. Refusing to replace them doesn't make the neighbourhoods more convenient: it impoverishes them, and probably decreases the value of our property as well. Everyone who wants trees preserved, please sign this petition to the Council to change their policy. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/preserve-southwark-s-street-trees?source=facebook-share-button&time=1445154823

Okay, I've started a petition about this. I'll put it in a new thread as well, but please sign it! https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/preserve-southwark-s-street-trees?source=facebook-share-button&time=1445154823

My condolences for your loss. I saw those horses too; it was a beautiful way to honour someone.

A couple of days ago somebody must have crashed their car into the lovely little maple on Dunstans Road - the one just opposite Balchier Road. It knocked the poor thing down completely. I wrote to the Council to ask if they'd replace it, and they told me no: they'd recently adopted a new policy that meant the pavement had to be 2.1m wide for any trees to be planted, so they're just going to uproot the stump and pave it over in November or December. I think this is really sad; the tree was a lovely part of the neighbourhood, and as far as I know it wasn't bothering anyone all the years it stood there. A policy about planting new trees being applied to replacing old ones strikes me as a bit unreasonable. If anyone agrees with me, please write to the Council! Maybe if they know enough people want the tree replaced, they'll at least think about it. The address is [email protected].

Thanks both - I'll check it out. (Also forgot to mention, which is relevant, that he is entitled to full-time one-on-one classroom support; his EHC is supposed to be signed off soon.)

Hi, Our little boy is four years old and will be starting Reception next year. He's also autistic - relatively high-functioning but definitely autistic rather than Aspergers, very sweet and cheerful with a bright little mind under the verbal delays. He's in nursery at Goodrich at the moment but we aren't very happy with the way they do things, so we're looking to move him somewhere next year. It'd need to be within walking distance (we're in Cornflower Terrace) unless he could be bussed by the Council as I don't drive. The next closest two are Heber and Rye Oak; I've had meetings in both places. I liked the SENCO for Heber very much, as she seemed very willing to work with us, which is particularly important since our son has ABA tuition at home and it helps him a lot, so he'd lose out at a school that wasn't willing to collaborate with his ABA team. Rye Oak seemed okay. They have an autism resource base, but we feel quite strongly that with a good TA our son would be better off in mainstream. We'd be applying for mainstream at Rye Oak, but I was a bit more enthusiastic about Heber based on meeting the SENCO - plus it's half the distance. Does anyone else have an autistic or special needs kid at either of these places? Or have any other recommendations within striking distance? We'd prefer a secular school, as we're a secular home and we think it'd confuse our son to go somewhere strongly religious; we're also hoping for somewhere with decent academic teaching. Any insider views very welcome!

We have a music-loving little boy and would really like to find him a Saturday or Sunday class he could go to. He's three years old, but he's also autistic - fairly high-functioning as these things go and a friendly fellow, but he has some language delay and he can need a little patience. We were looking at Monkey Music, but they only run classes during the week and it's weekends we need to occupy. Can anyone suggest anything?