Pollypops

We used Abbey Cars. When hubby initially tried to book it was a 45 min wait. As soon as he said it was to the labour ward they rearranged things and had a car with us within about two mins. The driver also went very slowly over speed bumps and pot holes. Would def recommend.

In a cashless society if the government want to impose negative interest rates(ie help themselves to your money in the bank every month) there?s nothing you can do. You can?t withdraw your money (because physical money mo longer exists) and keep it under the bed (where at least it retains its face value) and moving it to another bank (your only real option) would make no difference. Think negative interest rates aren?t a feature of a mature and modern democratic economy? It?s been a feature of both the Eurozone and Japan for example. The removal of the option of being able to store your money as cold, hard cash (should you wish) means it is no longer fully yours to control.

I did Hypnobirthing- we had private lessons in our own home. It?s one of the best things I?ve ever done. I felt calm and in control during my pregnancy and didn?t fear my labour at all. I fully believe having done Hypnobirthing contributed to my whole labour being a little over two and a half hours, start to finish. Also, my husband was terrified of birth due to his own mother having had a traumatic experience (helpfully, she often talked about it so it?s something he?d been subjected to from a young age) Prior to doing the course he was actually having nightmares about it and really winding himself up. The Hypnobirthing helped him understand the process of birth and address his fears. This resulted in him being able to be present in the delivery room and hold my hand - when it came down to it, he had no hesitation at all. You can probably tell I?m a big fan - I really would recommend giving it a go!

Last night a neighbour of mine was burgled. They accessed his flat though a door (admittedly unlocked) on a second floor balcony. Many of you will think he was naive to have left the door unlocked - and he's found out the same the hard way. They must have used ladders etc to get up there. And there was no way of knowing that it was unlocked from the ground so they were clearly going to some lengths to find unsecured properties. Just wanted to post this as a warning to people with balconies - make sure your door is locked when not in use as a higher floor is no guarantee of security.

I've just joined too xx

Hi, am due towards the end of March. Think this is a great idea! Looking forward to meeting other mums to be! Xx

I?d bring them indoors if you can. Guinea pigs can be delicate little beasts and once they catch a cold can go downhill rapidly. Also, being quite sociable animals, they will benefit from the increased activity inside that they wouldn?t get outdoors in the winter.

Yes, ours has just gone... what a pest.

** Update ** I arrived home this evening to a letter telling me I have a midwife's appointment in two weeks. Perhaps it's the hormones, but I probably should have been a little more patient before getting stressed and anxious. Once again, thanks to those who took the time to respond.

Thank you all for your kind responses. I'm really grateful you took the time. I'm going to contact the team at King's even if it achieves nothing more than putting my mind at rest. Thanks again.

Thank you Saffron x

I found out I am pregnant two week ago. I phoned my doctors to make an appointment and was told rather than see them at the surgery, I should self refer myself to King's online and they would contact me directly. They've beeen in touch and I'm booked in for a scan in September - at which point I estimate I'll be twelve weeks. My question is, is this right that I don't see anyone before this point? This is my first pregnancy and in addition to not knowing what to expect and being naturally anxious, as it early days we're keeping the news on the down-low and therefore don't really know anyone close enough to ask. Thanks for reading and if anyone can my mind at rest, I'd appreciate it.

I had my identity stolen earlier in the year. Bank accounts, credit cards, personal loans and catalogue accounts were taken out in my name. I'm still trying to sort it out now and my credit rating is destroyed as a result. I really would urge everyone to shread anything with any personal information on before putting it in the bin.

Please can anyone recommend a boiler repair company that will come out on a Sunday. I got back from holiday late last night to discover the boiler not working. Thank you!

Surely this can't be right?? It's going to be madness trying to get to work.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks the abundanc of bins is blight on our urban landscape. I was only thinking the other day that the underground bins in Florence as described by th OP would really add to the aesthetics of our area. I wonder how feasible it would be as it would not only require the construction of the underground bins but also we'd need special bin lorries in order to empty them. They would also have the advantage of not being accessible to bin raiders who often seem to come and riffle through the bins of our (and other) buildings, leaving litter strewn all down the street.

Well done everyone involved - so nice to see people helping out.

This look great. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year!

Yes, that's right. The BOE will indeed exchange any out of circulation money. That niggled with me too.

Is anyone on Grove Vale or near East Dulwich station suffering a power cut?

Hi Sue, I had to be at Gloucester Road the other morning and went Denmark Hill to Victoria and then on the District Line. It took just over half an hour. Hope that helps. Polly

I accept that this is probably quite inconvenient, but it is possible if you turn up at the the surgery at eight am in person and make the appointment for some time shortly after nine. It's a total pest, but you do get seen.

Hi all, would anyone be able to recommend a good cleaner to me. I'm looking for someone to come in for a couple of hours per week to help me keep on top of the housework. Any recommendations would be very welcome. I live right next to East Dulwich station and have a two bed flat, so it wouldn't be a massive job each week. Thanks! Polly

I don't think it's a drill. Vale End is taped off and the police are making door-to-door enquiries.

This morning my partners interupted a group of men (not bin men!) going through the rubbish in our development's communal bin stores. Later on he noticed that all the bin store doors for the next door developemt were swinging wide open... Just want to remind people to be careful what they throw out and make sure confidential things are shreaded.