Pugwash

Unfortunately, Southwark Council uses call centre staff for many of their departments who are employed by contractors not Southwark Council - most of those I have speoken to are equally as bad. Also there is a service offered by the Registry Office that when you register a death, you can request help in sorting out other things such as council tax, rent, etc. Apparently they are very efficient.

Yes I have worked for private companies as sessional worker - some people were getting very good hourly wages and could more or less dictate their rates as they had the necessary experience the company wanted. My work was during uni vacations so as long as I was getting money to help me with my studies, I did not care too much if others were getting more than me. Found in some private companies it was who you knew, rather than ability to do the job was the way of getting up the ladder - for these individuals - it was being able to have a company pension with option of retiring at 55. I am happy to work till I am 70 as I enjoy my work - yes I am a rare individual who despite the hours and all the downsides, wish to continue working. Some private companies pay a crap pension - my Mum was in a pension scheme for 10 years and got ?80 per month. She did not complain as the low rate made her eligible for benefits including housing benefit. She worked with the exception of 2 years from 18 - 60 years of age but doing less than 36 hours a week was ineleigible to join a pension scheme. Obvioulsy the law has changed since then. I deal with some retired private sector workers - the guy worked with a few weeks ago, aged 74 was getting ?800 pm from a shipping firm he retired from aged 65. That is more than some public sector workers.

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As a Public Sector worker - I work from 10 - 6 (offical hours) but the past few weeks have rarely left the office before 7.30/8 pm. Although based in Camberwell, one morning I could be in Croydon, the afternoon in Bermondsey, eating a sandwich if I am lucky whilst driving between various bases.Lunch breaks tend to be 30 mins long as too much work to be completed by a 4 pm deadline. Our team work a 7 day week rota - weekend duty is from 8 am - 4 pm in contrast to the 9 - 5 weekday - you get one day off during the week in lieu Since earlier in the year we have lost 4 workers - 2 were paid for by Kings College Hospital as Specialist Workers, but Kings decided they could not afford to continue funding, we have a vacancy which we have been trying to fill for several months but very few applicants as the position is very demanding. Our support worker who dealt with practical things such as sorting out people's finances, purchasing clothes, closing down properties etc went on holiday in FEbruary and not seen since but will not be replaced, plus an admin worker was centralised at head office. Our IT system frequently freezes and breaks down - so many of us do our report writing at home in the evenings and weekends - we average 50 hours plus each week in a job that is supposed to be 37 hours. OK holidays are 5 weeks a year. I pay around ?2000 a year into my pension scheme and it is anticipated that I will pay another ?1000, I would not mind this if I could maintain or increase my projected pension but new proposals will see my pension decrease. I also to supplement my savings and weekly pension in retirement - have been paying into endownment insurances at around ?100 per month to boost up my savings in my mid/late 60s. I was on strike and what surprised me was the number of people in the shopping centres - workers like me who did not join the picket lines or marches, decide to do some early Xmas shopping (despite losing a day's pay) The mini boom for the retail industry on 30th was due to the strike. I hear Southwark Council is donating the pay deducted from striking staff's wages to various Youth Projects - what are the Tory Council's doing with strikers pay?

I wil lbe striking on Weds - as a Public Sector worker, this is the first time I have been on strike in my working life (42 years) I intended to retire at 66 so the new retirement age does not worry me. Just had my pension forecast - if I retire at 65 - will get just under ?13,000 lump sum for a 20 year service. I am a front line worker and work frequently from 10 am - 7./7.30 pm most evenings. Since earlier this year we have lost 4.5 posts in our team and the work load has increased 25%. In order to catch up with our paperwork, it is nothing unusual to find people in the office at weekends just to keep on top of things. We do not get paid overtimem. As we deal with very vulnerable people, often palliative, others disabled, others being abused, it is also emotionally draining. We frequently have to visit homes which are covered in faeces, blood and vomit, sometimes infested by vermin and fleas. We have been threated with violence and verbally abused, but are not allowed to seek redress from our employers. I and my colleagues have good salaries, but under the new proposals will need to pay another ?1000 plus per year and get a lower pension. We accept that we need to pay more and are willing to do so, but when you are advised that the pension you may eventually get in 10/15/20 years time, is significantly lower, than what is quoted for today........ - This is why I am striking.

Hubby applied for contributions based JSA but his occupational pension puts him ?3 a week over the limit. When I last signed on (many years ago) I had a compensation pension of ?80 pw but still got Unemployment benefit for 3 months. I read up the new rules for JSA even if contribution based JSA, you are subject to 'unearned income' rules.

James, The East Dulwich Community Centre has for the last few weeks, been picking up used baby nappies from its grounds. Not clear whether someone is disposing of the nappies by chucking them over the fence or whether foxes are getting into bags/bins. Should this be reported to environmental health? Are nappies classed as clinical waste and should they be in a yellow clinical waste bag and collected seperately by bin men? Generally 6 plus nappies each day sometimes more.

I hear that whilst people were petitioning against the DMC having a Needle Exchange and Pharmacy some years ago, a legal beagle did some company searches and found several companies ( including a pharmacutical distributing company) that belonged to the Guptas and others associated with DMC. There was also the selling of luxury cars from overseas which got delivered to Darrell Road for a number of months.

Hubby is under pension age and retired on medical grounds for a life long illness which has periods of 'normality' coupled with periods where he cannot function. Could not get ESA as on the day he was medically examined he was 'well'. Signed on for JSA - but as he gets a occupational pension of ?3 more pw than JSA - does not qualify. He signs on to have his NI contributions paid. Just has a card with details of his signing on and a letter to say he is not entitled to benefits. When well- goes swimming at least 5 times a week. Currently using his card which he purchased whilst in work. It would be interesting if he would qualify for ?3 membership

Hi James, The row of shops from the Plough to CP Road, could do with better lighting, especially around the funeral directors and Moulin Restaurant as they both lay back from the pavement. If the Plough Homecraft's lights are not on the whole area around there is very dim - especially near the bus stop.

last year whilst walking down by the Maudsley, I picked up a wallet, looked as though someone may have got out of a car and it fell out of their pocket. Since my office is 2 mins away, I took it back with me to open it up. Several bank and building society cards, a USB memory stick, a membership card of a private educational institute, plus money. Tried USB to try and figure out if was a student at the Institute of Psychiatry (opposite me). Could not open, googled the private institute and rang them up. Explained situation, gave them the membership number and my works phone. They rang back having located the owner, who then rang me. She was a visitor at Kings College Hospital but only discovered loss of wallet when got home. I gave her works address and advised her that she could not gain access to the building after 5 pm or before 9 am. Put the wallet in the office safe and informed our admin team who act as receptionists. Found that she collected the next morning - admin annoyed that she did not leave flowers or chocolates for me. Nearest Police Station was Walworth Road and it would have been more hassle to get there especially as I had appointments all that afternoon. If I had not traced her, I would have gone to the police the next day.

Baby or child observation over a period of weeks is also a requirement on Social Work Degree Courses. I did mine at a Camberwell Nursery - the only written project I got an A mark in. You do not realise until you do it, the changes occuring in the child over a very short period. It gave me a very good grounding when I had to undertake supervised parental visits for a case which went to court, having to memorise and record 6 hours a week how a toddler interacted with her parents.

Trevor and Simon - of 'we don't do duvats ' fame have been around ED for many years. Also used to see Fern Brittian's Dad, Tony in Sainsbury's.

We stayed at an organic B & B a few years back - all done out in art deco style - it was the marina end of Brighton. Cannot remember the name. Very nice - best breakfasts I have ever had

Caldecot Road is likely to be in Lambeth as most roads on the hospital side are

caldecot Road is likely to be in Lambeth.

Parking anywhere off LL is impossible, when I have my car serviced by Andrew in Shawbury Road, I come down the night before and park it near his garage, thec come down early the next morning to give him the keys

The Officers on the Safer Neighbourhood teams are usually very approachable ( well the ones in East Dulwich are)and are usually happy to chat. Why not casually approach the subject with one and judge the reaction you get before going in with full details. I found a gun in my deceased father in laws cupboard and rang up an officer I had known for years at the SNT who gave me advice on how to dispose of it. Was really worried going into ED Police Station with this gun which turned out to be an old semi automatic used during the war. There were some drug dealers many years ago in the flats in Friern Road, local residents informed the police who after watching for some times arrested and charged them.

I am lucky as I know all my ward councillors - I have emailed them, spoken to them in their surgeries/community council meetings/in the local streets, generally would not telephone them. I get very surprised when local people have no idea who their councillors are! James is an exception to the norm by building up an 'on line surgery' I do not know how he makes time for it all with his council duties, full time work and a young family.

In Lambeth, each/or every couple of streets is classed as a seperate zone, so if you are a resident in zone A but cannot with your zone A parking permit park on your street or the next zone A street - you are forced to attempt to go further afield i,e Zone B and get fined. In Clapham whilst working for Lambeth, I parked so far away from the area I needed to visit that I had to get a bus. I am against CPZ

According to the U3A guy who co ordinates this area is that if there are only a very small number of people interested in a subject i.e conversational spanish, they usually meet in someones house as they do not have to pay hall hire fees. larger groups obviously need more space and this is where the costs add up as would expect people to chip in hall hire costs.

My daughters tricked and treated only once - youngest about 3 and with her sister 16, they went with a group of friends with similiar aged siblings and only called on houses of people that they knew. The older ones dressed up the younger kids- I think it was the novelty of dressing up which made it for the kids. They only did it once and that was enough for them. A former neighbour always encouraged her 4 kids to T & T as it was a cheap way of getting their weekly sweets and saved her money!

At the East Dulwich Community Centre we are very conscious that there is a middle group of people who do not fit into the young mums/exercise groupies/have un limited money to pay for private classes in whatever/ not interested in bingo and such. At our recent open day we fully expected to have people in the 'middle' age goup moaning about lack of facilities/groups etc - but no one did. WE are open to the idea of having a University of 3td Age or WEA courses at the centre but only if there is a demand for it.

A recent electrical inspection ( as wanting additional sockets etc) has identified that I need a new service head and earthing upgrade from EDF as the back plate has rotted. Many years ago when I was last rewired, I had a big run in with the LEB ( before it became EDF) about the service head where they tried to rip me off by a couple of thousand of ?s to install a new head but I discovered from the Consumer Council, that this should have been replaced free of charge as the LEB were responsible for the power supply into my house. Does anyone know what the lastest ruling is on this? If I have to pay - what is it likely to cost me and what doe the work entail? All the rest of the upgrading can be done by my electrician but he is not allowed to do this.

Gumboots is a charity and originally had St. Johns and St. Clements and Goodrich schools as their nominated schools- and met at the East Dulwich Community Centre. Goodrich school then asked the organiser from Gumboots to locate at the school. EDCC is used for the St. John's kids. Staff picked up from only these school. Their Summer Holiday scheme is open to all children regardless of school