Pugwash

Just to let you know that the Girl Guide Movement are holding various Centenary Events. The 8th East Dulwich Brownie Pack and Guide Company are holding a small 'party' on Sat. 1st May 2010 from 2 - 5pm at Christ Church Barry Road. SE 22. They hope to arrange a memorial to Mary Ball (known as 'Littlecap' to those of us who were in the pack)who died 3/4/09. Please bring a small amount of refreshments with you and also any photos of guide camps etc. We have worked out that those of us who remember 'Littlecap' were in the Brownies/Guides in early 1960s and 1970s. All ex Brownies/Guides welcome - no need to book.

James, A friend asked Nick Stanton when he knocked on her door recently, to find out about the Southwark Pensioner's Forum. Until fairly recently they had a council officer who provided support and guidance for them and who also booked rooms in the Town Hall so they could hold their meetings. This officer was recently removed and when the Forum ( set up by Southwark) tried to hire one of the Town Hall Rooms, they were refused. Nick was asked to find out what was happening, as with the removal of the council support officer, all funding for hall hire etc went with her. As you know the Southwark Pensioner's Forum, along with Simon Hughes, were main movers and shakers for the Pensioner's Parliament recently. Since Southwark Council were the instigators of setting up the Pensioner Forum to get feedback from this group, it seems odd that they are now trying to get this group disbanded. This is what the members of this group feel. Since my friend is a LD supporter, she is annoyed that Nick has not got back to her and local LD candidates could lose her ( and other pensioner in the Forum) vote. Thanks James

Just to state that the BARA members of the Safer Neighbourhood Police Forum have spoken to Sgt. Duncan re the muggings on Goodrich Road - and that they are now aware of the incidents and will do additional patrols etc in this area.

As part of the Barry Area Residents Association - 2 of our committee members sit on the Safer Neighbourhood Police Committee, I will ask them to report to the meeting.

KO, Whatever 2nd pram you get,check how easily you can fold it down i.e. if you go to a restaurant and have to prop it up in a corner or under a table. Does it go in the boot of your car?. We ended up having 2 buggies - one of which was too long to go into a car boot and impossible to fold down single handed but was very sturdy for walking around and hanging shopping bags from the handles. We had a smaller light weight buggy (a MacLaren) which we took on holidays, days out and eating out.

Most schools have uniform nowadays even if it is just a sweat shirt, and some offer nearly new clothing via PTA or School Secretary. Helping out at school fairs/sales over the years - most parents donated good quality uniform - it was just too small for their children. We rarely had any left to bag up as prudent parents were happy to pay 50p for a sweat shirt etc to last a couple of terms. My grandchildren wear 2nd hand clothes and accept this as part of the family finances, of course they also have new clothes to balance this out. My other grandchildren in Essex, have never had 2nd hand clothing - not even passed down from brother to brother, and this has cost their parents hundreds of pounds. Interestingly it was not until baby number 4 that our daughter surprised us all by accepting 2nd hand baby clothes from her friends on the grounds that with young children is was false economy to buy every thing new for a young and growing child!! Uniform can often be the less expensive option.

Hubby won a bursary to Dulwich College in 1962/3 and a place at Alleyns, father did not allow him to take up place as he was a Catholic. Paid to go to St. Joseph's College (it was fee paying then) Due to 'racism' at that time and not being 'pure English'hubby was placed, along with other bilingual boys and 'non white' boys in the C stream. Despite being very bright and getting marks in the 80s and 90s, was not allowed to progress to higher streams. Follwing a refusal by the school to allow him to study Latin (only those in A & B streams were permitted), his family removed him from St. Joseph's and sent him to a private boarding school, followed by a private college for A levels. Achieved a Maths A level at 17 after 6 months of study then spent the next few months in Maudsley. Hubby is very against private education as he feels that his on going poor emotional health was partly the result of always having to prove himself. He experienced discrimination as he has dual language and was not considered English by the school. Ironically had his family just got a private Latin tutor in and he stayed at St Joseph's, he as a 'C' stream pupil would have automatically been entered for 10 O levels and 3 A's (A & B stream did 4 or 5)and would have done far better academically. His father would have been classed as a 'city type' as an Insurance Underwriter with massive bonuses. There are advantages nowadays in some private education, but the entrance exam system is geared to those who are academically superior - and seems to not consider other aspects of a child's personality/achievements. A friend whose child is in the final year at St. Dunstans, has always praised the way that the school has developed her child and made her a well rounded individual. I suppose it comes down to what the parents expect their child to achieve academically, the ability of the child to compete against his peers, the level of pressure put on by the school to get those exam grades etc. None of our 3 daughters went to private schools and 2 went to university after Sydenham Girls School

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions. Yes the diet is prescribed by the hospital and I was warned by my GP and practice nurse that the tiredness will be also from the operation as well as low calories. Since now on week 3, have done internet search and discovered that other hospitals say 2 weeks liquid then pureed food, so if I feel a bit peckish since I have gone shopping down LL or been a bit more active, I can have a scrambled egg. I too am an avid cookery programme watcher and reader of receipes. I am allowed toast but not bread (this expands too much), peeled fruit eventually. Must admitt I have never been off work (apart from maternity leave)either as sick or on leave for this length of time, as I am a bit of a workaholic. My work colleagues send through the odd email but no gossip!!

Many thanks for all suggestions. I am not a 3 meal a day person in the traditional sense, my job (10 - 6.30 pm) is part office based and part'on the go'. By this I mean I am visiting people at home, and in care establishments, and not always in SE London - can be Cheshire, Bognor, Essex in fact anywhere.Lunch can therefore be anything from 12.30 - 3.30 depending on where I am. Used to take sandwiches on these long journeys, but can microwave when I am office based. I am a fairly good cook and pretty adaptable. My main problem is that of attending parties/eating out/holidays. Medical advice is that I should take 45 minutes to eat what amounts to 2 cupfulls of food, drink either 1 hour before food or one hour after (this includes water) certain vegetables and fruit are not permitted and alcohol is not advised!!. I do drink herbal teas and I like cordials, but unlikely to get these at a party.Did think of booking a holiday at a hotel as can have an egg for breakfast. without cereal or fruit juice and in the evening whilst hubby stuffs himself over 3 courses, I will make do with a starter. My work colleagues very often celebrate leavings/birthdays etc in the pub at lunch time with food so it is the question of what is the smallest dish I can purchase.I am only permitted to eat white meat and fish. I had forgotten about Tapas - apart from Barcelona in Lordship lane, where is the next best Tapas bar?. Many thanks for all of your good wishes, I am ploughing on with my liquid diet ( on week 2 now)which will change to pureed food in week 4, then normal food in week 7.Ganapati sounds a good idea - keep meaning to go there. At the moment I am on the rough equivilant of 500 day calories so pretty tired most of the time - drinking yoghurt, half a cup of soup and half a cup of smoothie or shake, plus 4 -6 cups of tea/water/squash a day. Not sure when I will be going back to work after my current 3 week medical certificate is up - but am spending more time reading Forum news.

At St. Anthony's, the active parents in the Friends of St A (pre PTA) over a week, took down all the registration numbers of cars double parked, across Etherow Street resident's drives, on the zig zag lines. at the morning and afternoon drop off and collection. All the lists over the week were compiled and any car reg which appeared more than twice was put on another list and given to the police. They turned out with traffic wardens in force over a few days and issued tickets and cautions. The residents in Etherow Street and Norcroft Gardens also took car reg numbers seperately and gave them to the Housing Dept,Police and I believe the traffic section in Southwark. It stopped irresponsible parking for a few weeks but it came back again.

Having just had surgery, I am on a special diet for life, which reduces the type and amount of food I can eat. In future I can only have about a tea plate of food upto 6 times a day, no bread, no beer, no carbonated drinks. Looking to hear about people's experiences in going on holiday ( we tend to go to hotels either on half board or B&B basis) and also like to socialise with friends in resturants 4/6 times a year. As a beer and diet coke drinker, and not a wine fan can anyone suggest a suitable drink other than fruit juice? My view is that I will need to concentrate on chinese and Thai menus where I can share dishes with others. but open to suggestions from other ED readers.

When youngest child was little, I used to drop her off at Nursery in Bellenden Road, by car before driving to Bow to work. Tried to park away from the nursery and walk 100 yards or so to avoid traffic build up. How many of the schools around here have breakfast clubs from 8 am?- may be worth parents while to use these clubs and then drive on to work - will even out the traffic. Youngest child is now 24 but between ages of 5 - 11 was at St.Anthonys and same problems with traffic as parents were not all based in ED

If there is a property involved and granny/grandad needs to go into care - if they live alone - they can request from their social services office, a deferred payment. This is where if the person needs (and is eligible by the social services eligibility criteria and has an Assessment of Need) to go into care, has no savings over ?25.000, granny/grandad can request assistance from their local social services office - 12 weeks disregard - this is a government initiative which allows local SSD to assist 12 weeks care home costs (to the SSD maximum rates)out of the weekly income of the home owner. During that 12 weeks, home owner can apply for Deferred Payments. If agreed local SSD will place a legal charge on property so that any money paid out by local council can be recouperated on either death of home owner or by sale of property.

Having been an active citizen in ED for all my adult life - I would like to comment that prior to the current LibDem/Tory council - parts of Southwark got a very raw deal from Labour Councillors who concentrated their energy and money on N Southwark, Peckham and Camberwell. ED got very little. Cllr Charlie Smith (Labour) was a very good and fair councillor for East Dulwich Ward and fought hard to get recognition that ED was not a leafy and green surburb for all residents. He was an exception for the Labour party- and his work did not go unrecognised by those of us who knew him. Community Councils - a LibDem idea - bringing local politics more directly to residents - showing that people power can influence policies. Will a Labour majority council keep these? Although I am not a natural Tory supporter, in the 1980's ED Ward (then Alleyn) returned one Labour and One Tory councillor and it was Pam Cooper (Tory) who got things done in ED, not the labour councillor. I think this was the time of Elsie Headley (Labour) A word of caution - Labour got the run of Lambeth Council after the LibDems - look at the state they have managed to get into - with massive rent rises, housing issues, restricted access to social care (more so than Southwark) and massive debts. You may not like the current LibDem/Tory Southwark - but it is currently better than Labour Lambeth. With previous writers comments re recycling - Lewisham do not allow residents to recycle certain items, Southwark is far superior.

What a pity you cannot extend this to Orpington. My daughter and her partner purchased a house in Orpington 6/7 years ago and have only managed to decorate 2 rooms as kids, university, and lack of cash have prevented them doing anything.

I hope these incidents have been reported to the police - they can build up a pattern and possible suspects. A friend of mine now attends the Safer Neighbourhood Police Meetings at ED Police Station and feeds back many reports of young people being targeted. PC Mick Bell at ED Police -goes round to schools to talk about crime and young people. If your child's school is in ED you may want to link up with PC Bell to seek advice as the best way of dealing with these situations.

I have always found James and the other East Dulwich Ward Councillors helpful - regardless whether you phone/meet/email them. Since James is one of the very few elected councillors who regularly contribute to the forum, it is so easy for him to be targetted for things happening outside his ward. There are a few prospective councillors who writw here regularly (from all parties). It has been half term this week and since he has 2 young children he may have done, what many other parents have done - taken time out to spend with the family.

Having cared for a great aunt who lived in the same house worked well but when she became more frail she resented that I and my husband worked full time and could not meet all her needs. She agreed to have personal care from social services in the morning and we helped out at night. Carer also did hot meal for her at lunch time. When she became frailer still she opted to go into care at The Elms in Barry Road, where she lived for 2 years until her death. My Mum is now 86 and frail with kidney failure and 3 times pw dialysis. She lives a couple of miles away and although we do her laundry, pay bills, take her shopping and are called out in emergencies, we are restricted through time and other family responsibilities to do more. Neither I or my mother would want to live with each other, unless she has a seperate granny flat, as we have such different life styles. We enjoy having people popping in and ringing us up - Mum hates this cannot understand why we are 'people persons' and involved in our community. She is a loner and happy to sit around in dressing gown all day. She moans about not being able to get out to the shops, to the hairdressers, yet when you suggest alternatives i.e. home hairdresser, befriending service who could wheel her to hairdressers during the working week,she does not want to know. I believe families do have some responsibility for their parents/grandparents but this depends very much on personalities and relationships. Most older people end up in care due to their physical environment - you do not want a town house with rooms over many levels when you rely on a zimmer frame to get around, or being restricted to a micro environment as you cannot climb a short flight of stairs to bed or loo. I have long criticised the planning system which allows flats and houses for singletons/families but property developers do not think that wheel chair accessible flats. or new build properties with lifts are needed in ED. The only private Sheltered Housing Scheme is Dulwich Mead in Half Moon Lane, and the only council SHU is Lew Evans House in Underhill Road. We need to campaign for more SHUs and Older Person's accommodation in East Dulwich. This will help retain older people's independence longer, protect their savings,and still allow those families who can help out during the week, but not have a parent live with them, to do so without feeling guilty.

I had all day sickness with baby no2 for 4 -5 months. I lived off Bovril drink, wholemeal rolls and cheddar cheese. End result another Girl, and I was the same weight post pregnacy as before pregnancy.

if anyone cried ha ha - Aunt Vi would follow it with Ha Ha she cried waving her wooden leg in the fog! Whats to eat - Bread and Pullit. Of a talkative person - she is all mouth and no trousers ( I used to mishear this and thought it was a person called Martha Trousers. Generally it was said of a certain mother of 4 sons and my family thought it hilarious that I thought her name was Martha) Girls were told in the 1950s/60s not to wear patent shoes as people could see their knickers reflected in them!!

My mother and her family were Batemans who lived in Landells Road no.63. My nan was Alice, her sisters Violet and Gladys, they had brothers Walter and Harry (?)( Or was Walter known as Harry? - I know there were 2 boys). Cousin William married Viney and settled in Pellatt Road with 2 daughters - Linda and Jane. Family way back had all lived in Pellatt Road before some of them moving to Landells. When I have time I need to look up my father's family - discovered last year when I was given a painting done by my grandmother - that she was a member of a music hall troupe called the Aubrey Sisters. I had known about the music hall stuff but thought they went under the name Witham as my great grandfather was Walter Witham. My great Uncle was Dion Wade another music hall star but real name Joseph Cregan who died in his mid 30s and is buried in Putney Cementry.Walter Witham was an artist who exhibited in his native Liverpool and Inow have several pictures painted by him. Intrestingly enough, whilst I cannot paint or act for toffee, both my daughters are quite artistic, one teaches drama and is a good singer, and my grandaughter is artistic, wants to be an actor and writes poetry. Funny how we inherit some traits/skills from long gone ancestors - nature or nuture?

Thanks James for work you have being doing behind the scenes regarding reducing traffic accidents at Underhill/Barry Road. Lets hope the measures proposed,when they get installed, help.

When we had greyhounds - they could get at bit upset around small dogs at times so we always kept them in a muzzle when they were outside the house. They were very good with children and generally very easy going animals. Just sometimes they got stroppy with other dogs who bounded up to them. I know how devestating it is when your animal is injuried - hope Woody recovers soon.

Am I one of the few people who get and read Southwark Life and all the rest of the blurb that comes through the letter box. Does have useful info in it at times - I do tend to keep it for 2-3 weeks before it goes into recycling. I agree with previous writers about CP Rd, was driving up there on Saturday after taking the cats to the vets in Peckham, going around 20 mph due to potholes, bumps etc when I was overtaken by a prat in a van on the wrong side of the road between North X and Whateley going around 30/35 mph fortunately there was no oncoming traffic otherwise. Regardless whether you make this a 20 mph zone or not there will always be a few idiots who take no notice. Is it illegal to put up 'dummy cameras'?

Lived in East Dulwich all my life ( well except for a couple of years in Forest Hill). Good community feel - we have a lively Community Centre ( East Dulwich Community Centre) which has social events as well as being home to various organisations. A Fair Traid Centre at Christ Church (Barry Road/Lordship Lane Corner) which also has a cafe Mon- Friday.Christ Church is hosting the SE London Jazz Orchestra on 30th January (see Whats on in ED section)A family Barn dance is planned for early March. We have lots of pubs, wine bars and various restaurants, organic butchers, Eastern European Shop, wet fish shop, Sainsburys. If you have primary aged children - get their names down quickly for schools as many popular schools around here. Friendly Police - The East Dulwich Safer Neighbourhood Team are very helpful - we know most of them by their first names. Dulwich Community Council meetings are a good place to find out what is going on in the area in terms of policing, developments etc. Very few council estates, most council and housing associations are street properties, various residents' associations. Street parties, lots of family events at pubs - what more can you ask for. Population mixed - loads of families, students, singles, lots of oldies who have been around half a century and more in the area, plus newcomers. Actors like ED and you will see many familiar faces.