Pugwash

FRom Southwark Council We would like to update you on some important new developments in our efforts to tackle COVID-19 and protect local residents. From Monday 18 January, a new COVID-19 community testing site will open at the Damilola Taylor Centre, 1e Surrey Grove, Peckham, SE15 6DR. It will be open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm, and tests are currently available to those aged 16 and over. Further sites in the borough will follow in the coming weeks, and we will share the information when we have it. The purpose of this new site is to help us to identify those people who carry the virus but do not have symptoms. Up to a third of people who test positive for coronavirus do not have symptoms and can therefore spread it without realising to others. Identifying these individuals so they can be supported to self-isolate is key to slowing the spread of the virus in our community. We are currently encouraging key workers and those who cannot work from home to get one of these ?lateral flow? tests. This includes charities and workers delivering key frontline services, school staff, supermarket staff, transport workers, security guards, cleaners, construction workers and many other roles. If you have staff or volunteers supporting the COVID-19 response, please encourage them to come forward for a test. Please be assured that all necessary public health precautions have been taken to make the testing site safe, and staff will be on site to ensure that social distancing measures are followed. The test is quick, simple and painless and will provide you with a result in less than one hour. Tests must be booked using the online booking system, which you can access by visiting our website ? where you can also find further information about the process.

Some weeks ago I was on a bus going to the Elephant when I noticed an elderly lady wearing a lanyard with the words I am medically exempt from wearing a mask written on it. Attached to the clip was a laminated card with something on it plus her photo (could not read it) I thought that was a good idea Anyone could say that they were excempt. Hubby does not wear mask if he is out with me as he is legally exempt on the grounds that I have to lip read him due to the level of my hearing loss. Both of us wear visors. A recent email from the RNID _ states the following;- The exemption allows people to lower their face covering to communicate with someone who relies on lip reading or facial expression to communicate. Read our guidance on face coverings. Full details on the RNID website

A friend thanked me for Xmas Card set to her in ED on 10th Dec which arrived today. We got Xmas card sent from Deptford on 14th Dec which arrived today.

Self employed people can still apply for Government help financially - closing date is 29th January.

I had to do a Covid Risk assessments last year in a workplace, as this was a legal requirement to protect staff and visitors. All employers have a legal duty to protect their staff and customers. This had to be a written risk assessment which was available to any council officer/member of staff/customer who wished to see it. My hairdresser informed me that he had to undertake a risk assessment, which meant that he could not have more than 2 customers in the salon at any one time. I cannot remember whether it is the Environmental Officer you have to contact if you feel that businesses are not taking SD etc/mask wearing seriously.

The out out routine is a standard joke in our house with our son in law - unfortunately the rest of the family do not appreciate the humour!

Lived in ED since 1950s, had spell in Forest Hill for about 4 years, but moved back in the 1970s. We love our house, which is really too big for the 2 of us now the family have moved out (Orpington, Harlow, Worthing) but with 8 grandchildren and one great grandson. who in non covid times would stay over, we do not want to move. There will come a point where we need to move to a smaller property due to mobility issues, but would still need 2 double bedrooms and a single room, a small garden and good car parking. We like ED - hubby grew up in West Dulwich, but spent time with grandmother/aunts in ED. We do community and voluntary work in ED, our friends for the most part live in ED and surrounds, we have good GPs (The Gardens). We are not in the posh end of ED (when our daughters were young we were not in the catchment area for Dulwich Village and Dulwich Hamlet schools)Nor could we afford private education. We also frequent the Bread of Life cafe and Fair Trade Centre when they are open. I like Orpington as has a mixture of housing (bungalows/large houses/flats etc) good shopping centre but does not have the community feel of ED. Our daughter having lived in Orpington in same house for over 15 years only knows a couple of her neighbours as most people keep to themselves.

Mickey was on a talk show recently and said he was taking a break from comedy whilst all venues were closed but hopefully later in the year he would return to the circuit. yes he is a ED man - lives near a friend of ours.

It may be wise to ask GP surgeries to notify you by email/phone/text. Did hear a rumour that the Tessa Jowell Centre my be used for the vaccinations.

i have had a couple of emails saying the same thing

Pedestrian crossing LL/EDG those of you with long memories will recall that James Barber when in office tried very hard to get this through but with very little success. I cannot remember whether it was TFL or Council blocked the proposal.

Several items in post today including Christmas Card posted in Croydon on 12th December. I am also awaitin test results from Kings.

When we had dogs, one of the few places we could let them off the lead was a trail at the back of the grass from Court Lane Gate to Fireman's Alley. The sanded area/horse trail was for dogs on leads only.

When libraries are open again !!! go down to the Local Studies Library in Borough High Street - they have loads of photos and articles.

Hello. Appreciate it?s just out of your ward but presumably lots of your constituents value Sydenham Hill Woods just by the plough which is a community open green space but has been padlocked off. No communication and would really value someone taking a look into this. Thank you. I think you mean the Old Grove Tavern.

Re letter about cramped premises in Highshore Road. I have been involved in undertaking 2 risk assessments of work premises in the past year. My understanding is that any employer breaching covid conditions in the work place, can be fined. I think you have to notify Environmental Health/Covid Marshalls of the situation. One of the premises we undertook a risk assessment is used by several organisations and they were also required to provide a written risk assessment. Why can't RM not use another premises on a short term basis to undertake some of it's tasks? There must be a number of shops/businesses who have had to close down in the ED area or in SE15 which could be adapted. What is the postal workers union doing to support it's members?

Went to Aldi yesterday - no queue

Went to Salisbury's yesterday around 1.30/2 pm and queue was down to the nursery. We got back in the car and went home . Went to Salisbury's local for emergency bread and veg - 5 minute queue.

If you can find a Park Keeper/Warden I would report the incident and describe the dog and owner. WE have had dogs (greyhounds) and made sure that we kept to the dog areas- all other spaces they were on a short lead (not the extendable ones).

Having been in KCH 4 times this year - twice during peak covid admissions, I cannot fault their kindness and experience. When I was allowed to eat food (was on a drip for 3 days each time)- it was tasty and hot.

Local police gradually build up a 'profile' of where crimes are being committed and have in the past done plain clothes surveillance. Some crime in ED decreased following arrests and imprisonment of offender(s). Some types of crimes are 'specialties' of certain criminals and police can often identify the person(s) involved - frequently they can pin point them to recently released prisoners. This is why it is important to report such incidences to your local Neighbourhood Police Team.

I have difficulty in even getting on a bike due to the arthritis, even hubby who has cycled all his life now finds he cannot lift his leg over any bike frame due to knee and hip arthritis. I used to cycle from ED to Westminster daily in the 1980s for work and used mainly back streets. I have an old Ford Focus which is regularly serviced and ideal for visiting my family in Orpington and Durrington on Sea (where we tend to stay in a Premier Inn for a few days and count this as a holiday). Under normal circumstances I do a lot of voluntary community work,which also includes giving people lifts due to their age and/or disability.

I am a car owner and driver. If I want to shop in LL I will use the bus, however if doing the weekly shop at Salisbury's DKH I will use the car as I cannot carry all the bags. I can walk but find after about 15/20 minutes my arthritis plays up. I have also had a number of falls over the past year, last being in the street where small paving slabs were uneven and I went flying. Severe bruising of ribs and shoulder.I walk slowly with a stick as I am checking the surface for dips etc, this is not helped by cyclists riding on the pavements especially noticeable in LL and Barry Road. Recently I had to visit the Rehabilitation Centre in Bowley Close, due to the closures in the village I could not go my usual route but had to drive to Crystal Palace, down College Road etc - making it a much longer journey. I am in 2 minds about the closures - I can see the sense in having some road closures, but not to the extent that traffic is forced onto other roads (EDGrove/LL etc) which creates more pollution in the long run as traffic is stationary.

I purchased a turkey crown (2.5/3 kg) from Iceland a few weeks ago. Cooked it earlier in the week, sliced up and put in freezer ready to take out when needed. Cost ?16. Beef from Asda also cooked, sliced and in freezer. I have done this every year since the mid 1970's as at the time I had such a small kitchen that a roasting dish with a turkey in took up all my work surfaces. With the cancellation of Christmas - my family who were all visiting on Boxing Day are no longer able to come to us (I have NHS worker and teacher daughters)All of us now in Tier 4. With the freezing of food - I am not wasting anything. Hubby went to Salisbury's Local to get bread/fruit/veg - no queues. May have paid a little more but was in and out within 10 minutes.

I very reluctantly do on line shopping. I prefer to view goods in person but with the closure of so many retailers over the past 5 years or so, I am forced to go on line. I ordered a book from Amazon for my granddaughter as both local bookshops and WH Smith's were closed. When I was doing my Practice Teaching qualification at Greenwich University - to purchase books required would have cost me over ?200 new, so used Amazon and got 2nd hand ones for less than ?80. Have purchased stuff from Amazon over the years, mainly because the items needed could not be obtained from retails stores in the area (even going as far a field as Croydon and Bromley ). I am lucky that I have good neighbours would would take in parcels etc.