Pugwash

Speaking about the closures to our local police officer, he was concerned that a normal 10 minute journey for the police took almost an hour. It would seem that the council did not consult Southwark Police about their schemes. Our police officer is going to talk to his colleagues in Goose Green and Village wards as to their views about the traffic situation and the effect they are having on the emergency services.

Came back from Sussex today and automatically turned into the Village and realised that I could not go up Carlton. Joined a long queue turning right in EDG - after several traffic lights changed was able to do this. Spent the next 10 minutes waiting in traffic to get to the lights at Townley. Noticed many of schools appear to have gone back - large number of primary and secondary aged pupils on the streets. Turned into Townley and came to a standstill - there were 11 coaches parked both sides of road. Car in front of me could not proceed as car in front of them was wide and only managed to get through the parked coaches with inches to spare. Lorries were coming from LL end obviously thinking they could avoid the queues in EDG. In all from Village lights (Turney Road) to get to Dovercourt Road it took from 3.10 pm - 3.45 pm. This scheme is completely mad - causing more pollution from idling engines and driver frustration which could easily turn into drivers taking risks.-

A friend spent several months negotiating a leasehold flat and discovered that the shower and bath were not working due to some complicated plumbing issue. (The current owners were allowed by the management company to use the bathroom in a vacant flat next door)She employed a plumber to give an estimate which was in the region of ?1000 as whole bathroom would have to be ripped out and floors dug up (it was a concrete floor as purpose built block of flats) She tried to get a reduction in price but was refused. Decided that it was better to lose her deposit than try and get problem fixed. That was over 2 years ago and the flat is still on the market as once prospective buyers know about the plumbing they are not interested. The management company are still refusing to fix problems.

The whole Southwark website is a joke - I spent an hour or so trying to order 2 library books. Also took me ages to get to grips with everyone active website to book a swimming session for hubby.

We keep a couple of Oyster cards to give to relatives who live outside London when they are visiting us. Top them up once or twice a year.

The team I used to work in voted against hot desking, but our colleagues in the main building all opted for hot desking. They found that it as harder to work as very often all the desks were occupied and they had to check 2 floors to find a vacant space. Working from home was offered for report writing and other tasks which required concentration. Also if out visiting clients were not expected back at base if it was easier to go home and work from there. I imagine that the main Building colleagues do not have the pressures of hot desking at the moment and that many enjoy the freedom of working from home. I think it sensible for workers to return to work but allow 1 or 2 days home working a week. Through most of my working life I have tried to opt out of the 9 - 5 mentality, my last job before retirement was 10 - 6 pm on the grounds that I was frequently having to make appointments with relatives of clients who were working and it was much easier to see them after 5 pm. When there was a transport strike many years ago _ worked from 11 - 7 pm as I was dealing with youth workers who tended to work after school and in the early evening.

Twice a day for past week HMRC have contacted me - soon as I hear the recording I put the phone down.

Why not consider moving the stop to outside Mrs. Robinson and the barbers - plenty of space there.

Hubby did see a notice on Friday - I think he said weekends were 10 - 2 - I know the hours were shorter than the weekday openings.

Having done a couple of speed watches with Kevin, it is an interesting way to spend a couple of hours observing people's driving habits. You get to use a speed gun. The Barry Area Residents' Association (BARA) instigated the speed watch in Barry Road and we were based at Etherow Street junction and a few others with local councillors were based at Upland Road.

Had a meal in Weatherspoons in Lewisham High Street on Thursday. Asked hubby if he filled in register of customers. he said there was not one - those who paid via AP automatically had details listed but those paying by cash or card did not have to fill in details and there was no visible recording sheet by bar. Pub was busy but people were SD.

Hubby has been to Johnnies several times in the last 4 weeks on different days of the week, He checked whether did the 50% offer Mon - Weds and was informed that they were not in scheme. Talking with one of the servers he found that staff must have been on zero hours as nobody was furloughed. Kinsella's opposite Johnnies is in the scheme.

Tried ordering via catalogue - managed to order 2 books only in nearly an hour - not a very user friendly site. Hubby ordered a book by phone and was advised later that it was sent to Dulwich Library on 17th August. Went to collect it on 21st and was told that boxes had not been unpacked. Eventually collected 27th August and talking to librarian about my difficulty in ordering via internet , did comment that many people have found the system slow and not helpful.

I have a few friends who have been working from home. One a senior manager is fed up being at home and has asked to return to the office but was refused, yet his junior staff have been encouraged to return. The other is a friend whose daughter has been working from home since March - daughter has a business mobile phone plus laptop. Her elderly mother is becoming increasingly frustrated at the noise of the phone, the tapping of the keyboard and also that her daughter questions why she wants to go out of the flat to the local shops. Having to spend 24 hours each day with her daughter is driving her up the wall- she is used to daughter being out of house between 8 am - 6 pm. Another friend is a social worker in a Children's Team, she has been working from home since March, contacting her clients by phone but going into work 2 days a week. Some of her work is child protection and she needs to visit families/foster parents etc for face to face meetings.

First post yesterday around 4.30 pm for over a fortnight.

My grand daughter's boyfriend completed his degree in Architecture this summer but due to the cancellation of the job fairs at University, he has not been able to link up with any architectural firms in order to do his year in industry. Does anyone know of any architect practices who would be willing to take him on either as on full or part time basis for the next year. He lives in Orpington but willing to travel. Please PM me if you can help.

Try St Christopher's Furniture shop in Sydenham.

The larger Boots used to sell high chairs - vaguely remember the one in the Whitgift Centre Croydon had a good selection of baby furniture. We got a very solid wooden highchair for our granddaughter from a charity shop . She later used it as a table and chair when she was about 2 years old. Also her little brother used it for a while.

Dulwich Library open from today you place your returned books in a box in entrance area. You must pre order books either by phone 0207 525 4411 giving your membership (card) details. email [email protected] Library will contact you when books are in for you to collect. This will take getting used to as I normally just pick a few letters of the alphabet and go to these shelves and see what takes my fancy - this is a good way of getting to know new authors.

Greenhive has been consistently good for many years - one of Anchor's homes

Can I clarify - if my Dulwich based GP sends me for a routine blood test (I usually go to Dulwich) do I now go into the new health Centre?

I am afraid that it is getting harder to find care/nursing homes in London and the SE in general. If person is eligible for financial assistance from social services - they will not pay for the full weekly cost of the home. It is very complicated to explain but say your mother is financially assessed to contribute ?150 pw (made up of state and occupational pension)If the local authority ceiling for all care homes is ?550 pw which means ?400 from LA and ?150 from mum. However if care home charges ?850 pw the breakdown would be ?400 LA ?150 mother, the remaining ?300 would need to be a Third Party contribution either from family members or a charity. From experience I have in the past contacted around 40 homes between Kent and Sussex on behalf of a family for their mother - the majority of them taking residents with dementia were full, those who had vacancies were in the ?1000 pw range and other would not take anyone being financially supported by social services. With many care home residents dying from covid, the vacancy situation may be better but costs may have increased due to extra finances being spent on PPE. Since the original post was earlier in the year - I assume that the situation has been solved.

St Anthony's have an after school club which used to meet in the back hall of Christ Church staff collect children from school and take them to church hall. Things may have changed due to lockdown.

There is an active T & RA on this estate - details usually posted up in community room.

The stuff I got sent related to someone who is 'hearing' and the deaf person needs to be able to lip read i.e. Deaf person can wear mask but hearing colleagues do not have to. Will try and find original document on my computer.