Pugwash

I used to wear my ID badge under my jumper and pulled it our when needed.

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All very well that elderly and vulnerable people have a special time allocated to them in the morning, but many are carers for relatives and rely on home carers to provide personal care for their relative. The busiest time for agency carers regardless paid for via council or private. is usually between 7 - 10 am. Having worked with carers, I am all too aware that even though the care plan may say 8 - 9 am for help with personal care, carers are often late due to transport issues, or previous care over running. It is hard for the 'un cared for' person to plan shopping at this time of day. I think there should be a second priority slot around 2 - 4 pm to give this group of people a chance.

Son in law advised that his local pharmacy near Dartford was charging ?12 for a bottle of Calpol!

Son in law just phoned to check on us. He stated that their local supermarket was limiting the number of customers in the store i.e. let three in and when they exit another three were allowed in. He also reports that Argos had run out of freezers as everyone is going into panic buying mode.

Do they have a freezer? Wiltshire Farm and Oakhurst foods deliver meals.

restriction on funerals as well

I was in Dulwich Library on Thursday afternoon and staff had just been told that due to the shortage of staff - all the libraries wee going to be closed from that night.

Our local Community Caf? had to close today and had already received a fresh food order this week. We purchased from them at cost price some eggs as we were unable to purchase these from our usual butchers. We also offered to pay for any perishable goods they wanted to get rid off. Today I was given FREE - potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and leeks. I was able to do food parcels for 3 elderly households, and contacted a friend who also did shopping for elderly neighbours, so a further 3-4 people will receive a small amount of veg. If one caf? owner can do this for nothing - why cannot others follow suit. If they sell unused items for the price which they paid for them or just a few pence more - it would be fairer.

kent and Sussex have closed all their libraries

Just spoken to my daughter who is an Occupational Therapist in Orpington - she normally finishes work at 5 pm but due to staff shortages worked to 9 pm last night. Went into her local Sainsbury's to get bread, oat milk and eggs and came out with nothing. Not even cat food in stock. She reported that a friend was a till assistant at a supermarket and although politely telling people they could not bulk buy, she and other staff have been reduced to tears by the continuous verbal abuse and threats they are getting from some customers. Because of these threats they are allowing the bulk buying. It confirms to me that police/army/security should be stationed at each supermarket to protect the staff. Under normal circumstances this sort of behaviour would have been reported to police etc. Also employers have a duty towards the health, wellbeing and safety of their employees and should be reminded of this and to take extra measures to protect their staff.

Wiltshire Foods and Oakhurst Foods are very good and most of their stuff is a reasonable price. They have good choices - see on line details. Not sure whether they would have more delivery slots free - certain areas have set delivery days. have a friend in Gants Hill who is 72 and he has a fortnightly delivery at the moment as he alternates with eating out and cooking from scratch.

I think they need to have more security people on the door and let in say 20 people at a time, also security near the tills to ensure no bulk buying. Ration books would be welcome but an admin nightmare.

I was in Sussex yesterday visiting family who I may not be able to see if we go into lockdown. Daughter had run out of bread and we were waiting delivery at the local Co Op. I picked up 2 Kingsmill white loaves (?1.00) and asked the shop assistant if there was a limit to number per customer and was advised 2 was maximum. I thought this very fair in contrast to Sainsbury's. I gather from a friend who regularly purchases cleaning and catering products from Mackro that earlier this week, most of the warehouse was empty so am fully aware of the difficulties.

The same shop also tried to sell a clearly marked bag of frozen peas 'Special Offer ?1 00' this was a proper manufacturer's plastic bag not a sticky label. Friend went to pay for it and the shop requested ?2.40, she pointed out that this was clearly labelled ?1.00 and was told that it was due to Cash and Carry charging a lot more. My friend stood her ground and as she was purchasing the peas for another friend who was partially sighted and had mobility difficulties, paid the man ?1 took the peas and walked out She said if the shop keeper called the Police she could show clearly that it was the manufacturer who set the price. I have nothing against independent shops selling items at a higher price than supermarkets. I did notice in Sainsbury's Local that an item which I pay ?2.40 for in DKH was ?2.75 It was on one the Government's Q % A sessions last week where someone raised the question of shops/firms using the shortage of goods to inflate prices which were currently on shelves - the answer came back that it was illegal to do this with current stock. In this case the shop had obviously purchased from Lidl - and had trebled the price. I would hate to see what the shop would have charged for the Carex hand wash.

Get Trading Standards more involved in some shop keepers who are purchasing in bulk from Supermarkets and then selling them at inflated prices in their own shops. I picked up liquid soap - Cien ( which I normally get at Lidl for between ?1- ?1.50) and was charged ?3.50 for this. Having heard from one of the official briefings that it was illegal to profit from inflated prices, I refused to have the product. Shop keeper then stated that Cash and Carry had doubled their prices so he had to pass it on to his customers. Telling this story to a friend this morning, she reported that she went into the same shop today and picked up a bag of frozen peas which the manufacturer has blazoned over it's bag 'Special Offer ?1.00'. Same shopkeeper tried to sell it for ?2.20. My friend stood her ground (she also works in retail) and paid only ?1.00. I have been in Lidl many a time in the past ,and see people load up a trolley full of only 3 or 4 items which obviously they are going to sell on at their own shops. I counted one item- 50 large bars of chocolate !

Talking with someone today who has a friend working in DKH Sainsbury's - she reports store is fully stocked at 6 am, by 7 am queues of people reaching out of the car park and as soon as doors open, they swarm in and within an hour of so, very little left on the shelf. Agree, there must be enforced rationing, if some local shops can restrict you to 1 packet of loo rolls, kitchen roll, tissues. cleaning produce - then the big stores should follow suit. I was nearly 2 hours in t he shop yesterday - longer because I kept going back to the aisles hoping that they were being restocked - got lucky with long life milk and bananas.

Popped into a local independent store and noticed that they had both pasta and hand wash - pasta was 89p - hand wash Cien unpriced ( this is normally sold in places like Lidl for less than ?1.50) was told at till that hand wash was ?3.50 - queried this and stated that it was illegal to hike up prices - was told that cash and carry had increased prices so they must also. I refused to buy the hand wash. Spoke to 2 other people who are in retail and catering business who advised that if cash and carry had increased prices it would be only a small amount and no where near double to justify the store increasing this much. Should I contact Trading Standards? Sainsbury's shop this afternoon - no potatoes, hardly any veg, no w.u. liquid, limited supply of meat and fish, no frozen veg, tea or coffee. managed to get some liver sausage at the Deli counter and taking with assistant about shortages, she advised that over the weekend people were taking large amounts of meat to store in their freezers. Lot of older people walking around with trolleys trying to find food - no eggs or pasta but plenty of long life milk.

Apart from weekly supermarket shopping, and one afternoon per week voluntary work, I rarely go out and mix with crowds. so am not keen on being told that I may have to be 'imprisoned' for up to 4 months because of my age. I take all precautions issued, and I know from experience which of my friends have poor health so would avoid them if I felt unwell/had a cold etc. Although I do not suffer from depression - I would do if I was prevented seeing my family/friends etc. I am usually the person who does the shopping etc for others as I am mobile and the person who provides emergency child care.

My pass arrived this morning but not hubby's.

Christ Church in Barry Road has a collection box which goes to PECAN

As well meaning as everybody is, it is difficult for a vulnerable person as to whether to trust a 'stranger' who turns up offering to do some shopping. I do the occasional voluntary work with elderly people via a local charity - I have an ID badge and the older person is rung by the charity and given my name, I then ring the person and arrange a time to visit them. Unfortunately there are people in Southwark who would think nothing of trying to con vulnerable people and it is more common than you would think. The best way is for people to know their neighbours - we know the young couple who moved in 18 months ago next door- we introduced ourselves, we also know neighbours 2 doors down on the other side of the house and a few people even further down the street. Why wait until a crisis to be friendly. I think going via churches is a good idea also if you have a tenants and residents' association in your street to contact their committee as they will have access to those who may need help.

is it the fact that we now have more schools in the Dulwich area? When my kids were young there was St. Anthony's, Goodrich, Heber, St. Johns and St Clements, Grove Vale, Dog Kennel Hill, Dulwich Village and Dulwich Hamlet. You then had the independent schools plus JAGS, Alleyns, Dulwich College and prep,I cannot remember whether the 2 other independent primaries were around in the period 1978= 1990). Charter School was initially William Penn in the 1960-70s, and eventually became another secondary school but half or quarter the size of Charter. There was Friern which became Waverley and amalgamated with Honor Oak and no other secondary school

I contacted our local councillor (Maggie Browning)and she was advised that Southwark were sending out with effect from 9th March - I was advised that if not received by next week to contact her again. The Dulwich Hill Ward Forum is on 17th at Dulwich Library 6.30 - 8.