Pugwash

Talking to local police today - was informed that several shops in LL and area have been repeatedly targeted by shop lifters recently - some caught on CCTV. From the sound of it there are several people (possibly in same gang) targeting shops on a daily basis. Even charity shops have had thefts of clothes/items.

If they have a connection with Southwark - contact Housing Options in Bournemouth Road Peckham who can advise on hostels etc. Most local authorities have access to hostels but you need to have a connection to the borough. Connections ;- registered with a GP in that borough, a rent book or utility bill giving address in borough, proof that may be living with friend/relative in that borough

Southwark expects everyone to be on line or have access to a computer either via libraries or friends. In my previous job dealing with hospital patients - it was quite common for the patient to be picked up by LAS and taken to A & E and their house keys get mislaid on the way or during transfers to wards. Originally with a council tenant - we would contact the appropriate housing office to check whether they had flat keys/security fobs for that particular area, get the cost then physically go to the cash office and housing office to collect keys/fobs. Whole process would take anything from 1 - 3 hours with the travelling and waiting times. Now you can only order replacement keys/fobs on line, pay for them on line and they will be delivered to the tenant at their property within 14 - 21 days. What the Southwark Officers could not get was that Mrs. Jones had lost her house keys and could not get into her house, so she could not leave hospital to wait for the postal delivery to her property as could not get in!!!

Obviously needs a common sense approach - small cafes have very limited space for cumbersome buggies which cannot be folded. Strollers can generally be folded up assuming the child will be sitting on laps/chair. Having had a parent in a wheelchair - we frequently had difficulty in accessing cafes/restaurants - Mum could transfer from wheelchair to a chair so w/c could be folded, but we did experience some 'discrimination' by pram owners when they were asked if they could move the pram to allow us access to the extent that Mum got so upset at the remarks made she refused to go out. If you read the notices in buses, wheelchair users have priority over prams and that pram owners could be asked to fold prams down .

last time I went to the Cheese Block (in Christmas week) for some more unusual cheeses for my son in law, shop was so crowded I could not see most of the displays, people pushing and shoving to see the groceries on shelves, only 2 or 3 servers who seemed very annoyed that I only wanted small amounts (250 grams) of some cheeses . Ended up spending around ?20 - but have not set foot in the shop since.

Unfortunately the lights etc by the Old Grove Tavern and road layout is the responsibility of TFL

Bread of Life caf? at Christ Church - but you will need to purchase drinks/foods

I have had a few of these = but just ignore them. Another 'scam' appears to come from Outlook.com asking you to reset your password.

In defence of PCSOs - we have had some good ones in ED. Their presence on the street does reassure the older generation - many of them (OAPs) think they are 'beat bobbies'. In my previous working life, my team came across some vulnerable adults and it was often the PSCOs who alerted social services. In some instances the PSCOs would undertake regular welfare checks on certain people.

Online ordering? My kitchen would not be able to accommodate 19 cartons of soya let alone more. Surely the chocolate soya in such amounts would be bad for you?

Worrying news. As a grandparent I am surprised at the number of adults with young children who let them walk/run/scoot in front or behind them especially on main roads. I watched a man pushing his buggy and a child around 3 dawdling behind picking up things from the pavement - child being some 12 feet away. This was on the bend of Barry Road opposite Etherow Street - if the child ran out in the road, or was picked up by a stranger, or even just had a fall the Dad (assumed) would have no idea as too far in front. I am probably being over cautious or even old fashioned, but my 2.5 yr old grandchild is asked to hold onto her baby brother's buggy when out in the street so that I or her parents can be at her side. The use of reins appears to be out of fashion (they are now incorporated into a rucksack which is a good idea of Mothercare's) If the man in question was genuine he would have stayed on the pavement until the nanny reached him.

Many counsellors will do couple counselling - google counsellors in ED and check through . Most will be chargeable - either a set fee or sliding scale depending on income.

I get an automated reminder on my house phone from Kings a couple of days before an appointment

Never had pre marriage counselling - been with the same man since 1979 but got married in 1982. Plenty or arguments/disagreements, thought when going through s bad patch that we should separate. Reality of it would be that both would worry about each other so no point in putting ourselves through a separation As in all relationships - you have me time, and our time, my friends, his friends and our friends. Take time out when having kids to remember yourselves as a couple and not just Mum and Dad. We did not have a first dance - just a small wedding and reception ( 35 -40 guests) Most people I know just do the usual shuffle/waltz - it is the symbolism that counts - first married dance - not the display.

May be a standard rate allowing for admin time, postage. accommodation charges, etc. . Hospitals also 'charge' social services for any unacceptable delays in discharging patients who need care packages/accommodation.

The East Dulwich Community Centre (Darrell Road) is not open to the public at all times of the day, only for specific bookings. I would suggest you approach somewhere which is open to the public on a daily basis. I imagine any venue would want you to collect daily from them as will not have the facilities to store items for more than 24 hours

Why not just contact the Hospice directly - several friends and family have done this in the past. The volunteer bureaux based in Peckham can give you details of agencies/charities in ED. Link Age based in Jarvis Road are always seeking volunteers and so are the Red Cross based in Kings who need people to visit people leaving hospital;

I was taught that when coming to a roundabout, you should always indicate which direction you are going. As a car driver (old Ford Focus) I am fed up with those cars coming down LL who do not indicate that they are going into ED Road. I have had a few near misses as I approach the roundabout and crossing from Grove Vale. Also some pedestrians are so busy with their mobile phones and just walk out onto the crossing and seem surprised/angry when they hear a squeal of brakes.

if it is a hired room - check your contract of hire. Due to H & S concerns many halls do not permit things like bouncy castles, trampolines etc due to possible accidents. Also if they will allow bubbles - may ask you to check what the bubbles are made with as could affect the floor covering. ( I have been to a hall where floor is 2 colours due to a hirer spilling some liquid which reacted with the flooring)

Why not put up a temporary screen near the door - those old fashioned ones that they used to have in hospitals would allow some privacy. Also would a male entering the ladies without a female checking - come under sexual abuse/harassment?

The East Dulwich Community Centre takes bookings for Children's parties on Saturdays

Do you know whether Southwark will take a freezer away? Our old freezer is on it's way out but still full of food so that when John Lewis' deliver a new freezer they cannot take away the old one as not defrosted or emptied.

East Dulwich Community Centre in Darrell Road. See their web site for details

My stepmother in west Sussex before she went into a care home was paying around ?15 per hour for a cleaner (this was a couple or so more years ago). If you employ a cleaner from organisation like Age UK - you expect to pay ?12 - ?16 per hour. Why would you advertise for an unskilled cleaner? I would expect a cleaner to have knowledge and experience of best methods of cleaning woodwork/tiles/bathrooms.

Buses have never stood in Barry Road outside Christ Church at any time in the day - it was an alighting point originally for 78 bus route and for 312/12's terminating at Dulwich Plough. The buses then went round the block to park in Etherow Street. Following complaints from Etherow Street residents some 15/20 years ago re noise from engines running late at night - the buses were allowed to park late night/ early morning on Barry Road instead. With the coming of the night buses - the Barry Road site was designated a stand from 11 pm - 8 am. Christ Church have a letter from Southwark which was written in response to the traffic enforcement officers trying to book motorists and also bus crews trying to park in the stand, who confirmed that this was a night bus stand only. I do not know whether a Traffic Management Order exists. I believe that Barry Road is a Southwark 'managed road' and not TFL and Southwark probably put the signs up several years ago and no mention has been made over the years that this bus stand was to be a 24/7 stand. In the past the Police were asked to intervene between traffic enforcement officers and car drivers and they researched the relevant laws/by laws and stated that cars were legitimately parked on the stand after 8 am and before 11pm. Talking with the local police officer recently, I was informed that parking issues were now the full responsibility of Southwark. If TFL felt that signage was incorrect why wait several years before challenging it.