Pugwash

See previous message - the group is active and meets at Christ Church - they were involved in a small concert just before Christmas along with some singers. Still looking for people to join them.

Recently had Carl to do some minor electrical work - as usual very efficient .

All the Lidls I have been in usually have a very large number of customers behind me and they can get very impatient. Also the speed that the cashier goes at is treble the speed I can pack. If I have only a small amount - no problem or if the items are approximately the same weight and size, I pack myself. However if I have large cartons of fruit juice plus cakes and more 'fragile' items I like to pack in separate bags - so putting everything in the trolley is better for me. Also I frequently have to shop for others and their goods need separate bags so much easier to do this in the car.

The Sainsburys at Bell Green used to have loads of recycling bins - not sure if they are still there.

When I go to Lidl - they scan items so quickly that even with 2 of you packing is not easy. I now put every thing in the trolley and pack into bags in the car boot which saves lifting heavy bags from trolley into boot and I can segregate items as I wish in terms of weight etc.

Most of the primary schools serving E Dulwich are over subscribed and you will take pot luck as to which one is offered. Haberdashers Aske secondary - may require an entry exam ( or they did when my daughter applied for there - 1000 applicants for 100 places) I have heard that Harris in Crystal Palace is good - but the friends who have daughters there both live in the Crystal Palace area so not sure of catchment area.

Many of the churches have a box which you can place stuff for food banks. Christ Church in Barry Road has one

With all the voluntary redundancies in Southwark, a large number of staff have left and many departments are going through a reorganisation. In order to find the correct RO and their manager - you will need to give your street/estate etc. There is no central office but the switchboard may be able to help. All the Southwark RO have both mobiles and landlines. I do know a couple of ED ROs as I dealt with them professionally before I retired. Do you have a Residents' Association covering your area>

have been with The Gardens for years - never had any problem with reception staff, nurses or GPs. I do not go to them for trivial illnesses - i.e. colds, coughs etc. I am diabetic and have regular checks with practice nurse. Hubby has a severe medical condition - and GPs have been really good with him. If I think he is unwell and is not willing to go to GP - I make contact with his named GP and she rings him up (or gets the receptionist to do so) with an urgent appointment

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