Pugwash

Enjoyed the film - the fellow looked familiar - is he from around here or have I seen him on TV?

Working in the health and social care sector, many people I deal with are on LCP - I work mainly at Kings who are excellent in general in keeping families informed and seeking their co operation/consent. PEACE is another initiative in the health sector in working with people with limited life spans. St. Christopher's Hospice have been working with many health and social care organisations in training staff in End of Life Care. part of the scheme is for people to talk with their nearest and dearest as to their wishes when it comes to the inevitable - would they wish to die at home/care home/hospital - who they wish to be with them, any advance decisions, arrangements for funerals etc. I have recently worked with someone in St. Helier's Hospital and found the ward depressing and no real emphasis on the patient or his relatives.

Freedom Passes are for those under pension age who have long term disabilities. Taxi card allows you to get greatly reduced fares up to a maximum lavel

We had put up with very poor GPs in Lordship Lane after senior GP Dr During died and it took three years or so before The Gardens opened up their list as very over subscribed. Never regretted this move - all the GPs are good, Dr. Tran is lovely, Liz (Nurse) is easy to get on with and very helpful. Drs. Cliffe, Fryer and Addo are all approachable and willing to listen. Dr. Cliffe is very well up on mental health. Opening hours range from early morning appointments with a couple of late evenings.

What about the Taxi Card scheme? Someone I know has cancer and needs to travel to Guys Hospital for sessions of chemo, the Palliative Care Team at Kings have applied for a Taxi Card for him. Because of the cancer in his spine - he uses a wheelchair so public transport is more difficult.

I had a work colleague who was with the organisation for many years and thought she was just a bad speller. She had a physical injury and had an assessment at her work station by an occupational therapist who whilst watching her type asked if she had dyslexia as she noticed some odd spellings. My colleague had never considered this. Went off for a full assessment and was diagnosed with dyslexia and was given an IT programme designed to be used by people with this problem. Everything was paid by work. Vague feeling that the assessment was done by the DWP/Disability Advisor at Job Centre. I have a friend whose partner specialises in dyslexia and other learning disabilities and devises IT programmes etc to suit individual needs. She is Dr in own right and was a college lecturer in IT.

Try Andrew Brock in Shawbury Road

I would be happy to book the small hall in the east Dulwich Community Centre ( I am on their committee and also a Trustee of the charity) if people feel they would like to explore the possibility of having an informal meeting and then play it from there. would people prefer an evening ( during week or weekend) or a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon or early Saturday evening. What are people's thoughts - either reply here or pm me

It was some time ago the youngest daughter went to St Anthony's( she is now 27 so things obviously had changed. In those days for a church school you had to get child onto 'waiting lists' these lists held all children who would need entry in such and such term and year. You could not just go in to register an interest/apply a couple of terms before starting as all applicants were taken from an approved list and connection with the church re checked

Like most RC schools - a letter from the priest is essential and you and child must be a regular mass attender. Hubby is RC and I have no religion and our daughter went to St. Anthony's at rising 5. She was christened in St Thomas more when she was about 16 months old and her name was put on the waiting list when she was 2. Hubby went to Mass most weeks (except when ill) and Father o Connor got to know him well so there was no problem in getting a recommendation. daughter attended mass at odd times but was really too young to sit through a service.Hubby still attends Mass at least once a month. Friends who have Cof E faith - also state that they had been attending church each week for 2- 3 years before child of school age to also get a recommendation from priest. They also had to keep up attendance (although not every week) at the church to prove their 'religious observance'.

Eldest daughter just finished a degree in Occupational Therapy. She is 40 with 2 kids 9 and 14, her partner is self employed with an income which varies each week. Her tuition fees were paid by the NHS and she got a bursary (which was based on her partner's income which for the first year covered her child care fees). Our 16 year old grandson wants to study history and has already approached us to letting him live with us if he went to a london University as does not want to live at home in Harlow He reckons he will get free lodging but we are going to charge him a a few quid and he will have to cook and pay for all his food - he might change his mind when he hears that!. Youngest daughter did 4 years at Brighton Uni and was one of the last students to get a grant - we used to top it up by about ?200 a month. came out with debts around ?8.000.

Just an advance notice ( awaiting further details from organiser) A reminder to all previous users of the play scheme that once again Dave Small and his team will be at the East Dulwich Community Centre centre for 4 weeks with the holiday play scheme for primary age pupils. Just waiting for Dave to get back to me with exact dates and times etc and will post them on here

New criteria now for getting a Blue Badge - previously you had to be unable to walk more than x yards, they have now increased the distance. My Mum had a Blue Badge - she was on dialysis CAPD, which meant that she had to dialyise every so many hours. She could not have a day out shopping without taking all the dialysis stuff with her. This was too heavy to carry and also she had poor mobility. The Blue Badge allowed myself ot my daughter to take her shopping in the car and carry all the equipment - the Kidney Association gave her a list of shops etc who would allow her to use their premises to do the dialysis. Always remember one was Marks and Spencers. We would be able to park the car near to where she could dialyise

My grandaughter now aged 14 went to Kumon maths for about a year when in primary school. She enjoyed it and her maths work went up considerably. She decided when she wanted to leave - the exercise was that she was ( and still is) a shy child and needed her confidence boosted. At her secondary school she is in the 'superleague' students performing far above their peers - she and others are working at Maths levels 2 years above their chronological age. Many of her classmates in this section having done the Kumon classes.

Adrian Lester ( Hustle) lived in Dulwich not sure if still does. Nicola McAulliffe, Trevor and ? Old time children's TV presenters ( catch phrase ' we don't do duvets')

First pregnancy could not eat first thing in morning due to sickness, a colleague at work brought me in lightly toasted white bread to have an hour or so after I arrived at work. My craving was for fish and chips. 2nd pregnancy - all day sickness and nausea, hubby made ne toast in motning before i got up as had an hour journey into work by bus. Work - I lived on a wholemeal roll, Bovril crisps, cube of chedder cheese and a bovril drink for months. Actually lost weight whilst pregnant and after birth was back to my pre pregnancy weight

I do not think they are too worried about the grey chairs as they are old but the red chairs are 2/3 years old and mainly used by the the various groups meeting at the centre. The black fold up chairs are more recent and are quite expensive to purchase.

it would be upto the funding social services departments to find alternative placements for the residents there, but they will not give information about individual residents. As for the staff - they may have been re employed by the company who owns Cherry Croft. generally happens if a care home company has other homes in the area. Southern Cross staff were sent to other care homes or re employed by the new company. Odd that CQC could not comment. If there are considerable safeguarding concerns CQS work with Social Services/ NHS and Police to sort out everything. I wonder if there were strong signs that the owners were going bust and residents were moved out. It could be that the building itself did not meet current building regs for care homes. The place was built in either the 1960s or 70s - definately the 70s as I found a resident from there wandering in the street and took her back there.

Surprised that Paul Yarrow the News Raider was not around to get in the background!

Bath Oliver Biscuits. The large arrowroot biscuits you used to buy in pubs ( my dog used to eat these) Petite Beurre biscuits ( I think that is how you spell them.) Everlasting strips from the sweet shop the old fashioned ironmongers where you could find anything. Saturday Morning Kids pictures ( showing my age 6d in old money, and a few pence for sweets)

Thanks Dan. Hubby is talking about going to his Bipolar Club on Weds Evening in Beckenham. He was actually up and dressed when I got home from work at 7.45. he had changed and washed the bed linen and taken a walk in Dulwich Park - fingers crossed he will get up tomorrow. I do alot of voluntary work in the East Dulwich Community Centre - do you think there would be enough people who would wish to get together one evening to talk about their experiences. Maybe a one off mini social?. As part of my professional training I was on placement at a counselling agency and dealt with many people with various degrees of mental ill health from anxiety to suicide prevention so I have a good understanding of most things and I believe that this gives me the strength to weather the depression storm. I am considered quite 'extrovert' at work and most colleagues who know me well can judge my husband's state of mind by my behaviour. My workaholic attitude is usually associated with his depression and so is my desire to keep on working until well past retirement age.

Your best bet is to call the Care Quality Commission.

I am not a vegetarian but if there is a good veggie option on the menu I usually go for it. Having had an operation a couple of years ago, I find it difficult at times to eat meat as this frequently makes me sick, as do pasta and bread dishes. I tend to go for fish and vegetarian dishes and I love experimenting with vegetarian receipes. At one time in my office, half of the staff were vegetarian and we had one vegan, so all shared staff lunches and teas, had to cover a wide base. I too would prefer a wider choice of veggie options other than egg based dishes. At work lunches, colleagues usually rely on me to bring the veggie option in as most of our office are now meat eaters. Indian Mischief is a great place to go as is the Blue Brick Cafe. Even the smallest of 'cafes' should be able to offer at least 4/5 veggie options if you base this around. eggs, cheese, fruit and veg and pasta - all which could be made in a few minutes

All I know that it was going to be or has been deregisterd as a care home with nursing for older people. I have not been to that home for 2 years or more so do not know any of the staff

All of the streets are subject to residents only parking with traffic wardens several times a day checking out . OK if you have not got a car or motor bike