Lowlander

Southern is part of GTR who run the contract on behalf of the government. It's not a normal franchise, as the government are paying GTR a fixed fee, and taking the fares in return. Normally it's the other way round. Southern is being used as a proxy in the fight between the unions and the government. To cut a long story short, the unions have been striking on and off since the summer for various reasons. When will it end? Who knows! Either when this government fails, or the unions run out of energy. Both parties are at fault. Currently, you can find out in advance by checking the live departure boards for North Dulwich / London Bridge before leaving the house / work. The overground is incredibly punctual and reliable.

I commuted this route for 3 years. When Southern are running normally, it's a 14 minute journey into London Bridge and about another 10 on the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf, it used to take about 35-40 minutes all in. You're very likely to get a seat on the train from North Dulwich; the Jubilee Line from London Bridge is rammed and unpleasant (but mercifully quick). At London Bridge you should be able to get on the first train. The Overground is reliable, but you'll never get a seat. It's air-conditioned and pretty tolerable. The interchange at Canada Water is crowded and you usually have to let a few Jubilee Line trains go before you can get on. But then it's just one stop. And avoids zone 1, so is only ?1.70 each way PAYG. The interchange at Shadwell takes a good few minutes, the DLR is just as crowded as the Jubilee Line, and it takes a fraction longer overall. It's about 20 minute walk from North Dulwich station to Denmark Hill, or the 42 bus, so you should factor that in. I have cycled every route - via Greenwich foot tunnel is quickest (probably around 35 - 40 mins from North Dulwich station), and the road up from the foot of the Isle of Dogs to Canary Wharf is relatively quiet. I would take a few sample journeys to find out what works for you. Apart from cycling, I preferred the route from North Dulwich to London Bridge, as it was nice to get a seat and the trains are not too rammed. But since early this year Southern have been utterly undependable (one train an hour this morning instead of every 10 minutes!).

Toffee Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Penguin. Totally agree with you. A few days i was > actually called a selfish person by a mother with > a pram wanting to cross in front of me whilst the > traffic was still moving. Legally speaking, neither of you has a right of way. If I'm on a slow street like LL and pedestrians want to cross, I just stop and let them go with a smile. The fact that there was traffic behind you is completely irrelevant. Highway code Rule 206 Drive carefully and slowly when in crowded shopping streets, Home Zones and Quiet Lanes (see Rule 218) or residential areas driving past bus and tram stops; pedestrians may emerge suddenly into the road passing parked vehicles, especially ice cream vans; children are more interested in ice cream than traffic and may run into the road unexpectedly needing to cross a pavement or cycle track; for example, to reach or leave a driveway. Give way to pedestrians and cyclists on the pavement reversing into a side road; look all around the vehicle and give way to any pedestrians who may be crossing the road turning at road junctions; give way to pedestrians who are already crossing the road into which you are turning the pavement is closed due to street repairs and pedestrians are directed to use the road approaching pedestrians on narrow rural roads without a footway or footpath. Always slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary, giving them plenty of room as you drive past.

Other car drivers: -Right up my rear at 20mph, or, worse, one overtaking me around about outside Franklins a few weeks ago -Pulling out without looking, or cutting corners, and making me brake sharply -Parking on double yellows so I can't see round junctions (with hazards flashing, as if that's ok) -Driving the wrong way up one way streets (Saturday afternoon, Matham Grove) I don't even notice the pedestrians or cyclists :-)

Branch managers have autonomy, so can extend credit and generally help out (e.g. mortgages for self-employed) a lot more than British banks. For instance they will generally be alerted to a customer going overdrawn and make the decision whether to allow a direct debit or other payment to be bounced or paid. I think it varies from branch to branch, but you have to have an income of at least ?100k to be granted an account, and they will want to look after all your savings / mortgages too. From what I've heard customers are generally very happy. It's a bank suited towards those who are time-poor and not very good with managing their financial affairs as the staff are very good at looking after customers as individuals. The downsides are of course the income threshold, and the charges/interest rates may not be as good as competitors.

Stay on the train for one more stop to get off at Herne Hill. Then the 37 bus which runs every 15 minutes until 00:49 - should take less than 10 minutes at that time of night.

A main part is that until the London Bridge works started, the Southern line from North / East Dulwich was fairly regular, reliable and decent. That all fell apart in early 2015. With the strikes and industrial action over the summer when we had one train an hour in the peaks, which is repeating again now, things are just bad. When Ken was mayor and Labour in government, there was some joined up working and TfL got hold of the old Silverlink services, i.e. West and North London lines. When Boris was in charge, and we had a Conservative government, TfL gained hold of some more North East London / Essex routes. Now that Khan is our Labour mayor, and Chris Grayling / Conservatives in charge of Transport at a government level, there will be no collaboration. Things seem to get worse when the mayor is of a different political orientation to the ruling government.

Do you have an old paisley patterned shirt or even a patterned dishtowel? If it's for one use only, just cut it into shape. If for more that one use cut it out and stitch it. Or wear a neckerchief, waistcoat, gun-belt, jeans and Western boots.

We were in a queue; fortunately, at that point, the shop-keeper caught his eye and diverted his attention whilst I made good my escape. It's one of those bits of attire, like salmon-coloured trousers, that seem to suit some people. I've always been surprised that they're still easy to buy in aforementioned shops...

Coincidentally, yesterday I saw a chap in his 50s wearing one. I couldn't pull it off, but he did. TM Lewin, M&S and John Lewis all do cravats.

Very common in the Middle East and Central Asia. Tea leaves do produce a nicer, more flavourful tea especially if you don't take milk. Very much a British/Irish thing (did you know the Irish drink more tea per head than the UK?).

ed_pete Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Consultation closes on 22/12. Don't sleepwalk > into this one. Register your objections to your > Councilors and on the Southwark website. Or support. We are allowed to hold independent opinons!

QueenMab Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yes let's all focus on what the nanny did "wrong", > rather than the nutcase who tried to drag a child > into a car. > > I'm amazed at some of the responses on here Because her delay in reporting the incident means that the police did not attend ASAP and start searching for the alleged culprit, or interview potential witnesses (e.g. passers-by, builders, delivery drivers). Personally I find it incomprehensible that she didn't report it ASAP, and just hope that her mistake becomes well-known enough for anyone else to not hesitate should such an incident repeat itself (God forbid that it does not).

What James said, these things can get out hand very quickly as other residents may not be as doubtful as you.

Not good news. Thanks for making us aware. (What is DVIS?)

uncleglen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And how do you know that 'the deal' we have got at > the moment is any good? We are being shafted by > 750 extra politicians who cost us ?63 million a > week- whose annual audit has never been ratified. > the current 'deal' is NOT helping the poorer and > uneducated - even the Archbishop of Canterbury has > said as much- before Theresa May said so.....some > of you are extremely verbose and I guess you have > had an excellent education but you have no idea > what the dispossessed are suffering- especially as > they watch their kids sink into a life of drugs or > petty crime.... The EU parliament costs ?34 million a week....across the entire EU. Let's be generous and say ?1 million a week for the UK. (It's a fair point, but please get your facts right - it's nowhere near ?63 million a year let alone per week). Besides, our own Government manages to waste far bigger sums of money - billions per year through shoddy contracting (Capita/Serco et al) and want to spend another ?50 billion on a high speed rail link to Manchester.

You can have destruction of money - as when Joe Corr set fire to a punk collection worth ?5 million recently. Or when that band burned ?1 million on a Scottish island in the 1990s. I think I agree with your statement, I wouldn't class either as a waste. The second in particular would be welcomed by the Bank who printed the notes.

Beej Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Lowlander Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I've never come across anyone driving too slowly > though > > (apart from maybe learner drivers, and we were > all > > learners at one point). > > OMG???? Seriously? Do you live in your own > cul-de-sac that only you drive around??? Can I > join you? Seriously, yes, I've never in my life come across someone driving too slowly. No, I don't live in a cul-de-sac. Sure, it's easy, just relax a little. Or a lot, in your case.

It's a speed limit, not a speed target. I've never come across anyone driving too slowly though (apart from maybe learner drivers, and we were all learners at one point). Agree with you on poor parking. Particularly on zig-zag lines at zebra crossings. OT though.

Is there not one further up? Streetview suggests there is a no right turn sign as well as a no u-turns:

My 2.5L Turbo happily sits at 20mph. Cruise control is good for those long stretches. Last time I drove along Denmark Hill one car overtook me, and seconds later another one undertook. Caught up with both of them at the lights on Red Post Hill. On the plus side, more people do seem to be abiding by the 20 limit these days.

Sign was still there this morning! It's been there for years. It would be difficult to safely do a U-turn there anyway without holding up traffic.

TheArtfulDogger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Whilst manufacturers are building the technology > in the simple question still remains in my mind > > "Do people actually want driverless cars? " Yes yes yes. I hate driving.

Apparently you can download Amazon Prime titles to watch offline: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201460850 Does he have a landline? You can get line rental + broadband for around ?15 a month from Sky or PlusNet with a free wifi router. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband Or go to a pub / caf? / place with free wifi, buy a drink and a snack, and watch there?

DulwichFox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What do people think about Driverless Cars. ? > > I really find the whole idea frightening.. > Driverless Cars negotiating Lordship lane.. Can > that work.. ? > > DulwichFox Why is it frightening? Driverless cars already have an almost perfect safety record - per km or mile travelled, they are far safer than a human driver. They won't be widespread for decades. Their introduction will be gradual as the tech improves, they will be costly; personally, as someone who buys 10 year old cars and drives them for another 10, I doubt I'll ever own one. This resistance to new technology!