Alec John Moore

According to ROSPA: http://www.rospa.com/leisuresafety/adviceandinformation/watersafety/weils-disease.aspx Infection of humans usually occurs where open wounds are immersed in relatively stagnant water contaminated with rat or cattle urine. It can be contracted from contact with any fresh or untreated water including ponds, canals, lakes and rivers, as well as flood waters that are contaminated.

I'm glad someone is thinking about the children.

After some speculation on EDF the old electrical engineers shop on Peckham Rye is now a cafe called The Gardens. They had their soft opening today. Proper opening on the 11th, I think. Very friendly, very keen staff and cool decor. Looking forward to when they open in the evening. Very spacious both inside and out with that great big paved area at front. They are planning to show exhibitions of artists' work. Atmosphere was as cool as the decor but it was quiet and should pick up when it gets better known. A welcome addition to the eateries at that end of ED.

Something akin to a Glasgow Kiss, perhaps?

They may not know or may be briefed to be vague. You could ask the charity directly. As I understand it, chuggers are likely to be casual labour working for a contractor commissioned by the charity. So, the charity will pay a straight fee or a percentage of the donation, don't know the details, to the company and the charity will get the money you give in your DDR. They will also get someone they can "grow" into a donor who supports in other ways and, over time, may give more in their regular donations. Eventually, they will try to get you to will your estate to them - we're all worht more dead than alive. The life cycle of a punter, sorry, donor/highly motivated supporter of a cause, in a few glib sentences. For me, I wouldn't work in any other sector. I've been to Africa and seen how the funds I've raised have improved people's lives.

To be honest, I feel sorry for them. I'd hate to do that sort of job. My criticism, though, is of the practice. It's not really my area but, as far as I can see, it requires those who have been chugged to sign up for a direct debit. The problem with this is that donors are less likely to halt a DDR if they change their mind at a later date - just through not getting around to it rather than anything dubious about DDRs. Ideally - for charities - there would be loads of active donors and volunteers who give freely of their time and money. Recruiting supporters/donors through chugging is not something I would support. However, the type of income that charities get from individual donors is mostly unrestricted so can be used to pay for the staff and activities that other donors - trusts, governement, Big Lottery Fund etc - won't pay for. It's why charities put so much effort into raising such funds.

It's an important question about where the money goes and who benefits from the donations that people make. Some take the view that they'd rather support a voluntary organisation/charity/NGO that uses their funds effectively and efficiently - having first determined that they share their values to an extent and support the cause. So, if a charity has a system for identifying high value items that come through their shops that are then sold for a good price elsewhere then that is merely maximising the income potential of those donations. It's not really that different from charities urging us to sign up for gift aid so that they can get more from that type of donation.

One of the things I find most fascinating working in the sector is the motivations of donors. There are many good people in this country who respond to a disaster overseas by gathering together clothes, knitting blankets etc to send to the victims of the disaster. No matter how much it is put to them that it would be more effective and efficient to sell what they have gathered/made and donate the proceeds to the charity of their choice so that those funds can be used to buy what people need nearer to them, they insist on trying to send stuff at great cost. I think it is important to respect people's personal motivations but professionals know that having enough funds will help people more effectively. I'm glad the OP raised the question about a dubious collection and I hope more people will be more aware of how they donate to charity as a result.

Thank you, wee quinnie, for putting so clearly what I've been concerned about for some time in this discussion. I must say I haven't noticed any screechy moralising on the part of the Vegan/Veggies but then people take what they want or expect from what they see, read and hear - myself included. Despite that, I still think there's potential for a discussion about the consequences of what we eat which could cover a wide spectrum from veganism to carnivorism. I don't expect any such event would conclude for or against a particular diet but it might inform a few of the participants about their respective positions. I think it could be worth it.

Don't know the proportions so can't say most but a lot of charities are also ltd companies so you can check on both Charity Commission and Companies House websites. Some PTAs for instance may be registered with the Charity Commission but are less likely to have ltd co status.

Don't know the proportions so can't say most but a lot of charities are also ltd companies so you can check on both Charity Commission and Companies House websites. Some PTAs for instance may be registered with the Charity Commission but are less likely to have ltd co status.

I reckon DJKQ's suspicions are correct. The Drops of Help Ltd is a private limited company registered in January this year: http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/7174c3e5c21cbd4130a9d21b0f67be9a/compdetails No accounts have been filed at Companies House. For future reference the definitive source of information on charities registered in England an Wales is the Charity Commission: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/index.aspx The larger charities are often also limited companies so need to file information with both organisations.

Huguenot, you've hit the nail on the head, in a way and if you think it's a contest between completely polarised positions. The reality is more complex and more interesting in my view. I'm open to a discussion about the topics Thomas mentions above but I'm not interested in a contest that attempts to establish the right or wrong way to eat for East Dulwich. There was an interesting event as part of the Dulwich Fetival with the playful/provocative title, Can Dulwich feed itself? Two really experienced commentators on food production discussed some of the issues around the way what we eat is produced, distributed and consumed. I'm sure DVV could produce something equally edifying but it would require a more open minded attitude amongst the participants than we have seen from some of the contributors to the forum when the V word is mentioned.

I heard Tim Lang, he who coined the term "food miles" talk about the many ethical decisions we make each day with regards to our lifestyle choices. The more aware we are and the more we care about how we live, the more decisions we have to consider about what we consume. Veggies and Vegans, like most of us, will have arrived at some acceptable accommodation regarding the logical inconsistencies of their position. Restaurants adapt their menus to suit their customers and they know that there is a demand to be met for menu items with a "V" beside them so they'd be daft not to provide them. I know of one family where the wife is veggie and the rest of the family eats meat. I can't imagine having to deal with that apparent logical inconsistency but they would almost certainly be interested in restaurants like Angus Steak House. I do think that Thomas is taking the wrong tack in promoting DVVS. His zeal, however, doesn't make him a cultist in my opinion.

George Bernard Shaw. Wasn't he a vegetarian?

It doesn't really help to pitch the "debate" as veggie/vegan versus the meat eaters. Most people are omnivores and there's more to be gained in my view from using this forum to talk about where our food comes from and its nutritional value. It's not clear that the DVVS wants the meat eaters to eat less meat or give it up entirely but rather to make ED more vegan/veggie friendly. However, you wouldn't think that from the tone of some of the postings above.

There's a reference to the origins of the St Thomas' hospital apostrophe conundrum in Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I've loaned it to a friend so can't check and share. Maybe someone else has a copy they can consult.

I read Lynne Truss's "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" recently and found it really funny - and informative. I also find the rogue apostrophe quite irritating at times, particularly when it's used in the plural form of an abbreviation such as "NGO's". I wonder if this makes me a deviant as well as a pedant.

More enthusiasm than totalitarianism on the part of Thomas I suspect. LOL

I've always considered that "convenience" is a key factor in determining where we shop for groceries. I quite like the theory of being able to shop around for grocery bargains but can you imagine the "inconvenience" of hopping on the 12 with a couple of reusable bags, stopping off at Netto, then maybe some fresh fruit and veg from the stalls on Rye Lane, battling through the crowds to Lidl for some wine and then hopping on the 37 to LL and popping in to Iceland while averting one's gaze from the brutal architecture to pick up some oven chips for a ?1. Yer arms would be slightly longer by the end of it. Our reality is a weekly trip to Sainsbo's DKH topped up with weekday evening visits to our friendly local store on Barry Road - they do organic stuff, too.

Hi I've created a map for East Dulwich Orchard Collective that should allow you to plot your own tree and the trees of you neighbours or even those on public land. You can write a short description of the tree, too. Make it as formal or as lyrical as you like - it can be edited later. Looking forward to seeing the virtual orchard grow. http://maps.google.co.uk/?mid=1287431266 Alec Edited to say: It looks like you'll have to send me your email so that I can invite you to collaborate in the map making exercise.

Hi I wondered if anyone could identify the apples in the attached picture. The one on the right is from a very old tree in our garden and looks like a standard Golden Delicious. The one on the left is from a neighbouring garden and is the size of a Bramley but you can see from the picture the colouring is more like a dessert apple. Any clues? Alec

The dreams may always be less than rational but the telling of them isn't always as funny.

Lay off the cheese before bedtime, I'd say. Alternatively, eat the same or a different type of cheese and share the entertainig effects with the forum.

Remember to ask him/her if you can plot it on the EDOC map.