AbDabs

AnotherFineMess Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We have recently had a number of mums and kids > knocking on the door asking for donations for > charity walks and requesting the money immediately > saying they live far away. While I think this is a > great way of raising money for charity, I am > concerned that some of these walks cannot be found > online or with the registered charity. > Does anyone know of any websites on which > fundraising activities can be confirmed so that > all donations reach their intended target? I just ask which website they're using for donations and explain it's because I'll only give money if I can Gift Aid it (I absolutely hate handing cash to charity whilst still paying the taxman). I've found it quite rate for a legitimate sponsored event etc not to use a 'giving' site nowadays.(Eg Justgiving - yes it is a private company but it's fees come from a relatively small proportion of the tax refund so the charities are much better off than if you just hand over money at the doorstep)

right-clicking Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What I fail to comprehend is why there is a "green > Levy" attached to our bills? Surely it's the > responsibility of the energy companies whose > business is energy production to swallow the > investment costs even if it initially effects > their profits, eventually the fossil fuels will > either choke the planet or finally be used up? > > Then where will their business stand? I'm guessing that your tongue is sticking out of your cheek right now so I shouldn't take the bait. But hey ho. Energy companies are just another business; their 'job' is to make money by selling something people want. If they could be certain that their efforts to find alternative energy would finally be rewarded then they'd invest but they can't be certain so they don't. We 'choose' to accept an energy levy because we insist upon using so much energy. If you don't want the levy then it's your (and mine, and everybody else's) responsibility to use less of it and think of how we'll live when it's all gone. I'm sure the last Dodo salesman made a packet from the final bird, then he went off and found something else to sell.

James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Often on this forum you suddenly see a thread that > lordship Lane is closed for a number of hours > while the mess from a crash is sorted out. We're > all paying too high a price for such crashes and > this measure of 20mph will help reduce it. Just out of interest (because I simply don't know), how many of the crashes you refer to involved cars travelling at more than 20mph but have been caused by people who are otherwise complying with the law and paying due care and attention, ie by people who are likely to take any notice of a 20mph limit?

Calsug Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You're kidding me right? Maybe I am missing some > "grander thinking" point but surely any > development in this economic climate is a good > thing - why are these stores seen as a threat > instead of increasing footfall and pulling people > away from the larger supermarkets like the > Sainsburys which is "out of town"? .... Development is only good when it brings something to the area without taking anything away. Unfortunately we all only eat so much. Unless vast numbers started driving in from elsewhere (car parking?) then M&S would drive away those who love Iceland (that may benefit Peckham which needs a lift though) and the net increase in footfall might indeed come from Sainsburys. But I somehow doubt Sainsbo's would be chuffed if that happened and would fight back. Unfortunately they wouldn't fight M&S (as that happens on a national rather than local level), they'd fight the local shop keepers by undercutting on products that M&S don't supply.

Mellors Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ... > I am mostly too scared to go in Fabric by the Mag > after a few grumpy experiences, and think its > mostly upholstery type fabic rather than > dressmaking. The Fabric shop has evolved into mostly upholstery but it wasn't always so. He also tried selling wool for a while but found it wasn't sustainable. Unless you've got a big enough shop it's really hard to be able to provide the level and variety of stock that will keep your regulars happy. I spoke to the owner of Sew East Dulwich some months ago and it seemed that she was going through the same process (of learning what would sell) as the man at Fabric had done before her but, ultimately, he owns his shop so doesn't need the same margin to cover costs and is happy to run a business as not much more of a hobby. It's a tough business when so much has transferred to the internet (I'm guilty - if I want variety of materials I head to town and for basics (lining material, threads etc,) it's straight to my laptop). Shops on LL need to adapt to survive; some will get it right and some won't. This was just an example of one that didn't.

Cedges Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There is actually a real need for a haberdasher in > this area, the problem was that Sew East Dulwich > was so expensive, it was a luxury and it was still > worth trekking to Lewisham or Brixton for > reasonable priced fabrics and threads etc. Surely it wasn't just that it was so expensive (for what they were selling it was pretty shocking) but because there is another shop that sells material just a few minutes walk away (few doors down from the - now ex - Mag). I know the owner of that shop is a bit of a grumpy so and so but I've been happy with all the material I've bought from him.

Be very careful in East Dulwich as any questions regarding gluten have been met with blank stares (Best bet is Indian food as they understand the difference between wheat flour and gram or rice flour but there will still be traces within kitchen cross contamination). I've never been, as the family member is only low level coeliac (so not life threatening) but you could try http://www.italiancotto.co.uk/

Isn't this campaign just a little late - 5 maybe even 10 years too late. Works to railways have to go through an extensive governmental/public/safety approval process. Whilst the timetable may not be finalised, surely that only means at what times past the hour the trains (already programmed for that route) go, not which ones.

tiddles Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think the main question is why the trees have > been cut in the spring. I don't think people are > anti-pollarding (as I think burbage is suggesting > - sorry if wrong). > > There are certain times of year to do things (ie > prune fruit trees) and I think the main concern is > that it has been done at the wrong time of year. I > LOVE the photo robin posted!! it looks like > something off a 1970's edition of doctor who!! What's wrong with when they were done? The RHS recommend late winter/early spring for pollarding.

Where did you live before? I only ask because we do have very hard water here (which is why you get so much scale) and it will taste very different from a soft water area.

Sue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > Sue Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > >> > > > Especially these days when many people have > > > uncarpeted floors and stairs, it's a bit > > > unreasonable to expect them to tippy toe > around > > > their own home :) > > AbDabs Wrote: > > > I don't agree with this at all. If you remove > the > > carpet then you should make sure that doing so > > does not create a noise problem. For that very > > reason many flat leases require floor coverings > to > > remain in place. > > xxxxxxx > > So if, as I do, you live in a terraced house where > noise travels between the walls on both sides, you > should not remove any carpet in case your > neighbours hear you walking about or running > upstairs? > > That's absurd in the extreme. > > The situation where you live in a flat and have a > separate upstairs flat above you with people > walking about on an uncarpeted or unsoundproofed > floor is completely different. > > Edited to make it clearer who said what. Why is it absurd? Wooden floors may be fashionable but without modern standards of sound attenuation the transfer of sound can be intolerable.

Sue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >> > Especially these days when many people have > uncarpeted floors and stairs, it's a bit > unreasonable to expect them to tippy toe around > their own home :) > > I don't agree with this at all. If you remove the carpet then you should make sure that doing so does not create a noise problem. For that very reason many flat leases require floor coverings to remain in place.

This is a great idea but how are Southwark going to reduce air pollution near schools? Will it involve banning cars near schools? It would be a great idea if everyone walked their children to school rather than driving (and leaving their engines running while they drop off and collect) but I can't see that going down very well with a lot of the parents.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I stand corrected regarding wardens in Southwark > ticketing those on white lines. I'm not clear why you're standing corrected. The ticketing of a vehicle on a white line is not because of the white line, which as you said, is entirely advisory. I suspect the wardens just woke up to the fact that there was a dropped kerb when the white lines appeared and it reminded them of a ticketing opportunity*. The law now makes it illegal to park in front of a dropped kerb but, like all illegalities, the policing of such is a matter of priority. If you're been blocked in then you can get police assistance to remove an illegally parked vehicle but if you not then it's not at the top of their in-tray. *Southwark allows residents to designate their drop kerb as unenforceable, thereby allowing other members of the family to park there, although this then means that regular traffic wardens won't ticket any other vehicle parked there, whoever they are. You're not allowed to drive across a pavement without a drop kerb (the construction of which will have included rebuilding the pavement to provide suitable protection to any underlying pipes/cables - including a reinforced concrete raft in some cases), and there are plenty of vehicles that sit rotting on driveways with a SORN notice so will never need access onto the highway, so it's only reasonable to assume that a normal kerb is an available parking space.

Siduhe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > KK, I looked this up while back for someone on > here. It is the drop kerb which is key and it is a > PCN offence to park across one in most of London. > The white line is a mere courtesy that some > councils put in place. Will find the post. > > Edited to add: > http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?2 > 0,449655,449679#msg-449679 The white line is a relatively recent introduction and has no legal significance. It's an 'added extra' that now comes as standard with new dropped kerbs but there are plenty without. Absence of a white line is no defence if you get towed because you parked across a dropped kerb. There are some very nice people on here who want to avoid parking in front of a car that is parked on a driveway where there is no dropped kerb. I'm afraid I would never be that nice simply because I don't want to encourage anyone to drive across the pavement if it hasn't been properly rebuilt to facilitate that. Even if the driver is 'careful' and even if the paving slabs don't appear to crack, the increased downward pressure (without proper foundation) may cause considerable damage to pipework/cables running underneath. Someone's desire to save themselves ?1000 may end up costing far more that the rest of us will have to pay for.

Jacqui5254 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If you want serene and peaceful, wide aisles, > large windows you have to pay for it through high > Waitrose prices. > > They have a price match with 1000 Tesco items. > That means that the remaining 8760000 items cost > MORE than Tesco. I don't think I could fit 8760000 items in my basket. I'll stick to the 1000 at low prices but with Waitrose's service and peaceful shopping experience.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I'm positive that embedding an RSJ into a party > wall requires a party wall agreement! > > If the developer is able to fix the damage very > quickly (i.e. days rather than weeks) and agrees > to draw up a party wall agreement for any other > similar future work, then I'd be inclined to let > it go. But if he is slippery about it, you need to > get in touch with the council asap. Anything that encroaches on your boundary wall (or beyond!) needs a party wall agreement so there should be one in place in this situation. But the point of the agreement is in part to record the condition prior to any work being done so I wouldn't let them do anything - certainly not repair - until you've had a surveyor check the existing condition and record the damage done so far. If they cover up the damage before an agreement is in place you may not have any redress later e.g if there are latent defects, as you won't have the evidence. The developer must agree to paying all your surveyors costs. I would be very concerned by the behaviour to date and Southwark council would be my first port of call.

Cassius Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don't eat meat but I kill wasps - they appear to > be pretty pointless and can cause harm if they > sting. They're not pointless - a lot of wasps (huge number of varieties) pollinate plants. They also eat aphids so they should be the vegetarian's friend (as aphids cause so much damage to vegetable crops).

(Problem hinted at by Alex K) Does she keep the eggs in the fridge? if so, the temperature of the fridge may be too cold and/or inconsistent, consequently the eggs take a different amount of time to heat to the point that they start to cook. Now don't do this at home (as it might be dangerous boys and girls) but I keep eggs in the cupboard and never have a problem. Electric rings can be a bit slow to heat a pan of water and cooking does start before boiling. Is she using gas or electric? Are they the same size eggs? There is a weight/time ratio

aquarius moon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I actually drink my coffee black, only drink > herbal tea & when I do need milk, use Oat/Rice > Dream. > It is full of vitamins & calcium, available from > all major supermarkets, is dairy free & doesn't > come from cows! You know that Oat stuff you drink - you do know what they use to fertilise the fields where they grow the oats don't you? (Clue - a) hideously evil manufactured chemicals that cause havoc to the natural wildlife, b) that nasty brown stuff that only exists because of all the dairy cows (remember all those little boy calves who have to die...). Rice might be better, but I've never checked what country it comes from, so you might want to do a bit of research on what they use - it's pretty unlikely that anything that has been produced on a large scale hasn't had something to boost the fertility of the soil in a way that might make you uncomfortable.)

aquarius moon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > red devil Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > aquarius moon Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > > > Why not remove a snail from the pavement to > > safety > > > instead of treading on it? > > > > If you can train snails not to eat my plants, > we > > could have a deal... > > > Plants are probably actually here to feed snails. > As they are living creatures & need to eat. > > So why not share? > > Live & let live ! Um, where do you buy your vegetables? I'm an avid carnivore so I guess I don't care as much if someone's been nibbling the lettuces (that I've been growing in my garden!). I'm guessing that the average farmer growing veg for the urban vegetarian is trying to maximise his/her crop as there isn't a lot of land for a heck of a lot of people, so even if they're seriously wildlife friendly, that just means that they're using lots of organic slug killers rather than (nasty?) chemical* ones. Snails are only here because there is something to eat and nothing else has killed them, just like us I suppose. Annette - you do know that snails know the way home, don't you? *Factory made chemicals, rather than all the natural chemical combinations that we encounter in daily life - like you, me, the sea, the air etc

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 'I can't see a valid reason for anyone to peer > through someone's window on their private > property.' > > Bailiffs do this all the time.....so there's > one.... ;) I did this the other day because an alarm was going off and I wanted to check if anyone was in trouble. (They weren't - simply a fault, but I'd have been xxxxxx annoyed if my face got posted on this forum as a consequence of me trying to be helpful)

Bic Basher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Still very quiet on the Clapham Junction trains > when I was at Canada Water during the evening rush > hour, although they were only running to > Wandsworth Road due to a signal fault. Oh for goodness sake, will everyone please shut up. I've been sitting in a seat on my journey to work for the first time for years. Do you really have to tell everyone else about it?

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Recession that will kick in more especially when > middle class families lose child benefit next > April You've got to be kidding (no pun intended). Child benefit is a life saver at the sharp end but the loss of it is not exactly a life changer for those in the affluent middle classes. Perhaps I can see your thinking for Soup Dragon (middle class poppets spending the pocket money that those nice taxpayers across the wage range provide) but I can't see it having a significant effect along the whole of the Lane.

James - is there any summary of the changes from the previous application? I notice that the consultation period ends on 3rd January, which suggests they've tried to sneak this through while we're all rushing around with Christmas shopping/socialising/increased workload/holidays. A quick look at the drawings and the issues that caused us concern don't appear to have changed at all.