IlonaM

David McCallum, NCIS and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star, dies aged 90 He was Illya Kuryakin in the Sixties spy drama, ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ and Ducky on NCIS https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-mccallum-death-ncis-age-b2418396.html

Thames Water update: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/network-latest/16th-september-2023-sw2 Update 1025: Touch wood, pressure seems to be back at Underhill.

Some water but low pressure this morning at Horniman/South Circular end of Underhill Rd. Anyone else finding water problems? Nextdoor has a thread also about Brixton & Streatham Hill [https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/WhkHwYzrmsPN?post=17592221334879&utm_source=email&is=tpe&section=post&mar=true&ct=TjzWracS_Hd81t-L57ekV7OxxQYPRRUMJ3Avo84myUlrcDUPCnrbwt0omMuDHfbm&ec=OWKiQRDj9vEHAYwTV6YMARldwuFdgGkeefhwfGYAE0s%3D&mobile_deeplink_data=eyJhY3Rpb24iOiAidmlld19wb3N0IiwgInBvc3QiOiAxNzU5MjIyMTMzNDg3OX0%3D&link_source_user_id=17592188300251]. Not seeing a report on ThamesWater website.

Link to Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/sep/14/great-britain-draughtiest-homes-scheme-insulation-energy-bills 'Households could save up to £400 a year on energy bills under a new means-tested scheme to insulate more than 300,000 of Great Britain’s draughtiest homes. The government is spending £1bn on grants for homes that have low energy efficiency ratings and are in lower council tax bands. The Great British insulation scheme, which was announced in November and is up and running, will offer upgrades – such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation – that could cut energy costs by between £300 to £400 a year. ...' Direct link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme

Will the lovely neighbour be paying for treatment of injuries to cats or local widlife? There are a lot less injurious ways to deter cats etc. such as sprays, citrus peel etc.

You could ask her why she has put barbed wire over them, or get some advice from the RSPCA who might pop by for an informal chat with her about animal welfare and humane cat deterrents.

Direct link: https://abscent.org/ I came across reference to this website in Alan Jenkins' excellent gardening column in the Observer this morning and, in particular, the information on retraining your sense of smell (https://abscent.org/learn-us/smell-training). I thought it may be of interet or assistance for anyone recovering from long covid etc. who has experienced loss of smell.

Rose Elliot's 'Not just a load of old lentils' is a classic intro to vegetarian cooking from the 70s (still available on various resale platforms). If you like Italian cuisine there are a lot of Italian vegetarian options - Valentina Harris does a recipe for a delicious Ligurian spinach and ricotta pie, for example.

A couple of articles re whether to fix your energy tariff or stick on the Price Cap which I found useful when looking at my own situation today: 1) Independent article: 'Energy bills forecast to stabilise but stay well above pre-pandemic levels', 27/07/2023 https://www.independent.co.uk/money/energy-bills-forecast-to-stabilise-but-stay-well-above-prepandemic-levels-b2383161.html 2) moneysavingexpert.com article: 'Should I fix my energy or stay on the Price Cap?', updated to 5th September & with a new 'Should you fix?' calculator https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/-are-there-any-cheap--fixed-energy-deals-currently-worth-it--/

Guardian article in today's paper which may be of interest: 'How to save on food shopping: from discount apps and cashback to free stuff' https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/aug/26/save-food-shopping-food-apps-cashback-free-stuff-prices

New post from Freedom of Movement blog: 'Who qualifies as a “durable partner” under the EU Settlement Scheme?' Durable partner = 'those couples who are not married or in a civil partnership, but who are nonetheless in a committed relationship' Source: https://freemovement.org.uk/who-qualifies-as-a-durable-partner-under-the-eu-settlement-scheme/?mc_cid=7987b8fff1&mc_eid=bcf851a85d ' '…some parts of the rules relating to the EU Settlement Scheme are so difficult to comprehend that it is at least arguable that they lack the clarity of law. An aspect of the definition of a ‘durable partner’ contained in Annex 1 of Appendix EU (definitions) is one such example.' Upper Tribunal Judge Canavan Those were the words of Upper Tribunal Judge Canavan, trying to decipher the definition of “durable partner” under the EU Settlement Scheme. This post is my best attempt at simplifying this incredibly convoluted definition...'

New post from Free Movement: 'How does absence from the UK work under the EU settlement scheme?', 27/07/2023 Direct link: https://freemovement.org.uk/how-does-absence-from-the-uk-work-under-the-eu-settlement-scheme/?mc_cid=ed0fa94da7&mc_eid=bcf851a85d 'Absences from the United Kingdom — time spent outside the UK, basically — can have an impact on whether a person qualifies for full settled status under the EU settlement scheme. If you spend too long outside the country, you may lose your eligibility for settled status. This rule has particular importance given how many EU citizens spent time outside the UK during the pandemic, so it is worth making sure you understand the rules and how they work...'

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/met-office-b2371758.html Mile-long swarm of flying ants spotted near south coast and more could be on way The Met Office picked up the ants on a rain radar on Friday and people took to social media reporting sightings saying it was ‘flying ant day’. ... A swarm of flying ants a mile long was caught on a weather radar on the south coast – and more could be seen in the coming days. The Met Office picked up the ants on a rain radar on Friday as people took to social media reporting sightings saying it was “flying ant day”. The forecaster said the winged insects are usually picked up on their radars at this time of the year over the space of about a week...'

There is also a petition: https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/keep-ticket-offices-open-petition

Further to my last post: 'New law confirms British citizenship for children of EU citizens born in UK before 2 October 2000 The British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Act 2023 came into force on 29 June 2023. It inserts a new section 50B into the British Nationality Act 1981. Section 50B definitively and retrospectively confirms the British nationality status of all children born in the UK between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000 to an EU citizen parent who was exercising free movement in the UK at the time of their child’s birth.' See full update via direct link to article: https://freemovement.org.uk/new-law-confirms-british-citizenship-for-children-of-eu-citizens-born-in-uk-before-2-october-2000/?mc_cid=8f415921c4&mc_eid=bcf851a85d

Useful Independent article today: 'August dates for DWP cost of living payments, benefits and pensions Food inflation lodged at 18.4 per cent, ONS warns, but supermarkets expect prices to begin to fall' https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cost-of-living-payment-august-2023-b2369582.html

A couple of interesting articles in the Saturday Guardian: 1) The Green Doctor - 'Energy bills: how a visit from a ‘green doctor’ can help Britons save: The Groundwork charity gives free advice to households struggling with costs' https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jul/01/energy-bills-green-doctor-save-groundwork-charity 2) 'Households urged to take meter readings as Ofgem price cap drops: With more expensive rate ending, such a move will avoid energy suppliers making estimation' https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jun/30/households-urged-to-take-meter-readings-as-ofgem-price-cap-drops

I can't promise the result you're hoping for, but when I was in practice I'd always put in representations to see if we could mitigate situations beyond my clients' control. Given the combination of strikes, illness and chronic delay, hopefully there might be some room for understanding and flexibility.

It is true that there is an accepted deemed receipt in law. However, there has been some discussion regarding where postal strikes/covid, for example, cause delay in receipt causing detriment: see link to potentially helpful article - https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1808201/postal-strikes-delay-important-legal-documents-–-does-hr-need-know which deals with HR issues but similar situations could be argued by analogy. Act promptly to notify the other party/tribunal/court etc of the delayed receipt and get some advice as soon as possible. Getting supporting evidence of chronic problems of local postal service, as Penguin suggests, would also be a good idea. You could try getting email confirmation from Post Office of reasons for recent delay i.e. staff illness etc. I chased a parcel recently and the customer services agent could check the recent service record to confirm that there had been staff illness in the relevant time period. '

New Nationality Bill introduced to protect British citizenship of children of EU citizens 'The government have introduced a new bill confirming people’s British citizenship rights to confirm how British nationality law is applied to people born in the UK to parents who are EU citizens between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000. The British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill follows the change in Home Office position which was first announced during a hearing in the High Court in October 2022.' Direct link to Free Movement article: https://freemovement.org.uk/new-nationality-bill-reflects-change-in-position-for-children-of-eu-citizens/?mc_cid=5945b23893&mc_eid=bcf851a85d Direct link to Government factsheet: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-nationality-regularisation-of-past-practice-bill-factsheet/british-nationality-regularisation-of-past-practice-bill-factsheet

Just came across this re: Southwark backing down on Dulwich Village LTN: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/southwark-council-dulwich-village-low-traffic-neighbourhood-plans-scrapped-b1082607.html 'Southwark council has been forced to scrap plans to introduce a new low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) following a backlash from residents. Council chiefs had planned to add an LTN in Dulwich Village in a bid to close a busy junction near Turney Road. The Labour authority said the proposal would help make the area the “safest, most accessible space for people walking and using mobility aids, and cyclists” and “create more of a village feel”, The Daily Telegraph reported. However, the council faced a backlash from local disabled groups as blue badge holders and disabled motorists were not due to be exempted. The council has been forced to scrap the idea after residents bombarded them with angry responses. An official survey of 1,242 residents found “limited support for all three objectives” behind the closure, with just 33 per cent showing support. Richard Aldwinckle, co-founder of One Dulwich which helped lead the campaign to oppose the LTN, told the newspaper: “This is a victory for common sense, although Southwark council continue to ignore the wishes of the majority of people in Dulwich who voted for the other side of this junction to be reopened. “It’s time the council stopped telling residents it’s for our own good and, instead, come up with a better and fairer scheme that doesn’t displace traffic, doesn’t discriminate against vulnerable, vehicle-dependent road users, and doesn’t damage local shops and businesses.” ...'

'As the Government’s Public Order Act 2023 comes into force, we explain the new protest offences and new definition of ‘serious disruption’, and what they mean for protesters and organisers.' Direct link: https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice_information/public-order-act-new-protest-offences/ 'Disclaimer: this article is for general information. It’s not intended to be used as legal advice. For information on how to get legal advice, please see our page here or find contact details of law firms with protest law expertise on our bust cards. The information on this page was correct as of 11 May 2023. However, additional provisions of the Public Order Act 2023 may be brought into force in the near future. We will monitor these changes and update this page accordingly.'

'Operation Identify Me is a public appeal to identify 22 women, believed to have been murdered in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, but whose identity was never found. Most are cold cases; women who died 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago. Despite extensive police investigations, these women were never identified, and evidence suggests they could have come from other countries. Who they are, where they are from and why they were in these countries is unknown. INTERPOL has published a Black Notice for each victim; these alerts are for police only so they are not public. But here we have shared details of each case, including facial reconstruction images and other potential identifiers, in the hope that someone might recognize them. If you remember a friend, family member or colleague who suddenly disappeared, please take a look and contact the relevant national police team via the form on each page if you have any information about any of them.' Direct link: https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/Operation-Identify-Me Link to video: