reenie40

The P13 used to go to Canada Water and perhaps a bit beyond but then they switched that end of the route with the P12 for some reason - suits me fine though. And I have met many a fellow frequent traveller and formed a nod and grimace relationship with them at the bus stop - it's certainly a bus that brings people together.

I think early morning (pre main rush hour)they seem to stick roughly to the times published on the bus stops, but past 8.30 anything can happen... They also start at roughly the right time from New Cross, but it all goes horribly wrong once they get to about Asylum Road.

I have spent more of my life than I care to calculate waiting for the P13! It does get me all the way from home in East Dulwich to work in New Cross and back and I've read many a good book (sometimes a whole one in one journey) as it weaves it's way around the longest possible route you could possibly take between the two points. I feel ridiculously happy when it arrives when it's supposed to - years of using it have obviously lowered my expections dramatically.

Was just wondering about this! I haven't had a proper nights sleep in weeks. Having said that, the street really did need more lights, and they have to put them somewhere. Hopefully the blinkers will solve the problem while still allowing enough light on the street.

I am aware some of Louisas previous posts and wouldn't wish to take on her formidable typing fingers! I just feel that it can be easy to generalise (I do it myself all the time), but it this case I am actually familiar with some of the people involved in the school and know how much effort is being put in to try to make it a 'good' school that people want their children to attend. Anywhere there are children there are going to be discipline issues. I'm sure now the report is in everything is being looked at again and will hopefully be resolved with the minimum possible disruption to the children

Louisa - do you have, or have you had children who attend this school? Some friends have a daughter there who is very happy, and when I have visited the school to attend plays etc I have been really impressed by the amount of effort put in by the parents, children and teachers. Although Ofstead reports can offer some useful guidelines, I'm not convinced that in 2 to 3 days you can really get a full feeling of what a school is like. I have heard of a school marked as unsafe because some children (being children) ran past the ofstead inspectors on the stairs. From knowing those involved with the school I'm sure they will do everything they can to address any issues raised, and I believe the new head that is in place is very effective. Surely the kids would suffer more if the school was just closed down - and how could you judge that it had been 'brought up to scratch' if there was no one attending?

I have this problem with my 9 and 5 year olds, compounded by the fact that the little one is an all singing all dancing show-off, and the older one has always been quite shy. While I agree that some sibling rivaly is normal and healthy (my brothers and sister and I used to beat the c**p out of each other and now get on fine), it's difficult when you can see one of the kids' confidence being undermined by the situation. A friend who hadn't seen both of them for a while asked when the older one had got so mean, but then quickly followed it up by saying that he would hate to have to deal with little Miss Showbiz as a younger sister. We do the staggered bed times, and the time alone with each, but I also find it sometimes helps to be a bit conspiratorial with the older one, like on a Wednesday when she pretends to go off to bed so the little one can see her and then sneaks up again to watch The Apprentice - we have some time together and she feels like she has an 'in' with the grown ups that her sister is too young to share. Not sure how the psychologists would feel about it though!

I had a similar problem when my son was doing his GCSEs a few years ago - he received death threats from a former 'friend' who thought that he was coming on to his ex girlfriend. The boy had a drug problem at this stage, having been expelled from school and as his dad was a reasonably well know South London 'gangster' we were really concerned as we thought he would have the means to carry out his threats. The school were great, with some of the teachers giving up personal time to escort my son to and from the bus stop etc after school, however we went to school one day for a meeting about it and while my son went outside to catch up with his friends the boy turned up unexpectedly and beat the s**t out of my son. His friends tried to help and one ran home to get a neighbours dog. My son kind of let him get on with it and didn't put up much of a fight as he thought it was something the guy needed to get out of his system, and sure enough he left him alone after that, his anger seemed to be depleted. It was a horrible time for all of us, but I think we were more worried than him. I'm not saying your sons should take a beating, but maybe them being away will give the guy some time to calm down - it is often bravado. The boy contacted my son about a year later to say that part of the problem was that he was jealous that my son had a home, and people who care about him, whereas he was left by himself most of the time. It did have an impact on his exams though and he did under perform, so it's important that you don't let that happen. I hope it all sorts itself out.

'grow the business' - makes me irrationally angry every time I see it written down or hear someone say it...

We had lovely coffee and pain au chocolat from there at about 8am on the first day it opened - the first hour was obviously just a bit difficult. I've been in a couple of times since and think the prices are good and the staff are really friendly and seem to want to make an effort to get to know their customers. I really hope it does well.

Although female I tend to follow Mr Bens fashion of last years shorts, pallid skin and hairy legs. I can't really do Summer although I do enjoy looking out of the window of a cool room at Sun...

My girls (9 and 5) love Wimpy - not really sure why! I can confirm that the spicy beanburgers are as good as ever...

think he's actually the Somerfield delivery van driver - or he used to be if it's who I'm thinking of. Once sold him an Elvis mug at a school fair - easiest sale ever.

Got my new card from First Direct yesterday following the cancellation of the other one Monday morning - great service.

I had a call on Monday morning to say my card had been cloned -someone tried to take money from a cash machine at about 11.30 Sunday night and as I'm not usually out an about at this time they stopped it. Apparently late Sunday night is the most common time for attempts of this type. Only spent at Somerfield and Sainsburys over the past couple of weeks (what an exciting life I lead!), never buy petrol either as I don't drive, so I would just assume it was done a while ago.

Hi we recently moved to Derwent Grove from a fairly quiet cul-de-sac and haven't been bothered too much by the traffic - as Muttley said I think Melbourne Grove gets the worst of it. Although the parking looks horrendous we usually manage to park not too far from home.

I think even though many SE22 residents would be seen to have a decent income if you have more than one child, trying to find the extra for private education is really difficult. My daughter will transfer to secondary in two years from one of the really good local state primary schools and I find most parents are crossing their fingers and hoping that if enough kids who go to a good primary and have good parental support go to the local state secondary schools, then these schools will get better. Agree with the banding thing being frustrating too - when my son applied to Haberdashers many years ago it was suggested to me that he would be better off being at the bottom of the top band, or the top of the middle band. I didn't ask him to dumb down and we managed to find another school that we liked.

As no one seems to give him any money you would imagine he would try to find a more lucrative spot - he can't be making enough to feed any kind of habit. Although I did bump into him in Peckham yesterday afternoon and he was carrying a few Sainsburys bags :)

Peckhamgatecrasher, sodabread is much nicer made with buttermilk rather than the milk/lemon combo. In Ireland you can buy cartons alongside the 'normal' milk, but think I may have seen some with the cream in either Sainsburys or Somerfields recently..

I have been approached by this guy several times in the past few months, both on Grove Vale and in Sainsbury's Park and he has always moved away quickly and politely when refused money. He has never been aggressive and I haven't felt threatened by him but obviously would avoid him if I could, simply because it's not nice to be approached on the street. It was him that was surrounded by police at the bus stop yesterday, but it was hard to tell what was going on as he was standing quietly by the fence and they all seemed to have their backs to him.