worldwiser

I'm going to dig out my FOI request on the EDG/LL issue. The response is painful as action is being taken at slower than a snail's pace.

I have also had things delivered to the ED PO and they also have insisted they didn't have it. Only when I have really insisted back did they check to discover my parcel was indeed there.

Personally I'd have things delivered to Co-op or various local newsagents wherever possible and bypass RM entirely. Newsagents are open way later, the queues are way shorter and they're located much closer. An altogether more pleasant process. The same is true with outbound parcels: you can get fully tracked UPS, DHL and other international brand courier services at local newsagents for half the price of RM.

These two links should help, Southwark will collect:

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/christmas-tree-collection-in-london-your-complete-council-to-council-guide-a4024941.html

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/christmas-waste-and-recycling-collections-2019

Council usually do a general round up the first or second week of the new year. Leave it next to your bins.

People should have voted for the PR system on offer at the previous referendum. Then the majority of the country might have known the experience of having representatives from parties they'd voted for. I always found it bewildering that people talked of the democratic deficit with the EU when there's a far worse one right here at home. Forget the tuition fees issue, the LibDems offered the country a one-time chance to change politics forever and we didn't take it. Everything that follows from that missed opportunity is on us, not the EU.

I meant to bring this back to subject by saying we've had not a single candidate knock on our door and we work from home every day. And the reason is outlined above. Helen Hayes has a majority of 28 thousand. Why would it be worth anyone doing much campaigning here with our current political system? (hopefully satisfies Admin on relevance!)

Always have to remind myself that there's a lovely quiet Post Office in Dulwich Village.

Quite the evocative picture! Someone now seems to have built a very tidy (and high) fence across the land. The community thanks you greatly. Flytippers goodbye.

Doubt you could find room to park a motorcycle there lately. I hear on the grapevine that the council are trying to do something but we shall see..

Talk to Sylvain

https://www.jullienlandscaping.co.uk/

He's done at least 8-10 on our road alone, all expertly done and much less than that. PM me if you want an intro.

I've had a couple of outstanding cakes from the SE Cakery on Upland Rd. They were ?35 although perhaps not bespoke. ?100 for something more individual doesn't strike me as excessive. And obviously the cost of labour and ingredients remains identical regardless of the age of the intended consumer.

Don't think it's fair to have a go at the operator. If they've come to an agreement with the council, it's the council who should have to answer for it. Does seem quite without precedent though and I am no more keen on it than any of you. There are so many places in the area already to get trees, I'm stunned Tree Amigos thought there'd be room in the market for such a large operation.

I'd love to know what the financial arrangements are but I imagine they'll hide behind 'commercial sensitivity.'

But I definitely think Southwark need to explain themselves. I don't want to see commercial activity on the green again save for the Dulwich Festival and similar.

Unsurprisingly you will find I don't believe that for a single second.

I think this is a rather problematic attitude because this assumes that all children require the exact same education wherever they live, whatever their parents' aspirations, whatever their inclinations, dispositions or backgrounds happen to be. All children are not the same and nor they should they be treated as such. Some arrive with great disadvantage, some with particular ability, some with disability and so on and so on. The kinds of innovation that some Free Schools have been able to bring in over recent years have absolutely blown my mind - keeping the individual child at the centre and customising their education according to need and yielding brilliant results.

Education should be as nimble, flexible and varied as the children it's offered to. The current arrangements, at least in ambition, recognise this fact.

If only we knew who the owner was..

I'm not sure that it's especially desirable to have filling stations so very close to blocks of flats and other housing. No doubt all possible safety precautions are taken but it's probably had its day.

There's a parking space right at the end of Spurling Rd that, as far as I know, has never seen a car parked in it. Instead, it has become an extremely unpleasant and dangerous dumping ground for all sorts of items - old sofas, boxes, broken glass, old sanitaryware and builder materials. It's a total eyesore and shouldn't be permitted. The council have twice refused to clear it on the grounds it's private land but its an offence to the entire neighbourhood and simply must be sorted out.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to force the council to act?

I'd stop at the entrance on Hawkstone Road where the large grilled gates are. Halfway between Surrey Quays overground and the Cavendish School. You'll get a decent view and be saved the 1hr wait they'll put you through before they go off and help you to resist spending the time queuing for and buying about the worst food I've ever seen on offer at a London public event. Otherwise you might befriend someone who lives in one of the nearby tower blocks.

It was a feature in Eurostar's magazine but there doesn't appear to be a link. It was some kind of nostalgic piece looking back at the best places he'd had chips throughout his life which somewhat inexplicably included an early branch of McDonald's. But his current haunt was Ken's which seemed more credible. Had no idea he was a local.

Ken's was recently listed by Jay Rayner as one of his top 5 ever places for fish and chips. Otherwise I also endorse Codfellas who I believe also do the dripping thing.

Vintage year in my view. Some great houses, a very authentic Count on Elsie Rd in particular. Porters was amazing but it freaked the hell out of our lot. People might well say that was the point.

Someone signed us up for 4 different mobile phone contracts last year. Fraudulent transactions on our bank accounts are becoming an annual event but never once had a problem getting money refunded. Just seems to be a pretty standard part of life now. Fortunately the risk is underwritten by others.

I think it's a fabulous decision. Almost no-one in the area has a large enough garden to set fireworks off safely enough away from either their own spectators, trees or neighbouring properties but people do it anyway. It's completely illegal to set them off in parks and in the street but people do it anyway. Fireworks have no place in the hands of amateurs and, whatever Sainsbury's reasoning, I for one will be hopeful there'll be fewer people buying them this year. Public displays are way better anyway, free in the case of Southwark's usually impressive offering, and monumentally more safe.

Hard to imagine how the council would have the power to retrospectively insert a clause into their commercial lease - their Dulwich Park one runs for 7 years, perhaps this one is similar in length. Use of cash, especially for low value transactions, is declining massively and at some point will end completely but the cash infrastructure of the UK (which according to the FT costs around ?5bn) can hardly be expected to carry on until every last person would stop using it. It will disappear in waves. This is surely one of them and there will be more.

Focusing efforts on getting banks to provide basic banking facilities to all is a far better solution than forcing businesses to maintain largely unnecessary and costly cash management processes - especially ones that are in vulnerable and remote locations.

But as I said before, the reason not to use this cafe predates their ending cash transactions. The prices are hilarious and if you're desperate to spend readies then Cafe G is moments away and will gladly take it off your hands.

Well I gave it 10 days and the police don't appear in the slightest bit interested. My sleuthing days are at an end.

They are in a somewhat exposed position so I have some sympathy with wishing to avoid the logistics of cash management on and off the premises.

But the primary reason for avoiding the caf? is the simply outrageous prices. Having to carry that much cash around to settle a bill there is something I'd want to avoid.