sarahsouthlondon

I have the best cleaner ever - works incredibly hard and has really high standards, takes the initiative. She is also a truly lovely person. She has a free Thursday afternoon she is looking to fill - she would like somewhere in Herne Hill as she does another house there on Thursday morning and wants to be able to walk to the next job. Friday afternoon may also be possible, in HH or Dulwich area. Please PM me if you are interested. Her rate is ?12 per hour.

Thanks James from Southwark for replying. And James Barber too - there is no way this is the case though! No way litter is being picked every two days. Since I originally posted my kids and I did a big litter pick on Sunray Avenue - they thought it was great fun, I was happy to get them motivated but sad there was SO MUCH to pick up including multiple alcohol bottles. Since then I have noticed that Dulwich Village looks a bit tidier and there was some bagged up litter and I saw the leaves being cleared on Sunray Avenue - so very welcome improvement. I also second the post above - while litter picking every two days would be great - once a week, or twice a week is perhaps more achievable. Also agree re school kids and litter ... I know Charter School try to address this with their pupils but they don't seem to listen. I think the local primaries would be really happy to raise awareness with their kids and parents too. I might raise it with them. Though don't really want to add another burden to already very pressurised headteachers.

So sorry to hear about your mother and glad she was not seriously hurt. Ok, I am going to get in touch with Southwark direct and find out what?s happening. Then I will try to organise neighbourhood litter picking volunteers.

Ok, good news, esp re litter pickers. Still hoping a councillor will answer my question on here.

But I haven't seen anybody sweeping those either and in fact they are building up too ...

Over the past 3 weeks or so I've noticed a really shocking build up of litter on the streets around Dulwich Village, North Dulwich, Herne Hill and beyond. This is isolated bits of litter dropped everywhere - it is definitely NOT the work of a fox getting at a bin or similar. I have tracked specific pieces of litter which have definitely been there for at least 3 weeks. I have also not seen any litter pickers in that time, nor have I seen litter bagged up in council bags left at sides of road for collection. What's going on? Local councillors - have the cuts meant that the council has cut litter pickers? Otherwise I can't understand what's happening. I keep wanting to pick it up myself but to be honest there is so much of it. Very depressing.

Hi I am looking for an unusual shelf to go above a fireplace and serve as a mantel piece. Don't mind what material it is really as long as it looks good. If anyone has ideas where i might find one or craftspeople who might make such a thing please let me know. Thanks!

Hello I am looking to get my front door properly weatherproofed as currently there are lots of gaps etc which let in cold air and the hall is freezing. Grateful for any recommendations.

Hello! We are a family of four, soon to be five, living between Dulwich and herne hill. Looking for a warm and efficient person to help with cleaning, ironing, easy cooking and childcare -school pick ups, playing with older kids (3 & 6) and holding baby. Afternoons only, 3/4-6/7 pm. Likely to be 10-12 hrs per week split over 3-4 days. Start late October/beginning Nov. please do get in touch if interested by sending me a PM.

I need to find a private pediatrician ASAP as NHS waiting times too long for our situation. Can anyone recommend one? Doesn't have to be local, just has to be good! Many thanks

try postnatal yoga at brockwell lido on a wednesday with sue. amazing class, very friendly and teacher v good at encouraging mummy friendships

thanks Joel

Just that please.Needed quite urgently. Thank you.

Hi Can anyone recommend a good local tennis coach (for adults)? PLease PM me if so. Many thanks!

Just to say thanks to all the Bessemer parents who have replied. It's absolutely wonderful to hear such enthusiasm for the school - you all make it sound totally fantastic. I'm feeling like it's going to be our number 1 choice - going to do another tour of it and Dulwich in January just to be sure. And thank you Renata for the v helpful clarification on admissions etc.

Thanks everyone! I have been on a tour of bessemer and dulwich - unfortunately ran out of time to tour others as we then moved abroad for 6 months. But I think it's highly likely we will end up in one of the above. I have to say I came out of the bessemer tour feeling really excited and impressed. But I then got a bit nervous about it as I have heard it was struggling in the not too distant past, whereas dulwich has been excellent for a long time. I want my daughter to be safe at school, to be treated sensitively (she's a bit of a high maintenance sensitive soul herself!) by the teachers and be supported by them if she is having problems with other kids. I'm not that worried about test results but I do want her to feel inspired to learn and enabled to find her strengths and deal with her weaknesses. Sorry for going on a bit but would LOVE to hear from any bessemer parents on here as to whether the school would meet those hopes. Thanks all!

thanks so much everyone! Very clear replies. I also just found info on the southwark website which said that in th event of a tie break where two applicants meet the oversubscription criteria in the same way, the place will be allocated through drawing lots. So that's that, I think. Really good point re backup school, Kes. Weird thing is that any other school which is near us and half way decent is oversubscribed and we have no chance of getting into!

Hi Can anyone please help clarify something for me regarding the admissions process? I've asked southwark council as well but it's always good to get forum feedback! IF you are not allocated a place at your first choice school, and your second choice school is also oversubscribed, would the fact that you put it as second choice jeopardise your chances of getting a place there? So, if you and one other person were competing for places at the same school, and you both lived equidistant from the school, but the other person had put that school as their first choice and you had put it second, would it automatically go to the person who put it first? Or supposing you lived closer than the person who put it first - would promximity trump the fact they'd put it first? It is highly likely we won't get a place at our first choice school, but I want to give it a try, but don't want to jeopardise a chance of our second choice school! Also - does anyone have any school recommendations? Our nearest are bessemer and dulwich infants ... any thoughts on any other area schools? We definitely won't get into st xaviers as not church goers and otherwise too far away (I think), too far from rosendale or st judes ... any others I should consider? Thanks so much!!!

Hi I would love to join too so will look out for Anna's post to see where you will be tomorrow. Have a 3 yr old daughter (who will be at childminder tmw) and 3 week old son.

Hi Is anyone else living in a privately-owned house on casino/sunray/red post hill incredibly frustrated by southwark's insistence that any new windows installed must be in wood? We moved in here a year ago, the house is freezing and gets terrible condensation because of the ancient windows. We want to get them all double glazed and are perfectly happy with uPVC but council have sent out a new edict that any new windows must be wooden. This seems totally unreasonable for several reasons. 1) initial costs much higher - 1/3 higher? more? 2) upkeep costs of wood much higher - non existent with PVC 3) so many houses on the sunray estate ALREADY have uPVC windows so what on earth is the point in banning further ones. I know it's a conservation area but they look fine. Anyone know why southwark have a thing about this? Any way to challenge it? And ideas at all? Thanks!