Nigello

The system at TJC is exemplary. The staff are efficient, professional and kind and patients rarely have to wait more than ten minutes before being called. Sounds like a “bright idea” thought up by faraway dullards.

Lots of the pillar boxes I’ve seen recently in SE22 each have a sticker saying that collection tiles will change to “no earlier than 09:00” on weekdays. It’ll be 07:00 on Saturdays. This is compared to the usual 17:30/18:00 now. So, seeing as most people send mail during the day and often in the afternoon, their sent mail will be take one more day to arrive.

So, do you stay up till 10pm then book your slot for more than one (maybe three or more) sessions and always turn up? This system is no way for a publicly-funded pool whose bosses (Southwark) pledge to make “sport for all”, etc. I just don’t accept that everyone who wants to swim should need to book at least a year since the Covid threat was deemed weak enough to lift restrictions in all other areas of life. People’s plans change, the weather puts them off (or propels them to swim). I just can’t accept that this system is the right one. It’s condescending and exclusionary and that’s the very opposite of what a council (of any colour) should be aiming for. I’m still waiting for my reply from the head of leisure so I’ll try and try again.

People abuse the system as it is. They book as soon as the slots open and sometimes don’t attend. It’s unfair - the diehards take a lot of the slots leaving fewer open for less dedicated swimmers, whose lack of zeal and military-style forward planning skills are punished, in effect. A review is needed to be able to compare the two systems fairly. There was no clamour for the booking system before the pandemic. It’s laziness on the part of the authorities that’s keeping it there.

I think the booking system should be withdrawn for at least two months so that comparisons can be drawn. That’s a fair way of doing it and it won’t cost a thing. It’s paternalistic and sits uneasily with me; as if there are not enough regulation and restrictions in life already!

I agree it’s a pain and a menace. It’s all comers - yoovz, yummy mummies, OAPs, trendy daddies, MAMILs. Every one of them thinks the rules don’t apply because “insert solipsistic excuse here”. If you do it, you’re selfish and irresponsible (but you’re likely not to acknowledge that to yourself to protect your shaky self image).

And they’ll STILL want you to book and never fine the people who actually manage to reserve a place and then don’t turn up. It’s completely irrational to ask people to book to swim outside of special pandemic measures. I wrote to my councillor and leisure head but got no reply.

Dulwich Pool is, er, up the spout anyway, at least yesterday.

The app is a doddle. I don’t use the actual e-bikes but have it to report badly parked/poo-smeared ones!

The app allows you to send an image and location details of badly parked e-bikes and e-scooters. I used it twice today…

There are mobile numbers and email addresses for park officers on the information boards in the park. There is also the office near the Japanese garden/back of toilets. Did you phone any local bird or animal welfare group?

Bus lanes absolutely do not need to run 24/7. It’s pernicious and hectoring on the part of TfL and councils and sometimes increases the amount of particulates due to the resulting traffic queues. I don’t have a vehicle of any kind (and haven’t since 1999), no bicycle and walk and take buses mostly so I’m not a petrol head by any means. I just favour pragmatic interventions over dogmatic totalitarian approaches.

Same here - I was told no GP appointments at DMC on the day I rang but was offered a place a few hours later - oddly apologetically - at TJC which I took gladly. I think it’s a good system and shows flexibility on the part of the local NHS bosses.

Southwark could blitz areas that either could cause people to feel insecure and criminals to capitalise on that feeling, like badly lit areas or streets with litter and vandalism. I get that an area doesn’t cause crime - people commit crime - but a holistic approach helps.

I agree with the need to luxe-up buses and trains just a little - air con is a must. Some buses feel ok - the 63 has cool air that blows down on you if you sit on the lower deck - but lots of others are barbarically hot.

In the space of three minutes this morning I saw/heard three “jacked” Lime e-bikes, all ridden (on the pavement, natürlich) by males in their teens. Two other bikes had been left in the centre of footpaths. Others were strewn across kerbs into the gutter.

Yeah, and they also cycle on the pavement from the gates down to Gail’s - which isn’t a shared space - blithely criss-crossing with pedestrians and dogs

Stop! You are simply NOT ALLOWED to draw attention to such illegality by cyclists here on the EDF and if you do you’ll be labelled an evil cyclophobe who invents slurs to malign the always-lovely members of the pedalling community.

A jay came back to a suet ball feeds after a year’s absence last night.

It’s not on the Rye, it’s in the park and the differences between the two are relevant. I don’t think it’s just or reasonable for a big part of the park - which is not the wide open space of the Rye - to be out of bounds (and likely to suffer damage) for such a long period of time.

I got a big delivery of circulars, magazines, postcards etc. today - a Bank Holiday. The postie said there is a big backlog and that it is worse in Bromley - his usual beat. He said Sunday/holiday deliveries are pretty usual now.

A bloke in the Tesco local was mugged (by two males) at the cash point there on Saturday afternoon, according to two staff members. Maybe the festival enticed chancer crims, maybe not…

You can hear it much farther away - the Dulwich end of Barry Rd (at least when I passed there around 5pm F).

Whether or not you have or don’t have the physical ability to skirt an e-cycle left on the pavement, such obstacles and obstructions derive from nothing but selfishness, truculence, inconsiderateness etc. and as such make all our lives that little bit more uncomfortable.

I don’t loathe them. I said “sometimes” which softens the blow because it suggests at other times there is no such illegality. My points are factual and based on real-life witnessing of such events on a daily basis. Cyclists who ride responsibly are to be applauded. Those who don’t are not.