Nigello

A staff memberat the library told me that the new five-per-person limit was because there was a shortage of bags from the manufacturers. The library person told me that some people would come back to try to get more - another ten, the old (extravagant) limit - or say they were picking up for a housebound relative.

Saw a very small bird - about the size of a champagne cork - at ground level on Choumert Road. It disappeared into a hedge. It was dun coloured and very fast. Was it a wren? As for jays, I saw one about seven years ago in my back garden and none has been there since. I think I saw one last weekend on Court Lane in the gardens near the private road.

The shop next to Mr Bao had its shutters up and people were inside this morning, measuring up. Not sure what it will be.

The pavement outside Jade (145 Lordship Lane) and around that area is very poor; it's cracked and whenever we get a reasonably heavy downpour it ponds. Can't the uneven bits just be filled in with concrete to be made level. It won't be pretty but it's better than having two inch puddles along an already narrow bit of footpath.

One of the check out staff said that money was taken from all the tills (pointing to the normal ones, not the self-service ones).

"That accordion player will move on." - In new threads and with a full book and CD library, it seems! It's not a nice thing to do, nabbing items given to be sold for charity.

I miss Play for Today, BBC2 Shakespeare and Moliere (with big stars, or soon-to-be stars) and those other, one-off plays (like Brick is Beautiful). TTTT, good as The Fall and Happy Valley/Broadchurch are, I am sick of murder and crime.

Christmas Card adverts in the Mind shop window. Ho ho ho.

Ah, that's a valid reason. T he large mural on the wall near to The Plough (Queen Bee) had to be painted over after repairs but the owners then allowed a repaint, which looks equally as good. Hopefully the owners may consider having a new image there.

Louisa's

It is the one that was a trippy trip through a garden, yes. I really liked it but have no idea why it was painted over. (I only saw its absence from a car at the weekend so couldn't stop to try to find out more from anyone at the house.)

Romany creams are not really called that, are they? (I'd've thought they must be "members of certain travelling commmunities creams" at least.) To keep it on thread, it will be interesting to see whether CoOp changes for the better with the opening of the new branch of not-just-any-supermarket.

The very eye-catching full-wall mural on the side of the house next to the community centre on Crystal Palace Road (near to the medical centre) is no more. In its place is a large expanse of magnolia.

If the front of your house gets the sun during the day, close the blinds/curtains (I also hang big towels over the back of the closed shutters to prevent more heat building up) and open open windows at the back of the house (and vice-versa). Open the front windows once the sun sets. (I think I read that on here somewhere and tried it and it works.)

Yeah, give them a break. After all, it's OK to break the law and add to the already noxious air that Londoners have to breathe. Whatevs!

Fernando came on time, did the work to a high standard and left the place tidy and clean, so he is very much recommended.

I don't think all the staff at CoOp are rude, in fact most are polite but wear an air of long-suffering stoicism. I agree that it's not well run, on the whole, but it is adequately run most of the time. Not a ringing endorsement, I grant you, but not enough for me not to use it. If something is wrong - like a lack of people on the checkouts or a spillage - I ask a staff member to deal with it and it's always seen to. I like the ethos and values of the CoOp in all its guises so will continue to shop there. As for M and S - despite its '00s ads claiming its exceptionalism - it's just a supermarket, ultimately.

http://www.greenimpact.group.shef.ac.uk/resources/stamp_recycling.pdf is a list of UK charities accepting used postage stamps to raise funds.

Wishful thinking is cheap. Southwark ought to follow through and make sure that enforcement is thorough and consistent. To put the new rule in place and do little to make sure people are following it is wasteful and negligent.

Why not approach them and tell them that it is illegal to enter property - even a garden - without permission? At least they'd then know. Even if they don't know English, it is easy enough to communicate with them through gestures. Maybe you could offer them some of your unwanted goods - it'd save a trip to the charity shop!

I like the idea of reusing/recycling and of using initiative but I don't at all like the idea of people crossing a threshold to try to do so. It just sits uneasily with me.

I have a new edtion of The Escapist (Monocle's special, bumper summer issue) which I would swap for the July/August edition of Monocle. Any takers? Please PM with a contact.

I am glad they are there, even if I had to suffer as the buses ground to a halt around E and C and on B'friars Road but it really gets my goat when I see cyclists (at least one every time I am there) choose to cycle on the pavement/use the pedestrian crossing. Talk about ungrateful. A hard stare from you to such transgressor would be worth more from you than a mere pedestrian or - gasp - motorised vehicle user.

Never seen Withnail and I, Blues Brothers neither.

So three people report something on the forum but - as far as I know - don't let the authorities know: that's only half-hearted community spirit. The police could gather the information, check it against other reports and perhaps apprehend these people and check they are not doing anything untoward and warn them that private property should not be entered.