Nigello

Literature can be as much about culture and history as it is about the art, emotion etc, so Dickens, Woolf, Jonson, Thomas, du Maurier, Austen etc deliver a "triple whammy", if you like, that could help pupils in their other areas of study. (British) English literature is so diverse that I don't see the need to go to the US, Australia, Canada etc for GCSE or 'A'-level. A good teacher can recommend such texts for personal reading or - get this - an inspired pupil could discover what they really like themselves. Such curiosity, though, does depend on parental and school input to an extent.

Newts

Good on you, tfwsoll! A few others have been strimming and trimming, too. Others - yes, that includes you opposite The Actress, with your rampant honeysuckle - really CBA, it seems. Now, if only the council would do its bit?

Depends where you are in ED. If you are nearer to the library or Forest Hill Road, then perhaps HOP is the best way to go. I've taken the bus from the end of Dunstan's Road/LL to Forest Hill, then Overground to C Water, then Jubilee then DLR. It sounds a faff, but it's not. Pack light!

I heard that the Post Office owns the property where Gastronomia was and the corner shop (now being done up) next to Le Moulin and the grocer's next to Sainsbury's which has a small branch in it. Perhaps it is cashing in on its assets.

Thanks, Renata. It is much easier for you to pass this along than for me to try to find out and then pass it on.

Agreed Renata, James, but surely the council has to know that trees that have been pollarded (like those on Barry Road) are likely to grow back apace from ground level. That's what's happened on Barry Road but nothing's been done, which is disappointing and annoying. Is there any joined-up thinking? Do pollarders commit to follow up a year later? If not, they ought to!

Congrats. Please do your best to get the business in your ward to avail themselves of the tagging-removal service, or ask them to do it themselves. The parade of shops opposite the bus stop, on the same side as the library and some of the shops along Rye Lane look a complete disgrace. Most of the shop fronts have been tagged and cleaned but others' owners seem not to be bothered.

More success: I asked a neighbour to oblige, and offending branches and foliage were removed within a day. Just ask, MissKing and others, as you might be surprised at the reaction.

Going early in the morning (0800) to the office at Victoria and then picking it up the same day - for an extra thirty quid or so - is a good option. I'd prefer to do that than spend extra on the checking facility, especially since my experience at the office was fuss-free and quick. They even have photo booths there.

Off The Wall - Michael Jackson (ow!)

Slate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-26920222 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-27519536

ArtiE - I reckon if you knock on doors and/or do a leaflet drop and offer a discount for repeat trims you'll do really well. Best of luck!

Goodrich/Upland corner has been drastically cut back, as have a couple of others very nearby. Is this an example of the power of the EDF or just a spooky coincidence?

Vik, Southwark council does provide this service! See my post above.

Stick your wrists under a cold water tap for a couple of minutes. The effect is similar to that of putting a cool, damp flannel on your ankles.

The thread about the Nigel Farage poster being defaced got me thinking about what is the best way to vent your frustration or show your support as regards politicians. So, who's voting? (I have done, via a postal vote, for both local and European elections.)

On a positive note, the Rajput Rowing Club (or similar) has opened, the old French place is being done up and the Plough looks better than it ever did. The butcher's shop is still there, as is the framer's - both are relatively newcomers. Not sure the gentrifcation angle can be blamed for the hairdresser's demise?: perhaps he was simply retiring.

Wonder how many people - paint daubers or not - will actually be voting. I suspect not many.

Near to the pet shop on NXR there is to be a Spanish deli, according to the placard in the window there.

Well said, Muley. The same goes for those with limited or non-existent eye-sight, limited mobility, or who have to care for children, pets or the elderly as they go about their business. So, LL and AM - having obstruction-free highways allows other people to "get a life", like the one you proudly suggest everyone should have.

Unless you tell the people who own the bushes/trees, or the council, it's unlikely anything will change. 020 7525 2000 is the enviro hotline.

One thing, Jon: can you do your best to ensure that sound doesn't bleed through from one screening room to another. It sometimes happens at Ritzy/Clapham but if you are building from scratch better soundproofing might now be available.

I have venetian blinds that are kept shut - with the blades pointing down or "upside down" - from early morning till the sun goes down, or half-shut when I am in. If you have sashes, open the top and bottom part of each one: hot air rises and exits from the top with less warm air coming in from the bottom. Opening the windows at the front and back of the house helps, I found. A warm (not cold) shower just before bedtime, allowing the body to cool down naturally will also help you sleep better.