Nigello

Saw a Large Red damselfly (caps to show it is a species, not just my description) in front garden, not near a big pond or stream. Quite a few Holly Blue butterflies - I think they were as the other blues don't fly so high or come out so early, it seems https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/holly-blue

The Walworth Road is a lot less clogged than it used to be, as is C Green. The real slog is LL these days between M and S and the rail station. I prefer to walk much of that stretch and pick it up at the station.

I agree - the accessibilty for people on wheels has improved and I see more people using wheelchairs on buses than ever before, which does not mean things cannot be improved more. We cannot expect to have an almost bespoke service for anyone - in or out of a mobility device - when there are options that make the money go further - curtailed routes are not ideal but as long as you can change to anotehr service and not have to pay again, several times in the hour, be thankful and use any ire to write to your MP and transport minister. Enjoy the ride

Make use of the 1 hour grace period and hop on:off buses if necessary. Times are harder than usual for TfL.

Perpahs they were concerned about falling foul of the newish laws on personal information being passed on? Perhaps the schools' local transport coordinators (or am I being naive?) could make contact with the family to find out more and offer to put out the news. I have no contact with the schools or the lollipop man, so if anyone here has, over to you.

I agree that it is unfashionable and the opposite of virtue signalling to say it is preferable that adults (and children of a certain age) should be able to make simple meals to save money and to provide good nutrition. The seventies and eighties saw a lot of change but homemade meals were always there in a household where adults worked full time, even if the variety wasn't wide. Egg and chips (homemade from spuds, not from a packet), beans on toast, potato hash, fry up from Sunday lunch, jacket spuds and salad, Welsh rarebit, hotpot, finnan haddock and poached egg, etc. None took ages to make and none broke the bank.

Does amount have a phone No for the council tax department? I rang but Southwark main reception must have been having a little lie down when I phoned. No reply from a previous email sent to me. (I pay yearly with a CC so don?t have the option of being paid via DD rebate.)

That?s a mistake. If it?s not, it ought to be. Tell them it?s not on! Takeaway tea is pretty poor value anywhere but adding a service charge is nasty! Vote with feet.

Some trees die and others may present future or current perils. I?m glad that the one chopped down near Summerhouse School had been replaced, though not with the same species.

I agree with those that say all cats should wear a bell on a collar. It?s not a great hardship to thr cat and it could save wildlife. Cats can still prowl and pounce but at least the birds will have the chance of being alerted.

If you?re bothered about the non-collection of litter and/or insufficient number of bins in parks and open spaces, please email [email protected] If you CC your councillor it may help. A collector told me the other week they?d asked often for extra bins but their requests are not always acted on.

CoOp ?1

Back to the physical reality of the Village LTN - it?s ugly and looks extemporised with the random planters, useless traffic lights and trip-friendly kerbs.

Hmm - tarmacking your drive to hire it out to EVs for charging defeats the point. If it?s already done, ok, but it?s not to be encouraged and if it?s lucrative it could do just that.

I read or heard that plugs on kerbs and not on lampposts is likely the way forward. Some people are charging at home and covering the leads with black/yellow protecters because they can?t do it otherwise. Fortunately, EV owners are generally thoughtful enough not to create trip hazards - so far.

I?d like to see ultra local committees but a London wide mega council that would operate more like city councils in, say, NYC. Sure, there?d need to be local considerations but the wealth could be spread and all those different services (but which do the same thing, like teaching or collecting rubbish) integrated. Londonb is like a mini country so having a ?parliament? and ?premier? could encourage more voting and participation. And I?ve voted even though I?m suggesting a different MO here.

They?re everywhere, and there has to be a truth behind my attempt at light humour, unless you expect and require toddlers to be the responsible ones here.

Disgusting is as disgusting does - this time one really can blame the parents *or nanny*.

Southwark council councillors need to be told as well as the local paper. Countless projects promise much but then get neglected because attention turns to the next big thing. If s water feature is there then it should be working and not left to rot.

12th of Never?

No-mow May is perhaps the reason.

It?s good that there?s a gap of a few weeks between the cherry and crabapple/pear blossoms.

The school has security cameras so that may help you. The office there usually picks up when you ring. Best wishes for a good outcome 👍

Even organic food creates methane, effluent, takes space and uses transport etc. Lab-lamb etc. wouldn?t have anywhere near as big a carbon/methane footprint.

Of course I would. I doubt a new firm with an avowedly save the planet ethos would dodgeify their new products. I?d trust UK and European versions of such meat more than US or Asian ones simply because on the whole we have more stringent rules. I?m not a believer in making monsters out of new technology providers but I?m still cautious. I heard a vegan man who?d not had meat since 1971 day he?d eat this type of meat as it?s not causing harm to animals nor emitting lots of methane or carbon and not acting as a hothouse for future animal-to-human pathogens.