Nigello

I just walked past and it has its opening covered over, saying it is out of order or similar. Is there another one nearby? Sydenham Hill is too far for me to walk just to deposit some small items. Thanks

Similar to what I saw so maybe they were wood mice. Thanks

Great spot! Are they wood mice or mice who have just gone al fresco? I tried to find out more about wood mice after I had seen what I thought were some, and read that they don't often live in urban/city areas. Nice if you have them!

Thanks - I think they will be of great help and assurance. Best wishes

It really is a joint effort. I have asked councillors to intervene with shop owners who don't keep their shopfronts clean, explaning that retail is vital to all, but nothing happened. So I asked individual shop owners and some did and some didn't. You can't rely on the council to do everything, so if you are displeased, complain by all means but do something yourself if you can. Got a litter problem near your house? Take pics, clean it up, send pics to councillor and MP to show them up! People are very keen to tap away on their keyboards, which takes time and at least a bit of effort, but not prepared to do something practical and useful. Sure, you can't apply that to education or dodgy pavements but that doesn't mean it is not a valid way of approaching at least some problems.

James - one very simple and easily achieved action would be to require the sweepers to place plastic sacks of rubbish on bins rather than at the side. Some do, some don't and it seems silly not to make it a requirement because it stops foxes from ripping them apart and spreading contents all over the pavement. I can't understand why it is not part of the job description. Maybe it is and some don't bother. (There is nothing from stopping anyone from doing that themselves, of course.)

What was the result of inquiries to the charities, Monica? Perhaps more than one could be installed at two or more difference locations.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/09/e-scooters-banned-tfl-network-battery-fire-risk - Private e-scooters not allowed on TfL due to fire hazard.

That is a bad situation - poor you. It sounds very dangerous so good on you for pushing the council. I am sure the local newspapers would be interested in this - as would your councillor and MP (writetothem is a place to find who they are and get their contact details). Good luck for a full recovery (and/or compensation for your injuries).

More e-scooter (rentals) to be placed on LL, near the Superdrug, I think. (There is a poster near the zebra at M and S.)

- You can ring 101 or use the link to the met here to report and possibly upload. Perhaps he has form and is already known about. If so this could help bring a case against him. Good luck!

How sad that so many people should die in RTAs or similar. I see many young people on bikes with NO lights at the front or back, some with no reflective gear and shudder inwardly. Accidents happen in the blink of an eye and can be fatal and or life-changing for all involved. So, people racing up the bike lane on a souped-up e-scooter with no helmet on, etc. are definitely anti-social and potentially homicidal and should be treated as such.

I think the streets are pretty well maintained, as are the parks, vis-a-vis litter and the like. Council will collect flytipped rubbish if you ring or fill in a form. As for dog poo - that is on the dirty, anti-social effers who own them (which also goes for litterers). I think bulky waste is ok for a one off if it is efficient and they come on time, etc. (People can also use Gumtree, Freecycle, etc. for some items.) Trees are well maintained also, so in those respects I think the council is doing well.

Gifting /gifted is nasty and likely dreamt up by ad-men to get us to buy more stuff we and others don't need or want.

You lost me (and plenty of others, no doubt) at "mansplaining". Goodnight and good luck. (Also, it was addressed at "any of you" not you personally, and how the hell am I expected to know or care which sex any of the posters are. Rather solipsistic and bizarre!)

https://www.pensforkids.co.uk/

Elections are in May. Some councillors are already out and about, pressing the flesh. (I saw some on Saturday.)

There is a national charity that collects pens and pencils, cleans them (I am guessing?!) and sends them off to parts of the developing world where they are appreciated. Is there a local body that does the same? If so, please post details or PM. Thanks

It is from 2011 so not sure whether any of that still is valid. If any of you are unimpressed please email your MP with your full name, address and telephone number. Ranting on her, I am afraid, will have zero impact on your care at DMC.

Good value food doesn?t have to mean shoddy, unwelcoming environments. Rye Lane is good and bad in parts and nobody - private owner or councillor - wants to take responsibility for the bad bits.

It is hardly ableism to talk about and highlight the importance of knowing and accommodating (as much as is possible and fair) many different kinds of disability, and therefore not seeing "the disabled" as one big "community". So, if a public transport provider has a limited amount of money with which to provide the most amount of access across the widest area with the lowest cost, etc., certain types of disability may well be more relevant to such constraints. Is it more valid to think about (but not discount or ignore) physical disabilities than, say, a psychological one in the context of such provision? I think so, which does not mean that provision for people with other needs isn't warranted at all.

I have had good results from DMC - and less good ones. Using their online booking form you'll get a phone appointment within a day or two. As for being rung at the wrong time - well, it happens but since when are folk without their phones these days? If your employer doesn't like your being rung by your GP at work that says a lot about him or her especially in pandemic days. A couple of days ago I was promised a repeat referral form via text, which never came. I rang, explained it was the first step of any treatment plan, recommended by a doctor there, and so was therefore important and it came a few minutes later. 7/10 but 10/10 doesn't exist because it is perfection, so not too bad especially when you cut a bit of slack here and there.

THe whole place needs a bit of TLC. It is great the buses are back and that there are still biggish chains - Boots, Poundland, Primark, Superdrug, McD's, Argos but the bit going south from the station is not as lively and rather shabby (litter, vandalised shutters, etc.) Landlords don't seem to want to clean their properties' frontages and so go home and leave it all ugly for those who live, work and shop there.

I saw about a dozen parakeets buzzing/strafing a heron on one side, with a crow doing likewise on the other, about 150 feet up near to Village Square (!) I had seen a crow doing the same to a heron seated high up in a tree in Peckham Rye, near the lake. Don't they get on or could it have been staking out nests, etc?

You spent an awful lot of time and energy writing this, which woudl have been much better spent composing a (less personal) email to you local councillor and the library department (or whatever it is called - you can ring Southwark council on 020 7525 5000 for the correct address). Do it now and you will have done much better for yourself and others than you did with this OTT post.