Nigello

Dean Baquet now, Fran Dreschler last November - Dulwich Village and its portable treats are quite the draw for New York luminaries...

Alice - I amdire your confidence in people. Not everyone is as public-spirited as you think, and soem may not understand the importance of what they saw or heard and choose to not make a fuss and bother the police. What is wrong with putting a description up? Sure, some people will use it to confirm biases, but is avoiding that more important than warning others and preventing them, perhaps, from becoming another victim, or from helping an individual make more solid a suspicion they had which could then help the police?

Rockets said, in brackets to underline scepticism, which I agree with, "the community"; This word or just "the X... community" are such weasel-words and to be avoided, especially when uttered by self-styled "community leaders" and/or politicians.

Trams are a luxury we cannot afford right now. Guided buses, trolley buses are much cheaper and can do similar things in terms of routes and numbers of people carried, even to the extent of being made to look like trams so that the poor, starry-eyed councillors still think they are in Zurich or Lisbon. Even if we had them, though, our streets would be congested because they are not designed for so many vehicles. Just drive less, everyone, and don't rely on Amazon, etc. so much.

Please stop looking to people in authority/in authorities, like Southwark, for all solutions. Everyone of you who owns a car can do something by not using it at least for one trip a week, ideally many more. Just don't do it, as Nike wouldn't say. It is simple but not that easy. Nevertheless it is the surest way of reducing your carbon footprint - just walk or take a bus, or simply don't go! (And that doesn't mean outsourcing your trip to a Getir/Just Eat delivery person.)

Re the reality of - sometimes - Qs of buses idling whilst the one at the front of the Q is stopping to let people on or off: yes, this is a daily problem that could be made better by putting on smaller vehicles, or at least ones that use electricity as a power source. Half-empty (half-full?!) buses are not a good advert for bus lanes and restrictions on private vehicle uses, especially if there are long lines of them, idling away.

Best to tell the staff at the branch in question; they may well install another bin if they know about customers' feedback.

It is better than nothing, surely? If it acts as an incentive for someone to totally avoid such plastics, then that is good result, even if it is not the main objective. Plastic can be used for good - think of the spoilage on some goods. It is also light, which cuts down on transport costs.

Lest we forget, the school holidays do have a big effect on the amount of traffic in and around these contentious areas. It is only anecdotal, but the Village was like an early morning Sunday around 8am today - nary a vehicle to be seen. Why, then, not be honest about this negative impact on emissions and congestion from this reduceable problem? Maybe it is best to say that even with incentives, coaches, enlightenment from "busy mums/dads" there will ALWAYS be higher traffic in such areas and apply traffic measures accordingly?

A cormorant - maybe the same one as before - is in the lake/pond at Peckham Rye Park.

Only necessary in people's homes for a couple of days a year. Don't do it - you'll be worse off financially and climatically! (Retail is different, I know, but staff ought to be trained as to how to operate it properly so as not to deter customers and not waste energy.)

I think they do pay attention. Just because a result does not go in your favour does not mean that attention has not been paid. (Your = nobody in particular)

fishbiscuits - I agree that the kind of stalls, etc. won't mean it will ever be a sanitised shopping experience, and nor would I want that. However, landlords let their properties remain covered in pigeon poo and scrawl, and the lack of buses really does detract from an everyday, fit-for-everyone (not just the trendies) retail street. You can have a market-style air without it looking tatty, uncared for. Retail needs a big help, not hindrance, and I cannot understand why the council doesn't tackle the problems (though the buses are making a comeback, which is great for all, including those who don't cycle and who came to expect to be able to have an integrated transport system, by which I mean a bus stop close to the station).

This kind of idle distraction is exactly what those shadowy leaders want so as to distract our attention. We?re still no closer to knowing who, what, why, etc.

It is a great idea and very welcome. Best to avoid buying it in the first place, which is much easier said than done, I know. (Not all plastic is to be demonised though - without it there would be much more food wastage, which contributes to global heating.)

I am minded to follow vmdgg's train of thought, though am happy to be shown to be wrong/partly wrong once it gets up and running. The no-car pledge is certainly promising though relies on people's sense of honesty, which may be lacking on a cold and wet November morning!

I agree with the view that renovating an old building and making it of use to a wider number of people is a good idea, not least because it provides employment and adds to the area, rather than detracting from it, which in its current state, it is doing.

I saw my first Jersey tiger moth yesterday morning, on Darrell Road, from afar and I wasn't sure until I saw another near the girls' school on Colyton Road this morning. Is this early or late for first appearances?

Roachy - glad you had a good time but not glad you are dismissive of others' concerns and worries. You never know what people are experiencing in their lives and complaining about loud music (where music = thud, thud) over a weekend isn't that irrational if you are nearby, caring for someone, recovering from an illness, etc. I'd prefer it if the organisers turned it down from 11 to about 8 - nobody needs music that loud in the actual venue and those nearby will benefit and at least feel that the organisers are taking their concerns on board. Win win!

Yeah - but not into "biking" - sounds like motorbiking to most ears. It says cycling in the body of the text so probably an editor's attempt to either save space or ape American English. GOod that pedestrians are at the top of the tree!

The new greengrocer's near to Franklin's had lots of produce on show outside yesterday, but not sure if it is yet open.

The former CoOp (then something else) chemist's on L Lane, near to A J Farmer's, is to be a painter/decorator merchant, according to the poster in the window. Good to see a big retail space being made use of again.

Maybe the person who criss-crossed the globe on aeroplanes has no or only one child, is vegetarian or vegan, doesn't have a car, cycles most places, gives to charity and meticulously recycles or reuses stuff? It isn't a good idea to demonise one single thing when, in fact, air travel isn't anywhere near as big as a bad-boy as others are, and is making headway in lighter aircraft, greener fuels, more efficient use of aircrat, etc.

I?ve now learnt that the council no longer offers their service free. It?s shortsighted. Perhaps ultra-local schemes to revitalise retail could reinstate it.

What does Southwark gain (apart from being able to say it's hosting top-notch live music, etc. etc.)? Does it stand to lose, say, if tehre is damage or is there insurance and baked-in assurances to right any wrongs from organisers?