Nigello

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?

I am surprised it takes a full week or more to get ready, ten days in which access to the park is restricted. I know it takes some time but this seems a bit excessive.

I would look out for ventilation more than anything else. If there are windows and doors that could be open and are not, ask for them to be opened (and for one at the back to be opened also, so a current of air is createad).

Gala is pledging a lot of pledges, so let's trust them and see how the Rye is left after the three-day event.

HOw can it possibly cost anything to simply reverse a decision? I can see that it may take a bit of cash to remove lines on the road, but what else? I am staggered.

There was a thread on here, or perhaps buried in another thread, by a councillor about council efforts to help retail, hence my question. I do find it odd that businesses let their frontages look uninviting and ugly, especially after a massive downturn in high street shopping.

It is if the council is making an effort and spending money to improve things for retailers and shoppers alike. I doubt you?d prefer nothing to be done. More attractive streets mean more footfall and more spending, I?d say, which ought to encourage landlords or owners to make their properties look as welcoming as possible.

Maybe, but very few can be bothered to clean up their properties once vandalised, in my experience, even the big chains. Council should perhaps explain more clearly the benefits of doing so.

It used to be that the council would pay for vandalism on shop fronts/shutters (tags, etc.) to be cleaned off. Now, apparently, it does not. Should it set money aside for this, or should businesses do it themselves? (Few do, unfortunately, even as retail needs a boost).

Bigmacca - I have seen them but curiously only a week or so after I had told the council about problem drains (as shown by massive puddles after heavy rain). Perhaps they are busy everywhere else. A policy of cleaning twice a year would seem at least possibly a good idea, though I don't know whether this is actually the case already.

No - I was on leave so explained I could not go when I replied to Cllr Browning who had mentioned it to me via email. Someone on here had also posted about its taking place, several days before the date (8 July).

Is there any outcome from the 8 July meeting (online, I think) regarding traffic measures around Goodrich School?

We have no idea of the motives or circumstances. Pausing to reflect on the horror, sadness and waste is more suited to the terrible event than taking to a public forum to suggest that an absence of comment is a poor reflection on society's take on whichever social or political cause one has, however worthy and widely supported. Each of the silent 690+ views could be taken as a five-second digital paying of respects rather than an intimation of callous disregard.

Re drains - many drains have been blocked for ages. Some were unblocked, perhaps because I had reported them, but some remain clogged up. Same in Westminster, so don't blame it entirely on the downpour itself. Sure, that had lots to do with it, but if the drains aren't unblocked that must have an impact on whether or not there are floods.

Re teh shutters - I asked Cllr McAsh to look into it and some shops have either cleaned up their fronts or had the council do it. Please email him. The phone repair shop on the corner looks much better, as doe others, but some simply CBA as they lock up and go home.