Nigello

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.

Pedestrianisation works well when it is nice, sunny, daytime, summery but when the market stalls pack up, it gets dark and cold (remember, we live in a country where the lights come on at 4pm in the winter) and the businesses pull down their shutters (to be tagged and never, ever cleaned because, hey, the business boss doesn't live there) and the street becomes lifeless, then it doesn't work. Councils in the seventies did a lot of pedestrianisation - it had a smack of the monorail about it - and anti-social behaviour, soullessness and lack of interest followed.

Thirded - good idea, but I doubt a big bureaucracy like the council will implement this. It could be classed as asking worker X to do worker Y's duty, etc. (Eg. an email to the council resulted in a damaged tree branch being cut down - great - except it was left there in the road for a week until I complained and then some other department picked it up, despite its having been passed daily by the litter picker and the bag picker-upper, and having been reported as a done job by the tree department.)

Great news. Next they can tackle the litter and vandalism and then, maybe, just maybe, it will be a fit place for everyone (not just the young and trendy who like a slice of edge with their I P A) to shop and enjoy.

He is so repulsive that he is creating decent products (at inflated prices, somewhat, I grant you), paying taxes and national insurance, improving high streets and creating jobs. What an absolute scoundrel! How dare he have private beliefs that are not totally in line with mine/yours/etc. Cancel him immediately!

I agree. There is usually a hard-core of the same people, which is fair enough, but they'd be there anyway. I don't believe all bookers turn up every day. (I have booked and missed once, and felt bad, and got an email asking me to always turn up - fair enough.) Booking ahead for 2 weeks is not fair on those who want to go on a whim and goes totally against the idea of encouraging folk to exercise.