Nigello

I spoke to him as he was making it: fascinating and self-effacing and much nicer in all ways than the lowlife who tagged his art.

I like the idea that people should be safe but I also like the idea that councils should not indulge in overkill (to pardon any pun). You could argue that 12m could be better than 10m as, well, it's more, isn't it? So why not just do the minimum. It is like that foolish requirement to check the ID of anyone under 25 when the law allows you to buy cigarettes or booze many years earlier. I think there is either a spoken or unspoken rule to make car driving so frustrating for drivers that they just give up - and I speak as a pedestrian/transport user with asthma. If 7.5m is OK, then let's go with that and let someone park where it is safe - the remanding 2.5m.

I did what Siousxiesue did. Don't see why we need another layer of bureaucracy where laws exist already (and why they want to know about whether I've changed gender or my age is baffling).

Would you, titchjuicy, be OK with the judge doing exactly the same to a promising, female Chinese or black, etc. student, one that isn't tainted with "WMCP"? If you remove the colour and class, are there no other privileges to be taken into account (such as, perhaps, the privilege of being naturally academic or the privilege of having parents that are especially invested in your education even if they are poor or even the privilege of having been born in the right time and the right place to allow you to even consider to go to college)?

I think that it is less to do with colour and sex and more to do with "promise". Judges will have been through the academic grind, perhaps hving attended Oxbridge and other top unis as part of their training, and will sympathise with people they consider to be too promising to tarnish with a custodial sentence in their early years.

John Lewis, all the way. Go and have a lie down on several of them and get the very good people there to check out the way you are lying: they'll pass their hands under your waist and neck etc. to make sure the mattress is supporting you correctly. I went twice, spending a good thirty minutes there talking and testing each time before I went for a great, own-brand mattress (which I then un-purchased and rebought online as there was a special offer on their website).

Yvonne, Darren, Sandra, Janice, Jacqueline, Trevor, Barry, Helen - can't see them ever making a comeback any time soon.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/martinharper/archive/2017/05/04/manifestos.aspx?utm_source=may_homepage RSPB (claims it) manages to be a-political when it comes to its raison-d'etre.

Sheridan was a girl I used to know so I am surprised to see it as a male name. I like the way Scots, Irish and Welsh names are popular in their respective countries. I think the rise in the No of Jacks, Harrys, Mabels, Rubys, Henrys, Ethels, etc, could be a similar occurrence in England.

I sent a similar pic to Cllr Hamvas, so I hope something can be done. If Cllr Hamvas requires us to do the reporting ourselves, I would be happy to do so, but would prefer to go to a specific place rather than go via the website because I am not sure whether it is tipping or roads or building site, etc.

Does the grass get reseeded afterwards? It's been looking ok (after a really churned up winter).

Way back in the mid-eighties, a teacher decided to call her son "Jack". It sounded really contradictory to me because she was a teacher, and therefore "posh" and I thought that name was very working class. Perhaps this was one of the first examples of a return to "traditional" names. Some names are revivable, but I cannot see any Beryls, Berts, Mabels or Peggys coming along anytime soon. Someone I know is going much further back than that, having called their son "Aleric" - apparently a pre-mediaeval name from England.

Some schools operate walk-to-school "buses" - long crocodiles of escorted children. I get that roads can be busy, but being able to cross the road and to have a decent amount of road savvy is a prerequisite for daily life, so with the help of a lollypop person, walking to school for most children nine and above ought to be a given. Driving your kids to school is not a good idea for all sorts of reasons. Does anyone know whether any of the schools ask parents about how they get their kids to school, or whether they promote walking and public transport? Perhaps if they don't, preferring to "mind their own business", it may be a good idea to do so.

At least four new trees have been planted on the Rye, just near the junction with Barry Road. A further two have appeared where Nigel Road meets Peckham Rye. Any more new trees seen? I am pleased that they are there and wondered whether the council was on a pre-April spending spree.

People can report these fairly easily themselves: 020 7525 2000 or online (but you have to have registered). https://my.southwark.gov.uk DIY - you have a voice as well!

Why not a block of flats? Housing is needed! It needn't be a very tall block - three or four storeys would be OK, no?

They produce less CO2 - a global warming gas - but produce more NO2 - the stuff that aggravates breathing difficulties, etc. The latter was not known, apparently, when a previous government wanted to promote diesel use to "save the planet". Some have said a scrappage scheme would be a good idea but others say it may penalise those who live in rural areas, where pollution is not as big an issue. Also, it may be a better idea to offer upgrades to converters, etc, to diesel drivers but others say this would not work. Taxis, lorries and buses would be the ones to go after, some say, whereas others would argue that getting rid of speed bumps and certain traffic lights would work best because the vehicles would then not be slowing down and speeding up, thereby causing more pollution to be produced. The above is a sketch of the main ideas, solutions and drawbacks so please add to it and correct as necessary!

Balls

A fridge has now appeared since I last saw the tipping at FH/Dunstan's Road! Either the same person is dumping in turns, or it has become a well-known "grot spot" for other pond life to dump stuff at.

Another lot of tipping has appeared at the electricity substation on the patch of pavement where the bus stop is, near the Herne Tavern. I have let Cllr Hamvas know; she has dealt with tipping there before. Rat traps (at least five, which may or may not have done their work) are there as part of the trash, as are boxes with labels belonging to a local business - though I do not draw the conclusion that the two are linked and would discourage anyone from doing so themselves. I hope Cllr H can deal with this effectively; I will let the council know via the website as well.

It is everything to do with people being lazy, or - more specifically - selfish. Stuff left outside can attract vermin and is not likely to be in a sellable condition, so leaving items outside when the shop expressly says people are not to does show a disregard for common sense. It also adds to the workload of the staff who have enough to do already.

It's great that it's been done but not great it needed intervention from a councillor or member of the public. Why can't the company keep an eye on things as part of routine maintenance? Thanks to those who helped in this case.

How did they find you relatives? Do you have to say you are willing to be contacted in your application? I would have thought privacy rules would prevent information from being passed on usually.

I got a reply, which - rather standardly - said the matter was being looked into and that the company was etc that the usual level of service, etc etc... Paper fivers cease to be usable very soon, so I hope that the machines are adapted and working soon.

I've read that different firms give different "readings", thought that could be something do with the way they present the information. I think there are different price categories, the more expensive ones being more precise in their information. Why not do a search of Which? and other consumer societies before you spend your money.