Nigello

(NB - This is not meant to draw any parallel between characters in the skech and any real person, living or dead, in any shoe shop.)

I think the powers that be want to promote the use of Oyster/contactless, at least in the short term, so that is why it is cheaper not to book ahead.

PSCOs and traffic wardens ought to be able to demand engine idlers to switch off or to fine them. Can't agree that Sadiq Khan is on the ball, but on this he is getting it right, though I'd prefer to see some iron fist within the velvet glove of green buses and cycle paths, etc: fine those companies, drivers, constructions firms, hygge-loving woodburners etc, that are not acting within the law. Otherwise, we should all walk more and drive/be driven less.

I walked from home to Brixton Tube yesterday and saw the banners that have been produced for Herne Hill (along the 37 route, past the lido), and I have to say I quite liked them. They were uniform in style, seemed to be pretty robust, and displayed local attractions/aspects of history, etc. The style was a bit hackneyed for me (Art Deco-update/pastel colours/lino cut) but there were enough of them to create an impact and they were interesting, not badly distracting. Whether or not they should be in place on the narrower street of Lordship Lane, which is already feeling a bit closed in and narrow in comparison, is a question worth asking often.

I have emailed her and James Barber.

It has been reported to James and he is usually good at chasing this kind of thing up, and reporting back, so give it time.

Which one is it? Most people won't know where they are by a name. I would let James Barber (on this forum) as he has been good at getting other pieces of art tidied up after they were vandalised.

Ha! Not into the quiet life, are you stringy.......? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....!

Paper

As an aside, but a relevant one in that it is about a form of public transport that hasn't caught on in the UK very much, here's an article I found after I had read about a new "super bus" system in Hanoi: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/aug/27/buses-future-of-urban-transport-brt-bus-rapid-transit Could it catch on here, in London, and especially our part of it?

The pop-up shop of which Louisa writes will be for women's clothing, according to the painter/decorator who was there early this morning.

Pavement fixing good, lamppost banners not so good. (They'll be more, unnecessary street junk and will fade/decompose/break and nobody will fix them.)

Cafe Viva has closed and has been for about two weeks at least. It is going to reopen as an extension to Miss Tapas and will service breakfasts which will be both British and Spanish, according to the (Spanish) man at Miss Tapas today.

I accept that I am wrong but maintain that few cyclists take the route intended and instead they zap across the pavement where no cycle lane exists. Not one cyclist have I ever seen take the curvy route that you so correctly show. Cyclists + pavements = not a good idea (unless a specific path is adhered to)

The cycle lane ends at the road, which is where the cyclists are meant to go. Instead, some (quite a few) cut across the pavement and over the pedestrian crossing into the "shared space" outside the library. Cyclists and pedestrians don't always mix well, especially when the former are going at speed in a confusing arena. It is just common sense and best practice, that's all (but if people want to use it to inflate their sense of victimhood, who am I to deny them that pleasure?)

The NHS has been raised to a secular deity, a level hard to achieve let alone maintain and one which prevents it from being discussed and adapted rationally. More taxation would be good but so would better use of resources, improved management and a more respectful use of its services by all of us.

We are living in the right now. So, even if there were to be a rise in tax (which I would welcome right now - my cheque book is ready for a one off payment if needs be) the resulting funding would not make itself known for some time. So, it is fair to say that right now, in the current circumstances (which one may or may not endorse), there are many factors that are behind poor performance at A and E and in other departments, including the fact that there are more people than had been expected. You will note that my post was restrained and balanced, seeing at least two sides to a complicated situation. Yours, with its block capitals and sneery tone, demonstrates the way in which discourse about the NHS often ends up going nowhere. Stay healthy!

I think a reasonable person who is not grinding any axe would have to acknowledge that more people (even those paying taxes), especially the ones who are not au fait with how one registers with a GP and what A and E is really for, have to be a factor in services being stretched, as well as accepting that a reduction in funding of some parallel services also has a negative effect. Adhering to a certain narrative on any side doesn't get you anywhere.

1539 to D Hill/P Rye was cancelled (which I had managed to avoid by checking the live departure webpage).

FAKE YEWS!

I agree that any "street furniture" ought to be well-made and well-maintained so they don't end up like monuments to misplaced, temporary enthusiasm in eighteen months' time. If you can, avoid lampposts etc and ask businesses to house a banner/placard etc. Still unsure what it's all about: sounds a bit "committee speak" but I don't doubt your sincerity.

The ones that run through the day sound like stricken DC-10s. The ones that run at night are lovely and quiet(ish) - much more modern. Roll on hybrids!

The bus firms and the powers that be seem unwilling and/or unable to acknowledge that population density in SE London (and other areas) is increasing and that the old provisions (historic routes, schedules) ought to be rethought so that shuttle/feeder services and express options be brought in. The buses have got better but even with the improvements it's not enough to cope with the congestion and the overcrowding that is the norm and likely to increase. Again - try walking a bit of your route and see whether your commute is more bearable.

I agree that on paper the bus service is great but in practice it's another thing entirely. Don't even think of spending less than an hour from Barry Road to Oxford Circus at most times of the day from 0700 to 2300. That works for the 176 too. The 185 can sometimes surprise but not often. I also agree that the tram over the Thames from Peckham to Camden ought to have been allowed to continue, but it wasn't to be. Even if it terminated at Aldwych/Temple/Holborn it would have been great. Again, a guided bus system (yes, my old hobbyhorse) would be great but it's never been a winner with city planners and councillors and marketeers because they're seen as "trams on the cheap". If you can, walk. It'll help your physical and mental health because it's better than sitting in a packed 176 with the usual morons who CBA to move down/go up to the top deck!

Menus on a board or in the window are a big boon. Noone wants to go in, ask for a menu, then walk off with an awkward "no thanks" when you find out it's ?27 for a main course with sides extra.