bobbsy

Been going to the softplay at beckenham Spa - I think it's good.

there were extensive articles about this earlier in the year, late last year in the papers...

My concern is for Underhill Rd - that is already a road that is a popular "rat-run", with often very fast traffic regardless of the speed bumps. If it had that right turn off the sth circ, it would be horrible, and in my view, is not designed nor could cope with extra traffic. I don't know what the overall solution is.

Hi Molly, yes fair enough, that traffic can be bad. I don't think the whole section from the Sydenham Hill intersection down to the interestion with the old pub is well thought out at all. Bus lanes, no right turns, no pedestrian crossings. Seems to needlessly cause a backlog of traffic.

Have you retuned the TV? I just bought a second hand TV, didn't show any channels at all until it was retuned, then fine.

Molly - have you tried going "around", turning right onto the Sth Circ and left past the Esso to get back towards Forest Hill Rd?

I think the right-turn into Underhill Road is potentially very dangerous. I could see it potentially backing traffic further back up the hill, and turning through traffic across the bus-lane is a recipe for accidents. These small side roads are not made for volume of traffic.

They need that sign - it's defo unsafe for cars to U-turn there. A bit like people who u-turn on champion park to get into grove lane.

My pet hate - people that turn into street/driveway, and forget that the car extends 2/3/4 metres behind where they are sitting in the drivers seat...and stop or preceed so slowly after the initial turn that they block everyone behind them...

well, technically, 20mph is the maximum speed limit - you don't legally have to drive that fast.

My personal pet hate - christmas set menus and sharing platters. It is hard to avoid during December, but I pretty much boycott any resturant that does this. I'd book somewhere with a reduced menu, but no way I'd pay in advance. I realise that's nothing to do with your question! If I had your situation, I would pay the food, and tip on the day.

Ghost of a flea - my favourite Blake. Saw it years ago in another gallery on aBlake exhibition.

I'll wade in. I think the loss of tax relief is ludicrous - all businesses receive tax relief for legitimate expenses, which interest is. A bakery, with a mortgage, would receive tax relief on the interest paid on the mortgage. Or, the rental cost if it is rented etc etc. This cut to tax relief is a veiled attack on pensions, IMO. The recent governments seem obsessed with the idea that no-one (other than government employees) should be able to accumulate a "large" pension pot. As lifetime and annual allowances have been targeted for pension pots/contributions, the easiest alternative for a small investor was to transfer funds into the BTL market which functioned essentially as a self managed super fund. So they attacked this as well. Funds will now transfer to an alternative (I don't know what that will be), and sooner or later that will be targeted for additional tax revenue as well.

Lidl ones are great and cheap

Your last comment - I agree with. The visual pleasure of sitting in a room with a wood burning stove is half the attraction to me.

I decided last year enough was enough. I used tobreally enjoy it, but it became super expensive and just feels far too "organised" now.

For a very very classy drink with a great atmosphere and view, go to the bar on the top of the Pensinsula Hotel http://newyork.peninsula.com/en/fine-dining/salon-de-ning-rooftop-bar For a great meal, the appropriately names Quality Meats was pretty awesome.

Chop it if it runs across your property..accidentally...

I always thought the gates were closed at sunset?

My assumption is that when they agree to come, they are interested in lining up new work. Then they come, and either decide on the spot they don't want to do it (for whatever reason) and appear interested just to be polite, or are interested but then before they prepare the quote they visit another job to quote on and like that one better, so kind of forget the others... I agree with above, after three weeks, they aren't interested.

This morning, 5.30 onwards, was loud.

Completely agree on the police helicopters too - those i cannot ignore

It's also one of those things, a bit like a car/house alarm - if you are asleep, and it doesn't wake you up, you don't notice it is there. But if you are awake trying to get to sleep, it is the worst/most annoying thing in the world for that period of time.

All, Aircraft noise is a very real problem for many people. Not all of them post here. If it is not a problem for you, that's amazing and I'm happy that it doesn't affect you, but please don't shoot down the people that it does affect. On the days that the planes pass overhead, the noise can be incessant. I personally believe it's City airport and the smaller turboprop planes that are the most annoying, higher pitched and whiney. It is real. It had become worse over the time I've lived here. It's bloody annoying.

I don't think pop is in the minority - I just think he's one of the few people affected who post on the forum. I find the noise levels incredibly loud - so much so, that if the window is open and I have the TV on, I need to pause it until the aircraft noise recedes. When city airport was closed the other day it felt so quiet, with none of the smaller turboprop aircraft flying overhead. It's about time that aircraft were included in noise and other pollution considerations. jet fuel can contain up to 3000ppm sulphur, whilst currently 10ppm is the road standard. Incredible. The noise over parts of Dulwich is too loud.