cordsm

Popped in for a snacky things yesterday & I was the only customer in the store.

I don't agree at all with the 'looks pretty but same as everywhere else' comment regarding Bora & Sons. It's the best greengrocer I've come across in terms of range. I've been really enjoying being able to buy things like tomatillos, lots of different tomatoes, mangosteens etc as occasional treats, mixed in with cheaper fruit & veg from Local Greens.

Lots of Grand Designs eco-houses seemed to have been heated by a single log-burner.....Property & lifestyle content often (falsely) depicts them as being modern and environmentally friendly.

Fourway Pharmacy at Herne Hill was allowing walk-ins when I was there earlier.

Queued for c.30 mins about 45 mins ago at the Grove Vale BP....All very well organised though & no limits on how much petrol you could buy. Thanks to EDers who have posted these updates....

Has anyone got any tips for anywhere that's still got petrol now? Thanks

Oh that's great news - I'll wander down that way for a visit. I drove past it several times in the middle of the day & it was always closed, which is why I thought it might have shut down.

Does anyone know what happened to Fabulous Ice Fires? Has it completely closed down now (sorry if this happened ages ago)? I used to go after visiting the leisure centre, but with covid that whole routine changed....

Hi Citykitty. I do sympathise....I'm one street away so a bit more protected from the noise, but I have noticed that the (faint, for me) sound of children's screams seems to last all day long, rather than just appear at morning break or lunchtime. I wonder whether the playground is used all day long for outdoor games/P.E? Worth speaking to the Headteacher to find out more, if you work from home & it's making you feel desperately miserable. Good luck.

I'm in the exact same situation & each flat has to pay about ?450 a year just for buildings insurance - a complete rip off. My vague understanding is that freeholder companies get kickbacks from insurance companies/brokers. There is no incentive for them to find the cheapest deal for the leaseholders. I'd be interested to hear what you're being asked to pay.

Perhaps try Bruno's Cave? Or I use frenchclick.co.uk for french food/drink & they definitely sell grenadine. Their warehouse is handily in Herne Hill and you can click & collect.

I suspect that it's easier to remain compassionate and understanding if you're not actually travelling by public transport each day. A few months ago, I was very understanding if I saw someone without a mask on a train. Now, after months of using public transport (two buses, two trains each way) to get to work, I've got no sympathy left whatsoever. The amount of people who get on the train, sit down opposite you, then take their masks off is astonishing.

If you don't want to queue for Moxons, I'd go to the fish stall on North Cross Road on Saturdays. Nice guy & he always has scallops.

'Evidence' from Twitter. That's a good one, thanks! Schools are very much open in that the staff are still working, whether teaching remotely from home, looking after vulnerable students or those with key worker parents, or doing in-school mentoring for students sitting exams next year.

I got a No. 40 bus to Denmark Hill station last Sunday at around 10am & it was empty all the way. I let a 176 go by that had a few people on it....Definitely worth getting to the bus stop a bit early, so you can pick & choose which bus you get on. :) I had to get the train to work twice this week for the first time since lockdown and I felt pretty nervous too, but you soon get used to it again... A few guys not wearing masks, but that's less likely on the bus, as there's a driver to keep an eye on things...

I think people are being a bit unnecessarily defensive here. The original post just asked people to be considerate, after all. Not too much to ask, surely? As for 'teachers unions have effectively closed down schools' - what a ridiculous & ill-informed statement. Schools are very much open & setting pupils work.

I went yesterday & it was fine. Well-stocked, apart from pasta/loo roll etc. you'll just have to queue to get.

My rescue cat from Battersea took about 3-4 months to fully settle in (he had been found on the streets, arrived at Battersea, been adopted by a family & then returned to Battersea 1 week later). He would be affectionate a lot of the time, but would also randomly launch himself through the air & attack my legs. He clearly felt threatened in some way, but I found it hard to understand what was triggering the attacks. If he saw another cat in the garden, he would also attack me (redirected aggression). I got to the stage where I was thinking that I'd made a massive mistake & was considering contacting Battersea, but he ended up calming down & he's such a great cat now. It just took longer than I had anticipated for him to settle. Good Luck!

Went through the same process a few weeks ago. Emma don't sell their hybrid anymore, just their original mattress, which I purchased with their 30% off offer (worth waiting for one of these regular offers). The Casper & Emma mattresses came joint top in the latest Which survey of mattresses. Casper is cheaper, but apparently a little less soft.

Also, Agile Rabbit in Herne Hill is good. Quite similar to 500 Degrees, but some different topping mixes. Tonno (tuna & artichoke) was great.

Has anyone received a sticker yet for their bin? It's been weeks since I paid and no sign of it yet....

Hop on a bus at Goose Green or The Plough and it will still take you to Forest Hill Station. It's just the section in between these two points that's closed this afternoon, with buses being diverted around Barry Rd.

Yes, Lidl had their French week last week & it was on sale for around ?5.99, I think and there was quite a lot of it in the store.