alex_b

Robert Poste's Child Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > How do you find the taste in tea, Mick Mac? > Whenever I've come across one of them the water > didn't taste like freshly boiled water should if > you're making tea but perhaps the institutional > ones aren't cleaned as often as they should be. > Also, how do you find the cost of having it > running all the time compared with a kettle? I find the taste to be absolutely fine for tea, coffee and herbal tea. We're more coffee drinkers than tea drinkers though so you might be more sensitive to taste. We did have to turn the heat up from the initial setting to get it nearer to boiling, it might be that ones you've used are turned down a bit. For us not having bench space taken up with a kettle was a big plus. We also use it all the time for cold filtered water and to fill pots for cooking so it gets a lot of use. Just to set expectations on noise, you do hear the tank heating up occasionally. It's much much quieter than a kettle, but it comes on at random times rather than when you're using water. Energy wise, we haven't noticed it being particularly expensive to run. The tank is really well insulated and there's a benefit of not boiling too much water from cold and then letting it cool down. We have an InSinkerator unit with a tap that matches our main kitchen tap. I ours is rated to 98 degrees, there are ones that do true boiling but they have obviously different tap styles.

James - Nutbrook Street is developing potholes despite having been resurfaced really recently. I wonder if there is a problem with the construction.

buggie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is it really a problem with the council as you > have quite pointedly suggested James, or as > others have pointed out, is the issue with the > school (and have the school admitted this?) > > You seem to be being very quick to blame/point > everyone towards the sitting councillors - seems a > disingenuous attempt at point scoring with the > election coming up - especially as neither of the > labour councillors on/mentioned on this thread are > in direct competition with you. I can?t see anywhere in James?s posts where he blames the situation on anyone. He does state that the council?s statement about communications was inaccurate and quotes a parent?s communication to back it up. He doesn?t mention councillors at all.

I use a service called Flipper, they move me automatically when I can save money. It costs ?50 a year but they'll only charge you if they save you more than ?100. They've moved me twice in the last two and a half years and I've been very impressed with the service.

I never found our combi washer/dryer very useable, the drying function wasn't very good and was energy inefficient; it also tied up the machine for hours. As soon as we had the space we switched to stacked separates. We bought the entry-ish level Miele machines and find them really excellent after a year and a bit of use.

fishbiscuits Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Peckham is already hard enough to navigate with > the ridiculous one way system. That's why we get > trucks and coaches down residential streets, > sometimes desperately trying to pull off a > thirteen-point turn. I suspect it's got much more to do with coaches and trucks using consumer apps rather than HGV approved sat-navs and relying on them to navigate. Anyway my suggestion would be to have an area wide set of restrictions that ensured traffic stuck either to Champion Hill in the West or Copeland/Consort Road in the East, rather than using Lyndhurst, Bellenden, Maxted, Nutbrook and Adys as a rat-run. I understand that if there was just one restriction then traffic would just shift over (as it did with Ogglander, Ondine and Copplestone) hence why a joined up approach is needed.

Sally - The problem is that ?calming? just makes traffic slower, noisier (tracks banging over speed bumps and reving between them) and more polluting. I?m sure it makes it a tiny bit safer for cyclists and pedestrians but makes it worse for residents subject to the noise and pollution. Unless there are road closures or access restrictions then the rat running will continue.

DulwichLondoner Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I remember that somewhere near Streatham ? the > South Circular there are a few roads with no > access signs, except for access, in force from > 10pm till 8am, or something like that. I have no > idea if it?s really enforced, nor how (cameras > check if cars leave the area?); if I were to guess > I?d say it?s not. But the concept is at least more > reasonable, because it tries to grant residents > less noise at night, ie at a time when the main > roads are less likely to be congested. I don?t > remember exactly where because I ended up there by > mistake, after a few wrong turns. I think this would at least cause the apps to remove the route from their navigation options which I suspect would dramatically cut down traffic. For instance see this article from LA about a similar problem http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-echo-park-traffic-20180404-story.html

Almost London, DulwichLondoner - I think there is a difference between Camberwell Grove (long, straight, set back houses, alternative routes are narrower) and the Bellenden roads. Clearly people are using these roads as a cut through from Peckham Road (A202) to East Dulwich Grove and further south in order to avoid the congestion on non-residential Copeland and Consort Roads. Although I'm mindful on knock-on effects of point closures, I don't think it's unreasonable for residents to expect traffic to be kept on main routes as much as possible. I also think that the navigation apps are a significant cause of the problem, routing large numbers of vehicles down unsuitable roads to save 2-3 minutes on a journey. The weekly crashes at the corner of Adys and Nutbrook as some coach, tipper truck or lorry tries to navigate a too tight turn bears this out to some extent. The situation this week while Maxted is shut for pavement repairs bears out how little of the traffic round here is really for access.

DulwichLondoner Wrote: > Leaving the gates open, at least in those times, > so that only the people without a monthly or > annual pass need to touch out, would however risk > reducing the profits of Southern Fail. Profits vs > safety, it seems. I wonder if it would increase fare dodging in a meaningful way? None of the central London stops on the Thameslink, Southeastern or Overground lines have barrier free exits/entrances, meaning you're not going to get away with not touching in/out at DH even without barriers.

Sally Eva Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Road-closures (filtered permeability) to stop > rat-running are the approach supported by > southwark cyclists. The problem is that > Councillors are frightened to suggest them because > of angry reception such ideas receive. > > If you feel that road-closures are a safer way > forward, please write to your councillor I have, repeatedly. Unfortunately I live in the Lane Ward so I might as well write to a brick wall. I've also participated in all of the quietway consultations, unfortunately the filtered permeability suggestions get ignored and instead we're supposed to believe that "better sightlines" will turn Adys Road from a busy rat-run into a cycling and pedestrian mecca.

The closure of the Bellenden/Maxted junction for the installation of the zebra crossing by the school has made Adys Rd and Nutbrook St gloriously quiet. It's like living on a residential street rather than a highway for tipper trucks, taxis and white vans. Perhaps it could be made permanent?

eastdulwichhenry Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I fully support double yellow lines near > junctions. This is not a convenience issue of > whether or not people can park, it's a safety > issue, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, > and the council was quite right to impose it. > > There are far too many junctions in ED where > there's no visibility because of parked cars, > meaning people have to edge out without knowing > what may be coming along the road. That?s a nice idea in theory. But I live by one of these junctions and since we?ve had the double yellows we?ve seen an increase in traffic speed, more collisions and more large vehicles attempting to turn on a corner that they can?t safely navigate. The proposed quietway increasing the double yellows in our road will only make matters worse. What we need is road closures to stop the rat running, not counterproductive double yellow lines.

James - Do you know what the rules are for builders using the road for building materials? On Adys Road we've had two parking spaces used since Wednesday by building materials covered by a tarpaulin and held down with paving slabs, this is in addition to a skip that's been sat full to overflowing for over a week. I reported it to Southwark via the online form but I guess they haven't classed it as fly tipping (or didn't get to it before the Easter weekend). I don't mind if someone's actively unloading material but to leave it taking up the road for the best part of a week seems to be taking the p**s.

rendelharris Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > The fledglings will leave the nest approximately > 2-3 weeks after hatching, once they're gone the > parents will abandon the nest too and you can move > it. Envy you, should be fun watching them! Thanks. I?ll keep an eye on the nest and remove it when they?ve gone. They are fun to watch, although it will be nice to be able to get into my shed without a robin flying at my head! The best isn?t oriented in a good direction for a web cam. I?m putting up some nest boxes and may try to wire them up for later in the year.

I don't know if this is the right thread but... I have a robin nesting in the peg bag for my clothes line, I'm happy to leave it there for the time being (until the chicks have fledged) but would appreciate any advice for when to move it on to minimize disturbance for the bird. Hopefully the answer isn't leave it til the end of summer.

Thanks very much for all the tips and ideas. No coal hole or cellar although the floor is slightly suspended, lots of pipe work and cables down there too. I expect it?ll be a nightmare to track down the source. Next door is housing association owned and though we get on ok with the tenants I don?t think they?ll do much to fix any problems.

We have the smell of cigarette smoke coming into our understairs cupboard from our neighbour's house. It's a Victorian terrace and I'm guessing that there's a hole somewhere that's letting smells through. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations on how to fix it or a company who can help?

Using something sticky (peanut butter or another paste) is better as they have to stay at the trap to eat it. I've bought a tube of bait from Amazon that seems to work well.

I'm pretty sure we have easigrass (I don't know which model) fitted by the company that redid our whole garden. We only have a 3m x 4m patch that kept dying off due to shade so it made sense for us. The borders and planters give plenty of space for biodiversity in our garden. One thing to watch out for is that the grass gets really hot in direct sun, so be mindful of young feet and paws. Maintenance wise you still do need to do occasional weeding even with a weed control membrane. You can brush it with a stiff brush to keep it from getting flattened down.

eastdulwich_dweller Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > TFL don't autocomplete your journey, they charge > you the maximum amount they can for that day > regardless of what journey you took i.e if it was > off peak time travel, only journey to and from > zone 2 etc. They charge you effectively the price > of a 1 day travel card from zone 1 to 2. That is > why the tannoy asks you to touch in and touch out > - otherwise there would be no need!? As others have pointed out this is incorrect. They do try to guess your journey when it?s regular (ie PR->Canary Wharf and back most days). It?s not foolproof but seems to work most of the time for me. > Also, You can only claim for a refund 3 times a > month for an incomplete journey on contactless You can only do it online 3 times a month. After that you need to call. However the very few times I?ve called they?ve refunded me without argument.

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Everyone had > to queue for the single working barrier - else get > penalised by Oyster ticketing mechanism. In my experience if I don?t touch out at PR when it?s crowded TfL ?auto-completes? my journey, on the couple of occasions that hasn?t happened I?ve been able to go online and successfully apply for a refund. It?s a pain, but better than waiting in the crush for one gate.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > which requires matching the angles and distances > of key facial points against a database This is not how facial recognition technology works.

I find EE and O2 a bit crap round here. We have a boost box from EE which I got free (as part of our work contract) and uses my broadband to improve the signal.

James, a few houses on our street are empty and undergoing major renovations. The builders have taken to using wheely bins to reserve spaces outside the property (in addition to the space taken up by skips). Who should I contact at the council to stop this happening as it's really adding to the parking pressure around here.