Applespider

sorchamr Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I dont cycle I go by bus look like cyclist round > by Elephant are all very assertive and fast - it > looks so scary You are right. It does look scary but that's partly due to it being unfamiliar. As you gain experience - and those free coaching sessions help enormously - it soon becomes normal. Naturally you keep your wits about you but it does end up being far less stressful than public transport.

Ah... didn't get the notice re roadworks through our door. Thanks for letting me know. JDR - hope your water is back on.

There are two Thames Water vans and lots of no parking cones around the junction of Wood Vale and Melford Road. I do still have water on Wood Vale tho wondering whether to risk starting the laundry.

And a third recommendation for the council cycle training. My lovely instructor helped me find a commute route and showed me all the tricky spots. My confidence and road awareness was ten times better by the end of the sessions. Only other bit of advice is to enjoy it

Yes - the 176 terminated at East Dulwich Station after 20 minutes of trying to get beyond Goose Green

The signs on the parking suggest it is ongoing til 16th. There's no through route to Denmark Hill station or Kings. Buses were being sent right at the top of DKH. Very few people on my bus had any knowledge of it so guessing others might also be caught out!

Yes, it's often standing room only even outside peak times and they're reducing the frequency? Looking at TFL, it suggests it's every 6-9 minutes during the day and 9-13 minutes in the evening at the moment.

You get an option to rate on your receipt, KK if the journey is 'completed' You get a 5 when you first sign up (before you take any trip) according to my driver the other night - and he, at least, uses the rating to decide whether to accept a job. They don't get to know where the ride is going but they do get the rating of the person requesting the ride. He mentioned that he never accepts anyone below a 4 and marks people down for eating/drinking in his (admittedly v clean) car.

Oh no - that does make it even worse for you to feel so helpless. I was lucky that multiple neighbours came out to check what was happening and one memorably chased after the guy wearing just his pants (it was around midnight) much to the amusement of his wife who wondered what he planned to do if he'd caught up. I used to say that my neighbours' responses were one thing that helped me feel better so not having that must be even tougher. I know many people now disregard car alarms etc as likely false alarms but it is depressing to think that a human scream could be dismissed if people were around to hear it.

Hi Malia Was really sorry to read about your experience. It happened to me about 9 years ago and it will take a bit of time before you feel comfortable. I m probably still warier than I used to be when walking home and heading for my door but the nervousness has gone. You might find yourself jumping at any noises behind you for a while and double checking over your shoulder. I would walk with keys out and prepared to scream if situation became threatening. If it was late and there was someone getting off a bus with me and looking like they were going my way, I did ask if they'd walk with me rather than behind which most were happy to do. One useful piece of advice I got was to get a motion activated light for your door partly as a deterrent but also because it can make you feel less vulnerable than being in dark. I hope that you are able to put this behind you. Best wishes in doing so x

There is a short third lane there now that buses pull over into before turning so during quieter times, it might not be particularly disruptive to traffic. At busy times, if the lights are phased correctly, it shouldn't be a problem. The relatively recent changes at the top of the hill moving the arrows and the repphasing of the lights up there seem to have created much bigger jams than I recall in the past.

I can't really see why people shouldn't be able to do with the 363s do and turn along Underhill Road to make it easier to get back to Woodvale from the Forest Hill direction. It wasn't quite so bad when Melford was still two way but it's a long detour to get there.

Amazed it's taken until today for someone to come and look at it. I reported it on Saturday morning as flowing down the road. It's in the same place as one earlier in the year.

Airlines aren't quite as helpful as they used to be as the airports are stricter about what you can get through. I have managed to bring a couple of 50x50 frames through but I'm not sure their 'wardrobes' now would really have room for anything bigger. My other suggestion would be anyone going up by train (if not on a rush-hour one) if you can 'string' the frame and bubble wrap so it can take a little bit of handling. If the carriage is quiet, someone could keep it alongside or you could chat up the guard to put it somewhere out of the way in the guard's van (I've done this with 50cm frames). My sis has just left on a more or less empty train to Edinburgh unfortunately.

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Also, haven't been into MeatLicquor as I > like medium burgers and can't have them so why > bother. I started to reply to this to say that Meatliquor burgers are quite pink so don't rule them out but then realised that you might mean that you can't currently eat medium burgers. I tend only to eat out round here when friends come to stay as quite a few places aren't particularly welcoming to lone diners (unless it's early and they are quiet - I understand that it's one less cover but still...)

Did you tell them when you booked that you weren't going to have a blow dry? If so, then I can see why you're cross that they didn't tell you it was a condition of the discount. If not, then I suspect that at this time of year, the vast majority of their clients will have a blow-dry when they leave so they don't take people through all the t&cs. What did the salon boss say when you complained? I do understand why you might not get a blow dry with curly hair - but how horrible that you don't like it feeling forced into paying for it. Nothing worse than walking out of a hairdressers miserable but at least a bad blow dry is sorted by stepping in the shower. I sobbed for a week after a recent haircut elsewhere that I just had to wait to grow out. Are you happy with the colour at least?

I caught the 185 today (1745 at Victoria) and the 200m diversion took 45 minutes from leaving Camberwell New Road to getting back on track. If you have to go that way, I'd advise getting off the bus at the stop before Sacred Heart, walking up to the Green and then getting the 185 that left Victoria 40 minutes beforehand.

Just back home and it does seem to be spluttering back into life... phew! Might still give it a few hours before I stick that load of laundry on though!

The weird thing about that message is that the map only shows the affected area as around Balham, west Dulwich and West Norwood. It has increased over last hour but still seems to suggest we should be OK. Anyone got through yet?

I don't always use the cycle superhighways - because unless I am coming/to from their main route, the traffic lights aren't phased to make my journey quicker. Primarily at Stockwell, where I want to turn towards Vauxhall (way into town) or towards Brixton (way home), the main traffic lights give me the chance to turn rather than waiting in the cycle lane for the majority of traffic/cyclists to go straight on. And at Vauxhall on the way in, there are four sets of lights to the end of the cycle lanes - none of which are timed to suit average speed cyclists so you end up waiting at each set for a full traffic cycle - that adds up to 5 minutes to my journey (which is nearly 20% of the time my commute takes to go about 400m). If the bus lane wasn't there so I felt I was holding up traffic, I might not feel as comfortable doing so.

Mine seemed OK for a few days after it came back on but this week, it's felt very low again and my boiler is struggling. One floor up on Wood Vale (and Thames only guarantee the 1 bar to the ground floor apparently)

Excellent point Penguin - It is well hidden. On the Norwood Junction point (assuming they are not also losing trains), I haven't had to change platforms with my luggage on the way there - it's been cross platform. I know Clapham isn't that far from Denmark Hill but when you live closer to FH, then that's another 15-20 mins just to get there - suddenly one bus to EC with a heavy suitcase even if it takes slightly longer looks less painful.

bargee99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Looks like they are cutting off easy access to > Gatwick Airport for this part of South London. It > was always an easy 15 minutes from Forest Hill to > East Croydon and another 15 from there to Gatwick. > They have even recently made it Oyster card all > the way. It's not clear about the service from > East Dulwich to East Croydon. It looks like there > might be some outside of peak hours but I honestly > can't decipher their notes and sub-notes. It may > be the only way left to avoid going into Victoria > and catching the Gatwick Express is overground > from Denmark Hill to Clapham Junction and a train > from there. It is annoying to lose direct link to East Croydon though emergency timetables have meant it hasn't been running the last few times I have wanted it. Presumably though it would still be quicker to get the West Croydon train and switch at Norwood Junction for East Croydon and Gatwick. Outside rush hour, even the 197 to East Croydon might be just as quick as the schlep to Clapham especially with luggage in tow

There is a large stash of bottled water on the pavement at the junction of Wood Vale and London Road. Must have arrived after 8pm last night but if anyone still has no water, it is now there.

IlonaM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have cold water in a relatively splutter-y flow > on the ground floor at the bottom of Underhill Rd. > Been filling up saucepans and the cistern in case > it stops again!!! I can understand why you want to do this but if everyone does this as soon as the water reappears, the pressure will take longer to stabilise and means those in upper flats will have to wait even longer. Am very glad to have been away this weekend but had been looking forward to shower on my return which now ain't happening!