Penguin68

We bought our house nearly 30 years (Underhill) ago with some slight evidence of (even then, old) cracking - over time that has, if anything, closed, and certainly we have had no visible worsening over this time. It was suggested that movement might anyway have been caused by the putative removal of a tree in our front garden, rather than any underlying instability. As the ground is clay there is always some risk of movement, which insurers like to play up, but, in, as I say, nearly 30 years I have seen few houses locally going through any remedial work linked to subsidence, and some of that was probably unnecessary (there was a fashion for that sort of thing a whilest back). Of course houses with newly dug basements and sub-basements have needed foundation work, but that is a function of the 'improvement' not of subsidence. We have never had buildings insurance refused (or a very high charge set) and have not, in nearly 30 years, had to make any call on it.

I am not a structural engineer, but I believe that an RSJ resting on a structural wall displaces the weight of the structure it supports throughout the supporting wall (and not just down through a notional column of bricks just below it). If the 'left' column of bricks is tied into the party wall (as it should be) then the weight being supported by the RSJ will still be displaced into the party wall. I think you would need to build-in an independent supporting column (probably steel) to support the RSJ, itself properly based and fixed. This would be non-trivial work. You would still have building works which were very close to the party wall, and which might still require a party-wall agreement.

However note that the surveyor(s) will need access to their property to undertake a proper survey (and note the pre-work condition of their property) - without that they could claim that any existing damage was down to you and you would be unable to readily disprove that (as you could with a survey of their property).

Checking some simple facts before telling someone that their email suggesting re-planting of trees in Winter is 'inappropriate' might be an idea! Tree planting seasons differ for plants with a potted root ball or bare rooted. In general most horticulturists would avoid planting bare rooted trees at times when the ground is either likely to be frozen or flooded - so planting takes place often in late autumn or early spring - certainly between November and March but not at any time or condition in that time-spread. One expert advises:- The don?t?s ? Never plant when the soil is waterlogged or frost is on the ground as buried ice stays frozen for months and slows root establishment. If you need to plant when cold weather is forecast, cover the area with cardboard or plastic sheets to keep out the cold.(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9689949/A-guide-to-planting-bare-root-trees-shrubs-and-perennials.html) Street planted trees are always under some stress. Planting them in winter conditions will stress them further and be a poor investment. What I would do in my garden (where I can protect the trees, and where I can ensure that the roots neither dry-out or drown or freeze) is very different from what the council can do with street planted trees. Better would be to plant them as potted plants (already in soil and established) - which can be done outside the November-March window.

A 'party wall' agreement isn't really just about the party wall - it reflects the impact that building work could potentially have on a neighbour with whom you share any structure - semi or terraced. Other than building a fully structural wall (with proper foundations) within your own property to substitute the party wall and act as support to an RSJ (which would be loony) I can't see a way round this. Your neighbour cannot stop you doing work which doesn't require planning permission (which is entirely different either from meeting building regulations or permitted development) - but he/ she can require you to undertake a proper survey of their property (with a surveyor or structural engineer they agree to) - at your expense - and require you or your builder to put right any subsequent (and consequent) damage. You may need a solicitor to explain to them their legal position (which is that they don't have one when it comes to stopping your work, but that they have rights regarding that work) - which will be more expense.

If you are going to cut down trees, then now (when no birds are nesting, even if many will be roosting in trees) is ideal. They are also without leaves (deciduous ones) which makes it easier, safer and cleaner to remove them. The cost of professional removal of trees is not cheap - if they could have been left in situ that would be a cheaper option for the council, so I suspect there will be good reasons to remove them (disease, old age leading to instability, unacceptable root or canopy encroachments etc.) Of course they should be replaced (by perhaps more appropriate trees for the site, preferably ones which encourage native bird and insect species), but either autumn or spring is a better time (certainly not when the ground is likely to be frozen). As long as none have been removed because of complaints that 4WD buggies can't negotiate passed them, I am easy about this.

Best just to pretend the Southern trains don't exist, and find another route. The problem is, this just means they've won. They don't get your fare anyway - the government gets that and then has to pay compensation for failed services (probably the worst deal with train operators ever) - so if we don't even try to use them, then they can claim there are no passenger problems (because they have no passengers) - they won't be bothered to run any sort of service on our lines, but they still have the overall lucrative franchise, but without having to supply services to one part of it (which means that they will be more able to service others). The have been trading off services on our lines anyway (by massively reducing them) to keep up services on others - if they can get away with no services on ours (because we stop using them) they can argue our services aren't needed.

I've just talked to the gang on the 'brown' lorry - there are 'safe handling' issues with trees over 5ft - they have been told not to bin those, indeed any trees - and they thought that the caged lorries might be doing the collections (but didn't know for sure). I'd cut my tree back to a bare stem (with the branches in the brown bin) and they took this, and the stem.

The guys on the brown bins were told today not to collect Christmas Trees, so don't be surprised if you have left yours out and it stays. He couldn't tell me what, if any, collection method was envisaged. It was brown bin collection in recent years but I do recall them using the caged lorries some years ago on tree only collections.

There are laser lights projected from the Shard over the Christmas period, they reflect off the cloud cover - they swing round in a circle pointing out from the top of the Shard. That may be what you are seeing.

VI flying (buzz) bombs could be intercepted (the RAF got quite good at tipping them up and over-balancing them as well as shooting them down) - it was the V2 (super-sonic ballistic missiles) that could not be intercepted and which could be better targeted (they were too fast and heavy to be influenced by the weather). They also carried a much larger payload and diverting them through misinformation was the only defence available.

Mine is working OK so I suspect it's a problem with your box. BT is good about replacement, but bad time of year for it to happen.

why DulwichFox, and more recently Louisa, need to put their names at the end of every post Old fashioned politeness?

Or perhaps reduce every feeder lane into the roundabout to a single track earlier - perhaps with two lanes as exits - that way traffic moves away from the roundabout quickly, but enters it in a more orderly fashion, with no options for overtaking.

But Louisa - there isn't a national bread shortage - our local Coop could always be ordering more if their supply is regularly running out before customers' needs can be fulfilled. It's their bad on this. Local shops are just as much legitimate customers as you, with just as much right to buy their bread where they want to. Just as a large family may need to buy more than someone living on their own. I don't think local sandwich shops are exactly coining it - to equate making a profit with greed without any knowledge of what level of profit being made is absurd. If they didn't make a profit they would go out of business. If buying from the Coop what you need is an act of selfishness, then I accuse you of selfishness for buying (or even trying to buy) what you need from the Coop. Every time you buy a loaf you are selfishly depriving someone else of the possibility of buying one. Hang your head in shame!

Ah well - that just means that normal recycling can be fly tipped as well, to fill up the spaces around the large items now being fly-tipped. Southwark Labour seems intent on creating the street-scape of the Winter of Discontent, without even a dustmen's strike to help that along. Old labour indeed. Will warm the cockles of Jeremy's heart.

Nevertheless, if I was a small retailer of e.g. sandwiches with a regular need for bread I would make an arrangement with a supplier (say the Coop) for that supply, and attempt at least to negotiate a discount for a regular supply (I assume that other types of comestible which would go into sandwich fillings could also be supplied by the Coop ? such as cheese, cucumber etc.) That way the Coop would have knowledge of their stocking requirements. Indeed even without an order any decent POS (Point of Sale) system will know buying patterns ? many years ago 7-11s had a sufficiently good system that they set up deliveries throughout the day (up to 4 I believe) which took account of demand patterns at different times of day to allow the right goods to be stocked at the right times (these stores used all their space for retail leaving no storage capacity ? shelves were filled straight from deliveries). So shelves empty of bread are the fault of poor stocking management by the Coop and not bad behaviour by their customers. So no surprises there, then.

And, as Lowlander quite rightly points out the Highway Code is on the side of the pedestrian. He'd been right, dead right as he'd walked along But now he was as dead as if he'd been dead wrong!

... if you want to cross the Lane, try doing so (a) at the many crossings and (b) looking where you are going. Too often I see pedestrians crossing at a long diagonal, with their backs to oncoming traffic and not looking at it. And if you do cross at a zebra crossing, please don?t suddenly turn and dart out into the road ? you may have the right of way but cars drivers cannot easily anticipate pedestrians who appear to be walking towards them, but suddenly deviate and cross. Make sure that oncoming traffic has seen you. And don?t expect every cyclist to take account of any normal road rules ? most do, but it is the 1% that don?t that will run straight into you as you cross (legally) on a red light. And if you are walking with a drunk, please keep an eye on (normally) him. And pull him back when he lurches into the path of oncoming traffic. Of course car drivers have to drive carefully, but others acting half way sensibly would really make life so much easier for everyone. And ensure we all have a happy Christmas.

To be clear, British Intelligence had managed to take control of all German agents in the UK (either by turning them or by planting their own agents onto the Germans) and were getting them to report substantial overshoots of V weapons (i.e. to the North and West of London) to get their range shortened such that they actually fell into Kentish fields. Inevitably that drew weapons down onto SE London, but the relative population densities between here and Central London were such that this was a least worst option.

I suspect that a 'held-over' lease allows the freeholder to sell with fewer constraints, the new owner may choose to negotiate a further lease (if they believe that this is the best option for them) or to give notice. So the freehold can be sold with no real encumbrance, but the purchaser has an immediate tenant if they should want one. For 'Mrs Robinson' I assume that the benefit has been an extended lease at the same rental as previously - for which they have traded security of tenure. My guess is that the 'held-over' lease terms (as it were) would include a standard notice period. So 'Mrs Robinson' will probably continue to trade as before, at least until the sale and the end of any notice period and possibly beyond. It must be of some interest to 'Mrs Robinson' to consider purchasing the freehold themselves. They would get their premises rent free together with the flat rentals, effectively a return of ?79k a year (flat rentals plus saved own rental cost - and in fact possibly better than that if you assume that rents are rising in the area anyway).

We are still waiting to hear if the Diocese of Southwark, Church of England, has given Southwark permission to cut down dozens of trees in The Glade on One Tree Hill in the New Cemetery (Brenchley Gardens and to continue cutting trees and mounding over graves in Camberwell Old Cemetery (Woodvale). You will be waiting an exceedingly long time then - the 'statute' you continue to cite refers only to activities on church (parish) lands - municipal cemeteries are not covered by this, (see many notes passim). The Church must give permission for alteration to graves or their contents, and the addition of new paths or roadways in consecrated land in municipal cemeteries - they have NO authority regarding the felling (or indeed planting) of trees in municipal cemeteries, although they do claim such rights as regards parish land (church cemeteries). The rights as regards new paths reflect the fact that these would thus reduce the amount of land in consecrated areas. The church is on clear record as being happy to encourage and support re-use of consecrated ground for future burials.

Have you tried re-booting your router? (I'm sure you have). When the service goes down this can help.

Curiously from 1892 to 1969 the charge for sending an unsealed envelope (just folded in) was less than for sending a sealed one - hence most people sent Christmas cards unsealed. This concession was abandoned after the introduction of first and second class post. The concession had been introduced to allow the (cheaper) posting of printed material (.g. newspapers) - and hijacked by a thrifty public. Some (older) people will still not stick down cards our of habit.

My neighbour has a revolving reflector in their chimney - it is bright chrome/ steel and, when the sun is in the right position it can reflect this like a strobe light. Could it be that? (not my neighbours, of course, but yours...)