Naiada

I've been trying to find a secondhand / reproduction Maltese Clock (Tal-Lira) similar to the one in the photo for a friend's birthday, (if I can get one at a reasonable price!!) I've tried ebay, etsy etc but can't find anything suitable in the UK. and the only ones I can see in Malta are very very expensive. Any suggestions? The main things she liked about the one in the photo (which was taken on holiday in Malta) are the floral decorations. It's to go in a narrowboat but I don't want to just get a bit of standard canalware...

We currently have a diesel Volvo estate which we will be selling in about a month but our insurance is up this week so we need to take out a policy then switch the details of the car when we get an different (petrol) car.. We're currently with Churchill who seem pretty expensive compared to the other quotes I've just got on 'Moneysupermarket.com' the new quotes (with the same info about our current car and drivers ) vary from ?250 - ?1600 so if anyone can recommend a good value and reliable insurer, please let me know asap thanks!

Any recommendations for the best website hosting platforms? The one I am currently with is out of date and so I'd need to migrate anyway so thought I'd shop around...

thanks for the link to [www.cuvva.com] Blah Blah - so far that looks as cheap as any- around ?1000. I've tried a broker called Adrian Flux (phone only) and theirs all came in at over ?2000!!!! Churchill (who we are with) wouldn't go lower than ?1500. If I find anything much under ?1000 I'll update this post.

Thanks for your replies. We used to have a ?black box? in the car when he was learning & newly qualified so will look into that option too. Yes, I was going to call them & try and negotiate - it?s always worked for me in the past.... Any more suggestions also gratefully received, thanks .

My son has just bought a secondhand car car (2008 - 2 litre Ford Focus cabriolet) it cost ?2000 and he says insurance is coming in at approx ?1000 p.a ( via Moneysupermarket etc) - Any suggestions of where how to get it cheaper? He?s currently still living with is but moving out to a rented flat in a couple of months. He?s been driving since May 2015 ( age 19) and has a clean licence. He?s always been on our policy up til now as he?s just been driving our car. thanks for any help.

Update - we appealed online in early February and have just had a letter saying the fine for ?65 has gone up to ?190 for one offense - despite their website saying no additional penalty will be added whilst the appeal was being reviewed!! There is no-one answering the phones at Southwark council to discuss it with - it's all automated.

We've been given an old spoonback chair and chaise longue, both of which need to be re-upholstered but the ones we like are very pricey per metre. Does anyone know of anywhere to get furnishing fabrics which are not too expensive?

thanks IlonaM - I've just ordered a bag of the one you recommended - fingers crossed!

I?m looking for a good clumping cat litter -have used various clumping ones but the dust from them sets off my asthma. The only one that doesn?t make me wheeze is the ( so called) ?World?s Best Cat litter? which is made from maize & is bio degradable. It is very good but also very expensive so I wondered if anyone else has found a non allergenic, clumping cat litter?

thanks for the info.

thanks Spartacus I have a wordpress website & am also planning to add a shop to that - I was enquiring about Facebook in case it was easier / cheaper for now as I get more enquiries via my Facebook business page & Instagram than my website. Any feedback on shops for Wordpress (or even swapping to Shopify if that?s easier to set up) would be great!

I?m a textile artist and am thinking of getting a Facebook shop for my business page - does anyone in a similar art/design business have one and if so, is it worth setting one up? Have you linked it to Instagram? Any pros & cons ? At the moment I sell work through Instagram even though my posts aren?t currently ?shoppable? ...

Like many other people, we are hoping to go away for a short break any time from April 12th if there are still any self catering properties left this year! Ideally we'd like something for 2 people with a sea view where we can just sit and relax if the weather is bad - it can be anywhere in England. If we can't find anything with a sea view, then any great view will do! Thanks for any recommendations.

We have a Whatsapp group for our street and lots of residents have also had numerous problems with post taking up to 2 months to arrive, and many mis-directed letters. No post at all this week. I tried sending a complaint to royal mail but just got an automated reply. Hope your recorded letter arrives, Fwomble. The problem with 'recorded delivery' is that it is no more secure than ordinary 1st class mail - as far as I'm aware it is not tracked en route, just 'signed for' on receipt, whereas 'special delivery' aka next day delivery is tracked all the way and should always arrive by 1pm the next day...

Thanks for the link, mancity68 - so now I know!!

Update - answered by ManCity68 below:- I keep seeing this smiley face graffiti in various places eg Catford, East Dulwich + Tulse Hill - does anyone know any more about it? The smiley yellow faces look like they are the yolks of an egg or something....

We have just received 2 separate notices from the council because apparently we drove along Burbage/ Turney roads & the 2nd Dulwich village northbound towards Pickwick road. Has anyone else had similar notices and appealed successfully? Seems likethe reatrictions are only at cerain hours of the day to coincide with school drop-off & pickups maybe?

My partner has written a 330 page novel during the pandemic and has finished the first draft. He would like to get one copy of the first draft printed, cut and bound cheaply as it will need further editing. Anyone know where he can get one copy done? There's also an option for him to print it on A4 paper himself in which case he would just need to find somewhere to get it cut to A5 sized sheets and bound. He knows this may have to be ring bound for the draft - that's fine. After that he'd also be interested in finding out about short run self publishing suggestions too. Thanks for any suggestions, either local or others where they would post it back.

As we all know ED forum is really great for selling things (we?ve sold a car, bikes, furniture etc et on it) Does anyone know of any other good forums in the UK (preferably but not necessarily local) as I?d lie to maximise my chances of selling a range of items quickly. A lot of the other local ones don?t really seem to have a ?for sale? section .... thanks for any suggestions

Thankyou for all those suggestions - I'll pass them on.

that's really helpful, thanks Nigello!

My friend is 62 and not eligible for a flu jab on the NHS according to his surgery. He's tried LlOyds pharmacy but they are out of stock and the nearest place he has found is Borough high st. Does anyone know somewhere nearer (and not in the congestion zone)? He knows he'll have to pay but as long as it's not a ridiculous Harley st type price that's ok.... thanks

We?re in a 1st floor flat & our neighbours downstairs had rats under their shed - they saw them walking around their garden, looking in their patio window!! The pest controller said there has been an influx of rats moving to domestic properties this year since lockdown when all restaurants closed & they went into our drains to find food. Send a PM i you need details of the pest control firm & I?ll get details from the neighbours.

Here?s a list of some of the fantastic restaurants & food chains offering free food for kids in South London - sorry it?s just a screenshot attached -it was forwarded too me by a friend . se