Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Just took a walk down to the off-licence and was amazed to see that the Lordship Lane illumination (note the singular!) is up already (outside number 191).

No sign of any more down the road so this must be it for Christmas 2010.

Thanks Scrooge-Wark Council,good to see you're being careful with our money.

I'm with ratty. For me, jobs and important services come first.


I've - very late, I know! - just completed a survey in College ward about priorities in services, and I thought long and hard about what is vital (and what is not). For me it's services for the young and for the old. Stuff like Christmas decorations are nice to have but not vital.


So I'm happy with Southwark not having a display. Or maybe - if they mount a display - why not exchange lights with other local authorities? I see no justification for buying any new ones.

I don't think they should pay for new ones but if they already have them in storage then it would be nice for them to be used, it probably in a tiny way increases shopping in the local businesses (I have no stats for that, just a guess, so could be wrong). I would definitely prefer one person to keep their job than have Christmas lights though.

I think ensuring our shopping areas are attractive and better used than our area might be used without xmas lights is really important for ensuring local jobs and the services these local businesses provide are kept.


You wont see the Bluewaters of this world decide to cancel their xmas decorations.

I agree James ,when Penge had no lights we drove right through, to Bromley, mind you their blue lights in trees were only just passable. If its Christmas, and you want to sell goods, then you should go with the flow and make it more atmospheric, comercial or not, everyone enjoys Christmas, Its a significant time for Christians, and they dont mind anyone enyoying it with them, Little kids love decorations, How about solar lights :))

Hi Moos,

EXACTLY!


In fact this year we'll have a few more Christmas lights in East Dulwich with lights on Upland Road around that small cluster of shops.


The traders from there complained business was hard last year and could they have christmas lights to help with trade. This was agreed but from this year and after all the lamp columns had been tested to check they could take the extra loading - physical (wind loading) and electrical before someone asks.

"Everyone enjoys Christmas, it's a significant time for Christians, and they dont mind anyone enyoying it with them"


That's cheeky Tarot. Gift giving at the winter solstice predates Christianity, winter markets, the 12 days of "Christmas", yule logs, trees, holly & ivy, ho ho ho are all non-Christian traditions.


There's every evidence that "Christmas" was just the politically motivated theft of other people's celebrations in support of a totalitarian expansionist regime.


You outght to be pleased that the rest of us don't mind sharing our festivals with you Christians.

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "Everyone enjoys Christmas, it's a significant

> time for Christians, and they dont mind anyone

> enyoying it with them"

>

> That's cheeky Tarot. Gift giving at the winter

> solstice predates Christianity, winter markets,

> the 12 days of "Christmas", yule logs, trees,

> holly & ivy, ho ho ho are all non-Christian

> traditions.

>

> There's every evidence that "Christmas" was just

> the politically motivated theft of other people's

> celebrations in support of a totalitarian

> expansionist regime.

>

> You outght to be pleased that the rest of us don't

> mind sharing our festivals with you Christians.



Yep, it's your Emperor Constantine, innit?


And wasn't this Jesus bloke born in September 'while shepherds watched their flocks by night'? The sheep and shepherds were under cover from the cold in late December.

Well Hughenot, when do you think we can all stop fighting the old holy wars. I dont want to know how Christmas arrived, at the point it is now, All I know is , the man or myth,that is celebrated at Christmas, speaks only of peace and goodwill, I for one stand by it,commercial madness, parties. decorations lights , and even socks, Rock on I say, and bugger the past. Jesus asked no one to sacrifice themseves, or others, treated women equal. Old priest, and pagans etc no doubt exploited the situation to suit them, no different to today. So called holy men of all religions,threaten, people with the wrath of God, and at the same time take money off their followers for their keep. They should work, Anyway bring on Christmas lights as well, local shops pay for most of them anyway.I,m rambling. dosed up with cold pills.

If you're really full of peace and goodwill, the best way to communicate that would not be by claiming that Christians own "Christmas" and that you're being patronisingly charitable in letting other people celebrate it ;-)


Did you know, during the pre-Christian Roman mid winter festival (called the Saturnalia) masters and slaves changed places for the day (as well as exchanging gifts)?


Seems peace and goodwill is not the sole preserve of Christians eh?

"Well Im afraid we do own Christmas" [sic]


No you don't. You stole it and renamed it. It's points to the arrogance and self-absorption of the Christian faith that you can't accept that.


Anyway, I love the decorations... coloured lights, trees, generosity of spirit and and gift giving. It's a shame that for some Christians it's more about ownership and religious hectoring.


The celebrations undoubtedly have huge positive social and economic effect at a dismal time of the year - the very reason such celebrations were invented. If Southwark needs to cut something then cutting seasonal celebrations would be short sighted. Take charitable assistance away from churches instead.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Here is another article from the excellent Special Needs Jungle (SNJ) with tips for responses to the SEND conversation survey. Including shoe horning in EHCPs which they "forget" to ask a question about in the conversation. And living as we do in Southwark with the huge misfortune of 100% academy secondary schools, some thoughts on this and how unlikely inclusion in mainstream is within the current education landscape. Closing date 14 Jan 2026. And please consider a donation to the excellent entirely run by volunteers SNJ. In my view the government could save money by creating some smaller mainstream secondary schools for kids who can cope in primary school but not  with the scale of secondary, and need a calmer less busy setting. The funding would have to be different - it is currently on a per pupil basis which favours larger schools. But it would undoubtedly be cheaper than specialist provision, and the huge cost to individual children and families (emotional and financial) and to society. https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/tips-help-complete-governments-send-conversation-survey-law/ If anyone wants to take a radical step to help their struggling child, my tip is to move far away: these are the best two schools I have ever visited and in a beautiful part of the country. I only wish we'd moved there before it was too late for my son who had to suffer multiple failings at Charter North and then at the hands of Southwark SEND, out of education from February to October in year 10-11, having already suffered the enduring trauma of a very difficult early life, which in combination with ADHD made his time at schools which just don't care so very unbearable for all of us. https://www.cartmelprioryschool.co.uk/ https://settlebeck.org/ As an add on, I would say to anybody considering adoption, please take into account the education battles that you are very much more likely to face than the average parent. First you have schools to deal with, already terrible; then being passed from pillar to post within Southwark Education, SEND, Education Inclusion Team, round and round as they all do their best to explain why they are not responsible and you need someone different, let's hold another multi-agency meeting, never for one minute considering that if they put the child at the centre and used common sense they would achieve a lot more in much less time without loads of Southwark employees sitting in endless meetings with long suffering parents. It is hard to fully imagine this at the start of your adoption journey, full of hope as you are, but truly education is not for the faint hearted, and should be factored into your decision. You'll never hear from people who are really struggling and continue to do so, only from those who've had challenges but overcome them and it's all lovely. And education, the very people who should be there to help, are the ones who make your lives the most hellish out of everything your child and you face.
    • It’s a big problem all over London. I’ve seen it happen in Kennington and Bloomsbury in the last year. I think there has been some progress recently with some key arrests, but you do need to be very careful when walking around with your phone out, especially, as you say, if wearing noise cancelling headphones. Sorry you experienced this 
    • Luke Johnson (prominent director and co-owner), supported Brexit and backed the Vote Leave campaign. He also described the response to Covid as ‘a campaign of fear’ and 2020 funded a media consultant for the ‘Covid-recovery group’ of anti-lockdown MPs.
    • I'm a bit of an architecture geek and I must confess I find it one of the most gimmicky ugly redesigns I've seen in a while. I'm always open to quirky but this is just not nice in any way shape or form.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...