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I was lucky that I received a student grant from 1990-1995 first 3 years for degree and 2 years post graduate bursary. Both were based on my income and I did not have to pay back. Eldest daughter got student loan and after 20 years managed to pay it off, Youngest daughter still paying hers 18 years later. Granddaughter - still paying after 6 years. Grandson decided against FE and secured an apprentenship. I am glad that I am an old codger and not young anymore !

Thanks Jen22 for the very kind review! Paul and I have been Oddbodding furiously and haven't had a chance to post an updated list of jobs we've been working on until now. So here it is 🙂 Demolition of 2 sheds, removal of large patio and levelling of total area to get it ready for garden room installation Internal decoration of above garden room External sash window decoration, including fixing of rotten joints (multiple) External decorative stone porch decoration Fix of broken metal front gate Shed base installation and build of garden shed Internal plastering fixes and significant water damage fixes, including tricky corners and hard to reach areas (multiple) Rotten window sills fixed and decorated Countless shelves, curtain rails and pictures hung Baths, sinks and showers resealed (too many to count) Dimmer switches (single, 2 and 3 way) replaced in multiple rooms Toilet seats replaced (multiple) including sourcing correct fitting seats (not as easy as you'd think) Lots of kitchen cupboard doors re hung with new hinges if necessary Ikea units built and fitted (wall mounted or otherwise) Tricky fixes to loose door handles Repairing broken visible floorboards Mounting of multiple flatscreen TV's Intallation of super strong (kid proof) coat hooks on walls and other useful areas (eg outsides of cupboards) Innovative conversion of open shelf spaces to sleek enclosed cupboard spaces (even when doors purchased by client don't quite fit) Servicing of kitchen cupboard doors and units Removal of hardwearing paint flooring in photography studio, ready for reinstallation of new floor including epoxy (coming soon) Carpet removal and disposal Wooden garden gate installation including sourcing bespoken gatepost to match existing Sourcing and installation of new double glazed window pane Fence panel installation, including sourcing bespoke size and tricky fix without encroaching on neighbours land New door and window locks installed We pride ourselves on helping our clients find the best solutions to problems and we also offer a design consultsancy service. Please reach out to Iain on +447956877533 (WhatsApp best) if you would like some ideas about home improvements or to get a quote for any jobs. You can also check our insta https://www.instagram.com/oddbods_handy_services/ No job too big or small. Oddbods do it all! Iain Oddbod

It is not only Southwark - our grandson, partner and 7 year old had a one bed council flat for years in Harlow Essex and all the properties offered were in poor condition. They eventually took a property as if they refused another one they would drop to the bottom of the Housing List. It was damp and in need of a level of renovation. Having lived in these conditions for a while they were offered better council accommodation recently, but further away from child's school. They had to pay 2 lots of rent for a few weeks as council had to undertake work in the new premises before they could move in,

I'm commenting again about the broader picture. I commuted by cycle for 20 years through Peckham Rye (west) and Rye Lane, it was (and still is) pretty horrid during peak times. I'm not aware if and how the new scheme will affect that commute. But I am interested in the political angle following the ex-councillor's interjection. A simple AI response for the two main left parties: LDs The Liberal Democrats' position on driver behaviour focuses on enhancing road safety, reducing environmental impacts, and promoting, or, in some cases, regulating the use of cars in favor of greener alternatives. Their approach combines technological solutions, support for safer infrastructure, and stricter penalties for dangerous driving. Greens The Green Party of England and Wales positions itself to drastically reform driver behaviour through stricter regulations, reduced speed limits, and a shift toward sustainable, low-emission, and active travel, with an ultimate goal of zero road fatalities Infrastructure and Road User Hierarchy: The party prioritizes a "road hierarchy" that places walking, cycling, and public transport above private motor vehicles. They plan to cancel new road-building programmes, using the funds to improve walking and cycling infrastructure. So both fall short of a totally radical rethink of our attitude to the motor car. And how technology could, and hopefully should, see the end of the need for a private car in most urban environments freeing up 100s of miles of road space. I'm sure that an earlier search mentioned the presumed liability, as adopted in some European countries, being something that LDs supported. This is where the road user higher up the hierarchy eg car/motorcycle, or Truck/car would be presumed liable if there was a collision. Perhaps James Barbour would know more.

Just had an interior decorating job done by Andy. The final outcome looks lovely and he did some remedial work at the same time to fill in gaps in the ceiling (due to previous electrical work) and to remediate any similar areas to ensure a polished overall look. Would highly recommend him for any similar job, he quoted a very reasonable price for the job as well. Thanks Andy!

Getting back to the pros and cons of the actual scheme, yes the council has made some improvements like pedestrianising the road outside the Nag's Head and helpfully they have provided more information. But it's still a badly thought out scheme with major show stoppers, a bigger rejig is needed to cope with baseline traffic changes, let alone Southwark's ambitions for more people to move from driving to healthy travel. And compared to what other boroughs (let alone other European countries) are doing, it's a massively missed opportunity to transform the public realm of what is currently a big traffic island. That would genuinely help businesses and increase footfall. Some of the measures in the scheme are worth progressing now (northbound bus lane, Nag's Head pedestrianisation, zebra by Kinsale Road, trial the bus gate on the eastern side). But there are major issues with the proposals and its underlying modelling including: (1) TfL is about to massively rationalise bus services in inner London, so lots of the justification could be about to disappear with route changes. The scheme mainly benefits the 78 & P12 by moving them to the (already uncongested) eastern side, but that could happen without the scheme. And many bus services would take up to 50s longer. So the measures seem weak as a bus priority scheme (2) The modelling fails to mention cycling at all, even though it's growing hugely year-on-year. Maybe because officials know the scheme does not meet existing official standards, let alone provide space for any cycling growth. Especially for cycling, the junctions by Scylla and Nigel Road plus the bike crossing by Phillip Walk seem designed for outer London e.g. hopping on and off pavements & tight right angle turns, not hundreds of cycles an hour at peak times. East-west permeability remains poor for cycling too. Separately buses northbound turning after Scylla Rd in practice would often get stuck before reaching the bus lane, while moving the bus stop from the Tesco past the Nag's Head looks problematic. A better approach would be to remove the gyratory north of Scylla Road, relocating the bus stands etc. to create a longer northbound bus lane on the eastern side, enabling the western side north of Dewar St to be semi-pedestrianised with more space for tables plus two-way cycling with a track leading to/from Rye Lane. Moving the Scylla Road closure and also the bus gate next to the Angel Oak would also design out conflicting movements as well as create a better public space. This alternative needs a diagram to explain, don't think AI can do this yet. Sorry but while I agree the E Dulwich Rd junctions are unpleasant, I'm not persuaded by James Barber's point about frustrated drivers leading to more collisions, a lot of the time congestion will keep speeds down. The increased traffic forecast on the badly redesigned Bellenden Road could be an issue though. Interested to hear other views on the proposals.

Well at least there are now functioning bulbs in 2 of the hanging lights in the main passageway to the street. Very luxurious not having to walk through in the dark anymore!

https://classbento.co.uk/glass-painting-workshop-london-0 Join this glass painting class in London and discover how to create your own vibrant, stained glass-style pieces. Whether you have a specific vision in mind or want to go completely freestyle, you'll be guided through the process step by step. You'll start by mastering outliners to frame your design before filling it with brilliant, dishwasher-safe paints that mimic the classic look of stained glass. You can choose from a range of items to make your own: Wine glasses Ashtrays Oil pourers Coffee mugs There's no need to worry about bringing a thing, as all the materials and equipment you'll need are ready and waiting for you. If you'd like to enjoy a glass of your favourite drink while you work, you're more than welcome to bring your own bottle. The studio offers a cosy, relaxed atmosphere where you can focus on being hands-on and meeting other local crafters. It's a lovely way to spend time with a friend or partner while trying something different. You'll finish the session feeling inspired by your new skills and ready to show off a unique, functional keepsake that adds a splash of colour to your home.

So work has still not started in the station square. After years of delays we were told it would begin in summer 2025, then October, then January and now just "soon" / "this year". That means the new square is not going to open this year. Pretty poor that Southwark is unwilling to communicate any reasons for its continuing delays. Meanwhile for the station itself, Network Rail is moving forward with a minor scheme to reduce the crush but still with no lifts: https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/peckham-rye-station-to-get-5m-makeover-while-waiting-for-step-free-rebuild-87172/

Great, thanks! Great, thanks, never heard of these before, that's useful. That's a very odd photo to use for the teenage girl.

Seems a fair summary of the FoI to me and it does read like AI too. Also accurate from what I know of the context, repeated throughout the borough: residents on a particular street bid for Devolved Highways Budget funding for a specific scheme, it becomes a "ward priority" despite most people in a ward not knowing about it, then officers are forced to reactively respond to that rather than look through options, let alone align any proposals with council strategy. See my earlier post about SfP commitment to make Dunstan Road a walking and cycling route, instead it will now become more congested and unpleasant. Meanwhile key borough travel schemes take years to move forward, if at all. Sixteen years of the same political control has left us with an utterly dysfunctional council that whatever your loyalties clearly needs a reset. In response to @Malumbu about how to improve conditions for buses, walking and cycling here, there are very few effective options here other than: (1) parking controls along the routes, becoming ever more necessary as cars get wider, causing more frequent delays for buses like P13 and unpleasant conditions for people walking and cycling on narrower streets. (2) peak hour bus gate - see attached bus speed map showing how affected P13 currently is (darker colours mean slower speeds). The gate location could be by steps between Overhill and Hillcourt Roads, planned as part of strengthening the ecological corridor between Dulwich Park and One Tree Hill, along with area wide traffic measures. There are no credible alternatives to make a genuine difference for sustainable travel here, other than say road pricing, which anyway would need smaller measures like these first to improve alternatives. Creating space by cutting into front gardens to widen roads is not going to happen, fortunately. Indeed more broadly, there is an existential threat to bus services, following failings by the Mayor of London for years, even if often hidden by his PR wheezes. See latest here on new 3 yr plan to cut back services further: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/sadiq-khan-london-bus-subsidy-passengers-tfl-b1268550.html. "The level of bus subsidy had doubled in the last decade, from £659m in 2016/17 to £1.19 billion this year". Services like P13 that are low speed and served by smaller buses have higher subsidy needs. So the status quo is not an option: we'll see more bus routes dropping like flies and worse congestion unless there's decisive and rapid action, rather than more distractions.

Sorry wasn't able to delete my quote. Anyway the line I was trying to refer to was the one about stressed drivers being dangerous. I've lived in London for decades and before that visited family. There has always been congestion, and thus from what you say 'stressed drivers" Rather than blaming this on congestion, and as we can't rid this from London unless we build far more roads, get rid of all restrictions etc, we should be looking at driver behaviour. Anyone who has done a speed awareness course, something that I was engaged in rather obliquely, will appreciate the advice on how to not be stressed. Back to my continual point that for the last 60 years there as a nation we have been too pro-driver and there needs to be a reset. If any party is brave enough to do this. I sense Lib Dems possibly and Greens more likely. Maybe another chance LDs after blowing the last one as a centre left coalition following the next GE.

This thread is about thw gyratory proposal not cycling training Maybe ask that question of Rocks in the thread it is posted in rather than derailing this one. James, like any poster on here, is entitled to an opinion however you "butted" in on his comments so maybe you should consider why you see others as butting in on yours 🤔

Albrighton definitely accept toiletries, not sure about part used ones though.

@Spartacus I comment on something James Barbour said, and Rockets butts in. I tell Rockets to Butt out and then you butt in. Who will be next? Do you have any views on the cycle training video?

Mates

Valve

The food banks that I've volunteered at all accepted and issued toiletries. Perhaps each place is different!!