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I think we need to give James a break - enough James bashing! Its terrible to be a victim of crime, and when everything is reported on this forum it seems ED is a haven for crime. However, I do appreciate that James is providing facts to show that progress is being made to reduce the crime rate. While its good to keep people aware of crimes, so we all know what to look out for - it can also scare people unnecessarily if things are blown out of persepctive. We live in a major city - crime is sadly part of life. However, I feel better knowing that police and local government are making an effort to reduce crime. Its tiring reading those people bagging James on this forum. It is rare to find a Councillor so accessible and willing to respond to concerns on this forum. This is not part of his job, and I for one appreciate the time he takes to make his comments - whether you like them or not. I agree facts and figures do not negate the impact to a victim of crime, but I also think we should give James credit for keeping us all informed and pointing us in the right direction for help when needed. Hopefully we all learn what to look out for, and keep an eye out for each other. The police cant be everywhere at once!

I live in a nearby street, and its a great part of ED. The houses are nice, the roads are generally quiet - you feel like you are away from it all - but you are so close to Lordship Lane as well as North Cross Rd. The Sainsburys Local is only a short walk away, and its open from 7am-11pm everyday. Heber Rd Primary School is close by if you have young children. Its close to the Mag - which I tend to visit for "one more" on the way home - but within 5 mins walk you will find another 5 pubs or so. I have no problem with bin storage - even with twice the amount of bin volume required! Overall - I think the Landcroft Rd - Whateley Rd - Crystal Palace Rd triangle is very underrated and good value! Good luck!

Lee, firstly Im not English. I decided to move here many years ago, and take the good with the bad. Buses are far from the top of my list of concerns - and probably far down on the list of many people. Where I came from, the buses mostly came on time, but the traffic heading to the city was so bad you were better off walking. Secondly, what are you going to do to make the 484 run on time? Once you have an answer, dont tell me - just go and do it. I dont want to hear it on the forum. Less talking, more walking. It would at least beat waiting for the bus ... :-) I have offered one of many solutions to improve the situation (the app / tfl website / texting service) ... not sure what else you can do about it!

It is what it is. We accept it, deal with it as best we can and move onto more important things in life. If we cant accept it, we move somewhere else ... When you find a bus service that is always on time, give me a call !!!

There is also the buschecker app - much faster than the web and very accurate. I never wait more than 2mins at the bus stop these days ... a life changer!

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Thanks James, Following the record high in August, has there been increased focus by the police or more resources deployed to prevent this crime? Do you know how the numbers were in September and October? Besides the offender caught in August, has there been other recent arrests? Thanks.

In terms of reported stats, one of the best sources of information is following www.police.uk. The area defined as "East Dulwich" (based on my postcode) has trended as follows for burglaries (total reported crimes + ASB in brackets): December 2010: 46 (430) January 2011: 61 (504) February 2011: 47 (471) March 2011: 49 (529) April 2011: 37 (572) May 2011: 53 (617) June 2011: 56 (593) July 2011: 61 (597) August 2011: 77 (554) September 2011: 62 (456) I typed in my old postcode from a much "safer" part of London, and the number of crimes were consistently much higher than this. While these stats are not perfect - as not all crimes may be reported and the severity of each case may differ, it seems burglaries have been regularly around the 50-60 per month for some time. And it should be noted that Septmeber had the lowest number of reported crimes in 2011 - so its not all bad news. August was unusually high for burglaries presumably due to holidays: but as James Barber mentioned - there was also a major arrest in August, and hopefully there have been more in recent months. No-one is immune, but following simple tips such as those by TigerMountain can help reduce the risk ...

I noticed that the torch route for the 2012 Olympics has been released, but it seems no torch for Lordship Lane. From what I can gather, the closest we get is the run from Lewisham to Brockley. So gutted ...

Thanks everyone - this has been very useful indeed!

I am not a regular whisky drinker, but do enjoy the odd glass in the evening at this time of year. I am wondering if anyone can recommend some excellent single malk whiskys - I am not really into the smokey types, and much prefer the smooth but complex whiskys. Cheers.

Refer my initial posting yesterday: "There is now an app that links straight to this website - and is much user friendly - its called London Bus Checker (by Fat Attitude). It has a countdown board as well as route information - which can be handy for unfamiliar routes. Overall, I find the website and app very accurate: I have never had a problem so far. Like the National Rail app - its a life changer! No need to stand in the cold for long in the winter ...

There is now an app that links straight to this website - and is much user friendly - its called London Bus Checker (by Fat Attitude). It has a countdown board as well as route information - which can be handy for unfamiliar routes. Overall, I find the website and app very accurate: I have never had a problem so far. Like the National Rail app - its a life changer! No need to stand in the cold for long in the winter ...

I would go 35 percent max. Most people getting off at ED position themselves close to the exit at the station. So those who see the carriage empty are part of that particular majority. However, if you sit in the front carriage then most people get off at North Dulwich - and the carriage remains fairly full until then! As for the DH comparison - DH is on a different line that feeds a number of routes into Kent. ED is on a quieter line that will also mean it misses out on the direct benefit of the new ELL extension. I understand the theory behind this, but most London commuters would be more than happy with a 12 minute journey. Cutting it by 4 minutes doesnt really make huge a difference: the benefit to a minority is much less than the inconvenience to others.

Its clever targeted marketing! Creative people are different to fashion lovers. It seems Alan and I are the odd exception!

Well said Marmora Man. Steve cant control the OTT reactions of others ... and hence we should only focus on his own contribution. His contribution made change ... and he deserves respect for what he has achieved. His strength through sickness was also inspirational - his life was cut short due to a terrible sickness and this fact seems to have been lost by some.

Love him or hate him, he definitely made a mark on the world. "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesnt matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful ... thats what matters to me" He converted me to being an Apple fan ... while Apple products have their critics, I cant imagine life today without them! RIP Steve.

TH&D is a good club: I played last season, but having a year off this year. They have a good mix of players and ability - with the lower grades a more social affair and the firsts (both men and women) having success last year in making their respective cup finals. The season has just started, but they are always looking for new players. Best to get in touch through the contacts on the website (www.thehockeyclub.co.uk) and start turning up to training (the day depends on which team you play for). As Pickle says, you can follow them through facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tulse-Hill-Dulwich-Hockey-Club/155796774452154) and also twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/THD_News). Good luck and enjoy !!!

Thanks Tessa. I agree with more trains, but dont think an additional stop at Peckham or any other stops is necessary when DH is so close and the ELL will cover the gaps. I also imagine it may be difficult to increase trains through PR given the increased volumes with the new ELL extenstion. I would prefer either PR or DH to be the main stop - not both. I just think that would be an easier proposition to push through than asking for more slow trains on the line.

Peckham Rye is a massive benefactor of the new rail changes, in terms of both volume of trains and number of new direct destinations (East London-City-Islington). I only wish places like ED could be so lucky! The new East London extension (a more regular service) will take you up to Denmark Hill (1 stop: 2-3 minutes) and then you can change for the existing fast service from Kent on South Eastern to Victoria (direct: 9 minutes). With the ELL extension, I personally believe this loop is a redundant line (not just due to LB changes) and the key is to ensure South Eastern can increase the regularity of stops to Denmark Hill from Kent. Does anyone know if we can petition for this?

He described it as "Peckham" on the Jonathan Ross show on Saturday night ...

Agree on Watergate Bay for accommodation and agree that fifteen is great - have been there twice in the past year and its a great restaurant in a nice part of the world. All I would suggest is avoid Newquay like the plague - its a dump unless you like stag do's and hens parties. The rest of Cornwall is lovely - the 'Stein establishments in Padstow are all worth a try. I am a big fan of the The Seafood Restaurant. I have also tried its sister restaurant in Mollymook Australia (Bannisters). Tintagel is also a nice village - great for big fresh Cornish Pasties!

Not sure if its been posted previously, but I love this non-forum quote: http://www.twitvid.com/4JTZH

Great route in theory, but agree with the comments above re: reliability. Its a great link to Brixton and Clapham (plus its 24hrs), and I found its one of the only ways out of ED when we get heavy snow - as the 40/176/185 cant handle the slippery hills of LL + DKH. Thanks again James for opening this up for local input.

I am not so fussed about the article itself - I just love the tagline for the photo of Kate Hoey ...