ondined

I can't get through to anyone on the phone number and it's not clear online if mattresses are accepted there (although it does say they will collect them as part of the bulky waste service). Would be good to know to save a wasted trip and we'll have to pay to get a bulky waste collection instead. Thanks very much.

If it's a running/sports related injury rather than seeing a private doctor a physio may be your best bet.

I've really enjoyed reading this computedshortly. Your last line in your last post is so poignant. The memories, as another poster pointed out, are clearly so vivid still. My grandmother had 7 children during WW2, my mum was the youngest and none of them were evacuated which I always thought was strange when I was young as we learnt at school that this was just "what happened" to children in London, but she couldn't bear the family to be separated, and similar to your mum decided that they were safest with her.

If you wish to cycle 28 mph all the time, then I think it's probably best that you avoid "shared space", and if you aren't willing to share, therefore don't use it, then surely it HAS achieved the desired affect? Honestly it's only for a short distance, and if you cycle slowly, look ahead and anticipate who might be about to walk out in front of you and be especially careful passing buses and looking of for people crossing from behind them, you can avoid collisions. Whatever colour you paint the cycle lane, however you demarcate it, people are still going to wander into it because it's a busy shopping street, with the entrance/exit to the Aylesham Centre on one side and the bus stop on the other side.

I've always thought it's deliberately designed to be ambiguous to slow cyclists down. I can't see how painting it a different colour will stop pedestrians wandering into it and pedestrians/cyclists getting hurt, only that cyclists would probably going faster and collisions would be worse.

There is a perfectly good cycle bypass around the Elephant and Castle. Also Surrey Canal Path and Burgess Path mean about 25% of my commute to Waterloo is off road (and no hills!). The rest is on quiet streets. I don't go the quickest route but still get there quicker than I can by public transport. My bike cost ?160 second hand, I have had one puncture (but that was probably down to the cheap tyres it came with) and a service once a year with a local independent bike shop is all I've really had to spend (ok - decent lock, helmet, lights, rack, pannier also essentials for me). If anyone would like me to share my route then PM me. I started cycling it with a friend who knew the route, so would agree what Jon is suggesting is a really good idea. If I'd have had to start off by cycling the main routes/bus routes I really think I would have given up. I'm now more confident on the busier/main routes but would recommend starting off on the quiet routes. TFL provide free cycle route maps which are helpful - you can order from their website. Also I wear my normal clothes to cycle in. Layers are good, you can strip one or two off once you get going. If you stop at red lights and don't cycle too fast you arrive at work with a healthy glow but no need to shower or change!

Has anyone had any difficulty with post that you have sent from East Dulwich? I sent an assignment that I needed to complete for a work course on the 29th November recorded delivery from the post office on L/L. I checked the tracker today, assuming that it would have arrived days ago but it still says it is being "progressed through our network for delivery". It only had to go to Gloucester, but on the day I was in there, loads of people were sending their parcels and christmas cards off to other parts of the world, so maybe these are also still stuck somewhere. I'm wondering if they are going to be able to deal with this backlog before Christmas now....it feels like they've had loads of time to get over the snow disruption.

As has just been pointed out, 6000 people earning over 140,000 is not many at all. I work in the NHS and see the incredibly long hours which many hosptial consultants put in, working weekends and evenings. They carry an incredible amount of responsibility. The same is true of the senior hospital management (and it's usually just the chief exec who earns this much, except in the very large hospitals). These are people who could earn a lot more money in industry, especially those who work in London hospitals. Does anyone know how much you have to earn to get a mortgage on a 4 bed family home in East Dulwich these days? The King's charity trustess clearly have a responsibilty to keep the funds looking as healthy as possible, and like most charities I would imagine over the past few years their investments have suffered and donations are down. Possibly this is the reason for them trying to raise some more awareness of their work, which may in turn lead to increased donations. I imagine the reason that they wrote to recent patients, rather than just did a bulk mail drop locally is because many people choose to come to Kings from outside of the local area, and many people in the local area may not go to Kings because instead they have their hospital appointments closer to their work. As patients of King's who may benefit from the work of the charity, this makes everyone "stakeholders" in the charities work, and as such should be given the opportunity to be kept up to date or to become more involved if they wish. On the subject of "the intrusion" that receiving such a letter would cause, in the past few weeks I have two very persuasive and passionate individuals from different charities knock on my door asking me to make a regular direct debit payment. Whilst I don't like this intrusion, they are doing what they have to do to raise funds in a competitive environment, and do not object to them doing this. However I know what I think would be more upsetting and confusing to all those vulnerable people that previous posters have been so worried about receiving the now infamous letter.

I think a clearly marked cycle route is an excellent idea but avoiding DKH! What kind of madness would that be to send poor novice and non-local cyclists up there when it's so easily avoided. I started cycling from ED to Westminster and London Bridge this summer after finding out it IS possible to avoid DKH! I'm sure a lot of people don't realise it's possible, and also that once you get through the Bellenden area you can cross Peckham High Street and use the old canal path right into Burgess Park, and how easy it is to avoid Walworth Road and the Elephant roundabouts - all hideous prospects having witnessed so many near misses from the window of the 176! Although I won't be going along the canal path/ though the park when the nights start drawing in, finding a route that's mostly away from traffic and on quiet roads has been a great confidence giver and got me back on my bike.