Katrusja

I've been travelling between Newcastle and London every week pretty much for the last two years. You can buy weekday tickets up to 24 weeks in advance on v!rgintrainseastcoast.com so they are currently showing 4th December, but not 5th December. 4th December one way KGX-EDB is 39.70. However, as has been pointed out more tickets are available 12 weeks in advance and these can be cheaper. The 13th and 14th of November currently start at 29.40 KGX-EDB and 24.00 EDB-KGX - obviously it depends on the time you want to travel. So I'd say probably worth waiting 3 weeks and checking the prices for advance tickets then. I wouldn't hang around as in my experience Friday and Monday ticket prices only ever go up after the 12 weeks and never down! I only use split ticketing if it's closer to the date and the advances are more expensive. I find split ticketing websites never find the cheapest fares though. For example the cheapest for me is often to split the journey in Peterborough, but they generally suggest Darlington or York which normally only saves a few pounds whereas I can often save over 50 pounds splitting the journey at Peterborough. Anyway, as I said split tickets generally only needed/cheaper nearer the date of travel.

This is what is looked like when it sold for ?450,000: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/85-montpelier-road/london/se15-2hd/29162712

The seamstress in Rye Park Cleaners on Forest Hill Road is very good. She has altered a number of my husband's clothes, including suit trousers and jackets.

According to the Thames Water website there is a burst water main in SE23. Last update at 8.47am said engineers were on their way.

It's publicly available information. If you search for him on Google you can get his full address, so I haven't even given as much info as you can get in a few seconds searching online.

Timothy Spall lives in Honor Oak, actually on HOP, I think.

Old Kent Road is now closed at Glengall Road (near Burgess Park) due to a fallen tree.

My husband took the N63 to Crystal Palace from Peckham Rye earlier on, which is a double decker, so yes I think they are running.

The buses appear to be using the Brockley Rise terminus this morning to turn around.

Renata, You might need to consider (because TfL certainly will) that the works in Ladywell village are not due for completion until 27th September. Whilst they are ongoing the P4 and 122 are using the Brockley Rise terminus as part of their diverted routes and there are also double-decker shuttle buses (522) running between Ladywell and Brockley Rise, so the terminus is already absorbing more than its usual capacity. K.

The Southwark website is currently down so you can't access the full plans, but the London Register of Roadworks gives the dates as 24/08/2013-23/10/2013: http://public.londonworks.gov.uk/roadworks/?x=GbQAd97c55iFvxJwfN2ztg The works have been planned for some time to improve safety at the FHR-Brenchley Gardens & FHR-Wood Vale junctions. They include the creation of traffic islands and also resurfacing etc of the bus turnaround lane. The works have been discussed on the forum: see http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1148395,1149472#msg-1149472 for example. K.

Depending on where in ED you are and if you have to leave at 6.30/7 or be there at 6.30/7, I recommend the train from Honor Oak Park/Forest Hill. You have to change at East Croydon, but it's pretty straight forward and only takes about 45mins in total. When we're too late/early for the trains, we have used Airport Direct Services (ADS), who are very good and you can book online. It cost us 42pounds last time, if I remember correctly.

I'm afraid I have to agree with dbboy to a certain extent. I have complained to Renata before about this and received the same response but almost every day I continue to see the same issues with parents from St Francesca Cabrini and their parking at the top of the hill. I'm sure the majority of parents are considerate and don't block the traffic, but there are several who think that it is acceptable. I have started to keep a photo diary of it, but I have no idea as to who to contact and send the photos to, given that no-one seems to want to take responsibility (I'll try the Lewisham councillors suggested as well). Here is Friday's installment - the man holding the child's hand at the top got out of the car furthest away and was walking his child into the school. I've no idea how long his car was left there but he obviously felt fairly confident that no-one would be placing a parking ticket on his vehicle.

There are some really valid and interesting points being made here and it's good to see Renata engaging with them. I definitely don't think we need to give up on the idea of getting some sort of integrated transport solution that will get us the connection over the hill that there is quite clearly so much support for. I suppose what I was trying to do with my post was to suggest that we can actually strengthen any campaign by considering more readily the issues I and many others have tried to raise. As I mentioned in the original post and as henryb points out very clearly there are solutions to some of the points I made and also others may not necessarily be big issues in themselves. What I wanted to suggest is that in approaching this and representing it to the Mayor/TFL as a small or easy extension and in putting it forward as the only solution that we may in fact be discrediting the campaign and damaging our chances of getting the solution we want. I felt the need to challenge the notion that it was enough to suggest that we have local support and that this being a cross-party initiative in our ward was going to lead to success in terms of the campaign. What I think we need much more so and which hoser rightly pointed to is cross-ward consultation (Renata, looking at the ward maps it would seem to me that Forest Hill ward and Crofton Park ward could be involved in this). Me'mate'Dave makes a brilliant point that if we think more broadly and can actually start to resolve other issues such as the congestion caused by the right turning traffic from HOP into Brockley Rise, we actually strengthen the campaign. It really crystalized for me the notion that if we talk to and consult with parties in and around HOP, we are surely much more likely to get a better idea of what can be achieved and what they would also like to see and be willing to support. Apologies if this seems a little idealistic/naive/obvious (select your favourite!) and I hope I'm not simply suggesting things are already being done/taking place and I don't know about them. But it seems like across this thread some of us have made some very good points and come up with ideas for variations/other options (see Bic Basher's comment re: new route, perhaps there is an 'onward' journey from Brockley Rise that HOP residents would like to have for example). I'd like to see these taken forward and given greater consideration and I would certainly be willing to get involved in any further discussion or consultation. I seem to find all of this weirdly and geekishly fascinating! And on a serious note, I do genuinely support the idea of getting a Peckham Rye-Honor Oak Park bus connection and would like to see it realised.

I couldn't agree with hoser, TonyQuinn and others more. I walk from Therapia to HOP station and back at least once and sometimes twice a day (as does my husband), so on a personal level I would love to see the bus route extended - whilst I am happy and even enjoy the walk most of the time there are evenings when I crawl out of the station tired there is no P12 in sight. However, as I have been making this journey most days for a few years, the potential impact on residents, businesses and the local schools and the lack of willingness on the part of the local politicians to engage in reasoned debate about this has continued to frustrate me (it is not simply an issue of whether the route will be used, surely, which has also rightly been questioned). For this reason I have hesitated in posting my thoughts on this before, as I know the benefits seem apparent and clear, especially for those with mobility issues. But here are just some of the problems that occur to me every day (and I have seen most of them expressed by others here and elsewhere): 1) Forest Hill Road is considerably narrower from Brenchley Gardens up to Honor Oak Park, as is the pavement and residential properties line this stretch. Ideally the road would need to be widened, but at least it would have to have parking restrictions imposed. Local residents currently use the stretch between Brenchley Gardens and Honor Oak Rise for parking. What provisions would be made for them? 2) In addition, the same stretch of Forest Hill Road is very busy most mornings with parents dropping children off at Francesca Cabrini school. There is a lollipop lady positioned between Honor Oak Rise and Honor Oak Park to ensure parents and children cross safely (also children crossing to go to Fairlawn School on Honor Oak Road) and FH road is already congested at peak school times. If parking were restricted, this would also affect parents dropping their children off and surely any extension scheme would have to ensure safety for these groups whilst minimising impact on the 63 service. 3) The junction at the top of the road is currently awkward for a P12 to navigate, as there is a small filter lane for those turning right into Honor Oak Road from Forest Hill Road. Given the current layout, there is no way that a 63 bus would be able to pass in either direction if there were a car in this filter lane and there would need to be some careful consideration of how this junction could be reconfigured to keep traffic moving and ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians. 4) Honor Oak Park has parking (partially on the pavement and partially on the road) all the way down the hill from near Hengrave Road, which seems to me to be very well used. There are also no restrictions to parking on the One Tree Hill side for much of the stretch from the entrance to the church down to the recreation ground. Clearly for two 63 buses to use this route safely there would need to be no parking on this stretch of road. Again, where would residents (paricularly those from the block of flats next to the Segal houses) park? 5) One Tree Hill has drainage issues (water pours out of the wooded area and down the road from mid-way down the hill causing potholes, etc.), which I notice some work seems to have been started on, but this breaks up the the road surface on Honor Oak Park with the current level of traffic. There would need to be some work done to strengthen this and resolve these problems if the road were to be frequently used by double decker buses. 6) The parade of shops after HOP station have parking in front of them. Two P12/P4 buses cannot currently pass on this stretch when cars are parked on both sides. Therefore, I would assume that the parking would have to be removed. Again, has anyone consulted local residents and businesses on this? 7) The bus stand at Brockley Rise currently holds 2-3 buses and there is parking for the small businesses and residents there. The 63 extension would demand space for at least another two buses on this stand. How would these be accommodated? Would the limited parking available here also be removed? 8) Finally, the congestion around HOP in the evenings causes severe disruption to existing services (P4/P12). How would this be dealt with to ensure 63 buses didn't just simply terminate at Peckham Rye or the Forest Hill Tavern or going the other way at Clerkenwell or even Elephant during peak times when they are most likely to be used!? I am always hesitant to be the person who points out the negative, but this is just a summary of some of the potential issues. I'm not saying that they cannot be addressed, but as has been suggested, please can we have some joined-up thinking and consultation that involves ALL of the people/organisations/communities involved and not just those who support easier access to HOP from Peckham Rye/ED? I know this is a long post, but I would like for it to be taken seriously (the use of the terms 'very modest' and 'small' to describe the extension, as well as the notion that it can somehow be trialled, suggest these issues are not really being considered).

Twirly, I'm not sure I understood your post, but if the Jubilee line is down you can use the H&C or District to/from Whitechapel or there's also the DLR at Shadwell - although you have to cross a road in Shadwell. I take your point about going East to go West though! For a long time, I have been heading up the hill to HOP to use the ELL instead of joining everyone else going down the road to PR on the bus in the morning - I live near Peckham Rye Park. I found it a bit strange going away from town on foot, but it was so worth it for the 19min journey to Whitechapel. Ratty, I work at QMUL, just down the road from the London and have been using the ELL from HOP or sometimes Brockley since 2010 - it is brilliant. The trains are much busier now, but the journey is short and lots of people get out at CW. I'm pleased that I now have 4 extra trains an hour I can use to PR as well.

No, it's a bit further up the hill near The Rose pub (old Forest Hill Tavern), opposite Honor Oak Baptist church at the end of Mundania Road.

This has been debated on the forum for a while......... http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,816118,page=1

Just thought I would mention, I have been travelling to the Park most days this week and the Velodrome is actually to the north of the Park so the nearest Tube is in fact Leyton. If you have to be there early, I would definitely not go to West Ham as this is a really long way from the Velodrome. I would recommend ELL (Forest Hill or HOP) to Whitechapel, District/H&C to Mile End and then Central to Leyton (this is not as bad as it sounds, as the change at Whitechapel is only a few steps up and at Mile End is the same platform). Jubilee line is fine for Stratford, but it is a long walk to change to Central to get to Leyton and as I say, if you have an early start Leyton is closer. ALSO, Eton Manor Gate, which is the entrance closest to the Velodrome is much less busy than the Stratford Gate. You can then wander through the park later on and leave via the Stratford Gate so you see everything - just easier to get in at Eton Manor. Anyway, that's my opinion - just thought it was worth mentioning. You just need to remember that those who had journeys this week and said it was easy did so when there were considerably less people passing through the Park (today was much busier). Tomorrow is Super Saturday with up to 300,000 people coming onto the Park (so I'm reliably informed), which is more than double the numbers there have been most days this week.

As of 4.30pm buses 185 and 176 were still on diversion via Forest Hill Road. Thisislocallondon reporting that LL still closed as of 4.10pm.

Seems to be closed from Barry Road junction to at least Friern Road (possibly further as couldn't quite see). All buses on diversion via Barry Road, Forest Hill Road, Wood Vale.