kitwhitfield

Hi everyone! Thanks to the people who've replied - turns out there were way more than I'd expected. 🙂 I've set up an appointment with the first person who replied, so hopefully we're set, but if something falls through then I'm glad to have your numbers. xx

Hi, Our usual help has fallen through and we're trying to find someone for 1.30-7pm on Wednesday 7 August. Our son is nearly 14, but he's autistic with ADHD (medicated), so we need an adult rather than a neighbour teenager. He's very friendly, and if you can meet him once beforehand (we'll pay for the time) it should be fine - most likely he'll just go draw in his bedroom and will only need his dinner cooked and someone around to make sure he's safe in case of emergency. Anyone available? We booked theatre tickets to a show we really want to see!

Hi, Can anyone recommend a capable babysitter? We need someone for 7 August and all the usual standbys have fallen through. Our son is a cheerful 13-year-old, but he's autistic with ADHD. He usually can entertain himself, but we'd need someone he could get to know and who was mature enough not to be fazed. Any recommendations?

Dad?

Hi. Published author/former editor here. :-) You could get a report, but fair warning, they're not cheap; I charge ?100 per 10,000 words. A cheaper way for him to get feedback would be to join a writer's group; a good one can be really helpful. As regards agents - Jazzer's right, they don't give feedback unless you're their client; they can only afford to spend time on people they represent. The way to find one when you're ready to send the book out is to get the most recent edition of The Writers And Artists Yearbook; that contains a section with all the reputable agents, including their submission requirements. Have a look at the kind of books they already represent, and start with a handful that seem like their taste would be a good match for the book. (Also, though this probably doens't need saying - if you do end up talking to an agent, be as lovely and likeable as you can. The author-agent relationship lasts decades, all going well, and agents want clients they're comfortable working with. ;-) ) Hope this helps! :-)

Testy.

Hello. :-) I have some fabric I want made up into curtains. The specs: 4 curtains - that is, two matching pairs. About 220cm. I have 10m of fabric, so with hems and pattern matching, as close to that as possible. Lined (lining provided). Curtain tape at the top (ie nothing fancy). Can anyone give me a quote, or recommend someone? I know there's a shop on Lordship Lane up towards the library end, but I had a bad experience the only time I tried there, so anywhere else? Thanks.

Hi Robin, Sorry about the link! Is this any better? https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/preserve-southwark-s-street-trees The house number I'm not sure about, but it is (or was) the only tree on the block, so if you're standing across from Balchier Road you can't miss it. It's been cropped down to a stump at this point.

I'm very upset about the destruction of the woods, and I've written a letter. There are a lot more of us than you might think.

Other than posting it here, does anyone have experience of good places to share petitions? I'm a bit new to this...

I wonder if it would cost more than the cost of uprooting it and paving over the hole left behind? Seems questionable.

Anyone who's an expert on trees and horticulture, your input would be great here!

I figure that if they don't have the budget to replace damaged trees, they're perfectly free to make that call as and when. I'm just proposing that they don't have a blanket rule against it for non-financial reasons. Besides, given the strain on people's mental health in hard times, I figure that living in a depressing or non-depressing neighbourhood does actually have medical effects. I know plenty of people who are struggling that way, and feeling like everything good is vanishing is not helpful. Nature tends to be good for the spirits, and goodness knows everyone's spirits are under strain.

The tree they're refusing to replace in Dunstans Road is a small maple, for the record. Not a structural problem as far as can be seen: the pavement's perfectly smooth around it, and the arrangement of gardens means that it's quite a ways from any houses. I'm sure none of us would object if they replaced it with something slow-growing or naturally small, but it really was Not Guilty when it comes to structural damage! Surely the sensible thing would be for the Council to look at trees on a case-by-case basis. Damaging trees, nobody wants. Innocent trees, I think most of us really like. It's this blanket policy that's so unresaonable.

Thanks rbtdngl. Share it if you're willing! :-)