first mate

Ah but no smoke without fire.

Slightly off message but bigger story now is Westminster, from former PM's down. Does a lot of this have its beginnings in the homoerotic, fag culture of major public schools, I wonder?

le Chandelier is fab and very people friendly and serves the best tea, coffee and cakes around. However they are not tolerant of buggies or rampaging children...as someone else has mentioned the space is too small for that and since everyone pays the same for their chosen repast it seems fair too. Unfortunately some mummies get very snippy about this and choose to trash the reputation of the place.

There does needto be a balance in use of resources. Currently it seems every available scrap of land is being made into a school while health facilities are shaved and we have no local police station. Schools are naturally a top concern for our growing population of young, professional parents and accordingly heavily pushed by local vote-hungry politicians. How it will pan out long term is worrying.

Interesting, if true, that MGMC might get their mitts on a prime site, despite their appalling reputation.

P68, Fair points. I just wonder how this works. Do processes automatically swing in once the contract is finished without any prior contact/communication between the relevant parties? Is it possible that Dr Sarma was simply not across the detail of the contract? It seems odd that if there are other GP's willing and able to continue running the practice that the contractual arrangement is immutable. I guess one would have to be convinced that Dr Sarma has stated something along the lines of 'I cannot be bothered/ I don't want anyone to take over'. Still, I am no expert on contractual law so it may well be a set in stone affair where nothing can be done...shame though.

This is most alarming. Is there any way to challenge/override this decision, one which seems to have been decided by stealth on technicalities and small print? Can our local politicians help in anyway? Healthcare is just as important as education but there seems less political will and drive to secure local needs for the former.

The NHS has been slowly disassembled and put back together in such a confusing way that even those within the system are not quite sure who is in charge of what; so where do the powers of local GP's/CCG's stop and those of NHS England begin? Who does decide what is in the interests of local patients? I thought that the whole idea of the new system was to put more power into the hands of patients not for major decisions, like the closure of a surgery (against patient wishes) to be made by some centralised body. Reminds me of the 'free' schools where most decisions seem to go through one person in the Govt.

Note that on the list of alternative GP practices, up first (by virtue of proximity) is the disaster that is MGMP- I'm sure Concordia/MGMP would love to plump up their numbers since, or so it would seem, patients have been leaving in their droves over the years. Hmmm.

James, I too have experience of elderly relatives being cared for in the home and my experience was not positive. Extremely poorly paid care workers, often allotted only 10 minutes to look after the needs of the client/ patient who should really have been in hospital - a cottage hospital. Not everyone will have family close by who can step in, as necessary. Additionally, a few months may work, for many it is much longer. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors and the politically driven agenda around NHS resources but it has to be a massive mistake to use only a tiny proportion of land available for healthcare when we have an exploding population, what with local surgeries closing too. Sorry, don't see how the maths works... Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi First mate, > No the new health facilities are not currently > planned to have hospital beds or half way > facilities. They will house support for people > being looked after in their homes. I've personal > experience of this as my mother had it and it > meant she could spend the last months of her life > in her home. It really made a positive difference > to her and us. > > I can assure you no political pressure has been > brought to bare on the CCG. We have if anything > been encouraging them to maximise health provision > on this site. BUT we can't go another 21 years of > inaction by past governments with such a valuable > community asset.

TP, extraordinary. After all, we are so well provided for in terms of health, local surgeries are not under any pressure, no doubt all those patients will just slot onto other lists, no problem. Perhaps there are plans to turn the surgery building into another school ( tongue only partly in cheek)?

James, Yes that all sounds very reassuring but the improvements made to provision now on offer is unlikely to match what the hospital used to offer and that was for a smaller population than we have now. I am not convinced and I note your careful phrasing as to what the CCG 'thinks' they might need and how growth of services is 'antcipated'. Additionally, who knows what political pressures have been brought to bear to ensure more of the site is used for education- CCG's are 'partnerships' after all. The NHS is cash strapped as are the local council that is why this site is key all round. Will the 'dramatic' increase in provision include hospital beds and halfway house care for the elderly (as was the case). Yes, we need schools but we also need healthcare that sits between GP Practices and acute admissions in hospitals (and let's face it Kings is groaning under the burden of all that). What about a cottage hospital- has this ever been looked at?

James, so two school sites proposed for a hospital site. How much will be left for healthcare provision? Again vital local resources are being overly skewed in one direction. Remember all these families and children will also have health needs and there is also a growing elderly population who will also need looking after....cottage hospital anyone? Is the idea that everyone gets bussed to Kings or Lewisham? Medical Centres and GP Practices appear to be bursting at the seams. Really feel this is short termism at its worst.

Minkey, well done. Can you tell me, is the purpose of the honey to feed the bees?

Yes, it is an interesting question and please ignore little Healey's sad lack of impulse control. Hoping that someone can tell us a little more.

Perfect site for part use as a cottage and community hospital as well as some housing for the elderly. Schools are important and we have a young demographic, however people get older and people are living longer, surely this needs to be factored into plans for usage of a site that has formerly been a hospital. Otherwise use of resources is overly skewed to one end of the human lifecycle. Note that in James Braber's top 5 aims for ED nothing about the elderly at all. Having nice streets comes higher.

Separation anxiety is quite a common issue in dogs. Research indicates that it is either a true illness/phobia, in which case medication is probably required or, more usually, it is a learned behaviour that becomes a habitual way to deal with stress born of frustration/boredom. In either case the remedy is two part- slowly teach the dog how to be left alone in a way that does not spark anxiety or stress; ensure the dog has adequate levels of stimulation and exercise and that it is not left for protracted periods. A dog walker is one option, leaving the dog with another person/relative while the owner is out, is even better.

It seems to boil down to a case of the behaviour of one of the people involved in this incident was OTT. If the guy having a leak was seen to be trying to be discreet about it I just don't think the OP would have reacted. Most of us have had the experience of being caught short and we tend to recognise the body language of someone who is at once desperate but trying not to be noticed. It seems to me, from what the OP has said, that the reaction of the OP was triggered by an indifferent/couldn't care less/even slightly exhibitionist attitude displayed by the public widdler. That kind of attitude might be the result of extreme inebriation, but the OP has said he did not appear to be drunk in any way, it might also be consistent with getting a little thrill from doing something a bit off in a public place, it could also explain the 'perps' further reaction of laughter and more aggressive display of genitals on being challenged.

Pugwash said- "James Thanks for confirming the council property sell off. The money collected could go to creating more extra sheltered council housing for those aged 55 plus. There is a scarcity of property for older people in ED to rent or purchase, especially important for those of us who want to downsize and still live in ED in accommodation suited for people with reduced mobility etc. I cannot remember seeing anything on the various leaflets we have had from all parties as to what each party is going to do for us 'older folk'. Given the recent publicity that loneliness is on the increase on pensioners, what can be done to reduce this in ED? There do not seem to be many activities/clubs etc around which cater for the less well off older person, who does not need care or day centres." Pugwash, Yes, very little if anything on old folk. Libdems are obsessed with garnering parent vote and wholly focused on schools; other parties seem little better. Of course kids need schools but impression made by James and others is short term vote catching and precious little long-term care of community. If all resources are going in one direction (every tiny plot of land is a new school, a new supermarket or new flats) what happens long term to other sections of society?

If you are prepared to give the willy waver the benefit of the doubt, why not the OP? Is it not possible that the man in question did not appear drunk, was making absolutely no attempt to be discreet and simply appeared not to give a damn, thus explaining the OP's outrage and reaction? Had the guy semed even mildly apologetic I imagine the OP would have walked on, as would most of us.

healey, your tone suggests that urinating in public, against a work of art and then waving your genitalia at anyone who dares to object is more or less acceptable- no evidence at all that he was drunk. Don't think the OP is being OTT in their response, if someone is genuinely caught short they should try to find somewhere unobtrusive and perhaps apologise to anyone that happens to see them.

Hasn't he also been charged with making/possessing indecent images of children? If, along with all the various witnesses for the prosecution, that is true it looks more likely that he is guilty as charged. Don't want to believe it but fear it is the case.

Whatever you do don't go to Acer!

The objection is not to another food store it is to the development in its current form. This fact has been repeated here ad nauseam yet some posters still seem to believe this is an anti brand lobby. I don't know what more can be said to clarify. Planners do not decide on the brand of store but on the nature, scale and legality of a proposed development.

Perhaps the Harris Academy for foetal development.