first mate

Perhaps a sporran, or even trews? (BTW ooooh, you are awful...)

Lowlander, Arf, arf, you are a wit. On the subject of brains/IQ, and continuing the theme of your moniker, do you keep yours below the belt?

And to other serial litter fiends.

Yes, it is disgraceful not to pick up dog poo and there should be fines, no excuse for it. In similar vein, I do wish people would stop scattering the pavements with broken glass which I happen across daily as well as wretched cooked chicken bones, chewing gum and chocolate. Many a dog ends up in the vet having ingested all three, why people/children have to throw this stuff around I don't know, there are plenty of bins. The glass is hazardous to people, children and animals - it must be the product of a similar mentality to those that litter with dog poo- anti social.

Alec John Moore, I'd politely beg to differ with that dog trainer- biological washing powder will not completely remove the smell. Saila, If this has been witnessed it is truly revolting. Sounds like someone with a mental health problem.

Bowl of hot water and domestos will sterilize but not remove smell- so animals will return and overmark, whether foxes or dogs. Remove smell by finishing off with surgical spirit which removes smell (we cannot smell it but animals can).

More than likely foxes marking territory. Is it much worse at the moment- if so definitely foxes.

If they have interfered with the structure of the party wall without first informing you in writing then I think they are in breach of the law (party wall). I'd look on the planning portal for advice, I've a feeling you might need to enagage a party wall surveyor with a view to them having to pay for them. They are definitely in breach of the law, but you need to get the next step right and I think the planning portal will have the best advice.http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/beforeyoustart/otherpermissions/partywall

Loft conversions on old terraces can have a massive impact on your neighbour's light. Most people get a loft conversion for the extra room and the lovely light, airy feel. It seems slightly ironic that in gaining your light space you may be taking from your neighbours.

You need to slowly get your son to be comfortable around the pup and to go at his own pace. The best way of doing this is to actually keep them separated other than when you can totally control and supervise. This also helps protect the pup who will pick up on your son's anxiety. I would strongly recommend a puppy pen, which means your son and the puppy have the opportunity to slowly get used to each other. If you would prefer to have one room where only puppy goes then use a baby gate. When pup has some free play- which he obviously will need- then do this in a room spearate from your son. However, you can and should involve your son in any puppy training, like the early stages of lead training and so on, in that he can watch at a distance and the puppy will be focussed on yout the trainer and not your son. Don't let the pup jump on your son. If you take the pressure off your son will have the time and distance to acclimatise and with luck will get to the stage that he actively wants to be involved. I wouldn't make a big deal of it but let your son view access to the pup as a privilege not a given and try not to force a relationship. I can't help but think about the pup who is at a critical stage in his development and who also needs a lot of care and attention. He needs to be protected from any anxious outbursts your son might have as this could have a long lasting impact on his feelings about children and how 'safe' they are. This is another reason to keep them apart other than for very short, sweet interactions, preferably when something controlled is happening and where the pup will not try to engage with your son. Once your pup has had both vaccinations I would thoroughly recommend you sign up for a good training class that uses kind methods. It might be possible for your son to attend this. It would have to be explained to the class that your son is a bit dog phobic and to your son that since all the dogs are on a lead they cannot get close to him. This might work or might be a bridge too far- dependin on how anxious your son is. AS for your son's feelings, I wonder if he has been knocked by a friendly dog and got a fright or witnessed another child getting upset about a dog. I have to say that anxiety around dogs seems to be much more common amongst children than it was when I was a youngster. I am not sure why, but possibly if a child witnesses another child becomng very anxious around a dog it might have some kind of domino effect.

Disgusting behaviour and yes, cat poo is also a pain but these are the things we can see and recognise. Fox poo/urine, rat poo/urine, mouse poo/urine, squirrels, birds, snails, slugs...all carry potentially harmful, even lethal pathogens, and as for the things you can catch off other humans who touch stuff that is all around having failed to wash their hands, after urination/pooing/sneezing/coughing......

I think this is a difficult one as it is about a balance of freedoms. People who are severely dog-phobic will almost certainly encounter dogs in the park, but they might also encounter them on the streets too. It is not reasonable to ban dogs from parks and streets since this would impinge on the freedom of the dog owner and affect the wellbeing of the dogs. However, I think it is reasonable to have clearly marked areas of the park where dogs are kept on a lead and it should be mandatory to keep dogs on a lead on public streets etc.. Is it unreasonable to suggest a severely dog phobic person should therefore avoid areas of the park where dogs are allowed to free run offlead? I think overall the only realistic option for the severely dog phobic person is to seek treatment for their phobia and perhaps avoid areas where it is known dogs free run. I cannot see a practical alternative.

The only thing that bothers me about those sonic devices is the potential impact on other animals, both wild as well as pets.

Short of calling in pest control, I don't think there is. The noises can be disturbing when you are not quite sure what is going on and especially if you think it mght be a neighbour that is not monitoring/looking after a dog, but this is wildlife and they are just doing what foxes do. Now you know this you may find it easier to filter the noise out. I hope so. When I first heard these noises I thought something was being killed and eaten alive but now I know it's to do with mating, territory, looking after cubs, it doesn't bother me. In some ways it is nice to have some connection with the natural world in the city. Would good earplugs help?

If the noise sounds like any of these then its foxes.

I wish there was a section for truly valuable threads. I too salute those who have come on here with their personal stories. Enormous respect for you all. I imagine that PaulK is wishing the ground would open up and swallow him- a classic case of forum mouth before brainitis.

Sometimes EDF does feel a bit like a virtual House of Commons with its own little set of self-styled big beasts (or even BSD's). All good old testosterone loaded 'banter' and the inevitable riposte that if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. I do think that most see it for what it is. Just yawn and close your eyes if it gets too much- its only big boys playground stuff after all. Sometimes it can also be quite amusing. Other times it's well.... awfully predictable.

The issue is not M&S, it is the size and ambition of the application and how well it fits with the available space/location.

*Bob* Well said.

Try getting a photo if you can. If these guys are openly flouting H&E my guess its they'll lie about it anyway and it is your word against theirs.

bonaome, Yes, you're are right on that.

Well you on the one hand you accuse those wishing to lodge concerns as being dilettantes and on the other criticise them for asking for a little more time to gather information from more knowledgable sources. Councillors or planners do not always know everything about an application. There are good planning decisions and there are not so good and I imagine that the devil is often in the detail. So this is not a judgement of councillors or planners, it is simply being realistic in trying to make the very most of the consultation opportunity. Actually it won't take that long to get across this, but it is my understanding (I may be wrong) that most planning applications take about 8-13 weeks to be considered, less than seems to be the case here.

Huguenot, In your view. Though I think it is slightly absurd to portray the reasonable concerns of neighbours as malicious interference in process, delaying tactics and attempts to drive the freeholder to bankruptcy and ruin. That sounds much more conspiratorial. It will take some time to get through the application, to compare it with the last, as well as research some areas that appear to be problematic. A degree of planning savvy and know how is required to do that properly. A little more time, beyond 3rd January, would be helpful. We are talking days not months. However, James Barber indicates that this is not an absolute deadline, so we'll see. Have you read either application by the way?

Ho hum.

Huguenot, an opinion can be vague and ill-informed or it can be based on facts. The fact is that the last proposal was rejected, possibly in part because of pertinent objections raised by locals. On that basis there will be those who want to compare this new application to the last one, to see what the differences, if any, there are and to comment. These are not delaying tactics. It is also the case that planners occasionally miss details which are in breach of planning guidelines, but which are picked up by members of the public- I believe this was the case with the last application.