mrs f

we are currently undergoing this.... and from day one your whole downstairs is totally filthy as they are digging the foundations and as we are terraced they have to come through the house with the mud/clay/soil. I'm not sure about how much value it will add to our house exactly as we brought it in a state and have had to re do the whole thing so not sure what the extension itself will add but in terms of living, it will be invluable.... We spent a long time looking for a house and saw a couple with side returns and even just looking round them it made such a huge difference to the living space, it toally connects the kitchen with the whole house, rather than the victorian attitude of having it so separate from the fromt reception rooms. In the end a main attraction to the house we brought was that we could afford to do this. It's not ideal doing it in winter I know but we were planning on doing it in April but have had long delays due to a few things but now I'm pregnant I kind of put my foot down and insisted that we start..... there is no way I would want the builders there as I went in to labour! I won't post who we are using quite yet, just because I don't want to tempt fate saying they are great when they haven't finished the job yet but so far so good..... but then I have a fair bit of experience of builders and am able to take them with a pinch of salt. We are doing a whole lot of other works so it's hard to say exactly how much it is costing us but around the 60k mark.... we had some people quote a lot more and some a bit less... but ours is 'slighly' different from the adverage bifold / 3 velux style and we are having very special doors and rooflight details.... The builders say they will finish before christmas but I think that it will be more like the end of Jan as we added in a bathroom refurb to the works so once it's all done i'll let you know how it went and whether it was worth it! Also as someone else mentioned, you don't have to take out all of the walls, I saw one which was very nice where they had the middle (side) wall with kitchen cabinets along it like an island and then an opening above them to open up the new room and the new room/ side bit was all glass... so that must have been a lot cheaper to create a similar effect.... it depends whether you are really after that vast kitchen feel or not...

Thanks so much everyone for your responses. It is so nice to be able to have so many people who have first hand experience respond.... one of the great things about this forum I saw my midwife today and she thought it normal that I still be this tired.... so I'll continue with the long sleeps, naps and all the iron rich food including Chocolate (thanks Kes!!!) plus the prego yoga and prego massage and hope the next few weeks see the begining of feeling a little better....

Thanks everyone for your answers, I'm going to see the midwife this week so I'll speak to her then and in the mean time I'll carry on sleeping like a maniac as it is obviously what my body needs right now..... starting to really envy all those women who really enjoy being pregnant!

Thanks Supergolden. I'm seeing my midwife next week so I'll ask her then for a test..... just wish I could start to enjoy this pregnancy a bit more!

Hello, I am 17 weeks pregnant and am still constantly & permanently exhausted. I sleep all the time & can't seem to shift this feeling... Eg I slept for 11 hours last night & am having to have a lie down now because I have zero energy. I had thought I was supposed to feel better after 12 weeks? This is my first pregnancy so I don't really know if this is normal or not. Any advice or tips greatfully received.... Thank you

forest hill cars are good too... much better drivers than panther (nothcross)

Thanks, I was just really looking for adive if anyone had a good referance book for natural pregnancy that they would reccomend, I'll check out the library then. Thanks again

Hello, has anyone read Natural Pregnancy by Zita West? Is it any good? Are there any books that are better/that people would reccomend? Does anyone have a copy they have finished with they would be willing to sell? Thanks!

I seccond Emma, she is really good at waxing, I've been going to her for over a year or so now and wouldn't go elsewhere in ED

"Cyclists on the other hand are just a bloody nuisance, getting in the way causing accidents and slowing down traffic" this is just so stupid it's laughable.... if everyone on a bike was in a car imagine the traffic! wow Louisa well done! you should actually be grateful to cyclists as they take up far less space on the road and you are able to wizz by us (leaving only 2cm space-thanks!) and off you go, if I was in my car (which I pay tax for) then you couldn't do that.... are you really that dim?

sorry to hijack this but does anyone have any good ideas for an 8 year old boy?? Thanks!!!

Ok Ruffers :0) I did leave it blank initally, but being an annoying bank online form it wouldn't let me procede without putting something! I've just had to put soames st, peckham, london, london for the tv licence because they wouldn't accept any fewer address lines! some people!

Ruffers, if you read my OP you will see I also don't usually bother, only an online bank form asked me for another line on the address IE either town or area..... it was only curiosity as I'm amy newly a peckhamite.... thanks eveyone

Hal9000, yes I had wondered as I had thought that some of the southern ends of Copelston were counted as East Dulwich and I wasn't sure if we fell into that. Anyway it's all a little academic as we live where we live and it doesn't really matter what that is called

Thanks everyone! Peckham it is then Cate, sorry for my spelling mistake (dyslexia and all that!) Was a bit of a funny one Jeremy as I usually don't bother with the area but it was a bank asking for two lines on the address and it hadn't actually occured to me that I was now moving 'out' of East Dulwich!

Stupid question I know but I've just been asked to fill out two lines of my adress so rather than the usual street, London, Postcode, therefore I need to put in an area. I've just moved to Soames Street (in-between copleston and Bellendon) and so what do I put, Peckham Rye, East Dulwich, Bellendon?? does it really matter? Like I said trivial and stupid question but I'm curious as to what other people put who live in the area? Thanks!

Just to say thanks to Tessa Jowel who sent me this link, just encase anyone else is interested in the ward councellors- http://www.southwark.gov.uk/downloads/download/2043/council_election_results_2006

Thanks James, I really appreciate you responding Can I also ask about wards, I'm in south Camberwell ward, so who is currently councillor here? Are they in a strong position currently? Sorry to ask all of this but I don't actually know where to find this information thanks again

SO... looks like I'm in Peckham and camberwell... good old Harriet 'you know where to find me' Harmen. Seeing as I'm currently avoiding the door to political candidates I just wondered if anyone was slightly more in touch with the figures as to whether it is only her who stands and chance or if the lib dems were ahead in the area or...... I'm basically voting for whoever is going to get in that isn't a tory...thanks!

Camberwell New rd... yes intexatatthe moment, you are partly right, it is not quiet as such but from a cyclists point of view it isn't bad... I do it every day and always get lots of room in the bus lanes. full of potholes mind.... And Imk 416 It takes me 30 mins door to door from ED to covent garden so even if you are slow it would take you a max of 25 mins to go from camberwell....

I cycle every day from ED to Holbon, and I go pretty much the 176 route, apart from I use the green Dials cycle path to get to Denmark hill which is lovely but I only do it in the light due to the lack of street lighting. I used to go around the E&C roundabout but it stressed me out too much so now I use the bypass which is much calmer! I find that actually camberwell new road / walworth road are actually fairly quiet for cyclists as there are mostly wide bus lanes and so you get a fair bit of room, I have tried lots of different routes and find I actually perfer the bigger roads as you get more space rather than having to squeeze past cars in smaller roads. I'd agree with others sentiments at getting the TFL maps and then just try a few routes and see what you prefer... Good luck and I hope you enjoy it, cycling has made a big difference to me getting around London, I love it and wouldn't be without my bike now!

Sounds good, I am currently in the middle of a version with some friends of mine! I'd be up for doing a community / local one but I might have to wait a bit as I'm currently in tiny rented accomodation whilst our house is being renovated.... if you carry this on into the summer then I'd love to participate!

I LOVE come dine with me.... I can't wait to watch this...... http://dulwichonview.org.uk/2009/11/27/come-dine-with-me-in-dulwich/ If anyone finds out when it is on please let us know!

Hi Sylvie, So sorry to hear about this. I was also mugged about 3 years ago, at 6/6:30 walking home from work, I lived in Forest Hill at the time and was 1 street away from my house, had just walked through a passage way between two council estates following close behing another rail passenger but then as I was so close to home and had passed through the 'dodgy' bit of the walk I slowed down (the man I was following was walking a bit too quick for me) and that is when the two guys (hoods/caps and heads down) walked towards me and one grabbed me and one grabbed my bag. I pinched the one holding me so hard in his nipple (seriously), he yelped! and I held onto my bag for dear life as well as screaming at the top of my voice help me! In the end (probably about 3 secconds later!) the two guys were too strong and they pushed me to the floor and got the bag... when you are in a situation like this you don't have time to think of what to do, you just do what comes naturally.... I had an ambulance arrive and police cars very swiftly (The guy I was following ran back and someone from one of the houses came out) but dispite a drive around the guys were never caught and I'm pretty sure they would have done it again... depite the sore nipple! I was terrifed of walking home from work and unfortunatly it was November so it was always dark when I got out of work... My work security guards heard about it (my work secruity pass was in my bag so had to report it) and gave me a personal alarm which I carried for a while but they are a pain and tend to go off at the worst moments... (at the top of the Eye (air pressure)) trying to get keys out of bag at waterloo station etc and really you have to hold it in your hand poised and that is a horrible way to live... It does get better but I was very jumpy for months which is really horrible, but please be assured it will get better and you will feel 'normal' again. Perhaps don't avoid the area altogether, if you can walk that way again otherwise it might become somthing bigger than it was, it could have happened to anyone at any point on that road at any time, it was just bad luck. Hope you feel better soon... xx

I have just descoverd this path during the summer and think it is brilliant, however I now do not cycle home using it after dark for a couple of reasons... well really only one and that is that it is too dark, it is really badly lit in the evenings and so it actually really tricky on a bike (there are lots of potholes & wet leaves / speed bumps(!)) Then there is also the safty issue and I really do think if it was better lit it would be loads safer, especially as it would encourage more people to use it... so what do we do to get it better lit??