fuzzyboots

Sing and Sign classes on Monday morning and Friday morning at 11 a.m. at Goose Green Community Centre. Classes start next week :) Https://www.bookmyclass.co.uk/singandsign/default.aspx?FID=22 to book a place. To find out more about the classes generally: http://www.singandsign.com/classes/classes-near-you/southwark-and-lambeth All the best, Trish (Sing and Sign Southwark & Lambeth(

Gosh Chaps - this is awfully kind of you - thank you so much for the recommendation. There's nothing like happy families who "get" what it's all about to help spread the word about the benefits of babysigning. Much appreciated :) Trish xxx

I think Gymboreee is fab and will be an absolute asset to families wanting to chill out after a class there and they might well stay away from places where they have been made to feel less welcome. Win/win in my opinion.

Hi McCabe, I am not a BSL signer, nor do I know loads of BSL. However, in the absence of knowing the BSL signs, you could always use fingerspelling with the BSL alphabet! Try this If this is about inclusion, then I am absolutely sure that a BSL signer in your sessions would be delighted to show you the specific signs. Otherwise, fingerspelling for hearing folks should be ok :) HTH Trish (Sing and Sign teacher - who doesn't use BSL!)

None on darrell road. Checked the service report and the fix time has slipped from 6.55 to 8.55 pm. ( :( )

Since we got our dog the foxes have diminished, which pleases my neighbour no end. She even seems to think my dog barking is a good price to pay for the lack of fox droppings all over her back garden. Result!

As the relatively new joint owner of a rescue staffy/lab cross, it makes me really sad to read the scaremongering comments about staffies. Our girl is 8 and if you see us walking her, she is the golden red dog with a stubby tail and wearing a muzzle at all times and always on the lead. She is a beautiful, loving dog, microchipped, neutered etc and she has had a really tough history. She is terrified of walking sticks and crutches and she sometimes flinches and crouches if our feet go unexpectedly near her. Yes she was mistreated and neglected and she bit the man who took her tail off with a garden strimmer and slashed her leg open. Which dog wouldn't?!despite the mistreatment she has experienced, and of all the dogs available for adoption, we were approved to have her, with two kids (10 and 7) at home. It is very very difficult to find a rescue dog that charities will home where there are young children. That is what a soft poppet she is. :) But she looks tough. Very muscular, quite staffy faced and of course the muzzle doesn't help. She isn't allowed out in public without her muzzle or off the lead until 13/11/13. We cannot wait. She is very well behaved - we are working on new tricks with her to keep her occupied since the poor darling can't get the exercise and play with other dogs that she wants and needs until then. The law states that dogs should not be off lead on public highways. I feel frustrated with owners ignoring this; it is perfectly likely that a fox, squirrel or cat in the vicinity could encourage a dog to charge across a road or knock pedestrians flying - even the most well behaved dog is capable of that. I guess I am very mindful of observing other people walking their dogs - partly in order to learn what works and what doesn't work, etc., but also because our girl doesn't like wearing her muzzle in public as it restricts normal dog interactions.Owners who say their dog is safe offlead may well be very experienced owners who know their dog , but none of us is above the law and it is irresponsible to ignore the law because you believe you are better than it and to set this example to less experiencd owners. Any dog that causes fear, let alone injury, is at serious risk of seizure and destruction, be it a puppy or a golden oldie with an unblemished history. I accept that there are people who don't want to know about dogs, let alone love them, and I am fully in favour of expensive licences an a compulsory annual health check (rather like an MOT!) and compulsory microchipping and liability insurance for dogs. That way, the less responsible owners could be more easily identified and their dogs removed to safety.

Medley - one of my common failings! With the flow it is then!

Medley - I meant from north to south, on the library side. If you hang back under the canopy to keep the pavement clear for pedestrians walking along then you probably won't get to cross the road at all! And also, which side is better? To stay on the left and try to swing round pedestrians? Or to stay on the right and have a sharp turn at slow speed onto the cycle path? Most cyclists I've seen seem to think it's ok to mingle with pedestrians waiting to cross. Maybe the answer is to dismount?!

I'm delighted Tilly is ok - if a little sore and wary. What a relief that must be for you. We used to have dog licences which had to be bought from the Post Office annually I believe. However, the amount of money was desultory and they were abandoned- probably because they cost more to administer than the revenue gained. Australia seems to be well sorted - and as a prospective dog owner, I'd welcome the system.

I sweep the leaves up outside my house every two or three days at this time of year. Polishes halo :) (as do two or three more of my neighbours).

Wouldn't be surprised, Fly, given the comment about them ranging quite far. They used to snuffle about in the dead leaves in my garden in the dead of night. Sigh! No such sights like this down in ED. nor the owls, woodpeckers, jays and peacock.

Wicked @monica - thank you :)

Good point! I was reading that they are very strict in Switzerland. But then again, they are about lots of things, I believe.

I e just got back to cycle commuting after a 10 year break and I perceive myself as a considerate cyclist. It is good to see more people cycling around :) However I had NO IDEA thatthe Peckham high street cycle lane is southbound only! I shall amend my cycling on the northbound journey henceforth. It certainly isn't clear to me that it's only a contraflow lane. Am I the only cyclist who observes the special cycle traffic light going southbound? It feels like it when other (fitter...) cyclists go past me when I'm waiting patiently for my turn... I love the Surrey canal route up to se1. I find the crossing by the library very hairy though. Either super fast cyclists barging through the pedestrians/other cyclists , or pedestrians in a world of their own - often texting or on headphones or both. It is difficult to work out which side of the crossing I should be, especially when going south? Is there a protocol?

Or make an owner licence. Or both. Rather like the gun laws. That way perhaps both dog AND owner could be tracked better?

When I lived on crescent wood road we had the hedgehog(s) visit our garden. It was beautiful to watch. :). I also spied then snuffling along the edge of the dulwich wood house pub garden on a few occasions. :). So sweet!

Hope I don't fit into the moronic category. ;) I really believe it's the owners, not the dogs, who are to blame. Perhaps dog training (which is owner training as much as anything) should be compulsory - that should deter quite a few of the morons who think that dog ownership is their right rather than a privilege and a responsibility?

Katgod that's brilliant :). I shall enquire with my kids school about reviving it - inspired by your comment here :)

I have to say, despite my experience with morph and the killer staffy earlier this year in Peckham rye park, the dog that I'm looking at adopting is an eight year old staff/lab cross. I agree with the previous poster that WHEN a dog with high prey drive kicks off, the consequences can be more serious, but i also believe it is down to the owners to give a damn, act responsibly and not feel that they above the law, should their dog cause injury to anyone or any other animal. Thank goodness Akitas, etc, aren't so numerous round here! They are notoriously prey driven. Although having said that, greyhounds are highly prey driven too and I don't recall reading of a greyhound attacking another dog here?

I often see Cycling proficiency training going on around Herne Hill - must be a course offered from the Velodrome? Schools used to offer the scheme, but alas it seems that has been dropped. I took my CPS Test in year 5 and shall be booking my daughter onto the herne hill course in the easter or summer holidays. Essential road awareness training.

I thought this thread was about M&S planning application re Iceland?! Seems to have veered off rather...

So sorry to hear about your experience today. I had a similar experience in March this year walking my friend's dog (Staffies again - but a different one from those you describe) - and sadly the incident was fatal for the dog :( PLEASE report this incident to the Park Warden/Community Wardens. They need at the very least to catalogue these incidents and to keep an eye out for these irresponsible dog owners/walkers. In the case of the owner of the blue staffy who attacked my friend's dog, he was a council tenant and therefore the council can come down quite hard on the owner/tenant if they don't take proper care of and with their dog when out in public spaces. Whilst I'm here, I am going to take the opportunity to lodge a complaint about the number of people who allow their dogs to jump into the dog free picnic area (is the park not big enough?!!) and also who take their dogs NOT on short leads into the Japanese Garden. If you can't read english, it's ok - there is a sign indicating that dogs are only permitted in the area on short leads. And I speak as a dog lover who is in the process of finding a rescue dog to adopt. Please have some consideration for other park users, so that the rest of the responsible dog walkers can continue to enjoy and use the beautiful park for our dogs.

Hmmm - have just investigated and I am correct. You have to go to the store and make your purchases and then book a delivery. Rather defeats most of the object for me, since quite frankly, I'm not up for travelling to NX to leave my shopping behind...! (http://www.iceland.co.uk/home-delivery/frequently-asked-questions)