rgutsell

HI all Depends upon what you include as the rye. Do you mean all the way around on the road? I run in the evenings, after dark. Oh dear. I've just realised that this answer makes it clear that I am a running nerd. Yours R N Gutsell

Hi all What is thelikelihood of extraterrestrials choosing East Dulwich as the best place to make an initial contact with the human race? And does anyone care? R N Gutsell (at work and bored!!!)

Hi all Maybe he has become a rude man because of the years of trying to make a living satisfy demanding customers, who come into the shop with an attitude. Oh dear. Im just being an obnoxious ex coach driver. Ignore. I will go away. r n gutsell

HI all Would someone pm me details of the ED writers group? Ta R N Gutsell

HI all "Political Correctness" The American reactionary right created the term in order to disparage the many attempts by govt to use legislation etc to bring about fair and equal treatment. "Political correctness" does not mean that any section of our society gets extra protection, or that you should not report black crime for example. It DOES mean that racism etc needs to be binned. It was very saddening to watch "Confessions of a traffic Warden" last evening on TV, and witness the unparalleled racism, hatred and vitriol pouring out of many peoples (mostly white british) mouths. We need more political correctness, and ALL crime, black or white needs to be reported.

HI all. I have been working in the drug rehab field for 20 years. All of the those organisations have taken a very low profile indeed, and it's highly unlikely that this is one. Its funny that people avoid rehabs, since you may well have been living near one for a while and not known. I worked for 9 years in a rehab in Esher, Surrey. It was there 25 years, and people living 10 doors down the road did not know it existed. I live now on East Dulwich Grove, along which drunken revellers regularly make their way at 2am screaming, fighting, banging things etc. Funny how so few people think that the presence of too many clubs, pubs and bars, along with liberal licensing laws, brings the neighbourhood into disrepute; whereas one rehab (which by its very nature contains people who are generally not using..think about it, thats what rehabs do, they are abstinence based) brings all out in a panic! Rehabs are generally tightly bound by rules, behaviour, and routines, and are selective in who they take. They are trained up (for the most part) and overall are very safe, well ordered places. Of course people relapse and leave, but chaos is remarkable for its absence. NOw, if you want chaos and disorder, and addictive behaviour, try anyone of the local pubs at 1am over the Xmas period, and any of the many parties going on in "Normal" houses!! There will be plenty of cocaine, alcohol, cannabis etc etc. The safest place to be, if you are an ex user, will be in a rehab!!! LOL By the way, there is an easy way to check whether its used as a rehab; google drug services in dulwich/southwark area.

Hi all Great thread. Id like to add a bit, although not directly to do with E Dulwich. I was born shortly after the war and grew up in its myths and stories. It was a long time before the UK began any significant rebuilding and bomb sites littered the streets. They were often fenced off with lines of doors, since they were best suited to survive blasts in houses, and they lay around in their thousands. (Think of that the next time you spend out on a genuine, older, stripped pine wood door!!) They made quite a surreal sight. None of the doors actually opened. The sites were also great "Adventure playgrounds", and my mother often asked us to go the bomb site (In streatham, on the site of the Dunraven school) and pick mint for the sunday meal. The more eco aware people of today would love those sites; they provided protected environments for plants and wild life. We were much less supervised than todays kids. No one bothered us. The sites were places where kids could get away from adults. We built "camps" and played with shrapnel, and sometimes, shell casings etc. In central London, there were huge bomb sites. In the mid fifties, my best mate and I would buy Red Rover bus tickets, travel together into London by bus, and spend the day clambering about in deserted sites, in dark archways, cellars etc etc. Then came the first property boom, and it all began to dissapear. I'm not regretting its dissapearance. However, many people who know only the present day reality of long term peace and high land values etc, cannot conceive of living in a community where homes were something that you lived in all of your life, and land could lay unused without any pressure to develop it, or speculate with it.

Hi all Just to add to this. I had a bike stolen from our front yard, In East Dulwich Grove, about two months ago. Same process; bolt croppers to cut through the wire of the lock. The bike was locked to another bike, which had a U lock around the frame and rear wheel. That was left there. The police say that was because the thief would not have been able to carry the bike away, and that the u lock was just the right size, because there was no room to get it open by inserting a car jack in it and bending it open. Additionaly, the bikes were not out in the open, but in a closed yard not visible from the road. It implies that the thief was local and regularly viewed the site. We were also told to check E Bay and street markets, since stolen bikes and equipment often appear there quite quickly. If you have a good means to identity the bike, you may be able to reclaim it. The thief does not get much cash for the parts, and the buyer/seller knows that it is all stolen. Its possible that the money goes on short term drug use etc etc.

Well done. Excellent bit of community work.

HI all Because I live in E Dulwich....of course. E Dulwich lives, breathes and grows; Dulwich village is DEAD!

Hi all Im sorry that this happened to anyone. I was chatting with my partner about personal protection recently, and she agreed to carry a "Scream" alarm; but then she keeps it in the bottom of her bag, which isn't a lot of use!! A specialist told us to carry old and cheap bags, with weak straps (that break when they grab it) and to keep nothing of value in the bag ( no cash, cards, wallets etc) but keep that stuff more secretly elsewhere on your body. In that way they get away with nothing, and leave quickly without being violent, but will have put themselves at risk of being caught or recognised.

I hope we get..some kind of electrical goods shop, with lights, bulbs, plugs, telephones, fans, pc parts etc etc. Oh no....what a nerd I am. Its just that I have actually needed those things and had to drive to PC world. rgutsell

Hi All NOT Fusion (Goose GReen). It gets really full of people in the evening, most of whom (it seems to me, but i'm biased!) spend their time sitting around on the equipment. If they want to relax, why dont they go to coffee shops? (I am one of the weirdo's who isn't satisifed unless I have worked quite hard!) The issue to me is whether the gym staff are on the floor, and doing some "supervising", and whether there are enough staff. Fusion just takes yer sub, and leaves its centres to run themselves. In that sense, the more expensive places offer better value.

Hi all Bad news indeed. I hope it's just a baseless rumour. Ideally I'd like to see the council purchase it, allow dhfc to stay, and develop its leisure potential for the community. In my view we need another big store (of any kind) like we need a hole in the head. I will support any campaign to keep dhfc here.

Hi all LOL what a reactionary and provocative item! I have to say that I have SOME sympathy with his thoughts regarding the actual buggies. (Not the mothers or fathers). Walking along the east dulwich pavements and meeting a 4x4, rib tyred, super sprung, all terrain, heavy duty, commando buggy (with one, or two, perplexed looking tiny tots buried deep in their thick defensive walls) coming in the opposite direction, is an intimidating experience. Total protective "overkill". I have a suspicion that owners of such prams either already own a 4x4 Chelsea tank, or wish that they did. My own experience of child raising and prams, involved the designs of 20 years ago; lightweight, foldaway things that could almost be thrown carelessly into the umbrella stand when you got home. I am looking forward to winter and the first snowfall; then we can all gleefully spectate as the 4 x 4 owners who can't actually drive them very well, go for a slide; and the monster buggies slide all over the pavement, dragging their "parent" owners, and the chuckling kids within them. Hey, I turning into Victor Meldrew........ Yours rn gutsell

HI all Where do you get the best chips from, in East Dulwich. In my view its Carly's in North Cross Road. Rgutsell

HI all Whining old git back again! LOL I am, and I do, cycle. Ive taken, and passed, nearly all of the tests you can to use the roads; Cycling proficiency (donkeys years ago) Ordinary Licence,(decades ago) PCV, HGV ( as it was then) and some specialist vehicle tests too. (I don't have a motor cycle licence) I do not "get" why cyclists think that any person can just pick up any bit of cycling junk and get on the road and pedal away without a thought about behaviour, equipment or compliance. You would not want your child knocked down by a dangerous large vehicle; but by the same token, you would not want your children to be riding around on crap bikes on crowded roads, doing stupid, untrained, ill informed things. Its not that I think that either cyclists or vehicle drivers are particularly "to blame". I think that there are faults on both sides. Just to up my "right on " cred, I have also been regular a participant in the critical mass bike rides and "Reclaim the streets " actions. However I do not share the commonly held sense that cyclists are "different", and that they should remain ostensibly outside of common road law. Which as how they are treated at the moment. I want cycling to be more available, supported and developed; but I also want it to be properly regulated, and made safe, yes and legal, and I don't want to be embarrassed by uncaring, untrained, badly equipped idiots on two wheels, (Wearing lycra or not!!) Looking forward to more posts!!

Hi all What about looking at this way. If someone had ripped out Nelson column one night, (without permission) then sold it to our enemy (lets say.....Hitlers Germany, for the arguments sake), and then we waited a couple of centuries, during which time the government and nation changed, (lets say from the United Kingdon to just Britain, which is not unlikely) we would not be able to get it back from the Germans "Because it had been sold in good faith legally" and the current country did not exist at the time. Is that correct?? In my opinion, The Elgin marbles were nicked, stolen, lifted, wafted away etc etc. Give them back.

Heh heh heh I knew my post would stir stuff up!! On the point of bikes not being dangerous; a month ago my partners (aged 83) father was crossing the road on a zebra crossing in Chiswick and was struck at full speed by a cyclist (helmeted and on a racer), and was taken to hospital with a fractured wrist and cheek and a broken nose. It has severely affected his abilty to live independently. He is unable to claim from the cyclist (no insurance). The Police "may" prosecute. (The cyclist was also hurt and was breathylysed). The most dangerous thing about cylists is that they think they are smaller, lighter and less of a risk to others. By "Main routes" I mean designated A roads and B roads, where the signs already have colour schemes etc. Of course kids should ride bikes which may not have full road equipment; but in residential areas, and off the main routes. And Mountain Bikes are for.......riding on mountains and off road environments. If they are ridden on roads amongst the public they should be up to a better standard with equipment, and have lights etc. On the subject of mudguards; Cyclists have a hard enough job seeing where they are going in rain, without having to cope with the water being flung up by the front wheel; and how does have having your back being soaked by mud and cold rain improve your ability see danger and react? By the way, much of this (regarding the suitablity of bikes on roads) exists in law anyway. It just is not applied by anyone. If you are riding an unlit bike at night or without effective brakes (at any time)on public roads, you can be arrested and your bike confiscated. If you ride your bike under the influence of alcochol (Hence the guy above was tested) you can be arrested and the bike confiscated. If your bike is unfit for safe use (for example, no saddle or clearly broken wheels, or no working barkes) and you use it in public roads, you can be stopped by the Police and charged. But of course no one acts on this. And here is something that you probably did not know; all of those LED flashing lights are technically illegal. They do not fall into the legal definition of a light suitable for road use, because a) they flash and b) they are too small and c) they are usually unfixed. And remember..I am a cylist!! Looking forward to more posts!!

Hi all Here is a thread that probably has been thoroughly done before but her goes; I am a cyclist, and car driver, and lorry and coach driver, and I believe; 1. All cyclists on certain designated main routes should have passed a basic road test 2. No untrained cyclists should be allowed on designated main routes. (ie A and many B routes) 3. All cycles on main designated routes should be registered, with clearly displayed registration details, and built to basic road safety standards including built in lights, working brakes, mud guards, and batteries (re charging). This means that track bikes, childrens bikes and mountain bikes etc would not be allowed on these designated roads, unless adapted. 4. Community wardens and Police etc should be able to stop and prevent cyclist without these in place from carrying on. ......and I'm not a whining old git! I just think that us cyclists have got to stop pretending that we are forces for anti authoritarian liberty, and bite the bullet. 4.

This is one of those cheeky pr stunts. How much are the Blue Mountain and Blue Brick caff paying you ??????

HI all I thought that I would add my experiences to this subject. I have been working in Drug and alcohol rehabilitation for 16 years, and I don't ever give out cash. In a sense, whether you give it or not, does not actually matter, since it will not actually do anything to alleviate the conditions that cause the begging etc. Give out cash if you will feel better, but don't feel guilty if you do not. It's been a common experience to encounter people wanting money on the trains, especially later at night, "to get into a hostel place for the night". Just so that you know, from a person working in the field, hostels for homeless people do not charge for a person to stay overnight, ESPECIALLY (those very rare)hostels who have places still available late at night. Places for homeless people are booked up and taken in advance that day, (or by early entry) many of them being referred by local agencies and councils, and social services. Some places are held over for late night admissions, in a registry system, in which vacant beds are notified to a clearing service, so that anyone who presents to Social Services and is in need of a place to stay, has a chance of getting one. Often they have to travel a long distance to it, and they are not charged at the door. Think about it logically; homeless people are very unlikely to have any cash, how could a legitimate homeless hostel charge? For this reason, crisis beds are rare and difficult to find, and almost all are taken up by referred clients from other agencies. So, do not fall for the story being given to you. If they are asking for cash late at night its too late for a bed, and anyway they aren't charged for. Almost always, the money you give goes to drug or alcohol use. There are exceptions to this; people in crisis who are struggling to get by without drugs etc. They usually do succeed in getting to regular overnight beds by using the referral agencies, or other means, which means that you don't get to see them so much. For these people, provision from LA's and Govt agencies etc, has vastly improved. A friend of mine who was also a drug worker, had a different approach. If someone approached with a story that they needed dosh, he would tell them that he would not give them cash, but that he would go with them to the nearest caff and get them a meal. His reasoning was that although they would spend the money on drugs, they truly did need food. You can guess that he was rarely taken up on his offer, and usually was abused. C'est la Vie. Us drug workers get used to it!!

HI all You need to be older to see and feel the change. I don't think I am being biased when I say that summers are DEFINITELY hotter, and the insect population has definitely plummeted, and so has the sparrow population. Does that mean it is influenced by people? If you drove a car through the countryside 40 years ago along side smaller, more varied fields, your windscreen would be covered by squashed insects. These days you drive by huge barren fields, and nothing touches your screen. Its not proof, but it sure convinces me!!

earth

Hi all I am replying to the views expressed about drug users and dealers by some on this thread; i e that they are so heinous that they deserve to be water boarded, or Police should be alowed to treat them violently. I have actually worked in drug and alochol rehabilition for 16 years, and I have still to meet an evil person. I have, however, met many people who have done terrible things, to themselves as well as others. Above all, everyone I have met has been someone trying to do their best, albeit badly. Be sure of this; Dulwich has many dealers and users. There is a view that Cannabis is not really "drugs" and that buying and selling on, (at for example a festival) is harmless. (and therefore OK, which it is not!) One of the more interesting and humorus things I have often come across, is that in the community of dealers and users, there is a lot of snobbery; cannabis users at festivals won't see themselves as problem users, but see heroin users as the pits. Crack users, look down on heroin users. Everyone looks down on glue sniffers, and so on. Generalisations I know, and questionable, but very common. Drug and alcohol misuse is endemic at all levels in our society; no one deserves to be judged as evil, and no one deserves to be tortured.