What's happening to our Quality of Life?

[Penguin68]

I have lived in East Dulwich for over 30 years, and in that time the quality of life has improved dramatically. Lordship Lane when I came here was, frankly, shabby, with few decent or interesting restaurants and shops, indeed a plethora of shops selling second hand prams is lodged in my mind (of course, even then, there were gems, and I particularly regret the loss of a decent haberdashers). In that time also public transport has improved (the Orange line, new bus routes).

This has been marked by the steepest rise (from a low base) in house prices in London, as more people recognised the pleasures and benefits of living in East Dulwich, with its increasingly vibrant high street, and street market, parks and good (or reparable) housing stock offering quite a good mix of housing types. However in the last couple of years Southwark Council and TfL have been working to reduce that life quality. Reductions in bus frequencies (and routes) and the war against private vehicles are symptomatic of a series of attacks from Tooley St and County Hall which mark a complete disdain for those of us in the south of the borough.

Decisions are being made ?against? us by people who probably never even come down South (well, no tubes, so no real access). Our councillors are now part of the apparat, keeping their new-boy noses clean as deselection comes into view. The creation of the super-borough of Southwark and the loss of the Borough of Camberwell looks increasingly a poor decision as regards those of us who would have been in that lost borough. At least the money being grabbed from us who are motorists might have been spent on our transport needs, rather than dissipated in the north. But Southwark has no requirement to spend our car blood money on us in the south.

If we are to ?take back control? I know where I?d start. And it?s not on the UK?s borders.

[dbboy]

The only opposition was James Barber, but the "good" people (and I use that lightly) of Southwark decided he was to be replaced so now with no opposition the council can and do as they please. So until this shower are either voted out of office or there is a decent opposition, I'm afraid I can only see it getting worse much the same as it is the other side of Langton Rise in Lewisham who also run a one party state.

[Nigello]

I agree that we are poorly served by public transport. The only thing to do is to lobby our local MP and GLA representatives with examples of what has got worse. In the meantime, to avoid frustration as much as possible, we just have to get up earlier/walk more/be more cooperative on the buses and trains we do have (yes, that means you, Mr Don't Want To Walk Up The Stairs/Down The Train and Mrs I Like To Hug The Exit and Ms My Bag Needs A Seat More Than Any Paying Passenger).

[singalto]

Penguin68,having lived in ED for over 25 years, I agree with you. However, there is now a good haberdashery on LL.

[NewWave]

Nigello Wrote:

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> I agree that we are poorly served by public

> transport. The only thing to do is to lobby our

> local MP and GLA representatives with examples of

> what has got worse. In the meantime, to avoid

> frustration as much as possible, we just have to

> get up earlier/walk more/be more cooperative on

> the buses and trains we do have (yes, that means

> you, Mr Don't Want To Walk Up The Stairs/Down The

> Train and Mrs I Like To Hug The Exit and Ms My Bag

> Needs A Seat More Than Any Paying Passenger).

Agree..It amazes me when I get on a crowded morning train and see some idiot with their bag sat on a seat.

And its just plain daft the way people refuse to budge to let one get off the train at the canada water interchange, all it would take is one small side step but no..you have to literally push past them to get off.

I could go on and on about how frustrated I am that our bus services seem to be cut and for those like myself who work in the west end we are very much at the mercy of the overground with its pathetic Canada water interchange,

[rendelharris]

We live in an architecturally lovely, generally peaceful, very rich area of one of the world's greatest cities with wonderful parks, fabulous restaurants and shops and other amenities within walking distance. We have three train stations in easy reach from whence one can reach central London in less than a quarter of an hour. We have a multiplicity of bus services.

Private car use is ruining London, making it ugly through the congestion, noise and the aggression and misery it causes and literally killing Londoners from pollution.

I'm as up for a moan as the next man, but by God, we are luckier and more privileged than a good 95% of the rest of the population on this earth. A little perspective, please.

How did our forebears manage, even in our grandparents' generation (for me that's those who were in their twenties in the 1930s and 40s) when private cars were the privilege of the very wealthy? They walked, cycled, took buses and trains, and as far as I can ascertain were far less miserable and whingy about things than we are today.

[seenbeen]

'Architecturally lovely'...the view from my back garden says otherwise...

[rendelharris]

seenbeen Wrote:

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> 'Architecturally lovely'...the view from my back

> garden says otherwise...

Largely architecturally lovely!

[mrwb]

This applies to a lot of London. It's becoming an awful place to live. TFL and the boroughs just see us as cash machines. Just wait till the ULEZ extension. Crime is rising, with police stations closed, robbery and even murders especially with knives getting much worse.

London will depopulate massively again like it did for long periods of the 20th century. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

[rendelharris]

mrwb Wrote:

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> This applies to a lot of London. It's becoming an

> awful place to live. TFL and the boroughs just see

> us as cash machines. Just wait till the ULEZ

> extension. Crime is rising, with police stations

> closed, robbery and even murders especially with

> knives getting much worse.

The homicide rate in London for 2018 at 132 was lower than it was for every single year between 1990 and 2008. Not saying everything in the garden's rosy, but I would say don't be hysterical about saying everything's getting worse.

[nxjen]

?London will depopulate massively again like it did for long periods of the 20th century.?

A major reason London?s population fell in the 20th century was the damage inflicted by the Luftwaffe. I don?t know the numbers but many, many homes were destroyed and those made homeless were accommodated outside London. When the war ended, clearance of war damage was combined with slum clearance and more Londoners were moved out, some returned, very many didn?t and put down roots in new areas. Then there was the creation of new towns which again many Londoners moved to.

The original post on this thread does appear to be an anti-Labour diatribe rather than an unbiassed examination of the quality of life of those who live in East Dulwich, based primarily on potential restrictions for the car owner. Public transport has improved enormously since I first moved here when there were far fewer buses and there were no trains on a Sunday from East Dulwich station. Now we have the Jubilee line which has opened up connections from London Bridge and the London Overground is easily accessible. If journey times by bus are slower then a large contributory factor has to be the massive increase in private cars on the roads which are just not wide enough to accommodate all vehicles. So something?s got to give. There are of course those for whom owning and driving a car is essential. If non essential car journeys were curtailed, it would improve the quality of life for that group of car owners. (RH despite your assumptions, I have never owned a car and never got the hang of learning how to drive.)

I guess it comes down to whether you?re a glass half full or a glass half empty person: I would count myself in the former group.

[seenbeen]

Says it all when you can't trust the Royal Mail now

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2012380

[JohnL]

mrwb Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This applies to a lot of London. It's becoming an

> awful place to live. TFL and the boroughs just see

> us as cash machines. Just wait till the ULEZ

> extension. Crime is rising, with police stations

> closed, robbery and even murders especially with

> knives getting much worse.

>

> London will depopulate massively again like it did

> for long periods of the 20th century. It's going

> to get worse before it gets better.

It'll go the way of gated segregated communities is my guess.

[PeckhamRose]

Many of those needing housing are being sent to places like Thanet or Luton completely away from their support system, families and friends. As I write, the topic below this one was "Woman Looking In Bins". I guess her quality of life may not be too good. I am one of the lucky ones, own my home and love it and my support system for health needs are local and all in place. But it takes just one thing to go wrong in many people's lives to drastically affect it. Look at all the TSA agents and park rangers and all those who were not paid when Trump had a hissyfit. People can not afford to save much there, and many have been ruined. My own quality of life is enhanced massively by being a motorcyclist. Can't explain that but it is. All we can do is be together and try and be kind and non judgemental. Someone speaking to a homeless person in a kind manner can affect that person all day if they have no-one else. I read once of a woman who had few friends or the ability to make them, and who did not mind going to the dentist when she could or the opticians because in her whole way of her lonely life, those people were the only ones who actually touched her body. Can you imagine? We can't know what is going on in others' lives but we are educated and have the ability to think things through and try and make a difference. Everyone's quality of life can be even slightly enhanced just by smiling at someone and saying hello. Example, I saw a young black male a few months ago with a staffie that looked in a right state. Clearly it had been in a fight. I made a judgement that that guy was not responsible because of the body language of the dog. So I spoke to him and asked how his dog was. He said he had taken it from someone who he knew abused the dog. And he hated the judgement everyone else made, the looks, the attitude, because they assumed he was the culprit, but was so pleased I didn't do that. His dog clearly loved him and he loved his dog and they each improved one another's quality of life. OK essay over.

[Sue]

seenbeen Wrote:

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> Says it all when you can't trust the Royal Mail

> now

> https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?

> 5,2012380

There have always been thefts by some people working for Royal Mail.

That's why, to the best of my knowledge, Royal Mail have always had an investigation department.