jimmyraj

Have to agree that it's the sellers who are often to blame not just the agents. When I sold my flat about four years ago - through KFH as it happened - it went to sealed bids with two very competitive offers put in. Naturally I took the higher bid and then the next day the agent informed me that the other party had put in an offer 10k higher. I went with the original winner of the sealed bids as I think you have a moral obligation to honour such a bidding process. Maybe its karma, but the process of buying our house - which involved a six house chain - was relatively smooth and completed in two months. What goes around comes around etc...

Yeah - we tried on Friday night. It was like phoning DMC - constantly engaged. Gave up in the end. Maybe will try in a few weeks.

It's a sad read but fairly realistic about the economy of running a proper pub in a residential area. When even major pubs on thoroughfares like Lordship Lane are finding it hard to survive, it's not hard to see why the likes of Hoopers can't make the numbers work. I live just around the corner and I went on occasion, and liked the range of ales and the fact it showed live sport, but clearly like most people around and about it, didn't go enough. I am always sad to see pubs be converted into houses, but I have to agree with the owner that I can't see someone making a viable run of it, so in this instance would support it being turned to residential.

Camberwell New Road is terrible, both because it's a death trap of cycle lanes bleeding into bus lanes and the sides of lorries; cars turning into cycle lanes; and perpetual pot holes and raised iron work which is often deep enough to throw you off your bike. The new cycle superhighway work doesn't seem be entirely addressing much of the above either.

The watch chap in ED warehouse is great. Knows his stuff and very friendly

Is three mini closures really that bad? Certainly on my street, builders regularly block the street to load and unload materials, and to crane things into sites. It's an unfortunate annoyance about living in London but inevitable. If the guy wants to build a swimming pool under his house - which incidentally seems to being built on a piece of brownfield land with, presumably, the necessary planning permissions - why is it so outrageous? As long as it's built properly and with the necessary precautions it shouldn't create any structural issues for anyone else. Much easier to put a basement on a new build property (and much less risky) than tunnelling under an old Victorian or Edwardian house - which happens much more frequently. Personally the idea of it all offends me an awful lot less than the demolition of the house on the corner of Elsie Road and East Dulwich Grove - which has looked terribly sad as a lovely Victorian villa has been stripped to the ground piece by piece to be replaced by a mock Victoriana block of flats.

I think the market's just widened around ED in the last couple of years - there are genuine alternatives on either side of ED to go out to, whether that's Peckham or Camberwell or Forest Hill which have made the market more competitive. Most of LL seems pretty busy on a Friday night but there's definitely some empty seats around on week nights. Personally I loved Draft House - friendly service and great beers - and will be sad to see it go but there is a lot of pubs on the strip and probably not enough people out of an evening to sustain them all. All things to all men places like the EDT and Bishop which offer a decent enough range of beer and food will probably fair best. Lord only knows how the Cherry Tree keeps on surviving

Victoria was shut down too. No trains via Peckham and Denmark Hill, and roads jammed because of an accident at Oval.

Paul's Custom Cycles on Bellenden Road is great for bikes, bike bits and kids bikes - super friendly guy who will hold kids bikes there until Christmas Eve.

It would definitely need to create extra parking somehow. That car park is always log jammed as it is at weekends with bad access back onto the A2 again

Looking at the planning application, am I right that they are intending to build a replica Victorian facade for the flats? Seems odd they're not forced to keep the original one and build behind it.

They're competing with the General Store these days. In all seriousness the competition has meant they've upped their game on fruit and veg with much better quality stuff in stock over the last year or so IMO - and they're stocking a few decent beers along with all the usual very useful stuff. The chaps who run the payless are lovely too.

I love the interviews with the estate agents in Absolutely Dulwich, particularly the picture spread of the two rotund, besuited agents strolling through Goose Green and talking about what an edgy, creative area it is

We put ourselves on their list when our kid was born, about two and a half years ago, paying the 20 or 25 quid fee (can't remember how much) and are yet to hear anything. Chased them after a year or so, they said they would come back to us, then never heard anything. We went with a nanny share in the end, but the principle of paying a fee for zero service in terms of hearing anything from them really grates.

Agree about the junction as both a cyclist and a driver who uses it and lives nearby. It's not Renata you need to contact though. The junction lies between The Lanes ward and Peckham, neither of which is Renata (she is up towards the Rye I think) so best probably trying them. Having said that, it's a TFL red route so probably comes under their jurisdiction so maybe best to contact them?

edhistory Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is this in one of the two Blenheim Grove art deco > blocks? > > I hope the freeholder not not revoke the > head-lease and have these buildings destroyed. > > John K Are you on a one man crusade to save these blocks?? I know it's already been said, but I think there's a strong argument for greater public good in getting rid of the shop frontage to the station. It might well have architectural merit but it's not in a good place and restricts light and access to a high footfall public space. Sorry, but it's got to go

There's a hilarious quote from a local estate agent (Mr Wooster of Wooster and Stock) in today's Sunday Times. Without a hint of irony he says: 'It's frightening - I don't know where we're going.....People are getting greedy - it's bringing out the worst in them.'

This is a promising development. As someone living around 200m from the site with a child looking to enter reception in 2015, I've expressed our interest in the idea. To Renata and James - seems like it's a little too late not to descend into political brawl. What I don't quite get is both of your close interest in it, when it's not in either of your wards though I do appreciate it relieves pressure on the wider education system as a whole. Shame none of the Lane councillors can get themselves involved in this debate, though not surprising. If it's a case of raising awareness, definitely agree some signposting outside of this forum would be worthwhile. There are numerous community noticeboards in the area that could host a printed version of this, eg on the corner opposite Review bookshop.

I think it suffered from being slightly off the beaten track. Not on many walking routes - only passed when people are cutting through on car journeys - and further away than the pubs near Bellenden Road like the Victoria, Montpellier and Prince Albert. Always stocked good ales and beers and I went there to watch sport, but seemed a bit empty sometimes. Think it might have also been affected by not having any outside space - which is one of the key attributes of a lot of the successful pubs in the area, especially since the smoking ban.

If you really don't know what you want and want to look at everything the market has in one shot, I'd try Car Giant in NW10. If you don't sign up to the added extras and warranties, it normally offers a good deal and has literally every model you could think of there. Tends to be good for 2-3 year old ex rep cars, but mostly are in decent nick. You can get there on the orange line - change a Clapham Junction and go to Willesden Junction (there's a direct path down the back to Car Giant)

JohnL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You do get the feeling - 10 years and nothing will > change the way things are moving. > > More young professionals with no links to the area > moving in and they really won't care > about razing the whole place - so if PV want to do > it properly - I'd advice now. I don't think you should be so hasty to tar all newcomers with the same brush JohnL. So far as your loose definition goes, I might class as a 'newcomer' - I moved to the area four years ago, and am probably a young (ish) professional. I've made it my home and want to stay here for quite a few years to come. I don't have links to the area, no, but does that make a huge difference? I care about what it is like now; and what it is like in the future - as do most of my neighbours from what I can tell. I don't want to make Peckham something it isn't but I welcome the efforts that are going into making it a more welcoming central hub for all of the community

edhistory Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The c1949 building at 117-125 Rye Lane is not a > shopping arcade. > > I am aware that a number of people would like to > see Station Arcade destroyed. > > I also understand why someone's personal taste > should prefer an imitation continental style to > Englishe vernacular. > > John K I'm not disputing the fact that the arcade (shopping, station, or otherwise) has merit and appeal, but its effect in being placed in front of another station and thus meaning only access is through dark, dank and unpleasant alleyways, is a negative one. If it was a building on its own I would argue it should be protected. But it's not. Opening up the front of the station would surely be in the public good. In my opinion anyway...

I suppose the argument here - regardless of whether some think the arcade has architectural merit - is that the station, as is, is completely blocked by it and therefore it's also impossible to appreciate what is a glorious building (and one that even the harshest critics must surely agree ranks above that of the shopping arcade). It's also about opening it up and making it less of a grim journey to get to. As anyone who commutes from Peckham Rye will testify, the walkways through the station - whilst not unsafe - are not the most pleasant way to get to the place. The idea of creating more public spaces around the station is also something which, personally, I would welcome. As others have said elsewhere, and as the Peckham Vision crew seem to recognise, it would be nice if this could be done organically to ensure that the existing businesses have the opportunity of remaining there - rather than it becoming full of chain coffee shops etc. Be good if they could think about creating some extra entrances to the stations - maybe via the piazza they are going to create at the back. This could go someway to alleviating the somewhat dangerous congestion on the stairs in the station - particularly on platform 4.

Sounds good....do you know where you are going to be stocked yet? Some great breweries opening up in the area - all good for fine ale lovers. Ps. Stick your twitter handle on this post - great to get updates @clarkshaws

Head up your own arse IMO.