peckhamboy

Maybe AB1 could take over The Vale? They wouldn't have to do too much work to it to transform it into a bland, soulless identikit pub/bar and it's probably the only place in the area that might actually be improved by becoming an AB1...

Who put that proposition forward? I don't think anyone has even come close to claiming that. The people you're taking issue with have only been saying that another baby shop doesn't = worse quality of life. It's not quite the same.

No, but it is a *gasp* chain so it would still be picketed if it opened up on LL...

A sense of perspective might not go amiss round here sometimes. Does the replacement of a boarded up, rundown shop with a shop selling baby clothes and maternity wear improve that row of shops? Yes it does, regardless of whether you feel we 'need' that particular shop. Similarly, that row would have been improved by any shop/business opening up there, whether it sells clothes, music, food (veggie or otherwise) or anything else. Everyone has an opinion on what they would have liked to see there, but it's one thing to state what your opinion is and quite another to refuse to accept that anybody else's opinion can be valid. Let's face it, it's a babywear shop, not the arrival of the apocalypse. I think people on here get a bit too caught up in the whole idea that ED is perfect just as it was 10 years ago and change should be banned. Nobody wants ED to become Clapham - one of the things that appealed to me about it was that it had such a strong sense of community, a good mix of people living happily side by side and a decent range of shops (both independent and chain). Some of my neighbours have been here since the 50's. Others like me have moved in more recently but that shouldn't make our opinions any less valid.

Tongue. In. Cheek.

How on earth did you find this Alan? Is anyone supposed to take that seriously? It sounds like Vikki Pollard!

Maybe it was slightly tongue in cheek, but I think calling it childish is a bit pathetic. What's childish is throwing your virtual toys out of the pram because someone has dared to open up a shop that you don't like. I was simply suggesting that if you feel that strongly about something, you could do something about it rather than waiting for some alternative-music loving, sushi-eating, vegetarian hippy with an entrepreneurial capitalist streak to open up this goldmine that ED so obviously needs.

Or, if you're all that convinced that a cafe serving only vegetarian food will be such a success, you could start it up yourselves instead of waiting for "some entrepreneur" to do it, whilst complaining about every entrepreneur that dares to do something different? But maybe deep down you realise that there's only so much nut roast you can sell in ED?

James Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why not a cool veggie cafe? > A Vietnamese or Japanese sushi bar? > A laid-back, straight-friendly gay bar? > A cool music or secondhand clothes shop? > > Why do we need another pointless boutique? > AAAAAGH!!! Ummm, maybe because all of those are going to appeal to very niche markets? And are unlikely to have the money to pay the rent? Just a thought... And another pointless boutique is better than an empty shop or another pointless estate agent.

:-$ I was just trying to find something nice to say about the Bishop. And I was worried that advertising the beauty of the CPT bar staff might encourage more 20-somethings on the pull to check it out, and then I'd hate it and have to stop going there. You've let the cat out the bag now though...

Agreed, the CPT looks a bit rundown, and it's slightly off the beaten track, and occasionally it feels like you've gatecrashed a private party. But that's why I love it. It doesn't attract the 20-somethings on the pull, or the estate agents at the end of their shift. I've never had or seen any aggro in there, it shows the football, and you can always get a seat. But saying that, the Bishop does have a couple of very attractive barmaids (or at least they seem very attractive after a couple of pints, which may not be quite the same thing).

The 8.05 this morning was cancelled, and there are frequently delays, cancellations or shortened trains on that and the 8.15. I agree that the service is pretty crap. Does anyone know if there's a Passenger's Charter or similar for Southern? On the tube if there are delays you can claim money back. If everyone started doing that, it might give them an incentive to improve the service. And if it doesn't, you might at least feel less aggrieved!

What are undesirable shops? Some of them are a bit rundown but I don't think any are undesirable. A couple of newsagents, a DIY shop, the bike/running place, a great dry cleaner, fantastic cobbler. Not much undesirable about that. And houses are mainly cheaper because of postcode snobbery as far as i can tell. Some of the roads up towards Bellenden (especially Oglander Rd) have some beautiful houses, and you're closer to the "good" end of LL than a lot of the more expensive places in East Dulwich proper. Maybe I'm biased because I live round there, but I've found it to be a really friendly and safe part of town with better transport links than much of ED, and personally I wouldn't live in any other part of the area. But each to their own.

Hotel Rwanda is the only film I can think of that made me want to cry. But, obviously, being a bloke and all, I didn't actually cry... :-S

SimonM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The trouble with blokes in suits on LL is that, > these days, they are almost always estate agents > having a quick smoke....Who'd want to be mistaken > for an estate agent? Foxtons? :))

I've got a little Gaggia (like this one) and I love it. You can't beat making your own espresso, although those little stove top makers are a hell of a lot cheaper! And as for coffee, the best espresso has to be illy.

It's true, full stop.

Except that if both rungs have risen at the same rate, the gap between them has become wider in real terms

Call me old fashioned, but I'm not quite ready to spend the best part of ?200 on a scarf

Matalan maybe, *Bob*. Outsider - I think a menswear shop would probably do well in ED provided you get the right sort of stuff in. But as others said, you may struggle to make much profit because of the rent.

The guy on grove vale by the tyre shop is far and away the friendliest newsagent around. Never fails to greet you as you walk in and for that reason alone I go out of my way to get my paper there.

I like *Bob*'s suggestion myself. Maybe after a night out on the beers and curry - that should really do the trick!

Alan Dale Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The Pier > > Joking apart it would be nice to have a local > owner managed organic butcher - the meat at Sainos > is a bit average. It would never work. there just isn't the demand for that in ED.

We could actually do with a couple of decent clothes shops as well, so that my girlfriend doesn't keep trying to drag me out to hellholes like oxford street and bluewater... White Stuff (chain or not) is a start. For all those who prefer independents, there's an independent men's clothing shop by Texaco on Grove Vale. Judging by the lack of activity in there, you're not all putting your money where your mouth is on that one.

TGI Friday