downsouth

That bathroom does look good, it just needs black out panes - just in case!

Yes house prices are inextricably linked to not only to the ED economy but indeed to that of London and the UK. Alan Greenspan (former chairman on the Fed Reserve) had some sobering words today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/09/17/cngrspan117.xml I went with a friend of mine to look at some property in nearby areas to ED - Upper Sydenham, Sydenham and Penge. For less than 230k you could get a 3 bed room apartment with acres of space and parking. For the same money you'd be lucky to get a 1 bed in East Dulwich. So, what is ED offering that others aren't? Walking distance to swanky shops? Is this really justified in 'market value'. This will no doubt be teased out in bad times as is it really so bad to have to drive 10 minutes to reach LL? Especially if you can get an extra 2 bedrooms? And in terms of the ultra capitalsits - I think I am probably one, perhaps not card carrying but yes am I committed with the proviso of some social obligations on government and regulators. So yes some firms go to the wall - call it boom and bust if you will (v. New Labour) but that does ensure that people get what they want in terms services on offer, that they are efficient and that they learn to not be profligate either in terms of pricing or offering. It is batten down hatches time but life will go on.

Fantastic question that I've been thinking about too. I suppose it is a demographic situation. I.e. say that 70% of working adults were employed by the government/public sector I would think 'no' as they are pretty recession proof sectors. Job security will remain. Going the other way with private sector it depends on what the employment exposure is to the financial markets, retail firms and the other usual suspects come time for a downturn. These are the industries that lay off folks in their hundreds and thousands. Not all private employers are so easily susceptible to such changes i.e. utilites, energy and oil and gas who will always make hay exccept in extremis. I suppose it depends on what the mix is private:public and additionally whether what is being sold on LL is really 'needed'. Downturns and recessions have a way of weeding out the less regarded and frankly unecessary shops. Competition will kick in with shoppers being far less forgiving i.e. how many gastro pubs are really needed on LL and when it comes to it which one is really better? as opposed to "I'll try Franklins today as I haven't been there in a while". I think LL will have a tough time of it. What with the number of lifestyle related independent businesses in the area these nice to have's but frankly dispensible enterprises will mainly go to the wall. Same for the plague of estate agents that have descended, 9 indian restaurants, umpteen child focussed book shops/toy shops, annd lastly 9a personal bug bear)The White Stuff - does anybody buy theur clothes???

It's a nasty English/British approach to fame/celebrity and vulnerability - build them up, protect them, then knock them down and ostracise them. All the media bar none and many people are guitly of this. Whatever the outcome I hope this proves sobering for those in need of it the most.

The irony is bruising. For all my negative comments I do say good on them too but why not ask the other agents - this is after all an equal opportunities forum.

Northern Rock are in this predicament due to their lack of cash/hard assets unlike most of the traditional big lenders. They have to go into the money markets to obtain credit for the loans they give out - not the greatetst strategy eh! But in a low inflation/interest economy it worked a treat - 5 interest rates later and sub-prime debacle it is no longer viable. Word is it will be snapped up by a larger corporate bank but there are 1 too many variables at the moment for any to step forward. It certainly is batten down the hacthes time. One silver lining is hopefully house prices will moderate long enough for wages to make some gain for first time buyers. Let's just hope it doesn't get 'too bad'.

No I had the same once in Brixton. Went to watch a show and misread the sign - so was parked wrongly for 45 minutes as the prohibiton stopped at 8pm. Afterwards at 12am I came out to see no car but plenty of cars with tickets - not towed mind. There was severe traffic delays so I had to walk all the way to deepest darkest Camberwell via back roads and estates (approx. 45 minutes) through some dodgy areas to collect the car. The guy laughed and said he knew my car would be collected - they only take nice cars apparently!! ?250 later I was reunited with my car.

In my induction week at my new graduate job after leaving uni. We were in one of the trainig/conference rooms and someone switched the huge screen on and we sat there not further than 2 metres from this massive picutre. I didn't beleive it for a while, it was very surreal. Strange thing is I watched a programme on it a year or so ago and it had far more impact than they day I saw it.

It is. But everytime I walk past I am stunned at the scale and brashness of it all. And I don't have an issue about Foxtons at all - they're all crap. I have an issue about yet another estate agent.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I suppose, when selling a ?650k property, the > owners would rather not have the viewing conducted > by someone dressed head-to-toe in waterproofs with > mud speckles on their face, 'helmet hair', and oil > on their boots. > > It's ok for pizza, but then they only get as far > as the doorstep. That made me laugh. No cpz thank you. Tax by another name. Also, just becuase a family has two cars does not mean they can afford the extra tax you've menationed. Perhaps some of the newer ED residents can afford it but I doubt the older ones could.

I am in awe of your collective wisdom!! Must say I'm a heavy sleeper,I could have the runway beside my house and I wouldn't wake up for anything. Hurricane Gilbert? Not from where I was sleeping.

Just watched atonement. It was a very good film but the last fifteen minutes... gosh.

Went at keast 4 years ago. I don't remember it being necessarily bad but then again not so good. Didn't think it was expensive though - just the usuak Harvester fayre. Plus point - it's family friendly. But how I wish it were converted back to a really good pub with really good 'beer'.

Thanks for the suggestions. I normally use Sainsburys ED, Crystal Palace or Sydenham - depending on how much I want to spend! That Sydenham store is addictive. They do have some good brews but I've had most of them and I am something of a fanatic. I will definitiely try Green and Blues... Thanks guys!

It was an echo of your previous comment aka agreeance.

I know of Utobeer in Borough Market but are there any good places to buy bottled beer - real ale - closer to home?

From my knowledge of Southwark council they have very different requirements than the Royal parks, but as you say this is something of an impasse.

This is how and why lots of local authority swimming pools/leisure centres have moved their catering outlets away from serving just fizzy drinks and chips." So how will the ice cream man be made to provide me nutritionally balanced snacks for kids? New standards cannot just be added. We are talking about a legal contract. "Local authorities can reasonably influence, or even stipulate, the type of food products that are sold from their recreational sites." As said before I doubt very much. Councils and all public sector organisations are driven by income be it from central government or that levied locally. The morass of bureaucracy doesn't hide that. I won't go asking the council as it isn't that important to me. Suffice to say I doubt there are any such caveats beyond the usual in any lease - i.e. don't mess up the goodwill or property so that the value of the property is diminshed come time to renew.

No it is not a community service. You can't retrospectively make it so. I doubt very much that this outlet were given community goals as part of their lease. The council is simply interested in the income - as they always are - and a provision of reasonable food and beverages being made available to the public. If what you say is correct I take it that the bicylce/velo sales guy and the ice cream van are also working for the public good as per dictat from LB Southark?

A40 - it is ultimately about what punters want. It's not a public service. People like McDonalds, Burger king Et al, that's their choice. In the same way folk like the Park Cafe. Sorry you don't but there are other options close by.

Thanks for the link - it was quite interesting.

I'm not so sure this end of LL can offer much in the way of shops. What I mean is that we walked through the Village and turned left into LL at the Plough. The shops there are handy local ones i.e. spares, takeways and the like. But the walk to the police station and beyond took a good while and if I was shopping down the main strip I would not walk along this way if I didn't live there, so i think prospective tenants should be careful what they plan to do down that end. imho an M&S would have been a good shop to have.

Scruffy Mummy - I think it was an innocent and legitimate question. I certainly don't take offence. Each to their own in the same way as some might ask where is there a child friendly establishment. Not everyone goes doe eyed seeing little Justin or Harriet. Walking round today we didn't see a single place except for Franklins not occupied by kiddies. That's how East Dulwich has developed in the last 5-10 years.

Not sure, what would clean up right now? Maybe a "good" caribbean restaurant - no not what Jerk Rock was LOL. Blue Mountain although most wouldn't think it has a heavily caribbean influenced menu. But an out and out one perhaps. A good japanese suhsi round these parts would def get my custom. We need something unashamedly itself but with the service and quality expected.

Indeed!