Spangles30

well, that message from TFL is a vast improvement from previous messages. Everyone with a vested interest should contact them!

Pearl,this is the same bloody standardised response that TJ got!!!!

I am wondering if anyone has bought anything in said shop. Furthermore, it would be interesting to hear from the proprietor or manager of this shop to hear why they felt this area needed a shop like that. It is in such a prime - as far as East Dulwich is concerned - location too! I have only peered through the window in a flabbergasted and rather aghast state. I think I may pop in and potter around next time.

I am presumiong it has been pulled, for some unknown reason.

Cassius, I was - albeit inadvertently - referring to SMBS!!! Keef - absolutely!!

Asset "I'd rather have the local boutiques and food emporiums". Hm. Local 'boutiques' like Davina Shoes, ED (Eeeekkk...plastic tat) and White Stuff, not to mention Mrs Robinson! Food Emporiums???? Where have they been hiding? Oh, you must mean the health shop with the sullen looking, snarling:( Asian chap with ever changing "trendy" hair do's. And I must not forget the ED Deli....

No wonder they are miserable then. It's hardly their fault that the icecream costs that much.

Yes good luck to them. Hopefully the service will be better than in the Peckham Rye Cafe. I went in there (again) this week and the chap and blonde girl behind the counter were as miserable as ever....

LOL Mrs B and dulwichmum!!!!!:))

Macroban, you could be right. Boudrillard would have a field day!!!

Ganapati, spot on. I am definitely not a PC type. Anyway, how often does one actually see a smiling, cheerful Eastern European au pair? They're paid about ?20 a week; little wonder most look as if they've had a red hot poker stuck up their derrieres.:(

>:D I have no doubt Davina 'Enterprises' has another outlet in Blackpool - its spiritual home.

I used Bright Horizons at the Sainsbury Dog Kennel Hill for my first, and it is darn expensive and has a horrible location (car park at Sainsburys!) and in retrospect I would go for a childminder for my second (when I go back to work). I have met some lovely childminders out and about, and research suggests that young kids benefit more from this type of care than nurseries. Go to some of the toddler hang outs e.g. 1 0 clock club, Peckham Soft Play, toddler groups and you will meet many childminders. Have met quite a few sullen faced, possibly Eastern Euopean au pairs, and would not really have one of the, although they are cheap (I am told).

Oh my..passed Davina Shoes yesterday and saw it is now OPEN. Had a good oggle and it is every bit as hideous, gaudy and 'bad taste' as many of us had imagined it would be.

I agree with you Nero. Also the parking situation in ED is absolutely fine - at least it is free (for now) unlike most parts of London. It's a good idea to pedestrianise N.cross Rd!!

I just wonder what people think about this. Personally I have to go elsewhere for the cinema and theatre. I have to to Greenwich, Brick Lane, Portobello or other parts of London for shopping. I buy my most of my food in Peckham, but if desperate will grace 'Sommerfield' in L.ship Lane. I will grant you that some of the shops are very 'pretty', but I rarely - if ever - buy anything in 'em. On topic:- I do like the Thai Corner Cafe, Jacks is OK as far as snack bars are concerned (but is let down by the fact that it doesn't have soya milk), and I also approve of there being a good fishmongers and William Rose. Also thumbs up to Chris's 'Pretty Traditional' in Northcross Rd. Oh, and Peckham Rye park is a nice enough green space to take one's children and dog(s). I am going to be struggling to find a cost effective place to work out in though, once the ED leisure centre closes down for refurbishment.

Personally I consider Poilane bread very over rated. I have, on occasions, bought quarter loaves for about ?2.50 because so many people wax lyrical about said bread. It's OK...nothing special. I'd have Village Bakery loaves every time over Poilane, and they are much cheaper. Having said that I don't gorge on lots of bread as I prefer rice cakes and ryvitas, or even Pitta bread. The shop opp. east Dulwich Deli does 3 bags of fab wholemeal pittas for 99P. I highly recommend it. I have a while freezer drawer of these on hand. Inexpensive and only have about 3 ingredients in them. My husband broke a tooth eating the bread - well, a veneer, to be exact - from the North Cross Rd stall. He thinks it might have been a bit of stone from an olive!

On topic - we do not need another shoe shop. We definitely do not need any more Estate Agencies. We do not need any more over priced 'tat for the home' shops, and no more 'baby tat' shops either. In truth I'd have preferred a Gap or M&S instead of White Stuff' - at least the clothes in the aforementioned are reasonably affordable. And if you're going to go bland then why pay over inflated prices for it? Still, most of these shops seem to survive in ED, even though they are largely empty during the week. They would go bust in surrounding areas like Forest Hill, Honor Oak and Sydenham. What does that tell you!?

Good bakery or not, I find it astonishing that most of the loaves of which you are referring cost about ?3. There is no way bread in France costs as much as that. Plus people tend to buy baguette sticks there. I speak as someone who eats a very healthy diet, but I shop around for it and economise. My village bakery bread costs ?1.29 a loaf in the supermarkets and is yeast free and 'organic'. It is not once of those ?1 loaves of which you are referring. I would like to try and get bread of that quality and that PRICE in the North Cross Rd "market". I am fed up of ED trying to be 'organic' in such a poncey way. Look at the places in Brighton which are 'organic' etc and far more 'down to earth' with character. Sorry too tired to expand upon what I mean.

Sean, you appear to have a vested interest in defending the local over priced shops, many of which to be blunt, sell utter tat at vastly over inflated prices. "Why open up a business at all if all people want to do is go to Lidl or Morrisons? Moses wept". I go to Morrisons and LIDL because I ---shock! horror!!--- cannot AFFORD to shop in most of the shops near me in East Dulwich.

Over priced organic food shops - whatever next? It's becoming a real money spinner in this area. One can buy quite reasonably priced organic food in LIDL and Morrisons.

That explains it then Brendan.

LOL Sue, and yes couldn't agree more. The clothes shops are awful in the area, just vile. Shame we don't have any quirky, bohemian vintage shops - have to go different parts of London for any tasteful stuff clothes/house wise.

How dare people from Penge come to East Dulwich.

LOL Louisa, but actually RosieH is quite right some of the shoes appear to retail for about ?40-50 which is not that expensive for shoes these days. Having said that though, the shoes in said shop are rather unappealing - in my opinion.