Louisa

Can anyone put an end to this speculation and send a tweet to them? At least we get a definitive yes or no. Louisa.

Me neither. An Aldi on the other hand.. Louisa.

James Barber suggested previously Waitrose had been interested, but to me it's all pie in the sky. If they truly were interested in an area, they would acquire an existing business or buy up one of the many empty larger units such as the vacant unit on East Dulwich Road next to Dulwich Leisure Centre, or where the garden centre on grove vale was - new morrisons local site? They clearly aren't massively interested in the area as so many suggest, or else they would be here by now. It really is that clear cut. Louisa.

Rivington. It's going to be a Rivington. Annasfield I'm right aren't I? Louisa.

Yes it is El Pibe, absolutely. It's the equivalent of reality TV, the 'C' word and Carol Vorderman in the way it manages to get my back up so successfully. I can't deny this fact. Louisa.

Or in the case of two posters today, join an online forum and patronise someone using grammar/spelling/punctuation/language to appear obviously far more middle class than the person they are aiming their comments at. Sorted. Louisa.

The affluent 30 something's with young families the area has become famous for still doesn't appear to be encouraging the big name businesses you'd associate with that group. Sure we have White Stuff and Oliver Bonas, but where is Jack Wills? Space NK? Waitrose? Still absent after almost 20 years of continuing gentrification. The footfall is just not there, it's simple. Louisa.

James, not true. Adventure bar is a small chain, all the others have survived and they have identical atmospheres wherever they are. The same is true of draft house, all surviving to date apart from the ED one. The area does not have a large enough night life culture to support multiple bars at present. Sad but true fact. Louisa.

By not many, I am comparing with areas which this one claims to be on a par with for nights out, the Clapham and Brixton equivalents. More to do, better connected, go to destinations. One couple in the curry cabin may come from Clapham, but if you take out the unique one off restaurants there is no need for people to go out of their way and be inconvenienced by coming here to see places they already have and more on their doorsteps. By not local again I compare to areas this one likes to see itself as similar to. People go to Shoreditch from far and wide, people visit clapham from far and wide. The farthest someone comes to get here is probably Peckham maybe Forest Hill. Once the picturehouse opens and M&S this will probably change. But at present, it's far from go to. Louisa.

I don't think many people come to ED in its present format for nights out from elsewhere, you'd be deluded in thinking they do, in great numbers anyway. The extent to which the area is overrated as a night out is summed up by the likes of Draft House and Adventure Bar closing down. Says it all really. Louisa.

I'd say it is yes. For the people who use it, Rye Lane is much more of a destination shopping experience than around here. For a start it's much better connected with the train station in the centre of the high street. It has plenty of parking too, and bigger retail units. It may not be everyone's cup of tea (and certainly not mine) but by far it is more of a destination shop than LL. Louisa.

It's just off the beat and track. The train station is a fair walk from our high street, it's not a destination as such. It's not like Clapham Junction, Brixton, Lewisham even Peckham. All those places are destinations for shopping. ED is not, and this is why we are comparably not as busy. Louisa.

Don't take my word for it ZT, ask any number of retailers why they do not come to LL. It's because it lacks sufficient footfall for many business models. I know this unfashionable reality doesn't fit neatly into the whole ethos of estate agent gobbledegook version of ED. Louisa.

Cath Kidson, seriously, why would they be bothered with a place so disconnected it's not even on the tube map alongside a relatively dead high street and demographically not wealthy enough population for their business model. Louisa.

Sunday roast yet another tradition down the plug hole. It doesn't have to be expensive wasteful or arduous. People who don't bother with them for those reasons are probably just lazy sods who can't be arsed. Fact. Louisa.

In which case maybe Tortilla is coming to the former deli site? Louisa.

A Toby carvery is a staple in Croydon and Bromley. You people haven't lived. Louisa.

LM I'm guessing the old Irish Shop seeing as the former Speedos is being taken on by the Shoreditch Italian people. No reference to any of this stuff on planning portal for new signage and such like? Louisa.

I thought Tortilla were taking the empty unit near the new cinema? They're very cagey on email. Louisa.

UKIP are simply a new alternative now the Lib Dems are considered establishment. Interestingly so are the Greens. Let's do away with FPTP and get a more proportional system. We can stop the mainstream complacency then perhaps. Louisa.

Or for 300k you could buy a 4 bed detached new build in Milton Keynes (28 mins fast train to London). Not that I'm condoning someone shopping Peckham for Milton Keynes. Louisa.

Quids Penge is borderline underclass in some people's eyes based on the views expressed on here. I personally think it's a happy medium between working class and underclass - it's not as severely rough as certain other areas have become (Croydon, Selhurst, Streatham etc) in zone 3/4, but it's not as posh as crystal palace for example. For me at least, bordering between working and under makes it comfortable as it retains character, enough decent shops etc but might be a bit dodgy in the dark. So you'd need to jump a taxi to Beckenham for an M&S/Waitrose fix (if that floats your aspirational side). Louisa.

Dartford waitrose is actually closing down, but that's irrelevant considering poncy ED still don't have one and Penge is within spitting distance of a full sized Waitrose. That does make me chuckle. Louisa.

Gentrification is an especially london centric phenomenon (in this country anyway), and it has displaced many local people born and brought up in certain parts of the city. So I have little sympathy for people who come to London actively seeking all the positives of gentrification, causing house/rental prices to rise as a result, and then moving onto the next down at heel cheap part of town and repeating the process again. Members of my own family have been forced out of the area because of the process, and it's a shame someone who's born and raised in an area cannot stay there purely because of gentrification. Louisa.

Or move out of London altogether and get all of those things in an area with good transport links into London but without the annoying gentrification tags and overwhelmingly high prices? Louisa.