Louisa

Unfortunately not old enough to remember the department store being open, but my auntie had her wedding dress made there and I always recall walking through the arcades when it was still the Agora market and seeing the old signs for "ladies wear, men's wear and perfumery" still on the wall signs. My grandmother always spoke about going their for afternoon tea in the cafe which was Peckham's answer to a Lyons Corner House. Louisa.

I found this earlier today and just had to share. An arts event organised by Traces will be taking over part of the old Holdrons Department Store along Rye Lane to recreate the sights sounds and smells of Rye Lane and this famous department store during the 1930s. You can apply for tickets on their website and it is FREE. I am going - you should too! http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/home-garden/events/traces-rye-lane-peckham Louisa.

And to add further spice to this new application, I contacted Waitrose who told me they had " No confirmed date yet for the opening of an East Dulwich store but keep checking out the website for updates." If this is the case, where on earth will they be locating? I can't think of anywhere? Louisa.

MM I agree it is that type of store, however, people will inevitably come from places like the village because it is convenient for them - it's a short drive from a couple of private schools where parents may decide to drop off to grab a few items on the way to or from school. The question is, where will they park to do this? Louisa.

If only this area had better and closer train/tube networks we would be in a better position to accommodate a major retailer. I look to the M&S in Walworth RD and Brixton respectively. Both better connected, hence less stress on parking. A Simply Food would be highly convenient for upmarket shoppers not just in this area, but also Dulwich Village, Forest Hill and Peckham. We do not have a similar store within a few mile radius and it WILL attract higher footfall and some of that will be by car. Where will they park? Louisa.

To me this application makes no sense. If Waitrose are willing to move in without the extension, why would the freeholder go through all these months worth of scrutinised planning applications which have been heavily opposed by some local residents? M&S clearly want a larger floor space. Surely Waitrose would be a more prestigious tenant anyhow. Bizarre. Louisa.

steveo I disagree. The Dawlish line is absolutely critical to the survival of the mainline into the whole of Cornwall and the city of Plymouth. There is now way on this earth they will ever close it, how else would people get into and out of Cornwall and south Devon? It's not a branch line, it's a mainline. Louisa.

I contacted Southwark earlier today and I was told the application is waiting to be scanned and letters have yet to be sent. All documents will be uploaded shortly to the web site for people to comment. Louisa.

South East London contains two genuine villages, Dulwich and Blackheath, numerous conservation areas which look the same today as they did in Victorian times, Brockley is a great example of this. Our problem in this corner of the city is poor transport connections. Overground is changing that perception of isolationism, but it will take many years and until then the only areas to benefit will be the areas of zone 2 on or near an overground station and preferably close to an SW postcode - fortunately we in ED have both of these things in our favour. Louisa.

SJ I think it's all relative to what you want from a location. Devon is a tale of two halves, the south of the county is more built up and relatively (until the train line at Dawlish collapsed into the sea) well connected. The north of the county is more isolated, rural and has a lot in common with Cornwall. I agree Exeter is a different story. If I lived in Cornwall I think I'd have to be near Truro. Louisa.

The flooding is always going to be an issue by the coast and/or rivers. Unfortunately in the coming years it will get worse not better. However, don't let this put you off, flooding is often quite isolated and if you do your research you should be able to buy in a location where flooding is never an issue. The A361 can be quite infuriating in summer, but never really experienced it in winter so can't comment. I completely forgot to mention Tiverton (15 minute drive to Exeter), good facilities, right on the M5 and more importantly it has the fastest route into London Paddington at just under two hours. Louisa.

I agree about north Devon. The A361 is a part dual carriageway which takes you around an hour to get to Exeter, and there's a train service into Exeter direct from Barnstaple which also takes an hour. Barnstaple has most of the basic facilities, and is incredibly cheap compared to the south of the county. More importantly, north Devon is home to some of the best quality surfing beaches, Exmoor national park and some excellent gate to plate produce which in turn has led to some fine restaurants opening up. There's also a Waitrose due to open in Great Torrington haha. Louisa.

I agree South London is past it's prime, but fortunately for us in ED the miraculous knock on effect of nearby south west London has 'saved us'. We should all be so terribly grateful we aren't any further east, look at poor old Lewisham. Louisa.

Exmouth is a great start, if it's proximity to Exeter you want then it's ideal- good facilities and beautiful beach. There's also Dawlish/Dawlish Warren which is more sleepy but a stunning place and right on the estuary opposite Exmouth (just a little further along the coast). Further afield (depending how far out you want to expand your search) Paignton (A385 about 25 minute drive) is a lovely town fairly mixed population and not as rough as some of it's neighbouring towns. Then there is Salcombe which is stretching the travel times a bit but is absolutely stunning. And thank you, same to you, it's a stressful but worthwhile thing doing your research! Louisa.

Hi Slyvie M, I am in a similar situation to you currently, and Exeter is one of the places I've been considering. If you relocate to Devon you must be aware that facilities are sparsely spread, and a car is an absolute necessity. If you have a young family I cannot sing the praises of Exeter highly enough. Low crime, lots of green spaces, historic city centre and pretty decent shopping choices. You're also fairly close to the seaside towns of the south coast, notably Exmouth. On the downside, Exeter is one of the most expensive cities in the South-West to buy in (although you get a lot more for your money than you would in London of course), and it is a good two hour drive to any noteworthy urban areas (Bristol being the closest). You're located on the M5 and trains from both Exeter and Tiverton are regular and quick to other places. The outdoors life is on your doorstep (Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks/ the coast), and the city has a relatively young population compared to other cities of a similar size. Hope this helps. Louisa.

A recent BBC report suggested if you removed London from the UK the rest of the country would be on a GDP par with a sparsely populated east European country. From my recent visits to other regions within England, I was shocked at how depressed these places seemed- high unemployment, poor infrastructure, and rows of streets full of empty and decaying terraced housing. I'm not just talking about tup'north either. The South-West and East Anglia are a country mile apart from London in every respect. Without some sort of economic redistribution to the regions outside of the south east, the future is fairly bleak for these communities. It seems insane that in the London bubble we are talking about not being able to afford to buy because demand is outstripping supply, when whole cities in other regions contain ample and affordable housing stock which is being laid to waste. Louisa.

What difference does this make to the go-ahead of the new school? Louisa.

I reckon if Youngs took the site on and had the team behind Dulwich Wood House going in to sort it out as some sort of 'sister' pub/dining experience, they could promote walks through the woods connecting the two establishments I can't think of anything better than a nice summers day walk between the two places for a beer or even in winter a nice open log fire in both. Foresight is needed with this one. Come on Dulwich Estate put those thinking caps on please. Louisa.

What's wrong with the idea of a hotel with a pub/restaurant connected to it? I'm thinking along the lines of premier inn with a beefeater type scenario. Louisa.

I disagree MrBen. The Dulwich Extate is ultra conservative for good reason. They have defended the interests of this unique corner of London to protect it from development for generations. Developing it into a mixed use residential/workspace would more than likely see the loss of yet more greenery and it will end up just like every other corner of inner London. I'm sure most locals would vigorously oppose any residential development and rightly so. Make use of the Grove Tavern again please, some decent pub company! Louisa.

I agree Jah. Something like Harts Boatyard in Kingston/Surbiton? A traditional theme with a modern twist, harking back to the days of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. The Grove Tavern really was a great pub in its day before the Harvester chain took it on. It always reminded me in summer of being out in the countryside, and yet still inner London. It's something Dulwich does so well thanks in part to the Dulwich Estate being able to control development which keeps a semi-rural feel. It would be a shame to lose that- we need to treasure places like this and bring them back to their former glory. This was originally a coaching inn going to London from rural Surrey. Louisa.

Waitrose/M&S Louisa.

PR I think the unmentionables are only interested in the bottom end of LL. Louisa.

I reckon a posh gastro pub would be the obvious choice. Louisa.

Isn't the site owned by the Dulwich Estate? Louisa.