Louisa

M&S and a well linked tube line have done little to gentrify Brixton beyond what already Had taken place in the preceding 20 odd years. If you want certain things because you think it will somehow regenerate an area and add to house prices- think again! Some would argue gentrification took place in ED simply because of it's slightly edgy, no-mans land image of nothingness to the Claphamite generation, squeezed out of SW postcodes due to high rents and crazy house prices. Perhaps by attracting huge numbers of chain stores we would lose that and only attract chain store loving outsiders from surrounding poorer neighbourhoods! Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! (not my words, and said firmly with Tongue in cheek ;-)) Louisa.

> > > Has the M&S in Brixton closed then? Not to my knowledge, and neither has the one on Waleorth Road, but again it's all about retail unit size and access, footfall and transport links. Brixton M&S is directly opposite the Victoria Line, of course it isn't going to close! Louisa.

Oi. Don't knock late night ice cream vans, it's not all about the kids ya know! Louisa.

For the aspiring middle classes, once you've achieved a sainsburys and a local sainsburys within dog ball throwing distance, you know you've made it. I personally am not a fan of sainsburys because I think it's a little overpriced and I'd be far happier if tesco moved into the dog kennel hill site. However, don't lose heart, sainsburys seem to adore ED and even if waitrose don't tale a chance on us, you'll always have the smug one upmanship on Peckham, Brixton and Camberwell! (!) Louisa.

I can't stand coffee, so please no coffee chains. We aready have a Starbucks and a Nero! I think if we get food chains they should be the likes of Zizzi, wagamamas or strada, far more interesting! Louisa.

I was a member of the Constitutional club years ago, and then swooped to the Liberal club because it was cheaper for beer. Don't get why people have to get political about it, most of the working class people who use said venue and those similar are just ordinary people wanting a cheap pint. Trust the middle classes to turn it into something political lol.. Just saying.. Louisa.

If this poor animal is legitimately lost I really hope the owners are reunited with get. But without making assertions, judging by the time of year and unfortunately the suspected breed, it would probably be better for the young pup if she is cared for and treated with respect by a loving family. Louisa.

Clear and simple case. The contravention was more than likely because you had crossed into the bus lane outside of the specified times; it sounds as though the issue of loading isn't relevant in this case. Louisa.

http://shop.rexfeatures.com/image/the_old_sainsbury_store_rye_lane_peckham_london_4944017.jpg Copyright ? PETER BROOKER / Rex Features taken from photo.rexfeatures.com Finally an exterior shot of the sainsburys before it was eventually moved to a new site around the corner, and many years later moved from Peckham to ED. Louisa.

http://www.mediastorehouse.com/image/workers_in_the_sainsbury_store_rye_lane_4944032.jpg Copyright ? PETER BROOKER / Rex Features taken from photos.rexfeatures.com An interior shot of all employees, including management. I vividly remember going into this shop as a child with my mother, glad the shop front has been kept. Louisa.

http://www.canvasstorehouse.com/image/interior_of_the_old_sainsbury_store_rye_lane_4943924.jpg?pvw=753&opt=55 A peak inside the window of one of the last ever counter service sainsbury's along Rye Lane, Peckham. Now Clarkes. All images Copyright ? PETER BROOKER / Rex Features Louisa.

http://woolworthsmuseum.co.uk/EdwardianPeckham.jpg Above image linked to woolworths museum website. Just a further trip down memory (rye) lane, boom boom! :-) this image is from 1912, Peckham was chosen as one of the very first F.W Woolworth stores in the country. I've also found some private photographs of Marks and Spencer inside and out in Peckham which I shall upload for those of you who want to see what Rye Lane was once like. Louisa.

To my memory in 1994 the greasy spoon next to the Palmerston was a branded Starburger restaurant owned or managedy Mr Yilmaz who also ran the now defunct Yilmaz Kebabs further along the lane. Louisa.

God is this still going on? :-S I can't understand for the life of me why it takes so damn long to do do anything in this country. I was all for saving the property and seeing it put back to its former glory, but tbh that patch of land is such an eyesore I'd be happy to see ANYTHING happen with it! (little waitrose anyone? Kidding of course .. Such fun :))) Louisa.

Of course supporting local is a good thing, but chains and independents can work well alongside one another. I for one love to shop in some of the smaller local shops from time to time, but I'm also a canny shopper and I like a bargain. It isn't always convenient nor desirable to do a weeks worth of shopping in multiple shops- it's time exhausting and frankly boring. The only further chains I'd like to see locally are Waitrose or M&S and maybe a zizzi or strada along LL. It isn't asking much really. Louis.

Thankyou for the warm welcome Cassius, it's been a long time but I'm happy to be back to talk about some of the issues that I find most interesting, and of course controversial! Another site I had forgotten about, is the patch of open waste land along queens road next to the police station. Think it was a part of the north Peckham estate a few years back. Does anyone know who owns it and what is being built on it, if anything? Louisa.

Well I make no secret of the fact I am in favour of M&S or Waitrose moving here- so it's a yes from me, but I'd hate to see Iceland sacrificed for it! I love a variety of stores, and I shop in Iceland regularly. Does anyone know what is planned for the patch of derelict land next to Dulwich hospital? Louisa.

AlexC Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I work for JL too, and digging through my emails, > it looks like the 'Little Waitrose' format, which > is effectively the convenience format version of > the store, is generally around the 3,000sq ft > size. So the Sainsbury's local spot at the Plough > End of LL may or may not have been big enough > offering a Little Waitrose gives you, i.e. > groceries plus 'food to go' style counters, but > the whole Waitrose convenience format was in it's > embryonic stages when the lease for this would > have come up. It's only this year the format is > really going to be rolled out to get the number of > shops into double figures. Thanks for the welcome back Jah Lush, it's been a while! :) I appreciate that the Little Waitrose format was in it's infancy back then, and I also understand that said retail locations must be of a certain size as tarafitness and AlexC both rightly pointed out. But my feeling is that even when opportunities have arisen for land to be bought up and/or retail spaces have become vacant (Rye Lane a good example) Waitrose and M&S have both failed to put forward a serious bid to open up a small format store. I do believe that if a supermarket really was chomping at the bit to move into a neighborhood they would do everything within their power to do so (plenty of examples of supermarkets railroading through planning and local objections to move into a potential market). I just get this feeling that the will isnt really there.. I may of course be entirely wrong! And for the nostalgic amongst you, just a picture or two of Rye Lane in happier times for me! http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/__data/assets/image/0020/357302/jones-and-higgins-00276-640.jpg http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/__data/assets/image/0010/357184/rye-lane-00273-640.jpg Images from www.ideal-homes.org.uk Louisa.

I may be wrong on this, but as far as I know, the building now occupied by Peacocks and Argos on Rye Lane is still owned by M&S. The shop itself was one of the very first Marks and Spencer stores in the country, and most of those early stores were bought outright as opposed to rented. If this remains the case, then surely whenever the leases come to an end if M&S really had an interest in the area they could once again open a store in the building they own. Louisa.

The saddest thing about seeing the way my dearly loved childhood home of Peckham now is going to the junction of Rye Lane and the High Street, and looking up above the Blue Inc store fascia, and seeing the remarkable but decaying Jones and Higgins clock tower with the gilded clock face with J&H inbedded in the mechanism and remembering that great department store and all those childhood memories of the Christmas lights being switched on come flooding back. Happy times. Who would now believe you of you told them John Lewis and M&S had a presence along that dreary looking town centre high road? If only the big name stores could re inject and invest once more in the area, we living in ED could benefit from a great shopping experience on our doorstep. The old Woolworths store before it was ripped in two would have been an ideal retail space for a small Waitrose! Louisa.

annabel42 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think > there was a M and S or similar in Peckham many > years ago. I believe Peckham in those days was > quite a prestigious shopping centre. > Yes it did, the big M&S on Rye Lane sadly closed down in 1988, and with it went a great shopping tradition which had been around Peckham for nearly 200 years. I have expressed my opinions on the way Peckham has been neglected in the last 30 years and the way the big chain interaction with quality independent local shops was allowed to fail so spectacularly because the powers that be decided to allow Peckham to turn into a slum. Ample retail opportunities lay on the doorstep of ED along the once great Rye Lane but as I previously suggested, big chains just arnt interested in investing. And to be Frank, that is exactly why despite expressing an interest in ED, nothing has nor will come to fruition in the distant future! Louisa.

tarafitness Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I work for John Lewis and I can safely say that > when space allows for a Waitrose we'll be straight > in. Unfortunately there just isn't any As much as I'd love to believe what you are saying, why is it the case that when the huge shop now occupied by sainsburys local at the plough end of LL went up for sale, John Lewis didn't snap it up quickly and pay the extra money to put their presence into this part of London,? They were obviously outbid by sainsburys who wanted the property more, despite having a huge store less than a mile down the road! And I can use examples of areas with smaller retail space opportunities have still seen waitrose and M&S open stores! This is why my belief is that despite actively entertaining the idea, they just cannot justify it enough to spend significant funds on bidding for retail space. 1/2 a mile down the road from the LL roundabout huge retail spaces have been up for rent/sale for three years plus, the lack of space just isn't a feasible excuse! Louisa.

A Little Waitrose format store would easily fit into the Co-Op occupied building, as it would Iceland and even the Sainsburys Local the other end of the high street! My personal feeling is that Waitrose are not overly excited about spreading into 'perceived' down market London post codes. I say perceived because dulwich village and other affluent pockets in SE London are just that, pockets (in the eyes of big business) in a sea of deprived neighbourhoods with poor transport links. As hard as this may be to swallow for those who believe ED is on a affluent par with areas in the SW postcode it isn't actually that affluent! This isn't just a poorly thought out opinion, but an observation based on the fact both Waitrose and M&S have failed to make enough effort to find suitable places to put stores locally. If they really thought there was a market for their products they would have opened stores long ago when the gentrification train swept through ED... Just saying... Louisa.

For those interested, the Waitrose website usually update new store locations either today or tomorrow every January so for those of you craving a new Waitrose store locally to help you think you're living in Clapham keep your eyes and ears close to the ground ;-) My hunch is that Waitrose will be heading for Sydenham or Herne Hill, a fried of mine who works for John Lewis has told me that this area has been on there priority list for five or six years and if it has not happened by now then it is likely that they will be looking at other options such as suitable area in a close proximity to East Dulwich. Louisa.

I always make a point of confronting anyone who shows aggression towards me in the street, always with a verbal dressing down and never anything which involves putting myself in danger. I think there are fundamental and entrenched problems in a society in which people are scared to approach aggressive behaviour head on because the law may take the side of the people who created the confrontation. Louisa.