Louisa

True story *Bob*. This was a few years ago now, I'm not a regular Sainsburys shopper anyway, so it didn't make much difference. Never once been patronised like that in Iceland. Louisa.

I think the fox is being given a bit of a hard time on here lately. He is always one of the first to come up with something unique and interesting, and never talks in riddles. You know exactly where you are with him. Can we give him a break everyone please? It really isn't fair to constantly scapegoat everything he says. On a further point, how would we both be regarded as snobs. I challenge anyone on here to point out where I have singled out any new residents wealthy or otherwise in my recent posting history. I think I've been rather well behaved. Louisa.

I have also been sniggered at and told by a young woman rather patronisingly I felt, that "you do know that you can get bags you can use again, rather than using those plastic ones?" - this was whilst I was packing some bits away in Sainsburys and she was in the queue behind me. Surprise surprise she looked like an extra from 'Notting Hill'. Ever since, I've consciously gone out of my way to make sure I never take my own bags when shopping in Sainsburys. Louisa.

There's a few people Id like to create a further group for. Snobs. Louisa.

Lidl would need a large out of town site as they currently don't have "express" options on the high street. Having said that, the one in Penge is in the old furniture shop. Louisa.

But how many up market supermarkets does one area need mcnipper? Surely you can appreciate my point that those people on a budget are less likely to drive and less likely to have the funds to travel to visit a cheaper supermarket. And equally, a lot of elderly people who rely on the shop may not be able to walk long distances to other low cost stores. Wouldn't it be better if we at least kept one budget shop within walking distance of our high street rather than encourage the likes of Waitrose who will equally be out of reach for a huge section of our community. Louisa.

I have written directly to Iceland twice about this store closure and have yet to receive a reply. I have also contacted James Barber about finding a way to encourage Iceland to open a similar sized store in the local area, which to be fair seems unlikely as people such as Waitrose and Morrisons are still on the hunt for limited retail space. I am not mourning the passing of a chain store, I'm more concerned about the future of the staff who a lot of local people have have built a great relationship with over the years, and indeed the knock on effect of removing a low cost supermarket and replacing with a more expensive food store that those Iceland customers are less likely to visit. I can contact M&S directly too if that will help, or maybe James Barber would be able to contact them? Louisa.

Getting old and reminiscing I guess it's just part of life. The fox and I tend to stray off on tangents because it makes us happy to talk about old times and faces we miss. It's not to belittle people today making their very own memories in different places. Not in the slightest. Louisa.

Maybe we could all have a whip-round and see if we can squeeze a tenner together for robbin to go and buy a meal for two at the new M&S to celebrate the removal of one "crap supermarket chain" with another. Oh I mean, with the up market retailer known as Marks and Sparks over the crappy working class generic dump used by poor people. Anyone? Louisa.

Counter reverse snobbery with snobbery. What a great idea. "Crap supermarket chain" - nice one. Forget all the people on a budget who rely on it, let's get some good old fashioned snobbery in there to make those people that use it feel really shit about not being able to afford to shop elsewhere. Louisa.

Oh robbin why don't you just stick your nose out of it, or even better, not respond to my posts at all EVER. You come across as nauseating with your constant goading of anything I say, even if it's positive. You promised once before to never reply to me again, how about sticking to that promise? Im wishing the staff well and pointing out that many of the demogrpahic that use the store will reduce visits to LL because it was their primary reason for going up there. That is all. Louisa.

As I cannot post on the thread, I felt I needed to put my tuppence worth in on this. Going back to the days of Bejam and even before that, this site has been one of my main shopping destinations locally. If you're a regular, like me, you'll know how much of a community spirit there is in that shop. Ignoring the chain aspect for a second, I genuinely feel like that shop and most of the friends I've made over the years in there (Elsie RIP) are like an extended family to me and I'm sure others. Loiking at the human aspect, I do hope that some of them will be able to keep their jobs after the refit and M&S takeover. Another generic bland supermarket chain would be a huge loss to the community of it didn't contain some of those great faces. Whether we like it or not, a large number of Iceland shoppers who contributed to the local economy will be a lost footfall for LL in general now this store is closing. I know many people who primarily go up the lane just to get some bits in Iceland, and as a result occasionally use other businesses in the area. Without this store, some of those people will be less frequent visitors and that's a real shame. I hope it doesn't further transform the mix of faces we see along the lane most days. I wish everyone at the store all the success for the future and I will still be using your OKR warehouse store fear not. Louisa.

Oh Jeremy come on now, behave! Pizza? Really? ;-) If you genuinely believe I link pizza to the serious issue of gentrification then I'm not the only one who's barking round these here parts! Louisa.

Don't you personally think it's a shame Otta, that when you're back down this end, you can't go to old haunts because they've changed so drastically? The CPT had so many characters over the years and the Great Exhibition just feels soulless. Louisa.

MrBen are you suggesting we just brush gentrification under the carpet? If it's a crucial issue which determines so much about our neighborhood how can we just ignore its effects? I do not only talk about this topic, I've got form talking about other interests such as spiritualism, history, alcohol consumption, to name but a few. I even suggested yesterday that some of the new things have been good for the area (eg more pedestrian crossings and cleaner streets, tidy front gardens). What more can I physically do? Louisa.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > *(you've forgotten than when you're young you can > have a brilliant time in a derelict parking lot > with a bottle of cider) I still do *Bob* Louisa.

I remember Keith's dad too. Last saw him down in Nunhead about 8/9 years ago now. Louisa.

Keith has gone too? Now that is a shock. Very sad about that. Louisa.

That's him. Ray. Last time I saw Ted he was sat on a bench in The Village and wasn't looking too great, think he had been ill for a while. I agree, terrible barman but a real lovely genuine person if you got him alone for a chat. There was always a group of about five or six guys at the bar I always had banter with too. Not seen any of them in years either. Louisa.

Yes adonirum! I seem to recall he had a brother too? Is he still around? Not seen him in many years. Louisa.

That may too have happened, the palmy was pretty unpredictable. I loved that about it. Louisa.

Meh. Louisa.

Don't forget The Palmerston Jah. Plenty of rowdy behaviour in there back in the day. I always remember being there once back in the early 80s with friends, and a wedding reception was taking up one side of the bar. All of a sudden one of the tanked up regulars came in and exposed his meat and two veg for all to see. Flapping it around he was. We just all laughed it off after. That's just the way it was. I also remember good old Ted was working as the barman in there back then. Lovely guy. I genuinely miss those times. Louisa.

Rah this isn't the past, it happens in pubs across cities, towns and villages across this country. And I'm sure there are plenty of London boozers which still have the same culture, but they've become the exception rather than the rule. I'm not romanticising violence rah, it was just a reality back then around here and it never really escalated into anything more than a quick few punches (maybe someone gets barred) and then all is back to normal. This was and remains a part of working class culture, rightly or wrongly. I don't think its right to assume that a brawl in a pub would lead onto violence in the home. I think those bullying types will engage in that behaviour at home regardless of whether they've been down the pub, and that of course is inexcusable. Louisa.

It's just a bit of a punch up and then everyone shakes hands and gets a round in. What has this world come to when you can't even experience an authentic bust-up in the local? Jeez. Louisa.