Louisa

I miss a good cheese and onion sandwich. Pubs used to do those years ago. Can't get them anywhere now. Louisa.

Gotta love the castle KK. What sandwich did you have? Louisa.

Pedant! Louisa.

Exactly foxy, no one has lived until they've been to a proper boozer with colourful locals and a bit of 'argy-bargy'. Most of our local pubs are bit bland now I feel. Louisa.

KK that's the trouble a lot of the atmosphere has gone from local pubs now. I'm not saying aggro is ideal, but it does add to the character of a venue if you get a few bruiser locals glued to the bar monitoring and intimidating non-regulars. Surely that's half the charm? Id rather that than a bunch of people not talking to anyone. Louisa.

I go upto Brockley quite a bit (love the caf up there on the parade opposite second hand car dealership). With the overground addition and the good housing stock the changes in the last five years have been fairly rapid and sustained. Deptford and New Cross seem the same to me, and I do like that about the area. Louisa.

Especially Brockley Cross (by the two mini roundabouts). Much tamer these days. Louisa.

Don't get me wrong, some of the changes are for the better. I love the extra pedestrian crossings on LL just for starters. But let's not get carried away and start saying it's the new this or the new that. Otta I've considered a move a few times, StraferJack knows all about my mission to find a two up/two down in the Home Counties. I just love the convenience of this place. If we were refering to crap dangerous areas in the 80s and 90s I think ED would have been way down any crime hotspot lists, Peckham however... Louisa.

The dog act was great, and a deserved winner IMO. A lot of the human acts this year were average at best. Louisa.

KK what's different about you banging on about how crap the area was twenty years or more ago with your rant above about pervy salesmen in clothes shops, avoided pubs and no-one visiting. All of which (as I'm sure you know) isn't the entire truth. And me saying it's not all rosey now either? Quids what unpleasant labels have I put on anyone in this thread? I've not singled out any particular group of people at all. I made an observation that people come here to spend time in average restaurants, I don't think that's entirely untrue. Some people have and will continue to do that, because they believe articles in magazines and estate agent articles singing the praises of a pretty average London suburb. I am sorry if I come over as "chippy", but I can assure you I have no insecurities or feelings of inferiority at all. Just pointing the obvious. Louisa.

Speaking in riddles again quids? And people are supposedly bored of me and to a lesser extent foxy, for speaking the truth, whilst remaining happy confident and well rounded individuals. I rest my case. Louisa.

Foxy nail on head as ever. It's all about seizing the opportunity to gloat. "Well we might go back and try the halibut but only if they whack another tenner on the mains so we can feel even better about eating there" etc etc Louisa.

Wow my shtick is now "terminally dull", I feel like the final six months of 'Daybreak'. Revamp time? Louisa.

The only difference with the "average eateries" of ED, and this is where the 'Clapham effect' comes into play, is that the people who frequent them obviously believe they are better than average, or maybe they just don't care either way as long as someone has seen them go into one. Personally, the average or p@&? poor shops of Bromley are useful to me and plenty of others and I couldn't give a toss if someone sees me going in them or not tbh. Louisa.

Foxy, someone came from Putney to go to the Bishop? You having a bubble? Funniest thing I've heard in years :) Louisa.

Bromley has all the chains and shops I actually want that are useful! And they don't overcharge Jah! LL has an abundance of tacky gift shops pizza parlours and fancy pants "to be seen in" restaurant gaffs! Louisa.

What I'm saying is these are people who are not going for the great food/service/atmosphere, they're going because time out or someone similar told them to. Nowhere around here is that amazing, or cool or anything similar. Is that the sort of world we want to be living in? Why would anyone travel across a global city like London to visit a handful of average eateries? Louisa.

A fiver for a pint? I'll stick to my occasional visits to the castle and man of kent thanks. Louisa.

I know of people who will actively take a tube overground train followed by a bus, from across London, just to be seen going into certain anonymous restaurants on LL. I really am not kidding. Louisa.

I don't remember too many nail bars in ED twenty years ago. I don't remember too many take aways either. I do however, remember a rather successful family run fruit and veg shop where Franco Manca now is and the great Walsh Glaziers opposite which was ED to the core. Selective memory Rah when it comes to the ED of old? Louisa.

Seabag I do hope your tongue is superglued to your cheek when you came out with that virtual tour. But we all know, other than K&W the other two are Nunhead based, so they can't be included on this particular tour ;-) Louisa.

Alan Medic many of the businesses which have been local to the area going back many years are hardly mentioned on this forum. The historical context of the area needs to be more embraced. A lot of the time all I come across on here is how best to change the area rather than adapt it. Louisa.

MrBen what would you propose as 'balance and depth'? A discussion can take a subjective or objective route, there is no right or wrong answer to anything. Threads will inevitably be rehashed in an online environment if they have not been adequately addressed in the real world. New people join the forum, old ones leave, consequently dead and buried discussions emerge from the ashes. Some of the new voices may well only reignite those threads or discussions because they agree or disagree with someone's opinion. What's wrong with that? You make the assumption everyone should be on the same page in terms of intellectual capacity and debating skills. Even if they are on a level playing field, why should you assume they are stupid for wanting to talk about something discussed previously? Balance and depth means something entirely different to each and every one of us. Louisa.

I would love to find out what quids definition of a "decent poster" is? It seems to me if you can't stand the heat you get out of the kitchen. Louisa.

The only snobbery I see on this forum is from the posh types who are unwilling to embrace or try out old school ED. But if the likes of the fox don't wish to be ripped off in some fancy pants blow-in joint they're accused of "inverse snobbery" for not trying it out. It's ironically funny. Louisa.