Dogkennelhillbilly

This is a remarkable interpretation of history. Wikipedia (with more footnotes and citations than you could shake a shitty stick at sez: The austerity programme was initiated in 2010 by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. In his June 2010 budget speech, Osborne identified two goals. The first was that the structural current budget deficit would be eliminated to "achieve [a] cyclically-adjusted current balance by the end of the rolling, five-year forecast period". The second was that national debt as a percentage of GDP would fall. The government intended to achieve both of its goals through substantial reductions in public expenditure.[21] This was to be achieved by a combination of public spending cuts and tax increases amounting to £110 billion.[26] Between 2010 and 2013, the Coalition government said that it had reduced public spending by £14.3 billion compared with 2009–10.[27] Growth remained low, while unemployment rose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_government_austerity_programme From memory, last time around they were against the LTNs and competing with the Tories to pick up backlash votes - both failed. They had no counterproposals or ideas about how to manage congestion or pollution. This time around they're simply silent on the matter: https://www.southwark-libdems.org.uk/your-local-lib-dem-team/goosegreen Also, as we have seen from Mr Barber's comments on the new development on the old Jewsons yard, "leading campaigns to protect the character of East Dulwich and Goose Green" is code for "blocking new housing".

The space between Tesco Express and Dulwich Trader on Croxted Rd is now Chococo. It's basically a hot chocolate and coffee bar, as far as I can see. It was pleasingly busy with kids and parents when I passed by! https://www.chococo.co.uk/our-chocolate-houses/dulwich

I went into one of Westminster Carpets's competitors the other day and the salesman asked if I wanted flooring. Luckily I got the first punch in, but I was still a bit shaken up by the whole experience

Maybe the signor in question spotted some hot jacuzzi action and just had to stop in?

Is the occupant of 513a Lordship Lane in North London wondering when the bloody garage is going to drop off their car? It's been a week since they took it for an MoT...

A new VW Passat is £40,000+ these days!

East Dulwich has gone so upmarket that Ferraris are considered disposable items now... The same car in happier times:

And did East Dulwich Grove become "even more of a nightmare" as a result of the "meganursery"?

A couple of updates to this terrible event: 1) In 2021, two cousins (one from Penge and one from Streatham) were convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison. The Southwark News has a summary of the awful day. https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/dulwich/donnell-rhule-dulwich-knife-murderer-cousins-sentenced-to-life-for-killing-18-year-old/ 2) Last week, a female prison officer from Forest Hill was sentenced to eight months in prison for pursuing a relationship with one of the two murderers while at HMP Brixton. https://metro.co.uk/2025/12/15/probation-officer-admits-relationship-prisoner-hmp-belmarsh-25501445/ https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/38203627/probation-officer-jailed-illicit-relationship-murderer-secure-prison/

...and so, 4 years on from the "dramatic planning meeting" that approved the "meganursery", how has it all worked out in reality? The building looks nice from the outside - but I don't know anything more. Did either of the nursery businesses on EDG fail because there was no demand for nursery places in East Dulwich? Did Carmageddon on East Dulwich Grove get worse? Were pre-COVID work patterns abandoned forever (lol)? Were some of the concerns expressed in opposition to the planning application a teensy bit overblown...? https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/mega-nursery-approved-amid-dramatic-planning-meeting/

Whose view is that? Because it's nuts. Even as someone who blames Thatcher for everything, I accept there are multiple causes. The population of England has grown by 20% since 1981 so demand is much higher. Supply (ie new homes) hasn't grown by anywhere near that. And obviously selling off social housing doesn't help the availability of affordable (ie below market rate) housing, but it doesn't change the number of homes in existence.

It's called The Restorative Place. Also, the Fired Earth storefront is under offer too, apparently. How exciting...!

Dulwich Village update: The old DVillage location is (again?) under offer. The storefront next to the new grocer is going to open as a yoga and pilates studio...the name of which I've forgotten. 🤦‍♂️ Megan's is starting to push its takeaway coffee and cannibalise some of Redemption Coffee's market share. Is Megan's struggling? It's quite a big restaurant they have and rent cant be cheap. The reinventing of the Megan's branch on Lordship Lane as Ollie's seems to have stalled. And Redemption is looking a bit tired these days...

I can't remember if it was Charlie Booker or Victor Lewis-Smith who described rubberneckers as the kind of people who'd get rid of the translucent film on ambulance windows if it meant they could get a better look.

There's a scrapyard and vehicle dismantler at the end of Rathgar Rd (behind Loughborough Junction station) but I don't know if they buy assorted scrap metal or just cars or what...

Meaningless but you got the hump about it? Busybodies and ghoulish people gossiping about serious incidents helps no-one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45513645

Rumours and digital rubbernecking aren't helpful.

I said it's not *that* profitable. Housebuilders and property developers are not the same, by the way. Obviously if it weren't profitable at all, it wouldn't happen at all. We already see land lying undeveloped because between costs, taxes, obstructive councillors and the semi-hidden tax of affordable housing it's not economically viable. London needs 90,000 new homes a year even with steady demand (ie no more Boriswaves that increase demand for housing)...in 2024, about 30,000 were actually built. https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/new-homes-london-1 https://www.bidwells.co.uk/insights-reports-events/London-housing-delivery-crisis/

To be fair, if I saw you eating any of the parcels I'd have walked out. I noticed last night that the illuminated sign now describes this place as the POT OFFICE. Presumably THC vapes are more profitable than being a drop-off point for bloody Evri

Housebuilding isn't that profitable and housebuilders don't have social responsibilities. The affordable housing component is just a tax on new builds. It's a total failure by government - a fantasy belief that the private sector is going to solve the state's social housing crisis for free. It's like expecting Tesco to solve child humgrr by giving away a percentage of its products. It's not gonna work - it just slows down and disincentivises private sector construction of new housing. The only solution to the housing crisis is a massive increase in the supply of housing, not a couple of "affordable" flats in a new development. The state needs to solve the problem of NIMBYs (one of whom is prominent on this thread), get out of the way of private sector developers building private rentals and homes for sale, and borrow to build a huge amount of social housing.

Beigel and bagel are the same word. It's just different transliteration/transcription. Former Romeo Jones site is under offer...

Yes, there is veggie stuff - the menu is the same (or very similar) to what tracyk posted above:

I have to agree. I've had a couple of disappointing experiences at Love Dulwich. I sympathise because it's a tough business but I'm afraid I'm not inclined to return.

Happy birthday! I've just read a bunch of your reviews and really enjoyed it. You write Interestingly without being too ornate, and you manage to give a really good insight into the "vibe" of a place as well as the food. Totally agree with your review of Rocca - it's simple, great food in a friendly atmosphere at a completely reasonable price, esp considering the location.

I keep my promises...had the Sweet & Sour Chicken. It was great - the best sweet and sour dish I've ever had. The chicken itself was good and the sauce seemed home made with real vegetables and pineapple - it is NOT the red sugar sauce goo you get elsewhere. The Korean fried chicken was very good but the sweet chili sauce was much more chili than sweet - just far too spicy for me. There is a honey something sauce that I will get next time. Egg fried veggie rice was good as a side. We also ordered the chicken katsu curry which was polished off so quickly I didn't get to taste it. It looked very good tho. SD is not like Magic Wok used to be - cheap and filling but junk food. (Don't get me wrong - I went often to Magic Wok). SD's food is much higher quality, real ingredients, chunky portions, freshly prepared. I'll be back, for sure.