Waitrose or M&S TYPE supermarket - do we want one on LL?

[Sue]

I get notification of new posts to this thread sent to me by email, so even if I look only every five or six new posts that's still a considerable number of views just for me.

[Andyk]

Absolutely yes. Much better than another estate agent....

[Keef]

The stats for yesterday, Jan

> 19th 2011 were:

> 7,612 Visits

> 4,600 Absolute Unique Visitors

> 69,432 Pageviews

Stats lifted from the About the forum section. Of those views, I'd imagine this page got a fair few.

[EDdownunder]

James, yes please to waitrose, and no objection to M&S.

I too like the fact we have some independant stores in ED and do some shopping locally when I can, but walking down LL from goose green you would think all people did all day was trawl estate agents and eat curry. I love a good curry but do new premises need a licence, and if so, surely there must be a way to limit the curry houses to say a neat dozen? Our little lane is becoming a bit of a joke really...I got asked by someone in a car nearby to direct them too the curry street.

We are alsov blighted by the existence of the co-op which has to be one of the worst run, overpriced (for the quality) and poorly stocked stores I have had the displeasure of shopping in. It would be very good to have an alternative that is open a little later than the indie's. Sadly I use it quite often as I work late-ish hours and don't have a car, and generally find myself wishing the co-op was a waitrose which in MY OPINION is a fantastic supermarket. If there was waitrose within half a mile of the co-op i would dance a jig and never darken the doorway of that place ever again.

Also, for the indie shop lovers, i would still buy the same amount of goods from independant stores, the only shop to suffer from a ED Waitrose for my ? would be the co-op and the mega-sainsburys.

[Sue]

EDdownunder Wrote:

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> I love a good curry

> but do new premises need a licence, and if so,

> surely there must be a way to limit the curry

> houses to say a neat dozen? Our little lane is

> becoming a bit of a joke really...I got asked by

> someone in a car nearby to direct them too the

> curry street.

xxxxxxx

Lordship Lane has always been renowned for its curries, I used to come down for a curry at the Dulwich Tandoori in the early eighties, when I lived in South Norwood.

I don't see why that is a joke?

>

[EDdownunder]

I love curry too, just finished one at my desk actually but do we need to rival brick lane. I personally find it cringeworthy that a visitor to the area would refer to LL as the curry street, I'm afraid I didn't see it as something to be proud of. I similary find it a bit of an overkill to have more estate agents on LL.

Sue I would prefer to have a variety of restaurants that reflects the diverse backgrounds of our society and not have any one food-culture dominate.

If there was a post for another curry house would you say "yes please"?

[BrandNewGuy]

EDdownunder Wrote:

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> I love curry too, just finished one at my desk

> actually but do we need to rival brick lane. I

> personally find it cringeworthy that a visitor to

> the area would refer to LL as the curry street,

> I'm afraid I didn't see it as something to be

> proud of. I similary find it a bit of an overkill

> to have more estate agents on LL.

>

> Sue I would prefer to have a variety of

> restaurants that reflects the diverse backgrounds

> of our society and not have any one food-culture

> dominate.

>

> If there was a post for another curry house would

> you say "yes please"?

I did say "Yes, please" when the South Indian veggie "Indian Mischief" was announced. Not all "curry houses" are the same.

And anyone who calls Lordship Lane "curry street" is living in a different reality.

[peterstorm1985]

Keef Wrote:

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> This thread currently has 12448 Views. That is

> quite a lot. You could send out 20000 leaflets,

> but how many do you think would actually get read?

I agree that a mailshot would be a waste of time/money but I'm sure that age statistics of users of this forum would make a classic bell curve with a peak of those in their 30s so, although vast by comparison, the views on this thread won't evidence the opinion of a cross section of ED.

Somewhere early in this thread I think JB said he had a site in mind. Why not just stick a big poster on an Estate Agent style sign saying, "Do you want a Waitrose/M&S here? Please write to XXXX if you give a damn" (or similar). Word would soon get around amongst the non IT community. Even if the response rate was very low, it would be reasonable to assume that a cross section of ED society had had the opportunity to respond.

[Dorothy]

I expect this has already been covered, if so could anyone point me in the right direction as I am not going to read the whole thread although I have read most of it, but I am surprised to hear that the good citizens of ED have any kind of say in what shops we have on LL. If we did, would we really have voted for the new William Hill, and the three or more new Estate Agents, and Oliver Bonas, when we are already very well provided-for in these types of shops in East Dulwich.?

James - why are you consulting now, when you haven't done so in the past? Is it just that a supermarket is seen as an altogether different kettle of fish?

[LadyDeliah]

I vote no

[Alec John Moore]

Hi Dorothy, there's a lot to remember on this thread but I recall James saying that there is a council property on LL that will become available at some point. Therein lies his interest, I think. Alec

[wolis]

Please no - for all the reasons others have given. Lordship Lane will end up like every other high street in the country instead of having the unique interest that makes people want to live here. And .......... not everyone in East Dulwich is 'aspirational' nor able to afford M & S or Waitrose.

[Dorothy]

Thanks AJM.

[scottess]

No thank you

[mrure]

Either one. Locally on Lordship Lane near to the Goose Green area there are no decent, smaller supermarkets. I don't count Co-op or Iceland as decent.

[EDdownunder]

I'm genuinely surprised at all the no answers on the EDF, I agree with the sentiment about maintaining the independent nature of LL but at the same time its a big old lane and surely it can't hurt to have a waitrose or M&S. The alternative for many is the co-op and its not a great alternative to say the least.

Also, in my 3 years in ED I haven't seen too many new shops of any note opening up on LL other than estate agents and indian restaurants. In my humble opinion even a dreaded high street chain is preferable to a empty boarded up building. Perhaps an acid test is empty video store...if a funky little indie shop opens in its place I will join the indie forever brigade. If we end up with an estate agent/indian takeaway/nothing then i would argue we should really be grateful for a waitrose, cafe rouge, monsoon, whatever.

Personally i would love a little cinema like the brixton ritzy, a dim sum restaurant, a sushi/japanese restaurant, maybe a few more mens clothing and footware options and a waitrose of course.

[Jennys]

I would love a Waitrose or M and S.

[SeanMacGabhann]

The answer is easy for anyone who has lived in any number of clone towns and areas that have become homogenised. You get Waitrose in, rates go up, indies can't afford anything anymore. The rent on the old video shop is already out of the league of most indie operations. Look at the Village - you would think with all that money it would cater for an intersting restaurant scene - nah - Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge, Mitchell & Butlers pub food and hopefully a new decent Italian

if you like the indie shops use them - when people say they need a co-op/waitrose/m&s I'm genuinely curious as to why? There are some instances when they come into their own - needing meat after 6pm say but most people's needs most of the time would be served easily by the indie food shops - Val's up by the library or the Turkish shop opposite the Bishop. Scruffy they maybe but they serve some genuinely interesting things along with the staple brands.

And they are open all night - plenty convenient

[Jeremy]

People like convenience food.

They like lasagnes they can put in the microwave. They like pizzas with goats cheese and chorizo toppings. Bags of salad, ready-made croutons, and little bottles of dressing. Puff pastry steak & ale pies, with ready-made mash and little packs of neatly trimmed green beans. Hassle-free hollandaise. Creme Brulees in individual ramekins. "Covent Garden" soups, "Pizza Express" dough balls, "Gu" chocolate puddings.

And they want all the above, plus a ?5 bottle of red and some crusty bread, in one convenient shop, at 7:15pm, somewhere between the station and their home.

There would be queues around the block. You don't need to understand why.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I do

[Narnia]

That's a bit of a conversation stopper!

[katielou]

M&S or Waitrose would be great - shows a place is on the up - I heard that somewhere but don't quote me!

[nancyse15]

definitely no thanks.

[silverfox]

Ready-made way to slim down: How living entirely on M&S food could help you lose weight

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1349492/Ready-way-slim-How-living-entirely-M-amp-S-food-help-lose-weight.html

[Jeremy]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> I do

A lot of people are lazy or don't like cooking, but don't want takeaways every night. Stuff like this fills the gap. There's a genuine market for it... Sainsbury's fills it fairly well IMO, but obviously people don't want to walk 5 minutes out of their way.