Irish Shop to close

[Planetsally]

Will miss the shop, but service was poor

[cle]

Cities evolve, and peoples change. The Irish just aren't a prominent 'minority group' to be catered to in this day and age. They've returned or died out, and their later generations who stayed here have basically become British over the years.

Go to Kilburn, it's barely Irish any more, and if that isn't, you know it's over.

[El Pibe]

The Man of Kent is still going, which basically means they are

a) more interested in GAA and beer than taytos and the new ross standard

and

b) in nunhead

[Louisa]

Such a terrible shame. I used to go in here to get my fix of Galtee processed cheese and red lemonade. I have to agree with the ain't eminent of some others here, this new cinema may well be a contributing factor. The closure of handy little traditional shops such as this only to be replaced by boutiques is just such a frightening prospect. I must admit, the shop was looking tired these past few years and I'm surprised it managed to stay afloat as so many of the great Irish diaspora which has always been a big part of ED/Peckham culture has gradually spread it's wings or been assimilated. Please let this not be another yummy mummy coffee/baby clothing/trinket shop, or I will be forced to get the angel delight out El Pibe ;-)

Louisa.

[Ejb123]

Gutted!!! No more taytos!!!

[jimbo1964]

There's nowhere in ED to buy either pants or stationary. That's the gap in the market I'd aim for.

[Louisa]

WH Smith will arrive soon enough no doubt.

Louisa.

[????]

E for envelope jimbo......

[Alan Medic]

Two people have complained about the service in the shop. What was wrong with it? As for the Irish being assimilated or worse still are now British, YMBJ.

[Mustard]

Will have to try the red lemonade before they close, and the Kimberleys. Is Galtee cheese like Kerrygold processed cheese?

You can also get buttermilk at Sainsbury's, Franklin's farm shop as well as SMBS.

[Louisa]

Alan Medic of course it's true. The older generation dies off, their kids who are born and brought up here are British. The culture slowly dies off, and what are we left with? Another shop closing cos no-ones going in there. As has been pointed out, go to Kilburn and Cricklewood and you'll struggle to find an Irish Pub these days.

Louisa.

[Louisa]

Mustard take a look here. It comes in all sorts of varieties.

http://www.theirishshop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=27

Louisa.

[Mustard]

Thanks Louisa, how do you eat/use yours?

I do like Barry's tea as well as the Flahavan's oats.

Lidl were selling Taytos a couple of weeks ago, and, I think, the Kimberleys.

[Alan Medic]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Alan Medic of course it's true. The older

> generation dies off, their kids who are born and

> brought up here are British. The culture slowly

> dies off, and what are we left with? Another shop

> closing cos no-ones going in there. As has been

> pointed out, go to Kilburn and Cricklewood and

> you'll struggle to find an Irish Pub these days.

>

> Louisa.

Just wait until we have another famine and you'll change your tune! My son was born and brought up here and doesn't tag himself with a nationality. He has an Irish passport and a Spanish mother. He reckons if anything he's Spirish.

[XIX]

I'm not quite sure why so many people are fawning over this shop (perhaps I am alone in this!). I think it is a bizarre ramshackle collection of stuff that not many people want (evidently as its closing). Alan Medic, you asked about the service. In my limited experience (two visits, never again) I've found the shop-keeper to be unwelcoming/unfriendly/unhelpful to be honest. Its not the only shop like that - I can think of one not so very far away where the customer service is similarly odd. I don't understand why local shops, which depend on local custom, can get it so wrong. Personal service is their chance to set themselves apart from the impersonal supermarket giants or the internet, and generate an interested and loyal local following.

As for the debate about whether the cinema is contributing.... I think most people would agree that it is likely to have an effect on businesses at that end of the Lane, and will therefore no doubt prompt yet another debate about the evils of gentrification upon ED. Louisa I expect you are limbering up your typing fingers as we speak ;)

I would say this: if it weren't for the gentrification that has happened already and given ED a reputation as somewhere 'on the up', I suspect that we wouldn't have a cinema coming at all. Just look at where the other picturehouses are in London (Greenwich, Notting Hill, Clapham, Stratford, Hackney etc) to spot the trend.

[Louisa]

XIX I really am pro the cin?ma it would be a great contribution. But inevitably, a cin?ma will attract more restaurant/nightlife culture and that will more than likely mean we get more chains. Franco Manca is coming, Zizzi and Wagamama won't be far behind, and we will then all be regretting the day something great such as a small cin?ma chain allowed us to let the free market run ravage on our high street. Let's not forget M&S are limbering up for later this year and they will not stop until that planning application is verified. Along with all the above mentioned, and rising rents we will end up with more chains and gentrification which has been waiting in the wings to finish off it's unfinished job it started on pre-recession ED back in 2007/8 and will finally homogenise the remainder of LL and NCR. Sad but true.

Louisa.

[Ted Max]

Salt of the earth spelling of cin?ma, there, Lou. Verite.

[Jeremy]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> this new cinema may well be a

> contributing factor. The closure of handy little

> traditional shops such as this only to be replaced

> by boutiques is just such a frightening prospect.

I don't think the Irish Shop is very traditional. Certainly no more so than a cinema..

[cle]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Salt of the earth spelling of cin?ma, there, Lou.

> Verite.

Je t'aime Ted Max.

[jimbo1964]

I know this has been said loads before.. But aren't most of the shops on LL too small for big chains to bother with? Wagamamma aren't going to take over the Irish shop. I can see Rye Lane going that way.

[Louisa]

Jimbo that is of course the limitation around ED. But looking at Chiswick, Fulham, Clapham, Balham, Shoreditch amongst others- if big chains want a presence they won't let something like limited space hold them back. Some of the shops along from GBK and the next stretch up are more than capable of doubling up to house smaller version restaurants of Wagamama and Zizzi et al. They've not come here yet because the nightlife culture hasn't set on fire, with a cinema and M&S nearby ED will appear on the radar, it's a matter of time I tell thee.

Louisa.

[Rolo Tomasi]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Jimbo that is of course the limitation around ED.

> But looking at Chiswick, Fulham, Clapham, Balham,

> Shoreditch amongst others- if big chains want a

> presence they won't let something like limited

> space hold them back. Some of the shops along from

> GBK and the next stretch up are more than capable

> of doubling up to house smaller version

> restaurants of Wagamama and Zizzi et al. They've

> not come here yet because the nightlife culture

> hasn't set on fire, with a cinema and M&S nearby

> ED will appear on the radar, it's a matter of time

> I tell thee.

>

> Louisa.

Agreed.

[NewWave]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Such a terrible shame. I used to go in here to get

> my fix of Galtee processed cheese and red

> lemonade. I have to agree with the ain't eminent

> of some others here, this new cinema may well be a

> contributing factor. The closure of handy little

> traditional shops such as this only to be replaced

> by boutiques is just such a frightening prospect.

> I must admit, the shop was looking tired these

> past few years and I'm surprised it managed to

> stay afloat as so many of the great Irish diaspora

> which has always been a big part of ED/Peckham

> culture has gradually spread it's wings or been

> assimilated. Please let this not be another yummy

> mummy coffee/baby clothing/trinket shop, or I will

> be forced to get the angel delight out El Pibe ;-)

>

>

> Louisa.

Couldn't agree more Louisa my sentiments entirely! I'm actually so over smug mummies sitting nursing cups of coffee for ages and talking very loudly about breastfeeding while I'm trying to enjoy a rare morning peace and quiet over a slice of toast and tea at sadly gone Lucas. I think the whole of ED is morphing into Kirstys 'Handmade Home' meets Mums-Net.

Yawn.....

[Louisa]

I agree with you NewWave. I hate to repeat myself but the yummification of our high street is reaching frightening and epidemic proportions. We are now stuck in a cycle where rising rents are forcing out great little businesses like 'The Irish Shop' and leaving us with empty shops. Until of course, something useful like a cinema comes to the area, increases footfall and then attracts chain boutiques and restaurants to satisfy the bored yummy housewife/husband. It is becoming nauseating watching well dressed people with prams and ray ban/Oakley sunglasses poncing their way up the lane showing off the latest Vivienne Westwood bag.

Louisa.

[Alan Medic]

Well I purchased the last large soda bread left there on my way home. I didn't visit there very often and found customer service to be just fine. Not unfriendly, just happy to let you look around in case there was something else of interest. To be honest there usually wasn't apart from soda bread or flour to make soda bread. But I liked it being there and don't really know how it survived so long as anytime I went I'd often be the only customer in there.

PS They are closing for good tomorrow and there may be other large soda breads in the fridge.