things I dislike about modern East Dulwich

[capt_birdseye]

For all of you residents who constantly feel the need to take swipes at all aspects of a "gentrified" East Dulwich (pointless shops selling nothing, poncy restaurants, expensive houses, North London/Clapham escapees) I would like to invite you all to express your gripes on this thread so that we can be done with it once and for all.

Good day to you all.

[Louisa]

I have an awful lot which gets my goat about the new ED, but what really gets me is the use of the word ORGANIC!! ARGHHHHHH... now that really sums things up nicely for me..

[Pierre]

The Road Of Twee: Northcross Road. ;)

although I actually love East Dulwich. Despite everything else about to be mentioned on this thread.

: P

[Keef]

I just hate house prices, no ones fault, just one of those things :( There's lots which isn't my thing, but wouldn't go so far as hate, it seems a bit strong!

[Mark]

yes, perhaps you could change the title to "things I dislike about modern East Dulwich"?

[capt_birdseye]

Oh go on then.

[Louisa]

lol - lets not get too politically correct here - I hate the fact you cant park a car for love nor money!

[Pierre]

Much better - there's lots I dislike, but nothing I hate. Well, litter, homelessness, ignorance, prejudice, rampant commercial gluttony and the sound of foxes shagging in my garden... but they're not exactly exclusive to ED.

: P

[SeanMacGabhann]

I hate the house prices too but wouldn't agree it's no-ones fault.. I think it's everyones fault - 2 of the flats ner my building used to be lived in but are now a building sight for "property developers" cashing in - let the houses remain in poor condition and let people who can afford to buy them do so - no need for anyone to be the middle man and make a fortune

Now if people WANT that kind of service and can pay for it ( I hear a nation cry!) then why shouldn't they - IMO it's because we are not dealing in abstractions like pensions, ISAs, organic apples or whatever but the very roof over people's heads. I would argue that as a starting block that should never be removed so far from average Joe or Josephine's pockets

Louisa - why so worked up about Organic? If you mean that certain people are easily led and will happily pay twice the price for something for no appreciable benefit then maybe - some people are label-queens no matter the underlying cause. But as this article in the paper today shows the more we have the ability to keep business small and closer to a community the better for everyone in the food chain

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,2064259,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11

[Jah Lush]

The braying merchant bankers (rhyming slang obviously) who drink in The Bishop.

[Louisa]

Sean it's a very valid point, but please dont use the Guardian to make it, it kind of backs up my current opinions of the way ED is going lol !! :)

When I was a child everything was organic, that was just the way it was.. and we didn't pay more money for the produce or even give it some fancy name like ORGANIC... What gets me is a business like William Rose, which was trading in Bermondsey for years without using the word Organic, then it moves into the new look ED, and suddenly the word comes into use, and the three wheeled prams are queueing up in abundance outside every saturday!! it's amusing thats all...

[fractionater]

I hate the amount of litter (from the Chav's eating from the fast food places) and dog poo!

Oh I also hate the walk from the station down to the LL roundabout - needs bringing into line with the rest of LL!

[Louisa]

Grove Vale has always been a dive.. I think it should be pedestrianised and turned into a weekday farmers market!

[Mark]

... the cars who park round Grove Vale on the yellow lines and make it awkward for buses to pass, it seems like its a parking free for all round there

... cars that park on Lordship Lane outside Wates and Black Cherry just so they can pop into a shop/dry cleaners, it's a double yellow line for a reason.

... cars that park outside that 7-11 shop opposite the Bishop on LL, buses have to swing round there (especially awkward when mixed with the previous point)

... people who leave litter on Goose Green and around the area in general. Litter. Bin. Litter bin. Litter goes in the bin you thick tw*t. How hard can it be?

... empty shops and the predatory property magnate(s) that keep the commercial property prices high

(I'll think of more when I have time)

Apologies if these are not about modern East Dulwich per se but it would be good if they were confined to history

[SeanMacGabhann]

Now Louisa you wouldn't use The Guardian as a lazy short-hand to describe lil ole me surely?

Your point on William Rose is intersting tho. I think when we were younger (and by that I mean about 25-30 years ago for me) meat and veg were closer to what we would now call organic. However that has more to do with tradition still being in place before the big boys moved in and squeezed every producer.

Almost every local butcher of any quality has closed down in high streets across Britain - posh people, prams or not! ED is lucky from a timing perspective - people have started to rebel against meat rearing methods so somewhere like William Rose is going to benefit. I doubt he can just stick "organic" on the window tho - standards have to be met (standards which are being squeezed all the time by the big boys)

If the meat is more expensive in there (and it' isn't always) then obviously Hamish Bunson-Burner Farm in Kent is going to be a small time operator compared to UberMeatFactorytm used by supermarkets - the animals get a better life producing better meat and the employess and owner et treated fairly (I'm over simplifying but you get the drift)

And I've met plenty of people in the Q on not much money who like to know where their grub is coming from so I don't think it's just yummy-mummies seduced by the organic signs...

[snorky]

Shops thats seem to exist, yet religiously avoid selling anything of any practical use to anyone whatsoever - celestial/ Moo2 / that roullier place etc etc etc

The scum who raid the bags left outside the charidee shops and take the whole lot en masse in their cars and vans

the vermin who post leaflets through your door, seemingly representing a charidee, but actually rep;resenting a scummy lithuanina rag merchant playing on our sense of cricket and fair play for his profit.

"Yummy mummys" - their like to think they are scrumptious represenatives of the gender, but just come across as pushy, thusting and narrow minded boors who are searching for a role in life to replace their truncated careers - thats why your City lawyer husband is putting it about with some your trainee in the office dearie

Coffee thats costs in excess of ?2

Jazz lite background music

Shoe shops thats charge an arm and a leg for something with a "label" but actually originates in a plastics factory outside Hanoi

Ohh!!!! I have to stop now, otherwise I will get carried away.....I have some work to do

the removal of flock wallpaper on curry houses ( sorry, resturants)

[James]

The remaining chavs. Can we ship them out somewhere? Surely they could sell up and buy mansions in Romford with the proceeds of the housing boom?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Arent we all bitter and twisted today..

We keep coming back to this theme - old versus new, good or bad etc etc, ad nauseum.

Its somewhat tedious.

[Huguenot]

I bought 8 dinner plates in Roullier White the other day. Very happy thanks. Would have been a reet pain in the arse if I'd had to go to the WEnd to get 'em!

(Erm, yes, bust my other dinner plates through some ungracious dish washer interaction and a debate with a pepper cellar)

[macroban]

The loss of Follett's.

[Mark]

Umm, this is a thread about expressing your gripes about old versus new

[capt_birdseye]

dishwashers?! In East Dulwich?! Whatever next.

[*Bob*]

... constant bleating on the forum about:

Three-wheeled prams (it's only a pram, for god's sake - does it matter?)

Butchers and greengrocers charging more for a better product that clearly costs more to produce and supply.

House prices going-up (despite owning one for years and therefore secretly jumping for joy)

City bankers ordering Moet and talking about share-dealing and house prices (I've never seen or heard one)

Claphamites taking over (no-one on my street - where are they all?)

[SeanMacGabhann]

Mark

Clearly a man after my own heart - the LloydsTSB cashie outside the library attracts people "just hopping out to get some cash" regardless of how many buses are piling up behind em.. What you need money RIGHT NOW???? And you can't park just off the road in a proper space??

What else do I dislike?

Some of what's been mentioned already isn't specific to ED (braying idots? they are everywhere unfortunately)

EDT Belatedly admitting the restaurant upstairs was a bad idea badly exceuted and not allowing Ron'n'Emma to bring back East Dulwich Comedy in time (instead of relocating a club from Kentish Town)

The Police Station - Even allowing for it's old rep, of late it's just pointless

Litter (oh that's everywhere too.. but we can do something about it here - a Keep ED Tidy campaing!)

[Louisa]

I think there should be a three-wheeled buggy lane along both sides of LL, so that the yuppies are able to freely and openly express their expensive cultural fashion accessories without being hindered by some elderly person getting in their way or common folk scaring the wee ones with their confusing working class use of the English tongue... I think these poor hard working selfless yummies deserve a break, dont you? :)