AlexC

Undisputedtruth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Or is it a case that you don't give a care to > people's blighted lives as long as you can get > your M&S goodies locally? Blighted lives? Eh?

Maybe this is ED's answer to Banksy. A strange new form of street art. Nobody see's him create his masterpieces, but suddenly they are there. :))

jamie3 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Japanese > Middling to Decent Thai (Thai Corner manages the > impressive task of being mediocre at best) > Middle Eastern of any kind - an Al Anouk would be > awesome > Pizza East (The Gowlett is good, but a proper > boozer first and foremost) > Mediterranean > Vietnamese > Veg/Vegan/Raw - take your pick from the many great > examples in W/E/N/Central London > Euro Brasserie > Italian > > I haven't been here long but have eaten my way > across most of the rest of london and there's so > much amazing stuff out there (that's generally > also cheaper) that ED could massively benefit > from. I've never heard anyone call the Thai Corner Cafe mediocre at best! I've had many Thai's all over London, and it's up there for me. So many people I meet who've been to ED remember one thing about it, and that's their visit to that restaurant! :))

Undisputedtruth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not sure sure where you get the idea that m&s is > an upmarket store, Nicholas. Basically it's just a > rebadging of Iceland food with fancy packaging and > marketing for the affluent Chavs. Yawn...

Alan, so you say you don't care what the place is...if I've not been in I can't comment. So if it was a Fortnum and Masons there, and I'd said I'd never set foot in the place, would that still be a snooty comment? Or would the chip have left your shoulder? I have no comments to defend. I said I've never set foot in the place. It's true. I never have. I have been in another branch about 10 years ago but so what? I didn't mention that to defend my comments, as I had nothing to defend. I'm not passing judgement on the place. I just said I'd prefer it if it was a shop that I would use. If you want to twist my comments into some kind of class war bs, feel free.

So, let me get this straight Alan. My own opinion, regardless of whether I've been into an Iceland before or not, is an indefensible position? Did I condemn people who shop in Iceland, or make some snotty comment about it? No. I just said I'd prefer for Iceland to be something else, because it's not a shop I use. I have no problem with the shop, or people who do like to shop there. Jeez....some people are seriously touchy around this subject eh?

LondonMix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If enough consumers want to shop at a store (m&s, > wholefoods etc) and that store decides to > competitively bid for space on LL, thEn it has a > right to open, and they the consumers have a right > to shop there. Simple, whatever the store. You > act like M&S and those who want to shop there > aren't entitled to do business in the local area! That just about sums it up...so Gidget, you can now stop flogging your dead horse.

Gidget Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > AlexC, > > ED has done fine without an M&S here so far. They > are at motorway service stations so hardly > exclusive. I am curious as to why some people are > so desperate to have one here. That is all. For > the record, in the past, when living/working near > one I have shopped there and found myself being > really disappointed by most of the food. > > Even if one comes here it won't have a full range > of everything you might want, like the ones in > Oxford Street. I'm sure ED has done fine without an M&S or a Waitrose, I personally think it would be better with one. This isn't about making the area more "exclusive". It's just about serving the clear demand in the area for this sort of shop. Sounds like it's not for you - fair enough. I know it'll be a relatively small format shop, but I think it will do a job. I've peronsally not been disappointed when I've shopped there in the past, so I know it's something I would use. That's that really. Horses for courses and all that..

Gidget Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > AlexC, > > In North Dulwich, near Cafe Rouge, there is a > shop called Cook which has 'special' things like > that. It's all frozen so you have to go home > right away and stick in freezer. Might be worth a > look if you are in the area. There is also a nice > little bakery there. > > Or maybe you cold learn to cook and do batchh > cooking and freeze...... Gidget - I've been to Cook. It does some nice stuff. It's not walking distance from my front door, so I don't tend to go there very often - and as I said, I don't massively like living off my freezer. And thanks for the patronising comment about cooking. I'm a pretty decent cook thanks, and I very much enjoy cooking when I can. If I was on more of a budget, or a had a family to feed, maybe I'd do more batch cooking....but I'm not, and I don't. I'm confused as to why you want people to justify why they want a shop like M&S on the Lane? I just do - I'd use it. Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you prefer to do things differently. Whatever floats your boat.

Gidget Wrote: > I can see that, but why not buy stuff like that on > a monthly basis or so and stick in the freezer. I personally prefer to eat things fresh on the day, or thereabouts. I'm not a big freezer user....and being a bloke that sounds like far too much forward planning anyway. Where's the spontaneity! :) I never know when I'm going to be in or out, so I tend to shop a few times in the week.

Gidget Wrote: > > No one on here has said yet what they like about > M&S food, no specifics anyway, and why it is so > great that they need to have one here. That's a fair point. I'll give you my answer. I'm after somewhere within walking distance of my front door, that does tasty, fresh convenience food. Not just ready meals or dine for ?10 type meals, but also little luxury for when I'm feeling lazy, e.g. some dauphinoise potatoes to sick straight in the oven to go with a roast. It's not the sort of place I'd do a big shop, or get many staples. It'd be nice to have something more at the luxury end for this, i.e. an M&S or a Waitrose. The Co-op could offer some of these things, but I've found the one on the Lane poorly stocked and a bit of shambles, so I tend to give it a wide berth these days. Some competition would do it some good.

the-e-dealer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No you have to set foot in anything before you > have an opinion. I Personally Hate Dog mess, > MacDonalds and Las Vagas but am unable to comment > on Nazis. Good call. I will from now on refrain from commenting on North Korea, until I finally manage to holiday in Pyongyang.

Alan Medic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > AlexC Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I'm all for it - it replaces a shop I've never > set > > foot in, with one I would. I'd prefer a > Waitrose, > > but an M&S would be fine too. I'm just after > > somewhere that does some good quality > convenience > > food, which has a decent range. I think it > would > > compliment the Lane nicely. > > Perhaps you would be more qualified to make > comments like this if had set foot in Iceland. Sorry Alan, didn't realise I wasn't allowed to have an opinion. I've not set foot in this Iceland branch, I have set foot in another branch in the past. Many years ago. It's not the sort of place I would personally choose to shop in - I'd rather have an M&S or a Waitrose. That's my personal opinion, but sorry. I forgot I wasn't allowed to have one. Numpty...

Not sure about a Waterstones - that's going to threaten independent book shops and I'm all for them.

I'm all for it - it replaces a shop I've never set foot in, with one I would. I'd prefer a Waitrose, but an M&S would be fine too. I'm just after somewhere that does some good quality convenience food, which has a decent range. I think it would compliment the Lane nicely.

Well, you would be a barrel of laughs doing some travelling when it comes to eating. You're missing out on a whole world of street food, which is some of the tastiest food you can get!

...a complete cop-out of an answer. Your reservations about NCR market could be applied to just about any open air food market around the country.

You forgot to mention that with your plan, the LL police station could turn into a Waitrose :))

whitepolarsnow Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > rahrahrah Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > i shop at both Waitrose and M&S, but i'll have to > say allowing them into ED is a bad idea, once they > come theres no turning back, and you can kiss all > the independents goodbye and say hello to a more > "generic" high street. > > NO! Why does a Waitrose or an M&S = goodbye to independents? In an ideal world one of them would replace the Co-op, which is itself a more "generic" store.

Sounds like you need a new heatsink/fan on the CPU. I'd say the charge sounds fair as it would involve a bit of 'faffing around' (techincal term!:)))

Ah, the good old EDF. Someone posts something as they are feeling positive about the area that they live in and within minutes the vultures with a chip on their shoulder swoop in to rain on the poster's parade. At least it's now turned into a vaguely intersting political discussion I guess...

Read this and thought of this thread :))

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > tarafitness Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I work for John Lewis and I can safely say that > > when space allows for a Waitrose we'll be > straight > > in. Unfortunately there just isn't any > > As much as I'd love to believe what you are > saying, why is it the case that when the huge shop > now occupied by sainsburys local at the plough end > of LL went up for sale, John Lewis didn't snap it > up quickly and pay the extra money to put their > presence into this part of London,? They were > obviously outbid by sainsburys who wanted the > property more, despite having a huge store less > than a mile down the road! And I can use examples > of areas with smaller retail space opportunities > have still seen waitrose and M&S open stores! This > is why my belief is that despite actively > entertaining the idea, they just cannot justify it > enough to spend significant funds on bidding for > retail space. 1/2 a mile down the road from the LL > roundabout huge retail spaces have been up for > rent/sale for three years plus, the lack of space > just isn't a feasible excuse! > > Louisa. I work for JL too, and digging through my emails, it looks like the 'Little Waitrose' format, which is effectively the convenience format version of the store, is generally around the 3,000sq ft size. So the Sainsbury's local spot at the Plough End of LL may or may not have been big enough offering a Little Waitrose gives you, i.e. groceries plus 'food to go' style counters, but the whole Waitrose convenience format was in it's embryonic stages when the lease for this would have come up. It's only this year the format is really going to be rolled out to get the number of shops into double figures.

It is there, but I took a load of coins to it just before Xmas and it wasn't working. Typical!

It seems not. He escaped via the attic bathroom window and is still MIA. He is one adventurous cat!