benmorg

This is a great route from ED station to Waterloo Bridge, avoiding main roads, the Elephant & Castle roundabout, and any unlit parks or footpaths. http://tinyurl.com/73kkwbv Getting up dog kennel hill is hard work, but coming down Camberwell Grove on the otherwise is completely effortless all the way down.

Quote from a few years ago "I was attacked cycling across Burgess Park after dark a couple of years ago. Two guys swung a scaffold pole at my face and tried to steal my bike. I think it's only because I was "clipped in", wearing shoes with cleats that attach to my pedals, that I didn't come off the bike immediately and rolled into a better-lit section of path, where they didn't chase me. It wasn't a pleasant experience and I needed a bit of surgery to put my nose back together. After that I kept to the roads: I'd rather be able to see the dangers I face when cycling! " http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,189418,211263

If you can stomach Dog Kennel Hill, I recommend this route: Camberwell Grove, Benhill Road, Wells Way, Portland Street, Elephant. No dark parks or disused canal paths, no hoodies, no main roads after the hill, and amazingly little traffic.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > katie1996 - I wasn't whingeing just observing - > now light has been shed by some I am a wiser man - > BTW my wife works in central London and she and > her co-workers shop in a local Somerfields and > this has happened a lot to them on a regular basis > - hence her Sainsburies checking bill routine. She > and her colleagues are convinced that this is a > checkout perk /scam being done to them. I pass no > judegment myself - don't shoot the messenger. It doesn't make sense as a scam, and if staff wanted to steal potato hoops they would just take them and wouldn't go to the trouble of secretly scanning them with people's shopping. All paranoia and no substance, I'm afaid to say.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just figured out how this would work you put a low > value item on anumber of customer's bills and at > the end of your shift you can take out the > combined value of what you have over charged - > quite clever if that is what is happening. The till would be short if the item was scanned and paid for, so the checkout assistant would get caught. If there's a mistake on your receipt, you can take it in for a refund.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > we're back to the bad old days of how much is your > house worth dinner parties and property porn on > all the channels WTF is going on .. meanwhile > Greece burns and money is magicked out of thin air > there is something disquieting about it all - > rather like folk in Thailand going out to pick up > the fish just before the tsunami... I agree. The financial crisis was caused by the house price madness, so a return to rapidly rising prices is a return to madness. London is in a bit of a bubble at the moment, propped up by monetary stimulus. Easily mistaken for a bullet-proof safe haven.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If I wasn't selling it would be a great big yawn > .... You mean you'd find it boring if you didn't find it interesting?

Gidget Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > benmorg Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > A house in Holly Grove SE15 (link below) sold > at > > Allsop's auction yesterday for twice the guide > > price, which is a phenomenal result by Allsop's > > usual standards (most London properties were > going > > for about 25% over guide price, compared to > 10-15% > > over last year): > > > http://www.auction.co.uk/residential/LotDetails.as > > > p?A=761&MP=84&ID=761000105&S=G&O=A > > > > A couple of properties in New Cross also nearly > > doubled the guide price. SE London apparently > the > > place to invest at the moment. > > That guide price sounds way off for a 4 storey > house in the Bellenden area. ?350,000 would be a > guide for maybe the lower two floors. It does sound low, but bear in mind the house was split into housing-association flats and probably a bit of a wreck. I doubt there's much margin for the developer at the sale price.

A house in Holly Grove SE15 (link below) sold at Allsop's auction yesterday for twice the guide price, which is a phenomenal result by Allsop's usual standards (most London properties were going for about 25% over guide price, compared to 10-15% over last year): http://www.auction.co.uk/residential/LotDetails.asp?A=761&MP=84&ID=761000105&S=G&O=A A couple of properties in New Cross also nearly doubled the guide price. SE London apparently the place to invest at the moment.

pez Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sorry, boring subject but I have a question > regarding property sales in East Dulwich. > It seems properties are being advertised at higher > prices than ever before in the area and I was > wondering whether these prices are actually being > reached. I ask because we're trying to buy a 2 bed > flat with a garden and discovering nice ones > advertised at ?350,000+. However, land registry > sold prices show similar places selling for > ?280,000+ over the past couple of years. So are > vendor's expectations vastly inflated, or have > prices shot up in the area recently? I hear that the ED housing market has been pretty healthy this year, with number of serious buyers outweighing supply, which is holding up prices. People seem to have decided that London property is a one-way bet, which is a dangerous assumption given the fact that the market is still propped up by near zero bank rate. The new transport connections and Olympics might be having an effect too (though the Olympic effect is temporary). I'd guess final price is about 5% under asking, but more if the vendor is being greedy. Watch out for landlords chancing their arm. Often they don't need to sell and consequently will ask for silly money.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There is madness in the market at the moment > houses seem to be shifting within days of going on > the market - 2 doors down a flat was put on the > market on Monday and under offer two days later > across the road the same thing on a house - is > this a bubble about to burst or as dulwichgirl2 > says just another ratchet up towards Clapham. I've heard similar - lots of buyer interest but very little stock, which means prices will lurch up in spring. I suspect it's happening across London and has more to do with the low base rate and QE (now happening in Europe too) making lending very cheap than any Notting Hill/Fulham effect. The new overground line might be a factor too.

Willard Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Next time you go down Camberwell Grove, have a > > look at the St George development at the north > > end. They've built authentic looking Georgian > > terraces and have done a great job in my > opinion, > > though I think the flats are probably a bit > boxy > > and characterless inside, due to the absence of > > old style chimney breasts and flues. > > > > > http://www.camberwell-grove.co.uk/index.cfm?articl > > > eID=1 > > > > A bit more of that would be nice, but most > > developers just want to pack in the units to > > maximise the profit, which means tiny rooms, no > > outside space and low ceiling height. > > > I agree those houses look nice but have you seen > the prices? If I had ?1.6 mn to drop on a house, I > certainly wouldn't be moving to Camberwell. This > is from someone who lived there for 6 years. > > ouch Agree 100%. Maybe the intention is to sell to foreign buyers who will be impressed by the central location, without realising what Camberwell is really like.

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > East Dulwich has no estates? Are you sure? Are you > sure crime is always related to poverty and > unemployment? You might find greed is behind a lot > of crime too....crime committed by people from all > demographics it has to be said. The rich steal as > much as the poor. Tax avoidance is akin to such as > far as I'm concerned as well. The heart of ED is Victorian streets, without high-density housing estates. North Peckham is pretty much the opposite. I agree with much of what you've said, but I still think that regeneration is difficult without a change in the social fabric of an area. Most of the run-down parts of London that have regenerated have done so because the middle classes have moved in and displaced working class residents, social tenants, and so on. With unlimited public funds it's obviously possible to make an area like north Peckham much better for a while, but it won't keep improving unless its economy picks up on its own - which means rich people need to move in and make it trendy.

fazer71 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We know that pulling down all those Victorian > terraces was a terrible mistake. > > What was built to replace them was awful. > It?s a pity the stuff being built today isn?t much > better it?s well built and insulated but it has > zero soul just look at the developments in West > Peckham near Camberwell > > I just don?t understand why they don?t build using > the Parisian horseshoe layout it?s a much more > efficient use of land and provides usable > courtyard (unlike the open areas found around the > modern developments we are seeing, which are not > secure and don?t allow for any sort of community > feel) it?s all just bland boxes for the occupants > to sit in watching TV. A few now have balconies so > that?s an advance and some even have underground > parking. > > But they will never appeal as much or have a > community feel that Victorian terraced houses and > flats have. > > The architecture today is really quite depressing > to look at both inside and out. Actually the slum clearances I was referring to mostly happened outside London. The main reason Peckham lost its historic streets was WWII bombing. Having said that, Rye Lane is full of architectural gems, but that hasn't made it particularly fashionable. Next time you go down Camberwell Grove, have a look at the St George development at the north end. They've built authentic looking Georgian terraces and have done a great job in my opinion, though I think the flats are probably a bit boxy and characterless inside, due to the absence of old style chimney breasts and flues. http://www.camberwell-grove.co.uk/index.cfm?articleID=1 A bit more of that would be nice, but most developers just want to pack in the units to maximise the profit, which means tiny rooms, no outside space and low ceiling height.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Qoute fron an Estate Agent that came to value my > house - the market is on fire at the moment. I > hadn't thought is is Notting Hillites trading down > btw the best of the bunch IMHO are > Haart's,Bushell's and Winkworth's. It's their job to tell you the market's hot and you'll have no trouble selling.

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > but whether it stays nice now that the prop of > public spending has been taken away is another > matter. It's the kind of area that can be hit hard > in a recession and start to deteriorate again. A > lot depends on the local demographic. If the slums > were cleared but the inhabitants all stayed, > though in nicer buildings, then it may only be a > matter of time before it feels like a slum again. > > But you are making a huge assupmtion there about > the people who live in North Peckham (and if I > were one of them might feel offended by that > comment). Sure there will be some who take no > pride in where they live. But the same can be said > for ED. The local authoirity will continue with > services such as bulk refuse collection even in > times of recession, so there is no real evidence > to think any area will degenerate into a slum. You > might also perhaps like to take a look at > Southwark Council's latest tenancy agreement too, > where you'll see ample rules on what is expected > from a tenant to ensure that where they live stays > pleasant. The decent homes programme is still very > much part of Southwark's agenda, so the programme > of new windows and other essential mechanical > engineering is set to continue. And the > regeneration of the Aylesbury estate is also going > ahead inspite of the recent economic crisis. There's a big difference in the social make-up of East Dulwich and North Peckham. East Dulwich has a much higher rate of employment and almost none of the sink estates that scare away the middle classes and hold back gentrification. Crime is related to poverty and employment level - if Peckham remains an area with very high unemployment, its social problems are unlikely to disappear. I don't think changing the buildings that people live in is necessarily enough. There's a historical precedent for this situation. In the 1930s and 40s, following the stockmarket crash and depression, there were widespread slum clearances in the UK. Rows of decrepit Victorian terraces were pulled down and replaced with shiny new modern houses. Fast forward to today - the remaining Victorian workers' houses are now fashionable, whereas the interwar houses are not. Similar pattern in the 70s, with slum-dwellers rehoused in high-rise blocks that were considered excitingly modern at the time and are now being pulled down in places like Walworth and North Peckham. If regeneration consists only of changing the buildings and not the local economy, it doesn't have a lasting effect.

Given the many stories about burglaries on this forum, I thought it was interesting that East Dulwich doesn't appear in the top ten districts most likely to disclose insurance claims for burglary. Stoke Newington is top of the chart, with Wood Green & Streatham also apparently suffering from more burglaries than ED. Chart below. links: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/feb/03/home-insurance-london-west-yorkshire-burglary-claims?newsfeed=true http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/stoke-newington-is-uk-burglary-capital-6348788.html 1. N16 ? Stoke Newington, London, 33.6 per 1,000 inquiries 2. BD10 ? Apperley Bridge, Bradford, 31.7 3. B71 ? West Bromwich, West Midlands, 31.7 4. N22 ? Wood Green, London, 30.3 5. LS13 ? Bramley, Rodley, Swinnow, Leeds, 30 6. LS15 ? Austhorpe, Barwick-in-Elmet, Colton, Cross Gates, Halton, Halton Moor, Scholes, Whitkirk, Leeds, 28. 7. BD18 ? Saltaire, Shipley, Windhill, Wrose, Bradford, 28.6 8. LS7 ? Chapel Allerton, Chapeltown, Little London, Meanwood, Potternewton, Sheepscar, Leeds, 27.4 9. DN2 ? Intake, Wheatley, Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, 27.3 10. SW16 ? Streatham, London, 27.2

mikeb Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Fazer71 - I remember north peckham in the 1990s > and frankly it's unrecognisable now. Every year > another corner gets redeveloped with sensibly > designed housing and civic space. If the internal > quality of the homes matches the external, I think > it will mature into an attractive place to live, > just live the area between Surrey Quays and the > river. It's certainly a lot better, but whether it stays nice now that the prop of public spending has been taken away is another matter. It's the kind of area that can be hit hard in a recession and start to deteriorate again. A lot depends on the local demographic. If the slums were cleared but the inhabitants all stayed, though in nicer buildings, then it may only be a matter of time before it feels like a slum again. Personally, I think proximity to the City will ultimately rescue Peckham, but the regeneration money has given it a helpful kickstart.

fazer71 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Peckham could do with a major reworking as it > drags down this part of London terribly, maybe > there?s more of an opportunity for a comparison > with Notting Hill there only some of the estates > would need to be leveled first. Peckham has already had one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe: http://www.countryside-properties-corporate.com/peckham-partnership-additonal-information It's one of the reasons SE15 house prices rose faster than most of the rest of London in the last decade.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Look... > The West End is shite from here Beg to differ there. Train from ED to London Bridge; cross platform; trains every minute to Charing X. Takes under 30 mins to get from ED to the West End.

JessieW Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nope... Why? give me something here. Not sure about Notting Hill refugees, but ED does seem to attract Americans and Canadians. South African prefer Wandsworth and Richmond.

herrd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > benmorg Wrote: > > > Because it's a quiet spot on a route he does > every > > day, maybe on the way home or back to the > minicab > > firm. He doesn't want to take the indoors so > > leaves them on the street. > > I just don't buy that as a theory. You've been > watching too much Piss Marple... I don't think the vendetta theory is right as he leaves them in other places too. Also, the regularity suggests a routine, e.g. he's on his way home and just wants an easy spot to dump them.

herrd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why on earth would a cabbie dump wee bottles in > the same place? Because it's a quiet spot on a route he does every day, maybe on the way home or back to the minicab firm. He doesn't want to take the indoors so leaves them on the street.

tarafitness Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Surely it's too dark to be pee?? It looks dark because it's in a large container. If you poured out a thin trickle it would be very much paler.

ISALB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > At 6pm this eve I saw 2 young blokes wearing > gloves climbing the fence into someone's garden > opposite the cemetery on Langton rise. Do you > think this is worth reporting to someone? Didn't > seem worthy of an emergency call but didn't know > what to do(I was driving past)I It's good to report it on the forum, but best to tell police first.