Zak

So, the one of the main reasons that Southwark gives for all the pavement widening which is taking place on Grove Vale is to make our streets more pedestrian friendly. Well……. Thinking about how this is going to work in practice, it strikes me that:unfortunately: * lovely wide pavements are going to encourage even more people to cycle down them at speed on their electric bikes or scooters.. * some of these people will find it even easier to snatch phones and make off at speed * there will be an increase risk of pedestrians getting hit and possibly seriously injured (a friend of ours was recently hit by an electric bike while walking on a pavement and sustained a broken leg) Sorry to be negative about what is in many ways an improvement but it comes with risks that are currently unmanaged.

Alternatively, the actual freehold of Belair Mansion is owned by the Dulwich Estate

I understand that a new French chicken rotisserie called Norbert’s will be opening in the old Il Merto restaurant in Melbourne Grove next month.

Yes. You should change the title of this post since it’s most unfair on the cafe.

Yes, it would be great to see them nationalised. Along with the other water companies they seem to have a great business model: -submit a 5 year plan to the regulator asking for yearly price increases to cover the cost of improving the infrastructure and get them to approve it - carry on paying handsome dividends to shareholders and eye watering salaries to senior executives - fail to achieve the infrastructure targets at the end of the five years, make some excuses and draw up the next plan Magic!

How long will it take Thames Water to sort out the small river flowing down Lordship Lane from around North Cross Road towards Goose Green? Get ready for some serious road works and disruption.

Yes, Pao, the owner has created a really excellent restaurant on Grove Vale. BTW, it’s open every day lunchtime and evening, except all day Monday & Tuesday lunchtime.

As a result of the Horizon scandal it now seems very clear that the Post Office management are highly disingenuous and not be trusted! There needs to be a campaign launched to challenge the threatened closure, unless the Post Office can demonstrate beyond doubt that the branch is loss making - and even then it could argued that better management could address this. I hope the local media take this up and our MP and a few demonstrations outside wouldn’t do any harm. Bad publicity can be very effective!

Way back, I seem to remember that Walsh Double Glazing occupied both these shops. Might one factor, in the decision of both companies to close down at the same time, be leases coming to an end and the landlord ramping up the rents?

So…….. Opening today: 12.00 -3.00 & 5.00 -10..00. and thereafter: Sunday 12.00 - 3.00 & 5.00 -9.00 Monday closed Tuesday 5.00 - 10.00 Wednesday- . Saturday 12.00 - 3.00. & 5.00– 10.00

Great news! We’ve just spoken to the owner, who was in the cafe when we went past, and the news is that following some redecorating they are going to re-open very noon. Update on exactly when, to follow. ……. Just heard from Chern that it’s re-opening on Saturday 15th …. 12-3.00 & 5.00 -10.00

It’s marked on the Google page as “Temporarily Closed”, so hopefully it will re-open before too long. The woman who runs it, Pow, has put so much effort into creating such a great little restaurant and it would be a tragedy if it were to close down. Maybe it’s just something like ill health that’s the problem. We’ve been there on quite a few occasions and the food is always lovely and such great value. Everyone we’ve taken there has been most impressed. Can’t get enough of the roast duck! Hopefully, it’s just a hiccup and we’ll all be able to go there again before too long .

Yes, sad indeed for people living in Walworth, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that M&S will sooner or later Will open a new store in the revamped Elephant & Castle, where they can take advantage of a new, possibly more upmarket demographic. BTW, we’re actually very lucky in East Dulwich, since the ED station outlet does click and collect and it’s therefore possible to access their entire clothing and more. items arrive for collection within a day or two and can be returned without any fuss simply by handing them back at the store. Magic!

You might like to try Phas on Grove Vale - the shop on the corner of Melbourne Grove. He’s good value, very helpful and honest about what can and can’t be done.

Went back last week to try out the new menu and was very pleasantly surprised. It’s still possible to eat from the old limited express menu at bargain prices - at lunchtime that is. But the expanded evening menu has lots of new additions and has a much more restaurant ‘feel’ about it both in terms of variety and presentation. What’s more, although it’s a bit more expensive it strikes us a still great value. Still closed on. Tuesday’s but ours at weekends A really welcome addition to restaurants in ED

At the beginning of this thread someone asked if there would be any social housing or just affordable. Affordable rents are defined as 80% of. Market rents ( which may still not be very affordable), whereas Social rents are 40-60% of market rents. It’s probably going to be quite expensive!

Just spoken to the lady running the cafe and she tells me that they've amended their opening hours: Sunday closed Monday-Friday 12-3pm & 5-9pm Saturday 5-9pm The food's looking good!

It looks like the new Thai cafe on Grove Vale (between the Cherry Tree and Poached) will be opening quite soon. The Thai lady running it has done a complete makeover and it looks promising. There's now a notice in the window saying that it will be open from Wednesday 6th Sewptember 12.00 -3.00 & 5.00= 9.00 - closed Tuesdays

I gather that Adam’s Cafe is set to become a Thai restaurant - lots of work going on in there.

Yes, but why are there only two an hour. Anyone know?

FHRGP wrote to us a few years ago and told us that since they were altering their catchment area we were now outside and so after 35 years on their books we were given four weeks to find another GP. We were somewhat peeved by the sudden decision and lack of notice, although we felt that it had been going downhill for sometime. Well, we found another GP and on reflection having to leave FHRGP was the best thing that could have happened!

Brideshead..... No I don?t work in Pret?s PR department. I?ve simply followed their progress since they opened their first shop in Victoria in the 80s. And drunk quite a bit of their coffee. However, I did run a homelessness charity and I?ve always been impressed by what their Foundation does, as a small charity, in providing employment and support to single homeless people.

Pret are not owned by McDonalds. For a short time, a couple of years back,McDonalds did have a small stake in the business, but withdrew and are no longer involved. While they are undeniably corporate, they should be given some credit for running a very good charitable foundation - the Pret Foundation - which provides employment opportunities to homeless people in their restaurants and a range of support.

A couple of pictures,for anyone who is interested,taken at last Saturday's unveiling of the new information board about the stretcher fences on Quorn Road. One of the info. board itself & another of the guy from the Dulwich Society giving a background talk. Hopefully when they're opened they can be enlarged - the stuff on the info board is quite interesting.

Good news! According to the sign which has just appeared on the shop door, it?s re-opening on Monday 21st February.