honk

A shop that sells African land snails would be good. Just to see people shielding their children's eyes as they pass the nasty ethnic foods.

Fingers crossed it's a Burger King.

Anyone who drives a Hummer is having the last laugh today. Is this thread a 'joke' thread? I just laughed so hard milk came out of my nose.

I got back from Berlin last night and walked from Kings Cross to Old Kent Road Tesco at 3 am in a blizzard as there were no buses, taxis, or indeed any vehicles out on the road. Finally I spotted the only black cab driver in London who drove me the rest of the way. God knows what all the people back at Kings Cross waiting for the 63 did, I'm pretty sure not all of them had the luxury of being able to afford cabs - not that there were any. Louisa, you need to stay off the glue, please don't ever run for political office either.

microbite Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- I don't feel it was so much pressure from > bigger stores that closed them down as much as I > had the feeling that Peckham had just been > abandoned. I'd put it down to 'white flight', see Detroit for an example of how this happened to an extreme

microbite Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Honk, > > Jones and Higgins (which later became Hounsditch) > were closed down long long before all the huge > retail parks appeared in Old Kent Road. I used to > go Jones and Higgins to see father christmas when > I was a kid ha! and it was a huge department store > with like 4 floors (if I remember correctly) > Peckham used to have Richard Shops, Sainsburys > (but not as you know it), you had to queue at > different counters to obtain different items of > shopping which were all stacked up behind the > counter and passed to you by a shop assistant! it > was a pain queing at different counters. There > was a huge C&A, (just before the railway > bridge),Burtons and loads of big name shops, > including the now extinct Woolies, in fact Peckham > and the housing back in the days, was considered > quite a posh area to live in, they had so many > other really great shops down the lane, a > fantastic huge furniture shop right at the bottom > of the lane on the left hand side just before you > got to Peckham Rye Park and we would often go to > the Lido in Peckham Rye which was open regularly > throughout the summer for swimming, to be honest > Lordship Lane was an utter dump, and the only > reason we used to go down there was because of > Dulwich swimming pool at Goose Green, or if there > were any country fayres on at the Green, which > were really good too. Other than that there was > nothing at all to Lordship Lane. > > There were also tons more playing places for > children, we had huge dumps that were converted > into adventure playgrounds, back in the days when > you were out all day as a kid playing > tin-can-tommy with a whole street load of kids, > (trying not to show my age) but we had a fantastic > Silver Jubilee street party too, took up the whole > of the street. Then one by one the shops all > closed down. But that isn't to say that I don't > like the way Peckham looks now I love the shops, > markets (not sure if the Choumert Road one is > still there) and they are alot more diverse, > interesting and colourful, there is a life, soul > and vibrancy about Peckham Rye Lane, which is not > evident anywhere else, not even Lewisham or > Bromley, I love it, and that is 6 days a week it > is usually busy, not just on a Saturday! It does sound like it had a lot back then, it's a shame it's just impossible for anything like that to survive any more - it's a whole GSCE Social Geography project's worth of answer as to why but more efficient rapid transit / retail parks probably served the death knell for that kind of suburban shopping, not just in Peckham but all over the country. Ha I was > wondering how many ED posters on this forum > actually, whilst driving down Peckham Lane or > anywhere in Peckham at all, wind up their windows > up and lock the doors of their cars!! Answer: they probably don't drive through there in the first place, lest they get 'jacked', haha. Means I can get served in Khan's quicker ; )

Dez Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Since Jones & Higgins went out of business Peckham > has declined Surely the Old Kent Road retail parks / massive supermarkets are the reason all these old 'ma and pa' places have closed in South London. ED filled the void with a bunch of useless gift shops and pus selling upmarket bangers and mash, Peckham is full of shops that 'real' people shop in. Just because you can't buy cave-aged Gruyere from an artesanal cheese shop doesn't make an area 'vile'

Berlin wouldn't be half the city it is if it wasn't for squatters. I think it's 'criminal' for property to be left empty in a city with such an acute housing shortage - by squatting in areas such as ED it helps raise awareness of the issue.

I was disappointed to find this thread was not about identifying a photo of a jazz musician :(

you forgot 'The entire Apple range' ; )

There are something like 75,000 empty houses in London, something like 30,000 of those long term, with demand for housing outstripping that figure. The fault here lies with the owner leaving it empty long enough to show up on potential occupant's radar. As it's a civil offence you have to wait for the courts and bureaucracy rather than the police. and if they've been careful 'criminal damage' is hard to prove without the owner present. So you'll have to wait for the courts ; ) I like the fear of squatters burgling houses on the same street though. Because that would be clever. I also don't think you can tar them all with the same brush - many of them are decent people. Though I guess that on this forum due to them not sharing your values (imported Home Counties values, values not necessarily indigenous to the area) they are automatically 'scum'.

Michael Palaeologus Wrote: > > ED does food, drink and sparkley things. Ah, the three pillars of aspirational middle-class life. As long as my house is full of Conran fairy lights, Maldon Sea Salt and a ?42 Peugeot pepper grinder nothing can hurt me.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > honk, Rye Lane and Peckham in general is not > reflective of the local area at all. Rye Lane once > served a huge area, not just Peckham but the likes > of ED going east to Lewisham and west to Brixton. > It truly was a significant shopping centre. Half > of those disgusting s*itty butchers and > fishmongers you refer to are indeed a health > hazard and if only Southwark could do the right > thing and get environmental standards out most > would be closed down immediately. Call it what you > will, it is NOT a place you really want to go and > spend time, almost everyone I have spoken to > agrees, not just "the wrong shops for me", but the > wrong shops for most people I would imagine. It is > no longer a shopping centre aimed at everyone, it > is a dirty grotty place where only cheap and > cheerful health hazard food shops wish to open up > and sell things that should have been condemned > for human consumption. Sneering? I think not, just > being realistic about the situation. I bet you > dont do your shopping down there do you? It's > about as "bustling" as a busy sewage works. Good > luck going down there and getting your weekly > shop! > > Louisa. To stay on topic, this is how I perceive East Dulwich - as a borough peppered with narrow-minded and blinkered types such as yourself snorting disgustedly over at 'lesser' areas. Shops with poor standards tend to close in my experience - and on a road with something like 15 butchers alone I would say that trade is pretty competitive (and thriving, to sustain this many). As Rye Lane is on my route home I shop there daily, and spend about a third of what I would do if I shopped in a 'safe' veg shop like SMBS. And as a bonus, the air isn't a cacophony of self-important snorting.

Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Peckham was always the Bromley or Lewisham kind of > traditional high street with all the big brand > names alongside family owned businesses like > Holdrens, Kennedys and Jones and Higgins. The > likes of White Stuff and JoJoMamanBebb or whatever > it's called are purely shops aimed at > overindulgent yummys with nothing better to spend > the money on. > > Keef I know you too remember just how great a > shopping centre Peckham was, right up until the > 1980's decline. I honestly think many people who > have moved into the area recently see Peckham as > if it has always been a horrible place, but I can > assure you it most certainly was not. I think the > collpase that has taken place down there is not > reflective of all high street's across the > country, but more to do with the absolute shift in > demographics in the area in such a short space of > time and the fact that government and local > council have stood by and let the area turn to > rubbish. > > Honk it may be a packed high street if you fancy > buying wigs and yams, but it is not reflective of > the high street I once knew which was very clean > and a decent place to shop. > > Louisa. So are you saying you're harking after a time that will never come back. Have you seena British high street of late? There's nothing there. Last time I looked Peckham sold a lot more than wigs and yams. There appear to be tens of butchers, fishmongers, why, almost a mile of something there, which is usually pretty bustling. Maybe they're the 'wrong' kinds of shop for you? Your sneering tone suggests so. A large proportion of the shops are independents, employing local people, many of whom spend their money in the area, helping the local economy. I agree, it sounds awful.

dulwichmum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yes indded, it depends on what you are shopping > for. If you are in search of 4 wigs for a tenner, > you are in luck! What about the hundreds of other shops that don't sell wigs? The ones that sell er, food and stuff? Full of oiks and poor people I'll wager.

Keef Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I hate this way ED has changed (in some ways), the > way Peckham has changed has been even more > significantly shocking in the last two decades. > > What Louisa said!!! > > Was chatting to Bob S and his lovely lady about > this some time ago. When I was a kid, Rye Lane > used to be a good plave to go and shop! It still is. Depends what you're shopping for. Yeah, there's no 'White Stuff' or er, 'Jojo Maman Bebe' (how do they LIVE like that!) , but with an absolutely packed high street every Saturday they must be selling something people want.

charliecharlie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > dulwichmum Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > East Dulwich is the bubble wrap that protects > > fabulous SE21 (The Village and West Dulwich) > from > > the vileness of Peckham sweetie. Simples!!! > > I live in Peckham and work/live in East Dulwich > (complicated... don't ask) > Have not come across vileness in Peckham, hope > it's not creeping into Dulwich > Lots of black people though. Some with suitcases. I can't see many off here being brave enough to cross the border with such malevolence about. Shame, cheap veg shops round there.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Unfortunately you can just see Nunhead I find Peckham Rye acts as a nice noise buffer from all the self-satisfied snorting coming from ED when I'm walking across the other side of the park though.

So, if we distil this entire thread down, we're left with 'Ladies, be careful when out walking alone' Can I just throw in 'Make sure you lock doors and windows when you go out' and 'Over, Under, Round and Through' (Handy for shoelaces!) Maybe we could get these printed up on laminated cards and put inthe flyer racks of all ED pubs as a matter of urgency. Presuming no-one is found asphyxiated and blue in the meantime, having forgotten to breathe.

TillieTrotter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What is this thing you have about people saying > "black" men/man. It doesn't matter what colour he > was, he could have been any colour and it would > still be just as threatening! He just happened to > be a "black" man. It was also the only description given for this apparent 'menace'. This is why I picked up on it, for as a description it is utterly useless, and, in context of the original post, appears mildly racist mainly due to no other details of this man being given. You'd say 'a tall guy with ginger hair' or 'a short guy with black hair and glasses' but never 'this white guy approached me' Jesus Christ.

Use your common sense. Lordship Lane at 6pm is not what I would call 'high risk'. Also internet vigilantism probably next to useless.

I hate to attribute values to this kind of thing, but with murder being 10 and a mugging being say, 5, this rates about 0.1. If you have cause to be suspicious of someone, try phoning the police. A call to arms on a forum to be wary of black men is next to useless. I hate to say it, but if someone's going to attack you, they will, and no amount of forum postings are going to prevent this.

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > honk - you are missing the point - this guy is > extremely rude. No other bus driver asks you to > hand, through the glass, your travel card and your > photo card. > He does this not by speaking to you but rapping > the glass with his knuckle and gesturing, while > you, the paying customer, tries to figure out what > he wants. > Lets admit it - you need to be pretty rude for a > whole bunch of east dulwich people to write a > thread about you - most people would not even > notice their bus driver - this guy goes out of his > way to get noticed. That is pretty bad annoying I guess. Mind you, many years ago when I was a lifeguard, out of sheer boredom, and just because I could, I would spend absolutely ages checking peoples' swimming tickets in great detail as if I was a Swiss border guard in WWII. Boring jobs dealing repeatedly with the general public bring these traits hurtling to the surface in people I guess. My friend who drives a route in North London says you pretty much have to punch someone to be laid off as a bus driver unfortunately, and the complaints offices can often be a case of 'whoever answers the phone and fancies a laugh'

Moos Wrote: > Honk, I'm puzzled that you don't think a local > forum is exactly the right sort of place for > making people aware that there may be someone > around with inappropriate behaviour towards women. > If the person was frightened, do you think she > (or her friend on her behalf) should have said > nothing? I'm not sure I see why. I agree, my issue is with a post that solely mentions that there is a 'black' bloke who (and this is the only fact that we have here) - once shouted at a woman near EDT. On busy Lordship Lane. At 6pm. What do you suggest we do exactly? Maybe try phoning the police to report any black people you see in the area (holding your ear well away from the earpiece to stop the laughter deafening you)

Pickle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > honk Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Pickle Wrote: > > a well meant warning to > > > anyone walking alone after dark. > > > > > > This illustrates how utterly pointless this > entire > > thread has been - if you need to visit an > internet > > forum to find out such revelations as taking > care > > when walking alone at night, then you deserve > all > > you get. > > ...yet you started a thread entitled "Top 'My > Wife's Bored' shops in East Dulwich". How very > useful! Well, useful if you mean 'pushes this kind of paranoid middle-class shrieking down the board a bit further', yes