M&S on Lordship Lane

[kibris]

I live off LSL and i am happy for M&S to have longer hours,i think people that dont even live anywhere near LSL should not have a say. If people are happy that live in the area i one said i might want to get some milk after a night out in LSL and will pop into M&S.

[bonaome]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> I cannot see

> M&S opening soon if work is still in progress on

> the roof

>

> DulwichFox

They haven't started recruiting either http://careers.marksandspencer.com/new-store-registration

[first mate]

Looks like the Penthouses are going up on a fourth floor and that'll set a nice precedent for something as high over the road at Londis.

I've lost track of where things are at re social housing quotas and whether the two floors of "offices" have yet been given permission to be flats? Remembering that the orginal applications were passed on the basis that we desperately need more flats and there is no demand for offices. But they then changed the submission from flats back to offices in order to greedily claim a new fourth floor for two penthouses - no doubt filling a much needed gap in the housing market ( the building was always 3 storeys before).

I may be wrong but it could be once exterior build, internal plumbing and electrics are all finished the M&S below can open as they work on internal decorating and carpentry above?

[DulwichFox]

Calling them 'Penthouses' is a bit of an over statement..

A small steel framed box on the roof of a super market / offices does not IMHO constitute a Penthouse.

DulwichFox

[LondonMix]

Yes, there is no reason why M&S wouldn't be able to open while work continues above. Look at Evans Cycles where the gap between the store opening and the flats coming to market was many months.

[first mate]

DF!

Their words, not mine!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

It's a Food Hall opening next week .

[DulwichFox]

Wednesday 31st. Aug. 10.00am

Wonder if Malcolm Walker CBE will be attendance.. !

DulwichFox

[Penguin68]

Calling them 'Penthouses' is a bit of an over statement..

A small steel framed box on the roof of a super market / offices does not IMHO constitute a Penthouse.

DulwichFox

Actually, in architectural terms, the definition of a penthouse is 'In architecture, the term penthouse is used to refer to a structure on the roof of a building that is set back from the outer walls. These structures do not occupy the entire roof deck. High-rise buildings often have penthouse structures called mechanical penthouses that enclose mechanisms such as elevator equipment.'

On that basis, and on architectural plans, the definition is acceptable, even if, in estate agent marketing terms, they would be a pudding well over-egged.

[rendelharris]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> Calling them 'Penthouses' is a bit of an over

> statement..

>

> A small steel framed box on the roof of a super

> market / offices does not IMHO constitute a

> Penthouse.

>

> DulwichFox

>

>

> Actually, in architectural terms, the definition

> of a penthouse is 'In architecture, the term

> penthouse is used to refer to a structure on the

> roof of a building that is set back from the outer

> walls. These structures do not occupy the entire

> roof deck. High-rise buildings often have

> penthouse structures called mechanical penthouses

> that enclose mechanisms such as elevator

> equipment.'

>

> On that basis, and on architectural plans, the

> definition is acceptable, even if, in estate agent

> marketing terms, they would be a pudding well

> over-egged.

English nerd with "interesting" fact alert, I remember from undergraduate Middle English that "penthouse" used just to mean "attached building," i.e. basically a lean-to, so some texts refer to Jesus being born in a penthouse. It's only with the advent of skyscrapers that the "attached building" has taken on any glamour.

ETA In the unlikely event anyone's interested have now looked it up to check my memory: Middle English "pentis" from Old French "apentis" from Latin "appendicium" to hang on. Changed to modern form (didn't know this bit) penthouse in 16th century after becoming associated with French pente (slope) and house.

[Jeremy]

Hur hur. He said "pentis".

[Alan Medic]

I thought it was a magazine.

[Callie]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wednesday 31st. Aug. 10.00am

>

> Wonder if Malcolm Walker CBE will be attendance..

> !

>

> DulwichFox

I thought it said 30th Aug on the window, which is a Tuesday, I will check at the weekend. So exciting, I wonder if there will be freebees?

[worldwiser]

A large number of the premises on LL are owned outright by their indie proprietors and hence rising rents will have no effect on them whatsoever. Chener Books being just one example.

[LondonMix]

Ha-- I always wondered how Churner stayed open. That's no offence to them but they just never seem that busy and they don't seem to innovate as much as Rye Books for instance.

[worldwiser]

I guess cause he doesn't have to! Very occasionally it's really rather nice that some businesses are immune to market forces. I'm sure that curry house on the corner of Matham Gv which has been under renovations for about a millenium must be another case. They'd have dumped about ?50k in rent if not. Pretty sure the card shop, the Dulwich DIY shop too.. this fact alone will ensure diversity of commerce for quite some time to come.

And as I've mentioned before, only about 30 or so shops are chains out of almost 250 units in the ED vicinity. The idea that we have an identikit high street is simply not backed up by any evidence at all.

[Mick Mac]

The bloke in Chener books doesn't look like he has an expensive lifestyle to fund...

[LondonMix]

I agree. I've always said that.

worldwiser Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I guess cause he doesn't have to! Very

> occasionally it's really rather nice that some

> businesses are immune to market forces. I'm sure

> that curry house on the corner of Matham Gv which

> has been under renovations for about a millenium

> must be another case. They'd have dumped about

> ?50k in rent if not. Pretty sure the card shop,

> the Dulwich DIY shop too.. this fact alone will

> ensure diversity of commerce for quite some time

> to come.

>

> And as I've mentioned before, only about 30 or so

> shops are chains out of almost 250 units in the ED

> vicinity. The idea that we have an identikit high

> street is simply not backed up by any evidence at

> all.

[rendelharris]

Black Books or Waterstones - no contest! Old bookstores which actually sell things you can't get on Amazon are one of the treasures of any high street. Preferably with a proprietor who wears carpet slippers, doesn't take debit cards and frankly regards any sale which forces him to stop reading Proust as an imposition.

[Toffee]

I agree wholeheartedly with you rendelharris. The guy in chener books is the epitome of what a bookshop owner should be: a complete and utter bookworm themselves, and a mine of information on a huge range of authors. I like the fa t he's laid back and hippyish. Ive always found him very helpful and knowledgeable.

[Chief]

Chener books is brilliant! The guy who runs it is helpful and knowledgeable.

Everyone should buy their books there whenever possible.

[Chief]

By the way: is the new M&S food shop in Lordship Lane, which is opening today, owned by M&S or a franchise operation?

[BrandNewGuy]

I believe that all M&S Food Halls are operated directly, though some Simply Foods and other offshoots are franchises.

[derwentgrove]

Just back from my first visit to the new M & S Food Hall where I discovered that:

1. It was very busy indeed, having opened for the first time at 10am today. This was not helped by the average customer bringing 2.5 young children to share the opening day excitement. Hopefully this will drop off once it is appreciated that Percy Pigs are (wisely) not positioned near the tills.

2. The staff were friendly and helpful. I cannot recall being greeted with a cheery hello or handed a basket at the Co-Op or Sainsbury's before.

3. The range was good: plenty of dinner ideas but also a decent range of fruit & veg and other essentials.

4. The tills were working.

5. There was no sign of Louisa or Dulwich Fox picketing outside.

I suspected they would do well but now I am pretty confident about that. I would take some convincing to return to the Co-Op ever again.

[Sue]

Anyone been in yet? Thoughts?