What to you think of the Bellenden road area?

[Spangles30]

I think that one should live and let live, especially in cyberspace.

[Alan Dale]

Much better.

[Catalyst]

Bellenden- boasts public art created by Britain's foremost living sculptor and one of the UK's most ground-breaking conceptual artists (recently deceased).

East Dulwich- getting more bland and mainstream by the day.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Does the recent death of this conceptual artist have anything to do with Bellenden area by any chance?

East Dulwich, bland? I think not, our Costcutter is regularly under siege I will have you know.

[bald marauder]

It seems to me that whether one likes Bellenden and feels safe there or not depends on what kind of person one is.

I suggest that anyone wanting to evaluate the perspective of various 'for' and 'against' posters could search for their previous posts and take a reasonable measure of their view of the world quite quickly and easily.

For me personally, it's easy - we live here and love it. Bellenden road is, by it's nature a smaller, more tight-knit and therefore - at times - friendlier and more laid-back community. No white stuff, no over-priced teas shops (but we do cheat and visit Moxons and William Rose). And should one feel inclined to visit Lordship Lane or North Cross Road, they're on the doorstep. Our house to Blue Mountain = 8 minutes walk. Our house to EDD = 4 minutes walk. There are clearly roads in ED that suffer from problems to pretty much the same degree as any in Bellenden. Why not walk round one Saturday morning and see for yourself? I recommend browsing in Review, coffee in Petitout, lunch in the Montpelier and taking home a lovely cake from 157. Plus if you want clothes, Fenton Walsh p***** all over anything on Lordship Lane, especially where women's clothes are concerned.

[mightyroar]

James I agree. Everytime I am on Bellenden road I think of bell ends. and it makes me titter in a really foolish way even though it is a term exclusively used by school children I would think. and probably not anymore i wouldnt know i'm too old now.

but at my school it was used.

Although I do like the area- see my other post.

and I also agree that ED is not bland. it's like the wild west. except with 3 wheeled buggies instead of horses.

[Catalyst]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

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> Does the recent death of this conceptual artist

> have anything to do with Bellenden area by any

> chance?

He lived well into his 80's and could regularly be seen in the Crossways Cafe ploughing into a fry-up.

Nice man but I could never understand ANY of his work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Latham_%28artist%29

[Barry Rhode]

Hi all

Crepe Suzette and myself were about to put an offer on a place on Maxted Road after seeing it on Saturday

We did have concerns about the area - purely because we had never been around there before - which is also why we asked for people's opinion on this excellent forum. Thanks all

So we walked around the area for an hour on Sunday morning and again on Sunday night at around 9pm just to check it our for ourselves

At both times we felt reassured and safe, although there was no one on the street and this was just one day - so it wasn't exactly a scientific survey

Ms Crepe really liked the area and she particularly liked the idea of all the convenient stores and shops on Bellenden Rd. I enjoyed an early Sunday drink in the Wishing Well - nice boozer.

In the end we'll probably not take that flat. Not because of anything to do with the area but because the vendor wants silly money for flat with small rooms (but a fantastic garden)!

The search and viewings continue... one of which is in Chadwick road soon

In the meantime thanks to everyone for their honest and at times robust opinions

r

[talfourd]

Dear all, We moved to the area just over a year ago and absolutely love it - the whole area is extremely friendly and we've been made to feel at home from the get go. Bellenden looks like it's still somewhat in its infancy as an area, but it has a really nice mix of independent shops, bars and restaurants which are superb and I feel will only get better. It makes me pretty chuffed to see all of the other people on this site who actually know and live in the area feel the same way as I honestly do. I haven't actually seen any trouble, although this is central london and i'm sure is prone to problems from time to time, but I think in London you should really be supercareful all of the time irrespective of where you live.

As far as certain pos(t)ers are concerned, I think the "polished turd" comment generally reinforces my already very low opinion of you and your crass, poorly informed opinions.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Catalyst Wrote:

>

> He lived well into his 80's and could regularly be

> seen in the Crossways Cafe ploughing into a

> fry-up.

>

> Nice man but I could never understand ANY of his

> work.

>

>

> Clearly living in the area shortened his life from the projected 97. That would be the fry ups.

[luddite]

god you people need to get out more !! ive lived in peckham for 28 years peckham park road then bellenden road walk home from east dulwich on a regular basis , rye lane fabulous for all the basics fruit and vegetables non organic of course two carrier bags fullfor ?3.50 on the stall by the station served with a smile . woollies for pick and mix . petit tou if you feel like splashing out on tea and cakes and babycinos ! fenton walsh , the great review bookshop , the excellent crossroads cafe friendly and filling full english only 3.50 with tea etc open sundays too .casa , and the new organic shop bayberry , julies junk shop on choumert road , the amazing vietnamese shop next to hsbc for king prawns and every ingredient youll ever need for pacific rim cooking and the excellent persepolis on peckham high street for persian food goodies not forgetting edwardes bicycle shop on over the road AND primarni for clothes bargains . the best train station in terms of connections on rye lane . need i go on oh yes and ive never been mugged stabbed or burgled but for all you closet racists on the forum dont come if you dont like black people they live here TOO

[pk]

Barry Rhode Wrote:

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> I enjoyed an early Sunday drink in the Wishing Well - nice

> boozer.

>

>

i used to live round the corner and the Wishing Well was my local - it's a great proper pub for all those bemoaning their disappearance. and if you establish yourself as a regular they'll always serve you first when it's busy

[SeanMacGabhann]

Watching the football in teh back room of the Wishing Well is almost womb-like. You can forget there is a real world out there

this can be both a good thing and a bad thing ;-)

[*Bob*]

pk Wrote:

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.. and if

> you establish yourself as a regular they'll always

> serve you first when it's busy

That sounds fair. A warm welcome for non-regulars then.

[JoeChuff]

i'm a very occasional visitor to the Wishing Well but they've never been arsey with me for not being a "local"

also i forgot to mention Giardano's, a very nice inexpensive Italian restaurant opposite Bar Story on Blenheim Grove.

[pk]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> pk Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> .. and if

> > you establish yourself as a regular they'll

> always

> > serve you first when it's busy

>

> That sounds fair. A warm welcome for non-regulars

> then.

it's not about not welcoming the non-regulars, rather it's about knowing who your regulars are as they have consistent and very competent bar staff and looking after them particularly well

[*Bob*]

What could be less welcoming than going into a pub for the first time and standing patiently at the bar like an idiot with a tenner in your hand, watching the barman say "alright Dave" and serving the person behind you?

[cdonline]

With East Dulwich experiencing a mini crime wave, the chance of being accosted by drug addicts roaming the streets on their way to the needle exchange, drunks spilling out on Lordship Lane and general social unrest caused by Estate Agents, Bellenden suddenly seems like a haven.

[SeanMacGabhann]

ok - hands up who believe this to be true? (td)

[*Bob*]

Didn't forty-eight Bellenden dwellers get knifed on their doorsteps in the space of the last few days?!

[cdonline]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> >

> ok - hands up who believe this to be true? (td)

It's true, I say, I read it here.

[SeanMacGabhann]

lol cdonline

but that's the LAST thing I'd like to see this place become - some, SLP/Daily Mail fright-a-thon... I mean we already have places for that. Um... The SLP and the Daily Mail

[Alan Dale]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> Didn't forty-eight Bellenden dwellers get knifed

> on their doorsteps in the space of the last few

> days?!

They did but they are all making a good recovery in Australia.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I used to hate Peckham because my ex-husband and 2 eeejit ex boyfriends hail from there.

But I have to admit that now it's my closest shopping area and I've been forced to give it a second chance, I'm starting to like it and felt a bit miffed at the latest onslaughts by the Peckham-haters on here.

It has loads of useful shops, market-y bits, banks, Peckham Pulse and my all time favourite food emporium, LIDL!!

What more could one want?

[Oglandia]

and what about Khan's Bargain Centre on Rye Lane? Haloumi, every spice under the sun, rat and rodent traps, luggage, chapatti pans, shampoo and iron descaler, TV aerials, electronics, more luggage, buckets of greek and turk yoghurt and tahini, 2,000 types of chilli sauce ... it's a cornucopia of shopping joy.

Love the Wing Tai. A superb place. And the Clark's remainder shop. And the fellow by Morrisons who does cheap Gillette razor blades.

I buy my meat on/around Lordship. Fish in Nunhead. Everything else on Rye Lane and Choumert Rd market.