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Pretty's on North Cross Road

AmeliaB

By AmeliaB
in Request a Tradesperson

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AmeliaB

AmeliaB

Posted
Posted

I have spoken to Chris Burgess, who runs Pretty's on North Cross Road. Sadly, he has been unable to reach an agreement with the owner and the locks have now been changed at the shop.


As this was a family business that had been going for five generations I wondered if anyone would want to pay tribute to the shop as a Dulwich institution for a story in the Southwark News?


I do not lift comments from this forum as I consider it a private space for community discussions, but if you want to say anything about the shop, your memories of it etc, please call me on 0207 231 5258, or email me at [email protected]


Many thanks


Amelia


PS if you don't want to say anything but you are interested - the story will be in the paper out next Thursday

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EDmummy

EDmummy

Posted
Posted
Nothing to contribute AmeliaB but just terribly sad that this has happened. As an early morning walker down North Cross Road, Chris has always been there with a cheery good morning - I will miss this. I've heard a rumour that it is going to be another hairdressers. Unbelievable if true.
alixandjames@btinter

alixandjames@btinter

Posted
Posted
We r so totally gutted - we walked past at 8.30pm and the bailiffs were changing the locks - Chris had no idea it was going to happen - it seems so underhand of the new owner and tragic that a truly useful shop has been closed against a lot of community resistance. There is so much talk about saving our high streets yet in the end the council was powerless to step in. I can't comprehend why the new owners - landor land ltd - have not been more community focused ?? Prerry's will be hugely missed.
speedbird

speedbird

Posted
Posted

alixandjames@btinter Wrote:

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

> We r so totally gutted - we walked past at 8.30pm

> and the bailiffs were changing the locks - Chris

> had no idea it was going to happen - it seems so

> underhand of the new owner and tragic that a truly

> useful shop has been closed against a lot of

> community resistance. There is so much talk about

> saving our high streets yet in the end the council

> was powerless to step in. I can't comprehend why

> the new owners - landor land ltd - have not been

> more community focused ?? Prerry's will be hugely

> missed.


This is very sad, but it was a family dispute that went sour. This is not the fault of the new owner but in fact the family that sold it off in the first place.


What was the community resistance exactly?

Otta

Otta

Posted
Posted

speedbird Wrote:

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


> This is very sad, but it was a family dispute that

> went sour. This is not the fault of the new owner

> but in fact the family that sold it off in the

> first place.




Agreed.


Although I too heard the hairdresser rumour (this was a while ago), and that would be pretty naff (no pun intended).

monica

monica

Posted
Posted

It is a great shame, Chris and the family will be missed, as will the business. Apologies for digressing slightly, however Threshers has been sitting empty on Lordship Lane for nearly 7 years. I know the rent has ben paid up until 2016. And I know the local councillors have been trying to convince the landlord to lease the place, however is there no regulation in place, where the council, can compulsory purchase a property? I know this happened on Bellenden Rd, when the Bellenden regeneration took place.

I mentioned this because, businesses like the green grocers, may have a chance at starting again elsewhere, locally.


Edited because I cant spell

Jenny1

Jenny1

Posted
Posted

Your suggestion is an interesting one Monica. The best person to give you an informed answer might be someone like James Barber - one of the local councillors who posts on this forum and has a kind of 'online surgery' here. Why not put it to him directly?


I've just popped down Northcross Rd and am pleased to report that Pretty's is open and has a very brief reprieve in its current location. I stocked up eagerly and suggest that all supporters of the business do the same.


I sincerely hope that a new location in the area can be found for this particularly useful and long established business. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I moved to this area almost twenty years ago for the privilege of having shops like this (of which we have very few) on my doorstep.

zoo

zoo

Posted
Posted

alixandjames@btinter Wrote:

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

> We r so totally gutted - we walked past at 8.30pm

> and the bailiffs were changing the locks - Chris

> had no idea it was going to happen - it seems so

> underhand of the new owner and tragic that a truly

> useful shop has been closed against a lot of

> community resistance. There is so much talk about

> saving our high streets yet in the end the council

> was powerless to step in. I can't comprehend why

> the new owners - landor land ltd - have not been

> more community focused ?? Prerry's will be hugely

> missed.

alice

alice

Posted
Posted

Helena101 and fleur The psychic twins


Fleur: Perhaps because Prettys was the only independent green grocers in the area.That said, if they can find a lockup for storage, perhaps they could run a Friday and Saturday Stall in North Cross Road.



Helena101: Maybe because Prettys was the only independent green grocers in the east dulwich .But if they can find a lockup for storage, perhaps they could run a Friday and Saturday Stall in North Cross Road.

sue k

sue k

Posted
Posted

I have just popped down to find Pretty's closed...it is so sad that this has happened to a family business who has been trading 47years..apparently the petition that Chris, and several of us got together, was not even looked at! Like Jenny, I have lived here a long time...and have been going to Chris all this time and cannot believe that ED has no grocers to speak of (whilst SMB stock a limted amount...it isn't the same at all)

There must be something collectively that all of us, who would like to retain a family run good grocers, can do?? to either write to James Barber (I will certainly get in contact with him)or find out if Southwark can offer something, as Monica says, in regenerating an empty shop like Threshers for a grocers...that is crazy it has been empty all this time! In a time where we have countless food-centric cafes/restaurants in ED,it seems mad we don't have a good grocers!

Come on ED ..let's see what we can all do!

fleur

fleur

Posted
Posted

Yes - how bizarre.


alice Wrote:

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

> Helena101 and fleur The psychic twins

>

> Fleur: Perhaps because Prettys was the only

> independent green grocers in the area.That said,

> if they can find a lockup for storage, perhaps

> they could run a Friday and Saturday Stall in

> North Cross Road.

>

>

> Helena101: Maybe because Prettys was the only

> independent green grocers in the east dulwich .But

> if they can find a lockup for storage, perhaps

> they could run a Friday and Saturday Stall in

> North Cross Road.

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