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Working definition of "incomer" (to East Dulwich)


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DPF, if you have read threads I have created on here before, you will notice that I have mentioned more than the 7/11. Edwardes electrical store on the Caffe Nero site is a much missed shop, the old Binnesters toy shop where that over priced coffee shop now operates, the Never on a Sunday restaurant where the texmex place is. I miss many places. :)
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By the way - are you saying that ED'ers had a closed gene pool from the early 1900's until the 1970's. This may explain some things.


East Dulwich was completely isolated until the first intrepid explorers discovered the borough in the early seventies. This is not surprising as without a tube station the outside world would have no reason to assume that there was anything there. We must remember that back then our ancestors did not have the benefit of technologies such as streetmap.co.uk and sat nav and had to rely entirely on the London Tube Map and dashboard mounted compasses for navigation.


The first brave soul adventuring south from the city got out of his Ford Capri atop Dog Kennel Hill, wind blowing through his newly permed hair, and surveyed a rural scene of locals scurrying between wattle-and-daub lean-tos.


As the realization of his discovery dawned upon him and he started to picture the potential of the area he was hit from behind by his Ford Capri. His car was being driven by a brace of muck-covered locals and careered at full-tilt to the heart of the borough where parts of it still survive as fixtures behind the bar at the CPT.

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macroban Wrote:

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

> > I didn't hear anyone bemoaning the loss of the

> glass shop for example.

>

> Are you familiar with East Dulwich?

>

> The "glass shop" is not lost - it just moved a

> little way to Shawbury Road.


I know, but no-one is bemoaning its loss from Lordship Lane. Very rarely did I pop down LL to get some coffee, french bread, flowers, and a big ass piece of glass.

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As is often the case, this debate has become rather polarised with some people making provocative, rather than constructive comments to support their views. The idea of "incomer" versus "oldtimer" is a false one. No doubt the majority of "old timers" are happy to see improvements in the area, the majority of incomers are glad there is still something of the traditional.


As it happens I would count myself as an incomer (8 years) but it is worth pointing out that I was not attracted to the area for any of its facilities or sevices, it was way more fortuitous than that - moving from the Midlands, I got a job in Camberwell and Mrs C got had one lined up in Greenwich - so we stuck the proverbial pin in the map and headed on down to this previously unheard of area called East Dulwich. As far as I can see, we got lucky...


citizen

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Penge is nowhere near as rubbish as everyone makes out.


As for the incomers thing......


How about anyone who can't remember the "new side" of the CPT (the wooden floor and big windows side) being the spit and sawdust, red lino on the floor "public bar" with a dart board...... It only changed about 2001/02, so not as long ago as you might think.... ;-)


Oh and before anyone starts, I'm not after a ruck about whether it was better then or not!!! >:D<

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> By the way - are you saying that ED'ers had a closed gene pool from the early 1900's until the 1970's.


I don't remember the early 1900s.


The core housing stock of East Dulwich was built between c1880 and c1914. You can check a map for earlier housing development. I suppose we could call the first ever residents "settlers" rather than "incomers". I wasn't attempting an historic working definition - if so I would probably have to take into account East Dulwich male heads of household who took a wife from outside East Dulwich and the wife took on her husband's attributes.


There was some more housing development between the wars, but not on the same scale. There would have been some incomers then, but my impression is that these properties were lived in by the children of of the settlers. My impression is also that East Dulwich was a pretty stable community and there was not much house moving. For a long time three estate agents were sufficient to meet the needs of the community.


Then came the Second World War with landlords' properties being requistioned to house the bombed-out folk from further north - the old boroughs of Bermondsey and Southwark. Many of these folk were tenants to the east of Lordship Lane well into the 1960s.


After the Second World War there was a fair amount of in-fill housing on the bomb-sites.


So. no, not a closed gene pool, but a more stable community.


I thought I was attempting a current definition.

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