Sydenham Town Forum

It looks good. With room for comments, as you say, it might work really well, and help market forces drive regeneration, rather than waiting for the council to get its act together. Perhaps Steve Grindlay could add some historical context and others provide data (massaged!) about the population? I'd...

Getting information seems to be a problem for potential retailers. Could this website diversify and provide commercial property listings, for a fee? Interested parties would have access to lots of locals who are very keen to get involved in market research and feedback. This could be the first port ...

Mrs Castiron and I kept leaving our car unlocked, carrying the children in late at night etc. Must have done it dozens of times with no problems, but sadly a few months ago our stereo was stolen, along with my coat. Thankfully my house keys weren't in the pocket. The only nasty crime we experience i...

Well, that's a shame. I don't mind the cab office and hair salon, as those premises are rather small for a cafe, but who wants a gym with great big windows like that? There can't be that many Muscle Beach wannnabes in Sydenham or it would have stayed open last time. Has the landlord got a Rocky fixa...

What I miss from NW London is good cafes in the parks. I'd love to see the house in Mayow Park turned into one. Roundwood Park in Willesden was in quite a rundown area, but it had a proper cafe with healthy meals, with a huge sandpit with slides and tonka toys for toddlers on one side and tables car...

It seems Kiwi100 has jumped ship to the Forest Hill lot - just waiting for access to the se23 forum. Has negotiated lease for the very same shop I posted about but now seems to be getting cold feet because another coffee shop is opening round there. http://www.se23.com/forum/messages/9/975.html?1169...

Isn't odd how one of Queen Vic's sons looked just like John Wayne?


(That joke only works if you've seen the pub sign)

Finally got a babysitter and went to the Dolphin on Friday with mrs castiron. Had a very enjoyable evening, including meeting annabel and nasoroc. Everyone in there seemed overjoyed to have somewhere decent to go at last. One small suggestion would be to replace those high round tables surrounded by...

Hi, the Organic Republic cafe in Forest Hill didn't last long. I followed the excitement and disappointment on the SE23 forum here: http://www.se23.com/forum/messages/9/585.html?1168882295 There is a genuine desire among quite a few people around here, in Sydenham, for a coffee shop, but you would n...

I like the design of the proposed building. I had a good look at the site on the way home from the station and it really lets the block down. It would also get rid of that nasty advertising hoarding on the side of the building on the left. But I grant you parking is a big issue. The free car park se...

Talking of emailing businesses, I emailed Somerfield again recently to ask if they were going to do up the store as a Market Fresh style one, now the high street is getting a facelift, and complaining about the lack of organic meat and groceries on offer. They're doing the store up next year, they t...

On page 13 of the proposal it states that the Sydenham Society has had input regarding design issues and preferred uses, and that 'a full pre-application consultation has taken place with the Council's planning and urban design officers, both on site and at their offices'.

It doesn't look cheap to me. They seem to have done their homework and worked with the planning department. They specifically state that the commercial unit is to be flexible and quote the Sydenham Road Shopping Centre Manager who wants a family restaurant/coffee shop. And these flats are two-bedroo...

It's hard to tell exactly from the plans, but this development looks exciting. Never knew about the old buildings at the back - to be honest all we can see is an eyesore at the moment. What is this meeting hall? Could it be saved/moved? They claim the materials are going to be sympathetic with the s...

The discussion of council estates was entirely separate to the discussion about the former clientele of the Dolphin. I said that I'd grown up on an estate and pointed out that while the majority are perfectly decent, a large minority spoil things for others. This was nothing to do with the pubs in S...

Moderator, please! Surely saying D**** M*** is banned? This is about class in the taste sense. The Dolphin's not just been modernised - The Windmill and The Greyhound have had money spent on them recently too and they are Wetherspoons-level nasty. The Dolphin owners clearly have good taste (they cho...

Only if your children all have the same father and have names drawn from Greek mythology not Footballer's Wives

Greg, perhaps Sydenham's The Dolphin could be shortened to STD.

Then it might catch on.

Leaf, personally I think you can never really change your class, only pretend to. My children will be brought up middle class and they will feel much more at home being so than I ever will. (Or perhaps they will pretend to be working class, like a lot of middle class kids do.) Having grown up on a c...

Statisticians and market researchers define classes in lots of ways. It's mainly based on income but I think attitude is more important, eg how many types of pasta do you have in your cupboard, or does it only come in tins? My parents are working class. I went to uni and I think my children will be ...