Sydenham Town

Town Cafe :: RE: Input Please

Author: sydenhamboy
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 10:49 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 16

I say: go for it!!! The 'better' quality places all do surprisingly well in Sydenham these days - I think Sydenham is totally ready for a nice Pizza restaurant - word would get around so you'd be serving Penge/Forest Hill/Upper Sydenham ... it's the rubbishy places that seem to suffer these days.

Town Cafe :: RE: Input Please

Author: fishcox
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 09:58 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 16

Again, thanks for the continued input.

HSBC was an option (although the To Let signs have disappeared, and it would need a hell of a lot of internal work).

The reason that we are looking at pizzas - as opposed to other types of cuisine - is that I we know people who really 'know' pizza, and also because a lot of people like it - and its not too dear.

It does have to be a good sized premises though - I think the old blind shop/showroom would be perfect.

We are doing a 'reccy' of the area today, and Lee has brilliantly offered his creative input.

Will update later - but thanks to all again.

Town Hall :: RE: Sydenham Swimming Pool Misery

Author: Robin Orton
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 09:08 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 4

I assume we are talking about The Bridge here. My wife and I go every week.

We find the pool itself fine. Routine maintenance seems to be a issue however - I agree with Andy about malfunctioning showers and there is also the usual swimming pool problem about broken/missing locks/keys for the lockers.

My main complaint is about communications. Again, I agree with Andy. It is (or at any rate had been in the past) quite difficult to find a weekly swimming timetable; lane dividers in the main pool come and go without explanation; the notice about how to swim in an orderly fashion when the pool is crowded is unclear. Although the staff are always in my experience polite, I have found they are unable to answer straightforward questions about for example why the main pool is closing and when it is to re-open. Management are generally invisible - there is no indication of who is in charge.

When I raised some of these issues using the email facility on the pool website (one of those irritating ones where they don't provide you with a copy of what you've written, thus making chasing it up very difficult), I got no answer.

Perhaps better staff training and a more energetic and pro-active management are what is needed.

Town Hall :: RE: Unsigned recorded deliveries

Author: alywin
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 00:22 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 5

I'm not sure Recorded Delivery still requires a recipient's signature as opposed to the postie's, does it? I had some documents arrive by registered post yesterday, and had to sign for them.

Town Hall :: RE: Charity collection at Sydenham station on Tuesday 16th March

Author: alywin
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 00:19 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 5

I had a similar experience in Bromley, and outside Beckenham Sainsbury's, a few months ago. Not sure whether they were collecting for a special school, but they certainly got quite shouty at people, which probably didn't do anything to improve their takings. Wonder if it was the same people?

Town Hall :: RE: Late night Oyster

Author: alywin
Posted: 21 Mar 2010 00:09 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 26

There is indeed a time limit, and it varies according to what time of day you're travelling. Think I saw it on the Oyster site somewhere. I always thought it was rather unrealistic.

Town Hall :: RE: Sydenham Swimming Pool Misery

Author: Juwlz
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 23:16 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 4

Beckenham spa is a really great place and well run. The rest of the local sport centres I've been to treat the customers like their very existence is some kind of massive inconvenience.

Crystal Palace sports centre has got to be the worst. There are some nice staff there but there's some sort of problem whereby the management don't seem to have any actual power to do anything. Its like a sports centre version of fawlty towers.

Town Hall :: RE: Late night Oyster

Author: bobmcbob
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 20:56 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 26

Quote:

Getting back(ish) to the original subject, here's something that was bugging me this evening. Coming back from Charing Cross, and knowing that I was going to miss the Crystal Palace loop train, I wondered what would happen if I chose to pick the train up at Clapham Junction? So I'd go Charing X - Waterloo East - Waterloo - CJ ... - might have been quicker and less hellish than changing at London Bridge has become. So, touch in at CHX, and then what do you do at Waterloo East? Touch out, and get charged a within-one-zone fare? Touch back in at Waterloo and out at Syd/CP/wherever? Or do you just simply not touch out at WE. But then presumably you have to touch in at W mainline in order to get through the ticket barriers. Does this confuse the Oystercard? I just want to make sure that I don't get charged more than my 2 quid.

I've often travel to Stonebridge Park on the Overground, changing at Clapham junction. Half of the time my Oyster didn't open the gates at the other end, as apparently the 'journey has taken too long'. I never knew there was a time limit (afterall i'm a paying customer - its my business whether i wait longer for a train so i can get a seat) - So now I've gone back to using a paper season ticket...

Town Hall :: RE: Late night Oyster

Author: rbmartin
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 19:40 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 26

Weeble wrote:

I noticed the other day when I made a journey the other day from Sydenham > Charing X and then Charing X to Paddington by underground, when I checked my Oyster record I'd been charged �0 for the Sydenham to Charing X journey, then I had another journey Sydenham > Paddington for which I'd been charged about �3.

So it does seem to have some facility to make sense of consecutive journeys which should only be charged once, even including on the underground which surprised me. Quite what the in's and out's are of how it works, I don't know.

You're charged the National Rail oyster single to Zone 1 which is �2 (�2.60 peak) then �1.10 to use the tube which is charged as a combined fare of �3.10. (�3.70 peak)

Town Hall :: RE: London Bridge-Sydenham evening trains

Author: rbmartin
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 19:36 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 3

After the May 23rd timetable change and the introduction of the ELL, trains from LB will have 15 min gaps between them at all times, which may stop the overcrowding particularly of the Caterham trains in the evenings.

Town Hall :: RE: Missing Post

Author: Likelife
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 18:55 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 8

This happened to my mother, her Abbey Cheque book was stolen in the post. The next few days later someone tried a number of times to withdraw hundreds of pounds from her account. It could even be the same person who stole your items. It messed up her account and Abbey tried to blame her for the accident then wouldn't let her get another Cheque book from that account again.

Town Hall :: RE: Son Mugged

Author: catwoman
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 18:38 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

Thank you for your message.

I tried 0300 123 12 12 but had no reply, te receptionist gave me a direct number that just kept on ringing.
I rang sydenham police station to leave a message on the answer phone but that wasn't available and they just kept hanging up on me.
I didn't know there was a mobile number for the safer neighborhood team, the policeman who called from there the other day never gave me it but i will keep this handy now

ps My son ould of phoned the police if the boy hadn't of stole it in the first place.

thanks for the numbers

Town Hall :: RE: Sydenham Swimming Pool Misery

Author: jennyleis
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 18:33 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 4

I've gotten there to the swimming pool near Sainsbury's once, and it is really nice to be there. Maybe The swimming pool is one of the most beautiful swimming pools in the area.

Town Hall :: RE: Son Mugged

Author: bensonby
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 18:27 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

don't ring sydenham police station - it's closed.

Ring 0300 123 12 12 or try the Sydenham Safer Neighbourhood Team mobile on 07843 065921...but that will only be answered if they are on.

The moral of the story is to always carry a mobile and ring 999 in such an instance...

Offers :: Free: Pioneer DV-350 DVD player

Author: orgone
Subject: Free: Pioneer DV-350 DVD player
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 17:37 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 0

A very good DVD player in its day (and still is). Plays conventional DVDs plus VCD and MP3. Black finish with remote. Might be multiregion-enabled.

ta!

Town Cafe :: RE: blitz show- would you go?

Author: squig
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 16:45 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

G-Man wrote:

If I'm here it sounds great. Also there are lots of 40s type things in East London and with the East London line being open it would be worth promoting things up there.

G-Man

Thank you G-Man, great thought- I completely forgot we're actually getting that line...

Town Hall :: Son Mugged

Author: catwoman
Subject: Son Mugged
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 15:58 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

My son was mugged on the 16th of march this year.
My boy just went down to the shops in Sydenham high street, saw the boy who mugged him, didn't have his phone on him to report him. When my son got home he told me that he had seen him.
I didn't phone 999 because he would of been long gone, when i tried phoning local police stations, no one is available and sydenham police station kept hanging up on me every time I rang.
So now it looks like im going to have to wait until Monday to report it, obviously this boy is a regular and it shouldn't be too hard for the police to pick him up. So please be aware that he is out there and he could be mugging someone right this moment.

If you know of any information please don't hesitate to post it on here and watch yourself when walking along Mayow road.

Town Hall :: RE: Missing Post

Author: leenewham
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 15:11 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 8

I had some samples delivered to me in the post for a job I'm working on and it had been opened and the samples were not there (but they left the covering letter). It had clearly been opened by someone.

Town Cafe :: RE: Input Please

Author: Raven Drone
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 14:19 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 16

Sorry, meant also to add that I don't think we need lots of different choice so much as more good quality options. What's the point of having a Thai restaurant run by someone who obviously knows more about Italian food? The Mexican was not run by people who loved Mexican food - and it showed. I could go on....

If a place is good then there is room for duplication - take Blue Mountain and Sugahill for example. Both good and both busy. The other places struggled because they were poor or mediocre (I preferred to open a tub of hummous at home thanks very much!)

You sound like you know what you are talking about and if your food is good I'll spend my money and spread the word!

Town Cafe :: RE: Input Please

Author: Raven Drone
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 14:05 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 16

Fishcox,
I would suggest you investigate the vacant HSBC bank premises - I'm guessing you would need to apply for a change of use licence - it has some outside space for the summer which will be improved greatly by the 'pocket park' under the proposed regeneration scheme, so while it doesn't look great right now I think it will become a great space for a restaurant.

I'm fond of the pizza down by the Dolphin but I do think it is mediocre and that maybe we are just grateful for small mercies because before we had nothing.

A bit of competition would be healthy. For an example of really good pizza and a small choice of really good wine and beer I'd suggest people check out Franco Manca (organic pizzas) in Brixton market - the queue speaks for itself. A win-win for the owners and the customers. http://www.francomanca.co.uk/

Town Hall :: RE: New Park Keeper in Mayow Park

Author: bigbadwolf
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 14:05 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 4

Is 'ol Gilles a patch on the "daddy" of Parkies, Mummycat? If not, then poor show. Poor show indeed.

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/nechronical/oct2009/4/1/image-16-for-gallery-viz-comic-celebrates-30th-birthday-709036412.jpg

Town Hall :: RE: Missing Post

Author: sarahc
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 12:35 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 8

I have been a victim too. A Blackberry and a Nokia were 'delivered' to my address and 'signed for'. Obviously not us!

Very dealt with it brilliantly and basically did/said the same as richpickings has posted.

What puzzles me, is that someone signed for the parcels 'delivered' to this address. Dodgy courier? Dodgy Post Office staff?

Whatever the answer - outrageous and upsetting.

Town Cafe :: RE: Input Please

Author: LaHibernis
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 10:30 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 16

A new restaurant will always be welcome, but I'm afraid that I agree with some of the others here and don't think that another pizza restaurant is necessarily the right way to go.

When we moved here 6 years ago there was an interesting Turkish restaurant which seemed to be doing OK when another Turkish place started up where the new Spanish restaurant is. They both went to the wall. Now I don't know whether there were a whole host of other reasons why that happened, but I suspect that there simply wasn't the local custom to support both. We have only been to the Trattoria a couple of times, but it seemed to be doing more or less what you're planning to set up. If I were you, I would go for a bigger gap in the market, which isn't necessarily a bistro either, because many go to the Dolphin for that type of thing. Maybe somthing like Thai is the answer.

Please don't misunderstand me - I think that competition is an excellent thing and I know that people want to have a choice, I just think you might have a better chance of survival if you were distinctive not just in terms of quality, but also in terms of offering something completely different.

Town Hall :: RE: New Park Keeper in Mayow Park

Author: mummycat
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:18 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 4

If it's the young men in green fleeces, they are working on the Envirowork project. They have been laying pathways around the proposed raised beds and creating "living benches" this week.

The pillar at that entrance has now been rebuilt, having previously been demolished to fit the Bowling Club portacabins through! I'm not going to comment on this forum, you'll have to see for yourself or read the blog!

www.mayowpark.wordepress.com

Town Hall :: RE: Mayow Park Bird Walk Easter Saturday

Author: mummycat
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:14 (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

It has been suggested by some that bird walks should start at 5am!