Thank you both for the comments ! We will defenitely go to Billings and will try Canvas and Cream when we go up to ask at the Forest Hill Pools. The information on Alhambra and the greengrocers is really useful too, so thanks again!!
My girlfriend and i are moving to the Thorpe's next week. We have read a few posts about the area and we we think we have a general idea of how it is like to live in Sydenham. However, we would like to know a bit more about the practicalities, like where we can find good food shops ...