NEW OPENINGS, NEW CLOSINGS

[missT]

Sydenham high street will never change as long as The Sydenham society prevent most business from opening and The people of Sydenham knocking shops down either for their signage or for the price of a cake.
I assume that most people on this forum do not own a business and don't know the time and energy thatgo in to opening a shop let alone running it. You want Sydenham to change show your support and not only to the Shop that's run by The Sydenham society .
You want a change show your support to all and stop knocking business owners for a sign you don't like or a cigarette butt you saw outside .

[robbieduncan]

the Shop that's run by The Sydenham society

Which one is this?

[missT]

so many lol We should start a tread about The Sydenham society and The way The try to control all shop owners in Sydenham. Sydenham will only change once they are no longer here.

[Annie.]

They don't "run" any shops do they?

[missT]

Sorry I ment run by as been dictated by The society.

[JRobinson]

i think maybe you have another agenda here MissT - The Sydenham Society are supposed to be here to represent the views of the local populace, and act on their behalf in issues such as planning, etc.
If you don't like the way SydSoc is run maybe you should go to their meetings and voice your concern, become a member, or on the board, and change sydsoc to something that is more like what you want it to be.

but don't expect an easy ride, or no objections from others who's opinion differs from yours.

[robbieduncan]

I can't possibly see how they can be said to have that much influence. If they did I doubt we'd have the "pleasure" of Subway, Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power on the one short stretch of high street...

[Tim Lund]

Hi missT

As someone who is sometimes thought to have an anti Syd Soc agenda, could I suggest another thread for having a go at them, and leave this for comments on new openings and closings? I think there are pluses and minuses regarding the impact of SydSoc on Sydenham Road, but it's best to be more explicit about how you think they are a minus. Otherwise, you'll not persuade anyone.

[missT]

o hidden agenda just pure frustration about The negativity i read in this forum about Sydenham business everyday. I have actually attended a few meetings as a business owner (I will let you guess which one ) And found them a complete waste of time. I do think Sydenham can be an amazing area and a source of attraction but as I said not while The society are pulling The strings.

@tim got it going to email you now

[robbieduncan]

@missT : which business?

[Tim Lund]

Got your email - which is obviously private.

You will get some negativity on this Forum, but SydSoc insiders aren't among the frequent posters, AFAIK, so I don't think you can blame SydSoc for what you read here.

I also think most posters here look to be supportive of new businesses.

[missT]

Don't know if blame is The right word, let's just say i belive that sydenham is in a urgent need of change .

[Eagle]

Fraulein T

I agree Sydenham shops need some improvements . Many new interesting shops welcome . However certain new establishments do more harm than good.

For instance
Pay day loan sharks.
Tattoo parlours
Tanning studios
Betting shops.
Endless chicken shops.

We need niche shops appealing to the residents of The Thorpe's for instance

Visited Upper Norwood Triangle Tuesday and although they do have some crap shops , the average much above Sydenham's current line up.

Sydenham can do much better.

[missT]

Oh eagle, where do I start , The problem with Sydenham and this forum is people like you.
Some people like to eat chicken and some like to get a tan and some, God forbid, like to get tattoos. Who are you to judge???
In The end of The day this shops bring foot traffic to The high street and isn't that The whole point??

Different people like different thing Let's except it and get over it.

[Annie.]

missT,
I think you miss the point, scruffy shops discourage people from spending money in Sydenham, I lived there for 30 + years! when I first moved there, I bought all my shopping in the Highstreet because it catered for all my needs, there was a small safeways (where I once worked on the deli counter) record shop, etcetc, Cobbs corner was a joy to visit with all the "posh" stuff, the last 15 + years I preferred to shop in Penge / Beckenham because Sydenham went dramatically down hill, it can be fixed, but the shop keepers will have to work for the trade, nice signs, clean shops and clean practices will help enormously, anything to make it a pleasure to shop there once again, I have never had any contact with Sydenham Society, but believe they have the best interest for Sydenham in what they try to do.
If they sometimes get it wrong, then that's life.

[Eagle]

Miss T

Some people mike like to do a lot of things which one would not want to encourage in a genteel High Street.

If you want to attract the low strata then go for the outlets I mentioned.

[robbieduncan]

missT,
I think you miss the point, scruffy shops discourage people from spending money in Sydenham,

But there is no reason to assume the type of shops listed have to be scruffy... Many of the more scruffy looking shops on the high street are none of these

[Eagle]

Robbie

Not just a case of looking scruffy , they attract persons who perhaps would not come to a more up market , select , High Street.

[sugahill cafe]

Here's something i read recently that i found interesting & could relate to many parts of London right now.... The problem with the one imported concept of Gentrification is that it suggests I think incorrectly that working class people cannot afford to eat/drink out, so when new places like this cafe which has just opened at my station in Peckham, I'm supposed to be angry about the prospect of having a nice place to sit and eat in my own area. What I have found as a girl raised on a council estate is that there are many people from my area who enjoy poverty tourism ( or what they would translate as. 'Keeping it real') and through their own relative success , hold an unnecessary level of 'guilt' for preferring these establishments over the crappy chicken shops, betting shops, fruit and veg newsagents incorporated with a phone repair shop, weave, nail parlour, barber, hairdressers that have historically plagued such areas. Funnily, the majority of the owners of the stores mentioned have zero
Invested into these communities and don't even integrate with the locals but that's another story..

There is certainly a very concerning issue where housing is concerned in the whole of London, but again , the people crying out most about Gentrification in many cases , managed to buy their properties thanks to the hyper speculative years. The people who they patronise, suggesting that they cannot afford to buy a croissant or coffee, should check out the cost of Nandos, a Burger King meal, a pair of Air Max and consider that perhaps the simple truth is that in some cases people CHOOSE their preferences

[robbieduncan]

Robbie

Not just a case of looking scruffy , they attract persons who perhaps would not come to a more up market , select , High Street.

Whilst I don't have tattoos or self tan I think this is a massively outdated and frankly bordering on snobbish idea. Plenty of people who frequent these sort of shops also have plenty of spare cash and appreciate finer foods etc.