New betting shop (YES ANOTHER ONE !!!)
Ooh, shock horror - someone's catering to the needs of Sydenham's many working class residents!
I fail to see what harm will come from a bookies opening up, and we do, more or less, live in a free market economy, so if there aren't enough customers to support it then it will close and it (not you or I) will have lost money.
I too think that there should be more shops, bars, restaurants etc. on the high street that cater for a more upmarket clientele, but the solution I think lies with encouraging suitable establishments to open up in one of the many many other shopfronts in what is a very long high street, rather than stopping more downmarket (but still neat and tidy) shops from opening up.
I fail to see what harm will come from a bookies opening up, and we do, more or less, live in a free market economy, so if there aren't enough customers to support it then it will close and it (not you or I) will have lost money.
I too think that there should be more shops, bars, restaurants etc. on the high street that cater for a more upmarket clientele, but the solution I think lies with encouraging suitable establishments to open up in one of the many many other shopfronts in what is a very long high street, rather than stopping more downmarket (but still neat and tidy) shops from opening up.
Let the bookies open and let the Sydenham residents dictate its success. At the end of the day it's only a very small percentage of Sydenhamites that post here and we don't truly represent Sydenham.
My opinion is based on my experience of having a gambling addict in the family. So I don't like gambling full stop. But there are many others who do get joy from it so who I am to put an end to it. If people were to veto a chocolate shop I would be mighty angry
Also I don't think Sydenham High Street should go upmarket, it just needs a little tidying up. I grew up a working class lass, just because I managed to get a professional job doesn't mean I've forgotten my roots
My opinion is based on my experience of having a gambling addict in the family. So I don't like gambling full stop. But there are many others who do get joy from it so who I am to put an end to it. If people were to veto a chocolate shop I would be mighty angry
Also I don't think Sydenham High Street should go upmarket, it just needs a little tidying up. I grew up a working class lass, just because I managed to get a professional job doesn't mean I've forgotten my roots
I only use a bookies once a year, for my annual loss on the Grand National.
Maybe this new one will have a new slant to it - how about a bookies with a small section for having your nails done, whilst eating some fried chicken, and perusing a selection of goods costing around 99p?
Chuck in a couple of heavy drinkers sitting outside, asking for spare change, and it ticks all my boxes.
Maybe this new one will have a new slant to it - how about a bookies with a small section for having your nails done, whilst eating some fried chicken, and perusing a selection of goods costing around 99p?
Chuck in a couple of heavy drinkers sitting outside, asking for spare change, and it ticks all my boxes.
Barty wrote:It's not so much harm, its more a case of not wanting a high street full of bookies, pound shops and takeaways.Thomas wrote:I fail to see what harm will come from a bookies opening up
Like fat_mike, I'd sooner a bookies over an empty shop, but I'd sooner anything else over a bookies.
Like i keep saying....Id rather a boarded up shop until someone who has respect for its local residents can open up and give something to the community, not take away its disposable income.parker wrote:It will get to the point that there will be too many of these places opening up and decent companies like M&S, etc will not want to be surrounded by them whether there are vacancies among the high street or not.
for every Bookies that opens, the less likely a Coffee Shop, or trendy wine bar will want to open
If shops like Bookies continue to open in the high street, it will carry on the way it has been going for many years leaving beautiful buildings like the HSBC vacant and falling apart when a nice restaurant would trade well there if the high street looked better without these ghastly shops attracting the less savoury characters that reside in our town.
noangel wrote:Let the bookies open and let the Sydenham residents dictate its success. At the end of the day it's only a very small percentage of Sydenhamites that post here and we don't truly represent Sydenham.
My opinion is based on my experience of having a gambling addict in the family. So I don't like gambling full stop. But there are many others who do get joy from it so who I am to put an end to it. If people were to veto a chocolate shop I would be mighty angry
Also I don't think Sydenham High Street should go upmarket, it just needs a little tidying up. I grew up a working class lass, just because I managed to get a professional job doesn't mean I've forgotten my roots
Thanks, noangel. I am also from northern working class heritage and - might I say - noone in my family has ever been near a bookies and I dont know anyone from home who does. I come from a town with a very large town centre and a population pushing 100,000 - I dont think we have 4 bookies in the entire town centre.
Minifox, exactly! I grew up in one of the worse areas of my home town and we had one bookie in our High Street. Yes, 1!! Why Sydenham needs 3 baffles me. The existing ones don't seem to be over-run with their business. But what do I know, I never ever been in a bookies in my entire life (apart from the one my aunt use to manage but that was to visit her).
Actually I don't think I care anymore. I was walking down Lordship Lane, Dulwich, last night, looking at all the nice shops they have there. I got thinking that I should shop here more often. If I remember correctly there's only one bookie in Lordship Lane
Actually I don't think I care anymore. I was walking down Lordship Lane, Dulwich, last night, looking at all the nice shops they have there. I got thinking that I should shop here more often. If I remember correctly there's only one bookie in Lordship Lane
Actually..!noangel wrote: Actually I don't think I care anymore. I was walking down Lordship Lane, Dulwich, last night, looking at all the nice shops they have there. I got thinking that I should shop here more often. If I remember correctly there's only one bookie in Lordship Lane
There are 2 along LL (with another 2 in very close proximity!).
SE22 = 5 bookies
SE23 = 5 bookies
SE26 = 3 bookies
(This is all from Yell.com - I also have never made a bet inside a bookies!)
I think your memory is playing you up No Angel.
Lordship Lane has at least five bookies - two William Hill bookmakers (at 427 and 620), two Ladbrokes (at 634 and 742) and Better Bet (at 536).
Fast food outlets in Lordship Lane include Griller (at 433), Marine Kebab and Burger House (at 463), Zemming (at 479), King Neptune (at 502), Chicken Express (at 510), Best Kanat (at 556), Cozy Chicken (at 616) etc etc.
I could go on but this has hopefully made the point that even the much admired Shangri-La of Lordship Lane has some downsides.
All of us want a much greater range of shops in Sydenham Road. I don't want another bookies either but there is nothing illegal about opening such a shop - and I know of no anti-social behaviour associated with other bookmakers in the high street.
We can get a petition together and appeal against this when it appears at the licencing authority in Greenwich (Greenwich oversees this area) but the chances of success are minimal in my opinion. The bookmaker which was proposed in the former curtain shop on the corner of Queensthorpe Road about two years ago was stopped only on a technicality of "zoning".
Maybe it's best just to grin and bear it on this one.
Lordship Lane has at least five bookies - two William Hill bookmakers (at 427 and 620), two Ladbrokes (at 634 and 742) and Better Bet (at 536).
Fast food outlets in Lordship Lane include Griller (at 433), Marine Kebab and Burger House (at 463), Zemming (at 479), King Neptune (at 502), Chicken Express (at 510), Best Kanat (at 556), Cozy Chicken (at 616) etc etc.
I could go on but this has hopefully made the point that even the much admired Shangri-La of Lordship Lane has some downsides.
All of us want a much greater range of shops in Sydenham Road. I don't want another bookies either but there is nothing illegal about opening such a shop - and I know of no anti-social behaviour associated with other bookmakers in the high street.
We can get a petition together and appeal against this when it appears at the licencing authority in Greenwich (Greenwich oversees this area) but the chances of success are minimal in my opinion. The bookmaker which was proposed in the former curtain shop on the corner of Queensthorpe Road about two years ago was stopped only on a technicality of "zoning".
Maybe it's best just to grin and bear it on this one.
Last edited by nasaroc on 29 Apr 2009 11:56, edited 1 time in total.
Goodness me - all this objections to a betting shop in Sydenham Road (to give it it's proper title).
I do hope that all of those opposed to this will be just as vocal when it comes to putting a betting shop in one of the retail outlets (yes it will come, no doubt about that) in the new Greyhound development (if planning permission is granted to build the monstrosity!). They will probably get planning permission and then sell the site on with said planning permission - making a hefty profit no doubt.
Sorry - I digressed..... I would be happy to sign any petition against the proposal for a betting shop in Sydenham Road. But it is probably too late in the day for that. I will try and put a comment in by 8 May to whoever.
I do hope that all of those opposed to this will be just as vocal when it comes to putting a betting shop in one of the retail outlets (yes it will come, no doubt about that) in the new Greyhound development (if planning permission is granted to build the monstrosity!). They will probably get planning permission and then sell the site on with said planning permission - making a hefty profit no doubt.
Sorry - I digressed..... I would be happy to sign any petition against the proposal for a betting shop in Sydenham Road. But it is probably too late in the day for that. I will try and put a comment in by 8 May to whoever.
If I were an investor reading the pessamistic nonsense in here I'd steer well clear.
Lets just not bother with Sydenham shall we, don't invest in anything, not bother. Good grief!
Sydenham has a great future given careful guidance, proper investment and management. Lets embrace it rather than speculate over a gloomy future.
Lets just not bother with Sydenham shall we, don't invest in anything, not bother. Good grief!
Sydenham has a great future given careful guidance, proper investment and management. Lets embrace it rather than speculate over a gloomy future.
The above was Leenewham's post on the 26th April and yet on 3 May he wrote:leenewham wrote:I'm totally against another betting shop.
Yet another betting shop will damage perception of the high street. We need more variety, not more of the same. Whenever I walk past the betting shops that are already here they are mostly empty.
As for supply and demand, which pub seems to be the busiest on the high street? The Dolphin? Which restaurant seems to be the busiest? Ghurkas?
And yet recently we have had a new hairdressers, a 'look like Lady Gaga' wig shop although I presume this is temporary due to their banner sign and we are now getting a new nail bar. Whoopie.
How about something different in the high street?
How about a strategy Julie Sutch to achieve this?
Those two posts are at odds with each other surely? Just because we don't accept the first thing that a developer wants to build are we being pessimistic? No - we are trying to get a worthy development for Sydenham. That takes time and dialogue with those that will be living with the completed site for the foreseeable future.If I were an investor reading the pessamistic nonsense in here I'd steer well clear.
Lets just not bother with Sydenham shall we, don't invest in anything, not bother. Good grief!
Sydenham has a great future given careful guidance, proper investment and management. Lets embrace it rather than speculate over a gloomy future.
It might not be "posh" but it's hardly Beirut now is it?Eagle wrote:I agree The Thorpe's are posh but Venner Road !!!!!
Speaking as someone who lived there from 1949 to 1974 and vists there at least weekly now I would hardly call it posh. True the Penge end , past Tredown is a lot better , but the Sydenham end.