Kirkdale Village Constitution

[jotbot]

Hello All

We at Kirkdale Village make up the businesses that populate the junction of Kirkdale and Dartmouth Road and we are looking to define the purpose of our association and are working on a constitution.

We see Kirkdale Village as an inclusive association that is founded by the traders to promote a vibrant high street, tackle issues that relate to the high street and becomes a unified voice of the Traders but crucially is supported by the local residents in helping us to achieve the common goal of a beautiful, vibrant, friendly high street.

Getting the Traders involved in the Community and the Community involved with the Traders.

Those of you who would be keen to assist us in our goal please join us on our Kirkdale Village Facebook page and or pm to let me know if you can offer us any assistance.

Thanks for all the support so far!

[benndant]

Wow!

Now why can't central Sydenham work on something similar?

There have been lots of very similar ideas in the past...but nothing has ever materialised.

[marymck]

Whilst I would like to support initiatives by traders on and around Kirkdale, I believe it's not possible to do so via the Facebook page unless you tick that you "like" the "Kirkdale Village" page: which I don't. I think it's really misleading. The photos are selected to emphasise anything that might conceivably look like a "Village", while blinkering out the reality. It doesn't seem to be possible to post pictures on there without "liking" the page.

I do support the shops. I buy things there and I spread the word of those shops that are good. I don't want to pretend we're a village - we're not. There's nothing wrong with being part of a city or of being a suburb and I'm quite proud of Sydenham and (mostly) of its development. (Notable exceptions being the quart into a pint pot cramming in of unsaleable flats in Upper Kirkdale and the loss of the sub post office and Woodman pub.)

I don't like anything fake and I won't buy anything fake (apart from fur!) unless it's really upfront and says it's fake and hence ironic.

So jotbot please can you post on here what you want people to do who don't like the fake but want to support any real initiatives.

I wish you well - I really do - but please don't turn against local people who loathe the estate-agent-speak name "Kirkdale Village"

[marymck]

Wow!

Now why can't central Sydenham work on something similar?

There have been lots of very similar ideas in the past...but nothing has ever materialised.

Quite a lot of tax payers' money is going to be spent rejuvenating central Sydenham: road schemes, pocket park, etc. So I think central Sydenham will improve hugely anyway. The Council have not only neglected Upper Kirkdale but they've also made some really, really bad planning decisions.

[Tim Lund]

I don't like anything fake and I won't buy anything fake (apart from fur!) unless it's really upfront and says it's fake and hence ironic.

...

I wish you well - I really do - but please don't turn against local people who loathe the estate-agent-speak name "Kirkdale Village"

If someone was really up-front about saying something was fake, wouldn't that undermine the irony a bit?

As to jotbot getting angry - why should he/she? Recent readers of this Forum will know that getting angry is counterproductive, and as a local trader, jotbot is not going to want to upset good customers.

[marymck]

Tim: I didn't say "angry", I said "turn against". I did get some really horrible response when I posted in an earlier thread that I didn't like the name Kirkdale Village.

And no - I may not be as clever or educated as you Tim, but I consider that if something fake is sold under the pretence of being real then that is wrong. But if something is clearly fake (i.e. costume jewellery modelled on the crown jewels or copies of famous paintings) then that, to me, is both ironic and legitimate.

[marymck]

Tim, I have sent you a PM.

[Tim Lund]

Mary - PM received - but somehow in opening it, the apology I'd just written to you got lost. In brief, I too think 'Kirkdale Village' is a bit twee, but can think of nothing better, and re the planning decisions up there, it seems to me that Wooster & Stock at least have taken the hit after being refused planning permission, and have moved on. Re 'irony' - I guess I should accept that its use has also moved on.

[jotbot]

We will continue to post the up coming initiatives (they are all real) here for support and as previously mentioned will be happy to hear via PM from people with suggestions (or on FB) with offers of support. Our first initiative the ‘Mad Hatters Easter Event’ was a success the locals really enjoyed it, and we know that people have used businesses such as That’s Amore & En Vogue, Jasmine’s and Alhambra who never had before purely because of this. The wheels are in motion to get a loyalty card scheme going to promote our businesses and cross market to encourage new customers and to thank our already loyal customers – ideas, suggestions and volunteers to put this into action are very much welcomed.

As for the name it was agreed upon by the majority of the traders and seemed the best fit for the purpose, as Tim pointed out, to be more inclusive of Dartmouth road and the local residents it is the name we have and now we also have a very popular logo that took the majority vote to go with it – We will never please everyone, sorry about that but hopefully people will get over the name which is also widely liked and join us in pushing through the initiatives for the greater good of the community and the high street.

For the record I am not angry just working very hard to get things going for this little part of the world that I really believe in.

[benndant]

Mary MCK

Yes, there are plans for the high street but they have been 'planning' them for the last five years at least and still we don't have a definite date!