A lot of people have mentioned the state of DR as to why they don't go down there, and I must admit it us pretty grubby. Some of the shops are run-down which no one can really do anything about but the big thing for me is the pavement.
Has anyone popped down to Sydenham lately? They have put new tar seal done the entire high road and repaved all the pavements. I know its a pretty big job but it makes it 100% better visually. I know the road is much narrower but it would make it a lot better.
But yeah, off topic sorry. We really like the farmers market. We mainly use it for the vegetables so the only place that really loses out is Sainsburys!
I think if there is a possibility of tidying up Darmouth Road then this would be great. I agree about the pavements and also think planting lots of extra trees around the main junction and up dartmouth road would make an enormous difference to the feel of the centre, which at the moment has some great places to eat, drink and shop but looking at the road as a whole has the feel of being run down and dreary. Of course more up to date shop fronts on those that are more out of date would also help but I suppose there is only a limited amount that can be done in the absence of landlord/ tenant consent on that front but more trees and better pavements, I think would start a real transformation.
I think you'll find that Forest Hill got it's big infrastructure push in the shape of the new swimming pool.... Can't see anything else happening any time soon in the current economic climate in relation to spending on things like pavement improvements, trees etc (the Sydenham Road improvements were allocated some some time ago). It'll be more small local businesses setting up shop for the long term that will improve it, given that there is enough incentive (ie they'll make enough money from the local economy to thrive and survive) for them to do so of course....
Dartmouth Road is not dreary. It is, in parts, brilliant but there are things that detract enough from those bits to create an overall negative impression for many people. The issue of overall attractiveness of Dartmouth Road has a number of aspects in my opinion. key ones are:
1) The empty shops: Little can be done about except them getting back into use. This will be done when business people see a viable option in the premises. For this they need to see Dartmouth Road in use, which is where residents and visitors can help by using what we already have and showing that there is demand.
2) Other unattractive visuals: Those that are in use and have the grey shutters or untidy frontage could perhaps do more with their frontage like Agas, Sugar Mountain, Bunka, Stag & Bow, The Butchery etc has. But that is their decision as business people whether investing in that is viable and profitable for them
3) The traffic and inaccessible pavements: This can be done by TFL improving the phasing at the London Road junction lights and by Lewisham tackling the parking that narrows both the street and the pavement, especially on the section between Derby Hill and the lights. If traffic is more free flowing and pavements are unobstructed by parked cars / motorbikes, then shoppers are likely to be more predisposed to driving along or walking up Dartmouth Road. Tackling this with Lewisham would probably best come from our local council representatives and from Forest Hill Society
4) The state of pavements: The physical state of them is appalling in places (and fine in others) The damaged / badly maintained parts could put people off from going there, when combined with the other factors. Again this could be tackled by lobbying from our elected representatives and Forest Hill Society but as has been stated before its unlikely to gain much attention given the swimming pool investment (unless there are physical access issues for wheelchair users etc). The dirtiness of the pavements however is also our responsibility as a community as well as the councils. People drop litter constantly so whatever is done by the street cleaners is soon undone. Some shop owners regularly sweep and even wash the pavement outside their premises (they also clear snow & ice in winter). If everyone, especially the fast food joints followed suit, it would make a huge visual impact.
That's all very easy for me to say as they are not my businesses but my job gives me some insight so I can see it from several angles. I also use at least one shop on Dartmouth Road pretty much every day (in preference to the Tesco & other shops on Kirkdale which is as close) because it is convenient and the shopkeepers I use can often make my day through their enthusiasm and customer service.
For others who have further to go, tackling a few things could make their decision making process easier.
Not wanting to detract from the main subject of this thread, so BIG UP TO THE WONDERFUL HORNIMANS FARMERS MARKET - YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
But on the spin-off part, I propose Campervan Tim as Ambassador for Dartmouth Road (jointly with Deano of course for his good work on the traffic light phasing). Anyone out there to second that?
We made one of our regular aunts up the market last Saturday only to find it was shutting early.
We went to the pools in the morning, had breakfast in a local cafe, bought some things in local shops, had a kook through many others and took note of possible Christmas presents. We almost missed the market that had a stall by a local trader there.
Why is it closing early? It's daft. It's great local resource. If it wasn't there we probably wouldn't spend so much time on a Saturday in Forest Hill. It's great to have the CHOICE. There seems to be quite a few people walking around on these days including a fair amount of faces from Sydenham in Forest Hill. We come here far more than we use our own high street in Sydenham.[/align]
I walked yesterday in Darmouth Road mid morning to see all the new shops mentioned on this forum.
The majority were closed. So do these shops only opened on Saturday? why are they closed during the week or open later and close early?
You chose the wrong day, Springcat. Monday is closing day in FH. I know shop keepers who open on the weekend need a day off, but I do think it's unfortunate that they all do it on the same day.
thank you. I thought Sunday is the day when some shops close, not Mondays. In this recession I would not be so diligent to observe the rule and keep my shop opened if I could.
I would imagine it's just logic and understanding the flow of trade in the area which dictates Monday closing....if you speak to any of the shop-owners they'll probably tell you that it really does not make economic sense (paying money for heating, lighting, staff etc etc) to open on a day at the beginning of the week when they are likely to see very, very little or possibly no customers to cover those costs... and they probably aren't just lazing around at home having a day off but doing paperwork, catching up on stock inventory, financial planning etc. I think this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the logistics involved in running a shop to say that they should stay open all day every day, whatever. You'd probably end up losing more money than you'd make doing that during a recession! It's a judgment call for shopkeepers but people do seem to do most of their shopping at the weekend (and end of the week) now, so maybe visit on another day and have a chat with our local retailers to see if that is indeed the case.
It's not a rule that they close - just a necessity that like all of us they need a day off. The fact that its a Monday is simply because, for the vast majority of businesses, it's the quietest day of the week. And, as already said above in many cases it's not viable opening on a Monday. So taking a loss making day off either gives them a break after the Thursday - Sunday run when they're at their busiest, so they are ready for the following week, or allows them to do paperwork etc
Not wanting to take anything away from the thread's subject - so BIG-UP to the Farmers Market cos they've done a great job.
SpringCat, it's good of you to come along to have a look at the state of play along the road - so thanks for that - and, RED67 & Campervan Tim, I think you've pretty much got it right. I know that one or two of the retailers open on Sunday and they also use the generally quiet time to visit suppliers to collect their weekly stock. I appreciate that it must have been pretty disappointing for SpringCat to see some shops closed but also to see a lot of empty shops as well. Hopefully though, there will be some new shops opening between January and March and there seems to be a lot more interest from business people who've been sitting on the fence up until now so I'm sure there will be a snowball effect and the road will become far more vibrant and attractive.
I can only say as one trader why Monday is my closing day. I open Tues-Sun so Monday is my only day off as I am always at the shop regardless if I have staff in or not, If I am on my own which is weekdays until 3.15pm I do put a back in 5 sign in the window (and I'm never more than 5 mins) when I pop out to get lunch etc. I tend to do my paperwork daily so that I'm able to do what I need to at home on Monday's along with other thing's I get involved in, and as a few posters previous have said Monday tend's to be the quietest day.
Springcat thank you for taking the time to visit Dartmouth Road It's very much appreciated, and sorry that a lot of us were closed, but hopefully you got an idea what's on offer.
As many have commented on how Dartmouth Road looks I'd just like to say that we try and do what we can as local traders, quite a lot of FH traders have just bought matching xmas tree's for shop fronts to try and make the streets look more christmassy for our customers.
As others have previously said when going off topic The Horniman Farmer's Market is a great addition to FH.
I didn't know some of the shops were open on Sunday. When I visit places like Penge, for example, I see the high street vibrant and live every day of the week. I am not sure what it's like on Sundays because my shopping is during the week and now on Saturdays at the market.
I don't know what the problem is with DR and the whole of FH, are the prices competitive with other shops? Are owners prepared to give discounts? or loyalty cards to customers? Are shop owners friendly enough for people to browse around? Can the shop windows be made permanently more attractive?
The best spots seem to be taken by estate agents and it is very difficult to park, as everybody says. I had to park in Sydenham and walk all the way to London Road and back, in order for me to stop at every shop and see what is going on in the area. Two hours at Pearcefield car par were not enough.
Forest Hill Society will have a stall at the Horniman Farmers' Market this Saturday. Join us for the market with great food and great views.
9am-1:30pm Saturday.
We had a fruitful time at the farmers' market yesterday. The range of produce was really impressive - and not expensive. Came away clutching a £2 bunch of seasonal flowers, biodynamic apples from Forest Row, organic Kentish strawberries, yummy banana cake and the freshest sushi I've ever eaten! Next time I'll make sure I haven't previously bought any veg in Sainsburys...