Cellar Door and Anotherjohn I'm blaming you for heading to work early to grab the best bacon sarnie in FH, and Michael I don't have any tipp-ex but I might try and borrow some on the way!

P1971 don't put the tippex in your sandwich, and obviously don't put any on street signage (particularly in broad daylight). But I know that nobody on this forum would dream of such acts of punctuational correctness (I mean mindless vandalism).

Just to add to the confusion, the coffee house is called St David. Singular.

If confusion is what you are looking for, rshdunlop, then you have arrived at the correct thread.

Michael you'll be pleased to know I never brought along any Tipp-ex this morning, but got a great bacon sarnie to start off the day. There's alway's tomorrow though!

I'd just like all to know I got 3 lovely Christmas present's today from local customer's. Homemade crab apple and rosemary jelly, and a massive goodie box with 10 smellie's including all sort's of body cream's etc. Last but not least a homemade star cookie which I don't want to open as so much work has gone in to it, finished off with tag and bow! This all bring's a tear to my eye, but at the same time makes me happy to be in FH. Merry Christmas everyone.

I have lived here (in Cranston Road) for 15 years and have never felt remotely threatened - and I am no shrinking violet when it comes down to it. Dartmouth Road is a bit of a mare for traffic so I wouldn't be surprised if there was the occasional row but I really don't see it in the terms of the title of this thread.
My wife regularly walks back to ours alone from FH station at any time and has also never felt or been threatened.

I can understand that people have different experiences but I do find one or two bit in the original post a bit off - mainly the references to youth.

"youth crowds which gather outside FH station/WHSmiths late at night"/"large groups of youths" - So what? If they are not doing anything wrong then what is the issue although I cant say that I have noticed them myself.

My experience of FH is completely different to the OP. I feel safe here, I feel safe walking around, to me it's a nice, slightly quiet place to live. OK it is not a country village - we are still in London and stuff still goes down but it's all very mild.

There again I did used to live in Tottenham so maybe my expectations are different..

I have lived on Dartmouth Road for over eight years and in the last year have noticed a sharp decline. Yes there are nice new coffee shops and boutiques but there is still the crew outside Paddy Power who drink, smoke and use the wall as a toilet. It's like their own outdoor dysfunctional social club. I'm sorry but I think the area was far friendlier before the East London line opened up, now there are more people in the area and as it has got more busy on the streets there is more hassle and rudeness.

I must confess that I wish something could be done about the drunks gathering outside Paddy Power.
I always feel uncomfortable walking past especially in the dark evenings.
I must add that I'm gutted that the street art that was painted on the hoarding there has been covered up by all those billposters again.

Re: those drunks outside Paddy Power

Lewisham had a borough wide DPPO trial (see below) running up until Feb 2011 followed by a consultation period but I don't know if it has been permanently implemented. Maybe the FHSoc can confirm.

A Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) gives the police extra powers to help them crack down on drinkers who disturb and intimidate residents through their anti-social behaviour. A DPPO is also sometimes known as a Controlled Drinking Order or Drinking Control Zone. The order does not ban drinking in public places but enables police officers to ask people to stop drinking where they have reason to believe that alcohol-related nuisance and annoyance is likely to occur. In addition an officer has the power to ask that person to hand over the alcohol in their possession. These powers are not intended to disrupt peaceful activities. They are only used to tackle nuisance or annoyance associated with drinking alcohol in a public place. It is not a criminal offence to drink alcohol within this designated area. An offence is only committed if a person refuses to obey a police officer's request to stop drinking.

I moved away from Dartmouth Road (to another road in Forest Hill), as a direct result of the disturbance and nuisance caused specifically by Slickmanz and the patrons of question bar (as it was.) I lived there for 7 years and there was a definate, palpable increase in anti social and criminal behaviour in the latter years which was recognised, if not entirely acted upon by the local polic. Now, living 2-3 minutes away, it is like living in a different place all together.