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Bar Equal
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BarCar


Posts: 294
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #1
22-01-2008 02:10 PM

I was buying a sandwich at the deli on HOP earlier and Antony (?) was chatting about how tough it is to run a small business in the area. He pointed out that Bar Equal has repossession noticed on the shutters and the bailiffs have been in. I hope this isn't a permanent shutdown...

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Ghis


Posts: 321
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #2
22-01-2008 02:16 PM

I noticed this on the way to work early this morning. What about the Florist shop next door? What was happening there? Someone mentioned the same thing had happened to them but I did not see the notice, just guys at 7:15am who seemed to be changing the locks or doing some work inside (?).

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #3
22-01-2008 02:28 PM

Isn't Bar Equal Ana's bar?

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ana


Posts: 27
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #4
22-01-2008 04:34 PM

I am in dispute with Willmotts, hopefully we have resolved things! Anyway I get a well deserved night off tonight while we come to an 'understanding'.

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Elizabeth25


Posts: 212
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #5
22-01-2008 04:37 PM

Oh no. Good Luck Ana, the thoughts of SE23.com forum are with you.

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Ghis


Posts: 321
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #6
22-01-2008 04:39 PM

Ditto Here! Good luck Smile ! I thought it was something like that. Let's hope you reopens soon.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #7
22-01-2008 04:55 PM

I hope things work out okay Ana, otherwise we shall have to come down with placard demanding Equal Rights! Not really the time for puns, but I hope the situation is resolved quickly.

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ana


Posts: 27
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #8
25-01-2008 02:29 PM

News on Equal:
As things stand Equal and Visual Eyes will remain closed as following a dispute with the Landlord I am not really prepared to continue my interests in HOP as I have more lucrative alternatives in the City starting this week, besides I am getting on and 4am services are taking their toll on my family life and good looks!!

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BarCar


Posts: 294
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #9
25-01-2008 04:01 PM

ana wrote:
As things stand Equal and Visual Eyes will remain closed as following a dispute with the Landlord I am not really prepared to continue my interests in HOP as I have more lucrative alternatives in the City starting this week, besides I am getting on and 4am services are taking their toll on my family life and good looks!!

Loosing two local businesses at once is a pretty bad blow to the community around HOP. Having just moved in we're gutted to see our local shops and businesses closing before we had a chance to show our support.

I hope that things work out for you ana and I hope the landlord can find new tenants for both properties as soon as possible to avoid any further decline.

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Deanos


Posts: 14
Joined: Dec 2005
Post: #10
25-01-2008 04:03 PM

Sorry to hear that Ana. Wilmotts don't seem to be very good for the area and driving successful businesses out is hardly going to endear them to the locals. Good luck with other ventures though.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #11
25-01-2008 04:12 PM

Ana,
Many thanks for your many years running businesses in Forest Hill, working to improve the high street in HOP, and your contributions on this forum. I wish you and your staff all the best for the future.

This is a great chance for somebody who wishes to take over businesses in Honor Oak and Ana can provide details if you need further information (use Private Message - PM link as the information she had posted was removed). There must be somebody out there who fancies running a bar.

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robwinton


Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
Post: #12
25-01-2008 04:13 PM

seems to be a common thread to discussions about business in HOP (and their problems) - is there anyone who can look into this and take a balanced view of what impact Willmotts are having? What is the agenda here?

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Applespider


Posts: 285
Joined: Feb 2006
Post: #13
25-01-2008 04:18 PM

Sorry to hear that you'll be closing, Ana, but very glad to hear that you have other options open to you...

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BarCar


Posts: 294
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #14
25-01-2008 04:26 PM

robwinton wrote:
seems to be a common thread to discussions about business in HOP (and their problems) - is there anyone who can look into this and take a balanced view of what impact Willmotts are having? What is the agenda here?


Good question Rob.

I'd be interested to know the nature of the dispute if Ana can share it - if it's a case of unreasonable rent increases then I'd be happy to lobby Wilmotts and make them aware that driving other businesses out of the area is not going to do anything for their own business (both in terms of lower commissions due to the area being less desirable and lack of business due to them having a bad reputation). I'd certainly be at the front of the queue objecting to any application to covert shops into flats like the ones near the crossing on HOP.

Does anybody have an idea of how much of a monopoly Wilmotts have on managing the shops on HOP?

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #15
25-01-2008 04:34 PM

It may be that Ana is unable to post anything on a public forum while there may be a legal dispute on-going but it would be interesting to have some general comments from her regarding potential problems in relations between landlords and business in the local area, either on the forum or by PM for me to take for discussion to the Forest Hill Society and hopefully to the town centre manager.

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Deanos


Posts: 14
Joined: Dec 2005
Post: #16
25-01-2008 04:54 PM

Others have told me that Wilmotts are agressive in their tactics, and the cynic in me would say that they are keen for the shops to close down so that they can convert them into housing, surely a more profitable line for them. There are already quite a few shoddily converted shops on that parade that have had Wilmotts signs outside them.

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BarCar


Posts: 294
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #17
25-01-2008 05:08 PM

Deanos wrote:
the cynic in me would say that they are keen for the shops to close down so that they can convert them into housing, surely a more profitable line for them. There are already quite a few shoddily converted shops on that parade that have had Wilmotts signs outside them.


At the risk of getting paranoid and jumping the gun, if conversion to residential is their plan, then they will need to apply for planning permission for a "change of use".

I don't know who got the conversions across the road done (that's in Southwark isn't it?) but there is precedent for Lewisham refusing such an application on the grounds of such a change having an adverse impact on the retail attractiveness of the local shopping parade (i.e. the parade goes below the critical mass required for the remaining businesses to survive). See here for an example (from 2005) which I found with a quick Google search.

Local residents will need to be on the ball if this is the plan.

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ana


Posts: 27
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #18
25-01-2008 05:09 PM

Any one interested in buying the businesses off me should contact me on info@barequal.com. I shall only reply to serious queries - not nosey parkers!!!
You should hurry as I will be taking the kit out if no serious interest arises.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #19
25-01-2008 05:43 PM

Willmotts dont actually own the properties- they just manage on behalf of the landlords.

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Ghis


Posts: 321
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #20
25-01-2008 05:49 PM

A real Shame...

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