I don't agree about Brockley Rise BD - the dry cleaner is very good (and cheap)and the supermarket is good too. Concard paper shop is very friendly.Rice n Spice does a good curry, and Attractions is a good and friendly hairdresser.

I'm with you fany9560, I really like the parade of shops on that part of Brockley Rise and tend to use them much more often than Honor Oak Park - although that is probably more to do with proximity and convenience. I also want to highlight the Chinese restaurant (Tai Wu) which has great food, friendly service and reasonable prices and doesn't often get a mention on this forum.

I have to say that I don't use the shops on the parade that much but that's just because none of the current businesses really cater to what i need or want. That shouldn't put off future business owners though. If a new business set up supplying goods which I need, then of course I'd use it. I don't need dentures. Or funerals. Or framing. Or fireplaces. Or flowers. This for me is the problem. Too many shops that are ok but that you might use once in a blue moon or are too niche to get regular custom (vintage furniture and pine furniture shops come to mind). A thriving parade needs shops that are not just visited on rare occasions, but preferably daily or at the very least weekly.

I regularly get in my car and drive to other parades in the area to buy stuff and there's no reason why those types of shops couldn't be in Honor Oak. One is Kim Libretto Butchers on Wood Vale which is hardly a parade packed with passing traffic. Another is Sopers Fishmongers and the greengrocers in Nunhead and Moxons and SMB Foods on Lordship Lane. If there was a decent off-licence on the parade I would be in there EVERY WEEK buying wine that isn't Blossom Hill, Hardys or whatever other horrible brand Gogis stocks.

I see what you mean honoracorn, though having used the gallery I'm glad it's there. I don't think the flower shop was that much of a once-in-a-blue-moon thing either. I've got my eye on the pine shop but I don't suppose I'll use it every day. Still, there are currently 4 vacancies I think, so room for something like a butcher, fishmonger, greengrocer, what have you.

The other evening I think I walked past a butcher's up towards Crofton Park a bit - I'll have to have a look at that when it is open some time. And there's Mr Lawrence - probably that is taking most of the better-quality wine market locally.