Robin Orton - As Spud said, Im not sure whether you are being ironic or not so I apologise if I have misunderstood you but yes, I do think it comes down to looking after ones investment to a point and I dont think I was 'giving the game away' by suggesting that in my post. I fully admit that I too would sign myself up as being one of the most house proud people around. I most certainly bought my flat as a home first and foremost, rather than simply an investment. However, I would be a fool not to want to protect the investment that I have made in my flat and hope that my investment makes me some money so that I may upgrade to a better property one day (which would 100% be in Forest Hill, whether it gets a pizza express or not!)

Roz - I think it is an undeniable fact that if one people watches in Forest Hill now (a favourite past time of mine), it is very different to how it appeared 10 years ago. Whether people like it or not (bizarely, a few people on this forum seem to), Forest Hill once had a reputation as being seedy and when I first visited 10 years ago, I encountered a very different Forest Hill to the one I love today. I would say that that is a good thing so why is it so wrong to hope it continues to improve? I was very careful to say in my last post that all I would like to see is an increase in variety and choice, not to have one group of people priced out by another. People are now moving to Forest Hill from Hoxton, Shoreditch, Clapham and living alongside those residents who have lived here for much longer. Noone is hoping anyone will get priced out. However, if perhaps one of the larger commercial premises in Forest Hill (which typically lie empty anyway) has a chain move in (such as the poor misunderstood Pizza Express), well then that simply increases that choice and variety which should surely benefit everyone.

Many people on this forum will hope for everything which I have tried to describe because they do want their property to increase in value, whilst simultaneously hoping that Forest Hill becomes more varied and culturally diverse etc. Like many, I bought my first home in Forest Hill and I want to make some money so that I may upgrade sooner rather than later and buy again, in Forest Hill. There is nothing at all wrong or shameful about that. I cant help but wonder whether those who seem to want Forest Hill to stay frozen in time are simply perhaps those who are more settled and dont have the need to improve their property portflio. Shouldnt mean the rest of us cant strive for something better though.