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Wood Vale road
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Keydee


Posts: 1
Joined: Jan 2013
Post: #1
21-01-2013 08:48 PM

Hello all,

we are thinking of renting a place in Wood Vale road. As we are new to this area, we were hoping some of you, who have lived here for some time could share your opinion on what it is like to live there, what is this area like it terms of safety, especially at night as I often work late, what are the trains/connection to Central London like, and just in general what is this area like.
very appreciated!
K

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #2
22-01-2013 04:04 PM

Which end of Wood Vale are you loking at? I don't live there but I cycle along Wood Vale every night (sometimes lateish) and have never felt unsafe. There's also a really good butchers on Wood Vale which woudl be enough of an incentive for me to move there (if only I could afford one of the big houses...)

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Applespider


Posts: 285
Joined: Feb 2006
Post: #3
22-01-2013 11:12 PM

I've lived on Wood Vale (Lordship Lane end) for about 12 years and come back regularly after dark (and occasionally after midnight). I generally feel pretty safe walking along the road. I did have my bag snatched once (about 7 years ago) - but the good news is that I screamed and 6 sets of neighbours came out to chase the guy down and check I was OK.

Connections are good - it's a 10 minute walk down to Forest Hill. But at the end of the road, you've got 5 different bus routes which can sometimes work out easier (particularly since they all take you to zone 2 stations) - the P4 goes to Brixton (in 20 minutes outside school run time), the 363/176 goes to Elephant & Castle (in 30-40 minutes), 176/185 to Denmark Hill (Victoria/ELL) in 15-20 minutes and 363/197 to Peckham Rye. When I'm out in town, I tend to leave with a pal who lives in Colliers Wood - we generally get home within 5 minutes of each other.

Parks nearby are lovely too - one of the highlights of living here in the summer especially if you don't have a sunny garden.

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hillsideresident


Posts: 148
Joined: Jul 2010
Post: #4
23-01-2013 02:02 PM

As regards a good butcher, the best place I know (including Dulwich) is The Butchery, opposite Sainsbury's. Worth the ten minute walk from Wood Vale.

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reverendlionelblair


Posts: 47
Joined: Apr 2008
Post: #5
23-01-2013 09:26 PM

I lived on Wood Vale for about one year about 5 years ago. As someone else said, the bus connections are OK (provided you want to go to either Peckham or Crystal Palace which are good connection points for other routes). For the trains it was a bit of a pain because it's equidistant between about 4 stations (Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Peckham Rye, Nunhead) but isn't really near any of them. This was seriously annoying as we didnt have a car.

It's not great for supermarkets because again the closest is Sainsburys and you'll have to schlep over the hill to get there.

It is pretty though as you have the Camberwell New Cemetry and One Tree Hill at one end and then the Horniman at the other, plus that butchers is amazing...

We never had any trouble there and the neighbours were lovely.

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #6
24-01-2013 12:07 PM

I was talking about the butchers (Kim Libretto) on Wood Vale itself hillsideresident. Haven't used the Butchery so can't comment but I would have thought it would be a very short walk to Librettos if you actually live on Wood Vale rather than schlepping over the hill...

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hillsideresident


Posts: 148
Joined: Jul 2010
Post: #7
25-01-2013 11:14 PM

Quote:
I was talking about the butchers (Kim Libretto) on Wood Vale itself


Yes, I realise that. I'm just saying that if I lived on Wood Vale I would nonetheless use the butchers opposite Sainsbury's.

Wood Vale is nice. Worth having Andy Coulson as your neighbour, I should think.

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #8
29-01-2013 02:43 PM

Fair enough HSR, it just struck me as something of a barbed comment, that's all. It's just as important, in my view, to continue to support existing businesses as it is new ones, and Kim has been around for a pretty long time.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #9
29-01-2013 03:09 PM

http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php...8#pid50918

Even before The Butchery had expressed any interest in London Road, I hinted that local residents may wish to encourage established businesses (such as butchers in Wood Vale) to open a shop on London Road in the run up to Christmas.

I think it is a shame that a good butcher is located on a back street rather than in the centre of Honor Oak or Forest Hill.

Soon Keydee will have two butchers to choose from in close proximity to his/her place in Wood Vale.

There is a certain disreputable element in Wood Vale. But Andy Coulson has put his house on the market, so hopefully he will be gone soon and pleasuring Her Majesty.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #10
29-01-2013 04:38 PM

Agreed with all of that michael, though for completeness I think one should also mention Peter James - the other local back street butcher (who has also started selling some fish too). However, I initially recoiled somewhat when reading this:

Quote:
Andy Coulson ... will be gone soon and pleasuring Her Majesty


I think I know what you meant. :-)

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #11
31-01-2013 01:08 PM

Michael - I agree that it would be great if Kim were on the "high street" but he and his family live above the shop (I don't know whether they own the freehold but it's entirely possible) so I can't see him ever being interested in a move.

Yes, have also heard good things about Peter James but I guess I've been going to Kim for so long it would feel disloyal to go elsewhere (and the Butchery would be significantly closer for me once they re-open properly).

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