Brixton news, rumour and general chat - March 2016

[deadringer]

It could be argued that Kaff was only affordable because they were paying below market rate rent.

 

[editor]

It could be argued that Kaff was only affordable because they were paying below market rate rent.

Maybe - although that's as much the fault of the landlords as anyone else - but given its popularity it could have maybe survived a reasonable rent rise.

Tripling the rent guaranteed that it could no longer exist and now we've had an empty shop for nine months - and no income at all for the landlords.

 

[wurlycurly]

I know the people involved.
I was semi involved myself for a bit.
Most of what you think you know is just a PR whinge from steve Ross

It was a thriving business which benefited the local community. Blaming Steve Ross and his "PR whingeing" nine months on is beyond surreal. You on commission?

 

[friendofdorothy]

Sorry to interrupt this important ad hominem whingeing.

I noticed Brixton Cycles new shop front shutters on Brixton Road this morning (saw work being done inside the other week) Has this only just been been painted or have I actually been asleep on the bus each morning?

With BC being so close are some the cycling crowd going to the Crown and Anchor now?

 

[friendofdorothy]

Also want to ask what do people think of all the new routemaster buses on no3 and 159 routes? Don't like that so many seats downstairs face backwards. Have the frequency/timings of buses altered? I keep finding I'm late for work, but that could just be me. (I'm never sure of the exact time now the town hall clock isn't working)

 

[editor]

Sorry to interrupt this important ad hominem whingeing.

I noticed Brixton Cycles new shop front shutters on Brixton Road this morning (saw work being done inside the other week) Has this only just been been painted or have I actually been asleep on the bus each morning?

With BC being so close are some the cycling crowd going to the Crown and Anchor now?

They've been working on them for a little while. I was going to photograph the unfinished artwork when I took pics recently but I didn't have time for the shutters to come down.

 

[madolesance]

Maybe - although that's as much the fault of the landlords as anyone else - but given its popularity it could have maybe survived a reasonable rent rise.

Tripling the rent guaranteed that it could no longer exist and now we've had an empty shop for nine months - and no income at all for the landlords.

Why is this a fault of the landlord? If they suggested a rent rise with the offer of negotiation why did Steve not respond? Triple rent rise's grabs the headlines, but sometimes all is not properly explained. The toy shop in Herne Hill also seem to have been trying to pull the 'triple rent,we cannot survive', but it appears in reality they failed to engage with the apparent evil landlords.

 

[teuchter]

Also want to ask what do people think of all the new routemaster buses on no3 and 159 routes?

I think it's great because they look so nice and it feels like Brixton's properly part of London again.

Last night I walked past Streatham bus depot and there was a full line-up of lovely new routemasters inside.

I was part of the surprisingly large crowd there on the day they withdrew the last of the old routemasters.

Welcome back (sort of), routemasters.

 

[wurlycurly]

Why is this a fault of the landlord? If they suggested a rent rise with the offer of negotiation why did Steve not respond? Triple rent rise's grabs the headlines, but sometimes all is not properly explained. The toy shop in Herne Hill also seem to have been trying to pull the 'triple rent,we cannot survive', but it appears in reality they failed to engage with the apparent evil landlords.

Kaff brightened up that little stretch of road, made it feel much safer. For that reason alone it's difficult to sympathise with the landlords after they've left it empty for nine months (and counting). Their silence is deafening.

 

[editor]

Why is this a fault of the landlord? If they suggested a rent rise with the offer of negotiation why did Steve not respond? Triple rent rise's grabs the headlines, but sometimes all is not properly explained. The toy shop in Herne Hill also seem to have been trying to pull the 'triple rent,we cannot survive', but it appears in reality they failed to engage with the apparent evil landlords.

It's a shame you didn't read the article I linked to.

This outcome hasn’t been an overnight decision or even a simple legal process. We’ve been served notice for eviction and when we opposed that we were given a proposed rent increase which basically left us having to give a simple answer. No.

This seemingly simple situation has gone on for over 9 months now when we were in the supposed process of again asking our landlords to re-new our very short term lease.

A request we have made several times over the last three years.

One of our landlords we had communication with led us to believe that our request to renew the lease was a process in operation, or ‘the wheels are in motion’ as he put it, so we were never too concerned, but we did know we needed to act fast as we could see the change in the area happening so rapidly around us. That was over a year ago.

What eventually stopped that process, other than the incompetence of that particular landlord and his legal representative, was to be served a notice by the remaining two landlords whom we had had no previous communication with in 3 years, instructing us that we had to vacate the premises in the next few months in order for them to come in and take over.
The end of Brixton Kaff: a diary from the front line of gentrification

 

[editor]

Also want to ask what do people think of all the new routemaster buses on no3 and 159 routes? Don't like that so many seats downstairs face backwards. Have the frequency/timings of buses altered? I keep finding I'm late for work, but that could just be me. (I'm never sure of the exact time now the town hall clock isn't working)

I loved the idea of them at first and then went right off them, but after riding a couple recently, I really, really like them. They seem to have lots more space and character.

 

[bimble]

Welcome back (sort of), routemasters.

Have you been inside one yet? It made me feel very sad, all that brassy-coloured moulded plastic. All fake retro no heart at all. Where's the man with the ticket machine strapped to his shoulder i ask you?

 

[editor]

Have you been inside one yet? It made me feel very sad, all that brassy-coloured moulded plastic. All fake retro no heart at all. Where's the man with the ticket machine strapped to his shoulder i ask you?

I MUCH prefer the original Routemasters but I have no love at all for standard modern buses. At least these are a bit different.

 

[leanderman]

I loved the idea of them at first and then went right off them, but after riding a couple recently, I really, really like them. They seem to have lots more space and character.

By comparison, the old Routemasters are tiny, tinny and very uncomfortable.

But the emissions on the new ones are problematic

 

[editor]

By comparison, the old Routemasters are tiny, tinny and very uncomfortable.

But they have an extra useful platform you can hop on and off. And a brilliant wee cable running along the roof for notifying the driver. And clippies with their cool mechanical ticket machines. No comparison.

 

[bimble]

I MUCH prefer the original Routemasters but I have no love at all for standard modern buses. At least these are a bit different.

Ye ok, but I'm still not sure. I'd rather have an honest lino floor than something that pretends to be ye olde heritage brass and marble, if you know what i mean.

 

[madolesance]

It's a shame you didn't read the article I linked to.

Had they respond sooner, would they have been a better position to negotiate?

 

[Gramsci]

It could be argued that Kaff was only affordable because they were paying below market rate rent.

And how is "market rent" set?

Market rent has nothing to do with the business acumen of landlords. A landlord ( in central London) is seeing there property worth more with them just sitting back and doing nothing. btw there is no legal obligation for property owners to charge so called "market rent". The way some go on its as though they are being forced to charge more.

The best thing that could happen to London is the re introduction of rent controls on commercial and residential property.

People need affordable places to go and to live in.

 

[teuchter]

Have you been inside one yet? It made me feel very sad, all that brassy-coloured moulded plastic. All fake retro no heart at all. Where's the man with the ticket machine strapped to his shoulder i ask you?

They aren't on any routes that I currently use with any frequency so I've only travelled on one a few times but on each occasion it has pleased me. The interiors are much better than any standard bus, including the lighting. I don't read them as fake retro. I think they are quite successful in recalling some of the atmosphere of the old ones without being literal about it. There is perhaps a bit of knowing fake retro, with a touch of 60s psychedelia about it. There is no fake brass - there is some matt plastic that is a bit golden but I think the design gets away with it because of the way it's used. And I don't recall any fake marble.

I can see it's something that would have been difficult to get right within all the constraints which is why I reckon it's a pretty impressive piece of design.

The design faults that you can argue do exist - mainly functional ones - originate primarily in the brief.

 

[teuchter]

Let's not forget this is the kind of baseline we're working to with bus interior design:

/migraine

 

[editor]

Had hey respond sooner, would they have been a better position to negotiate?

Read the article, and if you think that the landlords acted in a totally reasonable manner - particularly given the failure of all the previous businesses on that site and the Herculean effort put in by Steve - then that's your choice. I just see a lost community asset and an empty building.

 

[Gramsci]

Why is this a fault of the landlord? If they suggested a rent rise with the offer of negotiation why did Steve not respond? Triple rent rise's grabs the headlines, but sometimes all is not properly explained. The toy shop in Herne Hill also seem to have been trying to pull the 'triple rent,we cannot survive', but it appears in reality they failed to engage with the apparent evil landlords.

That would be the Dulwich Estate:

The £5m revenue generated by Dulwich Estate owned properties is given to three local private schools – Dulwich College, JAGS and Alleyn's, a far cry from the organisation’s original mandate - to educate the poor.

Poor hard pressed landlords.

 

[Gramsci]

The best thing to happen to landlords would be to get rid of the lot of them.

 

[bimble]

They aren't on any routes that I currently use with any frequency so I've only travelled on one a few times but on each occasion it has pleased me. The interiors are much better than any standard bus, including the lighting. I don't read them as fake retro. I think they are quite successful in recalling some of the atmosphere of the old ones without being literal about it. There is perhaps a bit of knowing fake retro, with a touch of 60s psychedelia about it. There is no fake brass - there is some matt plastic that is a bit golden but I think the design gets away with it because of the way it's used. And I don't recall any fake marble.

I can see it's something that would have been difficult to get right within all the constraints which is why I reckon it's a pretty impressive piece of design.

The design faults that you can argue do exist - mainly functional ones - originate primarily in the brief.

You're right, they're pretty good. It's really just that goldy coloured plastic railing stuff I have a problem with.

 

[Gramsci]

Also want to ask what do people think of all the new routemaster buses on no3 and 159 routes? Don't like that so many seats downstairs face backwards. Have the frequency/timings of buses altered? I keep finding I'm late for work, but that could just be me. (I'm never sure of the exact time now the town hall clock isn't working)

Ive been on them on weekends. So do not know what they are like at other times.

I usually go upstairs on buses. I do think they have a bit more character than other buses. But as teuchter points out the baseline was pretty low.

Agree the facing backwards seats I avoid. Does not feel right.

They also seem to run more smoothly than other buses. Or is that just my imagination.

 

[leanderman]

Not brilliant for prams though.

Two don't fit very well in that downstairs slot, I discovered on the 159 last week

 

[shifting gears]

He doesn't care if the staff of The Baron are thrown on the dole after 40+ years service to Brixton, so I guess it's no surprise to see that he is unable to generate any understanding or empathy about the plight of Kaff.

Strange how his pals, the elusive rent tripling landlords, have never bothered to reply to the damning "PR whinge" from the tenant they booted out...

Let's not forget this beauty from the "things that should really annoy you but don't" thread

Gentrification - everything is cleaner, less violence. Generally nicer.

His card is marked and it's about time we wondered what he's actually doing on this forum in the first place, surely he could find a nice libertarian cesspit of a message board where he'd be welcomed with slimy, open arms

 

[leanderman]

Above post reported.

 

[shifting gears]

Above post reported.

Go for your life. You're 'alright Jack'

 

[Gramsci]

Why is this a fault of the landlord?.... The toy shop in Herne Hill also seem to have been trying to pull the 'triple rent,we cannot survive', but it appears in reality they failed to engage with the apparent evil landlords.

You make it sound like the small business owner was trying to pull a fast one. Says it all about where you stand.

I take it you were not one of the hundreds who marched in protest.


Hundreds protest at closure of beloved Herne Hill toy shop Just Williams