Brixton news, rumours and general chat - Sept 2013

[Rushy]

I still don't see that as a land grab. Maybe I'm used to this approach, growing up in inner suburban Melbourne it was really common. When lots of houses were originally built they had huge gardens and many people didnt want such big gardens so sold them off

In the Gong where my Mum lives people were selling their homes and developers were building 15 storey blocks with 60 units on a single plot. I think there is one old colonial house left on the waterfront - surrounded by towers!

 

[shakespearegirl]

In the Gong where my Mum lives people were selling their homes and developers were building 15 storey blocks with 60 units on a single plot. I think there is one old colonial house left on the waterfront - surrounded by towers!

That is awful. If people think UK planning process is bad, they should visit Australia.

I remember living in a very small shithole town and the council had a middle of the night secret planning meeting to hear and approve a planning application from McDonalds. The next morning contractors moved in and knocked down a building of historical interest. Funnily enough the McDonalds had a very odd and hard to access car park, as the head of the council had sold them the land it was situated on at a vastly inflated price

Very Muriel's wedding...

 

[leanderman]

I still don't get your problem with that? They wanted a building plot and the original house still has a decent size garden.

My point was that they have just cleaned up - and cleared out.

 

[leanderman]

I still don't see that as a land grab. Maybe I'm used to this approach, growing up in inner suburban Melbourne it was really common. When lots of houses were originally built they had huge gardens and many people didnt want such big gardens so sold them off

These people might have lived in those homes for years.

I would bet that, in the present case, the couple did not spend a night in the original house before selling it on.

 

[Rushy]

That is awful. If people think UK planning process is bad, they should visit Australia.

I remember living in a very small shithole town and the council had a middle of the night secret planning meeting to hear and approve a planning application from McDonalds. The next morning contractors moved in and knocked down a building of historical interest. Funnily enough the McDonalds had a very odd and hard to access car park, as the head of the council had sold them the land it was situated on at a vastly inflated price

Very Muriel's wedding...

Yep - the council down there is so horribly corrupt. I love those Aussie films. People just don't realise how true they are (or at least used to be - Aus has changed so much in the past 20yrs)!

 

[Ms Ordinary]

Yes it's safer. Wider range of food available (and I don't beleive you don't like ANY of the places you've tried!). You think ALL pubs have changed for the worst?! Housing is a fair-ish point, but it's a tricky one. Vacant lots have been brought back into use, and that's got to be a good thing.

You're aging and you're seriously unhinged.

I don't feel any more less safe in Brixton than I used to, but then - like plenty of other people - I never found it a particularly unsafe place anyway, it's always been busy enough to feel quite safe, in the town centre at least.
It's definitely whiter these days, which does seem to make (some) white people feel safer.

 

[Rushy]

These people might have lived in those homes for years.

I would bet that, in the present case, the couple did not spend a night in the original house before selling it on.

I still don't get it? It would have been ok if the person living there had split it but not ok for the person who bought it to split it?

Pretty sure they said they lived there whilst they got planning and did construction which covered a few years.

 

[Onket]

I don't feel any more less safe in Brixton than I used to, but then - like plenty of other people - I never found it a particularly unsafe place anyway, it's always been busy enough to feel quite safe, in the town centre at least.
It's definitely whiter these days, which does seem to make (some) white people feel safer.

Less dealers, less beggars, less people barging into you like the pavement is actually a narrow corridor. Less street ranters. It's still a fucking antisocial place compared to somewhere like Hackney or Peckham, where people actually smile at each other, but it's MUCH better than it was 10 or so years ago.

 

[shakespearegirl]

I love those Aussie films. People just don't realise how true they are (or at least used to be - Aus has changed so much in the past 20yrs)!

Places like Sydney and Melbourne have changed a lot. The country less so. I'm always shocked at how racist and backwards bits of it still are.

Part of my honeymoon was spent in Australia and it was the first time Mr Shakes had been there. He is half Indian and in some of the smaller towns we went to he got stared at.

My brother is a BIT of a redneck to say the least, when he met Mr Shakes last year he turned around to me in front of him and said 'I didn't realised you'd married a darky'

 

[leanderman]

I still don't get it? It would have been ok if the person living there had split it but not ok for the person who bought it to split it?

Pretty sure they said they lived there whilst they got planning and did construction which covered a few years.

Yes

and

That's not what I recall happening. But may be wrong. I can remember them complaining bitterly that they had to sell their Essex home to pay for the build.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Crown and Anchor. I've only had good beers there myself. Can see how the place would not be to everyone's taste, but I have to say the landlord really does his utmost to keep customers happy and feeling welcome.

There a bit OTT I feel. The ales are good and not overly priced if you have a normal english one. Had this strong Lambeth Walk porter a couple of weeks ago which warmed me up no end.

 

[TruXta]

There a bit OTT I feel. The ales are good and not overly priced if you have a normal english one. Had this strong Lambeth Walk porter a couple of weeks ago which warmed me up no end.

Who's a bit OTT?

 

[editor]

I like the Crown & Anchor too.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Who's a bit OTT?

The staff are all a bit OTT with the smiles and how are yous etc
Obviously not as bad as Pret-a-Manger.

 

[TruXta]

The staff are all a bit OTT with the smiles and how are yous etc
Obviously not as bad as Pret-a-Manger.

They are noticeably more service oriented than many other places, but they also know their stuff so I'm happy either way.

 

[Rushy]

Yes

and

That's not what I recall happening. But may be wrong. I can remember them complaining bitterly that they had to sell their Essex home to pay for the build.

Fair enough but I don't see a problem with it - either the land should be "splitable" or it should not.

As for the rest, you have made me want to get nosey:
They bought 41 Kings Ave in July 06 for 465K and sold it in Jan 10 for 525K after renovating it (according to this - the prices are slightly different but the prices and dates I've quoted come from Zoopla).

teuchter

 

[teuchter]

My point was that they have just cleaned up - and cleared out.

This doesn't seem to be based on any actual knowledge about what happened. But in any case, what would you have preferred? The plot to remain empty? For it to have been developed in a bog standard way where there probably would have been much more profit than they made?

 

[Chilavert]

They are noticeably more service oriented than many other places, but they also know their stuff so I'm happy either way.

I was in there ages ago and one of the (new I assume) members of bar staff was being tested on the range of beers by one of the managers; I was impressed.

 

[cuppa tee]

The staff are all a bit OTT with the smiles and how are yous etc
Obviously not as bad as Pret-a-Manger.

You mean they do that to everyone, I thought I was special
Anyway I was glad to see them selling traditional bitter at under 4%
recently but still prefer to drink outdoors where old and nu- Brixton
Meet rather than inside.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

Less dealers, less beggars, less people barging into you like the pavement is actually a narrow corridor. Less street ranters. It's still a fucking antisocial place compared to somewhere like Hackney or Peckham, where people actually smile at each other, but it's MUCH better than it was 10 or so years ago.

I reckon, for me, the increase in people / places that are a bit annoying has left the Net Friendliness Factor unchanged, it certainly hasn't gone up significantly. But then, I found it pretty sociable at street level in years gone by as well . Anyway, we've moved on from safety there, & I can't deny I like some of the changes that have happened. I don't even mind the hipster influx - young people in silly clothes can never be an entirely bad thing.

 

[el-ahrairah]

young people in silly clothes can never be an entirely bad thing.

tell that to shoreditch

 

[Gramsci]

went on this walk - it was very worthwhile. Did you know about the mosaics based on William Blake's poem illustrations under the two railway arches off Hercules Road? Me neither.

The mosaics are worth seeing. Sadly they seem to be forgotten. Hardly see anyone there looking at them.

William Blake lived there. It was still partly countryside then.

 

[footballerslegs]

I know this has already been picked up by Leanderman on twitter, and it might be common knowledge, but thought it was worth mentioning that it's now possible to shop at Nour Cash and Carry and leave groceries to be donated to Brixton Food Bank. I think this is a great idea for loads of reasons, but particularly for me because I struggle to get to the Food Bank to donate, and I object to doing it via Tesco (who have a similar scheme).

 

[shakespearegirl]

I know this has already been picked up by Leanderman on twitter, and it might be common knowledge, but thought it was worth mentioning that it's now possible to shop at Nour Cash and Carry and leave groceries to be donated to Brixton Food Bank. I think this is a great idea for loads of reasons, but particularly for me because I struggle to get to the Food Bank to donate, and I object to doing it via Tesco (who have a similar scheme).[/quote]

That is a great idea.

 

[leanderman]

This doesn't seem to be based on any actual knowledge about what happened. But in any case, what would you have preferred? The plot to remain empty? For it to have been developed in a bog standard way where there probably would have been much more profit than they made?

That seems to me to be what has happened.

They have made a million. Not a bad profit!

http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/y...y_home/superefficienticecubehousebrixton.html

 

[Gramsci]

Yes it's safer. Wider range of food available (and I don't beleive you don't like ANY of the places you've tried!). You think ALL pubs have changed for the worst?! Housing is a fair-ish point, but it's a tricky one. Vacant lots have been brought back into use, and that's got to be a good thing.

You're aging and you're seriously unhinged.

Safer compared to 10 years ago? That is 2003. It was just as safe then as it is now.

I never found central Brixton unsafe. Even during the period of the riots.

 

[Onket]

Safer compared to 10 years ago? That is 2003. It was just as safe then as it is now.

I never found central Brixton unsafe. Even during the period of the riots.

I have put further detail in my later posts. Yes 10 years, yes 2003.

 

[Gramsci]

I love those Aussie films. People just don't realise how true they are (or at least used to be - Aus has changed so much in the past 20yrs)!

Places like Sydney and Melbourne have changed a lot. The country less so. I'm always shocked at how racist and backwards bits of it still are.

Part of my honeymoon was spent in Australia and it was the first time Mr Shakes had been there. He is half Indian and in some of the smaller towns we went to he got stared at.

My brother is a BIT of a redneck to say the least, when he met Mr Shakes last year he turned around to me in front of him and said 'I didn't realised you'd married a darky'

The coffee bar I sometimes use in Soho in Australian. Really good coffee. The manageress is Polish. Which is nice. Coffee is big in the more cosmopolitan areas.

This film is about Redneck loggers vs Treehuggers. One of the Aussies at the coffee bar said Tasmania is like that.

 

[Gramsci]

I have put further detail in my later posts. Yes 10 years, yes 2003.

I see you have. I disagree except for street dealers. Who seem to have gone. Which might be more to do with use of internet (Silkroad) and mobiles than anything else.

I never had a problem with beggars or ranters. So do not count there numbers as making any difference to whether Brixton is better or not.

 

[leanderman]

Fair enough but I don't see a problem with it - either the land should be "splitable" or it should not.

As for the rest, you have made me want to get nosey:
They bought 41 Kings Ave in July 06 for 465K and sold it in Jan 10 for 525K after renovating it (according to this - the prices are slightly different but the prices and dates I've quoted come from Zoopla).

teuchter

Details are in the ES story below.