Brixton Village/Granville Arcade indoor market, Brixton

[editor]

But in today's news there has been a 46% increase in usage in just three months. That's huge.

Well, yes and no. It's not quite so impressive if it's starting from a small base number, which it most likely is if it's only 5.3m transactions.

But the fact remains that at the moment, most people haven't got contactless cards and according to that article, most banks still aren't replacing them as standard, so it's got a fair way to go before the technology enjoys mainstream adoption.

Not quite sure why this conversation isn't taking place in the tech forum, btw.

 

[fortyplus]

The other thing about the contactless cards is that you can't keep them in the same part of your wallet as your Oyster otherwise you'll get a Seek Assistance error as you try to go through the gate.

 

[Dan U]

Marks & Spencer have rolled out contactless for purchases under £20.

not been a roaring success so far according to Moneybox on R4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22545804

 

[Crispy]

The other thing about the contactless cards is that you can't keep them in the same part of your wallet as your Oyster otherwise you'll get a Seek Assistance error as you try to go through the gate.

Keep them on different sides and put a sheet of foil between them? No idea if this works

 

[Rushy]

Keep them on different sides and put a sheet of foil between them? No idea if this works

"This is Money" editor wrote this today:​

my Barclaycard decided to start randomly paying for buses.

I first spotted this when I saw a series of bus fares on my statement, buses that I thought I had paid for using my Oyster card.

To cut a long and painful story of Barclaycard's woeful overseas customer services short, I discovered that my credit card was contactless and is set up to be able to pay for bus fares.

I said I didn’t want this, but it was explained that I can't have a non-contactless card – they don’t make them anymore – I can’t turn off the paying for buses bit, and that while my Oyster card should take precedence when I tap my wallet there was no guarantee it would.

The solution offered by these architects of a brave new world of contactless payments – I could buy another wallet and carry two around with me, one with the credit card in and one with my Oyster card.

 

[editor]

Keep them on different sides and put a sheet of foil between them? No idea if this works

I doubt it.

Ever since I've hard my contactless card I can't confidently swish past the tube gates because it interferes with my Oyster card. Pisses me right off that I have to get my card out every time

Oh, and only Barclaycards work as Oyster cards, and not Barclay debit cards. And I don't want a credit card, thanksverymuch.

 

[editor]

Keep them on different sides and put a sheet of foil between them? No idea if this works

Oh dear!

General question: shall I move all these posts to the tech forum so others can join in?

 

[Greebo]

Keep them on different sides and put a sheet of foil between them? No idea if this works

The bloke on Moneybox reckoned you should completely wrap the card you didn't want debited in foil.

 

[Winot]

Oh dear!

General question: shall I move all these posts to the tech forum so others can join in?

Good idea.

 

[editor]

Anyone else object before I get the shovel out?

 

[Rushy]

nope

 

[ska invita]

If that's the case why is the fruit n veg at Berwick St or Ridley Road somewhat better quality than Brixton or East St? There are plenty of places in and around London town to buy non-woody carrots or a cabbage in the prime of life. Sadly this bit of South London doesn't have many of them.

ive always presumed that its because traders in poorer areas buy the (nearly off) cheaper produce and try and make a better mark up (and sell a bit cheaper too). was thinking of starting a thread, where can you get good fruit and veg in south london that isnt within an inch of its life? - deserves its own thread though

 

[newbie]

Berwick St supplies restaurants & cafes which may explain why their stuff is better and frequently cheaper than Brixton. That doesn't apply to Dalston though, I don't think, surely that's still fundamentally a (gentrified) poor area like Brixton? You can find bruises and wrinkled skins in all markets, but in some of them there's also the stuff that's a few days fresher.

 

[editor]

The apples I get off the market are usually far nicer than the ones from the supermarket. And half the price too.

 

[ash]

Well I witnessed the man from cornercopia buying fish from Dagoons today. I also note that the village won the best private market award 2013 awarded by NABMA, at first glance I thought it was NAMBA which put me in mind of THAT south park episode

 

[editor]

Would it be too wild an idea to suggest that maybe the restaurants should get together with the street market traders to see if they can also stock the more esoteric items they need, rather than them ordering it elsewhere? Perhaps as a council initiative to help protect the traders' future?

 

[ffsear]

Or simply the market trades go round the restaurants and find out how my they are paying for XYZ and see if they can offer them a better deal. I'd be amazed if no market trader has done this yet

 

[Kanda]

I'd be amazed if no market trader has done this yet

I wouldn't be amazed if they haven't

 

[ffsear]

.

 

[Ms T]

I've been thinking about this and there are hardly any fruit and veg stalls left in the outdoor market. I really miss the elderly couple who used to be on the corner of Pope's Rd and Brixton Station Rd, who sold stuff like watercress and eggs as well as the usual. I once bought fancy mushrooms from a stall in Electric Avenue, sadly long gone. I reckon many people like me are using Nour and the farmer's market for their veg needs.

Has anyone seen any asparagus btw?

 

[cuppa tee]

Has anyone seen any asparagus btw?

Yes, £1.20 for a largish bundle on a market stall....... Very nice it was too

 

[Ms T]

Yes, £1.20 for a largish bundle on a market stall....... Very nice it was too

Scan you remember which one and was it British?

 

[cuppa tee]

Can you remember which one

Yes, it was the veg stall just before the Electric Lane junction next the lady who sells fruit.

and was it British?

I'm assuming it was because IME he only goes large on asparagus when it's in season so I didn't ask.

 

[fortyplus]

Would it be too wild an idea to suggest that maybe the restaurants should get together with the street market traders to see if they can also stock the more esoteric items they need, rather than them ordering it elsewhere? Perhaps as a council initiative to help protect the traders' future?

It's the sort of thing the Brixton Pound would like to be doing.

But it's difficult. Market trade is a cash business. Use a Covent Garden wholesale greengrocer specialising in the restaurant trade, you get fresh gear delivered to your place before you open (and long before the market stalls are up) and you pay monthly. You can phone your order through after you close, when you've done your stockcheck and depending on how your trade has been that night. You can get pea shoots and baby leaves and other stuff that you just don't see (and wouldn't sell) in the market. And the price? pass it on to the punter.

 

[editor]

I thought this might be worth requoting seeing as it was in the now closed May 2013 thread:

Intereting bit in the latest Private Eye about London & Associated Properties (L.A.P.) who own (or used to own?) Granville Arcade/Brixton Village and Market Row. It's owner is Michael Heller, close mate of David Cameron, donator of £25,000 to the Tory party and recently knighted in the new year honours list. L.A.P. own another shopping centre down in Eastbourne which collapsed in December and still hasn't been properly repaired or reopened. Some of the tenants are still being charged rent!

 

[leanderman]

I thought this might be worth requoting seeing as it was in the now closed May thread:

Bored one day, I checked out the Heller family. Seem to remember they live in a string of multi-million pound mansions in north London. They are philanthropic, with grants to Jewish care charities and the like.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

I thought this might be worth requoting seeing as it was in the now closed May 2013 thread:

Cheers, I was gonna do that - it belongs in this thread really.

I guess it's easy to be philanthropic when you're stinking rich.

 

[Frumious B.]

At least it shows some measure of community spirit. I wonder whether they approve of InShops' methods? One of the LAP directors comes to the market often - I'll try to set up a chat.

 

[quimcunx]

Marks & Spencer have rolled out contactless for purchases under £20.

not been a roaring success so far according to Moneybox on R4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22545804

I use it every time I shop in M&S (providing it's under £20, which it usually is). I love it.

 

[blameless77]

Posting here, because 'Brixton Village' routinely block or remove anything 'honest' posted on their facebook page, and frankly, it's gone far enough!

Is anyone else bothered by their habit of:
- only promoting the 'new' businesses
- routinely showing photographs that are not representative of all of the market users, or the general population (this is a particularly egregious example:

Is someone paying them to present 'Brixton Village' as some kind of yuppie paradise, rather than portraying an honest view of 'Granville Arcade' with ALL it's users/shoppers/workers?