things we will and will not miss about west norwood...

for those of you who have ever been to SE27 - West Norwood here are some of the things that we will and will not miss!





We will miss......


the people in our street -
such a mix of people...those born in their houses 60+ years ago who married people from the same street, and those that we have known since arriving ( getting locked out on day two! ) those neighbours that we accosted and asked to look after our cat and since have shared numerous curries with! And those neighbours that have arrived in the last few years who are more than happy for us to pop round for a cup of tea / clove of garlic, olive oil /cup of sugar! ... or for N to share a bath with their boys or a bowl of pasta at their kitchen table....I suppose I am saying the ease that we have with all the people in ST J Farm Road...





Revamp http://www.revampinteriors.co.uk/
a fabulous emporium of fabrics...where we earned the nickname of Mr and Mrs Difficult..but where we can arrive at 11 for a browse, chat, meet people in the shop and chat some more and realise it is already 12 45 ...!


the library - http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/68572156-8A2A-4458-B932-2DEBD7FFB33C/0/WestNorwoodLibrary.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/LeisureCulture/Libraries/WestNorwood.htm&h=133&w=200&sz=6&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=JbjUj9YRHWA7RM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwest%2Bnorwood%2Blibrary%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DHPEB,HPEB:2006-17,HPEB:en%26sa%3DN

pre Nelly - a previously undiscovered treasure...where else can you take a one year old on a wet Tuesday afternoon...also great books and no fines if you are a child!

The Views

the view on the way down to the station over London......on a clear day we can see the whole of Canary Wharf...

the fishmongers -
a good little plaice!!!!

Beamish and McGlue -

opened two years ago by James Nesbitt... when I went in realised it was owned by a woman I was in a play with nearly 20 years ago! Wow what a small world and great for carrot cake and coffee...

Cafe Girasol and Sorrento
not been open long but cafe Girasol does great Portuguese cakes..Sorrento - a true greasy spoon with fab pasta for about £3 a bowl!

Hollywood Nails - file and polish for a fiver! ! what more can I say!

The cemetery -
based on the fact that we have walked around it precisely once and it is an amazing place, Mrs Beeton, Julius Reuter, Sir Henry Tate all laid to rest in SE27 - as well as the fact that Rob did a major selling job on West Norwood to one of the people that made an offer on the house telling them all about the amazing cemetry ... they went and visited and made an offer !


The Rosendale

( on the fringe of SE27 but within walking distance of our house ) and was voted Gastropub of the year Time Out 2007! fab Ostrich with nutmeg last week!

the little farmers' market -
that is held in the high street every two weeks and started on the day we got our letter with details of referral! we were floating about two feet off the ground !





Newsagent on Wolfington Road -

whenever I used to go in at 7 30 on a weekday morning Mr P would ask ' Cat Hungry! ' nowadays he sees me during the day ( no work) popping in for the latest issue of Grazia!


The guys in Oddbins...
all round good guys - enthused about wine and normally playing good music in store..


South London Decorators Merchants..
so much paint copy of Farrow and Ball paint on our walls! and such friendly staff


the fact that we are a stones throw away from Dulwich...good bookshops, gift shops...clothes shops.etc



the hope that all the people who live in SE27 have that the place will get better !


WILL NOT MISS........

Woolworths
that has nothing on the shelves!

Pound shops ....
an ever increasing number of pound shops and chicken shops!


Yellow signs in the road -
announcing some anti social behaviour to put it mildly!



Parking

not being able to park outside the house


Dorothy Nichol -

formerly known as Olive W Norwood's premier shopping destination! the name says it all!

Traffic
The traffic from the South Circular into West Norwood

Education
The constant chat about where you are going to send your child to school! and she is not even two yet!


More Traffic
The traffic in general all over London ...the speeding in residential roads ...need I say more,..


no decent coffee shops within walking distance of the house/...


Redevelopment
the fact that Lambeth council constantly talk about development of the area always ends up with more pound shops and chicken huts!

Ridiculous Rcycling Policies

the fact that if I want my garden waste collected and I know that my neighbour has some too - that I call up the local Council and like a good citizen I ask them to collect my neighbour's garden waste too BUT no...they have to call up separately thus ensuring another trip from our ecologically friendly council!!!!!!!!!