All’s Well. Never Give Up.

Written by Peter | Filed under Development, Eating & Drinking, Transport

What with bus crashes and Phil G retiring, it’s one of those times where everything seems a bit screwed. But, chin up! The sun is out and there’s a lot happening.

Let’s start with the good news. Today I had a day off and the chance to walk around Camberwell and see some of the good side of it. Breakfast at Johanssons followed by a swim at the Baths, and what a marvellous job they’ve done of restoring it; a really beautiful, first class job. The pool looks brilliant and enticing, the changing rooms are modern and clean. Well done to everyone involved. In the reception they’ve a cartoon from 1907 of the Camberwell Ladies fighting to keep the Baths open. Thanks to them, we can enjoy the pool 100 years later.

Later I had a patty from Patty Island, which I probably don’t mention enough even though they make tasty snacks.

Last weekend I went to The Crooked Well, and they’ve done a great job there too; a proper, full redevelopment, not just a lick of paint. The place was busy but we got a table, and the food was delicious. It’s not cheap — about £15 for a main — so it’s a place you’d go to for an occasion, not an off-the-cuff bite to eat (at least, that’s the case for me; richer readers may find that exceptional value). One gripe: the beer’s exactly the same as every other pubco pub. Would be nice to have some more tasty craft beers, but them’s the breaks, I guess.

There’s work going on at (the former?) Funky Munky. I asked in The Hermit’s what was going to happen there, and they said a pub with food, nothing different or more elaborate. All will be revealed.

The bad news? Well, not so much bad, as uncertain. Camberwell’s going through a change at the moment; the old Cypriot Camberwell is disappearing. Paul’s Continental seems to be over, Tadim show no signs of reopening, Cruson’s days are shortening fast… pretty soon only Sophocles (Edit: and The Vineyard) will remain. What will we become when Little Cyprus is forgotten?

More certainly, from 2012 Denmark Hill loses it’s direct connection to London Bridge. It means a change at Peckham Rye, an inconvenience for many people. Also, it could mean the loss of service to London Victoria, which is possibly more serious.

Those aren’t all the changes at Denmark Hill; the row of houses along Windsor Walk is finally being restored — seems they’re to be part of the Hospital, although would have been better if they were private residences, to make that walk seem a little safer at night. Also, work has begun on the new station entrance; a temporary footbridge will be introduced as a first step.

And talking of changes, Burgess Park is to be mostly closed off while the regeneration begins. There’s a map showing the areas that will be out of bounds for a while.

So, lots going on, more even than I’ve mentioned here. The Sun & Doves has had a stay of execution, the Mary Datchelor development looks lovely, work has begun on the old Town Hall buildings… as the Funky Munky used to say (paraphrasing Winston Churchill): Never Give Up.