Month: October 2012

Turkish Food Centre offers Camberwell taste of the Mediterranean

Comments on my previous posting on the new Tesco Express remind me that I had intended to post an article extolling the virtues of the newish Turkish Food Centre (pictured) on Camberwell New Road. So here it is.

 

The new deli opened earlier this summer on Camberwell New Road opposite the Bear Pub in what was a stationery shop.

The TFC offers a fantastic range of bread, cakes, meat, fresh fruit and veg and much much more. It is part of a chain of currently 14 shops around London. This is a very welcome addition to Camberwell.  I thoroughly recommend it!

Turkish Food Centre website

Changes to Rail Services from Denmark Hill

On the 9th of December the Overground begins running through Denmark Hill station, completing the loop around London. The line will run between Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction, opening up many more tube and train services.

This comes at the expense of the South London Line, which means a reduced (no evenings or Sundays) service to Victoria, and no direct service to London Bridge — a change at Peckham Rye will be necessary.

The service from Denmark Hill at peak times will be as follows:

  • Four trains per hour to St Pancras (some continue to Luton);
  • Four trains per hour to Bromley South (some continue to Sevenoaks and Orpington);
  • Three trains per hour to Victoria;
  • Three trains per hour to Lewisham;
  • Four trains per hour to Clapham Junction; and
  • Four trains per hour to Highbury & Islington.

Further service changes may occur in 2014, when the Southeastern franchise is up for renewal, and 2018, when the Thameslink project is completed.

The loss of the South London Line will certainly affect some people negatively, but I think the extra services on the Overground will be ample compensation for the majority; this really does open Camberwell up, especially for those who live in SoCam (I made that up; it’s short for South Camberwell).

Much of this information comes from the latest Camberwell Quarterly.

Beer, Food, Rumours, and the Neighbours

I started this as a comment, but it grew so long I may as well turn it into a post…

Open and shut cases: Odie & Amanda (Grove Lane, nr. Denmark Hill station) has closed down; Tadim is currently closed “for decoration, until further notice”. Have heard that the Cadeleigh could open under new management as they couldn’t get change of use permission, and Hoopers could close. I went into Hoopers for the first time this weekend, and was amazed at their beer selection; really good. It was very quiet, but it was the night of the downpour so didn’t read too much into that.

And talking of beer, went to the East Dulwich Beer Festival on Saturday, and the three pubs I went in were heaving. First the Draft House, then the Bishop, then the EDT. And it wasn’t just regular Saturday night trade, lots of people were out specifically for the festival. Could we run one in Camberwell? I suspect the lack of freehouses would count against us. If only there were some expert on the local pub scene we could ask…

One of the special beers for the festival was Prima Donna from A Head In A Hat brewery of Brixton. All of the hops were grown in the gardens of local volunteers. Beautiful.

I also went to the evening food market for Elefest, and had an amazing Scotch Egg from Egg Boss, a resident of this parish. He sells at Brockley Market generally, after an unsuccessful attempt at the farmers market on the Green (which seems to be shrinking).

There’s so much going on around us.

Tesco comes to Camberwell

And so it has finally happened: Tesco has broken into central Camberwell.

New Tesco Express Camberwell New Road

When I walked past today they were putting the final touches to a new Tesco Express store (pictured) next to the bus garage on Camberwell New Road. It is on the ground floor of the new block of flats being developed. The new shop is set to open shortly

As far as I can see it there are positives and negatives in this situation.

First the positives: it will generally bring reasonable good quality food to Camberwell, it will help to regenerate a part of Camberwell that is looking a bit down at heel currently and it is not a betting shop or fried chicken shop, of which we seem to have many already. It is also positive that the new development, of which the Tesco is part, will bring more people into central Camberwell which will, I hope, eventually lead to regeneration of the whole area and demand which will longer term make a reopening of Camberwell station/ improved transport  more viable.

Negatives include the concerns about the perceived creeping take over of the world by Tesco, the effect on the existing independent Camberwell traders and possible increased traffic.

What do you think? Let the debate begin…