Thanks to Caroline for pointing me to this article about Deptford in the New York Times.
I can't believe the only shop they thought worthy of a mention on the high street was Goddard's!
And as for the photo....
THE DEPTFORD DAME
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Ha'penny Hatch artists
It's worth taking a walk down to the Ha'penny Hatch footbridge not only for the view of the Creek and the chance to sneak up on a heron paddling in the shallow waters, but also to see the latest offerings in the arches. For too long these white-painted spaces have attracted nothing but ugly spray-painted tags and the scrawlings of illiterates.
It's a delight to see that they are now adorned by something worth of the graceful curve of the bricks and the inviting whiteness of the paint.
Panic on the streets of Deptford by Suffoca
Fuzon groan'd on the tree (inspired by William Blake's mythology) by Riccardo Attanasio (Matlakas)
And a second one by Matlakas, my personal favourite. The marine and nautical references are perfect for the location.
It's a delight to see that they are now adorned by something worth of the graceful curve of the bricks and the inviting whiteness of the paint.
Panic on the streets of Deptford by Suffoca
Fuzon groan'd on the tree (inspired by William Blake's mythology) by Riccardo Attanasio (Matlakas)
And a second one by Matlakas, my personal favourite. The marine and nautical references are perfect for the location.
Monday, 16 March 2009
New bike shop on Creek Road
The long-awaited opening of a new branch of Cycles UK in Deptford has been confirmed for Saturday 4 April.
The Dame first mentioned this way back in October; it has taken till now for the shop to finally start getting fitted out.
I'll be reporting back with a full review once it is open - cycle supplies/repairs being a central part of the Dame's commuting life - until then you can see what is happening by checking out the shop's blog.
The Dame first mentioned this way back in October; it has taken till now for the shop to finally start getting fitted out.
I'll be reporting back with a full review once it is open - cycle supplies/repairs being a central part of the Dame's commuting life - until then you can see what is happening by checking out the shop's blog.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
An alternative view
Andrew Gilligan has written a column in praise of Deptford. If you are interested in what he thinks of our quaint little community, you can find it here.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Deptford redevelopment plans
I have been a little remiss about reporting back on the plans for the redevelopment of Giffin Street and surrounds that were shown at the exhibition at the end of January, but here they are now.
Firstly, a round-up of the current situation, to set the scene. Although the aerial photograph from the Lewisham Council masterplan is slightly out of date, it will give you an idea of things.
The two grey circles in the upper right side of the picture are the Wavelengths centre; the horizontal line at the top of the picture is the railway line, and the vertical line crossing it on the right is Deptford Church Street.
Missing off the picture is the new pool at Wavelengths, and the picture still shows the Women & Baby Health Centre (4) which has since been demolished (presumably housed elsewhere, perhaps in the new Waldron Health Centre?).
The numbers show:
1. Giffin Street car park
2. Frankham Street car park (currently closed)
3. Wavelengths
4. Mother & baby centre
5. Access point & council offices
6. Toilets (Which I had no idea even existed, but then I do live close enough to use my own!)
7. Giffin Business centre
8. Minzel Works (apparently an attractive building which is only used by market traders for storage at the moment)
9. Flats to be retained on Giffin and Frankham Streets
10. Tidemill School - pay attention to this one, it will be important
11a Giffin Square (the scrubby bit on the corner with lots of wonky paving stones and nasty street furniture)
11b Frankham Street open space
11c The grassy bit on the end of Reginald Road that looks like it would be good for allotments (my words, not Lewisham Council's!)
The changes that are proposed:
1. Wavelengths: with the new pool and changing facilities completed, the next stage will be the relocation of the library and the redevelopment of the existing library space into a new ground-level gym. This is some time away, given the fact that the library cannot move until part 4 is completed.
2a. Giffin Square: This is proposed to be refurbished into a market square and gathering place, including a café with external seating which will be located in the same building as the library and the relocated public toilets.
2b. The existing Job Centre will be relocated (no details of where it will be going) and the building will be redeveloped into new flats with room for a restaurant at ground level.
More details and FAQs here.
3. Tidemill School and 4. Deptford Lounge
This is where it gets quite exciting and interesting. The proposal is to transform a large car park and collection of dull modern buildings into a new home for Tidemill School, and an open access building for Deptford which will house the library, public rooms, toilets, a cafe and council facilities as well as some new artists studios. The intention is that parts of the school such as the halls, ball court, music and cookery rooms will be available for use by community groups out of school hours.
Giffin Square is in the foreground, the Deptford Lounge is the main building.
More information and FAQs here.
5a. Deptford Station.
Ah, Deptford Station indeed! Apparently all wrangling over planning permission, funding etc etc is now finished, and the project is truly moving on to the next stage. Money has been allocated, planning permission obtained, agreement reached over the main elements of the design, and Network Rail is due to start construction in due course, with the station planned for completion at the start of 2011. Good news for commuters - services will not be affected during the work.
5b and 5c relate to the transformation of the carriage ramp and the station forecourt. If you're not as jaded as hearing about this as I am, click here for more info and FAQs about this and the station.
6 a/b/c. Improvement and maintenance of existing council-owned housing on Giffin Street, Frankham Street and surrounds. I'm not sure what the current parking arrangements are for residents, but they should be aware that the council is intending to make it a controlled parking zone, which may have implications for them. FAQs here.
8a. New housing to be built on the site of the old Tidemill School by Quadrant Housing Association - with preference given to local residents and including family homes, not just one and two-bed flats presumably.
8b. Princess Louise Institute redevelopment on Hales Street, which is now completed.
FAQs on both these are here.
Two major items are missing, in my opinion. I realise they might not fit within the strict remit of the regeneration department, but I feel they are central to improving the environment for residents and visitors to Deptford town centre.
The first is the need to address the appalling traffic problems on the northern end of the High Street, which is a rat run for commuters and after about 6pm on weekdays turns into a grim scene of bad parking and aggressive driving. I'm not advocating closing it to traffic totally (except on Saturdays as it is already), and I recognise that many of the drivers who make it hellish in the evening are also customers for the local businesses. But how about one-way traffic and some bollards on the pavements to prevent people blocking them with badly-parked SUVs?
I understand that the plans for Giffin Square include integrating road traffic at the same level as pedestrians and minimising separation in order to reduce driving speeds - a tactic which has proved useful elsewhere. But I feel that something a bit more drastic should be considered by the highways department in order to try and make a more substantial improvement on the whole street.
Secondly is the omission of improvements to the market square in Douglas Way and the area outside the Albany. This badly needs a facelift, and it would be great if it could be redeveloped at the same time and in the same way as Giffin Square, to give the whole of the market area a feeling of continuity, and tie it together visually.
Firstly, a round-up of the current situation, to set the scene. Although the aerial photograph from the Lewisham Council masterplan is slightly out of date, it will give you an idea of things.
The two grey circles in the upper right side of the picture are the Wavelengths centre; the horizontal line at the top of the picture is the railway line, and the vertical line crossing it on the right is Deptford Church Street.
Missing off the picture is the new pool at Wavelengths, and the picture still shows the Women & Baby Health Centre (4) which has since been demolished (presumably housed elsewhere, perhaps in the new Waldron Health Centre?).
The numbers show:
1. Giffin Street car park
2. Frankham Street car park (currently closed)
3. Wavelengths
4. Mother & baby centre
5. Access point & council offices
6. Toilets (Which I had no idea even existed, but then I do live close enough to use my own!)
7. Giffin Business centre
8. Minzel Works (apparently an attractive building which is only used by market traders for storage at the moment)
9. Flats to be retained on Giffin and Frankham Streets
10. Tidemill School - pay attention to this one, it will be important
11a Giffin Square (the scrubby bit on the corner with lots of wonky paving stones and nasty street furniture)
11b Frankham Street open space
11c The grassy bit on the end of Reginald Road that looks like it would be good for allotments (my words, not Lewisham Council's!)
The changes that are proposed:
1. Wavelengths: with the new pool and changing facilities completed, the next stage will be the relocation of the library and the redevelopment of the existing library space into a new ground-level gym. This is some time away, given the fact that the library cannot move until part 4 is completed.
2a. Giffin Square: This is proposed to be refurbished into a market square and gathering place, including a café with external seating which will be located in the same building as the library and the relocated public toilets.
2b. The existing Job Centre will be relocated (no details of where it will be going) and the building will be redeveloped into new flats with room for a restaurant at ground level.
More details and FAQs here.
3. Tidemill School and 4. Deptford Lounge
This is where it gets quite exciting and interesting. The proposal is to transform a large car park and collection of dull modern buildings into a new home for Tidemill School, and an open access building for Deptford which will house the library, public rooms, toilets, a cafe and council facilities as well as some new artists studios. The intention is that parts of the school such as the halls, ball court, music and cookery rooms will be available for use by community groups out of school hours.
Giffin Square is in the foreground, the Deptford Lounge is the main building.
More information and FAQs here.
5a. Deptford Station.
Ah, Deptford Station indeed! Apparently all wrangling over planning permission, funding etc etc is now finished, and the project is truly moving on to the next stage. Money has been allocated, planning permission obtained, agreement reached over the main elements of the design, and Network Rail is due to start construction in due course, with the station planned for completion at the start of 2011. Good news for commuters - services will not be affected during the work.
5b and 5c relate to the transformation of the carriage ramp and the station forecourt. If you're not as jaded as hearing about this as I am, click here for more info and FAQs about this and the station.
6 a/b/c. Improvement and maintenance of existing council-owned housing on Giffin Street, Frankham Street and surrounds. I'm not sure what the current parking arrangements are for residents, but they should be aware that the council is intending to make it a controlled parking zone, which may have implications for them. FAQs here.
8a. New housing to be built on the site of the old Tidemill School by Quadrant Housing Association - with preference given to local residents and including family homes, not just one and two-bed flats presumably.
8b. Princess Louise Institute redevelopment on Hales Street, which is now completed.
FAQs on both these are here.
Two major items are missing, in my opinion. I realise they might not fit within the strict remit of the regeneration department, but I feel they are central to improving the environment for residents and visitors to Deptford town centre.
The first is the need to address the appalling traffic problems on the northern end of the High Street, which is a rat run for commuters and after about 6pm on weekdays turns into a grim scene of bad parking and aggressive driving. I'm not advocating closing it to traffic totally (except on Saturdays as it is already), and I recognise that many of the drivers who make it hellish in the evening are also customers for the local businesses. But how about one-way traffic and some bollards on the pavements to prevent people blocking them with badly-parked SUVs?
I understand that the plans for Giffin Square include integrating road traffic at the same level as pedestrians and minimising separation in order to reduce driving speeds - a tactic which has proved useful elsewhere. But I feel that something a bit more drastic should be considered by the highways department in order to try and make a more substantial improvement on the whole street.
Secondly is the omission of improvements to the market square in Douglas Way and the area outside the Albany. This badly needs a facelift, and it would be great if it could be redeveloped at the same time and in the same way as Giffin Square, to give the whole of the market area a feeling of continuity, and tie it together visually.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Deptford Dark Nights
Watch out for a series of free public projections around Deptford in February and March. Short films and video works made about or by local people will be projected onto public spaces in the area.
More information on the Arts Service Un-Incorporated website here.
More information on the Arts Service Un-Incorporated website here.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Deptford town centre - future plans
If you want to know what's in store for Deptford town centre, make a date to come along to the Access Point building in Giffin Square on 30/31 January to the public exhibition that is being held there.
The council has now been granted planning permission for many of the schemes under the programme to revitalise Deptford town centre and you will be able to find out more about what this involves.
Schemes include:
- the Deptford Lounge; billed as a combination of public library and council services centre; with facilities for lifelong learning and a café
- construction of the new Tidemill School; this 'enhanced educational environment' (sorry that's the press release speak!) will provide an important hub for the community, the council says. The new school and library will be fronted by a public space formed by extending and improving Giffin Square, and 'will be supported by public realm improvements across the area'. Which I hope means that they are going to give us some non-wonky paving stones and replace those revolting bollards and other assorted scruffy bits of street furniture with something that looks good and is durable.
- additional developments in the area will include; new work units and new parking facilities; improved leisure facilities (I'm not sure if that refers to the new pool or if other things are planned) and the provision of mixed social and private housing
- improvements to Deptford Station (HURRAH! Maybe even some time this decade?!)
Cynicism aside, this is a great opportunity to find out about future plans for the Deptford.
On Friday 30th it runs from 12 till 7pm, with Pickelily magician at 3.45pm.
On Saturday 31st it's from 10am till 4pm with face-painting all day, and a lion dance at 2pm, to celebrate the lunar new year.
If you can't make it, you can view some of the proposals here, (although I think some of the dates have slipped since this was written).
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Planned changes at New Cross
Sainsbury's is holding a series of exhibitions next weekend to explain the planned changes to its New Cross store. The aim is to improve the high street around the station and to make it more attractive to and user-friendly for pedestrians.
There is a website here which is intended to go live on 23 January. Until then, hop over to Brockley Central for more information.
There is a website here which is intended to go live on 23 January. Until then, hop over to Brockley Central for more information.
Friday, 16 January 2009
Deptford fish shops: second only to Billingsgate
Readers of this blog who have never ventured down Deptford High Street, or haven't been here recently, will probably question my claim that the availability of wet fish on the high street is second only in London to the range you can find at Billingsgate.
But this modest parade of shops boasts no fewer than THREE shops, solely (*groan sorry!*) devoted to fish, and at least three more that sell a range of wet fish alongside meat, fruit and veg, and groceries. Salt cod fish is available in many of the grocery shops and some also sell dried smoked fish and dried shrimps too.
Let's start at what I call the 'bottom' end of the High Street, which is actually the north end (Creek Road). Walking towards the railway station, the first place you come across is Lai Loi, the double-fronted oriental food store which always has stacks of boxes of fresh fish and seafood on the right-hand side of the shop front, along with fresh veg and fruit on the left-hand side. Venture in for all manner of groceries, noodles both fresh and dried, sauces, dumplings, and fridges full of chillies, lemongrass and many other things I can't identify without help! Lai Loi also counts as one of the high street's few 'late night' shops, staying open till round about 9pm most nights (although to be fair a lot of the independent food shops do open till about 7pm every night).
Pass under the railway, and you'll soon come to the first of the dedicated wet fish shops, the relative newcomer Deptford Seafood Centre. If you are a lover of shellfish and crustaceans of all weird and wonderful types, this will probably be your favourite plaice (*oops I just can't help myself!*). It often has bundles of razor clams on sale, their innards oozing out of the damp newspaper wrapping like some kind of oversize pasta, as well as several different types and sizes of crabs, and various familiar and unfamiliar shellfish. I like it for its fresh whole king prawns which you can buy by weight rather than in pre packed boxes. It also sells a large range of fish.
A few paces further on and you come to a small grocers shop on the left hand side (directly opposite my favourite grocers, Housewives Cash and Carry). Until fairly recently this shop didn't sell any wet fish, but either it has changed hands or the owner has decided to jump on the bandwagon in the hope of tapping into what seems to be Deptford's insatiable desire for seafood. It has a modest range of fish on offer, neatly arranged on a bed of ice in front of the shop. I can't say whether it's any good or not, I'm not a customer.
Keeping to the same side of the high street, the next dedicated fish shop is just a few doors down - and this one specialises in frozen fish. Lobo Seafood Shop ('Lobo means good fish' we are told helpfully on the sign above the door). The shop is small but has freezers full of catering-size boxes and bags of fish, prawns and seafood. Here you can buy tilapia, parrot fish, catfish, barramundi, grouper, mahi mahi, and milkfish, alongside more recognisable species such as mackerel and tuna. There is also almost a whole fridge full of smoked fish of various types. All the fish on sale is frozen, most of it in bags containing several portions, or full boxes, but prices seem to be very reasonable.
A little way further along the road comes the imposing double-front of My Butchers - the place does mostly deal in meat, but it also sells bags of fish from the huge tables on the pavement outside. On Saturdays in particular you will find the tables overflowing with plastic bags filled with peppers, scotch bonnet chillis, okra and root ginger extend the shopfront halfway across the pavement, and the 'everything in the bag for a pound/fiver/tenner' philosophy also extends to the fish. Which is probably why I have never bought anything here. If you are lucky, you might pass by on one of the days when they have a box full of enormous live snails on sale.
My favourite fishmongers stands a couple of doors further along the High Street - the venerable Cod Father's (can you see where I get it from?!). Most days they offer a modest selection of wet fish - mackerel, salmon, tuna, red snapper, sea bass and so on - but on Saturdays they really push the boat out (*I will stop soon, I promise*).
Pinky-white expanses of skate wings; monster lumps of tuna or swordfish from which a steak can be cut to your exact specifications; the old favourites cod, smoked haddock, plaice, mackerel, whitebait rub shoulders with boxes of fresh lobsters and crabs, bags of mussels, whole squid in sizes ranging from tiny to ginormous, monkfish, scallops and even octopus on occasion. Sometimes you can get fresh oysters. You might see them bringing out a huge steaming vat full of freshly-boiled lobsters or crabs which are sold as soon as they are cool enough to be handled. Just stand and watch the trade for ten minutes or so on a Saturday morning (perhaps while waiting to be served - sometimes it's a bit chaotic!) and you will be amazed at how brisk it is!
And for anyone looking for a more sustainable white fish than the shop's namesake, Cod Father's also offers pollock and coley for sale.
If you haven't been tempted by the offerings of the high street so far, it's possible that fish isn't really your thing. You have one last chance as you pass the All Brothers Butchers a little further down on the same side. Despite its name the shop also has a large table out on the pavement which is laden with a wide range of fish. Whoever does the display seems to have quite a creative bent, it is often worth a look for artistic merit alone!
It's worth noting that the Cod Father's is not the only remnant of London's traditional fish trade in Deptford. The bottom of the high street is home to two pie and mash shops, at least one of which also serves eels and liquor. Although I like eels, I've never understood the attraction of liquor. Maybe it's because I'm (not) a Londoner but liquor to me looks like watery parsley sauce and tastes of nothing. But each to his own.
Finally, if you find yourself in Deptford High Street on a Sunday morning, don't forget to check out the wares of John Ovenell's seafood trailer that sets up in Giffin Square at about 8.30am until early afternoon. As well as fantastic kippers you can get dressed crabs, cockles and winkles (served in the traditional fashion, in vinegar in a polystyrene cup with a cocktail stick as a fork), whelks, prawns and so on. It used to be traditional to offer dishes of free seafood in pubs on Sunday mornings - I guess it's a traditional that still prevails in some places, does anyone know of one locally? When I first came to London 20 years ago I remember seeing it on offer in the Prince of Orange in Greenwich (the pub next to the station, now a St Christophers Inn).
But this modest parade of shops boasts no fewer than THREE shops, solely (*groan sorry!*) devoted to fish, and at least three more that sell a range of wet fish alongside meat, fruit and veg, and groceries. Salt cod fish is available in many of the grocery shops and some also sell dried smoked fish and dried shrimps too.
Let's start at what I call the 'bottom' end of the High Street, which is actually the north end (Creek Road). Walking towards the railway station, the first place you come across is Lai Loi, the double-fronted oriental food store which always has stacks of boxes of fresh fish and seafood on the right-hand side of the shop front, along with fresh veg and fruit on the left-hand side. Venture in for all manner of groceries, noodles both fresh and dried, sauces, dumplings, and fridges full of chillies, lemongrass and many other things I can't identify without help! Lai Loi also counts as one of the high street's few 'late night' shops, staying open till round about 9pm most nights (although to be fair a lot of the independent food shops do open till about 7pm every night).
Pass under the railway, and you'll soon come to the first of the dedicated wet fish shops, the relative newcomer Deptford Seafood Centre. If you are a lover of shellfish and crustaceans of all weird and wonderful types, this will probably be your favourite plaice (*oops I just can't help myself!*). It often has bundles of razor clams on sale, their innards oozing out of the damp newspaper wrapping like some kind of oversize pasta, as well as several different types and sizes of crabs, and various familiar and unfamiliar shellfish. I like it for its fresh whole king prawns which you can buy by weight rather than in pre packed boxes. It also sells a large range of fish.
A few paces further on and you come to a small grocers shop on the left hand side (directly opposite my favourite grocers, Housewives Cash and Carry). Until fairly recently this shop didn't sell any wet fish, but either it has changed hands or the owner has decided to jump on the bandwagon in the hope of tapping into what seems to be Deptford's insatiable desire for seafood. It has a modest range of fish on offer, neatly arranged on a bed of ice in front of the shop. I can't say whether it's any good or not, I'm not a customer.
Keeping to the same side of the high street, the next dedicated fish shop is just a few doors down - and this one specialises in frozen fish. Lobo Seafood Shop ('Lobo means good fish' we are told helpfully on the sign above the door). The shop is small but has freezers full of catering-size boxes and bags of fish, prawns and seafood. Here you can buy tilapia, parrot fish, catfish, barramundi, grouper, mahi mahi, and milkfish, alongside more recognisable species such as mackerel and tuna. There is also almost a whole fridge full of smoked fish of various types. All the fish on sale is frozen, most of it in bags containing several portions, or full boxes, but prices seem to be very reasonable.
A little way further along the road comes the imposing double-front of My Butchers - the place does mostly deal in meat, but it also sells bags of fish from the huge tables on the pavement outside. On Saturdays in particular you will find the tables overflowing with plastic bags filled with peppers, scotch bonnet chillis, okra and root ginger extend the shopfront halfway across the pavement, and the 'everything in the bag for a pound/fiver/tenner' philosophy also extends to the fish. Which is probably why I have never bought anything here. If you are lucky, you might pass by on one of the days when they have a box full of enormous live snails on sale.
My favourite fishmongers stands a couple of doors further along the High Street - the venerable Cod Father's (can you see where I get it from?!). Most days they offer a modest selection of wet fish - mackerel, salmon, tuna, red snapper, sea bass and so on - but on Saturdays they really push the boat out (*I will stop soon, I promise*).
Pinky-white expanses of skate wings; monster lumps of tuna or swordfish from which a steak can be cut to your exact specifications; the old favourites cod, smoked haddock, plaice, mackerel, whitebait rub shoulders with boxes of fresh lobsters and crabs, bags of mussels, whole squid in sizes ranging from tiny to ginormous, monkfish, scallops and even octopus on occasion. Sometimes you can get fresh oysters. You might see them bringing out a huge steaming vat full of freshly-boiled lobsters or crabs which are sold as soon as they are cool enough to be handled. Just stand and watch the trade for ten minutes or so on a Saturday morning (perhaps while waiting to be served - sometimes it's a bit chaotic!) and you will be amazed at how brisk it is!
And for anyone looking for a more sustainable white fish than the shop's namesake, Cod Father's also offers pollock and coley for sale.
If you haven't been tempted by the offerings of the high street so far, it's possible that fish isn't really your thing. You have one last chance as you pass the All Brothers Butchers a little further down on the same side. Despite its name the shop also has a large table out on the pavement which is laden with a wide range of fish. Whoever does the display seems to have quite a creative bent, it is often worth a look for artistic merit alone!
It's worth noting that the Cod Father's is not the only remnant of London's traditional fish trade in Deptford. The bottom of the high street is home to two pie and mash shops, at least one of which also serves eels and liquor. Although I like eels, I've never understood the attraction of liquor. Maybe it's because I'm (not) a Londoner but liquor to me looks like watery parsley sauce and tastes of nothing. But each to his own.
Finally, if you find yourself in Deptford High Street on a Sunday morning, don't forget to check out the wares of John Ovenell's seafood trailer that sets up in Giffin Square at about 8.30am until early afternoon. As well as fantastic kippers you can get dressed crabs, cockles and winkles (served in the traditional fashion, in vinegar in a polystyrene cup with a cocktail stick as a fork), whelks, prawns and so on. It used to be traditional to offer dishes of free seafood in pubs on Sunday mornings - I guess it's a traditional that still prevails in some places, does anyone know of one locally? When I first came to London 20 years ago I remember seeing it on offer in the Prince of Orange in Greenwich (the pub next to the station, now a St Christophers Inn).
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