It’s that time of year again to show some local love to your favourite places in FH, I’ll get the library listed tonight or tomorrow.
You can cast your nominations here https://www.timeout.com/london/love-city#/
Please show some FH love (which I know most of you will) to your fav places 
It feels to me they changed the way you vote online. I seem to remember picking my 'hood (e.g. Forest Hill) then voting among the different categories. Now you chose the category, enter your location (place name or post code) and then vote.
This new method sucks.
For instance, when I select ‘shops’ and then type SE23 the only option is @ClaptonCraft. If I were to return and select ‘shops’ and then type Forest Hill the only three options is Sainsbury’s, the Framing Salon and @Sugar_Mountain.
And for one of the very few restaurants available to vote for, there is the Perry Vale which has been shut for 11 of the last 12 months.
What’s happened to these once fine awards?
Hi Starman, that’s very peculiar and a little troubling. CC’s been here a over a year now so the Time Out ‘Love London’ awards is one of those good, if not a difficult barometer to tell us how the shop’s doing locally (I’d personally prefer a nice little Google review myself *wink). I say difficult because I can’t track votes on the shops dashboard though I could be looking in the wrong place and then winners are announced with a full list of results, only the winner’s/ runners up.
But anyway, the fact that the store shows up under one search term and not the other is troubling and odd seeing as the full address is attached to the (very plain) Time Out store page. I did have to register the shop with Time Out as they don’t data-mine Google for business information so it could be that not every store has registered though if they have it doesn’t seem that the ‘SE23’ or ‘Forest Hill’ search terms are much help… or they have, but identify themselves as something else as there’s sub categories too. We’re ‘off-license’ for example. I have spoken to them over phone and some business are registered by Time Out themselves and their reviewers so again, it could be a simple mix-up and a case of being lost in translation?
Certainly these tags have made things confusing and as you say, kinda sucky. It’s all in good fun though so I wish everyone involved the best of luck and lets show London what Forest Hill is all about - GO TEAM SE23!
Ben - Clapton Craft Forest Hill
And @Sugar_Mountain, @StDavid, @TheArchieParker, @No41Coffee are all possible options for best bar/pub.
Didn’t realise @Pauline had been holding out on me on past visits.
I think Time Out have lost their way in recent years. Once upon a time they were an essential companion to exploring London IMO. I do not feel this anymore and further find their online content hard to search and frequently misleading or inaccurate. As the main beneficiary of these awards is Time Out, I do not personally engage with them now. There are other ways of promoting the businesses that you like.
I hear 'ya. But I actually found the new free format a much more enjoyable, and informative read then it ever was when it was the paid for events listing.
They could improve their online presence significantly but (sadly) the Tuesday free paper edition is often the highlight of my day. I only wish they would distribute at Forest Hill.
Oh ok, can’t comment on the printed copy. Haven’t looked at that for a very long time.
You can vote for FH Library too guys 
And for “cinema” it seems I’m unable to vote for the lovely EDPH?
I talked with Time Out London today. Was only a quick courtesy call from them though I didn’t forget to raise @starman’s question about search parameters (the difference between SE23 and Forest Hill) and it turns out that this has been brought up a few times with a couple outlets and it’s something their trying to iron out as quickly as possible with the new system of voting and in regards to not being able to find 1 particular store, restaurant, coffee shop etc, this is because they haven’t registered themselves or been registered by a Time Out London reviewer.
Sadly this doesn’t fix the whole issue and yes the new system is a little broken, but now we know outlets have to do a little bit of the work. It’d be worth bringing it to the attention of staff and managers next time we visit any one of our favourites.
Ben - Clapton Craft Forest Hill
I was automatically on there as I’ve had a review done by TO, but I had to add the library as it wasn’t on there 
So glad I did
That’s too funny 
Guess I’ll have to ask you on a Bon bon date soon @Bolgerp you’ll be invited too
We won!! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us. Congratulations to everyone.
https://www.timeout.com/london/love-city#/results/neighbourhoods/Forest%20Hill
Slightly strange that places like Babur and The Chandos are described as being in Forest Hill, but otherwise think all very worthy winners. Think special mentions must go to Leaf & Groove for being a splendid local project and addition to Dartmouth Rd and The Chandos whose managers have really transformed what was previously a rather uninviting local boozer into somewhere everyone’s welcome.
