Continuing the discussion from What else do Forest Hill and Honor Oak need?:
Its been a while since this topic was visited. But last week on a day trip to Lewes I saw this. I want this. Please.
An entire shop dedicated to this delicious preprepared food.
They sell these in Budgens in Crofton Park
They’ve also got a chest of these in Urban Express in London Bridge. But I need a whole shop. Right by my exit at Forest Hill station.
There’s one not too far away in West Dulwich
Bakery?
As we’ve now got an outstanding craft beer shop with @ClaptonCraft it would be wonderful to have a similar specialist wine store.
Online wine clubs are great but I enjoy discussing good wine pairings with a knowledgeable staff.
Slightly out of our area, there is Bob’s Wines in Sydenham, by the station.
A proper supermarket. The Sainsbury’s in HOP is tiny with no room to walk about and always badly stocked. Sainsbury’s in FH is great but a bit far to walk to if, like me, you don’t drive. Something in the Brockley Rise area would be great.
A REAL gym. Something that has space and a pool/steam/sauna, with top quality classes taught by highly qualified instructors who are paid well. Something a cut above the budget gyms, Energie and Pure.
New management for the Provender 
Bakery, Turkish style grocery store and a TKMaxx ? Or a small Waitrose with fresh bread, fish and meat counters. A couple more small restaurants offering different lunch and dinners options ( Italian, bistro style French and japanese. Ideally located on Dartmouth Road, London Road and in the shopping parade on Perry Vale. I would not object to a few chain restaurants at this point of our town centre development.
There is one of those (COOK) in Blackheath, a few minutes from the station, but of course I know that’s totally out of the area, just saying…
Agree Provender has unfulfilled potential.
My vote would be for a bakery on Honor Oak Park (either conversion of Provender or a different site entirely).
Agree A Virgin gym would be amazing…the nearest is in Norwood sadly…too far for me to get to around work.
We REALLY REALLY need a good whole foods or planet organic style shop.
with good ready meals, bakery,organic fruit and veg and decent deli and dairy items.
also with a small area for suppliments.
We already have a superb butcher but I feel the above is sorely needed
Agree we need another gym. The Honor Oak/Crofton Park/Brockley area is perfect untapped catchment area for a gym.
Energie Fitness is pure rubbish and expensive at that. Fitness4Less in Catford is very good but too far for me to regularly walk to.
Turkish grocery store like the one in Forest Hill Road would be great.
@HOPcrossbun I totally agree with this although the irony in that a gym is too much of a walk to get to is certainly not lost.
Hi @Emak5, why is it so disappointing? I’m a new member but haven’t actually made it in yet…I know they had teething problems but it sounds like there are still some issues? Many thanks.
It would be great to have an Aldi or Lidl a little closer (but I’m being picky as there’s one of each in Catford / Sydenham respectively).
Re gyms I’m a somewhat reluctant member of Forest Hill Pools - a wonderful facility with so much potential but not a pleasant experience because it is Council / Fusion run. I’d quite happily pay more a month for a nicer experience but there’s no decent options in this area.
In the context of things it would be nice to have it’s worth noting some great new initiatives recently - special mention to The Signal, went to a film screening there last week and it was brilliant (Jaws on a big screen with excellent burger, chips and popcorn all for £10!) and I see they’ve just launched an open mic night so thanks to management there for some great new ideas which hopefully people will support.
Energie is advertising at £30/m - seems reasonable to me?
Obviously depends exactly where you live and not to take away from what SE23 needs but a number of the requests can be found in Sydenham all within a few minutes walk of the station:
Well-being health food store - Smallish but very well stocked with allsorts
Billings butchers and fishmongers (I think people were keen on a fishmonger but Waters wasn’t successful?)
Fresh and fruity greengrocer (again I think in another thread perhaps a call for a greengrocer)
in fact the above three are almost all next to each other
Puregym - decent price, pretty clean and machines never full though classes may be if not booked in time
Just thought worth mentioning whilst not in SE23 yet, could pop to SE26 to pick up some stuff alongside Bobs wines as mentioned!
Chinese (or general ‘oriental’) supermarket.
What it doesn’t need is more retail space.
Another wetherspoons to keep the locals happy 
We need a large underpass for the south circular which descends into the hill towards the Horniman museum and only comes up for air beyond the Catford gyratory.
A supermarket on Brockley Rise near No not Oak Pub. There’s very little inbetween there and the Blythe Hill Tavern.
If you’re already travelling for classes, it might be worth looking at the David Lloyd gym in Beckenham. I can drive there in less than 15 minutes from the Perry Vale side of SE23.
We definitely need a bakery!
In Forest Hill itself I’d definitely like to see an independent Bakery and Greengrocer’s. For eating and drinking out I’d love a Tap Room, good neighborhood restaurant (Perry Vale???) and a nice Tapas place that also does good wine (maybe also to takeaway).
I second everything you’ve said!
A bakery and greengrocers would be top of my list!
@Pauline told me that she once sold fresh bread from Sugar Mountain. Sadly a green grocer may be frightened off by the failure of Waters on Perry Vale, though I doubt very much demand for fish or fresh produce had much influence on that loss.
Or the wine shop in Dulwich Village which is excellent
I used to sell “Born and Bread” breads, olive sticks, sun dried tomato & oregano, rosemary & seasalt & more before we had any fresh bread around here at weekends…
Gosh that’s 5 years ago, I stopped when we had expert outlets join us.
.Maybe I can look in to an order basis to be picked up on Saturdays or Sundays.
There i was always sourdough too, but I think I,ll leave that off the menu & just see if peeps want to order in speciallity breads?
@Satchers you were always a firm customer, happy to get orders in to cover the loss of a bakery at weekend if s at least 10 people order l:slight_smil
What have you got me into @starman actually happy you mentioned this as I love these breads. And as Nigel Slater states its the best bread in London 
BTW I would never sell or take orders to anything similar to what any of the other shops sell.
A more regular bus service down to Bell Green.
I do like buying the brick house bread from Aga’s Deli whenever I get there in time! My son did love your olive sticks though @Pauline
No - don’t recognise at all
Hey @Pauline, I remember when you stocked those breads… infact I was passing by one day with pram in tow (this was about 5 years ago now ) and you had excess stock at the end of the day, you literally pulled me inside and asked if I wanted to take any breads! I did and all the extended family I was visiting enjoyed a rather impromptu feast!
And so it went that my Irish decent mother never stopped raving about and requesting the sourdough (and bonbons- which became a thing!)
Pretty awesome of you !!
Steph x
There’s Donde in Honor Oak Park? Not quite Forest Hill but definitely within walking distance for most.
A clothes store maybe? I feel Forest Hill is lacking in that department after M & Co closed down. Such a shame too as I worked there for a time.
Also, like most have said, a bakery or grocers would be amazing.
I would love to see an indoor play area for children for those bad weather days,that could also host birthday parties etc- something along the lines of gambado would be perfect !
@Gem_Megumi, have you tried @FashionClearance and @FashionClearance have you tried ABC studio(s?) ?
You’re right. I hadn’t thought of there. I should have a look in there.
I wrote to TfL asking for more frequent 356 buses and also another bus to go up Sydenham Hill (for example the 122 as it did during the Dartmouth Road roadworks) and they said I was not the only person to ask for this, but they would need to think there was more demand. So if you want more 356 etc., write to TfL or fill in a comment form on their website.
For any old person living on the hill, ir people who have been shopping in FH and have things to carry, the 356 only coming every 25 minutes or longer is a great pain.
I’d love the 176 to revert back to finishing at Oxford circus like it used to…then I could get a bus into work and escape the hideous canada water interchange!
Hey @Beige , yes I’ve heard of them, my neighbor takes her 1 year old there and he loves it, I’ve got a 6 year old so not sure whether he may be a little on the old side ( he wants climbing walls and trampolines lol ) - but I’ll definitely give it a go ! Thanks for the heads up!
Have a lovely peaceful Sunday !
I think I agree - I don’t think it would compare well to Gambados for a 6 year old!
Have messaged them too Wish the 356 was more regular, just doesn’t come often enough to rely on! I always miss the 8.07 by a minute and the next one isn’t for ages!
The new contract for the 356 starts on the 15th September. No change in frequency, but they’re getting some new buses.
