What’s changed in SE23 since you moved here?

So what’s changed in the area since you moved here, or were born here in fact? Doesn’t matter how long you have been here, a few months or all your life.

We came here in 2005, to Honor Oak. Plenty of things are now around that did not exist then (including this forum!).

I particularly remember the very elongated process of getting litfs installed at HOP station, delayed and delayed, and always hoping as we were still using the Pram then which was always fun up and down the steps. You forget how you’d help and be helped up the stairs - I almost miss it!

This was of course after the Overground arrived which probably led to a significant change / influx of people to the area, and steep property price rises. The overground did make a big change to how easy it was to get to work for many, no doubt the biggest infrastructure change since I have been here.

HOP High street has also changed beyond recognition. From my flagging memory the Pizza place on the corner was ‘The Old Bank’ an Italian restuarant with great food but incredibly and painfully slow service. There was then a small Deli place next to it, and further down I think was a Tequilla Bar, that became Bar Equal, then the Stone Bar and is now the Turkish Restaurant. Sebatian Roche was opposite the Old Bank, however on the corner where they now are was an amazing shop with lots of carves wood sculptures, I used to love walking past it. Back o nthe other side was a small pet shop - no Dominos, Siansburys or any of those yet.

Chandos had quite a change, with it’s remodel and decision to sell pizza which was likely a great decision for them. Talking of pizza, I’m not sure when it happened, but SE23 went pizza mad and we all of a sudden ended up with lots and lots of pizza places to eat. The same could be said for coffee houses!

Forest Hill pools closed shortly after we moved here I think, and there was debate about how and when they would reopen, which thankfully they did after a significant refurb - I never got to swim in the old pools.

The Blythe Hill festival started after we arrived (I think) which remains one of my favourite things about the area now.

Oh and I think the Peregrines may have moved to Forest Hill as wlel during this time!

We moved here in 1981. Lots more yuppies (are they still a thing?) now.

No filofax, no yuppie

We are finding on our road that as people are either moving or going into residential care, that there are a lot more professional couples, or couples with young families (who must be able to afford the prices) moving in. Got to say though they are all really nice, & we have a WhatsApp Road group set up as well.
It’s also nice to have new life moving in & see the children growing up.

Mac Donald’s used to be where energie gym is, and it had a ball pit/soft play area.
There was a bakers where the nail salon is on corner of havelock walk.
David Mach Studio Havelock used to be Hallmark catering company that moved to willow way.
Chocolate box although many many years ago used to be next to The Dartmouth Arms, coming down towards station.

Great we still have Got Your Eyes Only although no VHS videos now But still there for DVD’s.

And it was Woolworths (left of photo) before McDonald’s.

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Not many cars and no bus lanes either.

A speedboat though. Maybe been on Bullseye

What’s in the phot bottom right?

Good spot!

Now that is a shop that is part of the furniture!

Extensions, extensions and yet more extensions.

It’s amazing what you find on the internet. Wimpy next to a wine bar!

https://sainsburyarchive.org.uk/catalogue/search/sabra7f923-image-of-london-road-forest-hill-branch-including-4448-london-road-branch/ref/p643-london-forest-hill-4448-london-road-1964-2005-sainsburys-branch/fbr/true/c/2

Wimpeys and a wine bar? So you could have a bottle of Liebfraumilch or Bulls Blood with the Wimpey platter (I guess Wimpey charged corkage).

In the 70s photo beige or “brahn” predominates. We just need the Sweeney to pop round the south circular.

Excellent pics by the way - thank you for sharing

I seem to remember it being a butchers.

I moved to my flat in Forest Hill in December 1988 and I’m still there!

There was a butchers (I think it was Dewhurst which were a national chain of butchers) where the betting shop by the railway underpass is now. . And a few doors along Dartmouth Road in one of the units that the estate agent now has was a greengrocers. Right opposite the station there was a lovely little bistro where I often used to go with friends as the food was ok and it was reasonably priced, but can’t remember the name of it!

I saw a photo recently of this being a butchers, and I believe before this it was called Chalk & Cox.

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Thanks Robert I certainly don’t recall the name Chalk and Cox but West’s does ring a bell - I think they were a chain too although I can’t find anything about them online.

And the number 12 bus on Dartmouth Road!

Ah, and a photo from the days of the No. 12’s huge route… It says Anerley, so probably when it ran from East Acton to Penge / Norwood Jn. The 12 originally ran from South Croydon to Brent Cross, which must have taken hours.

Yes it used to be one of the longest bus routes in London.

Before I moved to Forest Hill I lived in North Kensington (right by Grenfell Tower! ) and used to walk down to Holland Park Road and get a 12 from opposite the Kensington Hilton Hotel all the way to Forest Hill. I think it terminated at Penge.

I used to get it from Shephers Bush into town when growing up, though I never realised it came all the way here!

Yes, I used to catch the 12 from Shepherds Bush to Dulwich Plough to see my then girlfriend… which ended up being the reason why I settled in southeast London

But then those of us “north of the river” rarely ventured “south” !!!

Was the bistro Le Forêt des Amis? I remember seeing in the New Year there on a couple of occasions.

Wasn’t Forêt des Amis on Perry Vale in the premises that then became a series of Indian restaurants ending as Cinnamon and is now Piazza della Cucina? Although when I first moved to SE23 in 1988 I think it was called Dickens Inn or something similar.

The place I’m thinking of was on Devonshire Rd and was very small - think it was probably where the fish and chip shop is now. I think it was an Italian as I seem to remember having pasta there a lot!

I think it was called Poochies or something very similar, I have a very vague memory of it.

Casa Piccone.
My wife and her sister were waitresses there - and the delivery drivers, James and Rhina were 2 of the 4 ‘Young Ones’ that I rented my flat above what’s now Beetroot & Beans.

Yes, you’re quite right, of course. I misinterpreted ‘just opposite the station’!

Does anyone remember the lewd ;‘Bird in Hand’ inn sign? From one side you saw a man walking along with his arm round a woman’s waist. From the other side you saw that he had pulled up her skirt and exposed her bare bottom. I don’t remember it lasting very long!

At that time, after people had walked past the Condom Shop at No.49, the Bra Shop at 51a and the *Knocking Shop in the basement of 53a, that bare bottom must have looked quite tame.

*The Knocking Shop - and I’m not making this up… I rented the garden flat at 53a to a guy I met at Spiggy’s [cocktail bar at No.73] and it turned out that it was for a little brothel. The first I heard about it was when one of my stylists in the shop, Browns hair salon, said that a guy came in to announce himself for his 2 o clock appointment with Charlene and, after a bit of confusion (beacuse we didn’t have a Charlene) and him making a quick call to the lady, he apologised and said that he had to go to a door down the side alley. Oops! Mind you, they paid the rent on time };^)~

Thanks John, Casa something rings a bell but Piccone doesn’t seem familiar. It was only a little place and I’m going back to the late 80’s and 90’s which I would have thought predates restaurants doing deliveries!

Now that sounds vaguely familiar Zoe! Thanks. Maybe John’s suggestion of Casa Piccone was what preceded Poochies or came later!.

The pizza & pasta restaurant was definitely Casa Piccone (may have been Picone) - I just checked with my wife - and that’s bang-on the date because I bought 57a (Beetroot & Beans) building in 1986 and she was still waitressing whilst pregnant with my son in 1988.
Would you remember the owner/chef, Peter, who was a very posh black-haired gentleman with a great moustache? On his nights off he’d sit and get rat-arsed with his mate, Billy Lawson, who lived just along David’s Road.

Hold tight though - now I’ve just read your follow-up to Zoe and re-read the dates, being late-80s 90s and maybe this Poochies thing did come along just after Picone?
Apologies if I’ve got it wrong.

Yes, it was one of the longest routes and hence difficult to schedule. They split it in Oxford Street - the route to the NW staying as the 12 and our section became the 176 still terminating in Penge. Then they moved our terminus from outside Debenhams to Tottenham Court Station to reduce the number of buses on Oxford Street.

And staying with transport in the days that Connex ran our LBG service - Connex coincidentally also ran a service from Sydenham to Dulwich on their NSW franchise.

That was when the 12 Bus ran to Penge I think?
Wish it still ran to FH that would save my needing to rely on the trains to work.

Snap! thats my old neck of the woods.
I used to get the 12 from Shepards bush to Oxford Circus.
I remember in those days I’d see a 12 or 176 with destination of Penge and think ‘Where in earth is PENGE!!!’
Now it would be a dream for me at least to have 2 busses serving the central west end.

Those were the days!
Forest Hill had the number 12 to Oxford Street and the train that was 9 minutes to London Bridge and continued on to Waterloo East and Charing Cross taking an additional 3 minutes per stop.

Great pic. What’s the building at the bottom, now the dental practice?

No need for apologies John - you could still be right! Although Poochies seemed more familiar than Casa Piccone your description of the owner/chef with the wonderful moustache was very familiar!! When I think about it more I didn’t move to Forest Hill until December 30th 1988 and was so shattered I couldn’t face going out on New Year’s Eve so the only year in the 80’s that I could have gone there would have been 1989 but it was probably more likely later on in the 90’s!

Black and White postcard showing the exterior of the station and local businesses; Chalk and Cox (right) and W.H. Cullens Stores (left), c. late 1890s

The estate agents opposite the station was a launderette until a few years ago. I’m sure I heard that this was the first self service launderette in the country. A claim to fame if ever there was one

Here’s another photo taken from about the same spot.

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And not a wheelie bin in sight!

When we first moved to Forest Hill, Woolworths was still there & there was also an independent electrical shop along there as well
I bought my then young sun an amazing torch in there!

Plug & Socket where Greenfields the grocer was next the Woolworths in the 1st picture.

Yes, and they later moved to where KFH is now.

John
It was actually the other way round they started in Dartmouth Road (Village Way/KFH) and then moved to London Road

Ah, thank you.
I’m trying to recall that but by brain can’t put it that way round.
Mind you, my brain is a bit weird cos I could only remember the guy’s name in there because it rhymed with the shop… Doug.