London: amazing early Sunday morning light

 Towards the North Downs 

Remarkable light over London early this morning, especially looking southwards – a few photos.

 

 Towards Forest Hill School and onto Bromley

Dawson Heights and a shrouded Shard

 Horniman Museum and Canary Wharf 

just visible thru gloom

Forest Hill, London SE23: shops – a win, one score draw (?) and a deserved relegation

So for a change a quick look at Forest Hill, London SE23 and let's start with the positive – SmallPrint Books (37 David's Rd, Forest Hill, London). This children's bookshop opened recently and is reported to have taken £2500 on his first day.

Smallprint Books should be joined by leaf and groove, who are due to open on Dartmouth Road this month. 

   

Putative Superdrug

 Repossession Order on behalf of Mackays Stores 

(above and below)

 

 
Superdrug was due to open some time towards the end of September in the old Mackays store on London Road in the centre of Forest Hill. It didn't happen and the premises were apparently occupied by squatters. Mackays got a High Court repossession order on 27th October 2017, so perhaps we will now see the store transformed into a Superdrug.   

Notice put up presumably by the squatters. Mackays duly got a High Court order.

Waters – Fishmonger & Greengrocer

Waters, 14 Perry Vale, SE23 

 

 Another repossession and this time no surprise whatsoever. Forest Hill could certainly do with a good greengrocer and could probably support this and a fishmonger. Waters, the trading name of Waters Enterprise Ltd, however, was never a serious enterprise. It opened several months late and its opening hours especially over the weekend were designed to give the owners a rest after a early visit to the market. What is the use of a food shop opening at 10.30 on Saturday and 11 am on a Sunday if a good proportion of your customers may well be intending to cook lunch that day?

 

 Premises repossessed on 27th September 2017

Proof that Forest Hill, London SE23 is at the centre of the universe

 SE23 with much of London spread out in the distance 

– looking towards the Horniman Museum, 

Honor Oak and Canary Wharf

 Towards Catford and the Thames Estuary

London views - night and day

 Central London at high speed, hand held @ around 2am 1.11.16

(above and below)

 Glorious autumn colours: 2.11.16

 Glorious autumn colours: 2.11.16 looking 

towards Hither Green and Bexley Way 

 Air quality could be an issue in the City.....

Shows more in the photo than with the naked eye

Bona brings sourdough pizzas to London's Forest Hill

 Bona – Sourdough Pizza, 25 Dartmouth Road, London SE23  

The beautifully decorated pizza oven 

Painted by David Mach, a Havelock Walk artist

 

Tuesday evening saw us make our first visit to Bona – Sourdough Pizza in Dartmouth Road of up and coming Forest Hill (London). This new restaurant is run by fellow wine writer Andrea Sturniolo and his partner – Kasia.  

We bumped into Andrea and his partner at one of Havelock Walk's late November Open Days. Andrea told us that they would shortly be opening – planned for 29th December when we would unfortunately be away. Anyway Tuesday was the first day we could try out the pizzas. 

They were excellent. We both chose Pizza Biancas. CRM had the Cotto ham, Portobello mushrooms, fennel sausage, Mozzarella and Parmesan (£9), while I went for the artichokes, smoked Scamorza cheese, Kalamata olives, Mozzarella and pink peppercorns (£8.50).   

We had a glass of the refreshing Vinvita Prosecco (£5 for 175ml/£18.50 bottle) and enjoyed a very good selection of olives. With our pizzas we drank the soft, easy drinking 2014 Caparzo Sangiovese Toscana (£4 for 175ml/ £15 for bottle).

Andrea is very pleased with the way it is going. "The opening night was rammed," he told us. The weekends are apparently very busy. Even on Tuesday there were few spare tables.  

They had initially looked at premises in Camberwell Green but that fell through and now find it exciting to be part of the changes that are happening in Forest Hill. 

Andrea's profile as a judge for the Decanter World Wine Awards:
Italian Andrea Sturniolo moved to London in 1994 and studied for the WSET examinations whilst helping open the London section of the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. Heading back to Italy in 2002, he set up and taught the wine culture/wine tasting courses at the International Wine Academy of Rome as vice-director, and during this time he began working with an Italian wine guide and various press and web publications. Sturniolo has been back in London since 2006 and has opened his own catering company, Fins & Trotters Kitchen, which won the LLA Street Food Vendor of the Year award in 2013. He is also a consultant for Pall Mall Fine Wine, as well as continuing to contribute to magazines both abroad and in the UK. Sturniolo was first a DWWA judge in 2012.

We will certainly be back!

Bona Sourdough Pizza, 25 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3HN. Tel: 020-8616 4620. No bookings – just turn up.

@BONA_SOURDOUGH

Vinvita, Prosecco 

Festive London

Tree decorated 

My other Christmas tree.....

Havelock Walk, Forest Hill: artists' Open Days

Havelock Walk 

This past weekend it was an Open Studios weekend at Havelock Walk, a quiet cul de sac tucked away in the centre of Forest Hill. The Walk has long been a street of crafts people and artists. Currently it seems to be particularly vibrant. Next weekend Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th is also Open Studios. Well worth a visit, especially if it is a lovely sunny day as it was on Sunday. 

Snowy London

Figures in the Horniman Gardens 

A couple of London photos from Monday 21st January. The light was just catching this part of the Gardens and the appearance of a few people gave the shot more interest, although it was the white light that first caught my attention. I took several shots and I think this works best, especially with the two striding along the path at the top and the person towards the bottom right with a yellow sleigh.  

'Snowy London and the more than seven towers'

A contrast of light and shade

Snow in SE23 – a few pics late last night

363 Bus waiting to turn up Sydenham Rise (above and below)

The Horniman Museum

Towards the Horniman Museum

 363 going to the other way

Towards Dawson Heights

South London: casualties and new ventures

Green and Blue (Lordship Lane) to close at the end of the year

Sad news that the wine shop and restaurant Green & Blue, which concentrated on organic and biodynamic wines, will be closing at the end of 2012 after surviving a number of years of difficult trading conditions. See the blog here announcing the closure due to a combination of factors including increases in rent etc. 

Still as is the way there are new entrants into the market, which includes Dulwich Vintners run by Robin Eadon. I was due to meet Robin this week to talk about his recently formed company that concentrates on the wines of South West France. Unfortunately I had to cancel but hope to meet him early in 2013. Robin used to work for Oddbins at the shop in Dulwich Village, one of the casualties of the Simon Baile debacle.   

Dulwich Vintners' website  

Other new ventures:

After years of being pretty moribund, Forest Hill (SE23) is beginning to show signs of life:

 AGA's Little Deli and Café (Dartmouth Road) includes excellent bread, Neal's Yard cheese, Monmouth coffee and lovely olives 

Still on Dartmouth Road but closer to Forest Hill Station is Berries – sandwiches, crèpes and cakes  

The Butchery: Forest Hill's pop up shop: 1st-24th December