It is brilliant that the shops on upper Kirkdale are getting together to breathe some life into that part of Sydenham!
It would be really good if we could get the good quality traders in central Syd to get together and do the same.
There are some great businesses here but I don't know how linked up they are.
Does anyone know if there is a Traders' Association? If so, maybe an 'alternative association' could be formed to really give Sydenham residents what they want and it could be a central point for Leenewham's What If ideas and other general advice/feedback for current and potential traders.
It could stop a lot of businesses failing unnecessarily.
It seems pointless to just wait for the high street improvements to revive things because the start date just seems to be put back all the time.
Traders' Association for central Sydenham
Re: Traders' Association for central Sydenham
Yes, Poppy, it would be great if traders on Sydenham Road, Station Approach and our end of Kirkdale - 'central Syd' - could follow the lead of 'Kirkdale Village'.
If I may share with the Forum some of what I spoke to you earlier today - there is - or was - a Sydenham Traders' Association, but I'm told it has never been the same since George Hetherington, former owner of White's Pets Centre retired. What he brought to it was the time and energy to do the necessary networking, and be seen to be doing at as one of the traders - someone who understands what it is like to be a trader.
When I was the chair of SydSoc, I generally attended quarterly Town Centre Steering Group meetings in this capacity, but they tended to be rather dispiriting exercises in going through various things that Julie Sutch, as our Town Centre Manager, had or had not done, or enforcement issues involving the traders. In retrospect, I suspect that our presence as representatives of SydSoc didn't help, and possibly not local Councillors either. This thread http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5525 illustrates the frustrations I had with these meetings.
Julie made an attempt to break this pattern by bringing in a new face to be the chair of a revived Sydenham Traders' Association, and as vice chair one of the leading lights, now, of 'Kirkdale Village'. However, nothing much happened, and when the new chair resigned last year, no-one else stepped forward, and so it finally fizzled out - although I'm told there is now something called the "Sydenham Traders' Co-operative".
My own response was, working with Lee and others, to form a groups of non-traders who would offer such time, effort and skills as they had to support traders, and it is this that I spoke about at a Sydenham Assembly last year [youtubes]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLQRBMX-nNk[/youtubes]
Sadly nothing has come of this yet either, and I actually stopped making any efforts along these lines after Cllr Best asked me to face up to the problem that one of the leading traders on Sydenham Road / Kirkdale "just didn't like me". Sometimes I can be persuaded to stop banging my head against a brick wall, even though I was subsequently told that what Cllr Best said was not true. I'm not sure who to believe, it's difficult to make progress when people in general don't talk straight.
I've not completely given up, and I continue to think about how to get information shared - e.g. contact details for traders, freeholders - especially of empty properties - and everyone else who could make a difference to Sydenham Road. This is what this post was about http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic. ... bly#p46569. I don't now think that would be feasible, but it was an attempt to provoke thought - and I am now hoping to do something more practical with 'Kirkdale Village'. Lee hasn't given up either, so hopefully other local traders will get in touch with us - if they think what we can do is worthwhile - and with others like us - who knows, Poppy, it could be you!
But it needs patience, and it needs traders to take the initiative - as they have in 'Kirkdale Village'.
If I may share with the Forum some of what I spoke to you earlier today - there is - or was - a Sydenham Traders' Association, but I'm told it has never been the same since George Hetherington, former owner of White's Pets Centre retired. What he brought to it was the time and energy to do the necessary networking, and be seen to be doing at as one of the traders - someone who understands what it is like to be a trader.
When I was the chair of SydSoc, I generally attended quarterly Town Centre Steering Group meetings in this capacity, but they tended to be rather dispiriting exercises in going through various things that Julie Sutch, as our Town Centre Manager, had or had not done, or enforcement issues involving the traders. In retrospect, I suspect that our presence as representatives of SydSoc didn't help, and possibly not local Councillors either. This thread http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5525 illustrates the frustrations I had with these meetings.
Julie made an attempt to break this pattern by bringing in a new face to be the chair of a revived Sydenham Traders' Association, and as vice chair one of the leading lights, now, of 'Kirkdale Village'. However, nothing much happened, and when the new chair resigned last year, no-one else stepped forward, and so it finally fizzled out - although I'm told there is now something called the "Sydenham Traders' Co-operative".
My own response was, working with Lee and others, to form a groups of non-traders who would offer such time, effort and skills as they had to support traders, and it is this that I spoke about at a Sydenham Assembly last year [youtubes]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLQRBMX-nNk[/youtubes]
Sadly nothing has come of this yet either, and I actually stopped making any efforts along these lines after Cllr Best asked me to face up to the problem that one of the leading traders on Sydenham Road / Kirkdale "just didn't like me". Sometimes I can be persuaded to stop banging my head against a brick wall, even though I was subsequently told that what Cllr Best said was not true. I'm not sure who to believe, it's difficult to make progress when people in general don't talk straight.
I've not completely given up, and I continue to think about how to get information shared - e.g. contact details for traders, freeholders - especially of empty properties - and everyone else who could make a difference to Sydenham Road. This is what this post was about http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic. ... bly#p46569. I don't now think that would be feasible, but it was an attempt to provoke thought - and I am now hoping to do something more practical with 'Kirkdale Village'. Lee hasn't given up either, so hopefully other local traders will get in touch with us - if they think what we can do is worthwhile - and with others like us - who knows, Poppy, it could be you!
But it needs patience, and it needs traders to take the initiative - as they have in 'Kirkdale Village'.
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CaptainCarCrash
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Re: Traders' Association for central Sydenham
The old geezer in the video looks like how I felt after my first acid trip, 8 hours of when's it gonna end hehe!.
Tim Lund every body,
Lets have a big round of applause for the one, the only,
Tim Lund,
The Man, The Myth, The Mirth.
You're doing a great job Tim and I honestly can't imagine why anyone would take a disliking to you.
If your PC ever blows up I'll fix it parts only.
*Bows repeatedly and walks out backwards*
Tim Lund every body,
Lets have a big round of applause for the one, the only,
Tim Lund,
The Man, The Myth, The Mirth.
You're doing a great job Tim and I honestly can't imagine why anyone would take a disliking to you.
If your PC ever blows up I'll fix it parts only.
*Bows repeatedly and walks out backwards*
Re: Traders' Association for central Sydenham
Thanks Poppy.
We need as much support as possible from the traders and the local community to be able to achieve our aims. Next on the agenda for Kirkdale Village is a Loyalty Card scheme and a Street Beautification program.
We are keen for Kirkdale Village to be an inclusive community group founded by the traders and supported by the local residents and our aim is to create a vibrant high street that is loved and used by the locals.
Tim – the Village People up here are very appreciative of any help you can offer us.
We need as much support as possible from the traders and the local community to be able to achieve our aims. Next on the agenda for Kirkdale Village is a Loyalty Card scheme and a Street Beautification program.
We are keen for Kirkdale Village to be an inclusive community group founded by the traders and supported by the local residents and our aim is to create a vibrant high street that is loved and used by the locals.
Tim – the Village People up here are very appreciative of any help you can offer us.
Re: Traders' Association for central Sydenham
So ...thinking about all the comments on here about the need for a Traders Association, here is some background in a thread from 2011