THE MONTAGE in FOREST HILL

[leenewham]

We have just got back from this wonderful place. The coffee's and hot chocolates were nice, as good as most, better than than others. But thats not what we go to a cafe for. It's just a nice place to be. Strange, quirky and best of all...

They have a fantastic childrens playroom downstairs. A whole room for kids. So they aren't running around the cafe. They have lots of toys and the floor is a town map with roads etc on it. It's out of the way so it doesn't disturb others. It offers something different. Forest HIll really is evolving into a destination town.

So why am I posting this here?

Forest Hill feels creative, bespoke, different. It thinks differently. This IS the future of many of our high streets. Our shops need to think differently to survive. Now doesn't Kente have a downstairs room? Wouldn't this be a fantastic playroom for kids? They already have a great outdoors space. Bekenham has an amazing cafe for kids. There are no other real child friendly place in Sydenham. Nothing like the Montage anyway. Cheap bundles of secondhand toys on ebay go a long long way, especially for something like this. It's just a selection, and I'm sure Eagle will hate it, but attracting families back onto the high street is one way to increase footfall. Going past Sugar mountain (massive queue) and Cherry & Ice today (very very busy) it seems as if it's starting to happen.

So what are other shops doing differently that our shops can learn from? What would you like to see Sydenham shop do? And how can we make Sydenham more family friendly?

For instance, just throwing this out there, what if the pocket park between the co-op funeral home and the bank had a merry go round on it, or a childs playground or a small funfair (a future what if)?

What can we do that is DIFFERENT, UNUSUAL and will get people talking other than what is already going on?

[chrism]

I agree a hundred percent. We were exploring Bellenden Road the other day and had lunch at the Begging Bowl, a Thai restaurant. The food was good but not the best Thai food I've ever had. But the one thing I noticed was the great music which was inobtrusive and gave the place a buzz. The restaurant wasn't even full but there was still a vibe. (I know not everyone likes background music but rather that than hearing Capital FM coming in from the kitchen.)

Bellenden Road is not very long but there are enough traders there making a real effort. Sydenham has so much potential - I'm sure we'll get there soon.

[Rachael]

When I first moved to this area 13 years ago (I've one foot in SE23, one in SE26), East Dulwich was on the up and everyone was talking about Forest Hill getting the East Dulwich overflow and effectively becoming the next East Dulwich. That never happened, thank goodness. What did happen was that, when the time was right and everything came together, Forest Hill became the next Forest Hill. The new coffee shops came first, setting the tone for what was to follow - a bit quirky, bespoke, very local. Then came Canvas and Cream. When it was first planned, we all scratched our heads, not sure how it would work. Turns out it is quite genius. Most things that have opened since have seemed like natural progressions, but in fact a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to make sure that the right tenants go into the right units.

If someone had asked me a few years ago for a wish list of things I wanted to see in Forest Hill, I certainly wouldn't have said a community led cafe-gallery-artists' workspace-therapy hybrid and a completely mad pub in an almost unaltered 1960s Post Office. But as it turns out, that's exactly what I wanted.

What we need for Sydenham is to make is possible for people with vision to open new businesses and thrive. However, as a much busier and more mainstream high street that Forest Hill ever was, it still needs to meet people's everyday needs. So we need inspired leadership, which I think the empty shops group (I'm sure they have a more official title, but I can't remember it) have given to Forest Hill and could give to Sydenham.

By-the-by, I was at the last Kitchen Disco Supper Club pop-up last night. It was really fab, the best food I have ever eaten in Sydenham and a brilliant concept. People were walking past the Blue Mountain and looking in, and you could see they were wondering what was going on. It's a brilliant way to bring life to the high street at night and get people interested in being there. A big bravo to all concerned.

[dickp]

I was on East Dulwich High Street yesterday, and (yet again) the market was buzzing. Which begs the question - why can't our market be on in Sydenham every week? There's clearly a demand for it. Like there is in Crystal Palace, Broadway market...etc etc.

[paultreacy]

I think Sydenham is coming along nicely. There are frustrations aplenty but it's getting better and better. Most of all I appreciate how the quality of life for pedestrians is improving all the while. The rest will follow. Surely.

[michael]

I completely agree with Rachael and I have been saying for a number of years that I wanted Forest Hill to become the new Forest Hill (not East Dulwich). Both FH and Sydenham town centres are improving a lot, and it is not a competition but each town centre learns from the other.

I'm really pleased with the direction both town centres are heading and the Montage is a great example of a new business bringing an imaginative new approach to the high street (not radically different from what we have seen before, but a children's play room downstairs and art gallery upstairs is certainly a novel approach to a basic coffee shop). Each success on the high street leads to another and we can see a chain reaction as our high streets gradually reinvent themselves for the 21st century.

[michael]

For those who like the Montage there is a chance to vote for them at http://www.thevintageguidetolondon.com/ ... nal-votes/