Sole trader: FC Sopers's family fish shop is envied in neighbouring postcodes
Time Out takes a look around this up-and-coming south London neighbourhood, popular with first-time buyers
Sole trader: FC Sopers's family fish shop is envied in neighbouring postcodes
How we laughed when Nunhead – Nunhead! – hosted its first arts festival in spring last year. It was a fledgling affair, a few open studios, and some face painting on the green, but it spoke volumes about the ambitions of this scrappy little no-man’s land.
Sandwiched between Peckham Rye and Telegraph Hill, pockmarked by low-rise council estates, overshadowed by a dramatic railway viaduct and not on the tube, Nunhead is one of those forgotten pockets of London. Unloved for decades, property is such a mix that there is very little cohesion in its architectural character, which means the intrepid can stumble upon modern flats, interesting light-industrial buildings (ripe for development), and huge Victorian mansions converted into airy flats.
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Explore the side streets and there are enough bursts of handsome Victorian terraces among the newer, mainly council, housing to make middle class colonisation inevitable. There’s already a gastropub (The Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead Green), a posh florist (Hello Petal, 118 Evelina Road) and rumours that the old wool shop is earmarked for an organic food shop. The council also plans to inject £14.5 million into the regeneration of Nunhead and East Peckham (albeit with most of the funds going to the area around Queens Road, Peckham). It’s also usefully close to sought-after independent state school Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College.
Nunhead still feels like a discovery. The main road is stocked with unpretentious places that have been there for ever: newsagent, launderette, butcher, hardware shop, funeral parlour. The big draws, famed throughout neighbouring postcodes, are FC Soper (141 Evelina Road, 020 7639 9729), an old-fashioned fishmonger, and Ayres bakery (131-133 Evelina Road, 0207 639 0648/www.ayresthebakers.com) which opens at 6am selling no-nonsense loaves and pâtisserie such as jam doughnuts, Chelsea buns and ‘totty’ – a chunky sponge slice with icing and coconut.
The focus of the street, where Nunhead Lane becomes Evelina Road, is Nunhead Green. Struggling to feel villagey, the central patch of grass has been cleaned up and the noticeboard advertises a youth club and cat-sitting services.
Again there’s potential; a row of former almshouses adds period charm and the half-timbered Old Nun’s Head pub was recently taken over by the owners of award-winning Peckham pub The Gowlet and is packed with families at the weekend. There’s a charming little library just round the corner on Gordon Road, and the most superbly-named pub in London – The Pyrotechnists Arms.
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3 comments
I have had one of the worst experiences in my life with LUDLOW THOMPSON and want to give people a 'heads up' so that they don't have to go through what my wife and I have been through.
Ludlow has been managing a property for me since March 2007. Problems:
(1) Pre-tenancy
The fiasco began with several 'negotiators' from the same office competing with each other - taking deposits etc even before I had a chance to agree anything with no obvious communication between them. Finally I agreed to a prospective tenant and a holding deposit was taken and his details were obtained for referencing. The tenant (from the Netherlands) was 'referenced' (in which - strangely - someone elses credit card details were taken instead of the actual tenants - so that rents could be charged if they later defaulted. I soon learned that the use of this card was unauthorised and my debtor amounts rose swiftly). The tenant was said to be of good credit yet a few weeks after moving in he asked me to sign DSS papers for him (which I declined).
(2) Tenancy
The tenancy was negotiated for 24 months and they took their management fees over 5 months up from for the whole period. Why this is done - I do not know - but the result of it is that once the benefit has been passed to them - there is no further incentive to actually manage the property efficiently. I later learned that the tenant had been accepted and 'tenanted' despite the fact that he had never viewed the property.The next part of the fiasco began when the tenant started to make demands and threats of legal action - apparently all sorts of furniture etc had been promised to him (without my knowledge) even though the tenancy was supposed to be UNFURNISHED. In the end I felt that in the interests of keeping the tenant (whom I beleived to be of good standing at the time) I shelled out a few hundred more to furnish the flat with some basic items.
(3) Management
I have two properties in this (new) block of flats. Both are managed by independent agents. One property - no issues ever other than the usual problem here and there. The property managed by Ludlow - seems to incur more repairs, call-outs and other costs than any other property I own. i.e. the property costs are disproportionate to other assets.It is clear that they get some benefit from contracting out 'repair jobs' - some examples: (a) tenant couldnt use the dishwasher. Solution: Send a qualified engineer to show the tenant how to use the appliance. Cost: over £100. (b) tenant reported a leak in the toilet. Solutiuon: Send a plumber to assess. Cost: £100. (c) tenant reported the same leak (water passing into bowl) Solution: Replace something in the cistern. Cost: approx £250. (d) Tenant reported a 'leak' in the shower. Solution: Quote for new shower (??). Cost: over £1000 (e) Other appliance issues and electrical 'problems' - cost - over £500.
When I gave then the homeserve warranties I was told that if they were managing the property then they would have to use their 'own' contractors or else I would have to make various arrangements like issue keys to contractors and be there for appointments (from 8000 miles away) on my own as they would not take any 'responsibility' for external contractors (like the appliance manufacturers who would repair products for free with their highly trained engineers using new branded spare parts)
(4) Credit Control
The worst I have ever experienced. I am a non resident overseas landlord. I am about 8000 miles and several time zones away from the UK. I rely on these 'managing agents' to look after my best interests. NOT SO. The tenant has been in arrears since he moved in!!! Their version of credit control is a letter to the tenant and a copy to me. I have had about 10 of these letters. Sometimes they take months to get to me - even though I have asked them to email me rather than send letters as I am always travelling.Now my tenant has decided to move on, 9 months early and I email the Client Manager daily and get no response. They have no 'head office' from a customer point of view and although the lettings team are more than happy to get me a new tenant (and charge me hundreds more in new finders fees) the management team are predictably silent and unreachable.If they would refund the balance of the management fees I have paid - i would gladly go elsewhere.
To all you landlords out there - this has been a VERY expensive mistake for me. My tenant owes me £2450 and I can't even get hold of my 'client manager'.
Please, please AVOID Ludlow Thomspon - they are quick to get you a tenant but you will pay for this dearly.
I was sending my opinion to you direct not to be posted can you not post please
It was a nice article but I wonder why you missed out The Restaurant which is the only one in the street. maybe you could review the eating house like many others you have reviewed near by.