[i]Dear Foodeditorjo,

What a shame that you have such a negative take on those living in SW11, and then when someone comments on this, you take offence. Perhaps you should refrain from visiting Northcote Road if it offends you so much.

I personally have found the area to be welcoming, warm and friendly and there are still independent shops (you just have to look a bit harder for them). [/i]

Sorry to intrude on private handbags at dawn, but, back on planet earth, could someone please explain why a landlord charging a market rent is a greedy rip off merchant?

Ah, whatever....

Wow! Quite breathtaking... you obviously don't have enough to do without having a go at me and you don't even know me!

My nasty comments? You’re the one who turned a discussion about a shop closing into a rant about the women who live here and our ‘pampered’ children. Perhaps you are the one who should keep your nasty comments to yourself. Sorry, but your post really annoyed me.

Did I say that? I have friends in this area but generally find that SW11 has changed a lot - and not necessarily for the better. Maybe you should keep your nasty sniping comments to yourself. I don't actually live BTC and am happy that way!!

[quote="foodeditorjo"]There's one on the King's Road, so why on earth does Northcote Road need one too? It wouldn't take the yummy mummies long to get up there in the 4x4! This area used to be really vibrant... when I first moved here in 2001 Northcote Road was a good, lively mix of shops - many of them local, family-run etc, including a great little Italian cafe at the top that doled out plates of spag bol for about £5 - ideal when you have small children. Since then, it's become an ever-increasingly array of more or less the same chains that are on the King's Road. Soulless, unimaginative and pandering to rich people with their pampered children. Why? Because the landlords are greedy and priced out any local or independent business. I'd absolutely love to run my own cafe and (she says modestly) it's something I'd be good at. But there's no chance in SW11. It's sad that this area has become so boring and homogenous![/quote]

Wow, If you hate the area so much, why don’t you just move?
Not sure you’d get many customers at your cafe if you think everyone around here is so dire....

I’m sad cath kidson closed- I loved their kids pjs and it was alsways a good spot to jump in for a last minute gift!

The Cath Kidson in Salcombe has closed down as well.

BFW - I think your right but it’s a bit more complex, combine the rip off rents with new business rates and the strong internet , many more shops the high street will close.

I buy practically nothing on the high street now apart from the supermarkets, butchers, restaurants, bars, cards and coffee shops. The internet is easier and cheaper for almost everything else.

Why do we even need bank branches, I can pay cheques in on my APP now. Some local shops don’t even take cash anymore, the world is changing.

Maybe it’s time for a rethink on our high streets

There's one on the King's Road, so why on earth does Northcote Road need one too? It wouldn't take the yummy mummies long to get up there in the 4x4! This area used to be really vibrant... when I first moved here in 2001 Northcote Road was a good, lively mix of shops - many of them local, family-run etc, including a great little Italian cafe at the top that doled out plates of spag bol for about £5 - ideal when you have small children. Since then, it's become an ever-increasingly array of more or less the same chains that are on the King's Road. Soulless, unimaginative and pandering to rich people with their pampered children. Why? Because the landlords are greedy and priced out any local or independent business. I'd absolutely love to run my own cafe and (she says modestly) it's something I'd be good at. But there's no chance in SW11. It's sad that this area has become so boring and homogenous!

the Battersea Park Road Kitchen is the original site, Norhcote was an expansion. Guess it didn’t work out and they cut their losses.

If my experience dealing with Cath Kidston corporate headquarters on behalf of a local charity was anything to go by, then good riddance (the local branch had no discretion even for small amounts). They were ghastly.

We used to live in the back end of Notting Hill before it became so expensive and I can say the same happened with Portobello road.. independent (or not so independent) shops replaced with big national chains.. Rents are expensive and unless you sell a lot, or sell expensive stuff, then it's tough to survive. That said, after we paid for our house here BTC, we do shop at Lidl for most things but meat and there are so many useless things we can afford any more.

Sadly I understand that its all to do with the greedy Northcote Road landlords pushing rates up all the time. So many empty sites which is really really sad.

Gandy's shut too. I understand it was only a pop up but still, it's another empty site. Interesting I went past Park Road Kitchen on Battersea Park Road, open for business on a bigger site, than the closed Northcote Road site. Shame.