Wednesday Walks in Forest Hill

By Sandy Pepperell

In March 2013 a post on the SE23.com community forum led to the formation of a walking group in Forest Hill. The aim was to get some exercise on our local hills and a group met in Canvas and Cream’s restaurant to plan how to organise it. People agreed that there should be a weekly walk of about an hour on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7pm (and ending at about 8pm). The walk would cover about 3 miles in this time period. The plan was to alternate starting points between Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park stations.

Two years later the walks continue (mostly) come rain, come shine and in winter and summer alike. In the ‘lighter’ months there are lovely green spaces all around us that we walk through (including in SE26 and the Southwark Woods), and in winter there are many interesting and historic buildings in the area to look at. Of course, the views from our hills are stunning all year round and one of the delights has been to see the effect of changing light and weather as we look north and south of our ‘ridge’.

So far, we have created over 30 routes and have found out some surprising details about the area from seeing it up close and from conversation as we walk.

Just getting out and about for an hour during the working week ‘recharges the batteries’ and, as well as providing some exercise, it is a chance to meet new people and find out more about where we live.

 
If you are interested in joining Sandy’s walking group (and you don’t have to commit to every week) please contact her at s.pepperell [at] btinternet.com

Business Profile: The Perryvale Bistro & Bar

Belinda Evans from the Forest Hill Society interviewed owner Royston Holmes about his new venture, The Perryvale Bistro & Bar, which is located on the east side of Forest Hill station at 31a Perry Vale.

Why did you choose Forest Hill for your new venture? Opening our business in Forest Hill has been a real pleasure, and everyone has been incredibly kind and complimentary. We were looking for a site in South East London in order to link with my partners’ (Hector, Jen & Matt) other site, The Crooked Well in Camberwell. A lot of The Crooked Well’s regular customers are from Forest Hill and it kept coming up in our search; so, when The Perry Vale site became available we had a really good feeling. 

Tell us a bit about some of your dishes and their provenance? Our menu aims to provide a modern British feel drawing on some classic European influences.

What’s your most popular dish so far? It’s difficult to say which dish has been most popular however our baked squid flies out on a daily basis along with our mustard rabbit leg in its summery broth. We always have great specials on, too!!

How do you choose your wines since you have a really extensive and lovely wine list? Our wine list is personally selected by Hector who has some fantastic contacts in the industry, including some of the best vineyards in South Africa and world-class Master Sommeliers.

Do you use local suppliers? We use local, independent suppliers where we can, including William Rose Butchers in East Dulwich.

What’s your favourite thing about Forest Hill? I’m overwhelmed by the feeling of community in Forest Hill. Ninety-five percent of our customers at the moment live ‘just down the road’ so it’s great to be able to build strong links with the area.

Where do you like to eat out in Forest Hill (or the wider area)? I must confess, I haven’t had a huge amount of time to sample the culinary delights in the area, but I’ve had two really good meals at The Dartmouth Arms.

What do you think Forest Hill needs next? I doubt very much that I am qualified enough to discuss what Forest Hill needs next. However, it would be great to see the Perry Vale side of the tracks given a bit of a lift!

What are your plans for The Perryvale in the next few months or years? Having been open for just a month the focus is very much on gaining confidence in our product, but we’re already looking at developing a weekend brunch and pushing a wallet-friendly lunch menu.

For more info, visit www.theperryvale.com.

The Signal (formerly The Hob)

The Hob, 7 Devonshire Road, temporarily closed its doors in September for renovations under new ownership. Hippo Inns’ Chief Operating Officer, Dawn Donohoe, provided us with news about their plans for the pub.

The Signal will be re-opening The Hob in early October in a very different disguise. We look forward to welcoming local residents and businesses to food tastings and events, and sneak previews from the end of September.

As the pub was originally known as the Railway Signal and we were keen to take it back to its roots, we have chosen to change the name from The Hob. We want The Signal to be a place where you want to chill out and relax, and feel it’s an extension of your own home.

The interior of the pub will feel very homely, cosy and fresh. We are working hard to enhance the original characteristics of the building — we have had to do quite a bit of nurturing to get it back to health!

With regards to entertainment, our focus initially will be on acoustic live entertainment from 6:30-8:30pm, when you will be able to listen to covers of all sorts of old favourites.

Unlike Ron and Emma, the previous owners, we are not comedy experts. However, we do recognise the strong following The Hob had so, we are looking into introducing comedy but need to learn the ropes first — not to mention getting our new team pulling the perfect pint; serving the most delicious, fresh, honest food; and, of course, whipping up the best cocktail you have ever had.

Our food offer harks back to the simplicity of open-fire cooking when ale houses were first born. Our ‘spit and grill’ concept will be visible to the customer, and the menu will showcase the best and freshest British ingredients.

The pub’s main drinks offer will be focused around craft beer and rotating local ales with a 20-strong wine list. Upstairs you will find a feature cocktail bar with the best Gin, Vodka and Rum collection in South London. The cocktails will be quickly and deliciously created by our very own mixologist, who will train and manage our bar team.

We want to get to you know you all and cannot wait to be a part of Forest Hill!