Morrells, or Morrell and Sons is going to become....

One of the Lurking commentators asked whether I know what is happening to Morrell and Sons (or Morrell's as it's known locally) builders' merchants.

I feared for weeks that it might become another Estate Agent, but fortunately, the economic climate is preventing further expansion in that sector. I've no issue with Estate Agents, but the proliferation in SE11 was starting to become tedious.

I have it on good authority that Morrell's is now occupied by a firm that intend to turn it into a Plumbers Merchant/bathroom shop, and they are currently selling off the remaining old stock in preparation to replace it with plumbing merchandise.

We'll have to wait and see... I'm quite impressed that certain empty retail units in Kennington are being replaced quite so quickly. The shop fronts are being occupied at a time of immense economic instability, so clearly the foot fall around Kennington Cross makes it desirable. There are still a few too many empties opposite Kennington park, between Kennington and Oval tubes. I don't think there's any more space for a convenience store (there are already three within spitting distance). I'd like to see a cafe in the empty laundrette next to the funeral directors, but again, the area has quite a lot of Greasy Spoons, the best, in my humble opinion, being the fabulously friendly Parma Cafe.

Peluqueria, Kennington Park Road and the credit crunch

I've made a few changes and additions to the map. It seems somewhat peculiar, but despite travelling past certain locations daily, I can't remember what's where.



One piece of interesting news is that Peluqueria, the small Spanish-speaking ex-hairdressers, ex-video shop, ex-internet cafe (see above) is to become something else. It's currently undergoing refurbishment in order to become.... possibly, a cafe. I popped in a day or so to check it wasn't disappearing completely, but they were reticent to say much except for "cafe". It sounds promising.

One piece of sad news is that I have heard that H Morrell & Sons (the attractive shop near to Kennington Library on Kennington Lane) will be closing down. As a building supplies firm, I imagine that they've been driven to the edge by the credit crunch. They now have "closing down" notices plastered over the shop.

I will have to walk up Kennington Park Road to check whether I've got some of the other locations on the map quite right. I've added Dominos Pizza Takeaway. I've also marked on the map properly that Mansion House pub seems to have been closed down. (I'm not clear whether the building will form part of the new flats planned for that area of Newington Butts).