Author Archives: lavenderhillforme

It all goes wrong at Donna Margherita on Lavender Hill

We’ve written a few times about Donna Margherita, at 183 Lavender Hill – one of our longest serving Neapolitan restaurants with two decades on Lavender Hill. Donna Margherita’s owner Gabriele Vitale moved to London from Italy about 30 years ago. … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Food & drink | Leave a comment

The surprising history of a smelly alley behind some bins near Battersea Park

It’s not the most obvious spot for a landmark in the history of flight! Hidden behind a load of bins next to a Battersea petrol station, along an alleyway whose smell reveals its other role as a surreptitious urinal, is … Continue reading

Posted in Curiosities, Local history | Leave a comment

After decades of service, Hill Launderette fades in to history

Hill Launderette is one of the longest established businesses on Lavender Hill – we don’t know when it started but it has spanned many decades. It stayed surprisigly well used, even as washing machines & tumble dryers became more widespread … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Curiosities, Local history, Retail | Leave a comment

A takeaway disaster: was this Lavender Hill’s shortest-lived business?

The grand opening banner is still up at China Garden, Lavender Hill’s newest Chinese takeaway. It had a busy few weeks, and was generally decently reviewed. A lot of effort (and money) clearly went in to fitting it out to … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Retail | 1 Comment

A rare high-rise industrial building being planned for Havelock terrace

Battersea’s industrial spaces are an endangered species! Developers regularly go scouting around the lesser corners of the Borough looking for anything that looks a bit ‘industrial’, with a view to converting it to new residential development. This can be a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Housing, Planning, Retail | Leave a comment

Clapham Junction’s Lidl supermarket is growing

We’ve previously reported on the various projects to expand, or replace, Clapham Junction’s Lidl supermarket. It’s a busy shop, being a rare full-range branch in inner London, with car parking and right next to a major train station. Unsurprisingly, it’s … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Planning, Retail | 1 Comment

Controversial but useful – new offices & workspaces coming to Culvert Road in 2024

Local business premises are an important way of ensuring there are readily accessible jobs that don’t involve commuting across the city, but they’re also quite endangered, and always under threat of being converted to flats. That said, there are more … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, Planning, Street by street | Leave a comment

New opening: Remedy Kitchen

At the very eastern end of the street up on the Wandsworth Road, the big and beautiful corner unit that was home to Sinclair Till’s collection of carpets, fabrics and furnishings (until they moved to a new store that was … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Food & drink, Retail | Leave a comment

Battersea Park Station: Step-free at last?

Battersea Park railway station just keeps getting busier. It was never a quiet station, thanks to a steady stream of traffic from the Doddington & Rollo flats and the mansions around Battersea park, and some weekend traffic to the park … Continue reading

Posted in Planning, Politics, Transport | Leave a comment

Opening soon on Lavender Hill: Marhaba Minimarket & butchers

Eagle Wines traded on Lavender Hill for many years (right next to Kazim’s legendary Cafe Parisienne, home of the all day breakfast for over two decades) – offering a huge range of wines, that were notably more interesting than what … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Retail, Street by street, Useful to know | Leave a comment