Forum Topic

West Ealing Regeneration

After many friends' recommendations, I made very first trip to the Farmers Market in Leeland Road on Saturday and was extremely impressed with the variety of produce on offer - I bought a brace of pidgeons for £3 and breast of mutton for £2.95!  What a bargain!  The veg. was wonderful, with lots of variety including purple sprouting broccoli, Jerusalem artichokes and celeriac. Good bread and cheese stalls and even a small fish stall.  I also found a new fishmonger opposite Carphone Warehouse, which has one of the largest varieties of fish I've seen anywhere in London.  Is this the start of a renaissance in West Ealing, or has this fishmonger been there for some time?

S. D. Brock ● 6778d34 Comments

The fishmonger's shop is new - but prior to moving in a month or so back they used to be in the now closed market 100 yards up the road.

Robin Hall ● 6778d

There is a closed market in West Ealing?  Where?  Is it good?

S. D. Brock ● 6778d

Sorry - I realise you probably meaned closed - shut - rather than closed in!  Never knew  about it!

S. D. Brock ● 6778d

The council have allocated two million pounds to give West Ealing a makeover. There are details of this and regeneration on  Westealingneighbours.org.uk where you can sign up for a newsletter. There is a section on their forum for shops and businesses in The Avenue, The Broadway, Uxbridge Road and Northfield Avenue.

Robert Darke ● 6778d

the fishmonger  and West Indian shop are fab (try the mango Julies when they're in season)  - they have both been moved up from the market.

Viv Ellis ● 6776d

I was very happy with the fish I bought. I was also very happy to buy 10 passion fruit for a pound in the nearby veg. shop when Waitrose were charging 69p each. Whereabouts is the West Indian shop?

S. D. Brock ● 6776d

There's a noticeable improvement in West Ealing recently – perhaps a regeneration at long last. Some young friends of ours bought a property last year – in the area just south of Sainsbutys – and showed us their house and new neighbourhood which is being improved thanks to young professionals who seem to be moving in and doing up houses – it used to be rather run down but now is looking decidedly cleaner and brighter. They say it's a good place to buy property as it's getting regenerated by energetic aspirant couples. With the Council prepared to spend millions of pounds on West Ealing it's sure to get regenerated in earnest! An area for the future.

Gerry Tan ● 6776d

There's a West Indian fruit and veg shop at the back of the fish shop - just keep walking through.  There's also a West Indian cafe that was also once in the covered market (opposite where the fish stall used to be) and has just opened in Leeland Road - opposite the Post Office.Having lived in West Ealing for 30 years we've seen a lot of changes but I agree there is at last a sense of it improving.  Costa's coming to the high street was a real sign of a change and it seems well used. And if you want to buy fruit and veg then the choice is fantastic.On our West Ealing Neighbours website we've started a shop review section on the forum with the aim of letting people know about some of the very good shops there are in and around West Ealing to try to encourage people to shop locally and help the local economy.

David Highton ● 6776d

Driving down Lynton Avenue in West Ealing yesterday I was sad to see the old Edwardian lampposts are being replaced.  I realise they are probably rusty by now, and maybe the light they produced was insufficient,  but they are so much prettier than the replacements. I guess good lighting is more important than good looks.

S. D. Brock ● 6775d

The good news is that the antique Lynton Avenue posts are being stored at the Council's Greenford depot and will be re-used in the newly announced Heritage Quarter which will extend south and west from Pitshanger Manor and Ealing Film Studios.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6770d

Something else I have noticed lately all over Ealing is the distinct lack of graffiti.  Lots of nice clean walls and fences everywhere with no messy tags. The council seems to be doing a good job - I always associate graffiti with crime and run down areas.  Except for Banksey, he can come and paint on my wall anytime!

S. D. Brock ● 6769d

That's goodish news about reusing those excellent Edwardian lamposts in the new Heritage Quarter of Ealing.  I wonder how long it'll take estate agents to say in their particulars: "...a stunningly presented house in Ealing prestigious new Heritage Quarter..."?

Gerry Tan ● 6769d

Very true - we've also noticed a lack of graffiti around the place recently - good news for all.  ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 6769d

I`m concerned our quality of life will be further eroded with continual replacement of houses with blocks of flats. This not only changes the visual and spacial aspects but increases pressure on all our services, some of which are already stretched.The Kirchen Road proposal is likely to create more canyon effect on Drayton Green Road when the houses could well have been refurbished and modernised. Part of the gardens could have been used as a bus pull-in (E7) and waiting area and created a better environment for all.I presume Planning have allowed this through but not entirely sure?

Robert Darke ● 6754d

Planning have indeed sanctioned this in September 2007 and lost opportunities along the way. Full details of the document are linked on West Ealing Neighbours Forum. Meanwhile hoardings are being erected and work shall probably commence soon.  Amongst the many section 106 commitments is that of the 24 dwellings - only 2 disabled car parking spaces will be allowed and the other occupants will not be granted any parking permit

Colin Izzard ● 6753d

There's a new pound shop - Poundland - opposite Wilkinson's.So that's one fewer empty retail sites.

Alan Brainsby ● 6627d

Pound shops can be very useful.West Ealing is certainly coming up in the world. We've recently discovered a really great restaurant not far from Daniels(on the other side of Uxb Road). It's Ealing Mangal, a truly excellent Turkish eatery.  Food is genuinely Turkish offering freshly prepared and well presented fare - dekicious cold and hot starters and a wide range of mains and different salads. Good Turkish wine - Cankaya and Villa Doluca - and the baklavas are fresh and oozing with honey! Reasonabe prices too.  And nice people cooking and serving.  ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 6627d

Just be careful what you order there, Gerry, or you might literally be served a load of b*****ks.

Alex Weel ● 6623d

Thanks Alex, we were amused when reading their menu to find that one of their mains is grilled ram's testicles! The dish is called Uykuluk and as yet I haven't plucked up the courage to try it.  Have you?  I'll try it one day and report back on this forum - then I'll really talk a lorra b*ll*cks!No change there I hear someone saying?  ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 6623d

Pleased others are recommending Ealing Mangal, a long time favourite of ours.Very close to there is a delicatessen Tavazo which has a great range of food in a well presented store and with helpful staff.  These are the plus points when we get stores in our neighbourhood - let's hope this trend of useful and friendly stores continues

Colin Izzard ● 6623d

Nope, Gerry, I have never felt the inclination to try ram's testicles. I think I'll stick to the old lamb Shwarma.

Alex Weel ● 6622d

"I have never felt the inclination to try ram's testicles. I think I'll stick to the old lamb Shwarma."Are you sure there is a difference?

Paul Cavanagh ● 6613d

Is the farmers' market still going?

Paul Cavanagh ● 6597d

Yes, every Saturday morning.A new meat stall has appeared in the past couple of weeks, and the apple stall is back for a new season.

Mark Dudley ● 6596d

Yes, still in Leeland Road every Saturday morning.  The apple stall is now back for the autumn and winter and the market was pretty busy this week when I was there on Saturday. It's one of the success stories for West Ealing and as chair of the residents group West Ealing Neighbours we're encouraging the Council to look at building on its success.  For example, we could have a non-food market at the top of Melbourne Ave or St James Ave as both are already pedestrianised.

David Highton ● 6596d

Excellent idea.........a flea market would be good too.

Penny Crocker ● 6596d

I'm definitely going to try the farmers market this weekend and would love to see other markets in the area. It's brilliant to see people getting active in improving things for others - well done.

Paul Cavanagh ● 6588d

Very excited to read all of this. We are moving to South Ealing next month and will def be checking out the market - sounds great!

Chris Elliott ● 6581d

What time is the market on on Saturday?

Andy Jones ● 6575d

From 9am to 1pm every Saturday

David Highton ● 6575d

The International Food Store (juast west of Deans Gardens, on the south side of the road) is also really good. It sells most spices for a tenth of the price you'd pay in a supermarket.

Liz Haas ● 6571d

Goodness this recession..... I see the Bath store by Daniels is no more, and Richer sounds has gone too!  You know what I think would be good in the area? A good fish and chip shop - where you can eat in or take away - like Geales in Notting Hill (but cheaper).

Viv Ellis ● 6566d

Yes, it gets worse, doesn't it? I agree about the fish and chip shop but the nice Cornish Pasty shop didn't last long....was only open for a few months.

Penny Crocker ● 6566d

I know that Ealing council has a lot on its plate at the moment, retrieving monies from frozen Icelandic banks, housing asylum seekers, relocating lampposts, etc, but I wonder if it will ever do anything about the shops which spread their wares onto the footways.

Alan Brainsby ● 6563d