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helenvanp

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  1. I always use Mark Newlove (I'm a landlord and property developer)Since recommending him on here he's been getting fantastic reviews. He's extremely knowledgeable but talks in a way I can understand, very useful as a female in my line of work! He's on 07971 824567. Kind regards, Helen
  2. Hi there, Mark Newlove is my preferred boiler man, I recommended him on here recently and he's been getting rave reviews since! He's on 07971 824567, ask him for a quote and I doubt you will be disappointed. Regards, Helen
  3. Glad to hear he has done a good job for you, I feel better now about postponing him. Just hope he's free when I do need him!
  4. My brilliant local central heating engineer Mark Newlove was supposed to fit a new boiler and system for me late next week but we've had to postpone the job so he's now unusually available at short notice. He does everything from a simple service or Gas Safety Cert to a full system replacement. I've used him on a number of developments as well as my own home and have recommended him on here before where he's always had very positive feedback. He's fully qualified, reasonably priced and extremely knowledgeable. His number is 07971824567.
  5. I was offered a Lutyens bench at ?500 which looked the same as one I had been stalking on the net for a while. After a fair amount of haggling I got them down to ?250 and even persuaded them to carry it into position. That was three years ago and it's still looking great.
  6. Thanks for the Morocco tips. Will take particular note of the mopeds. We have already booked our accommodation but from your post I think I know the place you stayed and we almost went there too. Is it a funky place with a pool and an animal sanctuary nearby? Thanks to everyone who has taken the time and commented on my ski post. I so wish there had been a do's and don'ts of skiing with kids available before i went for the first time. Even after all the above i would urge any family with kids to give skiing a go. The younger they begin the easier they find it, so long as they are steady walkers they should be fine. The ski garden is fantastic for the little ones because they only have to ski if they want to, if not they throw snowballs or stay warm and dry inside. I wish I had put mine into ski garden that first year rather than ski school, which is much tougher for little beginners. Oh and one last thing. I know all schools differ but ours is quite happy to give permission for time off during term time for a ski trip. This is so much cheaper than in the holidays so check with your school before you book. Roll on next year!
  7. I would advise waiting till they are steady on their feet because if you haven't skiied before then you won't be! Saying that this year we saw a little toddler coming down the mountain with his parents and he looked so cute, we all went 'aah.' Good luck and happy skiing!
  8. Morrocco!!! A week in Essouria, a week in Ouileda and one night in Marakesh. Any tips?
  9. Hi there, sorry for thr delay. Yes there is a 'ski garden' which is the creche for 6 month to five year olds. The two and overs do some skiing in there and the little ones play and do arty stuff. My friends who came with us for the last two years are advanced snowboarders and love the resort. There is plenty to keep all abilities happy with the three ski areas. Might see you there next year (though husband and I are planning a sneaky 5 day trip there in March, sans enfants, a great time to go as they usually have a late dump of snow then )
  10. Hi Ed folks. I just wanted to tell the story of our first family ski trip and give some advice on where I think is the best place to learn to ski with kids. Three years ago (in march) we decided to go skiing, never having done so, with our 3 girls (twins age 4 and a 6 year old) After lots of research we chose Arinsal in Andorra and not liking any of the flight times available through the ski companies, booked directly to stay a week in The St Andreu aparthotel. Our choices were limited as finding and accommodation in Europe for five people on a budget is almost impossible. We decided to fly to Barcelona which is 3.5 hours from Arinsal but we now know is well worth the extended transfer. We arrived at the St Andreu to be met by Simon an Helenna (the owners) who had organised ski passes, ski hire, and within minutes were relaxing with a cold beer. So far so good! They took us to the ski hire shop where the fiendly and unbelievably patient assistants fitted us with all the relevant ski kit. We were now ready to tackle the mountain. The rooms were brilliant for families having a double/twin, another twin and the living room set up with a bed for our 6 year old. There was a fully equipped kitchen area so we planned to enjoy breakfast and dinner in the hotel and take sandwiches for lunch up the mountain. My advice is to book half board in advance because it is such good value for money compared to eating out but also we would bath the children as soon as we returned from a ski day and take them to dinner in their pj's, perfect! I have to admit that the next morning was horrendous. We had three small girls, five sets of skis, helmets, boots, water, snacks etc etc to get down the road, and up the mountain to ski school by 9.30. I think we all ended up in tears. My only advice to get you through this day (and possibly the next) is to give yourself lots of time, take a huge holdall (you will be 'holdingall') and arm youself with Rescue Remedy or possibly something stronger! Getting three kids to the loo, up two flights of stairs in ski boots is the nearest thing to torture I have ever had to endure! I have still to master walking elegantly in ski boots! Does anyone? We dropped the girls into ski school and hobbled over to our class, worried senseless about how they would cope.... They didn't, they cried intermittently all morning and begged not to go back in the afternoon (double session the first day!) We asked ourselves 'what were we thinking' as we waved them off again in floods of tears. We fortunately had the sense to hire a locker on the mountain, a fantastic investment, as it meant we could ditch all the ski gear at the end of the day and jump in the gondola down to the village unencumbered. This was heaven, as was the dinner back at the St Andreu that evening and as you can imagine we slept like babies that night. The next day was marginally better, thanks to the ski gear already being on the mountain but there was still no avoiding those last minute toilet trips with three bladder challenged girls! On the way down in the gondola at the end of that second day the girls were in tears again, they were tired, cold (read snotty) and wanted to go home (or to a sunny beach, in keeping with previous holiday experiences) Once again we soothed ourselves with a cold beer and hot dinner back at the hotel (the food was becoming the highlight of our trip contrary to the common knowledge that ski food is terrible.) Simon took in our bedraggled state and defeated faces and told us it would all come right the next day and that by the end of the week we'd be doing red runs. We laughed, of course. Amazingly though he was right, it did all come together the next day and we actually started to enjoy ourselves. As the week went on we fell into a kind of routine. Ski school in the morning, lunch outside a mountain cafe, then taking it in turns to try out the magic carpet (a kind of uphill ski travellator) with one of the girls while the others coloured pictures and watched the skiers from outside the ski cafe. A beer during the 4pm happy hour and things were beginning to look up! We even had a gruelling method of hauling one of the kids up the hill on skis and letting them go to be caught at the bottom by the other, great for shifting those unwanted pounds, and endless amusement for the advanced skiiers watching! By the end of the week we were all in tears aggain, this time because we had to go home and we were enjoying the best family holiday we had ever had. We were indeed taking the girls up on a ski lift (not mentioning the time I dropped one of the twins off one,) and doing gentle blue runs and I was extremely proud to say I did my first red run at the end of my last day (so was my best friend in Oz who I texted at the bottom) We discovered a fantastic bar calles Quo Vadis, on the way back up to the hotel ('it breaks up the journey' we tell ourselves when we stop there each day for a post ski beer) They love kids (unlike most UK pubs) and the best bit is that they employ a camera man on the mountain each morning. So you get to watch yourself on that first wobbly slide/skid/fall and everyone else in in the pub can have a laugh at your expense. Brilliant! If you see their tout at the bottom of the gondola get a stamp for a free drink, still minding that budget. We have since been back to the St Andreu two more times, each with a larger number of friends and we all agree as skiing goes, it's heaven on earth. This year we heard reports from Europe of 'NO SNOW' and we were worried. No such problem in Arinsal as the snow cannons fire out fresh powder all night to greet you in the morning. We skiied all day every day in all three ski areas, Arinsal, Pal (via cable car) and Arcalis (30 minute drive away and organised by the hotel) All three ares are covered by your ski pass and make it a varied and exciting week skiing for all abilities. We particularly enjoy a day in Pal and try to save it for the last day, which this year was a belter, blue skies and hardly anyone else in sight. If you are thinking of taking your family on your first ski trip I can highly reccommend Andorra and in particular Arinsal. The ski instructors are the same every year and are second to none. We now only book a few private lessons for both ourselves and the girls to iron out any bad habbits and spur us on. The rest of the time we all ski together, and are frequently overtaken by our girls shouting 'hello Mummy' as they pass us on a red run! Coffee on the mountain is around ?1.50, chips ?2.50 and a beer ?2.50, times that by at least three if you are going to France to ski! This year we managed to get booked on the wrong bus back to Barcelona which would have meant missing our flights. Helenna swung into action and while we munched on hot croissants arranged for her brother to take us (a 7 hour round trip) That's why we keep returning each year and why we might never make it to France for a ski trip. I hope this has been an informative account of my family's ski experiences and anyone trying it for the first time this year has a fantastic time ... HAPPY SKIING! Here are some tips for a stress free ski trip with kids. -Take a huge holdall for that first day hauling the kit up the mounain -Pay for a locker on the mountain, you won't regret it. -I find my kids are best with and M and S cotton thermal vest, then a long sleeved T, then a fleece plus ski jacket. -I dont like mine to wear braces on their salopettes as it means taking off the jacket at wee stops. -Mine all take a lightweight backpack for water and to put their fleece in if they're hot. I know it's lovely not to wear a backpack but if not you will end up carrying 3 litres of water and five fleeces by lunchtime. -I pack lots of high energy snacks like dried fruit and nuts, musli bars as they are better grazing to keep their energy up than having a huge lunch (then indigestion) -I always pack a few cploured pencils and paper for rest and beer time, it keeps them occupied while you relax. -get all prepared and lunches made for the next day the night before as getting to ski school for 9.30 is no easy task. -Just before putting the kids ski boots on take them to the loo (see above) Feel free to add your own tips but these are just a few that have helped us in the past. Web address for the Aparthotel St Andreu is www.st-andreu.com I should probably add that the cost for the trip including flights, transfers, ski passes, full hire, half board at the hotel is around ?500 per person... bargain!
  11. Sorry put this in the wrong place hope it's ok now
  12. Does anyone out there want to rent our beautiful Grade 2 Listed Georgian seaside house for the whole summer or possibly longer? We bought it this time last year and had a fantastic time using it for weekends and school holidays before deciding to ditch London alltogether and move to Kent permanently (this Friday!) The house is four storeys, big and bright with bags of character, whiewashed floors, and a great no maintanence garden. There is gated off street parking which is a real bonus in Ramsgate where parking spaces are as rare as hens teeth! Church Street itself is a very quiet road and the house has fantastic views of the Church and grounds. Everything you could want to do in Ramsgate is within easy walking distance whether it's a bucket and spade on the award winning sandy beach or sophisticated dinner for two (one of the best Thai restaurants in the south of the country is 5 mins walk away). If it's shopping you're after then the fantastic retail village at West Wood Cross is a 10 min drive, a must for any weekend in Thanet! (and the best TK Maxx I've ever been to, knocks the spots off Croydon) The quaint seaside town of Broadstairs is 10 mins drive if you fancy a Morrelli's ice-cream (and who doesn?t?). To work off the ice-cream my husband bought a kayak and bobbed out on the sea every Saturday morning, (wet suit required after September) In contrast I enjoyed a quiet coffee in one of the harbourside cafes in the afternoon with a copy of Coast magazine (the house was actually shortlisted for a Coast feature) The cost of the house per month is ?750 which works out at about ?170 per week much cheaper than either a holiday let or the mortgage (which is considerably more) Have fun at the weekend, invite your friends to join you or spend the whole summer there, whatever you decide to do will be great because you'll always be on holiday there. The house is fully furnished and all ready to go ,there's even a barbecue on the deck and the beds are the comfiest this side of the Ritz! The house sleeps five to six in two double bedrooms and one bunk room. All this and only an hour and a half from East Dulwich, even on a Friday night! I've attatched some photos and as we'll be down there from Friday viewings can be arranged anytime after that.
  13. I'm trying to sell my house on Upland Road without an agent. If you are looking for a two bed house please view it on the residential pages.
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