number 2

Another recommendation for Polly. We are leaving the area in a couple of weeks so she will have time on a Monday. She's been brilliant, reliable, hard working and does a fab job - I wish I could take her with us!

My cleaner has a couple of free slots (not sure of the details). She is great, does a thorough job and welcomes feedback. I've had a run of bad luck as far as cleaners go, so Polly has been like a breath of fresh air. Her number is 07727 042636

My lovely cleaner has a couple of slots I think. She's called polly and she's the best cleaner I've had in ages (have had a run of bad luck in this department).

Her number is 07727 042636

I need someone to paint the front of our house and fill in a hole under our outside bay window. Not massively skilled, but a good couple of days work. Please pm if you have ideas or think you can do the job.

Chhers

We used loft life and they were GREAT. I've recommended them to a number of friends and they've all been happy too.

Hi we are looking for a cat sitter for 25th July for 10 days. Does anyone know any cat sitting services? Thanks

We had a "sleep sheep". - quite a nice cuddly sheep with a sound box inside. Worked a treat for us. I think! Might've been a coincidence though!

Thank you! I am trying a new strategy today - compost and fast acting grass seed. Last ditch attempt! I did something at some point that worked in particular spot. I wonder whether it was the compost I put down.....

We have a pretty small garden - about 3.5m x 5.5m. The grass is totally buggered. It was rubbish before we had some foundations dug for our conservatory, now it's just awful. I think we need to have it re-laid. How much are we looking at? We don't have masses of money to chuck around.....

We tried to do ours on a budget and I really wish we hadn't. It cost around ?4000. Replacing like for like with a proper shower over the bath and some nice tiles. The bloke we used who we found from here basically did a runner once we'd paid and never completely finished e job. Please pm me if you'd like his name to avoid!

I'd second puddleducks. They are fab!

hi, i don't have a child with special needs myself, but i do work in special needs. you could try contacting sunshine house on peckham road. it's the place where all of the children's nhs services are held. i'm pretty sure they have parents' groups. you could also try your local children's centre (usually attached to schools) where they might be able to point you in the right direction.

i would go with a childminder if i were you, a good childminder is worth their weight in gold if you find the right one.

good luck!

Yes, you can always rely on our boy for embarrassment!

Jah lush, that is magic!

I have a different surname from my son and traveled back from France with him alone. We were stopped at passport control where I was questioned about who I was in relation to him. The situation was not improved by him claiming that I wasn't his mother, but an ewok by the name "Chief Chirper" (he was in the midst of his Star Wars obsession at the time). Took some fancy footwork and a very lovely additional passport control official who noticed the first guy's total sense of humour fail to get us back in the country. So yes, I would say take a letter!

Choc my, I sent a v similar post out last year! It's so tough knowing people have places they have no intention of using. Good luck to you!

Yep! That sounds just the ticket snowboarder! Maybe we should open up somewhere ourselves!! Not in South London though ;)

Love the look of glisten, but I don't do well without a loo! He Menorca place looks perfect, but just checked and they only have tents left. Anything like this with a kids club would be perfect!

Ok, so I know this has been done loads of times, but I'm going to list our own requirements as, of course, ours are slightly different.

Ok, so we'd like somewhere in Europe, warm but not baking.

We have a 5 year old boy so things to keep him happy, I'd say a pool is a must, kids club would be a bonus.

My other half would go a bit bonkers couped up in a resort for a week or more, so options for days out/wandering are a must.

I'd prefer self catering.

Any ideas anyone? OH is thinking of Menorca. I'd like to go to Croatia.

Thanks people!

Have sent you a pm with an offer of help!

I have two friends with children in reception and they are really happy in lots of ways. It was the school we were offered too but we ended up at St. John's and st Clements. I still wonder if we should have stayed put. I was a bit concerned about the space there, but the aforementioned friends don't seem to feel that's a problem now their kids are Ther. As Skegness says, it seems like good things are happening there.

Prm, as far as I understood it, everyone gets put on the same waiting list and everyone's distance is calculated the same. The other thing that happens to make you go down the list is when people either move into the area with a child of reception age and is closer than you, or they get a child in higher up the school and then their reception aged child goes ahead of you on the list, irrespective of distance. It sucks, but them's the rules I'm afraid. We started off at 4th on the Ivydale list and bounced from there to about 8th or 9th.

Guv'nor and Starbright

'im indoors found this on trip advisor......

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g60763-c147344/New-York-City:New-York:Vacation.Apartment.Rentals.html

Thanks all. We'll have a look. The problem is that so many of these things are apparently illegal and therefore a bit of a gamble. Who knew?!? Every other city is fine, just not New York! Grrrr