thefamilyO

Hi I wanted to pass on recommendations for two great local businesses I recently used to make over my garden. The first is the garden designer Antonia Schofield. She offered a really good design service tailored to our small East Dulwich garden and really listened to what we wanted. She produced a fantastic design for a patio and new flower beds and we couldn?t be more happy. I had struggled to find someone who would do a design for a small garden and I almost gave up but thankfully I found Antonia. Antoniaschofield.com The second is William Sutton Landscaping. He built the patio and dug out the beds ready for me to plant (he isn?t connected to Antonia Schofield- I found him independently). Again, he was really easy to work with and very professional, and did a beautiful job. He has very good attention to detail and a good eye so the finish was perfect. Williamsuttonlandscaping.co.uk Both Antonia and Will were reasonably priced and importantly are really nice people which made the process so much easier than it could have been.

Hi, We are looking for a tutor who can cover both maths and science and provide some additional support to our 13 year old. We live in East Dulwich. If you?re interested please pm me. Many thanks. Emily

If anyone's looking for help updating their clothes/ needs a special outfit I highly recommend a great local business called Queen Bee Styling. After having had two kids and realising I probably couldn't wear the same clothes as I had done pre children (age is not kind to the body...) I took the plunge and booked an appointment with stylist Sally. She is also a mum of two and totally understood my predicament. Just as important was her understanding of my not too high budget. She took me to staple high street shops like top shop and Zara but found really unique things that formed tons of different outfits. It was really good value for money and I was really chuffed with everything I bought. I've had loads of compliments and someone even stopped me in the street to ask where I'd got my coat from! I think she has a real eye for things that not only suit the client concerned but which have more than a season's wear out of them- important if you can't afford to refresh your wardrobe every few months! I can't recommend Sally highly enough. E

Hi, I don't usually make recommendations on the forum (largely because I've not been as impressed with a local firm before!) but I wanted to pass on details of an excellent company based in Herne Hill that has just insulated, sanded and polished our wooden floors. The floor boards were in a pretty poor state but Derek and his team at Finishing Point Flooring did a fantastic job of repairing, sanding and polishing them. What's more, Derek came up with the idea of securing insulation to the undersides to make the room warmer. I've already noticed a difference and we couldn't be happier with the finished result overall. I initially saw a recommendation for Finishing Point on the Forum and completely agree with the comments made- reasonable prices, very professional, polite and pleasant team, high quality finish. Incredibly, there was very little mess so the whole process was very painless! Derek's details are: http://www.finishingpointltd.com/ telephone number 0208 671 7825 Emily

If anyone is looking for a handyman for one off/ short term jobs then I'd highly recommend Jon Magidsohn who we have used for a range of things over the last couple of years. Jobs have included mending a broken staircase and squeaky floorboards; putting up hooks, heavy mirrors and pictures; building a bespoke cupboard to box in an ugly electricity metre and putting a sealant around a sink. He is a really nice guy, very reliable and charges a reasonable rate in my opinion. I have no other connection with Jon so am recommending him only on the basis of my experience as I have found it hard to find reliable people in the past. Jon's number is 07985930875. Emily

... I can completely relate to this thread. And for my part, to add into the mix, I realsied I was suddenly in my late 30s and had no idea what I was able to wear! I also highly recommend local woman Sally of Queen Bee styling. She gently encouraged me to try styles of clothes I hadn't before considered and I was really impressed by what she came up with. We went shopping and I was really pleased that she didn't head straight for the expensive gear at Selfridges! I bought loads of stuff from Zara, Mango, Top Shop... And the key thing for me was buying pieces that worked well together. She is really approachable and reasonably priced too. Good luck with your quest!