born&brED

A family friend of ours is moving to London during the Easter holidays and will be offering piano (and even organ!) lessons up to Grade 8. He is currently the Director of Music at Chester Cathedral, and has a long list of experience. You can view this at his website - http://www.benjaminchewter.webeden.co.uk/home/4572202932 He is willing to travel to Dulwich and the surrounding areas. If you'd like his contact details please send me a PM. Katy x

Fancy a trip to the seaside this Saturday? Look no further than SE23! 🍦🍭🐚🐠☀️🎠🇬🇧 Dalmain Primary School welcome you all to their summer fair, 'A trip to the Seaside'! You can expect all the usual beachy fun, including: 🍦inflatable helter skelter 🍦surf simulator 🍦end of the pier games 🍦sandy beach 🍦story telling mermaid (from Tea Dance for Little People 🍦giant bubbles 🍦crafts 🍦traditional games (raffle, tombolas, find a friend) 🍦tea and cakes 🍦 pizza and chips 🍦 cocktail bar 🍦raffle We hope to see you there! Saturday 20th June from 12-3pm Grove Close, Brockley Rise, SE23 1AS

Just so you all know for next year - we had a great time at Morden Hall Park (National Trust) this year. 30 mins drive from Dulwich. We were 4 adults, 6 kids (ages 3-8) and an oblivious newborn. There was a lovely christmas market with handmade produce and food, music and dancing and a couple of massive inflatables for kids (tho v pricey). In the stable yard there was a room with 3 different crafts for children - and really lovely ones too - pomanders, wax candles and lollipop stick decorations - all 3 for just ?2.50 and the kids spent about 1.5 hours doing them!! Santa (pre-booked) was reasonable -?8 per child and you get a quality book - Santa himself was great! The park itself is big with a river, pretty bridges, natural play areas, an old mill, trails, cafe/shop/bookshop/art galleries, garden centre and free parking. Would def recommend! Sounds like a bargain compared to the above!

Yes, it's really hard to get through to their landline. Call surgery and ask to be put through or if all else fails call their pager number!

Really hope the weather is more like today - the autumn colours are so pretty! Def go for a proper village walk along the shops and into the Park or down to belair and Dulwich college. If it does rain, I reckon the horniman (with market!) then picture gallery would be fab x

Fab news! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you Leons! That's great to know!

Hello, I'm looking for a Saturday morning football session, preferable in Dulwich Park for my nearly 4 yr old. I've seen so many but am wondering who runs them? I'm particularly interested in drop-in sessions and those particularly for you get ones. There's one near the playground at 9.30ish that seems to fit this - does anyone know anything about it? Many thanks!

According to the website, this opens today!

Oliveoil - big sympathies! I feel your pain! Helen GV and telemum - thank you sooo much for clarifying that - that really helps! I didn't really understand how the council distributed places. I think I need to see exactly how many metres we are from Stillness, up on Gatthorne. But to be honest, we really are well-off for good schools aren't we?! I really wouldn't mind my son at either Stillness or Dalmain - can't imagine we're in the catchment for anywhere else. Good idea to visit the fairs - will do! X

Excuse typos and auto-corrects! :-/

Yes, the intake doubles at Stillness from 45 in nursery to 90 in reception. So def more of a chance there! We've lived in Garthorne Riad, HOP for 6 years now. Our eldest is 3.5 years. We've looked around Dalmson and Stillness and liked both - applied for both at nursery - acceptance from Dalmain, No place from stillness. In the end we decided to keep him at his v small private nursery in Nunhead anyway (as he was so settled there). For reception tho (for sept 2014) we're in a quandary as to what to do. Both schools say you must put then as first choice if you want to get in. What if I put Stillness first and didn't? I wouldn't get my son into Dalmain either? Where would we go? It's seems that most kids from our block (brockley rise up to Garthorne including Gabriel, bovill, ebsworth etc etc) go to Dalmain. My neighbours kids go to Stillness - did their eldest just strike lucky that year? Thanks in advance! And yes, I agree - HOP is a FAB place to live - fab community, independent shops (no, I don't support the new sainsburys local - keep giving Honor Oak Supermarket, Hills and Parkes, etc your custom!) great transport links and parks.

Does anyone know if the fountains and sprays are working in the main playground at wells park in Sydenham yet? Thanks in advance!

Oooh, glad to see this! We too are in Stillness catchment and going to get our eldest into reception there for sept 2014. We loved in when we looked around and have heard great things.

Hope all goes well! I'd recommend www.theimaginationtree.com - full of ideas to keep unders 5s entertained easily and cheaply!