JL Dulwich

Hi Try Earl at Extra Mile Vans. He's done 2 jobs for me and has been on time, polite and didn't grumble about moving heavy items! I can't remember the price, but I think you had to pay for a min. 1hr and the fee was very reasonable. Tel: 07951 535 534. Alternatively, try putting a quote request on shipley.com - you'll get various offers come through the same day, though be careful to specify you need them to carry an item up/down stairs, as this will add to the cost. I've used this to find a courier to collect an ebay buy recently and it worked well.

Hi I am a local upholsterer and would be happy to help. I've PM'd you regarding availability and to ask for more details about your fabric choice. Kind Regards

That's really awful; I'm sorry you're stuck with that. My mother had the same problem with her next door neighbours. As it was rented accommodation, she contacted the housing association that managed it and complained. They warned the tenants that they must comply with the terms of the lease and, if they didn't, would be asked to leave. It hasn't totally resolved the problem, but it is slightly better, and the tenants now usually smoke inside.

Hi I've used Nick Arbin at Embrace Financial Consulting before and found him to be very good - thorough, speaks in plain english and reasonably priced. Email address is [email protected]. You might want to call a few IFAs and ask them the same questions (e.g. how do they charge - fixed fee, hourly rate etc., are they independent or are they tied to particular providers, do they require clients to have a minimum amount if savings / investment, and whatever else is key for you) to see which one best meets your needs.

We had our child's party at the South London Scout Centre, SE21, email: [email protected]. We booked the Sunley building, which is a massive space with a well-equipped, quite large kitchen and toilets. There are also fold out tables and chairs available at no extra charge, lots of outside space and free on-site parking. We thought the cost was really reasonable (?50 for 4 hours, though this was the cost last year; it may have increased), and everything was much more impressive than we were expecting, given the few photos on their website. Something to keep in mind is that you will need to decorate and set things up yourself.

Hi We didn't have a good experience with the new Butterfly Lane Nursery, so I would suggest you view a few nurseries to see whether they really meet your needs (we didn't - we were just so relieved to find somewhere nearby that had immediate places available). And ask them to be very clear - and put in writing - what their rules are about accepting Government funding, as what I was told during the show around and settling in period, was not what I was told towards the end of term, when I was expecting funding to kick in. When I went for the show around, the lady I met (from the Peckham branch) had all the right answers to my questions, but nothing I was told actually seemed to occur in practice. e.g. there is no outside space at this nursery, and I was told that children would be taken to the local park once per session. This didn't actually happen every day. There were a few other issues we put down to teething troubles (e.g. staff arriving late, leaving us waiting outside; poor nutrition - sugary treats offered instead of fruit; not being told when an accident had occurred; our child being left alone in the hall), as they had only just opened. However, we decided to stop sending our child here when, at pick up time, our child's trousers were soaked and filthy, as he'd had an accident and no one had noticed (despite the fact our child was the only child present at nursery that day). I raised all our concerns with the nursery manager, who did reply with details of what they would change, based on my complaint (e.g. further training for staff, transfer of a senior member of the team to the new nursery, a weekly plan of outings etc). For me, this came too late but, as long as the changes do take place, you may find your child has a better experience.

Hi Someone else posted this in the Lounge section, but I thought it might be helpful to have the details in the family section as well. Kids under 5 are admitted free to Tower Bridge, and adults able to provide a photo ID and proof of Southwark residence (e.g. utility bill, council tax bill) can enter for ?1. I took my son last week and it was a great day out. It was a short walk, beside the river, from London Bridge station and we chose a day where the bridge was scheduled to lift twice, which was exciting to watch. There are lifts up to the walkways, so you'll have no problem taking a pram, and there is a really large disabled / baby changing toilet next to the lift that takes you downstairs. Kids are also given a really nice free workbook and pencil. Once you come out of Tower Bridge, there is a second lift a short walk away, which will take you down to the same level as the engine room (cool for kids who like to see big machines / how things work).

Thanks so much for posting this. I took my son last week and it was brilliant. Kids under 5 go free and, even though I only paid ?1 to get in, my son still got given a little workbook and pencil.

Thanks, Goldilocks. It's good to know that another nursery has changed their lunch options based on feedback. Much as I would rather avoid it, I think I will have to be 'that parent'.

Hello all I was wondering if anyone knew what was 'standard' for nurseries to offer children to eat? Specifically, is it usual for kids to be offered dessert (e.g. chocolate ice-cream, biscuits etc) at every lunch time? I'd rather my child eat fruit salad for dessert, since this is what he is offered at home (with ice-cream etc reserved for treats, rather than an every day occurrence), but I don't want him to be the odd one out at nursery. Has anyone else had any experience with this? I do actually make a packed lunch for our child (at the nursery's request), but they still offer him sweets afterwards. Today I was told that, since he ate the sugary dessert they offered, they didn't even bother asking him if he'd like the fruit I packed for him! So...what is normal??? Thanks

Try Nick Arbin at Embrace Financial Consulting. Tel: 020 3651 0466.

In the UK, a child has to be 16 or older to consent to their own medical treatment. I'd suggest doing your own research about the specific vaccination your school is offering, then, depending on your child's age, discuss your decision and the reason behind it with your child. Vaccinations tend to be an emotive issue, but neither you nor your child should be pressured into any sort of medical treatment. Don't feel guilty or embarrassed to take the time to look into and carefully consider what is right for your child. If you're looking for further information, one company my midwife told me about is www.babyjabs.co.uk. There's some high-level info on the website, but I found the book more useful. (I noticed a few copies available in Dulwich library, so you don't have to buy one, unless you want to keep it for reference.)

Unfortunately, it was an adult, according to the woman who saw the item taken. Adults should know not to steal and children should be taught not to steal. We were shockingly poor when I was young and no one in the family ever stole, so I have no tolerance for those that do.

Today, someone stole my 18 month old's lunchbag (including all contents - milk, lunch, bib etc) from the pram whilst my mum was playing with my child. I wrote about this in the 'stolen' section, but thought I should add it here so that parents can be extra vigilant with their belongings. Fortunately, we always carry our respective handbags on us, but I never thought I'd have to worry about someone stealing a baby's lunch from a children's playground. From now on, I'm going to keep the pram right next to us, which will make playing more difficult, but it seems that's what's necessary, and we certainly can't afford to replace it.

I, too, have collected and delivered parcels to other local shops (Lordship Lane and Barry Road) and never experienced anything like this! It was really upsetting! I did complain to UPS as, even though they have no control over staff at Access Points, it still reflects badly on their company. I was impressed that they replied the same evening, apologised and advised they would be contacting the manager of the store. (I still won't ever return to that shop, but I'm at least glad that UPS acknowledged the issue and apologised.)

This store has signed up to be a UPS access point, meaning if you aren't home when UPS tries to deliver to you, you can collect your parcel from this store. In theory, not a bad idea; in practice, absolutely dreadful due to the appalling attitude and shocking rudeness of staff. I was repeatedly told, "you're not a customer, I don't get anything for collecting parcels for you. Buy something, then I'll serve you." The server then proceeded to ignore me, actually stepping back from the counter and waiting for others to enter the store so he could make me wait longer and, presumably, proving his point that he was there to serve 'customers'. After he'd told me the above statement for the 6th time, I quietly stated that he had said that several times already and there was no need to repeat it further. He then told me I couldn't have my parcel at all, before eventually telling me to come back another day, then finally handing it over. Still speaking quietly and politely, I asked the server for his name, which he refused to tell me. I then asked who the owner of the shop was, as I would like to make a formal complaint about his behaviour. He gestured for me to get out, telling me I could look up how to complain on the website. (Presumably he meant the Londis website, however, this shop isn't actually listed as Londis. It's owned by VS Services (UK) Ltd who, what a surprise, don't have a website.) So, obviously I'll never shop at this 'Londis', but I will now be cautious about ordering parcels delivered by UPS.

We visited the fair at about 11:15am and although busy, there was still room to comfortably walk around with a stroller. It seemed much better laid out than previous years - enough stalls to make it interesting, but well spaced, making it really easy to walk around and look at everything. The free balloons made our little one's day, as did the friendly stall holders, who waved and engaged with him. The donkey rides were such a good idea! Alas, our little one found it a bit too nerve-wracking, but we'd try it again next year.

Many thanks, Sherry and Yan!

Hi Has anyone given birth at Kings College Hospital Nightingale Birth Centre? My baby's due in December and, after poor experiences with the Early Pregnancy unit last year and the booking appointment midwife this year, I'm considering whether I should go elsewhere. Thanks

Hi Jane I'm a freelance writer and communication consultant and my husband is an IFA who works from home. We'd both love to come along to the evening meeting in EDT. See you there.