superhans

Just wanted to add my recommendation for Fernando. He is such a pleasure to deal with, very flexible and happy to help at short notice. He does a brilliant job of tidying our unruly garden!

Market Peckham have studios that look like they might fit the bill, I've been tempted to get one: https://www.marketpeckham.com/work/studios/

Thanks wulfhound - i'll try that. Ended up approaching Eldon St from the other direction this morning which was less fun given that it's a one way street! I think i'm a bit averse to Portland Street on account of a near miss with a car pulling out from a space without looking and I think that the quietness of the stretch often means that i'm swerving around people blindly wandering into the road. I miss the lollipop man though :)

Just wanted to resurrect this thread as I'm starting a new commute to the bottom of Curtain Road too. I'm enjoying going west through Burgess Park and joining Walworth Road (moreso than Portland Street which I've found has become quite busy and is a lot narrower), and then joining the CS7 all the way over Southwark Bridge. I went through Bank but got caught out with all the round closures around Liverpool Street. Considering just joining Bishopsgate instead however that's hairy enough driving through in a car! Tried Cycle Streets app but I don't think it's accounting for the closures. Does anyone have any advice (and for the return leg, too)? Thanks very much!

Moved to correct section

I was in contact with the owner - it's not a rent issue I don't think so much as they feel that it hasn't worked as a viable business. As others have suggested, although it was busy all the time, presumably it wasn't profitable enough. I get the impression that they may yet open an alternative business on that site, so I'll look forward to seeing what that is and will continue to support them. The staff are happy to give out the owner's email address in case anyone else wanted to verify!

It's definitely true, the owner confirmed it by email today. Very sad as I was a big fan. Really great staff.

Details about the Bellenden Primary School expansion are here: http://www.bellenden.southwark.sch.uk/school-information/New-School-Development-2. They're increasing the capacity of the school from 210 to 420, which would explain the need for a greater footprint.

I've always though that the Peckham Liberal Club on Elm Grove would be a fun place to have DIY wedding. Might be too big though?

As the ownership of the pub hasn't changed, I'm sure the locals will be just as welcome as ever. I went before and will go now. Given that it was never as busy as The Victoria or The Montpellier, I can't blame the owners for being entrepreneurial and moving with the times. They can't stop the flow of gentrification, but they can take steps to ensure that their business doesn't fail because of it. Payless (now "The Village Grocer") did something similar a year or two ago, and due to great staff it still has its loyal regulars together with the blow-ins from West London attracted by the Farrow and Ball awnings and purple sprouting broccoli in baskets. I'd much prefer to see the Price Albert decked out in distressed leather and wood panelling than I would watch it slowly decline and ultimately be replaced by flats, as has been the fate of so many pubs before now. Good luck to them.

Hi Niwi, I've sent a request to join the group today and will hopefully meet you all on Saturday. Due date is 2 July and it's baby number 2 (daughter is currently 16 months) x

I've been in half a dozen times and think it's great. The staff are all lovely and make a fuss of my daughter - the set-up is very child-friendly with buggy space and a play area at the back. I'm a big fan of lots of the cafes in the area but this one is my current favourite because, as Jeremy suggests, it's nice to go somewhere where toddlers are not only welcome but also encouraged. And on the days when I'm not with my daughter, I can perhaps have a quieter coffee at one of the other local places!

Hi Diane - I've now accepted you.

Hi Kimberley and Catherine - Ive just accepted you into the FB group - hope to meet you at a meet up soon.

Hi, just to say I accidentally clicked "ignore" on a request to join the FB group (maybe for Lauren?) so do please re-send request if that's you -sorry -! Hx

Hi again People seem keen so I've now set up the group. The link is here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/528470860551292/ (Autumn Babies Club 2013). I think the simpliest way to join is just to request to join the group (I've set the settings to closed rather than secret so that this is possible). Otherwise, it looks like I can only add people if I'm friends with them. Let me know if you're having any difficulties (my first attempt at setting up a FB group, so bear with me!) Hx

Another great meet up today, thanks for organising! I thought it might be useful to have a Facebook group to keep track of names and faces, and to help with organising events etc - seems to be quite a common thing to do among pregnant ladies... You can set the privacy settings so that it's not visible on feeds etc and obviously would continue to post on here for those who aren't signed-up. If you'e interested then PM me a link to your FB page and I'll add you to the group, and I'll post a link to the group once it's set up (it won't let me set up a group until I've got people to add!). Hannah x

Really lovely to meet the group yesterday, big thanks to Priya for arranging. Clock house was a great choice. Hope to see everyone again soon! Hannah x

I'm expecting my first on 5th October and would love to meet some local mums - count me for the 11th May x

Thank you, that is really helpful, I will give it a go!

It was mainly the roundabout I was hoping to avoid - I often drive round there and always think it looks a bit hairy. Cycle pass would definitely help and as you say the bridge itself isn't too bad. Would you mind giving me a brief run down of the route after the bridge? Thanks very much!

I'm going to be working in White City for a couple of months and am hoping to cycle there (if I can avoid the temptation of the new London Overground extension!) ?I wondered if anyone had a favoured route that they can recommend? ?I've used the usual route planners ( Tfl, Google Maps etc) but there doesn't seem to be a consensus. ?I'm more happy on busier roads, but would like to avoid Vauxhall roundabout/bridge if possible, and a bit of greenery en route is always nice!? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.