VALFR59

Would be a great idea !!! There are a lot of music session in Dulwich but often full of babies and it's quite hard sometimes to bring your toddler (mine is 20 months) there as he wants to walk and dance around the "no-walkers" sweet babies.... he is very friendly and loves the smaller ones, but, I'm always scared that he fall down on them!and he is still too young for the session started for the 2/5 years old. Soft play are better for him since 3 months now. We use to go to the lovely Crystal Palace soft play ,(less busy/noisy than Peckham soft play and More clean as I found the balls on the games so dirty!) but something in the aerea would be better for us and an afternoon session after the nap, would be fantastic! A nice and clean place with funny toys, safety per age of the children, kids music and good coffe/Tea for mummy's.... what else?! we would love to come to visit every week . Let us know when your project begin reality!

Sorry for this bad experience.But I find quite often the service in East Dulwich shops not nice regards you can have in other aerea of London even in Central london, it's often better. Just would like to know where is the location of this cafe ? I never heard of it before.

Same problem with my 20 months old son... We like to go to: - Crystal Palace Soft Play from 10am-12pm Monday to Thursday. in the Leisure centre (nice, not too busy,very safety) - Toddler group at StBarnabas Parish hall, dulwich village(Tuesday 9.45 to 11.15): my nanny used to go their with our son but I tried it one time and quite busy because not very expensive and lot of nanny/childminder there. - Toddler session to Dulwich library (free) Tuesday morning and beginning of afeternoon. - Music lesson at Soup Dragon 3.30 to 4.30pm every Tuesday,Wednesday, Friday and morning session on saturdays.Very nice with the guitar... but quite a lot of younger children there so not always easy when your toddler walk among babies...But they will very soon develop a toddler session maybe Tuesday afternoon. I don't know yet if Crystal Palace soft play and St barnabas are still running during summer holidays...but Bea music YES. Hope It can help Regards Val?rie

Hello, Please to hear that we are not alone!but we observed that morning problem only since few days. We live in Beauval Road (so not far from Dustans road I think, as Beauval road is perpendicular of Woodward road) Not a lot of pressure as well during the morning...our bathroom is on 1er Floor. and we forgot to use the second bathroom when somebody take a shower in the first floor because no hot water for both in the same time. Val?rie

I confirm, Bea babies is really nice, if your child like music and dancing. However, Not a lot of toddler , major part of children have around 9/12 months old(on wednesday but don't know if it's the same on the rest of the week). My son, 18months old loves this music class! Peckham Pulse swimming pool is great as well : water is warm on the little bath. babies and toddler hours sessions are reserved on the schedule. Friday , toddlers open hour is from 15.00 to 16.00 but please check confirmation ont their website. Have fun for tomorow!

Oh...I would be very interested to have more information about your bad experience with Dulwich pre-school Please. If you have time to PM me excatly what is wrong with that school, that would be very nice to you :) I had to report my tomorow visit in this school because of a job appointment... and they could receive me not before end of June...very busy it's seem. And to continue with the difficulties to find good solution for taking care of my son...my nanny just let us know that she will stop with us because she has found a full time 5 days a week.... Thanks

Thanks ludoscotts I'll visit the school next week but I've apply for Buds school to be sure to have a place in January somewhere...

Thanks all for your help!I received very interesting point of view. best regards Val?rie

Hi, I would like my son start to go to school when he 'll have half pas two/Three year (he's now 18 months), like its usual to enter in school in France. He's at the moment with a nanny at our home 2 days a week, and with me the rest of the time.I would like him to share the attention and learn the life in community. furthemore, he loves to be with other children now.I know that there is a french school in clapham but We don't want a bilingual shcool or french school because we want him to integrate perfectly in the country and offer him a british education/culture during our 5 years of expat life.We speak french at home so he doesn't need to learn more french! I'm not british so its quite difficult for me to have a real opinion about school as it is so different from our french system and style of schools. All pre-school I visited seem very old outside and/or inside (toys, rooms,no special quiet room for the nap and for the lunch time etc)...and so expensive for what they offer to the child... I visited Ducks, montessory nursery and BUDS: Duks, no place before 2 years and a bit expensive for what they offer. Montessory, Didn't like the environnement without garden for the children, just a little playground without grass... I have appointments to visit Dulwich village pre school, Alleyn's school (but start at 4 only) and little jungle nursery.Somebody told good things about St Thomas school but difficult to enter in and even if we are catholic, we don't go every sunday at the church!that it seem a condition to enter. Anyway, I had a quite good feeling with BUDS school even if its not the school of my dream, and seem old inside.But I like the fact that they have a garden and peaceful environement outside with the view on the cricket club.The manager and nurses seem nice and kind with children. As anybody have a child in these shcool? your opinion please... Thanks in advance for your advice :) Val?rie

We tried this new restaurant last Saturday at lunch time. I never went to Pizza express so could not compare. Food was nice (i've eaten pasta, my husband pizza and tiramisu and our toddler tried chips). Children are welcoming ( a lot of baby chairs) but no children meal(they prepare half portion of what you want presenting in the menu) Staff friendly, very typical (all seem to be italian people) But place very noisy. Just disapointed that it was again an italian restaurant (very often indian or italian restaurant on the area)...I would prefer a new type of restaurant like a good and finest Japanese! I would recomend it for an informal family diner but no for a romantic diner.

My son (16 months old ) goes every tuesday morning (from 9.45am) at St Barnabas (in Dulwich village) to a toddler group with his nanny. Its 2 pounds for one hour and a half.She prefers now going there rather to the music lesson after, because he's at a step where he's looking to play with other children and not only dancing and listenning music.She said to me that it's a good place for toddlers. I also often go with him at the music group at Dulwich library,on Wednesday morning (from 11.00 to 11.30). The women who sing there are really nice but it's really very busy (too much in fact). So you have to arrive at least 20min before it start. I'm also looking for activities when i'm alone with my son because now he needs to play with others children. So if you have ideas for activities on afternoon, i would be interested.If the Plough develop again the baby/toddler group i would enjoy to participate sometimes. I'm looking for something to do some Monday and every wednesday afternoon in Dulwich.(Near Dulwich village/lordshiplane would be great because we live between thess two places) Apologise for the mistake in my english writting,i'm not english (but French) and not fluent yet...

Hello, We used 2 times the website "Homelidays.com" for skiing holidays in France and we were very satisfied. Its a french website but you can find rentals all over the Europe with french owners in direct. You would have understand that we are a french family, so apologize for my mistakes in my english writting! Val?rie.

Hello, We live in Beauval Road since the end of August 2010. I've choosen these road because its very close to all the schools in Dulwich village and not far from the heart of East Dulwich. I don't know very well again the english system of studies because we're a french family and our son is only 15 months old . (i'm not fluent again, So,Apologize for the mistakes on my english writting) My nice neighbours have a boy, 9 years old, he goes to Hamlet school. Their Daughter, 16 years old goes to another school (for girls only i think but i don't remerber the name of the school). On the other hand, There are a lot of families with young children in our road, in age of going to school, so i suppose its easy to find a school with these location. I could only say that Beauval Road is quite a nice place to live,rather quiet and well located, between dulwich village and Lordship-lane.So easy to move on these two locations, by walk also. When we moved from France in London, first we would prefered to live in Blackheath or clapham Common but finally, we are very happy to have found the type of house we've searched, even if we had to go farther from the center of London. In fact, It was a good opporunity for us to discover Dulwich, accidentally (by chance). Best regards Val?rie Val?rie

Hello, I pay 8 pounds per hour, non agency. And i realise by yours messages that our nice women cleaner is not so expensive! at the beginning, i found her expensive because in France, the prices are lower for house cleaners (around 6 pounds by non-agency). I sometimes receive to my letter box offers for private women cleaning and the prices are around 8 ?/H

Super pour Jeudi prochain 15H au caf? de Dulwich Park. Il nous tarde de vous rencontrer avec Auguste. @c?line: merci beaucoup pour Auguste! et petite question: tu ne serais pas la maman fran?aise (qui a ton pr?nom) que j'avais rencontr? au playground de Dulwich park, fin septembre, et, qui m'avait parl? du club Cadet Rousselle? Je te souhaite bonne reprise professionnelle et bonne int?gration ? Ealing. Val?rie.

Bonjour, Si Jeudi prochain, le 10Fevrier, convient mieux ? plus de monde, je peut ?tre dispo aussi. Donc demain ou jeudi aprem prochain? Quest-ce qui vous arrange tous le mieux? Bonne journ?e

Bonsoir, Le caf? de Dulwich Parc me conviendrait tr?s bien, on habite ? 5 min ? pieds du parc. C'est vrai que c'est un endroit assez pratique avec les pousettes! En revanche, je suis dispo que Mercredi/Jeudi. Donc avec plaisir si c'est Jeudi Aprem! En principe on va ? une " music lesson" au Peek center ? Dulwich parc de 14H45 ? 15H30 avec Auguste mais on pourra y aller semaine prochaine sans souci(il va d?j? tous les mardi ? un atelier pour toddlers, avec la nanny ? St Barnabas) Tenez moi au courant. Bonne soir?e

Bonjour, Je m'appelle Val?rie, je suis une maman fran?aise d'un petit Auguste, 14 mois.Nous sommes arriv?s de Lille, dans le Nord de la France,? Dulwich ,en Septembre, pour le job de mon mari. Je ne connais pas encore beaucoup de monde dans notre quartier, et, nos connaissances londonniennes sont plut?t bas?es centre et Nord de Londres, donc peu pratique pour aller prendre un pti caf? l'apr?s-midi et papoter un peu...Auguste est maintenant tr?s demandeur d'interactions avec d'autres enfants, il est tr?s sociable et gaie. Une maman m'a parl? a Dulwich park du club "cadetrousselle" mais la rencontre a lieu trop t?t le matin....Auguste est un l?ve tard ,vers 9H! pour le bonheur de ses parents le WE! Si vous organisez une nouvelle s?ance de rencontres de parents francphones,je serai tr?s int?r?ss?e d'y participer si vous acceptez encore de nouveaux membres! Si certaines d'entre vous sont int?r?ss?es par une petite balade au parc cette semaine de soleil, et pause caf?/gouter avec les enfants, suis partante (sauf Vendredi). Au plaisir de vous rencontrer. Val?rie

YES please!! we have a lack of a good high level of food supermarket and items like M&S in the area...We have to go to Lewisham or Greenwich to retire food order to M&S when you organise a cocktail..not great I would prefer a M&S and one less Sainsburry in ED... or put a M&S in Dulwich village! (nothing really shop here to buy food ) Thanks

Hello, I was terrified by your bad experience in the park. You were lucky to not beeing hurted by these dog!!! I often go to the park with my baby, when the weather is good and i'm not feeling good when these typeof dog ran alone near to my purchair... I fear also for my dog ...he's again in France and will arrive only in November (because of the English Law of protection desease) We arrived in August in Dulwich and we came from France. We're very surprised by the number of pit bull or american Staff in England... it seem to depend on area, and i find there no so many pit bull in dulwich. In France , these type of dog and some others are strictly controled .The governement forbidden their birth in order to stop the progress on their number,.It's beccause we had some terrible attaks on children during these last 3 years(who were killed by pit bull, Bauceron or Rotweiler). Owner of these dogs have to be registred by the Police and owners are obliged to keep attached their dog in public and muzzled (people call easy the police when they observe that the owner not respected the rules). If they don't do that, after several penalities, the dog can be placed on a center or unfortunatly killed by a vet. We love animals (we have a cat, a dog Golden retriever) and i find the English dog very well educate in public rather in my country. It's just unbelievable that "fight type dogs" are not obliged to be muzzled ... All dogs not have to be placed in the same basket than these dangerous exeptions...if you love animals, you love peole according to me. The police don't often come to see if law was respected and if families were in safety in the park? After that i'll be not quiet at the park... Sorry for my English, i'm not fluent again!!