elsie tea

I can recommend the builders that Kate102 uses. We had an enormous amount of work done - underpinning the back of a large house, structural strapping throughout, new kitchen and bathroom, replastering throughout, minor reconfiguration of some rooms, usual plumbing and electrics, some replacement of cornicing, total redecoration (this is not an exhaustive list). I shudder to remember it all but John was excellent. Knows what he's doing, well organised, pleasant, trustworthy and v calm. He is approved by one of the fussier house insurance companies but is not expensive. His company is called Braidwood and they are based in West Wickham although much of his work is in and around Dulwich. I am more than happy for you to come and have a look at the work and answer any questions if you like. It's such a lottery finding a good builder, I am always happy to recommend good ones when I find them. You can contact John on 07970 490918 and please feel free to pm me if I can help further.

I read this week that even one cup of green tea a day can help you lose weight. No idea if it works but easy to fit in and healthy, too! Best of luck. I put on about 4 stone with each of mine and took ages to get rid of it. It does go eventually, though.

I found the physios at esph were excellent a few years ago and very aware of pregnancy related conditions. I went there at the beginning of my third pregnancy because of spd during previous pregnancies (not an easy option with two other little ones running about) and had a much easier time. Well worth bearing in mind if you have another. If you do try them, ask to see someone who specialises in this field. Also, if you have private health insurance, it might be worth finding out if they will cover you for treating spd. I can also recommend Katie Sedgwick, a local reflexologist who has a great deal of experience with all peri-natal matters. I don't know if she can help the cause but she may well be able to help alleviate the pain. pm me and I will send you her details All the best

Having tried many methods to combat many different sleeping (or, rather, waking) problems, my youngest woke me up this morning proudly telling me he had got out of his cot himself. Oh joy oh joy oh joy.....

If you're going to be 5, it has to be a Hello Kitty cake in true picnic style at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Fingers crossed we don't all freeze...

I have always found reflexology helpful in dealing with these kind of sleep problems. After my second and third children, I went to a wonderful reflexology therapist (very different from the beauty salon variety) called Katie Sedgwick. She is based in East Dulwich and specialises in maternity and post natal treatments and is very soothing. Here's her website Katie Sedgwick There are lots of recommendations for her on the forum, too. Best of luck. It's hard when you don't get enough sleep.

Ha ha - love the apple crumble/fish pie combo. Hilarious! I'll certainly give that one a go - wonder if it will work on the older ones...

Thank you for the messages, she was our cat and we are very sad she died. Like many, and according to Callie's somewhat strangely timed advice, I let her out in the back garden and didn't know she could even get to the front as she's never been a particularly adventurous cat but, obviously being a cat, she did exactly as she pleased. Thank you for all your kind words. Lisa

If you find one of those nearly policemen (Community Wardens?) they can approach the people who have decided to stake ownership to a parking space and insist the bins are moved. Some of these parking space bullies are quite persistent, though, the one in Crawthew Grove still put his bins on the road every day, despite not needing a space all day and several requests by the community wardens. Best of luck!

LCT were my initials

If we did have to have a controlled parking zone, would it not be possible to have something that would allow, say, an hour of free parking rather than all out pay and displays for the shoppers/visitors? It seems unlikely that we will escape the situation for very much longer and surely it would be better to get the sort of parking regulations that would best suit the local people and businesses. This would also have an interesting effect on the Foxtons fleet... (Apologies for going off topic)

Not sure the postie understands numbers. Fortunately, my lovely neighbours do and they popped my new cheque book through the door a few minutes ago.

Have you tried Kim on Wood Vale. I have had turkeys from there and they are always lovely.

No, couldn't get the website to work but just called them and they were very friendly and will try to sort it out - they didn't realise there was a problem. Their number is 7274 2621, not an easy one to find.

At least shoppers move their cars so spaces become available. Foxtons cars seem to be there all day every day and parking in Crawthew has become a complete nightmare (more apologies to Worlingham). I can see the day when the children are screaming in the car and, whoops, I just lose control and scrape the whole lot of them. But, back to real life...