Pamela78

Thanks Cora and Help-Ma-Boab - you beat me to it! I've updated the main post with the 2016 details. Hope to see you there!

Hi My son is currently in Reception at Bessemer and my daughter is in the Nursery. We are so pleased with the school and i'd highly recommend it. Both children are flourishing there - both academically and personally. My son's reading and writing in particular has come on incredibly well in a short time. The facilities are great and the staff are excellent. I particularly like how parents are involved - there are regular workshops so you can find out how you can support your child's learning, there are loads of opportunities to talk to staff/find out what the children are up to and they are really responsive to feedback. It's a great, friendly school.

Thanks so much for posting your blog on here - we thoroughly enjoyed the Downe Circular today. It was perfect for our 5 and 3 year olds. Posted some pics on my blog http://hernehillmum.com/2016/03/28/a-family-walk-around-down-house/ I'll be working my way down the list of suggested walks during the year I expect!

The JAGS bouncy castle parties are fab for little ones.

Hi I've commuted from Herne Hill to Victoria for well over a decade - and think it's generally a good service. Some of the morning trains can be pretty busy (going both routes into London), but you can almost always get on - and even get a seat, unless there's been earlier disruption. There are, of course, times when there are cancellations and delays, but one of the things I love about living in Herne Hill is the fact that there are loads of options for travel, so if the trains are having a shocker, there are good buses and Brixton isn't far for the tube. And I second what Cora says, Bessemer Grange is fabulous - my son's at nursery there, starting reception in September. My experience so far is that it's welcoming, academically strong, encourages parents to get involved and really embraces diversity.

* * Original post updated to share to 2016 Festival details * * After such great feedback from the readers of this forum, I?m pleased to share details of this year?s Imperial Festival - a free weekend event that is perfect for families. Make a date with discovery and enjoy the livelier side of science at the 2016 Imperial Festival on 7/8 May, bringing you ground-breaking research, music and art, talks, dance and workshops. If you've ever wondered if you can outsmart a robot, what your pee says about you, or whether music makes you healthy, then we have the festival for you. This free weekend of hands-on, inspiring science is open to all. So whether you're a regular or first-time visitor to the College, join us to celebrate the fifth Imperial Festival. * Saturday 7 May 12.00-18.00 * Sunday 8 May 12.00-17.00 Imperial?s South Kensington Campus on Exhibition Road (nearest tubes are South Kensington or Gloucester Road) You can explore the programme online at http://www.imperial.ac.uk/festival, but highlights include: * Take part in over 40 hands-on research?s demonstrations in our Research Zone, including opportunities to explore astrophysics through food, find out what your pee says about your lifestyle, make art with fat, and play noughts and crosses with lasers * Explore a unique horseless carriage exhibition, with cars from the turn of the 20th Century being displayed alongside new research into the future of mobility within our brand new Transport Zone * Meet the next generation of robots that could revolutionise our daily lives and explore how research into the inner workings of our brain could produce true artifical intelligence * Listen to an inspiring talks programme on everything from predicting the future through science fiction, the health of the Chinese economy, and the geology behind Italy?s dramatic scenery * Have a tipple at our pop-up pub, the Haemo Globe Inn * Make jelly worms and DNA bracelets with your young budding scientists in the Explore Zone * Propose ideas for Paralympic sports of the future with students from the Department of Bioengineering * Journey into the tiny world of bacteria and the organisms that share our homes and bodies, before learning all about the threat of antimicrobial resistance in our Superbug Zone * Get away from the crowds with our tours programme featuring opportunities to relax under a sky full of stars in our pop-up planetarium, and become fully immersed in new research within our 313 degree, 64 screen Data Observatory * Enjoy food and drink from the London Farmer?s Market

We're very excited to have a place for our son this September! He's already loving his time in the nursery there. Look forward to meeting you all

I did this when I was on maternity leave. It's brilliant fun! There are always lots of toddlers running around, joining in with the singing, adding percussion etc! Even in the concerts, there are multiple toddler stage invasions - it's hilarious. I found it hugely de-stressing and I think my two children got a lot out of it. My oldest still sings the songs we performaed!

Hi Laura Just spotted this. My son will be starting the Bessemer morning nursery in September and we don't know anyone. Would be lovely to meet up. Will try and pop along tomorrow. Do you want to PM me your number so I can text when we arrive? Pamela

I'm contemplating a last minute trip over to France with my family for a spot of camping next week. Given we'll only have a 2-3 days, I don't want to spend long in the car - so wondered if anyone had any recommendations for nice, family friendly sites within 1-2 hours of Calais? Would love to find somewhere with nice pool on site (for 3 and 1 year olds), good site facilities (fresh croissants for breakfast please) and ideally near the coast / nice villages for a couple of excursions. Any recommendations / places to avoid?

Hi We're nearing the end of a small building project which has left the house pretty dusty throughout so I'm looking to get the house thoroughly cleaned - and ideally some carpets washed at the same time. Can anyone recommend a company that can do a really thorough one-off deep clean? Thanks!

Spotted something in The Guardian recently which was all about family friendly stop offs along major motorways M4 - http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jul/05/motorway-breaks-m3-m4-family-holidays M5 - http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jun/28/motorways-family-breaks-the-m5 Can't vouch for any of them (except the brilliant Look Out off the M3), but some interesting looking ideas.

So glad to hear you enjoyed it - lovely to read your messages as I rest my aching feet having been volunteering at the event on Friday and Saturday! I'll pass on your comments to the rest of the organising team. Will post next year's dates when they are confirmed.

Thanks Gubodge - sad you can't make it this year, but glad your children still talk about last year! Fingers crossed you can come in 2015! Cora - I will feed that back to the organising team. Anyone else who's interested - don't be put off by the forecasted rain over the weekend! Most of the venues are indoors and everything will still be going ahead :-)

Just wanted to share details of an event where I work which is fabulous for families and a really unusual day out - the Imperial Festival. If you have any budding scientists in your house, drop in at Imperial College London in South Kensington - just next door to the Science Museum. It takes place on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 May 2014 and will be open to the public at the following times: 16.00 - 22.00 on Friday 12.00 - 18.00 on Saturday * * * * * * Materials, microbes, maths and medicine. Explore Imperial's ground breaking research with a packed schedule of activities, talks and performances for all ages. The Festival is free and open to all ages, so drop in to put your questions to hundreds of scientists and engineers, take part in hands-on science demonstrations, peek behind the scenes of Imperial?s most exciting labs, and enjoy music, dance and comedy. Highlights include: * Over 40 stands of hands-on exhibits and experiments in the research zone * A robot zone dedicated to robotic research, including a dancing robot and robots inspired by insects * Family activities in the Reach Out Lab, including jelly worms, strawberry DNA, lego challenge and tall structures * Pop up surgery demonstrations * Silent disco Loads more information, and the full programme, is available here - http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/festival

Another vote for Steve and the team at Sundial. They've just finished refurbishing all the original sash windows on the front of our house and have done a terrific job. No more rattles or drafts - they look like they are new! The team were reliable, friendly and great with my small children who kept sneaking in to see what was going on. They were particularly good at leaving things clean and tidy every day, something I was particularly concerned about with little ones running around. I also asked them to paint the external masonry, and the whole house looks incredible now. Would highly recommend them if you are considering it.

Hi Was in a similar position to you last year - but then I discovered the Baby Jogger City Mini and I'm completely in love! I wish I'd bought it from birth - it's light but sturdy, easy to manoeuvre and has a ridiculously quick and easy fold. Plus it looks comfortable for my daughter and has a great sun shade on it. x

Hi For the theatre, worth checking out Unicorn theatre and Little Angel Theatre. Sensational and Not Now Bernard at Unicorn were both fun. I'm planning on taking my three year old to http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-elephantom Agree about Hopscotch newsletter. I pick up loads of ideas from there. Urban Explorer is also great. Have fun

Thanks everyone! I think the bribery trick might work with my chocolate mad son!

Hi My 3.5 year old has been potty trained for nearly a year during the day, but hasn't been showing signs of being ready to give up the pull-ups at night. He's always wet in the morning and has never woken to go to the toilet during the night. A couple of weeks ago, he suddenly decided that he doesn't want to wear anything in bed - no pjs and no pull ups! Even if he goes to bed in them, he removes them almost immediately and I find a little pile of pjs/pullup by his bed. We tried leaving him for over a week sleeping naked, with double waterproof sheets etc, and every night except one he wet the bed and woke up upset about it. So for the last few nights, we've tried lifting him when we go to bed with very limited success. Sometimes the very act of lifting him makes him wake up and wet the bed immediately and if we do manage to get him to the potty, he's generally really upset about being woken. I think we've only successfully lifted and had a dry bed in the morning once. I don't think he's ready to give up the pull-ups and he's clearly not waking up before he needs to wee - but his complete refusal to wear anything is forcing us into this too soon for him. Any tips / advice? I didn't really want to lift him as I'm not keen on him getting used to get up late at night at the same kind of time, but feel like that might be the only way to go at the moment until he can go through on his own - struggling to work out how to do that without him getting really upset!

We did the Day out with Thomas with our 2 year old in Tonbridge a couple of years ago. It was quite small - we basically spent the morning there and then had lunch in a restaurant in the same complex, and drove home while he napped. He absolutely loved it. It was a couple of years back, but when we went the train ride wasn't pulled by Thomas but it was Emily. They gave out little gifts to the children on the train which went down well. We did that pretty much as soon as we arrived. Then afterwards, we saw Thomas/Diesel racing (attachaed), did colouring etc and looked at the other train exhibits. I wasn't sure it was worth it, but my toddler had an amazing time. He still has the certificate from the visit on his wall!

My three year old loves the space safari show there. It's a fun place to visit - although we usually don't stay that long at the planetarium, heading down through the park to the Maritime Museum. Have fun!

I'd second the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich - we've had some fabulous trips there (and you can have a great day if you also do the Cutty Sark - fun to explore - and the Observatory which has an excellent kids show in the planetarium called Space Safari)

We are just trying out Ruggerbeez with my toddler on a Saturday morning in Belair Park. Its quite pricey but incredibly well organised with excellent equipment. You can do drop in or pay for a term. My nearly three year old seemed to really enjoy it and it certainly wore him out!

I work in South Kensington, and if I take the children in, I find it much easier to hop on the 52 bus from Victoria which takes you to the North end of Exhibition Road. No steps at all, and usually nice and quiet during the day. But if you do decide to take the tube, people are generally helpful at South Ken tube as there are so many families passing through. I don't think there's a lift at Gloucester road from the Circle/District lines, but I may be wrong. I think it's just to the Piccadilly. I'd get to the Museum for opening as it can get really busy - 10am ish? Have fun!