Coach Beth

My personal feeling is that children in this country go into formal education settings much earlier than in most other countries which I don't think is a good thing I think that year 1 and even year 2 children are mostly learning the basics - learning how to socalise, learning about getting on in the world. In some countries, children do play based education up to age 7. In private Rudolph Steiner schools, they don't even learn to read till 7 and they only do half days AND from the educational research carried out, starting formal education later rather than earlier works much better! I kinda think that it's too young to be worried about setting educational challenges for kids. For me, it's more important for them to feel secure and happy and to learn about socialising with others when they are 5, 6 and 7 than to be academically challenged. If you are a good parent, are stimulating your child at home, they will be fine. OR, why not do some volunteer work in the school - some reading in the classroom a couple of hours a week?? Then all the kids will benefit from your efforts!!!

I just got a brouchere from the Dulwich Picture Gallery - there looks like lots of activities for kids and families there throughout the summer.

The Albrighton Centre is located on the Dog Kennel Hill Estate - it's set back on a road opposite Sainsbury's Car Park. They run lots of activities for children, young people and adults in the area.

That's terrible - I walk down that road every day and there are two lovely cats near the Grove Vale end - a really fluffy one that is very sweet and another one that is abit more standoff ish. I'll see if I spot the owners later today on my way down the street. How could the car driver just do that and drive away????

My friend Anna, who along with her partner Clive, run the Idea5pac7 at 157 Bellenden Road where every Friday and Saturday from 10 - 4pm in December they will be selling not just Anna's scrummy cakes but also art works, presents made by local artists and other goodies for Christmas.

Sounds good to me - any networking/support group that involves cake gets my vote!

Oh no - MORE chocolate temptation - agghhhh........ I am compelled to ignore the pile of admin sitting her next to my laptop and escape to this heaven of chocolately, cakey delights!!

Will they do chocolate brownies I wonder???

ED Deli Brownies - so fantastic - so rich and chocolately - almost like fudge. yummmy. Not hard and crusty - yuck. I do like the Bluebird Bakery ones as well - not as much as the ED Deli brownies though!

Ok Claire - I will bring a few packs along to the November Mums in Business meeting!!! Yummy, yummy!

After much deliberating (and much tasting of the samples!), I went for the white chocolate coconut - which was a favorite with my sprog as well. yum!

I'm on my way down there now and I am so excited!! Chocolate - yummy! And I might get a slice of Anna's double gooey chocolate cake too!

oh god... so much temptation what with Anna's cakes and the chocolate shop within a few minutes walk from me!

I popped in the morning when the train I was going to get towards Tulse Hill was cancelled - leaving me with about a 25 minute wait. So I had a really nice hot coffee and lovely big fluffy crossaint and relaxed while sitting at the breakfast bar for about 20 minutes. So much nicer than hanging round the station feeling cross about the train cancellation...grrrrr...!

Try the Southwark Volunteer Centre - most charities in Southwark will register their needs for volunteers with the volunteer centre and they can do a search by postcode for you. Here is the link to their site! http://www.volunteercentres.org.uk/

I was talking to Roz (owner of Review)and she said one of the reasons she organised it last year because there are so many foodie's in Bellenden and she thought it would be fun - and it was very popular!! So she said they decided to run it again this year - expanding out into horticultural products as well. I'm very much looking forward to going and checking out the cakes and produce - although my cake baking skills aren't good enough I think to enter the compeition (unless there is a catergory for most mishapen or sunken cake!)

I've found the man who owns the music shop on Grove Vale really helpful - and he has leaflets/posters in his window so maybe you can advertise there?

I know the owner well - mainly she is closing because she wants to focus on her consultancy business - Future Matters Consultancy and the bookshop was just taking up too much of her time. It is a lovely shop - I loved browsing in the shop and chatting to Venita the owner.

I'd love to see Sound of Music in the Park - and all of Dulwich singing 'The hills are alive.......'

It sounds like a fab event - I'm torn between Casbalanca and Breakfast at Tiffanys!

There is a lovely little music shop on Grove Vale - very near the Bluebird Bakery. My partner is a musician and finds the owner really helpful and he will order in stuff for you as well. The library is very friendly and they have good kids activities as well. I kinda like this stretch of shops really - it's actually quite a diverse little mix of shops and you can get most of what you might need - newspapers, coffee, sheet music and instruments (and other musical bits and bobs), running shoes, antique furniture, a fry up, gardening gear, bread and yummy cakes.

They are very yummy indeed! She sells various cakes (I love the gooey chocolate) and I think they are different prices for different cakes but I don't know the price list for whole cakes as I tend to buy them by the slice mainly. I think it's pretty standard pricing for handmade (not factory made) cakes - I bought a cake from Konitor and Cook a couple of years ago and it was about ?25. You can also get slices of Anna's cakes at the Peckham Rye Cafe if you want to try them out before buying a whole one!

1) Go to a school fair or fete with kids if you have them. 2) Sit under a tree at Goose Green and have a pinic with stuff bought from one of the local shops/market stalls 3) Enjoy sitting outdoors at the lovely Peckham Rye Cafe. 4) Amble along Northcross Road Market 5) Go down to Bellenden on a Saturday and visit the cake shop, Review bookstore and round off with a coffee at Peititou!

Lovely staff, nice coffee, convienent for those of us nearer Grove Vale - v.good!

Very good!