LT

I just wanted to give a shout out for John Powers who I found through this forum - I have used him a number of times now for both boiler repairs and general plumbing needs. He is always a pleasure to deal with (as are the people he's sent to me), very knowledgable and always reliable. Thank you John, keep doing what you're doing! His number is 07977909339.

Sorry, typing on my phone, fat fingers! Should say 'of' not 'if'.

Just to add, I feel that letting us know this late in the school term is also a very deliberate move, it's being rushed through. This is not the way to introduce a significant change and not to consult parents who were under the impression they were getting different hours is appalling. Fleurie - I feel the same, the nursery is brilliant with really great staff. I was astonished to find out that even they were kept in the dark. This to me shows complete disregard for them too as well as the parents. It is not right to do something like this without any sort of warning. If this is proposed then that's what it should be within a more reasonable timescale. They should carry out proper consultation and parents should be made aware way ahead of the proposed implementation. I have also cc'd my letter to the chair if governors, Robyn Fairman.

I am just in the middle of writing a letter. I am really annoyed that this is being implemented after offer letters (1 full day & four half days) have already gone out and without proper consultation (the letter is not asking for thoughts, we are being asked to choose a time). A member of staff told me that nursery staff were not even informed about these changes, despite asking before offer letters went out, until the day before the letter from Hania Ryans went out. I think that is very worrying. My older children are at Horniman and start at 8.50 & I also have a child with SEN which makes it very hard for me to drop off any earlier, I am coming from the opposite direction. I may have made different nursery choices had I been informed.

The clock on our Ariston boiler is running slow but otherwise everything else is working fine. I'm not really sure who I need to fix ths problem - just a regular plumber or an an Ariston specific engineer? Has anyone else had ths similar problem and if so, what did you do? Thanks.

Just want to add to this recommendation. Matt from Hither Green Oven Clean just cleaned my oven this morning and it's spotless, looks brand new and he saved me so much bother! He was punctual and is a really nice bloke. His details are 0208 333 8198. Money well spent! Thank you Matt.

Steve (07921777428) just fixed our washing machine, came on an hour and a half's notice which was amazing - he identified the problem very quickly, had spare part, fixed it and was very pleasant to deal with. Very happy to recommend him too. Thank you so much.

My daughter (2 years 9 months) had emergency surgery a week ago to remove a blood clot from her spine. Her mobility has been reduced quite significantly and we are not sure how long she will be in hospital. However, we do know that she will need extensive physiotherapy over the coming weeks and months and that it will be a long road to recovery so we will need some help with our other 3 children. Their ages are 7.5, 5.5 and 7 months. The two older two are at school and we may be able to get them into the breakfast club and after school club at school so the baby is our main priority at the moment. We are looking into different possibilities - a nanny to look after all 3 and do all the school runs etc/ a childminder for just the baby/ a childminder to do drop offs and pick ups plus baby in the day/further down the line when our daughter is back at home possibly some 'mothers help' to free me up for some one to one physio etc. with my daughter. I would welcome any advice/recommendations etc? Thanks for reading.

Excellent school, my daughter is there and absolutely loves it. I as a parent find the school great to deal with - friendly staff, always see the headteacher around and the communication is superb. The reception team are amazing, it was truly a great start to school for my daughter. Also, before your child starts reception, you and your child will be invited along to sessions one morning every week for approximately 6 weeks (if I remember correctly) - anyway, this means that your child will be familiar with the school prior to starting and you as a parent get a real feel for the school. Throughout the week, after school, there are a variety of clubs you can sign up to - my daughter attends dance club and art club. Another thing I really like about the school is that they use a specialist singing/music teacher and dance teacher - my daughter's class get one session with each every week. I thoroughly recommend the school!

Thanks everyone for replies - we have just got back from a long weekend away and I am going to phone the places you recommend now. Cheers.

Will definitely check it out, thank you very much.

Hi, I am looking for recommendations for swimming lessons - we are looking to enrol our 6 year old and 4 year old somewhere next term. I look forward to any replies. Thanks!

Thanks for your post - a bit far for us unfortunately, we're the other side of East Dulwich. Also, I think I need slightly longer hours (9.30ish-2.30ish 2/3 days a week) than a school nursery. The two nurseries I'm looking into at the moment are Dulwich pre-school or Lammas Green. Buds is another possibility I guess, although a bit unsure about that one as I know someone who wasn't so positive about it.

I am interested in sending my son to Dulwich preschool but would first be very interested to hear from anyone who has any experience of this place. Positives/negatives etc. Many thanks.