I took my 19 month old son to Goose Green Toddler group an hour ago, which claims it's a drop-in, so he could spend an hour or so having fun. At the door I was greeted by a hard-faced woman who said it was a Christmas party and that I hadn't brought food or a present. At first she said I could come in then looked me up and down and said that actually, there was no room. Now I'm not a Christian but I was brought up a Methodist in a deprived area of Hull. I cannot imagine the church I went to as a child turning somebody away at Christmas. I'm not an emotional man but when I had to put my sons coat back on in the lobby and tell him we couldn't go in and play I almost burst into tears. This comes off the back of being turned away from a toddler group at the East Dulwich Tavern last week, which also claims it's a drop-in, because there was no room. After spending the last 6 months in East Dulwich I am frankly appalled by children's service in the area. Most of them are just rackets with poor facilities ran by people trying to make an easy buck. The good ones, such as Cheeky C's and Albrighton centre deserve praise but the rest are substandard. I also go to the toddler group at the church on Belleden road sometimes. They have poor facilities but they do what they can. The reason they have few toys is that it's not patronised by the wealthy yummy mummies. In fact I've only ever seen one white person there in the whole time which speaks volumes. They deserve donations of toys so maybe think about giving it to them instead of the high end seances. I'm a large, white northern man and I suppose I look intimidating to some or that my face doesn't fit. Maybe those are the reasons why my son and I were turned away from a Church at Christmas. There have been many occasions when I've gone to an event and it's as though I'm a stranger walking into a cult. A lot of people are unwelcoming and unfriendly and I see other people who feel the same. Mothers who come in to places for the first time and attempt to get to know people but they are hardly given the time of day. They sit in the corner looking sad and few return again. It's heartbreaking. To say I'm utterly disgusted is an understatement. The whole scene needs a complete overhaul and I am sick to my by back teeth of faux snobs, badly ran playgroups and the illusion that East Dulwich is some kind of Mecca for activities.
