Gubodge

Sue said "If they can't handle cycling on the road they shouldn't be cycling, full stop." Does this apply to my four year old, too? Cycling on pavements is illegal. Fortunately the CPS tend to take a more sensible view than many people, and will only prosecute if the cyclist has been reckless. I would not dream of pavement cycling on my commute, but when acccompanying my daughter on her bike, with my other child in the bike seat, I do. BUT...I have taught the 4 yr old that if there is a pedestrian coming towards her she must stop and let them past, and she must not over take one going in the same direction unless they have seen her and stood aside. On busy stretches she and I both get off and push. As an (apart from that) law abiding cyclist, I think the PCSO's couldn't have picked a better place to stake out. It drives me bonkers when coming down the side of the Rye to see half the cyclists in front of me jumping on to the pavement purely to get past the queue of traffic to the front of the lights. If there is no safe way to overtake on the road, Stop in the f*&$ing queue and wait your turn like all the other road users! Twunts.

I wouldn't let my child run barefoot in any pub garden. There's no way you can guarantee there being no broken glass about.

I have been to the Herne several times, sometimes booking sometimes not (but turning up as the doors open at midday when I haven't) and love the garden and think the food is great; and have never had any problems with the loos. But, every time I have been I have had a long wait for that food, unreasonably long on a couple of occasions. For a place that specifically targets families, they really should be aware that young children don't tend to have the same flexibility about mealtimes that adults have. I haven't returned since a visit a couple of months ago, when the interminable delay necessitated buying crisps to console starving kids (who of course then didn't eat most of their meal when it finally turned up.) This would have been enough alone to put me off, but what was even more offputting was the stench of the filthy sofa in the conservatory. I will keep an ear out and see whether people think the service gets any quicker, but I won't be returning until I hear that the sofa is on a skip. It a shame, I'd like to give more custom to my local but last time I went out for a meal we went to the Palmerston, which was perfect. Perhaps a bit of staff shadowing could be arranged so the Herne can see how it should be done?

I'm afraid I always tend to head over to Herne Hill for childrens books. Neverending Story had such a tiny selection, I could rarely find what I was after.

The only class I currently take my two to is Tin Pan Annie, and if you're after 'real' music then it might be for you (and they do do a free taster class so you can check it out for yourself. It's led by guitar, there is lots of dancing round, playing instuments and learning about rhythm. Mine love it.

Oil is fine, the problem is replacing the egg. You need something to replace its binding properties as well as to make the cake rise. Different recipes use different methods, some just replace the egg with apple or apricot puree or I have one lovely moist chocolate cake that uses vinegar and oil (try googling wacky cake) I keep meaning to try some of the recipes on here: http://www.parsleysoup.co.uk/index.php . I'm not vegan, but have a diary and egg allergic child, which amounts to the same thing when baking. Oh, and if you're after vegan chocolate, green and blacks dark or maya gold is milk-free.

I can recommend the german breakfast: croissant, baguette, ham, cheese, oj and coffee. I needn't have ordered anything else for me and my two smalls this morning. But I did, as I'm piggy. The finnish looked lovely too. (The breakfast. Although I'm sure if I were that way inclined I'd say the same about the staff.)

I went in there only needing a tiny amount of fabric, so asked where he kept the remnants. He was incredibly stroppy and sarky with me, as if it was a stupid question to ask. I'd assumed it was an off day until I was chatting to a group of friends and found that everyone of us who had been in there had had some kind of bad experience with him. He obviously doesn't need the money, so I'm going to keep my trade for the tiny little warren of a place just by Peckham Rye Station.

Can second (Third, fourth?) the Brierley recommendations, but you'd need to get on to them asap as they book up very quickly. My 8 month old was born in a pool in our kitchen with Brierly midwives in attendance. It was lovely, but to be honest my first child's birth at Kings was pretty good too, with wonderful care in labour there too. I found the post-natal ward a bit grim, but a recent survey seemed to indicate that is the case everywhere.

I'm a mum with a pram who couldn't agree with you more Bald Marauder. Lived in ED for 7 years, a parent for 2 . I do not clutter Cafe Nero with my buggy as it would be the first thing to be cast out from my fantasy LL, but do frequent pretty much everywhere else. (Bread of Life at the top of Barry Rd is good. The coffee's not that great but my toddler can charge around with her marauding horde without pissing anyone off. How priorities change.) Anyone after a childfree pub should head to the fore-mentioned CPT. Its my localist local and whilst I miss not being able to drink there as often as I did 3 years ago, I miss not being able to drink anywhere that often. On balance I'm glad even the patio is child free. I have a huge choice of places my children can shatter the peace and on the rare occasions I can shake them off and escape for a pint I'd really rather not have to deal with someone elses kids instead.

Not nice. That's just when I'm usually crossing with my toddler and baby. Perhaps they could move a lollipop man over from the Townley road/LL junction. Having two policing a junction half of which is controlled by traffic lights always seems a bit ott. Or are they employed directly by Alleyns?