LucyInTheRye

Thank you forumites for the excellent recommendation. Aston assembled and hung two flat pack kids? bookcases for me, fixed a heavy mirror to the wall and mended some broken drawers which had been nagging at me for ages. He did everything with very good grace and to a high standard. He is also very nice and was kind to my toddlers. Thanks Aston.

Another glowing review for Billy from me and a thank you to the forumites who posted previous recommendations for him, he is a real find. He did a great job fitting a hot water cylinder, improved pipework and removed old water tanks for us as well as moving pipework around for our renovation. He obviously takes great pride in his work and we now have a seemingly never-ending supply of hot water which is wonderful. Billy is polite, tidy, helpful, trustworthy and a very nice man. Thank you Billy.

My husband is a patient and was similarly bemused. I agree with you it sends a strange message! The children and I see Dr Matin at Dulwich dental clinic on the LL (by the post office.) I haven?t had anything complicated done and don?t know about the other dentists but she is extremely nice and gentle and is quick and thorough. If you want to see the hygienist (also lovely) though, you do have to go to their cosmetic branch which does Botox and other beauty things as well as dentistry. As it?s the other end of the LL it doesn?t bother me as it isn?t being foisted on the kids.

As I have benefited from EDF recommendations in the past, and in case anyone needs decorating done, I wanted to recommend my lovely and meticulous decorator, Michael, who has done a fabulous job painting my house in E.D. Michael and Barry were professional and unobtrusive and were happy to work around our busy family house with all its children and toys without complaint and with the minimum of disruption to us. They barely stopped (they brought a packed lunch) and always kept me updated but otherwise just got on with things and cleared up daily. Michael didn?t moan about me wanting proper F&B paint in my bedroom and sitting room, but persuaded me into a copy for the hall which was definitely the right choice given the sticky hands that mark it daily. The decorating has been beautifully finished and I now feel really proud of my house. It has made a big difference. Michael: 07932 375973

^^ what Cornelia said. You are such a big part of our FHR community and we will really miss you! Thank you so much Nilesh, Anita and Raj for always being so kind and friendly. My kids call the P.O 'Raj's.' It won't be the same without you, Best of luck to you all, Lucy, Cody, Pea, CB and the twins xx

I want to say thank you too. It was very refreshing to have an a readily contactable councillor who wanted to help and willingly engaged with residents. You have restored my faith in local politics and I really appreciate all the hard work you have done for East Dulwich.

Mine was smashed up too! :-( I didn?t realise it had happened to other people. So frustrating.

Lots of lovely Winter babies. I'm expecting twins in December and I have two daughters 4 and 2. End of October would be great for me too! Looking forward to meeting you all.

Seconding the recommendation for South London School of Ballet. It's excellent and DD(4) loves it.

Have you tried Tunde from the Lanes yet? She is a fantastic teacher and has an automatic Mercedes A class. http://lanesschoolofdriving.co.uk/contact-us/

Shanie from mani pedi wax club does immaculate gels and is LOVELY. Think I initially found her through the forum. She comes to you. https://themanipediwaxclub.com

Yes I've looked them up and it looks like they do good stuff. And I didn't mean I think charity is unimportant btw, my syntax was clumsy. Just if someone knocks that late I imagine it's urgent.

I'll send them round to yours next time, Alice ;-) Meh. Maybe I'm being precious. Didn't want to not answer in case it was something important. Just seems late.

There was a knock at our door at 9.20pm this evening. It was a man from a charity (Karuna Trust) asking for donations. It made me feel uneasy as I wasn't expecting anyone and deliveries always come before 9. Possibly irrational but when I heard the knock I thought it might be the police. Apparently he came by around 6/7pm earlier this week and my husband told him it was an inconvenient time (kids bathtime) so he (man from the charity) thought later would be better :-\ (DH didn't tell him to come back btw) Has anyone knocked on your door late and unsolicited? Is it acceptable?

The French dub EVERYTHING! This was a source of great annoyance to my siblings and me growing up in France. If you have Amazon prime video and the broadband is up to it you can watch some things abroad now, including kids shows. Otherwise get extra memory for your laptop/tablet and download as much stuff as poss before you go.

Yep. I really hate crossing here. Especially with young children.

Yet another wholehearted recommendation for Saied. He has transformed our overgrown front and back garden and chosen beautiful plants. He has cleared thousands of weeds, dug up tree stumps and made me feel proud of our garden instead of slightly embarrassed. He also gives excellent advice.

You poor thing. That would have really upset me, too. I don't think you were OTT in saying you would report the driver.

If anyone needs someone, my brilliant cleaner Joanna has taken on an assistant so has some slots. She has cleaned for me for over two years and is very good (I am fussy) and I trust her completely. She uses all eco friendly products and the house always smells incredible after she's been. Happy to give a more detailed reference by 'phone or email if you want one. Here's her website: www.ethico-london.co.uk , or her number is 07472 095575.

You're a very nice neighbour. What a lovely idea :-)

Agree with all the above. I've used ManiPediWaxing club for over 2 years and they are fabulous. Shanie is a true perfectionist and lots of fun.

So pleased things are getting better for you. Lack of sleep is the worst. I agree it's lovely to read non-judgemental advice, or just hear from people who have been in the same boat- one of the great things about the Internet IMO.

So sad to hear this. It's also incredibly shortsighted given the economic advantages conferred by breastfeeding. This UNICEF summary policy doc is interesting for anyone who hasn't seen it: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Research/Preventing_disease_saving_resources_policy_doc.pdf Their conservative estimate is that for just 5 illnesses, even moderate increases in breastfeeding would save the NHS 40 million, and true savings could be far greater. Breastfeeding may be natural but it can also be incredibly difficult, especially if you don't have access to specialised support. Really hope we can push back on this.