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I think it might be this (though I'm no expert) https://www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes The shared ownership option which includes reversion right to buy to the housing association who owns the property with you for the first 21 years after you fully own the home. Could be wrong though.

"Nonsense point of view .. All housing will be beneficial." A fair and balanced response there. So, person A moves out of ?1 mill ED property into ?2mill new Dulwich Estate-built housing, person B moves into ?1mill property vacated by person A from person B's 3 bed house in ED worth ?800K and person C moves into that 3 bed property from their 1 bed flat in ED which is now priced at, wait for it, ?375k - 460k: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/East-Dulwich/1-bed-flats.html Who is that 1 bed "more affordable" for? Perhaps those of us who earn s%%tloads working in inflated wage jobs in the City but not a great many others on whom we depend like nurses, police, teachers etc Yours is a brilliant model though: you should recast yourself as a political strategist and I think I know just the party.

Hi Strawbs, can't help I'm afraid but what is this dipping thing you're talking about? V intrigued! S

Am also opposed to this development but on the basis that what is needed in this country at the moment is more affordable housing, not more housing which is totally out of the reach of the ordinary person and particularly those who are local to the area (saying this as someone who migrated in from Yorkshire). Also, point of correction, Loz, even relatively ordinary 5 bed semis attract multi-million pounds in the Village: see the ?2.5mill in need of modernisation one on Dulwich Village on this link http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/Dulwich-Village.html

Thanks Pugwash, that's good to know. we will go and have a look at EJ carpets as LL carpets' quote just seemed ridiculous!

Hi pug wash, would you mind sharing your costs? We're pricing up different options at the mob and we're astounded at what LL carpets were looking at for laying carpet in even our smallest rooms!

Another vote for catford as seems v cheap but nice houses, good schools and soonish potentially to be on the bakerloo line.

O yes, Belair Park is great and the new Belair House is really family friendly too: I totally forgot about that in my rush to recommend Rocco. Also, Love Walk is great for kicking autumn leaves about whilst parents get to admire the beautiful houses on College Road.

there's Potter Perrin in Streatham. You could try and to entice them with a promise of a trip to the ice rink or swimming pool just up the road or just a good old fashioned run around the common opposite afterwards.

I have much smaller br...ains than you were imagining.

Thanks for the quick reply. We've given a Christmas bonus so want this to be on top. Aiming to keep our nanny for as long as humanly possible (aren't we all). Thanks again x x

Hi all, Apologies if there's another thread somewhere else discussing this topic but I had a quick scoot around and couldn't see one. We have a lovely and extremely reliable nanny who will be coming up to her year point with us soon enough. I want to make sure that her wages don't drop in real terms each year by making sure that I increase her salary in line with RPI but was wondering what others do about this as I know that most people talk about nannies being paid ?10 per hour net/?12 gross (or thereabouts) but this seems to have been 'the going rate' for ages so I don't see how that works against real price inflation. Confused... Anyway, if any of you lovely folk would like to share your views/past approaches you have taken that would be ace. Thanks

A second vote for the Horniman and then lunch at Rocca. Otherwise the picture gallery (if that's feasible for the kids) and lunch at Rocca. Basically make sure you take them to Rocca as they are so family friendly and the fun is great. Just a shame the Dog is shut (? if it is) for its refurb.

LondonMix, I have no idea about Heber but take a look at other local Victorian schools like Rosemead on the S Circular which, on its original site, has a small yard at the back and that's it, and Kingswood primary which has tiny yards. So too my old first school in Sheffield. I suspect it was something about the Victorian ideas on schooling...didn't need to bother with running around on fields because that's what the kids did all the rest of the time.

Thanks for the OP who drew attention to this issue. I've completed the consultation (first time for everything). I completely agree with James et al on the wasted opportunity extending the line to Bromley would represent: those in Bromley have 10/15 min access to Victoria via the excellent quick overground lines there plus regular stopping services into stations in between, including Beckenham to access the tram. You do wonder how the tube would compete in those circumstances and whether Bromley residents would even want to lose some of their overground provision in favour of the Tube (as appears to be the price for the residents of the proposed line beyond Lewisham). I also agree that it would be far more sensible to extend the tube to the SE/SW borders given the dearth of provision unless you live in Clapham or Brixton. Public transport is already bursting at the seams during rush hour in Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Streatham with very little impact from major road transport redevelopments which were supposed to reduce the pressure on the system. Those of us on this side of the Village really, really need some other ways to get around and a line into Camberwell (and potentially beyond) would be a massive help. If you feel the same way or similar, please do respond to the consultation because you just never know what might happen...

Dear kdsd77, I don't know why the three posters who followed yours have ignored what you say but well done you for your efforts to help your neighbour and I'm really sorry that you had to go through an obviously traumatic event. I'm sorry also that the Mail journos saw fit to move the focus of the article to the more sensationalist aspect of where the maggots came from. I suppose this is an awful and salutary tale about how little control we have about the way in which we are portrayed in the media once we let them get their claws into us: not your fault at all. Looking forward, I hope you and your family find some peace with all of this and can get back to a quieter family life as soon as possible. S

I agree that a childcare section would be great. Especially for those times when you're in an emergency and need to find help quickly without scrolling through pages or missing someone who could help because you don't have the right search term to get them.

"'When they get on the career ladder I will consider it money well spent' must be the saddest comment I have ever read on this forum." A common sentiment so far as my experience is concerned. E.g. I was at university with an extremely diligent girl who had gone through Cheltenham Ladies College at a cost of I-don't-know-how-much. She was the definition of a hard-worker: up for breakfast in hall every morning, attended all the non-compulsory lecture, studied so hard she didn't really get involved in collegiate activities, never remotely late with an essay, a perfect student and nice with it. Cue our first set of exams and who should turn up to sit in her university bedroom making sure she revised hard? Her mother, that's who. A grown woman watching another grown woman revise for exams. Why? Because she didn't want to see her and her husband's investment "go to waste". Gross.

I would love to read that thread but can't find it: can you post a link please? (writes Oxford graduate whose education suffered so badly from going through a comp school system with...pause for gasp...not even private tutoring)

Biog of Nancy Astor is brilliant.

I agreed with all that has been said above. I have no idea how hard it must be for you at the moment and really hope that you can see what a great job you're doing sustaining full time work, parenting two young kids and managing the chaotic upheaval of a house move. The only other thing I wanted to add was that on those now thankfully reasonably rare occasions when my daughter needs to co-sleep, I take her and me off to our spare room so that my husband can get a decent night's sleep so he can be fresh to do most of the parenting the next morning. This also has the advantage that when my daughter pesters for the boob (and she would be on it constantly if you could) I can turn away from her and let her snuggle my back instead. I never thought this would work because she'd end up howling but the most we've had it a mewl in protest before sleeps takes over and she goes back to dream. I felt this was really important because constant breast-feeding overnight is so physically draining especially if, like me, you've cut the nursing down to 1-2 sessions because you've gone back to work. Good luck and keep posting because everyone here will give you as much support as they possibly can. x

I would go for Honkers (HK) in a heartbeat if I had the chance as flying Cathay to Aus was one of the best flight experiences I've ever had and it's a great city for kids as well as grown ups, even if just for a few nights. Especially brilliant if you manage to get out to one or two of the islands. Disney for the kids if you can face it. Alt, if you're brave enough to do it all in one go, the airport itself is a great place to spend time and you can buy entry into one of the lounges for about ?40pp for showers, sleeps, snacks and drinks (if you need them after all that time on the plane!). S

I agree with Etta. I rtw early (I'm the sucker who loves her job) and found that so long as I did a first thing, lunchtime and last thing express my milk stayed high. I tended to express to 'empty' as I wanted to leave as long between sessions as possible. Highly recommend having lots of pictures of baby and perhaps something with their smell to speed things up. Have a great time though. You will undoubtedly deserve a break and some grown up time.

You can get cold water sterilizing bags in Boots which are amazing for flights, car journeys, holidays etc. Just need to bring along a bit of washing up stuff and then into the bag with water and they are and remain sterilized for up to 24 hrs. Good luck!

Good early start for a drink. Jealous.