Sidney

Looking for a personal recommendation of a good local family solicitor to handle probate please. Herne Hill would be preferable, but must be local and be able to have face to face appointments. Any advice on approximate costs would also be appreciated. Thank you.

Can anyone recommend a building contractor please they have personally used? We have plans, planning permission and structural engineering report, as although we are not extending, we are removing two internal solid walls and moving another, plus changing all the window and door openings at the back of the house. Any recommendations would be appreciated, or please pm me if you?ve had a bad experience with a local contractor. Thank you.

Please be aware that as soon as your drains are shared then it is the responsibility of Thames Water (in our case) to clear them, even if drains are on your property. The rules changed in 2011 and I believe that their SLA is 48hours. We saved thousands of pounds. We were not advised of this by the drainage company who had performed the initial survey and said extensive work was required, but by the estate agent we were buying the property through who realised things weren't stacking up and got Thames Water in for us, who cleared all blockages in an hour or two. PM me if you would like more details.

Have you tried Dave the cooker man. He has just mended our integrated fridge/freezer at very reasonable rates and had previously mended an old oven in another property. I can't recommend him enough and if he can't do it he will tell you straight away. 07506 104882

GD Roofing (07772 885625) have just done a great job clearing & checking our guttering and removing the moss from the lower roof area. Gary has a brilliant work ethic, not only being professional, timely and cost effective, but also more unusually being considerate of both our requirements and those of our neighbours who were affected by the work carried out. We can't believe how much debris was removed so quickly, although we were giving Kew Gardens a run for their money in some places! It was an excellent service and we will definitely be using them in the future.

We are about to exchange next week & have been using Chris Sarsfield of Meaby & Co. in Camberwell. He did come highly recommended to us, but must admit to being sceptical as we've experienced some shockers in the past. Chris is professional, approachable, thorough & super quick. We saw our new property four weeks ago, and the sale and purchase are due to exchange early next week with a completion the following week. Please pm me if you need any more information. Good luck with it all! It's been pretty much stress free so far, but that's mostly down to Chris and his common sense approach.

We used Linton http://www.mlbuildingdirectltd.com/ for a full refit of our bathroom. His attention to detail and professionalism was outstanding and the work was undertaken with enormous care and consideration. He gave us a competitive quote and was very open and transparent about any additional costs. I have no hesitation at all recommending him to others and will be using him on all our other building projects.

After meeting & getting several quotes locally we used Anne Marie to reupholster two club chairs and a thirty year old sofa. Everything was stripped back to the wooden frame with all new cushions & we now have amazingly comfortable & gorgeous looking furniture. I would not hesitate to use them for your window seat cushion, as we currently have plans for them to make a storage stool to our specification. All work was completed to a very high standard, on a very tight schedule & restricted budget & the advice given to achieve this was invaluable. Their web site is www.angelupholstery.co.uk or just pop in & see their work for yourself on Melbourne Grove, you won't be disappointed.

We looked high & low for new sofas & chairs & then decided to get them reupholstered. we got several quotes from local companies, but not only was Anne Marie (Angel Upholstery) the best value, but offered the most professional service, giving guidance & making sure the work was carried out within our time frame & limited budget. Our two club chairs look stunning, as does our sofa bed, however, everything gets stripped down to the wooden frame & replaced, so we now have amazingly comfortable seating & no one realises that they are sitting on a sofa bed. No one recognises our old furniture & assume it is brand new, which essentially it is. Here is a link to the WEB SITE, but please pm me if you would like to see some photos. http://www.angelupholstery.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

I would love to second Dave. He brought our 18 year old oven back to life. He is reliable, honest & professional.

Does anyone know of anyone they could recommend to fix a Staurt Turner Negative Head Monsoon pump please? Many thanks.

Dave has recently mended our oven as well. He is professional, efficient & really knows his stuff; I have no hesitation in recommending him.

Highly recommend Dave, who has recently rejuvenated our 18 year old oven, replacing the hinges & giving it a thorough check. He was professional, quick & thorough and I couldn't fault him on price. It's like having a new oven again! Thank you!

It appears that the springs on my oven door have gone & it isn't closing completely, then falls down when opened. Has anyone had a good experience with a reliable repair man, who knows their stuff whilst not charging the earth for a call out & repair. It is an older oven, but is very reliable, except for the door. Thank you for any help.

What about SARP, corner of Grove Lane & Melbourne Grove, I know the man there repairs computers & mobile phones, so he may be able to do something with your PS3. Good luck!

Can anyone recommend a good local solicitor please, as I need to get an enduring power of attorney document drawn up? Many thanks.

BBC Web site says: "The second prime ministerial TV debate is being shown simultaneously on Sky News, Sky 3, and the BBC News Channel from 2000 BST to 2130 BST. It will also be streamed live on the BBC News website, and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It will then be re-run on BBC Two, starting at 2330 BST."

My personal experience with Women Like Us is very positive. I have done the Welcome, which consists of an introduction into the organisation and for you to decide if you are in the right place to continue with their various seminars. You may decide that you are not ready to return to work, need some additional qualification, or want to continue. It is at this point that you complete the very lengthy funding form appropriate to your location etc. My understanding is if you a woman residing in Southwark, have children & are not currently working then funding is available - WLU help to complete forms and funding is for 6 months. I have previously had professional career coaching before children and WLU offer an equally professional service. Their workshops cover Career Coaching (2 parts), CV, Interview, Networking & Starting your own business. They also back up these seminars with 1:1 coaching, so you don't just go through the workshops and feel lost. The women who I have met varied in work experience from not having worked for 3 months (following redundancy), to 15 years being at home with kids, to becoming a Mum at University and not having any work experience. The range of professions was wide from PAs, teachers, Fund Managers. Retail, TV Producers & Investment Managers. My advice would be to register with them (doesn't cost anything & nothing to lose), you will then receive emails etc to get a good feel of what the organisation is about. They were formed by 2 women who were temping and were asked where their employers could find more women like them, ie. Mum's who wanted to return to work having had children and WLU was formed. They have certainly given me plenty of food for thought! Good luck!

Why don't you contact the schools and ask to revisit them again during the day, appreciate time is not on your side, but I would hope they could accomodate such a request. It might clarify things for you, as choosing a school is such a personal decision. What ever decision you make will the right one for you and your family. Good luck.

Trust your own instincts and do what is best for you and your baby!