verds

Hello. Does anyone have a good-looking en suite? And if you do, where did you get it from? I need to buy a suite for my loft conversion, but they all look the same to me! Thanks in advance

Oof! Anything but the fire door! Did they tell you that halfway through?

Hello, I need someone who's qualified to translate a no claims notice from French to English. I've done it, but it needs to be on headed paper. If you can do it without charging a fortune, give me a shout! thanks

Thanks - that's really useful. No, I'm just at the beginning of the process, so haven't had building control in yet. I'm hoping they'll say the same!

This is not strictly family-related, but you lot are wise when it comes to renovations... I'm hoping to get my loft done, but I want to keep the downstairs open plan. So I'm thinking of getting a sprinkler system installed rather than closing off the door to the kitchen to comply with building regs. Has anyone done this? If so, can you recommend a company? (I fear it may be the expensive option!)

I have a cream Howden's kitchen - nothing wrong with it, but I want it to be white. Can anyone recommend a resprayer? Or a trade person who can get hold of new Howdens doors without putting the enormous mark-up on it that I've been reading about? Thanks!

Looking for someone to take off old tiles in a kitchen and put new ones on as well as fit a worktop and possibly a new sink. Any recs? Thanks

Thanks to the recommendations on here I called Bradley the carpet cleaner. He's just been in and he's so good I don't recognise my carpets! Nice bloke too.

Loving the camping inspiration. Any tips on what sleeping bags to get? I'm a cold person and my children are of the hot type. We're going at the end of May and I'm pondering a 4-season bag plus a quilt for all of us because I'm a wuss. I sold all my camping gear before they were born thinking I'd never be mad enough to take them...

Any hostel, foodbank or local family in need? I have two beds I'd like to give away this weekend.

I have a fitted wardrobe with sliding mirrored doors and one hanging rail inside. It's a whole world of chaos. Does anyone have a nice one? If so, can you recommend who built it for you? I need more fashionable doors, but I don't know what's in at the moment - I'm browsing Pinterest and watching the Great Interior Design Challenge to try and find out. And loads of drawers/organisation inside! Any advice (and nosy photos)?

I think it really varies. I pay around ?70 just for me (with Pru) and it doesn't even cover the whole amount of my mortgage as I couldn't afford the premium, so yours sounds like a better deal. It pays to shop around - I went for mine because a very handy company who arranged a tricky mortgage recommended it (probably the worst reason!) and I do need to review it.

Hope you get it sorted. I used my old log-on but in the new borough as it wouldn't let me create a new one. They do make it complicated!

Are you going through the borough of Lewisham's application website? I think you apply from the borough you live in now and can put schools in any borough (eg Southwark) on your list if that makes sense! We moved from Southwark to Lewisham and the Lewisham eadmissions form let me put in the new child and new address on the Lewisham site.

Anything at the Albrighton is usually friendly and we used to go to All Saints church in Peckham on a Weds morning - I think there are sessions at 10 and 11. There was also a playgroup at the church on Coplestone Road on a Tues morning, but I'm not sure if that's still going? If you fancy a bus trip, get the 176 or 197 to Forest Hill/Sydenham and try Holy Trinity church at 10 on a Fri morning. It's run by lovely ladies who make very nice cakes. Get off the bus at Tesco and walk along Sydenham Park. Sometimes baby groups can seem cliquey, but I think that's just people sticking to who they know. I remember those days when the last thing I wanted to do was to talk to people, but sometimes if you just have one chat you feel better. Anything free is usually nicer! Hope that helps.

Eliot Bank is great. I think they challenge the children quite a lot, which suits mine! We started mid-year and it's friendly. I've heard Fairlawn is very good too. Let me know if you want to know anything in particular, and good luck.

That's funny what you say about singing, Cam123 - my youngest was a late talker, but I would hear her singing Let It Go and wonder why she could sing words like 'isolation' without even being able to say 'cat'...

My second girl was about two and a half before she started talking. I took her to the drop-in speech therapy clinic at Kaleidoscope in Catford (185 bus from Forest Hill or park in Aldi!) and they were great if you're worried and don't want to wait for your appointment with the speech therapist.

Thanks so much! That's great news - I now have an answer to the 'What are we doing todaaaaaay?' whine

Does anyone know what times the Peckham one o'clock club is open over the summer? And also if the Albrighton Centre has any play days on? I have failed to find info online and these two were our favourites last year! Week three and getting desperate for entertainment...

A couple of my friends work at First News, a weekly newspaper specifically for children: http://www.firstnews.co.uk/ I love the idea of a 9 year old being interested in the news - good on him!

Alan did a new Yale for us today and he was great - quick, reasonably priced and didn't mind having screws stolen by a three year old.

Magic Moments is great! Lovely ladies who run it. It's open 9.45-12.15 every weekday except Weds and they're quite flexible.

Does anyone know any holiday clubs or classes running over the summer that cover age 3-6? I have two girls and they get on better as a little team so it'd be good to get them into something together. They like singing, dancing, showing off, and it doesn't need to be full time - just an activity they can enjoy together and have a mix with other children. We're Forest Hill/Sydenham way, but can travel.

Yes indeed. I've been training with Shani who is great. She often does early mornings at home or in your local park (not with me as I'm not an early riser!) Here's her website: http://www.fitbirdsinlondon.com/ She also runs bootcamps in Mayow Park, Sydenham, including one on a Thursday night.