plimsoul

they also sell them in ed warehouse (just off LL at cafe nero/jojo corner)

i have kids, i love taking my kids out to eat. i have been in bars in ED, cafes or gastro pubs and have been both pleased at how some parents deal with their children and been shocked at how some parents take no control of them. i have also tolerated parents shouting at their kids to come back, above everyone else rather than get up and actually deal with their children running up and down the length of the cafe. i have spoken to managers of bars mentioned in this thread who are appalled at how some families let their kids run riot in places, even after being asked politely to keep them under control. i would therefore suggest that as fact: some parents control their kids = no problem, others don't = a right pain. as for this thread/this forum. i used to be quite active but gave up because it very quickly gets personal and nasty. i've only read the last 2 pages but that was enough for me... but sue your pick up on the posters work after admin clearly asked people to stop is shameless, whatever lame reason you put in there for ignoring the request.

oh and same room through out, but that was more an issue of space. they certainly didn't wake each other up but i never quite believed it at the time and used to run up in case they woke their brother up... it's quite amazing when you have a baby crying in your arms and yet you look down and there is the other twin fast asleep. the irony being that earlier that evening you probably didn't dare make the slightest noise in case you woke them!

congratulations! i've got twins and found the local twins club brilliant: http://ddtwinsclub.org/new/ i started with a maclaren side by side as it's not wide, folds up in the umbrella style and whilst they were still babies the wheels to weight ratio didn't matter. then, once my back needed a little help i got a phil and teds side by side which i loved as it was so easy to push. both bought on ebay. twins club members are often selling double buggies so it's worth getting in touch. again congratulations x

it's apparently due to loving another woman at an early age. to help keep me sane during the early years my mum came up with this line regarding parenthood guilt of f**king kids up: "no one is perfect, the idea that anyone is will drive a person mad. the role of the parent is to remind children of this human fallibility" :)

he hasn't come across or dismisses the research that indicates baby boys cared for by a female nanny are more likely to cheat on future partners... needless to say my twin boys who had a nanny that they loved for over 2 years will not be able to stick a stable relationship. personally 2 points stand out from above posts: these days you can pretty much find any research or dig up a statistic to support a point of view. parenthood is over analysed and over debated.

i quite like the sound of a government policy that would allow for everyone to hire a nanny :)

i have heard of this book and man but never bothered looking him up but now due to your post i'm going to. what horrid stuff was he saying? the mention of misogyny makes me think i'm going to hate him. by the by, i love a great rant so i'm asking out of genuine curiosity...

'feral' youth got me laughing too

a 'feral' youth locked in londis ...

what does it take to get a 'special order' for pitys sake?

palmerston a joke or not, i seriously can't tell. what is there to loot??

a young man from brooklyn was over recently as he was working for us. he'd been staying in hackney and shoreditch the 2 months he was in town. when he headed over for dinner (se5) he asked "where is peckham from here?" as i pointed over the railway track i asked him why he was interested. apparently peckham is piquing interest in hackney and is seen as the 'new place' where lots of interesting things are going on :) i'm sure that this will upset some but i think that it's great.

i didn't mean any irony with the last post, it does make me feel better :)

thanks jeremy, that makes me feel a lot better. i'm just fed up with being surrounded by empty houses and the never ending building of the 'luxury' houses. i wonder who will buy in these turbulent times? the pigeons are loving the abandoned site and wish the council would clean up the corner at least once a month. But most of all it's the near car crashes that I see everyday that really concern me... but that's a whole other story/thread.

ok, so has anybody else spotted the 'for sale' sign now adorning this site (hard to miss) has the council given up? before they leave it to fester for another few years i'd like to point out the escalating pigeon population that now lives in the ripped out roof. james any news from the council? anyone care to tell the people who actually live by the dump, sorry site, within a 100 metres?

thanks kes and leta, i was just moaning about the 4 week gap over the summer holidays before i can take leave and without any chidcare/school. i shall email the southwark lady and see if i can get someone for that month to come to my home, i'm assuming that they'll all be signed up so i can also apply for the child tax credit type help. it's not just freelance mums suffering, but all mums that work with children at school age yet not old enough to go to clubs for the break or be on their own. however, my heart goes out to you because freelancing although now considered a norm in many fields simply does not fit all year round. sadly, outdated childcare issues remain unaddressed and impede working mums from all backgrounds and with a recession this will only get worse.

to repeat the best bra fitters will probably not use tape as no body shape conforms to numbers!

being a former trained bra fitter i hate to say anything negative but AVOID marks and spencer at all costs. honestly, I am surprised that anyone can have a positive experience in there. one to one clothes off can feel very uncomfortable but to be 100% honest it's the only way to get a true fit. also, tape measure: not needed at all, in fact is more of a hinderance and can make the whole exerience feel even more intense. i worked for a chain mentioned above where they believe in 'sight fitting' because ultimately it's the only way of judging if a bra works for you. just like jeans: we all have a size but different cuts look different each time. the only places that i trust to measure in london are selfridges, bravissimo and R&P. if you are unhappy with a young assistant just ask for an older person. proof: M&S 34DD, actual and correctly measured by above 3 30FF. for fitting yourself the golden rules are: -Around the back the bra should be tight, not leaving marks but not slipping up your back. this is the anchor to your support and therefore the new bra should fit when on the last hooks so as it stretches through wear and washing it can be tightened. there may be a slight bulge when you put your arms down, this is natural. -Your boobs should not in any way poke out of the cup. -If your boobs are poking up go up a cup size and down a back size. -If the bar is riding up your back go down a back size and up a cup size.... A balconette bra will always be slightly tighter but give you a nice plunge without the chicken fillets! Full cup is a more traditional fit and tends to be more generous.

the nappy is all the cushion that they need ;) as above ours got filthy... tripp trapp all the way: they look great they grow with your kids from the off your children are sat at the table they tuck under the table my 2 are 5 now and it means that they are sat at the table at the right height which is good for posture and also means no annoying boosters. that's 4 years use for ?120 initial outlay...

tate modern is great with kids, not sure what is happening about turbine hall though. otherwise the aquarium (though can be expensive, think you can get a deal with travel cards?) the science museum is heaving but a good tip is get lunch at the V&A, lot calmer and also head to the less popular sections. next to the basement area for kids is a great gallery about how things work at home. there is a display with a toilet section that you can flush to watch a plastic poo being taken away. this kept my boys happy for a good half hour ;)

does DMC on crystal palace not cover the estate? it does invanhoe road, or the Gardens? they're both meant to be good. or so i have been told.

how about in one of the local primary school playgrounds? the school could make money and it wouldn't ruin the grass on the green. this is how they house a local one near to a friend's place in queens park.

totally agree with soane, barry you rock. also aware that you're not actually using this thread anymore but as there had been recent activity i thought that i would post my frustrations. today the 9:21 was on time, a first for me this year but then i've only got it around 14 times. however, i did have to laugh as it was a short train due to a broken down train so overcrowded. either way when reviewing the timetable the 09:21 should really be named the somewhere around 25/30 past :)

hi sorry but it's a very specific moan called the 09:21 from east dulwich to london bridge. i will admit that last week there were 2 days when i didn't get the train but does this ever, i mean EVER, roll in on time? it's the first train in over 15 minutes and more often than not it's late. why?? it's driving me crazy. today it was a broken down train, the other day a signal, before that a faulty train. what is up with wimbledon? i am sorry but it's just not good enough in what is considered 'peak time' to be happening this frequently. thanks.