tor

We recently moved from ED to West Sussex and have no regrets. We swapped a small (but lovely) 3 bed terrace with a tiny patio garden for 4 bed semi detached cottage with over 1/3 of an acre. The local train station is a 5 minute drive away and trains to LB or Victoria are 40 minutes. We always get a seat and the trains are clean and quiet. Result!

I was going past in a car at about 3.10pm and saw a man lying on the ground and there were no police or ambulances there so it must have literally just happened. I thought perhaps he had collapsed but there were people looking after him so I didn't stop. Up the road there were around 100 people just outside/inside the cemetery looking as if they were about to attend a funeral. I'm guessing the two were linked somehow?

I've had one of the side rooms both times I've had a baby but then I've had two hideous births - one with my baby rushed to special care straight after birth and one with me needing internal reconstructive surgery immediately after birth. The only positive I can possibly take out of my experiences is that I've never spent a night on the main ward!

I changed my career after having my second child. The advertising industry and leaving at 5.30pm to collect children from nursery just don't go together. I actually went to see a careers advisor and although I haven't ended up going down the route she suggested, it gave me the kick up the backside to really get on the case and look at options outside the media world for the first time in my career. I'm so pleased I took the risk and went for it. It was daunting at first but I now work closer to home, leave on time every evening and get paid the same money in a job I really enjoy. Go for it - it can be done!

Like you we are in a 'black hole' for primary school places and we didn't get into any of the four schools we put down on the initial rounds (Fairlawn, Horniman, Heber, Goodrich). But we automatically went on the waiting list for all of the schools. Within three weeks we had a place at our second choice school, within four weeks our fourth choice and just last month (a year later) we got offered our third choice! Bearing in mind we were 16th on the waiting list for our third choice, it shows that the waiting lists really do move. We never got our first choice but we are more than happy with our second choice so it all worked out in the end.

Dr Scorer and Dr Greaves are both very easy to approach with any issue. But in my opinion, Dr Graham is not someone I would want to talk to if I needed a sympathetic ear!

I used to park along Devonshire Road after a childcare drop off and most of the time I would find a parking space relatively close to the station. But if I was any later than 8.30am then I would end up parking half way to Forest Hill!

Another vote for the gro clock and bribery - our eldest is often awake well before 7am but he knows to make minimal noise until the 'sun comes up' on the clock which is set for 7.15am. He got the hang of this when he was about 4 years old and since then we've been enjoying peaceful mornings. (My youngest will sleep until he gets woken up by everyone else - don't you just want to bottle that and give it to every toddler?!)

As far as I know, if you got your first choice then it's the end of the road for you. If however you got a second, third...etc place then you could still stay on the waiting list for any of your higher placed schools. The only alternative is to apply to go on the waiting list for the school you want once term has started and you'll go on the list based on your distance to the school.

Very normal indeed - my eldest wasn't dry at night until he was just over 5 years old - we thought it would NEVER happen and tried bribes, sticker charts etc. Having been through it, I now thoroughly believe they just do it when their bodies are ready.

I second Tredithick although it does get booked up quickly for the summer holidays..

Hi Anna - I have experienced hideous post-pregnancy insomnia with both my babies. It's truely crippling and affected every part of my life for the best part of a year each time. I think it was caused by my inability to switch off from being a mum for the night. I used to lie awake for hours waiting for them to wake up. The thing is that they both slept through from 10pm until 7am from around three months....oh, the irony :X Anyway, to end on a positive note around the time of their first birthday I started sleeping through the night again. I didn't really change anything although I think I did have some hypnotherapy and listened to a few relaxation CD's. I believe it was just time for my brain to switch off again. I was no longer on high alert listening out for them. I'm still not the best sleeper but I certainly don't have nights on end of rubbish sleep feeling more tired when I got up then when I went to bed. Hang on in there, it will pass...I promise.

we got into horniman this year and we're about 1000 metres away (on ryedale). my understanding is that we only got a place because fairlawn had a bulge class so all the children who live in between fairlawn and horniman got into fairlawn therefore freeing up more places at horniman. this year however it looks likely horniman will have a bulge class so the catchment may well be up to 1000 metres again. i don't want to give you false hope of course but it's definitely a possibility. i must admit i don't really understand the whole putting your closest community school down first as it means you have no chance of getting into the school you really want. i would put horniman first and then goodrich but who knows, as i said, i never really got my head around the whole thing!

Another vote for Oakwood midwives - they're fantastic. The GP's at the affiliated surgery on Forest Hill Road are all ok apart from one who is verging on imcompetent. HV's are unhelpful and the receptionists are grumpy.

I think it's kosher. She's been round a few times over the past couple of years and taken some odd bits and pieces from me. Also, she didn't ask what time I'd be home from work, she just said leave anything on the doorstep when she comes round next week.

Another Mum here who got #243 a month throughout my 12 month maternity leave..it doesn't seem right but it's the law. I don't think I would have got it unless I asked though ...

I agree - the block of flats sums up the whole East Dulwich property market greed a few years back. The developers could have built a decent sized house there which would have appealed to the family market. But instead they tried to squeeze in five or so flats and then wondered why no one wanted to buy them. I live near there so don't get me wrong, but the transport links in that area are hardly what young professionals interested in a two bedroom flat are looking for. And I defy anyone to want to live in a property where anyone driving or walking past can see your every move through 8 foot windows. So, in response to you tamby - I agree it's about time someone used the property for a roof over their head.

The Canaries - despite their slightly naff image Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are actually ok if you go to the right resort. Try Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and Puerto de Morgan in Gran Canaria. We have been once in January (only just warm enough for t-shirt), February (some hot days and some cooler days) and in March (perfect, around 25 degrees every day :))). So, if you can wait a couple more months then it's worth holding out... The flights are only 4 hours and the time difference is just one hour. Perfect.

That's a shame growlybear that you had such a bad experience there...can I ask, was this recently?

I'd say stay where you are too..... Personally it's been more important to me to be wihtin walking distance from my friends and be in a familiar place when I've been on maternity leave than have a bigger house. I'd say a three bed house, even it's a small three bed house is plenty to accomodate two young children. We live in a three bedroom house with a TINY garden...in fact it can hardly be classed as a garden as it's so small but it's been fine for us. Obviously once the children get a bit older in an ideal world we'd like more space but for now it's more than adequate.

In my short experience, I think it's excellent. DS1 has only been there for a few weeks but he's settled in really well. The school is very welcoming and we feel as if we're really part of the community now. We use both the breakfast and after school clubs a couple of days a week and they seem very well run and friendly. I think the catchment area is usually quite small but due to Fairlawn having a bulge class this year it meant there were more spaces freed up at the Horniman. We are about 1000 metres away so we were very lucky to get in.

Just to reply to the OP - we live on Ryedale on the Forest Hill end near to prdarling and we got none of our choices in the initial offers (we put down Goodrich and Heber for Southwark, Fairlawn and Horniman for Lewisham) However after a few weeks we were offered Horniman and then a few weeks after that we got Goodrich. We chose Horniman over Goodrich but mainly based on the fact that it's a much smaller school so it therefore felt more personal. We obviously would have been happy with either.

excellent - i am away on holidays for the next few weeks but i will PM you when i'm back.

I agree - Peckham Rye Park is looking fabulous this year. I spend a lot of time there with two young children and although they are generally more interested in the playground, my four year old often comments on the 'nice flowers' when we walk through the Sexby garden. (He is also fascinated by the blue water in the fountain and asks me every time why it's that colour.....answers on a postcard please)

hello - i would class myself as a bit of a beginner who shows promise! would i be able to join the monday session at crystal palace or are you all a bit more advanced than that?