JDR

My three children went there but only for the baby room.... Had several disagreements with the owners and the more recent manager. They failed 4 ofsteds in our time there and strangely we left permanently.... They do however recruit very good staff and separately we have since employed two of them, one as a nanny, one as a regular babysitter and they both left to go and work at much better local nurseries. We left over 2.5 years ago so perhaps changed but having attended meetings with the owners ( both health visitors) where they promised lots, particularly about improvements to the building that were slow to transpire or often never did...please pm as no idea if same owners etc xx

I've seen someone get pots for plants, get the kids to paint them, the plant them with cotton wool and cress seeds and take that home. Good for craft/time filler and different take on party bag...

I'm not very knowledgable on this and sure I will stand corrected but its not been empty that long... was a police house that was used by gun licensing dept as their base I believe. I presume they have been relocated and that it will be going for sale at some point. But yes, imposing house. Would be lovely to see it in use again

HI Am also a novice crafter, been knitting for about two years and hopefully about to go on a couple of days run by southwark adlut education for sewing as got a machine for my birthday... have a few mums round for knit nights once a month too! Great to hear there are a few of us quietly crafting away

We have been twice to les sable des ollonnes. We drove but airports closish la rochelle I believe. Small well heeled French resort built around a fishing resort. Loads of restaurants and family orientated. Little zoo south end of town, on the Atlantic, place of the start of the vender boat race... Looking forward to going again in a few years. Good luck

I've got my brother in law who is veggie and my father in law who doesn't like cheese and all the food we keep coming up with seem to involve one or the other or both... Starter in particular, though not soup as hubbie not keen All inspiration gratefully received (and even better if three small people can eat it too!)

I'm a bit of an avid 'pinterest' fan and came across this letter a mum wrote. Its a bit corny and american for me but still brought a tear... http://www.cozi.com/live-simply/truth-about-santa Have 'pinned' it for future reference when the fateful question comes...

I'm a bit like muppet, I've got my third due to start school next Sept so despite remmbering how hard this stage is, get out, find firends that can provide tea/sanity and try every so often to take a step back from it all and remember to enjoy them. I had a 21 month gap followed by a 14 month gap (3 under 3 by two weeks). Theres a lot of that time I don;t really remember as much as I'd like because its easy to get caught up in the moment and the practicalities. Some childcare helps massively, in winter, friends with older children a similar age to your own are a life saver and every visitor has to be given jobs to do. I slightly stuffed up that one cos I forgot to tell my in laws that they could jsut come for the weekend and not stay for the days I was on my own with three that I made them do when babes tiny because they generated work with cooking and washing so asked that they did some childcare whilst I caught up. Just make sure you ask for help with stuff that works inyour home, guess were all different so one size won't fit all. and enjoy them... I'm not having anymore children but do sometimes wish I could have frozen time when they were smaller

There are also regular classes held at the Harris Girls school from 2.5 years up. CAlled the Lets PErform Dance Academy owned by Miss Evelyn Hunter but the teacher is Miss Megan Faithfull. I think they do tues/thurs/sats... Teacher is quite a relaxed patient lady and not too strict. I know some parents like the strictness but this feels 'fun'. They also follow the Royal Academy of dance and do exams. Hope you find something she enjoys x

This new shop could be the East Dulwich branch of the 'Old villa' - currently on bellenden road, lovely french style shabby chicness and gorgeous quilts/blankets etc.... local lady runs it. Love going there, waiting for my house to be finished enough to be worth buying something. One day (sigh)...

Not sure which things Franklins has been in the Guardian for but this originally was from three years ago and they had a different head chef then!!! I don't go there often as not a big fan of offal and that always appears on the menu alot but they did always do very good food, even if not to my taste. not sure what its like now Mr Greene has moved on Will await a review from other locals x

What constitutes interesting/useful? I've found plumbers/handymen/sold stuff. Maybe not interesting but very useful... Also, somethimes the info is more upto date than the news can provide. On the night of the Riots the info I got from here was much more upto date and accurate with local info than the news In terms of getting a life I'd love to but mum of 3 kids, some threads reckon we shouldn't be seen outside/in public adn I work. Not wealthy so no babysitters, so, every few months I sit here and nosy at what the world in dulwich is up to... boring - probably, useful - sometimes, interesting - yes (in lieu of a real life I admit) JDR

Crystal Palace - quick bus ride on the 363, ?5/adult, ?3/child over 5 We did the Burbage Road ones last year, very good but poor facilites for the number of people (toilets/drinks) and I want to see what the big fireworks are like...

I may be repeating something already said as with 12 pages fo posts I was never going to read them, so apologies if this has been said elsewhere... We were in a proposed increase zone about 4 years ago in Peckham (Anstey Road). We were asked about it and the company that did the consultation exercise did ask for views of those immediately outside the zone, so perhaps better representation than this sounds like its had... There was a public consultation at Peckham Pulse and several neighbours including ourselves did go and give feedback, both positive and negative. I have to say that on this occasion they did listen to our feedback adn the eventual changes completely took into account alterations that were suggested by the residents. I don't know if the same people will be involved this time, but do take the time to give feedback - we were, and I hope you are pleasantly surprised JDR

I'm a (non paediatric) physio but with being a bottom shuffler hypermobility is quite likely as that seems to be quite a common cause. I'd try and get either consultant advice or paed physio for advice. I know of excellant cons at kings. Mr lahoti. Good luck x

well, I'd already started knitting some scraps I had so if it goes ahead let me know as I now have a collection of uneven sized squares.... My take on this was that people care and want to show it in a fun way... the other ideas are good too but this is a fairly quick way to show others there is pride on our area (I live in Peckham). With regards teaching children, that can be done but no doubt would take a lot more time and organisation as well as people being police checked before they can start doing things. Everyone has an opinion this week about what caused it and what we do next, this seemed a light hearted way to cheer the area up and help give a different focus. I hope it goes ahead

Fab idea! I have a fair few odds and sods that would be perfect! any size in particular? Could try getting some uptake from sharpworks in Herne hill or moo too? I can email a few friends as well who might like to help. keep us informed x

Great idea Fushia - we sort of do this but may try to increase it. I'd imagine you're right, seeing the grown ups eat it makes it that bit more appealing later...

We used Galzer Delmar - we did mirror wills. To be fair it took longer for is to talk tofamily about who would look after the chidlren than it did to talk to the parents... they also put us on a regiter so anyone can find where your will is held = saves then apin my dad went through wen his friend died and next of kin was his mum who had dementia!! He phoned about 40 solicitors trying to find the right one but they can't divulge if it their client for confidentiality reasons.... funnily enough, we joined the register ?20/person but think probably mone well spent

I'm retracting slightly but (sorry fuschia- we know each other in real world) there was actually change in guidance several years ago about nut related allergies insofar that previously people had been told that families with immediate allergies/hayfever etc should avoid nuts but they then rejected this saying it 'MAY' have actually increased allergies!!! Interestingly it was found that nut allergies increased in coutries that made children avoid nuts... I would though like to see the results after they've been analysed..

I've no experience of this sort of thing thankfully but as a cost saving advice - do you have fully comp house insurance? If you do there shoudl be a free legal advice line 24 hours and they will be able to give you advice on this. (On advice of a work colleague who used hers very sucessfully againnst the nhs, which led my husband to get legal advice regarding grievance stuff for work) - hope you get in sorted and get to live a more relaxed life....

I'm not religious but with regards to the comments about a regular chruch goer trying to get a place and the comments that the policy at St Anthonys being more fair than most... I have a good friend whose husband is a devout (sp?) catholic and attends church regularly with their three chidlren. They live in peckham and knew they would not get into St Anthonys but there is actually an interfaith agreement between schools that has been agreed saying that they can each apply to other religeous schools and they will be given priority even if not their 'version' of that religion ie catholic-C of E and vice versa. This is how their children got into St johns and st clements. It would seem very sad of the powers in charge of schooling/scouts weren't respecting this reciprocal arrangement to other 'christians' when location os included. I'm aware its oversubscribed but the year my freidn got into St Johns, so was that and we didn't get a place and we lived closer (non christians). Whatever the exact fairness of the systems, and there is pretty much no way to genuinely get fairness there will always be someone who is unhappy. Choose your school - middle classes largely win out, religeon its possible to misrepresent, distance causes house price issues and therefore the better off win. There is no ideal, people just 'play' the system in front of them. I can say I never have but that has resulted in my daughter being unhappy in school I hoped would be ok for her but always suspected would not meet her (personality/non academic) needs and this has proven true. She is now about to move schools as we played the game straight, but its been fraught and complicated and recently quite stressful due to her younger sister starting school and trying to get them in the same school. All in all increasing the number of school places will largely help all children in the area as they will be able to go to a more local school that they want... even if not directly affected, a lot will be indirectly in that they will get places that are vacated by these chidlren. At least all of us should hope that chidlren and staff are in schools that are safe and dry... not a description Mr barber paints and so I hope for all that the school gets the refurb, and encouragement and if necessary STRONG reinforcement over parking (I'd be really harsh and if persistent offenders, maybe their priveledged place should be placed at risk if they spoil the schools reputation - the ultimate betrayal!) Sorry for long thread but had 2 glasses of wine..

Don't panic! Breathe... there are lots of people not currently happy with their school allocation but most are and a lot more will be once the shake down happens. A lot of people going for private hedge their bets and then decline places, others will decide to leave london completely Don't ONLY put down the best schools, especially if you're not near as you'll end up potentially with nothing. The schools don't see the order people have put them on their preference list and there is a lot of tooing and froing (sp?) whilst they work out who would be accepted by each. If you're 1st says they have space for you they then remove you from the list for the others. If they didn't they repeat this until there is a school. If your chosen preferences don't have spaces available then you won't be given your next nearest school if they are full of people that put them on their preference list. Thats how you get people being offered schools a long way away. These are at that time the nearest ones with spaces. Also, bear in mind that if you don't get your first choice, you are automatically placed on your higher prefernce schools waiting list until at least Sept when there is often some form of verification of which lists people want to be on Be realistic. Do put down your favourites but do also put down other nearby schools lower on your list as if your catchment is small that year you will at least get another local school. Lots of the schools locally have been turned/turning around in recent years. Heber was dreadful (a friend left teaching after working there it was so bad, she had chairs thrown at her etc). Good schools are created bu teachers and parents. The area has changed beyond recognition in the last 10 years and so have the schools. Take cheer, we're actually fairly spoiled for choice but naturally as parents we see the best choice (ie most popular) as the one our mini selves should have.

Cff9 - my two younger children go to the villa and my eldest at Bellenden. Very happy, wasn't our first choice but unlikley to move. Our middle child starting there in Sept. If you want to chat about Bellenden as another option I'll happily speak to you either via pm or meet up. Other schools, don't know people at them but 2nd/3rd hand have heard positive things. Most of all good luck

Just to say to anyone about getting spaces, we were in this position 2 years ago. One very upset 4 year old seperated from her two best friends... two years on they are still her best friends but she is very happy with her school - Bellenden - and her and her younger sister can't wait until they're together in Sept! Most schools in the area now get good reviews from parents. A lot of the perceptions are partly estate agents talking up schools. Go with the ones you like the feel of, you know your children the best. Keeping fingers crossed for you all the the shake down gives you what you want x