lovelyrita

Hey, The next book club meeting will be same place (Old Nuns Head) same time (2.30pm) on Tuesday 15th January. We're going with Sarah's suggestion of Maggie O'Farrell's 'The Hand That First Held Mine', winner of 2010 Costa book award. All welcome! PM me if you'd like me to add you to the info list.

Thanks for PMs...just sent an email out to reply, and looks like this might be a goer... I'll update this if we decide on a book/date/meeting place, but do get in touch if you're interested and I'll add you the email list :)

Anyone interested in a monthly book group that meets during the daytime which parents can bring their babies along to? Not to discuss baby books, mind! I've been talking to some mums in my NCT group and have had some interest, but not quite a group's worth yet! PM me with your email address if you're interested and I'll send a group email round to suggest dates/book/location!

Hey ladies, my husband is back to work tomorrow, so I'm flying solo (yipes!) and hope to make it along to the Gardens tomorrow with little Matilda. I fear 10.30 might be an ambitiously early start as we're pretty slow so far in the mornings, but hopefully I'll be there! Becky x

Hi, My little one is four weeks old, and my husband back to work next week, and I'm trying to figure out a plan for maternity leave life! There seems to be a brilliant amount of groups locally, and I've really enjoyed the things I've tried so far, and met some lovely mums. However, I was wondering if anyone locally would be up for doing some (grown up, rather than kids) music making during the daytimes? My daughter seems to happily sleep through me bashing about on the cello, and I've just about enough space (and accommodating neighbours!) to host some music making at mine in Nunhead. Genre wise, I'm quite happy to try anything, just keen to keep up some creative stuff! I do a bit of music teaching/workshop leading for kids, and in my day job administrate orchestral music outreach projects, so would like to keep my hand in! I'm a cellist, and also dabble a bit on piano, and could happily do classical stuff (and have a fair stack of quartet music/duets), folk or indie pop/rock, or just some improv or songwriting, all of course fuelled by regular tea and biscuits and breaks to tend to small people. Be great to hear if anyone might be interested x

Anyone know if any book clubs meet during the day and are baby friendly? I've a tiny one, and am trying to work out maternity leave activities, and while she mainly sleeps during the day at the moment, it seems like a good opportunity to talk books!

Hi all, Afraid I've missed the last couple of meet ups, as my baby Matilda was born last Friday! We've not had a very straightforward time since, as Matilda had a lung infection and I had complications so our initially easy home birth has resulted in a protracted hospital stay after all. However, she's doing really well, although still in special care at kings, but hopefully we'll be home next week and I'll be able to make it along to a meet up before too long! Becky

Sounds like a good plan ladies, sorry I can't make this Monday, but will hopefully be there next week depending on when my baby actually arrives (she's due this Friday, and after a few manic weeks of uncharacteristic domesticity, I'm certainly ready now to meet her!). Congrats to everyone on recent arrivals, xx

Actually, I can't do this Monday, so tue would be fab for me! Bx

Hi Astrid, Just wanted to say best of luck - I'm now expecting my first, but after initially nearly a year and a half of trying before seeking any help, and then a journey of multiple scans and appointments and quite a bit of worrying along the way. I have to say, after an initial slightly fumbling chat with a lovely doctor at DMC (realise the medical centre is often in for a bit of stick on this forum, and I've not always had completely positive experiences, but in this case the doctor I saw was great), who took things really seriously, I had a very good experience with quick referrals, good explanations of what was happening, and really supportive staff from Kings ACU. There was one strange referral scan in, what seemed at the time, like a 'Being John Malkovich' office block in Waterloo (it was very surreal...), but after that it was Kings all the way. x

Morning ladies! Apologies, I'm not going to make it this morning, didn't sleep very well and only just waking up now (to think I used to be a morning person!). Have fun, and I look forward to seeing you next time. Becky x

Hey ladies, lovely to meet some of you last Monday! I'm also good for this coming Monday, and can do the morning or early afternoon as suits. I second the recommendation made for the Dish and Spoon for a venue another time, but not open on a Monday I think! Becky x

Hey, Congrats to those of you that have popped already and really looking forward to meeting you and the new arrivals at some point. I *think* it looks like there might be at least 3 of us up for a coffee on Monday, any more for any more? 10.30 at the Gardens suits me, B x

Hey ladies, well, it's my first proper day of maternity leave today and I'm pacing around the house making enormous lists and eyeing up things to paint, and it'd be great to meet up with anyone who's around during the daytime over the next couple of weeks? 10.30am on Monday 24th Sept looks good to me too, maybe we could do the 1st October as well rather than instead (I'm worried about cabin fever hitting in so keen to put as much in the diary as possible!)? Becky x

Sorry to miss the meet up yesterday, and it sounds like quite a lot of your brood are imminent (and congratulations on any already arrived!). I'm due October 5th, and would love to meet up with other local autumn mums, so it'd be great to put in another date in a couple of weeks if enough of us fancy? Becky x

Hi Everyone, I'm due with my first (eek) at the start of October, so would love to meet up with a few other people in the same situation! I don't think I can make it along on the 30th as my friends are playing a gig, but I'll keep an eye out for any other dates on here :) Becky x

I was wondering if there are any adults learning an orchestral instrument, or who may have one lying around that they haven't picked up for a while, who might be interested/already know of a community orchestra in the area? I do a little bit of music teaching, and also work in community music for an orchestra doing lots of family and children's music projects, and I've been thinking a bit about what's available for adult learners in South East London. An adult I teach, who's about grade 4 standard, mentioned to me that she was finding it near impossible to find musicians to play with in a community orchestra/chamber group. All the local amateur orchestras (and there are a lot of great ones) demand a pretty high standard and a lot of time, so I was wondering if anyone knew of/would be interested in some sort of community orchestra, or even just chamber group 'matchmaking' service for adult beginners/intermediate players in South East London. There are some groups at Blackheath Conserveratoire, and also some at Morley College that I know of, but I was wondering if there'd be any interest in something locally? The East London Late Starters Orchestra (http://www.ellso.org) is a great example of this sort of thing, although they've been going for years and it's quite a formidable operation! I'm imagining some sort of low-pressure rehearsal orchestra where we could tackle some interesting and fun repertoire, have the odd casual concert and just enjoy playing in an orchestra every fortnight or so. It could be a jumping board to some of the more serious groups around London, and also a chance to meet musicians to play chamber music with? Perhaps there's already something in operation, if so it'd be great to find out! If not, would anyone be interested in something like this? I've done some conducting in the past so would be happy to wield a baton and dig out some music to start us off, and if it was popular and could muster some subs, we could find a music director to help out? I guess we'd just need a good cheap venue and some enthusiastic people? Sorry, long posting! Any thoughts?