DagmarJ

The North Sea islands in Germany are beautiful, and an easy drive away. Some are car free. Obviously no sun guarantee which is a bit of a set back. Germany's biggest island is Ruegen in the Baltic which you can also drive to, but probably with a stop over. The German and Danish North Sea coast has beautiful beaches generally, and is generally not too busy. I'd second the Swiss rivers idea - haven't been to Basel but the Ahre in and around Bern is a fantastic river to float and swim in, can be very cold though still in Summer.

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thanks for the link, was hoping they'd open in June

I think a Marks and Sparks similar to the one on the Walworth Rd or in Brixton would be great as both of those have small clothes sections and that's pretty handy.

Thanks Saffron, but I've only got a small garden and have already done this in the past (using broken up polystyrene to fill the bottom of big pots). But maybe I'll just hang on to the boxes for a bit and put them in the cellar and hope that something will come up. I'll mail the company again too as really think they should reuse them. We get meat from another mail order company sometimes and they they give you a ?5 credit if you post back their boxes.

I've had some food delivered for Christmas in two medium sized polystyrene boxes, unfortunately the company doesn't operate a 'return/reuse' scheme so I'm left wondering, yet again, how best to dispose of this stuff. I've googled around a bit and can't find a recycling option nor any place that might be interested in reuse. So probably just the bin or the depot where it'll end up in the general waste too? Any other ideas? Thanks, Dagmar

My son is in Yr 3 at GG, progressing well and very happy, as are his parents. You're right, there is a great sense of direction, the staff are fabulous, led by a strong senior team and head of school who is often seen in the playground, talking to parents at start and end of day. From what I've heard from friends at other schools that is not standard, and I think it's great that she is so visible and accessible. When we looked round St J& St C (though admittedly that's now a few years ago) we did not get to speak to any of their staff (apart from receptionists who put us in touch with a couple of very nice children who showed us round the school), not to mention the head teacher, whereas at GG the head teacher at the time showed us round the school and answered questions (and that tradition carries on). Children at GG come from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds, all of which contribute to school live and play their part, but none is dominant (which suits us fine as believe children should have the freedom to make up their own mind). If you can't decide, maybe you need to have another look round the schools - GG does tours on the first Monday of the month which coincide with PTA coffee mornings so you can speak to existing parents. If you want to know anything specific, you're welcome to pm me. Dagmar

It's easier for us as my husband and I are both German. We speak German with our son when we're alone or just with people who also speak it, otherwise we speak English. Where only one partner speaks the minority language it is much harder (depending very much how much other exposure - through friends visiting, trips back, other local minority language speakers - the kids have). I've been following the exchanges on this mailing list for a few years and found it very helpful. Bilingual families mailing list website All the best, Dagmar

It was great that Southwark Council, for the first time, managed to get recycling containers to the Green for our fair. And they did come at the end of the day to collect all the black bin bags so that the foxes can't get into them over night and the rubbish blows all over the Green. It'd be great to have one of those recycling containers on the Green permanently.

My son has been at Goose Green for almost three years now, loves his school, his teachers and his friends there, and is doing really well. I'm totally delighted that we are out of OFSTED special measures, however, just want to say that a lot of kids were actually happy and doing well when the school went into special measures and during the two years we were in - so don't judge a school just by that label (and of course I don't mean to say there weren't things that needed improving and attention and I'm very happy that was picked up and actioned). Hope you'll all come down to Goose Green on Saturday 10th July to celebrate with us! Dagmar

Apologies, posting here (and also in Offered) as such a last minute thing. -------------------------------------------------- Hi - have got two tickets for tonight at Shepherds Bush Empire - last minute crisis means we can't go. Pick up from now near Goose Green, she is probably not on stage until 21:00. Gutted that we can't go, even more gutted if tickets go to waste. call me on 07939 46 1970 or 7732 3493. Dagmar

Einbeck (Germany) Hanover (Germany) Alexandra Palace Catford Hanover (Germany) Finsbury Park Balham Peckham Rye

Sorry, guess this takes it totally off topic but just had to reply to Belle's post. I also got into trying homeopathy through a good friend who is an anaesthetist and later trained as a homeopath and acupuncturist. She has actually used both homeopathy and acupuncture whilst on duty at the hospital where she worked for years. She has now left conventional medicine and runs a private practice using homeopathy and acupuncture. There are definitely conventionally trained medics and scientists who, as Belle says, don't dismiss homeopathy outright as 'worthless quackery'. As for homeopathic immunisation, as far as i'm aware there is no such thing. As others have pointed out, you can use homeopathic remedies to help you deal with vaccines if you choose to have them, or, use remedies to become and stay healthy.

Sorry, LegalEagle-ish - yes, you're absolutely right. I think I meant in my books the first shouldn't be used, the second can. Not because one is racist and the other nationalist, but because of the context.

Apologies, maybe off topic [still learning about forum behaviour], but thought some of you might appreciate this piece. Shazia Mirza - A game of two halves As for the original post question, I don't know much of the detail of either of those situations, but given historical and social context think the first expression racist but not the latter.

Re: appointments to tour the Goose Green Primary and Nursery School I spoke to the head this morning and tours are being organised by demand. She did three last week and they try not to have more than three parents per tour. There will also be an open day. So, please try again if you are interested in a tour. Any probs, please PM me and I'll try and help. Best, Dagmar (co-chair of Goose Green Primary and Nursery School Parent Teacher Association - or GGPNSPTA, now how's that for a snappy acronym?)

The petition is now up to 15,355 - please consider signing, it only takes a minute! Dagmar

Crazy, crazy!! Have just signed and will spread the word. Dagmar

oops, just realised that my last post contains a smiley which isn't meant to be there. just wanted to say that my son is 6 years and put a 6 in brackets, which I probably shouldn't have.

I've just been to Il Mirto and my son (6) liked his pasta very much - it's very quick and good value, and staff very friendly, but not much space and decor basic. Locale's kids menu is also quite good and there is lots of space and comfy. When you have a table outside on the right side older kids can go to the playground while the adults have coffee and a chat after the meal. We also sometimes go to Seacow or The Herne or The Gowlett for great pizza. We've also gone to one of the curry places on LL for their sunday afternoon buffet offers, that was great as the kids can try little bits of lots of dishes which is a good way to try them out with Indian food.

I've been here almost nine years and it's fab. So, at least two other Kestonites on the forum (and possibly another one soon), shall we try and get a street party organised for next year? Couldn't get it together this year as I'm helping organise the big fair on Goose Green next Saturday (Goose Green Primary and Nursery school summer fair and carnival), but would really love to do this one year. Moos and CF (and Tarah if you move here), PM me if you're interested. Cheers, Dagmar

Thanks Eileen. We have indeed a lot of stalls selling interesting arts and crafts ranging from mexican jewellery to children parties via adult and child clothing. The Gowlett Arms is providing the beer tent and there will be a variety of hot food as well as a cake stall and coffee van. And above all, the childrens activities with the Goose Green year 6 kids providing lots of kids activities, a stage with song and dance performances and a wide range of information stalls and other activities. We really look forward to our school's fair this year, and hope that lots of local residents - with or without kids - are going to join us. BTW, St John's and St Clement's school's fair is on the same day, so we're hoping to have a bit of a community party thing going around the Green. Cheers, and hope to see you there, Dagmar

I got involved in the EDGE campaign last year, when it's focus had changed from originally campaigning for a secondary school in East Dulwich to a campaign trying to stop the plans for a 900 boys academy (and hoping to achieve what was originally the goal, a mixed community secondary for ED). The campaign for additional secondary school provision goes back a long way and a lot of people have campaigned and put in their sweat and tears. What most of those people wanted was a mixed community school for East Dulwich, ideally by joining the upper site at the top of the park (nowadays Harris Girls) with the lower site and have one school across both sites. Initial figures for the lower site always suggested an occupancy of 600 to a maximum of 700. This then turned over the years into first the girls school becoming an academy and then academy suddenly being the only option for the lower site also (a way for the council to get extra funding but giving away control anti-academy will argue). Also, there was some resistance - at least in the past when those decision were taken - at the girls school about becoming mixed. As Southwark has an imbalance between girls-only (3) and boys-only schools (1) the decision was then to make this a boys school and only have the sixth form as mixed boys and girls. From the Council's point of view it sort of makes sense, the overprovision for girls means that the mixed schools have a higher proportion of boys, but of course, that doesn't quite help us locals who don't see totally gender segregated education as the way forward. Futhermore, originally there was supposed to be one head across the schools with some mixed teaching but that all got lost on the way. By last year, even though there were still a lot of people concerned about what eventually was on offer (and of course new people like myself who didn't have all of the history and the baggage) all decisions were effectively taken. We did try and get the planning application stopped to halt the process in the hope this would allow time to review matters and turn some decisions round, but that didn't work and so that was that. As some others on this thread, I also have my doubts that the kids there will be really locals as a lot of families would think twice of sending their boy to a boys only school and a vocationally focussed academy at that. I know I will when it will be time for my son. And of course, if they don't fill the space as ED parents either choose to leave the area or go private or suddenly discover god (though not sure that matters any longer at secondary??), catchment doesn't mean anything and kids can come from anywhere. I also have my doubt that the promises made that Peckham Park will not be used by the school for sports (I have in principle not a problem with this, it seems daft that a sports academy can't use the adjacent park but apparently - and I trust Friends of Peckham Rye in that respect - it is overused as it is and can't take any more). This will mean a lot of bussing to and from the site and I can't quite believe that that won't affect how much and what outdoor sport provision will be available. In terms of the numbers, the internal space appears to be sufficient (i.e within guidelines) but outside is an issue and break times as well as start and finish times will be staggered which secondary school teachers say causes constant commotion in a school and can be very disruptive. Hopefully as this is a totally new design and they knew of the constraints at least the site should support this in the best possible way. I might of course be proved wrong, and the place becomes a fantastic school, both academically and socially developing our boys into wonderful adults. In that case, I'd still be against academies as I do not believe the mantra that the private sector is per se better at 'management', but I'd also be very happy and gladly eat my hat. Sorry for the long post, hope it makes sense, the old EDGE website is still hanging around in the webosphere EDGE website, it's totally out of date but has some historic info if anybody is interested. Dagmar

Yes, got one today and fully intend to use it (thought it's not quite as good as the last one which gave you a free bottle of wine provided two people ordered two courses). Dagmar

Southwark's planning committee will be considering the latest planning application by Harris for the proposed boys school on Peckham Rye (corner Friern Rd, aka the lower Waverley site). EDGE (East Dulwich for Good Education), a group of local residents and parents, will be attending the meeting to oppose the current application. If you are also concerned it'd be good to see you outside the Town Hall on Wednesday, from 18:30 (meeting starts at 19:00). We are all for a new school, and are supportive of a school on that site, but there are huge concerns, e.g. 1. the current plan and the lack of consultation around it (950 boys on a tiny site which Southwark's own feasibility study said could only accommodate a maximum of 600; completely separate from the Girls school at the top of the park when originally it was meant to be one school with one head teacher and mixed teaching from key stage 4) 2. the notion of a sports specialist school when in fact all outdoor sports will have to take place off site with lots of bussing to and from the site but no sensible place for loading/unloading etc. 3. a building which Southwarks design panel felt has 'unresolved issues in the way the building's key features are handled fundamentally affecting one's experience of the scheme' What we hear from most people is huge support and need for a mixed community school over both sites. What is currently on the table is a compromise too far away from that wish and that's why we are still investing our time and energy to present our concerns, and it'd be great if people could join us on Wednesday. Dagmar PS: we do have a web site if you want some further information - it's not totally up-to-date but you can join our mailing list there if you are interested. EDGE school campaign