Inkmaiden

I'm not sure how aspirational some of them are but some characters I really like: Hester Shaw in the Mortal Engines quartet by Philip Reeve- hideously scarred and deeply flawed. Fever Crumb in the preceding trilogy- still involves teenage love-life angst but she's very independent and intelligent. Also Sabriel and Lirael in Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy. I haven't read further than the first one but Mara Bell in Julie Bertagna's Exodus series is also a feisty and proactive heroine. All interesting characters who inhabit fairly dark and often violent worlds and they are anything but passive. I'm now trying to decide whether this list of post-apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy geekery marks me out as a massive nerd or whether the dearth of strong female characters in "conventional" young teenage fiction has led me here. (I do read lots of other genres BTW!)

Saffron, Lewisham Sure Start- http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/earlyyears/childrens-centres/Pages/default.aspx Activities for your area-http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/business/tendersandcontracts/tenders/forthcoming-tenders/default/Documents/A1%20September%20-%20December%202012.pdf http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/business/tendersandcontracts/tenders/forthcoming-tenders/default/Documents/A2%20September-December%202012.pdf

dulwichgirl2, you haven't actually asked the OP a question. Your post is also especially irrelevant as the OP was talking about the nanny accessing activities which are free/low cost, not getting her jollies at vast expense to her employer. How do you know the OP didn't ask her nanny to take her children to this activity? This is an interesting and balanced thread about changes to Sure Start. It would be a great shame if it were derailed so please, please change the record and stop using every thread that has the word "nanny" in it to exercise your own somewhat obsessive views about unscrupulous nannies.

The future is synthetic apparently... http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/22/fake-meat-scientific-breakthroughs-research But how would this impact on the dairy/egg/leather etc industries? Would synthetic meat appeal to those who are vegetarian on moral grounds?

I loved Aurelia, Inkman did not...

Ruth- your private pool or mine? *bitter, hollow laughter* Anyway, I had a brainwave and checked out Brixton Rec- they have loads of baby and swimming courses, most of which were fully booked, but managed to get a place on one. ?60 for 12 lessons and it only took five minutes to register, book and pay online. So we'll see how we get on with that. I appreciate the opinions and recommendations, thanks.

Very helpful, thank you both.

I'm a bit confused by all the options out there. Water Babies? Aqua Tots? Little Dippers? They all seem prohibitively expensive. Are the lessons at the local leisure centres run by various franchises or by the leisure centres themselves, and therefore cheaper? Will I have to queue up for four hours to sign up for a place on a course? Any recommendations? Help!

Ruth_Baldock Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Some of the celebrities/famous people I follow are > interesting, funny, retweet thought proviking > things (Caitlin Moran, Sue Perkins...) What, people are pro-Viking these days? I thought anti-Viking was still in vogue. Pah, not being on twitter means I am falling so behind in the trends.

Yep, from Goose Green to Fairlawn!

School slang can be so minutely localised. I was most amused when a little girl I know moved from a school in East Dulwich to a school in Honor Oak and within a couple of weeks was ending every sentence with "isn't it" instead of "innit".

So don't read them. *passes woodrot a tissue*

But the anarchy Smiler, THINK OF THE ANARCHY.

saleem Wrote: ----------------------------------------------- > Save your hippie talk for the Kumbaya brigade. By the same token saleem, maybe you could take your whiny tale-telling elsewhere as well?

Bubbly Bees playgroup is on Tuesday mornings at the greendale centre- sessions at 9:30am and 10:45am. Lots of soft play equipment.

:)) absentminded Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > On lookout Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > As my original message stated I have seen this > > nanny on a few occasions in different places, > > which is why I said whenever I see her she > always > > looks unhappy. > > > She's probably frowning and thinking "Why is this > woman following me? I see her everywhere!"

Gah!

Nope, not me. I just think there are more mature ways to start off a discussion on what is already such an emotive topic.

On lookout wrote : "I assure this was not posted to be a nanny bashing topic. It was simpley pointing out the actions of an individual." An individual who happens to be a nanny. Behaving in a way you don't approve of. With a request for others' opinions on her behaviour and with a thread title specifically asking what "we" think about this. So it's not nanny-bashing, it's just singling out an individual you know nothing about and having a go anonymously on a public forum. That's ok then. Finding the right nanny for you and your child can be a stressful process- by all means start a thread asking for advice on how to find the right nanny so that you can go to work feeling secure in the knowledge that you've left your child in the best care. Starting the discussion with a personal attack on someone who isn't being given the opportunity to defend herself is not cool.

Oh good, it's been a while since there was a really juicy nanny-bashing thread. *settles down with popcorn*.

Oops, wondered why no-one was there today!

You are WELCOME!

ConConLOL, maybe you should pass that information on to your friend Baby Rae so she doesn't get herself into any more trouble on Bellenden Road? Amateurs.

This is the lamest attempt at trolling I've ever seen on here. At least Razors was genuinely offensive.

nabz, please ignore dulwichgirl2/new mother's "specific examples", she obviously has issues with people who actually enjoy looking after children and choose it as a career, and will not provide you with a balanced perspective. You could try the lovely Puddleducks Nursery in Nunhead (020 72528448). Or this could also be helpful- www.southwark.gov.uk/download/6602/camberwell_and_dulwich_nurseries Alternatively, are there any nurseries with shorter waiting lists near your university?