Calperson

Many thanks again. Now he might be doing it jointly with a friend, so I'm crossing fingers they'll volunteer their place and we can still avoid having it at home and keep the budget for drinks, food etc.

Thanks Laura We're just arguing about the - um, licensing issue! They feel at 16 they should be allowed some alcohol, which of course can't be done in a public venue. I will keep your details though.

Brilliant thank you!

Thank you kind people for your suggestions. I would suggest the picnic but he and his friends want to be cooped up in a dark room with very loud music - what a surprise. So it's indoors for them. I will keep checking in case any other ideas come up. It's a bit of a tricky age, not child but not 18 yet either.

Thank you, that is very useful. I had no idea either of those pubs might do it. I read that the Dog is becoming a 'boutique hotel' - surely not what we need down there. Anyhow I will ask them. Brilliant. Any other suggestions also gratefully received as I like to be thorough!

I've lived here for thirteen years, having grown up in Central London and this is way better. I often have little chats with people in shops, or in one case, got talking to a lovely woman in the Blue Mountain several years back. Someone had come in with a pushchair, which sparked a conversation about 'the right time to have a baby', ie there isn't one. And we became friends. I love that ED is a good mix of people and bars/cafes etc as well as shops and services. And to my mind at least it's neither scary nor snobby, the two London extremes. I don't think in this great capital you could do better. Other 'nice' places such as south Islington, where I used to live when first married and briefly after the children were born, are full of chains and in the case of that area, not a single park. There are many aspects of ED to treasure I think.

My son will be 16 this summer and we would like to give him a party in the area. We could spend a bit of money but not a huge amount, and because of his age I'm assuming a licensed venue would say no? Can anyone suggest a cool place or advise? Thank you!