Ellie78

Don't do it!! I know it's tempting but the number of people I know who have ended up not in labour but with uncomfortable post spicy curry tummy on top of their late pregnancy woes....It's just not worth it. Particularly if you DO end up in labour...you really don't want to be also wanting to sit on the loo most of the time. Maybe there are other positive experiences people can share. I tried acupuncture at 9 days overdue. I was in labour 48 hours later. Probably coincidence. Ended up a very long protracted labour (over 48 hours) so have always wondered whether he didn't like being hurried! When was/is your due date? Have you had enough?! Quite understand that one...

Thats brilliant - once again the EDF comes to the rescue. So I went to sainsburys and had a look - I might certainly go that route (just need to check whether the colour matches the official uniform at HTGFS) But I also might go the posh route - where do you buy the good ones snowboarder? Shorts are good option for us - I reckon he'll be in them for a while, if we go on the warmer autumns we've been having. Annoyingly the school uniform side doesn't seem to be selling them- will try calling to see... And yes - MIdivydale - SOOOOO many things I've not got round to doing. Feel a bit overwhelmed by it all!! (btw - have you sorted out after school stuff - I haven't yet, but I'd be interested to know what your plans are...no idea what I'm going to do.He can't start the CCC club until he's 5 - JUNE 2017!! Argh!)

My son goes through pairs and pairs of jogging bottoms and jeans because he plays on his knees. Apart from patching does anyone have a solution to this? Is there some kind of strengthening insert yiuo can attach from the inside. School trousers are going to last about 5 seconds. What on earth do I do!!

Posting a PM I sent to someone today: I have to have faith that, despite all appearances, politicians aren't completely stupid. I can't believe they're going to put a gun to the head of the economy because some narrow minded bigotry at home. But - then again - I've just heard May on the radio.... I could only ever reconcile my Britishness as part of Europe. As this country disintegrates I think people will be left wondering why politicians gave away the United Kingdom because of a right wing sway on a vote that should never have happened in the first place. (that was perhaps poorly phrased - it was the grounds of the vote that i have issue with). I am similarly disgusted that the narrative of this vote has already been hijacked - you lost, end of story - that's democracy. This isn't my democracy. Not a democracy where a coalition of variously desperate grievances can coalesce to condemn generations within the UK to a parochial, and comparatively impoverished, future. We need politicians to display some seriously good leadership here AND STOP THINKING OF THEIR CAREERS!!! Just for one very important period.

I really feel for you OP and Midivydale. We're not under the same pressure but it has made me think very seriously about our future here. I can't really see myself living happily in the kind of UK (well, probably England, NI and Wales) that's on offer here. I've got rights to EU citizenship elsewhere, which should filter down to my son, and I'm applying next week. At least it might give us some options. But we're not out yet....

Hi there, I've looked at a few forum posts on repairs for buggies, but I wondered if anyone had had the same issue and got it repaired locally. The folding mechanism is shot on out BB+ - can't fold it down. Highly irritating, as I was thinking of selling it and I don't think it's fair to do that (even at a reduced price) unless I know it works. Any ideas welcome!

I've chosen my numbers. Fingers crossed for the ?50m!

We had To hand over my then 9 month old to his grandparents because both of us were unbelievably Ill and couldn't look after him. He was there for 6 days. He was absolutely fine - he hadn't seen them Much (they live far away) but the love shone through. I expected to be devastated by it but I was so ill I couldn't be anything other than relieved And it worked so well and they were so pleased to have him that he's been going to theirs for a week every year since. It's been amazing and he his own strong bond with them. He loves it. Just to present you with another experience.

Ooo! Thanks Midivydale! That's very helpful. I'm liking the idea of white oil better now. I've just been staring at a colour card. Officially clueless. Son wants bright blue walls. Tempted to hope he'll forget but now we've given him the choice we can't take it away. ...Gulp

I know I am always seeking the input of forumites on various aspects of the build we're doing. It's just so flipping helpful. So apologies for another one. Pine floorboards: painted? or blanchon white oil? WE've just had them sanded and - to my surprise - they've come up really nicely. We were going to paint, but now I'm thinking of the lacquer option. But I've got no clue whether this would be a terrible idea for a family (ie. nightmare to clean etc.) I'd really appreciate any advice. Confounded.

Erm, aren't petitioners simply highlighting an important issue for public debate, rather than flexing social media muscles of somehow ignorant populism as this infers. Yes. We should have regular debates about where to spend public money and what our 'ideal world' is. Don't tell me how to use democratic process.

Signed.

Just clocked the time of the op. Did you find anywhere?

Correct me if I'm wrong obviously but wouldn't the tesco by Peckham rye sell calpol?

My main concern was safety - as I said in a previous post, I think the reason the bus driver got aggressive was because I was shouting, the teenagers were shouting, and he thought there was some kind of problem customer (not someone yelling because they're about to be thrown down the stairs with their 3 year old). The light was on, the bell rung twice, he should have stopped at the bus stop and - its my view that he put our safety at risk when he didn't (and yes, I was moving down the steps in front of my child so that he would fall into me - I always do that - but that wouldn't have helped much as I was about to fall down the stairs myself because of the speed at he was accelerating after decelerating to stop). I know a few bus drivers assume that the bell has been rung in error if there isn't someone standing at the door ready to get off. When I was heavily pregnant and couldn't stand up very easily on a moving bus there were several times that bus drivers didn't stop when I had pressed the bell because I wasn't standing by the door - and this was their excuse when confronted ("you weren't standing by the door"). I have complained. I have heard nothing and I doubt I will hear anything. But I hope they take it on board.

Thanks Ole and Mak - to be honest, I don't really want to go searching through You Tube looking for it. And unfortunately, I really don't know where they're from - or what school they go to. And I don't think it's an issue in the "issue" sense that these schools would be willing to tackle.

Monniemae- out of interest, what schools do you mean, and how much did they shrink in 1 year? We are less than 450m away from the school but I do wonder if we would get a place.

Should have said, thanks for the perspective on it everyone. It's really good to hear other people's reactions.

Thanks everyone. tbh - I think the lesson here is don't go on top of the bus with the 3yo. I did everything I was supposed to do (and yes the bell worked). Going down a stop earlier would't have helped (I wouldn't have got him down in time, and its quite a steep hill). They go way too fast down that route at the end. I went down the stairs because he was slowing to stop - the fact that he didn't wasn't my fault: he should have done, the bell had been rung, twice, and the light was on. And it was a weekend, so I can't contact/identify the school unfortunately. But I think the reason I was so shaken by the whole experience was the pack mentality of the teenagers, rather than the fact that the driver was accelerator happy (although it was quite unnerving). I was shouting for help and all I got in return was jeers. It was quite intimidating actually. I don't think having a child is a 'get out of jail free card' - or entitles you to anything - but I'm actually quite shocked that it didn't stop these teenagers from aggressive behaviour. Anyone else would just have alerted the driver. And I think that the fact that they were shouting at me made the driver think there was a problem.

I'm absolutely holding my hands up here: I'm in need of a communal internet hug and probably a bit of processing about what just happened. I'm still shaking actually and I think this will help me calm down, oddly. I feel really shaken by the whole thing and I can't decide why. I was just on my way with my 3yo back from Peckham Rye park. We were on the 343 bus. Our stop is the penultimate - just before the end of the line and the bus drivers are always a little reluctant to stop there...On this occasion I press the bell twice, in plenty of time. As the bus slows I get my 3 yo to the top of the stairs and start moving down. But he doesn't stop, he's slowed, but he's obviously thinking that the fact that there is no-one standing right beside the door means that the bell that just went was obviously fictional - or somehow a joke. I called out to him to stop "we haven't got off the bus yet" from the stairs (at this point, I'm not stressed, I just think he's - I called again (twice) - but he's either not hearing me or not listening because he keeps going, getting faster. At that point I'm finding it really difficult to stay standing, with a 3yo and a scooter in tow - I shout louder, and I am SHOUTING now, mainly because I need him to stop to ensure we don't fall down the stairs. I'm getting the teenagers on the bus shouting at me, telling me to shut up - even though I think it's obvious that a parent with a child who is half way down the stairs is obviously going to shout to the driver to ask them to stop. The bus driver obviously does hear me now, because he stops - and starts shouting at me - accusing me of trying to get off the bus at a place there isn't a stop (he's stopped a few meters down from the bus stop he didn't stop at). I lose it at that point and I get off the bus with a "And I"m reporting you" - which I certainly am not proud of, but I was so anxious about the safety aspect, and - yes - angry at him not for stopping in the first place - to then be accused of trying to invent a stop and do something 'against the rules' was the last straw. As I get off the bus, there are teenagers, still shouting at me, and I see two filming me on their phones. Is the fact that I'm really upset - like, seriously upset - about this weird? I've reported it to tfl, because there is a definite safety issue here, but to be honest, I feel almost like I've been assaulted. It's not just the bus driver issue that shook me up - but the hyena parade of phone wielding teenagers has really, really got under my skin. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be some time before I take my 3yo on the top of a bus. Shame - he loves it.

Yes, high confusion. In the end I have uploaded everything I have with my name and address on it, marriage cert, birth certificate - the lot. Admissions seemed pretty relaxed with that - but you do wonder, considering the volume of calls they're dealing with with most of them being about documentation according to the person on the end of the line: why can't they just provide clear and comprehensive instructions on the website? Hmm. Anna79 - I think it doesn't matter if one of the schools you're applying to is in Lewisham, as you still apply under Southwark's terms I think if you live in the borough (with your other applications). I'm Lewisham based, so Lewisham demands that I do xyz. Or at least that's what I think is happening...

HI - we're on the same mission. Shutters up have a sale - so they're a bit under the other companies I've looked at. I just wanted to hear from anyone about the quality and experience of the shutters from them?

Advice on how to proceed - am going to contact admissions asap but I'd appreciate if anyone has experience of these issues. Typically - I have just realised that I have to provide a document regarding parental responsibility for my primary applications in Lewisham (due in Friday - I know, stupid). The council site lists the following: child benefit child tax credit child tax fund letter. I've got no idea where any of our child benefit info is....Of course, we have a birth certificate...somewhere...Has anyone used this before? Typically too - the council tax letter I need to provide as proof of address only has my parter's name on it (I wasn't counted as I was a student and we were getting 25% off)....We are married but have different surnames (and our son has mine). This is going to be ridiculously complicated isn't it....

Hey midivydale - did you go to the open day. I really liked the head of the FS (new). I love the emphasis on languages. But I didn't like the focus on results results results....But I guess this is what so many people look for. Btw - not tiny catchment at 790m last year. Obviously this will change with more siblings coming to the school....

Thanks so much! Interesting how these things work out for everyone. Yes, i think Quartz might be well worth the investment then.... But I am now actually tempted by copper - seem to have found a fitter For reasonable cost. Anyone gone that route?