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Just adding my support for the great service provided by Dave from Down the Drain -- he's super helpful and efficient and has sorted out a number of issues for us over the past few years.

Adding a recommendation for Rob Mills. Not only does he do a great job and is prompt and reliable, but he's also honest enough to advise another course of action if that's best. He recently came to look at a blocked drain issue and ended up sending me to another tradesperson to resolve, which I greatly appreciated. He's top of my list to call next time I need a plumber.

Alleyns have tweeted to say that their top field is open for responsible use for daily fresh air

We had the same issue and went the echo dot route (bought with a black friday discount). The kids listen to audible and also can stream music through our family spotify account. I'm not massively keen on alexa devices but would rather manage that than constantly fight about screen usage.

We have a nanny who works different hours in the school holidays compared with during term time. The payroll company I use were completely un-phased by this so it can?t be that unusual. The part I found most complicated was working out holiday allowance - prorata-ing the bank holidays etc - but again my payroll co advised on that. I suspect the harder part is finding someone who?s willing to work in a variable pattern which matches yours. Hope you get lucky!

I struggle to get my ten year old off the Percy Jacksons... but he is currently working his way through the Bartimaeus (sp?) books - plenty to keep him busy over the summer. Has he read the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver? Or, more classically, the Lord of the Rings?

http://www.kmptennisacademy.co.uk/dulwich_ltc.html

Hamish and his team recently completed some work on oak and magnolia trees in our back garden. I would highly recommend them - the work was very professional, the trees appear much better shaped now and they barely left a trace of their work. We're very happy and would certainly use them again! A

North Dulwich meet at 6pm on a Monday and I think they're all that sort of time. From experience the waiting lists tend to move fairly quickly - we were told it was 18 months but it ended up being more like 3!

Second the Wolseley and, from the same stable I think, the Delaunay on Aldwych is also great plus you can combine it with a trip along the Southbank / skating at Somerset house etc

Very good news. And it's already on the school website.

I've used Fernando twice in the past month to sort out a horribly overgrown front garden and can highly recommend him. He worked incredibly hard, is a pleasure to deal with and left the garden looking better than it had for a couple of years! Will certainly have him back.

You need the Hopscotch newsletter... http://thehopscotchnewsletter.com/

Just to add that I think you can book tables on Fri and Sat eves at Khao Sarn (the very excellent Thai place) which makes it a bit easier if you're going to a film. Definitely need more than one trip to make the most of Brixton Village though!

There's a marvelously named website: tattoos4kids.co.uk - I bought a load for my daughter's party last year and they were reasonably priced with a wide selection. The quality seemed fine (they stayed on for a bit but were eventually removeable and I didn't get any complaints from other parents!).

Not sure about books for you, but we had the following books for a toddler when number two was on the way: - There's a house inside my mummy (funny, rhyming verse, lovely pictures) - I want a sister (she got a brother, as did my daughter) - Topsy and Tim and the new baby

In a similar situation I used Joanna Wade who was brilliant but, rather unhelpfully, now turns out to have left practice to be a judge! However, you could try her old firm - Leigh Day - and see if anyone else there can help. One of her colleagues acted for a friend of mine who had a particularly horrible departure from a firm while on ML and I seem to recall she got some good advice from them and wasn't billed for unecessary work. Hope that helps.

I've used PAYE for nannies for years, as have a number of friends. Cost ?115 (?135 for premium service). No complaints!

We took my dad to Trinity in Clapham for his 60th lunch when my kids were 2 weeks old and 2 years old - can highly recommend it. We had the chefs table which gave us a bit of privacy and ordered a Sunday roast for the whole table which meant that my 2 yo daughter could pick at roasties and bits of veg. The staff were great with the kids - eg. said daughter's ice cream came decorated as a mouse - but it was special enough to feel like a proper occasion. Worth a look at their website. Plus the Common is across the road if your toddler needs a run around!

I had it with my first pregnancy... It was a bit uncomfortable but not painful, although I did feel a little battered the next day. The consultant was very clear about stopping any time that it hurt and did it quite slowly and carefully (not that it worked!). As someone said above, it has more success with subsequent pregnancies and there seem to be people who have a skill for it and others with much less luck. Hope the baby does a flip of his own accord soon.

How about the Papered Parlour in Clapham?

Have you had, or been offered, an appointment with a theatre midwife to talk things through? I was in exactly your position with my first - breech, failed ECV, booked in for elective - and ahead of the section I was a complete mess about it. However I had a very reassuring meeting with the head theatre MW at Thomas' where she answered all my questions, explained the things they could do (music, lowering the curtain for the birth, skin-to-skin etc) and what they couldn't (candles in theatre, partner cutting the cord). I spent most of the meeting in tears but came away feeling at least a little bit in control of the situation. In the end my waters broke four days before my planned section date and I ended up having a very calm, celebratory "emergency" CS. Due to the unexpected timing we were completely without the music I'd planned to organise the day before and I hadn't packed a bag with all the things mentioned above but it was still a good experience. I had a spinal block, rather than an epidural, apparently because of the lack of urgency with an elective. The anaesthetist was great - very chatty, explained everything that was going on, ribbed my husband endlessly. All in all, mine was much closer to R&Ss experience above than a rushed, unexpected emergency CS. Definitely take flip flops and big knickers; I was made to walk around on day 2 which felt awkward but is much the best thing for recovery and avoidance of DVT. Can't speak for Kings but the postnatal care at Tommy's was patchy at best, despite the amazing teams in the labour wards. Good luck with everything!

Mine broke when my daughter was 6 months so I stopped then. I figured everything else was going in her mouth so as long as her bottles were cleaned properly there wasn't a need to sterilise.