Lolamaxx

Anyone have an au pair living with them who is looking to make new au pair friends locally? Bonus points for ones quarantining and wanting to start chats out digitally ;)

Nursery placements, especially at Preschool level with subsidised hours, are very in-demand in our young family-heavy area. Nurseries with great reputations like Gumboots have very long waiting lists, but yes, if you?re persistent and speak to them a lot around transition times like early Sept and end-July, they might be able to squeeze you in if you have immediate availability and are flexible about your days. They don?t need to do half-days, as demand is so huge, so they don?t, generally... but they do, as another poster said, do a settling-in period. I?ve put a few children through Gumboots, and have been generally really happy with the care and attention they received.

They?re planning to open as normal over the next few weeks. I went to drop off some verrrrrrry overdue books, and the process was as simple as plopping them in a box. Only the sliding-door area was open, with a trestle table blocking further entry. There were 3 members of staff/volunteers, and you have to wear a mask in that area as a user. For children, they?re able to give a ?mystery bag? of age-appropriate books, which I thought was quite nice.

Eating a Quorn dog and some sweet potato fries.

There?s a lovely reinterpretation of a flower still life from Dulwich Picture Gallery that?s on the corner of Bawdale Rd and Fellbrigg Road. Jazzes up the place, IMHO.

You are correct. They used to have evenings as ?South of the Border?. They seem to have stopped that now... as a former Tex-Mex dweller, I think that decision was for the best.

We?ve hired out the bowling green before... it was relatively inexpensive and came with the support of a teenaged staff member (volunteer?) and use of a kitchen with fridge. A great deal, and enjoyed by a large, mixed-age group, but woefully under-marketed. I came up with the idea myself, and had to hunt down an email to coordinate. I have NEVER seen it in use by any typical bowls club (having been here since 2007, and been in a life situation to visit Peckham Rye at least 2 x per week in the past few years), unlike the Dulwich Park one. Since outdoor spaces and kitchen access is at a premium at the moment, perhaps putting an awning over it and doing event hire for small guideline-friendly events, the proceeds of which get fed right back into the park, might be an idea? Small community market with limited entry?

Hi, every Mon 12-3 at the Oru Centre? Thanks

Hi, At one point recently, Pecan/Southwark Foodbank were operating a food donation spot out of the new co-working space next up Organic Village on Lordship Lane. Does anyone know where there are other ED drop-off points? Thanks.

Can anyone recommend drumming (non-digital full drum kit) classes for young kids age 4-5? That are in East Dulwich or near as possible? My son would absolutely love that, but we don't have a kit at home and don't know where to look to do this. Thanks!

Hi, we have a newly-arrived German au pair as well! Will DM you.

Ugh, would have given him a piece of my mind had I been around - hope your child is recovering; how stressful and offensive.

Rye Books bookshop on North Cross Road also runs a good 'un!

Have now visited Heber (very nice atmosphere, happy children, enthusiastic teachers, building a bit tatty but that's cuts for you...), booked Goose Green, have Harris this week. We'll see!

Thanks so much for responding... DVIS is idyllic, but my main reservation is that it's not close enough to where we live that the bulk of the neighbour kids would be going, and also that it apparently ends after Year Two. What primary schools do the DVIS children tend to empty out into?