Scruffy Mummy

When my brother came over from Canada, staying with me in Canada he was pretty shocked at the state of the sidewalks/pavements and commented 'Don't people around here clean up after their dogs???' That said it all really about dog mess in East Dulwich (and all over Londond really). I like dogs and I do know responsible dog owners. But personally, I'm sick of the mess around the streets and parks of East Dulwich - it's depressing that one of the key lessons I have to teach my toddler about walking along the pavement is about avoiding dog mess. And, I have lived in the area pre and post the fence and I noticed a marked increase in the use of the Green after the fence - mainly by people in the fenced in area. While parks such as Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye are big enough for people to find safe spaces for relaxing and enjoying (with or without kids - there were plenty of sunbathers who enjoyed that area), Goose Green is so small that it's difficult for someone with an inquistive toddler to truly relax in an unfenced area. Also, there is not enough space when you factor in the dogs as well - I think you need a fence to allow people to enjoy the space. Otherwise, it just becomes a quick short cut (or not, if you notice a pit-bull or two zooming about near the path!)

you must be kidding - I have never, ever heard of anyone tipping binmen!! Do you tip just the bin men or do you tip the reclycing folk as well - and then it is both the trucks who pick up garden stuff AND the other stuff? It's a slippery slope of tipping!

I totally agree Mamafeelgood. I made this point in the consultation but I think there is a strong lobby group against the fence on aesaetic reasons - mostly probably those without kids who have lots of time and energy to attend public meetings to make their voices heard. I think what will happen is that no one will enjoy the Green except dog users. Who is going to want to sit on the grass with young children/toddlers with the worry that they will toddle off into the path of a bounding dog?? And the point is - even if someone scoops poop, the residue can linger on! So basically, I think it'll be an end to parents sitting on the green, under the trees in sunny days with the toddlers safety toddling about the trees. Shame but I guess the people are happier that the ugly fence will be gone than people enjoying the green

If this is geniune which I'm doubting, your best bet is to come over as an overseas student. Find a US university that has a study in England option - lots of US colleges do this and this is how I first landed on these shores nearly 20 years ago. Then, as a student you can apply for an overseas student work visa which allows you to work up to 15 hours a week. Once you are in the UK studying and working part time, you might find an organisation or company that wishes to sponser you for a visa but since you haven't gone to unverisity and don't have a speciality area this is unlikely. As Meg said, you must fill a gap in the market otherwise. Just go to college/university somewhere in the US -out of Ohio before trying to build a life in a new country. Try New York City if you want a change of pace

No, 50 years ago you just had those massive silver cross pram things instead! Anyway, I went as soon as it opended and made it around with toddler in pushchair quickly as I saw it was filling up - bought a few nice things, glad it was the fair was there. I have to say that pre-baby I never understood the pushchair thing and I would sometimes moan about pushchairs cluttering up various places including letting sleeping babies nap, and saving you from carrying a squirming 5 month old who is unlikely to pasively sit in your arms for an hour - never mind 10 minutes. Plus, if you are on your own with a lively toddler as I was today there is no way you are going to be able to browse and buy - without the stress of wondering where his inquistive little self is going to go!

This topic has been discussed on lot in the past on the forum so it would be worth your while doing a search and finding the other threads where is has been discussed. As I've said in the past on other threads, I'll be sending my boy to Goose Green Primary - I've been to visit the school and been quite impressed with it. A friend sends her 10 year old there and she has had a really good experience of the school and her daughter has done very well. They have an on-site afterschool and breakfast club which is good and lots of after school activities like drama and music. 10 years ago it had a dreadful reputation and was a Fresh Start School. A new head (who is still there) and new staff team. It's since risen quite alot and now has a fairly good reputation - while local middle class parents just to shun it, you see more and more of the middle classes sending their kids there. My partner's friend is a supply teacher and has taught in that school and says it has a good spirt. His main criticism is that alot of the equipment is abit dated and scruffy. But I've heard alot of Southwark primary schools have that problem. St Johns and St. Clements is a church school but will take 50% of the intake from non-church goers each year which I think means there are 15 places a year for non-church attenders. It's quite difficult to get in there I believe. But it is a good school so if you live nearby you could have a go!

Simon M - good points mate! I always want to remind people that these 'irritating' little people who are 'invading' their space will be the next generation who will be their doctors, care workers, nurses, charity workers, etc who will be looking after them when they are at the other end of life. *Bob* - You encourage it by making mums and kids feel unwelcome in the place which I think has been discussed on other threads. And by discussing your strategy openly with a number of people in the community. To be honest, it doesn't bother me at all if a cafe or restaurant wants to be explicity child-free. If someone doesn't want my business because I have a kid, that fine. It's not like there are a dearth of cafe's selling nice hot drinks and cake in East Dulwich/Peckhamwhere you can go with the sprog. But it does mean I won't use the place when I'm not with my kids - just because I'd rather give my loyalty to places which were welcoming when I was in the grip first few months of newborn fog and stress. Frico - Agree it's an odd strategy as it's my experience that I spend more when I'm out with my toddler in cafe's - comfort and rewarding food for me, numerous treats for him to keep him quiet and occupied for my short window of opportunity. So I can't believe that mothers and babies actually cost cafe's and restaurants money. To be honest, I also use cafe's alot without my toddler when I'm working on my laptop and that's when I'm usually nursing one cup of coffee for 2 hours! (If it's an independent cafe that I like I'll buy lunch or something so I'm not just abusing their facilities.)

I have to say that I agree that JoJo Bebe Maman sells a range of affordable well made clothes and other baby stuff - I bought my 2.5 a blue duffel coat there 2 years ago (it was alittle big for him at the time) for ?25 and he is still wearing it (it's abit short in the cuffs now but I think it will last this winter). I saw duffel coats in Booteki and Raisin for about ?85 - ?100 - for one year olds! I liked Raisin and really liked the managers and tried to support it but I just couldn't justify paying ?25 - ?30 upwards for a t-shirt for a one year old!! Same with Booteki - it's lovely but can't afford most of the stuff.

Fab idea mighty roar - I'm with you! Seriously, though I've heard through several sources (not just via the Forum) that the owner of Chandelier definately doesn't want mums and babes 'sharing one pot of tea betweeen them' and chatting for hours and is encouraging more of a child-free atmosphere. And the Peckham Rye Cafe seems to be actively welcoming groups of mums and babes. So solution - people looking for a child-free coffe and cake can have chandilier and those of us with sprogs can have lovely homemade cake at the Peckham Rye Cafe! Problem sorted.

I was there with Scruffy Daddy for lunch and agree how lovely it was! Can highly recommend the gooey chocolate cake which is simply divine - I'm surprised the homemade cakes aren't made more of as they are a bit hidden on the back counter - maybe have a 'cake of the day' featured on the front counter alongside the small display of the fairy cakes/muffin things?? I love cake and can't wait to have a slice of choc cake with ice cream in the summer - yum! (I only wish I was still breastfeeding and could eat cake everyday without worrying about the pounds piling on!

I have no sympathy with arguements from car drivers in London - it's like 'oh, there is a problem with traffic and we can't park - it's everyone else's fault, not ours'' But don't you get it - you are part of the problem too!! Ditch the car, walk, help the environment, stop contributing to congestion, pollution, and road deaths. Join a car club if you need a car for occasional journeys. Walk your kids to school. The only legit reason in London to have a car is if you have a serious mobility problem due to a disablity. The Warehouse seems like a good idea - it's so near Lorship Lane - not in the middle of the houses and it's better than being taken over by developers and turned into an All Bar One!! Or maybe people would prefer more expensive, new build flats??

And, best news ever, the lovely Anna of 157 Bellenden Road is going to be making her scrummy, yummy cakes for the cafe!! More reason to go!!

I can say with hand on my heart that I've never had any problems in Peckham - I lived in the north Peckham area in an estate just off the old kent road for about 5 years before moving to Bellenden where I've lived for 3 years and my friend still lives in that flat in that estate in north Peckham with her little girl and hasn't had any problems either. When I lived in leafy Balham before that, my flatmate was mugged on our doorstep however.

I was being sarcastic I know - but the facts are that 99% of children going to the Villa are white. Also there are some other facts I'd like to correct. The Villa nursery only takes children from 2 years old not 0. There are 60 children (according to their website) in the nursery. Those numbers doesn't include the school - I'm assuming there are about 40 kids in the 2 years of pre-prep - which is two full primary school classes of kids not going to local schools, whose parents aren't engaging with a wider social mix in the neighourhood they and their children are living in. And importantly, who aren't lending their skills and expertise to help make the local community school a better school for all. The Villa states clearly that if your child goes to nursery, he/she will authmatically be offered a place at the pre-prep school - whereas if they don't, they have to sit entry exams/tests to ensure they are educationally up to it. A bit of an incentive to start them at nursery I would think!! The Villa Pre-Preparatory School states clearly in it's title that it is a pre-prep school (i.e. preparing kids for prep school)!! Pre-prep schools are clearly within the private system of preparing young children for private prep school that they will enter at age 7. They state that it is in their goal for children to enter there new schools with confidence at 7. Most community schools I know of, children tend to enter at age 4.5 or 5 - unless of course the parents move or change schools. In the private system, the tradition seems to be send kids to pre-prep from 4 - 7, then prep school. I just find it sad that anyone would choose to live in Peckham, one of the most culturally diverse areas of the country and then choose to send your kid somewhere with such a narrow demographic! I grew up in a rural, 99% white area of Canada and I was so ignorant of so much!!!! I love the fact that my 2.5 year old - who is going to a nursery (in the private sector because there is no other option at his age) - has friends already who are from African, Turkish, Chinese, and many other backgrounds. I love it that the nursery is having a event for Black History Month and all the parents will be bringing dishes from their area. (I'm bringing pumpkin pie - a favored North American dish) I can't wait for him to go to the local primary school frankly! And to join the board of governors. And help make the school a great school for all the kids in the area.

I think it's more that the traffic on this web-site is increasing and therefore we are finding out more about crime that is happening already. I think statistically speaking most crime is committed by people in the age bracket 18-25. However, street robbery and assault on teenagers and young people is more likely to be committed by other teenagers and young people. The reality is that a very large percentage of criminal acts like street robbery and assault is carried out by the same percentage of the population. So, it is only a very small percentage of young people that are behaving in a criminal fashion.

I live in the area and like the nearness to both ED and Peckham Rye. Many of the flats/maisonnettes on Copleston, Oxenford, Oglander are well-built - look turn of the century but all are purpose built as they were one of the first council estates in England -therefore everyone has a garden whether you are first floor or ground floor. A friend of mine who moved from this area to near the Dulwich Library says she misses the friendliness of Bellenden. In her new, more affluent area - people just come and go to work and don't know each other that well. On the road round here - Bellenden/Copleston/Oglander/Oxenford Roads - there are quite a few retired people living in the maisonettes/flats who've been here a long time which leads to people who know each other and the area quite well - i.e. have brought their kids up here. And they are around in the daytimes - not just dashing in from the City at 9pm and out again at 6pm. I find it comforting that I can go down the street and know that if I was in trouble, I'd have quite a few doors I could knock on to ask for help. Sadly, I've noticed that a number of young 'we're so cool and hip look at us living in urban Peckham' crowd sunddenly decide they can't possibly send their precious poppets to the local primary school Bellenden and send them to the Villa, which appears to be a whiter than white school private pre-prep school in the midst of multi-cultural Peckham. Which strikes me as very sad indeed- particuarly as if all these folks sent their kids to the local school (or maybe give a donation of what they'd have to pay the Villa every year - maybe this would pay for an extra teacher or two) it would probably rise in standards. But as the previous poster has said, there are other primary schools in the area if you don't want to send your child to Bellenden Primary - particularly if you live in south Bellenden which is in the catchment area of two excellent schools Goose Green primary on Grove Vale and St. Johns primary on Adys Road.

I've heard Fairlawn is very good but terribly, terribly over-subscribed - a friend who lives nearish there - was told it was unlikely her kids would get in. Stillness near Honour Oak is a really good school that is getting more popular but it's very much out of the catchment area of most of East Dulwichites - probably much to the relief of those living in Honour Oak! Again, I'm going to bang the drum (again!) for Goose Green Primary a school that keeps on going up every year and does a pretty fab carnival event every year by my reckoning! No I'm not a teacher (thank god!) nor do I have a child going there - yet. I have a good friend whose 10 year old has done very well there and I plan on sending my 2.5 year old there when he is old enough.

And if it is another branch of Sugar Mama in Camberwell, they don't sell trickets but clothes and if I recall, they weren't all terribly expensive clothes and went up to larger sizes which makes a change from the usual boutique shops which seem to only stock up to size 12.

Many pubs/bars are open to group hosting meetings/events/themed nights in back rooms i.e. films clubs, book groups, WI, lesbian and gay nights, jazz nights, book swap nights etc. etc. If the child-free of East Dulwich are really concerned and want more child-free spaces (and aren't just using this extremely tired debate as a way to express anti-woman and anti-mother comments as some poster seem to), why you don't approach a local bar/pub owner with the idea of having a regular child-free afternoon/night in a back room. You don't have to open a pub or restaurant youself. If it's such a big concern, they it'll be completlely over-run, the bar owner will see it as being lucrative and financially viable. If not, well, as economists say the market will decide!!

I know alot of those properties on Tinagal Crescant are flats/masioneettes. If you live in a flat which has access with to the loft you need to check your lease - mostly these spaces are usually part of the freeholder's ownership/title and you'll need to purchase it from the freeholder first. Then get permission from the freeholder. Then get planning permission if neccessary.

I've heard good things about Goose Green Primary (which I've said before on this forum - forgive me for sounding like a broken record!) from a friend whose 10 year old has been going there since she started school. The school was in a terrible state 10 years ago but since being a Fresh Start school has come on in leaps and bounds with a new head teacher (Stuart May) who is still there who basically got a whole new staff team - latest school results put in on par with other primary schools in the area. It also seems to have a good arts program. I also heard from a friend of my partner who is a supply teacher in the area that it's a good school. What I've heard from both contacts independently is that they are incredibly strict when it comes to bullying - they really come down on it. For me, that's one of the most important things when looking at schools - how they deal with bullying.

no still open but I've been there several times and the Nescafe Coffee puts off alot of potential punters I reckon. Plus the plastic chairs are abit uncomfy. However, it's always busy and a good 'after swimming' with the kids place. The cafe on Grove Vale is very well-established and does a nice fry up but again, like alot of the greasy spoons has a different target market than the target market that I reckon these folks are aiming at. Both the traditional cafe and trendy cafe have a place in East Dulwich and more than enough punters wanting different types of dining/cafe experience to be successful.

Sounds like a great venture - you can never have enough cafe's in my book! If you are looking for someone to do the cakes, the nice woman on Bellenden Road who has the cake shop on Saturdays does DIVINE cakes and chating to her on the weekend, she said she was looking to get her cakes in more outlets. Her shop is at 157 Bellenden Road, SE15 and is only open Saturdays but you can always drop her a line. Anyway, I think that parade has a lot going for it - but, as was said you will have some compeitition from both All Fired Up and the Green. However, All Fired up is more into the cermic painting thing rather than being an all round cafe i.e. they only do a limited range of food and the Green is more of a restaurant vibe and could do with abit of compeitition anyway to sharpen up their service/food/etc. Like the idea of doing something on Grove Vale - I reckon there is alot of potential as you've got the train station with comuters in the morning and evening, and people on way to Sainbury's etc. And no compeition really - except a small greasy spoon.

Interesting how the yummy daddies seem to have gotton off scot free in this whole debate eh?? Most parents I know are highly embarrassed when their kids kick off in public places and try to get them out of there are quickly as possible! I have some lines of behaviour that musn't be crossed for my sprog - running around in cafe's or resaurtants isn't on - particularly when people are carrying hot drinks! If a tantrum is coming on, it's time to grab a coffee and go outside! Yet, in order to keep sprog amused and from be a pain, we've played games like spot the bus or the taxi out the window in Cafe Nero. Harmless and fun you might think. Last week, I was subjected to the dirtiest look from a young woman several table able every time sprog said 'look bus!' in a slightly loud voice (but not a shout or scream). I tried to get him to speak more softly and he did tone it down - but then I realised that it was something about our mere being anywhere near in her space that was annoying her. Anyway, some people are really rude and inconsiderate and they have kids. Some people are really rude and inconsiderate and they don't have kids. Really rude people are annoying - whatever there class, creed, ethnicity, or status as parent/non parent. End of story.

yes - most people with young children don't have the freedom that child-free people have to go out any ole' night they please so I think it's abit mean spirted to moan about parents going to cafe's/child-friendly pubs etc during the daytimes!!! I do take my kid to the park/playground - at least 3 hours of our days together are spent outdoors and it's nice after a trip out to be able to go to a child-friendly cafe/pub, met a friend and have a coffee or lemonade for the MAX 30 minutes that we have before the kids go bonkers and want to escape. At the end of the day, alot of people move to East Dulwich because it's a family/child friendly zone - the businesses here recognise this and tend to be family friendly. Deal with it or start a child-free restaurant/cafe/bar etc.