bonaome

Anyone been to Sharm El Sheikh? We're off for 10 days, me and the Mrs and the little one (4). Just wondering what to do about money. We're B&B. Neither of us dive but we'll snorkel. Anyone recently been with an idea of costs and the most convenient way to take money / pay for things? I thought maybe take some Egyption pounds for the airport / getting there and the first couple of days, then get cash from ATMs (the card we have has low costs - for a credit card - for money abroad). Is that sensible? Any idea of costs also much appreciated. Also also, any recommendations on things to do etc. Thanks

If you're on Facebook, there's an "East Dulwich and Peckham Rye Primary School Places" group with lots of discussion about the ins and outs of it all. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120669739604

Horniman is great - including the aquarium and gardens. Dulwich park has a great cafe and playground and also you can hire bikes, including ones with buckets the little one can be pulled along in - www.londonrecumbents.com Brixton Rec is close and has good softplay - ball pit and big foam blocks for the little one, and kind of a climbing labrynth of tunnels, towers, ballpits, slides and shoots etc for the bigger ones. Borough Market - unless the 9 year old is a budding Gordon Ramsey/Nigella, I'd give it a miss. It's a cool place for adults but as far as kids can tell it's a bunch of grown-ups staring at cheese. Locale by Goose Green is very child friendly, even in the evening, Pizza Express is usually chocca with kids at lunch times and so is the Greyhound in the Village. Finally The Herne on Forrest Hill Road is very child friendly and has a great big playground out the back which is normally stuffed with kids. Ours loves it, as evidenced by her recently having to be dragged away from it whilst shouting at the top of her voice 'I WANT TO GO TO THE PUB!' If something not local was allowed to go on the list I'd add the basement of the Science Museum - very good with lots of things the kids can build, and sand/water they can make a mess with etc plus the rest of the museum is great too, and it's all free

Ofstead reports aren't everything. Some schools do better out of them than others. Better to go and see both schoos and then edcide what order you want to put them in on your list.

Our little girl has been going for a year. The new site seems a big improvement on the old church hall and the atmosphere and ethos are as fantastic as ever. She absolutely loves it and is very happy there. SO as far as I know, it's all going really well for them.

I'm afraid education here is in a bit of a pickle. If I were you I'd stay in Spain, for the kids' sakes, and not just their education.

Start here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/level-term-insurance I went with Money World - you use their search tool (free) then pay them ?30 for them to make the application to whoever you choose. The ?30 is the total of their one off commission so the rates you get are much better than you'd ever get through a traditional broker / IFA / comparison site. There's no advice though, but life assurance is simple, read the content in the link above and it'll give you a solid basis for making a decision on what you need. One thing - and it applies to all life assurance policies however bought - get it 'written in trust' (speak to your solicitor) to make claiming the money a short and painless exercise for those left behind when you bite the dust. Also - life "assurance" is guaranteed to pay out (unless you've discovered the secret to immortality) which is why it's assurance not insurance and why it's so much more expensive than something that just pays off the mortgage if you croak before the final payment. Disclaimer: I aim to please but satisfaction is not guaranteed and I'm no expert on anything whatsoever and everything I say must be taken with a good pinch of salt.

The Wing Yip in Brixton has a range of just add water curry sauce packets which might be worth a go including a Katsu curry sauce like that at Waggamamma and other japanese places. I think there's a Wing Yip in Camberwell and maybe one on Peckham Rye - certainly an asian supermarket so worth a look.

The only department that could read the map?

bonaome Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If you > ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote. > > Any possibility of getting some more overhead > cover on the London Bridge bound side platform to > keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter there > already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of > the train. > > Thanks again for doing this. Under a brolly there's only really room for one or two people - 3 if it's a golf brolly - under the kind of cover I had in mind the whole of ED could stand shoulder to shoulder as we cry with one voice, "Barry for Mayor!"

Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If you ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote. Any possibility of getting some more overhead cover on the London Bridge bound side platform to keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter there already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of the train. Thanks again for doing this.