Mrs TP

Brilliant ideas just the delivery that needs fine tuning. I cried (with delight) when they demolished that hell hole in Glasgow. Thinking about how I live my life maybe I should start donating our stuff to the charity shops in Peckham rather than Lordship Lane. Was also pleased to see a program that wasn't stuck up the gov't's backside, which there does seem to have been a lot of lately but was showing just how it is for many people. Hope David Cameron and his cronies got to see it - perhaps that's the solution we get Sam Cam on board to organise Hugger's ideas, could be her part of the 'big community'.

To be honest as an English person with a faintly northern accent and definite northern vowels I feel a bit of a dick saying long French names, I would automatically shorten it to 'Le Ciel' which I have just googled and the top result was a restaurant.

Many thanks for all suggestions. Will probably have to stand outside TopShop whilst daughter goes wild - or do they let in 40yrs+ sz12s these days? Happy shopping.

Brilliant, laughing out loud. Initially, thought this may be a smug post (as in you doing it all wrong) but this is just fab and makes me feel so normal, cheers ...

Up until now I have mainly been buying clothes from Next, M&S, Debenhams and odd bits from Gap if feeling a bit flush. Now my daughter is getting bored with their styles and I wondered where else we could try. She is a tall 9yr old and so generally we buy age 11/12. She likes leggings and checked shirts but is just getting into more summery, girly dresses. What else is out there that I have over-looked? Many thanks.

Thought I would add the perspective of our recent 2yr development check. Us at Melbourne Grove Medical Practice and had a letter from them giving me the contact details of 5 diff HVs all working diff days so I could pick one to suit my availability. Arranged a home visit for following week. I didn't have any concerns but as in a busy household with two older children and not a health care professional myself it crossed my mind that there may be something I had not picked up on / forgotten / health advice changes etc and so no harm in it. HV arrived 20mins early and caught us finishing off a late breakfast as school hols. Visit went v. well. HV chatted to me more fully about child's behaviour and development, how child fits in within the family and relationships with sibblings etc. Child is normally v. chatty but of course clammed up when HV started to speak to her. So HV left her for a while but gave her the fab free satchel of books and crayons etc that you get at these checks. As the visit progressed HV then pulled out her little bag of toys for child to play with, identify etc. She did play with them but still refused to speak to HV so HV offered the answers to identifying the toys and child nodded, shook her head, laughed etc. HV said she could see child knew what was what and seemed v. happy. HV was v. polite, well turned out, organised, relaxed, easy to talk to and extremely professional. There were no concerns and I was pleased to have this confirmed by a professional person. As the HV was getting ready to leave I said to my daughter 'shall we go to the park now?' and she asked 'is the lady coming to the park?' so at least the HV did get to hear her speak and my daughter wanted her to come and play with us so had obviously enjoyed the check too.

We know a 7yr old girl called Scout on the whole To Kill a Mockingbird theme - really gives the age away of the parents who studied it for o' level. I love it and Atticus too, although thought we were doing girl's names here? Whatever you choose you will encounter another with the same name along the line. I was in Just Williams last summer with my 9yr old daughter and called over to her. A dad next to me in the queue said oh my daughter is called that and pointed to a toddler in a pram nearby. I smiled and said that we had encountered a few with the same name over the years and we all nodded politely. Until his snooty missus joined the queue and he told her 'this lady has a daughter also called xxx' and the stroopy mare announced 'oh I hate it when someone else uses our name' - should have been more original love and get over yourself ...

I have always thought it rude to say other than positive things re baby names. (However as you are asking, I am not fussed on using names that can also be surnames as first names from a confusion point of view.) Congrats on the impending birth and good luck. Call her what you like, she is your little bundle of joy and sod what anyone else thinks. As for a suggestion Betsy.

Defo seen it open on Sundays.

Is it Clarks who said she is an H fitting? They tried to tell me that of my daughter when 18mths old. She was an F on the measure but the shoes just didn't appear wide enough and they decided she was an H but I could see that the shoes were not deep enough (from the floor to the top of the foot) and so cut into the top of her foot. H's looked ridiculously silly - gapping at the outer sides but still pinching on the top of the foot. Got Start Rites instead. They are deeper and cover the high instep which is the problem not the width of the foot. Hope that makes sense. Anyway much as we have had plenty of Clarks shoes in our house for all 3 kids I think the staff are not all they are cracked up to be at fitting. Try diff styles yourself from diff shops and don't get too focused on sticking to a particular sz - bet you have shoes of diff szs in your wardrobe.

Masses of fake tan, ladies and gents alike these days.

Anyone know what is / has been going on at Crystal Palace? Was phoned this morning to say usual swimming lessons for the wee ones cancelled due to an incident.

Never done it but never heard good things about it either, just brings on the squits, which not good if you do go into labour. Power walking as best you can, especially pushing around any others you may have but really it is time. I was 15 days over with my first and demented, 8 days late with nos 2 and nos 3 stormed in 4 days early - hooray. Just sit it out and enjoy the relative peace. Good luck.

I was undecided re a 3rd and so decided to spend a year not worrying about it and think about it later although time was running short. The first six months were ok but then I started thinking about yes/no every day and by 10mths into the year I was set on yes. She will be 2 next week and it is fab. I think the fact you are considering it is heading towards a yes but if you can take a little time and don't rush into the decision. I noticed that most older people who commented on the number of children they had regretted not having more but nobody regretted the ones they had.

Ah fabulous, been to Sannat twice via Malta Choice, an internet company. First year they did flights and accommodation, 2nd time just accommodation and we booked our own flights. It is a very quiet place and we had our own villa with pool, not much going on at all unless you go to the diving resorts but those still quiet. Just what we wanted. Our girls were 3 & 6 first time and 4 & 7 second time. I was pregnant with nos 3 2nd time and we are just waiting for her to be a little bit older and more pool savvie before we go back. Even with the four of us we rented a villa for 6 to 8 so we got a bigger pool - pricey but fabulous. A few restaurants in Sannat (all family friendly) and you need a car to get around the whole island and for the odd trip back to mainland Malta. Fab place for a hot summer hol away from the standard Med beach resorts. Can't praise it enough and longing to go back, do pm me if you want more rave reviews / specific advice. Note it is a v. quiet place and fab if you self contained but not good if you expecting Benidorm. Beware though as many lizards in Gozo houses as mice in E. Dulwich. Good diving in Comino and snorkeling fantastic.

The correct term is news photographers.

I am really sorry to hear about your family worries, it is intensely stressful trying to have 'fun' with such a person at otherwise happy times. I am guessing like most she lives away and so comes to stay with you for a few days at a time and thus making her visits much more intense. I have similar problems but with my own parents and not my in-laws. I use this lady, who has been a tower of strength: http://www.kaydavies.co.uk/ Have to say though after another stressful pre Christmas visit from my lot I am left wondering just how much crap do you put up with and when do you draw a line under the relationship - probably not a helpful comment but just to let you know you are not alone in adult parental stresses.

Not read the whole thread but in answer to the original question as many as you can love and care for and as long as you all feel you have a home and not a boarding school then I guess that is ok. Most adults have some sort of angst about having been an only child, number 1, number 2, number 3, the youngest, oldest, only girl, only boy etc - that's normal. Do what is right for you and your situation and enjoy each new little person that pops into your life.

Leggings, funky tights, Gap hoody top, I-Tunes voucher, X-Factor annual, Jacqueline Wilson annual or books or subscription to Jacqueline Wilson magazine, PJs, Build a Bear teddy and clothes, Puffles from Club Penguin, games for any sort of Nintendo thing she may have, nature / animal encyclopedia, make-up (stick with things that are pastel or light coloured and glittery), Hama beads, Sequin Art, Annie on DVD. Google searches should explain any of these you are not familiar with - best of luck.

Could it be they are offering you an enhanced redundancy package rather than statutory? When I had my initial estimate, this time last year, I was given 2 breakdowns - statutory and an enhanced offer. Note you are also supposed to have an initial consultation period before being definitely told your post is going. Your letter should state along the lines of 'you are now in a consultation phase, which will last from x date to x date and which is concerned with the fact that your current position is at risk of redundancy' and you should have at least one meeting to discuss this matter with your boss / the consultant / HR . A worrying time but best of luck with it all. T

I don't know if there is such a thing as maternity specialists but earlier this year I used an excellent employment lawyer Cyril Dennemont who is based at Harold Benjamin solicitors in Harrow (I chose him as former work colleagues had used him and so he had experience of dealing with my former employer). Wasn't too difficult to get up to Harrow to see him and their office is v. close to Harrow on the Hill tube. Cyril's details are: http://www.haroldbenjamin.com/site/people/profile/cyril.dennemont Pricey like all solicitors. I paid ?250 +VAT for an initial 1hr consultation, after emailing him all my background, to get an idea of my exact legal position but then fortunately was able to pick up the following costs on the family legal protection section of our buildings insurance. I see you say you don't have this but do double check your contents and buildings insurance - it is one of those add on bits to insurance policies that I don't normally pay attention to. For redundo problems it only kicks in once you have been issued with a redundancy notice. For me this was a long time coming, it was 3mths from the first sniff of redundo to the formal notice and so that is why I paid to see Cyril myself initially as I needed advice in this period. Hopefully someone will come up with someone nearer but Cyril was excellent. I pursued a case for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination relating to being made redundo at end of maternity leave and issues relating to flexible working. It all drags on and on and is v. draining but we eventually settled at mediation. What is your particularl situation?

I have been down the whole redundo at the end of mat leave, thinly veiled spurious reasons and pursued a case against my employer for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination via the family legal aid section of our household buildings insurance. Eventually settled at mediation prior to a full court case. The main problem I faced via using the house insurance (which was completely hassle free from the respect of dealing with the insurer) was that I wasn't the client the house insurance company was and so they decided what was a reasonable settlement not me. It was reasonable but I did feel backed into a corner and that it wasn't my clear decision to settle at the point we did. However, we couldn't have afforded to do it ourselves and my union was completely shite, only bothering to return my calls / emails when it was all over (it is on my to do list to write to them to claim all my fees back as they were so utterly useless). Also no matter how badly your employer behaves it is massively up to you as the employee to mitigate your losses. If you walk into a new job two weeks later and so have only in effect lost 2wks salary then there is no point in pursuing the claim. You need to be able to show that you have gone through every possible avenue to get a new job and need to compile a folder of all your activities in an attempt to get alternative employment whilst you are waiting to come to court.

Anyone know what is going on with that huge scaffolding around the detached house opposite the Baptist church / Rainbow / Nursery etc? It looks to be at least two floors higher than the existing house.

If you are up for it give them a ring or go in and tell them you are unhappy with the colour and it is not as discussed, i.e. it is not a good match for your natural colour and see what they say. Don't say much more than that, don't apologise or feel it is your fault for not liking it - it is not what you were expecting. After you have said your bit just be quiet and let them do the talking. See what they come up with and if it is acceptable to you. I think they should offer to do it for free and you certainly shouldn't tip again. I once read in a women's mag that a good salon should even give you back your original tip. We spend bundles on our hair and should get what we want. I complained once a million years ago funnily enough in Willis B when I had a severe crop, which I wanted at the time. When I got home, happy with the overall style I noticed that one side was above my ear and the other below - not deliberately. I went back to have it evened out and they were fine about it. Practice what you are going to say but just don't say too much, stick to the facts and give them the opportunity to put it right. I am sure they would rather see a good post from you here tomorrow saying 'hey they were great and fixed it'. They want happy customers. Good luck and with the pregnancy.

I am guessing but is the ?45K cut off equivalent to an ordinary MP's salary and this figure was picked so there wouldn't be a backlash against MPs protecting themselves if they set the ceiling higher at around ?60K? No doubt they can all make up their lost child benefit on their expenses. Lucky them having a job. I got made redundo earlier this year and now we stand to loose approx another ?2k per year because of this. Robbing tory xcum xastards - fill in the blanks yourself.