Mrs TP

Most dry cleaners offer a sewing service, either in house or they ship it out to someone that does all their stuff for them.

Best wishes to your friend DulwichFox. Sounds pretty nasty and, at the risk of being trolled into oblivion, I will say probably someone doing over the requisite 20mph?

My 3 all learnt at Crystal Palace. Slightly further afield but fab training pool and staff.

I think it is quite naughty behaviour but not abnormal. I would be quite cross if any of my kids 'stole' from each other in this way (even my youngest age 6) and especially if a visiting 8yr old cousin did it. I would expect better. I doubt he would have wandered into your kitchen and helped himself to whatever. Just chancing his arm he wouldn't be caught and so aware it is wrong. Not worth pursuing and causing a fuss but would defo be on guard around him in the future and would be say 'no you are not allowed to play in the bedroom without your son being there' or even 'no we'll bring some toys down'. Hopefully, his mum has told him off afterwards and it will be a one off. Sounds like your mum just wants to smooth things over and not have a fuss. Bad behaviour but let it go don't dwell on it.

Movement also creates movement for some people. By that I mean, when some see colleagues moving on to promotion or other new beginnings it makes them redress their own situation and give them a push into being more proactive for change. Also I always thought a benefit of teaching is that it is a highly mobile profession both in terms of promotion and geography, with summer being the obvious time to move on.

We're close to Marsden and our road was done back in 2001. We had to pay ?100 and for that we got a new front garden wall, gate and railings, tiles from pavement to front door and front house brick work jet power washed. I think we also had the bay window ledge re worked and painted. There were loads of tile shapes and colour combinations to choose from for your path and you could choose your own combination but whole street had to agree on gates, railings and wall height - they were fun community meetings! Few households opted out. There was an extension to the scheme doing replacement windows and possibly roofs - much more means tested I think and scheme started to fall apart / run out of money by the time this came to us. On the whole did really smarten up the whole look of the area and a feel good vibe whilst works going on, meeting more neighbours and chatting about how progressing etc

Buses are free for under 16s but they need a zip oyster card to prove their age and if under 11 but look older there is a younger card they can get again to prove their age. Bus drivers have been known (rarely) to refuse 11-16s who forget their zip card onto the bus even though it is free for them to travel.

BTW under 11 free transport in London is a little messy. Buses and tubes fine but not all train lines. If we get the ginger line from Peckham then free for my 6yr old but I think I have to pay on all other train lines that run through there - defo when going to Victoria / London Bridge / Bromley. So if you travelling into town with your little ones then bus it or use the ginger line to connect to the tube and they will be free :)

The Zip Oyster card allows free transport on London buses but they have to pay for trains and tubes and for this you need to put money on the card like you would for an adult. The 11-16 rates are cheaper. However, I think you can buy a special zip oyster if they going to be using trains lots for something like ?100 (poss a year?) which they can then use unlimited times on trains - you will have to look at the TFL website.

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden from Amazon. You get a butterfly keeping net and a voucher to send off for live caterpillars, when you are ready for them (you need to pay extra p&p for this ?3ish so you might want to also include). When the caterpillars come they are in a jar with enough food. You watch them grow and when chrysalis's transfer to the net. Give them fruit and sugar water for a few days when they hatch and then release. Fab. Or these plastic tat things called Shopkins that many kids are in to. Or Hama beads - plastic but creative. Or felt tip pens and colouring / activity books.

I've pm'd you.

I don't know the ins and outs of this scheme, i.e. the cost, as not connected with this school but I would be more than miffed at our secondary 'insisting' on ipads. We have a home comp and a family ipad and I really do not want to buy another ipad for each of my 3 children. I can well imagine the benefits etc but funny all the schools who banned mobiles for years citing amongst other probs potential mugging en route to school and home now think it is perfectly acceptable for the kids to be carrying ipads. It's a slippery, inevitable, expensive slope :(

There is no anaesthetic that I'm aware of. Friends have been to Beauty Haven on Amott Road SE15 with great success for daughters. We've been to Top Shop Oxford Street - very scary almost completely tattooed guy but fab piercing. Also been to one of the hairdressers on Lordship, poss Village Way? Again all fine.

Way back when (1997 - eek) and pre kids we stayed in the quirkyily named Hotel Brighton on the Rue de Rivoli opposite the Jardins de Tuileries. Proper French hotel. Rooms at the front with the better view cost more than those looking onto the rear courtyard. Sorry I'm not up on the Quarters but was a fab long lost Parisian weekend :) and well placed for getting about.

Just to be ahead of the game so you are targeting appropriately :)

Have you done your full research on bursaries? As in how much they are, the exact qualifying criteria and specific subject bursaries?

Perhaps the problem is not the schools themselves but the surrounds. Probably fair to say teenagers are more likely to encounter a wider variety of street life experiences going out and about in their teenage life away from school in London than more rural environs but partly because they can go out and about and more opportunity to do stuff so more exposed. But then part of this responsibility comes down to parenting. Do you let them go out in the big scary city with tonnes of advice or do you let them go out in the 'burbs' without a care in the world? There is no prescribed better alternative just what sits well with you as an individual parent but I would say it is all gradual, kids don't go from nursery to getting the bus to secondary school at 11 without many gradual experiences along the way. Are you comfortable with this transition or not? There is no right answer, just what suits your family.

No, London secondary schools are great and generally over-subscribed with 100s of happy 11+ kids. If 4 left from your eldest's class then how many stayed? I'm guessing the majority. Have you looked at the secondaries yourself? Do you know any yr 6 parents that you can talk to re the whole admissions process they have been through this year. I have a daughter in yr 9 and all is well. Go and look at some schools in Sept when they have their open days.

Basing decisions on the unknown is always difficult and fraught with 'what ifs'. Why not give the commuting a go for say 3mths and see how it is all working out and then reconsider your options with some actual hindsight experience.

Baby Annabelles and Baby Borns are expensive for what they are and my 3 girls were 'freaked out' by speaking baby dolls. We have got a boy baby Annabelle and you can get a boy in this ELC doll, although it has no interactive features: http://www.elc.co.uk/Cup-Cake-Newborn-Baby-Girl-Doll/136792,default,pd.html Does your son like dolls? I don't mean that in a sexist way. I have 3 girls; the eldest was never interested in baby dolls and preferred grown up dolls like Barbie (bleurgh). My middle daughter loved them, esp that ELC one as it looks very newborn. My youngest prefers looking after soft toys to dolls. On the whole our dolls spent more time in the toy basket than being played with. Have you seen the dreaded Build a Bear shops where you can stuff your own bear and get a birth certificate and clothes etc? Also Fur Real pets went down a storm in our house as something to look after, which I think is what you are trying to embrace.

Absolutely fab. The chap Gordon is great. Especially good for pre-schoolers and primary school kids. Good technical teaching and mix of games. :)

What about the wildlife garden centre in Marsden Road SE15, my neighbour had a family birthday picnic there at their one picnic table. Obvs whether dependent and there are also some picnic tables in Peckham Rye Park.

Ice skating at Streatham or Queensway indoor rinks.

I get the impression it is 'compulsory' in private schools and organised by a class rep parent but very hit n' miss in state schools with some groups of parents embracing it and organising it and others preferring to do their own thing, whether that is something or nothing. Not all parents share the same love and appreciation of particular teachers or agree with actually giving presents and should be given space not to be involved.

I'm sick of being abused by other drivers for sticking to the 20mph. Sydenham Hill is the worst for me and I know it's where the police like to hang out with their hand held speed traps from time to time. I tootle along at 20 keeping well over to the left for those that want to over-take and whiz along at whatever law-breaking speed suits them. Two people happily over took me the other day but the third beeped like crazy at me and hand gestures to match their anger ...