Mrs TP

I don't know. I would have said skates but you can easy jump off a skateboard if it is running away with you. Less likely to grow out of a skateboard quickly although you can skates that you alter the shoe size of so will survive a bit of growth. We have a 16yr old boy next door who still goes out and about on his skateboard, which he has had for years. Maybe a new one along the way but still does the skateboarding.

X-boxes have not entered our world thankfully but I have seen the ads and prices :( What about something out-door related like a skateboard?

Has he come up with any ideas himself? My nephews who are 7 and 10 have asked me for the minecraft books (buy one get one half price in Sains at the moment) and some figures. What about Scalextrix (sorry rushing don't know how to spell) but good old school.

I have seen him in the local area. I think he is dating a local lady.

How fantastic. Well done GG!

I was disappointed with Horniman last yr too. No element of surprise. Two staff with a clipboard checking off pre-booked names and time slots and 'Santa's over there'. Have been up to Selfridges a couple of times. One year the entrance fab another a bit dull but loads of time with Santa in a small group and he fab at dealing with kids and parents. Probably pre booking now.

All the banks do kids savings accounts. I'm not up to speed on the best deals but what you should do is make sure that when opening the application is processed correctly so your son does not pay tax on his savings / interest.

Thanks for posting this, very interesting. One of my brood has recently started athletics at CP and is devastated. Although, as I sit in the stand watching her I do think the seats are incredibly tatty and so much more could be made of it - a primary school wasn't quite what I had in mind! Another of mine also does lessons in the basement swimming pool, which I have always preferred to ED as the pool is approx 1m deep all over and great for nervous beginners. The kids do progress with confidence to the Olympic pool. The changes are sad but inevitable as it is a massive space ripe for development. Sure that any new primary school there will have a massive catchment area as it is a fair hop to any nearby housing - no doubt more housing in the immediate surrounds will follow. Will defo pop to one of the consultations but will no doubt soon be looking for a new athletics club :(

Look at the school website and check their church place criteria. I think it is something like church attendance at least 3 times per month for at least two years before application and involvement in other church activities - Sunday school / childrens' service/ fetes / nativity / choir etc. Take it in turns each Sun to go to church. Maybe taking the younger one to their tea / coffee sessions they have in the Goose Green Centre and to monthly children's' services.

Ah sussed it. For some reason I wasn't ticked as having parental responsibility for her, as soon as I ticked it, it took me straight through to application screen. Happy days. :)

Thanks. I entered her details when I was applying for her primary place and all was fine. I have checked and re-checked her DOB a 100 times. I will wait to see what the helpline says but yes I will prob end up deleting her record and starting again :(

My daughter used to do tennis lessons there. A couple of years ago, whilst a bunch of us parents were sat in the tiny skate park, between the car park and tennis courts, watching the lesson progress one of the parents had her bag stolen from her car. The bag was on the rear seat and the thief had smashed a window and grabbed it. Not great to leave the bag visible but we were all hardly any distance away and couldn't believe we didn't hear see anything :(

I've just logged on to my Southwark school application account to start the secondary application form for my 2nd child, who is on their system. It does not seem to be picking up her birthdate as within the range for current applications (she is in yr 6 and turns 11 in April 2015). There is no 'click button' under her name to start a new application for her, only the options to delete / edit her details. I have emailed the help team but not expecting a response for a couple of days (esp as it is Sunday today). Anyone else having problems?

Our VW had the grill stolen off the front a few months ago overnight parked in our road :( We bought a replacement off ebay but have yet to fit it. Wonder if it was nicked off someone else's? This stuff is tediously annoying :(

Get in touch with the South London Press that may jolt some police activity.

Try not to have to work your notice period - gardening leave is a must. Sorry to hear and good luck.

My parents had the plates stolen off their car when visiting us 6 yrs ago and never heard any more in the way of the reg being used for illegal activity. ED police station was open at the time so we reported it there and apart from an incredibly long wait and v slow processing they were v. clued up on the situation then.

Ask a local primary school or nursery if they would like them for reception / nursery children.

Our family loves this annual pilgrimage and saw a fab show today despite the 'traditional Italian clowns' - we just weren't quite in the zone for them. The solo modern clown was fab and the contortionist and Cuban gymnasts too. Love it and Norman was slick as ever :)

I love the new Lidl ad on the tv, where they set up a farmer's market stall and don't reveal their brand until the end. All the customers are incredulous at how cheap the wares are. The only thing wrong with it is that they don't show a huge queue at the stall as you get at the tills in the shop.

I selected 3 sweet pots at the veg stall at the entrance to Peck Rye station yesterday. The stall owner weighed them (approx 3/4 of a kilo) and said ?3.50. I queried this and he re-weighed and said he could go to ?2.50. We had already agreed ?1 for a butternut squash without any quibble and I said I was expecting to pay ?2 for the squash and pots but he wouldn't budge. So I just bought the squash and wondered how out of touch I was with sweet pot prices. Today, I got 2 sweet pots (half kilo so bit less) for 59p at Lidl. Neither was organic and I'm just so surprised by the attempted rip off at the stall :(

Grey Coats offers the bulk of its places on Church of England attendance in combination with distance and reserves a handful of places for pupils showing an aptitude for foreign languages. There is also Prendergast in Brockley. I would suggest looking at Lewisham, Southwark, Bromley and Lambeth website education sections and searching their secondary school lists. Or chatting to your primary head who will prob have a list. Good luck.

Just tripped over this rather worrying news story about the charms, NOT THE BANDS THEMSELVES, containing harmful levels of chemicals: http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-08-29/loom-band-charms-recalled-over-cancer-chemical-fears/

Will go all investigative reporter and try and covertly film them - or might just tell him to stop taking the mickey. Ah thanks guys & gals you have all made me laugh about this and not be so wound up :)

Otta another neighbour (now sadly deceased), further up the road, had a blue badge but no designated space and used this space from time to time, which used to pee him off no end :) I feel a generally sympathy from most; thanks for your support. Had wondered if I was getting in a twist over nothing but was particularly wound up yesterday due to my youngest's loo crisis. Huguenot - you raise some interesting points. Yes one space is neither here nor there in the whole local pressure on spaces. However, we don't get a fair crack at the chance to use it as it is nearly always blocked, which is not right. It is one thing the road being genuinely full but something completely different with someone regularly reserving a space for someone else as if they are more important and have more right to the space than us. I would never describe myself as a bent copper but I do agree I am now probably projecting other random incidents (the spitting and the takeaway debris) onto this one neighbour. I can Zen this, discount his involvement, as I have no evidence, and put it down to urban life. One chill factor, thanks. However, I can't find it within myself to Zen his blatant constant p**s taking as it is on my doorstep most days and it needs dealing with. I will do it calmly but with the risk of a row and I am not bothered about fall out with them. I am not going to park in the disabled bay as I would risk a ?1000 fine. He risks no financial penalty parking in non-disabled spaces. However, if I get nowhere speaking to him I will report it to appropriate authorities. I did wonder if he read the forum as he moved his car into the disabled space yest eve and I nipped out and moved mine outside ours ready for running around this morning. When I got back just before lunch he had dropped his car from the disabled bay to outside ours again - argh.