Little London October/November 2016

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YOUR ULTIMATE GUI DE TO PARE NTING IN STYLE

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MEA LS W ORTH

£ 500

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 • £3.99

Isla

FISHER

FROM THE RED CARPET TO BEDTIME STORIES

FOOD

FA D S

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST MEALS FOR YOUR CHILDREN

BACK TO SCHOOL

+

Start the new term in style

Savannah Miller shares her London hotspots

FAadventures M I LY

SKIING, SURFING AND STAYCATIONS WITH YOUR LITTLE ONES

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Multi, multi, multi award winning.

But at the end of the day, all we really do is find the toys we’d wish for our own children.

And deliver them to you how we’d expect them to be delivered to us.

www.wildandgorgeous.co.uk #wildandgorgeous

WELCOME There is so much to embrace about a new season and autumn is one of my favourites. As hazy summer evenings give way to crisper, cooler days, I can’t help but get excited about the change in the environment, the stunning colours of autumnal leaves and, dare I say it, a new academic year. Call me a geek but there is something exhilarating about a new pair of school shoes, a smart winter coat and a freshly organised pencil case, whatever your age!

In this transitional issue, we are showcasing the best fashion from the new autumn/winter collections, with two stunning shoots to ready you for everything from outdoor adventures (p.32 – pictured above) all the way into the midst of the party season (p.44). Plus, we have a fabulous shopping guide to the best new toys and products coming your way (p.21) as well as a round-up of the best products to get your children’s desks prepped for all that homework they’re going to be doing (p.59) – we can live in hope!

For those of you getting back into the swing of a new school year, we’ve got a fascinating insight into the latest buzz around encouraging a ‘growth mindset’ in the classroom (p.89). Demystifying the latest education trends is so important, especially when there are elements that will help with everyday parenting at home as well.

I’m constantly in awe of how much mothers can achieve when they put their minds to it, and we have the perfect example in this issue. Comic genius Isla Fisher is sharing the inspiration behind her new children’s book series centred around a mischievous babysitter named Marge (p.42). I have no idea how Isla found the energy to make up bedtime stories for her children in the first place, but she deserves a prize for translating them to the page – truly inspirational!

K AT E F I N N E Y, E D I T O R A n d a fe w of my favour ite th ing s at the mom e nt…

PAPER MÂCHÉ RABBIT HEAD £90 HIBOUHOME.COM

YKRA BACKPACK £68 MELIJOE.COM

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ISADORA MOON GOES TO SCHOOL £5.99 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

GLITTER PLIMSOLES £25 WILDAND GORGEOUS.CO.UK

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CORDUROY DUNGAREES £41 DOTTYDUNGAREES.COM

KNITTED NAME SIGN £14 LITTLE-CLOUD.CO.UK

C O N TocEtober Nnovember T S 2 016 FE ATU R ES

89 THE GROWTH MINDSET The new theory being adopted by schools

26 MY LITTLE LONDON We catch up with Savannah Miller to talk

93 AT YOUR LEISURE

family life and future projects

28 HOT OFF THE PRESS

Weighing up the options of flexi-boarding

98 MEET THE HEAD

Autumn’s newest children’s book releases

42 MEET THE AUTHOR : ISLA FISHER

Find out more about life at The Lyceum

101 ASK THE EXPERTS

The comedy actress reveals all about her new book series for kids

55 A HERO’S WELCOME Resident dad Alex Payne contemplates

Your education questions answered

T R AVEL 73 TRAVEL NEWS

the new school term

65 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Our round-up for little globetrotters

74 PACK YOUR BAGS

Should we be imposing the latest diet fads

Kid-friendly essentials for your next trip

on our children, asks Georgina Blaskey

77 POSTCARD FROM SWEDEN 69 EASING INTO AUTUMN

One family reports back from the country’s most unique theme park

The Cooking Them Healthy team whip up a seasonal storm in the kitchen

SHO PPING

78 RIDING THE WAVES Courtney Adamo checks into the Surfers Lodge Peniche, Portugal

19 LITTLE LOVES The ultimate Halloween-inspired pyjamas

85 READY, SET, SKI We provide you with a pre-ski guide to the

21 AUTUMN DAZE New-season clothes, toys and accessories

59 DESIGNER DESK IDEAS Inspiring finds to fill their workspace with

slopes this winter

R EGUL A R S 11

LITTLE NEWS The latest on all things big in kid world

ST YLE

31 DIARY

32 COOL SHORES Wrap up for autumn adventures

40 SHOP THE SHOOT Get the look with these high street pieces

What’s going on around the capital over the next two months

52 PARTY TIME WITH CAROLE MIDDLETON Celebrate the Day of the Dead with

44 ON POINTE

a Mexican-inspired bash

Dreamy dance and loungewear to take them into the new season

62 GET CRAFTY Leonora Bamford celebrates the new

50 SHOP THE SHOOT

season with activities to enjoy at home

Our edit of contemporary pastel pieces for your pirouetting pros

PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW FARRAR MODEL: JONNY CARDIGAN, £125, MARIE-CHANTAL

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

EDUCATION 87 EDUCATION NEWS Keeping you in the know

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103 AGENDA Family events going on this autumn

114 THE BUSINESS Behind the scenes with Hillary Graves of Little Dish

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS ALEX PAYNE

GEORGIE SOSKIN

Sports presenter

Chef and food writer

What do you like about life in town?

I live in Shepherd’s Bush, which I love. It’s 15 minutes to Soho, 15 minutes to the Sky Sports studios, and 15 minutes to get on the motorway.

What’s your first sports memory?

One of my favourites is being part of my prep school’s first victory over our arch rivals at rugby. We celebrated by throwing our rugby master in the pool fully clothed!

What’s great about fatherhood?

Because I work from home a lot, I love it when both kids come in through the front door – we inevitably end up rolling around and wrestling on the floor.

Alex contemplates the new school term on p.55

Where do you live?

We have just moved out to Hampshire and we’re loving it!

What is your first memory of school?

I remember standing outside having my photo taken in my uniform feeling very grown-up and proud.

What do you like about autumn?

My favourite part is the colours! Autumn is by far my favourite season, as the air begins to cool and all the leaves begin to change. Plus, it means chunky knits and hot chocolate!

As a mother-of-three, what’s special about motherhood?

The feeling of unconditional love, all the kisses and watching them grow and learn.

Georgie cooks up a storm on p.69

little london EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KATE FINNEY MANAGING EDITOR REBECCA MOORE FEATURES EDITOR DANIELLE WILKINS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ANNIE QUINTON

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS LEONORA BAMFORD, CAROLE MIDDLETON

DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR CHLOË COLLYER DESIGNER NATALIE DOURADO

PUBLISHING PUBLISHER CAROLINE SCOTT BRAND MANAGERS CHATTY DOBSON, GINNY MACLEAN MARKETING EXECUTIVE CATRINA LINZ FINANCE DIRECTOR VICKI GAVIN DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER JAMES DOBSON

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER AMY THACKER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ANNA CLARKE SALES EXECUTIVES HARRIET COTTRELL, HELENA MURPHY, HANNAH INWOOD MANAGING DIRECTOR PAUL DOBSON DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR STEVE ROSS LITTLE LONDON IS PUBLISHED BY THE CHELSEA MAGAZINE COMPANY LTD, JUBILEE HOUSE, 2 JUBILEE PLACE, LONDON SW3 3TQ WEB: LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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NEWS

little NEWS Updating you on all things big in kid world

Shop luxury and trend-led designer kidswear in Harrods’ new fourth-floor space this season

THE FASHION FOLD

Mini Fashion Lab is the brand new shopping destination for kids on Harrods’ fourth floor. Designed to mirror the store’s womenswear Fashion Lab, it houses the very best contemporary childrenswear labels, from Gardner & the Gang (pictured) to Mini Rodini.

Shop pieces for kids aged 12 months to 16 years, with several exclusive items for autumn 2016. harrods.com

International members’ club for families Maggie & Rose is celebrating its 10th birthday. With sites in Kensington, Chiswick and Hong Kong, and potential openings as far as LA and Dubai, the company now has its own furniture range and children’s books, too. Here’s to the next decade! maggieandrose.com LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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NEWS

PETIT COOL

Could this be our collaboration of the season? French fashion model and mummy blogger Julia Restoin Roitfeld has created a collection exclusively for River Island Mini this autumn. The 30-piece range for boys and girls is inspired by Julia’s Parisian roots – think vintage-style lace dresses, chunky cable knits and embroidered bombers – with trend-led designs for newborns to five year olds.

Available in selected stores and online. riverisland.com

Made for lunch boxes

Kallo has launched a new snack especially for little mouths – the Choco-Coconut Rice Cake Minis. Made with wholegrain brown rice, coated in Belgian milk chocolate and finished with a dusting of coconut flakes, swap biscuits and sweets for these instead, and you’re onto a winner. £1.99 (pack of six), waitrose.com

ALL F U N & GAM E S

TAKE TI M E O UT

Bea & Co is an agency offering an alternative kind of childcare. Many of its sitters, known as ‘creatives’, perform in the West End, and offer the children in their care an enriching environment of play. Families are matched with creatives depending on their needs, and pay for care via an account. One thing’s for sure, it comes with zero risk of boredom. beaandco.com

Encourage your child to manage their own screen time with Time Tokens.

Kids will receive a wallet containing a stopwatch and time vouchers, with seven hours’ worth every week. When they want to use a screen – be it a mobile, TV or computer – they must trade in their tokens and start the timer.

They also come with ideas for tech-free activities, too. £10.95, timetokens.com

A work of art

Award-winning illustrator and author Marion Deuchars is set to release her new title, Art Play, on 24 October.

Encouraging kids aged seven and up to explore their creative talents, the book features chapters on painting, printing and pattern, with more than 50 activities. £12.95, Laurence King

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t h e fa s h i on b rand fo r g irls that s p arkle S h op our new AW 16 co llec tio n w w w .an g els- fac e .co .u k

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A FAMILY HOLIDAY TO CYPRUS

Let children

explore wit h Scott Dun n’s renowned ki ds’ club

Almyra offers a laidback and elegant take on Mediterranean luxury that’s perfect for families. With the Explorers Kids’ Club run by Scott Dunn (for little ones aged four months and over), organic restaurants, the award-winning Almyra spa and white muslin-draped daybeds by the pool, Almyra is the perfect place to unwind by the sea in style. scottdunn.com SUPPORTED BY

SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND SELECTED BLACKOUT DATES, INCLUDING THE DURATION OF AUGUST, APPLY. FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS, VISIT LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK/AWARDS-COMPETITION

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NEWS

THIS GIRL CAN

Mamma Couture’s new dolls are designed to get young girls interested in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths. Founder Eva Berkes interviewed 50 women working in these fields before collaborating with illustrator Melissa Greenwood to create the four characters, each with their own story to tell. The cotton dolls include an aerospace engineer and computer science doctor. £55 each, mammacouture.com

A sleepy storybook

Talulla Bear’s Bedtime Book by astrologer Heather Roan Robbins will help any child who struggles to sleep drift off into the land of nod. Originally written for Robbins’ granddaughter, the meditative language encourages little ones to find a place of restful peace. £9.99, Cico Books

LE T ’ S G O O UT S I D E !

Don’t let the autumn weather put you off outdoor play.

Muddy Puddles’ new eco outerwear range for kids is made entirely from recycled fabrics, manufactured from a yarn produced from discarded plastic bottles. It’s also 100% waterproof, with fleece-lined jackets, trousers and all-in-ones in a range of cool prints. muddypuddles.com

Clothes with character

Fashion favourite Tobias & The Bear has teamed up with Roger Hargreaves’ iconic Mr Men to create a super-cool collection.

Taking inspiration from the 90-strong cast of characters, the range includes everything from baby leggings to T-shirts and sweaters.

If only they came in adult sizes! From £8, tobiasandthebear.com

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NEWS

Animal-print backpack, £420, and printed calfskin trainers, £165

Q U E E N O F E C LE CTI C Margherita Kids, the capsule collection for girls by designer Margherita Missoni, has launched exclusively in the UK at John Lewis. Inspired by Margherita’s fashion heritage, the beautifully boho pieces feature pretty floral embroideries and oriental prints. In sizes newborn to seven years. From £20, johnlewis.com

Little luxuries

Salvatore Ferragamo is the latest luxury fashion house to launch a children’s line. Ferragamo Mini is a capsule collection of footwear and accessories for boys and girls aged three to eight. The styles are based on the Italian label’s adult collection, reworked in bright colours and stylish prints. Proof, really, that elegance is ageless… ferragamo.com

ROCK TH E BOAT

Discover a world of boats in Gérard Lo Monaco’s new pop-up book, A Sea Voyage. Little explorers aged five and over can follow two sailors and their dog as they journey across the sea, encountering different vessels along the way. This intricate book is quite simply a work of art. £18.95, Thames & Hudson

NOT JUST FOR GIRLS

ilovegorgeous has launched its first boys’ clothing range – with a brand new name to mark the occasion.

From now on, the label – which has been creating beautiful girls’ clothing for a decade now – will be known as Wild & Gorgeous.

Its inaugural collection for autumn takes inspiration from the East, with dragon embroideries, tiger knits and glitter-infused partywear. wildandgorgeous.co.uk

P O SY PAR T Y

Bloom & Wild is expanding its bouquet parcel service with a posy subscription for children. A seasonal floral package will arrive every month, featuring 18 different stems and miniature bottles in which to have fun arranging them. We couldn’t imagine a more original gift idea! From £25, bloomandwild.com

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Autumn/Winter

2016

17 20

G N R KI O O F BO OW N

Discover blissful baby & toddler friendly holidays

Everything that parents need for stress free getaways in luxury villas and 5* resorts

Call 0800 014 2770 or visit www.totstotravel.co.uk

SHOPPING

little loves…

Get ready for fright night with these – they’re the bat’s pyjamas!

As the witching hour approaches, give their bedtime a seasonally spooky edge for Halloween with these inspired pyjamas. Complete with detatchable bat wings, the super-soft cotton set comes in sizes 6-12 months to 8-9 years. No tricks here; this is one treat they’ll enjoy for weeks to come.

COTTON PYJAMAS £30 THEBRIGHTCOMPANY.UK

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SHOPPING

Autumn daze

The season’s offerings look better than ever, with cosy threads, vintage toys and new-term essentials

NOBODINOZ PLAY TEEPEE £129 NUBIE.CO.UK

EMILE ET IDA CANVAS BOOK BAG £53.82 EN.SMALLABLE.COM

FROM A SELECTION MOTHERCARE.COM

KNITTED WOOL BEAR £30 SALLYNENCINI.COM

LEATHER BOOTS £45 BOBUX.CO.UK

WOLF & RITA COTTON DRESS £52 SCANDIMINI.CO.UK

HITCH-HIKER WOOL-BLEND SWEATER £104 CHILDRENSALON.COM

DENIM JACKET £75 ABC123ME.COM

KNITTED WOOL HAT £30 WADDLER.CO.UK

RIDE-ON TOY CAR £85 HEDGEHOGSHOP.CO.UK

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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SHOPPING

LITTLE REMIX WOOL COAT £215 MELIJOE.COM

BIRD-PRINT SHIRT £49 RACHELRILEY.CO.UK

LEATHER BOOTS £96 STEP2WO.COM

WOODLAND-PRINT UMBRELLA £12 SHOP.RMG.CO.UK

ANNE-CLAIRE PETIT CROCHET MEERKAT TOY £44 FANCYKIDS.COM

A FIRST BOOK OF NATURE BY NICOLA DAVIES £12.99 NHMSHOP.CO.UK

HAND-PAINTED PAPIER MÂCHÉ MASK £8 EENYMEENYKIDS.CO.UK

BOBO CHOSES PRINTED DRESS £70 SCANDIMINI.CO.UK

HAND-PAINTED CERAMIC LAMP £55 WHITERABBITENGLAND.COM

SUEDE BOOTS £26 CATHKIDSTON.COM

WOOL FELT HAT £12 MARKSANDSPENCER.COM

THE ANIMALS OBSERVATORY COTTON SWEATER £48.75 EN.SMALLABLE.COM

AURORA TOY HORSE £19.99 SELFRIDGES.COM

EMBROIDERED CORDUROY SKIRT £29.50 BODEN.CO.UK

GUCCI WOOL JACKET £485 CHILDRENSALON.COM

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THE WHITE HOUSE P R E PA R AT O R Y S C H O O L & THE WOODENTOPS NURSERIES Open Day: Saturday, 26th November 9.30 – 11.30am THE WOODENTOPS NURSERIES Babies from 6 months SW3 | SW12

THE WHITE HOUSE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 2.5-11 years Co-Educational SW12

www.woodentopsnurseries.com

www.whitehouseschool.com

SHOPPING

HAZEL PLAY CASTLE £175 HEDGEHOGSHOP.CO.UK

FROM A SELECTION MARIECHANTAL.COM

COTTON CORDUROY DRESS £36 TOOTSA.COM

RUBBER BOOTS £49 HUNTERBOOTS.COM

FABELAB ORGANIC COTTON CUSHION £17.94 EN.SMALLABLE.COM

VELVET DRESS £69 LACOQUETAKIDS.COM

WOOL-BLEND TAPESTRY CUSHION £90 TOOTSA.COM

LEATHER SHOES £117 CARAMEL-SHOP.CO.UK

CASHMERE TANK TOP £49 OLIVIERBABY.COM

OEUF NYC WOOL HAT £40 SCOUTANDCOKIDS.COM

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ADVERTISEMENT

INTERVIEW Savannah stays with sister Sienna when in London

Savannah’s children Lyra, Bali and Moses

The family like to make the most of their countryside home

At the launch of her AW16 collection with Debenhams The designer has launched her bridal line with Stone Fox Bride

Damask dress, £99, Rachel Riley

Savannah with Kelly Hoppen

With her eldest, Moses, who, she says, has the “same sense of humour”

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INTERVIEW

My Little London

S AVA N N A H M I L L E R THE BRITISH-AMERICAN FASHION DESIGNER AND MOTHER REVEALS ALL ABOUT FAMILY LIFE, HER FAVOURITE SHOPPING HOTSPOTS AND FUTURE PROJECTS The mother-of-three launches a capsule collection of beauty essentials this October

hanging out with more. We have exactly the same sense of humour, so spend a lot of time laughing our heads off together.

Where do you live at the moment?

I live in a little village just outside of Nailsworth, Stroud, in Gloucestershire.

But I grew up in London, so the capital is still very much home to me. I spend part of my week in town because my office is here, so I still get my London fix.

What do you love about the capital?

I love the vibrancy and inspiring corners of East London, but I stay and work in West London. It’s like a cultural melting pot – and I love all of the delicious world foods that are so readily available. Mestizo is around the corner from my office and, in my opinion, does the best Mexican food in the city.

You have three children; Moses, 11, Lyra, eight, and four-year-old Bali.

Where do you like going with them when they come to London?

PHOTOGRAPHY: NSTAGRAM.COM/SAVANNAHMILLER, ISTOCK

They love going to the theatre and spending time with family and friends. They don’t get to come to London very often, so it’s very exciting for them when they do.

Describe a typical weekend for you and your family.

We go to the Stroud Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings. It has incredible local produce and the best fresh doughnuts on the planet! My son does judo on Saturdays, one daughter rides and the other one goes to the skate park, so we do tend to spend quite a bit of the day racing them from one place to another. Sundays are more chilled, with long walks and lunch, either at home with friends or at our favourite spot, The Daneway Inn, Sapperton.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Where do you like to shop for your children?

How has motherhood changed you, and did it differ third time around?

I have always wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember, and have been one since I met my husband at the age of 23, who already had an eight-year-old son at the time, so I don’t really remember life before children to be honest! I definitely found it a lot more challenging the more children I had because there is just less and less time, and invariably I end up feeling like I’m spreading myself too thinly in all areas.

So how do you manage to strike that work-life balance?

I spend two or three days a week working from home so I can still do the school run and be there for the kids after school. It is really challenging balancing it all out, but I have a phenomenal team and a magical nanny for the days that I am in London. I think because I’ve been doing it for so long now, I just seem to have found that balance.

What, for you, is the best thing about being a mother?

The absolute selfless and all-consuming love that comes with it. I love watching my children grow into funny little individuals, and my eldest is nearly 12, so he has become a real little mate. There is no one I like 27

All over the place. We get a lot of basics from Zara, H&M and Next, and for something more special I go to Scotch & Soda and Monsoon, and Rachel Riley for super-pretty party dresses. All the children have very individual styles and aren’t at all fashion conscious – thankfully! I think it’s because we live in the countryside and it’s just not a part of their reality yet.

Where do you like to go when you have some time to yourself?

I love New York. I have a bridal line with Stone Fox Bride and a lot of my best friends live there, so when I go, I get to have a bit of me-time with friends and to really focus on my work, which is a rare thing – and something I cherish.

What’s currently in the pipeline work-wise for you?

I’m launching a make-up line in October with British beauty brand Bagsy. It’s essentially a collection of handbag essentials, and I’m super excited about it because part of the profits are going towards Women For Women International, an empowering charity that helps women in countries affected by war and conflict. They are doing amazing things – I could rave about them for hours! L Savannah Miller X Bagsy is available from October 2016, in-store and online at Debenhams and bagsybeauty.com

BOOKS

2-4 YEARS

5-7 YEARS

8-10 YEARS

The Storm Whale in Winter

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Spooky School

Ottoline and the Purple Fox

BY TRACEY CORDEROY AND STEVEN LENTON

BY BENJI DAVIES

BY CHRIS RIDDELL

With a new season comes new adventure, as Noi embarks on a rescue mission with the help of an old friend.

Emotive reading to capture your heart.

Mischievous ghosts and a dastardly red panda are wreaking havoc, and only our favorite baker boys can stop them!

Dynamic duo Ottoline and Mr Munroe take to the streets on an amazing city safari with the help of a mysterious purple fox. A book to truly treasure.

Simon & Schuster • £6.99

Nosy Crow • £5.99

Macmillan Children’s Books • £10.99

Goodnight Everyone

Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble

Odd and the Frost Giants

BY POLLY FABER AND CLARA VULLIAMY

BY CHRIS HAUGHTON

BY NEIL GAIMAN AND CHRIS RIDDELL

The sun is setting and everyone is ready for bed, all except Little Bear. A perfect read-together book sure to lull even the liveliest of cubs into a deep sleep.

The third collection of short stories featuring feisty heroine Mango and her delightfully portly tapir sidekick.

A thrilling Nordic tale weaving legend and adventure to enchant readers from beginning to end. Glorious illustrations make this book a spectacular gift.

Walker Books • £12.99

Walker Books • £8.99

Bloomsbury Publishing • £14.99

A Child Of Books

The Tale of Kitty in Boots

Spynosaur

BY SAM WINSTON AND OLIVER JEFFERS

BY BEATRIX POTTER AND QUENTIN BLAKE

BY GUY BASS AND LEE ROBINSON

A lavish and uplifting celebration of the wonders of a limitless imagination and the power of the written word. An unforgettably inspiring read for all ages.

A tale filled with devious villains, mistaken identities and an appearance from Peter Rabbit, brought to life with illustrations from Quentin Blake.

From a land before time comes a hero for today; he’s a super-spy dinosaur and he’s going to protect the world from villainy in this action-packed caper!

Walker Books • £12.99

Frederick Warne & Co • £12.99

Stripes Publishing • £5.99

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BOOKS

INTERACTIVE

Pinball Science ILLUSTRATED BY OWEN DAVEY

Build your very own pinball machine and learn the key principles of forces and motion along the way in this incredibly stylish educational activity kit.

Templar Publishing • £17.99

Artie’s Magic Pencil Artie’s Magic Pencil is an innovative interactive learning adventure that teaches children the fundamentals of drawing to inspire kids to get creative both on and off the screen!

ILLUSTRATION: GOODNIGHT EVERYONE BY CHRIS HAUGHTON

Available on Apple and Android • £2.29

RSPB First Birds A charming introduction to birds for young wildlife fans. With a variety of engaging activities, video footage, games and audio clips, this app is sure to enthuse young birdwatchers.

Bloomsbury Publishing • £3.99

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

HOT off the press EMMA O’DONOVAN SHARES AUTUMN’S NEW RELEASES

ADVERTORIAL

The Royal

RABBITS Shylo has always been the runt of the litter.

Weak and shy, he is constantly teased by his siblings. But when Shylo stumbles across a band of rats who are plotting against the Queen, it’s up to this unlikely hero to travel all the way to London and inform the Royal Rabbits about the diabolical plan!

The Royal Rabbits of London have a proud history of protecting the Royal Family and now the secret society need to leap into action to stop the rats…

Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore are renowned storytellers. The Royal Rabbits of London is their first book together. here is your chance to win a family

membership to historic royal palaces…

To celebrate the launch of The Royal Rabbits of London, we’re giving you the chance to win a copy of the book, plus a family membership to Historic Royal Palaces. We’ve also got five copies of The Royal Rabbits of London to give away to runners up. Good luck! L

ILLUSTRATIONS © 2016 KATE HINDLEY. COMPETITION CLOSES 11.59PM, THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY, SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS

Even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero...

To enter, visit littlelondonmagazine.co.uk/competitions 30

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Treat your guests to a party they won’t forget this Halloween!

WHAT’S ON

DIARY

October

1

Puppets By Post extends its collection as it launches its large Under the Sea puppets this month, featuring an Orca whale, dolphin, Blue whale and Great White shark. Fun for all the family!

What to do and where to go in the capital over the next two months

puppetsbypost.com

6

Today marks the release of the first children’s book from British author Santa Montefiore and her husband Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Royal Rabbits of London.

£10.99, Simon & Schuster

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Head down to The Chocolate Show at Olympia this weekend for live demos, celebrity chefs and artisan workshops (below) that sweettoothed families will love. From

£8, olympia.london/whatson

HAT & MITTENS SET £24.50 BODEN.CO.UK

November

23

Join us for a morning of fun and adventure, as Little London comes to Hamleys from 10am to 12pm.

Meet the Hamleys Ragdoll and Toy Soldier, leave with an exclusive goody bag, and enjoy activities in between. Register for your free tickets online at

4

Create special memories at the Harrods Christmas Grotto, which opens today.

Each child will get to take home a festive gift from Father Christmas himself.

5

It’s Bonfire Night, so celebrate with a fireworks display. There are events happening all over the capital this week, so be sure to get out to enjoy a hot chocolate or two.

littlelondonmagazine.co.uk/ hamleys

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21

Weather looking a little grey? Check out the latest Dreamworks animation released today. Trolls is the musical comedy featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani and more. This is one parents are sure to love, too.

British Summer Time officially ends as we turn back the clocks at 2am. Winter may be on its way, but at least we all get an extra hour in bed to make up for it…

14

Tonight sees the first of three Music for Youth proms at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring 1,000 of the UK’s brightest young musicians; from full-scale orchestras to choirs and jazz bands. From £7.60,

royalalberthall.com

17

Dare we mention it, but Christmas is only round the corner. Spark that festive feeling with Skate at Somerset House, which opens today, and get practicing your moves on the ice. From

£7.50, somersethouse.org.uk

23

The Snowman, Raymond Briggs’ magical family tale, is back on stage for the 19th consecutive year at the Peacock Theatre, Westminster (left). From £15,

31

Celebrating Halloween with a ghoulish do? Check out Not On The High Street (above) for a range of party decorations to spook your guests. notonthehighstreet.com

peacocktheatre.com

OTHER WAYS TO SPEND YOUR DAYS OCTOBER HALF TERM London is jam-packed with fun-filled events from 24 to 28 October – check p.103 for inspiration galore.

LET’S DANCE Throughout the autumn term, let your little movers and shakers bust a groove at the street dance

classes at Maggie & Rose Kensington every Saturday. maggieandrose.com

Christmas shopping early! babytotoddlerevents. co.uk

BABY TO TODDLER SHOW

LITTLE LONDON AT J.CREW CREWCUTS

A new shopping event from the organisers of The Baby Show takes place at ExCeL London on 19 and 20 November. The perfect excuse to start your

Head to Regent Street on 19 November for an exclusive shopping event and Dazzle & Fizz Christmas party. Register

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for your free tickets online at littlelondonmagazine. co.uk/crewcuts

CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS Kids will be enchanted by the images and stories hand puppeteer Drew Colby can create. Head to Dulwich Picture Gallery on 27 November for a fun family show that is not to be missed. £5 each, dulwichpicturegallery. org.uk

cool shores PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW FARRAR STYLIST: CLEMENTINE KING HAIR AND MAKE-UP: HOLLY FOWLES-PAZDRO

JONNY WEARS CARDIGAN, £125, MARIE-CHANTAL. JEANS, £47.50, ELEVEN PARIS. SHOES, £33, PAPOUELLI. LOLA WEARS SWEATER, £57, ELEVEN PARIS. JEANS, £89, MARIE-CHANTAL. PLIMSOLES, £33, PAPOUELLI. HAT, £25, REFLEX AT CHILDSPLAY CLOTHING.

RIGHT PAGE: JONNY WEARS TOP, £83, AND TROUSERS, £64, BOTH CARAMEL BABY & CHILD.

THIS PAGE: LOLA WEARS ZIP-UP HOODED SWEATER, £69, PAPOUELLI.

LOLA WEARS DRESS, £79, NO ADDED SUGAR. JONNY WEARS TOP, £83, AND TROUSERS, £64, BOTH CARAMEL BABY & CHILD.

RIGHT PAGE: LOLA WEARS CARDIGAN, £35, PAPOUELLI. BLOUSE (JUST SEEN), £59, MARIE-CHANTAL. TROUSERS, £80, CARAMEL BABY & CHILD. PLIMSOLES, £33, PAPOUELLI.

THIS PAGE: JONNY WEARS JACKET, £195, AND TROUSERS, £99, BOTH MARIE-CHANTAL. T-SHIRT, £25, SOMEDAY SOON. SHOES, £69, PAPOUELLI.

With special thanks to: Models Jonny and Lola

JONNY WEARS SHIRT, £60, AND TROUSERS, £80, BOTH CARAMEL BABY & CHILD. HAT, £23, MAINIO.

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Cool kids beat the chill in boho dresses and corduroy, dressed up with woollen accessories 8

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COMPILED BY: CHLOE COLLYER

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+++++

‘The Unicorn has a big hit on its hands’ Evening Standard

++++ ++++ ++++ The Guardian

The Sunday Times

The Stage

15 NOV – 31 DEC

THE HIT SHOW RETURNS THIS CHRISTMAS - BOOK NOW!

INTERVIEW

MEET THE AUTHOR

Isla Fisher THE AUSTRALIAN COMEDY ACTRESS AND CHILDREN’S WRITER REVEALS ALL ABOUT HER BRAND NEW BOOK SERIES

O

ne thing’s for sure, Isla Fisher knows how to do funny. After proving her acting credentials long ago, on the sunny shores of Summer Bay in Home & Away in 1994, she has gone on to become the princess of comedy, starring in the likes of Wedding Crashers, Confessions of a Shopaholic and more recently, Keeping Up With The Joneses. Oh, and she happened to study in Paris for a while at Jacques Lecoq clown school – that was, until she realised “there wasn’t much call for miming the wall”.

All quite fitting, really, considering Isla’s husband is comedian and screenwriter Sacha Baron Cohen. After tying the knot in Paris in 2010, the pair now live in LA with their children, Olive, eight, Elula, five, and oneyear-old son, Montgomery.

But of all the roles she has taken on over the years, Isla confesses that her favourite has been as a mother. And while she has always been a keen writer (Isla published two novels with the help of her romance novelist mother in 1996), she admits she never really had the time to take it on as a serious project.

Now, the actress has released her first children’s book, Marge in Charge, which follows the story of an eccentric babysitter, after revealing she would spend every night making up bedtime stories for her little ones.

So, has she got the bug for a brand new career move? We catch up with her to find out…

Tell us, how did Marge in Charge first come about?

Marge was conceived as a way to get my

children to bed. But then she became this larger-than-life character who they wanted to hear more about every night before they went to sleep. Storytelling is a great opportunity for parents to connect and discuss ideas with their children. My late grandmother loved stories; that passion was inherited by my mother, who then passed it down to me.

Marge is a flamboyant babysitter, who inspired the character?

If my two best friends had a love child, it would be Marge! One of them is like the eternal Peter Pan – in total denial about reality – and the other tells the most amazing magical stories. The Marge stories are a bit like The Cat In The Hat meets My Naughty Little Sister, two books I love to read with my children. I find kids are used to other kids misbehaving but when grown-ups do it, they find it hilarious. When Marge misbehaves it’s not in an intentional or mean-spirited way, she unlocks the other characters’ creativity.

What’s the main message you want the book to portray to children?

Don’t worry about being perfect, or you’ll miss out on the fun! I also try to keep that as a message for myself when I am juggling life.

Marge in Charge is the first in the series, can you reveal anything about your next book?

There will be three books in total. The next one is called Marge and the Pirate Baby.

Eglantine Ceulemans illustrated the series, why did you decide to team up?

I didn’t know Eglantine, my publisher found her. But I think she is utterly brilliant, she surpassed all of my hopes for the characters.

I think illustrations are an integral part of helping younger children connect to the material – it brings the characters to life.

42

How do you manage to fit in writing with being a mother and actress?

I’m always tired! I wish I knew the secret to balancing it all as a working mother, but I don’t have a clue. I just try to accept that I am not always going to be perfect.

Do you think your acting career has helped you with your role as a writer?

It has certainly helped me to create strong characters in my books and keep all the voices sounding different. Storyline-wise, I prefer it when scenes end somewhere surprising, so I have tried to do that with my books, too.

I love acting and writing equally. I get lost in both experiences, and effectively I get to act out all the parts in my head as I am writing.

So, which is your main focus in terms of career now?

Both! I’d love to write more kids’ books and, on the acting side, work with the Coen brothers, David Fincher, Spike Jonze and Adam McKay – preferably not as their assistant, though.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

INTERVIEW

Isla lives in LA with comedian husband Sacha Baron Cohen and their three children

Kids are used to other kids misbehaving but when grown-ups do it, they find it hilarious What films have you worked on lately?

In Keeping Up With The Joneses, where I play a bored suburban housewife married to Zach Galifianakis, I got to work with the wonderful Greg Mottola of Superbad fame.

And Tom Ford, who I have been working with on Nocturnal Animals, is the dream director for me – collaborative, fiercely intelligent and a brilliant storyteller. He’s one of those people who you meet and feel instantly like an underachiever next to.

WORDS: DANIELLE WILKINS. PHOTOGRAPHY: JONATHAN SHORT/INVISION/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES

What attracts you to the roles in the first instance?

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The director first, then the character. And then the practical stuff like location and time frame because obviously my job has to fit in around four other people’s lives also!

Do you get to spend much time in London as a family?

I love London! There is so much culture, and so many wonderful experiences for kids. In the summer, I like to spend time in the parks, reading, and doing all the usual family stuff.

What else is in the pipeline for 2016?

I think my biggest aim is to sleep through the night… L

Marge in Charge by Isla Fisher (£5.99, Piccadilly Press) is out now

THIS PAGE (FROM LEFT): ISABELLA WEARS DRESS, £145, LITTLE WARDROBE LONDON. SHOES, FROM £9.75, DANCIA INTERNATIONAL. HEADBAND, £18, WILD & GORGEOUS. MEG WEARS DRESS, £125, CARAMEL BABY & CHILD. SHOES, AS BEFORE. RIGHT PAGE: FREYA WEARS TOP, £20, ANGEL’S FACE. SKIRT, FROM £30, BAKER BY TED BAKER AT DEBENHAMS. SHOES, AS BEFORE. HEADDRESS, £175, ASTROBOHEMIA AT ETSY.

ON POINTE PHOTOGRAPHER: HELEN MARSDEN STYLIST: BECKY JOHN HAIR AND MAKE-UP: ROSE ANGUS

THIS PAGE: ISABELLA WEARS DRESS, FROM £68, ANGEL’S FACE AT CHILDRENSALON. SHOES, FROM £128, BONPOINT. HEADBAND, £18, WILD & GORGEOUS. RIGHT PAGE (FROM LEFT): MEG WEARS JUMPSUIT, £79, WILD & GORGEOUS. HEADBAND, £18, CARRÉMENT BEAU AT HOUSE OF FRASER. ARTHUR WEARS SHIRT, £38, JACADI. VEST, £5.90 (PACK OF TWO), UNIQLO. TROUSERS, £125, STONE ISLAND JUNIOR. SHOES, FROM £9.75, DANCIA INTERNATIONAL. WINGS, £10.47, AMAZON.

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With thanks to: Models Arthur, Bram, Freya, Isabella, Meg, Poppy. Model agency Grace & Galor. Shot on location at Helen Marsden’s studio, Kingston

(FROM LEFT) MEG WEARS DRESS, £149, LITTLE WARDROBE LONDON. SHOES, FROM £9.75, DANCIA INTERNATIONAL. POPPY WEARS DRESS, £117, LE MU. SHOES, AS BEFORE.

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COMPILED BY: CHLOE COLLYER

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PARTIES

15-PIECE HAIR ACCESSORIES SET £4 ASDA.COM

BOW TIE £3 MATALAN.CO.UK

Make Biscuiteers’ sugar skull biscuits

Sugar Skulls are distinctive for being lavishly decorated with swirly illustrated designs, pretty embellishments and vibrant colours. The team at Biscuiteers has shared with us how to make these spookily scrumptious sugar skull treats.

COTTON SHIRT £49 WILDANDGORGEOUS.CO.UK

ORGANZA AND TULLE DRESS £219 LOVEMADELOVE.COM STELLA MCCARTNEY KIDS COTTON T-SHIRT £49.95 HARRODS.COM

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 24) 200g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking power 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp mixed spice 100g salted butter, diced 50g muscovado dark brown sugar 50g black treacle or molasses • Preheat the oven to 170°C. • Sift the flour, baking powder and all the spices into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and combine well.

• Add the butter. Using the tips of your fingers, rub together the ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

• When all the butter is evenly mixed through, make a well in the centre and add the treacle. Bring all together. You will know when it is all mixed in, as it will have an even colour all over without too many streaks of treacle.

• Place the dough onto a clean worktop. Divide into two and squash the dough into two even-sized flat disks. Cover and chill until ready to use or roll out immediately.

• Use a skull-shaped cookie cutter to shape the biscuits.

• Evenly space on the tray and cook for around 14-18 minutes.

EASY PEASY LEATHER SLIPPERS £27.95 EN.SMALLABLE.COM

COTTON-BLEND LEGGINGS £12.50 LOTTIEANDLYSH.CO.UK

If you’d like to learn more baking tips and tricks, visit the Biscuiteers boutique and Icing Café for an icing workshop.

The two-hour Sugar Skulls class runs on Sunday 30 October. biscuiteers.com

CANVAS SHOES £24 STARTRITESHOES.COM

PAPER CUPS (PACK OF 18) £3.79 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

‘DAY OF THE DEAD’ PINATA £12.99 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

CARD CENTREPIECE £2.79 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PARTIES

PA R T Y T I M E W I T H

Carole Middleton

Did you know?

Marigolds are known as ‘the flower of the dead’. The Royal Horticultaral Society also endorses these as easy flowers to grown from seeds, for kids. £1.69, thompson-morgan.com

LEARN MORE

DAY OF THE DEAD

[Día de los Muertos]

THE BOOK OF LIFE The Book of Life teaches children the story of Day of the Dead – join young boy Manolo on a fun 3D adventure. £2.99, zavvi.com

ROSITA Y CONCHITA In this peek-and-play app, help Conchita set up a memorial altar for her sister. With rhyming in English and Spanish. £3.99, available on Apple

Introduce your children to the Mexican tradition by throwing a ghoulish gathering THIS TIME OF YEAR IS OFTEN CONSUMED BY HALLOWEEN AND Bonfire Night, but an ancient festival which is lesser known but also worthy of celebration is the Mexican Day of the Dead. This holiday is celebrated in the towns and countryside of central and southern Mexico throughout 1 and 2 November to remember family and friends who have departed.

Throwing a Day of the Dead party not only gives plenty of scope for children to learn

more about the cultural holiday, but it’s also the perfect chance to go to town with creepy cakes and sweets, devilish decorations and spooky skeletons.

This theme is a great opportunity for face painting – get your little ones to come up with sugar skull designs then paint them on! Try setting up some craft activities, too; making your own floral headbands is always fun. And be sure to check out the Party Pieces blog for plenty more free inspiration and printables.

HANGING GLITTER SKULL £2.29 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

WILTON CUPCAKE CASES (PACK OF 75) £1.99 THECAKEDECORATING COMPANY.CO.UK PLASTIC STRAWS (PACK OF SIX) £2.29 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

PAPER PLATES (PACK OF 12) £4.99 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK INFLATABLE SKELETON £4.99 PARTYPIECES.CO.UK

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THE WHIMSICAL CAKE COMPANY CHOCOLATES £17 NOTHS.CO.UK

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Inspired by his children’s enthusiasm, Sky Sports presenter ALEX PAYNE gets ready to jump headfirst into the new school year WORKING IN SPORTS TELEVISION IS RATHER LIKE BEING A TEACHER. There is surprisingly little difference between school kids and top-flight athletes, most of whom have long been drinking from the same cup as Peter Pan when it comes to growing up. School and sport both require you to commit to some fairly long and antisocial hours but the greatest similarity is the long, glorious downtime of summer holidays and the off season.

There is nothing like saying goodbye to the team after the last broadcast of the year, it is very similar to the scenes in the playground on the final day of term – a wild overexcitement and a rather headless charge out of the school gates. This year, July and August stretched out invitingly through blank pages in the diary. It feels like the world is your oyster.

But the clam closes quickly when the wife produces from the kitchen drawer her list of DIY requirements which have built up over the last 10 months. The first two weeks were spent going round the house with Polyfilla and a brush, trying desperately to sort out the persistent damp problem. Hardly hitting Ibiza for a month of hedonistic indulgence.

But it did fill the long wait for the kids to break up – quite literally watching paint dry until we could bring out the bucket and spades. I’m not sure who was more pleased the day school was out for summer; my six year old or me. We left for the beach from the gates with my daughter still in her uniform.

And we whooped and hollered on the way, and I said how nice it was to not have to think about rugby for a bit, and I promised my wife that I wouldn’t look at my iPad quite as much. And she delighted in the fact that she wouldn’t be woken by the alarm over the summer and that the lunch box could go to the back of the cupboard for a while. And we promised my daughter she could stay up later in the evenings and that homework was on pause for the next two months.

But my son sat quietly in the back looking glum. Eventually he piped up and said, “But I want to go to school tomorrow.”

His eagerness to get started was hardly surprising. We’d

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been winding him up for a while in preparation for going into reception. He had seen his sister scoot off happily every morning for two years, he knew her friends and he knew his way around the school. Perhaps a little too well, after being handed back to my wife at pick-up one afternoon in the summer term by a teacher who said, “We’ll have to stop that by September!’’ When asked what he’d done, the teacher said that she’d seen him peeing behind a classroom. It was no surprise that there was a detention waiting for him on day one.

So, while the rest of us were revelling in the absence of structure, he punctuated the summer break by regularly asking when school started. The Spider-Man and Darth Vader costumes sank to the bottom of the dressing-up box; it was all about his uniform. Trips to the park in his V-neck jumper, play dates in his PE kit, he had worn through his new school shoes before the first morning assembly. He practiced his letters, got excited about play time and couldn’t wait for lunch with the older children. And I found his enthusiasm infectious, a life lesson from a four year old that I carried into a new season.

And yet, you know where this is going. The alarm rings at

July and August stretched out invitingly – the world is your oyster 7am once again, lunch boxes are filled, my daughter has a new homework folder. We’re all back in the groove. But, rather like the leaves on the trees, my son’s hunger to get to school is dropping. He comes down dressed as a Power Ranger on week days, he wants to watch Star Wars after breakfast, and saying goodbye at the gates is taking that little bit longer.

The only solution is to book our summer holiday now, to promise we will leave for the beach as soon as term finishes and that he can travel in his Batman costume. I’ll be waiting in the car dressed as Robin. L

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NEWS

PRINT PARADE

Capture your child’s imagination with Dare & Do’s inspiring interiors collection. The cool, vintagestyle prints from illustrator Rupert Davies include jungle elephants and cowboys on horseback, all reimagined in bright colours. Shop everything from screen prints to cushions, wallpaper to lampshades this autumn. dare-and-do.com

Me & Büddy is home to a wave of designer pieces, including this dinner set from Love Mae

interior

NEWS

Stylish updates and inspiring finds to make your house a home

LITTLE DREAMS CHIC SHOPPING

Me & Büddy is a new online lifestyle store for style-conscious young families.

Founder and mother-of-two Madeline Walsh believes parents shouldn’t have to compromise on style, even with a house full of little ones, so has curated a beautiful collection of toys, bath products, changing bags, clothing, gifts and more. meandbuddy.com

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Sarah K has added to its children’s bedding collection with this charming dragonfly design.

The hand-embroidered cot bed duvet cover is available in blue or pink with matching pillow, and joins a wider range of prints, including bunnies, ducklings and elephants. All the cotton linen can be personalised with the label’s monogramming service, too. From £15, sarahk.co.uk

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CREATIVITY

get CRAFTY

LEONORA BAMFORD AND NANNY ANITA SEE IN THE NEW SEASON WITH EXCITING ACTIVITIES AND RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY AT HOME

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ith Halloween and Bonfire Night in our midst, Nanny Anita and I have been thinking up seasonal crafts to enjoy with the children.

One we’re all particularly excited about is her Harry Potter’s Potions Class. This is one that little ones go mad for, and it won’t just keep them amused for hours, but days, as they create their concoctions.

To keep with the back-to-school theme, Anita’s been playing around with the Tower of Hanoi, which is a great brain teaser for all ages. It’s completely frustrating, but great fun – a simple and inexpensive way of keeping their minds ticking over.

My daughter and I love baking, and this October we’ll be making Chef Yusef ’s seasonal sugar-free butternut cupcakes to take along to the school pickup. Since my husband went sugar free a few years ago, we’re always testing new recipes. We tried this one on our summer holiday and it’s just as delicious when made into muffins, which can be frozen and defrosted for breakfasts on the go – perfect for the school run!

We love this adorable skirt from Spanish label Milou & Pilou for perfectly pretty nursery attire!

DENIM SKIRT £32 MILOUANDPILOU.COM

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CREATIVITY

SEASONAL SUGAR- FREE BUTTERNUT CUPCAKES You will need: • 750g butternut squash • 400g Medjool dates • 250ml vegetable oil • 4 eggs • ¼ tsp salt • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • ½ tsp grated nutmeg • 3 tsp baking powder • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 225g flour • 75g pecan nuts • 300g soft cream cheese • 125g butter • 1 vanilla pod Method • Peel and dice the squash. Cook on the hob with a splash of water.

• When soft, put the squash into a blender, add most of the pitted dates and blend until smooth.

Leave the purée aside to cool.

• Whisk the eggs, adding the purée.

• While whisking, add the oil in a steady stream.

• Sift all the dry ingredients over the wet mixture and fold in carefully.

• Chop the remaining dates and 50g of pecan nuts, and fold in.

JOIN THE CLUB

• Spoon the mix into lined moulds.

• Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes.

To make the icing • Melt the butter, leave to cool.

• Whisk the vanilla with the soft cheese and add the cooled butter.

• Pipe onto the muffins and decorate with the remaining pecans.

firmdalehotels.com

TOWER OF HANOI

We’re mad about these new learning packs from Mrs Wordsmith, which include vocab cards, daily dinner-table placemats, stories and flashcards.

You will need: • cardboard • compass • pencil • paper • scissors • paint

VISUAL LEARNING PACKS FROM £34.99 PER MONTH MRSWORDSMITH.COM

HARRY POTTER’S POTIONS CLASS You will need: • empty containers • spoons • pipettes • bowl Method • For your ingredients, use things that you

have around the house – for example, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, dried herbs, olive oil or water with food colouring.

• Let your little ones mix their own ingredients to create their own potions!

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

There’s always plenty to do in the capital at this time of the year, and with the dark nights setting in earlier, I’ll be taking the kids to the Children’s Film Club at The Soho Hotel, which starts again from Sunday 25 September with Finding Dory. Children’s Film Club will run once month, with hit films being shown in the state-of-theart screening room with popcorn and drinks, followed by a special children’s brunch. We may throw in a game of bowling afterwards, too!

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Method • Draw and cut out a minimum of three cardboard circles, each one has to be bigger than the last, and paint them.

• On the paper, draw three circles in a row.

• Place all the circles on top of each other (largest to smallest) on the first circle on the piece of paper.

• The idea is to move the tower from the first circle to the last circle in as few moves as possible.

• You can only move one circle at a time and you can’t place a bigger circle on top of a smaller one.

• You can jump over other pieces and move them backwards.

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NUTRITION

Food for thought

AS A GENERATION EMBRACING A ‘CLEANER’ LIFESTYLE, SHOULD WE REALLY BE IMPOSING IT ON OUR CHILDREN, ASKS GEORGINA BLASKEY Cooking and eating should be a positive family affair

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hile we all recognise the importance of a balanced diet, for many people, food has become a lifestyle choice, a symbol of personal values and parenting prowess. Instagrammed from homes across the world, meticulously prepared plates of wonder ingredients are being served at family mealtimes. Deliciously Ella, Hemsley + Hemsley, Natasha Corrett, Amelia Freer – household names who are evangelical about clean living have turned our mealtimes into a national obsession. Kale, chia seeds, spirulina, Himalayan pink salt, seaweed, freekah and our beloved avocados – so-called superfoods that appear to hold the very elixir of long life in their cells. But while we may choose to abstain from the ‘dirty’ and wholeheartedly embrace ‘clean’ food, are these potent ingredients right for our children?

“You need to be careful with some of these fashionable foods,” explains Claire Baseley, infant nutritionist at Ella’s Kitchen. “Kale is high in nitrates so while it’s fine for children LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

from one year and up, it can lead to anaemia in toddlers; likewise, beetroot should only be given in small amounts.”

Dr Lucy Hooper of private GP practice Coyne Medical (coynemedical.com) warns, “Chia seeds are very high in fibre and can cause digestive problems such as constipation and gas, resulting in a child suffering from tummy aches.” Beware of only ever giving wholegrain pasta, bread and rice, too: “They fill children up very quickly,” says Claire, “so they then don’t have room for the healthy fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals they need.”

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So what should we aim for? “Balance and moderation,” champions Arabella Arkwright, nutritionist and co-founder of Piccolo Plates (piccoloplates.com), which creates balanced meals for children. “You need a combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat on their plate.

Cooking and eating should be a family affair – shop together and prepare the meal with your child; they’ll be more likely to eat it!”

The relationship your child has with food is learnt from you, so if you’re calorie counting, on and off a juice cleanse or restricting carbs, kids may reflect this behaviour later on.

Inspired by a generation of food writers, including Deliciously Ella, many of us have opted for a free-from lifestyle

NUTRITION

FOODS THAT AREN’T SUPER FOR KIDS • Kale and beetroot. High in nitrates, which could lead to anaemia in those under one.

• Non-dairy milks. Unless they have an allergy, coconut, almond and hazelnut milks are low in protein, calcium and iodine, which are essential for growth.

• Coconut oil. This is 90% saturated fat and should only be used in moderation.

• Green tea. Used as a fat burner, but while it is full of antioxidants, it is also high in caffeine.

• Dark chocolate. It’s low in sugar and high in iron, but portions should be small.

“I hate the words ‘bad’ and ‘dirty’ to describe food,” says Arabella. “The phrase ‘eat clean’ implies certain foods aren’t, which means children could feel guilty and ashamed if they eat them. Unless there’s a known intolerance or diagnosed allergy then I think it’s dangerous to take anything out of their diet.” Dr Hooper agrees: “Teaching children to be prescriptive about food is an unhealthy mindset. Eating is about being healthy – we eat for energy. It’s not about what is good and bad per se, so avoid banning foods.”

Balance is key: undoubtably restricting intake of certain food groups can be detrimental to a growing child’s development.

“Becoming dairy-free, gluten-free or even carb-free is not suitable for kids,” adds Dr Hooper. “Warning signs they are not getting what they need can include unhappiness, disturbed sleep, lethargy and difficulty concentrating. Lack of growth can be a late sign, as children have reserves so you may not notice for a while, but if red meat intake is reduced then they can develop Koilonychia (spoon nails) and cracked lips.” Dr Hooper also advises her patients to consider a multi-

vitamin for their little ones, as even those with a balanced diet may be missing out on vitamin D due to Britain’s cloudy skies.

Getting a variety of veg in tiny tummies can be a tall order but Arabella has some good tricks. “The mash in our cottage pie and fish pie includes celeriac and cauliflower as well as potato,” she says.

Avoid starting the day with sugary cereals – “Children get a sugar spike and the dip makes them feels dreadful, just as they’re sitting down to lessons. Try porridge with nuts and fruit or a protein and carb combination, such eggs with toast.”

So, it really is everything in moderation.

Don’t demonise an ice cream or shun your daughter’s birthday cake because you’ve cut out carbs and sugar forever more. Show them that there’s a time and place for indulgence, but be honest. “Too much cake isn’t healthy for our bodies and that’s why we don’t have it every day,” is the message Dr Hooper gives her young daughters. Our children’s relationship with food is only as complicated as we want to make it, so keep it simple, good, fresh, honest and balanced. L 66

• Coconut water. Watch out, many brands have added sugar.

• Chia seeds and wholegrains.

These can cause digestive problems in little ones.

SNACKS FIT FOR SUPERHEROES • Oatcakes with houmous.

• Oats binded together with puréed fruit.

• Celery ‘boats’ filled with peanut butter or almond butter and raisins, or cream cheese.

• Blueberries and strawberries with a pot of yogurt.

• Wholegrain pitta bread filled with cream cheese.

• Apples slices dipped in nut butter.

• Cheese and oatcakes.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, INSTAGRAM.COM/DELICIOUSLYELLA

Our children’s relationship with food is only as complicated as we make it – keep it honest and balanced

COMPETITION

WIN

a bumper package from Little Dish To celebrate 10 years of Little Dish, you and a friend could win a fabulous supply of Pots & Pies to enjoy over the course of a year

WORTH OVER

MEALS WILL ARRIVE WITH THE PRIZE AND THE REMAINDER WILL COME AS FREE VOUCHERS, TO BE PICKED UP FRESH FROM A LOCAL SUPERMARKET.

COMPETITION CLOSES AT 11:59PM ON 10 NOVEMBER 2016. THE WINNER AND WINNER'S FRIEND WILL RECEIVE 100 POTS & PIES EACH. THE FIRST WEEK OF

£500

To celebrate Little Dish's birthday, you could win all of this!

LITTLE DISH, THE MAKERS OF PROPER FOOD FOR KIDS, has unveiled its new range of healthy chilled meals for toddlers in time for its 10th birthday – the Little Dish Pots & Pies. And now, Little London has teamed up with the brand to give away a Toddler Food Kit packed full of goodies for you and a friend, including a copy of brand new nutrition guide, The Great Toddler Food Adventure; the Little Dish Family Cookbook; a limited-edition tea towel; colour-in tablecloth and shopping bag, plus a supply of Little Dish Pots & Pies to enjoy over the course of a year.

Little Dish works with nutritionist and mother Lucy Jones to ensure that

every one of its new pots and pies is nutritionally balanced for toddlers. The award-winning meals have unrivalled nutritional credentials, too. Each recipe is made using 100% natural ingredients, is low in salt and contains no added sugar, additives or preservatives. Every meal provides at least one of a child’s five-aday, is a key source of protein, and the meals only ever contain meat from local UK farms and sustainably caught fish.

Little Dish Pots & Pies are the perfect size for little ones and are packed with exciting ingredients, including black turtle beans, sweet potato, smoked paprika, coconut and turmeric, as well as a variety of veg, to lay the foundations

for healthy eating habits. The meals are presented in colourful dishes that look like home cookware, so you’ll feel proud to bring them to the family table.

Little Dish Pots & Pies are priced at £2.50 (RRP), available in the chilled meals aisle of all major supermarkets. L littledish.co.uk/potsandpies

To enter, visit littlelondonmagazine.co.uk/competitions

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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FOOD

Easing into

AUTUMN IN THE KITCHEN WITH GEORGIE SOSKIN AND JO SAUNDERS OF COOKING THEM HEALTHY

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s the poet John Keats famously said, autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. We love embracing the changing of the seasons, and believe it is important to shift our food choices accordingly. As the days shorten and the summer heat begins to fade, opt for slow-cooked dishes and choose seasonal fruits and veg. Eating seasonal produce is important, as these are the most nutrient-rich, offering support for our immune systems.

In accordance with traditional chinese medicine, it’s also advised to avoid too many raw foods during winter because they are believed to have a cooling effect on the the body and deplete our ability to assimilate food efficiently. We therefore recommend eating warming foods, cooking them for longer and at lower temperatures. Our chicken coconut curry is an ideal recipe for autumn, one of our absolute favourites.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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FOOD

Who doesn’t enjoy a warming curry as the cooler evenings set in?

SPICED APPLE & PEAR CRUMBLE CAKE We are big fans of spelt flour and use it in a lot of our recipes as a healthier alternative to wheat flour, as it’s easier on our digestive system. The seasonal fruit reduces the need for too much additional sugar, and adds a fibre boost as well as a dose of vitamin C. For the cake • 200g spelt flour • 3 eggs • 2 small pears, diced • 1 small eating apple, diced • 60g maple syrup • 60g honey • 2 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional) • 100g butter, melted

SERVES: 4 Ingredients • 600g boned chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces • 80g green beans, cut into slices • 80g raisins • 40g korma paste • 2 onions, finely chopped • 1 red or green pepper, diced • 1 tin coconut milk • 3 spring onions, finely sliced • 40g flaked almonds, toasted • Handful fresh coriander • Oil, for frying Method Heat some oil in a frying pan and soften your onions over a medium heat. Add your chopped thigh meat and lightly brown for a few minutes so no raw pink

chicken flesh is showing. Next, add the curry paste and cook for a few minutes before adding the coconut milk. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every so often. You want the mixture to reduce down to a consistency that will coat the back of your spoon. If it gets too thick, just add a splash of water.

Add your raisins, green beans and pepper. You want some crunch on the beans and pepper, so only cook for a few minutes. To adapt for a more adult taste, reheat in the pan and add some more green beans, and throw in some coriander, spring onions and toasted almonds. If you want more heat, a few slices of fresh chilli would work well, too.

TOP TIP We often make large quantities of this and freeze it. However, do this without adding the beans, just the raisins, as it freezes best like this. Then, when reheating, just throw in some chopped green beans as they will cook while heating everything through.

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Method Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a loaf tin (5in x 9in). Combine the grated butter, ground almonds and sugar together lightly and quickly to make the crumble topping – try not to mix for too long as it will get clumpy and warm. A few buttery lumps in the mixture is fine. Stir in the hazelnuts and place in the fridge to keep cool.

For the cake, combine the melted butter, eggs, maple syrup and honey in a large bowl. In a second bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Sieve the dry ingredients over the wet and fold together. Finally, add the apple and pear. Pour the cake mix into the tin. Take the crumble from the fridge and sprinkle lightly over the top.

Pat it down to form a dense layer and then sprinkle the remainder over the top. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

CHICKEN COCONUT CURRY This mild, golden coconut curry is the ultimate comfort dish, with a lovely natural sweetness from the raisins. Thigh meat is more economical than chicken breast, and is packed full of flavour. This recipe is always a hit with the children in our house, and you can jazz it up for a dinner party by throwing in some spring onions, coriander and toasted almonds.

Equally, enjoy it while curled up on the sofa with a baked sweet potato.

For the topping: • 80g ground almonds • 50g grated cold butter • 40g brown muscovado sugar • 50g chopped hazelnuts, toasted

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PARADISE FOUND Luxury Italian hospitality brand Baglioni Hotels is opening an idyllic resort in the Maldives for 2017. Located on the unspoiled private island of Maagu, in the Dhaalu Atoll, the 99 villas will be complemented by three restaurants, a jungle spa, dive centre, and a kids’ club for three to 12 year olds to enjoy. baglionihotels.com

t ravel

NEWS

Keeping big and little globetrotters on the map and in the know FEAST FOR THE SENSES Castara Retreats in Tobago has launched its Caribbean Kitchen & Bar. The open-air dining space has glorious ocean views, and little diners can get involved by catching their own fish or enjoying fruit smoothie sessions.

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS New to Zip World Fforest in North Wales is Treetop Nets, the highest netted playground in the world. Standing over 60ft above the woodland, families can explore the treetops through tunnels, bouncy nets and connecting tree houses.

From £12.50 per person, zipworld.co.uk

From £250 per night for family of four, castararetreats.com

A DREAM GETAWAY The range features melanin lenses and elastic straps to keep them in place

SHADY SAFETY Cébé, the label that provides ingenious eyewear for all weather, has launched a junior range.

Featuring the same technical spec as the adult line, kids can stay protected, whatever the conditions.

From £16, sunglasses-shop.co.uk

Jet2holidays has conducted a survey revealing what kids really want from their trip. Spain is the most desired destination, and ideally the hotel should be space themed with an unlimited supply of ice cream.

Those surveyed claimed the holidays is their favourite time; three times more popular than Christmas! jet2holidays.com

Over a quarter a parents admit to relaxing the rules when it comes to long car journeys with kids, as a YouGov survey reveals they allow more food treats and time on electronic devices. icarhireinsurance.com LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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TRAVEL

PAC K YO U R BAG S

Sturdy and stylish, or cool and compact? Keep your little globetrotter’s belongings safe with these child-friendly options On the road

TOP TO BOTTOM: MIMI’LOU COTTON SNACK BAG £22.62 EN.SMALLABLE.COM. STELLA MCCARTNEY FAUX LEATHER TIGER BAG £78 HARRODS.COM. DOLCE & GABBANA CLOTH BACKPACK £345 MELIJOE.COM. MONKEY MONKEY SUNGLASSES £15 HOUSEOFFRASER. CO.UK. ACTIVITY BOOK £6.99 USBORNE.COM.

All aboard

This scooter is great for navigating busy airports and is compact enough to carry on as hand luggage

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: MICRO 3-IN-1 LUGGAGE SCOOTER £349.99 JOHNLEWIS.COM. TRAVEL PUZZLE SET £12 HEDGEHOGSHOP.CO.UK. TRUNKI TRAVEL PILLOW £12.99 BOOTS.COM. TRAIN-PRINT BACKPACK SUITCASE £40 CATHKIDSTON.COM. JET KIDS 3-IN-1 BED BOX £119 KIDSTRAVEL2.COM.

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Long-haul heroes

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: SUNSENSE ROLL-ON SUNSCREEN SPF50 £9.28 JOHNLEWIS.COM. AT THE BEACH FIRST WORDS BOOK £5.99 EENYMEENYKIDS.CO.UK. AMERICAN TOURISTER MARVEL COMICS SUITCASE £84.99 KIDSTRAVEL2.COM. BAKKER MADE WITH LOVE CANVAS SUITCASE £48.93 FRENCHBLOSSOM.COM. BOBO CHOSES SUITCASE £75 SCANDI-MINI.CO.UK.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL

10 reasons to visit

BEACHES RESORTS

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YOUR PERFECT GETAWAY AWAITS At Beaches Resorts, everyone, of every age, is spoiled with the break of their dreams. It’s where all-inclusive adventure gives kids the freedom to have a holiday of their own, and parents the luxury to relax and enjoy, too. Hello, heaven…

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THE CARIBBEAN’S BEST BEACHES The resorts are set along the most beautiful white-sand beaches. You’ll also find them located on the calmest, most protected shorelines, and each one has been awarded with the EarthCheck certification.

ENJOY YOUR DREAM FAMILY HOLIDAY IN THE HEART OF THE CARIBBEAN

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WATERPARK THRILLS AND SPILLS The waterparks have been designed to exhilarate kids of all ages. At Beaches Turks & Caicos, the Pirates Island Waterpark has 10 twisting and turning slides – including the new 42ft SkySlide, the tallest in the region.

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FRESH AND AUTHENTIC DINING Everyone craves a little variety, that’s why Beaches created its five-star Global Gourmet® programme, giving you up to 19 international cuisines to enjoy at up to 21 different restaurants in each resort.

THE KIDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF Little ones will love the Kids Camp, and you’ll love the time off. There are supervised activities for all ages, plus, Beaches Resorts are the only resorts in the Caribbean where infant care and certified nannies are included all day, every day.

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ROOMS AND SUITES DESIGNED WITH FAMILIES IN MIND Beaches has created the perfect space for you and your family. You’ll find everything from cosy cottages in the garden to sprawling family suites with oceanfront views. Some even offer the services of a personal butler, to assist with reservations and VIP check-in.

FUN WITH ELMO & CO Its partnership with Sesame Street® makes Beaches Resorts the only resorts where kids can play with the loveable cast of characters. From activities to stage shows, Character Breakfasts* to Nightime Tuck-ins*

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LAND AND WATER SPORTS No other all-inclusive family resorts offer more land and water sports than Beaches. From tennis, basketball and volleyball to watersports and scuba diving, it’s all unlimited, all included, all the time.

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9 LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Spend time with the colourful cast of Sesame Street®, including Elmo and Zoe

ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT Beaches’ Caribbean heritage shines through day and night with unrivalled 75

beach parties and entertainment.

Everything it does is charged with authenticity, from laidback chill in the piano bar to exciting street parades and talent shows.

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A SOOTHING SANCTUARY The Red Lane® Spas are temples of relaxation. Inspired by the traditions of the Caribbean, treatments* utilise ingredients indigenous to the region, such as Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee, local honey and island brown sugar. Plus, tweens can take advantage of Ginger Lily, a concept which caters specifically to younger guests, offering massages, facials, nail services and more. L

Call 0800 597 0001, visit beaches.co.uk or visit in-store at 135 Fulham Road, SW3

READER EVENT

at little

london

Sunday 23 October

Join us for an exclusive morning of extraordinary adventure. Little London will be at Hamleys, Regent Street from ��am to ��pm for an unforgettable private party!

Event includes • Red carpet entrance • Hamleys Ragdoll and Toy Soldier • Face painting with celebrity artist Annie Newman • Puppet show • Treasure hunt • Balloon modelling • 10% discount* on the day • VIP goody bag not to be missed

TO REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE TICKETS, PLEASE VISIT

LittleLondonMagazine.co.uk/Hamleys * DISCOUNT ONLY AVAILABLE FROM 12PM-1PM ON THE DAY, AND EXCLUDES CONCESSION BRANDS.

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LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

RUNNING HEAD

Visit the well-known settings of Astrid Lindgren’s stories Follow the adventures of Pippi and see how she lives

POS TCAR D from

SWEDEN MARIANNE WIE visits the country’s Pippi Longstocking-inspired theme park with her family

The children fell in love with the park’s characters

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARIANNEWIE.NET

The restaurants offer home-cooked Swedish fare

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CROSSING THE BRIDGE THAT DIVIDES DENMARK FROM SWEDEN, we are coming towards the end of our drive, heading past fields and farms in Småland, Sweden. This is the area where Scandinavia’s much-loved children’s author and creator of Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren, was born and raised. And it was here she found much of the inspiration for the 50 books she wrote during her lifetime.

Una and Elin, both 11, and Monty, seven, are full of excitement as we head through the gates of Astrid Lindgren’s World. Suddenly, we have stepped into a retro fairytale full of colourful wooden villages. Mrs Prysselius, the hilariously eccentric character from the Pippi books, is pedalling past us on her bicycle, inviting us to join her for coffee and cake.

Nevertheless, not to be sidetracked, we head towards Villekulla Cottage ready to catch Pippi’s first performance of the day.

The happy, red-haired, freckled girl gives the audience a lively show, as she rescues her dad from a group of dancing pirates. We are invited into the house to join the actors, who

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remain in character, singing Pippi songs.

When it comes to lunch, we are spoilt for choice. There are lots of cute restaurants selling the local dishes mentioned in Lindgren’s stories; from meatballs and mash to salmon with potatoes and dill. Not a burger in sight! A picnic area with benches and barbecues is ready for visitors who have brought their own food. The entire park is run in the spirit of Lindgren, who wanted to inspire children and parents to read more together. This is what actually seems to happen here, as families fall in love with many of her other characters during their visit.

The story of The Brothers Lionheart becomes the children’s new favourite: good winning over evil, the heavy emotions of loss, not to mention an enormous dragon firing out real flames! Two of the three kids in our party don’t speak Swedish, but are entirely engaged in the performances. After two days, we leave the park with lovely memories and a hunger to start reading the books we carry home in our rucksacks. Just as Lindgren intended. L alv.se/en

TRAVEL

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LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TRAVEL

Easton, Marlow, Quin and Ivy fell in love with Surfers Lodge

RIDING the

waves

COURTNEY ADAMO AND HER FAMILY CHECK INTO SURFERS LODGE PENICHE, PORTUGAL, FOR SOME EXPERT TUITION IN THE OCEAN

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The family enjoyed lessons under the guidance of expert tutor, Gonçalo

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

e planned a ‘family gap year’ before we knew the term even existed. After 12 years of living and working in London, we came to the point where we just wanted to pause everyday life and spend a year enjoying our family. We had talked about it for years, but with our eldest turning 10 and life racing by, we decided the time had come. So we planned our escape – a year-long, around-the-world adventure in search of a simpler, slower pace of life.

For several months we did lots of planning.

We planned our route and our budget. We sold our home, our car and many of our possessions. We told the kids’ school, told our friends and told our colleagues at work. It was simultaneously thrilling and frightening.

We began our journey last September with a road trip through California. This was familiar territory for us and proved a nice way to ease into our new pace of life and homeschooling routine. Our first ‘exotic’ stop after that was Trancoso, Brazil. It was 79

during our three weeks in this magical fishing village that all of our plans started to change.

A friend suggested the kids might like a surf lesson with the local instructor, Romualdo.

The area itself was not known for surfing, but there were waves and warm water, so we figured, why not? Our three older children, then aged 10, eight and six, wanted to give it a try, as did my husband, Michael. That first lesson became three, followed by a perpetual hire of foam surfboards from Romualdo. Our kids were hooked and so was Michael.

Conveniently, our next stop was Uruguay, a small country with lots of coastline. Here there was a surf culture, plenty of surf beaches and more than enough surf shops. Though we had spent weeks whittling our luggage down to one suitcase per family member before we set off, suddenly we were the proud owners of four wetsuits, a new surfboard and straps to tote it around atop our car. We went to the beach every day of our month in Uruguay.

Michael and the kids surfed up and down the coast and while their skills improved slowly,

TRAVEL

The restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner using locally sourced ingredients

The family also enjoyed visits to nearby towns

their passion for the sport grew exponentially.

So smitten were they, that Michael began researching where we could surf in Argentina, the next stop in our plan. Despite its huge coast, we soon learned that Argentina wasn’t known for surfing. Well then, it would have to be Chile, El Capital del Surf.

We set off for Pichilemu, a modest Chilean town with a world famous surf break, Punta de Lobos. It was here that we took more lessons and that Easton’s surfing, especially, took off. It was also here that I realised our vision of a family gap year had completely transformed. We had found a theme and I could see we were powerless to stop it.

In the ensuing months we surfed the world.

Our two-month stay in New Zealand, most of it in a camper van, became a pursuit of waves. We traversed both islands, North and South, passing by better-known and more beautiful beaches in favour of those with surf.

Even I got a wetsuit and soon we acquired two more boards, board bags and all the other accoutrements. We made our way to Australia next, where we spent two more months acquainting ourselves with surf culture in a country that is just as crazy about the sport as we were. We narrowly passed up surfing in Japan, but swapped our planned visit to Thailand for Sri Lanka, a wonderful country with amazing food and world-class beaches.

In June we made our way back to the UK to kick off what was originally planned to be a

10-year-old Easton has seen his skills and confidence soar

Our vision of a family gap year had transformed. We had found a theme, and we were powerless to stop it road trip through continental Europe. Though we tried our hands at surfing the frigid waters of Cornwall, we told the kids our days on the waves were on hold indefinitely. That was, until we were invited to the Surfers Lodge Peniche, in Portugal.

Peniche sits on a peninsula about an hour north of Lisbon. What the city lacks in character, it makes up for in ‘surfiness’.

This is an area blessed with exposure to the Atlantic on nearly every side. No matter what the conditions, there is surf to be had almost every day. John Malmqvist, the Swedish 80

founder of the Lodge, recognised the area’s unrivalled number of surf beaches and saw an opportunity to offer visitors something better.

The result is a laidback, bohemian-style surf lodge with a high-quality surf school that accommodates families as well as individuals.

On our first morning, we left our cosy family dorm and were met by our affable instructor, Gonçalo. After a healthy breakfast from the buffet, we were briefed on the day’s surf activities and everyone joined in except Marlow (grudgingly) and me. The kids were then suited up and equipped with one of LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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TRAVEL

Stopping for gelato in the medieval town of Óbidos

the dozens of learner boards, and we were all driven down to the nearest break, barely two minutes away in the Lodge’s van. There we found gentle breaks on each side of a little island and an area with almost no waves that was perfect for swimming.

Gonçalo took everyone through a warm-up and safety briefing, then led them onto the waves. After more than six weeks off a board, this was a day for everyone to shake off the rust and relearn the fundamentals from an expert coach.

Our lesson the following day was even better. Though Ivy opted out early, Quin and Easton surfed wave after wave, with Gonçalo at their side, picking out the best ones and keeping them safe from the bigger sets. Quin made huge progress that day and we could see his confidence burgeoning that evening.

Our third day was all about ‘post surf analysis’ in the cinema room of the Lodge.

Gonçalo reviewed about 50 clips, talking through each one and analysing everyone’s take-offs, stance and turning on the waves.

There were plenty of fails and flops amid the footage and we all agreed that it should be promptly destroyed after viewing. Even still, we learned more in this session than the previous two combined. With Gonçalo’s expert advice firmly to mind, we hit the waves again that afternoon and progressed even further.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

When we weren’t surfing, the games room, yoga and roof-top pool kept everyone happy

Our five-night stay in the family dorm room included surf lessons and breakfasts.

The Lodge has a particularly good restaurant serving up locally sourced food and wines for lunch and dinner. Though we looked around for other options, we found ourselves coming back to the Lodge restaurant time and time again. It also benefits from incredibly friendly staff, all well-versed in English, and a great vibe. When we weren’t surfing, the Lodge’s games room, yoga lessons and roof-top terrace with pool kept everyone happy (it also has a massage room). On a couple of afternoons we ventured out to nearby towns, including Óbidos, a beautifully preserved example of a medieval village replete with fortified walls and castle. The breathtaking scenery and beaches of the Sintra region are within an hour’s drive too.

We never planned to surf away our family gap year but we are so happy to have stumbled upon this new passion. There are not many sports you can enjoy simultaneously with your 83

No matter the conditions, there is surf to be had every day on Peniche’s beaches

children – even if you are of differing abilities – that take place almost invariably in beautiful settings. Easton and Michael have spent hours this year hanging out in the world’s oceans together, chatting away as they await their next waves. Now Quin is out with them, opting for the smaller waves but enjoying the companionship just as much. Surfing is a legacy of our family gap year that looks set to live on for years to come. L surferslodgepeniche.com

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TRAVEL

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19 Michael Road, London SW6 2ER These slopes are ideal for learning the basics. Suitable for anyone from five years plus, there are two remote-controlled treadmill-like slopes that rotate uphill, making it an ideal place for developing skiing skills in the capital. chel-ski.uk

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The Snow Centre

St Albans Hill, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 9NH Offering various junior lessons to suit every skier, The Snow Centre even has its own Snow Garden for little ones aged two to five years.

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NEWS

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT STEP

Researching schools

LEARNING ANEW Independent education group Minerva Education has added a new school to its portfolio. Eaton Square Upper School is located within a Grade I listed building in Mayfair, and is set to open its doors in September 2017. An extension of the existing prep, it will educate 420 boys and girls aged 11 to 16. 106 Piccadilly, eatonsquareupper.school

education If you want to know more about schooling and are keen to plan for the future, then check out our sister title. Published twice a year, The Guide to Independent Schools is essential reading for parents looking to continue their child’s educational journey within the independent school sector.

The Guide covers each stage of the school career, from nursery to sixth form, and includes a comprehensive directory of independent schools across the United Kingdom as well as expert advice to help you make the right educational decisions for your child’s future.

NEWS

Everything you need to know about what’s going on in and out of the classroom MAKING HISTORY Mysteries in Time is the newest subscription box for history-loving little ones aged seven to 11. Every month, members will receive a themed package of activities, including puzzles, stickers and fact sheets, developed by school teacher Samantha Metcalf. £15.95 (plus postage) per month, mysteriesintime.co.uk

Visit chelseamagazines.com/ independent-school-parent or call 020 7349 3700

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SMARTER THINKING A book at bedtime can boost a child’s brain power and reduce the risk of behavioural problems, reveals a study

by Equazen, the makers of omega-3 nutritional supplements. Research shows reading to children from an early age also increases their emotional intelligence. equazen.co.uk

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84% of parents wouldn’t want to pursue a teaching career, despite believing teachers are an important influence on their children. A lucky 75% are given gifts at the end of the year, with English tutors proving the most popular. one4allgiftcard.co.uk 87

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Eaton Square School is an independent, coeducational Nursery, Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory school in the heart of central London, educating children from the age of 2 ½ to 13 years old. The main school is in Belgravia, with three nursery schools located across London.

79 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PP T: 020 7931 9469 E: registrar@eatonsquareschool.com

www.eatonsquareschool.com

Open Mornings Wednesday 12th October Wednesday 1st March Booking is essential Hyde Park School offers your child a unique, well-rounded education, with 2 locations in central London. Our Nursery & Pre-Prep is located next to Hyde Park (W2) and takes boys and girls ages 2 - 5. Our Preparatory is in South Kensington (SW7) and takes ages 6 - 11.

The Long Garden, St George’s Fields, Albion Street, London W2 2AX T: 020 7262 1190 E: admissions@hydeparkschool.co.uk 24 Elvaston Place, London SW7 5NL T: 020 7225 3131 E: registrar@hydeparkschool.co.uk

www.hydeparkschool.co.uk

Open Mornings First Tuesday of every month Booking is essential The Lyceum is a small, non-selective, independent nursery and school for boys and girls aged 3-11, with a unique educational philosophy delivered through topic-based teaching. The school is situated in the City of London, near to Old Street and Shoreditch.

6 Paul Street, City of London EC2A 4JH T: 020 7247 1588 E: admin@lyceumschool.co.uk

www.lyceumschool.co.uk

EDUCATION

The results from a recent study showed four year olds already displaying signs of the two types of mindsets

The growth mindset GEORGINA BLASKEY INVESTIGATES THE NEW TEACHING THEORY BEING ADOPTED BY FORWARD-THINKING SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

H

ow many times a day do you praise your child? “Well done, you brushed your teeth!”, “You ate up all your cereal, you’re a great eater!”, “You drew a lovely picture – watch out Monet, there’s a new artist in town!”

For many years, parents have been told to praise their children’s achievements unconditionally in order to boost their confidence and self-esteem. But research shows that frequently praising your child could, in fact, be having the opposite effect.

Why? Because it leads to a fixed idea of what LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

they can do – and, just as importantly, what they can’t. This is called a fixed mindset – a personal belief system that your capabilities are carved in stone. The opposite is a growth mindset, the belief that intelligence can be learned and developed, challenges can be embraced, problems can be overcome and effort is the pathway to mastery.

A research study by Carol Dweck, a professor of developmental psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, offered a group of four year olds a choice: they could either 89

redo an easy jigsaw puzzle or try a harder one.

“Even these young children conformed to the characteristics of one of the two mindsets,” explains Carol. “Those with a ‘fixed’ mentality opted for the familiar option again, happy in the knowledge they would succeed. Those with the ‘growth’ mindset thought it a strange choice initially, confused as to why anyone would want to do the same puzzle over and over if they aren’t learning anything new.

In other words, the fixed-mindset kids wanted to make sure they succeeded in order to seem smart,” Carol continues, “whereas

EDUCATION

Homework can often end in frustration – let your child know their talents can be developed through effort and persistence

By adding the word ‘yet’ to a sentence, children understand that knowledge is attainable mindset to its pupils with great effect, and attitudes of teachers and children are already changing. Headmaster Phil Ward recounts, “One of our Year 6 pupils, Anna, had always found exams challenging, and would often be overwhelmed by panic attacks when faced with an exam paper. Bit by bit, the efforts of her teachers and parents to instil in her a growth mindset brought her the sense that she could battle her way through the next challenge. This duly came when Anna sat for the 11+ entry assessment for a London day school. Ten minutes into the exam she sensed a wave of panic, but this time, the growth mindset kicked in. ‘I can do this, and I will get there,’ she said to herself. Anna secured a place and did so well she was awarded a scholarship. I have no doubt Anna will meet every challenge in the future with the positive intent a growth mindset encourages.”

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Along with the obvious academic benefits, adopting a growth mindset can change a person’s perception of themself entirely.

Picture the child who feels as if he has no control over his abilities, and is helpless in the face of setbacks. Imagine how disheartened he may feel if he finds something difficult, which could lead to low self-esteem and a sense that there’s no point trying at anything because he’ll just fail. Long-term, this could lead to disruptive behaviour and discipline problems.

Then picture the child who believes they can bounce back from failure, who relishes a challenge as an opportunity. This child is engaged in their school work, is more likely to perform well and succeed.

Did you know the power of a three-letter word and how it could change your child’s future? Well, maybe you didn’t know and maybe they don’t know… yet. L LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

the growth-mindset ones wanted to stretch themselves, for their definition of success was about becoming smarter.”

For many parents, homework can be a stressful time of self-doubt and frustration.

Recently in our home, I heard this conversation between my kids: “I can’t do it!” exclaimed my seven-year-old son as he tried to write out his four times tables. “You just can’t do it yet!” said his 10-year-old sister.

Over the last few terms, their school has been championing a new approach, encouraging children to understand that learning is a journey which changes, as does their intelligence and ability. By simply adding the word ‘yet’ to the end of the sentence, the children understand that knowledge is attainable. “In a fixed mindset, students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time,” Carol deduces. “In a growth mindset, students understand that their talents can be developed through effort, teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.”

Carol’s theories are being adopted by schools across the globe, giving children a new set of goals to strive for in which effort is valued above achievement – persistence over easy options. London prep school Thomas’s Clapham has recently introduced the growth

City reach, Village location, Country life.

'An exceptionally friendly school where everyone is quickly made to feel part of the community.’ The Good Schools Guide, June 2016 ‘Excellent’ in all areas of teaching and learning. Independent Schools Inspectorate 2015 ‘The Facebook snapshots and fixtures app are fantastic. As a mum working full-time in London this is amazing! I feel so in touch with the school.’ Parent ‘When education looks this good and learning is this inspiring, how can you not choose it for your children?’ Parent Pupils go on to a broad range of leading independent senior school destinations across the South East and also to Kent grammar schools.

marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk/relocatingtothecountryside A high quality education with a truly individual focus

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at: locationBook foronline weekly boarders, with transport Book online at: www.luckleyhouseschool.org www.luckleyhouseschool.org available from the West London area from Sept 16 Luckley House Wokingham, Luckley West House School, School, Wokingham, Berkshire Berkshire ble from the London area from Sept 16 T: T: 0118 0118 978 978 4175 4175 E: E: Registrar@luckleyhouseschool.org Registrar@luckleyhouseschool.org Built on Tradition – Embracing the Future

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EDUCATION

AT YOUR LEISURE

TO MOVE OR BOARD IS A QUESTION ON MANY PARENTS’ MINDS AS THEY BEGIN A NEW TERM – BUT COULD FLEXI-BOARDING ALSO BE AN OPTION, ASKS LORNA COWARD OF HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE

Boarding allows children to make life-long friends they wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to meet

W

flexi-boarding allows pupils to board for three nights on the days of their choice. In most cases, pupils are even able to choose their boarding nights at short notice. At Hurst, this is possible because all boarders have their own bed in their own room for the duration of the term, so it’s always there if they need it.

“Boarding gives the pupils a work-home balance.

School life is busy and boarding enables them the chance to take part in extra-curricular sport, drama or music after school,” explains Adam Hopcroft, housemaster of the Red Cross boys’ house.

hen pupils are asked to describe boarding at Hurst, it’s common to hear them say, “I live 10 minutes away but I board because I enjoy it.”

Hurst has become known as a school where you board because you choose to, rather than need to.

Boarding at Hurst, and at many other schools, falls into three categories; full boarding, weekly boarding and the most popular option, flexi-boarding. While full boarding involves living at school seven days a week and weekly boarding is five nights a week, LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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EDUCATION

Boarding at Hurstpierpoint falls into three categories; full, weekly and flexi

However, the benefits of flexi-boarding extend far beyond the option to take part in more activities. Adam also believes it gives pupils an advantage academically. “Boarding pupils have more access to their teachers as well as their friends. In Red Cross, the boys work in study groups during prep time and, as house parents, we make sure they are productive during this study time. If they work well, it allows them to have the whole weekend free without homework.”

The Sixth Form girls in Martlet house agree. “Boarding helps to structure home

As boarders, the children have to learn skills for life, which is preparation for their future time because you get all your work done in the boarding house – then home is fun time!” says flexi-boarder, Tori. Fellow flexi-boarder Jess adds, “You get on with your work because you’re already in ‘school mode’.”

Ellie, also in Lower Sixth, adds, “The Lower Sixth doesn’t have to do work during prep time but because we do so from Year 9 onwards, we do it anyway.”

“Boarding also changes the way you work – I can’t study at the kitchen table any more,

I have to work in a library or somewhere quiet,” adds fellow student Olivia.

Kathren Lea, housemistress of Martlet, believes that a boarding environment gives students a strong foundation for their future.

“With a mix of international pupils and flexi-boarders from across Sussex, Surrey and London, the girls are making connections they wouldn’t normally make. They are making life-long friends.”

Becky Aveston in Year 10 agrees, “When 94

CHOOSING TO MOVE Junior school parents, Kim and James moved to Broadstairs from South London at the end of last summer. With two boys aged three and five, the move was prompted by the desire for more space and cheaper house prices but all within a reasonable commute to central London.

Attracted by the sandy beaches and the high-speed train into London St Pancras, the family’s priority before serious househunting began was to find a suitable school for their children.

“St Lawrence College in Ramsgate made a very positive first impression with its lovely grounds, plenty of outdoor and indoor space for the children, amazing on-site facilities and small class sizes,” reveals Kim. “Both boys have settled in amazingly well. Their teachers have been very nurturing and made every effort to help both of them settle into the school.

It’s been one less stress for us, knowing they are both happy. And it makes the idea of moving to a new area much less daunting. The boys have thrived and excelled academically, especially Oliver who had already spent one year at a school in London.

“Moving to Broadstairs was definitely one of the best decisions we could have made as a family.

For us, it feels safer and healthier living by the coast and is perfect for our young family. We are not a million miles from London either, so we still get to see our friends and family on a regular basis.”

Thomas and Oliver are thriving at St Lawrence College since the family chose to move to the Kent coast

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

A leading independent senior school for weekly and full boarders and day girls (11-18) A day prep school offering outstanding education for girls (3-11) & boys (3-7)

Open afternoons Senior school – Friday 16 September & Wednesday 2 November at 1.45pm Junior school – Friday 11 November at 1.30pm Please contact us to book your visit: www.stswithuns.com | 01962 835700

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‘The overall effectiveness of the provision is outstanding’ - ISI January 2016

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HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE

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Co-educational, Co-educational,day day&&boarding boardingschool schoolfor for3-18 3-18years yearsininSouth SouthEast EastEngland England

With small class sizes and exceptional facilities, St Lawrence College provides outstanding opportunities for all pupils academically, in sport and in the arts.

Junior School Open Day: Friday 30 September 2016 Senior School Open Day: Saturday 1 October 2016 T: 01843 572931

E: admissions@slcuk.com

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St Lawrence College, College Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 7AE

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EDUCATION

CHOOSING TO BOARD

WHERE TO VISIT Boarding options on the outskirts of the capital BERKSHIRE Luckley House luckleyhouseschool.org

KENT Ashford School ashfordschool.co.uk

Kent College kent-college.co.uk

Marlborough House marlboroughhouse school.co.uk

St Lawrence College slcuk.com

WEST SUSSEX Brambletye School Upper Sixth boarding offers excellent preparation for university

brambletye.co.uk

Cottesmore School cottesmoreschool.com

Hurstpierpoint College hppc.co.uk

HAMPSHIRE St Swithun’s School stswithuns.com

Farleigh School farleighschool.com

you board, you become better friends with the other boarders because you live with them.”

Boarding school is also excellent preparation for university. St John’s house at Hurst is set up to do this; allowing Upper Sixth pupils their own bedroom in a coeducational house for their final year at college. However, flexi-boarding from age 13 (Year 9) gives pupils independence with the security net of mum and dad close by.

“As boarders, the children have to learn skills for life, which is preparation for their future,” adds Kathren. “In Martlet, the girls grow up surrounded by strong women who are kind and caring.”

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In the modern family, where both parents are working full-time and childcare is expensive, boarding means parents don’t need to worry about the school run every morning, and they have the comfort of knowing their child is taking part in activities or being supervised with their homework. This leaves the weekends free for the whole family to enjoy quality time together.

For children, it is a way to spend more time with their peers at one big sleepover, spend time relaxing instead of travelling to and from school, and an opportunity to learn independence, life skills and take part in activities they wouldn’t usually do. L 97

“The decision to move our son, George, from his West London day prep to Farleigh School in Hampshire as a weekly boarder was not taken easily,” admits mum Alex. “He was in Year 5, and although he was happy with his friends and his place in the year’s rugby team, he was struggling to establish himself academically.

Since both my husband and I had full-time jobs, the task of finding nannies who could also offer homework support was challenging. Another issue was the discipline. In what we thought was his best subject – maths – he’d been lumped into a lower set where the boys seemed to be allowed to fool around too much.

“Discussions with staff showed no prospect of him being moved up. In fact, the head seemed more intent on managing our expectations downwards.

“Then, friends with children at Farleigh told us their experience.

Their daughter, like George, had some mild, dyslexia-type learning difficulties with writing, and had received excellent support. Then there was the school’s ethos, flexible boarding options and breathtaking setting. Discipline was good without being too strict, and the boys and girls seemed to have more time to be children.

“We had an interview with the urbane head. The pupils we met clearly loved the place. It seemed a school where George could flourish. And so it is proving: we find a happy, balanced boy when we pick him up on Saturdays. And a relaxed, cheerful boy returns on Sunday evening, without giving us a backward glance.”

George (right) is now receiving the support he needs since he began boarding at Farleigh School

The head takes part in the school’s Bad Hair Day charity initiative to raise money for Great Ormond Street

MEET THE HEAD

The Lyceum School

We chat to headteacher VANESSA BINGHAM about life at the independent prep How long have you been at The Lyceum?

What do you see as the school’s main strengths?

Tell us a bit more about your extra-curricular programme.

I have been here for just over a year now, having worked in the education sector for more than 40 years across a range of UK and international schools.

The Lyceum has a long-standing specialism in music – almost all students who study with us play an instrument and we have a full time director of music, as well as 11 peripatetic instrument teachers. We combine this with an extra-curricular programme, which helps students develop their confidence, people skills and team work. We also pride ourselves on being an incredibly happy school – from the moment students walk through the door, to the moment they leave, their happiness is our top priority.

We value these activities just as much as we do academic learning. Our programme is available both before and after school, and includes sessions with LAMDA speech and drama teachers, as well as judo, football, Latin and Mandarin, choir and chess. We also tweak this programme based on the needs of student and parents – so those parents who only need additional childcare on certain days of the week can tailor their extra-curricular package to suit their schedule.

Can you tell us a bit about the school’s history?

The Lyceum was founded in 1997 by two former state school teachers who wanted to create an independent school with a focus on holistic and topicbased learning. Over the past 19 years, we have created an ethos whereby we aim to ensure all our pupils develop morally, socially, academically, physically, spiritually and culturally. Our base, in the heart of Shoreditch, means we have a huge wealth of resources right on our doorstep that we regularly take advantage of, be it lessons in local parks, visits to the museums or trips to London’s theatres.

How do you ensure pupils achieve their full potential?

We start by limiting class sizes so all our pupils are fully supported by a team of teachers and assistants. We also have partially open-plan classrooms with no divisions between lessons in order to encourage dialogue between 98

different students and year groups. This means our pupils not only learn from teachers, but also from their peers. Our curriculum is centred on handson learning, which we feel really allows students to get under the skin of a specific subject.

For example, if we’re studying the Tudor period in history, our students dress up as Tudors for an entire week – literally living and breathing the subject!

How do you see The Lyceum progressing in the future?

A priority for us is to continue evolving our curriculum to suit the needs of our pupils. We’re also excited to see the opening of Minerva Education’s new senior school in September 2017. Based at 106 Piccadilly, Eaton Square Upper School is just a stone’s throw away from Green Park and will be a brilliant senior school for many of our students. L lyceumschool.co.uk

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Se nd ni on or ’s Sc ho ol !

Lo ne w

Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair

Opening September 2017

In September 2017 we are very excited to be opening a new independent senior school in Mayfair. We will now be able to provide a seamless progression for our families from the age of two in the nursery into senior school. In a superb location, 106 Piccadilly is a beautiful Grade I listed building, opposite Green Park, right in the heart of London.

Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair will be co-educational and academically non-selective, with the same family-focused ethos all our ZJOVVSZ WYPKL [OLTZLS]LZ VU <S[PTH[LS` ^L HPT [V JYLH[L H U\Y[\YPUN LU]PYVUTLU[ PU ^OPJO ^LSS YV\UKLK JVUZPKLYH[L JVUÄKLU[ HUK YLZPSPLU[ JOPSKYLU ^PSS WYVZWLY M\SÄSSPUN [OLPY ILZ[ WV[LU[PHS WLYZVUHSS` HUK HJHKLTPJHSS` Registration forms are being accepted now - apply today.

www.eatonsquareupper.school

“Newton combines knowledge of families with great space and facilities in which children are encouraged to be themselves. All the teachers understand my children, the management is open to fresh ideas and the school is big enough to accommodate variety.” Current parent

Kingston and Cheam Offering a wide range of vibrant dance classes for children and adults Jazz, Tap, Street, Ballet, Contemporary, Musical theatre and much more!

ies and Dance part o available ls a workshops

OPEN DAY: Sat 8th October 2016: 9.30am-12.30pm HEADMISTRESS’S TOURS: Friday mornings termThroughout 2016-17 A co-ed prep school for children aged 3-13 020 7720 4091 www.newtonprepschool.co.uk

www.dynamicdancestudios.co.uk emily@dynamicdancestudios.co.uk

An outstanding school for boys and girls aged 3-18 Where excellence is a habit!

• One hour away from London • An idyllic semi-rural campus • Excellent pastoral care • Outstanding academic success

Find out more at KENTCOLLEGE.COM

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EDUCATION

Ask the experts

Your burning education questions answered by those in the know WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO HELP WITH HOMEWORK? Many teachers would say homework is designed for your child to practise what they have learnt at school independently in order to embed their learning. However, it is right to help enable your child with their homework.

This does not mean completing it for them or correcting every mistake. Instead, see homework as your child’s chance to share with you what they have learnt or experienced at school. Avoid using this as an opportunity to share with them how you learnt at school.

This will merely confuse your child and give them yet another set of expectations and methods to remember.

For children who are disorganised or struggle due to dyslexia, help with the practicalities. Have an identical pencil case for home and one that remains at school. Then there can be no anxiety over forgotten kit or writing with a pen that isn’t as comfortable.

Also establish a routine – for example, home, snack, homework, chill, dinner, bed. Decide what works for your family and stick to it.

At St Catherine’s, we encourage the use of iPads as an organisational tool. If your child uses an iPad at school, remember they can take a photo of their homework task written on the board, or examples shared by teachers.

Nothing makes a child more anxious than having written out their homework but not quite remembering what it was meant to say.

If homework becomes a struggle, consider leaving your child at school to complete it in a supervised homework club.

Naomi Bartholomew, headmistress

Weekly boarding at St Swithun’s enables pupils to enjoy more activities than ever before

WE’RE CONSIDERING WEEKLY BOARDING IN A SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITAL – WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Designed with families in mind, weekly boarding has increased in popularity in recent years because of a number of factors. At St Swithun’s, it has been because of the high quality of our accommodation; the variety of our co-curricular programme, which offers more than 60 activities in the evenings for our pupils; our bus service, which makes logistics easier for London families; our location, in 40 acres on the South Downs National Park, and our excellent pastoral support. Our proximity to Winchester College also allows the pupils to combine forces for social events.

Weekly boarders may also stay for the weekend if they have sports matches or choose to take part in trips usually put on for full boarders. The fact that we are seeing more weekly boarders choosing to do this is a strong indication that the modern take on boarding serves pupils and their families well.

Jane Gandee, headmistress

MEET THE EXPERTS

Naomi Bartholomew St Catherine’s Prep School

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Hilary Wyatt Hyde Park Prep School

Jane Gandee St Swithun’s Prep School

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HOW CAN WE ENSURE THE SCHOOL WE CHOOSE WILL BRING OUT THE BEST IN OUR CHILD? Albert Einstein wrote that, ‘everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree then it will live its whole life believing it is stupid’. What he seemed to be saying is that every child has the potential to be brilliant but not every child will show that brilliance in the same field of activity.

When choosing a school, it is important to ensure that a broad curriculum is offered so your child can discover his or her own talents.

After-school clubs will also help your child broaden his or her educational experience.

It may be that your child has already shown potential in a particular discipline, so you should ask what extra provision will be offered. Are pupils who are working above their age-expected levels challenged sufficiently? If not, they can quickly become bored and demotivated. When children are taught in a fun and engaging way by teachers who believe in the abilities of their pupils, they can achieve extraordinary results.

Hilary Wyatt, headmistress

30/7/15

08:30 Page 1 info@littlehouseofscience.com

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PLUS: A HEATED INDOOR PLAYBARN! PLENTY OF FUN, WHATEVER THE WEATHER!

Little Discovery Age 6-12 months

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Age 12-24 months

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Situated in Leatherhead, Surrey. 5 minutes from J9 M25.

Rhythm Shapes Age 2-3&Age 3-4

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The Little London Music School Introducing your child to the joy of music

Comprehensive, structured & stimulating music classes for children 6 months – 5 years.

Our classically based curriculum is taught by opera singers, accompanied by orchestral instruments and is tailored to each stage of your child’s development.

£20 off your first term with the code LITTLE

www.thelittlelondonmusicschool.com info@thelittlelondonmusicschool.com Telephone: 07530 459 468 NOTTING HILL • FULHAM • KNIGHTSBRIDGE 102

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WHAT’S ON

AG E N DA

LIANNE KOLIRIN reveals what’s on in the capital Little London at Hamleys

Family Travel Show

LIT TLE LONDON AT HAMLEYS Sunday 23 October, 10am to 12pm.

Join us for a morning of adventure, as Little London comes to the capital’s favourite toy store. Enjoy face painting, puppet shows, treasure hunts and balloon modelling, plus exclusive on-the-day discounts and a VIP goody bag that’s not to be missed.

BEC & TOM’S AWESOME L AUNDRY

GUY FAWKES FESTIVAL

Sunday 30 October, 1.30pm and 3.30pm. Adults-only show, 8pm.

CBBC’s Bec Hill and Tom Goodliffe are doing two versions of their award-winning comedy show. Bring the family during the day, or venture down for a less tame version in the evening.

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November, 2pm to 7pm.

Where better to see fireworks than at the Royal Gunpowder Mills? Discover the story of Guy Fawkes with a performance, plus fairground rides and crafts.

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October.

This is the ideal launch pad for exploring new holiday ideas.

Choose from villas and ski trips to tropical rainforest retreats and all-inclusive luxury resorts, as specialist holiday providers are brought together under one roof.

Admission: From £10 each.

under-threes go free.

in advance; under-16s go free.

London W1B 5BT

JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road,

Royal Gunpowder Mills, Beaulieu

Olympia London, Hammersmith

littlelondonmagazine.co.uk/

London NW3 6ET

Drive, Waltham Abbey EN9 1JY

Road, Kensington, London W14 8UX

hamleys

020 7433 8988, jw3.org.uk

royalgunpowdermills.com

familytravelshow.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Admission: Free. Register online in advance for your free ticket.

Hamleys, 188-196 Regent Street,

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Admission: Adults, £9.75; child, £7.75;

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FAMILY TRAVEL SHOW

Admission: Adults, £8 when booked

WHAT’S ON

FIREWORKS AT LEGOL AND WINDSOR

EUK ANUBA DISCOVER DOGS

Various dates between Saturday 15 October and 5 November.

Spend Bonfire Night with your family at Legoland, watching the sky light up above you. If you can’t make it on 5 November, there’s plenty of opportunities throughout October, too. Watch the end-of-season display – inspired by Lego Nexo Knights – and see daring knights, powerful wizards and mighty monsters come to life. Be sure to arrive early to enjoy the resort’s rides and attractions, too.

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October, 10am to 5pm.

A fun family event packed with doggie displays and competitions.

There’s a Young Kennel Club area for children over six years to learn new skills and tricks. Or, if you’re looking for a pet, discover which breeds suit your family.

Admission: From £37 when booked in advance; under-threes go free.

Legoland Windsor Resort, Winkfield Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 4AY Pinocchio

0845 373 2640, legoland.co.uk

PINOCCHIO

FIREWORKS AT BAT TERSEA PARK

Saturday 15 October, 12pm to 6pm.

Celebrate African arts and culture with a fantastic day of entertainment, food stalls, fashion, a market and loads for the kids to get involved in. The festival returns to the heart of London for the third time, with live music, DJs, dancing and a talent show from the continent.

Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 October, performance times vary.

Award-winning choreographer Jasmin Vardimon presents a new adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s fairytale. Bringing to life the famous marionette, this family-friendly dance show follows Pinocchio as he embarks on his journey to become a boy. See website for details of accompanying dance workshop.

Saturday 5 November, 6pm.

Fireworks from 8pm.

Remember, remember the fifth of November for a spectacular firework display above Battersea Park this year. The popular London display hosted by Wandsworth council is set to a musical soundtrack, and visitors can enjoy food and drink from the various stalls in the park.

Entry is by advance ticket only.

Trafalgar Square, London WC2

Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Roseberry

Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ

london.gov.uk/events

Avenue, London EC1R 4TN

wandsworth.gov.uk/fireworks

AFRICA ON THE SQUARE

Admission: Free.

KIDTROPOLIS

Admission: From £12 each.

sadlerswells.com

Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 October, 9.30am and 2pm.

This brand new all-inclusive event for children aged up to 12 years features every activity and brand known to kids in the capital. Break records with Guinness World Records Live, take on Minecraft, try your hand at the Nerf Zombie Strike, play horse with the My Little Pony Friendship Tour, and much more.

FAMILY GHOST TOUR

booked in advance.

Admission: Adults, £14; child, £7.

Admission: See website for details.

FAGIN’S TWIST

Monday 31 October, 6.30pm to 9pm.

This Halloween, delve into Hampton Court Palace’s spookiest stories on an atmospheric family-focused ghost tour. Children aged eight and over are invited to meet a spectral cat and haunting hound, but wrap up warm – the weather won’t be the only thing giving you the chills…

Until Saturday 15 October, performance times vary.

This ambitious and energetic reimagining of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist by innovative hip-hop company Avant Garde Dance draws parallels between Victorian London and modern society. The eclectic show shines the spotlight on the the complex – and perhaps misunderstood – character of Fagin. Suitable for ages eight years and over.

ExCel London, 1 Western Gateway,

Hampton Court Palace, East

The Place, 17 Duke’s Road,

Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL

Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU

London WC1H 9PY

kidtropolis.co.uk

020 3166 6000, hrp.org.uk

020 7121 1100, theplace.org.uk

Admission: From £13.50 each when

Admission: Adults, £14.30; under-12s go free.

ExCel London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL discoverdogs.org.uk

FUN PAL ACES FAMILY DAY Saturday 1 October, 10am to 3pm.

Enter a laboratory of fun and tap into your mischievous side with this interactive day of activities.

Drop in and unlock your inner artist, get your hands messy and enjoy pop-up performances.

Admission: Free; some activities may cost extra.

Stratford Circus Arts Centre, Theatre Square, Stratford, London E15 1BX stratford-circus.com

CELEBRATING OSIRIS Monday 24 to Friday 28 October, 11am to 4pm.

In conjunction with The British Museum’s Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds exhibition, children are invited to listen to the myth of Osiris in storytelling sessions, make a model barge to add to a miniature city and make a mask to parade around the Great Hall.

Admission: Free.

The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG britishmuseum.org Fireworks at Legoland Windsor

Admission: From £12 each.

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WHAT’S ON

THE BIG DRAW

PETER PAN

Throughout October, see website for full event details.

Children big and small are encouraged to get creative with this month-long festival of drawing activities. The theme this year is The STEAM Powered Big Draw Festival, as part of a campaign to give arts subjects parity with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Thursday 16 November to Thursday 29 December, performance times vary.

JM Barrie’s children’s tale takes flight at the National Theatre this winter. Exploring the possibilities and pain of growing up, Peter Pan is a riot of magic, mischief and music. Suitable for seven years and over.

HIDDEN TREASURES AND SEA LEGENDS FAMILY RAVE Saturday 8 October, 2pm.

Everyone from the smallest swashbucklers to the biggest buccaneers will enjoy this event.

Expect the excitement of a mini festival, with glitter cannons, balloons and bubble machines.

Admission: Adults, £9; child, £6;

SNORKELLING WITH SHARKS IN THE DARK Thursday 27 to Monday 31 October, 7pm and 8.30pm.

This Halloween, Snorkelling with Sharks in the Dark returns.

Participants are submerged in a net, equipped with explorer-style torches to spot six species of shark. No experience necessary and there’s no age requirement, but kids must be 1.3m tall.

Admission: From £15 to £65.

non-walkers go free.

National Theatre, Upper Ground,

Museum of London Docklands,

Admission: Many events are free,

South Bank, London SE1 9PX

West India Quay, London E14 4AL

Sea Life London Aquarium, County

see website for specific details.

nationaltheatre.org.uk

museumoflondon.org.uk

Hall, Riverside Building, Westminster

MISCHIEF & MAYHEM

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS FAIR

Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB

Various locations nationwide thebigdraw.org

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE Tuesday 25 October, 1pm.

Ministry of Science Live is a fully engaging, interactive experience that explores energy and engineering using brilliantly designed demonstrations and historical references as a narrative. Expect loud explosions, a fully operational hovercraft, massive cannons, a push bike that makes the best smoothies and Darth Vader playing with plasma, sure to inspire your budding scientists.

Admission: Adults, £16.50; child, £14.50.

Bromley Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA 0844 871 7620 ministryofscience.org

FAMILY JAZ Z ALL- STARS Saturday 12 November, 2pm.

Part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, this event proves that you’re never too young to be a jazz fan. Family Jazz All-Stars showcases the stunning vocals of Zoe Gilby in an unmissable family-friendly show. Check out the festival’s website for other events for kids. Suitable for ages five years and over.

Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 October, 10am to 5pm.

This half term, head to the farm to get carving in the pumpkin patch, jump out of your skin in the spooky mansion and join in the trick-or-treat trial. There are also lots of animals, play areas and toboggan rides to enjoy.

visitsealife.com/london

Monday 31 October to Sunday 6 November, opening times vary.

Have Christmas all wrapped up at this high-end shopping event comprising 750 independent retailers and designers. There are also free interactive workshops on creating the perfect celebration.

FOOD FESTIVAL

under-twos go free.

under-12s go free.

Admission: Adults, £15; child, £7.60.

Lee Valley Farm, Stubbins Hall Lane,

Olympia Grand, Olympia London,

Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham,

Waltham Abbey EN9 2EF

Kensington, London W14 8UX

Dorking, Surrey RH5 6BD

lvfarms.co.uk

spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk

fantasticbritishfoodfestivals.com

Admission: Adults, £9.50; child, £8.50;

Admission: Adults, £19.50;

BADDIES

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October.

With glorious views of the rolling Surrey hills, head to Polesden Lacey for an autumnal feast.

With demos, tasting sessions and plenty for kids to enjoy, including garden games, a woodland play area and roaming storyteller.

Hidden Treasures and Sea Legends Family Rave

Tuesday 15 November to Sunday 1 January.

The Big Bad Wolf is in trouble – he’s been jailed for being too good at being bad. Along with fellow offenders Rumpelstiltskin, The Ugly Sisters and Captain Hook, he’s is determined to find out who’s changed the rulebook.

Admission: Adults, from £16; child, from £12.

Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, London SE1 2HZ unicorntheatre.com The Big Draw

Admission: Adults, £10; child, £5.

Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, Chelsea, London SW1X 9DQ 020 7324 1880 efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Admission: £130 each.

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WHAT’S ON

Baby to Toddler Show

Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas

RAYMOND BRIGGS’ FATHER CHRISTMAS Friday 18 November to Saturday 24 December.

Join Santa as he awakes on the busiest day of the year – Christmas Eve. Watch him prepare his deliveries, feed his reindeer and finally take flight into the night. Full of merry touches, with live music and puppetry. Suitable for kids aged six and under, and their families.

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November, 9.30am to 5.30pm.

A new two-day event from the organisers of The Baby Show, offering access to big brands and high street stores under one roof.

Admission: Adults, from £6 when

booked in advance. Kids go free.

ExCel London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL

King Street, London W6 0QL

babytotoddlerevents.co.uk

HAMLEYS CHRISTMAS TOY PARADE Sunday 20 November.

Pop down to Regent Street, where little ones will love seeing their favourite characters come to life. Amongst the stars from last year’s parade will be Barbie, Fireman Sam, Peppa Pig and Optimus Prime. New faces include Mr & Mrs Potato Head and the Ghostbusters.

Saturday 12 November, 11am to 2.30pm.

A new Lord Mayor is appointed in the City of London every year and there is a public show which makes for a great family day out.

The three-mile procession sets off from Mansion House, and the day finishes with a firework display over the Thames.

Friday 18 November to Monday 2 January 2017, 10am to 10pm.

The UK’s largest winter family event returns to Hyde Park.

Favourite attractions include the ice rink, giant observation wheel, Zippos Christmas circus and, new for this year, The Sooty Christmas Show. There’s plenty of rides for adults, too, as well as the Bavarian Village where you can indulge in bratwurst and mulled wine.

£39 each.

BABY TO TODDLER SHOW

Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square,

lyric.co.uk

WINTER WONDERL AND

Admission: Free. Grandstand seats,

Admission: £10 each.

020 8741 6850

THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW

THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK Until Sunday 20 November.

Enjoy the tale of Plop, the baby barn owl who is still learning to fly. He is very curious, almost always hungry, and he’s afraid of the dark! So his mother sends him on several missions to find out more about the night time.

Mansion House, London EC4N 8BH lordmayorsshow.london

Admission: Free; tickets for specific atrractions and rides cost extra.

MAGICAL MUSEUM SLEEPOVER Saturday 15 to Sunday 16 October, 7pm to 9am.

Head to the V&A Museum of Childhood for an evening of magical activities, trails and storytelling, before enjoying a night’s sleep in the company of fairies, dolls and trains. The next morning, have breakfast on the Marble Floor, before the museum opens to the public. Suitable for ages seven to 12 years.

Admission: £45 each.

V&A Museum of Childhood,

Hyde Park, London W2 hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

HALLOWEEN CRAFTS & PUMPKIN PARADE Sunday 30 October, from 2pm.

Gather the family together and enjoy Halloween-themed crafts, activities and face painting this October at Fulham Palace. Bring a pre-carved pumpkin and any musical instruments with you, so kids can make noise to scare away all the ghouls on the pumpkin parade at 4pm.

Admission: Free.

Cambridge Heath Road,

Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Park,

London E2 9PA

Fulham, London SW6 6EA

vam.ac.uk

fulhampalace.org

Winter Wonderland

Admission: Adults, £16; child, £10.

Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, London SE1 2HZ unicorntheatre.com

Admission: Free.

Regent Street, London W1 hamleys.com

WI ZARDS & WITCHES WEEK

Until Sunday 2 October.

As part of the celebration of its world-famous gardens, 15 very special gnomes will be popping up around Hampton Court Palace, revealing secrets to the mini explorers who find them.

Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 October, 10am to 5.30pm.

Enjoy a programme of spooky activities down on the farm, including a quiz trail, creepy craft corner and a reptile roadshow. Plus, there will be pumpkins for sale, and magic shows from the wizard!

applies; under-fives go free.

under-twos go free.

Hampton Court Palace, East

Bocketts Farm Park, Young Street,

Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU

Fetcham, Surrey KT22 9BS

hrp.org.uk

bockettsfarm.co.uk

DISCOVER GNOMES

Admission: Standard admission

Admission: Adults, £9.50; child, £9.95;

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LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

19 Dec - 07 Jan

‘IT’S GLORIOUS.’ The Daily Telegraph on Cinderella 2015

Tickets from £15 | lyric.co.uk | 020 8741 6850 Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, London W6 0QL

LOOK E IN-SID

EVENTS

0208 3462087 or 07957 581341 michelle@maevents.co.uk www.facebook.com/MAEventslondon www.maevents.co.uk

Lego

Bat M

itvah

Parti

es

Bar Mitvah

Private Parties

Entertainment

FUN & ORIGINAL EVENT CREATORS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Amazing Venues – Unique Entertainment – Fantastical Themes LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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First Railway

Adventures

Begin your little ones rail adventures with Bigjigs Rail’s award winning extensive range.  Educational & fun themes  UK designed product  Compatible with other brands

M /bigjigsrail N @bigjigsrail

B

B

Proud to be a

British

family run business

bethanblasephotography family lifestyle • children’s portraits • weddings Children grow up so quickly!

Seize the opportunity to capture that special look or happy memory through beautiful photographs, taken in your own home or location of your choice

Gift vouchers available

Tel: 07939447786 • Email: bethan@bethanblasephotography.com or visit the website: www.bethanblasephotography.com 108

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

GROUPS AND CLASSES Our favourite things to get out and do this month BALLET CL AS SES

SUPER SCIENCE

FO OTBALL C OAC H I N G

After-school and Saturday classes.

West London School of Dance was founded in 1986 by Anna Du Boisson.

The purpose of the school is to teach different forms of dance and provide students with the opportunity to perform in professionally staged productions, with classes for boys and girls aged twoand-a-half to 16 years old. The school’s philosophy is to inspire in its pupils a love of music, movement and freedom of expression. The classes are professional, all accompanied by pianists and taught by qualified staff. Unlike other ballet schools in London, the school does not follow an exam syllabus to measure progress; instead it offers the students the challenge and thrill of performance. Studios are located in W1, W2, W11, W12 and SW7. t: 020 8743 3856 westlondonschoolofdance.co.uk

LEARN TO SWIM

Fun and imaginative workshops.

Football fun for all the family.

t: 0800 092 1062 littlehouseofscience.com

t: 020 7937 7965 kiddikicks.co.uk

Little Maths, Rhythm & Shapes and Little Science are two fantastic afterschool workshops that nurture curiosity while making a child’s first steps in the world of maths and science that much easier. Little Maths workshops, for two to four year olds, help to build confidence with quantities and numbers ranging from one to 10. Meanwhile, tackling that other difficult-to-grasp subject, the Little Science workshop, for three to eight year olds, introduces new scientific concepts in an age-adjusted way through an exciting mix of discussions, practical demonstrations and scientific experiments.

FUN FRENCH LESSONS

The very best football coaching for toddlers and children aged from 18 months, with Nippers from 18 months, Runners from two-and-a-half years, Racers from threeand-a-half years and Ligasoccer match play from five to 10 years.

The classes are unique as they involve the whole family by encouraging parent participation. Get involved and see your child score a hat-trick of football, fitness and fun. Parties, private tutorials, holiday classes, nursery and after-school sessions are also available. Kiddikicks is available to franchise, too. Sign up today to receive your free mini player’s kit.

MAKING MUSIC

Classes in Chelsea, Knightsbridge and South Kensington.

Classes in Chelsea, Putney, Notting Hill and St John’s Wood.

Classes in Knightsbridge, Kensington and Notting Hill.

t: 07557 051904 swimmingrocks.co.uk

t: 020 7385 5565 clubpetitpierrot.co.uk

t: 07530 459468 thelittlelondonmusicschool.com

Swimming Rocks has established itself as London’s most exclusive swim school. Its dedicated teaching team are well-known for their outstanding knowledge.

Providing swimming lessons in luxury locations, courses are available for babies, children and adults either on a private or shared basis, or in a small group. And Swimming Rocks’ creative teaching pathway ensures every child develops their individual swimming style. Lessons are available daily during term time, as well as intensive courses in the holidays.

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Club Petit Pierrot, London’s premier French club since 1993, offers innovative, stimulating programmes for children from as young as eight months old.

Led by a team of passionate, qualified native teachers, children flourish and learn French effortlessly while having fun with a wide range of activities. The contemporary songs from the club’s educational CD also add to the enjoyment. Language experts agree that learning a second language early on enhances overall cognitive skills and improves a child’s brain development.

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The Little London Music School introduces your child to the joy of music and builds the foundations for learning an instrument. Specialising in classical music, it offers classes and tuition for children aged from six months to five years. The Little London Music School classes feature a tailor-made curriculum for each stage of your child’s development.

With professional musicians, teachers and orchestral instruments, its comprehensive curriculum is designed to foster enjoyment and understanding of music. Enjoy a free trial.

The Wellkid® vitamin range for children provides great all-round, carefully balanced formulas for kids aged 4-12 years. If you’re looking for a comprehensive formula with more than vitamins A, C and D, or the ideal Omega-3 or calcium supplement for kids, the Vitabiotics’ range of children’s vitamins has it covered.

See the full range at wellkid.com.

Wellkid® supports The Diana Award, which inspires and recognises social action in young people.

GREAT TASTING VITAMINS FOR KIDS

Multi-Vitamin Liquid

Multi-Vitamin

Immune Chewable

Soft Jelly

15 nutrients including iodine which contributes to normal growth of children

21 nutrients including iron which contributes to children’s normal cognitive development

24 nutrients, with zinc which contributes to normal immune system function

10 vitamins plus flaxseed oil in delicious wildberry or strawberry flavour

Britain’s No.1 Vitamin Company* ADWKDCONP 27-06-16E

*Nielsen GB ScanTrack Total Coverage Value Sales 52 w/e 26 March 2016.

From , Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, supermarkets, chemists, health stores & wellkid.com © 2015 Vitabiotics Ltd © 2015 KidZania, S.A de C.V

Working with

COMPETITIONS

CHANCE TO WIN Get involved in our exclusive competitions for Little London readers

£50 WORTH OF ORCHARD TOYS!

A TEEPEE FROM WIN GREEN!

As the award-winning creator of educational games and jigsaws, Orchard Toys is offering Little London readers the chance to win £50 worth of products of their choice. Children and parents alike will love Orchard Toys’ fun and varied range of more than 100 games and jigsaws, which are the perfect learning partner to teach colours, shapes, numbers, letters and more. With ranges suitable for children aged 18 months to 12 years, all the products are designed with little ones in mind.

Bright colours, cheerful characters and sturdy, wipe-clean cards and pieces mean they will stand the test of time against the wear and tear of messy little hands.

To celebrate Win Green’s 15th birthday, the brand is giving you the chance to win a teepee in a choice of three colours, worth £120! The cotton multi-stripe play tent is perfect for inspiring creative play, so head out to the garden, set up camp and enjoy an afternoon of reading, playing and picnicking.

Or, should the weather take a turn, transform your lounge, playroom or bedroom into a world of imagination by assembling inside. wingreen.co.uk

A PERSONALISED ‘BRUG’!

£250 TOY BUNDLE!

orchardtoys.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: ENAMY PHOTOGRAPHY

Designed with busy families in mind, the innovative Brug from Wunderlife is a multi-functional bag that transforms into a water-resistant rug – and we have two to give away. With the Brug, tidying away after little ones becomes easy – simply scoop up all the mess, then hang on a hook or fold away in its pouch, perfect for picnics, camping trips and outdoor play.

Worth £75 each, the Brug can also be personalised with the name or initials of your choice. wearewunderlife.com

Here’s your chance to win a fantastic selection of toys from British toy brand, Galt Toys. The cool prize bundle includes two Horrible Science kits, a Mega Marble Run, a bright red tricycle and a fun folding trampoline. Plus, there are masses of art and craft materials, from paper planes and origami to Sensational Sequins picture boards, puzzle books and Galt Toys’ signature Art Jar. There’s even a self-assembly robotic Robo Rover and friendship bracelet kits. Enjoy! galttoys.com

ENTER ONLINE AT LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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BOUTIQUES

BRAM WEARS SWEATER, £48.75, AND LEGGINGS, £14.95, BOTH FINGER IN THE NOSE AT SMALLABLE.

MILOU & PILOU

FANCY KIDS

Capture a slice of Mediterranean style with Milou & Pilou. The Spanish boutique has only been running for two years, but its comfortable, stylish clothing has proven to be a whirlwind success with mothers and daughters everywhere. For ages two to 10, its focus is the use of exclusive fabrics, such as traditional linen and Liberty-print poplin.

Everything is manufactured in the sewing shops of Barcelona, ensuring the brand’s production line remains local and ethical.

The people at Fancy Kids believe there need not be a trade-off between eco-friendliness and style; packed with characterful fashion, toys and lifestyle accessories, everything here is organically produced and of the highest quality. You can shop from a wide range of independent designers for children up to 10 years old, and the boutique will ship worldwide. Every product is as ethical as it is beautiful, so you can indulge your little ones without an ounce of guilt.

milouandpilou.com

fancykids.com

MISTER MASTER & LITTLE MISS

GREAT LITTLE TRADING CO

Also known as MMLM Kids, this online boutique offers stylish and colourful clothing for mini fashionistas aged up to 12 years.

The collections stocked are from several handpicked European brands, while the toys and gifts collection goes back to basics to provoke little ones’ imagination through play. Shop everything from sweet newborn ensembles to stunning party outfits and accessories for older children. Every order is sent out beautifully gift-wrapped, too.

Great Little Trading Co now has its first store in Wandsworth after 20 years in business online. The showroom is packed with furniture, toys and accessories for kids, and for those who require a little design assistance, there’s multiple room set-ups to draw inspiration from. With plenty of interior experts on hand to help, you’re sure to create dream bedrooms and playrooms that your children will love.

STOCKIST INFORMATION AMAZON

AMAZON.CO.UK

ANGEL’S FACE

ANGELS-FACE.CO.UK

BAKER BY TED BAKER

DEBENHAMS.COM

BILLIEBLUSH

HOUSEOFFRASER.CO.UK

BONPOINT

BONPOINT.COM

CARAMEL BABY & CHILD CARAMEL-SHOP.CO.UK CARRÉMENT BEAU

HOUSEOFFRASER.CO.UK

CHILDSPLAY CLOTHING

CHILDSPLAYCLOTHING.CO.UK

DEBENHAMS

DEBENHAMS.COM

ELEVEN PARIS

ELEVENPARIS.COM

ETSY

ETSY.CO.UK

HOUSE OF FRASER

HOUSEOFFRASER.CO.UK

JACADI

JACADI.COM

LE MU

LE-MU.CO.UK

LITTLE WARDROBE

LITTLEWARDROBELONDON.CO.UK

MAINIO

MAINIOCLOTHING.COM

MARIE-CHANTAL

MARIECHANTAL.COM

NO ADDED SUGAR

NOADDEDSUGAR.COM

PAPOUELLI

PAPOUELLI.COM

SMALLABLE

EN.SMALLABLE.COM

SOMEDAY SOON

SOMEDAY-SOON.COM

STONE ISLAND JUNIOR

STONEISLAND.CO.UK

UNIQLO

UNIQLO.COM/UK

WILD & GORGEOUS

WILDANDGORGEOUS.CO.UK

mmlmkids.com

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12 Buckhold Road, London SW18 4GP gltc.co.uk

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: HELEN MARSDEN

DANCIA INTERNATIONAL DANCIA.CO.UK

Santa Specials See Santa on a steam train!

Advance booking only!

The Great British Baby Company creates luxury apparel and accessories for young children, using the finest British materials and the finest British craftsmanship. Its pieces combine the modern and the traditional, honouring Britain’s heritage as the workshop of the world whilst celebrating the vibrancy of youth.

Enjoy the magic of a one hour steam train ride as Santa visits you at your seat with a gift for every child.

3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th - 24th December

+44 (0)1273 455845 • info@greatbritishbabycompany.com

www.greatbritishbabycompany.com

BOOK NOW ON WWW.WATERCRESSLINE.CO.UK

As recommended by

Bespoke design and build treehouses, playhouses and elevated platforms

Push—Click—Snapped on!

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk

We laser-etch your required name onto the tags - guaranteed not to come off! Simply click tag onto clothes label using the applicator —they’re re-usable too!

Keep tabs on their clothes with Suitable for domestic and industrial laundry and dry cleaning “I would have no hesitation in recommending Snappy Tags to parents at my school, and know that those who already use them are delighted.”

Teacher KS1 , Yorkshire

www.snappytags.co.uk LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Tel: (0844) 5611994 113

t: 01403 732 452

INTERVIEW

THE BUSINESS Hillary Graves founder of

LITTLE DISH The mother reveals how she was inspired to create nutritious meals for kids I set up the company when I was expecting my first child and noticed that you couldn’t buy healthy, fresh meals for little ones in the supermarkets. I wanted to make good food, with exciting flavours and textures, which busy parents would feel good about serving.

What sparked your passion for food?

I have always loved to cook, with a focus on natural ingredients. When I became a mum, I wanted my children to eat fresh food from an early age, and as a result, they are pretty good eaters now. That’s not to say they love every vegetable – but they will try most things and definitely share my love of cooking.

Describe a typical day for you.

I drop my two boys [Monty, nine, and Ridley, seven] at school and then race to the office

for meetings or product tastings. When I can squeeze in some exercise I feel better and more focused, but I don’t always manage to.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Working with such a talented team of people who are passionate about making a difference to children’s health is really inspiring. And as I’ve always been interested in healthy eating, creating new recipes and products doesn’t really feel like work.

Do you ever get your two boys involved in the recipe testing?

Absolutely! They are the inspiration behind lots of the Little Dish recipes. They love giving their opinions, and still eat the meals even though they are no longer toddlers!

Monty’s choices are the Pasta Bolognese or Lasagne, and Ridley loves the Chicken & Butternut Squash Pie. One of our favourite recipes to make is healthy fruit muffins, which are great for breakfast. We add all kinds of good stuff, like flaxseed, chopped apple and fresh berries. The recipe is on the Little Dish website.

How do you juggle family life with work?

I definitely haven’t mastered it – there are to-do lists

constantly running through my head! I find that a little forward planning can go a long way, though. For instance, preparing school uniforms and bags the evening before makes the morning run much more smoothly.

What’s been your proudest moment?

There are so many. Seeing Little Dish go on sale for the first time in 2006 was a really exciting moment, and we have won some lovely awards along the way. I am also really proud of our Little Dish Family Cookbook.

What advice would you give to those wanting to launch their own brand?

Ensure you have a good support system in place. There will be some tough times, so it’s helpful to know someone is there if needed, whether it’s for last-minute childcare or to chat through your latest challenge with.

What can we expect from Little Dish in the next 12 months?

We’ve just launched our Little Dish Pots & Pies range which are tasty, nutritionistapproved toddler meals. Plus, we have more product launches in the pipeline, including soups and more healthy snacks. We’ve also just written a handy nutrition guide – The Great Toddler Food Adventure – which is available for parents to download free. L littledish.co.uk

The Little Dish Family Cookbook features recipes to make with your children

LITTLELONDONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Why did you set up Little Dish?

Transforms from rocker, to high chair to nursery chair or rocking chair

birth–19.5 kg, 40–105 cm

cleverly convertible Why settle – when you can have it all (from the start!)? REBL, our one-click smart 360° seat not only meets and exceeds the i-size standard (allowing your little one to ride safer for longer – rear facing) but is also cleverly convertible, from their first outing all the way up to their fourth birthday.

We’ve checked all the boxes, so you can focus on the road ahead – knowing what’s riding behind you is safe and sound.

learn all about it at nuna.eu