Families SE July-Aug 2011 issue 131

ISSUE NO. 131 ESTABLISHED 1996

®

www.familiesse.co.uk

Emerging – for life

south east london

Herne Hill School for love, care and an excellent education Independent Co-ed Pre-Prep & Nursery

3-7 Years, Founded 1976, Member ISA

Join a Headteacher’s tour during term time or visit on Open Morning Sat. 24th Sept. 10am-12.30pm.

We look forward to meeting you!

The Old Vicarage, 127 Herne Hill, SE24 9LY Tel: 020 7274 6336 www.hernehillschool.co.uk

Aiming far – for life

EE

FR

JULY / AUGUST 2011

THE CHILDREN have kicked their schoolshoes under the bed for seven weeks (they won’t fit come September, I’ll bet), and are ready for some lazy-day fun.

The long school holidays - don’t you just love ‘em? It’s a resounding “yes” from the little ones, and a mixed bag from the grown ups who dread the inevitable “I’m bored”. But hey - this is London - surely the finest playground in the country, filled with holiday workshops and daycamps and parks and back gardens and festivals and free museums to explore.

There’ll barely be time to draw breath before it’s time to play hunt the school tie again.

We’ll be back in September - enjoy the break.

IN THIS ISSUE 2-3 Local News and Views

Robina Cowan, editor

Making music with your children; award-winning local companies; nursery places and get-togethers for dads

4-5 Take me to the River Our tourists’ eye view of some family-friendly attractions on and close to the Thames

6 Book Review Page Justine Crow’s guide to surviving the summer hols with a whole lot of books

7 Education News Step Live celebrates the achievements of schools across London; helping your child with reading, and girls are sporting champs

8-9 Summer Holiday Workshops Sports, daycamps, theatre arts and more - supervised activities for the school holidays

10-11 Mothers Mean Business Showcasing two southeast London mothers who run children’s classes - and how they started out

12-13 What’s New Expert tips for fussy eaters, plus offers, competitions and new products and services

14-19 What’s On Families’ whopping six page guide to summer events, festivals, shows and family workshops

20 The Back Page Local business contacts to make your life easier Front cover: Fun on Brighton beach, photographed by Storme Sabine Photography, www.stormesabine.com, 07967 606227 Next issue: 2 September 2011,

copy deadline late July Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240 www.familiesse.co.uk editor@familiesse.co.uk

LocalNews email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

Children’s activities Making music on Saturdays Monkey Music is launching new Saturday morning classes in southeast London - great news for working families who can’t make the weekday sessions.

Rebecca Maskell runs Monkey Music in Greenwich. She told us: “Our new Saturday morning classes are the perfect opportunity for working mums and dads to spend real quality time with their babies and young children. Being with your child as they discover and develop through music is an amazing and magical experience. Our half hour classes are full of fun and learning and parents shouldn’t worry – they’re not expected to be a musical expert. They can just come along and share in a formative and uplifting experience with their child. Quite apart from the education Monkey Music’s classes provide, there’s a strong social angle to what we do too, with parents meeting other parents and children discovering new friends.” It’s a winning formula that has won Monkey Music many thousands of fans throughout the country and prestigious national awards including the ‘Best Toddler Development Award’ in the What’s On 4 Little Ones? Awards.

Classes are held during the week in Dulwich, Blackheath, Greenwich and Herne Hill during the week, and now on Saturdays in Greenwich. For more information, call 020 8764 5185 or see www.monkeymusic.co.uk.

Indoor fun Gambado playcentre in Beckenham has a fantastic summer offer for Families readers. Children's entry is reduced to £7, and adults go FREE. For details and your voucher, see our back page.

Caterpillar music Caterpillar Music in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey is now run by Tim and Emily, who have lots of experience already running classes in west London.

The weekly classes for 0-4 year-olds are full of music, songs and actions. There is a different theme each week which every child explores with a percussion instrument and puppet - even the youngest members (some babies are as young as eight weeks old!).

For classes in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, call Tim or Emily on 020 8979 9139, for Dulwich, call Suzie on 0778 613 0537, and for Blackheath and Lee, call Anna on 020 8693 9731, www.caterpillarmusic.com.

48 St German’s Road Forest Hill London SE23 1RX Tel/Fax: 020 8690 4100 Web: www.pittapattadaynursery.co.uk

A Home away from home: where your child comes first!

..

Offer .

W•eFree French, Spanish and Italian Lessons

• Free Parents NurseryCam CCTV high security video link • Piano Lessons available taught by a BA (Hons) Teacher • A beautifully landscaped 140ft garden offering unique outdoor experiences • An Early Years Foundation Stage National curriculum designed to maximise your child’s learning and development potential.

Warm | Friendly | Secure | Stimulating | Fun Monday to Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm

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families south east - july / august 2011

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News for grown ups Biff are best for feet It’s highly likely that your children will outgrow their school shoes during the summer holidays.

In Dulwich Village, Biff not only has an expert shoe fitting service; Families readers can also buy Startrite plimsolls for half price with every pair of full price leather school shoes they buy. For your voucher, see page 7.

Biff is a fabulous family-run childrenswear shop at 43 Dulwich Village SE21 7BN, 020 8299 0911, www.biffkids.co.uk.

Taxfile is ‘best small business’

Who’s the daddy?

The fathers we see out and about with their children look like they’re having the best playtime together - particularly when they’re joining in group activities.

SouthEast London Dads is a local group which started in the summer of 2008 when Martin Hastings took over caring for his daughter full time and as he put it, feared being cut off from male company and losing his sanity.

Set up to provide social and practical support, today there are over 70 dads (and uncles, granddads, male carers etc) on the contact list from all sorts of backgrounds, who meet up regularly with their children for fun and a bit of healthy male bonding. The constantly-changing schedule of social events includes weekly Stay and Play sessions in Lee, Telegraph Hill and Catford; free courses such as nutrition, cooking and first aid training; social events, activities and excursions to local attractions.

Set up as a non-profit organisation, SouthEast London Dads works closely with Fathers Outreach Co-ordinators at Greenwich and Lewisham councils so are able to refer members to other services and facilities locally.

For more information, log onto www.selondondads.org.uk, email info@selondondads.org.uk, or sign up for email bulletins by emailing Ian at southeastlondondads@gmail.com.

New nursery in Lewisham Excell Learning Centre has opened a new nursery in Lewisham to provide childcare for children aged from three months to five years. The nursery is in a beautiful purpose-built building, which offers spacious indoor and outdoor play areas.

The staff provide a well planned curriculum following the Early Years Foundation Stage. Full and part time places are available from 8am-6pm round the year, in Wisteria Road SE13, and at Excell’s nursery in Lee. For more information, call 020 8852 8500 or email excelllearning-centre@hotmail.co.uk.

Children’s bookshop of the year Congratulations to Tales on Moon Lane in Herne Hill, who have won the Walker Independent Children’s Bookshop of the Year 2011 at the Bookseller Industry Awards.

Also to manager Georgina Hanratty who won the Sue Butterworth Young Bookseller of the Year.

The family-centred bookshop has an enticing stock of children’s books for all ages, with friendly, well-read staff on hand to help customers. Tales on Moon Lane is at 25 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill SE24 9JU, 020 7274 5759, www.talesonmoonlane.co.uk.

Taxfile have been nominated as one of the finalists in the category of Best Small Business in the South London Business Award 2011 in association with HSBC. The company is already Best Small Business winner in the 2011 Lambeth Business Award.

Proprietor Guy Bridger has 20 years’ experience as an accountant, and is an advisor to the Office of Tax Simplification. In April he celebrated his fifteenth year in business, serving over 2000 local small businesses and self-employed workers with hassle free tax advice and accountancy services.

In May, Taxfile donated a planter to the local community, in the presence of the Lambeth Mayor and Thurlow Park councillors. The planter is fixed outside Tulse Hill station.

For friendly advice advice about tax and accounting, visit www.taxfile.co.uk or call 020 8761 8000.

Childcare vouchers Over half of parents whose employers provide childcare vouchers don’t know that they can also be used to make big savings on the cost of holiday clubs, activity camps and other summer entertainment for children.

In research conducted by Computershare Voucher Services (CVS), 56% of the parents questioned said they did not know they could use childcare vouchers for these types of activity, with many believing they could only be used for nursery and more traditional childcare.

CVS managing director Julian Foster comments: “The summer holidays can be a particularly expensive time for parents, as paying for additional childcare and keeping the kids entertained can soon mount up. I’m surprised by how many parents are missing out financially by not using vouchers towards other types of registered care” If you are using registered care, be it breakfast clubs, after schools clubs, or even music lessons and other extracurricular activities, ask if they accept childcare vouchers and start making those savings.

HAPPY CONFIDENT BOYS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH Anxiety affects the lives of up to 1 in 10 children in the UK. Can you help?

We are looking for confident, happy 10 to 16 year old boys and their parents (or guardians) to act as control families in a study investigating the assessment of anxiety in young people. Interested?

For more information Telephone: 020 7848 0345 Email: lois.grayson@kcl.ac.uk Visit: www.anxietyinyoungpeople.co.uk £25 gift voucher! Families who participate in the full study will receive a £25 HMV / Waterstones voucher.

This study is approved by the London-St Giles Camberwell Research Ethics Committee; 10/H0807/67

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Barbican

Weekender

Extraordinary Voices 23 & 24 Jul 2011 Two days of free events from artists & performers, choirs, poets beat boxers, storytellers and installations for all ages.

Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

In association with home live art

barbican.org.uk/weekender

july /august 2011 - families south east

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THE MUSEUM OF LONDON

TOWER OF LONDON TOWER BRIDGE

Take me to the river

THE BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM

HMS BELFAST TATE MODERN MILLENNIUM BRIDGE

SOMERSET HOUSE THE GOLDEN HINDE KEW BRIDGE STEAM MUSEUM

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE

THAMES CLIPPERS SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM D-DAY DUCK TOURS HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BATTERSEA PARK

AS LONDONERS, it’s all too easy to take our wonderful city for granted, and miss out on the many family-friendly attractions out there. The long school holidays are a great time to explore what’s on and beside the Thames, as we’ve been finding out:

ON THE WATER THAMES CLIPPERS For a leisurely view of London from a different perspective, take the Thames Clipper and admire stunning landmarks such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Bridge, the Tate Galleries, HMS Belfast, the National Maritime Museum and 02 Dome. The high speed catamarans leave the major piers every 20 minutes, and tickets are available on piers, onboard or in advance.

0870 781 5049, www.thamesclippers.com.

TIP: book a one day River Roamer Ticket and you can hop on and hop off at the many piers all day. Under 5s free, child tickets £6.30, adults £12.60.

HMS BELFAST The huge, nine-deck warship saw active service during the Second World War and played a peacekeeping role until the 1960s. Once both workplace and home to a 950-strong crew - complete with a bakery, dental surgery, sick bay, chapel and laundry - this floating, naval museum can be explored through interactives in the Operations Room and Gun Turrett, and regular events including hands-on artefacts sessions.

Open 10am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, £13.50 adults. Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1, 020 7940 6300, www.hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk, (Thames Clipper London Bridge City Pier) TIP: there are lots of ladders to climb - plan your footwear for the visit.

THE GOLDEN HINDE The full size replica of Sir Frances Drake’s 16th Galleon is great fun for children with a piratical bent, and an opportunity to learn about life on the high seas during the Tudor era. Costumed staff add to the experience, and at weekends you can book children’s parties.

Open 10am-5.30pm daily, family tickets from £18. St Mary’s Overie Dock SE1, 020 7403 0123, www.goldenhinde.com, (Thames Clipper Bankside Pier).

TIP: spend longer onboard - once a month the Golden Hinde hosts Family Overnight Living History Tours with evening activities and a night sleeping among the cannons before a Tudor-style breakfast the next morning.

MORE IDEAS: TOWER BRIDGE for a view over the Thames from the high level walkways, pausing at the interactive kiosks before following the blue painted line to the Victorian engine rooms. Tower Bridge SE1, 020 7403 3761, www.towerbridge.org.uk.

MILLENNIUM BRIDGE for great Thames views while strolling across the river from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Tate Modern. No longer wobbly, the bridge still squeaks underfoot, which our son finds rather amusing.

D-DAY DUCK TOURS take passengers back in time in amphibious ‘Duck’ vehicles which were built for D-Day. Travelling through London streets before splashing down in the Thames, character guides reveal the capital’s most important WW2 sites including the Cabinet War Rooms, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.

First Sunday of the month, from Chicheley Street SE1 (behind the London Eye), 020 7928 3132, www.londonducktours.co.uk.

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families south east - july / august 2011

RIVERSIDE ATTRACTIONS MARITIME GREENWICH Seas, ships and stars all come together in at the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Set within a huge park, visitors to the grand buildings, dating back to the 17th century, follow a breathtaking historical tour of our naval and astronomical history, taking in ships, royal barges and exhibitions, with regular family activities featuring costumed guides. For current exhibitions, see our What’s On listings.

Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free. The National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory, Romney Road, Greenwich SE10 9NF, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk.

TIP: take a picnic and enjoy sweeping views to the Thames while your little ones let of steam with a good runaround in the park.

BRUNEL MUSEUM A hidden gem located in historic Rotherhithe, the Brunel Museum harks back to the glory and achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel father and son famed civil engineers and bridge builders of the Victorian era (think Paddington Station, the Clifton Suspension Bridge..).

The museum sits atop the Thames Tunnel - the oldest tunnel in use on the London Underground system, where Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel worked together to design steam engines to pump Thames water from the tunnel.

Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free for under 16s, £2 adults. Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe SE16 4LF, 020 7231 3840, www.brunel-museum.org.uk.

(Thames Clipper Greenland Pier).

TIP: at the time of writing, the museum was awaiting approval from Transport for London for their popular guided floodlit train tours - check ahead for these; special events and summer holiday activities to make the most of your visit.

SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM The big hit at the aquarium this summer is the addition of nine Gentoo penguins. Their new home allows visitors to watch them playing above ground and swimming underwater. Ask when the next feeding time will be, to see the penguins chomping on fish directly from their keeper’s hands.

The London Aquarium also houses a huge array of fish and marine mammals in recreations of their natural habitats, including rare crocodiles, turtles, ray fish, frogs, jelly fish and 11 species of shark.

EXPLORE MORE Once in central London, there are many jam-packed museums telling the story of our city - and admission is often free.

See our What’s On listings for event details, meanwhile here are some of our favourites: SOMERSET HOUSE is a short stroll from the river to the Strand entrance.

During the summer months, 55 fountains dance in the courtyard, and there are contemporary art and design exhibitions within, plus free guided tours, and family workshops on Saturday afternoons and during the summer holidays.

Strand, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM Ah - don’t we all just love banks? The original ‘Old Lady’ of Threadneedle Street is the foundation of the UK’s financial centre, and its museum explains how money makes the world go round, with impressive displays including real gold bars, old bank notes, and the weapons that were once used by Bank guards. Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum.

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THE GEFFRYE MUSEUM BRUNEL MUSEUM

MARITIME GREENWICH

Sea Life open 10am-6pm daily (until 7pm Fridays to Sundays), on the door admission free for under 3s, £14.04 children, £19.02 adults, families £60: reductions when booked online before your visit. County Hall, Southbank SE1, 0871 663 1678, www.sealife.co.uk/london (Thames Clipper London Eye Pier) TIP: arrive early if you can - although big, the Aquarium does get busy, and little ones have a habit of wanting to spend ages in front of their favourite displays.

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT Delve inside the corridors of power where all the country’s decisions are debated and agreed, and discover 1,000 years of British history. The 75 minute Blue Badge guided tours unravel the fascinating blend of history and politics within one of the most recognisable buildings in the world.

Explore the Lords and Commons Chambers plus other highlights such as Westminster Hall, the Queen’s Robing Room, the Royal Gallery, Peers’ Lobby, Central Lobby, Members’ Lobby, St Stephen’s Hall, and see the six vast paintings depicting the Spanish Armada.

Tours available at weekends all year round, and weekdays from 29 July 3 September and 3 September - 1 October.

Child tickets from £6, adults £15, families £37. Palace of Westminster SW1A 0AA, 0870 9063773, www.parliament.uk, (Thames Clipper Embankment Pier) TIP: the tours are popular - particularly with overseas visitors during the summer months - book ahead to secure your slot.

TOWER OF LONDON Over nine hundred years of history are packed within the Tower’s impressive walls, from the tale of the two boy princes, locked away in the mid 1400s, to the famous crown jewels and the legendary ravens.

Current exhibitions include Fit for a King - a display of the spectacular arms and armour worn by kings and royal princes, and Royal Beasts, telling of the imperial royal menagerie which was founded during the reign of King John in the early 1200s.

Open 9am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10am Sundays and Mondays. Admission free for under 5s, children £10.45, adults £19.80; book for less online. Tower Hill ECN 4AB, 0844 482 7777, www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon (Thames Clipper Tower Millennium Pier).

TIP: log onto the website’s ‘fun and games’ pages before you go, to familiarise your children with what they can see at the Tower.

Summer fun!

25 July – 2 September

Come write with us Turn your visit into a story to remember. Use ideas from the Museum displays and your creative talents to record your visit in words and pictures in a book to take home. Materials will be provided.

Admission free 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and public holidays. Entrance in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH. Tel: 020 7601 5545 www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum

Free Summer Fun!

MORE IDEAS: SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE a replica of the original Tudor theatre, with dramatic productions, family-friendly demonstrations of theatrical sword fighting, and story-telling.

21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT, 020 7902 1400, www.shakespeares-globe.org.

TATE MODERN for its massive, jaw-dropping entrance hall and plentiful displays of contemporary art, with free family events every weekend and an under 5s zone. Bankside, SE1 9YG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/modern, (Thames Clipper Bankside Pier).

KEW BRIDGE STEAM MUSEUM houses the world’s largest collection of working steam pumping engines, and runs a steam railway every Sunday from April to October. Thomas the Tank Engine was never this fun! Green Dragon Lane, (north end of Kew Bridge), Brentford TW8 0EN, 020 8568 4757, www.kbsm.org.

BATTERSEA PARK for the boating lake, cycles for hire, an adventure playground and children’s zoo. Albert Bridge Road SW11 4NJ, www.batterseapark.org.

Holiday Activities for 3-16 year olds 26–29 July, 2–5 August and 9–12 August Explore English and Japanese homes and gardens.

Please check website for exact times of workshops

Family Days for all ages THE MUSEUM OF LONDON has two locations which recreate city life from the Romans through the Great Fire of London, to Victorian street scenes and more, with regular costume-led workshops and story sessions for children. Museum of London, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, and Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk.

THE GEFFRYE MUSEUM gives an idea of how people lived in less frenetic times, with permanent displays of furnished room settings dating from around 1600 to modern times, a walled herb garden and restored 18th century almshouse. It’s worth a family visit just to see the disbelief on children’s faces when they realise that in the “old days”, people didn’t have televisions, Xboxes, fitted carpets, electricity.... Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk.

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24 July and 14 August, 12 noon–5pm Music, dance, craft activities, stories and garden games.

Restaurant open or bring a picnic to eat on the lawn!

136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA. 020 7739 9893

www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

july / august 2011 - families south east

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The Bookseller Crow

is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business.

Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

I LIKE TO BE away from London for the whole of the school summer holidays.

Consequently, over the years I have embarked on some pretty stressful trips alone with three small children while their father has stayed behind to look after the shop and get unbroken nights of mad, passionate sleep. I’ve driven hundreds of miles with S Club 7 on a loop, single-handedly erecting tents in gales, changing nappies on the hard-shoulder and on one occasion I managed to land us in the middle of a mountain fire emergency. It was nice and hot though. A particularly low point came when I took a ferry and paid for a cabin although it was daytime so that I could keep my kids safe in one place, with a loo, away from all the other passengers. Until, that is, a furious woman hammered on the door complaining that she was down the corridor trying to sleep after towing a caravan all night. I ended up out on deck with my two toddlers and an eight year old in the pouring rain while she, poor love, got some rest.

1001 THINGS TO SPOT ON HOLIDAY by Hazel Maskell & Teri Gower - Usborne rrp £7.99. You see, the key to a successful hol with small ones is books. Lots of ‘em. Nothing precious. Nothing that can’t double as a tray or bottom-wipe (try doing that with a Kindle). Nothing that can’t be dropped over the side of a P&O ship so the fish have something to read (fortunately that was on the return leg). I’ve always championed Usborne for its robust, bright books full of diversions and here we have an opportunity to count as well as apply wee minds exhausted by the excitement of all those bribes. How many headphones on the plane trip page?

How many lost poles on the ski slopes? How many guitars on the campsite? Three? Three too blimmin’ many...

THE USBORNE WRITE YOUR OWN STORY BOOK, rrp £7.99, is a spiral bound piece of genius containing tips on writing all sorts of adventures with an empty contents page for filling up, blank chapters and even a comic strip with speech bubbles to fill. !@*#!! said mummy, when the gas bottle ran out halfway through cooking tea.

THOMAS FLINTHAM’S MARVELLOUS MAZES - Scholastic rrp £6.99. All that’s required here is a biro. With mazes in castles, on bears’ tummies, round cityscapes and through clouds, with a bit of luck, your little darlings won’t get to the end of the night sky before they pass out.

BEST BUSY YEAR EVER by Richard Scarry - Sterling rrp £9.99.

The author being the original filler of pages with all sorts of distractions, Busytown doesn’t disappoint through the seasons with Scottie dancing round the maypole and Hilda Hippo doing ballet; there are diggers and dinghies and harvests and Halloween and an octopus in a baby-gro eating eight ice-creams. Naturally.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwartz - Walker rrp £11.99. With lots to look at by the same author/ illustrator as There Are Cats in This Book, the mouse family travel intrepidly from their old home in a mattress across the junkyard guarded by a proud Doberman on a chain until they reach the startlingly beautiful final scene though the hole in the fence.

There’s lots to look at here for us grown-ups in Dave Roberts’ RAPUNZEL, a groovy fairy-tale retold by Lynn Roberts, Anova rrp £5.99 - can you spot the seminal Blondie album cover?

Or the poster of Kate Bush? With platform shoes and lava-lamps, spacehoppers and chopper bikes and cans of Silvikrin. Well, is she or isn’t she?

This Welsh flavoured double-story (turn it upside down), TALES FROM THE DEEP, Pont rrp £5.99, is by Cerys Matthews, she of Catatonia and a very public love affair. With ethereal pictures by Fran Evans, being a parent now, our erstwhile road-rager knows the value of a good story (or two) at bedtime.

And THE NANNY GOAT’S KID by that dynamic duo, Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, Andersen rrp 5.99, will make you laugh. And we all need a sense of humour on holiday, eh? Now shut-up and get back in your sleeping bag so I can drink a bottle of wine in the dark on my own.

Have your kids been glued to the Horrible Histories on telly like mine? Never has the plague been so hilarious. While the brilliant TV version of the homework books swings giddily from medieval sieges to Victorian prudishness, the LADYBIRD BOOK OF KINGS & QUEENS OF ENGLAND, rrp £7.99 proceeds in an

orderly fashion making sense of the timelines. And makes you sound dead clever in holiday quizzes. Meanwhile, A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE ROBBERIES & MURDERS OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS PIRATES by Captain Charles Johnson, Conway, rrp £7.99 was originally published in 1724 and caused a sensation with its depiction of piracy. For older readers of the kind of solid disposition borne out of Thorpe Park hell rides, Xbox games and Hollyoaks, tidied up with capital letters, David Cordingley provides a fascinating intro and commentary that will grip and mortify.

For older readers too, THE MIDNIGHT PALACE by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Orion rrp £12.99, famed for his novel Shadow of the Wind, another journey in history. It’s 1916 and someone is being chased through the heart of Calcutta...

THE LAZY GIRL’S GUIDE TO A BLISSFUL PREGNANCY by Anita Naik - Piatkus rrp £8.99. You don’t stop being preggers just cos you are on holiday. This is small and light enough to pack and answers most of the queries that pop-up. Mindyou, I spot a gap in the market for a title that tells you what you can and can’t eat in different countries, whether it is safe to swim in the sea, what the Italian is for pile cream, how to deal with the two-bobbits and other illnesses abroad, flying, early labour... Eek! Stay at home, stay at home...

THE ART OF ROUGHHOUSING by Anthony T. DeBenedet & Lawrence J. Cohen - Quirk rrp £9.99. Camping in the 70s, when my parents finally put some clothes on before leaving us kids behind at the tent so they could go out to eat with some crazy Dutch guy, my dad warned grimly: “No Horseplay..” And I didn’t have a clue what he meant. I mean, they left us alone surrounded by strangers, matches, cherry brandy and Campingaz canisters but where were we going to find horses to play with? These people positively command horseplay. Preferably, however, with a grown-up present. This is rough and tumble stuff, like climbing up dad (not mine though) and mattress rafting and swinging babies round and pretending to be Peter Parker. All on doctors’ orders.

REMAKE IT! by Tiffany Threadgold - Sterling rrp £8.99. Now I know you won’t believe me but I am the person who took a sewing machine and a scrap bag away with us one year. No, not because I can make things. I can’t. But my kids had gone craft mad and what better way to pass a wet August in a Normandy farmhouse stuck in the middle of nowhere than cutting up all the stuff that was supposed to go in the scary wasp ridden village recycling bank, to make sculptures and bags and jewellery that’s nice dear.. (And it all went straight into the poubelle when it was time to come home).

ABC UK by James Dunn & Helen Bate - Frances Lincoln rrp £4.99. A pocket sized edition of their exceedingly British alphabet book to annoy all those foreigners while you experience delays in the departure lounge on your return journey, featuring those idiosyncrasies you missed while away, like B for Beatles, F for Football, M for Mini, P for Punk, S for Stonehenge and U for Union Jack. And if the person lucky enough to be sat next to your family for the next six hours complains, you can flick ‘em the Vs for Vindaloo.

Yes, you could say that I brought it on myself and should have stayed at home going quietly up the wall all summer. But my brain needed exercise after all that food mushing and pushchair folding; even if speaking French meant finding the word for ‘impetigo’ before braving the svelte lady pharmacists in their white coats, lipstick and spike heels (not a Coop chemist badge and overall in sight) and feigning incomprehension when asked: “Whose child is that?” at the sight of Trasha climbing the Clarins display. And I often think of that cow with the caravan on the ferry.

I truly hope her holiday was ruined by having children around her wherever she went. I’d do it all over again just for that.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk 6

families south east - july / august 2011

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Education news Step LIVE! Step LIVE! is a huge showcase performance by local young people, taking place at Sadler’s Wells on Sunday 17 July.

The production is the culmination of Step into Dance, a multi-borough programme providing free dance training through secondary schools in London. Classes explore a variety of dance disciplines from ballroom to Bollywood, jazz to jive and everything in between, including contemporary, hip hop, street dance, African and Latin, attracting a cross section of young people, regardless of experience or ability.

Artistic director Sue Goodman explained: “It has always been our aim to raise the standard of work and demand that our students do the best that they are able to do.

So many young people are without focus – dance is the one thing that can really grab their imaginations and offer the physical discipline that helps them in all areas of their young lives.”

Doors open at 4.30pm on 17 July for free foyer events which include spectacular hip hop battles together with a DJ, judges and compere. There will also be site-specific work in the foyers containing real elements of surprise, event highlights on video, plus dance films featuring local schools. For ticket bookings, call 020 7863 8198 or go to www.sadlerswells.com.

Step into Dance is led by the Royal Academy of Dance and funded by The Jack Petchey Foundation. So far, the Foundation has awarded grants of £868,500 with a further £440,000 being awarded to continue the programme throughout 2010/11.

Step into Dance is currently available in 150 secondary schools in the 18 London boroughs of Bromley, Bexley, Barnet, Camden, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Lambeth, Merton, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth, Waltham Forest. For further information visit www.stepintodance.org.

Alleyn’s

Junior School

Independent day school for boys and girls aged 4 –11 Townley Road, Dulwich, London SE22 8SU

OPEN DAYS 2011

Co-educational Excellence

Saturday 17 September 10am – 12.30pm Thursday 3 and Tuesday 15 November 1.30 – 3.00pm The Headmaster will give a short talk during the morning/afternoon, and visitors may look around the school. It is not necessary to book for Open Days. For further details please see our website www.alleyns.org.uk We look forward to welcoming you to Alleyn’s Junior School.

Please email juniorregistration@alleyns.org.uk or call 020 8557 1519 to obtain a prospectus or for any other information.

Read with your children

By Liz Walker, founder of Reading Chest Regular reading with your children is probably the most important thing you can do to help with their education.

Reading not only opens up the world of literature, but also opens all the other curriculum doors at school.

Ideally, read with your children every day. If children are in a routine of reading at a certain time every day, then they are much less likely to complain. Don’t be daunted by ‘new’ teaching methods. Most children are now taught to read at school using phonics - but this isn’t anything new. They are learning to read by blending together sounds which are made of single letters or groups of letters. A good example of using phonics to read is when trying to read the word ‘high’ for the first time. It does not make any sense to sound out each individual letter ‘h-i-g-h’, but children need to know that this word is made up of two sounds represented by the letters ‘h’ and ‘igh’.

As a teacher and mum of children learning to read, I recognise that many parents want to do as much as they can to be involved in their child’s reading development, but it is not as easy as it seems. I launched Reading Chest to provide guidance and easy access to appropriate books for children learning to read.

READER OFFER: Families readers can get £5 off their first month’s membership to Reading Chest by logging onto the website www.readingchest.co.uk and entering the discount code ‘FAMILIES’

Half Price Offer

Sporting success at SCHS A team of sporty girls from Streatham & Clapham High School added to their already bulging trophy cabinet when they became Lambeth Athletics Champions in May. After a number of senior school pupils took part in finals against other schools, including relays, sprints, middle distance and field events, the school was placed first.

Head of PE Mrs Basson commented: “We are so proud of the girls. They show such outstanding sportsmanship and skills, and work so hard to do their best for our school.”

Streatham & Clapham High school is an independent junior and senior girls’ day school and a member of the Girls’ Day School Trust. For admissions information, call 020 8674 6912 or go to www.schs.gdst.net.

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Buy any pair of full price leather school shoes and get a fantastic 50% off any pair of Startrite plimsolls.

Simply bring a clipping of this advertisement and the deal is yours.

Offer ends on Sunday 14th August, don’t miss out!

Biff, 41-43 Dulwich Village SE21 7BN 0208 299 0911 www.biffkids.co.uk Now open 7 days per week

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THE BOOGIE CLUB PRESENTS SUMMER DANCE WORKSHOPS SUMMMER R DANCE CAMP AUG 1st - 3rd 10.30am - 3pm AGES 6 - 10 Zumbatomic Musical Theatre Streetdance and more!

GREASE WORKSHOP AUG 8th - 11th 10.30am - 12.30pm AGES 7 - 10 Learn dance routines from this fantastic show!

For more info and bookings please call Jo on 07791 262 020 or email theboogieclub@hotmail.com Workshops are held at Push Studios, 17-21 Blackwater St, East Dulwich, SE22 8SD

summerholidayworkshops School’s out for summer. What will your little ones get up to?

For safe, supervised fun, here are plenty of ideas

Sports and multi activities AVP SPORTS

TENNIS IN SYDENHAM

11 July - 26 August, DULWICH COLLEGE, 07762 079 937, www.avpsports.co.uk Holiday sports, games and art activities for 5-14 yearolds, run by sports coaches, teachers and supervisors.

9.30am-4pm, extended days available. From £36 a day, £135 for 4 days, £160 five days, sibling discount available.

Mondays to Thursdays, 25 July - 25 August, SYDENHAM LAWN TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road SE26 6ET, www.sltcc.co.uk Four day holiday tennis coaching with professional coaches, in small groups. Each session includes two hours of tennis coaching plus either rounders, racquetball or table tennis, with a mini tournament at the end of each week. Facilities are available for wet-weather activities if necessary. Beginners and improvers welcome. 9am-12noon for 7-10 year-olds, 1-4pm for 11-15 year-olds, £45 for all four days, one day £13. Book with Chris on 0773 993 6999 or Michael on 07956 995820.

ST DUNSTAN’S SUMMER ACTIVITIES 11 July - 19 August, St DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE, Stanstead Road, Catford SE6 4TY, 020 8516 7204, www.activityschool.org.uk Day long activities including sports, cooking, arts and crafts, ICT, performing arts, a film club, overnight camping and more. Ages 6-9 and 10-12, £35 a day of £140 a week.

ANDREW FLINTOFF CRICKET ACADEMY 25-29 July, ELTHAM COLLEGE, Grove Park Road, Mottingham SE9 4QF, 0115 973 1676, www.andrewflintoffcricketacademy.co.uk Coaching with ECB professionals, from the fundamentals to specialist sessions for older groups.

Equipment supplied, plus a free shirt, certificate, feedback form and goodie bag for all participants.

Ages 5-16, 9.30am-4.30pm each day, extended hours available.

SUPERCAMPS 25 July - 26 August, venues include Blackheath High School, Streatham & Clapham High School, Whitgift School in Croydon, 01235 832 222, www.supercamps.co.uk Multi activity days with over 40 sports, plus arts and crafts. Open 8am-4pm daily, ages 4-14 years, £36 a day or £164 per week.

TENNIS-4-KIDS 1-5 and 8-12 August in FOREST HILL, 15-19 August in EAST DULWICH, 07877 391 005, www.tennis-4-kids.com Holiday sessions where children can have lots of fun learning basic to advanced tennis skills. Ages 3-12, all equipment supplied.

Arts, crafts and languages INKHEAD CREATIVE WRITING COURSES

YES, I can touch-type Touch-typing taught in just 10 hours Book now for Summer Holiday Courses

11, 13 + 15 July and 15, 17 + 19 August, CARNEGIE LIBRARY, 188 Herne Hill Road SE24, 07983 407998, www.inkhead.co.uk JUNIOR INKHEADS. Story-writing skills for 7-9 yearolds, including characterisation, story plotting, illustrations and stylish endings. 10am-12noon. £90 includes books, pens and drawing materials.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP for 9-14 year-olds, includes character motivation, imagery, plotting, dialogue and scene setting. Three hours a day, £135 includes books and pens.

EXAM BUSTING. English writing workshops for 9-14 year-olds covering scene setting, characterisation, plotting and writing to persuade, explain or argue.

Three hours a day, £135 includes books and pens.

YES TOUCH TYPING Weekends and school holidays, YES TUITION and Training, The Station Building, 187 Greenwich High Road SE10 8HA, 020 8858 9180, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk The touch typing courses run by YES are a real hit with southeast London parents, because the children find them fun, and they work - most children are tapping away proficiently in just ten hours. Sessions can be booked to fit around other holiday commitments so children can progress at their own pace.

‘It has proved an enormous advantage as Max has started secondary school.’ Mother of 11 year old.

With proper tuition children can learn to touch-type surprisingly quickly and, what’s more, enjoy the whole experience.

■ Improved speed and effectiveness in study.

■ Well presented work increases self-esteem.

■ There are particular benefits for those with dyslexia or dyspraxia.

‘Fantastic –tutor and course.’ Mother of 10 year old girl.

‘Chris was amazed that he was able to touchtype in just 10 hours.’ Mother of 12 year old boy.

Also booking Saturday classes.

To find out more call:

020 8858 9180 YES Tuition and Training, The Station Building, 187 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich SE10 8JA. www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk

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MUNCHKINS COOKERY WORKSHOPS 18 July - 2 September, 2-27 August, BLACKHEATH COOKS, 13 Old Dover Road SE3 7BT, 020 8269 1331, www.munchkinskidscooking.co.uk Themed courses for 4-11 year which offer great opportunities to cook, taste, experiment and create lots of lovely food. Each week will have a different theme, exploring baking, cooking meat, fruit and vegetables, and food from around the world. Book a whole week and get one day for free.

CLUB FRANCAIS FUN 25-29 July and 1-5 August in DULWICH, 020 8699 7665, e: severinecoupe@aol.com Indoor and outdoor games, cooking, arts and crafts, singing and drama - all in French! Ages 4-11, 10.30am1.30pm each day.

HORNIMAN HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS 3, 10 + 24 August, HORNIMAN MUSEUM and Gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8291 8690, www.horniman.ac.uk Fill the summer holidays with fun and create something new to take home. The workshops are for children aged 8+ and run from 10.30am-4.30pm. £35 for one day workshop, £30 for two, book first in the museum or

download a booking form from the museum website.

3 August, PUPPET MAKING. Professional artist Judith Hope will show children how to create, build, paint and animate a puppet, inspired by the museum’s collection.

10 August, NATURE DETECTIVE. Learn new nature explorer skills in the gardens, aquarium, nature trail and wildlife garden. Children will take a mini-beast hunt, follow a trail, dissect owl pellets, go behind the scenes in the aquarium and pot a plant to take home.

24 August, A TRIP TO BALI. Activities and creativity inspired by the incredible culture of the Indonesian island of Bali, and the museum’s current exhibition Bali: Dancing for the Gods. Screenprint a bag, become a shadow puppeteer, try on masks and play Gamelan music.

16-18 August, GLOBAL JOURNEY. A three-day, action-packed summer school exploring different cultures, environments and countries. Meet the aquarium staff and go behind the scenes to feed the fish; make a Balinese kite; explore the summer falconry show; dissect owl pellets and explore animal skulls and bones with a museum expert; follow a treasure hunt; join the object handling, nature exploration and more. Ages 8+, £100 for the three days.

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk 2-4 August, GIANT CREATURES. Make a range of insect drawings, develop construction skills and take home a larger than life creature! An art workshop with Erica Parrett, inspired by Louise Bourgeois’ Giant Spider. 10.30am-12.30pm ages 5-7 years, 2.30-4.30pm ages 8-11. £30 per child.

30 August - 1 September, MAKE, MEND AND UNDO. Create an original quilt or wall hanging by reworking old clothes into exciting patchwork. Experiment with print techniques and dyes, and look at modern quiltwork by Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry. Led by Erica Parrett.

10.30am-12.30pm, ages 12-15 years, £30 each.

STUDIO FILM SCHOOL 22-26 August in BALHAM, 0845 533 3763, www.studiofilmschool.co.uk Star in your own movie, shout ‘Action!’ and ‘Cut!’, film your friends and dazzle your family at your very own film premiere. Studio Film School offers action packed weekly workshops with acting, directing, camera operation, scriptwriting and special effects as children make a film in a week. The project culminates with a screening event and awards ceremony for family and friends. Ages 7-16, 9am-4pm daily, £215 per child.

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Dance, drama and music GYMBOREE SUMMER CLASSES

GLEE GOES TO THE MUSICALS

From 18 July, GYMBOREE HERNE HILL, 020 8123 8423 Monday drop-off classes for 3-5 year-olds, filled with theatre games, music, art and singing. From 1.30pm, £18 a session or £100 for a block of six.

Book by phone or email hernehill@gymboree-uk.com.

1-5 August, JAGS, East Dulwich Grove SE22, 0773 987 0732, www.gleekschool.com A week’s summer workshop with Gleekschool. Professionals from the world of musical theatre together with the Harmony High team will guide performers through hits from Legally Blonde, Shrek, Wicked, Hairspray and many more, leading to a live show at JAGS’ fabulous 200-seat Prissian Theatre at the end. For children aged 7-12 and 13-18 who love to sing and dance.

10am-4pm daily, end of week show 5pm. £150 for the week, sibling discounts available.

THEATRE BUGS SUMMER FUN 25 July - 26 August in EAST DULWICH, GREENWICH, CHARLTON, BROCKLEY and CLAPHAM, www.theatrebugs.co.uk Five-day workshops filled with acting, singing, dancing and dressing up, with a performance for family and friends on the last day. This summer’s story is ‘The Lion Loses his Roar!’ Croc the Crocodile has moved into Jipidee Jungle. He likes to snap, snap, snap at poor Squeaker the Mouse and Jinga the Jungle Fairy. Luckily Leo the Lion is close at hand to help out - that is until he loses his roar! Can the children come and help? Suitable for three-and-a-half to 8-year-olds. £115 for five days includes a snack and drink. !0% sibling discount available. For Greenwich and surrounds, call 020 8244 2036, for East Dulwich and Clapham, call 0800 975 5290.

FELIX SCHOOL OF ROCK SUMMER SCHOOL 25-28 July, THOMAS TALLIS SCHOOL, Kidbrooke Park Road SE3 9PX, 07888 717 605, www.fsor.co.uk A fantastic four day music event ending in a full gig played to family and friends on day four. Each band has their own dedicated tutor with whom they learn covers and can pen their own songs. Open to bass, guitar and drum players, plus singers, keyboard, brass and string players. Anyone who ever wanted to play in a Rock Band and be a confident performer!

Ages 9-16 years.

SUMMER HOLIDAY

WITH STAGECOACH 1-5 August, ALLEYN’S SCHOOL, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22, 0845 055 6368, www.stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich Stagecoach Dulwich is going back to the 60s with a fun packed production of the rock and roll musical ‘Summer Holiday’.

Don and his friends persuade London Transport to lend them a red double decker for a summer holiday travelling through Europe. The story is lots of fun and parents will be familiar with many of the hit songs including the score. Principal, Jonny Clines commented: “I have employed professional musical directors and choreographers to work with students and the aim is to mount a fully costumed performance in just five days. It’s ambitious and will take a lot of hard work but I know it is also going to be great fun and a fantastic experience for everyone!” There are courses for 4-7 and 8-16 yearolds and enthusiasm rather than previous experience are all that is needed.

PETER PAN WITH PERFORM 25-29 July and 15-19 August, St STEPHEN’S MILLENNIUM HALL, College Road, Dulwich SE21 7HW, bookings on 0845 400 1277, www.perform.org.uk Five days of fun for this summer, as children join Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys in an adventure based on J M Barrie’s enchanting story of the boy who never grew up.

Together with a team of experienced theatre professionals, the children will combine live original music, inspirational dance and quick-witted improvisation into a colourful mini performance on the final day. Exclusively for 4-8 year olds, Perform holiday Experiences are specially designed to encourage creativity, confidence and communication skills as well as being a kaleidoscope of fun. 10am-12noon each day, £140 for the course, 25% sibling discount available.

BOOGIE CLUBS SUMMER DANCE 1-3 and 8-11 August, PUSH STUDIOS, Blackwater Street, East Dulwich SE22 8SD, 07791 262 020, www.pushstudios.co.uk, www.theboogieclub.co.uk Join in with the fun of the Boogie Clubs’ summer dance workshops, with Push Studios’ fantastic team of guest teachers. Boogie Tots classes are also available during term times.

1-3 August, SUMMER DANCE CAMP. Fun-filled days packed with various styles of dance including street dance, Zumbatonic, musical theatre and more. 10.30am-3pm, ages 6-10 years.

8-11 August, GREASE WORKSHOP. Learn routines from the fantastic show. 10.30am-12.30pm, ages 7-10.

Imagination for the Everyday Early years Drama www.theatretots.com

FREEDOM ACADEMY SUMMER SCHOOLS

+ Weekly classes in Lee, Blackheath and Hither Green

1-5 and 8-12 August in EAST DULWICH, 15-19 August in CRYSTAL PALACE, 020 8244 4873, www.freedomacademy.co.uk Week-long performing arts workshops for 6-18 year-olds, based on their favourite books and shows: THE GRUFFALO, ages 3-5 years, 9am-12.30pm, £80 per child, £75 siblings CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, ages 6-9 years, 9am3.30pm, £125 per child, £110 siblings FAME, ages 10-18, 9am-3.30pm, £125 per child, £110 siblings.

+ Schools, nurseries and parties too! info@theatretots.com - 07801072776

FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD WORKSHOPS 15-19 August in DULWICH, 22-26 August in HERNE HILL, STREATHAM dates to be confirmed, 0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes are running fun-filled creative workshops through the summer holidays. The five day workshops teach beginners to read and write music, and play the electronic keyboard, culminating in a last day concert. Ages 5-8 years, £109.

13 and 27 August, ONE HIT WONDER is a one day course which allows children to get a taste of learning the keyboard the Funky Monkey way.

Ages 5-8 years, £45.

PLAY IN A DAY WORKSHOP 21 August, Polka Theatre at the IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk Spend the day working with a professional director from the Polka Theatre Wimbledon, to devise your very own play inspired by the museum’s Once Upon a Wartime exhibition. Using drama techniques such as role play, improvisation and storytelling, children are invited to create their own original stories, explore characters and perform for family and friends at the end of the day. Tickets include a visit to Once Upon A Wartime at the beginning of the workshop. Ages 7-12, 10.30am- 3.30pm, £25 includes drinks and biscuits.

S L O O H C S R E M SUM THE GRUFFALO AGES 6 TO 9 YEARS

10 YEARS TO TEENS 1

AGES 3 TO 5 YEARS

EAST DULWICH / FOREST HILL

NORTH DULWICH / HERNE HILL

Week long courses jammed full of acting, song and dance professional choreographers, directors and vocal coaches guide children through this fun packed week to remember!

CRYSTAL PALACE / SYDENHAM

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Mothers Mean Business ACCORDING TO a report by the government adviser Enterprise Nation, more than 1,400 new home businesses are created every week far more than any other type of start-up.

Over 60% of the new businesses are started from home, and most of them are being created by mothers who want to stay with their children, while contributing to the economy at the same time.

At Families, we champion mothers who mean business, and in this issue we catch up with two who run successful children’s classes in southeast London.

diddi dance Anne-Marie Wilkins is the brainchild behind the ever-expanding diddi dance class franchise. We asked her how she diddi-did it..

FSE: How long ago did you set up diddi dance, and what was the inspiration?

FSE: Does the work/ family balance work for you?

Anne-Marie: “I started diddi dance (which at the time was called funky feet) back in 2003. I was hearing all the time from mums and nannies that there wasn’t any fun pre school dance activities out there. They loved ballet but also wanted something a bit funkier and really good for boys too. I therefore decided to open a class and see what the response was.”

Anne-Marie: “My classes run Mondays to Fridays during the day, which I’ve taken my three year-old to since he was a baby. I also chose time to have off and spend just with him. I do tend to work most weekends doing children’s parties but these are just for an hour so don’t take up the whole day. When my son starts school I’ll be able to do every school drop off and pick up. My classes are local to me so I don’t have to commute to work early in the morning or late in the evening.”

FSE: What did you do before that?

Anne-Marie: “I was a professional dancer and also taught older children at Stagecoach and various dance schools all over London.”

FSE: What does diddi dance offer parents and children?

Anne-Marie: “Diddi dance offers full of fun funky pre-school dance classes for boys and girls; also nursery and children’s centre sessions and parties.

The sessions help with co-ordination, rhythm, gross motor skills, socialisation and most of all confidence!”

FSE: How easy or difficult was it to start up?

Anne-Marie: “I was still teaching elsewhere when I first started the classes so didn’t really think of it as a ‘business’ at first. Once seeing how popular the classes were I soon realised I’d hit on something big and then expanded to different areas. I just found halls and advertised and the classes soon filled up so in that sense it was fairly easy. However the busier I got, the more demanding it was which made juggling other work hard, so I decided to take the plunge and go for it full time. I’d assessed the market and looked into many different areas and venues, created and developed a solid lesson plan so it was a lot of hard work to keep it fresh and develop the concept.”

FSE: What are the benefits of working for yourself?

Anne-Marie: “Well I’d always been self employed so used to picking my own hours but knew that performing wouldn’t be a job for life (a dancer’s career can be quite short), and that one day teaching for someone else wouldn’t always fulfil me. So I was so glad I found a niche in the market that allowed me to build a business that was still flexible. It’s satisfying and rewarding knowing that the success of my classes is down to how much hard work I put in; so the better service I provide, the better the rewards, both financially and professionally.”

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FSE: Do you have any tips or advice for other parents thinking of setting up on their own?

Anne-Marie: “Top tips I’d say are to do lots of research into your idea first. I was very lucky to almost fall into my business but there are so many fantastic products, services and ideas out there.

The growth of ‘mumpreneurs’ has been huge so there is now a lot of competition out there. Make sure you have a good support network around you whether it’s partner, family or friends. Working for yourself can be lonely at first and you can feel like no one else understands your work so make sure they support you and your idea 100% through the good and bad times.

Seek professional advice. If you search, there’s lots of free business advice, workshops and schemes you can join to help you along the way.

I’d also say don’t run before you can walk. Let the business grow at your own pace and don’t rush into things before researching them well and getting everything in place. First impressions count, so

starting something quickly but badly because you can’t cope with demand or don’t have the correct service in place etc can obviously be detrimental to your business no matter how good an idea it is.

Finally, make sure you’re passionate about your idea or product. Don’t go into anything halfheartedly or you just won’t have the love of it to carry on and make it a real success. It’s a long term project so make sure you won’t get bored with it a year down the line. And never give up!”

FSE: How can readers find out more about what you do?

Anne-Marie: “You can find out more about our classes, parties and workshops at www.diddidance.com and even follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

We also offer franchise opportunities helping people start their own business but with the back up and support of a national brand. We currently have 15 franchises across the UK from Chester and Leeds right down to Brighton. We’re looking for fun, enthusiastic people who love working with toddlers and have a passion for keeping them active, fit and healthy. You can also telephone me on 0797 398 2790.

Le Club Français Severine Coupe is a mother of three, and a busy licensee of Club Français preschool classes in southeast London. Here’s how it came about:

FSE: How long ago did you set up Le Club Français, and what was the inspiration?

Severine: “I started working for Le Club Français as a teacher in 1996 and really enjoyed it. I therefore decided to become a licensee myself, knowing that being French would help, and that I could do a great job. I always wanted to be a teacher, so I was ticking a lot of the boxes already.”

foreign language in France. It was very important for me to live in the country to learn about the English way of living and the culture, before going back to France to teach English. I wanted to be able to offer the best of everything except I could never get the nice ‘English accent’, being a very French person!

So in the end I decided to stay in Great Britain and teach French; I could teach my own language and I definitely had the right accent!”

FSE: What did you do before that?

FSE: What does Club Français offer parents and children?

Severine: “ I arrived in London in 1995 to improve my English because I wanted to teach English as a

Severine: “We teach French to children from the age of three in a fun way through games, songs and

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plays, giving the children the opportunity to speak and understand the language without realising it.

We also teach the French way of living, ie French food, customs and festivals etc.

Everyone who works with me is a native French teacher; I believe it is the best way of teaching a language.”

FSE: How easy or difficult was it to start up?

Severine: “Well, being French definitely helped.

I took over an existing licensee who had a few classes set up.

I was passionate about making it a success and I devoted a lot of time to it. I approached a lot of local primary schools and nurseries, and also set up classes in local halls.

I have to say word of mouth was the best advertisement I could have had. In particular, I remember three local mums; they knew each other through the nursery, and then had gone to different primary schools, met again and suddenly realised their daughters were really enjoying their French class and it was all down to the same person!

“I have also been advertising in key places including Families magazines for over 13 years, which has been enormously helpful in bringing new parents and children to my classes.

Continuity and stability is the key to success, when I started only a handful of people knew me.

Nowadays, when I meet old customers whose children are now at university they say “oh - a voice from the past”, “it is so nice to hear you are still doing it even with your family!”

FSE: How have you grown the business since starting out?

Severine: “I started from a few classes a week and I now have a team of eight teachers. I am very

grateful for their tremendous work and I could not run all these classes without them.

FSE: What are the benefits of working for yourself?

Severine: “The best aspect of being self-employed is I have the balance and control of how my business is run. Being self-employed is not easy as you don’t have the security. There are ups and downs.”

FSE: Does the work/ family balance work for you?

Severine: “It works very well for me however, it is non-stop and it requires organisational skills.

It is always a juggling balance between work and family, especially as I am a mother of three lovely children aged six and 4 years, and 10 months.

Since they were born, they always fitted in the ‘self-employment’ pattern: when they sleep I work, they come with me to deliver letters into schools etc.

The older ones now want to ‘help mummy’ as they realise I often work - they’re handy when it comes to sticking stamps on envelopes or things like that! I am also very lucky that my husband works round my teaching hours and we share the childcare between us.”

FSE: Do you have any tips or advice for other parents thinking of setting up on their own?

Severine: “If you are passionate about something you can make it work. You can juggle work and family life as long as you are well organised. You have to start small and build on your own

success. You have to manage the ups and downs of being self-employed; this is usually my husband’s role: he is always positive and that helps a lot. He helps me boost my confidence and helps me look forward to the future, and the positive aspects of my business.

FSE: How can readers find out more about what you do?

Severine: “You can either contact me by email at severinecoupe@aol.com or call me on 020 8699 7665, or come and visit some of my classes, there is always a free trial session.

Also don’t miss out my Summer Club in Dulwich; very popular year in year out. Book early to avoid disappointment, as places are limited!

Finally, if you are French and passionate about teaching your language to young children and would be interested in being part of the team; well, give me a call!”

Act, sing and dance at your local Stagecoach Here’s a way to spend weekends that’ll have 4-16 year olds buzzing. Enrol them in your local Stagecoach Theatre Arts school where they learn to act, sing and dance.

The skills they learn aren’t just for the Stage. Our students grow in confidence and self-esteem …..Skills for Life!

There’s no audition – all they need is enthusiasm.

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Beckenham Beckenham Blackheath Blackheath Dulwich Dulwich Sydenham Sydenham

020 256 8979212 2156 01932 0800 5519 020169 8417 0010 0845 055 6368 0845 055 6368 020020 8949 1116 8949 1116

Summer NOW Holiday ENROLLING Workshops FOR JANUARY and 2010 Autumn Term now booking july / augst 2011 - families south east

11

Une école francaise pour enfants francophones ou bilingues agés de 2 à 7 ans We don’t teach French as a foreign language but simply use it as a living language Herne Hill

Native teachers

Pour plus de renseignements:

www.ecolecadetrousselle.co.uk email: info@ecolecadetrousselle.co.uk Contacter Fatima Bida-Foster 07917 301550

You name it We label it!

Lunchboxes • Water Bottles Books • Uniforms • Footwear

T: 01635 298326 www.easy2name.com

We are looking for children between the ages of 2 and 12 years to assist us in a range of fun activities investigating how children see.

The Child Vision Lab is based at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in Central London.

We will refund any travelling costs up to £20.

020 7608 6819 www.childvisionlab.org

East Dulwich & Dulwich Park 0778 613 0537 (Suzie)

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Rotherhithe & Bermondsey 020 8979 9139 (Tim & Emily)

families south east - july / august 2011

What’sNew Top tips for fussy eaters Having a child who’s a fussy eater can be a huge source of worry for parents. We need to ensure our little ones are eating all the right nutrients and goodness, but without a power struggle every dinner time.

Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli is a father of three, and has had his own share of dealing with fussy eaters. He launched his organic baby food range, Baby Zilli, to help combat picky eating from a very early age by combining a diverse range of delicious ingredients in each convenient pouch. Each product in the Baby Zilli range has been created from a recipe Aldo used on his own children and so have been tried and tested on the real baby Zillis!

Aldo says: “Fussy eating is usually a phase children go through, and frustrating though it is, the key is to stay calm.”

There are practical ways to help turn mealtime battles into a fun and enjoyable experience for the family. Here are Aldo’s top tips: 1. First of all, it’s important to only buy the foods that you want your child to be eating. If there’s no junk food in the house - how can they eat it?

2. Giving the food exciting names helps to make children more interested in what they are eating.

We’ve just launched some new flavours including Tutti Frutti and Zilli Greens, designed to make mealtimes fun. It sounds silly but sing songs, pretend you’re rocket launching the food into their mouths - whatever makes the concept of eating more enjoyable to your own child 3. Serve up food in little portions on their plates and add more when each portion is finished - this makes the process so much more manageable to your child, as large portions are off-putting to fussy eaters 4. Don’t try to coerce or bribe or plead with your child to eat. Even if you’re desperate for them to finish their food, remain calm and pretend you’re not interested, as making a fuss often has the opposite effect!

5. If the kitchen table has become your ‘battle ground’, change the scenery. Have some food in the playroom or with their tea set plates to make eating fun 6. Share meal times with another child who is a good eater. Don’t disapprove of your own child but throughout the whole meal praise all good eating, your child will see this and will naturally want to seek your approval too 7. Be positive about food, excited by new ingredients and eager to try different flavours - your child will pick up on this enthusiasm and hopefully learn the same attitude. The Baby Zilli range is ‘good enough for mamma and papa to eat’ so try a spoonful here and there to lead by example 8. Eat at the same time as your baby, again your child will be seeking your approval through you leading by example as they watch you eat and enjoy your food 9. When they are old enough, encourage them to eat the food themselves, this further allows the children to be in control of their own diets and food habits.

You will notice that they also want to be ‘grown up’ and eating what mummy and daddy are eating don’t dumb down to them but allow them to try new flavours when they are older. I make ‘Baby Capuccinos’ when my children come and visit me in the restaurant now, this is just frothed milk but the kids feel they are really grown up by drinking them and take a positive interest in food 10. I believe that from day one we can set the foundations for our children’s eating behaviour for the rest of their life. So make sure they try a diverse range of flavours and ingredients to give them a

wide appreciation of food and a ‘taste education’ so they can appreciate good wholesome food as they grow.

Aldo Zilli is the first celebrity chef to create a baby food range. It has had a fantastic reception already from retailers and has a large following of celebrity parents including Denise Van Outen, Stefan Booth and Danielle Brown.

Baby Zilli recipes are made with 100% organic goodness, and no added salt or sugar, no bulking agents, no E-numbers, no preservatives, no artificial additives, no GM foods. The range initially caters for babies from 4-24 months and is available from stockists including Tesco, Waitrose, various health food stores, Wholefoods and Ocado. See more at www.zillibaby.co.uk.

You and your baby Warm, dry and cuddly There’s nothing toddlers love more than a bit of dressing up and make-believe, and imaginations can really run wild with these funky, animal inspired toddler towels from Cuddledry.

Made with Cuddledry’s signature blend of natural bamboo fibre and organic cotton, the double-layered towels are extra soft and absorbent - just the thing on holiday when your little emerges from a dip in the sea, or for bathtime at home.

Generous hoods - complete with super-cute animal ears and horns - help keep in warmth and dry your toddler’s hair, all while they have a great time stampeding around the bathroom! Choose from the cow or giraffe print, priced £29.99 from www.cuddledry.com.

Beat the buggy thiefs Is nothing safe? Apparently there is an ever-increasing black market in stolen prams and pushchairs, reported to be in excess of £60 million in the UK. One solution is the Buggyguard lock, which has a long cable to secure pushchairs to a static object, another pushchair, or simply thread the cable through the wheels to jam the wheels. Buggyguard can also be used to secure your changing bag to the pushchair to avoid your bag being snatched or lost.

There are Hippo, Panda, Piggy or Monkey designs, priced £22 from HappyBags on 01508 484010 and www.happybags.co.uk.

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WIN an Easy2Name off to school set Mislaid school kit is far more likely to find its way back to you when it is labelled.

Easy2Name have iron-on and stick-on labels for everything - clothing, bags, shoes, pencil cases and lunch boxes.

For the full range and online orders, go to www.easy2name.com. Families readers can claim a 10% discount by entering ‘ABC’ at the checkout.

We have five Easy2Name Off to School sets to give away. Each set contains 30 waterproof stickers, 30 iron-on name tapes, one set of shoe covers, one bag tag and one named red or blue shoe bag, and is worth £17.90.

To enter the draw, simply go to www.familiesse.co.uk and click on ‘Competitions’, or post your entry to Families (address on the back cover), including the following information: your choice of a red or blue bag, the name you would like on the labels, your name, address and an email address if you have one. The closing date is Monday 25 July 2011.

Block’em to see off the bullies Given the price of smartphones, I’m astonished by how many children have them, (while I make do very nicely, thank you, with a clunky old-skool handset and an even more retro landline remember those?).

When they’re good, they’re brilliant - a call to catch up with friends, a text with the latest gossip and a quick dip into Facebook are all available to children, keeping them in touch and on call all day.

But what if the constant contact turns sour and they’re suddenly left feeling bullied and with no escape?

Thanks to a new app, users can block out contacts so they no longer receive unwanted calls or texts - without the hassle of having to change their number. The person doesn’t know they have been blocked, giving the blocker the upper hand without the confrontation.

Helen Perry, founder of Block’em comments: “We all know how hard it is to ignore a text, even when you know it’s not going to be nice, but Block’em simply removes the temptation by stopping those unwanted calls and texts. The Block’em app is about empowering young people who are feeling harassed; but we’d still urge youngsters to talk to an adult if they’re being bullied in any way.”

Block’em is available from the Android App store, priced £1.79, with 70% of profits from every purchase going direct to NSPCC. Children who are being bullied can contact ChildLine, either online at www.childline.org.uk or by phone on 0800 1111.

Adults who are concerned about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or text on 88858, or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

BACK TO SCHOOL A2 15

Offers and good ideas

SAINSBURYS LOCAL A2

214

HERNE HILL STATION

INTERSPORT HERNE HILL A2214

THE HALF MOON PUB

BROCKWELL PARK

INTERSPORT HERNE HILL 134a HERNE HILL, SE24. (next to Sainsbury’s Local)

0207 326 5050

Help for bedwetters Bedwetting can have an enormous impact on the lives of the 1 in 12 children and young people affected.

Children’s charity ERIC reports that their website message boards show many upsetting experiences from children and teenagers who have been bullied because they wet the bed. Bedwetting can have a large effect on a child’s social life and educational attainment, and bullies often single these children out because they are different.

The charity’s Dry and Mighty campaign helps families to help their children have uninterrupted nights, enjoy sleepovers and take steps to manage the problem. For information, go to www.eric.org.uk.

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What’sOn See our online listings for MORE activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What’s On

Diary Dates for Grownups SYDENHAM ARTS FESTIVAL 1-17 July, VARIOUS VENUES in and around Sydenham SE26, www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk A veritable cornucopia of fun as the third annual fantastic festival kicks off, promising quality arts entertainment, exhibitions, performances and workshops. There is plenty to entertain all ages and interests, from family productions to more sophisticated musical, comedy and theatrical performances for adults. For the full line-up, pick up a festival programme from Kirkdale Bookshop, or see the festival website.

VOICE AND PRESENTATION SKILLS 6+13 July, the VALE PRACTICE, Grove Vale, East Dulwich SE22, 020 8299 9798, www.thevalepractice.co.uk Do you struggle to make yourself heard, at work, at home, with your partner or children? Do you suffer with nerves before making a presentation, addressing a group or before an interview? Would you like to sound and appear more confident and at ease in yourself? Bernadette O’Brien’s day courses help participants develop vocal confidence, range and clarity, find an authentic presentation style and discover a more empowered sense of self. £200 includes an initial one-to-one consultation (normal price £260).

A three-day festival showcasing fine food, drink and culinary talent. Highlights include a chef’s theatre with demonstrations from top chefs, cooking tips at a pop-up cook school, masterclasses for budding young chefs, speciality and local exhibitors. Day tickets £15, concessions £10.

ME BABY AND TODDLER SHOW 3 September, CRYSTAL PALACE FOOTBALL CLUB, Selhurst Park, Whitehorse Lane SE25 6PU, 01342 328988, www.mbtshow.co.uk A one-stop family friendly show full of information and new products for parents, grandparents, parents-to-be and anyone else interested in the best for babies to toddlers. Experts will be on hand to give advice and tips on the testing trials of parenthood. Try and buy the best in new products, including hammocks and high chairs, breastfeeding products, lingerie, clothing, carriers, strollers, nursery furniture and more. There will be children’s entertainment all day, workshops and competitions for adults, free goodie bags and parenting workshops. Open 10am-3.30pm, tickets £2 on the door, or reserve free tickets in advance on www.mbtshow.co.uk.

FRIENDS OF THE HORNIMAN ART EXHIBITION 9+10 July, the Conservatory, HORNIMAN MUSEUM, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 6251, www.horniman.ac.uk The 20th annual art exhibition will showcase paintings, prints and sculptures from south London’s artist community. New and established artists show their most recent work, offering visitors the chance to buy framed and unframed works, cards and postcards. Open 10am-5pm Saturday, to 4.30pm Sunday, admission free.

MODERN PATCHWORK & QUILTING 3 July and 7 August, EAST DULWICH venue, 0788 789 481, www.cassandraellis.co.uk Worn out clothes, flour sacks and cloth scraps used to be gathered and saved to make handmade quilts to use and pass down as heirlooms. Cassandra Ellis is teaching 21st century people how to design and create contemporary patchwork quilts. Participants are invited to bring their own favourite piece of fabric or clothing to start them off. Each day runs from 11am-5pm, £95 includes equipment, materials and lunch.

FOODIES FESTIVAL 29-31 July, BATTERSEA PARK, 0871 230 5573, www.foodiesfestival.com

The Great Outdoors LEWISHAM PEOPLE’S DAY 9 July, MOUNTSFIELD PARK, Catford SE6 An afternoon of music, dance, arts, sports, spoken word, community stalls and more come together for Lewisham’s longest running community festival. Fun and games for everyone from the chance to learn circus skills to relaxing as a spectator to all the performances. 12noon - 8pm.

much more. Participants will include Boppin Bunnies, Munchkins Cooking, Handprint Theatre, Planet Tots, bringing theatre, face painting, baby massage and magic shows. The weekend will start with a fancy dress parade and end with a family gig sung live by professional singers. 10am-6pm each day, tickets £4-£10, box office 07801 072 776 or email littlechillbigsmoke@gmail.com.

LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW

ELM WOOD SCHOOL SUMMER FAIR 9 July, ELM WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL, Carnac Street (off Clive Road), West Norwood SE27 9RR This year’s theme is ‘Beside the Seaside’, with plenty of themed activities including face painting, arts and crafts activities, Punch & Judy shows, coconut shy, bouncy castle, ‘beat the goalie’, a fish ‘n chip van, local bands, a fabulous raffle and stalls galore with bargains galore. 12.30-4pm, admission free for children, £1 adults, all welcome. All proceeds will go towards funding a new climbing frame and play equipment for the school playground.

BROCKWELL PARK FUN DOG SHOW 10 July, BROCKWELL PARK, Norwood Road SE24 It’s hound heaven, with prizes and rosettes for the cutest, prettiest, handsomest and most talented dogs; dogs in fancy dress, free micro-chipping and information from canine experts. Register your dog for entry with a form from Brockwell Hall cafe in advance, or turn up and admire other people’s well-behaved and much-loved dogs. Profits will be divided between the Blue Cross Animal Charity and Brockwell Park Community Events. 2-4pm.

BASTILLE DAY LONDON 11 July, BATTERSEA PARK, www.bastilledaylondon.com For the second year, London will host a free Bastille Day summer festival with the French speaking community, and all Francophiles. The celebrations include a large street fair, a giant petanque tournament, and an open-air picnic.

LITTLE CHILL IN THE BIG SMOKE 16+17 July, MANOR HOUSE GARDENS, Hither Green SE13, www.theatretots.com, www.diddidance.com Theatre Tots and Diddidance are teaming up with an exciting two-day festival for families. There will be theatre shows, workshops, stalls, a fashion show and

16+17 July, BROCKWELL PARK, Norwood Road SE24 An urban festival celebrating the best of the countryside and the city, with arts crafts and trade stalls, sheep dog displays, jousting, and competitions. The main stage will see performances of rock, country, blues, soul, roots and reggae, with a chill out zone for acoustic, jazz, folk and classical artists. Plus brass bands and a funfair.

KINGSWOOD HOUSE SUMMER FESTIVAL 24 July, KINGSWOOD HOUSE, off Kingsdale Drive SE21 8QN Kingswood House will unveil a Southwark Blue Plaque commemorating John Lawson Johnson, the creator of Bovril. Johnson built the House in the late 19th century, in the form of a stone-faced baronial castle.

The afternoon celebrations will have stalls, face painting, bouncy castle, sports, music and entertainment. From 1pm, all welcome.

BODIAM CASTLE EVENTS BODIAM CASTLE, Hurst Green, Near Robertsbride, East Sussex TN32 5UA, 01580 830196, www,nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiamcastle Dating back to 1385, Bodiam Castle has a wealth of historical features, with ruins, battlements and towers overlooking the beautiful Sussex countryside.

Falconry displays will take place from 11am - 4pm and visitors can have a go at flying a bird for £2 on top of the admission charge. Castle admission £3.40 children, £6.80 adults, £11.20 families.

16+17 July, MEDIEVAL HANDS. A variety of engaging activities provide a fascinating insight into life in medieval Britain. Visitors will be able to join members of the Bodiam household and try their hand at hand spinning and weaving, brass rubbing, and chain mail making.

23+24 July, LIONHEART PEWTERS. A magical journey through the past with experts demonstrating

LEARN YOUNG HAVE FUN Rally round for a smashing time.

A fun filled introduction to tennis for 2-8 yr olds.

Played indoors with small rackets, sponge balls and scaled-down court.

Aids agility, co-ordination and balance.

A positive introduction to tennis with lots of fun.

Weekend and weekday sessions now available.

For further details ring Gordon on 07877391005 or e-mail gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

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families south east - july / august 2011

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112 Stanstead Road, Forest Hill SE23 A family fun day to raise funds for St Christopher’s Hospice. Games, music, bands, bric-a-brac, facepainting, tombolas and raffles. From 2pm.

WWT WETLAND CENTRE Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes SW13 9WT, 020 8409 4400. www.wwt.org.uk A spectacular 105 acre wetland landscape of lagoons, lakes and ponds offers a safe haven for hundreds of wild bird species, dragonflies, bats and amphibians.

Open 9.30am - 5pm daily, entrance free for under 4s, £4.95 children, £8.95 adults, families £25.

Visit the Pond Zone for interactive games, take a trip down a plughole, watch fascinating aquatic creatures through underwater cameras and join in a pond safari.

The Rain Garden has lush vegetation, a cascade of pools, flowers meadows, creature towers and a pavilion.

WOODLAND DISCOVERY PARK WILDWOOD TRUST, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7LQ, 01227 7122111, www.wildwoodtrust.org Take the family for a day out to see how the Wildwood Trust is helping to save native wildlife from extinction.

Set in a sublime 38 acres of ancient woodland, Wildwood offers visitors a truly unique experience.

Come nose to nose with secretive badgers, experience what it is like to be hunted by a real live pack of wolves, watch a charging wild boar or track down a beaver in his lodge.

Thanks to a £21,000 donation, the park has a new wetland wildlife area to care for otters, water shrews, voles and simple aquariums. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free for under 3s, £7.95 for 3-17 year-olds, £9.95 adults, £32.50 families. pewter work using traditional techniques. The castle will be transformed with replica medieval tents, wooden framed medieval market booths, with guides in authentic late medieval clothing showing visitors how to make medieval pilgrim badges.

23 July - 5 August, 11-21 August and 27 August - 4 September, HAVE A GO WORKSHOPS. Join a variety of special workshops hosted by Hands on History.

Everyone can learn archery techniques and test their skills with a longbow, mini crossbow and paintball cannon. From £3 to take part.

August Mondays, MEDIEVAL MONDAYS. Dress to impress with the castle’s authentic collection of replica armour and costumes. Transform into a knight in shining armour, a medieval princess, a powerful Lord or an entertaining court jester. £2 per person.

3 August, FAMILY FUN DAY. The castle grounds will be packed with entertaining activities including face painting, arts and crafts, tractor rides, a traditional funfair and much more.

9+10, 17-19 August, KNIGHT AND PRINCESS ACADEMY. Young visitors have the chance to train to be a real medieval hero, dressing in costumes and taking part in special craft activities for a personalised certificate. £5 per child - book first on 01580 830196.

20+21 August, DRESSING FOR BATTLE. Discover how knights dressed for battle and try on armour for yourself.

23-25 August, GREAT TREASURE CHALLENGE. Join the quest to search for the castle’s hidden treasure chest. Members of the Bodiam Household will dress in authentic costume and hold clues to the whereabouts of the chest. £2 per person.

JOLLY DAY OUT 26-29 August, HAMPTON COURT GREEN, East Molesey KT8 9AU, 0844 888 9991,www.jollydayout.com A family focussed event featuring performances from Imelda May, Bjorn Again and McFly, a theatre tent featuring Charlie and Lola, Horrible Histories, a fun fair, story tent, arts and crafts, face painting, crazy golf, pig racing and animal farms. There will also be posh nosh, summer treats, festival food plus summery drinks for all.

Tickets free for 12s and under, £25 for 13+. Doors open 12noon.

ST CHRISTOPHER’S FUN DAY 29 August, RAILWAY TELEGRAPH carpark,

The fastest

TOO YOUNG FOR GLASTO? Romany from Festival Kidz shares her top four family-friendly festivals: • LOLLIBOP - Regent’s Park, London, 5-7 August.

LolliBop is a great introduction to the festival scene.

It has all the fun and atmosphere of a major festival but it is aimed purely at under 10s and their families.Great music and a jam-packed programme of youngster’s favourites include Rastamouse, Baby Loves Disco, Charlie and Lola, The Science Museum, Waybuloo, Yoga Bugs, Zingzillas and the Fairy School, with all sorts of other free activities to keep little ones excited and awestruck all day long. www.lollibopfestival.co.uk.

• GUILFEST - Guildford, 15-17 July. Seven stages of live music with a diverse line-up that includes Razorlight, Adam Ant, Chipmunk, James Blunt, Peter Andre, N-Dubz and Roger Daltrey. GuilFest also features theatre, comedy, street performances, and a fantastic children’s area. Guilfest is an independently run festival with a very friendly atmosphere, held in the beautiful surroundings of Stoke Park. And if the big-name entertainment all gets too much you can cool off in Guildford’s lido next door! www.guilfest.co.uk.

• SHAMBALA - Northamptonshire, 25-28 July.

Lots of provision for tiny ones: Family Yurt (for shelter, chilling out and bedtimes stories with cocoa), toddler play spaces, sandpits near the lake where you can relax with a pint on a sunny afternoon!Dedicated early years tent in the main festival with puppet shows, dance classes, workshops, and stay and play sessions. This year they have increased their activities for tweens and teens too so the whole family should have a great time. www.shambalafestival.org • CAMP BESTIVAL - Dorset, 28-31 July. Created with families in mind and billed as a Festi-holiday, Bestival has all the fun and wacky eccentricity of a major music festival, with carefully planned programming from baby yoga and pre-school favourites like Mr Tumble, skate parks and charttopping acts, to musical legends like Primal Scream and Blondie. www.campbestival.net.

For details of more family-friendly festivals near you, the Festival Kidz website is packed with information, reviews and tips, plus an online shop where you can find all sort of useful bits of kit to help your festival go smoothly, www.festivalkidz.com.

Family Legal Services To arrange an initial free consultation please ring

020 8858 6971 Friendly, professional legal advice Email family@grantsaw.co.uk Visit www.grantsaw.com Norman House, 110-114 Norman Road, Greenwich, SE10 9EH Find us just around the corner from Greenwich train & DLR stations

kids on the river…

Hop on and off with our Daily River Roamer ticket, unlimited travel from 9am – 9pm for only £12.60 (Child £6.30).

Under 5’s travel for free!

Big Ben, London Eye, London Aquarium, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, London Dungeon, Tower of London, Canary Wharf, National Maritime Museum, British Music Experience, The O2.

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july / august 2011 - families south east

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MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

Events & Exhibitions SYDENHAM ARTS FESTIVAL 1-17 July, VARIOUS VENUES in and around Sydenham SE26, 020 8123 1175, www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk Now in its third year, the Sydenham Arts Festival returns with an exciting and eclectic programme of music, dance, visual arts, poetry, theatre and comedy.

Big names involved in the Festival 2011 include Sir Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate from 1999-2009, who will be appearing on the opening Saturday at Sydenham School, and BAFTA-award winning playwright Roy Williams will be leading a free playwriting workshop. The Laban Dance Centre will be running completely free dance workshops for all ages, and the Pop Up Theatre Project will transform empty shops and premises into live theatrical spaces. For the full line-up, pick up a festival programme from Kirkdale Books or see the festival website. Here are some highlights: 4-6 July WIND IN THE WILLOWS. A charming outdoor performance on Albion Millennium Green 8, 16+17 July, CEDRIC’S COLLECTION OF USEFUL THINGS. Spend an evening in the company of an English gentleman, eccentric and collector. Gee-Gaw’s Children’s Theatre present an original story for 6-10 year-olds upstairs at the Hob. 9-10 + 17-17 July, VISUAL ARTS TRAIL through the studios of over 60 artists in their open house showcase 16 July, STREET CELEBRATION of performances all day, up, down and around the high street.

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum is fascinating for families with young children.

The collection includes dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography.

Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails. There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. If it’s sunny there’s an outdoor space to enjoy a picnic. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM FUN BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank.

Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors.

Open 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

18-29 July, DIGGING DEEP. Discover the layers of history hidden under the bank’s buildings through a new display and trail for families.

10am-5pm daily.

25 July - 2 September, WRITE ON. Take inspiration from the museum exhibits and create a story using words and pictures. 10am-4.30pm daily, materials provided.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM EVENTS GEFFRYE MUSEUM, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for accompanied 5-11 year-olds on the first Saturday of each month and during school holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of each workshop. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays.

Until 29 August, AT HOME IN JAPAN. Go behind the doors of contemporary urban homes to find out how private lives are lived in Japan today. The exhibition features Japanese decoration, display, furniture and the tatami mat, to eating, sleeping, hygiene and worship.

Admission free for under 16s, £5 adults.

26 July - 12 August, INSIDE/ OUTSIDE. Three weeks of exciting activities for children exploring English and Japanese home and garden spaces. 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

24 July and 14 August, MUSEUM FAMILY DAY. Music, dance, craft activities, stories and garden games to enjoy. Noon-5pm, free.

23 July and 14 August, HISTORIC ALMSHOUSE. Catch a rare glimpse of the lives of London’s poor and elderly in former times. The Geffrye’s 18th century almshouse has been fully restored to its original condition.

Admission free for under 16s, adults £2.50 on timed visit tickets.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS 29 July, MOG WITH JUDITH KERR. Join much-loved author Judith Kerr as she talks about her popular series of Mog books and reads from The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Judith will also be signing books. 2-3.30pm.

Until 4 September, FROM THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA to MOG and PINK RABBIT. An exhibition of original artwork, notes and sketches by much loved author Judith Kerr. Have tea with a life-size tiger in Sophie’s kitchen or read the adventures of Mog curled up inside her cosy basket.

26 July - 26 February 2012, THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES. When re-told to children, fairy tales often assume an air of innocence. Good always triumphs over evil, heroes are selfless and love is everlasting.

Some fairy tales however, explore the darker side of a child’s imaginary landscape. The Stuff of Nightmares takes a closer look at the playthings of innocents, and features an installation made by local schoolchildren, alongside work by Katherine Tulloh, Ruhe Weinbergh, Daniel Bell and Sharon Brindle.

7 August, SUMMER FESTIVAL. Enjoy live music and performance, explore a range of stalls selling everything from home made cakes to toys and games, and take part in all the usual festival favourites, including rickshaw rides facepainting. 11.340am-4.30pm, free drop-in.

12 August, TIGER TEA PARTY. A rip-roaring afternoon based on The Tiger Who Came to Tea, including lip-smacking tea tasting, tiger facepainting and tiger-themed arts and crafts. Noon-4pm.

19 August, FELINE FESTIVAL. An afternoon of feline fun. Dress up as a cheetah, tiger, lion or leopard, and swing your tail down the museum catwalk for the chance to win a prize. Noon-4pm.

26 August, SKETCH, SCRIBBLE, SQUIGGLE. Dabble in an afternoon of sketching and drawing, inspired by Rebecca Fortnum’s portraits of children. Noon-4pm.

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families south east - july / august 2011

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, Clive Steps, King Charles Street SW1A, www.iwm.org.uk The Churchill War Rooms were originally the Cabinet War Rooms, created in 1938 as underground storage areas for the Office of Works Building in Whitehall. They were soon converted to house the central core of government and to become a temporary military information centre serving the Prime Minister and the Chiefs of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. Visitors can hear the first-hand personal accounts of those who worked in the Cabinet War Rooms during the war. Learn what life and conditions were like underground and experiencing the authenticity and emotional resonance of walking through the corridors where Churchill made history. Open 9.30am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, £15.95 adults.

16+17 July and 27+28 August, OUT OF THE BOX. Examine replica objects that have become unique symbols of Churchill, the most famous of British wartime leaders. A grown-up dressing up box contains iconic Churchill replica items such as hats, coats and cigars. Take a step further in Churchill’s footsteps by handling the objects and even trying on the clothes. Interpreters will be on hand to help visitors learn more about the collections and direct them towards original items on display, for example Churchill’s own Siren Suit which can be found in the ‘daily routine’ area of the Museum.

BIG BEASTS 8-12 August, GRANT MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY, Rockerfeller Building, University College London, University Street WC1E 6DE, 020 3108 2052, www.ucl.ac.uk/museums What would you do if you met an 8m long crocodile or a snake as long as a bus? From 6 tonne elephants to 6 metre worms, investigate the animals at the top end of the scales. Discover the longest, heaviest, strongest and tallest creatures on Earth with the museum’s fantastic specimens and activities. Drop-in 1-5pm, free.

CRYSTAL PALACE OVERGROUND FESTIVAL 13 August, VARIOUS VENUES in SE19, www.crystalpalacefestival.org The fifth Crystal Palace Overground Festival will take place on Saturday 13 August with several small events running in the week leading up to the big day. There will be live music, poetry, theatre, comedy, film food and fashion around the Crystal Palace Triangle with another festival hub in Westow Park (behind Sainsbury’s) hosting arts workshops, sports, children’s activities and entertainment for all the family.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies - discover the diversity of the natural world through the nation’s finest collection of natural history specimens. Fascinating exhibitions display up to 70 million plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals, with a hands-on education centre where you can meet real scientists at work. Museum open 10am-5.50pm, admission free.

Until 4 September, AGE OF THE DINOSAUR. Travel back more than 65 million years to the misty, swamp-like Jurassic lagoons and Cretaceous forests, home to some weird, wonderful and now extinct plants and animals. Navigating these dark and mysterious places, you might catch glimpses of insects, mammals and lizards as well as encounter lifesize animatronic dinosaurs. 10am-5pm, admission free for under 4s, £6 children, £10 adults, £28 families.

Until 18 September, SENSATIONAL BUTTERFLIES. Did you know that a butterfly tastes with its feet? Have you ever wondered how a caterpillar sniffs out its next meal? Experience the sensory world of butterflies and learn more about the surprising life they lead. 10am-5pm, admission free for under 4s, £3.50, families £12.

TOWER OF LONDON TOWER OF LONDON, EC3N 4AB, 0844 482 7777, www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon (Thames Clippers Tower Millennium Pier) Tower open 9am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10am Sundays and Mondays. Admission free for under 5s, children £10.45, adults £19.80; book for less online.

FIT FOR A KING. Discover 500 years of spectacular arms and armour worn by kings and royal princes in this stunning exhibition on the first floor of the White Tower. Learn about the personalities, power and physical size of our nation’s kings, from the Tudors, and the notorious Henry VIII, to today’s royal family through the historic collection.

POWER HOUSE. Discover the stories and personalities behind the major organisations of state, who took care of royal business behind the mighty Tower walls, from 1100 to the present day. The exhibition showcases the roles of the major organisations that provided the bedrock of England’s power throughout the centuries.

From 28 May, ROYAL BEASTS. Find out about the Tower’s imperial Royal Menagerie. Founded during the reign of King John in the early 1200s, it became a regular feature of the Tower for over 600 years.

Visitors can encounter a diverse cast of former Tower residents through arresting modern animal sculpture by artist Kendra Haste and new interactive sensory displays. The recently restored north wall walk and the never before opened Brick Tower will host some of the displays, including sights, sounds and smells of some of the animals.

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM, Royal Hospital Road SW3 4HT, 020 7881 6606, www.nam.ac.uk The history of British land forces from 1485 to the present day, with costumes, paintings, artefacts and special displays telling the stories of men and women who served in British armies across the globe. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free.

From 18 July, KIDS’ ZONE. A new soft play area where 0-8 year-olds can climb, slide and run through forests, arctic planes and deserts, dress up, try some arts and crafts and play with interactive toys and panels.

27 August, VICTORY JIVE DANCE NIGHT. An evening of authentic 1940s dance for the whole family, with a live big band, dance instruction and make-overs.

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From 1 September, DRAW YOUR WEAPONS. A colourful and dynamic exhibition exploring the history of the war comic, in partnership with leading publisher DC Thomson.

CUMING MUSEUM EVENTS CUMING MUSEUM, 151 Walworth Road SE17 1RY, 020 7525 2096, www.southwark.gov.uk/cumingmuseum Thursdays, FAMILY CLUB. Explore and play with the Cuming explorers.

10am-11.15am for under 5s and their parents/ carers.

23 July, ART EXPLOSION OPEN DAY. Art and craft, and the chance to see work completed by local primary schools. 10am-4pm.

Until 29 October, ELEPHANT TO CAMBERWELL. An exhibition exploring the history of the area through the voices of its residents. Paintings, photographs and prints drawn from the Southwark Art Collection and local history library include images of buildings now lost to development or reused in new ways.

VENGEANCE AT THE LONDON DUNGEON From 28 May, LONDON DUNGEON, 28-34 Tooley Street SE1, 0871 423 2240, www.thedungeons.com An entirely new, adrenalin-charged ride opens at the London Dungeon this May. Set in Victorian times, the ride features an out of control sceance, spinning riders through technologically groundbreaking special effects, including a rapid-fire laser shoot-out.

The London Dungeon is one of the world’s most infamous attractions, where for over 30 years London’s darkest history has been brought back to life with a grisly mixture of live actors, special effects and three hair-raising rides. Open 10am-5pm daily, tickets £17.50 children, £23.10 adults, advance priority booking available.

HMS BELFAST On the THAMES by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk.

(Thames Clippers London Bridge City Pier) Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept. Open 10am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, £13.50 adults.

From 31 July, GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the new Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time. The guns are trained and elevated onto a target some 12.5 miles (20 kilometres) away in north-west London - the London Gateway Motorway Services Area on the M1 - a reminder of the awesome power of naval gunnery in the Second World War. Entry included in general admission price.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE EXHIBITION 30 May - 5 June, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT, 020 7902 1400, www.shakespeares-globe.org, (Thames Clippers Bankside Pier) A rolling programme of family friendly demonstrations will bring 16th century crafts and staging to life.

Activities include sword-fighting, costume dressing and printing press demonstrations.

Visitors can journey through interactive displays,exploring areas of costume, music and special effects, and tour the reconstructed Globe Theatre with a guide storyteller. Open 10am-5pm, admission £7.50 children, £11.50 adults, £32 Families.

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM, Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB, 020 7379 6344, www.ltmuseum.co.uk (Thames Clippers Embankment Pier) Museum open 10am-6pm Saturdays to Thursdays, from 11am Fridays.

Admission free for under 16s; under 12s to be accompanied.

D-DAY DUCK TOURS First Sunday of the month, from Chicheley Street SE1 (behind the London Eye), 020 7928 3132, www.londonducktours.co.uk London Duck Tours take passengers back in time to London’s home front during the Second World War, through London streets before splashing into the Thames. In a lively, entertaining and informative adventure suitable for all the family, a professional character tour guide will reveal the capital’s most important Second World War sights including the Cabinet War Rooms, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, and Buckingham Palace.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, South Bank, London SE1, 020 7620 0347, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk (Thames Clippers London Eye Pier) Uncover the lady behind the legend at the brand new Florence Nightingale Museum on London’s South Bank. The museum presents a vivid retelling

of her story and how modern nursing began. The museum’s unparalleled collection features highlights such as Florence’s pet little owl Athena as well as her lamp and medicine chest from the Crimean War. Engaging interactive exhibits as well as regular contemporary art exhibitions enhance the experience, visitors even use stethoscopes to hear the audio tour.

Admission £4.80 child, £5.80 adults, £16 families.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM EVENTS IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk (Thames Clippers London Eye Pier) Museum open daily 10am-6pm. Admission £3.95 children, £5.95 adults, families from £12.50.

13-21 August, CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL. A fresh look at the art of storytelling through readings and workshops with authors and illustrators whose work is featured in Once Upon a War. Until 30 October, ONCE UPON A WAR. Five of the best-loved classic war stories for children are dramatically brought to life through stunning life-size sets, intricate scale models and interactive exhibits. The titles are ‘Carrie’s War’ by Nina Bawden, ‘War Horse’ by Michael Morpurgo, ‘The Silver Sword’

by Ian Serraillier, ‘The Machine Gunners’ by Robert Westall and ‘Little Soldier’ by Bernard Ashley. The exhibition explores the themes of loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity throughout the books, then goes behind the scenes to explain the authors’ inspiration through interesting and sometimes unseen items including manuscripts, early sketches, interviews and photographs.

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families During any visit, families can pick up a trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free Saturday BACK-PACKS. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games. 10.30am-5pm.

* Drama and Creative Classes for 2-7 year olds Let your child’s imagination Little supernovas explode with a different incorporates storytelling action adventure each week! theatre, music, props, drama, movement and plenty They’ll travel to mystical of giggles. lands, boogie with baboons or even blast off into space. hello@littlesupernovas.com Wherever our imaginations call/text: 07791 235 247 www.littlesupernovas.com take us!

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DINOSAURS UNLEASHED Until 31 December, The O2, Meridian Gardens, Peninsula Square, Greenwich SE10 0DX, 0844 844 2121, www,dinosaursunleashed.co.uk (Thames Clippers North Greenwich Pier) Dinosaurs last roamed Earth 65 million years ago - now they’re back and unleashed at The O2. With over 22 life-size dinosaurs, a prehistoric CGI aquarium, holographic video presentations by wildlife expert Chris Packham, real and replica fossils, interactives galore and more than 40 educational interpretation panels, this unique exhibition appeals to family audiences, especially budding young palaeontologists aged 2-12. Children can get their hands dirty and dig for fossils, piecing them together in the Fossil Zone. They can also create their own dinosaur skins and colours at the popular Dino-Paints as well as testing their dinosaur knowledge with dynamic quizzes. Open daily 10am - 6pm, timed entry tickets £11.25 children, £14.25 adults, £42.60 adults, discounted for Greenwich borough residents.

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MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. See our website for full details: What’s On at www.familiesse.co.uk.

30-31 July, GLADIATOR GAMES. Witness an epic clash of the titans in Guildhall Yard, the site of London’s only Roman amphitheatre. Hear the roar of the crowd and imagine sand beneath your feet as fearsome gladiators dramatically reconstruct games once held in ancient Londinium. Recreated street scenes will feature everyday Roman Londoners from soldiers and slaves to doctors and musicians.

Until 30 October, THE CAPTAIN KIDD STORY. A new exhibition focusing on the legendary privateer turned pirate. From cannons and hidden treasure maps to female pirates and gibbet cages, the exhibition explores the myths and mysteries surrounding common perceptions of pirates. 17th and 18th century English society will also be depicted, looking at gruesome ritual executions and the greed and manipulation of the infamous East India Company.

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MUSEUM OF LONDON EVENTS MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free.

Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. See our website for full details: What’s On at www.familiesse.co.uk.

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july / august 2011 - families south east

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MoreWhat’sOn

Art Activities

Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

FAMILY EVENTS AT THE HORNIMAN HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space.

10 July, RAISE THE ROOF CONCERT. Enjoy songs from around the world with the Raise the Roof choir. 2.30-3.30pm.

Mon, Tues and Thursdays from 25 July, FAMILY ART FUN. Celebrate world cultures, the natural world, festivals and the changing seasons through fabulous art and craft. 11am-3.30pm.

27 July, SAMBA CON SALSA. Join a mass participation dance class in the garden. The thunderous drums of Rio’s Samba fuse with the strings of Havana’s Salsa. These dances of African origin, created by ex-slaves

and Creole peoples reveal the soul of the Latin American people. 2-2.45 and 3-3.45pm.

Until 8 January 2012, BALI - DANCING FOR THE GODS. An exhibition exploring Balinese culture and the central role of dance as a visual feast.

Beautifully gilded costumes, lavishly decorated artefacts, puppets and sculptures are featured alongside unique film and photography from the 1930s. Adm fee.

Summer Fridays: FAMILY SHOWS. A different show every Friday with performances from theatre groups and dancers, 3 August, NATURE IN FOCUS: BUTTERFLIES. Find out how to help and protect these distinctive and fragile, and go butterfly spotting in the gardens. 11am-4pm.

17 August, FALCONRY FLIGHT DISPLAY. A thrilling live falconry display showcasing some of the most amazing birds of prey, up close. 22.45 and 3.15-4pm.

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM EVENTS National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory, Romney Road, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk, (Thames Clippers Greenwich Pier) Museum open 10am-5pm daily. Admission free.

EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part

in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free.

DISCOVER SUNDAYS. Be inspired by the museum’s galleries and take part in free design, craft, illustration and music workshops designed for families. Suitable for all ages. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-5pm, free.

PLAY TUESDAYS. Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the museum through making, music, dance and drama.

10.30 and 11.30am, 1 and 2pm, suitable for under 5s; collect a ticket from the admissions desk.

On 14 July, the National Maritime Museum is launching the largest development in its history. The new Sammy Ofer Wing allows the museum to completely change the way it presents its galleries, exhibitions and events. A new, purpose designed exhibition gallery will host a full programme of temporary shows, while a permanent gallery - Voyagers - introduces the story of Britain and the sea. Rest your sealegs with break in the new restaurant and cafe, taking in the views over Greenwich Park, along with a state-of-the-art library.

14 July - January 2012, HIGH ARCTIC. An exciting exhibition which conveys the scale, splendour and fragility of our unique Arctic environment through an immersive installation which encourages us to question our relationship with the world around us.

25 July - 5 September, THE SEA AND ME. Visit the new Voyagers gallery and discover more about how the sea has played played a central part in people’s lives throughout history and today, and add your connections to the sea with a programme of holiday activities. Alongside a display of beautiful objects and innovative digital displays, the gallery also features a specially designed children’s play area.

DISCOVER GREENWICH OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE (next to the Cutty Sark), Greenwich SE10, www.greenwichwhs.org.uk (Thames Clippers Greenwich Pier) Unlock the history of Maritime Greenwich, through artefacts, artwork, film and stories of former lives to bring the past to life. A permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the College’s Tudor beginnings, through its naval past, as the Royal Hospital for Seamen and Royal Navy Staff College, right up to the present day. Special objects, including personal items from Henry VIII’s palace, as well as fascinating stories from monarchs, admirals and architects help chart the historic town’s development.

Activities for children and families play a significant part in the new destination, enabling families to maximise their visit to the magnificent site.

ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org/families.htm Tucked away in Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soane’s treasures and develop new skills with specialist guidance. Sir John Soane (1753- 1737) was an inveterate collector, filling every nook and cranny of his beautiful home with items that fascinated him. From fossils to classical fragments from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and from contemporary paintings to architectural models, drawings and literature, he intended that after his death both his house and its extraordinary contents should be used to educate and inspire. Free drop-in activities run on the third Saturday of every month, with activities for all ages and families can take part together. 1.30-4.40pm.

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk (Thames Clippers Greenwich Pier) Free family workshops run on Saturdays from 2-3.30pm. Tickets available from 1pm from the information desk. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Here are some highlights: 23+24 July, THE RECYCLING PLANT. Take the challenge to fill a gallery space with unique 3-D designs created with materials that most people would through away. A team of eco-minded recyclers will help families remake and revitalise trash into treasure. 11am-1pm and 24pm.

28 July, PAPER DRAPERS. Paper is fantastic - you can cut it, pleat it, print on it, but it’s also fragile and temporary, surely not the material to create incredible fashion pieces with? Take the challenge to design and construct your own paper garments, and defy all the cliches.

30 July, REEL TO REEL. Discover how to transform your drawings into moving images through simple forms of animation. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN (Thames Clippers Greenwich Pier) Open daily 10am-6pm, Fridays to 9pm, admission free.

With over 2,300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the gallery, along with free hands-on art workshops for families at weekends and during school holidays. No need to book, but places are limited and allocated on arrival up to one hour before the start.

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FAMILIES AT THE TATE TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain (Thames Clippers Millbank Pier)

FAMILY SHOWS AT THE FAIRFIELD

6 July - 4 September, VAUDEVILLE THEATRE, 404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH, 0844 412 4663, www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger!

Following on from the highly successful 2009 tour, the loveable tea-guzzling tiger makes his west end debut in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos! David Wood’s stunning stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s picture book is fun for youngsters everywhere, and their grownups. Ages 3+, tickets from £12.50.

SUMMER AT THE SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX, 020 7960 4200, www.southbankcentre.co.uk (Thames Clippers London Eye Pier) Udderbelly’s purple upside down cow has returned for a summer of comedy, cabaret and theatre, including shows and performances for families. Here are some highlights: Until 17 July, FREE RUN. The explosive action of free running - one of the world’s most exciting and dangerous extreme sports - is transformed into a live stage show. Incredible athletic performers take on jaw-dropping parkour, stunts and martial arts close up very close up! Suitable for all ages.

2-21 August, THE CIRQUE INVISIBLE. Enter an enchanting theatre of imagination, beauty and humour.

With an infectious sense of fun and guest appearances from some live animal friends. The mischievous JeanBaptiste Thierree and graceful Victoria Chaplin entertain adults and children alike with illusions, playful tricks and fantastical costumed transformations. Tickets from £15.

Until 18 September, APPEARING ROOMS. In Jeppe Hein’s installation, jets of water shoot into the air, creating ‘rooms’ that disappear as quickly as they emerge, inviting visitors of all ages to try their luck at predicting its next move. Free.

24 July-13 August, JAVANESE DANCE WORKSHOP. Join with leading Indonesian dancer Ni Made Pujawati for a fun workshop exploring the basics of Javanese dance and movement. Tickets £6.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN WATERLOO STATION, London SE1, 0871 297 0740, www.seetickets.com (Thames Clippers London Eye Pier) London’s breathtaking theatrical event is once again staged at the former Eurostar terminal where a 1,000 seat venue has been built around the railway tracks with audiences seated either side. Join Bobby, Peter and Phyllis as they tell the story of how they became The Railway Children in an adaptation of E.Nesbit’s classic story. Tickets from £22.75.

a musical play by DAVID WOOD

“a modern classic” The Independent

Theatre, Shows and Music

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

TheTiger Who Came to Tea

FAIRFIELD, Park Lane, Croydon CR0 1DG, 020 8668 9291, www.fairfield.co.uk 23+24 July, ROARY THE RACING CAR. A brand new stage show set on the day of the Champion of Champions race at Silver Hatch. Roary is all set to battle it out with all the other cars and lift the trophy. Tickets £12 children, £14 adults, £46 families.

3+4 August, MR BENN. Mr Benn’s world is turned upside down when he stumbles across a small dusty shop overflowing with costumes, with a changing room with a special door that leads to extraordinary adventures. A magical, musical show for ages 3+, tickets £10.

11-13 August, THE JUNGLE BOOK. Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved story comes to life on stage in a family musical. Tickets £8 children, £12 adults, £35 families.

Wed 6 Jul - Sun 4 Sep

ILLUSTRATIONS COPYRIGHT © KERR-KNEALE PRODUCTIONS LTD 1968

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk On the first and last Sundays of every month, adults and children are invited to drop-in for a different workshop activity each week. Make everything and anything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-330pm, free with a gallery ticket or £2 per child.

Open daily 10am-5.50pm, and until 10pm the first Friday of the month.

Family trails are available daily from the Information Desks and are free for 5yrs and under. Go on a journey around Tate Britain and post your discoveries into your ‘Post it’ box as you go. When you get home, open up the box and show your friends what you found. Or you could follow the ‘Join up’ trail: play the listening game, search for shapes, patterns and talking hands, and make your own sculptures.

Every weekend the free Art Trolley encourages children to imagine and create, make colourful collages, style a wonderful sculpture or perhaps make a sketchbook and fill it with great ideas.

!

VE GE LISTA ON

ARTPLAY AT DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

0844 412 4663 Vaudeville Theatre www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com www.nimaxtheatres.com

KIDS WEEK IN THE WEST END 12-26 August, VARIOUS VENUES, www.kidsweek.co.uk London’s exciting annual theatre extravaganza returns for a 14th fun-filled fortnight, when children can enjoy a thrilling selection of London’s shows for free.

The ticket deal is simple - one child (aged between 5 and 16) can go absolutely free to any participating show when accompanied by a full paying adult, and another two children can go for half price.

The line-up of shows available include the hottest tickets in town, from some of this year’s new shows on the block to much-loved long-running favourites, with productions such as ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘The 39 Steps’ included. Kids Week also offers young people the chance to experience the unique buzz of theatre for themselves through a range of free workshops designed to engage and inspire the next generation of theatre lovers. Join in with an energetic West End dance or vocal workshop, explore what goes on backstage on a magical behind the scenes tour or stay behind after you have seen the show to pitch your questions to the cast.

ALL JOIN IN Until 13 August, POLKA THEATRE, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com A musical extravaganza celebrating the work of Quentin Blake. Rhyme, rhythm and colourful characters combine in a toe-tapping, sing along show for 4-7 year-olds.

Tickets £6-£12.

BBC PROMS 15 July - 10 September, various venues, 0845 401 5040, www.bbc.co.uk/proms A rich programme of events throughout the season include more ways than ever for families to learn, participate and be inspired by classical music.

The now annual FREE Prom (this year aimed specifically at children and families) collaborates with CBBC’s hit television series Horrible Histories for the first time to create a spectacular live show on 30 July. The visual and musical extravaganza offers the chance to see and hear popular songs from the much-loved show, interspersed with classical music from different eras, as the cast takes the audience on a humorous whistlestop tour of Horrible Histories’ unique take on classical music. A 300-strong choir including extraordinary young people supported by the charity Kids Company, and Richard Frostick’s The Music Centre Children’s Choir, is formed especially for the event to perform alongside the Aurora Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon.

Following the success of the first-ever signed Prom last year, Dr Paul Whittaker, Artistic Director of Music and the Deaf, returns to sign the Horrible Histories Prom.

The Horrible Histories Prom is followed by family events at the Royal College of Music and Royal Albert Hall designed to extend further the chance to participate.

FREE tickets are available from 8 July, online, by telephone and in person at the Royal Albert Hall.

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Book Rental for Children Keep reading this summer without the waste and expense of buying books!

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www.readingchest.co.uk july / august 2011 - families south east

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Next issue out 2 September 2011

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CLUBS & CLASSES FEATURE out of school sports, performing arts, languages, crafts, dance and music classes.

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