Families SE Sept 2012 issue 142

ISSUE NO. 142 ESTABLISHED 1996

EE

FR

SEPTEMBER 2012

®

www.familiesse.co.uk

south east london

In this issue: Children's Activities in SouthEast London School Open Days What’s On listings

Give your child a head start at school!

The online reading program for children!

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Register your child at www.readingeggs.co.uk and a use this code: UKB24LSE Hurry, this great trial offer ends on 31st October 2012

Free Drama Class Watch your child’s self-esteem soar with Perform’s unique drama, dance and singing classes.

Our weekly workshops will do wonders for their social, linguistic and physical development as well as being the best fun they’ll have all week.

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Classes for 4 –12 year o ld perform.org s .uk

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PHEW - what a summer it’s been. From watching the torch relay in Crystal Palace Park to shouting ourselves hoarse as team GB won medal after medal, we’ve all celebrated plenty of ‘proud to be British’ moments.

Of course it takes enormous dedication and top coaching to become an Olympic champion. If you’ve been inspired to help your child be good at something they can be proud of, take a look at our Clubs & Classes feature for a fantastic array of sporty, musical, dramatic and crafty activities to develop new skills, boosting their confidence and self esteem along the way.

Finally, three cheers to all the London school teachers who are in the throes of welcoming new and returning faces to the autumn school term we support you!

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE 2-3

Local News and Views

Dance and fitness for grown ups, playtime for under fives, a new market in Catford, Spanish lunches in Canary Wharf, and Greenwich goes green

4-8

Education News

Celebrating exam success, a new school in Greenwich, help for reluctant readers and grammar school hopefuls, autumn term open day events

9-15 Children’s Clubs and Classes Our all singing, all dancing guide to hundreds of out of school activities in southeast London

16

Family Life

“A common law marriage is a common myth”, says expert Mandeep Clair. Find out about your rights and how to protect your assets. Plus, top tips for flexible working

17 The Bookseller Crow Justine Crow’s pick of new books for children and parents

18-21 What’s On Oodles of attractions, exhibitions and events for families, and diary dates for grown ups, because you have a life, too

22 What’s New A healthier pregnancy, free meningitis checklist, and new products

23 Help your Child Relax

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

Get active!

Fit for family life Parents are children’s most influential role models. Your own fitness regiime will give you more energy and stamina, and set them a good example while you make new friends - winner all round! Try these: • South London Dance Studios are starting a new ballet tone class for adults.

Owner Zoe told us that the class “will focus on improving posture, strength and flexibility. This will be through ballet related body conditioning and pilates exercises, and technical ballet movements and exercises. Balance, control and coordination will be developed as well as a sense of classical style and artistry.” The classes start in Herne Hill on Wednesday evenings from 12 September. For more information, email info@southlondondancestudios.co.uk or call 020 7978 8624.

• Training Points fitness studio in Crystal Palace has a wide range of classes for women and men too. As an incentive to entice you through the door, they’re offering Families readers 15% off a massage (to ease those aching muscles). See p21, call 07986 764 553 or go to www.trainingpoints.co.uk for information.

• Now celebrating their fifth birthday, Fitness For Mummies offers indoor and outdoor postnatal classes, weight loss and fitness bootcamps, personal and small group training, with an adults’ running club and children’s classes in the pipleline too. See www.fitnessformummies.co.uk or call Vicky on 0771 205 1208.

• Sydenham Tennis Club is offering six-week introduction to tennis courses for beginners and those with rusty skills, for a very affordable £30. See page 18 or call 07776 231 676 for details.

• Running Mummies take to Greenwich Park and Oxleas Wood to walk, jog and run with buggies alongside two fitness trainers. Call Michelle on 07956 234309 or Rebecca on 07967 793957 to join them.

Dudes Den Dudes Den is a brand new place to take your under five for lots of fun during the week, and a great relaxing garden space, all thanks to the Rhubarb & Custard cafe in Lee Green SE12.

Launched on 7 September, Dudes Den has invited Crafty Cooks (pictured), Little Feet, Yoga Bears, baby massage trainers, storytellers and more to offer pre-school fun all week, along with dedicated soft play every Wednesday.

Rubarb & Custard is a fantastic local cafe that runs a bake club, supper club, holiday club and children’s parties. 164 Manor Lane, SE12 8LP, 020 8297 0035, www.rhubarbandcustardcafe.com.

And breathe... the antidote to plugged-in brains

24 The Back Page Local business contacts to make your life easier

Front cover: Girl wears PO.P classic striped organic top, £19 from Polarn O. Pyret, www.polarnopyret.co.uk/shop

Next issue Next issue out 5 October, copy deadline mid September Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240 www.familiesse.co.uk editor@familiesse.co.uk © Families South East. We take every care preparing this magazine, but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence. Families South East is part of the Families group, established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

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families south east - september 2012

wn Ups o r G r o f s w e N Craft Bee in Beckenham A new studio/ shop in Beckenham offers a wide variety of craft classes and workshops for all levels from beginners to advanced.

At Craft Bee, you can pick up skills in sewing, scrapbooking, silk painting, stained glass, felting, jewellery, upcycling, paper crafts, knitting & crochet, flower arranging and seasonal crafts. Most classes are run as half day, day and taster, with private sessions and term classes also available.

Owner Karen Murphy explains: “Handmade items are enjoying a revival at the moment, and people are beginning to see everyday objects in different ways.

It’s cool these days to be knitting, crocheting and making things. All age ranges are getting involved and having a go. It seems to bring out the best in people.”

Pop into 247 High Street, Beckenham BR3 1AB, calll 020 8650 7099 or go to www.craftsbee.com.

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WIN a Nutty’s Children’s Parties CD

Spanish fun

Nutty’s Children’s Parties, owned and run by Dulwich’s very own Danny Nutt (who featured in our first Father’s Mean Business section earlier this year) have just released an album.

Simply called Nutty’s Children’s Parties - The Official Album! it features all nine songs written and performed by Danny including favourites such as We Are Pirates Today (The Pirate Dan song) and I Like The Underwater (The Submarine Dan song).

Full of catchy melodies, harmonies and fun sound effects, this album is perfect for those that have already enjoyed a Nutty’s party or for those that want some new, original songs for their children to enjoy.

And for those of you that would like a chance to WIN one of two signed copies from Danny, all you have to do is email the answer to this question - “What other adventure can Pirate Dan offer apart from his usual treasure hunt?” (clue - go to the Nutty’s website).

Please put ‘Nutty’s comp’ in the subject line, and send your email to danny@nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk.

Two winners will be selected at random on 30 September. Good luck!

If you don’t know the answer, or can’t wait for the results of the competition, you can buy the CD for only £8.99 including p&p from the Nutty’s website, where you’ll also find lots of information about Nutty’s Children’s Parties: go to www.nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk and let the fun begin!

Iberica Canary Wharf has partnered with the London-based children’s education company, Olé Kids, to host fun, educational activities. On Sundays from 12-3pm, the restaurant has a dedicated children’s area, with qualified educators who lead children in games with the dual aim of fun and learning Spanish.

The free-of-charge activities are open to all children from six months up to 10 years and include singing, arts and crafts, and a fun Spanish language lesson. The activities are led by Olé Kids’ qualified instructors, leaving parents free to relax, enjoy some tapas and a glass of wine, secure in the knowledge that their children are in safe hands and having fun.

For more information, call 020 7636 8650 or see www.ibericalondon.co.uk and www.olekids.com.

Freddie Farmer Foundation

New Sunday market for Catford Broadway

Sainsbury’s Eltham are supporting the Freddie Farmer Foundation for a second year.

The store’s sponsorship of the local charity was due to end on June 20, but manager Ian Keeble said: “We’re delighted to announce that we have agreed to support the foundation for a second year. It has been a pleasure to work with the charity in its infancy and now to agree to more of the same.”

More than £8,000 has been raised through the store - and that’s not including the numerous cakes, prizes, cheese and biscuits donated for various events.

Freddie’s mum, Deanne, said: “It’s wonderful to have Sainsbury’s support for a second year.

We really can’t thank them enough, not only because of the money we have been able to raise but for all the effort and enthusiasm from everyone we meet at the store.”

The Freddie Farmer Foundation, a registered charity, was formed in 2011 to set up a specialised physiotherapy centre in SE London for children and young people with cerebral palsy and serious mobility problems. The inspiration behind it all is seven-year-old Freddie Farmer who was born at 28 weeks with cerebral palsy, weighing just 2lb 12oz. For more information, go to www.freddiefarmerfoundation.org.uk.

Catford Broadway opened a new monthly Sunday market at the beginning of July.

Producers sell cakes, cheeses and chutneys alongside street food stalls offering everything from homemade sausages to quesadillas. As well as food there are antiques, arts, crafts and flowers.

The market runs on the first Sunday of each month from 10am-5pm, embracing Lewisham’s creativity, diversity and entrepreneurship.

If you produce, grow or make your own products and would like to apply for a stall, contact the markets team on 020 8314 2050 or email catfordbroadway@lewisham.gov.uk.

ACTING * SINGING

*

Fathers reaching out When a woman is suffering from postnatal depression, it can have a massive effect on their partners. Men can find themselves having to carry out all the main duties at home whilst working, caring for their wife and their new born child, with sometimes other children at home too. These responsibilities can cause a lot of stress.

Fathers Reaching Out is a support group which provides an outlet where men can express their feelings and emotions without being judged, and talk to others who have been in the same position.

The focus of the site is to provide men with the support they need to cope at this difficult time.

Find it at www.fathersreachingout.com.

Greenwich goes green The stallholders and shops of Greenwich Market are celebrating all things green - as in eco - on 28 September, as part of The Soil Association’s Organic September. Green fingered shop owners and stall holders will be joined in the market by visiting eco experts, providing the perfect opportunity to find out how to cut your carbon footprint, learn about local sustainable opportunities or simply enjoy the eco shopping experience. From 10am-12noon, local cafes will be supporting Macmillan’s Biggest Coffee Morning, raising funds for the charity.

Read more at www.shopgreenwich.co.uk

STREET DANCE

* GLEE CLUB

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PERFORMING ARTS

BOOK A FREE TRIAL CLASS TODAY!

Week long courses jammed full of acting, song and dance!

TEL: 0208 244 4873 www.freedomacademy.co.uk info@freedomacademy.co.uk w w w. f a m i l i e s s e . c o . u k

september 2012 - families south east

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Open days 10am-1pm Saturday 6 October 9.30am-11am Wednesday 19 September Thursday 11 October Friday 9 November Tuesday 13 November SIXTH FORM OPEN DAY Tuesday 9 October 7pm 020 8557 7000 www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net admissions@syd.gdst.net 19 Westwood Hill London SE26 6BL

Open days 10am-1pm Saturday 22 September 9.30am-11am Wednesday 3 October Tuesday 9 October Thursday 8 November Monday 12 November 020 8557 7000 www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net admissions@syd.gdst.net 15 Westwood Hill London SE26 6BL

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families south east - september 2012

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Education News

New Greenwich international ‘free school’ A new international secondary school specialising in languages is set to open in Greenwich in September 2013.

The state-funded International Academy of Greenwich plans to welcome a year 7 intake in September 2013 and teach the highly regarded International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. There will a special focus on Modern European Languages and the team’s vision is to harness the linguistic skills - especially French - present in southeast London, while offering high-level foreign language teaching to English-only speakers. The Academy will open under the Government’s free schools initiative and is currently looking at several premises options.

The group, which includes the retired headteacher of a London secondary rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted, has received tremendous support from local parents. So far more than 650 families with over 1,100 children have registered their interest.

“We are absolutely delighted to have won approval,” says Greenwich parent and education consultant Nick Zienau who is leading the bid. “London is a world city and The International Academy of Greenwich will give young people a competitive edge in an increasingly globalised world of work and study. It will also go some way towards reducing the huge 31.4% of Greenwich secondary students who go to school in other boroughs.”

Meetings about Year 7 entry will be held in the autumn term. For more information, go to www.internationalacademygreenwich.org.uk.

Bromley High girls celebrate Hard work, commitment and enthusiasm for their studies resulted in fantastic grades for U6th girls at Bromley High School this year.

Twenty one per cent of all grades were at A*, some three times the national average for 2011.

42% of girls scored all A and A* grades, with the total of A and A* grades numbering 63% across all the subjects and 85% A* to B. Subjects as diverse as Art, Physics, Economics, Music, Photography and the Extended Project Qualification gained 100% A* and A grades, assuring that the U6th leavers will be enjoying success in a wide range of university subjects on some prestigious courses from Law, to English and physics, when they begin their degree courses in the autumn.

Head, Louise Simpson said; “We could not be happier with the girls’ outstanding achievements.

Achieving top scores at A level has many parallels with the world of success in sport; it takes enormous commitment and dedication from the girls first and foremost, but also from their teachers, parents and friends who support and encourage them and help to make these successes reality. It is easy to forget just what a long haul the journey to success at A level is and we congratulate every one of the girls on their individual successes. Wherever their destination in life, these grades will open the door to the next step for them and will allow them to pursue their dreams and ambitions, and we wish them luck as we wave them on their way!”

Bromley High School GDST are holding their next open day on 29 September. For admissions information, see www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net or call 020 8781 7000.

Reader offer: a head start in reading With ongoing concerns about levels of literacy in the UK, many parents are asking if our children are learning enough in school.

Reading Eggs is a highly successful reading programme from educational publisher Blake Publishing, where children progress and learn more at their own pace. Using interactive animations, games and songs, the learning is always fun; and as they progress, children collect golden eggs and other rewards to mark their progress and keep them motivated.

At the beginning, there’s a placement test to make sure your child starts at the right level for them. Once they’re up and running, an impressive 120 reading lessons take 3-7 year-olds with little or no reading experience right the way through to reading books confidently, helping them improve all the time.

The older 8-13 year-olds have their own Reading Eggspress stage with more advanced lessons, games and activities to improve their comprehension and grammar skills.

The programme has been developed by a highly experience team of educational teachers, writers and developers. It focuses on a core curriculum of phonics and sight words, using skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. It completely supports what children learn at school and helps improve their progress.

The Reading Eggs program is all online and can be used on a computer, laptop and most tablets,

www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

Thamesbecause small schools build big futures

making it instantly attractive to children.

Over a million children across the world have already had the Reading Eggs experience and the programme is used by many teachers who incorporate the programme into their daily lessons. 90% of parents who signed up reported a noticeable improvement in their child’s reading skills.

Both programs support school learning and are also suitable for home educators. It is a paid for resource and offers a no-obligation free trial for all new registrations so you can ensure the product is suitable for you and your children before you commit to purchasing.

There are two terms of subscriptions: six months at £29.95 and 12 months at £39.95, and if you have more than one child you can take advantage of the 50% family discount for any additional children. All free trials and subscriptions include access to both Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress.

READER OFFER: To trial the program for five weeks for free, visit www.readingeggs.co.uk, click the ‘Parents click here’ button and follow the set up instructions. Once your account has been activated and you have added a child, enter code UKB24LSE

Open Morning for Prospective Parents & Girls

Saturday 13 October 2012

our exceptional independent school for boys and girls

OPEN MORNING SATURDAY 6th OCTOBER 10.00-1.00 For full list of open mornings, enrolment and fee details contact 020 7228 3933 Thames Christian College, Wye Street, London SW11 2HB

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Please visit us at www.jags.org.uk James Allen’s Girls’ School 144 East Dulwich Grove, London SE22 8TE Tel: 020 8693 1181 / Fax: 020 8693 7842 september 2012 - families south east

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Education News

Please sir, I want some more!

The 11+ maze

Thames Christian College pupils took to the stage of The Clapham Grand with a whole school production of Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver at the end of the summer term.

All pupils in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 had a role in the production as actors, singers, musicians or stage hands, providing an enriching experience for everyone. In addition to staff and pupils, the musicians in the orchestra included students at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama who are studying to become or starting out as professional musicians.

Drama is an integral part of the curriculum at Thames and an option at GCSE. In addition, pupils may take private Voice and Speech lessons to study for the LAMDA graded Acting Awards, some of which are Level 3 qualifications, with excellent results in the past. Pupils have successfully auditioned for the National Youth Theatre.

Thames Christian College is a unique independent, co-educational secondary school based in Battersea, South London. It has a strong Christian ethos, small well-behaved classes and achieves excellent academic results. The school provides a positive and nurturing environment, where learning is tailored to accommodate individual pupils’ needs. The next open days are on 19 and 25 September. For more information, call 020 7228 3933 or see www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk.

The summer holidays are over, your children are back at school and you can relax for a while as they settle into the routine of their new class; can’t you?

Not if you’ve got child in Year 5 who will be taking an exam soon that could change the course of their life.

We’re talking about the 11+ - an exam so challenging that when the Sunday Times magazine asked a group of intelligent, professional, high profile people to sit it as part of an experiment, all but one of them failed.

The 11-Step Guide to the 11+ Maze contains everything parents need to know if they’re considering putting their child through the traumas of 11+. It’s a manual which guides parents through the complicated twists and turns of the process in 11 simple chronological steps. Its focus is securing a place at one of the 10 nearest grammar schools, in Bromley, Kent and Bexley.

Written by Greenwich mum Aylia Fox who went through it herself, the book draws heavily on a wealth of first hand experiences and anecdotes.

There are chapters on motivation, tutoring, verbal and non verbal reasoning, the Common Admission Form, what to do if it all goes wrong and how to get your child into a private school even if you can’t afford the fees!

With contributions from local headteachers Richard Russell of Colfe’s in Lee, Lisa Laws of Blackheath High School for Girls and Debbie Tompkins of All Saints’, Blackheath, the book also lifts the lid on things the education authorities would rather you didn’t know.

Single mum Aylia, 46, says it’s war as far as competition for the coveted grammar places are concerned and the ‘yummy mummy’ camaraderie of the early years of primary school soon disappears.

She said: “For every self respecting pushy parent there are thousands of others trying to achieve the same thing: friendships can be tested.”

Aylia, a journalist, adds that many parents

Ruskin House School 8 September 48 Herne Hill SE24, 020 7737 4317, www.ruskinhouseschool.co.uk

Open day dates The following independent schools are welcoming prospective parents and pupils for 2013 entry:

St Dunstan’s College 20 + 27 September, 8 October juniors 13 October, 17 November seniors 8 November sixth form Stanstead Road SE6 4TY, 020 8516 7200, www.stdunstans.org.uk

Alleyn’s Junior School 22 September, 8 + 20 November Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22, 020 8557 1519, www.alleyns.org.uk Blackheath High School GDST 6, 13, 18 October, 7, 13 November Juniors Wemyss Road SE3, 020 8852 1537, Seniors Vanbrugh Park SE3, 020 8853 2929, www.blackheathhighschool.gdst.net Bromley High School GDST 29 September Blackbrook Lane BR1, 020 8781, 7000, www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net Dulwich Prep 22 September Nursery and Reception 8 Gallery Road SE21, yrs 1-8, 42 Alleyn Park SE21, 020 8670 3217, www.dcpslondon.org Eltham College 15 September Grove Park Road, Mottingham SE9, 020 8857 1455, www.eltham-college.org.uk

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families south east - september 2012

foolishly allow the 11+ preparation process to take over their life.

She said: “Yes, the 11+ is important very important - it can be the key to the academic door. But, parents must keep it in perspective if they want to stay sane as well as their child. Too much work, too much pressure and parental anxiety being transferred to a child are all things that have a negative impact. Children have a habit of rebelling or withdrawing when things get too much which will inevitably damage their exam prospects.”

Aylia, whose daughter Sienna got into a grammar school, suggests parents consider the following when preparing: 1) Does your child have the potential for passing the exam? If not, do not enter them 2) Do research, including attending school open events 3) Only concentrate on the grammar schools you’re interested in 4) Find out what each exam entails and make sense of it 5) Help your child with the extra work, then get a tutor 6) Be organised. The admin of applying to numerous schools is immense 7) Find ways of motivating your child and de-stressing yourself 8) Ensure exam days go smoothly.

The 11-Step Guide to the 11+ Maze is £9.99 from WHSmith in Greenwich, Eltham and Bexleyheath; Waterstones in Greenwich and Ink and Folly in Eltham. It can also be bought by mail order on 020 8319 2843, ayliafox@ntlworld.com. Aylia Fox is an 11+ education consultant too.

Streatham + Clapham High School GDST 22 September, Nursery and junior school Wavertree Road SW2 3SR, 020 8674 6912, 29 September, Senior school 42 Abbotswood Road SW16, 020 8677 8400, www.schs.gdst.net.

James Allen’s Girls’ School James Allen’s Girls’ School 13 October 144 East Dulwich Grove SE22, 020 8693 1181, www.jags.org.uk Old Palace of John Whitgift 29 September, 6 October Old Palace Road, Croydon CR0, 020 8688 5877, www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.net Rosemead Preparatory School 13 October Pre prep Elmcourt Road SE27, Prep department 70 Thurlow Park Road SE21, 020 8670 5865, www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

Sydenham High School GDST 19 + 22 September, 3+9 October, 8+12 November Juniors 15 Westow Hill SE26, 020 8557 7004.

19 September, 6+11 October, 9+13 November sixth form 9 October, Senior school 19 Westow Hill SE26, 020 8557 7004, www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net Thames Christian College 19 + 25 September, 6 +11 October Wye Street SW11 2HB, 020 7228 3933, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk.

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BROMLEY HIGH SCHOOL

WITH

Empowering girls to pursue ideals and knowledge unafraid

Open Day Saturday 29 September 2012 10.00 am - 1.00 pm

US

THRIVE

SHE WILL

“Bromley High helps you succeed in anything you want to do in life� Eve, Year 9

A GDST School

OPEN MORNING SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH 2012 9.30 AM � 1.00 PM

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING MONDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2012, FROM 6.45 PM

Senior School (11-18) 42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW

4+, 7+, 11+ AND 16+

020 8677 8400 enquiry@shc.gdst.net

Fees Assistance & Scholarships available

www.schs.gdst.net

admissions@bro.gdst.net Tel: 020 8781 7000

Your child’s future starts here

Alleyn’s

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Junior School

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

OPEN DAYS 2012

www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net/fse1

Co-educational, academic excellence

Saturday 22 September 10am – 12.30pm, Thursday 8 November and Tuesday 20 November 1.30pm – 3.00pm The Headmaster will give a short talk, 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.

St Dunstan’s College Co-educational Independent day school for 3 -18 year olds

Junior School Open Days For a list of forthcoming open days or to arrange a visit please contact Rosemary Scard on 020 8516 7225 or rscard@sdmail.org.uk (Junior School only) Senior School Open Days 2012 Saturday, 13 October, 9.30-11.30 Saturday, 17 November, 9.30-11.30 Sixth Form Open Afternoon 2012 Thursday, 8 November, 2.30-4pm Charity number: 312747 Stanstead Road, London, SE6 4TY

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t: 020 8516 7200 www.stdunstans.org.uk

september 2012 - families south east

7

the

TUITION

experts

INSPIRING EXCELLENCE IN INDIVIDUAL TUITION FOR: • 11 PLUS Preparation for Grammar school entrance examinations?

• COMMON ENTRANCE Preparation for 7 PLUS – 13 PLUS Independent school entrance examinations • GCSE Preparation in Mathematics, Science or English • AS & A2 Preparation in Mathematics or Science

Outperforming expectations on a daily basis

We are now enrolling Year 5 pupils for Year 7 entry into Grammar and Independent schools

Open Day Saturday 22 September 2012 10.00 am - 12 noon

To book or to find out more contact www.theedcentre.co.uk enquiries@theedcentre.co.uk

0208 318 2106

Nursery and Junior School (3-11) Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR

Lewisham SE13 5AF 1 min walk from Lewisham DLR and bus garage

020 8674 6912 enquiry@shj.gdst.net

www.schs.gdst.net

Maths & English tuition Explore Learning centres provide maths and English tuition to children aged 5-14, designed to improve knowledge, confidence and enjoyment of learning.

Explore helps children make fantastic academic progress, in addition the vibrant atmosphere keeps them engaged and focussed enabling them to have fun while they learn.

As members, children work with tutors who are great role models, enthusiastic about learning and fantastic motivators. The individual focus allows children to work at their own pace – whether they are finding school tricky or are top of the class!

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Clubs & Classes theas t London in Sou

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES offer huge benefits to children.

Being good at something is satisfying; improving even better for confidence and self-esteem. When school feels like work, work work, that weekly session with like-minded new friends, run by enthusiastic leaders is something to look forward to.

Spanish Classes

for children and parents Energy packed and culturally rich fun for ages 6 months - 10 years NEW: Sunday workshops at Iberica Canary Wharf.

Relax and eat while your children join in with Spanish story telling and messy fingers play.

T: 020 7736 0325 E: info@olekids.com www.olekids.com

Luckily for us, southeast London is awash with classes offering every interest under the sun, as these pages show. Try our advertisers first - they’re here because they want you to know about them, and many offer free trials so you can see what they’re all about before signing up.

What will we discover Inside the story sock?

What do you think is hiding?

Come here and take a look...

What to do: where to go

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Tumbletots

Gymboree

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The Nature Bug

Inspiring children to love nature

Microsports

www.thenaturebug.co.uk

Latino Bambi no

ACTIVE BODIES

Microsports

Team GB’s fantastic Olympics medal haul has proved that sport is cool, knocking reality TV ‘celebs’ into a tin hat when it comes to heroes to look up to.

If your children are naturally active then their energy is ready and waiting to be honed and developed. If not, now’s a great time to sign them up for a regular activity they’ll enjoy - you’ll be doing them a huge favour in so many ways.

Different sports suit different children. Lively, outgoing boys and girls relish competitive team games; tennis develops hand-eye coordination as well as stretching young limbs; swimming builds strength without overstressing joints and ligaments; martial arts teach children to ‘read’ their opponents’ intentions; while dance adds poise, grace and flexibility to everyday movement.

Try these: DIDDI DANCE, ages 2-4, all areas, 07973 982 790, www.diddidance.com TENNIS-4-KIDS, ages 2-11, East Dulwich, Blackheath and Bromley, 07877 391 005, www.tennis-4-kids.com GYMBOREE, ages 3-5 years, Herne Hill 020 8123 8423, Crystal Palace newborn to under 5s 020 8123 8423, Bromley 020 8313 3921, www.gymboree-uk.com TUMBLETOTS, 6 months to 5 years, Dulwich, Blackheath, Battersea and Clapham, 020 8464 4433, www.tumbletots.com/dulwich LATINO BAMBINO, Salsa for mothers with babies from six weeks, plus musical dance classes for 1-4 year-olds, Blackheath and Rotherhithe, 07961 838349, www.latinobambino.co.uk SOUTH LONDON DANCE STUDIOS, children from 18 months to adults, 130 Herne Hill SE24, 020 7978

8624, www.@southlondondancestudios.co.uk CRYSTAL PALACE GYMNASTIC CLUB, preschool to teens, 07973 863 236, www.mycrystalpalacegymnastics.com SOUTH EAST LONDON TENNIS, weekly classes and holiday courses in Sydenham, 0773 993 6999, www.southeastlondontennis.com.

PUSH STUDIOS, dance and active classes for all ages from children to adults, East Dulwich, 020 8693 9111, www.pushstudios.co.uk LITTLE GEMS DANCE COMPANY, all ages, Sydenham 020 8613 8168, www.littlegemsdance.co.uk

Fun weekly sessions teaching pre-school aged children about nature through games, stories, movement & music, art & craft activities.

07521 778136 mail@thenaturebug.co.uk

Come and Join the Fun! The award winning movement to music, dance and singing programme for boys and girls from 6 months upwards run within a fun, safe and caring environment.

Singing

Dancing

Lots of Fun

Skipping

Hopping

Teddies

Music

Instruments

Colours

Numbers

Balance

Coordination

Confidence

Discipline

Certificates

Jumping

Scarves

Interaction

Boys

Girls

Exciting Classes available in

Dulwich

Contact Miss Stephanie on

07809 148348

dulwich@babyballet.co.uk bbdulwich

MICROSPORT, under 5, Beckenham and Bromley, 01689 600992, www.micro-sport.co.uk

Babyballet Dulwich

YOUNG STARS, ages 3-7, Dulwich, Clapham and Bromley, 0845 222 1313, www.young-stars.co.uk

www.babyballet.co.uk

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As seen on...

september 2012 - families south east

9

after school sportsclub You don t have to be an Olympian to get involved in sport but you never know what might happen .

Multisports program for 44--7yr olds: olds:-- soccer, tennis, cricket, basketball, athletics, hockey etc Learning & improving skills for all abilities.

Beckenham; Wednesdays

angela@micro-sport.co.uk 01689 600992 www.micro-sport.co.uk

MUNCHKIN SPORTS, ages 2-7, Lee, Beckenham, 0800 023 5801, www.munchkinsportsltd.com HERNE HILL VELODROME, cycle training, road and mountain biking sessions for ages 8 to adult, Herne Hill, www.hernehillvelodrome.com

Crystal Palace Gymnastics Cl ub

GYMNASTICS ALL STARS, David Lloyd Leisure in Beckenham, 08445 125 7002, www.davidlloyd.co.uk

CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING, 020 8771 4729, www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk CAPOEIRA 4 CHILDREN, 6-10 years, Blackheath, 0795 7608 344

BACKFLIP PERFORMERS, ages 2-11, East Dulwich, 020 8940 7998, www.backflipperformers.com

Crystal Palace ub Gymnastics Cl

DUKE’S CHAMPS, boxing in Crystal Palace, 07541 118 607, www.dukemckenzie.co.uk

GAMBADO indoor playcentre, Beckenham, 020 8662 6910, www.gambado.com

MUSIC Numerous studies demonstrate that no matter the level of skill, music is one of the best ways to help early language development.

ages 7-11

from bananas in pyjamas... ...to dracula carols to cantatas, from musicals to modern classics, from folk songs to film themes

ages 11+

for more information 020 8650 9164

www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk

Fun French for Children • 3 – 11 years old • Games, Songs & Drama • Native French Teachers • Professional Materials • Free Trial Session For SE3, SE4, SE12 SE21, SE22, SE23 & SE24

Call Séverine: 020 8699 7665

nior Choir Beckenham Ju

Like speech, music has structure, rhythm and rules. It introduces new words and concepts through repetition, encourages turn-taking (just like in conversation), and helps children develop listening skills and attention spans. Even preschool music classes which include rhythmic singing and clapping songs are contributing so much more than a dose of weekly fun.

Playing an instrument is great for dexterity and co-ordination. It teaches teamwork and Southwark Br ass Band responsibility, and improves concentration and memory. At six or seven, children might start with a recorder, keyboard or violin, progressing to guitar. Trickier brass and wind instruments are best left to older children, when children can join their school band or orchestra.

Try these: MONKEY MUSIC, 3 months to 4 years, Blackheath, Greenwich, Dulwich and Herne Hill 020 8764 5185, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Penge, Crystal Palace and Gipsy Hill, 020 8699 0977, www.monkeymusic.co.uk FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD CLASSES, ages 5-8, 0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info BEA’S BABY MUSIC, babies to 6 years, West Norwood 020 8670 9378, www.babymusic.co.uk

BECKENHAM YOUTH VOICES, ages 11+, Beckenham 020 8650 9164, www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk BOPPIN’ BUNNIES, pre-schoolers, Greenwich, Blackheath, Charlton, Honor Oak, New Cross, Eltham and Plumstead, 07855 916496, www.boppinbunnies.co.uk SOUTHWARK CHILDREN’S BRASS BAND in Dulwich, www.southwarkchildrensbrassband.org

TIN PAN ANNIE, babies and young children, Dulwich and Herne Hill, 020 8670 0644, www.tinpanannie.co.uk MUSIC FOR LITTLE PEOPLE, under 5s, Lee Green, Beckenham, East Dulwich, 020 8852 0118, www.musicforlittlepeople.co.uk BECKENHAM JUNIOR CHOIR, ages 7-11,

Beckenham, 020 8650 9164, www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk

CATERPILLAR MUSIC, under 5s, Beckenham 020 8777 3409, Dulwich 020 8333 9812, South Norwood 07974 249466, Lee 020 8693 9731, www.caterpillarmusic.com TIPPEE TOES, babies to 3 years, Dulwich, 0790 361 8432, www.tippeetoes.co.uk

ARTS AND CRAFTS 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

www.tennis-4-kids.com 10

families south east - september 2012

From the earliest age, children just love to make things.

Admittedly they start by making a mess, but in time their painting, sticking, kneading and moulding start to take a pleasing, recognisable form.

When clutching a big paintbrush, sticking pasta to a piece of card, squeezing clay or bread dough, children are developing motor skills which will later be fine-tuned to manage tasks such as writing and using cutlery effectively. Furthermore, the early attempts are stimulating many senses while introducing new techniques and textures.

By providing a balance and a creative outlet, art skills complement and assist literacy and numeracy skills in the classroom. If you’re not artistically inclined yourself, or never have the time to sit down and help your child create a wonderful cushion, collage or clay model, why not leave it to the experts?

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SCHOOL SUPPORT Parents choose out of school academic subjects ng Explore Learni for their children for a host of reasons - perhaps your little one excels in maths or writing and you want to give them more challenging and stimulating tuition - or maybe you simply want to supplement what is being taught at school by introducing the skills needed for independent study and fluency in the subject.

Whatever your reason, group or individual tuition can make a huge difference to your child’s progress and greatly enhance their school-based studies.

Parents book top-up classes or private tutors to give their children the edge when it comes to achieving in class, or practising and preparing for exams. If your child is bringing home good school reports and is happy and settled, there’s no need; however there’s no longer any stigma in finding extra help if you want to, and the best classes are fun as well as educational.

Try these: preschool to secondary school, UK YES TOUCH TYPING, all ages, term times and school holidays, wide including Forest Hill 020 8291 Greenwich 020 8858 9180, 6603, Greenwich 020 8853 3613 and www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk West Norwood 0800 530 0375, www.kipmcgrath.co.uk EXPLORE LEARNING maths and English, Reception to secondary FLEET TUTORS, all ages, all subjects school ages, Sydenham 020 8659 6026 and areas, 020 8580 3911, and New Cross 020 7871 7110, www.fleet-tutors.co.uk www.explorelearning.co.uk CUBE TUITION exam practice, KUMON maths and English, all English, maths, reasoning, problem ages, Blackheath 020 8239 0093, solving and learning skills, Dulwich, Thamesmead 020 8316 7516, Forest Hill Thornton Heath and Wimbledon, 020 8699 0264, South Bermondsey 020 8291 5522 or 020 8946 7682, 020 7703 2466, Crystal Palace www.cubetuition.co.uk 020 3627 1469, www.kumon.co.uk.

THE EDUCATION CENTRE, KS2 and 3 maths, English and Science, GCSE, AS and A’level, and 11+ and common entrance exams, Lewisham 020 8318 2106, www.theedcentre.co.uk KIP McGRATH for reading, spelling, comprehension, English and maths,

ub Nature Bug Cl

STORY SOCK, classes for ages 2-4, Blackheath and Greenwich, parties for ages 2-6 years, 07957 136270, www.storysock.co.uk THE NATURE BUG CLUB, ages 2-4, Blackheath, Lee, Telegraph Hill and East Dulwich, 07521 778 136, www.thenaturebug.co.uk

www.inkhead.co.uk | 07943 514408

OCTOBER 24th, 25th, 26th OCTOBER 29th, 30th & 31st Time: 10 am to 1pm

Our Exam Busters course aims to cover the creative writing and use of English part of school entrance exams. We show the difference between writing to persuade, argue or advise and writing creatively. We show to plot a story and write within a time constraint.

Our workshops are taught by writers who love words and are passionate about story writing.

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Since 1993 thousands of children across the UK have grown up with Monkey Music. Our unique teaching curriculum was written by classically trained musicians, and introduces music to very young children in a way they can easily understand and enjoy.

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TALKING TOTS, preschoolers, Forest Hill and Dulwich, 07967 126 148, Beckenham and Bromley 07504 166 107, www.talkingtots.info INKHEAD CREATIVE WRITING, ages 8-16, 07943 514408, www.inkhead.co.uk.

Dulwich Pictur e Gallery Lambeth 020 7703 4173, Bromley 01959 574 660, www.woodcraftfolk.org.uk DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, after school workshops for ages 11 to adult, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

CRAWLEY POTTERY STUDIOS, all ages, Forest Hill 020 8516 0002, www.crawleystudios.co.uk

FUZZY & FRIENDS, preschoolers, East Dulwich, 0790 3830 384, www.fuzzyandfriends.com

CRAFTY COOKS, children’s cookery, Forest Hill and Hither Green, 07811 108523, www.craftycooks.co.uk

MUNCHKINS KIDS COOKING, Blackheath, 020 8269 1331, www.blackheathcooks.com

PLAY WITH CLAY, ages 6-14, Streatham, 07930 413 649, www.play-with-clay.com

CHAOS ART CLUB, 2-5 year-olds, Beckenham, 020 8650 9497, East Dulwich 020 8693 4621, www.chaosartclub.co.uk.

WOODCRAFT FOLK, ages 5-15,

HALF-TERM WORKSHOPS IN CREATIVE WRITING at the Carnegie Library in Herne Hill and the Quaker Meeting Rooms in Blackheath

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Develop your child’s independence

Kumon’s maths and English study programmes are tailored to your child’s individual needs, nurturing their independence and enthusiasm for learning.

To unlock your child’s potential, contact your local Instructor for a Free Assessment:

Blackheath Rizwana Arain 020 8239 0093

South Bermondsey Snezhana Stoyanova 020 7703 2466

Forest Hill Ann Rolfe 020 8699 0264

Thamesmead Kemi Olomo 020 8316 7516 kumon.co.uk

Fees vary. Please refer to your local study centre.

september 2012 - families south east

11

Crawley Studios

Great Fun for Any Age Come along and enjoy the excitement of painting the item of your choice.

We provide a large selection of unpainted pottery, from egg cups and mugs to ducks and dinosaurs, as well as paints, brushes, stencils and stamps.

Children’s parties with a difference For further details please ring:

Tel/Fax: 020 8516 0002 www.crawleystudios.co.uk Open daily weekdays, weekends and evenings by appointment only 39 Wood Vale, Forest Hill, London SE23 3DS

LANGUAGES Given that babies learn their mother tongue practically before anything else apart from motor skills, it makes sense that they can be introduced to a second language before it starts rolling into the school curriculum later in life.

Children who learn a foreign language at an early age do so effortlessly. At the most receptive stage of their development they are like sponges and develop a wonderful accent. They learn through verbal and physical participation and communicate without inhibition and self-consciousness. If children enjoy their early exposure to a foreign language and culture, they will absorb and retain this, ensuring not only a head start in school lessons, but building confidence in all areas of the curriculum.

Language classes for children are extremely well designed - they are fun, happy and busy with plenty of activities including games, dances, songs and even cooking, to introduce the culture as much as the vocabulary.

Try these: (French) aged 0-7, West Norwood, 0845 467 3340, LE CLUB FRANCAIS, ages 3-11, all areas www.cadetrousselle.co.uk 020 8699 7665 EL CLUB ESPANOL, Dulwich, Forest Hill and Herne Hill, 020 8699 7665 CADET ROUSSELLE-ECOLE, bilingual children

DSS (Deutsche Samstagsschule Greenwich) for German-speaking children in and around Greenwich, www.dssgreenwich.org.uk/

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

+ Weekly classes in Lee, Blackheath and Hither Green

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

emy Freedom Acad

Freedom Acad emy

THEATRE ARTS Drama is a wonderful extension of the ‘let’s pretend’ games young children love to play.

Classes open and extend children’s imagination through role play and characterisation. Working to a theme or play introduces literature, classic stories and make-believe worlds which come to life through speech, song and movement. Students explore empathy for their characters and classmates, and learn to work effectively in groups, growing in confidence as they learn to express themselves more fully.

Perform

NEW Dance Classes!

Adult Ballet Tone Improve your strength, flexibility and posture through ballet and pilates based exercises

Boys Modern & Street Fun and funky dance classes for boys aged 5 to 16 years Contact us for more information about our new classes this term and our other dance classes for children from 18 months and adults 130 Herne Hill, SE24 9QL 020 7978 8624 info@southlondondancestudios.co.uk www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk

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families south east - september 2012

SOUTH LONDON DANCE STUDIOS

Before too long, students learn to make eye contact, speak clearly in front of others and stand up tall when entering a room - attributes which will serve them well whatever their choice of career. All this and usually there is an end of term performance where the students have the chance to showcase their new skills in front of an appreciative audience and in some cases, work towards professional exams or audition for West End productions.

Try these: PERFORM AND PERFORM PLUS, MONTAGE THEATRE ARTS, ages 3 Londonwide, ages 3 months to 12 to adult, Brockley, 020 8692 7007, years, 0845 400 1277, www.montagetheatre.com www.perform.org.uk THEATRE BUGS, under 5s, STAGECOACH THEATRE ARTS Greenwich area, 020 8244 2036, SCHOOLS, ages 4-16 years, www.theatrebugs.co.uk Dulwich 0845 055 6368, THE ALBANY, performances and Blackheath 020 8417 0010, classes for all ages, Deptford, Sydenham 020 8949 1116, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk Beckenham 020 3394 0810, www.stagecoach.co.uk PECKHAM SHED, theatre classes for FREEDOM ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS, ages 3 to 19 years, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Herne Hill and Gypsy Hill, 020 8244 4873, www.freedomacademy.co.uk THEATRE TOTS, preschoolers, Elephant and Castle, Hither Green, Blackheath, 0780 107 2776, www.theatretots.com

ages 5-17 and a community choir for all ages. 07592 923 625, www.peckhamshed.com GREENWICH & LEWISHAM YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE, ages 5-19, Woolwich, 020 8854 1316, www.glypt.co.uk.

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Local club news

Magic and wonder with Perform There’s more than a hint of magic in the air this autumn as Perform enters the Magician’s Chamber for a spellbinding new term. Children are invited to don their finest wizard robes, seize their magic wands and enter the weird and wonderful world of Arthurian Legends.

As always, Perform’s unique drama, dance and singing workshops will be full of thrills, spills and laughter. The classes help develop confidence, communication, concentration and co-ordination skills at the same time, giving children a head start in life.

Perform offers free trial sessions across its London classes, including those in Beckenham, Blackheath, Bromley, Dulwich and Petts Wood.

0845 400 1277, www.perform.org.uk.

Freedom Academy Freedom Academy was created to provide quality training in drama, singing and dance for 3 to 19 year-olds. From traditional Musical Theatre and Drama classes through to the modern styles of Street Dance and Glee, there are classes to suit any budding performer’s needs.

As Freedom Academy is a private LAMDA Examination Centre, children aged 6 and over also work towards acting and musical theatre exams during their classes. Thanks to strong links with theatre, commercial and TV/ film casting directors, pupils are currently staring in the “Lion King”, “Oliver!” and productions at Shakespeare’s Globe. Children have also filmed a number of series for CBBC and ITV. Freedom Academy’s Glee Clubs have had huge success including appearing on the BBC and reaching the finals of national competitions. The academy have three new clubs opening in East Dulwich this September for ages 7-10, 10-14 and 14-19 years, offering the same exciting opportunities.

Freedom Academy is an inclusive theatre company and believe every child should be given an opportunity to shine; therefore they offer payment plans as well as sibling and benefit discounts. For more information and to book a free trail class, call 020 8244 4873, email info@freedomacademy.co.uk or visit www.freedomacademy.co.uk.

Gymboree is a winner ‘Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity 2012’ Gymboree strive to provide the best Play & Music classes for 0-5 year-olds in the world!

Baby Play & Learn classes from newborn feature sensory and physical stimulation from a varied mix of props and activities to make little ones attentive and interested in their growing understanding of the world.

Play & Learn classes to five years feature purpose-built wooden and soft equipment to challenge and encourage movement and curiosity, along with early imagination skills.

Gymboree is in Herne Hill and Crystal Palace, and free trial classes are available.

020 8123 8423 or email hernehill@gymboree-uk.com.

The original and largest network of part-time performing arts schools in the world.

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C your local Stagecoach: Call B Blackheath 020 8417 0010 B Beckenham 020 3394 0810 Dulwich 0845 055 63 68 D Sydenham 020 8949 1116 S www.stagecoach.co.uk w agecoach.co.uk g

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september 2012 - families south east

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Birthday bugs The Nature Bug will be celebrating its first birthday in September.

Over the past year there have been sessions in Blackheath, Lee and Telegraph Hill and from September Nature Bug will be in a new venue in East Dulwich.

Each weekly session teaches children about different aspects of the natural world around us, exploring creatures such as minibeasts, birds and frogs, as well as flowers, trees and the weather.

Nature Bug encourages observation and exploration through hands-on wildlife encounters.

The emphasis is on fun, with themed games, stories, music and art and craft activities. Suitable for children two to four year-olds. For more information or to book a free taster session, call Vicky on 07521 778136, email mail@thenaturebug.co.uk or visit www.thenaturebug.co.uk.

More Microsports With a summer that has been packed full of sport, Microsport are going for gold and bringing the Olympic spirit to Beckenham. Fully trained staff with enhanced CRB checks will be coaching children in the following sports: hockey, tennis, cricket, basketball, football and athletic bases activities, in a safe, fun and friendly environment.

The new classes are being held after school on Wednesdays at the HSBC Sports Centre, Lennard Road in Beckenham. The new term starts on Wednesday 19 September for school children aged 4-7 years old (please note children must be attending school). For more information, visit www.microsport.co.uk or phone Angela on 01689 600992.

Languages are fun

Boosting English and Maths Research has found that at least two thirds of children fall behind in their studies over the summer holidays.

The beginning of a new academic year is an ideal time to seek extra support, boosting confidence in the classroom.

• Kumon is the country’s leading supplementary education provider, with over four million Explore Learning students worldwide and a record of excellence in maths and English. Kumon’s unique family’s routine. There are 63 centres across the method of learning focuses on each child as an country including Sydenham 020 8659 6026 individual, providing them with transferable and New Cross 020 7871 7110. For more study skills and ensuring they progress at a information including testimonials and parents’ level that is right for them. Students attend their reviews, free activities for 5-11 year-olds and a local Kumon centre once or twice a week for free iPhone times table app, go to around half an hour, and have daily worksheets www.explorelearning.co.uk. to take away so they can keep up with their studies at home. For a free assessment and to enrol your child, contact a local centre: • Blackheath 020 8239 0093, • Thamesmead 020 8316 7516, • Forest Hill 020 8699 0264, • South Bermondsey 020 7703 2466, • Crystal Palace 020 3627 1469, • Greenwich 020 8293 4173, • Brockley 01689 602196, • East Dulwich 020 8299 2811, • Peckham 020 8299 1169, • Catford 01689 812731, • Charlton 020 8305 2174, www.kumon.co.uk

Le Club Francais and El Club Espanol teach children French and Spanish in a fun way through games, songs, and plays etc; giving the children the opportunity to speak and understand the language without their realising. They also teach the way of life through food, customs and celebrating festivals etc.

The informal and friendly classes provide an environment for children to develop their self-esteem and self-confidence where they quickly acquire enough knowledge to enjoy using the language for communication and expression. Children from 3 to 11, in nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools and local halls can benefit from the classes.

Everyone working with Severine is a French or Spanish native teacher, as she explains “I believe it is the best way of teaching a language. Being taught by native French or Spanish teachers also gives the children a head start in understanding and speaking the language with the right accent.”

For a free class visit, email severinecoupe@aol.com or call her on 020 8699 7665.

Latino Bambino - shake it, baby!

•

14

Explore Learning is a network of maths and English tuition centres where 5 to 14 year-olds follow individualised, interactive programmes in a vibrant, club-like setting. Coursework is linked to the National Curriculum and tracked through progress charts, prizes and certificates.

Thousands of children attend Explore, gaining confidence, enthusiasm, independence, knowledge and new skills as a result. The centres are open seven days a week and members do not have to book in advance, so you can take your child at times to suit your

families south east - september 2012

Forget the gym, have fun instead and take your baby with you.

At Latino Bambino nobody puts baby in the corner where mama and her slinged-up partner learn silky Salsa moves. Babies are part of the workout and very much involved in helping their mums lose the pregnancy weight, tone up and burn calories - having great fun along the way. If your baby is too big for a carrier and can dance on their own two feet, there’s a Toddler class for 1-4 year-olds. Birthday Parties are also available. Classes are held in Rotherhithe SE16 and Blackheath SE3. Visit www.latinobambino.co.uk or call Urska on 07961838349.

Capoeira 4 Children Capoeira 4 Children offers children a unique set of experiences based on fun, movement and rhythm. From handstands to cartwheels, kicks and defenses, balance and coordination, the class is suitable for children from 6 to 10 years.

Capoeira is a group activity involving acrobatics, gymnastics and co-ordinated concentration, with a musical backdrop. As a sport, it develops stamina, endurance, physical co-ordination, equilibrium, agility, flexibility and team spirit.

Classes are held on Wednesdays after school in Blackheath. For information, call 0795 7608 344 or email abadacapoeirauk@gmail.com.

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Glenlyn Academy

Fun Spanish for Children

Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it. Glenlyn Academy’s ethos is at the heart of everything they do.

For over 70 years the Academy has been delivering the highest quality training in Musical Theatre, Singing, Drama and Dance to children and young people across South London. A strong technical grounding from some of the industry’s most experienced teachers combined with extensive performing opportunities allow students to realise their full potential and achieve their dreams.

This year, the Academy has a full and exciting programme of events for all students both locally and also in the West End. As one of the largest performing arts schools in London, Glenlyn has so much it can offer all of its students. There are classes for children as young as 21⁄2 through to a variety of adult classes. The first lesson is free. Call 020 8778 5768 or see www.glenlynacademy.com.

• 3 – 11 years old • Games, Songs & Drama • Native Spanish Teachers • Professional Materials • Free Trial Session For SE21, SE22, SE23 & SE24

Call Séverine: 020 8699 7665

New gym club in Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Gymnastics Club has just been awarded the 2012 London General Gymnastics Club of the year, for its outstanding services to London gymnastics, amazing coaches and amazing gymnasts. A thrilled coach Penny Burrows told us: “It’s an amazing achievement for our club in this Olympic year to be receiving this award”.

In July, CPGC opened a second, junior gym in Carberry Road, Crystal Palace. The new venue offers classes for mothers and toddlers through junior and advanced teams, as well as a lunchtime play gym for preschoolers. In a fully equipped gym and under the guidance and supervision of qualified coaches, children tumble, play and learn gymnastics in a structured environment.

Crystal Palace Gymnastics Club has been running for 25 years from the centre of excellence at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, training 6-15 year-olds to great success. Members have the chance to achieve national awards, join competitive teams or simply have fun and keep fit. Birthday parties are available too.

Places are available now - for more information, call 07807 902 180 or go to www.mycrystalpalacegymnastics.com.

Established

1979

The springboard to confidence for your child

Beckenham Junior Choir Beckenham Junior Choir (ages 7-11) and Beckenham Youth Voices (ages 11 to teens) are local young singers who meet weekly to make music and prepare for public performances.

Established in 1993, the choirs attract a wide range of similar aged children from many different schools, all of whom have a love of singing a variety of different songs, often accompanied by a pianist and young instrumentalists.

Both choirs meet on Wednesday evenings in Beckenham, and new singers are always welcome without audition. For more information, call the director of music John Webber on 020 8650 9164 or see www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk.

• Exciting physical play programme • Specially designed equipment • Supervised by trained staff • Develops a child’s confidence, balance and co-ordination • First steps to an active life • Great fun! • Parties available For more information please call Julia on: 020 8464 4433 julia.forrest@tumbletots.com Classes in: Battersea, Clapham, Dulwich, Blackheath www.tumbletots.com/dulwich

Children’s Brass Band Southwark Children’s Brass Band is the first band to be sponsored as part of RatedPeople.com’s national community sponsorship program. A significant donation has been given to provide new and existing members the opportunity to learn, practice and perform.

The Southwark Children’s Brass Band provides weekly music tuition and training in brass instruments for around 50 children from the London Borough of Southwark from all backgrounds. It is free for children to join.

The donation from Rated People will ensure that the band is able to continue to be free for all, and provide instruments for children who might not otherwise be able to afford to join in. For more information, see www.southwarkchildrensbrassband.org.

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september 2012 - families south east

15

Family Life

Common law marriage - does it exist?

By Mandeep Clair

No. A common law marriage is a common myth.

People who are cohabiting have very few rights and responsibilities compared to those who are married or civil partners (who are same sex couples who have registered their relationships). Many only realise this when it is too late: when their relationship has broken down or their partner dies.

Do I have rights?

If the property is registered in your partner’s sole name and you are living there you have no automatic entitlement to a share. In a recent case, a cohabitee did not contribute financially to the purchase price of a property but said that she was promised a half share. She made a significant contribution towards the development of the property and provided a loan to her partner. The judge was unable to accept her evidence that she was promised or that she was encouraged to believe or did believe that she would have any share in the property at the time of its purchase or afterwards. She was only entitled to repayment of the loan (and her engagement ring).

Even if your partner dies or has not made a will, you are not automatically entitled to a share of the property. Your partner’s estate will pass to his next of kin which could mean his spouse if they have not divorced and/ or children. You could be left homeless.

If you are left with nothing from the estate, you might have to take court action to pursue a claim against your partner’s estate on the basis that you have lived together for two years before his death and that you were wholly or partly dependent on him. This could be very stressful, time consuming and expensive.

What you can do now •

•

•

16

Enter into a cohabitation contract or living together agreement which is an enforceable agreement. It would include what you both want to happen if you separate Both make wills. Even if you do not have much to leave at the moment, you may have more later and your wills should ensure that your assets pass to beneficiaries of your choice Possibly register the house in joint names at the Land Registry. There are various factors to consider before doing this. For example, if there is a mortgage registered against the property, the lender’s agreement would be required and the lender would want you to be named on the mortgage too which would make you liable for it with your partner. Another way forward could be to register what is known as a ‘restriction’ against the property and have a declaration of trust prepared by a solicitor setting out how the equity in the property is held between you both. The declaration would not affect any existing mortgage

families south east - september 2012

•

Check your private pension schemes - only some pay survivor’s benefits to unmarried partners. If they do not provide such benefits, you should give further consideration to financial planning for the future.

About the author Mandeep Clair is a mediator, collaborative lawyer and experienced family solicitor at southeast London solicitors Grant Saw. The practice offers friendly, professional family legal services including a free one hour consultation. For more help or information, call 020 8858 6971 or email mclair@grantsaw.co.uk.

Baby Bjorn

“I have been living with someone in his house for many years. We are not married. Am I his common law wife and is the house automatically mine too?”

Flexible working - top tips

By Mandy Garner

Holding down a job and keeping the household running is no meant feat, but it is something that many of us have to do. Flexibility is the key to keeping on top of it all. Here are ten top tips: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

When negotiating flexible working, make sure you think practically about what works for your family. For instance, make sure your childcare plans allow enough leeway so you don’t end up rushing everywhere all the time.

Be incredibly organised. Have a list where you write down everything you have to do. You can then feel a sense of achievement as you tick it off, even if you are adding more things to it in the meantime.

Prepare all the school/ nursery/ childminder stuff you need in the morning the night before, including uniforms and lunch boxes. That way you only have to get the kids up, dressed, breakfasted and out in the morning. Anything more increases the stress levels and means you arrive at work as if you have been on a combat training course.

Try to plan ahead so you are not always re-arranging childcare at the last minute. This includes inset days, holidays, Christmas plays, summer outings, etc, etc.

Have a back-up back-up plan. Negotiate with your partner, if you have one, or any other form of support what you will do if there is an

emergency such as school closure and try to share the burden. If you know in advance that there is going to be an emergency such as a school strike negotiate with your work to see if you can work more flexibly that day, eg, from home.

6.

Multi-task. Try to save time by doing several things at once. If you are going out to drop someone off, make sure you remember to do all other tasks that need doing outdoors, eg posting a letter, enroute. Eventually it will become a way of life.

7.

Be good to your friends and family. You will need them. If a friend does you a favour, ensure you always repay it so that you can ask again in the future.

8.

Simplify your life - say no to the things you don’t need to do and build in some rest time into your life. Everyone needs a duvet day once in a while.

9.

Ask your friends for tips on what makes their lives easier. It may be something as simple as tying your door keys round your neck to stop you from always scrabbling about for them.

Learn from those who have gone before you.

10. Be your own best friend. You will spend your life doing things for other people. Ensure that you also build some time in for yourself, even if it is only to have a bath all by yourself.

About the author Mandy Garner is editor of Workingmums.co.uk; a jobsite and community for mothers who are looking to work around their family life.

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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.

Much of the summer just gone was spent in the pursuit of a bag for Trasha to take to her new school this month. This is revisited territory - her big sister had a super fussy teacher in Year 4 who thought nothing of giving them detention for not having a sharpener. Thus, in preparation for Year 5 we scoured France for the perfect backpack, “La Rentrée” being somewhat eye-wateringly pricier than nipping out to Wilkos for the start of the Autumn term. Eventually, stylish backpack secured and brimming with glinting equipment in a matching pencil case, she went off on the first day of term with renewed confidence. Sadly the aforementioned satchel was unceremoniously abandoned that same afternoon on her return with the news that her new teacher had said that they weren’t to worry about bringing so much stuff to school because everything they needed was kept in the classroom. Gggggrrrr.

PRESS HERE by Hervé Tullet - Chronicle rrp £9.99. Now if I was to recommend a book for a child going to school for the first time, it would be this and, by happy coincidence it is by a Frenchman, and he cleverly reminds us that books were the first technology. I took my monkey-trousered nephew, Dinky Bill, through it and he’s just going into reception. Effortlessly (cue Gallic shrug) it combines counting and motor dexterity and the all-important ‘fun’ element, without ever being sick-baggy or too earnest or doubly all-important, boring as hell. Especially when you’ve got ole Dink on a repeat button.

WANTED: THE PERFECT PET by Fiona Roberton - Hodder rrp £5.99. And we’ve had the chat about pets and apparently they’re having “two bunny rabbits” which I instantly insist are named Stew and Barbie, to his and my niece’s consternation.”

This witty tale with a lovely philosophical response (complete with great small ad section that includes a castle for rent with 3284 bedrooms and just the two bathrooms) is for every kid that dreams of having a dog and for every parent desperate not to have one. Personally, a big licky beast pawing me every five minutes and whining pitifully (there’s a joke in there about husbands that I’m just too kind to make) is my idea of a nightmare. On the other hand, as per this story, I’ve always fancied a flock of ducks.

THE LAST TIGER by Rebecca Elliott - Lion rrp £5.99. Though frightfully fashionable at the mo’ (and I’m thinking of the hit show based on Judith Kerr’s tea-and-all-daddy’s-beer drinking feline), Dinky isn’t too keen on the prospect of a tiger as a pet but once we read this together he decided to keep his options open, asking: “But where have all the other tigers gone Aunty Jussy?” As I wasn’t too keen to burst his jolly balloon just yet with the ecological consequences of destroying habitat and the subsequent detriment to bio-diversity, world peace and the survival of the human race itself: I’ll save the cruel truth for when he’s been really naughty.

Milking the retro market, Random have reissued favourite ‘Golden Book Classics’ and with BABY LISTENS, rrp £3.99, you couldn’t get more 1960s Americana than if Don Draper was reading it aloud with his Lucky Strike parked in ashtray beside the kiddy night light.

WHY? by Natascha Rosenberg - Campbell Books rrp £6.99. If you possess a boy like Dinky, simple things like PUTTING ON WELLINGTONS become a monumentally complex series of excuses as to why aforementioned small male is averse to keeping his feet dry. Seriously toddler friendly with chunky lift the flaps, it describes itself as an “utterly bonkers book of questions!” Why can’t you eat an ice-cream every day?

Because you’ll get a snowman in your tummy, derrrr...

There’s more mayhem and tigers in WHAT TO DO IF AN ELEPHANT STANDS ON YOUR FOOT, Michelle Robinson & Peter H. Reynolds, Puffin rrp £6.99 and I recognise the exasperation of the narrator as the chain of events gathers pace and our hapless explorer gets himself into yet another scrape.

LITTLE CHILDREN’S MUSIC BOOK by Fiona Watt - Usborne rrp £12.99. I took this month’s books en vacance, hence the use of the nephew as a guinea pig (off the hook at last, Trasha started on Edgar Allen Poe right away) and I forgot all about this until in the middle of the night, thunder claps clattering across the lonely Normandy sky and unidentified scrabbling on the corrugated tin roof (I kid you not), there came a spectral strumming like there was the ghost of a hippy trapped behind my bed. Given that my crusty sister lived here for several years, the idea isn’t so daft. Finally, I realised the chair upon which my quaking glass of water was balanced was on top of the button you press for Weasel’s guitar playing and each time I took a frightened sip and put the glass back down...

CAFE LIFE LONDON by Jennie Milsom, with photos by Hannah Moushabeck & Harry Hall - Armchair Traveller rrp £12.99. An interesting, small - scuse the pun - coffee table book that is ideal to review from a Gallic vantage point, I am struck by how a-typical all the choices are here. There’s nowt wrong with them but our wonderful tea shop Britishness has been left out of the selection and I am absolutely certain café culture exists beyond Peckham. Trouble is those lovely Norf Londoners think the likes of Sydenham, the Norwoods, Forest Hill & Penge are out in cowpat land. Meanwhile, sitting beside the stunning waters of the quarry at Mont Castre in La Manche, we were served the perfect pot of tea with real milk out of a shed by the same bloke that services the pedalos and runs the mower round, without removing his cigarette from his mouth.

WAINWRIGHT FAMILY WALKS by A. Wainwright - Frances Lincoln rrp 9.99. Sorry, I am still in holiday mode because the only way I can cope with the prospect of winter is to think about what japes we are going to have the next holiday break. When your children are small it is damn near impossible to get a good ramble in but with this neat and beautiful collection of do-able 20 fell walks complete with info on refreshments and loos and parking and where the kids can play along the way, there is no excuse for sitting in the car complaining. Crack open that expensive off-road buggy you bought, fill the hip flask and yell Mush!

THE BUMPER BOOK OF FAMILY GAMES by KatieHewett & Joe Pink - Collins & Brown rrp £12.99. There are advantages to being stuck out in the middle of nowhere - no mobile signal, therefore no BBM for the teenagers and no iPhone for daddy.

While you are at it, lock those blimmin’ Nintendos in the boot.

Right. This brilliant, brilliant book is all you are going to need and saying you don’t know the rules is no excuse as they are all here, from Steal the Bacon to Go Fish! From Blind Man’s Bluff to Hopscotch. Get the elastic out and impress your children with your superior French skipping and quiz the man in your life on the top ten pioneers of motoring (somehow I just know I will not be accused of shameless stereotyping here but if you think the mother-in-law knows some of the answers, be my guest..).

All these ideas for some serious analogue entertainment en famille come illustrated in a wonderful tongue-in-cheek Ladybird Book style. Genius.

We taught Dinky the nephew our favourite holiday game. All it requires is that everyone remains sharp eyed whilst we drive south along the coastline of the vegetable growing region of Cotentin and tries to be the first to yell, “Carrots!” or, “Leeks!” as the fields of sandy crops pass by. Sometimes we do it in French for educational value: “Carottes! Poireaux!” You get the tableau. On his return to London, his mum, my sister, drove him to a friend’s house and on the way told him to look to the left where his beloved ballet classes are held and asked him what he could see. “Carrots!” yelled the three year old proudly.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk w w w. f a m i l i e s s e . c o . u k

september 2012 - families south east

17

Recycling quality second-hand baby & toddler goods Community & Commercial Stalls available prams cots clothes toys books Events held in Gipsy Hill | Blackheath | Clapham Enquiries: info@sellitmama.com

More info www.sellitmama.com

LITTLE SUNSHINE LITTLE RAINFALL

UNICORN THEATRE – A WINTER’S TALE

What’sOn

ANGELINA BALLERINA

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BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION From 10 September, LEWISHAM ARTHOUSE, 140 Lewisham Way, New Cross SE14 6PD, www.lewishamarthouse.org.uk An introductory course in drawing plants, with tuition in the basic scientific structure of plants. The course is taught within an artist’s studio complex and is led by Alison Day, who is both artist/ photographer and qualified botanist/ environmentalist. Mondays for ten weeks, email alison.day10@yahoo.com for bookings and information.

CROCHET FOR BEGINNERS 11, 18 + 25 September, ALHAMBRA HOME & GARDEN, 148 Kirkdale, Sydenham SE26, 020 3417, www.alhambrahome.co.uk After her massively popular ‘Crochet a Flower in an Hour workshop’ (so nice, she had to run it twice!) the lovely Lindy Zubairy is back with a new set of classes for the happy hookers of Sydenham and beyond! £16 per class. All materials provided. More info at www.yocrochet.co.uk or by calling Lindy on 0777 617 4889.

TRAVELLING THE UNIVERSE 11 September - 16 October, Astronomy Centre, ROYAL OBSERVATORY, Greenwich SE10, 020 8312 6789, www.rmg.co.uk Explore the fascinating world of space travel on this short six-week course. Discover different forms of voyaging throughout our Universe, from using the stars to navigate the globe to the possibilities of travelling through time. 7-9pm, £72.

INTRODUCTION TO TENNIS From 12 and 15 September, SYDENHAM TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham SE26 6ET, 07776 231 676, www.sltcc.co.uk Two six-week courses for beginners and returners who want to start playing tennis or brush up on rusty skills. Learn basic techniques, meet players of a similar standard and have fun playing doubles. £30 for six sessions, book first by phone or email christinehensby@googlemail.com.

SPORTS INJURY PREVENTION SEMINAR

YES, YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!

Successful ‘business mum’ is seeking 5 working partners to work part-time from home, alongside and without compromising family commitments or current career.

If you have a supervisory, managerial, sales, marketing, recruitment or self-employed background or you wish to develop an extraordinary lifestyle, please call Skye Edwards

07973 749 846 18

families south east - september 2012

148 Kirkdale, Sydemham, SE26, 020 3417, www.alhambrahome.co.uk A Wednesday lesson for intermediate students, and Thursday classes for beginners and level 2 beginners (who have already done a term).

Classes run from 7.30pm-8.30pm and cost £9.50, terms payable in advance. Book first.

HAVEN’T STOPPED DANCING YET! 21 September, St SWITHUN’S CHURCH HALL, Hither Green SE13 6QE, 0796 716 3247, www.haventstoppeddancingyet.co.uk We all love our kids but sometimes you need a night off and Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet! is a great way to spend it with non-stop partying to 70’s and 80’s soul, funk and disco in the ultimate old school venue a church hall in Hither Green. DJs Lord Anthony and Da-Lynne will be playing classic floor fillers including Carwash, Love Train, Let’s Groove, Blame it on the Boogie and, of course, the Gonzales track after which the club takes its name. If, after all that lot, you need a bit of a sit-down there’s a chill-out zone in the crypt, complete with funky cushions, lava lamps and a retro record player. 7.30-11pm, tickets £12 on the door or £10 in advance.

LEARN TO MANAGE WORRY, STRESS & SLEEP 21 September - 12 October in BROCKLEY, 24 September - 15 October in GREENWICH Learn how to think more calmly, feel more relaxed and achieve more in a new four week course. £60 a person. For more information, call Nicky on 07799 805305.

NCT NEARLY NEW SALE 22 September, St JOHN’S CHURCH, 251 Eden Park Avenue, Beckenham, Kent BR3 3JN, www.nct.org.uk A great opportunity to buy pre-loved baby and children’s clothes, nursery equipment and toys. 11.30am-1pm.

MONKEY BARS

13 September, SYDENHAM TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham SE26 6ET, 020 8778 9050, www.sltcc.co.uk Do you want to learn more about the most common sports injuries and how to avoid them? Sports physiotherapists and podiatrists from the award-winning Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre are presenting a free seminar. The session will include common sports injuries, sporting footwear, a stretching demonstration and Q&A. Participants will receive a handout to take home, and 10% off an initial physiotherapy or podiatry assessment. 8pm start, book first by phone or email enquiries@cpsic.co.uk.

25-30 September, UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com Award-winning writer Chris Goode asked thirty 8-10 year olds to talk about their lives, their thoughts, their world. In Monkey Bars their words are spoken by adults. Not adults playing children, but adults playing adults, in adult situations. Monkey Bars is a revelatory verbatim show for adults about children that is funny, touching and endlessly surprising.

BUSINESSMUMS NETWORKING GROUP

29 September, CHRIST CHURCH, 1 Highland Road., Gypsy Hill SE19, www.sellitmama.com, email rachel@sellitmama.com.

Visit the Mother and Baby Fair for quality second-hand baby goods anything from prams, baby clothes and toys to books, nursery equipment and maternity wear. There will also be a pop up cafe, sweet treats from Angel Cakes and local businesses showcasing their products and services. 11am-2.30pm.

13 September, 11 October, 15 November, CHAPTERS RESTAURANT, Montpelier Vale, Blackheath SE3. www.selondonmumpreneurs.blogspot.com The SE London Mumpreneurs runs monthly networking meetings, providing a great chance to meet like minded businessmums, brainstorm any business issues you may have and make new connections. £15 to trial the group includes coffee and croissants, book by emailing Clare at motherslife@hotmail.co.uk.

SPANISH CONVERSATION, ADULT CLASSES From 19 September, ALHAMBRA HOME & GARDEN,

SELL IT MAMA! MOTHER AND BABY FAIR

NCT NEARLY NEW SALE 13 October, St LAURENCE CHURCH HALL, 37 Bromley Road, Catford SE6 2TS, www.nct.org.uk A great opportunity to buy good quality baby and children’s clothes, nursery equipment, toys, books and maternity wear. 11am-1pm.

Theatre, Shows and Music ALBANY THEATRE EVENTS ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk DISCO KIDS, 16 September + 28 November. Dance the afternoon away at a special disco party for under 5s and their grown ups, with a dance choreographer and live DJ. 2-5pm, tickets £5.50 each of £20 per family.

LITTLE SUNSHINE, LITTLE RAINFALL, 23 September. Meet Little Sunshine and Little Rainfall in their magical garden, and see how all the

creatures must save their homes and families from naughty Storm Fox. The production blends Japanese folklore with traditional music and dance, inspired by Haiku and origami. 1+3pm starts, ages 3+, tickets £6 or £22 per family.

THE GINGERBREAD MAN, 14 October. Two children are helping their mother in the garden, but when they are left to their own devices, they accidentally create the Gingerbread Man. Their adventures include puppetry, live cooking, a lot of mess and a delicious ending for everyone.

1+3pm starts, ages 3+, tickets £7 each or £24 for families.

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HORNIMAN MUSEUM

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

UNICORN THEATRE UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com A WINTER’S TALE, 19 September - 16 November. A group of actors is performing The Winter’s Tale at the Unicorn. But it’s not going well. In this hilarious new play within a play, four performers present Shakespeare’s story of kings and queens and bears in the forest - a world of petty jealousies and playground rites, in which it’s always the servants who draw the short straw. Ages 7-10.

DR KORCZAK’S EXAMPLE, 23 September - 13 November. In the final days of an orphanage in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw, food is scarce, tempers rise, and everyone wants to survive. Award-winning playwright David Greig tells the powerful tale of Korczak’s refusal to abandon the orphanage and his insistence that everyone should live by the key values of tolerance and respect, even in the face of injustice. Ages 11-13.

I, MALVOLIO, 3 October - 11 November. Tim Crouch re-imagines Twelfth Night in a brilliant one-man show that invites the audience to explore self-knowledge, bullying and shame through the eyes of Shakespeare’s most pent-up steward. Ages 13+.

HANDA’S SURPRISE, 9-11 October. Travel to Kenya with Handa as she journeys to see her best friend Akeyo. And since you can’t visit a friend empty-handed, Handa takes seven delicious fruits as a surprise - but seven different animals have seven very different ideas. Could you resist the sweet-smelling guava, ripe red mango or tangy purple passion fruit? The production is a blend of physical performance, puppetry, live music and song for ages 2-5 years. Tickets £10 children, £16 adults.

LET’S CELEBRATE: SOUTHBANK SINFONIA 29 September, Cadogan Hall, SLOANE Square, SW3, 020 7730 4500, www.cadoganhall.com A brilliant introduction to the classical greats, Southbank Sinfonia will visiting

HMS BELFAST

an array of composers from Bach to Britten; adding cheeky twists to some of their favourite pieces. Southbank Sinfonia’s Saturday Spectacular family concerts are a winning combination of music-making and fun activities, providing a hands-on insight into classical music for 2-11 year olds.

11.30am start, tickets £6 children, £7 adults, £24 families.

ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MOUSICAL 14-16 September, HACKNEY EMPIRE, 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ, 020 8985 2424, www.hackneyempire.co.uk, www.angelinaballerinalive.com Children’s book and TV favourite, Angelina Ballerina is performing live on stage in an all-singing, all-dancing musical theatre show. The musical transports audiences to Chipping Cheddar, as Angelina and friends discover that Camembert Academy has won the opportunity to appear in their favourite television programme ‘Dancing With Mice!’. It feels like a dream come true - but when the girls and boys have very different ideas for the show and just can’t seem to agree on anything, it’s up to Angelina as Dance Captain to ensure that the show goes ahead. Angelina always works hard to reach her goals and learns from her mistakes. As the young audiences share in Angelina’s experiences, they’re inspired to go after their big dreams too!

Ages 3+, tickets from £12.50.

FAMILY EVENTS AT THE HORNIMAN

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.

DESIGN A NEWS SHEET, 16 September. “Extra, extra, read all about it!”

Join in a creative workshop led by the team from Okido - the art and science magazine for children. Budding reporters can write their latest scoop while learning how to use type, layout and images, then take their news sheet home to impress their friends. Suitable for all ages, free but book first.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM

Movement & Dance for Under 5’s

FREE

dance sessions

where children are encouraged to dance, sing and use their imaginations!

The Salvation Army Centre 105 Lomond Grove,Camberwell, London SE5 7HN Every Friday 10:15am & 11am (including school holidays)

There’s no need to book, just come along. supported by

For more information call Home-Start Southwark

020 7737 7720 www.homestartsouthwark.org.uk

SUITCASE CIRCUS 30 September, GREENWICH THEATRE, Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10 8ES, 020 8858 7755, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk A delightfully heart-warming and interactive family-friendly spectacular from the acclaimed Folded Feather. Featuring the world’s only acrobatic potato sack, a daredevil ski glove, an incredible dancing milkshake straw, the hypnotic tie snake Windsor Knot, and the lovable yet bizarre magical Mexican hat Timrek, all accompanied by live music. 11am start, tickets £7.50 children, £9 adults.

Events & Exhibitions 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.

BODY ADORNED, until 6 January 2013. Over time, saris, tattoo parlours, nail bars, distended ears and scarification have become a visible, everyday part of the London cityscape. But how did cultural adornments become integrated into urban London life? The exhibition considers how the movement of people, objects and ideas influenced London dress in the past and explores body adornment in today’s world city of London.

BRITISH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION, 29 September - 24 February 2013. The Horniman Museum & Gardens are hosting the winning images from the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Competition. From a jelly fish photographed in the icy waters off Scotland, to a brown hare’s early morning adventure in Norfolk, to a grey seal swimming off the coast of Devon, to the exhibition demonstrates the rich diversity of wildlife living in Britain today. Winning images from children’s entries are also included.

Admission free.

Little Movers

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. Visitors can take the controls of a virtual hot air balloon and chart it on a stable course to simulate the role of the Bank in keeping inflation steady. Other attractions include interactive displays and films on inflation, jigsaws, a safe to be cracked and activity sheets for children. Open 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND, 22+23 September. Take a guided tour of parts of the bank, including the Gartden Court, the Governor’s office, the Court Room and the Committee Room, and attend presentations on banknotes in the Museum Cinema.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM GEFFRYE MUSEUM, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk The Geffrye Museum is one of London’s best-loved museums. It shows the changing style of the English domestic interior in a series of eleven period rooms from 1600 to the present day. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon on Sundays and Bank Holidays Mondays, admission free.

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.

SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily 10am-6pm except 24-26 December.

LAUNCHPAD SCIENCE SHOWS. The largest free interactive science gallery in the UK is packed with exhibits which allow visitors to launch a rocket, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud. Ages 8-14, free.

WHO AM I? Find out what makes you special through interactive activities which use the latest in brain science and genetics. Free.

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BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R,

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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.

MUSEUM OF LONDON EVENTS

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

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.

PERFECT PATTERN, 23 September. Use digital technology to design a pattern for a cushion or t-shirt based on some of the colourful clothes on display in the museum. Ages 5+, free tickets on application.

AT HOME WITH THE QUEEN, until 4 November. A photography exhibition featuring Londoners in their homes, to explore cherished mementoes of Her Majesty’s rein.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM

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

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.

ANIMALS INSIDE OUT, until 16 September. Your last chance to explore the intricate biology and physiology of some of the most spectacular creatures. The exhibition is put together by the people behind the Body Worlds shows and includes over 80 plastinate and blood vessel specimens, from goats and giraffes to octopuses and ostriches. Admission free for under 3s, £6 children, £9 adults.

DINO SNORES, 22 September. Discover what happens at the museum when all the staff and visitors have gone home. There will be a torch-lit trail, a live show about creatures that bite and sting, and some fossil fun before snuggling down at midnight. You will also take home souvenirs of the night to show your pals and relatives. And, impress them with stories of how you fought off a ferocious Velociraptor - or was that just a dream? Ages 8-11 and adults, £49 per person, book first.

WILDLIFE GARDEN, until 31 October. Escape the city and wander through the tranquil paths of the museum’s Wildlife Garden. With habitats including woodland, meadow and pond, the garden is a haven for thousands of British plants and animals, and demonstrates the potential for wildlife conservation in the inner city. Entrance is via the Museum’s west lawn, admission free.

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.

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.

FACT INTO FICTION is a family-friendly exhibition celebrating 200 years since the birth of Dickens. It explores his experiences of the Borough area of Southwark during 1824 when his father was imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea prison.

FLICKERING LIGHTS, 18 October. Enter another world at this performance of a new work of storytelling and music by Vanessa Woolf and Nigel of Bermondsey. 6pm start.

TALES OF THE MAGIC LANTERN, 30 October. Spooky stories for Hallowe’en with Vanessa Woolf.

HMS BELFAST On the THAMES by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk. (Thames Clipper 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, £14 adults.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM, Horse Guards, Whitehall SW1A 2AX, 020 7930 3070, www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk Take ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the ceremonial and operational role of the Household Cavalry. Through a large glass screen visitors can view troopers attending to their horses in the working stables of The Queen’s Life Guard. Other attractions on offer include a dazzling display of uniforms, weapons, horse furniture and rare highly prized artefacts.

Open 10am-5pm, admission £4 children, £6 adults.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, South Bank, London SE1, 020 7620 0347, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk 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

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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 Museum open daily 10am-6pm. Admission £3.95 children, £5.95 adults, families from £12.50.

THE CHILDREN’S WAR. Look at the home front in Britain and the impact of WW2 through the eyes of the children who lived through it.

Incorporating hands-on activities for visitors of all ages, it also features the popular 1940s house and part of a post-war prefab.

BUILD THE TRUCE, 21-23 September. Call a truce, whatever your differences, and hear a slimy story of slugs, snails and truce time tales.

Find out what united the slugs and snails in this funny and inspiring tale of truce and make your own unique. Free drop-in for families, 11am1pm and 2-4pm. Linked to the Build the Truce display which explores truce as a method of conflict resolution and what it can mean on a practical level.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS 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, £16.50 adults.

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

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM EVENTS National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory, Romney Road, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk.

Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest maritime collection. It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House, and Cutty Sark. The Museums works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people, and is also a major centre of education and research. Open 10am-5pm daily.

General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

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.

THE SECRET LIFE OF STARS. A spectacular show, narrated by Patrick Stewart, explores the fascinating life history of the stars, from the smallest red dwarf to the largest blue giant. Using state-of-the-art digital simulation, it charts the life of a star from birth to death and beyond, and looks at what impact this has on the universe around us. Ages 5+, tickets £4.50 children, £6.50 adults, £17.50 families.

SPACE SAFARI, weekends and holiday weekdays. Join teddy bear Ted for live music and rhyme as he journeys throughout the solar system looking for the Great Bear in the sky in a show designed especially for younger children and presented by a Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer. Tickets £4.50 children, £6.50 adults, £17.50 families.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations.

Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays.

Art Activities FAMILY ARTS IN DULWICH DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

ARTPLAY, first and last Sunday of each month. Creative drop-in workshops for adults and children, with a different activity each session.

Make anything and everything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-3.45pm.

ILLUSTRATE, Thursdays from 27 Sept - 25 Oct. Be inspired by the playful work of illustrators such as Eric Carle, Joseph Cornell and Picasso to create your own illustrated books using collage and drawing.

Use painted, stained and textured papers to draw objects and characters using a range of different media. Ages 11-14, £60.

020 8299 8732 SEE IT, DRAW IT, Wednesdays from 26 Sept - 24 Oct. Improve your ability to draw from natural still life and found objects. Make observational drawings of objects ranging from clock parts to flowers, decorative cups and saucers to pine cones and shells. Ages 7-10 years, £55, 020 8299 8732.

PHILIP HASS: THE FOUR SEASONS, until 16 September. The gallery gardens are transformed with Philip Haas’ large-scale sculptures, inspired by Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s renaissance paintings of the four seasons. Flowers, ivy, moss, fungi, vegetables, fruit, trees, bark, branches, twigs have been recycled to form four vast human portraits, each representing an individual season. There is a children’s trail for the Philip Haas sculptures, and the gallery’s work with Avant Gardening will see Haas-themed sessions as part of Art in the Garden family drop-ins in August 2012.

ANDY WARHOL, THE PORTFOLIOS, until 16 September. This

exhibition features some of Warhol’s most iconic print portfolios as well as lesser known sets. Images include the Muhammad Ali Portfolio and the Myths Portfolio produced six years before the artist’s death in 1987.

Tickets from £5.

DRAWING ON WIMBLEDON COMMON 6 October, around the Windmill, WIMBLEDON COMMON, Windmill Road, Wandsworth SW18, 0780 910 0487, www.drawingonthecommon.com Visit the common explore line dancing through trees, and drawing with clay coils. Rangers, dancers, horses and pigs will pose as life models.

The cafe and windmill will be online with iPads and printers. Washing lines for display and lines of memory will be created. Art materials provided or take your own. 1-5pm, free.

BIG DRAW DAY 6 October, JVA at JERWOOD SPACE, 171 Union Street, Southwark SE1 0LN, 020 7654 0179, www.jerwoodvisualarts.org A fun afternoon of drawing activities devised by artists to encourage people of all ages and abilities to engage with the practice of drawing.

1-3pm, free.

THE BIG DRAW 2012 6+13 October, TATE LIBRARY, Brixton SW2 1DU, 0751 404 7427 The Friends of Tate Library are hosting an inclusive drawing and art workshop to encourage families to discover the library as a source of fun and learning. The workshop will use the Dickens’ bicentenary as a starting point to explore childhood in Victorian times. 2-4pm, free.

DRAWING ROOM OF MR AND MRS DE MORGAN 2-7, 9-13, 16-20 October, DE MORGAN CENTRE, 38 WEST HILL, Wandsworth SW18 1RX, 020 8871 1144,

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Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £6.50 children, £12 adults, from £20 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

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 with admission ticket.

JEWISH MUSEUM EVENTS JEWISH MUSEUM, Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, Camden Town NW1 7NB, 020 7284 7324, www.jewishmuseum.org.uk The museum houses internationally acclaimed collections where visitors can explore Jewish culture, heritage and identity within the wider context of British history. Open 10am-5pm daily, Fridays to 2pm.

Admission £3.50 children, £7.50 adults, £18 families.

GENEALOGY WORKSHOP, 23 September. If you are starting to trace your family history and would like to find out more about researching your Jewish ancestors, this workshop will offer a fantastic opportunity to consult

standard texts, swap information and get advice from experts. Take your family tree with you. 3.30-5.30pm, £8 a person, book first.

TOTS ON TUESDAY AT STREATHAM & CLAPHAM JUNIOR SCHOOL

A great place to meet other parents and carers A fun time for babies and toddlers (up to 4 years) ? An opportunity to socialise and share ideas and support ? A stimulating and safe environment ? Stay and play while enjoying a coffee (or tea!) ?

?

DISCOVER GREENWICH OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE (next to the Cutty Sark), Greenwich SE10, www.greenwichwhs.org.uk 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 Maritime Greenwich and for children to explore and understand the history of the magnificent site.

Tots on Tuesday takes place at 10 am until 12 noon every Tuesday morning during term-time.

Streatham & Clapham Junior School Wavertree Rd, Streatham Hill SW2 3SR 020 8674 6912 www.schs.gdst.net

The Great Outdoors LEE VALLEY REGIONAL PARK 08456 770 600, www.visitleevalley.org.uk Lee Valley Regional Park is a 10,000 acre award-winning park which winds its way 26 miles from East India Dock Basin on the River Thames and along the banks of the River Lee through north London and Essex to Hertfordshire.

From country walks to star gazing, wildlife exploration and historical sight-seeing to family cycling and traditional country crafts, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Here are some highlights: SUMMER WILDLIFE SPECTACULAR, 15 September, WaterWorks Nature Reserve, Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7NU. Join the Wild Place Your Space team for a free activity packed summer’s day to celebrate the Lee Valley and its spectacular wildlife. 10am-6pm, free.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND THREE MILLS, 22+23 September, Three Mills, Tidal Mill and Green, Three Mills Lane, Bromley by Bow, London E3 3DU, www.housemill.org.uk. Explore some of the wonderful buildings within the park on this free open weekend.

See the inner workings of a Mill House at the historic Three Mills site in London’s East End. The Grade I listed House Mill is believed to be the largest tidal mill in the world. 11am-4pm, free.

COUNTRYSIDE LIVE, 29+30 September, WaterWorks Nature Reserve, Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7NU. A weekend packed with wildlife and countryside activities, arena displays, natural arts and crafts, guided walks, workshops, exhibitors and much, much more. 10am-5pm, children free, adults £4 for a day pass.

Road BR3, 020 8314 9274, email getactive@lewisham.gov.uk Friends, colleagues and families are signing up for this year’s fun run, which will raise money for The Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care, which funds support and information for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer.

There is a 1k run for under 12s, and a 5k run for ages 13 to adult. The closing date for entries is 28 September.

UP AT THE 02 02, GREENWICH SE10, 020 8463 2000, www.upatthe02.co.uk An unforgettable 90 minute experience takes visitors on a guided expedition across the roof of The O2 via a tensile fabric walkway suspended 52m above ground level. At the summit, climbers can take in 360˚ views of London towards the Olympic Park, Thames Barrier, The Shard and Canary Wharf. Ages 10+, open 10am-8pm until the end of October, to 6pm from October to March, weekends 10am-4pm. Tickets from £22 off peak.

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

FAMILY TREASURE HUNTS VARIOUS VENUES, www.huntfun.co.uk For a fun day out, follow a treasure hunt and explore a local area, unearthing hidden historical gems you might ordinarily walk right past. Hunt Fun has pre-prepared DIY treasure hunts in over 240 locations across the country in kit form including everything you need directions, clues and a map. Local hunt maps cover Greenwich, Croydon, Southbank and the West End, in categories including families and friends, school outings, fundraising, group outings and more. Kits are ordered online, cost from £4.99 each and can include personalised hunt fun certificates for participants.

LEWISHAM FUN RUN 7 October, BECKENHAM PLACE PARK, Old Bromley

www.demorgan.org.uk The temporary exhibition space will be transformed into a Victorian sitting room where visitors are invited to decorate the room with paintings, vases, plates and tiles featuring their interpretation of the De Morgan designs, or patterns and scenes of their own invention. 1-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends. Admission £4 adults, children and Art Fund members free.

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 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 from 1.30-4.40pm.

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk

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.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN 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.

FAMILIES AT THE TATE TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain 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.

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september 2012 - families south east

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What’sNew Eating for Two Cookery writer, food expert and mum-of-three Annabel Karmel is on a mission to help pregnant mums before their babies even arrive.

Annabel is fighting for better nutrition education and greater awareness in relation to how much weight pregnant women can safely put on far earlier on in their pregnancy - and even before they get pregnant.

She says: “The experts all focus on the health of the baby during pregnancy, but there needs to be greater help for mums-to-be when it comes to their wellbeing and their diet. I believe it’s in the mother’s, the baby’s, the hard-working healthcare professionals’ and the NHS’s interests to provide better nutrition education and greater awareness in relation to how much weight pregnant women can safely put on far earlier on in their pregnancy. The end result would be a positive one for everyone and enable our next generation to be as healthy as possible.”

Supporting Annabel’s crusade is renowned obstetrician Dr Yehudi Gordon, founder of the prestigious St John & St Elizabeth Birth Unit in London. He says: “More than 50 per cent of pregnant women put on too much weight - while one in ten pregnant women will put on far too much weight. The effects, to the expectant mother, can be devastating.

Those who put on too much weight stand more chance of having a bigger baby, and requiring Caesarean sections, or suffering tearing, bleeding or babies becoming stuck by their shoulders. Bigger babies are also more likely to become overweight or obese later in life.”

Annabel’s newest book is Eating for Two (RRP £12.99 Ebury Press). The book guides expectant mothers throughout each stage of their pregnancy, offering tips and advice on what to eat and avoid. It includes 94 recipes developed by Annabel Karmel as well as her expert advice for mums-to-be.

She says: “This book demystifies pregnancy myths, providing readers with definitive advice, as well as identifying pregnancy super nutrients for mums-tobe and their baby.”

For up-to-date information, advice, tips and recipes, go to www.annabelkarmel.com.

Meningitis alert Parents are urged to be vigilant for the signs of meningitis as their children return to school - even if their youngsters have been vaccinated against the deadly disease.

Meningitis UK says the close confines of the classroom provide the perfect breeding ground for germs. The disease kills more under-fives than any other infectious disease, and pupils and teenagers are also more vulnerable.

Meningitis can often leave survivors with severe after-effects including brain damage, sight and hearing loss, limb loss and scarring.

The charity stresses the importance of knowing the symptoms as there is no vaccine to protect against all forms of the disease, including the most common form - meningitis B. Although vaccines exist against forms including Hib, Meningitis C and pneumococcal meningitis, children are still at risk from this disease, which can kill in under four hours.

Parents should watch their children for symptoms such as a headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright light, a difficulty supporting bodyweight, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion and drowsiness; and to make sure their youngsters receive booster shots to reduce the risk of infection.

Meningitis UK’s main focus is to develop a vaccine to protect against all forms of meningitis and associated diseases. The charity is offering free information packs to parents to help spot for signs. To order a pack, call 0117 947 6320 or visit www.meningitisUK.org.

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families south east - september 2012

Pregnancy pack Patrick Holford’s new Pregnancy Pack is designed to provide comprehensive nutritional support before, during and after pregnancy. Each day’s supply is presented presented in a handy series of tear off blister strips which contain • A specially formulated multinutrient including vitamins A and B, iron, zinc, selenium and chromium as well as the optimal amount of folic acid required for pregnancy • Essential omega oils which are vital for a healthy body and providing fatty acids to the developing foetus • Lecithin, an important constituent of foetal brain development.

A month’s supply is £42 from Holland & Barrett instores and online www.hollandandbarrett.com.

Be careful with music A new survey by Baby Sensory has discovered that many parents are unaware of the risks of playing music through headphones to their baby bump. The research by the baby development classes found that 89% of parents are unaware of the risks involved when playing music to their unborn child: that the amniotic fluid within the womb actually doubles the level of decibels a child hears from 60 to 120.

Baby Sensory founder, Dr Lin Day says, “It is widely researched and publicised that playing music to an unborn child helps mother and child bond and assists with brain development, which I fully support. However, the problem with playing the headphones directly on the abdomen is that the amniotic fluid works as a conductor of sound and can amplify the music which causes it to be far louder for the baby. This can, in some circumstances, lead to hearing problems to the child from birth.” Find out more at www.babysensory.com.

Phone home Two thirds of all parents with children using their own mobile phones worry about them being unable to contact home in an emergency situation because they have no credit left on their phone.

A new ‘rescue’ service from Independent Radio News allows youngsters to call home for free, with or without credit.

Parents pay £3 per month on their telephone bill and their children then dial 68700 for direct calls home. They have the option of calling either parent in separated families, you can register as many people to call you as you like, and unsubscribe at any time.

To set up The Phone Home Number, call 68700 from your mobile or read more at www.68700.co.uk.

No more nosebleeds Frequent nosebleeds are very common in children, with one in 10 experiencing frequent nosebleeds, typically linked to common colds and allergies.

Nozohaem is a new gel treatment which combines a mix of glycine and calcium, both well known to have a positive impact on blood functionality. It is safe, simple and quick to administer and stops the bleeding in moments.

Once the bleeding has stopped, the gel can be left in the nostril to clear it away naturally or it may be gently blown out into a tissue.

Nozohaem is available from pharmacies without prescription, rrp £7.99. Read more at www.nozohaem.com.

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And finally...

How to help children relax

By Helena Foss

While many parents remember childhoods playing out in the woods, garden or the street, children today grow up in a very different world. The choice of digital entertainment on offer is dizzying: TV, Internet, console games, iPods and iPads, not to mention mobile phones and Facebook. As magical as modern technology is, you cannot help but wonder what it is doing to young brains.

Butterfly brain Studies are now showing that more time with technology is lowering attention spans. The American psychiatry professor Dr Gary Small (author of iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind) claims that there is an actual brain gap between generations - those who have been born into technology and those who have come to learn it as adults (like me, for example, who relies on my five-year-old to work the DVD). The tendency for the technologically savvy is to skim and flit rather than focus on one thing at a time.

Nevertheless, it is not all bad news.

Neuroscientists have also discovered that our brains continue to develop throughout life, growing new brain cells and laying down new neural pathways the more we mentally exercise. Studies of meditators consistently show that it is possible to train the brain into a peaceful and relaxed default setting.

Mindfulness All this science can be found in the book 10 Mindful Minutes by the Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn, who set up the Hawn Foundation to promote children’s mental and emotional health. Using the latest scientific research, the foundation has created the MindUP programme for social and emotional learning, which is used internationally and is currently being piloted in selected UK primary schools.

There are a whole range of exercises in the book to help children relax, but the core principle is the practice of mindfulness (as opposed to mindlessness); being able to sit and quietly watch the breath whilst being aware of thoughts but not judging them. Simply letting everything be as it is.

Ants in their pants During her decade as a children’s entertainer in the 1990s, Marneta Viegas noticed a steady decrease in children’s ability to sit still and focus. It must be due, she says, to the ever increasing pace of modern life: “We now have electromagnetic radiation and phone masts, chemicals in junk food, stressed parents working hectic jobs and the physical onslaught of electronic and noise pollution. Our world is becoming ever more unnatural and toxic.” Having meditated with her mother since childhood, Marneta decided that this was what hyperactive children needed. “I honestly believe relaxation and meditation, done well and consistently, can sort out a myriad issues.”

When Marneta started her company Relax Kids in

2002, meditations for children were eyed with some suspicion. So she decided to base her meditations on fairy stories - and it worked. To date Marneta has trained nearly 800 Relax Kids teachers in her seven step system that gets children moving, dancing and stretching before deep breathing and lying down for a short inner journey using visualisation. “When one teacher of high spectrum autistic children in Glasgow began using our techniques, the children could barely manage a minute of lying down,” Marneta adds. “But the teacher persisted and now they go a whole twenty minutes!”

Down to earth Lorraine Murray, author of Calm Kids: Help Children Relax with Mindful Activities, has noticed that children diagnosed with ADHD tend to be ‘ungrounded’: not so present in their bodies yet overactive in their minds, sometimes to the point of being in a world of their own. She recommends grounding activities like gardening and running in nature, music with a deep steady drumbeat or imagining that they have roots sinking deep into the earth like a tree.

Whilst no mindfulness, meditation or relaxation teacher professes to have a cure-all for the enormous spectrum of children’s mental and emotional needs, the evidence is clear. These practices benefit everyone.

TRY THIS Mindful breathing (adapted from 10 Mindful Minutes) In a quiet room with no distractions, ask your child to sit comfortably with their hands on their laps and close their eyes (or focus on a single object like a picture or window). In a soft voice, guide them to become aware of their breath. Ask them to put their hands on their bellies and feel how it rises and falls as they breathe, or how the air feels as it comes in and out of the nose. If they fidget (which is normal) or get distracted, gently remind them to bring their attention back to their breath. Start small - just a minute or two at first, especially for younger children - and build up gradually to maybe five minutes a couple of times a day. Debrief afterwards. Talk about how mindful breathing can help them at school or other situations.

Relax Kids exercises engage children’s imagination with relaxation scripts: Butterfly massage Try these massage strokes on your child’s back or encourage siblings to massage each other. Imagine your thumbs are a caterpillar crawling up your child’s spine. Slowly and gently walk your thumbs up to the neck and down again. Now, rub the back to warm it up. Finally practice some butterfly strokes: flutter your fingers all over the head, neck and back.

Feel your whole body becoming relaxed and letting go as you melt and sink further into the floor.”

Relaxing on the beach “Close your eyes, be still and imagine you are lying down on the beach. Feel the warm sand underneath your body. Listen to the waves of the sea. Now, very gently you are going to relax each part of your body.

Start with your feet. Let your toes completely relax and become soft. Let this feeling spread gently through your feet. Squeeze your legs and gently let them go. Feel all the tension in your legs being released as they become relaxed and soft. Squeeze the muscles in your tummy and let go completely.

Stretch your back as long as you can and relax.

Can you feel your back sinking into the sand? Let your shoulders and neck become soft. Feel all the tension melt away. Squeeze your arms as tight as you can and let them go. Your arms feel heavy as they sink into the sand. Squeeze your fingers into a tight fist, and now uncurl them slowly and rest them on the golden sand. Scrunch your face into a tiny ball and let go and relax. Let your head completely relax: relax your eyes, your ears, your cheeks, your forehead. Feel the warm sun on your face and body as you sink further into the powdery sand. Stay there for a few more moments, enjoying the feeling of being completely relaxed.

Resources: • Relax Kids: www.relaxkids.com • Transcendental Meditation in schools: www.consciousnessbasededucation.org.uk • 10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn (with Wendy Holden) • Calm Kids: Help Children Relax with Mindful Activities by Lorraine E Murray • MindUp: www.thehawnfoundation.co.uk/ • Read about children’s safety and electromagnetic radiation at www.familiesonline.co.uk/radiation.

Green breaths “Lie down and put your hands on your tummy. Breathe in and out gently and feel your tummy rising and falling. Now, as you breathe in, imagine you are breathing green light. It feels very calming and peaceful. Breathe the green light out into the room. Fill the whole room with it. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.”

Melting chocolate “Imagine you are a piece of chocolate outside in the sunshine. You feel yourself melting slowly.

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