FSE Sept 2010 issue 123 by Families Magazine

ISSUE NO. 123

ESTABLISHED 1996

SEPTEMBER 2010

south east london

www.familiesse.co.uk

B U I L D C O N F I D E N C E • B O O S T C O N C E N T R AT I O N • M A K E N E W F R I E N D S • H AV E F U N

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WHEN THEY CAN’T even find their school shoes in the morning, it’s a wonder how our children will quickly settle into the new school year. I have great admiration for the hundreds of southeast London teachers who have the task of welcoming whole classesful of new children, show them around, settle them down and learn all their names by the end of the week. We’ve been rounding up some of the forthcoming school open day dates to put in your diary, ahead of the tortuous task that is Finding the Right Next School for your child - of which more in the October issue (we thought we’d let you catch your breath back first for September)... Robina Cowan, editor

2-3 Local News and Views Local nature garden opens; affordable insurance for teenage learner drivers; save money by swapping your skills and time; and how you can help research into child development

4-6 Education News Local schools’ news, independent schools’ open day dates, and the new ‘free schools’ scheme

7-13 Clubs and Classes Out of school activities offer so much more than keeping children out of mischief. We’ve looked into the benefits, quizzed the experts, and found lots of local classes in southeast London

14-15 What’s New Products invented by local parents, money off Polarn - Pyret childrenswear, support for parents and new DVD releases

16 Book Review Page New books for autumn, reviewed with a slice of life by the inimitable Justine Crow

15 -19 What’s On Our pick of the best events, shows and family workshops for this month

20 The Back Page Local business contacts to make your life easier Our pick of the best events, shows and family workshops for this summer

Front cover: Girls wear: PVC Miffy tabards, £4.99 each from the Miffy shop: www.miffyshop.co.uk

Next issue out 1 October: copy deadline early 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.

families south east - september 2010

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

Green space for all The Centre for Wildlife Gardening was officially opened on 1 August by Cllr Mark Glover. Bellenden Road Nature Garden is a peaceful haven promoting wildlife gardening in an urban setting which provides an opportunity for nature study by local children. The garden has been developed on the site of a former tree nursery and has recently undergone extensive re-landscaping with the aid of a grant from Southwark Council. It has been established for education and amenity purposes for local schools, community groups, and for residents and workers to use and enjoy. There is a variety of mini-habitats including a native broadleaf hedgerow with emergent trees, mature broadleaf trees, Stag Beetle loggery, and wildflower borders. Features include a grassy central social mound with sleeper benches, wheelchair accessible path, raised flower beds, standing tree trunk sculpture, minibeast village and pergola for climbing plants. The garden will be open to the general public and accessible to all. Its appeal is as a relaxing and peaceful haven in the midst of a busy and built up area, where members of the community can undertake quiet recreation and environmental studies. Local schools, residents and volunteers will be involved in further development of the garden. Find it opposite Highshore Road School, at the Peckham High Street end of Bellenden Road, and online at www.wildlondon.org.uk.

How does your child see the world? The UCL Institute of Opthalmology is researching how children see, through a series of fun activities carried out by young volunteers. We asked the centre’s Eliza Burton to tell us more about how it works. “At the Child Vision Lab we are interested in understanding how infants and young children develop their ability to see. We are based at the Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre, the largest centre in the world dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eye diseases in children. Along with Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London’s Institute of Ophthalmology, the Centre aims to further understand how to alleviate eye conditions, as well as extending insight into how healthy vision develops. Our research involves studying how vision develops in the eye and brain, and why this can sometimes lead to childhood visual problems. One of our projects aims to develop new vision measures specifically for young children. These will be useful for assessing children with eye problems and evaluating whether new treatments are effective. To develop new measures we need to ensure that they are fun and engaging, therefore we require as many young volunteers as possible to come in and try them out. Other projects currently underway are investigating how children combine their different senses, including vision, hearing and touch, to understand the world. Also how children use vision to choose safe courses of action, for example when crossing the road. The research we carry out allows us to understand how eyesight normally develops during childhood, and this in turns gives us insight into the different ways vision can go wrong. Our research will ultimately aid in the development of better treatment and diagnosis of childhood vision problems.” If you have a 2-10 year-old and would be interested in your child taking part, call 020 7608 6819 for more information or see www.ucl.ac.uk/ioo/cvl. Your travelling costs will be refunded.

Chatting for cash If you have a confident and happy 10-17 year-old, the Maudsley Hospital would like to hear from you. Researchers are looking into how confident young people interact with their parents, in comparison to how anxious young people interact with their parents. The findings will help improve psychological treatments that can be offered to young people with OCD. Or if your child has a diagnosed anxiety disorder, their input would also be useful. Volunteers fill in a few short questionnaires, followed up with a face to face appointment at the hospital in Camberwell. Travelling expenses can be refunded, and child volunteers are given a cash thankyou. For more information or to register, call Amy Shayle on 020 83228 5222 or email amy.shayle@slam.nhs.uk.

Time to volunteer TimeBank is a national volunteering charity where members swap skills amongst themselves; earning credits for what they do in exchange for someone else’s time. Set up by the founders of Comic Relief in 2000, the charity is growing all the time with people busily gardening, running errands, facepainting, baking, sewing, DIY or dogwalking - the list is as long as the skills offered. And it can be a useful way to bump up a CV... The programme in East Dulwich, Forest Hill and Sydenham also offers coffee mornings, workshops, daytrips and walks to members. Call 020 8768 7910 or register at www.mytimeyourtime.org.uk. For other areas and more information, see www.timebank.org.uk.

Teenagers at the wheel

Appeal to help young people

Are you with us yet? Families magazine now has a fantastic website to accompany your favourite magazine, packed with ideas on everything from childcare and nurseries to clubs and classes, from children’s parties and holidays to saving the planet and going green. Register with us and you can enjoy a whole lot more. Rather than spending hours searching for information online, as a registered user on our site you’ll enjoy an automatic listing of southeast London contacts, relating specifically to the article you’re reading. For example if you read an article on pregnancy, a list of local practitioners will appear at the bottom of that article, just like magic! The results of any searches you make will be tailored to where you live - no more getting excited about party entertainers before realising they live miles away! Finally, there are regular competitions with fab prizes on offer, forums where you can sell and buy your outgrown baby goods and you can also receive our email newsletter. Why not register today - it’s easy, takes seconds, and best of all - it’s free. Go to www.familiesse.co.uk.

Learning to drive is one of the most important events in a young person’s life. As soon as they turn 17 they are keen to get behind the wheel, however, many parents are reluctant to allow their children to practise in their cars. It could be because of the cost of the insurance or that their hard earned noclaims bonus could be at risk. There is a way round this, through a separate Learner Driver policy in the child’s own name. It has so many benefits not least that it can cost from just £2.99 a day. For information, call 1Stop Insurance on 020 8773 3222, email sales@1stopinsurance.com, or go to www.insurance4learners.co.uk.

Local lettings agent and business entrepreneur Barbara McLeish is taking up the challenge to trek on the Great Wall of China for charity in October. The Prince’s Trust charity approached Barbara to take part in its Women’s Leadership China Challenge and she must raise £3,500 which will help change the lives of disadvantaged young people for the better. “I like walking and I like a challenge” said Barbara who founded her own company Caris Lettings in East Dulwich. “I felt as if I was being given an amazing opportunity and I had to take it. Getting fit has been my main priority but the fundraising is another challenge all by itself!” To support Barbara and find out more about her challenge visit www.carislettings.co.uk.

Calling all bookworms This year, the theme for Children’s Book Week is ‘books around the world’. From 4-10 October, Children’s Book Week will hold thousands of events across the country, celebrating inspiring books for children of primary school age. Bookshops and supermarkets across the country will host author and illustrator talks as well as book swaps. Free downloads of all of the Children’s Book Week pack contents are online at www.booktrust.org.uk.

And finally... It’s not just children who need a bedtime cuddle from their favourite teddy: over a third of British adults also rely on a bear hug to send them to the land of nod, new research has revealed. In a survey of 6,000 Britons by Travelodge, 35% of adults admitted they sleep with their teddy because they found cuddling their bear comforting. Also the calming feeling of a bear hug also helps them to de-stress after a hard day - which aids sleep. In the last 12 months, the hotel chain has had to reunite over 75,000 forgotten cuddly bears that have been left in its 452 hotels with their owners - not all of them children. (Here’s mine, sunning himself while I work - ed).

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020 8670 6141 We help with family problems, including: • Divorce • Separation • Civil partnership dissolution • Disputes about children • Inheritance disputes

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september 2010 - families south east

Education News Local Schools’ News Teachers plan new IB school A group of teachers and parents is planning to set up a pioneering new state school in Greenwich. The group, Nouvelles Racines - New Roots, is headed by two secondary school French teachers, Gladys Delphin and Semikian Konate. The pair have long cherished a dream of opening a non-selective school in southeast London teaching the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB), which has a strong focus on modern languages. Catering for children aged 5 to 18, it would be the first state school in England to offer all three IB programmes - primary, middle years and sixth-form diploma. The two teachers feel strongly that there is a need for a school in Greenwich which not only emphasises academic success and is firmly rooted in the local community, but also prepares students for the worldwide marketplace. “In this part of London we have an incredible untapped linguistic resource,” explains Gladys, who is a mother of two bilingual children. “We live in a multicultural, multilingual environment. Many people speak languages other than English at home but often they are not receiving the tuition they need at school to make them really proficient. There are four Saturday schools for French mother-tongue speakers in southeast London, plus supplementary schools for children who speak other languages. This proves there is a demand for a more focused approach to teaching languages.” For the past two years Nouvelles Racines - New Roots has been running a Saturday school in West Greenwich which teaches French to both bilingual and English-only students. For more information on the planned fulltime school, call Gladys on 07984 752028 or see www.nouvellesracines.org.uk.

Lewisham schools a good place to learn Figures released by the Department for Education placed Lewisham schools among the top improvers nationally at Key Stage 2. The figures also show Lewisham as the most improved local authority in London for the key measure of the percentage of children achieving Level 4+ (typically the average level expected) in both English and Maths with a 6% rise. Lewisham children were above the national average, achieving 75%, against the national average of 74%. In English, 81% of children received a Level 4 or above compared to 80% nationally, which is the second joint highest score in inner London. This places Lewisham just behind Westminster, Wandsworth and Hammersmith & Fulham who all achieved 82%. In Maths, 83% of Lewisham children achieved a Level 4+ or above which is a 7% rise, the highest improvement year-on-year in the country. Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “This is a great achievement and shows how hard our children and dedicated teaching staff are working.”

Japs pupils make a splash Swimmers at James Allen’s Preparatory School have been making a big splash with their Year 6 team. Eleven year-olds Breagha Campbell, Rosa Collier, Sophie Lewis Ward, Megan Mirchandani and Jessica Mascarenhas took parts in the ESSA Primary Schools’ Swimming Relays in Sheffield, coming sixth in the country in two events - Freestyle and Medley. Earlier in the summer the same team came eighth and sixth in the National Finals of the IAPS (Independent Association of Preparatory Schools) swimming championships: Breagha finished second in the country in the 50m Freestyle with a personal best of 30.33 seconds. Congratulations!

Local academy sets a healthy example St Matthew Academy has recently been awarded Healthy School status by the Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP), a joint initiative between the DfE and the Department of Health (DH). The programme’s main aim is to promote whole school and whole child approach to health; the prestigious award is given to schools that promote physical and emotional health and well being. Health and nutrition is central to St Matthew’s curriculum, teachers encourage students to take part in physical activity during or after school; to walk to school rather than take the bus or ride in a car, while dedicated lessons educate children on healthy and individual nutritional needs. Growing your own produce is key to the Healthy Schools Award and with the Academy having its own rooftop garden and catering; the children are offered fresh and organic food everyday for school mealtimes. The academy’s catering manager follows the Food in Schools programme which means no fried food, fish at least once a week, salad and fresh vegetables every day, free water and no fizzy drinks, sweets or chocolate for sale on-site. Assistant Principal Elaine Tasker explains what the award means for the school: “Being awarded Healthy Schools Status is a credit to all staff and children involved. Educating pupils about the importance of healthy eating and nutrition is high on our agenda, and we are now seeing the benefits. More children are choosing to walk to school, take part in extracurricular activities and enjoy cooking both in school and at home!” St Matthew Academy is a mixed, Roman Catholic, independent specialist business and enterprise academy for 316 year-olds, which opened in September 2007 in St Joseph’s Vale, Blackheath. For information, admissions information or a prospectus, call 020 8853 6250 or go to www.stmatthewacademy.co.uk.

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Outstanding independent secondary school for boys & girls For enrolment and fee details call 020 7228 3933 Thames Christian College, Wye Street, London SW11 2HB

families south east - september 2010

Small is beautiful Thames Christian College is a unique independent secondary school based in Battersea. The school provides an education that challenges pupils to strive for personal character growth, academic excellence and spiritual maturity. Small well-behaved classes and learning is tailored to individual need, ensuring that students achieve their personal best. A recent Ofsted report (May 2010), highlighted the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their behaviour as outstanding. It also recognised the English, art, science, literacy and ICT provision to be outstanding. The school offers lower inclusive fees than other independent schools. To see the school for yourself, the next open days are on 29 September and 2 October. For further information visit www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk or call 020 7228 3933.

Alleyn’s Junior School Independent day school for boys and girls aged 4 –11 Townley Road, Dulwich, London SE22 8SU

OPEN DAYS 2010 Saturday 18th September 10am – 12.30pm Thursday 4th & Tuesday 16th November 1.30 – 3.30pm The Headmaster will give a short talk during the morning/afternoon, and visitors may look around the school. It is not necessary to book for Open Days. For times and further details please see our website www.alleyns.org.uk We look forward to welcoming you to Alleyn’s Junior School. Please email juniorschool@alleyns.org.uk or call 020 8557 1519 to obtain a prospectus or for any other information.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

OPEN DAYS

Co-educational Excellence

Phone ahead for a prospectus, admissions criteria and full open day information: • Alleyn’s School, Townley Road SE22, juniors 020 8557 1519, 18th September, 4th & 16th November, senior school 020 8557 1500, 22nd September, 2nd October, 10th November •

Blackheath High School GDST, juniors Wemyss Road SE3 020 8852 1537, seniors Vanbrugh Road SE3 020 8853 2929, 9th + 14th October, 2nd and 17th November

•

Bromley High School GDST, juniors and seniors Blackbrook Lane BR1, 020 8781 7000, 2nd October

•

Colfe’s School, Horn Park Lane SE12, senior school 020 8852 2283 23rd September and 13th November, pre-prep and prep 020 8463 8240, 9th October and 11th November

•

Croydon High School GDST, Old Farleigh Road CR2, 020 8260 7500, 2nd October

•

Dulwich College, Dulwich Common SE21, 020 8299 9263, junior department 30th September, 6th + 8th October, junior and lower school 9th October,

•

Eltham College, Grove Park Road SE9, 020 8857 1455, junior and senior schools 11th September, junior school 13th November

•

James Allen’s Girls’ School, senior department East Dulwich Grove SE22, 020 8693 1181, 9th October

•

JAPS, pre-prep, 2 Dulwich Village SE21, 020 8693 3465, prep department 144 East Dulwich Grove SE22, 020 8693 0374, 9th October

Open Day 2010 (Junior and Senior)

•

Rosemead Preparatory School, 70 Thurlow Park Road SE21 and Elmcourt Road SE27, 020 8670 5865, 9th October, 16th November

Saturday 25 September

•

St Dunstan’s College, Stanstead Road SE6, 020 8516 7200, pre-prep 23rd + 30th September, prep school 11th November, senior school 9th October and 6th November

•

Streatham & Clapham High School juniors Wavertree Road SW2, 020 8674 6912, 25th September, 9th November, 7th December. seniors Abbotswood Road SW16, 020 8677 8400, 25th September, 6th October, 2nd November,

•

Thames Christian College, Wye Street SW11, 020 7228 3933, 29th September, 2nd October.

9.30am – 1pm

Head’s talks at 10am and 12 noon For more information and other Open Day dates please see our website at www.schs.gdst.net or contact us at: Junior Department (3 -11) Wavertree Road London SW2 3SR 020 8674 6912 enquiry@shj.gdst.net

Senior Department (11-18) 42 Abbotswood Road London SW16 1AW 020 8677 8400 enquiry@shc.gdst.net

september 2010 - families south east

Rosemead Preparatory School Independent-Co-educational-3-11 years, Founded 1942, ISA & IAPS

‘Helping you to make the right choice’

New schools and academies by Joanna Moorhead

“Education, education, education.” That was another government‘s mantra - Tony Blair adopted it as his slogan in 1997 - but it could as easily fit the bill for the new Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition.

Open Mornings Saturday 9th October 2010 9.30am - 12.30pm

Tuesday 16th November 2010 9.00 - 11.00am Prep Department, 70 Thurlow Park Road, SE21 8HZ Pre Prep Department, Elmcourt Road, SE27 9BZ Tel: 020 8670 5865 email: admissions@rosemeadprepschool.org.uk www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

Why so? Well, according to education secretary Michael Gove, major changes are afoot; and they’re the sort of changes that many parents have campaigned for over the last few years. In an age when an increasing number of mothers and fathers have questioned all sorts of issues around their children’s schools, Gove has a new message: do it yourself. ‘Free schools’ are the government’s Big New Idea, and here’s how it will work. First, you need a group of parents (plus maybe teachers, and other interested parties) who feel there’s a need for a brand new school in your area. Next, you need to gather your case, and get as many supporters as possible. You need to put together evidence for why the school you’re planning is necessary - for example, to provide a secondary school in an area that doesn’t already have one, and where a lot of children have to travel large distances to get to where they’re being educated. Or, you may want to set up a school with a particular faith bias. Alternatively, you may think that the existing schools in your area are too large, and that some children would benefit from a much smaller establishment. There’s an organisation called the New Schools Network whose job is to talk through whether plans for a new school are viable. Their website is packed with useful advice on how to go about gathering the momentum, the documents, the funding and the premises you need to make a school happen. Setting up a new school, as the site says, isn’t simple - but the network aims to make it as easy as possible and will publish data on sites and budgeting, with detailed guides on the process of setting up a school from start to finish. Despite the major cuts that lie ahead in public spending, Mr Gove has promised £50 million to cover start-up costs for free schools. And he’s also given his word that the current planning laws and building regulations, which conspire to make life difficult for parents’ groups trying to set up schools, will be reformed. The government believes that ‘free schools’ have the potential to raise achievement in areas where local authority-run schools aren’t providing a good enough education, and he points to the US for evidence that his scheme will work. There, he says, some of the most successful schools have been set up by groups backed by parents and teachers, and he’d like to see the same thing happen here. There’s a similar scheme too, in Sweden, which again has seen the foundation of many successful schools. But the free schools scheme is only part of the new government’s plans for education. The other main policy concerns academies. Shortly after being appointed education secretary, Mr Gove wrote to every primary, secondary and special school in England inviting them to apply for academy status.

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Like free schools, academies are outside local authority control and are funded by private organisations, or by central government. Earlier this summer, Mr Gove said seven in ten top secondary schools had expressed an interest in getting academy status - and he hoped that the ones who did forge ahead with this would help drive academic standards higher, because it would give them more autonomy than they have at the moment. Parents and teachers have worried about academies being too exclusive, and discriminating about special needs pupils; but Mr Gove has promised that academies will be governed by admissions codes which will guarantee fair access to all, and safeguard the inclusive character of comprehensive schools. In all, the reforms Mr Gove is promising have the potential to provide the biggest shake-up in state education in a century, with parents in the vanguard. Watch this space!

Find out more: • •

families south east - september 2010

The Department for Education website, www.education.gov.uk, has lots of information about both academies and free schools The Free Schools Network is at www.newschoolsnetwork.org.

Clubs a n d Classes Out of school fun in southeast London By Robina Cowan

DEVELOPING INTERESTS outside the home is rich in rewards. Your children will meet new adult role models, make new friends outside the classroom, and as we discovered, non-school skills can last into adulthood. If you’d like your child to join a local class but don’t know which one, let their interests guide you. There’s no point sending a painfully shy child to a drama class if they’ll be cowering in the corner when a good drum-bashing session or IT club would bring them out of themselves more effectively. If they babbled from an early age, they may find a second language comes easily; if they’re forever throwing themselves all over the sofa, consider a gym, swimming or dance class to focus their energies; if they’ve scribbled on the walls since an early age and can’t eat their fish fingers, carrots and peas until they’re carefully rearranged on the plate, consider art and craft or pottery classes, for example. We’ve been looking into the many benefits of out of school activities - and found the local classes.

Act, sing and dance at your local Stagecoach Here’s a way to spend weekends that’ll have 4-16 year olds buzzing. Enrol them in your local Stagecoach Theatre Arts school where they learn to act, sing and dance. The skills they learn aren’t just for the Stage. Our students grow in conﬁdence and self-esteem …..Skills for Life! There’s no audition – all they need is enthusiasm.

Beckenham Beckenham Blackheath Blackheath Dulwich Dulwich Sydenham Sydenham

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Une école française pour enfants bilingues âgés de 2 à 6 ans We don’t teach French as a foreign language but simply use it as a living language Dulwich area

Native teachers

E: cadetrousselle-ecole@hotmail.co.uk

Contacter Isabelle au 07946 481832

Dance Act & Sing at Sydenham High School, 19 Westwood Hill, SE26 6BL

Classes for boys & girls of all ages in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Streetdance, Acrobatics, Singing & Drama Easter, Summer & Half Term Holiday Clubs! laurahunt@littlegemsdance.co.uk or

0794 719 8881

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Caterpillar Music

Tin Pan Annie Music

Monkey Music

Music A 2009 Booktrust survey found that almost two thirds of parents do not regularly sing or read nursery rhymes to their children because they did not believe they had any educational value. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that no matter the level of skill, music is one of the best ways to help early language development. 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. While some children - particularly those from musical families - can take to the violin or piano like ducks to water, it may be more rewarding to start in group singing, percussion and rhythm classes first to learn and appreciate the basics before taking on trickier instrument tuition. Even preschool music classes which include rhythmic singing and clapping songs are contributing so much more than a bit of weekly fun. • BEA’S BABY MUSIC, babies to 6 years, West Norwood 020 8670 9378, www.babymusic.co.uk • BECKENHAM JUNIOR CHOIR, ages 7-11, Beckenham, 020 8650 9164, www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk • BECKENHAM YOUTH VOICES, ages 11+, Beckenham 020 8650 9164, www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uK • CATERPILLAR MUSIC, ages 0-4, Dulwich, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey 020 7252 1178, Blackheath and Lee 020 8693 9731 • COLOURSTRINGS KINDERGARTEN, Eltham and Shooters Hill, 0772 0059409, www.colourstrings.co.uk • FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD CLASSES, ages 5-8, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Beckenham, Streatham 0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info

• JASSPA, ages 4-17, East Dulwich 020 8613 6444, www.jags.org.uk/jasspa • MONKEY MUSIC, 3 months to 4 years, Blackheath, Greenwich, Dulwich and Herne Hill 020 8764 5185, Forest Hill, Sydenham and Crystal Palace 020 8699 0977, Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst and West Wickham 020 8777 6700, www.monkeymusic.co.uk • ROCK CHOIR, ages 6 plus, Blackheath, Dulwich, Eltham, 01252 714276, www.rockchoir.com • TIN PAN ANNIE, babies and young children, Dulwich and Herne Hill, 020 8670 0644, www.tinpanannie.co.uk.

Sports and Exercise

ittle needles

children (8-11) teens (12+) adult beginners 07984 772040 www.littleneedles.co.uk

In June, it was revealed that London has the dubious ‘honour’ of being the region with the highest proportion of obese children, and that Britons are among the fattest people in Europe - so much for the 2012 Olympic effect. Yet pass any school playground at breaktime and the majority of children are running around, for the sheer exhilaration of moving at speed (typically exercising their lungs too by screaming at the same time!). If your children are naturally active then they’re following their instincts, but those slumped in front of the television or computer could do with a nudge towards a regular activity they’ll come to look forward to. 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. • BACKFLIP PERFORMERS, ages 2-11, East Dulwich, 020 8940 7998, www.backflipperformers.com • BMS FAMILY MARTIAL ARTS, all ages, West Norwood, 020 8670 7383, www.family-martialarts.co.uk • KICK STARS football, ages 2-7, Beckenham and Crystal Palace, 07852 943 104, www.kickstars.co.uk • MICROSPORT, under 5, Beckenham and Bromley, 01263 741938, www.micro-sport.co.uk • OPEN DOOR, all ages, Blackheath, 020 8557 8456, www.opendoorblackheath.com

families south east - september 2010

Vale Practice

• STREATHAM KART RACEWAY, ages 6 to adult, Streatham, 020 8677 8677, www.playscape.co.uk • TENNIS-4-KIDS, ages 2-11, East Dulwich, Blackheath and Bromley, 07877 391 005, www.tennis-4-kids.com • TUMBLETOTS, 6 months to 5 years, Dulwich, Blackheath, Battersea and Clapham, 020 8464 4433 • YOGA, ages 3-12, East Dulwich 020 8299 9798, www.thevalepractice.co.uk • YOUNG STARS, ages 3-7, Herne Hill and Dulwich, 07920 426499, www.young-stars.co.uk.

Languages

Arts and Crafts

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 secondary school, 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. • CADET ROUSSELLE ECOLE, 2-4s pre-school plus 4-8s after school, Herne Hill, 07946 481832 • CADET ROUSSELLE playgroups in West Norwood and Balham, 0787 656 7515, www.cadetrousselle.co.uk. • LE CLUB FRANCAIS, ages 3-11, all areas 020 8699 7665 • EL CLUB ESPANOL, Dulwich, Forest Hill and Herne Hill, 020 8699 7665 Little Needles

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 and squeezing play 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. “There’s nothing like using clay to develop children’s artistic abilities,” one local potter observed: “usually they don’t get the chance to do pottery until they’re much older, but the younger ones love it just as much.” • CRAFTY COOKS, from 2 years, Lewisham, 020 8297 9541, www.craftycooks.co.uk • DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, all ages, Dulwich Village, 020 8299 8732, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk • CRAWLEY POTTERY STUDIOS, all ages, Forest Hill 020 8516 0002, www.crawleystudios.co.uk • HEART OF COOKING, ages 10 to teens and adults, 07515 744 557, www.theheartofcooking.com • LITTLE NEEDLES, ages 8 to adult, Herne Hill, 07984 772 040, www.littleneedles.co.uk

• OPEN DOOR, all ages, Blackheath, 020 8557 8456, www.opendoorblackheath.com • PLAY WITH CLAY, ages 6-14, 07930 413 649, www.play-with-clay.com • SEAMS SO EASY, ages 8 plus, 0771 731 5735 • STORYSOCK, ages 2-4, Blackheath and Greenwich 07957 136270, www.storysock.co.uk • WOODCRAFT FOLK, ages 5-15, Bromley, 020 8777 4397, www.woodcraftfolk.org.uk.

Theatre and Performing 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. 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 Theatre Tots appreciative audience.

• FREEDOM ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS, ages 3 to 18, Dulwich, 020 8244 4873, www.freedomacademy.co.uk • JIGSAW PERFORMING ARTS, ages 3-18, Bromley, Chislehurst, Bexleyheath, Croydon, 020 8447 4530, www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk • MONTAGE THEATRE ARTS, ages 3 to adult, Brockley, 020 8692 7007, www.montagetheatre.com • PERFORM, 3 months to 12 years, Dulwich, 0845 400 4021, www.perform.org.uk

• STAGECOACH, ages 4 to 16, Beckenham 020 8979 2156, Blackheath 020 8417 0010, Dulwich 0845 055 6368, Sydenham 020 8949 1116, www.stagecoach.co.uk • THEATRE BUGS, ages 3 to 8, 020 7350 2995, www.theatrebugs.co.uk • THEATRE TOTS, 0-5 year-olds, Lee, Blackheath, Deptford, London Bridge, 0780 107 2776, www.theatretots.com.

3–18 YEARS

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE...

Call 020 8447 4530 for your nearest school

Part-time English Courses New part-time English Coursesstarting starting now now 4 days aaweek, Tues-Thurs: 10.30-12.00 > 33days week, Tue – Thurs: 10:30or–12.30-14.00 12:00 or 12:30 – 14:00 4 Courses start September 14th 2010 can start any Tuesday) > startonon September 15th 2009 start any any Tuesday) Tuesday) > Courses September 16th(Students 2008 (Students (Students can start 4 Fantastic school facilities at Eurocentres London Lee Green, Lee Green, > Fantastic school facilities at Eurocentres London 21 Meadowcourt Road, SE3 9EU (minutes from Blackheath station)

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4 Cambridge and IELTS preparation > Cambridge and IELTS preparation 4 £299 for 12/13 weeks at a British Council accredited school > £299 per 12/13 week term 4 more details phone 020 8318 5633, email parttime@eurocentres.com > more details phone 020 8318 5633, email parttime@eurocentres.com www.eurocentres.com www.eurocentres.com

HERE’S THE BEST

JIGSAW WEEKEND PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOLS

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020 8447 4530 www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk

september 2010 - families south east

Dance What will we discover Inside the story sock? What do you think is hiding? Come here and take a look... Story Sock is an original and exciting class where stories are explored and brought to life with characters, props and activities that educate, enrich and entertain.

Dotty Socks - 2-3 years Stripy Socks - 3-4 years mixed Socks - 2-6 years

Call Katy today to book your FREE introduction class in Blackheath or Greenwich We also offer childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parties and workshops katy@storysock.co.uk | www.storysock.co.uk 07957 136270

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rare child who does not enjoy dressing up games, and dance is the perfect way to move â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;in characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, whether as a graceful fairytale ballerina princess, or grooving to a funkier beat. While dancing is great fun it also helps develop coordination, fitness and a sense of rhythm, musicality and expression, promoting selfdiscipline and confidence. â&#x20AC;˘ DIDDI DANCE, ages 2-4, all areas, 07973 982 790, www.diddidance.com â&#x20AC;˘ FIVE STARS DANCE, 020 8673 6488 â&#x20AC;˘ GET DANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;DANCE, ages 2-18, New Cross, Dulwich and Bromley, 020 7060 4424, www.getdan-n-dance.co.uk â&#x20AC;˘ JASSPA, ages 4-17, East Dulwich 020 8613 6444, www.jags.org.uk/jasspa â&#x20AC;˘ LITTLE GEMS DANCE COMPANY, all ages, Sydenham 0794 719 8881, www.littlegemsdance.co.uk â&#x20AC;˘ SOUTH LONDON DANCE STUDIOS, all ages, Herne Hill 020 7978 8624, www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk.

Freedom Academy

South London Dance Studios

Local Clubs News

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MONTAGE THEATRE ARTS Artistic Director: Judy Gordon BA (Hons), ARAD

Courses for Adults & Children Shows & Events through the year! â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday School 6-16yrs: Ballet, Tap, Breakdancing/ Hip Hop, Digital Arts â&#x20AC;˘ Early Starters 3-5 yrs: â&#x20AC;˘ Youth Theatre: Street Jazz â&#x20AC;˘ Adults: Musical Theatre & Tap â&#x20AC;˘ Over 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Drama & Dance Venue: Prendergast-Hilly Fields College SE4 Montage is a Charity funded by Lewisham

Call 020 8692 7007

www.montagetheatre.com 10

families south east - september 2010

Cadet Rousselle is holding two open days this September, inviting French-speaking parents and their children to enjoy a French breakfast and watch a magical show. Aimed at French speaking parents and bilingual families, the playgroup enables children to practise French in a friendly environment. It is also a perfect forum for bilingual families to meet informally and make new local friends. The weekly sessions follow a structured programme of arts and crafts activities based on the French cultural calendar, along with songs and story-telling. The open days are on 13 September at the One Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Clock Club in West Norwood Park, and on 17 September at the Triangle One Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Clock Club in Balham; both from 9.45-11.45am. Call Sabrina on 0787 656 7515, www.cadetrousselle.co.uk.

Perform This term, Perform children will be galloping off to the Wild West to find the Horse with the Golden Mane. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll discover a spooky ghost town and board a runaway mine train, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be some exciting characters to meet along the way including Cowboy Billy the Goat and beautiful Native American Princess Lily Yellow Lark. Learning songs, dances, tongue twisters, rhymes and raps, and going on weekly improvisations. Performâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principal Lucy Quick says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As well as promising â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the best fun of the weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Perform specialises in helping children develop the four Cs: Confidence, Communication, Co-ordination and Concentration, and according to parents and teacher all over London and the South East â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;you can always tell a Perform childâ&#x20AC;?. Any interested 4-8 year old can try out the classes by attending a free trial session and bookings are now open for the autumn term 2010. Classes are held locally in Blackheath, Bromley, Beckenham and Dulwich. There is also a new class opening in Petts Wood, and Perform Plus for 8-12 year-olds in Dulwich, who will be working to a Christmas Carol theme for the new term. 0845 400 4000, www.perform.org.uk.

Bea's Baby Music Bea's Baby Music has a newly updated website, packed with information on the benefits of music for babies, learning the piano from the age of four, and

details of Bea's classes for pre-schoolers and nursery schools, plus her party packages, all featuring real music with real musicians and plenty of instruments, puppets and props so the children always join in. Go to www.babymusic.co.uk or call 020 8670 9378 for bookings.

Theatre Tots Theatre Tots is only three years old but has grown a lot in that time. Director Laura Sydonie started the company after the birth of her first son with one class, now has two sons and 22 classes, and recently celebrated being a runner up finalist in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On for Little Ones awards. TheatreTots run drama sessions for under 5s and children with special needs. The focus is the imagination and the wonderful adventures it can create. All the material is original and written by Laura, with music by RS Notes Music. Classes start as baby sensory experiences through to full adventures for five year-olds. There are weekly sessions as well as classes in schools, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centres, nurseries and special needs centres. Lauraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest venture is a club run in conjunction with Diddi Dance, for children with autism. 0780 1072 776, www.theatretots.com.

South London Dance Studios Dancing can add so much more than grace and poise, as we learned from Zoe Dawson: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main feedback I get from parents is that their child grows so much in confidence after being at South London Dance Studios. This can be as simple as the 21â &#x201E;2 year old gaining the confidence to go into his or her first dance class by him or herself, to the older child performing a well rehearsed dance on stage in front of a large audience. This new found confidence not only transfers to other physical activities, but also to situations where the child is required to communicate verbally. Notably many local school teachers have commented to parents on the change they have seen in a child since they have joined our school.â&#x20AC;? South London Dance Studios offer weekly classes in ballet, tap, modern, street and national dance for children from 18 months right up to adult classes. 020 7978 8624, www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk.

South London Dance Studios

Cadet Rousselle Open Days

School Support As soon as children have a grasp of numbers and arithmetics, countless other tasks become easier. In almost every other subject and in many walks of life, arithmetics and maths are needed and a weakness in this area will hold your child back. Extra maths classes not only help improve a grasp of numbers, but help in confidence and add to children’s achievements long-term. Meanwhile, with computers now standard in schools, learning to touch-type makes work faster and more accurate. It is also better for young hands (using every finger rather than just ‘pecking’ with two index fingers) and backs (looking straight at the screen rather than bending over the keyboard). By starting young before bad habits take hold, children have a very useful skill that they will use throughout their lives. • CUBE TUITION, 020 8291 5522 or 020 8946 7682, www.cubetuition.co.uk • FLEET TUTORS, all ages and areas, 020 8580 3911, www.fleet-tutors.co.uk • INKHEAD CREATIVE WRITING, ages 8-16, 020 8778 0183, www.inkhead.co.uk • KUMON maths and English, all ages, 0800 854 714,www.kumon.co.uk • YES Touch Typing, all ages, Greenwich 020 8858 9180

Monkey Music Monkey Music has won a major national award, confirming its position as a real favourite among UK parents for their babies and young children. The What’s On 4 Little ones Awards, supported by Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine, are one of the UK’s leading children’s activities awards. Now in their fourth year, they celebrate the best children’s activities across the UK as nominated and voted for by parents. This year over 27,000 votes were cast, many of which were for Monkey Music, which was awarded The Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity. “Monkey Music classes are entertaining and educational,” says Rebecca Maskell, Monkey Music’s Company Training Manager and teacher in Dulwich.“ Specialist teachers cater for children from as young as three months to four years, gently encouraging social and musical skills in a stimulating and friendly environment. Classes are small and tailor-made, captivating children with 30 minutes of catchy music, percussion instruments, visual props and lots of energy. There are also lots of opportunities for the children to experiment with instruments and to make music of their own. Monkey Music uses 300 traditional and original songs, musical games and exciting movement ideas throughout the curriculum, with the children grouped in small classes according to their age. It’s a winning formula that has won Monkey Music many thousands of fans throughout the country. Local classes are held in Dulwich, Herne Hill, Blackheath and Greenwich and children can try a free taster session. 020 8764 5185, www.monkeymusic.co.uk.

Story Sock’s 1st Birthday The year has really flown by but this September Story Sock turns one. It’s been a fantastic first year with lots of children all over southeast London attending regular classes in Blackheath and Greenwich. They’ve had stories read to them and many parents are running out of wall space for all the artwork that has been created. Story Sock is the first pre-primary class with the main aim of encouraging children to be enthusiastic about and excited by books from an early age. The classes educate from learning to sit and listen, to mastering art skills. They enrich - giving children confidence

And Finally In your enthusiasm to bring out the child prodigy in your child, don’t lose sight of the fact that they’re already worked hard at school. If you have signed up Oliie for cello lessons purely in the hope of a specialist school place, or believe that dance school will mean definite fame and fortune via Britain’s Got Talent - think again! First and foremost, find an activity your child will really enjoy. If their interest flags, or changes after giving it a good shot, don’t be afraid to look around for a new activity which might suit them better as they grow and develop.

by paying individual attention and encouraging everyone, and entertain - the possibilities of activities and stories are endless and are always presented in a ‘hands on’ fashion. Due to popular demand, in September Story Sock are opening a new after school class for 2-6 year olds. The older ones often seem to miss out on a lot of the fun once they start school, so this is a great opportunity to come along with siblings. 07957 136270, www.storysock.co.uk.

Fun Spanish for Children • 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

At Tumbletots we endeavour to provide the opportunities, through a challenging environment of active physical play, for children to fully explore and develop their physical capability, especially their motor skills of balance, agility and co-ordination, whilst at the same time stimulating the imagination and having fun. Classes also include music, songs and rhymes, and are split into different age groups starting at six months up to 5 years.

Information / bookings: for Dulwich, Blackheath, Battersea and Clapham Call Julia Forrest on 020 8464 4433 or email julia.forrest1@ntlworld.com

Little Needles Little Needles offer a great way get going with sewing. Classes are aimed at budding seamsters aged eight and up, plus teens and adult beginners, in fun, friendly, small groups. Classes are held on Saturday afternoons in Herne Hill, for £120 per term including all materials. 07984 772040, wwww.littleneedles.co.uk.

Open Door Blackheath High School’s facilities are open to all after school, on Saturdays and during school holidays. Open Door Blackheath offers a range of courses and classes for children right through to adults, including gymnastics and sports, tennis, cookery, dance, languages, digital photography, arts and crafts, plus 11+ preparation. 020 8557 8456, www.opendoorblackheath.com.

Rock Choir Rock Choir welcomes people of all ages to learn to sing rock, pop, gospel and Motown songs in harmony, without the need for previous singing experience. It teaches adults, teenagers and children to sing with up beat and feel good weekly rehearsals. Many of the members have never sung in public before and are given the opportunity to perform at local venues and events such as shopping centres, theatres and festivals. 01252 714276, www.rockchoir.com.

English for Au Pairs Eurocentres run professional part time English language courses for au pairs, and have a reputation as one of the industry leaders who have set the standard for language learning. Classes run three days a week at venues including a British Council accredited school in Lee Green SE3. The next block starts on 14 September and runs for 12-13 weeks. 020 8138 5633, www.eurocentres.com.

september 2010 - families south east

Music classes for babies and young children! ®

d no blues ! all r hythm an

What the experts say about...

Action songs and rhymes Music and movement Fun with percussion Musical games

For classes in: Blackheath & Greenwich, Dulwich & Herne Hill, Tel: 020 8764 5185 Forest Hill, Sydenham and Crystal Palace Tel: 020 8699 0977 Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst & West Wickham Tel: 020 8777 6700

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.

www.monkeymusic.co.uk

It’s fun, formative and a great way of making friends!

Rock ‘n’ roll - from 3 months Heigh ho – from 12 months Jiggety jig – 2 & 3 year olds Ding dong – 3 & 4 year olds

SPORT:

John Wardle, from YoungStars: “Sport has been shown to have many benefits to children. On a physical level, there are improved motor skills, better balance and awareness and development of hand to eye coordination. On a social level, children are more confident, develop problem-solving skills, learn to work as a team and as a result of having a channel for physical exertion are better behaved and more attentive at school. At YoungStars, we constantly see children who are initially shy or reluctant to participate, they often flourish with sport as the uniting factor. When sport and activity is structured in such a way as to encourage participation in a non competitive manner the benefits to children are undeniable in terms of physical and social development.”

digital photography cookery tennis dancing book club trampolining children’s parties fencing 11+ preparation dancing off-ice skating jewellery making sewing gymnastics spanish

MUSIC:

Tin Pan Annie’s Annie Houseago: “Apart from being so enjoyable, music is scientifically linked to language and speech development, mathematical skills, fine and gross motor-coordination, memory skills, encourages fitness through movement and dance and has so many other benefits too. Scientists believe that music positively affects the way a baby’s brain develops and organises itself as it stimulates the formation of billions of connections between brain cells so good quality live music classes such as Tin Pan Annie are one of the best stimulus you can give your child from birth. Not only is Tin Pan Annie great for little ones, it’s fun for the grown-ups too and singing is good for you - it releases ‘feel good’ chemicals (endorphins) which lower stress levels!”

open door Leisure & Learning on your doorstep

Clubs and classes for all ages. Improve your fitness, expand your interests and develop your skills whilst having fun and meeting lots of new people www.opendoorblackheath.com 020 8557 8456 opendoor@bla.gdst.net digital photography cookery tennis dancing book club trampolining children’s parties fencing 11+ preparation dancing off-ice skating jewellery making sewing gymnastics spanish

for babies and young children.

Action songs and rhymes accompanied by guitar. Props, posters, stories, percussion, bubbles and more! Stimulating, educational, interactive and fun, great for building confidence and social skills. The highlight of your child’s week – as well as yours!

Classes on Mondays in Herne Hill, Tuesdays in Dulwich Village and Thursdays in East Dulwich. FREE TRIAL

020 8670 0644 www.tinpanannie.co.uk

South London Dance Studios

Fabulous fun-filled music classes and parties

DANCE: Zoe Dawson from the South London Dance Studios: “With current concerns about children needing to lead a healthier lifestyle, it is becoming increasingly important to educate children about their own body and encourage them to participate in a regular and enjoyable hobby that can continue throughout life in one form or another. The exercise done within the school curriculum is quite simply not sufficient and extra classes should be sought. Dance improves stamina and fitness level, reducing the chance of becoming obese. Strength, flexibility and joint mobility are improved. Correct posture is established at and early age which is good for health as well as for conveying confidence in everyday life. Dance develops children’s balance, proprioceptive skills, co-ordination and kinaesthetic awareness. The cognitive and learning skills learnt through dance help develop an attitude for future learning in other areas of life. Self-discipline, persistence, resourcefulness, flexibility of mind and the ability to think quickly under pressure are just a few of the transferable skills learnt through dance. Use of memory, problem-solving skills and the ability to respond effectively to new challenges are some of the skills that are exercised regularly in the dance class. Through learning new skills and correcting oneself and others, dance helps develop observational and perceptual skills. The dance class environment provides experience of responding to instructions and receiving feedback which is so valuable in many other situations.”

LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE 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

families south east - september 2010

- Severine Coupe from Le Club Francais: “- The younger the better! There are many advantages to having your child learn a second language early rather than waiting until they are at secondary school. Research suggests that between the ages of three and eleven, children are more likely to pick up a second language successfully, whereas teenagers and adults find it much more difficult task. The brain in children is like a sponge, absorbing information in a way that adults don’t, so learning a language can seem effortless; young children generally regard language learning as more fun. Another benefit is that they tend to also do better in mathematics than their non-linguistic peers, and have a higher level of creativity and logical thinking. From the age of five, children can start saying meaningful sentences in French and over the years it prepares them well for GCSE and A level exams. Being taught by native French teachers also gives the children a head start in understanding and speaking the language with the right accent.”

EXAMS AND GRADES: Steve Henry of the Freedom Academy: “It’s often said that these days children are over-tested and examined in school. While there always will be examinations, at Freedom Academy we feel that through performing arts we can help give our students the confidence to perform to the best of their abilities; not only in exams but in all areas of life. The word ‘exam’ carries an immediate stigma which shouldn’t really be associated with performing arts. Parents may fear stoney-faced examiners sitting behind a desk, judging and marking the slightest movement with zero warmth or personality. Performing arts exams are very different. The ‘examiners’ are very friendly, open and warm, taking time before the performances to talk to the pupils, building all be it a brief but comfortable environment for the students to perform. At Freedom Academy we urge our students to see this more as a presentation of all the hard work they have put in over the term/ year. Rewarded with certificates by recognised performing arts institutes and professionals is something extra they can be proud of as young performers. We always offer our students a choice of entering ‘exams’ and the response so far across the board has been a resounding YES! As young performers, they see it as another chance to share their talents and perform in front of another audience. They leave the building with the same euphoric performance buzz they get from full shows. The idea is to guide our students towards performing to their maximum potential, giving them skills and tools which they also take into many other situations from reading aloud in class to public speaking, school/ college exams and job interviews later in life.”

What the children say:

“

Our school never wins anything in sports so I joined an Under 8s soccer team. We have our own kit, train on Saturdays and play in the youth league against other teams. Sometimes scouts come down to watch - I’m really, really hoping they’ll pick me for the academy. Josh, 7

“

”

We did Alice in Wonderland and I was a dormouse. We sang lots of songs and danced. When I saw all the mummies and daddies coming in it was scary but everyone clapped really hard at the end - I wanted to do it again! Amelia, 5

“

”

Why streetdance? Because it’s cool and I’m a show off! When I saw Diversity on TV last year I thought - I want to do that. You have to be fit and concentrate but we’re all great mates so it’s worth it. Dan, 11

“

”

Tennis-4-kids Rally round for a smashing time!

Tennis-4-kids a fun filled introduction to tennis for 2 -11 year olds. Played indoors with small rackets, sponge balls and scaled-down court. Tennis-4-kids aids agility, co-ordination and balance. A positive introduction to tennis with lots of fun

Now I’m in the sixth form I often have to stand up in assembly and talk to the whole school. It doesn’t bother me a bit because of all the singing and drama I’ve done over the years. Provided I’ve prepared what to say, it’s actually quite fun. Alex, 17.

”

What to Look Out For When you’ve selected an activity, here are some more things to think about: 1. Having matched an activity to your child’s unique personality, check that the atmosphere in the class will also suit him. Is the teacher a person your child will relate to? Are the classes essentially fun, or does it seem that the teacher is pushing to gain the highest certificates for her pupils? Do classes lead to performances? Some children love this - others shudder at the thought of being on show. 2. Make sure the staff are qualified and have the required CRB checks and health and safety certificates. There is no harm in asking if you are unsure - they should have nothing to hide! 3. Most classes allow parents to sit in on a session or for children to attend a free trial class. Watch if the children are a) under control - not rigid but well within what you would hope a class to be; b) getting the balance of discipline and fun; c) getting constructive corrections from the teacher.

Weekend and weekday sessions now available

For further details ring Gordon on

07877 391005 or www.tennis-4-kids.com or email gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

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

Dulwich, East Dulwich, Streatham, Beckenham, Herne Hill

BOOKINGS NOW TAKEN FOR AUTUMN TERM 2010

South London Dance Studios

september 2010 - families south east

Jolly clever toddler cup

What’sNew

An innovative new drinking cup has been designed to avoid the hassle of trying to find your toddler’s drink when you’re out and about - or at home. The My All Grow’d Up Cup sticks on to car windows, the fridge, even patio doors, allowing toddlers to help themselves to a drink whenever they want to, without distracting their parents while driving or always asking for lost drinks in the house. When the cup is returned to its holder an animal sound is activated, so there’s every incentive to put it back after use The cup is the brainchild of Bromley mother of two Linzi Cracknell, who came up with the idea when she realised how potentially dangerous it was to hand a drink to a toddler in the back seat while driving. In a jolly elephant design, the cup is non-spill and suitable for children aged from 18 months. Choose from four colours, priced £8.99 from Halfords, JoJo Maman Bebe and direct from www.happyhollydaisy.com.

Money off your child’s wardrobe We are delighted to offer Families readers a 20% off voucher for Polarn O. Pyret, the Swedish brand for babies and children. Clothes that withstand wear and tear and are handed down from brother to sister, coats in unisex colours that allow freedom of movement are designs to make the garment last longer and be used more often. Polarn’s desire “to make the best children’s clothes in the world” started with the vision to let children be children. Their layers concept for coats and outerwear is unique. Water repellent, breathable yet windproof fleece jackets, perfect for September become a cosy middle layer under a waterproof coat in mid-winter. This autumn, Polarn O. Pyret launch a fleece jacket made entirely from 25 recycled plastic bottles! The smart soft fleece is water repellent, windproof yet breathable, and never bobbles. It’s just the job for autumn days out, and as a middle layer when the weather turns cold. Find out more from the friendly PO.P staff in your local store or check out the website www.polarnopyret.com. Use the voucher on opposite page, or if you prefer not to cut up your magazine, you can download one from www.familiesonline.co.uk/competitions.

Dealing with snotty noses

Local Entrepreneurs Organic fundraising t shirts REDDolphins is a new brand of organic cotton T-shirts for babies, children, women and men, printed on a limited edition basis. The collection appeals to ethical shoppers who want to do their part for the environment but also appreciate design and quality. Greenwich resident Delphine Jean-Gilles’ designs are either inspired by nature or support a cause - with 10% of profits donated to the ‘Keep a Child Alive’ charity. She told us: “Since I have started trading at Greenwich Market a few months ago, I am very pleased with feedback from customers. They really like the quality and softness of the organic fabrics and my baby range is particularly popular. I suppose mothers find it reassuring that no irritant or harmful substances are going to come into contact with their baby’s skin.” The brand was born almost by accident when Delphine wanted to buy a T-shirt online from her favourite charity and found that it would have to be shipped from the US. She thought it was a shame to pay more for shipping than for the T-shirt ,and that inspired her to design her own collection as a fundraising idea for the charity. All clothes are Fair Trade and made using the latest sustainable methods with low-impact otton. Fabrics are the best quality organic cotton and bamboo as certified by the Soil Association and Control Union, guaranteeing all farm workers are protected by strict regulations. The ink is toxin free. REDDolphins clothes are on sale at Greenwich Market on Fridays and weekends, and online at www.reddolphins.com.

When children have colds, some parents resort to poking cotton buds, hair tweezers or even sharp finger nails in their child’s nose to help relieve the misery of mucus congestion. According to GP Dr Sarah Brewer “These measures are not recommended. While saline drops can help liquefy runny nasal mucus, this is often intrusive and of little use for clearing those dried, hard-to-reach bogies. Dried bogies make breathing through the nose difficult and noisy, as well as looking unsightly and can continue to be an issue for the parent and child until they can blow their own nose.” Orpington parents Bola and Chigusa Lafe designed their own soft tweezers to get to grips with the problem to help their daughter Angelina. The resulting Cleebo was created in consultation with a paediatrician and is made from dishwasher-safe, soft, medical grade plastic with safety ‘wings’, priced £9.99 for the tweezers and a set of fresh end tips, direct from www.cleebo.co.uk.

Funky living - and a good night’s sleep How do you stop your baby waking with the birds every morning, or being disturbed by streetlights right outside his bedroom window? When her own son was a baby, Crystal Palace mother Claire Hunte ended up taping “heavy duty cardboard to our bedroom window with industrial strength packing in order to stop the streetlight beaming through the windows at 2am”. Blackout blinds are the answer, although when Claire went shopping, they were “either covered in teddy bears or plastered in character logos. We instinctively knew that many parents, like us, preferred to inject a touch of modern style and taste into their little ones’ rooms and not jump on the next marketing brand wagon for a global cartoon company.” That’s where the idea for BabyBlinds came in. Claire has sourced modern and stylish fabrics to create over 50 blackout blinds printed with sunflowers, fruits, prints, animals, stripes, patchwork and more, then added co-ordinating bed linen sets, floor cushions, decorative wall hooks and removable wall stickers, all of which are selling like hot cakes. See the range at www.livingfunky.co.uk or for a free in-home measuring consultation along with full fitting service, call 0800 8497 520.

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When family and friends give you presents for a new baby, children’s birthdays or Christmas, they are always warmly welcomed, but what do you do if presents are doubled up, or there’s something your child would love even more? It’s a dilemma that faced local mother Becky Humphreys - and she decided to do something about it. For My Life is a fast-growing website where parents can create a giftlist and send the link to anyone who’s offered to buy a present. Alternatively, you can search by age, gender or key word - useful when you’re looking for something special but aren’t sure what’s ‘hot’ for the recipient’s age. The website has linked up with major retailers including John Lewis, ToysRUs, BrightMinds and more, so the range is extensive. Simply make your choice, and order online. For more information, go to www.formylife.co.uk.

RoSPA’s Safe At Home scheme has helped more than 130,000 families across England, fitting home safety equipment and performing safety checks in homes. The aim of Safe At Home is to reduce accident rates among under-fives through targeted support for families in areas with the highest accident rates. Through local schemes, families are offered equipment such as safety gates, fireguards and window restrictors, along with information and support. Launched in February 2009, there are now over 100 Safe At Home schemes up and running in regions including Greenwich and Southwark. They are open to families with children aged under five; who live in an area covered by the scheme; and who claim one of a number of benefits including income support, job seeker’s allowance, housing benefit or tax credits. For more information see the parents’ page at www.safeathome.rospa.com, or ask the team at your local Children’s Centre if they are running the scheme.

Back to school worries YoungMinds expect a big rise in calls this September due to parents’ back to school worries. Figures from 2009 showed a 70% rise in calls from August to September from parents concerned about their children failing to adjust to a new school, class or teacher; bullying; school phobias and anxiety problems. Daphne Joseph, the charity’s helpline manager said: “September can be a stressful time for children and adults. Even small changes can seem really worrying to children and young people, and the change of pace from the holidays can be hard to adjust to. A new teacher, new class or especially the move to a new school can seem very daunting. Parents should try to stay calm, and approach the change with a positive attitude, to give their children the confidence that it will be OK. It’s normal to be worried about going back to school but once young people get used to the changes things usually settle down.” Parents who are worried about their child’s emotions or behaviour around school or other issues can call YoungMinds Parents Helpline 0808 802 5544 for advice, or email parents@youngminds.org.uk.

New on DVD Baby chef easy weaning London Bridge The new ‘Easy Weaning’ interactive DVD from The is falling Baby Chef is a fresh, friendly and fun approach to weaning. Matt Hazell, The Baby Chef, offers simple down... instructions and recipes to create tasty and great value meals for your little one. The DVD provides more than two hours of recipes with helpful hints and tips from Matt along the way. Approved by leading specialist dietitian Lucy Jones, the DVD makes weaning easy and enjoyable for you and your baby. Cook along with Matt to create delicious meals including; the scrummy apples delight, tasty creamy avocado & mint mash and appetising carrot & parsley combo. Matt takes the fear-factor out of preparing nutritious and delicious food. He addresses common concerns such as allergies, choking anxieties and what consistency a puree should be. Lucy Jones also walks you through all the “Do’s and Don’ts” at this important stage in your child’s life. The guide includes a ‘what you’ll need’ checklist, a guide to which foods to introduce when, and bite sized tips for quick reference. Available to buy for £19.99 from www.thebabychef.co.uk.

A new DVD has been launched with a playlist of favourite songs for children to watch and sing with their favourite grown ups. My Favourite Nursery Rhymes has been compiled by BabyTV in partnership with Classic FM and has 21 songs including London Bridge, Old McDonald, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Pat a Cake, the Wheels on the Bus and more, set to captivating animations and original compositions. ~~A recent survey showed that increasing numbers of adults have forgotten the words to classic nursery rhymes and songs - here’s an opportunity to remind yourself and pass them on. The DVD is £9.99 and comes with a bonus booklet featuring animal stickers and a Family Fun Sing-Along section, from leading retailers from 6 September.

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www.familiesse.co.uk september 2010 - families south east

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. THE TENT IS popped down, both metaphorically and physically, though I don’t think anybody has recovered from the experience of watching me and daddy trying to get the ruddy thing reduced to the size of a dustbin lid. And even then, it was intent on escape. It was like shoving a monkey into a Ziploc sandwich bag. So, summer has been packed away and we must contemplate the short, sharp schools applications season and all the tedium those open evenings and interminable heads’ speeches implies. Hell, you’d think I’d be used to it by now. Worse, I am already rejecting perfectly normal educational establishments on account of the fact that I don’t like the uniform. Am I the only one that shudders at the sight of a small boy in a tie? How ridiculous an anachronism is that! Surely they are only good for hanging... Curious George: MY FIRST WORDS AT THE FARM, based on a character by Margret & H.A Rey, illustrations by Greg Paprocki - Houghton Mifflin rrp £9.99. And it can’t be ten years ago that I took receipt of a Curious George t-shirt, secondhand and loved, in honour of my newborn boy. I recall through the haze of tea, champagne and exhaustion thinking, wow - life just got reeeaaally interesting, as this smooth pebble of a male baby with new smells slept in the crook of my arm for the first time in his little life. Everybody sensed that miniature angelic aura and climbed into bed with me - kids, aunt Snappy, daddy, Pigeon the cat, Gary the milkman (no, I made that last bit up - he was too fat to fit in). Then here the babe is today, faded Curious George gift tattered way above his belly button, pj bottoms at half mast, with skinny Huck Finn ankles determined to traverse the dew to retrieve his football before he gets dressed for his final year at primary school. Thanks for the handmedowns Claire, can’t believe where the time went and he even wore the shorts in Brittany this summer. Meanwhile, I know what Jo - our expectant bookshop fairy - is getting when that lad of hers sprogs this month, this monkey board book and hat. And all our best wishes. CAVE BABY by Julia Donaldson & Emily Gravett - Macmillan rrp £10.99. Wasn’t long before he passed that inflatable stage when teeny grow-bags are a hopeless faff and he preferred to roam the rugs in a nappy. Boys’ bones are definitely heavier and I just had to put him on the ground wherever we went. However, this also meant he was a sitting duck to Trasha’s dastardly intentions and within moments he’d be back up on my hip, riding me like a prince on an elephant, fending off the fierce native jabbing from below. Gravett must have one of the baby boy variety because she captures that robust curiosity just so. Possibly the story teeters on the brink of terrifying - and which publisher is brave enough to point that out to the great Donaldson? - but she, clever as ever, turns it around and before you know it, that scary old cave is a riot of colour. And all delivered in uncringeworthy verse. ARTHUR & THE MEANIES by Jan Fearnley - Egmont rrp £10.99. Fast forward several years and he fends himself off with a pump-action water pistol not unlike the playful blast out of Arthur’s bored trunk. Nice piccies here, with a naughty tiger stealing the show. I do like a naughty tiger - and I can use that word now that I don’t work in school.. naughty, naughty, naughty.. with a glottal stop. THE VERY BEST OF AESOP’S FABLES, Margaret Clark, illustrated by Charlotte Voake - Walker rrp £6.99. Ole Aesop still gets a fair amount of airplay at foundation stage in schools. It amazes me how helpful the tales are. Sadly, I couldn’t find one that explained why you should always leave mum’s laptop alone: Trasha has just changed all the settings so now I feel as if I am writing in an edition of Vampire Vogue complete with letterbox screen for peering through at my victims. And the moral of the story is, You Will Never Be Allowed to Borrow it Again. Ever.

LOOK! REALLY SMART ART by Gillian Wolfe - Frances Lincoln rrp £12.99. Smart kids’ book this that shows us just how crafty those creative geniuses were. Just watch how my mood melts Dali style as I realise that no amount of fiendish fiddling will return the screen to its natural state. Cue werewolfish howl of anguish. MOOMIN, Volume Five by Tove Jansson - Drawn & Quarterly rrp £12.99. And as the howl is rapidly supplanted by foul invective, I find myself reaching for the balm that is Moomin. Breathe Moomin Mamma, teenagers are like that. And so they are here too in the long-awaited addition to the philosophical canon. And Snorkmaiden IS NOT fat! Reading this is like smoking wacky baccy without lungs burning and feeling all paranoid afterwards. It is dope for grown ups. Moomin - just like being at the henge, man. Only, without the henge.. Tell that to your teenager. It will save on so much trouble in the long run. And while we have suddenly gone all mellow, reach too for the new MOOMINS COOKBOOK £12.99, for a fine introduction to Finnish cooking. Ain’t never too late to start, honey. Featuring the lighthouse keeper’s fish pie and Snufkin’s Thinking Bouillon among many of the numerous, no really, numerous recipes for fish, fruit, hiking, picnics, breakfast and celebrations, it is one of those books for reading first, cover-to-cover, then going back to bit by bit and filleting, Moomintroll style. We even used it on a Breton campsite whilst old codgers played boules in my al fresco kitchen - Moominmamma’s BackPack Pie worked perfectly with local sardines and a mouthful of dust kicked up when they swung their steel balls around my gas bottle. WALT WHITMAN, POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, edited by Jonathan Lewin, illustrated by Jim Burke - Sterling rrp £4.99. I’m envious of my eldest, reading The Great Gatsby for the first time (crikey Claire, my boy child notwithstanding, how did we get to the point of having ones old enough read classic adult novels about both kinds of breeding?) and I am envious of Trasha discovering poetry now, albeit a dark variety. This ghostly energetic picture book of his imagination gives me the sky and cosmos... Aw, laptop schmaptop... Go on, you have it. I no longer care. His words are a million times more beautiful and enduring than the SIMs Hennes & Moritz edition... (and you thought the damage was caused by something more useful? Like homework?) THE DOCTOR WHO EPISODE GUIDE by Mark Campbell - Pocketessentials rrp £12.99. Passes for great literature in our house amidst the plethora of oafish vampires trying to get shot of adolescence. But I can still reel Trasha in with a summary of season 17. DEAD MAN’S COVE by Lauren St John, Orion rrp £9.99, is a different kettle of mysterious fish. Laura Marlin’s first detective adventure set along the mysterious crags of the Cornish coastline is both exciting and swift, as well as thoughtful. And as atmospheric as a smack in the face by a wave.. And so to the present day, where small male of the species is lying in bed in a Palace kit reading Anthony Horowitz’s RAVEN’S GATE, The Graphic Novel, Walker rrp £9.99. To think that where once Wibbly Pig sufficed, now a dark Yorkshire landscape inhabited by shadowy black and white characters who never smile, whose cheekbones jut, whose eyes are sometimes empty is all that matters.. Blimey. Think I better switch the lights on. I’ve started to creep myself out. Best get back to those scintillating schools forms. They say you should let you child choose (haha! Choice?). He says, can he go to one in Brittany please as they don’t wear uniform there and they all get educated just the same. He has a point. I just couldn’t face those long open day speeches in French, not to mention the applications process...

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk 16

families south east - september 2010

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sOn For even more Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On listings, go to www.familiesse.co.uk

Diary Dates for Grownups LONDON TO CANTERBURY CHALLENGE 12 September, GREENWICH to CANTERBURY, www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk An annual cycle ride through beautiful local countryside, in aid of The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust. The route starts from Greenwich and follows the picturesque Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Way through Kent, finishing at St Augustineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Abbey in Canterbury. Riders can take part individually or as a team, and choose to cycle either a 65 or 80 mile route, depending on how energetic you feel! Entry is ÂŁ25 per cyclist - or persuade your friends, family or colleagues to join you and benefit from group rates of ÂŁ110 for a team of five and ÂŁ215 for a team of ten. To sign up or find out more, call Hannah on 01737 364329 or see the charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND 18-19 September, VARIOUS VENUES across London, 020 3006 7008, www.openhouselondon.org.uk The initiative is a simple but powerful concept: hundreds of great buildings of all types and periods open up their doors to all, completely for free. Over 700 buildings will be open, along with guided walks and cycle tours, allowing visitors to explore places such as foreign offices, BBC World Service, the Bank of England, BT Tower, and ancient architectural wonders such as St Pancras House and Apsley House.

FIRST AID COURSES September and October dates, BALHAM SW12, 020 8675 4036, www.firstaidforlife.org.uk Learn how to administer first aid to babies and children through an intensive, one day course run by Emma Hammet, a qualified nurse, first aid trainer and local mother. The courses fulfil Ofsted criteria. Short emergency first aid courses are also available in small groups, with certificates awarded on the date. Numerous dates are available, including small groups at participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes, with full details on Emmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website.

SE LONDON MUMPRENEURS EVENTS 07909 691605, www.selondonmumpreneurs.blogspot.com, email clare@motherslife.co.uk 22 September, NETWORKING LUNCH with guest speaker Antonia Chitty, PR guru and author of the Mumpreneur Guide, plus the chance to network with other mothers in business. 11.30am-2pm in Blackheath, ÂŁ25. 28 September, NETWORKING LUNCH with Sell It Mama. Make business contacts, tap into the experience of other like-minded mothers and hear from an inspiring guest speaker. 11.30am-2pm in Crystal Palace, ÂŁ25. 29 September and 6 October, BRAINSTORM IN A TEACUP. Bringing together mothers in business to swap ideas or brainstorm a problem. 10.30am-12noon in Blackheath, ÂŁ13.

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The Great Outdoors D-DAY DUCK TOURS First Sunday of the month, from Chicheley Street SE1 (behind the London Eye), 020 7928 3132, www.londonducktours.co.uk London Duck Tours is launching a brand new land and river sightseeing tour. Using the actual â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Duckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vehicles built for D-day, the tours take passengers back in time to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home front during the Second World War, through London streets before splashing into the Thames. In a lively, entertaining and informative adventure suitable for all the family, a professional character tour guide will reveal the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important Second World War sights including the Cabinet War Rooms, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, and Buckingham Palace.

INTO THE WOODS Until 11 September, OPEN AIR THEATRE, Inner Circle, Regentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park NW1, 0844 826 4242, www.openairtheatre.org From the book by Timothy Sheader, the production takes the stories of the Brothers Grimm and gives them a dark and humorous twist. The re-telling goes beyond â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;happily ever afterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as the familiar characters find themselves in unfamiliar circumstances and hopes and dreams are questioned and revisited.

TOPIARY WEEKEND 11+12 September, GARDEN MUSEUM, Lambeth Palace Road SE1, 020 7401 8865, www.gardenmuseum.org.uk A Topiary Fair inspired by the topiary at Great Dixter, run in partnership with the European Boxwood and Topiary Society. The Museum will be filled with displays of both Box and non-Box topiary, plus displays on the history of topiary and examples from some of the best gardens. There will be talks and demonstrations throughout, including topiary author David Joyce and designer Charlotte Molesworth, renowned topiarist James Crebbin-Bailey on the art of topiary and Jake Hobson on the Japanese style of pruning. Open 10.30am - 4pm Saturday, until 5pm Sunday. Entry included in museum admission: under 16s free, adults ÂŁ6.

MAYORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THAMES FESTIVAL 2010 11+12 September, BANKSIDE and EMBANKMENT, SE1, 020 7928 8998 A spectacular free open-air celebration of London and its river between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge and beyond. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival promises to be one of the most spectacular London events of the year with street arts, pyrotechnics, illuminations, art installations, river events, street theatre, massed choirs, circus and music.

WOODLAND CRAFT DAY 12 September, CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE, Hill Hoath Road, near Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7AD, 01892 870347, www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk Try your hand at countryside crafts including wood turning and wattle and daub. The castle has permanent displays of Japanese armour, Egyptian artefacts and Buddhist, Stuart and Jacobean collections. In the castleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 35-acre grounds, children can burn off some energy and explore the award winning orangery, lake and surrounding woodland. The grounds are a picturesque setting for a picnic on the lawns. Open 11am-5pm, admission ÂŁ4 children, ÂŁ7 adults, ÂŁ19-50 families.

A TASTE OF THE GARDEN 13-19 September, HEVER CASTLE, Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG, 01732 865224, www.hevercastle.co.uk A week-long event highlighting how rewarding it can be to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;grow your

ownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and how simple it is to get started. Visitors taking a stroll beside the Pompeiian Wall will be treated to the sight of grapes, citrus fruits, olives, chillies and aubergines and a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s factsheet will help families identify the different types of produce. Gardeners will be on hand with hints and tips on growing your own fruit and vegetables and even those who are short on outdoor space can learn about container gardening and discover how to grow plants like aubergines, chillies and sweet peppers from seed. There will also be a plant swap stall where you can exchange your unwanted potted plants with those provided by fellow gardeners and the team at Hever. During the weekend, smallholding experts The Ark Birds and Bees will be hosting a mini exhibition to educate visitors on the history and benefits of beekeeping and how we can save the honey bee. They will be demonstrating observation and display hives, protective suits and smokers and selling honey products including handmade soaps. Gardens open 10.30am, castle opens 12noon. Admission ÂŁ7 children, ÂŁ13 adults, ÂŁ33 families.

FAMILIES AT THE NPG NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place WC2, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk/events 18 September, STORY TELLING. Drop in from 10.30am and 1.30pm for storytelling followed by a fun art activity. Ages 3yrs+. Art workshops exploring portraits are also available. Until 19 September, FAMILY TRAIL. A free family trail through the BP Portrait Award Exhibition. The trail is designed by picture book illustrator Tim Hopgood and offers a range of activities from drawings to matching games.

WWT WETLAND CENTRE Queen Elizabethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walk, Barnes SW13 9WT. 020 8409 4400. www.wwt.org.uk A spectacular 105 acre wetland landscape of lagoons, lakes and ponds offers a safe haven for hundreds of wild bird species, dragonflies, bats and amphibians. Open 9.30am - 5pm daily, entrance free for under 4s, ÂŁ4.95 children, ÂŁ8.95 adults, families ÂŁ25. The new Pond Zone features interactive games, a trip down a plughole, and underwater cameras, allowing the public to watch fascinating aquatic creatures in their natural habitat. Also includes a pond safari and a stunning new digital pond that features a photo-realistic interactive floor depicting a number of different types of wetland habitats such as ponds, lilies and pools. The Rain Garden has lush vegetation, a cascade of pools, flowers meadows, creature towers and a pavilion itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an idyllic setting to relax in, and to learn how to maximise the use of rain water in your own garden.

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Events & Exhibitions OUT OF ART INTO LITERACY 13 September to 5 December, NATIONAL GALLERY, Trafalgar Square, London WC2, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk An exhibition showing how National Gallery paintings have been used in primary school education. ‘Into the Frame’ and ‘Out of Art into Storytelling’ have inspired pupils’ learning both inside and outside the classroom. Examples of oral storytelling, animation, creative writing and mixed-media artwork from a selection of the participating schools are on show. An accompanying film is available on the gallery website. Every Sunday, families can enjoy free two-hour workshops at 11am for a journey through the collection bringing paintings alive, listen to a themed story on the magic carpet from 10.20am and 11.30am, and take a free family trail through the collection.

Join the time travellers at Charles Darwin’s home for themed weekend fun taking a look at Victorian life at home and at sea, and learn more about the many discoveries Darwin made on his travels. Admission £4.70 children, £9.30 adults, £23.30 families.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM EVENTS GEFFRYE MUSEUM, 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch E2, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays. Saturday Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for children on the first Saturday of every month. 10.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm. Also on: 17-19 September, CERAMICS IN THE CITY A selling fair of work by 50 selected ceramicists. Over the weekend, informal demonstrations and talks will alternate with craft activities for children, making funky accessories and painting mugs.

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS Kingswood House

KINGSWOOD HOUSE OPEN DAY 19 September, Kingswood House, Seeley Drive (off Dulwich Wood Park) SE21 This is a great chance for local people to find out about a hidden treasure that many are unaware of. Much of the house dates from the late 19th Century when John Lawson Johnson of Bovril fame had it re-built in the form of a Scottish castle. In the early 20th Century it belonged to Sir William Vestey who, when he was made a lord, took the title Baron Vestey of Kingswood. In the 1950s the land around the House was developed into a residential area, and in 1956 the House was opened as a community centre and library. The House will be open from 1 to 4pm. There will be talks at 2 and 3.30pm. Also the Beckenham Concert Orchestra will be playing on the Terrace; there will be tours of the building, a demonstration of spinning; and cream teas served in the Billiard room.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM FUN BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank. Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open 10am5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

HORNIMAN MUSEUM EVENTS HORNIMAN MUSEUM and GARDENS, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm, admission free. At weekends, there are plenty of hands-on activities for families, based around the museum’s collection and featuring musical instruments, storytelling and craft activities. Until 17 October ALLOTMENT LIFE. An exhibition combining outdoor and indoor elements to explore the allotment experience, with photograph by artist Emma Wood and a food garden inspired by two local allotments. Until 14 November, COAL, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH. Britain’s Yemenis comprise the country’s oldest established Muslim community. This exhibition explains how and why Yemeni people came to Britain, and how their migration is linked to Yemen’s ancient role as a trading nation as well as its close relationship with Britain.

SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somerset.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.

BFI FAMILY WORKSHOP 25 September, BFI, South Bank SE1, 020 7928 3232, www.bfi.org.uk/southbank Explore video art with gallery inspired creative and fun family workshops. Small steps to becoming a great artist. Workshoppers will take inspiration from artist Julian Rosefeldt to make video art using film, character exploration/ dressing up, editing, software and craft techniques. Ages 7+, £1 children, £2 parents/ carers. All adults must be accompanied by a child. Take a Flash device (USB stick) with you to take your footage home at the end.

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.

SEASIDE FANS Until 21 October, THE FAN MUSEUM, 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10, 020 8305 1441, www.fan-museum.org The exhibition traces the evolution of the concept of a holiday by the sea, with fans of the Grand Tour in Naples and Venice, and advertising fans from the late 19th and early 20th centuries showing how the development of the railways makes the seaside accessible to the masses. A display of mythological fans depicts the world of legend when sea monsters devoured (or are about to devour) naked ladies. Chinese ‘applied faces’ fans are decorated with the reaches of the estuary of the Pearl River at Canton with its famous pagoda landmark, while others show this busy shipping port with its ‘hongs’ along the waterfront. Museum open 11am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays. Admission free for under 7s, £4 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 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.

FAMILY EVENTS AT THE IWM Down House

TIME TRAVELLERS GO September weekends, DOWN HOUSE, Luxted Road, Downe, near Orpington, Kent BR6 7JT, 01689 859 119, www.english-heritage.org.uk/Darwin

families south east - september 2010

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk Museum open daily 10am-6pm. Until 31 October HORRIBLE HISTORIES: TERRIBLE TRENCHES. Find out about life in the terrible trenches during the WW1 in this unmissable family exhibition. An interactive gallery explores the dire details of life in the blood and mud of the Western Front, from both the British and

German sides of the barbed wire. Find out how soldiers coped with foul food, legions of lice, gruesome gas, sickness and sores. Try on the curious clothing of the British and German soldiers, see real items used by soldiers in the trenches, climb through a mining tunnel and explore an officers’ dugout. Peer into no man’s land with a periscope, experience the terrible toilets, smell the stenches and splat the rats. Adults £4.95, children £2.50, family ticket £13. Until January 2011 THE MINISTRY OF FOOD, until January 2011. Seventy years ago the wartime government announced the introduction of food rationing - a control that was to remain in force for the next fourteen years. The British public adapted to a world of food shortages by lending a hand on the land and being frugal and inventive with food. The exhibition features a wartime greenhouse, a 1940s grocer’s shop, and a typical kitchen complete with larder, gas cooker, and an ample stock of economy recipes, demonstrating that growing your own food, eating seasonal fruit and vegetables, reducing imports, recycling and healthy nutrition were just as topical in 1940 as they are today. Adults £4.95, children £2.50, family ticket £13.

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families During any visit, families can pick up a trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am5.45pm 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 CHILDHOOD V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD, Cambridge Heath Road E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk Open 10am-5.45pm Mondays to Sundays, admission free. Lots to do for children with trails, tours and creative Art Smarts, and a fabulous collection of toys from the past. Until 14 November, BLING. Take a closer look at the diversity of jewellery in east London, and discover how the ornaments we use to decorate our bodies often have great personal and cultural significance. Every piece of jewellery tells a particular story and what we value is highly subjective. Gold and diamonds make expensive statements about material value whereas an inexpensive trinket might have some profound sentimental value associated with a place, a person or a time in our life. 3 September to 2 January 2011, DOLL FACE. A series of portraits by photographer Craig Deane, depicting a variety of dolls from the Museum’s extensive behind the scenes collection.

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM, 39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden WC2E 7BB, 020 7565 7299, www.ltmuseum.co.uk Plenty for children to look at; they can get up close and personal with vintage London buses and tube trains, follow activity trails, listen to stories, try on replica uniforms and get busy in the hands-on galleries. Museum open 10am-6pm Saturdays to Thursdays, Fridays from 11am, admission free for accompanied under 16s, adults £10.

HMS BELFAST HMS BELFAST, The Thames (between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, www.hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk Open 10am-6pm, admission free for accompanied under 16s, £12.95 adults. Until 31 December, LAUNCH! SHIPBUILDING THROUGH THE AGES. A family-oriented exhibition using hands-on and computerised interactive displays and engaging film and footage. Discover the techniques of shipbuilding, from the ‘age of sail’ to modern prefabrication methods. A tour of this complex and huge warship take visitors from the quarterdeck up to the top of her bridge and all the way down through her nine decks to her massive boiler and engine rooms, well below the ship’s waterline.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, Clive Steps, king Charles Street SW1, www.iwm.org.uk The Cabinet War Rooms were created in 1938, as the underground storage areas of the Office of Works Building in Whitehall were converted to house the central core of government and to become a military information centre, serving the Prime Minister and the Chiefs of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. Intended as a temporary site, the rooms became operational on 27 August 1939, a week before the German invasion of Poland and Britain’s declaration of war. This ‘temporary’ but timely measure served as the central shelter for government and military strategists for the next six years. Open 9.30am6pm, admission free for under 16s, £14.95 adults.

SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM, County Hall, Southbank SE1, www.sealife.co.uk/london In the amazing new Rainforests of the World area, visitors can journey across three continents and get up close and personal with over 3000 of the rainforests’ most famous and feared residents from a pair of 6ft West African dwarf crocodiles to a family of highly toxic poison arrow

frogs and over 30 lethal piranhas. And as well as the exciting new Rainforests of the World, the Sea Life London Aquarium is home to thousands of marine creatures from every part of the world including 46 sharks. Admission £12.50 children, £17.50 adults.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road, South Kensington SW7, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk 8 April - 26 September, BUTTERFLY EXPLORERS. Pick up your passport and learn everything there is to know about butterflies - from their lifecycles to their behaviour, and discover which you might find fluttering about in your own back garden this summer. Admission £4 children, £6 adults, £17 families. Save enough time to explore the permanent exhibitions too: travel through a giant, suspended globe to galleries filled with dinosaurs, model volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies, which are all among the nation’s finest collection of natural history specimens. Museum open 10am-5.50pm, admission free unless indicated. Until 3 Jan 2011, THE MINISTRY OF FOOD. Discover how the British public adapted to a world of food shortages, and how growing your own food, eating seasonal fruits and vegetables, reducing imports, recycling and healthy nutrition were just as topical in 1940 as they are today. Tickets £2.50 to £4.95, families £13. Book on 020 7416 5439 or through the museum website.

MUSEUM OF LONDON EVENTS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands. Also the 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.

cranny of his beautiful home with items that fascinated him. From fossils to classical fragments from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and from contemporary paintings to architectural models, drawings and literature, he intended that after his death both his house and its extraordinary contents should be used to educate and inspire. Free drop-in activities run on the third Saturday of every month, with activities for all ages and families can take part together. 1.30-4.40pm.

BRITISH MUSEUM EVENTS BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8000, www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

The museum’s amazing collection is brought to life for children with free family workshops. Here are some highlights: 11 September, THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD. A free interactive performance for families at noon, 1.30 and 3pm. 18 September, CREATE A COMIC from 11.30am-3.30pm 19 September, READY, STEADY, YUCK cookery show at 11am and 2pm 25 September, MAGICAL MOSAICS workshops from 11.30am-3.30pm 26 September, MAKE AN OLYMPIC PORTRAIT, 11.30am-3.30pm.

Theatre, Music & Shows BBC PROMS Until 11 September, ROYAL ALBERT HALL, www.bbc.co.uk/proms, 0845 401 5040 The world’s biggest classical music festival, with fantastic concerts by world famous artists taking place daily over two months every summer. As well as concerts, there are plenty of free workshops, films, literary events and much more, especially for families This year: DOCTOR WHO returns to the proms with the brand new timelord Matt Smith and his assistant Karen Gillan, both joining the family spectacular in person. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who record the sound-track for the series, will provide some intergalactic music as well as a selection of classical favourites. Tickets £13-£15, family ticket £50.

www.cadoganhall.com The King of the Magical Kingdom of Far, Far Away and his Court Jester cordially invite you to accompany them to the Grand Ball, hosted by Southbank Sinfonia. As the guests begin to arrive we meet Beauty and the Beast, Robin Hood, The Empress of the Pagodas and Puss in Boots as well as hearing some Tales of Narnia. The Ball commences with the Sleeping Beauty Waltz before we all shake off our shoes and strut our stuff to the Shrek Dance Party. Saturday Spectaculars are family concerts with a twist, designed to create an informal, fun and educational environment for children and families to enjoy classical music. The fun begins at 10.15am with exciting, themed craft activities followed by the chance to meet the players of Southbank Sinfonia.

THE GARBAGE KING 25 September - 31 October, UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com Live music and a spectacular set made from recycled and found objects combine in a striking production that brims with the sights and sounds of the Ethopian capital city. Strong emotions, hope and a beautiful unlikely friendship makes the world stage premiËre of Elizabeth Laird’s novel. Ages 10yrs+, tickets £10.50 children, 16.50 adults, £46 families.

OF MICE AND MEN 29 September - 24 October, BROADWAY THEATRE, Catford SE6 4RU, 020 8690 0002, www.broadwaytheatre.co.uk In the most widely known and loved of Steinbeck’s works, two men forge a powerful friendship. Aimless and rootless in 1930s America, George and Lennie dream of a time when they can set up in their own place and ‘live off the fatta the land’. Through Steinbeck’s genius, George and Lennie’s mutual bond of love achieves a mythological quality, raw with the pain of isolation, and the ache we all feel for a place called ‘home’. This new production is directed by Cameron Jack, whose previous shows at the Broadway Studio Theatre have included A Clockwork Orange, Trainspotting, One flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Lord Of The Flies. Tickets from £8.

Greenwich Maritime Museum

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM EVENTS QUEEN’S HOUSE, NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM and ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH, National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk Museum open 10am-5pm daily. Admission free. EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free. DISCOVER SUNDAYS. Be inspired by the museum’s galleries and take part in free design, craft, illustration and music workshops designed for families. Suitable for all ages. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-5pm, free. 7, 14, 21 and 28 September, 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 start. Suitable for under 5s, free tickets available from the admissions desk. Until 31 October, TOY BOATS. For more than 100 years the craze for things maritime drove toy companies to make toy boats of every size and description, capturing the imagination of generations of children. Toy Boats is an enchanting exhibition featuring miniature ocean liners, toy paddle steamers, tin battleships and clockwork submarines alongside games, catalogues and photographs produced in Europe between 1850 and 1950. The exhibition looks at the way toy boats were marketed through advertising, packaging and catalogues. The advent of department stores, and their use of large plate-glass shop fronts, offered a new way to showcase merchandise and entice customers and the exhibition recreates an Edwardian shop window. Museum open 10am-5pm daily, admission free.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 11 September to 14 November, COLOUR HOUSE THEATRE, Merton Abbey Mills, Merantun Way SW19, 020 8542 5511, www.colourhousetheatre.co.uk Wonderful new songs and a sparkling, witty script for all the family to enjoy. Ages 3+, performances 2 and 4pm, tickets £7 children, £9 adults.

FAMILY SHOWS AT THE LYRIC LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE, Lyric Square, King Street W6, 0871 22 11720, www.lyric.co.uk Saturdays shows at 11am and 1pm, tickets £6 children, £8 adults, followed by Messy Play sessions for £5. 11 September, DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! Unfortunately the pigeon is very clever. He whines, bribes, pleads and even sings songs to get his own way. 3-7yrs. 18 September, ARABIAN NIGHTS. The Queen of all storytellers will tell stories of genies, camels and flying carpets. 4-7yrs. 25 + 26 September, A FLYING VISIT. 11am & 1pm. Imagine you woke up one morning and had wings instead of arms. Perfect for a bird’s eye

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.

ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org/families.htm Tucked away in Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soane’s treasures and develop new skills with specialist guidance. Sir John Soane (1753- 1737) was an inveterate collector, filling every nook and

MISSION TO MARS 1 October - 6 November, POLKA THEATRE, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB. 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com It’s 2035, and we’re ready to send the first human beings to Mars. Gail and Stephan have been selected from thousands and are ready to launch. Fun, fast-paced and packed with emotion, Unlimited Theatre’s new show is based on the real science of planned Mars missions. Join Gail and Stephan as they defy gravity and go further through the solar system than we’ve ever been before. Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes? Book your ticket for all the excitement, danger and discovery of the next giant leap into space. Ages 7-11.

KINGS AND ROGUES Until 3 October, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE EXHIBITION, Bankside, Southwark, 020 7902 1500, www.shakespearesglobe.com. A new theatre season opens on Shakespeare’s birthday, premiering Henry VIII, and Henry IV parts 1 and 2. The season launches with Macbeth and includes a revival of the Globe’s acclaimed production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Regular live demonstrations such as sword-fighting, printing press workshops and costume dressings give families a stimulating introduction to one of the world’s most iconic working theatres. Open 10am-5pm daily. view of how amazing life looks when you’re flying. 5-10yrs. 2 October, HANDA’S SURPRISE. 10.30and 11.30am, 1.30 and 2.30pm. Handa brings seven delicious fruit to her best friend as a surprise, but they better watch out as the sneaky animals have different ideas. 2-5yrs.

ADVENTURES IN THE MAGICAL KINGDOM 18 September, CADOGAN HALL, SW1, 020 7730 4500,

THE DAY THE WATERS CAME 5-9 October, UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com It’s summer 2005. Maya Marshalls takes you by the hand and leads you through her landscape on the day Hurricane Katrina came. Go with her as she shows you how her world and that of thousands of black American citizens changed forever on the day the waters came. Ages 13yrs+, tickets £8 children, £10.50 adults, £30 families.

september 2010 - families south east

Families South East PO Box 11591 London SE26 6WB Tel: 020 8699 7240 Email: info@familiesse.co.uk Contact: Robina Cowan

CLASSES & TUTORS Christianaes Home Tuition Excellent Examination Results in: English. Maths. Science. Can collect and drop for tuition. 020 8850 1489 or 0790 830 2236 www.christianaeshometuition.co.uk

ay with Clay PlLots of fun and creativity with clay for children aged 6-14yr

time Saturdays ∗ Saturday morning (termstarting 4 Sept) classes (half-term workshop - 29 October ∗ Holiday workshops 25 half days £19 or full days £38)

Families online For more articles than we can squeeze into each issue, a directory of local companies, competitions and forums plus the latest What'sOn listings, join us at

www.familiesse.co.uk

∗ Birthday party activity 07930 413 649 info@play-with-clay.com

www.play-with-clay.com ...to dracula

carols to cantatas, from musicals to modern classics, from folk songs to film themes boys and girls - ages 7-11

carols to cantatas, from musicals to modern classics, from folk songs to film themes boys and girls - ages 11+

for more information 020 8650 9164

www.beckenhamjuniorchoir.co.uk

FAMILY & HOME SERVICES

PART TIME NANNY Available from the end of October. 22 years' experience and two own young sons. Excellent references.

Call Anne-Marie 0798 578 4401

PARTIES

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Vetted and experienced NANNIES and BABYSITTERS Affordable agency fees

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WINDOW CLEANER A reliable, professional service for houses and businesses. One-offs or regular visits. All areas covered.

Call Ian 07920 179 345

Dance Parties

Mini the Clown

Great fun for all ages and abilities, girls and boys Led by professional dancer/ teachers Choose your own music and dance style Mini trophy for birthday child

Funny female experienced clown, ideal for the little ones, ages up to 5. Bubbles, balloons, puppets.

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07813 940023 www.minitheclown.co.uk Equity/CRB

Handyman For all your household repairs and odd jobs. I offer a professional and courteous service

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Adult & Children’s Entertainer Magic, Plate Spinning Balloon Modelling Interactive Games Karaoke, Mini Disco

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The Couture Cookie Shop

Cakes - Cookies- Personalised Party Bags - Children's Catering Scrumptious edible creations for all occasions

If you have a family birthday, christening or baby shower coming up and you would like to discuss an order call Selena

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Next issue out 1 October 2010

SCHOOLS FEATURE PLUS half term events, family life and local companies advertise yours in Families Deadline mid August Call or email us now! 20

families south east - september 2010

Looking for a new career? International company is looking for ambitious and self-motivated people to work part time and from home. Call Dorothy to find out more 0203 393 9716

KITCHEN & BATHROOM RENOVATIONS I offer a complete ‘one stop’ service from design and planning through to installation, plumbing, tiling and flooring.

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with an advertisement in Families

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HEALTH & COUNSELLING Postnatal Mum & Baby Classes Fun Fitness Classes for all 1-1 Personal Training... www.fitnessformummies.co.uk

SENSITIVE COUNSELLING for the problems that make you unhappy

Mark Arram MBACP 0794 797 2918

mtarram@yahoo.co.uk

Counselling

PILATES New Classes

Thurs 9th September 9.30am Beg / Imp 10.45am Post-natal South London Dance Studios 130 Herne Hill SE24 Contact Kirsty 07940 584 691 pilates@kirstymathieson.com www.kirstymathieson.com

Individuals and Couples

Helen Storey

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Andrew Cunningham SQHP GHR

07903 556382 www.hypnotherapyinlondon.co.uk

THE VALE PRACTICE Structural & Cranial Osteopathy – Acupuncture Specialising in the treatment of children and expectant mothers.

T. 020 8299 9798 www.thevalepractice.co.uk

DESIGN: Lancasters 020 8658 9975 www.lancasters.co.uk Printed on paper from sustainable forests. www.russellpress.com

from bananas in pyjamas...