Families Upon Thames Mid Oct-Nov 2013 by Families Magazine

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upon Thames

Mid October/November 2013 Issue 91

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Halloween and Half Term Activities Bonfire Night Listings RECRUITING NOW

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TO ADVERTISE IN THIS MAGAZINE CONTACT: LINDA STONE, Editor m: 07530 283330 t: 020 8241 0423 e: editor@familiesuponthames.co.uk www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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We are bringing out an EXTRA Christmas issue on 25 November! Don’t forget to pick up your copy for everything you need for the best, local Christmas ever!

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Mid October-November 2013

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FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING STOP LOOKING FOR THE EASY OPTION We are slapped in the face with ‘quick and easy’ weight loss schemes at every turn. I take my hat off to the marketeers: they have worked out exactly what people want to hear. That they can loose fat, quickly and easily. From this false premise, the marketeers then work backwards, thinking up increasingly crazy ideas to appeal to people who DO want to loose weight, but only if this can be achieved quickly and easily. Forget solutions that actually work. If they are not effortless and fast, they won’t be promoted. We are surrounded by quick and easy options like: Walk to school, to playgroup or work? Nope, I prefer to sit in traffic instead. Take the stairs? Er, the lift is quicker. Make your own lunch? No, I eat the kids leftovers or buy the new, low-calorie ‘air-sandwich’ from Sainsburys. Having a

low-calorie lunch means I can grab something sweet at 3pm. How about the gym or some exercise? YES! I sit on the power plate and put it on the highest vibration because I love a hard workout. I’m going to burn 1000 kcal in 10 minutes. Go for a walk or bike ride? Don’t be silly, I’m wearing the latest fat-burning pants. Sound familiar? Exercise is supposed to be challenging. The dumbbell is supposed to be heavy (that’s why it’s called a weight!) The indisputable fact is that if you want to shed fat, you need to change your habits. Otherwise you will see no change. This may not be easy to digest but sometimes we need the brutal truth, rather than the comfort zone of non-existent solutions that those cunning marketeers offer. With almost too many contemporary comforts, we are in-danger of becoming resistant to any challenge – at work, socially

By Bryony Ganf and physically. Everything is an effort, any slight discomfort is something to complain about and a suggestion is always countered with reasons why not. Challenging yourself a little bit every day and choosing better options doesn’t have to be gruelling and makes a massive difference. Stop thinking that it is ‘too hard’, embrace the effort you are putting in and be proud of it afterwards. I frequently hear: “exercise isn’t for me, I prefer TV and a bottle of wine.” Followed by an awkward, forced laugh. Later the same person generally asks how they can reduce the size of their belly! Caring about your body doesn’t make you vain. So stop pretending you don’t care. You can still have a takeaway, a drink and watch TV, but there should be a balance between comforts and physical challenges. You may actually find you enjoy indulging yourself more, once you have actually earned it.

INFERTILITY AND RAISED BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) Body mass index (BMI) measures the relationship between body weight and height. A healthy BMI is between 18.5-24.9 kg/m2. If your BMI is equal to or more than 25 kg/m2 you are overweight. If it is more than 30 kg/m2 you are obese. Research has shown that being overweight or obese has a detrimental effect upon reproductive health. Those with a raised BMI are three times more likely to be infertile than women with a normal BMI. Being overweight may affect

extra Bryony Ganf is the owner of Quest Fitness, a NEW bespoke gym at 11 Campbell Road, Twickenham, TW2 5BY. For further information, visit www.quest-fitness.co.uk and enter our competition at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk to WIN a place on Bryony’s 4 Week Body Transformation Challenge worth £120!

By Dr Vivian Rittenberg

your natural menstrual cycle and ovulation. A raised BMI is also associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications including miscarriage, high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), gestational diabetes, induction of labour, caesarean section, babies with an increased birth weight and possibly birth defects. An increasing number of women who are overweight or obese are seeking fertility treatment through assisted reproduction technology like IVF. My research has shown that a

raised BMI has an adverse effect on the treatment outcome, reducing the chance of falling pregnant and having a live birth. Women who are both obese and overweight are more likely to miscarry than women with normal BMI (below 25). There is also a link between obesity and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which affects 20-25% of women and accounts for 90-95% of women attending fertility clinics with ovulation problems. At least 40% of women with PCOS are also obese. Research has shown that

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FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING What feelings come up? Do you feel relieved? Or does the notion of inaction feel intolerable and inspire you towards a choice? This year saw me making one of the biggest decisions of my life. It was not one I took lightly, and there were many factors to weigh up in the process. Some days I felt I knew the answer. On others I was completely lost. Allowing myself to consider ‘doing nothing’ and imagining a scenario where nothing changed, ultimately gave me the courage to make my choice. Sometimes the idea of letting go of the “need to make a decision”creates mental space and freedom and into it moves the answer or impulse that was there along. Next, comes the principle of Cartesian Logic, developed by the philosopher Rene Descartes, and used widely as a tool in Life Coaching. Cartesian Logic allows a person to gain better perspective and clearly imagine multiple outcomes. To do this, we ask four simple questions:

THE DIFFICULTY WITH DECISIONS By Hannah Ashenden Decisions. Some of life’s biggest choices hinge upon them. When we can clearly see positive outcomes, making decisions can be exhilarating. At other times, when the outcomes are less tangible, decision-making can feel scary and impossible. With so much seemingly at stake, we often feel powerless and stuck in an agonizing state of limbo. Well-meaning as the advice and opinions of family, friends and colleagues may be, they can make the dilemma worse,

weight loss in women with PCOS improves hormone levels, helps regulate menstrual cycle, and increases the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy. A loss of just 5-10% of total body weight can restore ovulation. Consult your doctor or gynaecologist if you: ✸ have problems conceiving ✸ have a history of miscarriage ✸ need help with a weight loss programme

clouding our perspective further. So how can we move forward with confidence? Is there really a strategic way of decision-making in situations where it seems as if the ‘wrong’ choice could negatively change the course of our life forever? Firstly, ask yourself what would happen if you took absolutely no action at all? This may seem like strange advice coming from a Life Coach, from whom you may be expecting encouragement and action steps. All that will come. But, right now, sit quietly, and ask what it would mean for you if you did not make this decision?

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✸ What would happen if I did X? ✸ What would happen if I didn’t do X? ✸ What wouldn’t happen if I did X? ✸ What wouldn’t happen if I didn’t do X?

Dr Vivian Rittenberg MD is Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and fertility specialist working at Richmond Practice, which offers an assessment of fertility to couples who need help on a one-off basis, as well as a range of specialist integrated family health care services. For further information, visit www.richmondpractice.co.uk

The emotional state that we are in at any given time has the ability to completely dictate events. With the help of Cartesian Logic, we can more logically assess the advantages and disadvantages of the two

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main choices - doing X, and not doing X. Don’t let fear motivate you when making big decisions. Even if you feel pressured to decide something quickly, you need to shift your emotional state before you act. Think back to when you have made the best and strongest choices in your life. Can you remember how you felt? What was your environment like and how were you feeling about yourself? If you can’t think of a time when you felt like this, model someone you admire instead and put yourself in their shoes. Accessing a more positive mental state gives you clearer vision and greater confidence and is more likely to lead to the decision that is right for you. Finally, trust yourself. Whatever the outcome, you will learn from your decision and use it to understand yourself and others better. If you choose to see every decision as an opportunity to grow and learn, then you can never make the ‘wrong’ choice. Armed with this knowledge, there is no such thing as ‘failure.’

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Hannah Ashenden runs Coaching For Mums. For further information about how Life Coaching can help you overcome the obstacles in your life, visit www.coachingformums.net and contact Hannah for a FREE telephone consultation.

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FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING MAKING EVERY MOUTHFUL COUNT Jacky Hems advises on pregnancy nutrition During pregnancy, it is vital to support your health and that of your baby by eating the right foods. However, contrary to popular myth, it is the nutrients in food that are important, not a vast increase in calories. Apart from in the last trimester, when around an extra 200 calories a day are required, it really isn’t necessary to double what you eat! More of the following key nutrients are required during pregnancy: ✸ Protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin D for your baby’s cells, bone and teeth ✸ Iron to help prevent anaemia, which is common in pregnancy, and to ensure an adequate blood supply to your baby ✸ Slow-release carbohydrates, B vitamins and chromium to help maintain and balance energy ✸ Essential fats, iodine and zinc for the development of a healthy brain and nervous system in your baby These general daily guidelines will help you get a higher amount and good balance of the right foods into your diet: ✸ 3 servings of protein (a serving is about the size of your palm). Meat can contain a higher amount of saturated fat than other types of protein, so try to eat fish, dairy foods and eggs and vegetable protein (lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa and nuts) each day too. Eggs with toast or yoghurt with cereal make a good breakfast, whilst cottage cheese, yoghurt, hummus with oatcakes, or 30g of unsalted nuts and seeds with some fruit are ideal mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks. ✸ 2 tablespoons of ground seeds e.g.

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flaxseeds, added to porridge, cereal or salads, can assist with hormone balance and are a good source of essential fats. Oily fish (salmon, fresh tuna, trout and sardines) and nuts are also good sources of essential fats. ✸ 3-4 servings of vegetables, including a variety of colours, for a good range of vitamins and minerals ✸ 3 servings of fruit – domestic fruits such as apples, pears, berries and cherries are lower in sugar ✸ 3-4 servings of wholegrain carbohydrates, such as brown bread, rice and pasta ✸ Avoid sugary foods and drinks, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and rice ✸ Drink around 2 litres of water and stay hydrated A good quality pregnancy-formula multi-vitamin/ mineral may be needed and a nutritionist can advise on this based on your individual needs. Paté, soft and blue cheeses, raw eggs and poultry, shellfish and raw fish and green or sprouting potatoes should be avoided as they can cause food poisoning or may carry an infection which may harm your baby. Also limit the amount of liver you eat. If you already have a child with a nut allergy, avoid eating the nut to which they are allergic.

Caffeine and alcohol contain toxic substances which cross the placenta, and can also ‘rob’ your body of nutrients. Aim to eliminate them! The key is to eat nutrient-rich food and make every mouthful count!

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Jacky Hems owns and runs The Nutrition Mission. She is a registered Nutritionist (DipION, FdSc, BANT, CNHC) and zest4life coach, offering personalised consultations in Teddington and zest4life nutrition and weight-loss groups and one-to-one programmes. For more information, visit www.thenutritionmission.co.uk and www.zest4life.co.uk

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Mid October-November 2013

For some of us, the words “school dinners” evoke unsavoury memories of unpalatable food, a dining room that smelt of old cabbage, a rigid, rule-bound environment and dragon dinner ladies.

family food&nutrition

The School Dinner Dynamic by Justine Gapper

Fortunately for our children, times have changed and schools now offer varied, healthier meal options and a safe and supportive environment, where dinner ladies help with food choices and – in the case of younger children – even with cutting up food. It’s commendable that the Government intends to make school meals free for every child for their first three years at school but, despite the changed environment – and in some cases, because of it – issues still arise around school dinner time. I Don’t Like the Food Is your child a fussy eater? Is school serving food they aren’t used to eating? Try getting hold of menus in advance and going through them with your child to choose something they are happy to eat each day. Helen from Whitton told me that her children gradually responded to watching other children eat certain foods, by trying those foods themselves. Local mum and dinner lady, Anita reiterates “Children see their peers eating certain foods and this does motivate them to try new things.” If your child really isn’t eating a cooked dinner and is coming home starving, packed-lunches are an obvious solution, if you’re prepared to make them! This way your child can help choose and pack healthy items that they like. I Don’t Want to Sit Next to Someone I Don’t Know/Don’t Like Many schools line children up and take them into the dining room single file, meaning that sitting next to a friend isn’t always possible. If this issue is really causing your child anxiety, chat to the school about asking a dinner lady to find a friend with which your child can sit. My Slow Eating Means I’m Feeling Rushed/Missing Out on Play Time Parents spend the early years encouraging children to take their time with meals but,

when they get to school, eating slowly suddenly means missing out on play time or pressure from other kids to eat quickly, so they don’t miss out on theirs! Unless your child can speed up a little and still enjoy their meal, there’s not much you can do apart from offering reassurance that lunch time is important and that there are other chances to play throughout the day. I Can’t Choose Giving children a choice of meals is creditable, but many children complain that they cannot make a choice in the little time available. One mum discovered this was at the root of her child’s reluctance to go to school. Now she goes through the menu with her son each morning so he has made his selection before getting to the dining hall. Dinner ladies can help with this too, so don’t be afraid to ask the school for support if this is an issue for your child. It’s Too Noisy in the Dining Room This is a common complaint and can be quite upsetting for a child. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do about the eating environment apart from offering reassurance. It’s always worth speaking to the school, suggests local dinner lady Anita “If parents call the office and tell them that their child has a specific problem, we will keep an eye out. Lunch time is an important part of a child’s day so we want to work with parents and help children as much as we can.”

What Else Can You Do to Help? Many issues resolve themselves, either fairly quickly or, at least over time, but others may leave your children in need of direction or support. Practical things like making meal time social and fun at home and offering your kids new food choices can help them manage the school dinner experience, but, sometimes offering reassurance and emotional support is the only solution to a situation that you can’t change. Alison Banks from Parenting Tutor in Richmond says “Talk to your child and allow them to express how they feel about the issue they’re facing. Ask them what they think would help them cope better. If we give our kids space and trust them, they know the answers. Being over protective and worrying about them tends to slow down their ability to handle challenges and move on.” Anita adds “Problems often resolve themselves, generally with nothing more than our support!”

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PARENTING

Top Tips for Taming Your Tweenager!

Protecting and Connecting with your Pre-Teen By Karen Henfrey

As another seasonal change shifts autumn into winter, some of our children are moving into their pre-teen years. Sadly though, it seems 9 to 12 year olds of both sexes are keener than ever to fast-forward through these years to become fully-fledged teenagers. According to Steve Biddulph, renowned author of Raising Girls ‘Our 14 is now their 10!’ Small wonder when the media subjects this age group to such massive consumer pressure.Yet, at the same time, pre-teens are still finding their feet, experimenting with their emerging character and developing personal strengths and skills. Here are some tips to help you keep the raft afloat over the white water pre-teen years, whilst staying aware and respecting your child’s rites of passage: Keep Communication Channels Open Be prepared to do this even when faced with moodiness, backchat, general ‘diva-like’ behaviour, door slamming, stroppiness, pouting, eye rolling, and insistence on eating, drinking, and wearing certain brands. Discuss and Agree Ground Rules Decide what pre-teen behaviours are acceptable and not acceptable within your family unit and suitable sanctions for non-compliance. Discuss and agree these with your partner, if you have one. Explain these ground rules to your pre-teen, finding out their thoughts and feelings and, if necessary, role modelling compromise. For instance, if they are insisting that 9pm is too early to go to bed, then compromise with later bedtimes at weekends, as long as homework and chores are done. Explain the sanctions for non-co-operation and

SPECIAL OFFER! Karen is giving away two sets of Fink Cards in this issue. Fink Cards are Conversation Cards which ask simple, honest questions that lead to positive conversations with your pre-teen, helping you all learn, grow, connect and build relationships. The cover topics such as relationships, education and leisure pursuits and make great stocking-fillers! For more information, visit www.finkcards.co.uk To claim your cards, call Karen on 07790 252936 or visit www.familiesuponthames.co.uk/ Competitions. 8

stick to them! Be prepared to revisit and discuss ground rules regularly. Ensure pre-teens take responsibility for the smooth-running of their own routine, such as putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket, hanging up school uniform, cleaning shoes, putting PE, swimming gear or school bags away. This helps them develop time management skills. Discuss and agree a homework routine alongside guidelines on television and computer time, socialising and clubs and classes.

Notice their Tastes The music, films, You-Tube clips, comedians and fashion that your pre-teen l favours can be topics of conversation and give you valuable insight into what they are thinking. What are they saying and how? Who are their role models? What values are they accepting and rejecting? What and who do they feel strongly about? The environment? The class bully? Their economic futures? The latest phone? Talk to them about these things. Conversation Cards can assist with this, giving you a different perspective of your teen, as well as providing a great opportunity to get positive messages across in a fun way. For more information, see our Special Offer left. Make Regular Time to Connect Nominate weekly family time or a parent/pre-teen evening or Saturday morning, and plan an activity like swimming, walking the dog or going out for coffee, during which conversation should flow easily. Walking and talking side-on to your pre-teen works well, taking the pressure off the conversation. If incorporated into regular routine, this time offers the perfect opportunity to discuss difficulties and issues that arise and how to deal with them. LISTEN and listen MORE! Your pre-teen needs you emotionally now more than ever but you need to be less hands-on and more on-tap. Make time to be

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emotionally available and REALLY listen, giving them time to finish what they are saying, reflecting back what they’ve said to ensure you have understood correctly and valuing their opinion. Agree to disagree, where necessary, and teach them that skill too! Lead by Example Admit when you are wrong and apologise. More than ever, you are now leading by example and, if we are doing this well, your pre-teen is likely to be reflecting back to us the life skills and values you have instilled in them. Empathy is your ACE Card – Consider What It feels Like to Be Them Do you remember what it felt like to be a pre-teen? Were you generally secure and happy, with friends and parents who understood you or were you lacking in confidence and concerned about not measuring up? These days such anxiety is heightened by the media, as pre-teens compare themselves physically, intellectually or financially to the likes of Beyonce, Brian Cox or Richard Branson. Add to this constant academic pressure and acute self-consciousness as everything they do and say is put under the microscope, it’s no wonder they feel pretty touchy. Let your empathy for your pre-teen guide your attitude towards them. Praise often, remark upon the positives and save disapproval for the really important stuff. Watch out for signs of extreme anxiety or low mood and seek help if necessary. Update Your Parenting StyleBut Remain Vigilant! Let your pre-teen express choice over their clothes, weekend bedtimes, music, television programmes, but discuss their suitability. Encourage them to stand up for themselves in a positive, respectful manner, practicing

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different ways of saying “no” effectively and negotiating positively, so, when the time comes, they are able to resist pressure to indulge in substance experimentation or underage sex. At the same time, be aware of the possibility of forays into smoking, drinking and drug-taking. The pre-teen era is an exciting transformational journey for your child. It’s also an opportunity for you to really live, laugh and learn with them, polishing up on your own life skills so you can help them confidently navigate and fully engage with and contribute to the big, wide world. POSSIBLE SIGNS OF SMOKING, DRINKING, DRUG TAKING ARE:

■ more frequent teeth cleaning or sucking of mints to hide smell of alcohol or cigarettes ■ a frequently open bedroom window in winter, designed to air the room and clothes of smoke ■ wanting more pocket money, borrowing more or offering to do extra chores for money ■ older peer groups who might indulge in alcohol, drugs, drink or pressure your pre-teen to become sexually active. For more advice, visit www.talktofrank.com

Karen Henfrey owns and runs the Chrysalis Family Wellbeing Consultancy in Chertsey, which offers family coaching sessions and holistic relationship courses. For more information, visit www.chrysalisparenting.com.uk Mid October-November 2013

Anne answers some tricky school-related questions I am finding the “getting ready for school routine” impossible now my second child has started Reception. My youngest needs lots of attention and help to get ready. Meanwhile, my 7 year old is able to get ready himself, but refuses to co-operate and is often still in his pyjamas ten minutes before we have to leave. Can you help? Janine, Kingston Developing school routines takes time and discipline. Children may take a while to learn that activities on a school morning are about taking responsibility and doing things they don’t always feel like doing! Many parents use bribes, rules or raised voices when children don’t co-operate. A better approach is to talk to your son and try to establish why he isn’t co-operating. Is he jealous of the time you are spending with your second child? Is he upset by something going on at school? Or does he simply get distracted? Sit down and help him to work out a schedule for the morning. Ask him to suggest what the consequences should be if he doesn’t get ready on time. Be prepared to follow through with these if he doesn’t!

My son has just started Reception and I can’t get a word out of him about what he does all day, what he eats for lunch, whether he has any friends – nothing at all! Are there ways in which I can encourage him to talk? Hayley, Twickenham

Check with the other mums but, in my experience, this is completely normal behaviour. It’s also normal for mums to worry that their children don’t talk about what they did at school! Remember children have short Mid October-November 2013

PARENTING

Ask Anne Denney, Parenting Expert Part

attention spans and what they did this morning is forgotten, unless something monumental happened. Although some children are naturally chatty, whilst others more introverted, the art of conversation is learned as they grow. To lay the foundation of a healthy and fully communicative relationship with your son, practice two skills I teach on my basic course. The first is Descriptive Praise ie telling a child in detail what he has done right, when he does it. The second is Emotion Coaching ie acknowledging what you think your son is feeling, and teaching him how to understand and accept this feeling and respond to it in a healthy way.

We have recently moved into the local area. My daughter is doing well at her new school, but, so far, I’ve not had a conversation with any parents at the school gate. They all know each other and huddle together in groups. Nobody has looked my way or even smiled! The other day, I did walk up and join a group but everyone stopped talking and stared at me as if I was trespassing. What am I doing wrong? Sarah, Esher You are doing nothing wrong! Moving into a new area can be hard, especially when other parents seem so cold. Give yourself time and give those parents you approached the benefit of the doubt. They may have been having a personal conversation. Don’t be afraid to try again, perhaps this time saying “I’m sorry to interrupt, my daughter and I are new to the area and when you have time I would like to introduce myself.” Then walk away. Do this with all the groups and doubtless someone will take the time to talk to you. Alternatively, wait until your daughter has made a couple of friends and invite them over. Her friends’ parents are

likely to be warmer. If you are still struggling after another term, tell your daughter’s teacher how you are feeling and ask if she can introduce you to some friendlier parents.

My 8 year old daughter isn’t getting on with her new teacher. Twice she has come home very upset, because she felt the teacher told her off for something that wasn’t her fault. From what my daughter says it seems like she wasn’t misbehaving and she is normally very well-behaved. I hate to think she is being blamed unfairly. How should I handle this? Simone, Sunbury You are obviously a sensible and caring parent wanting to do the best for your daughter without making assumptions. It does sound as if there’s been a misunderstanding, so talk to your daughter, and see if together, you can work out what caused it. Ask your daughter if she is happy to wait and see how things go, but if not, let her decide what she would like to do and if/how she

would like you to intervene. Guide her by making suggestions. Does she have the courage to ask her teacher what she can do to start afresh? Would she like to ask another teacher who knows her to talk to her current one? There are many options, but the important thing is that your daughter decides what to do and then does it. Not only will this be empowering for her, it will also demonstrate that you trust her judgement and her ability to handle this situation and that you will support whatever she decides. Help to build her confidence by “role playing” the action she decides to take, acting out the different parts.

extra

Anne Denny will answer all your parenting questions at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk/ Ask Anne Denny. No question is too great to too trivial! Anne is a qualified psychotherapist with a passion for child development. She is objective, knowledgeable and non-judgemental in her support of parents of children from 18 months to 18 years in the Surrey/Middlesex areas. For further information, visit www.annedenny.com

Would you like to become an even better parent than you already are? Parenting Tutor offers workshops and private coaching sessions in which you can learn how to respond to the needs of your family and avoid or manage confrontation.

One free private coaching session when you quote FUT 20! For more information contact Alison Banks parentingtutor@gmail.com 07710 626263 www.parentingtutor.co.uk

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. Early Years Care and Education .

NIGHT NANNIES: A LUXURY OR A GODSEND? By Sarah Cozens

As every parent knows, sleep deprivation is a killer. My own daughter will turn 3 in December and it has only been in the last 4 months that she has finally slept through the night. Armed with the settling methods I used when I was a nanny, I still hit a brick wall. None of them worked with her. As a nanny myself, I frequently did overnight stints for the families for which I worked, but I was generally assured of a solid sleep the following night. So I never appreciated the utter exhaustion that is the result of a chronic sleep deficit. There have been a few occasions in the last couple of years when I would have given my life savings for a solid 8 hours. Luckily, a good night’s sleep can actually be acquired for much less than anyone’s life savings, simply by hiring a night nanny. A night nanny can support parents to settle young babies into a good sleeping routine in their first few weeks of life, offering advice to parents on how to maintain this routine, help older babies to self-settle should they wake, or simply give parents a much-needed night or weekend

off. Night nannies can come for one night or a longer stretch, depending on requirements. Night nannies are most commonly employed to care for babies and toddlers and, on average, work a 10 to 12 hour shift from 9pm to 7am or from 7pm to 7am, for example. They charge a very reasonable overnight rate of £10 to £20 per hour, depending on their experience and the number of children in their care. For instance, a night nanny for twins or triplets would certainly and justifiably command the higher salary. They are self-employed and so responsible for their own Tax and NI. Whilst it is not usually expected that a nanny stay awake all night, she is responsible for all the needs of the children during the night, including changing nappies, preparing and giving feeds, comforting and settling and getting children up and dressed in the morning. If a mother is breastfeeding, the nanny will bring the baby to her room for a feed and return quietly to the nursery afterwards. For this reason, it is more practical for the nanny to share a child’s bedroom or be in a room close by with a monitor, so

Full and sessional day care available The very best care, attention and education for children from 6 months to 4 years

as to be on hand instantly when they wake, particularly if they are very little. Night nannies are also very handy for parents that frequently have to be away overnight for work, for instance air crew. In these instances, with a regular connection, such nannies develop a great bond with the children in their care. In my opinion night nannies are angels in disguise. And having used one on occasion in the last few years, I speak as one who knows!

By Amanda Coxen

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Sarah Cozens owns and runs Nutkin Nannies, a nanny agency, based in Chertsey, which sources permanent and temporary, live-in and live-out, day, maternity and night nannies for local families. For further information, visit www.nutkinnannies.co.uk

NANNY VERSUS NURSERY

Teaching the Early Years Foundation and Montessori Method to children age 2 and above

NUTKIN NANNIES

extra

Whatever type of parent you are, there is a childcare option to suit you and your child. These days, the nanny option can be financially viable, particularly if you elect a nanny share. On the other hand, you may feel your child needs a fun, safe, but more structured environment, such as a nursery. Here is my list of the pros and cons of nanny versus nursery.

NANNY

A nanny can offer one-to-one care for your child in your home,

an attractive option for parents needing early morning and late evening care. It is also allows you to dictate what you want your child do during the day, for instance, go to a playgroup or swimming lesson. If you are returning to work when your baby is still very young, a nanny gives you great peace of mind that your routines will be followed, plus your baby does not have to become accustomed to a new environment. However, the nanny option is normally the most expensive. You can help allay some costs by engaging a nanny/housekeeper who will care for your child and do some housework, or you can use childcare vouchers to partially cover the cost. Alternatively, you can share a nanny with a friend/ neighbour or find a local family in need of a nanny via a nanny agency. You must bear in mind that you are a nanny’s employer and will be required to abide by tax and employment regulations. An agency can guide you through this process, as well as finding the right nanny for you.

Mid October-November 2013

. Early Years Care and Education . Thirty years in childcare and early year’s education offer ample opportunity for a thorough assessment of the care arrangements that truly work best for children. Being a parent of six children across a period of twenty years provides an entirely different but complementary perspective. Consequently, I consider myself reasonably well qualified to answer the question: if you can’t look after your child yourself, who is the best person to do so? There are no rights or wrongs and much does depend on the individual child. However, my experience is that, if their parents cannot be with them, most young children, for at least part of the day, need a parent-substitute: someone to love them, offer one-to-one attention, be their companion, playmate, and ally. Care for them when they fall over or when they are sick. Dry their tears, sort out their squabbles, mend their toys, answer their questions, explain things, feed and nurture them, take them out, tickle them, read to them and draw and play games with them. In other words, someone who will care for them and engage with them as well and as fully as a good parent. Many nannies do fulfil that role,

THE PASSION OF A PARENT-SUBSTITUTE By Jackie Nield

extra but the energy required to be a substitute parent is truly vast and only those nannies that are truly passionate about children have resources equal to that role. Passion enables a nanny to embrace families of different values, accepting their rules and disciplinary procedures for their children and putting aside any personal reactions to these, in the interests of loving and caring for

WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU? NURSERY

Parents often choose the nursery option because they want their child to interact with other children or because nursery provides a more structured day. Some nurseries put an emphasis on education and preparing children for school, making this a popular option for children who are 3+, particularly as the government offers free childcare to this age group for a fixed number of hours per week. The downside of nurseries is that some do not open early enough and often close around 5.30 or 6.30pm, with charges applying for late pick up. You will also need a backup plan like www.emergencychildcare. co.uk if your child is sick, which is a very real factor in the first few months at nursery, as children tend to pick up quite a few bugs. With a second child in the mix, the cost of two at nursery can

Mid October-November 2013

Nanny and Babysitting Agency, it was only with my personal understanding of the huge challenge of being a nanny that I felt equipped to bear the responsibility of recommending one for someone else. It is a task that must never be taken lightly. I can intuitively tell whether a potential candidate possesses the depths of passion and commitment to be a really good nanny, and will not recommend anyone without deep reserves of those qualities. This ensures parents the best possible chance of a care arrangement that truly works for them and their children.

become expensive, which is sometimes when families switch to a nanny or childminder.

their charges. At the other end of the scale, such passion finds a voice when parents choose to tap into a nanny’s experience and resources and use her as a sounding board for discussion. In this instance, an experienced nanny can become a good friend and great asset to a family. Being a nanny is one of the most important jobs there is. When I set up Little Scallys

Jackie Nield owns and runs Little Scallys Nanny and Babysitting Agency in Surrey. Jackie has over thirty years’ experience in early years care and education, in nursery, pre-school and school settings and as a private nanny. She is also the mother of six children, two of them born in recent years, almost twenty years after the previous four. For further information, visit www.littlescallys.com

PLAYTIME PROVES A FIRM FAVOURITE! Building on the success of its Shepperton nursery, Playtime Nurseries has now expanded its business by purchasing a wonderful new nursery at The Thames Club in Staines-uponThames. The inside and outside environments at the nursery are wonderfully inviting and its two main play rooms boast great sources of natural light, and provide spacious and warm areas in which children can move freely and explore independently. Not only that, but the nursery is situated in

a peaceful spot with magical scenery ideal for fuelling the imagination of young children. The nursery opens from 7.30am to 6pm. For further information, visit www.playtimenurseries.com

extra

Amanda Coxen is Childcare Expert at Tinies Childcare, a leading childcare specialist with over 30 years’ experience helping families, nurseries and other childcare settings find the right childcare professionals to suit their needs. For more information, visit www.tinies.com

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

11 11

By Justina Gapper

As the half-term break approaches, many of us will be anticipating meeting our child’s teacher(s) for the first consultation of the year. If your child is in Reception, this may be a new experience; if you have older children, you may have been to several or even many parents’ evenings already. It’s almost impossible to ask questions at school drop-offs and pick-ups, so, for most parents, a consultation during Parent’s Evening is the only real opportunity for a proper chat with their child’s teacher(s). It’s therefore really important to maximise the time available in the one-to-one consultations and make sure you get all the information you need.

What to Expect Whilst Parents’ Evenings will vary slightly in format from school to school and year to year, you should expect, at a minimum, to hear how your child is performing in numeracy and literacy against the expected levels for their age group. Much more information will be conveyed as your child gets older. Consultations may also cover your child’s behaviour, levels of effort, and social and emotional development. Be prepared This may sound obvious, but unless you want to risk discovering that all the questions or issues you wanted to raise have vanished from your head, then write them down in the run up to Parent’s Evening to make sure you cover them. Let the Teacher Speak If you do have specific questions, it’s best to let the teacher speak first so that they can cover everything they need. However, if you need clarification or your question is related to what is being discussed at that moment, it is fine to ask. Don’t compare Try to not compare your child’s progress with his/her peers or siblings. The teacher will focus on how your child is achieving against expected levels for their age, so it isn’t useful to ask how their sibling/friend is doing in comparison. Stay focussed on your child.

ssori Nurs e t e on

S ry ol cho

Julia ’s M

EDUCATION

MAKING THE MOST OF PARENT’S EVENING

Small and caring pre-school in Hampton Ages 2 to 5 Teaches Early Years Foundation Stage. Curriculum and Montessori Method. For a prospectus or to visit, call Julia on 020 8335 0666 / 07939 838991 or email juliasmontessori@aol.com 12

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Focus on your Child’s Level of Effort Don’t underestimate the importance of effort, says one local teacher. This is as important as achievement as it reveals a lot about your child’s behaviour, character and motivation. How your child gets on with teachers and peers socially is also very important. For a Quick Overview... Ask about your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This will give you a good idea of their overall performance and help you identify the areas in which you should be offering more support at home.

that his child was struggling with a specific learning area and became very accusatory and angry, insisting that the teacher’s perception was incorrect as his child “didn’t struggle at home.” If you do hear something unexpected, ask how you can work with your child to better support them. Teachers may often have already prepared a response to this question in advance. Write a Summary of the Consultation afterwards It’s great to have a written record of what was said to show other family members who weren’t there. However, do this at the end of the consultation and not during it. Otherwise you run the risk of missing something important that is being said.

Deal with Unexpected News Productively You may hear something about your child that you are not Don’t Worry – You Can See expecting. If this is about a the Teacher(s) Again! negative aspect of their behaviour Lastly, don’t fret too much if you or performance, this may be do feel that there was something difficult to hear or accept. Try that you wanted to talk about but not to get aggressive or become didn’t get the chance. You can defensive. A local teacher told request to meet the teacher(s) me of a consultation during again, on a regular basis, if you 100368_FamiliesonThames_NovDec_87x85mm :Layout 1 26/06/2013 08: which a father refused to believe feel this is warranted.

An independent co-educational school for pupils aged 2½ to 18 years

Open Mornings Whole School - 10:00am - 12:30pm Introductory talk at 10.00am Saturday 16 November Saturday 8 February Saturday 15 March For further information, tel: 01372 473624 or email: info@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

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Mid October-November 2013

CLEVES SCHOOL IN WEYBRIDGE HITS THE TOP10!

MATHS IS MAGICAL AT CLAREMONT FAN COURT SCHOOL!

By Linda Stone, Editor

A school in Weybridge was recently ranked in the top 10% of primary schools in the country for high attainment. Cleves School received national recognition for the high achievement levels of its pupils in the 2012 Key Stage 2 tests. Schools across the country are ranked according to how well they perform in the exams by SSAT, an organisation that works with schools to improve the quality of education received by pupils. The rankings compare

how schools nationally perform by counting the point scores in the tests of all pupils. SSAT said that other schools could learn from Cleves’ success, commenting “The results are a testament to the commitment and hard work of the pupils, support staff, teachers and leaders at Cleves School and demonstrate their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person.” Cleves’ achievement demonstrates that its holistic approach to developing pupils clearly helps them excel academically. Craig Smith, Interim Head Teacher at Cleves said “This is a prestigious achievement and one of which we are very proud.”

EDUCATION

SCHOOLS NEWS It was Maths Enrichment Week at Claremont Fan Court Pre-Preparatory and Nursery School in September and, as part of this, pupils enjoyed a Magical Maths Workshop to help support the School’s ethos of exposing children to problem-solving within interesting and visual contexts. Louise Fox, Head of the Pre-Preparatory and Nursery School at Claremont Fan Court explained that the creative mathematical curriculum aims to help children focus on the process of learning rather than the outcome. Central to the teaching and learning is instilling in the children the confidence to approach any

For further information, visit www.cleves.co.uk

mathematical challenge. “During our Maths Enrichment Week, the children explored a range of mathematical skills and ideas through practical experiences, such as discovering maths in stories, maths trails and learning maths through music” said Mrs Fox.

For further information, visit www.claremont-school.co.uk

Maths & English tuition centre For 5 to 14 year olds of all abilities • Courses mapped to the National Curriculum. • Adapts to the individual needs of your child. • Convenient for families - Open 7 days a week. • Award-winning tuition - voted Education Investor Supplementary Education Provider of the Year. “Explore Learning members’ improvement in maths was 30% higher than that of the comparison group after controlling for gender, age, year group and special educational needs.” Independent Efficacy Study by the Institute of Education at Reading University (2013). See www.explorelearning.co.uk/efficacy.

Walton Mid October-November 2013

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13 13

SPOOKY

IT’S HALLOWEEN Halloween

Full of drama and steeped in tradition, is a great excuse to get creative with your children this half-term.With a little bit of planning, you can bring Halloween’s spookiest characters to life, make creepy-looking treats to eat, create decorations and artwork or play some great games.We asked some local art, craft, costume, drama and cooking experts to share their ideas for activities that you can easily do at home this Halloween.

Costumes and Masks Halloween is all about becoming someone – or something – else. Whilst there’s a huge range of costumes for sale these days, it’s fairly simple to create the same effect at home with a few swathes of material and a little imagination. Whilst traditional spooky characters are always popular with children“not everyone wants to be scary, which is why cats are so popular, especially with

younger children” reports Adrienne D’Souza, proprietor of costume and accessory shop A Party Palace in East Sheen. Masks can quickly transform your child into a different character and even youngsters can use paint or stickers to create monsters, ghouls or animals. Cut out simple shapes from card, or buy plain masks to decorate at home, advises Amanda Wright, who runs Storytelling Adventures in Twickenham and Richmond.

Fiona Harvey from Artyard Handmade in Richmond (www.artyardhandmade.co.uk), which offers children’s art/ craft workshops and courses, shares her mask idea.

MONSTER MASK

✷ Draw the shape of a monster’s face onto cardboard and cut out ✷ Measure up the eyes of the person who’s going to wear the masks and cut eye holes in the cardboard ✷ Scrunch up newspaper balls in varying sizes to create monster warts and extra eyes ✷ Glue them into place on your mask

✷ Use blends of green paint to create a swamp monster look ✷ Once dry, add“hairs” to the wart (try a bit of broom bristle) and veins to the eyes, dripping blood if desired ✷ Secure some elastic from the edges of the mask using a stapler or glue gun or by punching a hole on either side of the cardboard and threading through some string/elastic. Put on your mask and get out there to scare people!

Adrienne D’Souza from A Party Palace in East Sheen (www.apartypalace.co.uk), tells us how to make some Halloween costumes.

MUMMY

✷ Paint your mummy with white or light grey around the face and a darker colour, like black or dark grey around the eyes. (Always spot-test skin a day or two before). ✷ To add authenticity, attach plastic spiders, insects and rats to the costume or drape some fake cobweb over it once complete.

Much fun and great effect can be created from wrapping up your child as a mummy – as long as you are prepared to let them wrap you up too! Instructions ✷ Cut up an unwanted white sheet or use any old white material or bandages that are lying around. Get wrapping! ✷ For extra effect, tea stain material or dab with black poster paint ✷ Put on white, cream or light grey leggings/tights and a white, cream or light grey top

CAT

Homemade cat costumes are fairly straightforward to create and both boys and girls tend to love to becoming cats – as long as they can accompany the costume with a jolly good meow! Instructions ✷ Find black leggings/tights and a black top ✷ Stuff one leg of an old pair of black tights with newspaper or other material for the tail ✷ Cut out pointy black ears from some card and attach them to a hairband ✷ Use face paint for whiskers and a nose.

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Nurturing Talent From The Roots

where: Stanley Primary School, Teddington. This is an indoor, heated pool of constant 1m depth. Cost: £57.50 per child per week; this gives you 5 x 30 minute lessons at the same time every day of the course with the same tutor and in the same group of 3 children. Plus! Our Christmas saturdays Course runs for four Saturdays starting 14th December and costs only £46. We also run term time lessons every day from Monday to Saturday; mornings, afternoons, after school and early evening, for all ages and abilities.

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HALLOWEEN AT HOME So what exactly IS Halloween? The festival is thought to be linked History to the Celtic festival of Samhain, or ‘Summer’s End’, a time when souls of the dead revisited their homes. Harmful spirits were also thought to be active and people collected for Samhain feasts before nightfall, sometimes wearing costumes, perhaps to disguise themselves from these spirits. The modern custom of ‘trick-or-treating’ may derive from these practices, or, alternatively, dates back to the medieval practice of ‘souling’when poor folk went from door to door receiving food in return for prayers for the dead.

SPOOKY

Trick or Treat Etiquette By Justina Gapper

Games and Activities The drama, make believe, stories and superstition of Halloween offer a great opportunity to try out new games, or add a Halloween flavour to some family favourites. Hannah Mason, from Theatrebugs North Surrey, who runs drama workshops for kids, adds a twist to traditional games at her Halloween workshops, like swapping “Duck, Duck, Goose” for “Cat, Cat, Witch” and playing musical statues to songs like The Time Warp or Monster Mash. Alternatively, read a spooky story and get kids to choose a character, dress up and act it out.

Amanda Wright, who runs Storytelling Adventures in Twickenham and Richmond suggests “Grandma’s Footsteps” with a wizard as grandma and different characters creeping towards him, a gory treasure hunt, or “Pin the Tail on the Cat” instead of the donkey. For a gooey and gory game, Adrienne D’Souza of A Party Palace in East Sheen suggests filling a container with watereddown green jelly, filling it with plastic spiders, worms and eyeballs and getting everyone to takes turns sticking in their hand and seeing what they pull out.“It’s disgusting but kids of all ages love it” she says.

Lynette Pitzolu from The Art Class in Sunbury (www.the-art-class.com), which runs art and craft workshops and parties for kids, shares her favourite game ideas.

MUMMY WRAPPING

Create your very own Mummy with this party favourite.You’ll need lots of cheap, white toilet paper, a child or adult who is willing to get wrapped and lots of “wrappers.” If you have a few people, split into teams and compete with each other to see which team can cover the most of the Mummy.

DOUGHNUT BOBBING

Hold a broom or a mob horizontally and hang mini doughnuts on string in several areas. Players then put their hands behind their back and reach the sweet treats with their mouths. It’s worth holding the broom a little higher than the children, so they have to really stretch to reach. This is very entertaining to watch and take part in!

pARTIES & CLASSES FOR CHILDREN lynette@the-art-class.com

Mid October-November September-October 20132013

What Age Can Children Start? There’s no minimum age! Many parents enjoy dressing up and venturing out with their toddlers, whilst others take babies along in prams with older siblings. What Are the Rules? Only approach homes that have a visible “invitation”– whether it’s a pumpkin, lantern or other Halloween decorations displayed. Don’t knock if the lights are off and don’t knock more than once. Alternatively, you may decide to knock only on doors of friends and neighbours that you have pre-warned of the visit! What if my Children Don’t Like the Treat? Make sure your children are briefed to say “please” and “thank you” in addition to“trick or treat,” plus they should try to be appreciative of any treat they are given. What’s the Trick All About? The word “trick” refers to the “threat” to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. These days it is uncommon to have raw egg splattered over your driveway by pranksters, but it’s safest not to answer the door to raucous groups of older teenagers, or if you suspect your visitors are not well-intentioned. If you are asked for a “trick,” what should you do? One harmless but funny idea is to get the homeowner to close their eyes and put their hand in a witch’s hat or toy cauldron filled with a gooey mess or plastic spiders, rubbery worms and insects.

Annie’s Arts

end "

Mia, Pyrford

If you and your children are going “trick or treating” for the first time, here are a few guidelines.

street�art october half term workshops for ages 6-13 with graffiti artist & art educator claire rye 23, 28 or 30 october 10am-3.30pm £50.00 inc

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es for children Fun sewing class Richmond in 12 ages 6 to Contact Ann on 07879 428172 anniesarts@outlook.com

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15 15

HALLOWEEN AT HOME

SPOOKY

Crafts and Decorations Have fun with a few simple art and craft activities which will transform your home into a witch’s cavern or haunted house this Halloween. Create lanterns, flying bats and bunting or make a scary, floating ghost by wrapping a piece of white material or a white bin bag over a balloon and drawing on a spooky face. For a Halloween feast, or tea party, use a paper plate and card shaped into a cone to make a witch’s hat as a table decoration. Add a lantern and some creepy treats to create the perfect setting for a spooky supper! Try some of the ideas on these pages!

MAKE A TOILET TUBE BAT

Make this Toilet Tube Bat to decorate your house, as a spooky present or to take to a party! Una Fagan from Happy Potter Ceramics in Teddington (www. happypotterceramics.co.uk), tells us how. Materials Toilet roll tube, black poster paint, black card, scissors, string, sticky tape, coloured poster paint or goggly-eye stickers

MAKE A HALLOWEEN LANTERN

Create a stunning but easy-to-make Halloween lantern to decorate your garden or window. Amanda Wright from Storytelling Adventures in Richmond and Twickenham (www.bridgeac.com), tells us how.

Instructions 1 Fold the top of the tube inside to create two points making ears. Then, turning the tube sideways, do the same again to create a point at the bottom making the shape of a bat’s body. 2 Once folded, paint the whole toilet roll tube in black poster paint for a really scary bat look. 3 Take a piece of black card and fold it in half, then draw two small curves at the bottom to create spiky bat wings. Cut this into shape

Materials 2 pipe cleaners or pieces of garden wire, glue, tissue paper, patterned wallpaper or wrapping paper, scissors

4 Twist the two wires

together into a crucifix shape. Turn the crucifix upside down so that the long end or ‘tail’ points straight up.

4 Fold the piece into a concertina zig-zag

shape to give the wings lots of body and make some scary shadows. Cut two small holes on each side of the tube where the wings should go, then thread the folded wings through. 5 Open up the wings and fold them into shape. Add some spooky eyes with paint or goggly-eye stickers. Tape some string to the back, and get ready to scare all of your friends with your frightening hanging bat!

Instructions 1 Cut the patterned paper and tissue paper into strips of the same size. Cut shapes into the patterned paper.

2 Stick the tissue

paper onto the back of the patterned paper.

5 Place the horizontal wire that forms the cross of the crucifix around the rim of the jar, twisting the ends together to secure. Then bend the long’ tail’ up and over the top of the jar. Twist the ‘tail’ to the horizontal wire to secure the handle.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

3 Stick the paper

strips onto the jar.

6 6 Place a

tea light inside and your lantern is ready!

Mid October-November 2013 BDA Advert_v5.indd 1

31/05/2013 18:47

HALLOWEEN AT HOME

SPOOKY

MAKE A GLOW IN THE DARK FABRIC MONSTER Create a friendly little monster to light your way on the treacherous trick or treating trip! Fiona Harvey from Artyard Handmade in Richmond (www.artyardhandmade.co.uk), tells us how. Materials and Instructions 1 Gather scraps of material (from around the house or bargain bins/scrap tubs at fabric stores), paper, pen, pins, needle and thread, wadding or toy stuffing, battery operated tea light. Buttons and ribbon optional.

2 Draw a simple shape for your monster.

An oval with straight bottom edge works best as it’s simple, but you can choose any shape. Remember, you are going to have to sew it up, so the more curves, the trickier the sewing. 3 Cut out your shape using paper scissors. Pin your shape onto your fabric to stop it sliding it around, then cut two monster shapes from the fabric. 4 Use two different fabrics if you want to mix it up, or the same colour all over. 5 Pin your back and front together with the right sides facing each other. Sew

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Paint your own tree decorations

Baby Hand & Foot prints Paint Your Own Pottery Childrens Parties 16a High Street Thames Ditton KT7 0RY

Call 020 8398 6681 www.thepotteryandcraftstudio.com

Mid October-November 2013

your monster together leaving a gap for the stuffing. 6 Turn your fabric inside out through the gap remaining, so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside. 7 Place half your wadding inside, making sure you push it gently into every area of the monster’s body. 8 Just before adding the last bit of wadding, pop the tea light inside and nestle it inside, then fill to the edge and sew up. You can add a few extras such as button eyes, a ribbon round his neck and a bit of punky hair!

COOKING PARTIES & WORKSHOPS Children love our cooking parties learning new skills with little stress for you! For 4-12 year olds.

MAKE A TRICK OR TREAT BAG OR BOX Make this simple but colourful trick or treat bag or box that is perfect for your toddler! Liz Berry from Little Acorns Art Club for under 5s in Shepperton (www.littleacornsartclub.co.uk), tells us how. Materials and Instructions 1 Use coloured bags or boxes (can be bought from shops like Hobbycraft or Yellow Moon) and buy some stickers which your child can stick onto the bag/box. 2 Alternatively, get your child to paint a brown or white paper bag orange/black/ purple and allow to dry. Add a pumpkin shape, eyes, nose, stalk, mouth and stars and shapes that you’ve cut out from either felt or foam pads. 3 Let your child stick these on with PVA glue and allow to dry. 4 Once complete, your child can take their little bag out for trick or treating!

CELEBRATING

20 YEARS

1992 - 2012

PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS TRAINING

6-18 YEARS

FREE TASTER SESSION

Half Term cooking workshops-Surbiton

Halloween Mon. 28th Oct. 11am-3pm Chocoholics Tues. 29th Oct. 11am-3pm Contact us to save a place—book NOW!

t: 0 7 7 8 9 7 9 2 6 7 6 e : i n f o @ s a s s y s t i r r e r s . c om

SATURDAYS IN RICHMOND T: 020 8202 2006 M: 07828 914 127 E: richmond@theatretrain.co.uk www.theatretrain.co.uk Theatretrain the company that loves to perform!

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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HALLOWEEN AT HOME COOK UP THESE HILARIOUS HALLOWEEN TREATS!

Food and Treat Bags Even the simplest foods can become scary, amusing or monstrous for a special Halloween tea with friends, or to hand out to “trick or treaters” as an appealing alternative to shop-bought sweets. Stay simple and stick with decorating for young children, suggests Susan Carmichael of Sassy Stirrers. “Buy cookie templates – ghosts work well - and the children can decorate them with icing and sweets.” Susan believes that healthier alternatives to sweets will only appeal to “trick or treaters” if they have a novelty factor or are decorated with edible glitter or sweets. Mould balls of popcorn together with melted toffee, include a marshmallow or sweet on a skewer of mini fruit kebabs, or drizzle chocolate on speared melon balls. Arrange your homemade treats on a tray and offer it to “trick or treaters” when they arrive. These muffins are great for a healthier treat and fun to decorate! Susan Carmichael from Sassy Stirrers (www. sassystirrers.com), which holds cooking clubs and parties for kids in Kingston and Esher, shares her favourite muffin recipe, which makes twelve muffins.

GHOSTLY MUFFINS

Ingredients 1½ cups flour ½ tspn salt ¾ tspn baking soda 1 tspn cinnamon ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tspn ground allspice (optional) ½ cup oil 2 eggs 200g grated carrots 2 tbsp orange juice and 2 tspn orange zest

Jessica Meyrick from Busy Bakers (www.busybakers.co.uk), which provides baking parties and workshops for children in SW London and Surrey shares her favourite ideas.

MUMMY DOGS

A Halloween-take on traditional hot dogs – these mummy dogs look great and make perfect party food or a great snack. Ingredients Bread stick dough or puff pastry Hot dog sausage or a cold cooked sausage Mustard or ketchup to decorate

GOBLIN FINGERS

Yuk! Anyone fancy a goblin finger? Perfect snack food which will have all the children in stitches. Ingredients Carrot sticks Sliced and shaped apple Dipping sauce / Humus or sour cream and chive Method ✷ Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.

MONSTER MOUTHS

Method ✷ Heat oven to 190°c or Gas Mark 5. ✷ Cut dough or puff pastry into strips to form the bandages. ✷ Wind the strips around the sausage, leaving a space near the top for the face and putting a hat on top. ✷ Cook for around 15 minutes. ✷ Draw eyes on using mustard of ketchup. ✷ Adults to cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot. ✷ Use a small dollop of the dip to stick a “fingernail” of sliced apple onto each finger. ✷ Display the fingers in a bowl of dip and serve.

Ingredients Apples Mini Marshmallows Peanut butter, jam – anything that will help stick the marshmallows!

Put a smile on the kids’ faces with the perfect combination of soft and crunchy, healthy and “treat!”

Method ✷ Grease your muffin tins using buttery paper, or spray with non-stick spray! ✷ Check the oven racks are in the middle of the oven and set to 190°c (180°c fan). ✷ Sieve the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, orange zest and spices into a large mixing bowl. Mix together well, then add the sugar, walnuts and sultanas and mix well again. Make a well in the middle of these ingredients. ✷ In the small mixing bowl, beat the eggs, orange juice and oil. Then add the grated carrots and tip into the dry ingredients. ✷ Gently fold in until mixture is combined! Don’t be tempted to over mix. Mix only until there are no more unmixed lumps of flour. ✷ Using your tablespoon, spoon into the

Method ✷ Core and cut apples into same size slices. ✷ Very thinly spread peanut butter or jam onto one side of each slice. ✷ Place marshmallows in to make teeth.

muffin tins, place in oven and cook for 15 to 17 minutes. ✷ At 14 minutes, check to see if muffins are ready by taking the tray from the oven and gently pressing the top of them. If they spring back, they are ready! ✷ Leave in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then carefully remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. ✷ Decorate with icing and a Halloween design. Many easy-to-follow designs can be found on the internet.

Creating an environment in which your child’s love of dance can thrive

spooky surprises

KBS NEW MALDEN Est. 1995

Osterley Park and House

Silly games, carve a scary pumpkin and listen to spooky stories. Come dressed up and receive a treat. 020 8232 5050 nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-park

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

NEW FOR NEXT TERM:

Halloween Pumpkin Festival Sat 26 & Sun 27 October, 12-4pm

Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Modern Dance classes for 2½ to 18 years in New Malden

Tap and Modern for 7 to 9 years Saturday Ballet for 3/4 and 5/6 years • Free Trial Lessons • Sibling Discounts

Option to take exams in all dance styles, 100% success rate All teachers are highly qualified and RAD registered For full details:

www.kingstonballetschool.com Principal Louise Jefferson B.Phil(hons),LRAD,ARAD, AISTD

on 07909 139149

Mid October-November 2013

HALLOWEEN HALF TERM OUTINGS

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Hobble’ween Creeps Up At Hobbledown! By Olivia Malaure of all ages will love jumping through the pretend Green Glime puddles of Potensia in search of the hidden peephole from which to spy Historic Royal and Places surprise the – Spines Hoblers above! Format A5 Portrait Ripe for exploration is the Characters from recently opened MerryMakers Spine Width the Hobbledown 25mm Wooden Maze, a labyrinth with book, penned by Angela Spine Height 210mm accompanied by an adult. For spooky dungeons galore. Children Kecojevic, will roam the farm, Historic Royal Places – Spines those kids who prefer to spook interacting with(Tracked children and adding HRP Text 14pt at +40) than be spooked, there is also charm A5 and merriment. There will Format Portrait Palace Text also be“meet 21ptand (Tracked at -10) a sand play area for sculpting greet”sessions with Hobbledown’s quirky collection haunted houses! Spine Width 25mm Icon 15mm (0.5pt/0.25pt) Hobbledown transports animals, as wellWide as a falconry Spine Height of children and grownups alike to a display.210mm Look out for Hobbledown’s By Justina Gapper captivating imaginary world. On massive14pt owl! (Tracked at +40) HRP Text Regarded as Britain’s finest leaving, you may find yourself Daring older children can the Door?” Palace (Tracked example of Georgian Gothic struck by the message on the ice 70 metres of ghostly at -10) Torches are essential, and soText explore21pt revival architecture, Strawberry is a curious mind, as the children cream freezer in the gift shop, underground passages which 15mm Wide Hill House in Twickenham is which seems to sum up this emulate the passages to the(0.5pt/0.25pt) land are taken throughIcon the narrow the obvious destination for all hallways and dark corners of mysterical place: “Tomorrow its of Potensia in the book. There are that is mysterious and magical Strawberry Hill House. What broccoli and spinach but today seven trapdoors for entry or exit to at Halloween. it’s ice cream!” the tunnels, so enter if you dare! will they find lurking behind the The highlight of the week is a Have you got what it takes It’s not possible to get lost inside, doors? Ghosts? Ghouls? Pleasant Spooky Tour on the evening of to brave the Hobble’ween but it is quite dark, so the tunnels surprises? 30 October for children ages 7+. Spooktacular? aren’t suitable for under 5s unless What lies behind the door remains a fiercely guarded secret, For more information, visit www.hobbledown.com but Strawberry Hill House has cautiously revealed that one enclosed, windowless passageway will be filled with spiders …… Saturdays in November and December crocheted and knitted by The Sewing Bee, a team of volunteers who also create all of the children’s costumes at the gothic Local youth drama group Dragon house! Drama will be performing The fearless explorers can “Thrills, Spills, Spooks and expect plenty of treats along the Scares,” setting the atmosphere way, plus a goody bag if they before they guide children on a come along in costume, with a tour entitled “What’s Behind prize for the best dressed. Mischief and mayhem await at Hobbledown in Epsom throughout half term! Kids can wear their favourite outfits for a fancy dress competition, take part in apple bobbing with a twist, and listen to spooky stories to spark their imaginations. Meanwhile, the indoor play barn is the perfect area for a game of goblin “hide and sneak,” whilst grown-ups catch up over a cuppa in the Hobnosh Café.

What’s Behind the Door at Strawberry Hill House?

Family

Ghost tours

For further information, see listing on page 36 or visit www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk

Get on Down at the Ugly Bug Ball at Hounslow Urban Farm By Olivia Malaure Things are getting ugly this Halloween at the Bug Ball at the Hounslow Urban Farm in Feltham. Kids can sing along to their favourite songs at the Spooky Karaoke Disco, dress up in their most horrible Halloween outfit for a chance to win a prize, and take part in some ghoulish games! For those wanting to really feel the Halloween spirit, why not cuddle a tarantula at the interactive ugly bug encounter in which the Farm shares the lives and stories of their hairiest, scariest bugs. Beware of slimy lizards and slithering snakes and look out

Mid October-November 2013

for the silent predator of the night, the Ghost Owl, which swoops across the farm in an owl display! Kids can get creative carving their own ghoulish pumpkins and visit their favourite farmyard animals, as well the nocturnal guests on the farm. For more information, visit www.hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk

Join us for a fun, spooky evening at Hampton Court Palace Suitable for children 6+ For more information and to book, visit hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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HALLOWEEN HALF TERM OUTINGS

Wizard Weekend at the Watercress Line. Visit a Famous Landmark from the Harry Potter Films The Watercress Line, a heritage steam railway in Alresford, Hampshire is now the home of the famous Kings Cross bridge that featured in the Harry PotterTM films and, this Halloween, fans get the chance to follow in Harry Potter’s footsteps and visit the famous landmark. It’s where Harry received his Hogwarts Express ticket and is a new addition to Ropley Station, the half-way point along the ten miles of the Watercress Line and the base for all this year’s Halloween activities. From 31 October to 3 November, Ropley will be decked with Halloween decorations, staff will don costumes and visitors are invited to come dressed as witches, wizards or Halloween spooks, and find out about bats, owls and all things magical. Traditional witch’s besom brooms will be crafted for children take home (additional

cost), age-appropriate art and craft activities will be on offer, and you may spot a snowy owl just like the one in the Harry Potter™ films in the falconry display. Then, of course, there are the steam trains! Families can buy a ticket at Alresford station and take the 15 minute journey to Ropley by train. A round trip of the line takes about 90 minutes and is a great way to enjoy a picnic. Ropley itself also has a large picnic and children’s play area. Anna Williams-Barnes from The Watercress Line observes that enthusiasm for steam trains and

railways is on the rise.“The sight, sound and feel of being on a steam train is unique and offers a very special sensory experience which pre-schoolers and autistic children find particularly exciting” comments Anna. Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Santa Claus are regular visitors at The Watercress Line’s family events.“We find that pre-schoolers come to see Santa or because they love Peppa or Thomas. They ride on the steam

oNe

GrEaT

BiG

aDVeNTuRe

• Hobbledown is a 50-acre farm • New for 2013 - underground park adventure featuring towers, tunnels, Merrydown Parade & mazes, aerial walkways, a daring falconry displays. high ropes course & a 14,000 sq ft • With our own Zoo Licence, we indoor play barn. have more than 100 animals Follow us on facebook; hobbledownuk

and twitter; @Hobbledown

Find us at: Hobbledown Children’s Farm Horton Lane, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8PT T: 0843 289 4979 E: thehobblers@hobbledown.com www.hobbledown.com

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

HOB029_QuarterPgAd_KINGSTON_130x87mm.indd 1

By Justina Gapper

trains and go on to fall in love with steam engines generally.”

For further information, visit www.watercressline.co.uk

Hampton Court Palace Offers Family Ghost Tours to Chill You to the Bone!

By Olivia Malaure

It’s hard not to get excited about the upcoming Family Ghost Tours at Hampton Court Palace, one of Britain’s most haunted buildings. Built in Tudor times for King Henry V111, most notable for condemning two of his six wives to death, there have been ghost tours at the palace for a decade. But the new family tours every Saturday this November and December are tailored specifically for families with children age 6+. The Ghost Tours are led by experienced Warders of the Palace who share an intimate knowledge of the six and a half acre building that State Apartment Warder, David Packer, says ‘swallows you up.’ He describes with contagious passion the glowing Jack O’Lanterns which will adorn the Palace and the outfits that will be worn by the tour guides, including top hats, tail suits and other costumes, from the late Victorian/Edwardian era, a time that David describes as“the heyday of ghost stories.” This is a wonderfully spooky opportunity for savvy kids to experience this magnificent palace at night. The tour includes the dark brick North Cloister, described as the “spine of the palace,”which

often stirs dramatic Oohs and Aahs! “Children also love the animal ghost stories from the palace” David tells me.“There’s the ghost of the black cat that haunts the gift shop, which visitors regularly report seeing and tripping over, together with sightings of the large dog which lies by the fire in the Wolsey closet!” Real tales of paranormal encounters at the Palace will spook the tour’s attendees, alongside classics such as the tale of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry V111, who was beheaded for adultery. Known as the Screaming Lady in the Haunted Gallery, she can regularly be heard running down the gallery as she searches for the King to plead for her life, after escaping house arrest. Dragged screaming back to her room, the echoes of her scream still haunt the palace today. Hampton Court Palace is all about sharing stories. ‘His-Story’ says David, ‘the clue is in the name.’ These unique evenings promise a fascinating look at “His-Story”and a memorable family outing.

For more information, see listing on page 36 or visit www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace

16/07/2013 13:56

Mid October-November 2013

HALLOWEEN HALF TERM OUTINGS Enjoy Traditional Halloween Festivities with the National Trust

By Justina Gapper

It’s the Halloween Pumpkin Festival at Osterley House and Gardens in Isleworth on 26 and 27 October. Experiment with traditional Halloween games like apple bobbing, pumpkin carving and marshmallow toasting, or, if you are feeling more adventurous, try mysterious games like“splat the bat”and“beastly boxes.” Those in fancy dress will receive a treat (no tricks!) You can also follow a new family trail based on the National Trust’s 50 Things to Do Before You Are 11¾” campaign and receive a prize. Playing conkers is also on the National Trust’s 50 Things to Do list and Osterley is definitely the place to do it. Karina Swann, Visitor Experience and Marketing Manager says “Osterley is one of the top places in the country to play conkers because we have so

many trees.” On 30 October, herald the arrival of autumn by hunting for the best conkers and playing games including the “conker conqueror”competition at Osterley’s Play Conkers Day. Enjoy a warming cup of hot chocolate at Ham House and Garden in Ham and hear ghostly (but not too ghastly) tales about this haunted property. Children can enjoy Scary Story Time, including classics like Room on the Broom and Funny Bones, follow Meg the Cat’s Trail around the garden and help her find the ingredients for her potion and enjoy art activities in the basement of the house and in the dairy. Activities run daily from 26 October to 3 November, excluding 1 November. Claremont Landscape Gardens in Esher also has a spooky trail to follow plus drop-in art and craft activities from 29 October to 1 November. On 28 October, bring your pumpkin to the Leaky Cauldron Thatched Cottage and receive help carving scary or funny faces into it. To really experience the magic and suspense of Halloween, the garden and cafe will stay open until 6pm on 31 October when you can take a lantern lit walk around the lake in the dark. Who knows what you may discover lurking behind the grotto? Younger children can enjoy storytelling in the play area between 4.00-5.00pm and “trick or treat” the wicked witch in the Thatched Cottage. Morden Hall Park is also offering pumpkin carving and creepy crawly bug hunts on 30 and 31 October. You can also enjoy spooky trails at Winkworth Arboretum and Polesden Lacey.

For further information on National Trust drop-in half term workshops, see page 24. For further information, on the events mentioned in this article, see page 37, or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk Mid October-November 2013

SPOOKY

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin at Bocketts Farm By Justina Gapper

Dress the kids up and head for Wizards and Witches Week at Bocketts Farm near Leatherhead where they can add the finishing touches to their costumes with a wizard or witches hat created at one of the daily art, craft and game sessions. Halloweenthemed colouring sheets and other craft activities, such as badge making, will also be on offer. The emphasis is on magic and delight at Bocketts this Halloween, says Becky Gowing, General Manager.“Spooky skeletons are great but can be scary for younger children, so this year we’re making things fun and light-hearted.” For the chance to win a special prize, take part in a Halloween quiz trail around the farm, which includes activities like counting spiders and spotting the odd one out. And if you’re looking for that perfect pumpkin to carve, the display of this year’s bumper harvest is impressive.“It’s one of the big features of Halloween at Bocketts” says Becky.“We have literally hundreds, all grown here. Children can choose one to take home.” In addition to the special Halloween activities, the regular daily programme of events at the farm continues, including pony rides, tractor rides, animal

handling and pig racing, plus children can meet and feed all of the friendly animals in the Small Animal Village and Big Animal Barn. One bonus for families this year is the addition of new heating in the play barns, making Bocketts the perfect place to visit even in the colder months. The adjoining extension also now houses a new seating area which provides a comfortable space from which adults can watch their children let off steam. “Whilst it’s fun to wrap up and get outdoors in the colder months, we hope that this warm indoor area will provide a relaxing space for adults and a fun, comfortable play zone for children” says Becky.

For further information, visit www.bockettsfarm.co.uk

Give the Kids a FREE lunch at The Pavilion Café in Claygate

If you haven’t visited The Pavilion Café in Claygate, then make a point of doing so during October half term. Situated against the beautiful backdrop of Claygate Recreation Ground, picturesque in any weather, and next to a great children’s playground, you can easily pass a morning or afternoon there at any time. Visit at half term and kids can also join in some of the half term workshops on offer at the Cafe, including cheerleading, ceramics painting with Ceramica, a pottery and craft café also based in Claygate, football with the Claygate Royals and a big half term party! There’s an additional added bonus too. If you visit during October you can take advantage

of the special lunch deal on offer. Kids can eat totally FREE on purchase of an adult main meal! The proprietors of the café, all mums, Helen Ayres, Fanny Stocker and Lisa Buhr are all avowed foodies, meaning that you will not only be delighted by the great lunch menu but also assured of fabulous customer service and a box of toys and books to keep the kids occupied when they’ve finished eating!

For more information, call 01372 464999 or call in at The Pavilion Café, Claygate Recreation Ground, Church Road, Esher, KT10 0HQ

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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HALLOWEEN HALF TERM WORKSHOPS

SPOOKY Get into the

Halloween spirit by booking your child a place on one of the many local workshops taking part this Half Term.

Kids can dress up in their spookiest costumes and paint pumpkins, lanterns, witches and more at one of the daily workshops at Happy Potter Ceramics in Teddington. Suitable for children ages 5+, all workshops include a lunch of ghost-shaped sandwiches, mini pumpkins (satsumas), popcorn and sweeties, washed down with a goblet of green swamp cocktail, including sweetie fishes and worms! Workshops run from 11am to 12.30pm from 28 October to 1 November and all painters take home a spooky treat and a ghouly

goody bag full of “trick or treat” sweets and temporary Halloween tattoos – perfect for Halloween night! Feeling brave? Children ages 6+ can head down to Happy Potter after-hours on Halloween night for the spookiest and creepiest workshop yet! For further information, visit www.happypotterceramics.co.uk

Back by popular demand, street art returns to The Art Class in Sunbury from 10am to 3.30pm on 28 and 30 October. Graffiti artist and art educator, Claire Rye, will teach spray paint techniques like dripping and splatting, developing your own ‘tag’, cutting a stencil, embellishing your design and decorating with specialist pens and children will make a highly individual piece of art on canvas ready to hang.

Claire will also explain where you can and cannot graffiti, show her work and talk about the history of street art and graffiti. Expect cobwebs and fluorescent paint in the mix too! Kids can enjoy games such as mummy wrapping, swinging doughnuts and prizes for the scariest face pullers during breaks. BFP A5Flyer 080911_BFP A5Flyer Sept2009 All 09/09/2011 16:01 Page 1 suitable for workshops children ages 6+ and include materials, prizes, homemade snacks, fruit and drink. For further information, call Lynette on 07971 475373 or email lynette@the-art-class.com BFP A5Flyer 080911_BFP A5Flyer Sept2009 09/09/2011 16:01 Page 1

Looking for an action-packed 5-day extravaganza of witches, wizards, super-heroes and all things magical? At the Storytelling Adventures Halloween Workshop in Twickenham, suitable for ages 2 to 8, a world of mystery and magic opens up through song, dance, drama, art and craft. Each day focuses on a different Halloween-themed story in which children will lead the action and be encouraged to decide what characters they would like to be and what they want to do.“If they want to be a dinosaur, we’ll incorporate that” says proprietor, Amanda Wright. Art and craft activities include puppet and mask making.

Workshops run from 10am to 12pm from 28 October to 1 November. Book for the whole week or just for the day but don’t miss the chance to come and see what the children have been doing at the end of the week. Sibling discounts available. For more information, visit www.bridgeac.com

Sassy Stirrers cooks up two creative workshops in Surbiton for ages 5 to 12 – a treat for all kids that love baking. Halloweenthemed food is the order of the day on 28 October from 11.00am to 3.00pm with squidgy muffins, monster cookies, spooky sausage surprises, and popcorn clusters on the menu for children to eat at home or offer to “trick or treaters.” After stirring up their concoctions, kids can enjoy fun, foodie games like as blind-tasting chocolate and marshmallow football. Chocoholics will love the Choco-Mania Workshop from 11.00am to 3.00pm on 29 October, in which they can whip up mini brownies, homemade chocolates and swirly chocolate cake-pops, plus enjoy lots of chocolate tasting! Susan Carmichael who runs Sassy Stirrers highlights the benefits of

cooking.“It’s a simple activity that produces results quickly which is great for raising self-esteem. Children are proud of their cooking and feel encouraged to share.” Ingredients and equipment provided plus goody bags packed with baked treats and recipe cards to take home. For further information, visit www.sassystirrers.com

What better way could there be to introduce your child to ballet than the Just Imagine Ballet’s 3-day Trick or Treat Halloween Camp? With its unique approach to teaching ballet that draws upon the importance of imagination and play in early learning, Just Imagine Ballet’s camp promises to be an enchanting journey full of sparkle and light, during which the

magic and possibility of classical ballet will be revealed. Running in Richmond from 28 October to 30 October from 10am to 1pm for children ages 3 to 7, the camp will conclude with a Halloween dress-up and dance presentation on the third day. For more information, contact Jessica on 07879 521456 or email info@twinkletoesballet.com

BFP A5Flyer 080911_BFP A5Flyer Sept2009 09/09/2011 16:01 Page 1

Book Now! Call 020 8940 7998

Gymnastics in your area Pre-school to 12 years Also Drop In & Play 1-8 years £2 Gymnastics Classes and Parties www.BackFlipPerformers.com 22

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Mid October-November 2013

HALLOWEEN HALF TERM WORKSHOPS Kids ages 5 to 12 will delight in the disgusting and gory things they can make at Artyard Handmade’s workshops in Richmond from 10am to 3pm from 28 October to 1 November including a zombie doll, vampire kites, wire webs and monster felties. With a new twist on Halloween, the workshops will also explore infamously scary and mysterious artworks such as Edward Munch’s The Scream and Damien Hurst’s Diamond Studded Skull. Fiona Harvey, partner in Artyard Handmade believes it’s important to let children try out all materials and techniques so the workshops allow them to experiment with

fabric, bamboo, paper, felt, paints, chalk and pastels.”We also help the children appreciate that things are not all flat, teaching them ways to capture things in 3D”explains Fiona. “Our workshops offer creative freedom and fun. Often without realising it, the kids are learning new skills each day. Watching them progress is amazing!” For further information, visit www.artyard.co.uk

Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham is hosting three seriously spooky and mysterious workshops for ages 5+, in which children are invited to take inspiration from its Gothic revival architecture and history. On 26 October from 1.00pm to 3.00pm, the Ghoulish Gargoyles Workshop starts with a trip around the exterior of the house to help conjure up ideas for ghoulish gargolyes to be created out of clay. At the Hats & Broomsticks Workshop on 28 October from 1.00pm to 3.00pm, little wizards and witches will head down to the woodland

Drop-in Halloween art and craft workshops are available from 28 October to 1 November at many local National Trust properties. If your kids want to know how to design and carve a pumpkin, then head to Osterley Park in Isleworth on 26 or 27 October. Alternatively, visit the free Craft Cart on 31 October to make Halloween-themed items from

pumpkin masks to bouncy bats on elastic. Turn up at Claremont Landscape Garden in Esher between 11am and 1pm on 29 October to 1 November to make creepy creatures and characters, including bats and witches or perfect those pumpkin carving techniques on 28 October between 11.00 and 1.00pm. All children need to bring is a pumpkin and the imagination to decorate it! Ham House and Gardens will also be running drop-in art and craft activities all week. For more information, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk and for more Half Term activities at National Trust properties, see page 21.

The classic fairy tale Rapunzel is brought to life in Perform’s magical 3 day drama workshop for ages 4 to 8 from 28 to 30 October in Esher. Children improvise and experiment alongside a team of actors, musicians and dancers, setting out on an adventure which incorporates original songs, dance, live music and colourful costumes as they help Rapunzel escape from the tower. Children can expect to tumble down tresses, dodge the dastardly Mother Gothel and then ride off into the land of Happily Ever After in a performance on the last day. Lucy Quick, owner of

A different Halloweenthemed story will be brought to life each day at the 2 day Theatrebugs Epsom workshops for ages 3.5 to 7 years in Cobham, Oxshott and Weybridge. Full of Halloween drama and adventure, plus a different craft activity daily, children choose a character from each story and

are then encouraged to use their imagination and initiative to work together to complete a task or solve a problem posed by the story. The story is then acted out. On the first day, Wendy the Witch, who is scared of everything, especially Halloween, loses her trusted friend Gripes the Cat and the children must help her overcome her fears

If your child shows an interest in craft and would like to learn to sew or improve their sewing skills, a half term workshop with Annie’s Arts in Richmond could prove to be exactly the right thing. For ages 6 to 12, workshops will be held from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm on 21, 25 and 28 October and from 2pm to 4pm on 24 and 31 October. Children will sew and create original“trick or treat”bags to take out with them for Halloween, as well as Halloween masks and

Mid October-November 2013

to collect sticks and other materials to put together their very own life-size broomstick to fly home on! Lots of colourful liquids and a spell book will be on hand to help create magic potions at the Confusing Concoctions Workshop on 30 October from 1.00pm to 3.00pm. Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, visit www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk

Perform was keen that the workshop focus on the original Brothers Grimm version of the fairy tale, and even visited the Germany’s Black Forest to get a feel for the setting that inspired the Brothers. For further information, visit www.perform.org.uk or call 0845 400 1284.

and find her beloved pal. Help is needed again on the second day, when Barry the Bat faces opposition from neighbours during his band practice. 10% sibling discount or call Hannah on on 01483 882244 for Group discount. For further information, visit www.theatrebugs.co.uk/surrey

Children’s Arty Parties!

decorations to enhance their enjoyment of this fun festival! For more information, contact Ann on 07879 428172 or email anniesarts@outlook.com

SPOOKY

Choose from pottery painting, T-Shirt design or decopatch and we will take care of everything else!! Including: Sandwiches, crisps, sweeties, cupcakes, invitations, balloons and party pa bags! £19.50 per head

Book Now And Get Birthday Child Free! When 10+ kids until Dec ‘13

Half Term Workshops!

Dress in your spookiest Halloween costume, and paint your own pumpkin or design a scary T-Shirt t for trick or treating! Halloween lunch, treats and ghoulie goody bags! 28th Oct- 1st Nov 11am-12.30 LATE NIGHT FOR THE BRAVE 31st Oct 6pm-7.30pm £20 per head

14 Broad Street Teddington 020 89731468 www.happypotterceramics.co.uk

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

23 23

More Half Term Workshops MONDAY 28 OCTOBER TO FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER

SPRINGBOARD SWIMMERS AUTUMN HALF TERM CRASH COURSE

Stanley School, Stanley Road, Teddington TW11 8UE For Ages: 3-8 Courses are 30 minutes per day for 5 days and are suitable for non-swimmers and beginners who are unable to swim a streamlined front and back crawl. Small groups of 3 children with tutors in the water, whilst parents can observe poolside. Call 020 8255 7455 or email springboardadmin@blueyonder.co.uk SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER

GYMBOREE PUMPKIN PARTY AT GYMBOREE SURBITON

Gymboree Surbiton, 15a St Mary’s Road, Surbiton KT6 4JG For Ages: 0–5 Pumpkin-themed classes for families and babies. Bring a friend to Open Gym for FREE! Pumpkin decorating competition. Places limited, booking essential. More Info: 020 3609 8007 www.gymboree-uk.com/surbiton SATURDAY, 26 OCTOBER TO THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER

PARTIES, CLASSES & tutoring

FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL AT RICHMOND THEATRE for children

The Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1QJ Richmond part in the first 07971Theatre 475373is/ taking lynette@the-art-class.com UK-wide Festival of Family Arts with a series of imagine | create | learn fun | play Shakespeare themed tours, workshops, and games. SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 2013

Miranda’s Musical Moments Workshop Time: 11.00am–12.00pm. For families with children 5+

Arty Titania’s Got Talent Workshop Time: 12.15pm–1.30pm. For families with children 5+

Carry On Shakespeare! Comedy Workshop

Time: 1.30pm–3.00pm. For families with children 7+ TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER

Shakespeare’s Arty Royal People

of Les Miserables. Specially adapted workshop for 7-16 year olds led by a team of professional performers who will deliver master class training in dramatic acting and story through song. More info: 07907 477 135 www.stagestudio.co.uk TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER TO THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER

Time: 10.15am-11.15am For families with children 3+

WORKSHOPS AT POLKA THEATRE

Time: 12.15am–1.15pm For families with children 5+ THURSDAY, 31 OCTOBER

HALLOWEEN SCENE

Midsummer Mayhem! Drama Workshop Shakespeare’s Arty Spooky Halloween People Time: 10.15am-11.15am For Ages: 3+

Ghostly Goings On...Drama Workshop Time: 11.15am–12.15pm For Ages: 5+

DAILY MONDAY 28 OCTOBER TO FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER

WILD LEARNING AT CLAREMONT LANDSCAPE GARDENS

Portsmouth Rd, Esher, Surrey KT10 9JG Cost: £35. Have fun and explore the woods with Wild Learning Forest School. Booking essential. More Info: www.wild-learning.net 01372 467806 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/claremont-landscapegarden MONDAY 28 OCTOBER TO FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER

STAGE STUDIO OCTOBER LES MISERABLES MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP

For Ages: 7-16 in Thames Ditton. Musical theatre workshop based on the iconic tale

240 The Broadway, London, Greater London SW19 1SB TUESDAY 29 AND WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER For Ages: 8-13 Time: 10.30am-3.30pm. Cost: £60 for two days. Create your very own stop frame animation short film inspired by Halloween. Booking required. THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER

STAGE FRIGHT

Time: 10am-12.30pm (6-10yrs), 1.30-4pm (10-13yrs). Cost: £25. Ever wondered how we make blood, wounds and scars for the stage? Work with a professional make-up artist to create special Halloweenthemed make up effects. Booking required. FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2013

MAKE A MONSTER WORKSHOP

Time: 9.45-11am (3-4yrs) 11.30am-12.45pm (5-6yrs) Cost: £15. Create and design your very own monster shadow puppets and gather round as storyteller brings them to life. More Info: 020 8543 4888 www.polkatheatre.com

A Rainbow-tastic 10 Year Celebration

pARTIES & CLASSES for children “I don’t want my party to ever end!” Mia, Pyrford

07971 475373 / lynette@the-art-class.com

imagine | create | learn | play

Last month, local girl Hannah Young threw a party to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of her independent ceramics studio, Ceramica in Claygate. Over 176 friends, family, traders and customers of all ages came out to celebrate, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Elmbridge. Hannah’s loyal customers summed up their experiences in the guest book: “Thank you so much for encouraging us to be creative and for keeping us entertained on wet, windy Claygate days. We really appreciate the effort you put in to Ceramica and we love to see your happy, smiley face when we pass by!” “Wow! What a rainbow-tastic celebration! Congratulations on being a little jewel in Claygate Parade’s crown for 10 years. Your energy and enthusiasm is

By Linda Stone

boundless and your memory for the names of all your hundreds of customers is astounding!” Ceramica’s shop window, recently voted Best Shop Display in Elmbridge. is currently embracing the Halloween spirit. Open all half term from 10am to 6pm (closed Sundays) for drop-in painting of pumpkin lanterns, pumpkin and bat-hanging plaques, skulls and skull mugs, the café is a great place to enjoy some family painting time. Warm drinks and snacks and a cosy atmosphere guaranteed. Listen out for news of Halloween surprises on 31 October! For further information, visit www.ceramica-claygate.co.uk

Would you like to try something different? Why not paint your own ceramics? At Ceramica, we guarantee great fun for all! Our services include: Children’s birthday parties Baby foot and hand print sessions Evening sessions for adults Annual membership scheme Take home packs & gift vouchers 7 The Parade, Claygate, Esher, KT10 0PD Phone: 01372 462447 Making ceramic painting easy and fun in a creative, enjoyable environment!

www.ceramica-claygate.co.uk

Twitter: @CeramicaEsher Facebook: www.facebook.com/CeramicaClaygate

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Mid October-November 2013

HALLOWEEN PARTIES

Party Ideas

We asked Juliet from party-planning company Bedazzled Events to give us some ideas for a fabulous Halloween party. Halloween parties are great because you can be really imaginative and inventive with styling, decorations and even catering. To make your party unique and memorable, choose a Halloween theme which provides a focus for your ideas. Popular themes this year are Sea Monsters, Swamp Bugs and Witches and Wizard’s Enchanted Castle. Take a look at the following suggestions for creating the perfect Halloween event round one of the above themes.

Daring Décor!

This is a great decor idea for the Witches and Wizard’s Enchanted Castle. Collect together plenty of black card, a bat cookie cutter, a pencil and some scissors. You and the children can then use the cookie cutter and pencil to trace out as many bats as you can, before cutting them out individually. Once cut out, add your own touches by spraying them with different coloured glitter. Choose a wall in a room or going up the stairs that you can invade with bats! Start at the bottom of the wall and use white tack to stick on each bat, creating an arc shape as you move up. Once you have finished, place a Mid October-November 2013

cauldron prop or basket with an open lid next to the wall where the arc bats start. This creates the impression that a swarm of bats have been released!

Prize for the best dressed!

Transform an old party dress/ suit into a fabulous Sea Monster costume. Purchase some glittery or shiny material matching the main colour of the dress/suit, or, if it is black, choose a bright colour to contrast. Cut it into wiggly strips and then sew or pin them all over the dress/suit to create tentacles. Buy or make a headband with wiggling antennas and your child has become a Sea Monster!

Bubbling Beverages!

Kids love creating Swamp Bug juice to sample at a Swamp Bugs party. Make up a selection of juices or smoothies in jugs before the party. Hand a large plastic cup to each child and then offer them bowls of fun-shaped sweets and treats to add to their cups. Ask each child to choose a couple of juices to mix together to create a swampy concoction. Garnish with a green paper straw! You may even want to have a bowl of dry ice bubbling close by to create the look of a swamp, but ensure it is out of harm’s way

and that children are not able to reach it. All you need now is a few games to entertain the guests. These can be traditional Halloween games, like apple bobbing, or you can give popular games like musical statues a Halloween feel by asking the children to freeze making their scariest faces and poses!

extra

Juliet is the Founder of Bedazzled Events, a London-based party planning service that plans unique parties for all ages, working to your chosen budget and theme to create your perfect party. For more information, visit www.bedazzledevents.org.uk

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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Firework Displays ASCOT RACECOURSE FAMILY DAY AND FIREWORK SPECTACULAR Sat 2 Nov at Ascot Racecourse, SL5 7JX Time: 2pm to 7pm. Cost: From £16 per person. First meeting of new Jump season is a Family Fun Day, with free fairground rides for all ages open all day. After the racing action, a firework spectacular at 6pm. Fireworks-only tickets available. Kids under 18 go FREE! More info: 087 0727 1234 www.ascot.co.uk BARNES BONFIRE NIGHT Sat 2 Nov at Barnes Sports Club, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, SW13 9QL Time: TBC Cost: TBC Lighting up the skies for over 10 years with a spectacular pyrotechnics show, a huge bonfire, live music, hot food and family-friendly entertainment. More info: www.barnessportsclub.org CHESSINGTON - ST PHILIPS SCHOOL FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sun 3 Nov at Harrow Close, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2HR Time: TBC More info: 020 8397 2672 office@stphilips.rbksch.org CHISWICK PARK ANNUAL FIREWORK DISPLAY Tues 5 Nov at Chiswick Park Time: Entertainment 6pm, Fireworks 7pm. Cost: Free Spectacular fireworks, stilt-walkers, a BBQ and live music. More info: www.enjoy-work.com

EALING FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sat 2 Nov at Ealing Cricket Club, Corfton Rd, Ealing W5 2HS Time: Gates 6pm. Display 7.30pm. Cost: £6, Child under 14: £4. Fireworks with rousing music and followed by bonfire. Bars, BBQs, mulled wine, Glow in Dark toys and rides. More info: www.ealingcc.co.uk HAMPTON - CARLISLE SCHOOL FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sat 9 Nov at Broad Lane, Hampton TW12 3AJ Time: Gates open 5.30pm. Fireworks at 6.30pm. BBQ, Tombola, live music, Glow in Dark toys. KEMPTON FIREWORKS Sat 2 Nov at Kempton Park Racecourse Time: Gates and Funfair open 6pm, Fireworks 8pm approx. Cost: £6 in advance from local shops. £8 on night. Impressive, safe and one of the largest public displays in the area. Proceeds distributed to local causes and charities. More info: www.kempton.co.uk KINGSTON COMMUNITY FIREWORK DISPLAY Fri 1 Nov at Kingsmeadow Athletics Ground, Kingston Road KT1 3PB Time: Gates 6.30pm, Display 8pm. Cost: Adults £6, Children £4.

BANSTEAD AND CLAYGATE E: banstead.claygate@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 01932 223 309

Listed alphabetically by town

Children’s fun fair rides and family activities before fireworks. More info: 07808 586 007 PETERSHAM AND HAM SEA SCOUTS FAMILY BONFIRE NIGHT PARTY Sat 2 Nov in Petersham, TW10 7AH Time: Gates 6pm. Cost: Tickets available at gate. Car parking at the German School. RICHMOND FAMILY FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sun 3 Nov at the Athletic Ground, Twickenham Road, Richmond TW9 2SF Time: Gates 4.30pm, Fireworks 7pm. Cost: Adult £10, Child £5, Under 5s free. Family ticket for 2 adults & 4 children £30. Advance tickets: Adult £8, Child £5, Under 5s free. Family ticket £25. A traditional programme of family-friendly entertainment, with mulled wine, winter Pimms, fireworks, a bonfire and funfair. More info: 020 8940 0397 to book tickets www.the-raa.co.uk RICHMOND - VINEYARD SCHOOL FIREWORK DISPLAY Sat 9 Nov at Christ School, Queens Road, Richmond TW10 6HW Time: 5.30-7.45pm. More info: PTAvineyard@gmail.com SHEPPERTON FAMILY FUN AND FIREWORKS NIGHT Fri 8 Nov at Saxon Primary School, Briar Rd, Shepperton TW17 0JB Time: Gates 5.30pm. Cost: In Advance: £3 (School Office, Budgens and Aziatics). At gate: £4 Under 3s free. Stalls, bouncy castle, rides, doughnuts, mulled wine and more. More info: 01932 56335 SURBITON FAMILY FUN FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sat 9 Nov at Berrylands Scout Hut, Stirling Walk, Surbiton KT5 9HY Time: Gates 6.30pm, Bonfire 7.30pm, Fireworks 8.00pm. Cost: £7 Adult, £4 Child Barbecue with burgers, hot dogs and soup. Soft drinks and mulled wine. Cakes to buy plus stalls. More info: 020 8399 6747 www.berrylandsscoutgroup.co.uk TEDDINGTON - COLLIS SCHOOL FIREWORKS Sat 9 Nov at Collis School, Fairfax Road, Teddington, TW11 9BS Time: 5pm to 7pm. Cost: £4 single, £16 family in advance from school Fairground rides, hog roast, hot

dogs plus vegetarian More info: www.collisprimaryschool.co.uk TEDDINGTON - NPL FIREWORKS DISPLAY Sat 26 Oct at NPL Sports Club, Queens Road, Teddington, TW11 0EB Time: Display 7.30pm Cost: Advance: Adult £7.50, Child £3.50, Family £20. On the Night: Adult £9, Child £4, Family £22 Annual fireworks display alongside Real Ale Beer festival, barbecue and live entertainment late into evening. Display choreographed to a fantastic musical soundtrack. More info: nplsportsclub@gmail.com www.nplsc.co.uk WEYBRIDGE CLEVES SCHOOL FIREWORKS Tuesday 5 Nov at Cleves School, Oatlands Avenue, Weybridge Time: Gates 5.30pm, Fireworks 7.30pm. Cost: Pre-booked: Adult £6.50, Child £4, Family £20. On the gate: Adult £9, Child £5, Family £25. Funfair, live music, tuck shop, drinks, food, Glow in the Dark toys. WEST MOLESEY - CHANDLERS FIELD SCHOOL FIREWORK AND FUNFAIR EXTRAVAGANZA Sun 3 November at High Street, West Molesey KT8 2LX Time: Gates 4pm. Small Children Friendly Display 5pm. Main Display 6pm. Cost: Advance Tickets: Adult £4, Child £3. On the Gate: Adult £5, Child £4. Fireworks and funfair extravaganza with BBQ and stalls. WORCESTER PARK CUDDINGTON SCHOOL FIREWORKS DISPLAY Wed 6 Nov at Cuddington Community Primary School, Salisbury Road Worcester Park Surrey KT4 7DD. Time: Gates 6pm. Display 7.30pm. Cost: Adult £4, Child £3. More info: 020 8716 2677 info@cuddington.surrey.sch.uk These details were correct on going to print. Please double check with the venue closer to the event day. FOR MORE BONFIRE AND FIREWORK DISPLAYS, visit www.familiesuponthames. co.uk/Firework Displays & Bonfire Nights 2013

KINGSTON AND SURBITON E: kingston.surbiton@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 224 3971 OXSHOTT, LEATHERHEAD AND DORKING E: leatherhead.dorking@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 01483 841 303 RICHMOND, TWICKENHAM AND TEDDINGTON E: kew.teddington@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 847 4031 WEYBRIDGE, COBHAM AND MOLESEY E: weybridge.cobham@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 224 0096

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Mid October-November 2013

‘

Remember, Remember the 5th of November…! Your Guide to Guy Fawkes Night The ‘plot’ was simple - to blow up The Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder hidden in its cellar. Guy Fawkes was given the job of lighting the fuse but, on the 5 November 1605, the plot was discovered and he was taken to the Tower Of London and executed. To celebrate his own survival, King James 1 ordered his people to light a great bonfire every year on the night of 5 November. You don’t have to go far to be part of the crackle and fizz of Bonfire Night. New local fireworks events pop up annually, whilst the biggest bonfire extravaganzas, at Ascot and Kempton Park and in Richmond and Kingston are firmly cemented in the calendar. Many schools hold organised fireworks displays. For a complete list, visit www.familiesuponthames/What’s On/Firework Displays and Bonfire Nights 2013. But if the idea of being outdoors with very young children on a cold November evening sends a chill down your spine, here are some ideas to help you enjoy Bonfire Night at home. Start with a Bang: Kids love listening to the popping of microwave popcorn that they can munch on. Add some Colour: Make a rocket! Wrap silver paper around an empty kitchen roll tube and stick down. Cut out a circle of coloured card (approx 9cm) and make a cone shape. Tape the cone to the top of the cylinder. Decorate the cylinder with stickers and stick strips of red or orange cellophane to the bottom for flames. Kids can fly their colourful creations around the garden! Bonfire Baked Potatoes: Cook up edible bonfires! Fill jacket potatoes with child-friendly toppings. Sprinkle some Red Leicester cheese on top for flames, or put the fire out with a spoonful of creme fraiche on top! Light Up the Night Sky: Kids love torches and they’re a fun, safe way for them to play in the dark and enjoy the atmosphere of Bonfire Night.

Gunpowder, treason, and plot I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.

By Olivia Malaure

‘

BONFIRE NIGHT SAFETY

Did you know that sparklers burn at 200°C - 5 times hotter than cooking oil? Whether you’re planning sparklers in the garden or a full-blown bonfire and fireworks, here are some simple tips to keep you safe this Bonfire Night. ✸ Sparklers should not be given to children under 5. ✸ Kickstart First Aid Training advises keeping a bucket of cold water outside in case of burn injuries ✸ Children can be sensitive to loud noises, consider investing in a pair of ear defenders. Try Peltor Kids at www.peltorkids.co.uk

✸ If you are planning to let off fireworks, consult the Firework Code at www.rospa.com ✸ Keep pets indoors. Animals have acute hearing and loud noises disturb them ✸ Remember, the safest way to celebrate Bonfire Night is to attend an organised display.

All the Fun of the Fair for FREE at Ascot’s Spectacular Fireworks Display! Ascot’s 2013 United House Family Day and Firework Spectacular on 2 November promises to be a superb day of entertainment ending in a fireworks spectacular. Enjoy the first meeting of the Jump season, as well as a selection of thrilling rides, including the ever-popular dodgems, a carousel, ghost train, waltzer, children’s slide, tea-cups, Formula 2000 and a paratrooper ride. More gentle rides are available for the under 10s. All rides are FREE until the last race, after which they cost £1 each, which will be donated to local charities. Candy floss and toffee apples, available from the Plaza kiosks, will add flavour to the fairground experience. The Fireworks Spectacular begins at 6pm.

Come and visit the café in the park

Tickets from only £18 with advance booking. Under 18s go FREE. Fireworks only tickets can be pre-purchased from the Ascot Round Table (www.ascotroundtable.org.uk) or bought on the gate. For further information, visit www.ascot.co.uk

Bocketts Farm Park 26th Oct - 3rd Nov

WizardS & WitcheS Week enjoy A spooktAculAr dAy out › Hundreds of pumpkins!

The Perfect Place for Families Open daily for breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea

Available for parties and other catered events Canapes, bowl food, 3 course menus and curries – it’s your choice!

The Pavilion Café, Claygate Recreation Ground, Church Road, Claygate, Surrey, KT10 0HQ.

Mid October-November 2013

Enjoy our heated play barn, new seating area and Coffee Shop!

THE COW SHED C O F F E E B A R

› Wizards & Witches Trail! › Creepy crafts!

Book Your Christmas Party Now!

Pop Up Restaurant every Friday in December! October Only: FREE Kids meal with Every Adult Main! Contact: 01372 464999

NeW thiS autumN:

plus

Animal handling, Goat milking, Tractor Rides, Pony Rides and Pig Racing EVERYDAY!

www.bockettsfarm.co.uk

Special

Offer

d Ar Aw wi nn ing !

£1 off full price farm entry per person

(max 5 people) valid from 4th - 30th November 2013. Only with this voucher.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

27 27

The

Property & Finance Guide

Do You Have Protection? Your Guide to the Insurance You Really Need By David Saunders Consider the following. It is illegal to drive a car without insurance. Buildings Insurance is a requirement of a Mortgage. It’s advisable to insure your possessions with Contents Insurance. Most of us know and accept these things without question. It used to also be a requirement of a Mortgage to have Life Cover but it no longer is. So Life Insurance is up to you. As is Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection Cover. As a Protection Adviser, I come across many families without Life Insurance, Critical Illness or Income Protection insurance. Some see it as an unaffordable luxury and others see it as unnecessary. It seems that whilst the majority of us understand the importance of insuring our possessions, fewer of us have woken up to the importance of insuring ourselves.

Fun WithMusic! Music! Fun With

In Central CentralRichmond Richmond In Music Classes for for Music Classes Music Classes for 1-5 Year Olds 1-5 Year Olds 1-5 Year Olds For For more information, more information call: call:

For more information, call:

020-8332-2275 020-8332-2275

020-8332-2275 www.christinasfunwithmusic.co.uk

So why is this important? What cover is essential and what is merely recommended? Let’s take a closer look at the different types of Protection available: Life Cover offers a payment on death or if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness which is expected to cause death. This kind of policy can help you and your family at a very difficult time. Critical Illness Cover offers a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specific critical illness. Some policies also offer protection benefits if your child becomes ill. Income Protection Cover provides a regular income if ill health stops you earning - it is available for employed or self-employed people. In ensuring you have the right amount of cover, it is important to consider your individual needs. Do you live in rented accommodation or have a mortgage? Do you have any dependents? What are your daily living expenses? As a Protection Adviser, I help people work out the right amount of cover. You may find this hard to believe, but Protection Advisers rate the level of importance of different types of Protection in descending order as follows: Income Protection - how long would you survive on benefit? Critical Illness - how long would your savings last if you were recovering from cancer or a heart attack? Life Cover - how would your partner and children cope without your income? Why is this? It is to do with the relative importance of the income and the chances of the event happening. Statistically, you are more likely to get sick and be unable to work than to die. Statistically, you are more likely to get a Critical Illness and survive than to die. Consider these facts:

 Every 2 minutes someone in the UK is

Ceramics Café Kew Original Ceramics - Painted By You Studio Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Sunday 11am-6pm Closed Mon, except Bank Holidays and Half Terms www.ceramicscafe.com Tel: 020 8332 6661

1a Mortlake Terrace, Kew Green Richmond TW9 3DT

FOOTIE TOTS

An introduction to the world of fitness and football for children ages 2 1/2 to 5 years

FOOTIE WIZARDS

For children ages 5 to 8 years ALL CLASSES HELD INDOORS - FOOTBALL PARTIES AVAILABLE Call Andy for info and bookings on

07931 707720

andy@footie-tots.co.uk

diagnosed with cancer

 In the UK in 2009, more than 48,480

women were diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s around 133 a day  More than 1 in 3 people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime  Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers for men aged between 15 and 45  Every year an estimated 152,000 people in the UK have a stroke

extra David Saunders is from Rosemount Wealth Management in Surrey and offers impartial advice about mortgages and mortgagerelated insurance products. For further information, email david.saunders@rosemountfs.co.uk or visit www.rosemountfs.com

Choosing By Olivia Malaure

The devil is in the detail and this is never truer than in relation to a renovation or building project. It takes time and commitment to make complex decisions which will impact on the size and aesthetic of a room, as well as your comfort in the space, like deciding that the inconvenience and expense of moving the existing plumbing is worth it to capitalise on living space. Then there are the complex regulations like head heights and floor levels to get your head round. Even if you have a team of experts behind you and are well researched, you’ll need your builder’s expert advice in meeting these challenges. For this reason, it’s imperative that you work with a building company that you trust and with which you feel you can really communicate.

With medical advances people are more likely to survive critical illness, but this means that more people are likely to take prolonged periods off work for treatment and recovery. This situation could have a huge impact on their income and Critical Illness cover can really make a difference. As the above statistics demonstrate, the reality is it could happen to any of us at any time. Financial piece of mind is, at the very least, one less thing to worry about at such a stressful and emotional time. Protection really does matter. A good adviser will have access to a wide range of insurance companies and be able to find the protection that is just right for you.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Mid October-November 2013

The

Property & Finance Guide

Don’t be tricked into using an unregulated letting agent........

V I L L A G E

PROPERTIES

The Independent Letting Specialists

....let Village Properties handle your tenancy and you are in for a real treat! We’re on the hunt for new properties to join our fabulous Autumn lettings collection, so call us today and enjoy a truly personal, productive and professional service.

020 33 55 55 30 village-properties.co.uk

Your Builder Russell Collocott is the owner of Key Building Works LTD, a building company established in 1999 and involved in all aspects of design and build in SW London and the surrounds. Russell reiterates that good communication is paramount for the smooth running of any project, big or small.“If you don’t get the feeling you can communicate well with your builder when you first meet, I would recommend steering clear” he advises. Working with clients from the inception of a project to the final brushstroke, Russell stresses the importance of checking a builder’s references prior to commissioning work on a project.”So often, in my experience, people rush ahead without getting references” he says.“It’s the equivalent of jumping off a cliff without checking first to make sure your parachute doesn’t have a hole in it.”

... good communication is paramount for the smooth running of any project, big or small. So how much should you expect your extension or loft conversion to cost? This will depend on your location, the structure and size of what you build and the level of complication of unavoidable matters such as drainage. Depending on exactly what the work entails, you can expect to pay between £1800 and £2500 per square metre to deliver a finished product. Additionally, Mid October-November 2013

VAT is charged at 20% on all construction work. On top of the building work, anticipate spending a minimum of 10% of the construction cost on fees for architects, structural engineers, building regulation checks and planning permission, if required. It’s also important to factor into your budget any extra costs involved if you need to manage without a kitchen for a while or move out while the work is done. The government’s Planning Portal (www.planningportal.co.uk) lays out building regulations and explains what is permitted without planning permission, along

extra

with details on how to apply if necessary. The calculator on the Planning Portal website can also assist you in working out the potential costs. “Cost is always a major factor in choosing a building company” advises Russell, “but it’s worth remembering that cheap is generally more expensive in the long run!”

Russell Collocott is proprietor of Key Building Works LTD where all building projects are managed and executed with accuracy and great attention to detail. Its work is carried out by trusted artisans with a wealth of knowledge, who are proud of what they do and of delivering projects perfectly, on time and on budget. For further information, visit www.keybuildingworks.com

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

29 29

LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE THE POLKA THEATRE 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB 020 8543 4888 www.polkatheatre.com

27 Sep to 26 Oct THE PLANET AND STUFF For Ages: 9-13 Climate change takes centre stage in a show for anyone who wants to change the world. Exploding with fun, facts and audience participation, this production takes a fascinating look at environmental science and fairness in world politics, with all the crazy games and glitz that bring the debate to life. HALF TERM

Wed 16 Oct to Sat 15 Feb GORILLA For Ages: 1-5 (30 min toddler version also showing)

Meet the world’s friendliest gorilla this winter and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic award-winning picture book by former Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne, brought to life with puppetry, music and a giant sprinkling of Polka magic. Wed 30 Oct to Sat 2 Nov TEA TIME HALF TERM! For Ages: 4-7 A wonderfully silly celebration of meal times in words, song, music

Autumn Theatre Listings and dance, inspired by the games we all play around the kitchen table! Tea Time is the perfect show for anyone who has ever made an island out of mash with a sea of gravy, pretended a spoon of yoghurt was a steam train, or realised that food is just as much fun at the end of your nose as it is in your mouth! Sat 9 Nov TREASURE ISLAND For Ages: 7+ Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story of young Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver, retold by acclaimed children’s writer Mike Kenny - with a twist. Modern day and fantasy worlds collide as a supermarket becomes the scene for the greatest pirate story of them all, turning aisles into islands and carrots into parrots.

THE RIVERHOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Sat 30 Nov HALF TERM THE FISHES WISHES For Ages: 3+ A vegetarian fish escapes from behind his glass into our airy world of up and down with so many questions. Why is the sky blue? What do fish say at the bottom of the sea? Where do they keep the salt? Help him find the answers in this interactive philosophical cabaret for a younger audience.

THE ROSE THEATRE 24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL Box Office: 0844 482 1556 www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Tues 29 Oct to HALF TERM Sun 3 Nov WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD For Ages: 2+

Manor Road, Walton KT12 2PF Box Office: 01932 253354 www.riverhousebarn.co.uk HALF TERM Sat 26 Oct THE MUSICIANS OF BREMEN For Ages: 3+ A worn out toy donkey, a pull along dog, a one-eyed cat and a mechanical cockerel find themselves facing the scrap heap. Rather than accepting their fate, they run away to Bremen Town

Just Imagine Ballet (formally Twinkle Toes Ballet)

Enchanting & magical classes with props, puppets & pictures to inspire & delight children from

18 months - 10 years old

Places available Enrolling now! phone: 07879 521 457 email: info@twinkletoesballet.com RICHMOND - TWICKENHAM - KEW - EAST SHEEN 30

to try their luck as musicians. So begins the greatest adventure of their lives. Toy Story meets the Brothers Grimm in this enchanting new production. Told with fabulous puppets, an innovative stage set and a brilliant musical soundtrack!

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Based on award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But the tiniest, quietest creature of all, The Ladybird, has a plan of her own. Join the woolly sheep, the hairy hog, the fat red hen and the dainty dog in this brand new stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ colourful farmyard adventure. With live music, puppetry, plenty of audience participation and lots of fun!

WATERMANS

40 High Street, Brentford TW8 0DS Box Office: 020 8232 1010 www.watermans.org.uk Sun 20 Oct THE GRUMPIEST BOY N THE WORLD For Ages: 4+ The story of grumpy 7 year old Zachary, his teeth are aligned, his lines are where one would expect, and his specs non-existent. Fed up with feeling average, he journeys into a surreal and entrancing world to discover what makes him special. Physical theatre,

storytelling, live music and a host of hilarious characters combine in this unique twist on an adventure tale. Sun 27 Oct Half Term! THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA For Ages: 2.5+

Become part of this playful and comic story of a prince in search of a ‘real’ princess, a clever queen, a girl who is not as she first appears, a tower of mattresses and, of course, a tiny pea. This quirky and inventive adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s bedtime tale is played out among sheets and blankets with puppets, objects and dream-like projections. ALSO ART ‘N’ CRAFT WORKSHOP Time: 12.30 and 4pm Cost: £2 per child /Adults Go Free! Pop up Princesses (& Princes) Make a Fairytale toy! Create a little prince or princess, so small they can hide inside a cup. Then make them pop-up and surprise your friends! Mon 28 Oct HALF TERM A PINCH OF PICKLE, A WHISK OF WISE For Ages: 4+ With a cup of wackiness, a brim-full of originality and a sprinkling of enchantment, Snail Tales brings you a recipe for family entertainment like no other! Stories of crazy characters, potty plots and sensational settings, enriched with new puppets, magic, songs and plenty of audience participation! HALF TERM Wed 30 Oct MR HONK AND HIS SAD TROMBONE For Ages: 4+

Mr Honk plays in the local brass band. He is a cheery sort of chap with a sunny disposition and a spring in his step, but his Mid October-November 2013

trombone only plays the blues. Mr Honk is determined to get to the heart of the matter and cheer up his instrument. In the process, he has some surprising revelations and achieves extraordinary results. ALSO ART ‘N’ CRAFT WORKSHOP Time: 2 and 4pm Cost: £2 per child. Adults Go Free! Musical Trombone Headdress Create a trombone to wear on your head, complete with bouncing music notes!

Sun 3 Nov HALF TERM MISUNDERSTOOD MONSTERS For Ages: 4-9 Saint Georgie, a professional monster catcher and his faithful sidekick, Squeezy, are on their most dangerous mission yet. Overcome your fear of fiends, spiders, crocodiles and aliens through fast moving, out-of-this-world adventure, including site-specific digital game playing.

WIN! COMPETITION! WIN! This is a chance to WIN a Family Ticket to see SNOW GORILLA, The Rose Theatre’s Christmas Show!

Join Sunny, a teenage boy fascinated by the circus, as he goes on the adventure of a lifetime! Experience an array of marvellous circus acts, as with the assistance of The Mighty Gor,

a gorilla that become his soul mate, Sunny strives to win the heart of the beautiful daughter of the Ring Mistress. With its fusion of circus acts and drama, Snow Gorilla is destined to charm even the youngest viewer who will be dazzled by real circus acts including aerialists, jugglers, contortionists, chair stackers, acrobats, live musicians and flamenco dancers, whilst older children and adults will be equally captivated by the story. The season runs from Friday 29 November to Friday 5 January and the Family Ticket will be valid for any performance during this time for which there is availability.

To Enter: Go to our website www.familiesuponthames.co.uk and answer the following question:

Sun 10 Nov THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF AND OTHER FURRY TALES For Ages: 3-7 This beautiful show weaves together many of your favourite fairy tales using puppets and props. It’s full of fun and laughter and has an exciting gypsy soundtrack that you won’t be able to stop singing long after the show has finished. ALSO ART ‘N’ CRAFT WORKSHOP Time: 2 and 4pm Cost: £2 per child. Adults Go Free! Billy Goats Gruff Paper Bag Puppet Make your own goat character hand puppet. Transform a simple bag into a comical goat and take him home to play! Sun 17 Nov THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER For Ages: 3-8

This playful re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s poetic story uses light, simple materials and objects that are skilfully transformed

LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE through puppetry, to create a theatrical experience that will engage and touch young hearts and minds. Sun 24 Nov POP! For Ages: 4+ Join Christian Lee, the “king of comedy magic” (Time Out), and enter his magical world of mirth, mayhem and frolics. He has got a lot to say and do in this fast-paced show that will wow you by the minute! An interactive family show with flying tables that fly high into the air and bowling balls that jump out of drawing pads! There is plenty of magical content to keep the young and young- at-heart entertained. Sun 1 Dec SNOW PLAY For Ages: 3-6 When Mr Green comes back from his Christmas holidays he finds that Mr White has moved into his house and covered everything in snow. Make a giant snowman, have a super snowball fight and help bring back the spring in this highly interactive smash-hit London production.

❄

What is the name of the gorilla that becomes Sunny’s friend?

Closing Date: Friday, 29 November Terms and Conditions Apply

Mid October-November 2013

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LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE

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Christmas Theatre Preview You’ll See Plenty of Tall Stories this Christmas as Two Classics Return!

Peter Pan at Richmond Theatre

Join Peter, Wendy and the Lost Boys as they take on the villainous Captain Hook and his band of pirates. Legendary film and television actor, Henry Winkler, takes on the role of dastardly Captain Hook in a production that will captivate the young and the young at heart. Peter Pan runs from Friday 6 December to Sunday 12 January. For tickets, call 0844 871 7651 or visit www.atgtickets/richmond

The Gruffalo Stomps in for a Sixth West End Season “Silly old Fox doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!” With the perfect combination of catchy music, original songs, laughter, physical theatre and scary fun, Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of The Gruffalo is a firm favourite with adults and children alike and the perfect festive treat for all the family. In this hit adaptation of the award-winning picture book, The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Mouse goes on a daring adventure through the deep dark wood, in which she encounters a little more than the hazlenuts for which she is searching! Meet the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the party-mad Snake, and cheer as Mouse outwits them all with the story of the fabled Gruffalo. The Gruffalo is running at The Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES between Wednesday 20 November and Sunday 12 January and is perfect for little and big children ages 3 and upwards. To book, call 0844 412 4661 or visit www.nimaxtheatres.com

Wed 11 – Mon 23 Dec 2013 • Watermans Christmas Show £9 (£8) • Family Ticket: £32

From the company that brought you

The Gruffalo and My Brother The Robot

The Snow Dragon approaches Watermans in Brentford… Tall Stories returns to Waterman’s with the heart-warming tale of The Snow Dragon. Billy has everything a young goat could need – and more besides. In fact, he’s a spoilt kid. He bullies his friends and thinks only of himself. Then, on New Year’s Eve, Billy’s parents tell him about the legendary Snow Dragon, who will bring him even more goodies during the night. But when Billy bumps into some wolves in the woods, New Year’s Day seems a long way off. Find out how Billy escapes – and whether the Snow Dragon will bring him a present. Has Billy been naughty or nice? Story-telling, comedy and songs interweave to create a magical, mysterious world perfect for everybody aged 3 upwards, as well as delivering an uplifting ending as Billy learns that kindness brings its own rewards. ‘If you are a kid, if you have kids, if you ever were a kid, go and see The Snow Dragon’ (Three Weeks). The Snow Dragon runs from Wednesday 11 December to Monday 23 December (excluding Monday 16 and Friday 20). For further information, visit www.watermans.org.uk

MacLaddin

Way back in the mists of time, just north of the border, wee Willie MacLaddin discovers a magic lamp in his mother’s pantry. What could possibly go wrong? Find out in this hilarious tartan Christmas romp. With live music and the

help of Walton’s two favourite policemen, Reg and Stan. Make sure you’re there to see Hotbuckle’s funniest Christmas show yet! MacLaddin runs from Friday 13 December to Saturday 21 December.

For further information, visit www.riverhousebarn.co.uk

Enter the charm and playfulness of...

My Shiny Shop

A magical winter’s story for everyone aged 3+ based on the book by Toby Mitchell, illustrated by Anna Lewenhaupt

“Tall Stories set the benchmark for children’s theatre” Sunday Times

Here you will find a carefully curated cast

DIRECTED BY

of international brands and designers,

Toby Mitchell CREATIVE PRODUCER

almost all of whom are exclusive to the UK.

Olivia Jacobs

My Shiny Shop is a destination store for

PUPPET DESIGNER

Yvonne Stone

all things children... from stylish wardrobe

Watermans 40 High Street Brentford TW8 0DS Box Office 020 8232 1010 www.watermans.org.uk

essentials, design-led gifts, to decorative room accessories for babies and children. MYSHINYSHOP.COM

Bookings made online attract a £1 transaction booking fee. Watermans is managed by Hounslow Arts Trust Ltd (No. 1164904) Registered as a charity (No. 267426) VAT No. 422352977

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Mid October-November 2013 MSS_Ad.indd 1

02/10/2013 23:53

❄

Christmas Theatre Preview Run Away to the Circus this Christmas!

Step into the magical world of Circus Marginy with Snow Gorilla at The Rose Theatre. “This is it… the circus… I’ve longed for this… imagined it, wished it and dreamed it!” With the innovation for which it is known, The Rose Theatre in Kingston departs from the traditional this Christmas to deliver the sensational Snow Gorilla. A

highly original, hugely entertaining spectacle in which circus and storytelling collide, Snow Gorilla will have something for every family member, however young or old. The story centres upon Sunny, a teenager, who is captivated by the spectacular sights and sweet smells of the circus. Much to his delight, he is embraced by the circus’ eccentric family of performers and finds an unlikely soul mate in The Mighty Gor, a gorilla, as he goes on an adventure of a lifetime. Experience African Acrobats, Spanish Flamenco, jugglers, contortionists and death-defying aerialists alongside Sunny in the land of sawdust and dreams, as, with the assistance of The Mighty Gor, he strives to win the heart of the beautiful daughter of the Ring Mistress. Discover what happens when Sunny stumbles upon the circus’ dark secret. Who is the mysterious figure that seems to threaten his new-found happiness? Celebrated actor, Brian Blessed will be the voice of the Snow Gorilla which runs from Friday, 29 November to Friday 5 January. For more information and booking, visit www.rosetheatrekingston.org

LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE

Make a Very Important Date with Polka Theatre…. don’t be late!

For families with children ages 6 to 11, Polka Theatre in Wimbledon brings its light, expert touch to the much-loved children’s classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland this Christmas. Lewis Carroll’s charming characters spring to life in an enchanting show full of music, madness and mystery. Take tea with the Mad Hatter, meet the White Rabbit, grin with the Cheshire Cat and play croquet with the Queen of Hearts, but whatever you do… don’t lose your head! Join Polka in Wonderland this winter for a thrilling adventure that’s bursting with laughter, imagination, original songs and stunning staging. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland runs from Friday 22 November to Saturday 15 February. For further information, visit www.polkatheatre.com

Fri 29 Nov – Sun 5 Jan rosetheatrekingston.org (bkg fee) 08444 821 556 (bkg fee) A world class theatre on your doorstep

Mid October-November 2013

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LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE

“Spend a Day and Stay a Lifetime” at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon

When it opened its doors back in 1979, the motto of Polka Theatre was “spend a day, stay a lifetime” and today that remains as relevant as ever. A visit to the Polka’s home, a converted church hall in Wimbledon, is an experience in itself, offering children a space in which they can easily pass a few happy hours dressing up, reading books, exploring the garden and playground, or discovering the different exhibitions and art installations. They can even eat lunch in a train carriage! Creating a fun, exciting, inspiring environment is one of the key aims of Polka Children’s Theatre Ltd, the touring company which established the theatre in 1979. Stephen Midlane, Executive Director since that time, says “We want children to come and see performances from an early age, but also enjoy lots of different, stimulating experiences.” As well as its main 300-seater theatre, Polka also has a smaller, more intimate Adventure Theatre for under 5s, which offers a great introduction to theatre for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. These days a trip to the theatre has become an “activity of choice” for many families, but Polka quickly recognised that lack of interest or perceived cost would mean that many others would never visit. It committed from the start to make shows accessible to a broad range of children, take theatre into communities with little cultural provision and work with children

at risk of exclusion. It offers free tickets and subsidised transport to schools from low income areas. Local community is important too and strong links with local groups, schools, libraries and organisations such as the South Wimbledon Children’s Centre, have resulted in a number of schemes which see local mums meeting up for coffee at Polka, and local fathers exploring books with their children during its “Stories with Dad” sessions. Polka’s Creative Learning Department also runs a variety of unique school holiday drama workshops on site, as well as after-school clubs for local schools.. But the jewel in Polka’s crown is, of course, its performances, which deliver “world-class” theatre every time. Achieving quality is paramount and the team works tirelessly to commission scriptwriters, directors, production teams and set designers at the top of their game.“We look at who we want to work with, which books or stories inspire us, and which topics would make good theatre” says Stephen. Theatre production is time-consuming and costly and takes an average of two to three years from concept to stage. For this reason, one or two of Polka’s annual productions are produced by visiting companies, who take over the main theatre for 4 to 5 weeks a year. The remaining three or four are produced by Polka itself, from an original script or by adapting an existing one. This

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By Justina Gapper year’s Christmas show, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a Polka adaption of a Simon Reade script, whilst forthcoming production Gorilla is an entirely new script based on a book by Anthony Browne. With touring in its history, Polka sees some of its work tour through collaborations with companies such as BBC Worldwide, which is still touring the two hugely successful Charlie and Lola productions globally, but Polka is keen to tour its own productions. This is on the agenda of newly-appointed Artistic Director, Peter Glanville, from renowned puppet theatre The Little Angel Theatre, Islington. Polka runs as a charity, relying heavily on donations, grants and ticket sales, so Peter will also explore new sources of income, and partnerships with other companies, venues and organisations, such as museums and galleries. Proud of its pioneering work in adapting performances for children with autism, Polka originated the concept of “relaxed

performances” following a series of Saturday workshops for parents/carers of autistic children. The relaxed environment is created by reducing the volume of the soundtrack, having lights at half-level, and admitting fewer people. ”Making Polka accessible, breaking down barriers and offering opportunities for people who may not be theatre-goers, is as important to us as our theatre performances” says Stephen. For details of forthcoming Polka shows, including Gorilla and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, see listings on page 30 and 33, or visit www.polkatheatre.com

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Mid October-November 2013

what’s on VENUE DETAILS

CHERTSEY MUSEUM The Cedars, 33 Windsor Street, Chertsey KT16 8AT 01932 565764 www.chertseymuseum.org.uk HAMPTON COURT PALACE East Molesey, KT8 9AU 0844 482 7777 www.hrp.org.uk/ HamptonCourtPalace LONDON WETLAND CENTRE Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 www.wwt.org.uk/london OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE Jersey Road, Isleworth TW7 4RB 020 8232 5050 www.nationaltrust.org.uk RICHMOND THEATRE The Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1QJ 020 8332 4500 www.atgtickets.com/news ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB 020 8332 5655 www.kew.org STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE 268 Waldegrave Rd, Twickenham TW1 4ST 020 8744 1241 www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk SYON PARK London Rd, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 8JF 020 8758 1888 www.syonpark.co.uk

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

DAILY UNTIL SUN 3 NOV INCREDIBLES FAMILY FUN AT KEW GARDENS Tasty Plant Trail Grab a snack pack (£2.50) and find the plant that each snack comes from. The clue at each stop on the trail indicates which part of that plant the snack comes from. SAT 19 OCT AND SUN 20 OCT AND SAT 26 OCT TO SUN 3 NOV FUNGI FUN ART WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS AT KEW GARDENS Munchbox Time: From 9.30am. Cost: Free. How does a mushroom gets its spots? Drop-in art and education workshops. Children can build a plasticine model of their favourite fungi, adding their creation to a mass participation artwork, recreating a woodland forest floor! Hands-on with Magical Mushrooms Discover the secret world of mushroom roots, examine fungi specimens under a microscope and get hands-on with straw bales inoculated with oyster mushroom spores! Pumpkin Carving Time: 11am-3.30pm Master vegetable grower, Tony Finch, shows off his pumpkin carving skills. Buy a pumpkin to carve at home or one of his carved creations. SAT 19 OCT EID FAMILY FUN DAY 2013 Richmond upon Thames College, Mid October-November 2013

Twickenham TW2 7SJ Time: 11am-4pm. Cost: Entry and Parking Free. Science show, falconry display, tethered hot balloon, Little Kickers football, fairground rides, soft play, face painting, pony rides and vintage cars. More info: www.eidfamilyfunday.co.uk NCT HALLOWEEN DISCO IN TWICKENHAM The Turks Head, 28 Winchester Rd, Twickenham TW1 1LF Time: 10am-12pm. Cost: £6 per child, £3 per sibling. A spook-tastic Halloween party! Live interactive music from Tempo Tots. Dress in your most ghoulish costume! Bookings: ncttwickenham@gmail.com FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL 2013 AT RICHMOND THEATRE Richmond Theatre takes part in the first UK-wide festival of family arts. Macbeth Madness Family Tour Time: 11am–12pm For Ages: 5+ Backstage tour uncovering the theatre’s ghostly and mysterious goings-on. Take the stage to see who has the loudest stage actor voice! Crazy Confusions! Drama Workshop Time: 11.15 am – 12.15 pm For Ages: 5+ Rehearse and perform Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”all in one hour! Fabulous Family Duels Fun and Games Time: 1.30–3.00pm For Ages: All Use drama, word play and brain power as your weapons to do battle with other families. SUN 20 OCT LUCKY DIP DISCO Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Manor Road, Walton on Thames KT12 2PF Time: 2-4pm. Cost: Adult £4, Child £6, Non-Walkers Free. Retro Disco for children under 7 and families. Select records from the 1920’s to the 2010’s on 7” vinyl/digital. Bubbles/lights/games. Pre-booking advised! More Info: 01932 254198 www.riverhousebarn.co.uk MUSICAL WORKSHOP IN WALTON Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Manor Road, Walton on Thames, KT12 2PF For Ages: 8-12. Time: 2-5pm. Cost: £20. Old School versus New School! Learn a scene and some choreography from ‘Annie.’ Finish with a song from ‘High School Musical!’ Fun workshop led by local celebrity and West End performer, Lorraine Chappell. More Info: 01932 254198 www.riverhousebarn.co.uk SURBITON SKI SUNDAY AND SEETHING LUGE Central Parade, St Marks Hill, Surbiton KT6 4PJ Time: 11am-1pm. Cost: Free. Ski down Central Parade in Surbiton with blocks of ice strapped to your

feet or take part in the famous Seething Bath Luge. Fun, laughter, thrills and spills, raising money for charity. More info: suburbanskiing@yahoo.com OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE SECRETS OF TREES Time: 2-3.30pm. Cost: £5 Adult, £2.50 Children. Join the Warden for a walk in the park taking in some of Osterley’s rare and veteran trees. Find out what they would tell us if they could talk. Pre-booking advised.

Get close to and learn about some shy but amazing, exotic and home-grown spiders with the British Tarantula Society. Spider talk at 12 noon daily. Learn to identify common British species. SAT 26 OCT TO THURS 31 OCT HALLOWEEN AT PAINSHILL Portsmouth Rd, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1JE Dress up in your spookiest costume for Halloween fun. More Info: www.painshill.co.uk SAT 26 OCT TO FRIDAY 1 NOV HALF TERM WORKSHOPS AT LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB Cost: Adult £15, Under16s Free SAT 26 OCT (unlimited entry for a year). HALLOWEEN KIDS CLUB AT Celebrate the 150th anniversary FULHAM PALACE of the London Underground. The Education Centre, Bishop’s Explore the Puppet Zoo by joining Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EA in story time and make-and-take For Ages: 3-7 (accompanied by an craft workshops. adult). Time: 10:30am to 1pm Cost: £15 per child £13 for siblings Story Time Workshop For Ages: 3-7. when booked together. Time:11am and 4pm Party hosted by Bedazzled Events and including themed games, a craft Told through puppets, meet the famous map maker Harry Beck activity, storytelling, dancing, balloons, magic and lots of fun! Prize and adventure with him through the Underground to find animals for the best dressed! Price includes which have escaped from squash, small snack and craft. Booking req’d at www.wegottickets. London Zoo. Make and Take Workshop com/event/239586 For Ages: 4-12. Time: 11.30am More info: 07964 708505 and 2.30pm info@bedazzledevents.org.uk Use felt collage to create finger www.bedazzledevents.org.uk puppets of the map-maker Harry THE HEART’S KIDS CLUB Beck and the animals he meets as The Heart Shopping Centre, he explores the Underground. Walton on Thames More info: www.ltmuseum.co.uk Time: 10am-2pm. Cost: Free. SAT 26 OCT TO SUN 3 NOV Free pumpkin carving workshops OCTOBER HALF TERM AT WWT for children. Pumpkins can be taken home, along with goody bag LONDON WETLAND CENTRE Enjoy traditional pumpkin carving containing samples, sweets and and make spooky, spider-inspired retailer discounts. Halloween creations. Explore the More info: Halloween-themed discovery heartshopping.co.uk/kids-club SAT 26 OCT AND SUN 27 OCT trolley and learn about the SPIDER WEEKEND AT WWT LONDON gruesome side of wetlands.Grab WETLAND CENTRE a net for pond-dipping and see For Ages: All Cost: Free with normal what you can find swimming admission. under the water!

HALLOWEEN AND HALF TERM

Halloween Ugly Bug Ball

NE FOR O LY ON NIGHT

Including Real Ugly Bugs and lots of other Spooky Halloween Animals! Fagg’s Rd Feltham TW14 0LZ

020 8831 9658

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

35 35

what’s on FAERY QUEEN AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE Time: 10am-4.30pm. Cost: Free with Normal Admission. Queen Elizabeth I visits Hampton Court, inviting children to come and prepare a royal welcome for her. She likes to be called ‘The Faery Queen,’ so she would be very happy to see anyone aged 12 or under dressed as fairies, elves or sprites – or wearing their best Tudor outfit! SPOOKY TRAIL AND HALLOWEEN POEMS AT KEW BRIDGE STEAM MUSEUM Green Dragon Lane, Brentford TW8 0EN For Ages: 4-11 Time: 11.30am-3.30pm Cost: Free Drop-In. Collect spooky Victorian words from the museum’s dark corners. Compose a scary poem and decorate it with shimmering Halloween shapes. More Info: 020 8568 47578 alison@kbsm.org SUN 27 OCT THE SEETHING HALLOWEEN WALK Meet outside The Lamb, Brighton Road, Surbiton Time: 5-6.15pm. Cost: Free. Don your scariest clothes and process through the streets bringing thrills and screams to Surbiton. Enjoy the Victorian splendour of St Andrew’s Square with traditional Halloween games and shocks. More info: www.seethingwells.org HAUNTED TRAIL AT SYON PARK Cost: Free with House admission Look for the clues inside Syon House to win a prize. MON 28 OCT MULTICULTURAL AFTERNOON AT WHITTON LIBRARY 141 Nelson Rd, Whitton TW2 7BB For Ages: 5-12. Time: 1.30-3.30pm. Cost: Free. Bollywood dancing, henna artist and candle decorating for Diwali. Booking req’d. More info: 020 8734 3343 whitton. library@richmond.gov.uk MON 28 OCT TO WED 30 OCT OPEN WEEK AT LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM ACTON DEPOT 2 Museum Way, 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, W3 9BQ Creative workshops, family tours and chance to take the driver’s seat on a steam train, Tube train and A-stock Metropolitan line train. More info: www.ltmuseum.co.uk/ museum-depot TUES 29 OCT CHILDREN’S HALF TERM CRAFT ACTIVITY AT CHERTSEY MUSEUM Time: 11am-12.30pm or 2-3.30pm. Cost: £4.50 per child. For Ages: 5-12 Make creepy Halloween bunting to decorate the scariest of parties! Prior booking req’d. WINSTON NZINGA AT RICHMOND AND HAM LIBRARIES Time: 11am at Richmond and 2.15pm at Ham 36

For Ages: 3-10. Cost: Free. Winston Nzinga, the musician and storyteller. Booking req’d. More info: Richmond 020 8734 3330 Ham 020 8734 3340 WED 30 OCT THE ANANSI STORIES AT TWICKENHAM LIBRARY For Ages: 2-8. Time: 2pm. Cost: Free. To celebate Black History Month with Richmond Libraries, Storytelling Adventures re-tells the Anansi stories. Booking req’d. More info: 020 8734 3340 twickenham.library@richmond. gov.uk HALLOWEEN NIGHT SAFARI AT WWT LONDON WETLAND CENTRE For Ages: 7+. Time: 5-7pm. Cost: £17.50 per child, accompanying adult free. Enjoy Halloween games and storytelling around the stove in the yurt, before watching a display of amazing aerial acrobatics on a bat walk. With bat detectors, hear the ’chattering’ of the seven species of bat at the Centre. Booking essential. WED 30 OCT AND THURS 31 OCT HALLOWEEN SPOOKY TOURS AT STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE For Ages: 7+. Time: 5-6pm & 6-7pm. Cost: £10. Join“Thrills, Spills, Spooks and Scares”for a hilariously scary “on-the-move”performance, venturing into the dark corners and behind the hidden doors of Strawberry Hill! Torches essential, sweets aplenty! Goody bag for children in costume and prize for the best. THURS 31 OCT CHILDREN’S HALF TERM CRAFT ACTIVITY AT CHERTSEY MUSEUM Time: 11am-12.30pm or 2-3.30pm. Cost: £4.50 per child. For Ages: 5-12 Make an Egyptian mummy pencil box, along with creepy mummy in residence! Prior booking req’d. SPOOKTACULAR TRICK OR TREATING AT TWO RIVERS Two Rivers Shopping Centre, Staines, Surrey TW18 4BL Time: 11am-4pm. A fun, safe ‘trick or treating’ event. Children can search for pictures of pumpkins in shop windows. Whenever they spy one, they can go in and request a sweet! More Info: 0845 268 2000 www.tworiverstaines.com FRI 1 NOV TEMPO TOTS CHARITY CLASSICAL CONCERT IN TWICKENHAM Clarendon Hall, York House, Richmond Rd, Twickenham TW1 3AA Times and Ages: 10-10.45am (18 months-4years), 11-11.45am (3-18 months). Cost: £10. Live classical music, including popular classics and nursery rhymes, provided by the breathtaking ‘Aurora Duo’ (Dawn Durrant, flautist and Kate Smith, harpist) to raise money for a local charity Momentum.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Booking: Online at www.eventbrite. co.uk/org/2620258308 FRI 1 NOV TO SUN 3 NOV OPEN WEEKEND AT LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM ACTON DEPOT 2 Museum Way, 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, W3 9BQ Explore the Museum’s treasures and participate in family activities including creative workshops, miniature railway rides, miniature tram rides, films and heritage bus rides. More info: www.ltmuseum.co.uk/ museum-depot SAT 2 NOV FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL 2013 AT RICHMOND THEATRE Talented Thespian Family Tour Time: 11am-12pm. For Ages: 5+ Find out about the life of an actor and hear amusing theatre stories, whilst touring backstage. Take to the stage to see who has the loudest stage actor voice! Fabulous Family Duels Fun and Games Time: 1.30-3pm For Ages: All Use drama, word play and brain power as your only weapons to do battle with other families! 15 MINUTES OF FUN AT CHERTSEY MUSEUM Time: 1.30-3.30pm. Cost: Free. Free family drop-in craft session. Make a pine cone feeder. No booking req’d. FAMILY LEARNING FESTIVAL AT HOUNSLOW LIBRARY Time: 10am-4.15pm. Cost: Free Drop-In. Enjoy Family Rhyming, Singing & Counting for ages 0-4, Family Growing is Fun and Family Festival Crafts for ages 3+ as part of the Family Learning Festival. Check website for times More info: www.hounslow.info SAT 2 NOV AND SUN 3 NOV TUDOR COOKERY AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE Cost: Free with normal admission Historic cooks prepare exotic dishes in the Kitchens of King Henry VIII, and plainer yet still lavish food for the court. They try new techniques and decipher ancient manuscripts to find the perfect meal. EVERY SAT IN NOV AND DEC FAMILY GHOST TOURS AT HAMPTON COURT PALACE For Ages: 6+. Time: 6.30-8pm. Cost: £20 Adult, Child (6-14) £10. Join the State Apartment Warders for an early evening walking tour specifically designed for families. See the ghostly North Cloister, hear stories of the scary apparitions and paranormal activity at one of the most haunted buildings in the country. 16 NOV TO 24 DEC SANTA’S GROTTO AT CHESSINGTON GARDEN CENTRE Leatherhead Rd, Chessington KT9 2NG Cost: Child £10 includes gift, Adult £3.

More than your usual Santa’s Grotto, this is a magical journey through a wonderland of stunning fairy tale scenes. More info: 01372 725638 www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk SQUIRES 4D CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE IN SHEPPERTON Halliford Road, Shepperton TW17 8SG Cost: Child £7/£8. Adult £3. See Boris the Dog in his special effects 4D film adventure in the Squires cinema before visiting Santa in his magical toy workshop. A professional photographer will capture your magical moment and be available to purchase in a glitter globes, frame or Christmas baubles. Booking required. More info: www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk/boris EVERY FRI, SAT, SUN FROM 22 NOV TO 8 DEC THE ENCHANTED WOODLAND AT SYON PARK Time: 5-9pm. Cost: £7 Adult, £3 Children. Syon Park is illuminating the gardens and Great Conservatory for the 8th Annual Enchanted Woodland. Wrap up warm and join them! SAT 30 NOV FESTIVE CRAFT AT PAINSHILL Portsmouth Rd, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1JE For Ages: 5-13. Time: 10am-1pm. Cost: Adult £12, Children £8. Make your own fantastic Christmas decorations out of natural materials from around the landscape garden. (One adult required for every two children) More Info: www.painshill.co.uk 01932 868113 SAT 30 NOV AND SUN 1 DEC DECK THE HALLS AT OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Members: Free Non-members: Adult £4.35, Children £2.25 Family £10.95. Journey through Osterley’s past from riches to rations this Christmas. 30 NOV TO 5 JAN CIRQUE NORMANDIE AT CHESSINGTON GARDEN CENTRE Leatherhead Rd, Chessington KT9 2NG Time: Various. Cost: Adult £12, Child £10, Family £40. This year’s show is bigger and better than ever, featuring an international cast of aerialists, acrobats, jugglers as well as Tolly the Clown and Company in the centrally heated Big Top. More info: 01372 725638 www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk 30 NOVEMBER TO 12 JANUARY RICHMOND ICE RINK IN TWICKENHAM York House, Richmond Road, Twickenham TW1 3AA Skate against the backdrop of the stately York House. Additional attractions will include Shetland pony rides, Santa’s grotto, face painting, winter drinks, festive snacks, skating performances. Pre-booking advisable. Tickets from website. More info: www.richmondrink.com Mid October-November 2013

what’s on Halloween and Half Term at the National Trust CLAREMONT LANDSCAPE GARDEN

HALLOWEEN HALF TERM ACTIVITIES 28 OCT PUMPKIN CARVING Time: 1pm. Cost: £1.50. Carve a spooky pumpkin. 29 OCT TO 31 OCT HALLOWEEN CRAFT WORKSHOPS Time: 1pm. Cost: £1.50 (per craft). Halloween crafts in the Thatched Cottage. 31 OCT HALLOWEEN STORYTELLING Time: 4.00, 4.30 and 5.00pm Cost: £0.50 (for storytelling) Dress up for Halloween and bring your lantern for a spook-tacular walk around the lake.

HAM HOUSE AND GARDEN

SAT 26 OCT TO SUN 3 NOV HALLOWEEN HALF TERM FUN Cost: Adults: Normal Admission, Kids go Free! Dress up and enjoy spooky and crafty fun. MON 28 OCT TO THURS 31 OCT FAMILY GHOST TOURS Time: 10.30-11.30am. Cost: Normal Admission + £7.50 Adults. Kids go Free! Enjoy spooky and craft family art activities, Meg the Cat’s Potion Trail and Scary Story Time all week (except 1 November).

OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE SAT 26 OCT AND SUN 27 OCT HALLOWEEN FAMILY PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Members: Free. Non-members: Adults £4.35, Children £2.25. Participate in silly games, carve your own scary pumpkin and listen to spooky stories. Create creepy craft items to take home. Come dressed up for a small treat. SAT 26 OCT TO SUN 3 OCT AUTUMN HALF TERM FAMILY FUN TRAILS Time: 12-3.30pm. Cost: For Gardens only: Members: Free and £1 per trail (including prize). Non-members: Adults £4.35 Children £2.25 and £1 per trail (including prize). Explore the park in an exciting family-focused trail. Complete the trail and claim your prize! WED 30 OCT DISHING THE DIRT Time: 12-2pm. Cost: Members: Free. Non-members: Adult £9.95, Children £5. See Osterley’s house team hard at work on an aspect of conservation in the house, listen to them explaining their work and their secrets, ask questions about their techniques. Learn about how Osterley is cared for.

VENUE DETAILS CLAREMONT LANDSCAPE GARDEN Portsmouth Road, Esher KT10 9JG 01372 467806 www.nationaltrust.org.uk HAM HOUSE AND GARDEN Ham Street, Ham TW10 7RS 020 8940 1950 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hamhouse

PLAY CONKERS: ‘50 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU’RE 11¾’ Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Members: Free. Non-members: Adults £4.35 Children £2.25. Can you become a conker champion? Tick number 10 on the National Trust’s ‘50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4’ and find out! Enjoy exciting games in Osterley’s conker-laden grounds. THURS 31 OCT CRAFT CART Time: 12-3pm. Cost: Free. Visit the free craft cart and enjoy fun craft activities with changing themes.

POLESDEN LACEY

SAT 26 OCT TO SUN 3 NOV HALLOWEEN SPOOKS AND STORIES Cost: Normal admission plus £2 per child. Scary ghost stories in the wild woods! OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE Jersey Road, Isleworth TW7 4RB 020 8232 5050 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-park POLESDEN LACEY Great Bookham, near Dorking RH5 6BD 01372 452048 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey

SANTA SPECIALS S E E S A N TA O N A STEAM TRAIN!

Advance booking only!

The toy for the whole family

Your gifts this year direct from the Dragon’s Den.

Boxes for all ages and stages.

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

DATES FROM 30TH NOVEMBER - 24TH DECEMBER FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK CLICKETY CLICK TO WWW.WATERCRESSLINE.CO.UK

Mid October-November 2013

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37 37

what’s on

10% OFF IN OCT AND NOV

“The Best Party Magic” Over 25 years of top entertainment

The most amazing magic, plus balloon models, games, party bags… and Harry the white rabbit!

Christmas Lights Switch On Get in the festive spirit with your local community and enjoy Christmas parades, fairs, stalls, music, food, and, of course, mulled wine and mince pies!

Tim Barnes

(020) 8568 5706 tim@timbarnes.biz www.timbarnes.biz Member of The Magic Circle

COBHAM, Fri 29 Nov EAST SHEEN, Sun 1 Dec HAMPTON, Sun 1 Dec HAMPTON HILL, Fri 29 Nov

KINGSTON, Sat 14 Dec RICHMOND, Sat 30 Nov STAINES, Sun 24 Nov ST MARGARETS, Sun 8 Dec

THAMES DITTON, Sun 1 Dec TWICKENHAM, Fri 22 Nov WALTON, 30 Nov WHITTON, Sun 24 Nov

For further Switch On details including other towns, times and more, visit www.familiesuponthames.co.uk/What’s On/Christmas Light Switch On 2013

NEARLY NEW SALES Matwork and reformer group and 1:1 sessions Morning, lunchtime and evening Specialist pregnancy and postnatal classes Twickenham www.performpilates.co.uk 07425 143203

Maternity, Baby & Kids 0-6

Kingston Sat 2nd November 2-4pm Piper Road Community Centre , KT1 3EX

Esher Sun 24th November 2-4pm King George’s Hall, KT10 0RA For further info & stall bookings visit: www.mum2mummarket.co.uk

Mrs Jones EDUCATION 11 PLUS TUITION & Mock Exam Practice West & South West London

Y3 (pre-Plus), Y4 and Y5 (11 Plus) State Grammar and Private Schools Bursaries and Scholarships Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Exam Practice, Interview Technique Highly Experienced Graduate Teachers EXCELLENT RESULTS

TEL: 0208-390-6076 www.11plustuition.co.uk 38

SAT 19 OCT NCT NEARLY NEW SALE, CHERTSEY Chertsey Hall, Heriot Rd, Chertsey KT16 9DR. Time: 2.30-4pm. www.nct.org.uk/byfleet SUN 20 Oct NCT NEARLY NEW SALE, CLAYGATE Claygate Centre. Elm Rd, Claygate KT10 0EH. Time: 12-2pm. www.nct.org.uk/esher SAT 2 NOV MUM2MUM MARKET NEARLY NEW SALE IN KINGSTON Piper Road Community Centre, Piper Road, Kingston KT1 3EX Time: 2-4pm. janine@mum2mummarket.co.uk www.mum2mummarket.co.uk

SAT 9 NOV NCT NEARLY NEW SALE IN WALTON Ashley C of E School, Ashley Road, Walton, KT12 1HX. Time: 11am-12.30pm. 0844 243 6312 nctnearlynewsale@yahoo.co.uk www.nct.org.uk/walton-hersham SATURDAY 16 NOV NCT NEARLY NEW SALE IN EGHAM Egham Leisure Centre, Vicarage Rd, TW20 8NL. Time: 10.30am-12pm. sae.nct@hotmail.co.uk www.nct.org.uk/staines-ashford-egham SAT 23 NOV WALTON TWINS CLUB NEARLY NEW SALE The Playhouse, Hepworth Way, Walton KT12 1AU. Time: 10-11.30am. waltontwinsclub@yahoo.co.uk www.waltontwinsclub.org

NCT NEARLY NEW SALE IN TWICKENHAM All Hallows Church Hall, Encroft Way, TW1 1EN. Time: 9.45-11.30am. twickenham.nns@hotmail.com www.nct.org.uk/twickenham-hounslow SUN 24 NOV MUM2MUM MARKET NEARLY NEW SALE, ESHER Kings George’s Hall (next to Civic Centre), High Street, Esher KT10 0RA Time: 12-4pm. louise@mum2mummarket.co.uk www.mum2mummarket.co.uk SAT 30 NOV NCT NEARLY NEW SALE, BYFLEET Byfleet Village Hall. Time: 2.30-4pm. www.nct.org.uk/byfleet

DIARY DATES FOR PARENTS THURS 20 OCT LOVE WHAT WE DO SHOPPING EVENT IN WEST BYFLEET West Hall, Parvis Rd, KT14 6EZ Time: 7-10pm. Cost: Free. Love What We Do is a group of entrepreneurial mums with a passion for bringing their local community together at exciting, original shopping and social events. Join their pre-Christmas event at the stunning West Hall in West Byfleet. Sample a fantastic range of bespoke, handcrafted, local and unusual offerings. A welcoming, friendly atmosphere is assured. Drinks and complimentary canapés available. Booking not req’d. More info: www.facebook.com/ LoveWhatWeDo FRI 25 TO SUN 27 OCT THE BABY SHOW Olympia, Kensington W14 8UX Time: 9.30am-5.30pm Cost: From £10.95 (quote ‘FAM02’)

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

The leading pregnancy and parenting event and an essential part of the journey into parenthood for for 10 years, this is a unique experience with superb shopping, expert advice and family-friendly fun. Thousands of products from hundreds of brands are featured, plus you get the chance to hear from/meet top baby specialists, including Professor Robert Winston. Exhibitors include: Fisher-Price, MadeForMums.com, Olli Ella, Stokke, Mothercare and many more. More info: www.thebabyshow.co.uk SAT 26 OCT BIRTH, BABY & BEYOND FAIR IN TWICKENHAM York House, Richmond Rd, Twickenham TW1 3AA Time: 11am-2pm. Cost: £3 (children free) Antenatal support, complementary therapists, baby equipment,

baby and toddler classes, exercise and wellbeing, photographers, toys and more! More info: nctbirthandbabyfair@hotmail.co.uk WED 30 OCT AND FRI 1 NOV HALLOWEEN HORROR TOURS AT STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE For Ages: 18+. Time: 7.30-10pm. Cost: £20. Terrify yourself on a tour of Strawberry Hill with dramatic surprises from Raymond Daniel Davies. Attend in Halloween costume if you wish. Prize for the best costume! Complimentary glass of Prosecco from 7.30pm. Tour begins 8pm. More info: www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER HOME-START ELMBRIDGE QUIZ NIGHT Claygate Village Hall, Church Rd, Claygate KT10 0JP Time: from 7pm. Cost: £12 includes fish and chip supper. More info: 01932 235802 homestart@elmbridgehousing.org.uk Mid October-November 2013

Chessington garden centre.co.uk

i r c u s i s b ac k i n T o The C vember - 5th Jan wn uar th No 30

o n l i n e o r i n - s t o r e NO W Book

W All NE ! Show

www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk

Enrolling NOW for our new term.

Come along to a FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION and see how much FUN your kids can have while growing their skills and conﬁdence.

At The Little Gym we offer a non-competitive, progressive approach to our developmental classes which enable children to reach their greatest potential. Children aged from 4 months to 12 years learn at an age appropriate pace through our structured gymnastics based classes which grows new skills and builds conﬁdence during each stage of their childhood. All this while they are just having loads of FUN with our friendly team of instructors. That’s what we call Serious FUN!

We also do fantastic birthday parties Call today for more info or to book a free introductory visit. Enrolment is available throughout the year.

www.thelittlegym.co.uk

Hampton & Teddington Hampton Hill  TW12 1NY 020 8977 0099 hampton_teddington@thelittlegym.co.uk

Wandsworth & Fulham Wandsworth, SW18 1DB 020 8874 6567 wandsworth_fulham@thelittlegym.co.uk

Chiswick Chiswick  W4 3AN 020 8994 3729 chiswick@thelittlegym.co.uk

Westfield Westfield shopping centre  W12 7GE 020 8735 0817 westfield@thelittlegym.co.uk

Families upon Thames is designed by Sarah Harmer and printed by Warners, in Lincolnshire. Copyright, Families upon Thames magazine 2013. Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, neither Families nor its agents accept liabilty for loss or damage. Families upon Thames 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 liscense. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of the advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.