Families upon Thames July - August 2013

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upon Thames

July/August 2013 Issue 89

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Your Summer of Fun!

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

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

please call Diana Page

01235 533362

Stagecoach Theatre Arts The original, largest and still the best network of performing arts schools in the world.

Call your local Stagecoach to enrol Chertsey HinchleyWood Hounslow Kew New Malden Richmond

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Staines Twickenham Weybridge

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www.familiesglasgow.co.uk Covering North Surrey and the boroughs of Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow

London’s Favourite Interactive Farm welcomes the Most Amazing Fish and Reptiles in the Country!

Fun for All the Family Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September 27th Festival of Fishkeeping at Hounslow Urban Farm 10am to 5pm ✷ Face painting ✷ Children’s animal encounters ✷ Bouncy castle ✷ Bird of prey displays ✷ Animal feeding ✷ Children’s play zones ✷ Competitions ✷ Activities ✷ Demonstrations Heated and undercover display tents Food and drink ALL FOR ONLY THE NORMAL ADMISSION PRICE TO HOUNSLOW URBAN FARM £6.50 per adult, £5 per child (over 2) or £21 Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children)

For more information, call 020 8831 9658 Visit www.hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk or www.fbas.co.uk Hounslow Urban Farm, Faggs Road, Feltham, TW14 0LZ

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July-August 2013

Visit a Fairy Tale Castle!

– WIN Family 4 Family Health and Wellbeing Tickets to the Festival of 7 Education Fishkeeping at Hounslow Urban  Explore Learning Promotion Farm and a miniature aquarium  It’s Snappy Tag 16 Focus on Claygate  New Alphabet Ipad App  Community Matters. How a  Stanley Primary Cements its Place Café Became a Community Hub  New Local Free Secondary  Children’s Activities.  The 100th Claygate Flower Show Schools  Things Your Child Should Be Able  Local Girl Brings Creative Heart to Do Before Starting School 18 The Big Summer Holiday 8 Parenting 20 Summer Camps, Workshops  Sleep Tight, Sweet Dreams & Courses  Parenting Toddlers  It’s Summer! Time for your 12 Family Food and Nutrition child to….  How Much Salt Should We Eat?  Experience Magic  Family Friendly Restaurants  Do An Activity with YOU  Help! My Child Won’t Eat  Check out a Cheese Slam 14 Summer Days Out and have some Serious Fun!  The UK’s Favourite Nature Reserve  Take on a New Challenge  Let Your Kids Drive in London  Do Drama with Disney  Something Fishy on the Farm  Join a Jazz Ensemble

Do Something Different Build a Robot  Learn How to Turn a Cartwheel  Take a Trip to Space  Exceed Expectations  Join in – Alone  Whip Up a Wonderful Feast Summer Camps, Workshops and Courses Directory More One Day Workshops  Strawberry Hill House  Guildford Spectrum  WWT London Wetland Centre Competitions  WIN Family Tickets to Ascot LolliBop Hobbledown  WIN Colour-In Pocket and Postcard Books from Eggnog Play Cafes and Soft Play Centres  New Kids on the Block  Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves… 



 Competition

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32 Clubs, Classes and Activities  How to Recognise a Quality Gymnastics Club  When Can My Child Learn Gymnastics and What are the Benefits?  Get Them Active!

34 Property  Psst, There’s An Agent Here from a Record Company  Exclusive Offer – My Property Too App  Why One in Three Property Transactions Fail 36 Parties  Bouncy Castle “Do’s and Don’ts”  BabyBug Parties – 15% Discount 37 Local Theatre Guide  Review: Charlie and Lola’s  Extremely New Play  Local Theatre Listings 38 What’s On  Take the Great 50 Things Challenge at Osterley 41 Classifieds

Find us and like us on Facebook Facebook.com/familiesuponthames

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LINDA STONE, editor m: 07530 283330 t: 020 8241 0423 e: editor@familiesuponthames.co.uk www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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CONTENTS

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July-August 2013

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FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING Life Coaching: How Does It Work?

By Hannah Ashenden

Life coaching has some things in common with psychotherapy in that both are about self-development. However, whereas therapy primarily involves exploring the past to establish the root cause of current debilitating problems, life coaching is a more solution-focused and goal-orientated treatment which helps people move forward to create the life they want.

Life coaching uses easily implemented and proven techniques to uncover negative behaviour patterns and beliefs that stand in the way of individuals achieving what they want and then replaces them with more positive behaviours and beliefs.

DEFINING GOALS The life coaching approach keeps the focus on what a person wants to achieve. This not only inspires and drives coaching sessions forward, but also ensures that progress can be clearly monitored in relation to goals.

In order to get clear about what

it is someone wants to achieve, life coaching first looks at exactly where people are in their life right now and compares this to where they would ideally like to be. Creating this strong contrast allows people to set goals to work towards and a timeframe in which to achieve them.

ACHIEVING GOALS Even with the most inspirational of goals, the journey to achieve them can seem daunting.

However, breaking a goal down by setting achievable, realistic milestones immediately makes it seem more accessible. Questions such as: ”What needs to happen in order for me to achieve this?” “What is the first step towards X?” and “Where do I want to be by date Y?” help in effectively setting milestones. Focusing on each milestone and celebrating each success as it happens means that the bigger goals are achieved almost imperceptibly.

RE-WRITING BELIEFS Beliefs drive our behaviour and life coaching gives people the tools to be able to create new, more positive beliefs about themselves. Asking someone to list how long ago a belief was created (often during childhood) offers insight into how easily a negative belief can become a chronic part of everyday life. When people

challenge themselves to find supporting evidence for negative beliefs or thoughts, they invariably find there is none, resulting in a change of outlook and in new behaviours more aligned with their goals.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY For me, life coaching is about empowering people, helping them to understand themselves better and showing them that they have the tools to create a more fulfilling life. Life offers us 3 choices in life - to lay blame, to justify, or to take responsibility.

When we choose to take responsibility for our actions, we regain control of a situation and are able to choose how to move forward.

The degree to which we can take responsibility dictates our ultimate success.

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.

INJURY TO WELLNESS WITH PILATES

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During an ambitious attempt at snow-boarding a couple of years ago, I tore two ligaments in my hip and, last December, I underwent a hip arthroscopy to repair the tears. When the hospital physiotherapist presented me with a list of post-operative rehabilitation exercises, I felt pretty confident. Why? Because they were all Pilates exercises! It was now my turn to experience the power of Pilates as a tool to aid 1rehabilitation 31/05/2012after16:35 surgery.

The root of Pilates is in rehabili-

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Jeannie Di Bon tells us about her personal experience.

tation. Joseph Pilates began his work with ‘patients’ while interned in the UK during World War I. He had suffered ill health himself as a child and had built the foundations of a healthy adult life through his unique work. While interned, he refined his mat exercise programme, and, in time, he introduced simple resistance work, utilizing the resources available, such as bed springs! Thus, with the aid of a spring, he was able to help those that were bed ridden with injury to regain strength and

mobility. This was likely the first concept of the machine we now know as a Reformer.

Many clients will initially embark on a Pilates programme after recommendation by a medical professional. Pilates-based exercises are the choice of many surgeons and consultants post surgery, but it can also be used as a strengthening and stabilising tool pre-surgery or to help prevent future injury. It is important for the Pilates instructor and the referring medical professional to establish a

Motivational Coaching

Building their foundation for life

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If you are concerned about your child’s confidence, behaviour or motivation and are worried that they are not fulfilling their true potential at school then you may be looking to give your child support and encouragement.

If so call us to discuss your child’s unique needs.

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Jules: 07789 264803 Rowan: 07973 340785 Email: info@yellow-brickroad.co.uk Visit our website for more information

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July-August 2013

FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Why IS Knowledge Not Enough When it Comes to Nutrition? By Bryony Ganf Many of us know what we should be eating (or, at least, what we shouldn’t), so why are we still over-weight? What exactly is it that prevents us from becoming lean and staying lean? Habits.

Or, more precisely, bad habits.

After working with clients for a number of years, I have identified a number of bad habits which lead people to binge eating, sweet cravings, mindless eating, over-consumption and addictive-style eating.

So what are some of these bad habits?

Unconscious Eating ✸ Eating so quickly you don’t even taste your food, then immediately going for seconds ✸ Eating at 1pm “because its lunchtime!” ✸ Eating because “it is free” ✸ Eating because “there is always cake in the office.”

In the above examples, people are not eating because they are dialogue when taking on a new client, allowing the transition from injury to wellness to be as smooth and successful as possible.

Pilates will be looking at addressing overall alignment, compensations, mobility, control, balance, articulation and fluidity. The benefit of Pilates is that it can target specific, localised muscle groups, building stability and control around the affected area. In my case, exercises were initially small range and specific to the affected hip. Then, global and functional

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physically hungry. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to register you have eaten. So set aside at least 20 minutes to eat your meal, then wait a further 20 minutes before reaching for more. Chew slowly, take 15-20 chews before swallowing and put down your knife and fork between bites. You may actually find you enjoy meals a lot more.

Eating until ‘completely stuffed.’

This is usually triggered by unconscious eating, described above. We have all been there bloated, tired and waddling around after over-eating (this is different to binge eating). The meal may have been ‘healthy’ but the hard fact remains, you have eaten too much. Feeding the body more fuel than it needs will result in fat gain. Simple. So, eat only until you are 80% full, reduce your normal portion size and finish eating a mouthful or so before you normally would. Once these habits are implemented, people report fat

reduction, increased energy levels and better concentration.

Not eating lean protein with every meal (eggs, lean cuts of red meat, poultry, fish and tofu).

Meals solely consisting of carbohydrates lead to blood sugar crashes, resulting in binge eating. Including protein with every meal helps stabilise blood sugar levels and leaves you satisfied for longer. For example, swap cereal for scrambled eggs and veggies for breakfast.

Bad habits can be triggered by situations.

You may find that you only binge eat when you watch TV, so find something else to do when you might be feeling vulnerable to over-eating.

These are just some examples of bad habits that I discuss with my clients. Everyone is different, so find out what works for you, and do more of that.

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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

movements can be introduced, allowing a ‘patient’ to return to full function in everyday life.

Many clients decide to continue with Pilates once they have finished their ‘rehab’ both as a maintenance tool, and because of the overall health benefits it offers.

Jeanie Di Bon is the founder of Creattiva Pilates, a fully equipped Pilates Studio in Esher. Creattiva Pilates works with many local medical professionals and lots of them also attend its classes! For more information, visit www.creattivapilates.com

July-August 2013

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FAMILY HEALTH AND WELLBEING How Homeopathy Can Help with Allergies

By Melissa Wakeling (DI Hom Practitioner MARH RHom)

Dairy, nuts, wheat, pollen, dust, animal fur, latex, nickel – the list of substances which can trigger an allergic reaction seems to grow longer every day and it is true that the occurrence of allergic disease is rising dramatically, especially in children. Possible causes are diet, genetics and the excessive cleanliness of our lives which may interrupt the development of the immune system.

An allergic reaction is an immune response occurring at the interface between the external and internal environment – on the skin, in the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, in the digestive tract and the eyes. To defend itself from an allergen, the body produces the chemical histamine which causes inflammation, sneezing, watery eyes, streaming nose or skin reactions (“hives”) and even some forms of asthma.

The conventional approach to allergies is to avoid exposure to the allergen or take an antihistamine or corticosteroids. Antihistamines interrupt the allergic response while corticosteroids prevent an inflammatory response. Another approach is ‘immunotherapy’

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which involves regular injections of small amounts of the relevant allergen over a long period of time, which leads to a gradual desensitization of the body to it. This approach is based upon a simplified version of ‘isopathy,’ a form of homeopathy where a highly-diluted remedy made from the causative agents of a disease is prescribed to a patient suffering the same disease.

The homeopathic approach to allergies involves addressing why an individual ‘overreacts,’ to an allergen, with the belief that allergies are really just a part of a wider imbalance, given that a resilient person can withstand a variety of potential allergens without becoming allergic. A homeopath will often begin by prescribing a ‘constitutional’ remedy based upon the entirety of an individual’s physical and emotional symptoms, with the aim of strengthening their natural resilience to environmental stresses.

An isopathy treatment may also be offered; for example, many hay fever sufferers find the homeopathic remedy ‘Mixed Pollens’ helpful throughout the pollen season. There is also a range of acute homeopathic remedies which can be useful in managing the symptoms of allergies when they occur.

Homeopathic medicines, known as ‘remedies’, are specially prepared, highly diluted substances that are non-addictive, safe for the whole family including expectant mothers, and can be used alongside other forms of medication. There is solid research demonstrating the effectiveness of homeopathy in the treatment of allergies.

Melissa Wakeling owns and runs Teddington Homeopathy. She treats all family members, with a special interest in babies and children. For more information, visit www.teddingtonhomeopathy.com. For more information on conditions helped by homeopathy, visit www.britishhomeopathic.org/research/Conditions

MEASLES: IT’S STILL A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM

Dr Robert Arlt discusses the recent outbreak of measles Measles was once a feared and deadly epidemic, something which seems now to be largely forgotten.

Unfortunately, low awareness of the virus, combined with false information about the vaccine, has seen a recent revival of this highly contagious and dangerous condition, with 20 to 40 million people worldwide still infected each year.

What is measles?

Measles is an infectious virus that mainly affects children, but can occur at any age.

Entering the body through the respiratory tract or eyes, following contact from large droplets or small-droplet aerosols in the air, it causes a characteristic rash and flu-like symptoms. Patients are infectious from 3 days before manifesting symptoms until between 4 and 6 days after the rash appears. Approximately 90% of those susceptible to the virus will develop symptoms if exposed to it. It’s not even necessary to have face-to-face contact with an infected person as the virus can be suspended in

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& increase For more information flexibility. and bookings email Jo@thedancebarre.co.uk or call 07985 562343

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Please seek medical guidance if: ✸ Your child has not been vaccinated against MMR ✸ Your child has been in contact with other children with measles ✸ Your child has a visible red rash combined with flu-like symptoms ✸ Your child has a fever and is very unwell

Dr Robert Arlt is Consultant Paediatrician at Richmond Practice which provides consultant-led paediatric services and all the standard childhood vaccinations. For more information, visit www.richmondpractice.co.uk

Give your child the gift of a beautiful smile for life l Preventive dental care

the air for up to an hour after that person leaves the room.

Yearly immunisation rates for measles have dropped from 90% to only 54% of children, probably as the result of a study which falsely incriminated the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccination with causing autism. The direct result of this is an increase in outbreaks of this deadly virus and the number of cases of measles in the UK has risen sharply to nearly 2000 in 2012.

The most recent outbreak has been in Swansea in May, where already more than 1300 cases have been reported.

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You Join in July!

Explore Learning Centres provide maths and English tuition to 5 to 14 year olds of all abilities, and also run special courses in 11+ exam preparation.

The centres are open 7 days a week, and are Ofsted registered, meaning that Childcare Vouchers can be used to pay for membership. Children attend up to twice a week on a drop-in basis so it’s easy to fit tuition into the busy family schedule.

As Explore members, children work with tutors who are great educational role models, enthusiastic about learning and fantastic motivators. Each child has an individualised learning programme tailored to meet their needs and all Explore courses work to the National Curriculum.

This combination of benefits has led to the company being named Supplementary Education Provider of the Year at the prestigious Education Investor Awards for the past 2 years.

If you are looking for an engaging way to keep your child’s brain active over the long summer break, you can take advantage of 25% off the price of your child’s first full month of tuition at participating centres if you join in July.

To book your trial, visit www.explorelearning.co.uk or call your local centre.

Say It Personally launches Snappy Tag!

Labelling clothes is such a chore and so time-consuming! But not any more. Online gift retailer, Say It Personally, has recently launched an innovative new method of clothes labelling. This is a “one-click” way to label school uniforms, clothing and other items quickly and securely. Labels do not need to be sewn in or ironed on – and unlike some iron-ons, they don’t come off again in the wash!

Snappy Tag is similar to a small button and very simple to use. The name you require is etched onto the tags before they are delivered to you, using a laser process called Permanent EtchRM, and names are guaranteed not to fade or wash off.

Families Upon Thames decided to test Snappy Tag - and who better to ask than an 11 year old boy who needed to label his clothes for scout camp!

Isaac’s verdict: I was really fed up when my mum told me I’d have to label my own gear because I thought this would mean sewing or ironing, which I’m terrible at! But I found out that Snappy Tag is quite different and works really well.

In the package I received from Snappy Tag,

there was a Snappy Tag applicator, tags that mum had selected and tag backs. All I had to do was put the tag into the applicator, which was simple, put in the strip of backs and then snap the tags, one by one, onto my clothes.

It literally only took me 30 seconds once I’d worked out what I was doing. The brilliant thing is that when I snapped the tag and the tag back together, it didn’t puncture a hole in the garment. Also, I found out from reading the instructions that you can remove the tags with a special tool once you’ve outgrown the clothes or don’t wear them anymore. Then you can re-use the same tag on another piece of clothing - you only need to buy more backs.

I’d highly recommend Snappy Tag - and so would my mum - mainly because she HATES sewing and ironing even more than I do!

For more information, visit www.snappytags.co.uk

Maths & English tuition centre For 5 to 14 year olds of all abilities • Courses mapped to the National Curriculum.

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EDUCATION

25% P R O M O T I O N OFF S P E C I A L O F F E R !

First Phonic Sounds is a fun and exciting educational iPad app designed to assist children in developing the correct understanding of the alphabet and phonic sounds.

Its unique game-play makes learning enjoyable and more effective for young children, as they aim to align the correct initial

initial letter sounds in a clear English accent helps create a sound foundation that really assists early learning.

The quality of the images and animation used in the First Phonic Sounds app makes it really stand out, helping your child understand the correct use of lower case letters, as taught by the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Stanley Primary School Cements its Place at the Centre of the Local Community

The children, parents and staff of Stanley Primary School in Teddington are celebrating moving into their new state-of-the-art learning environment. The school has To buy First Phonic Sounds, visit www.appstore.com/firstphonicsounds been completely renovated including the addition of two new buildings to accommodate its expanding community.

The building has been carefully designed to ensure it maximises learning potential and in both 2011 and 2012 and preparing two meets the needs of many different learning In Richmond, Turing House School has more for opening this year. Speaking on behalf styles. The new facilities include fully equipped been given the green light for opening of the steering group, Twickenham parent and up-to-date ICT facilities, outdoor learning in September 2014 and will now receive Beverley Sanders said, “We’re thrilled that all areas and fully resourced creative bases for Government support and funding to secure a of our hard work has paid off. We have a lot each year group. There are extensive outside suitable site and put its detailed educational of work to do before the school opens, but we grounds and play spaces and even an on-site plans in place. have a strong sponsor in The Russell Education swimming pool! The new building also houses Turing House will be a brand new secondary Trust, as well as fantastic support from the a specialist unit for children with additional school for the Richmond borough, catering local community.” learning needs, a brand new nursery and for boys and girls aged 11-18. It will be an In Kingston, the North Kingston the Stanley Children’s Centre, with a full inclusive community school which will focus Secondary School has also been given the timetable of activities which serve the needs of on responsibility, personal achievement and go-ahead. The school will be co-educational, the local community. academic success. The school’s curriculum non-selective and non-faith and is expected to Quiet courtyard areas and several will be broad and balanced, with particular open on the site of the North Kingston Centre playgrounds with a range of different play specialisms in Science, Engineering and Music. in Richmond Road in September 2014. The equipment, allow children, at break times, to Turing House is sponsored by The Russell school will have 180 places. Previous council choose to be with their peers or mix with a Education Trust which has a proven decisions to build a new secondary school in range of friends across the school. track-record in setting up free secondary Kingston were thwarted by Government policy Stanley’s creative curriculum links children’s schools, having successfully opened the largest so the news of the success of the bid by The learning to their own life experiences and Kingston Education Trust, a partnership those of the local, national and international between Kingston University, Kingston College communities; children and staff can be found and Education Kingston, is very exciting for exploring life as airline pilots, Victorians, parents in the area. robots, chefs and Another bid by charity, Chapel Street for a many others! This two-form entry primary in Motspur Park was teaching is enriched also approved by the Education Secretary but by the school’s Lunchboxes • Water Bottles a third free school bid by GEMS Education ‘Working Lunches’ Books • Uniforms • Footwear which involve a for primary schools in New Malden and member of the local Tolworth was turned down.

T: 01635 298326 community sharing www.easy2name.com For more information on Turing House, their work or life visit www.turinghouseschool.org. experiences with the children and staff.

A thriving extended schools provision including clubs running before school, at lunch time and after school and including karate, yoga, French, rugby, ICT and chess, to name just a few, offer additional enrichment to the school day.

Meanwhile, the school’s sporting achievements, especially the title of National Tag Rugby Champions for three consecutive years, are Ages 2 to 5 something of which the Teaches Early Years school community is exceptionally proud.

Foundation Stage.

Two New Local Free Secondary Schools to Open in September 2014!

You name it We label it!

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Julia ’s M

EDUCATION

NEW IPAD APP HELPS CHILDREN DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF letter sound with its matching picture.

THE ALPHABET Emphasis on the correct pronunciation of

Small and caring pre-school in Hampton

Curriculum and Montessori Method.

For a prospectus or to visit, call Julia on 020 8335 0666 / 07939 838991 or email juliasmontessori@aol.com 88

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

For further information about Stanley Primary School, visit www. stanley.richmond.sch.uk July-August 2013

EDUCATION

Things Your Child Should Be Able to Do Before Starting School

By Linda Stone, Editor

Hopefully you know which school your child is going to this September, so it’s time to start preparing. Forget force feeding them phonics, this is about getting your child ready for the social challenges of school. The more prepared they are, the easier they will settle and the more they’ll get out of the early days.

Count If your child can count up to 20 and back from 10, this will give them a really good head start.

Use some of their favourite toys or foods to make counting fun.

Lay out 10 grapes and get them to eat them one by one, counting as they go. It will give them confidence and help them see learning as fun. Plus it’s a great way to get one of their 5 a day into them!

Follow simple instructions The school day is full of these.

Your child will be asked to put coats on pegs, bring packed lunches into classrooms and sit cross legged on the floor. If a child is used to following instructions, they will avoid being reprimanded and there will be more time for the teacher to actually teach!

Start giving your child simple tasks – perhaps helping with the weekly shop or with some straight forward jobs around the house. It will prepare them for school life.

Photo by Anna McCarthy

Get dressed and undressed Imagine the scene. One teacher, 30 children and 30 coats. By the time each child is zipped up, playtime is over. If your child is able to get their coat on by themselves, they may actually get some fresh air! Buttons on trousers and skirts may well become a problem during post-PE changes, so invest in elasticated waistbands. Avoid tights in the early days too - they can lead to unnecessary bathroom accidents.

Shoes with laces and buckles are a complete no-no. Stick to Velcro fastenings which your child can manage themselves.

Share Knowing how to share is difficult but vital if your child is to settle in and make friends. No one wants to play with the child who refuses to take turns and share, and such children can become isolated.

Start to make a point of praising your pre-schooler for sharing toys and other precious items.

Use the toilet independently Reception classrooms usually have a toilet nearby but children are expected to use it on their own.

This can mean less confident children avoid a visit until it’s too late. Encourage your child to begin taking toilet trips without you to build up their confidence.

Remind them that hand washing is part of the ‘visit.’ Doing this now will mean fewer accidents in September.

Eat independently Dinner halls are noisy and can be overwhelming for a child. Make sure they arrive at school able to pick up and use a knife and fork.

If taking a packed lunch, make sure they can open a yoghurt, put

a straw in a juice box and unpeel a banana. Right now, it may seem easier to do these things for them, but it won’t help in the long run.

Practice, however painful, makes perfect.

Recognise their name If your child can recognise their name, they will be able to find their peg, identify their classroom drawer and identify their lost cardigan. Starting school can make even the most confident child feel a little lost. If they can locate important places, it will make them feel more in control.

Use scissors Teachers look for this in the early stages of Reception to evaluate dexterity. Get crafty over the next few months!

Behave appropriately around other children It’s important your child understands how to behave at school and that hitting, kicking, biting and hair pulling will not be tolerated. It will make your child unpopular with classmates and bring them to the attention of the head teacher for all the wrong reasons. Reputations earned in the early days at school can be hard to shift.

Communicate with an adult A child with the ability to communicate with a teacher is more likely to be heard and get more out of the school day. If your child doesn’t understand how to get the attention of an adult, how will they ask to go to the toilet or let their teacher know they don’t understand their work? Encourage your child to practice asking questions and raising a hand home to make sure they understand the most appropriate way of getting a grown up’s attention.

For useful books on starting school, visit www.familiesuponthames.co.uk/Articles/Things Your Child Should Be Able To Do Before Starting School Brought to you by

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9

parenting

Sleep Tight, Sweet Dreams Jackie Garwood takes a look atbynight Sanaterrors.

Issa

Most parents have comforted their child after the occasional nightmare, but if your child has ever experienced what’s known as a night (or sleep) terror, they were probably inconsolable. Although they can be alarming for parents who witness them, night terrors aren’t usually a cause for concern or a sign of a deeper medical issue. They are a sleep disruption that seems similar to a nightmare, but with a far more dramatic presentation.

So what is a night terror?

During a typical night, sleep occurs in several stages. Each is associated with particular brain activity, and it’s during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage that most dreaming occurs. However, night terrors happen during deep, non-REM sleep. Unlike nightmares, they aren’t technically a dream, but more like a sudden reaction of fear that happens during the transition from non-REM to REM sleep.

During a night terror, a child might suddenly sit upright in bed and shout out or scream in distress. Their breathing and

heartbeat might be faster they might sweat, thrash around and act upset and scared. After a few minutes, or sometimes longer, a child simply calms down and returns to sleep. Unlike nightmares, kids won’t have any memory of a night terror the next day because they were in a deep sleep when it happened and there are no mental images to recall.

What causes night terrors?

Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system (CNS) during sleep. This may happen because the CNS (which regulates sleep and waking brain activity) is still maturing. Some kids may inherit this tendency— about 80% of kids who have night terrors have a family member who also experienced them or sleepwalking (a similar type of sleep disturbance). They have also been noted in children who are overtired or ill, stressed, or fatigued; taking a new medication; sleeping in a new environment; or away from home.

Night terrors are relatively rare and usually occur between the ages of 4 and 12, but have been

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Understanding night terrors can reduce your worry — and help you get a good night’s sleep yourself. But if night terrors happen repeatedly, talk to your doctor about whether a referral to a sleep specialist is needed.

Jackie Garwood is a Sleep Specialist and Independent Health Visitor. For more information about the services Jackie offers, visit www.firststepsparenting.co.uk

Clare Holmes from Cobham says: Our daughter, Daisy, was 3 when she started experiencing night terrors. She would be sound asleep by 7pm but then, at around 11pm, often just as we were dropping off to sleep, we would be woken by disturbed crying, often followed by the patter of feet as she rose from her bed and began to pace the room and the landing, her distress building and becoming more vocal. More often than not the expression on her face was one of absolute terror, as though there was some dreadful ghoul or phantom in her field of vision.

She might cry for ‘mummy’ or repeatedly say: ‘I want mummy’ or say nothing that was coherent or logical at all, often just random words that amounted to ‘I’m frightened. Please make this stop.’

Initially, we would try to intervene to comfort her, either physically with outstretched arms or with soothing words, but this seemed to distress her even more.

We eventually learned that, aside from ensuring that she didn’t fall down the stairs or hurt herself by bumping into something, the only thing to do was to let her

“go through it.” Within 5 to 10 minutes, she would “wake” from the night terror, yawn, recognise us, have a cuddle and be settled back into bed for the rest of the night. She never remembered anything either when she had just woken from the night terror or the next morning.

Now 7, our daughter is still having ‘night terrors’ but less frequently, and we have become very adept at dealing with it.

We have learned to make sure she is physically safe but not to try and communicate with her or touch her – in effect to put our emotional needs to one side and do what is right for her. Yes, it is much harder for us than it is for her! Our natural instincts as parents are to ‘rescue’, comfort, protect and try to take away any fear or pain that our children experience. The night terrors are one such time when we have to draw back.

July-August 2013

Photo of sleeping girl by Anna McCarthy

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.

reported in children as young as 18 months. Boys also tend to suffer more. A child might have a single night terror or several before they cease altogether.

Most of the time, night terrors simply disappear on their own as the nervous system matures.

Coping with night terrors The best way to handle a night terror is to wait it out patiently and make sure the child doesn’t get hurt by thrashing around. It’s best not to try to wake children as attempts usually don’t work, and if they do wake up they’re likely to be disoriented and confused, and may take longer to settle down and go back to sleep.

There’s no treatment for night terrors, but you can help prevent them by reducing your child’s stress; establishing and sticking to a bedtime routine that’s simple and relaxing; making sure your child gets enough rest; and preventing your child from becoming overtired by staying up too late.

Karen Henfrey

Only Reward Behaviours You Want To See Verbally praise specific behaviours you notice your toddler displaying eg being kind, gentle, or helpful and name these behaviours so he is clear what he has done well. Alternatively, you can use stickers to chart his progress towards a fun, affordable reward.

Teach Toddlers to be Curious About Life Convey wonder and awe at the natural world and give toddlers plenty of time to amuse themselves rather than be over-organized into structured activities! A toddler’s resourcefulness and creativity can be diminished if he is not given enough time for free play and experimentation. It’s vital that toddlers can repeatedly try out and test things in their world and come to their own conclusions.

by Alison Banks

Toddlers are amazing little people, experiencing huge developmental leaps.

Guiding and supporting them through the resulting changes takes tonnes of energy, tenderness and loving care, a massive dollop of humour, a liberal sprinkle of patience and a healthy injection of realism!

As parents, you are responsible for guiding your toddlers from a relationship with you that most closely resembles a “loving dictatorship” to one approaching a “warm supportive democracy.”

Here are some of the ways in which you can make this journey a little easier.

Develop a Variety of Ways of Communicating The more time you spend interacting with your toddler, the better you will understand each other. Fun, family time together, playing games and encouraging silliness and laughter gives parents and toddlers the opportunity to develop a variety of ways of communicating, including verbal, visual and kinaesthetic, as well as building trust and a loving rapport. This will

Top Tips by

mean fewer frustrating occasions where you and your toddler haven’t a clue where the other is coming from!

Strengthen The Parental Bond The bond between parents and toddlers must be strong if the boundaries you need to put in place to contain their behaviour are to be effective. If your toddler loves being around and interacting with you and other family members, they will try to avoid “time outs” or similar punishments because they won’t want to miss out on cuddles, stories, games or fun.

Pick Your Battles It’s important to decide which battles are worth fighting. Does it really matter if your toddler jumps in a puddle and gets wet, or daubs paint all over his clothes? If you try to exercise too much control and restrict your toddler too much, he will likely rebel and you will end up feeling frustrated. Ask yourself whether it’s more important to be a happy family or to have your own way in every situation? Relinquish your need to have everything the way you would ideally like it to be. When a situation arises where you have to say “no” to your toddler, try to immediately distract him with something else to stop a battle ensuing.

Role Model Good Manners If we role model the manners we want our toddlers to display, eg saying “please” and “thank you” when they ask for something and we give it to them, they will eventually pick this up. Be prepared to do this 50 times a day for at least 6 months! However, don’t nag or berate toddlers when they don’t remember their manners. This will only ensure they stop listening to you.

Help Toddlers Name Feelings You can help toddlers translate their feelings of anger, jealousy, tiredness, happiness, fear into words, so they can express themselves more effectively as they get older. For instance, use words like “I can see you’re angry, because your sister took away your toy, but we do not bite.

It’s not kind to hurt other people.” During times of stress, remember to take breaks to soothe your toddler with cuddles, calming music, singing or reading.

Be Clear on Family Rules but Keep Them to a Minimum Be clear on your family rules but only have a couple of important ones. Agree what behaviour is acceptable and what isn’t with your partner so that you are both singing from the same hymn sheet. You also need to be clear what the consequence will be for your toddler when rules are breached - and then make sure you stick to it!

extra

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.co.uk

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For Toddler Sense Classes In: Teddington Thames Ditton Cobham Addlestone July-August 2013

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parenting

PARENTING TODDLERS

The recommended daily salt intake is just 6g and less for children. But we consume, on average, 8.6g which is about 2 teaspoons.

family food&nutrition

How Much Salt Should We Eat?

Eating too much salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure in later life, which, in turn leads to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Reducing your salt intake and that of your children reduces this risk and so is well worth doing. A lot of everyday foods are not obviously salty but do contain high amounts of “hidden salt.”

It’s easier to make healthier food choices if you are able to quickly check salt content on food labels.

You may use salt in cooking and/or add salt at the table but 75% of your salt intake is likely to come from salt already added to the food you eat, such as meat products, ready meals, soups, pasta sauces, bread and even some breakfast cereals.

The Salt Culprits The following foods contain a lot of salt: meat products such as ham, bacon, sausages, pate and salami; canned, packet and instant soup; condiments such as ketchup, soy sauce, mayonnaise and pickles; stock cubes, gravy powder and salted flavourings; any canned food containing salt; smoked meat and fish, prawns and anchovies; meat and yeast extracts; cheese; salted snacks, nuts, biscuits and popcorn; high salt ready meals, sauces and take-away meals like pizza, Chinese and Indian; pasta sauces; pre-prepared sandwiches.

Some bread and breakfast cereals, which are an important part of a healthy diet, also contain salt, so check and compare labels before making your choice.

How Much Salt is Too Much?

When looking at food labels for salt content, use this easy guide: High in Salt = more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g of sodium) Medium in Salt = between 0.3g (0.1g sodium) and 1.5g (0.6g sodium) of salt per 100g Low in Salt = 0.3g or less of salt per 100g

Salt Sums Salt is Sodium Chloride and food labels often list both which can be confusing.

To convert salt to sodium = divide by 2.5.

To convert sodium to salt = multiply by 2.5.

For example 1g of salt = 0.4g sodium 0.8g sodium = 2g salt

Handy Salt Tips ✔ Use little or no salt in cooking and leave the salt off the dinner table ✔ Cut back on salty processed food and ready meals and try to cook your own if you can ✔ Check food labels for salt content as different brands can vary considerably.

Go for products with lower salt content. ✔ In restaurants and takeaway outlets, request that no salt be added to your food

extra With thanks to The British Dietetic Association (BDA) for this article. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is the professional association and trade union for dietitians.

Family Friendly Restaurants in London Lucy Taylor shares her Top 10

Dining out with children brings unique challenges for parents and can be a nightmare experience if you don’t select a restaurant that caters specifically for kids. At the same time, parents don’t necessarily want to forego fine food and a good wine list. Lucy Taylor, Head of Restaurant Relations at toptable, the leading consumer destination site for restaurant reservations in the UK, shares her favourite restaurants in London, perfect for a special family outing this summer.

Tom’s Kitchen Chelsea www.tomskitchen.co.uk British twist on a French brasserie.

Le Café Anglais Bayswater www.lecafeanglais.co.uk One of West London’s finest restaurants. Roaming magician every Sunday lunchtime!

The Fox and Grapes Raynes Park www.thefoxandgrapeswimbledon.co.uk

Simple British dishes using produce sourced locally from small farmers and producers including independent butchers, fishmongers, fruit and vegetable growers Sam’s Brasserie Chiswick www.samsbrasserie.co.uk Award-winning, informal, all day, every day restaurant and bar.

Bouchon Battersea Acclaimed French brasserie

which is great value for money. Kids playground coming soon!

The Boilingbroke Clapham www.thebolingbroke.com Child-friendly gastro pub, voted one of the top UK restaurants for kids in 2011.

Gazette Balham www.gazettebrasserie.co.uk Inspired by the traditional French village café, this restaurant is a slice of rural France in South West London.

For more details of each of the above restaurants including what’s on offer at each that is specifically for children, visit www.familiesuponthames.co.uk/Articles/Family Friendly Restaurants in London

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The Bollo House Gunnersbury www.thebollohouse.co.uk Relaxed environment, friendly staff, everything is homemade and the menu centres around seasonal produce.

The Rosendale Dulwich www.therosendale.co.uk

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Pub and restaurant with 3 unique al fresco dining spaces, side and rear garden with children’s play area.

Annie’s Chiswick Gunnersbury www.anniesrestaurant.co.uk Brunch, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Beautiful outside dining area and great food and service.

Teddington Midwives Private antenatal classes and postnatal support visits

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We can offer you classes run by experienced midwives, with up to date unbiased information, in small groups and in a local venue. First-time and refresher classes available.

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July-August 2013

Help!

My Child Won’t Eat!

family food&nutrition

Clare Jeffries looks at how to combat the problem.

Photo of boy in blue by Anna McCarthy

If a fussy eating toddler is making mealtimes a nightmare in your family, rest assured you are not alone. Researchers suggest that problems related to small children and food are extremely common.

Whilst long term, a poor diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies and ‘picky eaters’ are both frustrating and stressful to deal with, in the short term, fussy eating is unlikely to cause health problems for your child. Perhaps more significant and difficult to reverse is the psychological scars of both child and parent after a long period of mealtime battles.

Despite the good intention of parents, studies have revealed that long term pressure to eat certain foods (usually fruit and vegetables), excessive restriction of sweet and high-fat foods (known to be the foods children naturally prefer regardless of where in world they are) and using food as a reward, have all been found to lead to the exact reverse of what we as parents want – kids that won’t eat fruits and vegetables but will never turn down a cake, toast, chocolate or biscuits!

So what can you do as a parent of a fussy eater?

It is useful to remember that fussy eating is not always about food. Mealtimes can become simply another area in which your toddler is striking out for independence. The biggest challenge parents of fussy eaters face is the ability to remain relaxed and calm and make mealtimes fun, when in reality they are constantly worrying about whether their child is eating enough, feeling frustrated about the waste of time involved in preparing another MMM Families Print Advert copy.pdf uneaten meal and generally annoyed and at their wits end!

Keeping your home safe and clean for your family C

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Frequent family meals. Eating together as much as possible is known to improve children’s eating. It’s a great opportunity to be a role model and kids are much more likely to do as you do rather than as you say!

Using non-food rewards for eating well.

Having a picture book at the table to put stickers in for every few mouthfuls of food eaten can be surprisingly motivating for little ones.

The good news is that it is very rare for eating problems to continue as children get older. One day your child is likely to enjoy a whole range of foods and the frustration you are currently feeling will be long forgotten. The golden rule is to relax and try not to worry or show visible annoyance. This will prevent the issue of what your toddler eats becoming a battle of wills between you.

extra

Clare Jeffries (BSc (Hons) NT) is a Nutritional Therapist based in Walton on Thames.

Clare specializes in the nutrition and health of babies, children and pregnant mothers.

Clare runs workshops for small groups on common nutrition and health problems, such as digestive issues, food allergies, reflux, constipation, immunity and healthy eating for pregnant, breastfeeding and tired mums!

Visit www.healthyinfluence.co.uk

C O O K I N G PA RT I E S & WORKSHOPS

Children love our fun cooking parties learning new tips with little stress for you!

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Here are some tips to help you move towards a happier dining table: Give your toddler some independence.

Whilst you are ultimately in charge, there are ways in which you can give your toddler the impression that, in fact, he or she is the one in control.

Place food on the table in bowls and allow toddlers to serve themselves.

This can be surprisingly successful. Resist the need to help them - just let them get on with it!

Allow toddlers to feed themselves as much as possible with finger foods and cutlery and try to relax about the mess – it’ll be worth it if they eat!

Get them involved in some simple food preparation. At lunch, let them have a go at spreading cream cheese on toast. At dinner, let them help chop softer veggies, such as mushrooms, or mash the potatoes. Sometimes just letting toddlers sprinkle cheese on top of their meal makes them much more interested in eating it!

Reduce snacking as much as possible. A hungry child is much more likely to eat! If you think your little one will not last until the next 1 31/05/2013 meal, make sure 05:37 you offer a snack at least an hour and half before it.

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July-August 2013

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Visit the UK’s Favourite Nature Reserve WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes!

Of all the remote, barren and uninhabited parts of the British Isles, it is somewhat ironic that the London Wetland Centre, just 10 miles from central London, has recently been voted the UK’s favourite nature reserve

by BBC Country File. However, anybody visiting the centre will attest to the fact that it is a truly tranquil oasis and a haven for wildlife.

Occupying more than 100 acres of land which was formerly several reservoirs, the Wetlands

Centre consists of a wide range of wetland features and habitats and wildlife. There are lakes, ponds, lagoons and freshwater streams where it is possible to see many birds which can’t be found anywhere else in London.

Yet, one of the beauties of the Centre is that all its paths are easily accessible, it’s easy to get to, parking is free and there are facilities such as a family-friendly café and indoor and outdoor adventure playgrounds all available on site!

For further information, see pages 28 and 40 or visit www.wwt.org.uk/London

Let Your Kids Drive in London!

Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the London Transport Museum!

Join Thomas & FriendsTM at a heritage Railway near you.

Experience a ride on a real steam engine and take part in Thomas-themed activities.

MID HANTS RAILWAY ‘WATERCRESS LINE’ Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9JG

10TH - 18TH 2013

www.dayoutwiththomas.co.uk Day Out With Thomas Thomas the Tank EngineTM. Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W. Awdry. © 2013 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, Thomas & Friends and Day Out With Thomas are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited. © 2013 HIT Entertainment Limited.

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Why not pop along to the London Transport Museum during August and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, the world’s oldest underground railway.

Adults and kids of all ages will be fascinated by the interactive displays and the sheer brilliance of imagination and engineering which originally conceptualised and then built the iconic network of underground tunnels that we all now casually use and refer to as “the Tube.”

Anniversary celebrations will run throughout August and include Steamy Science, in which children can experience being a horse dragging a bus over cobblestones and find out about the joys of electricity, discover the dangers of digging deep and how the first tunnels were built in Tackling Tunnels, as they hear the tales of William who works on the first ever underground railway tunnel, and enter the tunnel challenge in Get Messy and dig or build a tunnel in the sandpit with sticks, picks and spades. Also on offer

are “make and takes”and singalongs, all exploring how the Underground tunnels were originally built.

Kids can also drive a Tube train, climb in a bus cab and lose themselves in the exploration zone and enter the museum free with an accompanying adult!

For further information, see pages 40 and 41 or visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk July-August 2013

Photo of otters by David Howarth

There’s something for adults and kids of all ages to enjoy. Kids can discover their inner explorer, embrace their love of discovery and excite their curiosity by looking for and spotting birds, frogs and grass snakes in the wild. For those that like their wildlife on show, there are also captive otters which are fed at 11am and 2pm as well as beautiful captive birds, ducks, geese and swans from around the world.

London Wetland Centre is one of nine Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) Centres around the UK. WWT plays a hugely important role in conservation, regularly contributing towards

the preservation of rare species of birds, such as the Laysan Duck, which was bred, from one remaining clutch of eggs.

Had this conservation project not been successful, the Laysan Duck would have become extinct. To ensure they have the expertise necessary in such a situation, the Centre must be expert at breeding, nurturing and caring for rare breed birds and keeping captive birds gives their aviculture wardens the skills to save rare breeds.

Throughout the school holidays this year, kids can meet otters, feed birds and enjoy guided walks and talks, art and craft and stories. Highlights will also include pond dipping sessions and Big Bat Walks!



Something Fishy is Happening down On The Farm!

to see the very best quality of fishes and reptiles in full adult size and prime condition - amazing, colourful, exotic, quirky and strange fish that can’t be seen anywhere else, all in one place in an all-weather, undercover, heated environment, in case the weather is inclement.

Aside from the fish and reptiles, there will be ponds and furnished aquariums on display, and the Festival will also offer the best in family entertainment, including children’s animal encounters, bouncy castle, bird of prey displays, animal feeding, pig racing, children’s play zones, face painting, art and craft, animal games competitions, activities and demonstrations.

Families can spend the whole day at the Urban Farm and experience everything that the Festival and the Farm have to offer at just the normal Farm admission price of £6.50 per adult and £5 for children over 2, or £21 per family (two adults and two children).

There’s even a special party between 7pm and 11pm on Saturday, 7 September with music and cabaret, at which adults and children of all ages are welcome (£5 per ticket).

For more information, see page 2 and visit www.hounslowurban.farm.co.uk or www.fbas.co.uk

WIN!COMPETITION!WIN!

How much do you know about fish?

Enter The Festival of Fishkeeping and Hounslow Urban Farm Very Fishy Facts Competition for your chance to WIN Family Tickets to the Festival of Fishkeeping at the Hounslow Urban Farm on 7 or 8 September AND a miniature aquarium for your child’s own fish!

To Enter: Go to our website at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk and answer the following questions: What are the small plates that cover the fish’s skin called?

What organ of the body do fish use to breathe?

How many fins do fish generally have?

Strawberry Hill House, Sir Horace Walpole’s extraordinary fairy tale castle by the Thames in Twickenham opens its doors to invite local families to its Family Fun Day on Saturday, 20 July.

Families can enjoy a magical journey through this gothic villa and kids go free when accompanied by an adult.

Internationally famous as Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic revival architecture, a visit to Strawberry Hill House is an experience that won’t be forgotten. It has 25 show rooms on the ground and first floor, all of which are gradually being restored to their former glory.

fun

The garden, which will be in full bloom, is also being restored to its original appearance, including the re-creation Walpole’s famous Shell Bench and his grove of lime trees.

There will be plenty to keep children occupied; young knights and princesses can decorate their own shields, or design a fan, enjoy a new family trail and hunt for bugs and mini-beasts in the garden and listen to storytelling in the Willow Grotto.

For the energetic, there will also be a complimentary 40 minute walking tour of the adjacent Thames-side landscape.

If you can’t visit on the 20th July, don’t worry. Children accompanied by an adult go FREE to see inside the gothic villa all summer long, with opportunities to dress up in beautiful 18th century costumes too.

For more information about activities at Strawberry House this summer, see our listings on page 28 or visit www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk

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All activities are subject to availability.

All 3 activities for only £59.00 for a family of four

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July-August 2013

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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Photo of boy running by Claire Greenway

Been thinking of visiting Hounslow Urban Farm for a while but never quite got there?

Then 7 or 8 September is the day to visit.

Hounslow Urban Farm, one of the UK’s largest community farms, renowned and respected for its expertise in giving local children a real-life experience of a working farm, is hosting a festival with a difference on 7 and 8 September this year.

Anybody passing in the two weeks prior to that weekend, might catch a glimpse of two enormous marquees being erected, ponds being built, and, quite possibly, some large and unusual water tanks going in. Why? Because the Urban Farm is hosting the 27th Annual Festival of Fishkeeping for the first time this year. At this festival, fish breeders and hobbyists from around the country will display and enter for competition the UK’s biggest display of rare breed, tropical fish and reptiles, including Japanese Koi Carp, Discus, Killfish, Jinchu Kai and many more.

This unique and inspired project will bring together the interactive contact with the domestic farm animals, including rare and unusual breeds, on offer at the Farm, with the UK’s premier exhibition and competition of fish.

Visitors have a wonderful opportunity

Visit a Fairy Tale Castle! It’s Summer at Strawberry Hill!

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Claygate

Community Matters in Claygate By Linda Stone Here on the outer edges of London, community life has all-but ceased to exist.

This makes places like Claygate, a traditional village in North Surrey, bordered to the south and east by the A3 and to the north by Esher, Hinchley Wood and Long Ditton, even more remarkable. Claygate is a tranquil oasis for families, with a real sense of identity, heart and community. So perfect is it for families in fact, that in recent years, over 80% of new arrivals in the village are families migrating from South West London!

In this feature, I take a look at two family-orientated businesses that are enhancing community-life in Claygate and, at the same time, celebrating the way in which the community supports them.

Hannah Young, proprietor of Ceramica (profiled opposite page) says: “It’s been a real privilege to see so many of the children of Claygate grow and develop over the last 10 years; in particular, it’s been great fun to see their artistic skills flourish. For the past few years, I have been able to formally recognise these skills as a judge for the Junior section of the The Claygate Flower Show exhibits – a role which I take great pride in!”

Fanny Stocker, joint proprietor of The Pavilion Café (profiled this page) says: “We all knew Claygate was amazing when we started out a year ago, but we still didn’t expect the support we’ve received. We truly do have the community to thank for a fantastic first year.”

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

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How a Café Became a Community Hub It’s unusual for a commercial enterprise to become part of the fabric of village life in a similar way to a non-profit making entity, such as a Village Hall. In just one year though, this is what The Pavilion Café in Claygate has done.

“It’s worked out just as we planned” says Fanny Stocker, one of the three proprietors of the café, themselves all mums. They share a passion for cooking and good food and their intention was always to create a café that truly belonged to the community.

Situated in the heart of the Claygate Recreation Ground, adjacent to a children’s playground, families head to The Pavilion Cafe to breathe. Whilst there, they can enjoy real cake, great coffee and beautifully green and tranquil surroundings. But there is far more to the café’s success than this. It can be hired for catered events; it offers back to school haircuts; it has just persuaded three local girls who are Harlequins cheerleaders to offer sessions for children!

Since it opened, The Pavilion Café has been integral in setting up and hosting a number of local family events and activities such as the visit of The Happy Circus during May Half Term, The Great Claygate Pancake Race in February and workshops and activities for children throughout school holidays. In its short life, it has set up and hosted the Claygate Wellbeing Day, a showcase for local health practitioners; hosted 40th birthday parties and christenings; arranged craft nights and catered for pre-wedding breakfasts. This

summer, it will run activities for children every single day of the school holidays.

Always planning ahead, the café is now seeking a grant for outside seating and will soon be introducing ride-on toys for younger children, to keep them occupied outside whilst their parents enjoy a coffee.

On 5 July, the cafe will also launch its Pop Up Restaurant evenings with a Sri Lankan Curry Night first up on the menu. Looking ahead, on 20 September, a visiting chef, (who just happens to be the ex-Head Chef from Jamie Oliver’s restaurant “15”) will be cooking up a 3 course Salumi (Italian version of “charchuterie”). Diners will all eat together at one table, creating an authentic rural Italian dining experience in the middle of suburban England!

The Pavilion Cafe plans to host its Pop Up Restaurant events monthly throughout the autumn and winter.

For further information, call The Pavilion Café on 01372 464999 or visit www.familiesuponthames.co.uk for information about its school holiday activities and events this summer.

Activities for Children in Claygate Dance

Music

Qualified musician, Dinah Nightingale, whose two children both flourished musically and socially in Monkey Music’s classes for young children, now teaches Monkey Music classes for children 3 months to 3 years at The Claygate Village Hall. There are age-appropriate classes throughout the day on Mondays.

For more information, visit www.monkeymusic.co.uk

Ellie Dowling, proprietor of Enerjetix Movement and Dance offers vibrant, fun, interactive dance classes with creativity and imaginative play for under 5s and street, contemporary, hip hop and theatre for 6-11 year olds.

Ellie offers regular classes for toddlers at the Claygate Youth Centre and a new Monday class at the Claygate Martial Arts Centre.

James Barker and his wife, Vicki, teach the martial art discipline of Kuk Sool Won at the brand new Claygate Martial Arts Centre.

Offering a broad range of classes for all age groups, Kuk Sool’s youngest member is just 3 years old and its eldest 74! There something on offer for all the family including “family fun” sessions, beginners and specific ‘black belt’ lessons and kid’s camps throughout most school holidays.

For more information, visit www.enerjetix.co.uk

For more information, visit www.kswclaygate.co.uk

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Martial Arts

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The Claygate Flower Show Celebrates its 100th Birthday!

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By Linda Stone

Every community needs a signature “event” that defines it. An opportunity to unite, have fun and celebrate its own existence.

The Claygate Flower Show is the perfect example.

Celebrating its 100th birthday on 20 July this year, the show started in 1903 and, aside from breaks during the World Wars, has continued uninterrupted ever since.

It began as the Claygate Flower

Show and Industrial Exhibition and was initiated by the local 5th Baron Foley to compete with the neighbouring Esher and Oxshott Flower Show. The aims of the show in its early days, expressed in the 1903 committee notes, were not dissimilar to today: “promoting the interest of horticulture, art and crafts,” “showing off Claygate,” “enhancing a sense of community” and “giving everyone a good afternoon’s outing!”

Notably, the first show in 1903 included a beautiful baby competition and, later in 1907, the committee notes quote: “A motion was proposed and carried that no servants be allowed to compete in the bread and cake classes,” a

decree presumably intended to prevent servants being entered into the event and winning prizes on behalf of their employers!

Claygate resident, Graham Gibbs, age 70, has attended the show every year since the age of 4. “As a child, I remember it being such an exciting day” he says. “I recall this huge marquee smelling of flowers and a funfair with swing boats and running in a race. I still get just as much pleasure out of it now as I did then.”

This year, visitors will be treated to a huge slice of village life including 2000 exhibits from baking to craft, flowers to

photography and crowd-pleasing events such as the Great Balloon Race, a Fancy Dress Parade and a Dog Show which will offer a prize to the Best Sausage Catcher! There will be family entertainment all day including a spectacular fairground, Shetland ponies, a children’s petting farm and traditional races like the Egg & Spoon.

For further information, see our listings on page 40 or visit www.claygateflowershow.co.uk

Local Girl Brings a Creative Heart to Claygate Hannah Young makes a huge effort to ensure that Ceramica, her small, cosy “paint your own ceramics” studio, situated in the centre of Claygate, is always welcoming and inviting.

Recently the success of her hard work was officially recognised when Ceramica’s window was voted “Best Shop Display in Elmbridge” in the borough council’s Independent Trader of the Year competition.

Situated in the centre of Claygate, local girl Hannah has owned and run Ceramica for 10 years. Initially operated under a now-defunct franchise, in May 2009, Hannah struck out for independent small business in

Claygate and chose to relaunch, freeing her from the restrictions of the franchise arrangement and allowing her to truly put her own personal stamp on the business.

Working full time at the studio, Hannah’s attention to detail, warmth, friendliness and personal touch is at the heart of the studio’s attraction and success.

“What makes Ceramica work is the atmosphere of the studio and the time we take getting to know customers and making them feel welcome and valued” says Hannah.

“It means they choose to return time and time again.”

Ceramica caters for all ages and occasions and offers the community a unique opportunity to come together there to learn new skills and express their creativity.

The studio offers lots of creative inspiration in the form of books,

stencils, stamps and samples and a selection of over 100 ceramic pieces from which customers can choose – from mugs, plates and bowls to moneyboxes, photo frames and flowerpots! All the required instruction is provided and Hannah and her team aim to make ‘paint your own ceramics’ easy and fun.

Bright and colourful, the studio is designed to inspire even the most unartistic! “Many people go through life thinking they aren’t creative” says Hannah. “I’ve seen all sorts of people, from kids to adults, walk in here positive they can’t produce something they will be pleased with. And, time and time again, I see the way in which, with a bit of encouragement and the right environment, they gradually relax and produce some astonishing things!”

See page 24 for details of Ceramica’s school holiday activities and for more information on its services, visit www.ceramica-claygate.co.uk

Come and visit the café in the park

The Perfect Place for Families KINGSTON AND SURBITON E: kingston.surbiton@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 224 3971 BANSTEAD AND CLAYGATE E: banstead.claygate@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 01932 223309 WEYBRIDGE, COBHAM AND MOLESEY E: weybridge.cobham@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 224 0096 RICHMOND, TWICKENHAM AND TEDDINGTON E: kew.teddington@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 847 4031

Open every day for breakfast, brunch, lunch and tea

Available DAYTIME for christenings, wedding receptions and kids parties!

Available EVENINGS for parties, group nights out and any other catered events. Canapes, bowl food, 3 course menus and curries – it’s your choice!

Contact: 01372 464999

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

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The

Big Summer Holiday Top Tips for Family Travel

By Robina Cowan

Yippee! It’s the break we’ve all been dreaming about through the long winter and spring months – here comes this year’s summer holiday! Hands up who remembers when it was all about grabbing a cheap deal, filling a backpack at the last minute and heading for the sun? Those were the good old days. Now you’re a family, there’s a third ‘p’ to add to ‘passport and packing’ – ‘planning!’

Before You Go  Label your child’s clothes, towels and backpacks, especially if you will be using kids’ clubs – they WILL go missing and labelling is much cheaper than replacing lost items. Snappy Tag (www.snappytags.co.uk) and Labels 4 Kids (www.labels4kids. com/fam) are both great options.  Use Google Street View with the children to get a feel for your holiday location and familiarise yourself with the local area and local attractions. You can also use it to create a list of places to visit.  Photocopy everyone’s passport and pack the copies in a different place to the originals. Then, if the originals go missing, proof that you had passports will lessen the

tussle with overseas authorities when it’s time to come home.  Make sure you have recent pictures of your children on your phone. If, by chance, they go missing, you can show authorities what they look like.  Freeze food for your return - even fresh milk can be frozen - so you don’t come home to an empty kitchen. You can even do an online shop towards the end of the holiday, for delivery on your first day home!  Lost luggage is a nightmare.

Rather than filling one suitcase per person, pack a couple of daytime and evening outfits for everyone in each suitcase, so you can all get started while the hotel/airline tracks down your missing case.  Involve your children in the packing even if only in a small way. It occupies them while you are busy and gets them into the holiday mood. But check their choices: otherwise you might find only dressing up clothes and Disney heels in the suitcase!  Add a small ‘emergency bag’ to your hand luggage, with plasters, tissues, sachets of paracetamol, cotton wool, needle and thread, safety pins, wipes and a few sweets (for bribing and

wiping away tears!) Pack spare clothes in your hand luggage in case of ‘accidents.’  Leave a spare set of keys with a neighbour in case of home emergencies, losing yours or locking yourself out.  Cancel newspapers and ask your neighbour to wheel in the bins on collection day, so you’re not advertising an empty home.

On the Way  Long car journeys don’t have to be about being plugged into gadgets. Try story tapes - as a family, we are all totally addicted to the How to Train your Dragon series. The Michelin I-Spy activity books are also great fun, as are the free downloads from www.rac.co.uk/advice/ car-knowledge/top-ten/car-games/.  For flights, we recommend both Usborne’s 50 Things do on a Plane and Carddies (www. carddies.com), card people to colour in and play with, accompanied by pencils and a small box for handy storage. The Top Trumps range is great for older children.  Relax about screen time - if you have electrical gadgets, use them! Make sure you have some child friendly headphones to hand so as not to ‘share’ your child’s

viewing choices with the entire plane!  Sucky sweets (as they are known in our house) are great for little ones who struggle with their ears on take-off. Give babies a bottle (or breastfeed) to stop their ears popping.  Pack an extra layer for the flight. Planes can be chilly and children won’t relax if they’re not cosy.  Don’t panic if your child cries.

Many passengers on board will be sympathetic parents or grandparents. Concentrate on settling your child in the best way you can.

Make sure favourite teddies or blankets are to hand as sources of comfort.

And finally: Work on a 70:30 ratio. Holidays are not effortless when you have children, just as life at home is not effortless. If you can enjoy 70% of the time you are away together, that’s a result. 30% will be about tantrums, tiredness and bad moods. But if you come home knowing that for most of the time, you relaxed, laughed and enjoyed the time spent together as a family, it’s been a success!

Bocketts Farm Park 25th July - 1st Sept

Summer fun On the farm Our sizzling summer Activities include

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

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Special events all summer! d Ar Aw

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See website for more info

www.hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk

£1 off full price farm entry per person

(max 5 people) valid from 1st July - 25th August 2013.

Only with this voucher.

Piglet Racing and Owl Displays Fagg’s Rd Feltham TW14 0LZ

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www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

020 8831 9658 July-August 2013

4 August 2013

£10 for adults £5 for children

Cyclemania at Hampton Court Palace Cyclemania is back! Join us for a day of family fun and watch as 1000s of cyclist pass the palace as part of Ride London.

• Watch for fluffy ducklings and cygnets • Come pond dipping • Join in arts and crafts sessions • See our otters’ antics at feeding time Just 10 minutes from Hammersmith by bus.

Free parking, adventure play zones and café.

For full details see wwt.org.uk/London or call 020 8409 4400 Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, London SW13 9WT WWT registered charity in England & Wales, no. 1030884 and Scotland, no. SC039410 Photo credits: Ross Paxton, Heather Tait and D. Howarth

Cycling performers • Stunt bikes Vintage bike show • Picnics

Find out more at

hrp.org.uk

OUR FANTASTIC FAMILY FUN DAY ON 20TH JULY 11AM-5PM LAUNCHES THE ‘SUMMER AT STRAWBERRY’ PROGRAMME • Fan exhibition and fan making workshops • Garden trails and bug collecting • Sword, shield and crown decorating • Story telling in the grotto • Refreshments available or bring a picnic The fun continues throughout the summer holidays until 31st August with a range of family activities inspired by Strawberry from clay crafts to gothic comic making.

Kids go free* into Strawberry Hill House throughout Summer at Strawberry. There is free entry to the gardens for all. (*with accompanying adult).

Supported by

For further information or to book a workshop place

www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk

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SUMMER CAMPS, WORKSHOPS & COURSES Linda Stone, Editor, explores what’s on offer in the school holidays

It’s Summer!

Time for your child to…

Experience Magic!

Dance Fusion took Twickenham by storm with its Princess Dance Workshop during the Easter School Holidays and had to turn away eager prospective participants.

This holiday it is offering more enchantment for princesses ages 3 to 6. Your child can experience a magical transformation from “rags to riches” in a Cinderella Dance Workshop, coming dressed as either Cinderella or another of their favourite princesses. There’s something for budding fairies too, in the Fairy Fun Dance Workshop. Your child can don fairy wings and gauze skirt to float through an adventure in an enchanted land. Each child will have the chance to play a character in a short performance at the end of both 2.5 hour workshops.

For something more contempo-

rary, Dance Fusion is also offering a Mini Musical Madagascar Workshop in which your child can dance to funky tunes such as I Like to Move It, Move It! and make an animal mask to perform in.

Each workshop is made up of dance games and activities, craft, singing and performance so there’s something to appeal to all little dancers!

Those age 7 plus can learn songs and dances from the sassy hit Hairspray in a Hairspray Workshop or cool moves performed to current pop music in Dance Fusions’s Street Dance Workshop.

For more information, see listing on page 25 or visit www.dancefusiontwickenham.com

Check Out a Cheese Slam and have some serious FUN! School breaks should be fun, with plenty of opportunities for youngsters to let off steam and stay physically fit and active, whilst continuing to keep their minds ticking and imaginations soaring.

If you are looking for a Summer Camp which offers all of the above, then it’s worth checking out what’s on offer from The Little Gym of Hampton Hill, which runs 3 hour camps, Monday to Thursdays from 22 July to 31 August. What’s more, each 3 hour camp is completely unique, so whether your child comes 4 times a

week, or 4 times over the whole summer, they will experience something new every time. Each camp day for 3 to 8 year olds is made up of gymnastic-based activities such as an obstacle course, themed art and craft, social time and fun, party-style gymnastic and movement games, and free play on the gym equipment. There’s even the opportunity for your child to try out the Great Cheese Slam, an adrenalin-filled ride which involves a dive onto a soft cheese-shaped wedge and a slide across a mat!

For more information, see listing on page 24 or visit www.thelittlegym.co.uk/hamptonteddington

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Do an activity with YOU! Younger children will engage more fully with an experience and learn more, if you are involved too. At Ready Steady Go Kids Multi-Sport Summer Camps for kids ages 2 to 7, parents are encouraged to participate. Your child will spend an hour learning about, and experiencing activities related to two of the following sports: football, tennis, rugby, cricket, athletics, basketball, hockey, golf and even T-ball, a sport similar to baseball but with the ball on a stand so that your child can easily hit it. You may already be mentally baulking at the idea of getting into a rugby scrum with a bunch of kids, but never fear! You are there to help your child with the ball as they learn to catch, throw, bounce and dribble and, with your participation, your child gets more turns and practice with each individual activity.

So what about if your child isn’t so sporty?

Devised by a physiotherapist, The Ready, Steady, Go program is less about sporting ability and more about progressive physical challenges, such as kicking, followed by running and kicking. The aim is to make these actions so familiar to the muscles of the body that they become embedded in your child’s brain as a reflex action. This makes a range of physical agilities easier and encourages children to be active.

Exhausted already? You do get the chance to enjoy an hour of quieter, creative time with your child in an art and craft session, before a final hour of sporty games! Don’t worry, you can stand on the side lines and cheer as your child plays in a team game of some kind, such as T-ball, in which everybody gets a chance to bat, field and run bases.

For more information, visit www.rsgk.co.uk

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Take on a New Challenge

or maybe to…

Do Drama with Disney

As parents, we sometimes resist new and unknown activities, particularly if they are different to those we usually enjoy. Children, on the other hand, tend to be far more open and less “fixed” than adults and love being exposed to exciting, stimulating new experiences. So, if your child is between 5 and 12 years and you wouldn’t have previously thought about booking a science camp for them, offer them a new challenge by booking a place on a Science Academy or Science of Sport Camp from Mother Nature Science in Richmond or Kingston this summer.

Anatasia Chernyakova, mother of Dasha, age 9 from East Twickenham did just that.

“Dasha is such a sporty child that I naturally lean towards these kinds of activities for her. But I know she is also open to new experiences too so, at Easter, she attended the Mother Nature Science Rockin’ Robots Camp in Kingston.

I was so impressed with the great effort the organisers made to explain to parents what the camp would cover, with hand-outs and even a presentation at the start.

Dasha absolutely loved it! She found it the perfect balance of learning “really useful stuff” and having fun. She made her own robot which runs on solar power which she was really excited about! It’s made her a lot more interested in science too. She came home and found some books about robots at the library, tracked down a video on the computer – she was hungry for more information.

This camp definitely managed to engage kids with science – it’s not an easy topic.

Workshop leaders treated the kids as equals too, so Dasha truly felt like a sophisticated, professional scientist. I thought this camp was so beneficial and Dasha wants to go back, so a great result all round!”

For more information, see listing on page 27 or visit www.mnature.co.uk

Your child can fully indulge his or her love of Disney characters and films at a number of workshops this summer! Don’t forget you can check the age range for the workshops below in our listings starting on page 25 onwards.

Dive into an underwater world to become Ariel or Prince Eric at The Little Mermaid Workshop from Stagecoach Kew. Your child will be immersed in the world of Ariel, Flounder, Scuttle, King Triton and Ursula, the wicked sea witch, encouraged to sing songs at full volume, dress up and participate in a magical performance of this captivating classic.

Take Flight on a Magic Carpet with Princess Jasmine and the chancer Aladdin at Perform’s Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie Workshop in Teddington, Esher and Wimbledon. Children can wear their Disney costumes, dance and sing to A Whole New World and other classics from the film score, whilst theatre professionals encourage them to improvise so that they can bring their own extra-special something to the production!

Head “To infinity and beyond!” with Buzz and Woody. The Toy Story movies have entered the lexicon of iconic Disney films and children of all ages find something engaging in them, whether it be the plight of poor Woody and his fear that his place in the heart of his owner, Andy, is being usurped; the magic of toys that come alive when their owners aren’t around or the exhilaration of beating the “bad boy” Sid. Your child can

join Woody, Buzz and all their quirky and endearing friends at the Stagecoach Staines Summer Fun Toy Story Workshop.

Journey through the Jungle with a friend and join Baloo the Bear, Mowgli, Bagheera the panther and other exuberant animal characters in The Jungle Book Workshop from Storytelling Adventures in Twickenham. The beauty of this workshop format is that it familiarises children with the story, encouraging them to think about the characters and their traits and develop actions or key lines for them.

Children can then create costumes/props and re-enact scenes, complete with spoken words, songs, dance and action. Storytelling Adventures has a great “Bring a Buddy Scheme” which offers a 40% price discount if your child enrols with a sibling/friend.

Follow Alice down the Rabbit Hole Talking mushrooms, white rabbits, angry queens and grinning cats! Your child can embrace the quirky in the Alice in Wonderland Workshop from Twinkle Toes Ballet in Richmond. Children love Alice because, to them, her adventures are not beyond the realms of possibility. Those that love the films and the book will relish the opportunity to dance, act and create props and costumes for this timeless, original story.

For more information about these workshops, please see listings on page 25 onwards.

Join a Jazz Ensemble Playing music is scientifically proven to improve memory, enhance mathematical, reading and comprehension skills, boost team skills, sharpen concentration and foster self-expression.

If your child loves playing an instrument, is aged between 9 and 18, and has reached Grade 2 or above, they can play in an orchestra and jazz band, brush up on some theory, compose their own work and improvise their own tunes this summer at the Kew Music Academy Summer School. This new Academy is led by two local musicians who are respectively a West End pianist and a vocal coach.

For more information, see listing on page 27 visit www.kewmusicacademy.co.uk

gymboree-uk.com

Winner of ‘Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity’ 2012

Holiday Drama Workshops for 5-7 year-olds Ashtead, Oxshott, Walton-on-Thames

Book your free trial class!

Sensory Baby Play (from newborn)

Play & Learn (mobile - 5 years)

Music (6 months - 5 years)

Art (18 months - 5 years)

To book call Phylly on 01932 807150 or email phylly@pyjamadrama.com

pyjamadrama.com July-August 2013

Gymboree St Margarets 020 8607 9995

stmargarets@gymboree-uk.com

Gymboree Surbiton 07809 730 779

surbiton@gymboree-uk.com

Gymboree West Byfleet 01932 353 313 westbyfleet@gymboree-uk.com

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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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

Summer CyCling CourSeS 10 hours cycling tuition over a week from qualified instructors for children 9 & over at locations across richmond Borough from 12 August. riChmond SAfe CyCling TeAm tel. 07425 179473 www.richmondsafecycling.wordpress.com

SUMMER WORKSHOPS Thames Ditton For 6 -16 year olds

Hairspray 29 July to 2 August

Matilda 5 - 9 August Pop Academy 19 - 23 August Time 10 am - 3pm Performance for friends and family at the end of the week. £125 for the week Discount for siblings. Do all 3 for £300

info@stagestudio.co.uk www.stagestudio.co.uk 07907 477135

Do Something Dramatically Different!

Perform in Matilda, the Stand Out West End Musical of the Decade!

Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, Matilda the Musical, the story of a girl who dared to change her destiny, has taken the West End by storm over the last 18 months.

Now, Stage Studio, an independent drama school in Thames Ditton is offering a Matilda Summer Workshop for children aged 6 to 16. So if your child has seen the musical, would like to see the musical, would like to ACT in the musical or is inspired by the anarchy of childhood that it expresses, then this is the workshop for them! Also on offer from Stage Studio is a Hairspray Workshop and the opportunity to experience street dance and sing like their favourite pop star in a Popstarz Workshop.

Design Scenery for a Performance Is your child interested in dance and performance and would also enjoy making props, costumes and scenery? At Kate’s School of Dance Summer Dance and Creativity Workshop in Isleworth, kids ages 4 to 10 can get involved in behind-thescenes activities as well as learning four different dance styles including African dance (which is guaranteed to get your child’s feet stomping), street dance, jazz and contemporary. Singing and African drumming are also part of the program.

Search for Buried Treasure Feuding pirates, buried treasure, a remote island, swash-buckling sword fights, pirate ships - the Treasure Island Workshop from Step on Stage in Twickenham for kids ages 3 to 8 is guaranteed to swell the heart of any adventure-loving young buccaneer in your family! Step on Stage is a small

Build a Robot Would you like to find a way of diverting your child’s attention away from your i-pad and towards a related but more constructive activity? How about The Lego Nxt Camp in Richmond run by FunTech, a computer science camp which challenges kids from 7 to 16 to build the ultimate robot. The beauty of this is workshop is that they will also be learning valuable ICT and programming skills taught by staff passionate about computer science. Prepare to be blinded by technology!

For more information, see listing on page 27 or visit www.funtech.co.uk

independent drama school, which is offering 5 drama workshops for different age groups this summer, including The Selfish Giant Workshop, also for kids ages 3 to 8, a gentle and endearing story based on the original tale by Oscar Wilde.

Step on Stage punches above its weight in terms of the quality of experience it offers, the thoughtfulness and planning that goes into its classes and workshops and the ability it has to engage and organise groups of children in such a way that brings out the best in all of them.

Enjoy some “Summer Lovin” We probably all know the words to this classic 1978 hit from the movie Grease off by heart! There is something endlessly appealing about the prim-looking Sandy looking aghast at the precocious Rizzo as she and her chums sing this song over lunch in the school yard – and now your child can experience being part of that scene themselves! Children from ages 6 to 18 can re-enact scenes from Grease at the Stagecoach Summer Fun Grease Workshop in Staines.

For further information and contact details, see listings on page 25 onwards.

Learn how to turn a Cartwheel

Do your kids love throwing themselves around? Or take the first opportunity to turn upside down or inside out? Then they may be budding gymnasts! Find out by sending them along to a Backflip Performers Gymnastics Camp for kids age 4 to 11 in Bedfont or Wimbledon. No experience is necessary apart from enthusiasm and enjoyment of gymnastics, games, getting fit and having fun!

For further information, see listing on page 27 or visit www.backflipperformers.com

Take a trip to Space!

Children need space – physical and psychic space. To have fun, play, and run around; to build and construct things; to make a noise, splash about and get messy.

They also need time. Time to develop friendships with other children; to use their imaginations; to challenge themselves and push boundaries. In our increasingly busy, structured, urban lives, children have less and less space and time.

At the YMCA Hawker Centre in Ham, near Kingston, there is green space aplenty, with dedicated children’s areas, sports halls and fields and a swimming pool, making it the perfect place to hold the YMCA South West London’s summer holiday Space Camps.

These full day camps are for 4 to 8 year olds and offer sport, games, art and craft, as well as soft play at The 22

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Pod, located on site. The week’s program includes an outing on the Wednesday, perhaps a trip down the Thames or a visit to the zoo. YMCA South West London is also offering full day camps for 9 to 13 year olds run from the Basement Youth Café in central Kingston, complete with computers, Wi-Fi, a big TV, table football and lots of space to move and be creative. It’s a fun and funky space to call home, but every day also includes outdoor activities such as cycling, climbing, kayaking, swimming and exploring London.

With a staff to child ratio of 1:8 and YMCA’s established reputation for offering reliable, quality care, Space Camps are an attractive and affordable option if you are considering a full day camp for your child this summer.

For further information, see listing on page 26 or visit www.spaceatymca.org July-August 2013

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Exceed Their Own Artistic Expectations

and last, but fun not least, to...

Join In - Alone!

There are many art classes around but, for a child aged between 5 and 12, who wants to create artwork from scratch, whether it be a painting in the style of Andy Warhol, a ship and landscape in a bottle made from a large pickled egg jar, or a multi-media 3 dimensional collage of a plate of fruit, then The Art Class in Sunbury is the place to be this summer. The Art Class puts fun high on the agenda, whilst simultaneously offering workshops of a superior quality to other more formulaic “cooky cutter” offerings.

Children are encouraged to listen carefully to instructions in order to get the most out of the journey of self-expression the workshops offer and to create something which will give them immense confidence in what they can achieve.“It’s about striving to get the best from the kids and endeavouring to exceed everyone’s expectations” says proprietor, Lynette. Linda from Cobham says: “I’m sure Lynette hears it often, but I think the work she does is wonderful. It’s not easy to draw out of children the level of creativity that she does. My girls enjoy her classes so much.”

A series of summer camps devised purely for those aged 3.5 to 5 years!

Your pre-schooler is probably old enough now for you to leave them to their own devices for a couple of hours every day in the capable hands of our friends at Gymboree St Margarets. They can experience singing and acting in a group for perhaps the first time in Theatre Arts and put on a little performance for you to enjoy, learn basic dance in Dance and Movement Skills, enjoy some wacky experiments in Science Fun or paint, cut, stick, model and make montage in Art and Craft Activities.

A great chance to grab a couple of hours to yourself every day, particularly if you also have an older child that is participating in a summer camp elsewhere too!

For more information, see listing on page 24 or email lynette@the-art-class.com

For further information, see listing on page 24 or email lstmargarets@gymboree-uk.com

Australia’s largest

multi-sport & exercise

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Whip Up a Wonderful Feast

Not going to the beach this year?

Haven’t the heart to face the traffic on a day trip at the coast??

Don’t worry, your child can enjoy a beach party right here in Kingston or Esher and have a fun, food experience too!

At a Sassy Stirrers Cooking Workshop for kids aged 4 to 12, your child can cook up some fun seaside themed food, throw together a yummy summer picnic, participate in cooking-related craft, such as salt dough crafting AND take home a wonderful goody bag packed full of cookies and craft treats.

For further information, see listings on page 24 or visit www.sassystirrers.com For more details about the workshops and camps in this feature and for more workshop, camp and course options, see our listings on page 24.

NOW IN THE

UK

program for children aged 2.5–6 years

Sports covered: Football Tennis Basketball Athletics Hockey Rugby Golf AFL Cricket T-ball

www.rsgk.co.uk info@rsgk.co.uk 0800 690 6591 Follow us on Like us on

July-August 2013

@RSGKUK ReadySteadyGoKidsUK

BOOK A

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NO OBLIGATION

TRIAL

Your local Ready Steady Go Kids classes are held at:

Kingfisher Leisure Centre Fairfield Road, Kingston-Upon-Thames

Pools on the Park Old Deer Park, Twickenham Road, Richmond-Upon-Thames Term 4 begins 3rd June 2013 | Term 1 begins 9th September 2013

To receive our monthly newsletter subscribe on our website.

Enrolments taken throughout the term

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ART & CRAFT

The Art Class Summer Workshops

Ages: 5-12 6/7/13/14/20/21/29/30 August (10am-3.30pm) in Sunbury Workshops on selected days throughout the school holidays which will explore a range of mediums, including paint, sculpture, print, junk modelling and collage and subjects including Graffiti Art, T-Shirt printing and Warhol inspired canvases. Includes visits from practising local artists.

Dates may be subject to change, so please check with Lynette.

More info: Lynette 07971 475373 lynette@the-art-class.com

Artyard Handmade Kids Summer Workshops

Ages: 5-12 16 July to 31 August (10am-3pm) in Sheen Exploring art and crafts from around the world. Felting, model-making, sculpture. drawing, painting, mosaic and more! All materials, equipment, refreshments and aprons provided but children should bring a packed lunch.

Price: £42 per day More info: Fiona/Debra 020 8878 1336 www.artyard.co.uk

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Ages: 7+ 16 July to 23 August (4 days per week for 6 weeks, 9.30am-12.30pm) in Claygate Learn a range of ceramic painting techniques. A total of 8 techniques will be taught with 2 taught per 3 hour session. Sign up for just one workshop or for any combination of dates to suit your availability. £25 per session with 10% discount when 4 sessions booked.

More info: Hannah 01372 462447 hannahyoung1977@yahoo.co.uk www.ceramica-claygate.co.uk

Happy Potter Ceramics Craft Summer Camps

Ages: 5+ 23 July to 29 August (11am-1pm) in Teddington 3 day or 1 day workshops. Each week there will be a mixture of different crafts and activities on offer, using a range of different materials. Crafts include pottery painting, T-Shirt design, pot making and Decopatch. Weather permitting, certain projects and/or lunch will be in the garden and will be provided to the children at 12.30pm each day. If you don’t want to book camps on 3 consecutive days, you can book other days in different weeks. Price includes all materials, paint, glazing, firing, lunch and drinks for the children.

Price: 3 day workshops £60 and 1 day workshops £22 More info: 020 8973 1468 www.happypotterceramics.co.uk

YMCA LSW Summer Day Camp

space@ basement

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Monday to Thursday

Space is part of YMCA London South West, a registered charity

25th July-29th August 8.30am-5.30pm

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Swimming, Biking, Kayaking, Skiing, Rock Climbing, Den Building’ Laser Quest, & lots more www.spaceatymca.org Basement Queen Elizabeth Rd Kingston KT2 6RJ

BABY & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Gymboree Summer Workshops in St Margarets

Ages: 3.5-5 Theatre Arts 29 July-2 August (1 hour daily) Children will have fun learning singing, dancing and acting skills with a show for parents at the end of the week.

Dance and Movement Skills 5-9 August (1 hour daily) Children will strut their funky feet at this dance skills and movement workshop incorporating elements of classical dance and movement to music.

Science Fun 12-16 August (1 hour daily) Children will explore lots of different science investigations and wacky experiments in this science extravaganza.

Art and Craft Activities 19-23 August (1 hour daily) Children will paint, cut, stick, Families Upon Thames model and make montages in this fun-filled craft week.

K 1/8 Page advert More info: 020 8607 9995 stmargarets@gymboree-uk.com

COOKERY

Sassy Stirrers Summer Holiday Workshop

Ages: 4-12 26 to 28 August (10.30am3.30pm) in Kingston and Esher Cook delicious beach party food at Sassy Stirrer’s fun cooking workshops and enjoy games and craft time. Lots of bowl-licking fun is promised.

More info: 07789 792676 www.sassystirrers.com

Sassy Stirrers Teen & Uni Student Workshop

Ages: teens up 30 to 31 July (10.30am-3.30pm) in Kingston and Esher Book now to learn how to cook delicious, simple (and healthy!) dishes to enjoy at Uni or to help out at home.

More info: 07789 792676 www.sassystirrers.com

CREATIVE WRITING Little Star Writing Transition Workshops

Ages: 11 and 12 28 July (9-12.30pm) in Twickenham and other dates subject to demand in Twickenham, Richmond, Cobham, Esher, The Little Gym Twinkle ToesSummer Ballet Weybridge and Walton Camps Transition Workshops are aimed at Jessica Williams Ages: 3-8 and 5-12 assisting those students going to 22 July 31 August in 3c St toJohns Road secondary school this September Hampton Hill with the leap from primary to Richmond Specially created 3 hour, secondary education. These Ofsted-approved camps for children TW9 2PE intensive workshops cover the of both age groups will run from basics of researching, planning, Monday to Thursday each week. annotating and essay/report Camps for 3 to 8 year olds will take 07813 741 189 writing, with a focus on showing place daily and include games, craft children how such essays and and gymnastics-based activities jessica@twinkletoesballet.com reports can be structured similarly organised around a fun weekly to a story or other piece of creative theme. Camps for 5 to 12 year olds writing, with a question or problem will take place weekly and will be at the start representing the entirely gymnastics-based. There beginning, arguments and counterwill also be a special program of arguments representing the middle classes running all summer for and a conclusion representing the under 3s and over 6s. end.

More info: 020 8977 0099 More info: www.thelittlegym.co.uk/ info@littlestarwriting.com hamptonteddington www.littlestarwriting.com Just Imagine Dance... presents

Twinkle Toes Ballet Enchanting & magical classes 18 months - 10 years

Children learn to dance through imaginative stories, using props, puppets & pictures. We aim to inspire & capture their wonderful imagination!

SUMMER CAMPS & SUMMER CLASSES “Enchanted Meadows” PERFORMANCE on last day!

Monday 5 - 9 August 3 - 10 years old

“Alice in Wonderland” Monday 12 -14 August 5 - 10 years old

Ballet classes & “GROWN UPS” Ballet Camp in August

info@twinkletoesballet.com / 07879 521 456

RICHMOND - TWICKENHAM - KEW - EAST SHEEN www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

July-August 2013

been put in. There will also be a face painting session to end the 3 mornings. This course is to give This dynamic dance school is offering children the opportunity to try all different styles of performing arts a range of workshops for young and have a lot of fun. children at Holy Trinity Church, Flipside Dance Summer School Twickenham Green Ages: 8-18 Ages: 3-6 12-16 August (8.45am-4.15pm) Princess Workshop 2 August in Cobham (1.30-4.30pm) Experience a week packed full of Come and join Cinderella and her dance styles including, Hip Hop, friends on this magical adventure. musical theatre, jazz, contempoWith a magical wand and a rary, dance acro and workshops. bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, who knows The week ends with a showcase what the princesses will get up to! of the students’ hard work for Fairy Fun Workshop 27 August family and friends to come and (1.30-4.30pm) watch on the Friday afternoon.

Do you believe in fairies? Put your wings on and see what mischief you This school is for students that can get up to with your fairy friends. have dance experience.

More info: Deborah Rich Play hide and seek amongst the flowers and see what happens when 07759 502508 Miss Mina uses her special fairy dust. www.flipsidedance.co.uk Kate’s School of Dance: Musical Madness – Madagascar Workshop 30 August (9am-12pm) Dance and Creativity Workshop Who likes to ‘Move It, Move It?’ Ages: 4-10.

Then come and join in the fun and learn songs and dances from the film 29 July to 9 August (9am-3.30pm) in Isleworth Madagascar. Get creative and make Each workshop week features a mask of your favourite character.

4 different dance styles which Ages: 7+ are taught over 4 days, with Street Dance Workshop 28 a performance held on day 5.

August (1.30-4.30pm) Dance styles for week 1 are Anything goes as long as it looks African dance, street dance, jazz good with this exciting funky dance style! Learn simple moves to creative and contemporary. Activities include prop making (such as an effective routine to the latest African drums), costume design chart-topping tunes. and a group project designing a Musical Madness – Hairspray backdrop for each dance style.

Workshop 29 August There will also be guest teachers (1.30-4.30pm) to teach singing and African If “You can’t stop the Beat” or drumming. There will also be just want to say “Good Morning further surprises as the children Baltimore,” then come along take an imaginary trip through and join in the madness that will the world of dance. One or both be taking over at this musical weeks can be booked. extravaganza!

Price: All workshops at £15 per child More info: Kate Broughton 07957 639460 More info: 07813 170707 www.katesschoolofdance.co.uk www.dancefusiontwickenham.com

Dance Fusion Summer Workshops

Flipside Dance Summer Workshops

Flipside Junior Summer Dance School Ages: 4-8 21-23 August (9.30am-12.30pm) in Cobham This year Flipside is very excited to be holding a Junior Summer Dance school, which will include all styles of dance, musical theatre, funky jazz, tumbling/acro and end with a short showcase for friends and family to show off all the hard work that’s

Twinkle Toes Ballet Summer Camps

DRAMA AND STORYTELLING

Bridge Storytelling Adventures Jungle Book Workshop

Ages: 2-8 29 July to 2 August (10am-12pm) in Twickenham During this magical 5 day adventure through the classic tale of The Jungle Book, your child will develop confidence through drama games and exercises, learn songs and fun dance routines, express themselves

Holiday Camps in Wimbledon and Bedfont ts Available!

Sibling Discoun What makes us different?

creatively through art and craft activities and puppet making and, finally, rehearse and perform in an informal sharing of work for friends and family.

Price: £75 (Bring a buddy discount: £45 each). Drop-in daily rate £20 (Bring a buddy discount: £12.50 each).

More info: Amanda Wright 020 3222 3085 www.bridgeac.com

Perform Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie Summer Workshop

Ages: 4-8 29 July to 2 August (2.30-4.30pm) in Esher 5 to 9 August (10am-12pm) in Teddington 19 to 23 August (10am-12pm) in Wimbledon Join in this 5 day Summer Workshop with experienced theatre professionals who will help the children combine live original music, inspirational dance, quick

SUMMER HOLIDAY CREATIVE WORKSHOPS 5 - 12 years Come on a summer “Artventure” with us as we explore art and crafts from around the world!

Richmond

www.artyard.co.uk 020 8878 1336

Early

If you b bird: o July 10 ok before th rece ive

10% off

Approved football training for kids aged 18 months to 7 years

your bo oking!!

Kingston 020 8286 6038

JULY & AUGUST 22nd-26th 29th-2nd 5th-9th 12th-16th 19th-23rd

JULY AUGUST AUGUST AUGUST AUGUST

Richmond 020 8979 8048

10 -3pm Activities: Gymnastics, Games, Fitness & fun!!

Lunch and snacks to be brought

Weybridge 01932 847439

Excellent equipment – including a bouncing air track!!

Prizes and Medals Excellent enthusiastic staff – all CRB checked Badges and Awards Performance and Parent watching at the end of the week.

BOOK NOW: 0208 940 7998 www.backflipperformers.com

July-August 2013

fun

Twinkle Toes Ballet is offering a range of ballet workshops and classes in Richmond for ages from 18 months through to adult.

Summer Ballet Classes every Friday in August (9.30am-2pm) Ages: 18mths-10yrs Fun and magical summer ballet classes!

Enchanted Meadows Summer Camp 5-9 August (10am-1pm) Ages: 2.5-10

Learn Gymnastics Daily and Have Fun! 10-3pm

• • • • •

5 Day Summer Camp with ballet performance on the final day!

Dance, drama, props and costumes, art and craft, performance!

Alice in Wonderland Camp 12-14 August (10am-1pm) Ages: 5-10 3 Day Summer Camp including dance, drama, props and costume.

Grown Ups Ballet Camp 12-16 August (2-3.30pm) Ages: 18+ 5 Day Adult Summer Camp. Fitness, Tone, Twirl & Toes. All ages and levels of experience welcome.

More info: 07879 521456 info@twinkletoesballet.com

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www.littlekickers.co.uk

Where learning’s a ball

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witted improvisation and colourful costumes into a mini-performance on the final day.

More info: 0845 400 1284 www.perform.org.uk

(10am-4.30pm) in East Molesey Put on a Show 12 to 16 August (10am-4.30pm) in East Molesey More info: 0845 0556356 www.stagecoach.co.uk/hinchleywood

Stagecoach Kew THE LITTLE MERMAID Drama Workshop

Ages: 5 to 12 29 July to 2 August Pyjama Drama (9.30am-12.30pm Ages: 10-18mths, 18mths-2.5yrs, + 4.30-6.30pm Fri) 2.5-5, 5-7 An exciting and magical version 31 July, 7 & 14 August in Ashtead of The Little Mermaid. Children 30 July, 6, 13 & 20 August in rehearse each morning, then have Cobham a dress rehearsal Friday afternoon 26 July, 2, 9 & 16 August in before a showcase performance for Thames Ditton friends and family at 6pm.

A morning session, or a whole day More info: Stephen or Jenny for the older ones, packed with 020 8487 1567 drama games and activities suitable www.stagecoach.co.uk/kew for boys and girls, designed to take Stagecoach Richmond your imagination on a fantastic Welcome to the 60s journey! Day workshop attendees Workshop can share their favourite bits with Ages: 4-18 family and friends at the end!

29 July to 2 August More info: Phylly Jones in Richmond 01932 807150 Stagecoach Richmond will host a www.pyjamadrama.com Welcome to the 60s workshop, with Step on Stage Summer music, costumes from the era and, Schools of course, performance.

The Step on Stage workshops More info: 020 8332 6741 explore the fundamental skills www.stagecoach.co.uk/richmond which can help children develop Stagecoach Staines Summer as performers. Whether they are Fun Workshop hoping to pursue a career in the Ages: 4-18 arts or whether they simply enjoy 29 July to 2 August in Staines. performing as a hobby, these Children aged 4-7 will be performing workshops are suitable for all. All Toy Story and children aged 6-18 will workshops are held in Hampton be working on excerpts from Grease.

Hill The week will end with a show for Ages: 3-8 family and friends.

The Selfish Giant Workshop More info: Natasha on 13 to 15 August 0845 055 6356 Treasure Island Workshop www.stagecoach.co.uk/staines 20 to 22 August Theatrebugs Summer Holiday Ages: 5-11 Drama Workshops Caught in the Crossfire Ages: 3.5-7 Workshop 29 July to 2 August 5 to 10 August (9.30am -12.30pm) in Richmond Ages: 11-18 5 to 9 August (9.30am-12.30pm) Broadway Baby in Kew and Kingston 5 to 10 August 5 to 9 August (9am-12pm) Glee in Cobham 29 July to 2 August 12 to 16 August (9am-12pm) More info: Emma 020 8408 0633 in Claygate www.steponstageacademy.co.uk 12 to 16 August (1.30-4.30pm) in Stagecoach Hinchley Wood Epsom Ages: 4-18 19 to 23 August (1.30-4.30pm) in Just Dance 29 July to 2 August Weybridge

The First Ever Whale Story Workshop, featuring pirates, sea fairies and the Queen of the Sea, forms the basis of Theatrebugs Summer Holiday Drama Workshops, 5 fun filled days of acting, singing, dancing, dressing up and art and craft. £115 20% group booking discount for groups of 3 or more!

10% sibling discount.

More info: North Surrey, Epsom, Guildford and surrounds 01483 882244 Richmond, Kew and Kingston 0800 975 5290 www.theatrebugs.co.uk

MULTI-ACTIVITY Camp Beaumont

Ages: 4-16 29 July to 30 August in Richmond Camp Beaumont doesn’t do “bored!” Their summer camp at Christ’s School in Richmond is packed with a host of fantastic creative, sporting and adventure activities for your child to try over the school holidays while you are busy at work. With up to 40 exciting activities, special events and theme days, Camp Beaumont is a simple flexible and affordable solution for busy parents. Operating with prices from £42 per day.

More info: 01263 823000 www.campbeaumont.co.uk

YMCA Space Children’s Camp

Ages: 4-8 25 July to 29 August (8.30am-5.30pm) in Kingston/Ham Space Children’s Camp at the

KOOSA Kids Summer Clubs

Ages: 4-13 25 July to 30 August (10am-4pm) in Sheen, Teddington, Twickenham Fun-packed, affordable, Ofsted-approved multi-activity clubs with over 350 activities on offer throughout the summer holidays at Shene Sports Centre, Teddington Sports Centre and Orleans Park Sports Centre. A standard day runs from 10am to 4pm, with an extended day from 8.15am to 6pm also available.

Prices from £18.25. Children can attend for 1 or more days or a full week with an 8% discount!

3rd child goes free!

More info: 0845 094 2322 www.koosakids.co.uk YMCA Hawker Centre is blessed with lots of outdoor green space for children to be active, play sports and games, as well as take part in art and craft activities. There are 3 tennis courts and the centre is home to The Pod Soft Play. Every Wednesday, there is a trip out to local attractions and places of interest - the menu for 2013 includes a Thames boat trip, a trip to the zoo and a day at Frensham Ponds. £25 per day (£32 for trip day).

More info: Myke Catterall 020 8296 9747 mykecatterall@ymcalsw.org www.spaceatymca.org

YMCA Basement Camp

Ages: 9-13 25 July to 29 August (Mon-Thu, 8.30am-5.30pm) in Kingston Basement Camp runs from the Basement Youth Café in central Kingston. For older children, the café has computers, Wi-Fi, a big TV, table football and lots of space to run around and be creative. It’s a fun and funky space to call home, but every day the camp children are out and about cycling, climbing, kayaking, swimming and exploring London. £23-£28 per day.

More info: 020 8296 9747 www.spaceatymca.org

16a High Street Thames Ditton KT7 0RY

A Brand New Theatre Club for Children 5 to 10

Sing,Dance,Act,Have Fun and Boost Confidence!

Classes taught by professional West End Performers.

Call Lorraine on 07964 260301 www.minimoleseytc.com 26

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Get Creative and have fun!

Baby Hand & Footprints Paint-Your-Own Pottery Childrens Parties

to Present this ad to the shop Til 1st ce! pri f hal Oct 2013 get studio fee

Call us on 020 8398 6681

www.thepotteryandcraftstudio.com

July-August 2013

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Kew Music Academy

Ages: 9-18.

29 July to 2 August (9am-4pm) in Kew Ensemble-playing in classical music and jazz, choir and West End singing, music theory, improvisation. Minimum grade 2 level preferable, not suitable for guitarists, harpists and recorder players. Price £245 for week.

More info: 07947 473771 www.kewmusicacademy.co.uk

SCIENCE

Mother Nature Science Camps Science Academy or Science of Sport

Ages: 5-12 In Richmond, Kingston, Twickenham, Hounslow, Kew, Kensington and Chelsea 22 July to 26 July, 29 July to 2 Aug, 5 Aug to 9 Aug, 12 Aug to 16 Aug, 19 Aug to 23 Aug Our scientists will ensure your children ‘get ahead in science’ this holiday with action-packed programmes of hands-on activities exploring a spectacular array of scientific themes and topics. Every day is filled with science experiments to make & take home.

More info: Varun Bali 0845 864 0986 www.mnature.co.uk

SPORT

Backflip Performers Summer Camps

Ages: 4-11 22 July to 23 August (5 weeks) in Wimbledon and Bedfont Activities: gymnastics, games, fitness and fun with excellent equipment, including bouncing air track, prizes and medals, badges and awards and performance for parents at the end of each week! No experience required.

Children to provide their own lunch and snacks. 10% off your booking if you book before 10 July!

Price: Wimbledon £30 per day.

Bedfont £15 per day.

More info: 020 8940 7998 www.backflipperformers.com

Winning Way/Esher FC Football Camps

Ages: 4-14 29 July to 16 August (9.30-12 or 3pm) in Thames Ditton

Footie Tots is running its highly successful half and full day Footie Winning Ways Football Camp during the summer holidays.

Suitable for all abilities. Fun packed days with tournaments.

More info: Andy Scates 07931 707720 andyandlucyscates@gmail.com

Little Kickers and Little Rugby Summer Camps

Ages: 4-7 5 to 9 August (3 hours) in Teddington 12 to 16 August (3 or 6 hours) in Richmond Whether your child already attends Little Kickers or Little Rugby classes, or you would just like him/ her to have a fun introduction to sport over the summer this 5 day workshop is ideal.

More info: Lewis Maher 020 8979 8048 or richmond@littlekickers.co.uk www.littlekickers.co.uk

Motive8 Holiday Sports Camp

Ages: 5-11 29 July to 23 August (4 weeks, 8.30am-3.30pm daily) in Twickenham Motive8 holiday provision is geared towards fun, activity, sport and skill development. Children are given the opportunity to make new friends, learn or develop sporting skills and generally remain active, expending some of the built-up energy they accumulate over the holidays and giving mum and dad a well-earned break! Book weekly or daily.

Price: £120 per week or £30 per day.

More info: 0800 028 0198 stephen.cowley@m8group.co.uk

Richmond Safe Cycling Summer Courses

Ages: 9+ 12 August to 6 September (5 day course running weekly for 4 weeks 9.45am-12pm or 1.45-4pm) in Richmond borough Qualified Cycle Instructors are running cycling courses in Richmond. During more than 10 hours a week in small groups and starting in traffic free locations, children learn about observation and keeping safe. Later, on quiet roads, they learn about traffic

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awareness and correct positioning.

Choose morning or afternoon sessions.

Price: £50 per week More info: 07425 179473 www.richmondsafecycling. wordpress.com

Springboard Swimmers Summer Holiday Swimming Courses

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Universal Method - Martial Arts/Self Defence Summer Camp

Ages: 3+ 29 July to 30 August in Teddington Suitable for children 3 years and older who are non-swimmers, beginners or in need of stroke technique. Very small groups of only 3 children with friendly tutor in the water with them.

More info: 020 8255 7455 www.springboardswimmers.com

Ages: 6+ 29 July to 23 August (9am-3pm, 4 weeks) in Feltham Week long camps incorporating Martial Arts and Self Defence. This is an action packed programme at Feltham Community College.

More info: 07956 692069 info@universalmethod.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY

FunTech Summer Camps

Ages: 7-16 15 July to19 August (6 weeks, 9am-5pm) in Richmond Select Academy Summer Something different is offered at this Football Camp extra-curricular computing school, Ages: 5-15 described by the BBC as having 29 July to 30 August “a solid reputation for both using (8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) in the latest technology and innovate Isleworth teaching techniques.” Technology is Select Academy aims to make the at the core of all the weekly camps footballing experience fun and a which are taught by staff passionate real learning experience so players about computer science. The can continue their passion for FunTyper camp offers a series of fun the game long term. The focus and creative games which also teach on components including speed, kids valuable touch-typing skills, power and endurance are all whilst the Lego NXT camp challenges age appropriate and the syllabus children to build the ultimate robot covers every aspect of each player’s whilst simultaneously learning progress with emphasis on all round valuable ICT and programming skills. mental and physical development.

Days starting at 8am and ending at Price: £20 per day.

6pm also available.

More info: 0844 5027 344 More info: 01628 621215 www.selectacademy.co.uk www.funtech.co.uk

Summer Football Camp Ages 5 to 15 29th July - 30th August 2013 Isleworth NEW regular training sessions available at Goals, New Malden.

Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays throughout the summer

www.selectacademy.co.uk 0844 502 7324 NOW ENROLLING!

BALLET ★ TAP ★ MODERN st Fir is s s a cl e!

Fre

Weekl y drama-based workshops for children aged 18mt hs - 7 years.

A fun way to develop your child's confidence and communication skills.

www.bridgeac.com | 020 3222 3085 July-August 2013

Dance classes for everyone from 18 months to adults Our Baby Beats, Nursery and Junior

For all classes April & September 2013 Award Winning Performing Arts School

April 2013

FFRREEEE CCLLAASSSS & & NNoow w EEnnrroollliinngg

classes are a fun introduction to dance using stories, mimes and songs

Summer Schools for 4 – 18 years

07813 170707

LAMDA, Youth Theatre & Children’s Agency

info@dancefusiontwickenham.com www.dancefusiontwickenham.com

Call 0208 408 0633 / 07973 900196 info@steponstageacademy.co.uk www.steponstageacademy.co.uk

GLEE Week – Musical Theatre The Selfish Giant – Treasure Island

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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Strawberry Hill House holds some fabulous creative workshops for children during school holiday periods and this summer is no exception, with a number of newcomers to the program of activities, including.

For age 8+: Creative Costume Afternoons on 27 July and 24

August, during which children can dress up in authentic costumes, create portraits of themselves and their friends and then design and make a picture frame to display their historic portrait.

techniques with an artist and 3D specialist are included.

Printing Techniques on 31 August in which parents can help children create colourful prints of their drawings of the house and garden.

For the full list of workshops available at Strawberry Hill House this summer, please see below.

For ages 5+:

Strawberry Story Glass

Bugs and Mini-beasts Workshop on 3 and 17

August in which children will tour the garden discovering bugs, butterflies and creepy crawlies, learn about insects and make their favourite mini-beast to take home to scare YOU! The shop will also be selling various bugs and bug-collectors too.

Strawberry Hill Summer Workshops Creative Costume Afternoon See left. Price: £6

Monday 29 July (1-3pm) & Monday 19 August (1-3pm) Ages: 8+. Take inspiration from the House and paint your very own Strawberry Hill piece of stained glass (we will be using clear acrylic) to decorate your home.

Price: £6

Clay Crafts and Crenulations!

popular workshop so book early!

Price: £16

For age 5 and under:

Bugs and Mini-beasts Workshop

Bug and Butterfly Hunt Bonanza on 14 August

Picture Printing for under 5’s

Saturday 10 August (1-3pm) Ages: under 5s. Take inspiration from Strawberry’s Gothic roots and create a Gargoyle to frighten off unwanted pests. Price: £6

See left. Price: £16 See left. Price: £6

See left. Price: £4.50 and 2 September in which Gothic Comics children can discover colourful Wednesday 7 August (11.30ambugs and butterflies amongst Clay Crafts and 3.30pm) & Wednesday 28 the greenery and make their Crenulations on 31 July and August (11.30am-3.30pm) favourite bug to take home 21 August in which children can Ages: 8+. Develop a short Picture Printing on 5 and learn slabbing, rolling, cutting and story through role play, object 26 August, using the house cylinder pot techniques and make a and gardens as inspiration, handling and costume. Then with castle inspired by Strawberry using the House as a back-drop, use work with your child to create self-hardening clay. A tour of the photography to create your very colourful prints based on your house and observational drawing own Gothic Comic Strip. A very own inspired drawings.

Strawberry Hill House 020 8744 1241 www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk/events

Guildford Spectrum Summer Workshops There’s almost no sport your child can’t tackle at Guildford Spectrum this summer. On offer are rugby, fencing, trampolining, golf, archery, basketball, soccer, athletics, tennis and gymnastics. Then there’s the Spectrum’s Xtreme Activity Camps, full days of multi-sports every day throughout the summer holidays. Throw in some pre-school drama and music and you may as well literally go and camp at Spectrum the whole Summer!

Here are details about what’s on and you can find a full program at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

WEEKDAYS FROM 22 JULY to 2 SEPTEMBER Xtreme Activate Ages: 5-12.

29 & 30 JULY Pre-school Drama & Music Workshop Ages: 18mths-2.5yrs (with guardian) & 3-5yrs (without guardian) 31 JULY/14 AUG Rugby Tots Ages: 2-3.5 & 3.5-5.

31 JULY Mini Musketeers Ages: 6-10.

30 JUL/1/6/8/13/15 AUG Trampolining Ages: 4-12.

1/8/15 AUG Little Golfers Ages: 5-11.

1 AUG Guildford Heat Basketball Camp Ages: 8-16.

5 AUG/19 AUG Archery Activate Ages: 5-12.

5/8 AUG Soccer Skills & Goalkeepers Courses Ages: 5-15 (Goalkeepers 7-15).

Ghoulish Gargoyles

Storytelling Puppets

Monday 12 August (1-3pm) Ages: 5+. Make your very own puppet and then join in some Strawberry Storytelling.

Price: £6

Bug and Butterfly Hunt Bonanza See left. Price: £4

Printing Techniques See left. Price: £6

5 to 8 AUG Minikickers Courses Ages: 3-5.

7/21 AUG Mini Tennis Ages: 3-5 & 5-10.

29 JUL to 31 JUL, 12 to 14 AUG & 28 to 30 AUG www.spectrumbowl.co.uk

Star Track Athletics Camp 29 JUL to 2 AUG & 26 to 30 AUG Flair Gymnastics Workshop Ages: 4-17 all levels & abilities.

WWT London Wetland Centre Wildlife Photography Workshop

adventures Osterley Park and House

50 things to do before you're 113/4 27 July - 28 August (various dates) From climbing trees to kite flying to snail racing; what will you do?

Free after admission, please see our website for more details

020 8232 5050 nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley

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© National Trust Images/ntpl. Registered Charity Number 205846.

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Budding young wildlife photographers (8+) and their parents can learn how to take great shots of wildlife on this practical and enjoyable workshop, suitable for all skill levels and camera types (compact or SLR).

An illustrated introductory session looks at composition, technique, field craft and equipment, followed by practical session of nature photography outside. The workshop consists of small numbers so there is time for 1-2-1 tuition. Price: £50 for an adult and child. www.wwt.org.uk/london

July-August 2013

win! win! win! competitions win! win! win!

COMPETITION!

WIN!COMPETITION!WIN!

This is a chance to WIN Family Tickets WIN one of 2 sets of Family Tickets to Men and Little Miss to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at LolliBop, the only 3 day UK festival characters, Shaun the Ascot Racecourse on 10 August! where the entertainment is entirely for Sheep, Dick and Dom, The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on children.

Peppa Pig, Nickelodeon’s Saturday, 10 August is Britain’s premier LolliBop, The Big Bash for Little People, The Go! Go! Go! Show, the Cloud Babies jockeys’ competition – not only that, it’s returns to London from 16 to 18 August.

Mini-Show, the Transfomers and the Diary the perfect family day out at the Berkshire It will be held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic of a Wimpy Kid Masterclass. Enjoy live music, based racecourse. A unique event where Park and has announced an incredible line-up live performance, live theatre, a Science 4 teams of top jockeys battle against each designed to delight mini festival goers. Joining Zone, LolliSports, a Bitsy Zone for those other in a thrilling six-race showdown, some of the hottest names in kids’ entertainunder 3ft, LolliStops Craft, the Discovery the 4 teams are: Great Britain and Ireland; ment, as well as hundreds of activities, Zone, and beach hut crafts and bandstands Europe; the Rest of the World; and The workshops and interactive demos, are the Mr at the Lolli Promenade.

Girls team.

For further information, visit www.lollibopfestival.co.uk There will also be an array of activities To Enter: Go to our website at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk to keep the whole family entertained, and answer the following question: from fairground rides to urban display  What is the name of the area at LolliBob that caters for those under 3ft? workshops. After Closing Date: Friday 9 August (Terms and Conditions Apply) the racing, there will be a concert for the whole family on the

Old Paddock Lawns including appearances WIN one This is a chance to WIN a Family Ticket from Blue, Atomic of 3 sets of to visit Hobbledown, the amazing kids Kitten, Go West and travel-Size, adventure park and zoo! Launch your D-ream. All entertainColour-In kids into the exciting, imaginary world of ment will take place Pocket Books Hobbledown at its 50 acre site in Epsom. within the Grandstand Admission area. and Postcard There is more than a full day of indoor and Gates open at 11am and the last race Books from outdoor play for kids of all ages, including 3 is at 3.50pm. Under 18s go FREE, Premier Eggnog, perfect enormous outside play zones, the Hoblings Admission is £42.30 and Grandstand entertainPlay Village, Hobbledown Village and The Admission is £24.30. ment for kids Mining Village, where children can mine for at home, on crystallite to be exchanged for treats at the For more information, holiday, at a shop. The Villages are linked by a myriad visit www.ascot.co.uk restaurant or in a train, plane or car this of houses, towers and mazes and now, by To Enter: For your chance to WIN one summer! Eggnog’s convenient travel size 70m of underground passageway ripe for of 3 sets of family tickets (2 adults and Colour-In Pocket Books and Colour-In exploration. Those that enjoy a challenge up to 4 children), go to our website Holiday Postcard Books lend themselves can take the Low Ropes Adventure, whilst www.familiesuponthames.co.uk and perfectly to on-the-go entertainment for older children will love braving the Aerial answer the following question: children. There’s a Pocket Book to suit Adventure Course. Animal-lovers of all ages

every taste: Pocket Critters, Pocket Pirates, will have great fun visiting Hobbledown’s  Which of the following songs is Pocket Princesses and Pocket Treasure quirky, furry residents!

by Go West?

Hunts for indoor and outdoor fun (Pack Indoors,The a) We Close Our Eyes of two – 10 cards per pack RRP: £5.99), Hobbledown Barn is b) Take on Me whilst the Colour-In Holiday Postcard a massive, brilliantly c) Never Gonna Give You Up Book gets any holiday off to a stress free conceived 14,000 square start! (Pack of 12 RRP: £6.50) foot indoor play area with Closing Date: Thursday, 1 August two large play frames and (Terms and Conditions Apply) The Hobnosh Café for For further information and to view other great food and coffee.

Eggnog products, visit www.eggnogg.co.uk

COMPETITION!

COMPETITION!

For more information, visit www.hobbledown.com To Enter: Go to our website www.familiesuponthames.co.uk and answer the following question:  How big is the indoor play area at Hobbledown?

To Enter: Go to our website www.familiesuponthames.co.uk and answer the following question:  How many different themed Eggnog Colour-In Pocket Books are there?

Closing Date: Friday, 1 August (Terms and Conditions Apply)

Closing Date: Friday, 16 August (Terms and Conditions Apply) a up an Serving

a up an Serving

We provide a fun and safe environment for We provide preschool children to learn a get fun actively and safeinvolved tennis, environment for and build their confidence preschool children to during the early years learn tennis, get actively of development.

involved and build their confidence during the early years of development.

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Agility...

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nis p ce ten

ce ten

rogramme for 2-5 year olds.

amme for 2-5 year olds. nis progr

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fun and meet new friends.

Indoor venues in Indoor Surrey.

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For a free trial session: visit us at: www.topspinmonkeys.co.uk or call Andy Low on 07779 130596.

For a free trial session, visit us at: www.topspinmonkeys.co.uk or call Andy Low on 07779 130596.

Now at venues in Epsom, Cobham & Walton-on-Thames.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

July-August 2013 BDA Advert_v5.indd 1

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Play Cafes and Soft Play Centres New Kids on the Block

Frankie & Flo’s Play Cafe Opens in Whitton Frankie & Flo’s, a new play café for those aged 0 to 4 in Whitton, is truly a place as much for YOU as your children. Proprietor, Cassie, herself a mum of two kids under 5, says “I’ve always wanted my own business, in particular, a café. Living in Whitton, I identified a real need for a play café in this area and I wanted to create an environment which was just as much for parents as for their children.”

It goes without saying that there is plenty at Frankie & Flo’s to entertain the little ones, including craft activities, a dedicated baby corner, dressing up tent, play shop, rollercoaster (yes, really!) and many other toys - all in a friendly environment and clean, newly-refurbished space.

Meanwhile, parents can enjoy a really good coffee, home-made cake and free Wi-Fi, and mums can “glam up” with a fantastic Shellac Manicure on Monday mornings – a “mum proof” manicure which takes only a minute or two to set and lasts up to two weeks!

Cassie has also teamed up with experienced,

professional hairdresser, Ni, to introduce children’s and adult haircuts to the café. How fantastic to be able to nab your little one for a quick haircut during a play session, and have them playing again within 15 minutes! No need to trek to the high street. Children’s haircuts can be booked in advance at any time the café is open but bookings are not always necessary.

Frankie & Flo’s newest innovation is Frankie & Flo’s Kiddy Clobber Service, which will sell your not-so-little one’s outgrown clothes on your behalf. All you have to do is provide the clothes clean, on a hanger, complete with a little luggage label, with your name on the back. Frankie & Flo’s takes 30% of the sale price and the rest of the money comes to you.

Frankie & Flo’s is open Monday 10am to 12.30pm and Thursday and Friday 1.30pm to 5pm term times and school holidays.

There is free on-street parking available.

For further information, email cassie@frankieandflo.com or visit Frankie & Flo’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/frankieandflosplaycafe

Mini-Me’s Soft Play Arrives in Esher!

Proprietor of Mini Me’s, a new soft play centre in Esher told me that somebody had recently referred to her as a “Trojan,” an amazing compliment and a testament to her energy, boundless drive and passion to make Mini Me’s the very best it can be.

Launched at Sandown Park Race Course in May, Mini Me’s has taken off with a flying start. With something for children of all ages up to around age 9 (height restriction 4ft

little

07788 258871

restless voice

• Group singing for 5-9 year olds • Individual lessons - any age

paula.e.gething@gmail.com 07788 258871

6 in), it has three distinct age-appropriate rooms: Poppy’s Adventure Play Room which houses the main play frame and ball pond, as well as a café offering healthy food choices and delicious home-made cake; the colourful Petal’s Toddler Room with its interactive pre-school toys and Pebbles Sensory Room, for babies. With its bubble lamps, mirrors, fibre optic lighting and a sensory star ceiling, Pebbles is designed to appeal to and stimulate all of a baby’s senses.

Such sensory stimulation has been shown to be of particular benefit in the early development of babies with learning difficulties or disabilities.

J IGSAW

Kids Play

Come & play at Jigsaw Mon-Fri 10am till 4pm Under 5’s - Ball Pond & Slide - Baby area Summer Outside area - Bounty Castle Private Parties Contact Sam or Cheryl 07909 443463 email: samandcherry@jigsawkids.co.uk or visit www.jigsawkidsplay.co.uk

Sunbury Sports Association Kenton Court Meadow, Lower Hampton Road, Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5PS

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www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

A beautifully unique play cafe especially for toddlers and babies Hot and cold food available No time limit on play!

Easy free parking!

Toddlers: £3.95 6m+: £2.95 Under 6m: £1.00 Siblings 6m+:£1.00 Free Music class on mon/wed 10.30am Fri 3pm Open mon-fri 10am-4.30 pm Sat 10am-1pm Sandown park golf centre More Lane, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8AN T: 01372 469260 info@ragamuffinsplay.co.uk www.ragamuffinsplay.co.uk

New website now launched selling beautiful children’s gifts and accessories! www.LittleRagamuffins.co.uk

Mini Me’s fourth room is its Party Room where flexibility is the key. There are a range of party options available, with packages for 0 to 4 year olds available Monday to Friday during term time, packages for all ages available Monday to Saturday and Exclusive Access parties available all day on Sundays.

Michelle has three children of her own, ages 6, 3 and 10 months and her love of kids and friendly, inclusive nature mean that all children are welcome at Mini-Me’s. Michelle prioritises children with special needs with dedicated session times and reduced prices, plus the option to book the facility, which has full disabled access, privately for special needs groups. With the ability to keep more balls in the air than those in the Mini Me’s ball pit, Michelle has also already set up after school and holiday activity clubs and classes, music classes for babies and toddlers, baby massage and sensory classes, and special needs activity classes.

With summer upon us, Mini Me’s official partner, Bohanna’s Bouncys has supplied a Bouncy Castle and an outside seating area, so you can have the best of both the indoor and the outdoor on your visit.

Mini Me’s is open 10am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays during (term time), 10am to 4pm Mondays to Fridays (school holidays except bank holidays) and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.

For more information, visit www.minimessoftplay.co.uk or call 01372 878225/07870 266614 July-August 2013

Ragamuffins Play Café A tranquil oasis for parents and little ones Run by two sisters, Nicola and Jo, Ragamuffins Play Café, established in May 2011, nestles in the heart of Sandown Park Race Course in beautiful Esher. It is uniquely designed with parents in mind, a pretty and relaxing haven where they can sit and chill and have a drink or lunch while their little ones play.

Ragamuffins is aimed specifically at babies and toddlers and offers traditional, age-appropriate toys. It is also launching a gorgeous new toddler activity garden this summer where parents can sip a ‘mocktail’ in the sun while their toddlers get busy in the shade with water play and bubble lawn mowers, occupations destined to keep them busy for hours! Visitors can stay as long as they like with no time limit on play.

Nicola also organises informal rhyme-time and music classes at the café, which she

conducts herself, as well as hosting weekly ballet and Italian language and a monthly toddler cooking club.

Ragamuffins recently introduced a small gift shop which has been hugely successful, and,

Jigsaw Soft Play Where all the pieces fit effortlessly together Also run by two sisters, Sam and Cheryl took over Jigsaw, a soft play centre for 0 to 5 year olds, situated at the Sunbury Cricket Club just over two years ago. They leapt at the opportunity to work together and to put their own warm, personal stamp on the place.

“I have two small children myself” says Sam “so I understand what parents and their little ones need.” As a result, Jigsaw is friendly and relaxed and the number of visitors has increased, with parents and their children coming from neighbouring Hampton, Twickenham and Richmond.

There’s plenty of space and entertainment at Jigsaw, including a bouncy castle, a ball pit with two slides, a dedicated baby area and ride-on toys. “I used to come to Jigsaw with my daughter” says Sam.“I liked the fact that, although it’s spacious, wherever you were in the room, you could always see your kids!” Jigsaw has definitely got the balance between space and security exactly right with safety always a top priority. The facility is surrounded by gates so the little ones are secure at all times.

When the weather is fine, parents and children can take toys outside to the outdoor area which is reached directly

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on the back of this, Nicola and Jo have just launched a new website at www.LittleRagamuffins.co.uk which sells all things beautiful for children. From stunning play houses to vintage-style snack boxes, there is something to appeal to all tastes and interests, with clear categories to make browsing easy for time-poor parents.

With Nicola’s 15 year’s professional experience as a nanny and Jo’s experience as a mother of two, the Ragamuffins team have earned their stripes in the kiddie world. With the launch of the Little Ragamuffins website, comes a new blog, with useful parenting information, discussions on the challenges of parenthood and practical advice and solutions. The blog will also feature specialist guest contributors and useful links.

Ragamuffins is open 10am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday during term time and school holidays and also 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. It is available for party hire most Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays.

For further information, visit www.ragamuffinsplay.co.uk and www.LittleRagamuffins.co.uk

through a door from the main room. This summer there are picnic benches with centre tables in the outdoor area. There are also tables inside and a café selling snacks and light lunches. The £2 tea/coffee and a muffin deal is fabulous!

During the week, Sam and Cheryl encourage parents to reserve a table for a little one’s birthday, bring in a cake and make an occasion of their visit and Jigsaw is also available for more formal party hire at weekends during the winter and after 4.30pm on week days.

Jigsaw is open 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday term time and school holidays. It runs a generous loyalty-card scheme which offers a 6th visit free for a parent and all accompanying children.

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

The play café that’s as much for YOU as your little ones Perfect for age 4 and under (older siblings welcome) Open Mon 10.00 to 12.30, Thursday and Friday 1.30 to 5pm Term time and holidays

www.facebook.com/frankieandflosplaycafe 07803 594786 cassie@frankieandflo.com St Philip and St James Parish Hall, Vicarage Road, Whitton, TW2 7DY

Mini Me’s – THE place to play! ✷ Ages 0 to 9 (maximum height 4ft 6 in) ✷ 3 different play spaces for 3 different age-groups ✷ Sensory Room for babies ✷ Café NEW in ✷ Great Range of Party Packages!

Esher ✷ Dedicated special needs sessions ✷ After school and holiday clubs

Open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm term time 10am to 4pm Saturdays and school holidays

The Ski Lodge, Sandown Sports Centre, Sandown Racecourse, More Lane, Esher, KT10 8AN

P: 01372 878225 /07870 266614 www.minimessoftplay.co.uk July-August 2013

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

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clubs, classes activities

gymnastics

HOW TO RECOGNISE A QUALITY Stone, Editor, pays a visit to Spelthorne Gymnastics Club GYMNASTICS CLUB Linda

Spelthorne Gymnastics Club in Ashford is a dynamic club with impressive facilities. Owned by two ex-professional gymnasts, Bob and Alison Cooper, both of whom competed internationally for Great Britain during the 1980s and were multiple British Acrobatic Champions in Women’s Pairs and Mixed Pairs, the club is housed in a building at the back of Brooklands College. Inside there is a vast 10,000ft gymnasium, fully equipped with sprung floor areas, a tumbling track and trampolines.

Spelthorne Gymnastics Club specialises in acrobatic gymnastics and tumbling. Acrobatic gymnastics involves children working together in small teams to perfect routines which involve balances and lifts, with one or two gymnasts acting as “bases,” and, usually, one other being lifted by them or

balancing on them. The tumbling discipline involves the classic aerial somersaults and back hand-springs down a 25m long track.

A quality gymnastics club has certain characteristic trademarks; the buzz of quiet, happy industry; a certain level of intensity and an air of general productiveness.

Spelthorne Gymnastics Club has all these “in spades.” This is a club that knows what it is doing and operates like a well-oiled machine.

During my visit, older children were practising floor routines for a competition. One by one, groups of gymnasts rotated, in a swift and orderly fashion, on and off the central sprung floor to go through their routines. They didn’t need to be given instruction, there was no prevarication or time wasting; all the children were in their element and clearly loving what they were doing.

Another characteristic of a great gymnastics club is a certain “one-ness” with the environment - a sense of everything and everyone being in their rightful place. All the children at the Club seemed as comfortable in the gym as they might be at home or at school. There was an

understanding and respect for the equipment, the sport and their coaches.

The quality of the Club is evident in the increase in membership in recent years to over 750 children and an elite section that competes at both National and International events.

When Can my child learn Gymnastics and what are the benefits? By Linda Stone, Editor Gymnastics at Spelthorne Gym start with a Mother and Toddler Class at 18 months. Don’t worry parents, you won’t have to do any contortions yourself, but you can help your child to learn forward rolls, bunny hops and develop balance and co-ordination. Then, from the age of 2.5, your child can go to class on their own, if they are ready.

Learning gymnastics at an early age is great for a child’s physical development and encourages

balance, co-ordination, stamina, body awareness and strength.

Not only this, but the ability to listen well and follow simple instructions are important lessons for toddlers to learn and take into the pre-school environment.

Hanging by their arms develops muscle strength, whilst rolling balls and hoops encourages them to be precise in their movements.

Learning gymnastics at this age provides a great grounding for all sports later in childhood.

By the age of 3 years, 90% of recreational gymnasts at

Classes for 2yrs-Adult in RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern and Tap and LAMDA Drama

Spelthorne Gymnastics Club are participating in a one hour class each week. At this age too, it’s possible for the professional coaches at the Club to pick out those they think may have the potential to be budding stars.“It’s hard to put into words” says Julia Cowler, Pre-School Club Coach “but there’s a certain combination of co-ordination, strength and flexibility, plus, very importantly, the ability to concentrate and follow instructions, that indicate to us that a child may be able to go further.”

An elite 10% who show a particular aptitude and interest are elected for the “Minis Squad” meaning that, by the age of 4, they are doing gymnastics for 4.5 hours a week, quite a commitment for children of that age.“Kids who

get serious about gymnastics tend to be quite mature and tough temperamentally”says Julia. At this age, learning involves pointing toes, straightening knees, performing bridges to encourage flexibility and practising basic tumbling moves, such as cartwheels, hand springs and round offs.

For further information about Spelthorne Gymnastics Club, visit www.spelthornegymnastics.com

CONTACT US TO BOOK A FREE TRIAL CLASS at kewacademy@hotmail.com OR CALL 01932 423456 OR 07967 341117 Weekday and Weekend Classes held at United Church Hall, Raleigh Rd, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2DX

Check out our website for more information www.kewacademydance.co.uk

Principal: Victoria Maitland Dip RBS TC ARAD AISTD Royal Ballet School Graduate, Fully Qualified Teacher

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July-August 2013

GET THEM ACTIVE! SportsCoach relaunches as MultiSports Richmond!

SportsCoach, the multi-sports program for children is re-launching as The MultiSports Group in September and offering classes in Richmond. The MultiSports Group introduces youngsters to a wide range of sporting activities, encouraging all levels of potential and developing life skills such as confidence and teamwork. Respect for others, perseverance under pressure and a sense of “fair play” are all learned best from experience, and the sports field is an excellent learning place.

MultiSports Richmond’s three hour Sunday morning training session for children aged 6 to 16 enables students to attend three core classes – Traditional Team Sports, Individual Sports and Team Building Challenges. It also means that they can burn off

Think your child is too young for drama? Then, think again.

Phylly Jones (BA (Hons) Drama) is introducing new drama classes for babies and toddlers in Hersham in September.

Little ones from 10 to 18 months and from 18 months to 2.5 years can attend these classes on a Wednesday morning. There will also be new Pyjama Drama pre-school classes on Friday mornings in Thames Ditton, whilst, in Walton, Phylly is introducing new Saturday morning classes for 3 to 5 year olds.

For more information, email phylly@pyjamadrama.com or visit www.pyjamadrama.com

By Linda Stone, Editor

Monkey Music Adds Venues in Twickenham Green and Chessington

surplus energy accumulated over the weekend and thoroughly exhaust themselves for the rest of the day!

Running concurrently with school terms, in the first year of MultiSports alone, students will be introduced to an incredible 18 different sports.“The advantage is that all children, even those who arrive with no idea what sports they might enjoy, find something they love” says proprietor, Grant Felix.

MultiSports Richmond also offers a 90 minute Little Sporties class for ages 4 to 5 years in Richmond.

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

Pyjama Drama Introduces New Drama Classes for the Very Young

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Catch-ABalls Seeks Teachers

The popular pre-school ball skills franchise, Catch-A-Balls needs local class instructors.

This is a great opportunity for anybody who is good with kids, can take charge and prefer active to sedentary work.“A lot of our instructors are ex-teachers” says Heather Horler, who runs Catch-ABall classes in the Richmond and Kingston areas.“They decide to leave the school environment but still want to use their teaching skills.

Becoming a Catch-A-Balls teacher is also great if you are looking for flexible, part-time work, or, if you have a background in fitness or Physical Education” says Heather.

For more information, email contact@catch-a-balls.co.uk or visit www.catch-a-balls.co.uk

New Monkey Music classes will begin at the United Reform Church in Twickenham Green and at a location in Chessington on Tuesday mornings from September.

Anyone signing up for the first term in Twickenham Green will be entitled to a Monkey Music membership for just £1! (normal price £17).

For further information on Twickenham classes, please email kew.teddington@ monkeymusic.co.uk For Chessington classes, please email banstead.claygate@ monkeymusic.co.uk Alternatively, visit www.monkeymusic.co.uk

clubs, classes activities

back to school Rugby Tots Launches New Classes in East Twickenham Back in June, Rugbytots, the rugby skills training program for kids aged 2 to 7 years, launched a new class in East Twickenham, adding to the plethora of classes it now runs across Surrey and South West London. This class will continue in September, alongside Rugbytots classes in Chiswick, Barnes, Putney, Wimbledon, Twickenham, Feltham and Surbiton.

For further information, email lorna@rugbytots.co.uk or visit www.rugbytots.co.uk

Brooks Dance Academy Introduces Classes for School Age Children

Following the success of its Petites Pointes pre-school ballet classes, Brooks Dance Academy in Kingston is launching RAD Pre-Primary ballet classes, for Reception age children and RAD Primary ballet classes for Year 2s in September. Classes will take place after school on Tuesdays in Berrylands.“One of the advantages of the location is that there’s plenty of free residential parking nearby, so it’s really accessible” says Director, Laura Brooks. Laura will also be offering a Petites Pointes session for pre-schoolers 2.5 years or over, early on a Tuesday afternoon at the same location,

before parents do the school run.

Laura’s Petites Pointes classes, which use traditional tales such as The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks, to introduce children to classical ballet, have been so successful in the last few years that “classes for older children was the obvious next step” she says.

For class times in Berrylands and other locations, visit www.brooksdanceacademy.co.uk Come and register at the best gymnastics facility in Ashford

spelthorne gymnastics

COLLEGE WAY WAY COLLEGE ASHFORD ASHFORD MIDDLESEX MIDDLESEX TW15 TW15 2XG 2XG

F U N F O R A L L Awww.spelthornegymnastics.com GES AND ABILITIES

C l a s s e s f oCOME r B e AND g i n REGISTER ners to Elite Performers AT THE BEST FACILITY IN ASHFORD DAILY CLASSES 10,000 sq ft 10,000 sq ft gymnasium Recreational Sprung floor areas gymnasium Sprung floor areas Gymnastics Tumble track Tumble track * Trampoli nes Acrobatics Trampolines Soft play * Apparatus Tumbling Soft play * Apparatus Bouncy castles Bouncy castles Baby changing facilities / FUN 4 BABIES Baby changing facilities Café Café Babies from 8 weeks

July-August 2013

F U N F O R A L L A G EMOTHER S AND ABILITIES PRE-SCHOOL & TODDLER s tmonths o E l i t to e 3 P eyears rformers 3 to 5 yearsC l a s s e s f o r B e g i n n e r 18 First taste of DAILY CLASSES SOFT PLAY SOFT PLAY Come and enjoy a huge Come space and gymnasticsRecreational Gymnastics and lots to play with enjoy a huge without parents Acrobatics Tumbling space and lots STUDIOS TO REtoNplay CALL: ReceptionFUN 01784 880474 T with Aerobics/ 4 BABIES D a nce etc EMAIL: spelthornegymnastics@me.com Babies from 8 weeks CHILDREN’S FIND US: Rear ofMOTHER Brooklands College Ashford via College PARTIES & TODDLER Book the gym 18 months to 3 years for your child’s party or33one of www.familiesuponthames.co.uk PRE-SCHOOL our upstairs 3 to 5 years First taste of gymnastics rooms for a without parents disco

The Property Guide “Pssst, there’s an Agent Here from a Record Company!”

Linda Stone, Editor, meets David McGeachie, a very different kind of estate agent If you live in Twickenham and you are in any way involved with music and/or the local community, you may well have met David McGeachie – or at least have heard his name. Perhaps you ran into him at a local event, or at a gig in the pub. Or maybe you heard his dulcet Scottish tones introducing some of the live music acts at the recent Twickenham Alive festival down by the river.

I’m certain that anybody asked to hazard a guess at his profession that day would not have put ‘lettings agent’ on the list. Yet David McGeachie is proprietor of the very successful Tenant Finder in St Margaret’s and it is the clear blue water between him and your average agent that plays a major part in its success.

“I’m not typical” says David,“in fact, until I set up Tenant Finder 7 years ago, I’d never been an estate agent at all. I was in the music business and worked in marketing for record companies such as Polygram and CBS. I became a lettings agent because I was a landlord and I could see how vital it was to have my own property leased and managed by a good agency. I wanted to run my own business and I had this idea I could build a lettings agency that was really different.”

So what skills does an ex-marketing professional from the music business bring to the running of a lettings agency? Well, there are the obvious ones. David understands

London Van MoVes TRULY PRoFessIonaL Man and Van seRVICe. We CoMe HIGHLY ReCoMMended

how important it is for Tenant Finder to offer something unique. “We have a ‘no renewal fee’ deal” says David. “It’s just one of the things we do differently to everyone else.” He

I became a lettings agent because I was a landlord and I could see how vital it was to have my own property leased and managed by a good agency

going broke, he has turned Tenant Finder into a premises-based operation that is now expanding, with the acquisition of the lease on the shop next door. Teaming up with Guy Medd, an experienced residential estate agent who has sold high end property for agents like John D Wood, David has just launched McGeachie Medd, a residential property sales agency, and, in so doing, has extended his street frontage on the Richmond Road to 35 ft.

“I always had this at the back of my mind” says David.“And when the opportunity comes, you have to take it. McGeachie Medd has already got a range of properties to represent because of the extensive local network I have, so we’ve got an excellent base to build on.”

David McGeachie is clearly the type of guy who always goes the extra mile for his clients.

One can’t help feeling that Tenant Finder and McGeachie Medd are destined to have long, successful journeys ahead of them too.

personally turns up to meet every new client himself; he writes the “spec” and selects professionally-taken photographs for every property represented by the agency. “Building relationships is what I’m all about” comments West and South West David. “I’m here for the long haul. I’m not London & Surrey going to disappear to another agency or Removals, picks ups/deliveries another job next week or next month so I’ll Single items/full loads lease your property today and be around to re-lease it in a few years’ time too.”

FROM £15 PER HOUR Tenant Finder started at David’s kitchen Driver can load/unload table only 7 years ago and his initial And take up to 2 people along For more information, visit marketing activities were limited to postcards in the van! www.tenant-finder.co.uk in local shop windows. From these humble beginnings, in the CaLL 07787 995795 middle of a recession, www.londonvanmoves.co.uk with other agents Register for My Property Too App for FREE and WIN £100 in cash!

My Property Too is a unique online application that makes the whole process of home moving smoother, friendlier and more likely to succeed!

Rather than relying only on information from solicitors and estate agents, My Property Too allows buyers and sellers to communicate with each other directly in a structured and friendly environment. You can track the progress of the sale and keep each other updated online. You Cocoon Lettings get to know exactly where the conveyance process has reached, what Kingston further stages you’ll have to go through and what is left for you to do.

The app gives both buyers and sellers more control over the process, For Landlords with More but with the option of inviting their solicitor to join too.

Sense Than Money Families Upon Thames is offering its readers the exclusive opportunity to be one of only 30 people entitled to use the My Property Too App Let for just 4% and pay No VAT for a limited time only totally free of charge and go into the draw to WIN £100 in cash.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER!

Call for a free Valuation: 020 300 63 515 Visit: www.cocoonlettings.co.uk

To Enter: Go to our website at www.familiesuponthames.uk/competitions Closing Date: Friday, 30 August (Terms and Conditions Apply)

34

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

July-August 2013

The

Property Guide

VILLAGE PROPERTIES The Independent Letting Specialists

VILLAGE The Independent Letting Specialists

Unfurnished

VILLAGE

0203 355 5530

PROPERTIES

£2500pcm

Tudor Drive, Kingston, KT2

Unfurnished

PROPERTIES The Independent Letting Specialists

£3500pcm

Observatory Road, East Sheen

An immaculate 4 bedroom family home within catchment for several excellent Primary Schools and the German School – Large open plan accommodation with stunning family kitchen, 2 bathrooms, attractive lawned garden and close to Richmond Park. Available Mid August 13.

Wonderful family home on the Parkside of East Sheen offering 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large open plan kitchen, w.c., very pretty garden, within walking of Mortlake Station and Richmond Park.

Unfurnished

Unfurnished

£6000pcm

Richmond Park, SW15

A super detached family home situated on a quiet road within moments of Richmond Park offering 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, eat-in kitchen, gardens, garage and parking.

£4300pcm

Richmond Bridge Development, TW1

Fabulous 3 double bedroom ground floor apartment in this prestigious riverside development, large lounge, 2 bathrooms, w.c., huge wrap around terrace, underground parking and gym.

.

Barnes • Richmond • East Sheen • Mortlake • Kew • St Margarets • Kingston • Twickenham • Ham • Petersham village-properties.co.uk

why One in Three Property Transactions Fail down by that date, the offer expires. More recently lenders tend to make these offers with shorter timescales and so a careful eye needs to be kept on the relevant date.

Moving house is one of the most stressful life events we have to contend with, so how can we make sure we avoid pitfalls along the way?

A little knowledge goes a long way Generally, it is lack of knowledge on the part of buyer and vendor that causes one in three property transactions to fail. When I was buying my house, I was advised by the Estate Agent that the Vendor’s solicitor had sent the Sales Contract to my solicitor, July-August 2013

but my solicitor advised me that the Vendor’s solicitor had sent the Conditions of Sale, without the Particulars of Sale. I had essentially only received half a contract!

Whilst all this was being sorted out, the Vendor came close to selling the house to someone else.

It helps to have a rough idea of what is involved in the conveyance process and who does what.

Mortgage offer expiring Often lenders will offer funding only up to a certain date and, if the loan has not been drawn

Insurance Coverage Must Be in Place and Needs to be Correct To be safe, buyers of freehold houses should always have buildings insurance cover in place from the date of exchange, regardless of what the contract says and regardless of whether or not the seller has a mortgage.

If you are getting a mortgage, you will also need life insurance as a condition of the loan. It is worth checking with your mortgage lender that they are happy with your insurance cover before the date of completion.

extra

Survey being confused with a valuation report Don’t assume that the “survey” undertaken by the mortgage lender as part of their valuation report will suffice for you. A proper survey will be a lot more thorough. The mortgage valuation report will not bring to light any repairs that may need to be done.

Diane Stevenson is an IT professional, with an interest in property investment. As a member of the British Computer Society and with a 25 year IT career, Diane is well versed in creating IT solutions for large organisations and, using her skills and knowledge of the conveyance process, has developed the My Property Too app to assist home buyers reach completion of their property transactions.

For the chance to use the My Property Too app FREE OF CHARGE see our exclusive offer on page 34.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

35

it’s

party time

party Basic Bouncy Castle time “Dos and Don’ts!” it’s

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

www.busybakers.co.uk info@busybakers.co.uk 07766135907

Face painting & balloon modelling parties in Surrey Transform Your child Into Their Favourite Television Character, Animal or Hero!

MoshiMonsters, Ben10, Noddy, Iron man, Spiderman, Batman, Toy Story 3, Lazy Town, Barbie, Fifi Flowertot, Hello Kitty, Littlest Pet shop, The Muppets, Night Garden and more!

Princess, Power Ranger or panda – your child will be thrilled with the result!

0774 761 9581 Tamara@littlepickleparties.co.uk www.facebook.com/littlepickleparties www.littlepickleparties.co.uk

Hiring a bouncy castle or other inflatable this Summer?

Richard Holmes from Surrey-based party entertainment company, Silverball Leisure, offers his tips and advice.

Do measure the space – there’s no point trying to squeeze a bouncy castle into an area that’s too small for it and it’s really important to remember that bouncy castles require space for blowers and room to move!

Don’t forget access – clear your side gate and don’t try and drag the inflatable in Don’t rely on the hirer’s insurance – it through the house. You don’t want to ruin covers the company, not you! your carpets!

Do supervise the children – nobody wants Do watch the weather – even if you have an accident to spoil a party. a rain-cover, you need to remember that the Don’t overload the bouncy castle – too blower is electric! many children on it can lead to accidents.

Don’t sneak adults on – it can damage the Do ensure that the hirer knows what bouncy castle and leave you with a big bill! time they can deliver/collect – especially Do listen to the safety brief – don’t if you are using a venue that isn’t your own switch off even if you’ve hired a bouncy home. castle before and think you’re totally familiar Don’t leave it to the last minute to hire with the safety aspects. It’s like they say on – if the sun is shining everyone wants an planes “every aircraft is different!” inflatable!

For more information on Silverball Leisure, visit www.silverball-leisure.co.uk or visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/silverball.leisure

Theatrebugs Launches BabyBug Parties for the Under 2s with 15% Discount!

Families Upon Thames readers can enjoy a 15% discount on Theatrebugs NEW BabyBug parties booked in July and August!

Theatrebugs, the successful, local, independent drama school for children, has been offering party packages for children from 2 to 8 years for a number of years. Jam packed with storytelling, imaginative play and drama games, these interactive, fun-filled parties are crammed with different activities for children to undertake, characters for them

to become and exciting worlds to explore.

So successful have these parties been that Theatrebugs is now launching a range of imaginative party packages especially for the under 2s. BabyBug parties offer the under 2s the opportunity to enjoy a magical sensory adventure, full of song, rhyme, puppets, sensory props, bouncy beats and enchanting, interactive puppets and stories!

For Esher, Cobham, Chertsey, Byfleet, East Molesey, Oxshott, Thames Ditton, Weybridge, Guildford and Epsom areas, please contact Hannah on 01483 882244 or email hannahmason@theatrebugs.co.uk For all other areas, please contact Bug Headquarters on 0800 975 5290 or email enquiries@theatrebugs.co.uk Quote “Tummy Time” for 15% discount!

The most exciting birthday party ever

Be a soldier for the day. Drive miniature British Army tanks on a specially designed track!

Unique alternative to Go-Karts and Quad Bikes for kids age 8+ Location: Apps Farm, Walton Upon Thames Contact: Angelina on 07783 293866

info@minitankelite.co.uk

in Only venue of South East d an Engl ing Safe for driv rs in all weathe

www.minitankelite.co.uk 36

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

July-August 2013 23

Theatre Review

More Theatre Listings and venue Details over page

THE POLKA THEATRE

Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play

LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE

Editor, Linda Stone, reviews Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play at The Polka Theatre, Wimbledon.

I get almost as excited about going to see children’s theatre as my 4 year old daughter, so we were both eagerly anticipating the return of Charlie and Lola to The Polka Theatre in their new show. We weren’t disappointed.

It’s Autumn. Lola is heading back to school but, disconcertingly, whilst everything is almost exactly the same, things are also a little bit different – there’s a new school bell, Lola has uncomfortable new school tights and, yes, a new teacher too! And, oh, the leaves are falling from the trees! When she spills cake over her special autumn drawing and she’s not picked to play the sun in the school play, Lola’s not feeling too good about the new season.

This marvellous production effortlessly weaves into its seasonal theme some of the best Charlie and Lola tales, including We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog, Snow is My Favourite and My Best and But Marv is Absolutely Charlie’s Best Friend.

Children are kept constantly engaged by the high visual quality of the show, whilst the dialogue manages to appeal to children and adults alike.

Whilst Lola is doing her autumn drawing, a large pair of scissors zig zag across the stage above her making cutting movements 07971 475373 / lynette@the-art-class.com and, as Marv explains to Lola and Lotta the significance imagine | create | learn | of play Sizzles’ dog tag, an extra-large dog tag hovers over them.

These are just two of over 150 props used in the production

PARTIES, CLASSES and tutoring for kids

27 April to 17 August 2013.

Don’t miss everyone’s favourite brother and sister who are back on stage with their new show. Enter a magical journey through the seasons, as Charlie and Lola discover that everything is different and not the same. What will happen when Lola and her best friend Lotta absolutely promise to look after Sizzles the dog? For Ages: 4-7.

and the wicked Morgan le Faye, not to mention Arthur himself.... this Monkey Theatre Children’s Drama Group production of King Arthur brings the wonderful old legend to life... with a little help from the Beatles!

- so many that the actors have to wear aprons to carry them around!

Everything about the show moves quickly and effortlessly.

A Midsummer Night’s Scenery slots together like Three Colours Dream a complicated but brilliantly 26 June to 17 August 2013. Take 11 & 13 July 2013. Join Puck conceived jigsaw and props are your place at the very centre of a and Bottom in a romp through moved about by the cast with vibrant sensory experience, with the magical forest in this modern split second timing. Charlie wonderful imaginary landscapes adaptation of Shakespeare’s and Lola are one minute large in which you can swim with fish, classic. With live music and lots of puppets and the next, much feel frogs nibble your toes, catch clowning around by the actors of smaller versions of themselves, in grasshoppers and listen to a gentle Monkey Theatre Children’s Drama mesmerising fantasy sequences heartbeat, magically created from Group, this will enchant and in which they ride on autumn the colours of light. For Ages: 2-4. entertain the whole family. leaves or swoop down the side of a piece of scenery in a THE RICHMOND sleigh. Simultaneously, autumn THEATRE leaves and snowflakes fall in the The Gruffalo’s Child theatre to ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ 3 to 7 July 2013. from the audience and images Following hot on the heels of snow falling are projected of The Gruffalo’s sell-out on to a screen on the stage. At tour and monstrous West one point the whole theatre fills End success comes The with bubbles! In between these Gruffalo’s Child – with occurrences, the theatre is so attitude! Just how brave quiet that you can literally hear a is she?! Also Gruffalo pin drop.

Adventure Workshop When the show finishes, my Sat 6 July 12-1pm, £7. daughter, who hasn’t spoken a word except to request ice cream THE for children during the interval, looks at RIVERHOUSE me, blinks, sighs and said “That 07971 475373 / lynette@the-art-class.com ARTS CENTRE lynette@the-art-class.com was SO lovely!”

My sentiments King Arthur exactly. imagine | create | learn | play imagine | create |11 learn | play & 13 July 2013.

You can see Charlie and Lola Including all your favourite at The Polka Theatre until 17 characters: Merlin, August. For further information, Guinevere, Sir Lancelot visit www.polkatheatre.com

☛

PARTIES, CLASSES and tutoring for children

PARTIES, CLASSES & tutoring

"I don't

want my party to ever end "

Mia, Pyrford

ARTIES & CLASSES

FOR CHILDREN

971 475373 / lynette@the-art-class.com

magine | create | learn | play July-August 2013

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

imagine | create | learn | play

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 www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

37

LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE POLESDEN LACEY SHAKESPEARE

The Comedy of Errors 13, 14, 20 and 21 July 2013 at 3pm. Two pairs of separated twins, brought to sparkling life in the beautiful surroundings of the open-air theatre. Full of colour and chaos.

OPEN AIR THEATRE AT CLAREMONT LANDSCAPE GARDEN As You Like It 14 July 2013 at 7pm. Enjoy Shakespeare’s comedy romance in a beautiful lakeside setting.

OUTDOOR THEATRE AT HAM HOUSE

As You Like It 21 July 2013 at 7.30pm. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an award winning all-male company, present As You Like It. A mesmerising evening of authentic Shakespeare performed in the beautiful gardens.

THE ROSE THEATRE

Aliens Love Underpants 1 to 4 August 2013. This zany, hilarious tale based on the best-selling children’s book is delightfully brought to life on stage for the first time. With stunning effects, madcap action, original music (and lots of aliens of course!) this fantastically fresh and funny production will delight the whole family. Ages: 2+.

Great Expectations 29 August to 1 September.

Dickens’ classic coming-of-age tale of crime, social class and ambition, Now adapted as an imaginative musical with lots of humour through which we see Victorian society through the eyes of Pip, our hero.

MORDEN HALL PARK SUMMER THEATRE

Family Shakespeare: ‘As You Like It’

15 August at 7.30pm. Join a summer’s evening in the Rose Garden and enjoy Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It,’ performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Enjoy a picnic beforehand or visit the kiosk in the Rose Garden for Pimms and refreshments.

38

what’s on Get Outdoors at Osterley and Take the Great 50 Things Challenge! By Linda Stone, Editor Following the successful launch last summer of The National Trust’s ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾,’ which aims to encourage children to reconnect with nature, Osterley Park in Isleworth has revealed that more than 20 of these 50 things can be undertaken right there in its the grounds! Build a den, fly a kite, pick blackberries in the wild, track wild animals or make a home for one, set up a snail race, hunt for bugs, hold a scary beast – and more!

Now, a further 15 things have been added to the ’50 Things’ list at the suggestion of children from around the country and, to celebrate, Osterley has declared Saturday, 27 July ‘The Great 50 Things Challenge Day,’ a day for you to help your kids tick off at least 9 of the now 65-item list in one day! Throughout the school holidays, children can undertake a new activity on the ‘50 Things’ list every Wednesday between 12 noon and 4pm, including making and flying a kite on 31 July; making a trail with sticks on

VENUE DETAILS

7 August; setting up a snail race on 14 August; making a wild animal home on 21 August; and planting a seed to grow (and eat later!) on 28 August. There will also be a new play trail to explore at Osterley every 2 weeks this summer – complete them for the chance to win a prize!

And there’s something for inclement weather too, with the free Osterley Craft Cart between 12 noon and 4pm every Thursday from 25 July until 29 August.

Each week there is a different theme including pirates, animals, colour-in houses and dressing up dolls and ships.

Meanwhile, if you fancy a weekend outing, you can enjoy FREE entry to Osterley House and Park for its Summer Family Fete Weekend on 13 and 14 July.

There’s plenty for family members of all ages to enjoy including archery, a mini farm, Georgian dancers and craft activities. Later, on 27 and 28 July, you can get up close to magnificent birds of prey and ask questions of their keepers

Claremont Landscape Garden Portsmouth Road, Esher KT10 9JG 01372 467806 www.nationaltrust.org.uk Chertsey Museum The Cedars, 33 Windsor Street, Chertsey KT16 8AT 01932 565764 www.chertseymuseum.org.uk Elmbridge Museum Church St, Weybridge KT13 8DE 01932 843573 www.elmbridge.gov.uk Guildford Spectrum Parkway, Guildford GU1 1UP 01483 444766 www.spectrumbowl.co.uk Ham House Ham Street, Ham TW10 7RS 020 8940 1950 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hamhouse Hampton Court Palace East Molesey, KT8 9AU 0844 482 7777 www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

during Falconry Weekend, or bring a teddy to the Teddy Bear Parachute Flight on 4 August and watch as teddies are attached to parachutes and released from the roof of the mansion house, floating to the ground below!

For other summer events and activities at Osterley and at other local National Trust properties where you can undertake activities from the ’50 Things’ list, look out for 50 Things

in our listings which begin on the next page. For more information on Osterley Park, visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-park

Kingston Museum Strawberry Hill House Wheatfield Way, 268 Waldegrave Rd, Kingston KT1 2PL Twickenham TW1 4ST 020 8547 5006 020 8744 1241 www.kingston.gov.uk/museum www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk London Wetland Centre Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Polka Theatre Barnes SW13 9WT 240 The Broadway, 020 8409 4400 Wimbledon SW19 1SB www.wwt.org.uk/london 020 8543 4888 Morden Hall www.polkatheatre.com Morden Hall Rd, Richmond Theatre Morden SM4 5JD The Green, Richmond TW9 1QJ 020 8545 6850 020 8332 4524 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ janemetcalfe@theambassadors.com morden-hall-park The Riverhouse Arts Centre Osterley House & Park Jersey Road, Isleworth TW7 4RB Manor Road, Walton KT12 2PF 01932 254198 020 8232 5050 www.riverhousebarn.co.uk www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ The Rose Theatre osterley-park 24-26 High Street, Polesden Lacey Kingston, KT1 1HL Great Bookham, 08444 821 556 near Dorking RH5 6BD www.rosetheatrekingston.org 01372 452048 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ polesden-lacey wwwwwwwwwwww

THEATRE

July-August 2013

what’s on EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

WED 3 JULY Concerts in the Park at Kneller Hall Kneller Rd, Twickenham TW2 7DU Time: 8pm. Cost: Adult £15, 16 and under £10.

Summer concert series opens with this concert featuring music from classic movies and stage shows.

Bring picnic, blankets and chairs or buy on site. Fireworks maybe used. www.army.mod.uk/music FRI 5 JULY Classical Babies Concert in Teddington Ferry Rd, Teddington, TW11 9NN Time: 11am. Cost: Adult £10, babies free.

Classical music concerts for parents and babies, in a relaxed and friendly environment!

Classical music chosen especially for babies. info@classicalbabies.com www.classicalbabies.com SAT 6 JULY Petersham Summer Show Village Hall, Bute Ave, TW10 7AX Time: 2.15pm. Cost: Free Enter one of the many classes open to all ages including children. Entries will be on display.

Stalls, tombola, bouncy castle, Punch & Judy, face painting. www.petershamhorticulturalsociety. org.uk

Drama Workshop Fund Raiser in Twickenham The Drama Theatre, St. Mary’s University College, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham Time: 9.30am-4pm. Ages: 5 to 7 and 7 to 11 Cost: Donation (minimum £10 per child recommended).

Join Dramacube, a local children’s drama company, for a 1 day drama and mask-making workshop to raise money for children’s charity REACT, which aims to improve quality of life for disadvantaged children with life-limiting illnesses throughout the UK. www.dramacube.co.uk Jubilocity at Polesden Lacey Time: 6-10pm. Cost: Adult £5, Child £2.50.

Picnics and family fun including torchlight procession, fireworks and a showcase of local talent.

15 Minutes of Fun at Chertsey Museum Time: 1.30-3.30pm. Cost: Free.

Free drop-in family event. Make a summery pinwheel!

SAT 6 AND SUN 7 JULY Teddy Bears Weekend at the Watercress Line The Railway Station, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9JG Time: All day. Cost: £14 Adult, £7 Child (2-16), Family £35.

Bear spotting activities, paw print trails and a ride on a real steam train! Meet the local authors of the

famous Binky Bear books and see the real bear which starred in them.

Binky will be the guest of honour at the teddy bears picnic at Ropley station with signed copies of his books.

01962 733810 www.watercressline.co.uk SAT 6 to SUN 28 JULY International Youth Arts Festival, Kingston The International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF) showcases the best dance, theatre and other art forms from young people in over 10 venues throughout Kingston. www.iyafestival.org.uk SUN 7 JULY Strawberry Hill Music Day Time: 12-7.30pm. Cost: Adult £2, Children 0-15 free.

Live music, fun for kids, craft and charity stalls, food/ beer tents. www.twickenhamalive.com Twickenham Green Fete Time: 12-8pm Stalls, music, food, drink, fun for kids on the delightful Twickenham Green.

Sunday Afternoon Art at Orleans House Orleans House, Riverside Twickenham For Ages: 4+ Time: 2-3.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Create beautiful lamps using coloured cellophane and wire. Free drop-in workshop for families.

020 8831 6000 www.richmond.gov.uk

Green Day Out at Morden Hall Time: 11am-4pm. Cost: Free Enjoy live music and entertainment throughout the day and browse local food, eco-crafts and gardening stalls.

SAT 13 JULY St Margarets Fair Moormead Recreation Ground, St Margarets, TW1 1JS Tea and beer tent, Pimms, BBQ, bric-a-brac, silent auction, coconut shy. www.stmargaretsfair.org Concerts in the Park at Kneller Hall Kneller Rd, Twickenham TW2 7DU Time: 3pm. Cost: Adult £15, 16 and under £10.

This concert will feature British Army Brass Band with Brett Baker and Les Neish. Bring picnic, blankets and chairs or buy on site.

Fireworks permitted. www.army.mod.uk/music Black Cherry Festival in Chertsey St Ann’s Rd, KT16 8AT TIme: 10.30am. Cost: Free Historic fair with town procession, fairground, stalls. www.blackcherryfair.com Family Fun at Elmbridge Museum Time: 2-4.30pm. Cost: £1.50 per child.

Art and craft activities for children and families. This month learn all about Victorian toys and games

CHELSEA FC SOCCER SCHOOLS GIRLS AND BOYS OF ALL ABILITIES AGED 4 - 13 YEARS

OPERATING IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS THIS SUMMER HOLIDAYS… Chestnut Grove, Balham, SW12 8JZ

Carshalton Boys Sports College, Winchcombe Road, Carshalton SM5 1RW

Battersea Park, Prince of Wales Drive, Battersea. SW11 4NU

Chelsea Training Ground, (Girls Only) Stoke Rd, Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham KT11 3PT Caterham School (Residential) Harestone Valley Rd, Caterham CR3 6YA

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39

what’s on and make you own thaumatrope, paper windmill or tumbling acrobat.

SAT 13 to SUN 14 JULY Kingston Regatta and River Festival Kingston’s Regatta has occurred in Kingston for over 150 years, and brings together schools and clubs to compete in 300 rowing races. The Kingston River Festival runs alongside the Regatta and highlights Kingston Maritime heritage. www.kingstonfirst.co.uk SUN 14 JULY The Big Gig at The Medicine Garden in Cobham Downside Road, Cobham, KT11 3LU Ages: All Ages. Time: 11am-3pm.

Cost: Free One of 275 similar events taking place nationwide to promote and rejuvenate music in open spaces and bring communities together to celebrate their musical talents.

The Medicine Garden plays host to a musical extravaganza with Tony Vee, performing with local singers and musicians. Visit the Hothouse Cafe and BBQ and join in great family entertainment.

01932 589536 www.themedicinegarden.com Charity Family Fun Day in Morden Perseid Upper School, Middleton Rd, Morden SM4 6RU Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Free Charity: Friends of Perseid School (FOPS) 020 8715 2107 vlowndes@yahoo.co.uk TUE 16 JULY Classical Babies Concert in Teddington Ferry Rd, Teddington TW11 9NN Time: 11am. Cost: Adult £10, babies free.

Classical music concerts for mums, dads and babies, in a relaxed and friendly environment! Classical music chosen especially for babies. info@classicalbabies.com www.classicalbabies.com FRI 19 JULY Museum Monkeys at Chertsey Museum Ages: under 5s. Time: 9.30-11am.

Cost: £4.50.

Join Charlie the Chimp for singing, stories and craft. Booking required.

SAT 20 JULY Claygate Flower and Village Show Claygate Recreation Ground Time: 1.30pm. Cost: Adult £5, Child £1, Under 5s Free.

Celebrating its 100th year, the show is the biggest event of its kind in Surrey with the most varied slice of village life on display as well as all that is wonderful about Claygate. www.claygateflowershow.co.uk Summer at Strawberry House Fun Day Ages: All. Time: 11am to 5pm Cost: Free.

London’s families are invited to 40

Strawberry Hill, the fairy tale castle by the Thames. Discover the stunning garden with its new family trail, hunt for bugs and mini-beasts, decorate a shield or design a fan and listen to storytelling in the Willow Grotto.

Explore the Thames-side landscape on a free 40 minute walking tour and a magical journey through Horace Walpole’s gothic villa.

Children with accompanying adults go free today and throughout the summer.

Concerts in the Park at Kneller Hall Kneller Rd, Twickenham TW2 7DU Time: 3pm & 7pm. Cost: Adult £15, 16 and under £10.

The concert at 3pm will feature the Army Big Band and the concert at 7pm will feature the AGC Band and Army Big Band performing rock and pop. Bring picnic, blankets and chairs or buy on site. Fireworks permitted. www.army.mod.uk/music Show Time at Richmond Riverside Time: 12-5pm. Cost: Free The riverside comes alive with street theatre and circus skills including Artizani’s Punt featuring two Oxford boaters serenading the public as their boat drifts down the busy streets and Balloonaticm the finest in quick handed balloon modelling, decorating the crowds with incredible hats, giant costumes and hilarious balloon toys. www.richmond.gov.uk SUN 21 JULY Dragon Boat Challenge in Kingston Each July, Kingston hosts its own Dragon Boat Challenge.

The event, which is organised by Kingston Rotary Club, features teams from across the country competing, complete with drums, shouting and colourful boats. www.kingstonrotaryclub.org.uk/ dragon-boat-challenge MON 22 JULY to SUN 1 SEP Summer Holiday Family Fun Trails 50 Things at Osterley Park Time: 11am-5pm. Cost: Normal Admission.

Have a go at a different trail every 2 weeks this summer holiday and receive a prize.

DAILY WED 24 JULY to MON 2 SEP Party Science Show at the Look Out Discovery Centre Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell RG12 7QW Ages: 4+. Times: 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3.15pm. Cost: £1.85 plus admission.

Visitors can learn a repetoire of simple demonstrations to try out on their friends. Musical bottles and balloon kebabs, cunning paper chains and a birthday cake with a difference all contribute to this fast-moving interactive show.

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

01344 354400 www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/be WED 24 JULY Concerts in the Park at Kneller Hall Kneller Rd, Twickenham TW2 7DU Time: 8pm. Cost: Adult £15, 16 and under £10.

This concert will feature music from the Last Night of the Proms. Bring picnic, blankets and chairs or buy on site.

Fireworks permitted. www.army.mod.uk/music Precious Plants at Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Discover more about plants and enjoy themed craft and activities.

THURS 25 July Magic Lanterns at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Create a magic lantern to capture some of your magical moments and find out more about Victorian magicians.

DAILY from THU 25 July to MON 2 Sep Summer Fun at Bocketts Farm Young Street, Fetcham, Leatherhead KT22 9BS Ages: All Enjoy the animal passport trail and collect stamps from the various stations around the farm to take home. Have a photo taken inside ‘Fergie’ the real tractor. Pony and tractor rides, animal handling, goat milking and pig racing! Feed animals and pan for gold. Plus indoor play barns, trampolines, young driver’s area, sandpits, giant jumping pillows, tea room, coffee shop and gift shop.

01372 363764 www.bockettsfarm.co.uk Summer Fun at Hobbledown Horton Lane, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8PT Brave the new underground tunnels at Hobbledown this summer! This unique labyrinth of passages, with 7 entrances and exits, lie underneath the towers and play equipment of Hobbledown Village, 1 of the 3 enormous outdoor play zones at the site. For more activities at Hobbledown this summer, visit www.hobbledown.com 0843 289 4979 Summer Fun at Hounslow Urban Farm Faggs Lane, Feltham, TW14 0LZ Special events all summer.

Daily animal encounters, piglet racing and owl display. For more information, visit www.hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk 020 8831 9658 Pond dipping at WWT London Wetland Centre Time: 1.30pm - 2pm.

Cost: Normal Admission.

Ponds are vital wildlife habitats

and wonderful places to encounter nature. Aimed at families and children, in particular, these fun sessions allow easy access to the raised ponds for a great intro to the world of pond ecology. The ponds are teeming with life, and you may find anything from a water flea to a newt. Those that are keen can record their findings on a Perfect Pond survey sheet.

EVERY THURSDAY from 25 JULY to 29 AUG Thumbs Up It’s Thursday in Kingston For Ages: 3-11.

Fun-filled activities in 12 locations across Kingston town centre, including Bentalls, Bentalls Centre, Cass Arts, Eden Walk Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Kingston Library, Kingston Museum, McDonalds, Memorial Gardens, The Rose Theatre, The Rotunda and Turk Launches. www.kingstonfirst.co.uk DAILY from THU 25 JULY to MON 2 SEP Den Building at 50 Things Ham House Time: 11am-5pm. Cost: Normal Admission.

The gardeners have been busy cutting down branches in the garden. Collect them and build a secret hiding place in our den building area.

SAT 27 JULY Pop up Cinema - “Grease” at Morden Hall Time: 9pm-11pm. Cost: £8, Under 10s £5.

An outdoor pop up cinema experience! Bring along a picnic or purchase refreshments and gourmet popcorn on the night.

Roman Life Discovery Day at Museum of Richmond Old Town Hall, Whittaker AvenueTW9 1TP Time: 11am-4pm. Cost: Free.

A fun-filled day exploring local Roman archaeology, clothing, armour and food and discovering what life was like in Roman Britain.

020 8332 1141 www.museumofrichmond.com The Big Dig at Chertsey Museum Time: 2-4pm. Cost: £5 per child.

Try your hand at digging in a mock archaeological trench at Abbeyfield, opposite the museum.

SUN 28 JULY Pop up Cinema - “Back to the Future” at Morden Hall Time: 9pm-11pm. Cost: £8, Under 10s £5.

An outdoor pop up cinema experience! Bring along a picnic or purchase refreshments and gourmet popcorn on the night.

Mini-Fest in Hampton Hampton Village Green, TW12 2AS Time: 12-5pm. Cost: Free A festival of outdoor theatre, dance and arts activities for families.

Outdoor performance and activities including Upswing, turning the world upside down with their aerial adventures in The Red Shoes, and July-August 2013

what’s on Curious Company who will lead visitors down the rabbit hole and into a world of magic in their version of Alice in Wonderland. Bring a picnic and stay for the day! www.richmond.gov.uk DAILY from TUE 30 JULY to SAT 31 AUG Summer Holidays at London Transport Museum Covent Garden Piazza, Covent Garden, London, WC2E STEAMY SCIENCE Demonstration Dates: Sundays: 4,11,18, 25 Aug and Mondays: 5,12,19, 26 Aug Time: 11.30, 2.00, 3.00.

For Ages: 6-12.

Discover the challenges of keeping London moving.

TACKLING TUNNELS Storytime Dates: Tues-Sat: 30 July-3 Aug, 13-17 August, 27-31 Aug Time: 11.00 and 2.00.

For Ages: 3-7.

Discover the dangers of digging deep and how the first tunnels were built.

Get Messy Dates: Tues-Sat: 30 July-3Aug, 13–17 Aug, 27–31 Aug Time: 11.30 and 2.30.

For Ages: 4-12.

Take the tunnel challenge. How big a tunnel can you build? Dig or build into our sandpit.

DOWN WITH IT Make and Take Dates: Tues-Sat: 6–10 Aug, 20-24 Aug Time: 11.00 and 2.00.

For Ages: 4-12.

Invent your own character and take it up and down a lift or escalator to Underground London using paper mechanics and imagination.

Singalong Dates: Tues-Sat: 6–10 Aug, 20–24 Aug Time: 12.00 and 3.00.

For Ages: 3-10.

Bring your animated character and join Alfie the Alligator for a singalong. www.ltmuseum.co.uk THU 1 AUG River Explorers at 50 Things Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Meet the creatures that live in the River Wandle and enjoy fun craft and activities.

Medieval Monsters at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

There are monsters in the Museum!

Design some armour to protect yourself as you search for the monsters in the galleries.

FRI 2 AUG Parent & Toddler Bounceabout at Guildford Spectrum Ages: walking to 4.

Time: 9-10am. Cost: £5.40 This activity is for both parents and toddlers to have fun together. It includes use of bouncy castle, ball pond, trampolines, soft play and pre-school gymnastics equipment.

July-August 2013

SAT 3 AUG Family Fun at Elmbridge Museum Time: 2-4.30pm. Cost: £1.50 per child.

Art and craft for children and families. Have fun making Punch and Judy puppets and learn what seaside holidays used to be like.

SAT 3 AUG 15 Minutes of Fun at Chertsey Museum Time: 1.30-3.30pm. Cost: Free.

Free drop-in family event. This month have a go at pebble painting!

SAT 3 AND SUN 4 AUG Tudor Cookery at Hampton Court Palace Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: Normal Admission Historic cooks are toiling in the kitchens of King Henry VIII, trying new techniques and deciphering ancient manuscripts as they prepare the exotic dishes for his majesty as well as the plainer yet still lavish food for the court.

SAT 3 AUG to SUN 11 AUG Bird of Prey Week at Claremont Landscape Garden Time: 10.30am-4.30pm. Cost: Children’s trail around the garden and craft in the Thatched Cottage. Static display of hawks, eagles, vultures and owls. Two flying displays at 1pm and 3.30pm (tbc). Hawk Walks - learn how to fly these magnificent birds

and enjoy Discover Birds of Prey experience tent.

SUN 4 AUG Get Outdoors at Morden Hall Time: 11am-4pm. Cost: Free.

Join in activities about wildlife and tick off some of the ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ Cyclemania at Hampton Court Palace Time: 10am. Cost: Adult £10, Children £5.

Cyclemania is back! Activities will include stunt cycle teams and family fun. Strike your best Wiggo pose as Bradley Wiggins’s throne returns to the palace.

Bring a picnic and watch as 1000s of cyclists pass the palace as part of Ride London.

Prudential RideLondon Celebration in Kingston Action-packed day of family entertainment, with 150 of the world’s top cyclists racing twice through the town as part of Prudential’s RideLondon. Enjoy amazing views of the race and bike-related events, entertainment and activity, plus a range of visiting markets.

020 8547 1221 www.kingstonfirst.co.uk THU 8 AUG Squirrel Survival at Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Be Amazed...

The Look Out Discovery Centre

Find out why red and grey squirrels can’t live happily together and enjoy fun craft.

A Taste of History at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Create your own recipe book from the past and test your nose to find out some of the foods that would have been sold at Kingston Market through the ages.

FRI 9 AUG FSS Sport & Fun Activities Party in Chiswick The Little Gym, Chiswick,

“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!

Tim Barnes

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

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

A great family day out whatever the weather!

Bring this advert to get

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The Look Out Discovery Centre Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 7QW Tel: 01344 354400 www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/be www.facebook.com/thelookoutdiscovery

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www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

41

what’s on Hartington Rd, Chiswick W4 3AN Ages: 4mths-4yrs. Time: 2-6pm.

Cost: £9 per child.

The Little Gym, Chiswick Schools and For Sanity’s Sake unite to provide a magical, action-packed party with a 40 min gymnastics class, 30 min sporting activity class, a petting zoo, face-painting and more. www.forsanitysake.com/events Classical Babies Family Concert in Teddington Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Rd, Teddington TW11 9NN Time: 11am. Cost: Adult £10, babies free.

Children of all ages welcome.

Classical music concerts for mums, dads and babies, in a relaxed and friendly environment! Classical music chosen especially for babies. info@classicalbabies.com www.classicalbabies.com SAT 10 AUG Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot Time: 11am -4pm.

Cost: £42.30/£24.30. Children under 18 free.

Britain’s premier jockey’s competition which will include an array of activities for children aged 10 and upward, including a fairground. www.ascot.co.uk SAT 10 AND SUN 11 AUG The Chertsey Show Mead Lane, Chertsey KT16 8LN Time: 9am-5pm. Cost: Adults 9, Under 16s Free.

The only remaining traditional agricultural show within the M25 exhibits cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, pets, donkeys, dog agility, craft, horticultural, vegetables, flowers, horse show and heavy horses.

01932 564366 www.chertseyshow.co.uk Children’s Food Festival in Kingston Families will be the focus at the free Children’s Food Festival, featuring a host of fun and engaging activities, including Wagamama’s Food Bravery workshop! www.kingstonfoodfestival.co.uk Bounce Festival in Richmond Old Deer Park, Richmond Ages: up to 12. Cost: Advance: Adult/Child £18, Family £60. On Day: Adult/Child £20, Family £70.

New festival of live, on-stage kids entertainment, plus 5 additional activity zones, featuring everything from science experiments to street dance, all led by TV stars.

Experiment in the Daredevil Science zone, design artwork for the Big Bounce Picture, try sheep shearing in the Dig It zone. Free running displays in the No Limits arena, activities for budding chefs in the What’s Cooking zone. www.bouncefestival.co.uk TUE 13 AUG Mini-Fest in Barnes Barnes Green, SW13 9HE Time: 12-5pm. Cost: Free 42

A festival of outdoor theatre, dance and arts activities for families. Outdoor performance and activities including Upswing, turning the world upside down with their aerial adventures in The Red Shoes, and Curious Company who will lead visitors down the rabbit hole and into a world of magic in their version of Alice in Wonderland. Bring a picnic and stay for the day! www.richmond.gov.uk THU 15 AUG Beautiful Butterflies 50 Things at Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Spot real butterflies in the park and make your own butterfly craft to take home.

Beside the Seaside at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Take a look around the Happy Campers exhibitions and make some holiday camp mementoes to take home.

SAT 17 and SUN 18 AUG The Big Tree Climbing Company at 50 Things Claremont Landscape Garden Time: 10.30am-4.30pm.

Cost: Normal Admission + charge for climbing activities.

Get up high in the trees at Claremont with tree climbing, zip wire and rope swings.

SAT 17 and SUN 18 AUG Mini Farm at Osterley Park Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Normal admission.

Get up close to lots of animals this weekend and meet the animals of the mini farm. You’ll get the opportunity to see, stroke and even maybe hold any number of animals! You’ll be able to see pygmy goats, lambs, rabbits and chickens.

Amazing Ants 50 Things at Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Find out more about these insects and join in ant-themed activities.

THU 22 AUG Amazing Animals at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Make marvellous masks, models and puppets based on the animals in the museum. Will you chose Nipper the dog, Snappity the Crocodile, the woolly mammoth or Muybridge’s horse?

Regency Revelry at Osterley House Jersey Road, Isleworth, TW7 4RD Time: 12-4pm. Cost: Normal admission.

See Osterley’s grand rooms decorated for a lavish 18th century summer party and watch and join in with demonstrations of Georgian dancing.

FRI 23 AUG

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

Pop up Cinema “Ghostbusters” at Morden Hall Time: 9pm-11pm. Cost: £8, Under 10s £5.

An outdoor pop up cinema experience! Bring a picnic or purchase refreshments and gourmet popcorn on the night.

SAT 24 AUG Kid’s Club at The Heart Walton Time: 10am-2pm. Cost: Free.

Kids will learn about science and energy efficiency from an experienced educational performer. www.heartshopping.co.uk SAT 24 to MON 26 AUG Tudor Joust at Hampton Court Palace Time: 10am-5pm. Cost: Normal Admission.

Cheer on knights in armour as they thunder across the field on their magnificent chargers. Are there any brave enough to take on the mighty Henry VIII? THU 29 AUG Story Sprites at Morden Hall Time: 11am-3pm. Cost: £4 per family or £1.50 per person.

Help capture stories from around the park before they are stolen by the story sprites!

Marvellous Moving Toys at Kingston Museum Ages: 4-10. Time: 1-4.30pm.

Cost: Free.

Play with some marvellous moving toys from the past before making your own moving toy inspired by the collections in the Museum FRI 30 AUG Parent & Toddler Bounceabout at Guildford Spectrum Ages: walking to 4. Time: 9-10am. Cost: £5.40.

This activity is for both parents and toddlers to have fun together. It includes bouncy castle, ball pond, trampolines, soft play and pre-school gymnastics equipment.

SUN 1 SEP Home Grown at Ham House Time: 11am-5pm. Cost: Normal Admission.

Fun family food event, promoting home grown and seasonal produce.

SUN 1 SEP Brentford Festival Blondin Park, Ealing W5 Aimed at all age, social, religious and secular groups, this is a great day out for local families and visitors. Musicians, dancers, dog show, traditional children’s fair, inflatable slides, land train, urban farm, climbing wall and quad bikes. www.brentfordfestival.org.uk SAT 7 SEP Midnight Pyjama Walk St Mary’s University College, Waldegrave Rd, Twickenham TW1 4SX Cost: £12 entry.

Pyjama-themed 8 or 12 mile sponsored night walk crossing the bridges in Richmond, Kingston and Teddington, to raise money for the Princess Alice Hospice ‘8 to 8’ nurses who care through the night, offering patients and their families a good night’s sleep at home.

01372 461855 www.pah.org.uk SAT 7 SEPT AND SUN 8 SEP Faggs Lane, Feltham, TW14 0LZ 27th Festival of Fishkeeping at Hounslow Urban Farm Cost: £6.50 adults, £5 children over 2 and £21 for Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) Hounslow Urban Farm is hosting a 2 day fish and reptile extravaganza.

Come and see the most amazing fish and reptiles in the country in the UK’s biggest display and competition and enjoy the animal interaction at the Urban Farm and additional activities including face painting, bouncy castle, animal feeding, petting zoo, birds of prey, children’s play zones, competitions, activities and demonstrations.

Undercover and heated in case of bad weather!

020 8831 9658 www.hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk and www.fbas.co.uk

NEARLY NEW SALES

Baby & Children’s Market in West Byfleet Sun 7 July at Fullbrook School, Selsdon Road, New Haw KT15 3HW. Time: 2-4pm. imee@babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk Mum2mum Market Nearly New Sale in Cobham Sun 21 July at Cobham Village Hall, Lushington Drive, Cobham KT11 2LU. Time: 1.30-3.30pm. louise@mum2mummarket.co.uk www.mum2mummarket.co.uk

DIARY DATES FOR PARENTS

THU 11 JULY FSS Evening Summer Party in Twickenham Cabbage Patch, London Rd Twickenham, TW1 3SZ Time: 8pm-12am. Cost: £7 online, £10 on door.

Let your hair down with other parents from your nursery, pre-school or children’s school year. It’s club night at The Patch with For Sanity’s Sake with live music, dancing and DJ. For Sanity’s Sake is delighted to announce that the incredible voice that is Odette Adams will be performing. www.forsanityssake.com/event SAT 13 JULY NCT Baby First Aid Course in Teddington Baptist Church, 17 Church Rd, Teddington TW11 8PF Time: 10am-12pm or 2-4pm.

Cost: £40 individual, £70 couple.

2 hour courses designed to build your confidence as a parent or carer in dealing with emergency situations. ncttwickbabyfirstaid@gmail.com July-August 2013

The lovely cover photograph for this issue has been provided by Anna McCarthy Photography.

With over 10 years’ experience photographing children and families, Anna provides a superior photography service with high-quality bespoke products.

Based in Teddington, Anna’s work takes her across Surrey and the borough of Richmond and throughout London.

www.annamccarthy.com 07811 242266 anna@annamccarthy.com MATERNITY BABIES CHILDREN FAMILIES SPECIAL OCCASIONS

You can find everything that’s in our magazine and LOTS MORE at www.familiesuponthames.co.uk And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @FamiliesuponT and give us a like on Facebook www.facebook.com/familiesuponthames Don’t miss our annual “Back to School” issue due out on 4 September!

Education, Classes, Clubs, Activities and More!

than Less utes in 30 m entral C from don Lon

oNe GrEaT BiG aDVeNTuRe

LEAVE R EA LIT Y BEH IND WHEN YOU ENTER T HE MYSTER ICA L WOR LD OF HOBBLEDOWN • Hobbledown is a 50-acre farm • With our own Zoo Licence, park adventure featuring towers, we have more than 100 animals tunnels, mazes, aerial walkways, on show a daring high ropes course and • 5 minutes from Chessington a 14,000 sq ft indoor play barn 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

HOB029_QuarterPgAd_135x90mm.indd 1

14/05/2013 14:57

Join us this summer at a National Trust place near you and take part in our 50 things adventures...

Claremont Landscape Garden, Ham House & Garden, Morden Hall Park, Polesden Lacey, River Wey Navigations, Winkworth Arboretum

nationaltrust.org.uk/50things #50things

July-August 2013

© National Trust Images. Registered charity number 205846.

summer fun

www.familiesuponthames.co.uk

43

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 great birthday parties and holiday camps for all ages.

Book your free introductory visit NOW and secure your place. Enrolment 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.