Families London SE July August 2016 issue 178

EE

ISSUE NO. 178

FR

SUMMER 2016 ESTABLISHED 1996

®

familiesonline.co.uk

SUMMER HOLIDAY Daycamps, workshops and childcare THE BOOK PAGE Curl up with the best summer stories WHAT'S ON Where to go, what to do, what to see this summer

online edition

with working website links

Buy stick on labels for clothing!

Quick & Easy

01786 473 508

A Family Literary Festival

a 29 – 31 July

shakespearesglobe.com/tellingtales

l

I READ SOMEWHERE that people are most contented during the season they were born, which would explain why my friend Clare loves nothing more than wrapping up in lots of jumpers and hiking the great outdoors (she’s a November girl), while on the other hand, having just celebrated a birthday, I’m in my element and head for the sun at the drop of a hat.

London’s calling and we plan to make the most of the long days by hopping on a bus and joining in with the many events, workshops, shows and festivals planned for the next few weeks. This is family time - have a great summer.

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE 2-3 Local News and Views Music making for grown-ups; dancing, diving and drama for children; why Wednesdays are great in Greenwich; and our brand-new Families website

l l l l 4-5 Education News

Keeping your children’s brains ticking over during the summer holidays; and an inspiring ten year-old fundraiser

email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

Keyboard fun for grown ups Why should our children have all the fun? As both the director and teacher of Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes, Ali Hall has been told “I wish you did this sort of thing for adults” at the end of the children’s classes so many times, that it has inspired her to do something about it - and it’s not just for class parents.

On 16 July Ali is running a crash course (beginners welcome), where adults can explore the basics in a relaxed, informal environment, enabling you to enjoy learning some simple, well known tunes and understand both reading and writing music.

The course runs from 10am-3pm at St Philip & James RC Church, Poplar Walk, Herne Hill SE24. For information or bookings, call 0800 107 7949 or email mail@funkymonkey.info.

For children’s summer courses, see page 7.

Be part of SLYT this summer

6-9 Holiday Camps and Workshops Make play while the sun shines - brush up on tennis skills, have an outdoor adventure, discover computer coding or improve some school skills ready for the new term

10 What’s New

Frugal fashion for all the family, an online role with Families, funky furniture, and paint-your-own pyjamas

11 The Book Page

New books to read on the beach, in the garden, in the bath or in bed, reviewed by Justine Crow

It’s show season at South London Youth Theatre, with almost 200 talented students taking to the stage throughout July and August for not one but three full-scale musical productions at theatres across South London.

Students as young as four can take part in SLYT’s Infant workshop in August; while students aged 8 to 12 years have the exciting prospect of appearing in a special performance of Matilda the Musical (however both courses have only a few places left).

SLYT is also very pleased to announce a second round of auditions for their Senior Workshop for students aged 13-19 years, who will appear in a two-act Broadway musical, produced over a two week workshop in August and designed to give students a very real taste of professional theatre. The new audition date is Thursday 14 July.

For holiday workshop details, see page 7, and for more information, visit the website www.slyt.co.uk, or call 0208 850 0516.

Dive with champions

12 Mothers Mean Business We talk to Samantha Fellows, local mother, scene painter and portrait painter

13-19 What’s On

Wonderful family events, shows and creative workshops to fill those long summer days

Families London South East

LocalNews

Crystal Palace Diving Club was established after the 1984 Olympics by World Champion Chris Snode and is England’s top Junior diving team.

Chris told Families: “We are Britain’s first professional diving programme and our Chinese Olympic instructors coach in mandarin and the training is quite fascinating to watch.

Divers aged six to teens practice in the Olympic sized pool and a diving gym with trampolines, springboards and harnesses. Our top divers are from South London and compete at all levels including for their school, London borough right up to International and Olympic level.”

The club’s holiday classes are lots of fun and include learn to dive, bubble and harness camps, and special competitive training sessions - for details see page 8. To book either for the summer or September term time, go to www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk or call 07776 284 651.

@ FamiliesSE

Dancing to success Front cover: Childrenswear from the Hatley Spring/

Summer 2016 collection. www.hatley.com/en_uk Next issue out 9 September, deadline 19 August

Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240, www.familiesonline.co.uk, editor@familiesse.co.uk Families South East is part of Families Magazines Ltd a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families® is a registered trademark of Families Magazines Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families South East are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

2

families south east - july / august 2016

Multi-award winning franchise, diddi dance has recently been honoured with a gold accreditation from the Children’s Activities Association - one of the first classes in the UK to receive the prestigious award, a proud moment for local mum and Franchisor, Anne-Marie Martin.

Fast growing franchise, diddi dance has also scooped yet another fantastic award for Best Family Friendly Franchise at Workingmums.co.uk’s prestigious ‘Top Franchise Awards’. Founder, Anne-Marie Martin from Plumstead was praised as a Franchisor that goes the extra mile for her team and the classes’ family friendly atmosphere, flexible working hours, wage and administrative support, were also highlighted.

Now available at over 40 locations nationwide, the fun and unique dance classes continue to get the nation’s tots on their feet, introducing them to exercise, socialisation and creativity from an early age. With hopes to launch internationally, there is no stopping Anne-Marie and the diddi dance franchise!

Read more and find a class at www.diddidance.com.

familiesonline.co.uk

New dance classes in Blackheath Perform are bringing new dance classes to Blackheath, after school on Wednesdays this September.

Perform X is a brand new dance-based class for 6-12s.

These unique high-energy weekly sessions are designed to boost coordination, improve concentration and give children a fun energetic way to develop physical skills, get fit and have fun.

READER OFFER: Perform are offering Families readers an exclusive £40 off their first ten sessions. To secure your spot this September simply call 020 7255 9120 or email enquiries@perform.org.uk quoting code NEWX051016.

Spaces are limited so early booking is recommended.

For children who love theatre arts, Perform drama, dance and singing workshops for 7-12 year olds boost children’s confidence, creativity and concentration skills.

From September, the children will be rehearsing a thrilling new production of Ebenezer with original songs and music and the fantastic ‘Freaky Apparition’ dance routine. Book a free trial at www.perform.org.uk or call 020 7255 9120.

Wednesday workshops at Greenwich Market Greenwich Market buzzes with designer makers who showcase some of the best arts and crafts in London, alongside delicious street food stalls.

This summer, take your children to the market on any Wednesday from 27 July to 24 August, where they can stretch their minds and their muscles at The Emma Nissim yoga workshop or burn off bags of energy at the hoola hoop sessions.

Budding artists can get crafty the traditional way with designer makers and enjoy the satisfaction of making something themselves. Great for family gifts that mean that little bit extra. There’s face painting and balloon fun too and lots of giant games to play including skittles and board games.

Greenwich Market is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm. Read more at www.greenwichmarketlondon.com.

Wednesday Workshops for Crafty Kids Every Wednesday (27 July – 24 August) Make pompoms, your own jewellery, try decoupage or balloon modelling. Face painting fun, storytelling, hula-hooping and dancing. Visit Greenwich Market and meet the best arts, craft and designer makers. Delicious street food.

Open 7 days a week and Bank Holidays, 10am – 5.30pm greenwichmarketlondon.com

A Royal Navy charity since 1694

New website for Families This summer we are launching a fantastic new website which is designed to be more comprehensive than ever and easier to use.

Whether logging on through your tablet, smartphone, laptop or PC, you can look forward to finding more places to go, What’s On events and activities, education, childcare, classes and clubs and parties, parenting tips and advice - as well as some great new features, including eating out and local services.

With coverage across the whole country, south east London will have its very own locally focused websites covering Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark and Lambeth, bringing you information on a wide range of things to do both close to where you live - and across the area.

It’s all in the same place - start at www.familiesonline.co.uk, drop in your postcode and start discovering

Kids Week is back Now in its 19th year and run by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), Kids Week encourages young people to experience the magic of live theatre.

Running throughout August, Kids Week allows one child aged 16 or under to go free to a wide range of shows when accompanied by an adult paying full price, and up to two extra children can go for half price, per transaction. There are shows for all ages from under 5s to teens, including The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, MAMMA MIA!, The Mousetrap and Wicked.

Children can also take part in a fantastic range of free activities and events on stage and backstage at many of the West End’s iconic venues, often with the cast and crew of the resident shows.

Tickets are now on sale at www.kidsweek.co.uk.

familiesonline.co.uk

Every image tells a story Free admission

25 July–31 August 10:00am–4.30pm

Photo Albu

m

The Museum is home to many fascinating and intriguing items, each with its own unique story. Make your Museum visit a day to remember by creating your own photo album. Choose your favourite museum objects from a selection of images and use your creative talents to tell your own story.

10:00am–5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Closed weekends and Bank Holidays. Entrance in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH

Share your experience boemuseum T: 020 7601 5545

www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum july / august 2016 - families south east

3

l l l l l l l l education news S P O N S O R E D

A R T I C L E

11 plus summer preparation 2016

By The Education Centre, Lewisham The choice of secondary school options for parents can be daunting; we can put down six choices on the London wide application form, and the schools we select can be in any borough. Obviously in order to get your school of choice you need to check carefully that you meet the school’s admission criteria, whether that is based on your vicinity to the school, your attendance at a particular religious establishment or a selection process based on academic achievement.

Many parents choose to register their child for the grammar school 11 plus exams held every September and/ or the independent school common entrance exams which usually take place in January.

If your child is going to do selective tests then they need to be prepared. The expected level of attainment is extremely high and the exams cover subjects that have not have been taught in school by the end of Year 5. You may have wondered why children attend lessons with tutors, usually throughout year five, and in some cases for many years; it is to give children time to absorb these new subjects on top of their normal school lessons, as well as cement their knowledge of the basics.

Every child needs to be given the chance to work up to the level required in order to pass and have

experience of the exams before they face them in the exam room. For this reason it is not recommended to wait to go through testing books with your child just for the few weeks of the summer holidays. The exams tend to include questions which follow a set formula which children will not have seen before in school.

Here are two example questions. Although not hard, your child needs to answer each in approximately 20-30 seconds: Q1 What is the perimeter of a square whose area is 625 cm2 Q2 Select the word that has the closest in meaning to the primary word which follows INNOCUOUS = Innocent, Offensive, Nasty, Invasive, Belligerent Professional tutors know exactly what is required for each specific test, they get to know your child and can see any gaps in knowledge that need filling. Then they can teach the ‘new subjects’ and finally do timed practice work so your child has experience of exactly how long they have so they can build up to completing the papers in the allotted time.

For many children these tests will be their first formal exam and so any practice they can get beforehand will make them feel more comfortable.

At the Education Centre we always recommend our pupils sit a mock exam in true exam conditions and attend our revision classes, both of which take place during the summer.

To book to sit 11 plus familiarisation mock exam day or 11 plus intensive revision course, call 020 8318 2106 or visit www.theedcentre.co.uk.

(Q1 answer 100cm. Q2 answer Innocent).

Stick on clothing labels Get ready early for back to school this year with name labels for clothing, ties and uniforms. Stick on labels is the easy way to label clothing - no ironing or sewing necessary! Just stick the adhesive name label onto the care label of what you want to label and you’re finished.

Labels4Kids’ high-quality labels are made to order in the UK and developed especially for clothes, with strong adhesion to last many washes.

Many other alternative name labels are also available, alongside personalised gifts including major brands like Disney, Mattel and Nickelodeon.

Labels4Kids is an award-winning family business that has been selling name labels online since 2004.

Since 2014, Labels4Kids also supplies John Lewis with school name labels.

Order early, beat the rush and get some peace of mind this summer, online at www.labels4kids.com/fam.

A new generation of charity workers Ten year-old Matilde Cacao was one of the youngest stallholders at this year’s Dulwich Festival Fair, where she sold food ‘with a spine’ and homemade lemonade - all to raise funds for The Malala Fund.

Showing great entrepreneurial skills, focus and determination, Matilde got up at 6am to prepare over 150 fruit kebabs and 10 litres of lemonade with help from her mother and brother. To promote the stall, Matilde distributed flyers in her school, Rosemead Preparatory School, and emailed friends. Her deputy head teacher Mrs Kastoryano also promoted the stall in the weekly school newsletter.

This was Matilde’s first charity event, which she followed up at Rosemead Preparatory School’s summer fair in June, where her next stall included the very popular ‘Do It Yourself chocolate fondue’.

Matilde’s initiatives have raised hundreds of pounds which have gone directly to The Malala Fund to help girls to get the education they deserve.

She commented: “Malala stands up for people. She is determined and outspoken, and shows people that they have rights.”

Watch this space for a new generation of charity workers!

Rosemead is a co-ed day school for children aged 3 to 11.

Read all about it at www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

Keep up with maths and literacy during the holidays

The great literacy challenge Keep an eye out in our next issue for a very special back to school promotion for the award-winning Reading Eggs Programme.

For all you parents who haven’t yet seen how Reading Eggs can help your children learn to read, make sure you pick up our September issue - or read all about it now at www.readingeggs.co.uk.

4

families south east - july / august 2016

This summer, Explore Learning are encouraging children and parents to learn new skills together, and to get excited about showing off what they have learned in their centres, and back at school in September.

Explore Learning’s passion is to help 5-14 yearolds achieve their potential and be the best they can be. As they told Families: “We get to know each child as an individual and help them to fall in love with learning. Our goal is to build confident, fearless learners who are hungry for knowledge. We’ve delivered award-winning maths and English tuition to over 175,000 children across the UK.” This approach has a proven record of supporting children both academically and attitudinally.

There are local centres in Sydenham, New Cross Gate, Greenwich and Brixton. To book a free trial, call 01483 447414, go to www.explorelearning.co.uk, or follow their stories on Facebook and Twitter.

familiesonline.co.uk

l l l l l l l l

Developing independent thinkers and learners

Empowering girls to pursue ideals and knowledge unafraid

Prep School Open Days

Senior School Open Day

Saturday Tuesday

1 October 1 November

10 am - 12 noon 9 am - 10.45 am

Register for Open Days www.schs.gdst.net

Streatham & Clapham Preparatory School (girls 3-11)

Saturday

24 September

10 am - 1 pm

Sixth Form Open Evening Wednesday

5 October

6.30 - 8.30 pm

Register for Open Days www.schs.gdst.net

Streatham & Clapham High School (girls 11-18)

Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR

42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW

020 8674 6912 prep@schs.gdst.net

020 8677 8400 senior@schs.gdst.net

Award-winning tuition with a difference. For ages 5 -14.

Call 01483 447414 to book your free trial session @exploretutors

www.explorelearning.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

/explorelearning july / august 2016 - families south east

5

SUMMER COURSES CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING e run fantastic summer holiday courses for ages 6 to teens of all abilities. Our coaches are some of the best. Classes are both challenging and fun where children work through national diving grades.

W

Come and learn to dive with the champions!!!

Six weeks of Summer diving fun….. Jump in the bubble, swing in the harnesses, jump off the top board for the crazy and brave!

• Englands Top Junior Diving Club • Bubble and Harness Camp • Olympic Pool with Trampoline, Dryboards and Harness • Fun but structured Professional Instruction • Swim 21 Certified

Book on line or call today on

07776 284 651

YES, I can touch-type

Touch-typing taught in just 10 hours

er S u m ma y Holid es Cour s

National Champions for the last 7 years

O U R O L Y M P IC C O A C HE S

Chen Wen 2004 & 2008 British Olympic Head Coach

Chris Snode World Champion

WWW.CRYSTALPALACEDIVING.CO.UK

Junior School to Sixth Form – touch-typing is a great skill to have

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

■ Improved speed and effectiveness in study.

■ Well presented work increases self-esteem.

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

‘Great teaching, wonderful encouragement, a warm, friendly atmosphere: the results in ten hours were amazing.’ mother of 13 year old To find out more call: 020 7515 1707 email: info@yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk or call Norman on 07961 427640 Visit our website: www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk

SUMMER SCHOOLS AGES 3 TO 6

STICK MAN

AGES 7 TO 16

AGES 15 TO 19

+ Visit A Recording Studio

ACADEMY

STREET DANCE WITH TURBO SINGING WITH IRENE ALANO RHODES

TO BOOK YOUR CHILD’S SUMMER SCHOOL & FOR FULL INFORMATION INC. PRICES PLEASE CONTACTS US

As seen on: 6

families south east - july / august 2016

www.freedomacademy.co.uk info@freedomacademy.co.uk 0203 793 6843 familiesonline.co.uk

Holiday Camps and Workshops School’s out for summer - hurray!

There’s plenty of time for children to make play while the sun shines; brush up on tennis skills, have an outdoor adventure, make music, discover computer coding or boost their school skills ahead of the new term.

SLYT MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOPS

STAGECOACH DULWICH SUMMER WORKSHOP 1-5 August at ALLEYN’S SCHOOL, East Dulwich SE22, 020 8949 4116, www.stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich A week of drama, dance and music lead by an experienced, professional team, working to a show for family and friends at the end. Costume, lights and sound are all provided and the students will perform in the fabulous Michael Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich. Ages 4-16, Early Bird and sibling discounts available.

8-26 August in Dulwich, 020 8850 0516, www.slyt.co.uk

SPARK4KIDS’ SUMMER CODING TECH CAMPS Summer computer coding workshops at JAGS, Dulwich SE21, 020 8090 1444, STAGECOACH - DULWICH www.spark4kids.com Spark4Kids’ Summer Coding Tech Camps are designed to teach children computer coding, games design, robotics & drones, building websites as well as coding with Minecraft in a fun, engaging environment. Ages 5-7 and 8+, all levels and abilities welcome.

Term-time classes are also available - see website for more details.

To book a Summer Coding Tech Camp, visit www.s4k.me/jags2016.

SPARK 4 KIDS

THEATRE WORKSHOP, 8-20 August.

A full-scale musical with a cast of 40 teenagers aged 13-19 years over two weeks. 10am - 6pm daily, £325 per student for the 10-day course.

Enrolment for this course is by audition.

‘JUNIOR’ MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP, 22-27 August. Six days of Acting, Singing, and Dancing at this action packed experience, led by professionals from the West End and designed to expose talented children to the thrill of live theatre! Ages 7-12 years, 9.30am - 4.30pm daily, £225 per child for 6-day course. Early booking is advised to ensure places and roles for each child.

SUPER CAMPS 11 July - 26 August, various venues including Blackheath High School in BLACKHEATH and St Dunstan’s School in CATFORD, 01235 467300, www.supercamps.co.uk Super Camps keep children active in body and mind, with a range of multi-activity camps and themed courses to suit everyone. The venues offer sports, water activities, outdoor and indoor games, arts and crafts, and great new activities for 2016. You can also rest assured knowing that your children are at the best camp in town after receiving yet another Outstanding Ofsted rating in 2016. Ages 4-14 years, 8am-6pm, bookings available by day or week. Standard prices start from £42 per day and £190 per week; call or see the website for details.

South London Youth Theatre is once again running summer holiday workshops in Dulwich, which all work towards a performance for family and friends on the last day. Now in its 6th year, SLYT attracts students with a passion for theatre and acting, and many students have gone on to secure places at top London drama schools after attending Summer courses and weekly classes.

‘INFANT’ MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP, 22-26 August. A new five day course for 4-6 year-olds, covering all aspects of performance, led by specialist teachers with a wealth of experience in working with this age group. 10am - 12.30pm daily, £95 per child for 5-day course, with sibling discounts available. Early booking is advised to ensure places.

FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES

FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD WORKSHOPS

FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES UNIQUE DAY CAMPS

25 July-5 August, various SE London locations, 0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info

18 July - 12 August, GREENWICH STEINER SCHOOL, Mycenae Road SE3 7SE, 01843 652833 contact@firsthandexperiences.co.uk, www.firsthandexperiences.co.uk First Hand Experiences’ children’s camps explore seasonal, nature based themes that celebrate the natural world. Ages 4-11, £65 a day/ £280 a week, sibling discounts and half days for four year-olds available.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE. Meet wolves, giants and lost adventurers with immersive theatre deep in the wild woods; go mudlarking, cob-building and crabbing on the banks of the river; get up close to birds of prey, wetland animals and butterflies; milk cows to make butter, pick fruit & veg at the farm, forage for your lunch, learn how to be a market trader and even make and sell your creations at your very own stall.

HEALTHY WHOLE FOOD Freshly prepared picnic lunches, gardening and cooking each week.

ART & CRAFT Inspired by your outdoor adventures professional artists teach you to knit, weave, mould, sculpt, carve, paint & build.

MUSIC, GAMES & THEATRE Sing, dance and celebrate your adventures with original songs and themed games.

Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes are running their fun filled electronic keyboard workshops across the summer holidays. Their ever popular ‘One Hit Wonder’ one day taster workshops are perfect for 4-8 year old beginners, whilst the Keyboard Superstars week long workshops are a must for anyone 5-9 years old who would like to explore the electronic keyboard further.

PERFORM SUMMER WORKSHOPS

THE JUNGLE BOOK: PERFORM SUMMER HOLIDAY COURSES 18 July - 19 August in BLACKHEATH, GREENWICH and DULWICH, 020 7255 9120, www.perform.org.uk/holidays Based on Rudyard Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book, Perform’s three and five day courses are led by actors, musicians and dancers and end with a mini-musical on the last day. Ages 4-7 years, £225 (3 day), £330 (5 day), 25% discount for siblings and reductions for groups.

CREATE A SHOW 25 - 27 July in WEST NORWOOD, 0788 405 0954, www.nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk, email danny@nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk Local actor, dad and children’s party entertainer Danny Nutt is running his second Create A Show summer holiday workshop: three days of drama-inspired games, improvisation, running around, music and singing, fun, rehearsals and a performance on the final afternoon.

9am-3pm each day, ages 6-9 years, £100 for all three days, 20% discount for siblings.

Private Tuition • 11+ Mock Exams • 11+ Summer Revision • Common Entrance Prep • GCSE & A Level

020 8318 2106

www.theedcentre.co.uk enquiries@theedcentre.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

july / august 2016 - families south east

7

Tiny Tots age 2.5-3

Little Aces Junior Champs Grand Slammers age 3-4

age 5-7

age 8-11

fun filled tennis games and activities indoors with sponge balls and mini tennis rackets

FREE introductory session phone

07877 391005

www.tennis-4-kids.com email: gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

SOUTH LONDON YOUTH THEATRE

NUTTY’S CREATE A SHOW

FREEDOM ACADEMY ARTS SUMMER WORKSHOPS 8-19 August, various SE LONDON venues, 020 3793 6843, www.freedomacademy.co.uk Fun-packed, week long workshops full of acting, song, dance and games for all ages from 3 to teens.

PETER PAN, 8-12 August in Sydenham. Ages 3-6, 9am-12noon.

STICK MAN, 15-19 August in Dulwich. Ages 3-6, morning or afternoon sessions available.

POP ACADEMY, 8-12 August in Sydenham. Write and record your own songs, and film your own pop video in a professional recording studio, and take home your own CD. Ages 7-16, 9am-3.30pm.

FILM SCHOOL, 15-19 August in Dulwich. Write, direct and star in your own short movie. Ages 7-16, 9am-3.30pm.

TENNIS-4-KIDS 25-28 July and 1-4 August in HERNE HILL and FOREST HILL, 07877 391005, www.tennis-4-kids.com Rally round for a smashing time learning to play tennis with other children. Tennis-4-Kids run mini sessions giving children lots of fun learning basic to advanced skills. The friendly coaches run small groups for 3-11 year-olds from beginners to Grandslammers, with all equipment provided. Term times sessions available too.

NIMBLE ARTS SUMMER HOLIDAY CLUB

INTENSIVE TOUCH TYPING School holidays and termtime classes in SYDENHAM, 020 7515 1707, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk Learn a new skill with a touch typing courses run by YES. Children find them fun, and they work - most children are tapping away proficiently in just ten hours. Sessions can be booked to fit around other holiday commitments so children can progress at their own pace.

MINI CHAMPIONS HOLIDAY CHILDCARE St MICHAEL’S CHURCH, Champion Crescent, Sydenham SE26 4HH, 0780 986 3082, www.minichampions.co.uk Mini Champions’ focus is to provide a stimulating environment for all children during the summer holidays and after school. A host of activities are provided for children to enjoy including Horse Riding, Rock Climbing, Bowling, Sports Days, Theatre Trips, Museum Visits and much more. The club welcomes all children new and old. It often doesn’t take long for a new child to settle into the setting with the staff having several occasions where at the end of a child’s first day they do not want to go home! Staff have a wealth of experience of working with children in addition to first aid and safeguard training. The club is Ofsted registered and accepts children of primary school age. Open from 8am until 6pm during the summer holidays. The club provides breakfast and an afternoon meal.

Children are required to bring a packed lunch. £19.50 per day, 10% sibling discount.

PUPPET THEATRE

1-26 August, HEBER SCHOOL, East Dulwich SE22, 07714 745 040, www.nimblearts.co.uk A summer of creative fun for 4-11 year olds! No two days will ever be the same and every day there’ll be up to four exciting creative workshops run by actors, film-makers, magicians, musicians and more. You can sign up your child for the full summer or just pick the days that most interest you.

Ages 4-11, open from 8am-6pm each day. From £29 for a half day, with discounts for more than five days, and for siblings. The workshops are Ofsted registered and parents can pay with childcare vouchers.

SUMMER DIVING COURSES 26 July - 2 August, CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road SE19 2BB, 07776 284 651, www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk A variety of week long courses for children who are new or fairly new to diving and want extra practice. Jump in, swing in harnesses and work towards jumping off the top board. The courses are run by Swim 21 certified professional coaches, under the leadership of World Champion Chris Snode. Ages 6 to teens, four day courses £45, five day courses £26.25.

8-16 August, HONOR OAK COMMUNITY CENTRE, 50 Turnham Road SE4 2JD, 07946 552 625, www.minidrama.co.uk Mini Drama’s holiday course will give children the chance to design and make their own puppets and theatre, then present a puppet show at the end. There will also be a mini stage performance and plenty of drama-based play. Ages 3-6 and 7-11 years.

JUNIOR TENNIS CAMPS 25 July - 25 August, SYDENHAM TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham SE26 6ET, 020 8778 7217, www.sydenham-tennis-squash-croquet-club.co.uk Sydenham Tennis Club’s fun camps are great way to keep children aged 5-15 busy during the holidays. The camps include a mix of activities with the focus on tennis coaching, games and other team events. Suitable for all standards from children who want to try tennis for the first time to those who have regular coaching.

11 PLUS REVISION COURSES 26 July - 19 August, THE EDUCATION CENTRE, Adana Building, Conington Road, Lewisham SE13 7FD, 020 8318 2106, www.theedcentre.com Techniques, strategies and tips for answering exam questions successfully, with mock papers to build students’ confidence.

Classes are held in small groups and include revision skills.

FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD SKILLS

8

families south east - july / august 2016

FREEDOM ACADEMY

familiesonline.co.uk

Summer & After School After School Childcare Childcare Mini Champions is a comfortable, safe, friendly and stimulating environment for your child to enjoy after school.

School Collecting from holiday care Kelvin Grove St Michaels, provided and St Bartholomew's Primary. Contact us to enquire for other school collections.

TENNIS 4 KIDS

THE HIVE DAYCAMPS

MULTISPORTS AT JAGS 25 July - 26 August, JAGS SPORTS CLUB, Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SE24 9JN, 020 8613 6500, www.jagssportsclub.co.uk

FIT FOR SPORT

THE STRINGS CLUB HOLIDAY CAMPS

THE POINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY CLUB 11 July - 26 August, THE POINTER SCHOOL, 19 Stratheden Road, Blackheath SE3 7TH, 020 8293 1331, www.pointers-school.co.uk Themed activities each week offer sports, days out, crafts and competitions. Ages 3-11, 9am-4pm with extended hours and half day bookings available.

a place for children to flourish

JAGS Sports Club run multi sports courses every school holiday to encourage children to participate in fun games centred on fair play and sportsmanship. The courses are designed to encourage youngsters to participate in new sports in a safe non-competitive environment. They learn new skills and play as part of a team, where they all contribute.

9am-3.30pm, Ages 4+, £18 per half day, £110 a week.

25 July - 2 Sept, PRENDERGAST SCHOOL, Brockley SE4, 0121 296 9204, www.thestringsclub.org Perfect for children who have never played an instrument before and budding strings players, where every day is different. Ages 4-11, from £17.50, book a half day, full day or full week, with wrap-around care available from 8.30am-5.45pm.

After school Summer Holiday day* £10 per day per £19.50 per day * warm meal, snack and drinks included * Warm meal, snack

CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING

11 July - 19 August, ELTHAM COLLEGE, Grove Park Road, London SE9 4QF, 020 3291 3791, www.thehive-kids.com BBook a week of outdoor fun on a team-building adventure which will introduce children to new and different skills every day. Mixing nature exploration, story telling and mobile technology, The Hive Daycamps introduce children to such skills as foraging, geocaching, fire making, wildlife tracking, wild cooking, wood carving, whittling, bee keeping, gardening, nature film-making, and even potion making. Ages 5-11 years, 9.30am-4.30pm each day, with extended care available.

Summer holidays, various venues including GIPSY HILL, DOWNHAM, DULWICH and BERMONDSEY, 0845 456 3233, www.fitforsport.co.uk Fit for Sport’s Ofsted-registered holiday childcare activity camps are designed to engage and educate children through activity, with swimming, ballgames, active challenges and arts and crafts based on seasonal themes. Standard day 9.30am-4.30pm with extended hours available. Ages 4-12 years, bookable by half or full day, or weekly blocks - see the website for full details.

Offering and trips: Activities Offering activities toenrich enrich activities to Horse Riding, Rock Climbing, young minds: minds: Games, Sports, young Games, Sports, Bowling, Sports Days, Games, Theatre Baking, Arts Arts & access, Baking, &Craft, Craft,ITIT access, Trips, Museum Visits, Arts & Crafts, Study support stations and Study support stations and more! and much more!

Bakinglots lots more!

and drinks included.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY HOURS: 8.00am-6pm, 25th July - 26th August, Monday-Friday HOURS: 3.15pm-6pm DAYS: Monday-Friday ADDRESS: St Michaels Church, Champion Road, Sydenham SE26 4HH ADDRESS: St Michaels Church, Champion Road, Sydenham SE26 4HH GET IN TOUCH: www.minichampions.co.uk info@minichampions.co.uk Tel: 07809 863082 Tel: 07944 477300

www.minichampions.co.uk

info@minichampions.co.uk Tel: 07809 863082 Tel: 07944 477300

COMPUTER CODING FOR KIDS Games Coding, Robotics Drones, Websites, Minecraft Fun, engaging sessions Term/Holiday courses Ages 5 to 14+

CAMP BEAUMONT DAYCAMPS 11 July - 29 August , Colfe’s School in LEE, 01263 823000, www.campbeaumont.co.uk Up to 40 different activities ranging from arts and crafts, swimming, soccer, tag rugby, tennis, motorsports, dance and drama, basketball, and many more. Ages 4-16 years, 8.30am-5.30pm, from £47 per day.

familiesonline.co.uk

Email hello@spark4kids.com Call 020 8090 1444 www.spark4kids.com

july / august 2016 - families south east

9

Stress? Anxiety?

Fatigue? Insomnia?

Tailored care from our mind and body team

The Vale Practice

Counselling, Acupuncture, Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy, Nutrition, Massage, Reflexology and much more...

64 Grove Vale, London SE22 8DT

T. 020 8299 9798

www.thevalepractice.co.uk E. info@thevalepractice.co.uk

What’sNew Big brands, smaller prices If you love a bargain (and who doesn’t?), head to MandM Direct. Now the UK’s biggest online, off-price retailers, the company offers big brands at low prices with up to 75% off fashion, sport, footwear and outdoor wear for men, women and children.

MandM Direct stocks over 250 of the world’s favourite brands including Converse, adidas, Levi’s, French Connection, UGG, Kickers and many more.

New stock is added daily, and once a price has been dropped, it never goes back up.

The prices are already great, but there are further, exclusive offers just for Families readers - start shopping at www.mandmdirect.com/01/families.

Be part of Families We are celebrating the launch of our all-new website this July, which is destined to become the number 1 resource for families through over 300 local sites across the UK. As a result, a number of highly flexible, home-based work opportunities are available for Area Managers to run local sites in southeast London.

This is a fun and flexible opportunity which fits around family life, offering a great challenge - and the opportunity to earn money. There are no set up costs involved, you will be trained by industry experts and develop valuable CV-boosting skills in the digital, print and social media marketing industry.

Area Managers are responsible for posting great ideas online and social media, adding useful and timely local content for families, and marketing and selling to local businesses. If you have good networking and communication skills, love your Facebook and Twitter, want to release your inner blogger and are interested in working flexibly from home, this could be for you.

Find out more by emailing some brief details about yourself to recruitment@familesonline.co.uk.

Cleaning gets the brush off

17-19 Blackwater Street East Dulwich SE22 8SD

020 7720 1144

When the Wonderbroom press team sent us a sample to try, it wasn’t the most joyous product sample but hey, the things we do for our readers.

But actually... it impressively brushes our cats’ hairs off the sofa, stairs and carpets. It also squeegees as a floor or window mop, and if you want to sweep your garden patio, go for it - it’s completely washable.

The telescopic handle reaches high windows; while unextended it’s the perfect length for the children to pitch in with some cleaning (it’s always worth a try). This could be £9.99 well spent - search Wonderbroom at www.jmldirect.com.

Funky furniture

Design your own pyjamas

Lala & Bea’s super soft, 100% organic cotton pyjama set comes with neon Dylon pens and an inspiration guide sheet that children can use to create their own unique PJs. Packaged in a mini tote bag that can also be decorated, the set is suitable for ages 3-12yrs, £34 from www.lalaandbea.com.

10

families south east - july / august 2016

Punkin Patch Interiors supply creative custom-made furniture to spark imaginative minds.

How about this Siamese chest of drawers - eye catching, isn’t it! For this and more inspiring furniture, go to www.thebabycotshop.com.

familiesonline.co.uk

The Bookseller Crow

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

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

It is customary at this point in the year for me to look at the sky, lick a digit to test the wind and recommend helpful holiday time diversions for the whole family but if like us you have recently acquired new neighbours and if those neighbours have in turn, to put it bluntly, got the builders in, then you’ll be REALLY looking forward to some kind of escape this summer. No, I mean really. It’s not as if I can even hide in the garden because the aforementioned incomers have brought a small super barky dog with them who, I’m pretty convinced, is a descendent of Mussolini.

THE 50 STATES ACTIVITY BOOK - Wide Eyed Editions rrp £8.99. By heck I enjoyed the original 50 STATES by Gabrielle Balkan, WE, rrp £20 but now we get to be interactive with all that glorious detail in this excellent collection of games and activities that reflect the curious wealth of quirk in the USA. With a pull-out map, I challenge anybody of any age not to be fascinated, not to mention distracted. In fact, as Il Duce next door begins his canine posturing once more, I may just book me a flight to Illinois. Or Idaho. Or Indiana. Mindyou, right now - yapyapyapyap - I’d be happy with Ipswich. Or even Ilford. Maybe not Ilford.

AA STICKER & QUIZ ATLAS OF BRITAIN - AA rrp £6.99. With 199 of yer finest stickers, this is one for the looooooong car journey. I’m not sure how I feel about AA branding being anywhere near the word ‘holiday.’ For me it brings back ghastly memories of a 13 hour tow down the M1 with a series of jolly blokes in yellow uniform cheerfully informing me that their vehicles are speed restricted as we were overtaken by a burger van, a mobility bus and a house-fly. Plus the tach’ confirmed they’d each be needing an official rest at the wherever the next services happened to be. The second driver punctured the front tyre when he offloaded our poorly car at South Mimms and the final relay driver screeched to a halt in Camberwell at midnight and said he wasn’t allowed to budge. I hailed a black cab for the last leg. Fourth emergency service, my btm. Fourth blimmin’ tea break more like.

MY TRAVEL JOURNAL - AA rrp £7.99. The scrapbook style layout of this colourful DIY log is dandy for all the family to record the highlights - and relay tow-truck lowlights - of all their summer shenanigans. Good job I didn’t have one to hand when that tyre got spiked on the ramp as my language was decidedly hi-viz.

CITY TRAILS: LONDON - Lonely Planet Kids rrp £8.99. With New York and Paris in the series, each guide contains 19 themed routes full of facts on foot right into the middle of the city. Even your average 7 year-old has to admit that travel apps are pretty hopeless given that it’s an adult who’s downloaded it, it’s an adult who says they are in charge of it and it’s an adult who is now begging their offspring to help them work out how to use it. My lot cringe when I ask if they can ‘big up’ the screen. “Mum, please say ‘zoom in’ when we are out in public..”

While we are on the subject, there’s a new edition of the ROUGH GUIDE TO WALKS IN LONDON & THE SOUTHEAST, rrp £12.99 out in July. Anybody want to take next-door’s mutt with them?

LONDON CYCLING GUIDE by Tom Bogdanowicz - Lifestyle Books rrp £9.99. On the mountainous slopes of Upper Norwood cycling has always been “a thing” - there was even an Anerley Trophy in the ‘30s. But it seems the rest of the South East has finally begun to embrace not only its outer Bradley Wiggins but also its inner Monsieur Hulot and these days, bikes are not only for fitness and the commute but also for having fun. However, as a parent who enjoyed a thoroughly free-wheeling childhood, I admit to extreme reluctance in encouraging anything other than a sedate circuit round the park for my own kids. Afterall, this isn’t Amsterdam. Grand Theft Auto, more like. So, here’s the perfect guide for overcoming any fearfulness, with more than 40 trails that take in as many safe paths as possible, as well as the sights.

From the Ham and High Hills, through West London’s waterways, over and along the Thames Banks to the wonderful Waterlink Way (which reveals a Lewisham you never knew existed).

THE USBORNE OUTDOOR BOOK by Jerome Martin Usborne rrp £9.99. There’s something about this publisher’s

house-style that makes their non-fiction for children so irresistible.

Page after page of old-fashioned illustrations jammed with analogue ideas for getting the most out of fresh air. Given that in my experience, there is no useful mobile signal beyond any London postcode, it’s an excuse to pull on the wellies (I still have that finger in the air) and leave the digital world in the boot.

THE ARTY BOOK by Nikalas Catlow & David Sinden Bloomsbury rrp £9.99. With lots of creativity encouraging sections, otherwise known as a book for ‘indoors’ as opposed to the muddy one above, I know far better than to remind you all to take drawing materials away with you wherever you go this summer. For me, felt-tips were as important as baby-wipes.

Our favoured diversion was to turn paper sick bags into puppets.

Cheered up the whole ferry that did.

DAYTIME VISIONS by Isol - Enchanted Lion Books rrp £11.99.

The illustration on the back depicts a peaceful infant asleep with a cat exuding ZZZZs in this alphabet book with a difference.

Basically, each character is like a daily thought doodle - C is for Come On! whilst waiting for a plant to grow; E is for Easy, as in being with you; Y is for YES! I do too...

A HEBRIDEAN ALPHABET by Debi Gliori, Birlinn rrp £9.99 is another one for the long journey. As the Shetland Island’s first writer-in-residence, she knows her A for archipelago very well indeed.

NEVER SHAKE A RATTLESNAKE by Michaela Gordon & Nick Sharratt; NEVER USE A KNIFE AND FORK by Neil Goddard & Nick Sharratt - Macmillan rrp £5.99. It is guaranteed that wherever Sharratt pops up, there’s a delightful riot of daftness to make the littlest in the household squeal. These two titles are no exception let the bonkersness begin! And there’s more madness too from the joint masters of children’s picture books Ian “Harry & the Dinosaurs” Whybrow & Axel “Gruffalo” Sheffler in THE TICKLE BOOK, Macmillan rrp 5.99, with much laughter and lift-the-flappery.

FIZZLEBERT STUMP, THE BOY WHO DID P.E. IN HIS PANTS

by A.F Harrold - Bloomsbury rrp £5.99. If your burgeoning readers haven’t discovered the adventures of a lad who ran away to join the circus, there’s a whole series to savour before the one after this - FIZZLEBERT STUMP AND THE GREAT SUPERMARKET SHOWDOWN - is published in August. Gone are the days when nine year-olds had to smuggle Spike Milligan titles out of the library for a dose of illicit silliness. I hid Milliganimals inside The Hobbit. Bearing in mind my English teacher subsequently told my parents that she didn’t see their daughter as having any kind of future in “literature,” it clearly didn’t do me any harm.

SUMMER GIGGLES ANTHOLOGY - Simon & Schuster rrp £6.99. A collection of comical travel tales from catastrophic car journeys - ahem - to turbo nans and rubbish ghost hunters, with authors that include Jeremy Strong and prize winner, David Solomons, to keep everyone amused.

HOW TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS by David Goldblatt - Profile rrp £9.99. Aided by the ephemera, rules and winners in this comprehensive explainer, there are many out there this summer who won’t be going away because they have the luxury of a sofa, a wide-screen and a set of neighbours whose builders are NOT hard at work drilling the hell out of the walls, the floor, the roof and my sanity. They start early. No, not the athletics, (though the differing time zones across Brazil combined with BST will make for a whole heap of bedtime tantrums, and not just from the 6 year old), the builders - skips come at sparrow’s guff with a massive clang, their jack-hammers go off 8am. But worse, by noon the workers are all peacefully napping on the adjacent lawn in the sun. Including the pooch. So I’ve decided to have a little sport of my own. Next time, I see them sleeping off their labours with bare chests after drilling at dawn, I am going to unleash my champion: Trasha on her beloved trumpet. Her fusillade Samba version of Chariots of Fire behind the fence should do the trick.

With me on maracas. On a loop. Happy Holidays!

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk i el isnoen. lci o n .eu. k co.uk f a m i fl iaem s iol n

july / august

july / august 2016 - families south east

11

Mothers Mean Business Samantha Fellows is a West Norwood-based mother of two girls, and a prolific artist.

Her career has encompassed London Fashion Week backdrops, window displays for the likes of Harrods and Selfridges, and scene painting for numerous theatre and TV productions.

More recently, Sam has been taking commissions to paint portraits, mostly of children.

When we managed to catch up with her, Sam was fresh back from this year’s Dulwich Festival Open House events, and was deservedly proud to have had a portrait of her daughter Pearl selected for the BP Portrait Award Exhibition - now on at the National Portrait Gallery until 4 September. Not to be left out, younger daughter Rose is also currently portrayed by Sam in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, showing until 21 August.

FSE: ‘Set painter/ scenic artist’ doesn’t often come up in careers guidance lists at school.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I grew up in a theatrical family and spent a lot of time in theatres, both in the audience and in the dressing rooms backstage. Despite enjoying performing as a child, I decided to focus on Fine Art at University. After I graduated, joining my theatre and art interests to become a scenic artist seemed like a natural choice.

FSE: How did you get into what you do now?

After nearly 20 years working as a scenic artist, 10 of which running the art department of a prominent scenery construction company, I felt ready for a change and wanted to start painting for myself again. I’d always kept up with life drawing and so portraits seemed a natural place to start.

I’ve been working on a series of paintings of my daughters for a year or so, and to have one of each daughter selected for these two major open exhibitions has been quite overwhelming.

Commissions for children’s portraits are coming in regularly now too and I enormously enjoy painting these. I usually meet with the child and start by taking lots and lots of photos on an iPad. I then work from these images back in my studio and paint the finished portrait in oil on panel. I still supplement figurative painting with scenic work and I’m looking forward to some exciting new projects this month such as the domed ceiling in Selfridge’s Food Hall.

I also enjoy tutoring as a ‘visiting professional’ to Scenic Art students at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.

FSE: What would you say are the benefits of working for yourself?

I love that I can organise myself and make my own decisions. I still enjoy working for set designers on theatre and TV productions but now much prefer making my own artistic choices in my own work.

12

families south east - july / august 2016

FSE: Your work often means working out of London. How easy or difficult is it to juggle your work, childcare hours and family life?

It’s always a juggle but I’m fortunate to have two very helpful grannies who live nearby as well as my sister and her family.

FSE: Have your girls inherited your artist’s gene and if so, would you advise them to follow in your footsteps?

I’d say they’re both naturally good at art and I would always advise anyone to follow a career in the arts.

The creative industries are thriving in this country and can make hugely rewarding careers. I wish the arts were focused more in schools.

FSE: When you have time off yourself, what do you like to do?

Days off by myself are usually spent either catching up on art exhibitions or wandering around second hand shops.

FSE: Have you always lived in southeast London? If not, what brought you here?

I grew up in Wimbledon and as an adult have lived in Clapham, Camberwell, Brixton and now 11 years in West Norwood. I love living in south London and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family and I can never relate to people who choose to move out to the country when they have children. I remember loving it especially as a teenager, loved the independence it offered... I’m a huge fan and very happy resident!

FSE: Do you have a favourite shop/ café or park in southeast London?

I love both Dulwich and Brockwell parks and have spent a huge amount of time in both, especially when my daughters were younger. West Norwood High Street is (finally!) becoming a lovely place to hang out. I can often be found in the Electric Café, Beamish and McGlue and Knowles of Norwood.

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

Examples of my portraits can be seen on my website www.samanthafellows.co.uk while examples of my scenic work can be seen on www.samanthafellows.com. I’m also relatively good at keeping up with my social media accounts and regularly put recent sketches, paintings and jobs on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Twitter : @sammyfellows Facebook: Samantha Fellows Artist Instagram: samanthafellowsart

familiesonline.co.uk

FOODIES FESTIVAL BLACKHEATH

KENT FARM LIFE

What’sOn The Great Outdoors LONDON WILDLIFE TRUST

LEWISHAM PEOPLE’S DAY

Join in with fun, free, activities run by the London Wildlife Trust across London; suitable for children of all ages accompanied by their parents or carers. Here are some highlights: for full details and bookings, see www.wildlondon.org.uk.

BAT, MOTH AND OWL PROWL, 8 July. A guided night-time walk through Sydenham Hill Wood to discover bats, moths and tawny owls. Sydenham Hill Wood is part ancient woodland, one of the largest remaining fragments of the Great North Wood which once stretched from Deptford to Selhurst.

Many owls have been recorded and are known to breed in the wood.

9-11pm.

BUG DAY, 21 July. Celebrate the amazing invertebrates that are so vital to our world by exploring the weird and wonderful insects that live in Sydenham Hill Wood. There will be pond dipping sessions to discover the wild world underneath the surface of the Dewy Pond; search for beetles and creepy crawlies under logs, and identify butterflies and bees in the Wood’s sunny glades. 11am-3pm.

BUTTERFLY WALK, 24 July. Join a Sydenham Hill Wood volunteer for a guided walk looking at the range of butterflies that can be found in an urban woodland. 2-4pm, free, donations to London Wildlife Trust welcome.

GREAT NORTH WOOD WALK, 20 August. A walk of four green miles (and around 2-3 hours) through the remnants of the Great North Wood.

The walk will begin at One Tree Hill, passing over the hill down to Brenchley Gardens, Wood Vale, Cox’s Walk, Sydenham Hill Wood, Dulwich Wood, Dulwich Upper Wood and finally to Crystal Palace Park. 12noon start at the Friends of One Tree Hill noticeboard next to the temple.

9 July, MOUNTSFIELD PARK, Stainton Road, Catford SE6 1AN One of southeast London’s biggest free festivals, with live music, crafts, workshops, food, local businesses and community groups, children’s entertainment and more. Noon - 8pm, admission free.

FOODIES FESTIVAL 8-10 July, BLACKHEATH, 0844 955 1111, www.foodiesfestival.com Foodies Festival is the UK’s biggest touring celebration of food and drink, offering a lip-smacking line-up of foodie fun and the South heats of the British Street Food Awards. Feast on signature dishes served from street food vendors, watch the capital’s culinary elite cooking live, sample the latest superfoods, join wine and beer masterclasses, meet top bakers and chocolatiers, and enjoy afternoon tea in the Vintage Tea Room. For a soundtrack, local bands will compete to win the Unsigned Music Awards.

In the Children’s Cookery School, little foodies can decorate their very own edible gold medal, make pizzas and cupcakes, explore their taste buds and learn basic cookery skills to practise at home. Open 11am-7pm Friday and Saturday; to 6pm Sunday. Tickets from £10 adults, under 12s free.

PARKSFEST SUMMER SUNDAY EXTRAVAGANZA 10 July, MYCENAE HOUSE & GARDENS, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath, SE3 7SE, 020 8858 1749, www.mycenaehouse.co.uk The Friends of Mycenae Gardens and Mycenae House present a packed line up of chilled out live music, summer fun, activities for all the family including child-focused arts & creative workshops, great food and drink.

Featuring artists from Global Fusion, JazzNights, Icarus Club and Greenwich Steiner School. 12-5pm, admission free.

BROCKWELL PARK WORKSHOPS BROCKWELL PARK COMMUNITY GREENHOUSES, Brockwell Park SE24 9BJ, www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk Be a bee, hug a tree, learn to forage or plant a pea. The one-acre secret garden in the middle of Brockwell Park will host a wide range of holiday workshops for all ages on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer holidays. Activities include gardening, cooking, storytelling, games, arts and crafts. All workshops 10.30am-12.30pm, £5 per child or £2.50 low-income entry.

KEW GARDENS KEW ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB, 020 8332 5655, www.kew.org Kew Gardens is world-famous for its historic glasshouses, magnificent vistas and precious specimen trees, not to mention royal buildings, the Pagoda, beautiful woods, a treetop walkway and great places for children to have fun. Open daily from 10am, admission £15 adults, £3.50 children, reduced when prebooked.

THE HIVE, 2 July - 30 October. Experience the world of the British bee coming alive within Wolfgang Buttress’ award winning installation, The Hive. Towering 17 metres high and twisting out of the ground in a shape suggestive of a swarm of bees this magnificent, ever changing space will host talks, tours, activities, films and family workshops.

revitalise your website

lots of fresh ideas for websites, blogs & shops 020 8658 9975

www.lancasters.co.uk

SPLASH FEST 7 August, BATTERSEA PARK SW11 4NJ, www.splashfest.co.uk London’s first family-friendly aqua obstacle course features five zones of water-themed slides, foam and waterspout challenges over a 2.5km trail, as well as a lively event village. Organised by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Splash Fest is ideal for families with children aged 7-12 and promises to be one of this summer’s unmissable events. Tickets from £10, all profits to RNLI.

IGHTHAM MOTE IGHTHAM MOTE, Mote Road, , Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0NT, 01732 810378, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote Enjoy a gentle stroll around the gardens or take in a longer walk on the ancient estate while enjoying the beauty of the Kent countryside. Open 10am to 5pm, admission from £5.50 children, £11 adults, £28 families.

50 THINGS TO DO. Pick up an activity pack, explore the estate and see how many of the 50 things to do you can tick off.

Free with admission charge.

SUMMER HOLIDAY FAMILY FUN, Thursdays from 28 July to 1 September.

Discover the house through quizzes and go wild in the natural play area - every Thursday will have a different theme, from archaeology IGHTHAM MOTE to Victorian families, and a Teddy bears’ picnic. Free with admission charge.

d idd i d a nce

®

classes ool dance funky presch boys d an ls gir r fo

parties classes

l origina music

fun and relaxed

nurseries

16 dance styles

classes across South East London SE1 - SE18 call Anne-Marie: 07973 982790 SE19 - SE27 call Nicola: 07832 913282

w w w. d i d d i d a n ce. c o m

SUMMER FUN AT KENT LIFE 23 July - 4 September, KENT LIFE HERITAGE FARM PARK, Lock Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3AU, 01622 763936, www.kentlife.org.uk Kent Life has unveiled a packed programme of summer holiday activities and events, including a visit by children’s favourite The Gruffalo and the attraction’s first-ever Ice Cream Festival.

The fun kicks off on July 23 with a fortnight of themed Nature Explorers.

Check out the nature trails, take part in animal activities and visit Kent Life’s farmyard friends. Come along on July 31 and see The Gruffalo, hear his story and meet the owls and mice he encounters on his way.

Young and old alike can discover their creative side between August 8 and 21 with the Creative Crafters, when there will be plenty of crafty activities including a visit to the Paint-a-Pot Studio.

From August 22 to September 4, it’s summer holiday camp time featuring traditional games and races. Enjoy some seaside fun at the sandpit and build a sand castle, or sit back and watch the Punch and Judy Show. Then on August 29, Kent Life hosts its first Ice Cream Festival, with ice cream vendors, chocolatiers and sweet stalls galore. Open 10am-6pm, admission free for under 3s, adults £9.50, children £7.50, families £29.95.

familiesonline.co.uk

Babysitting and Flexible Childcare S 100% DB D CHECKE RS RE HILDCA

C

• Babysitting

NEW

download our free babysitting app !

• Flexible Daytime Childcare • Temporary Nannies • Part Time Nannies

• Permanent Nannies Holiday Nannies

0844 879 7189 www.likeminders.co.uk

july / august 2016 - families south east

13

HMS BELFAST

CUTTY SARK

HORNIMAN DINOSAURS

On the THAMES at The Queen’s Walk by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept.

Open 10am-6pm, admission £16 adults, children £8, family tickets from £28.

GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time. Entry included in general admission price.

NAVY GAMES, Saturdays in July. Find out how sailors of all ranks spent their leisure time playing the Royal Navy game of ‘Uckers’. Similar to Ludo, you’ll soon pick up this game which is easy to learn but harder to master. 11am-4pm, included in general admission price.

SIGNALS AT SEA, Saturdays in August. Find out how the Royal Navy send signals between ships using lights, codes and flags. This immersive activity will give you the opportunity to experience the many different ways that messages can be sent in secret and understood by only those who should know. 11am-4pm, included in general admission price.

ROBOTS AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM

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

Events and Attractions THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London, an animal corner and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday.

DINOSAURS - MONSTER FAMILIES, until 30 October. Discover the fascinating world of dinosaurs and how they looked after their eggs, nests and babies through interactive exhibits, specimens from around the world and life-size models. Meet a replica of ‘Baby Louie’, the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur hatchling, dig in the discovery pit, touch a real dinosaur leg bone and come face-to-face with T-Rex’s relative - a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast. An exciting programme of dinosaur-themed events and activities will also run throughout the year to complement the exhibition. Entry £7 adults, £4 children, £17 families, under 3s free.

COMMUNITY MUSIC DAY, 10 July. A day of community music including concerts by local ensembles, music workshops, a capella singing and more. 12noon - 4pm, free.

SUMMER ON THE NATURE TRAIL, 16 July. Join a local environmental expert for a summer-time nature trail walk. Have a go at sweep-netting, tree-beating, identification and other fun activities to discover plants, animals and insects that live in the museum gardens. 11am-12.30pm, children £3, adults £5, book first.

THE BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT, 27 July. Take part in the Big Butterfly Count with entomologist (bug expert!) Richard Jones; meet Mr Horniman on a tour of his gardens and make some butterfly art and craft.

11am-3.30pm, free drop-in.

POND DIPPING, Tuesdays from 26 July to 29 August. A fun family session exploring the environment in the Nature Trail pond. 11am-4pm.

Timed tickets available on the day.

BIG WEDNESDAYS, until 31 August. Head to the museum gardens where each Wednesday will feature different performances and activities ranging from storytelling, dance and films to music performances as well as art and craft inspired by traditions from all over Brazil. Activities are free, drop-in and open to everyone.

BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL 8-16 July, THE BEDFORD, 77 Bedford Hill, Balham SW12 9HD, www.balhamcomedyfestival.com Celebrating five years of hilarity, Banana Cabaret’s Balham Comedy Festival 2016 will be bigger and better than ever. Featuring some of the biggest names in comedy, this year’s event sees a Comedy Contest featuring up and coming acts, plus workshops and activities for children.

See the website for the full line up and bookings.

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

Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

EVERY IMAGE TELLS A STORY, 25 July - 31 August. Choose your favourite museum objects and create a photo album to tell your own story.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM 40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art gallery, The Foundling Museum reveals the stories of the Foundling Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. It houses significant collections of eighteenth-century art, interiors, social history and music. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays.

Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults.

14

families south east - july / august 2016

FOUND, until 4 September. Foundling Fellow Cornelia Parker has invited over sixty outstanding artists from a range of creative disciplines to respond to the theme of ‘found’, reflecting on the Museum’s heritage.

Combining new and existing work with found objects kept for their significance, this major exhibition is in part inspired by the Museum’s eighteenth-century tokens - small objects left by mothers with their babies as a means of identification should they ever return to the Foundling Hospital to claim their child.

BACH TO BABY, 21 July. A classical concert for babies and their families, performed by mother and pianist Miaomiao Yu, along with other internationally-renowned musicians. 10.30-11.30am, £10 adults, children free.

MAGNIFIED MOMENTS, 23 July. Experiment with magnifying glasses and sketching to make your own prints inspired by the Found’ exhibition.

Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two adults.

MEMORY MONO PRINTS, 26 July. Join artist Davina Drummond to investigate the importance of objects and memory in this art-based family workshop. Bring your favourite personal object to the workshop and learn how to enlarge it into a monoprint that you can take home and keep. Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two adults.

HETTY FEATHER DAY WITH JACQUELINE WILSON, 30 July. An exciting free art workshop inspired by Hetty and friends, and the chance to explore the collection through Hetty’s eyes using a new trail. In the afternoon, Jacqueline Wilson reads from Hetty Feather and signs books.

Family workshop 11am-5pm, free with museum entry. Talk and book signing 2pm, £7 children, £10 adults.

DIY DOLL’S HOUSE, 2 August. Make your very own doll’s house in this family workshop led by artist Davina Drummond. Using the Foundling Hospital building as inspiration for your design, create a fantastic miniature house from card that you can take home. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Sign up on the day to reserve a place. Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two adults.

FOUND PHOTOGRAPHS, 27 August. Take a small found object with you to this hands-on family workshop and learn to create a black and white photogram. Make a drawing using graphite, then work outside to produce a photo of your chosen object using light sensitive paper and the sun. Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 12, and 3.30pm, free for children and up to two adults.

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

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

Ages 8-14, free.

ROBOTS, until 3 September. Explore the 500-year story of humanoid robots and the artistic and scientific quest to understand what it means to be human. Set in five different periods and places, the exhibition features a unique collection of over 100 robots, from a 16th-century mechanical monk to robots from science fiction and modern-day research labs. Twelve of the robots will be working models and you may even get the chance to interact with one. Under 7s free, £13 children, £15 adults, book first.

OUR LIVES IN DATA, from 15 July. Information about our lives is increasingly being captured, analysed and used, transforming the world around us. From toys that can understand a child’s personality and smarter public transport planning to new genomic technology that is helping uncover the causes of rare diseases and cancer, big data’s invisible revolution has begun. Ages 8 to adult, free.

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

COLOUR AND VISION, from 15 July. Discover the earliest life on Earth and trace the evolutionary history of colour and vision. Find out how early interactions gave rise to the wide variety of colours that we now see in the natural world. Adults £12, children £6.

SENSATIONAL BUTTERFLIES, until 11 September. This living exhibition includes a riot of colourful species usually found in the tropical forests of Central and South America, Africa and Asia. The magical experience of being surrounded by free-flying butterflies is captivating for young and old alike. Wander through a tropical habitat of flowers, vines and foliage and view these creatures close-up, using a magnifier to admire their intricate beauty and tiny features. Admission £6.50, families £22.

DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. Discover what really happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home.

Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day.

Tickets £60.

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families Pick up a family trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds.

There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

BACK-PACKS, Saturdays. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games.

10.30am-5pm.

POP-UP PERFORMANCES, Saturdays to 30 July. Join the performance team for fun and interactive gallery plays and activities, with a different event each Saturday. 11am, 1 and 3pm, free drop in.

DROP-IN DESIGN, Sundays to 25 September. Pick up a design challenge and bring your fantastic ideas to life. 10.30am-5pm, ages 3+, free.

THE IMAGINATION STATION, 29 July - 4 September (except Saturdays). Explore the connection between nature and structural design and build a collaborative lightweight structure. On Fridays, work together with graduate engineers from Arup. 10.30am-5pm, ages 3+, free drop-in in the John Madejski Garden.

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum houses dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography.

Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails.

There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

IT’S A HARD WORLD FOR LITTLE THINGS, until 17 July. Children Carrying Heavy Objects is a series of six large-scale drawings that depict children and the burdens that they carry. The graphite drawings by C A Halpin show children carrying physical, societal and political loads such as: water; a blackboard; each other; in grief and love, or in the loneliness of a runaway boy. The images explore children’s absolute will to survive in a sometimes-hostile adult world and reflects the plight of children on a global and domestic scale; the show features local children and others from around the world.

CLANGERS, BAGPUSS & CO, until 9 October. Meet Bagpuss, see the Soup Dragon and behold Noggin the Nog. Oliver Postgate’s voice and Peter Firmin’s puppets shaped the childhood memories of millions since they started collaborating in the 1950s. As well as telling the story of Bagpuss and The Clangers, the exhibition goes behind the scenes of some of their other creations; Pogles Wood, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine.

familiesonline.co.uk

National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest maritime collection. It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House, and Cutty Sark. The Museums works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people, and is also a major centre of education and research. On Saturdays and Sundays free performances and workshops entertain family visitors, while on Tuesdays preschoolers can make music and play with parents and carers. Open 10am5pm daily. General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

THE GREAT EXPLORER is an interactive game for families. Borrow a tablet device and set sail across The Great Map to explore distant lands and discover treasures from all around the world. Where will you visit and what will you find? Take a photo and share your adventure. 11am-4pm, free.

ABOVE AND BEYOND, until 29 August. A ground-breaking new exhibition about the wonders of flight and mankind’s remarkable journey to space.

Created in collaboration with NASA, this exhibition hopes to inspire the next wave of engineers, pilots and astronauts by taking visitors on an exciting journey through the past, present and future of aerospace in the most interactive exhibition on the subject ever to tour. Admission £9 adults, £6 children.

GIANT NURSERY RHYMEATHON, 15 July. Join the Rhymeathon team and spend a morning singing, rhyming and telling stories with us. For this anniversary year expect a visit from the big blue bear plus more surprises. 10.30am-12noon, under 5s, free.

POLAR VOYAGE! 25 July - 5 August. Hop aboard RMG Airlines for the journey of a lifetime as we celebrate our Above and Beyond exhibition. Follow in the snowy footsteps of arctic explorers as you head to the North Pole. Whilst you’re there, discover Inuit myths and legends and create your own Inuit launcher. All ages, free.

CHARACTER ENCOUNTERS, 6, 13, 20 and 27 August. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that will bring maritime history to life. 12noon, 1, 2 and 3pm. Ages 6+, free.

AMERICAN ENCOUNTER, 8-19 August. Travel across the sea and back in time to when Europeans and Native Americans first met. Take part in performances and make gliding birds from Native American myth and legend. Suitable for all ages, free.

PACIFIC QUEST, 22 August - 2 September. Fly to the beautiful Pacific islands and hear about the stories and traditions of the people that live there. Learn about their death-defying journeys across the seas and build a flyable Maori kite. Suitable for all ages, free.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. Each year nearly 6 million visitors pour through the doors to see the museum’s collection of ancient and historical artefacts including the ever-popular Egyptian mummies, or to take in the latest block-buster exhibition. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free, charge for some exhibitions.

DIGITAL DISCOVERY CENTRE, weekends. Learn, discover and create in the Museum’s digital centre.

Free activities and workshops using the latest Samsung digital equipment, enabling children to bring the world’s history and cultures to life through advanced technology.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £7 children, £13.50 adults, from £24 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

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

INSIDE OUTSIDE, 26 July - 12 August. Explore how people used to spend their time inside at home and outside in the garden. Create board games, servant boxes, garden sketchbooks and more. 10.30am12.30pm and 2-4pm, ages 5-16, free.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM St THOMAS’S HOSPITAL, 2 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7EW, 020 7188 4400, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale was a pioneering nurse, writer, and noted statistician. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates her life and work, through personal material associated with Florence Nightingale, items relating to the Crimean War and nursing artefacts. Open 10am7pm daily, admission £7.50 adults, £3.80 children.

TAKE ME TO NEVERLAND, until 30 October. Using the magical collection from Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Take Me to Neverland exhibition tells the real story behind Peter Pan. Discover the origins of JM Barrie’sPeter Pan, from the success of the 1904 play to the many adaptations that have continued to inspire both children and adults over the past century.

THE HIT MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF THE AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOK BY JULIA DONALDSON AND AXEL SCHEFFLER

“A FINE PIECE OF CHILDREN’S THEATRE” !!!!

The Sunday Times

“MONSTROUS FUN!” !!!!

Daily Mail

LYRIC THEATRE FROM 6 JULY BOOK NOW 0330

333 4812

nimaxtheatres.com gruffalolive.com

The Small Ads France with the Family Adult & Children’s Entertainer Magic, Plate Spinning Balloon Modelling Interactive Games Karaoke, Mini Disco

FULHAM PALACE FULHAM PALACE, Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EA, 020 7736 3233, www.fulhampalace.org The Museum of Fulham Palace charts the long history of the palace site, from Prehistoric times and Roman settlement, through Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian bishops to the present day. The museum collection includes paintings, archaeology and artefacts. Open noon-4pm Sundays, 12.30-3.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, admission free.

PALACE STORIES, 7, 21 and 24 July, 4, 18 and 28 August. The Palace’s history is brought to life through tales of the characters who lived there, with stories inspired by the beautiful surroundings. 2.30-3pm, free.

MUSEUM DROP-IN, 10 July. A Georgian-themed drop-in, where young visitors can try on period costumes, handle artefacts and learn about the history of the palace. 2pm start, free.

THE ART MARQUEE, 3 August. Get creative at the art marquee, and make pizzas using fresh ingredients from the vegetable garden. 1-4pm, £2 per child.

familiesonline.co.uk

Contact Justine@Justinecrow.co.uk thenormandienest.wordpress.com

Tel: 020 8480 8176 www.amigosmagic.co.uk

Handyman For all your household repairs and odd jobs.

I offer a professional and courteous service

www.shaunthehandyman.co.uk 020 8249 3264 or 07913 656 502

PAINTING & DECORATING

TOWER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE TOWER BRIDGE, Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP, 020 7403 3761, www.towerbridge.org.uk Tower Bridge houses four unique venues; the award-winning high level Walkways, the small luxurious North Tower Lounge, the majestic Victorian Engine Rooms and the charming Bridge Master’s Dining Room. Enjoy stunning London views from over the Thames and continue to the Victorian Engine Rooms to learn about the inner workings of the most famous bridge in the World. Tower Bridge still lifts to enable large ships to pass through - check the website before your visit to add to the excitement. There’s a free app, where you can play games and learn more about the iconic landmark before your visit. Open 10am-6pm April - September, 9.30am-5.30pm October - March.

Admission £3.40 children, £8 adults, family tickets from £12.50.

Justine’s family friendly house in rural Normandy is available to rent.

Sleeps 6+, fully equipped, beautiful location

Interior / Exterior Experienced, Reliable, Clean Fully Guaranteed / Insured FREE ADVICE AND QUOTE John:- James & Lamont

37

020 8462 4646 - 07802 535695

The Tiger Who Came to Tea LIVE ON STAGE

a musical play adapted and directed by DAVID WOOD based on the book

by JUDITH KERR

“This Tiger is the cat’s meow”

ILLUSTRATIONS COPYRIGHT © KERR-KNEALE PRODUCTIONS LTD 1968

ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH

PIRATE TAKEOVER, 6+7 August. Oh no, pirates have taken over Greenwich! Join in a day of fearsome pirate activities, jaunty songs and hair-raising stories.

11.30am-4pm, £7.50 children, £15 adults.

SUMMER CRAFT ACTIVITIES, 16-18 and 23-25 August. Take part in crafty adventures. Create a creature of the deep, your own fishing game or a mini porthole picture. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-4pm, included in admission price.

MYTHICAL CREATURES, 16+17 August. Here be monsters! Take a look at some of the mythical sea creatures on ancient maps and create your own creature of the deep to take home with you. 11.30am1.30pm and 2-4pm, included in admission price.

MAGNETIC FISH, 18 and 23 August. One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish alive. Create your very own magnetic fishing game to find out who can catch the most fish on board. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-4pm, included in admission price.

PEEK-A-BOO PORTHOLES, 24+25 August. Peek through a porthole and out to sea - what’s on the water?

Use see-through colours and shapes to create a mini porthole picture. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-4pm, included in admission price.

The Gruffalo © Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler - Macmillan Children's Books 1999

ANIMATED! FAMILY FESTIVAL, 27 July, 3, 10, 24 and 31 August. The museum presents a series of innovative films inspired by the Clangers, Bagpuss & Co exhibition. Take part in a craft activity and pick up a trail for a full experience, or just grab your popcorn from the cafe, sit back and enjoy a movie. 10am, £6.50, under 3s free.

!!!! The Times

SAT 6 AUG - SUN 4 SEPT BOOK NOW 020 7730 4500 cadoganhall.com july / august 2016 - families south east

15

THE GRUFFALO

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

THE FAIRY QUEEN

BRER RABBIT

MoreWhat’sOn

Theatre, Shows and Music KIDS WEEK 2016

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

HAMPTON COURT HAMPTON COURT CASTLE AND GARDENS, Hope-Under-Dinmore, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PN, 01568 797777, www.hamptoncourt.org.uk Hampton Court has a 15th century medieval castle, award-winning gardens and parkland with over 1,000 acres of imagination. Open 10.30am to 5pm until 31 October. Opening times and prices may vary on special event days - check ahead of your visit.

MAGIC GARDEN, daily until 31 October. Let the kids go wild in the new Magic Garden, set within the very grounds where Henry VIII’s spectacular Tudor tournament played out. The rich history and legends of the Tudor court are reinterpreted in the new garden; from towers to besiege, a secret grotto to discover and even a 25 foot dragon to climb!

There are lots of things to keep children entertained inside the palace too, from dressing up as a Tudor courtier to accepting the digital missions challenge. These missions use iPads to create a unique way of exploring the palace to engage children of all ages.

GNOME SHOW, 15 July - 2 October. Look out for some unusual additions in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace this summer! As part of the year-long celebration of its world famous gardens, 15 very special gnomes will be popping up around the Hampton Court estate, revealing hidden secrets to the intrepid explorers who can find them. Designed and created by a range of local community groups, these aren’t your typical common garden gnomes! From the whimsy of the maze, to the Privy Garden’s formal Baroque topiary, each will reflect a unique aspect of the remarkable landscape around the palace, which spans centuries of fascinating history.

16

families south east - july / august 2016

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

EXOTIC ANIMALS AND BIRD ENCOUNTERS, 27+28 July, 3+4, 10+11, 17+18, 24+25 and 31 August . Enter the amazing world of Exotic Animals, Reptiles, Insects and Birds. These Encounters will bring you up close and personal with Meerkats, Skunks, Spiders and Lizards to name just a few! From Armadillos to Tarantulas and Baby Owls to Snakes, these amazing Animal Encounters have something for everyone.

BEATRIX POTTER CHILDREN’S TRAIL, 6 August to 6 September.

Follow the Beatrix Potter Children’s Trail celebrating the 150th anniversary of her birth.

AZTEC ADVENTURE DAY, 5, 12, 19 and 26 August, 2 September. Visit Hampton Court Castle for an action packed day. Aztec has a selection of activities on offer suitable for all the family; Kayaking, Canoeing, Archery, Circus Skills and so much more!

1-31 August, WEST END THEATRES, www.kidsweek.co.uk Throughout August, children aged 16 or under can see a fantastic selection of shows for all ages, for free, when accompanied by a full paying adult, and Kids Week is not just about the shows. There are also free backstage activities organised as part of Show & Activity Packages, tours, and stand-alone events at a variety of iconic London theatres.

MY FIRST BALLET: SLEEPING BEAUTY 6-10 July, PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT, 020 7863 8222, www.ballet.org.uk/myfirstballet A reimagined version of the classic fairy-tale ballet created especially for children as young as three. English National Ballet’s production is adapted to an hour in length and with a narrator to help young audiences follow the story, it is the perfect way to introduce children to the magic of ballet. Performances at 10.30am, 2pm, 5.30pm, tickets from £10.

THE FAIRY QUEEN

HAMPTON COURT

16 July, BRIDEWELL HALL, St Bride Foundation, Bride Lane, Fleet Street EC4Y 8EQ, 020 7936 3420, www.thesixteeneducation.com Join puppetry and physical theatre group, Box Tale Soup, and members of the world renowned choir The Sixteen for their new family adaptation of Shakespeare’s enchanting ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with two actors, two singers, a guitarist and a cast of beautiful handmade puppets.

Be transported to a world of magic and mishap where Shakespeare’s language is made accessible to a younger audience through the use of puppetry, physical theatre and the music of one of Britain’s finest ever composers, Henry Purcell. Ages 6+, 12noon start, tickets from £5.

familiesonline.co.uk

THE GRUFFALO - LIVE ON STAGE 6 July - 4 September, LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftsbury Avenue W1D 7ES, www.tallstories.org.uk/the-gruffalo, www.kennywax.com This July everyone’s favourite furry monster roars back into the West End in celebration of his 15th anniversary on stage! Tall Stories’ smash hit production of The Gruffalo returns to the Lyric Theatre by popular demand, forming a huge part of this summer’s West End calendar.

The most fearsome creature that never was - but is - takes to the stage in this enchanting production combining songs, laughter and storytelling theatre with just the right amount of scary fun! Set to a wonderfully catchy score with original music and lyrics, The Gruffalo is a must-see show which continues to entertain audiences the world over. Tickets from £15.10.

MY FIRST BALLET: SLEEPING BEAUTY 6-10 July, PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT, 020 7863 8222, www.ballet.org.uk/myfirstballet A reimagined version of the classic fairy-tale ballet created especially for children as young as three. English National Ballet’s production is adapted to an hour in length and with a narrator to help young audiences follow the story, it is the perfect way to introduce children to the magic of ballet. Performances at 10.30am, 2pm, 5.30pm, tickets from £10.

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA 6 August - 4 September, CADOGAN HALL, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ, 020 7730 4500, www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com Adapted and directed by David Wood OBE, Judith Kerr’s ferociously popular tale The Tiger Who Came to Tea is the ideal introduction to theatre for your little tiger and the perfect summer treat.

When Sophie and her mummy welcome the hungry Tiger to tea, he proceeds to eat all the sandwiches, buns, biscuits and more. He even manages to drink all the water in the tap! What will Sophie’s Daddy say when he gets home? Join the Tiger, Sophie and her mummy in this musical slice of teatime mayhem with sing-a-long songs, oodles of magic and interactive fun for children aged 3 plus and their families.

Tickets from £14.50.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, Bow Street, London WC2E 9D, 07304 4000, www.roh.org.uk FAMILY SUNDAYS, Last Sunday of each month. Explore the Royal Opera House, its artists and the world of opera and ballet. Sundays are packed full of creative and practical activities for all the family including informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers, plus interactive singing and dance activities. Ages 6+, 12-4pm, £5 adults, £3 children.

FIRST OPERA: WELCOME PERFORMANCES. Welcome Performances are• for families who have • ••never been to a ballet •• or opera •• at the Royal Opera House before. You don’t need to know anything about either - just come along and give it a try. Tickets £5-£20.

BACKSTAGE TOURS. The Backstage Tours include an introduction to the colourful history of the theatre, an insight into the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House and a look at aspects of current productions.

Each tour is a unique experience, and may include opportunities to see The Royal Ballet in class, or the magnificent backstage technology in operation. Suitable for ages 8+, book first.

PINOT THE MUSICAL Sundays from 3 July - 28 August, COLOUR HOUSE THEATRE, Watermill Way SW19 2RD, www.colourhousetheatre.co.uk A young Russian cyclist has a dream to win the Tour de France in memory of his champion-cyclist great-grandfather. So he and his Cossack-dancing friends escape from Russia and enter France illegally.

A fun, family singalong-in-French show suitable for all ages but especially for KS 2&3 8-14 year olds. 2.30pm, tickets £10 adults, £8 children.

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE PUPPET THEATRE BARGE, Little Venice, Blomfield Road W9 2PF, 020 7249 6876, www.puppetbarge.com THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE, 23 July 7 August. The two famous cousins visit each other and both experience new sights and sounds. A special delight for young and old, with music, songs and rod puppets. Ages 3-8, performances 2pm.

BRER RABBIT VISITS AFRICA, 10-31 August, 1-4 September. Brer Rabbit travels to Africa to visit his grand mother. He gets himself into trouble, and all the animals of Africa - elephant, lion and tortoise alike gather to help. Based on the traditional Brer Rabbit tales, this show was specially written for the company. Ages 3+, performances 2.30pm.

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com PUSS IN BOOTS, 13-17 July. Would you trust a talking cat? You never know, he might turn you from a pauper to a prince just like the hero of this story, brought to life on their incredible sloping stage. Ages 3 to 8, £10 adults, £8 children.

SNOW QUEEN, 21-24 July. There is a world of snow, which is beautiful but very cold. Gerda’s world is warm and full of flowers. Is she strong enough to find her friend Kay, who has lost himself in the palace of the Snow Queen? Ages 4 to 12, £10 adults, £8 children.

CAKE, 26-28 July. Cake takes to the kitchen to tell a story of valour and bravery as fresh as lemon scented washing up liquid. A brand new object-theatre show for children and families. Ages 4 to 11, £10 adults, £8 children.

3 LITTLE PIGS, 29-31 July. “You can huff and puff all you like, you’re still not getting in!” Building your own home is not actually very easy, the three little pigs discover. What’s the best material to use? Will it keep out the rain? Will it be wolf proof? Ages 2 to 7, £10 adults, £8 children.

ODDLY, 9-12 August. A fun tale based on the much-loved children’s book.

• Norwich Puppet Theatre’s adaptation re-imagines the story with a mix of puppetry, tricks, masks and original music. Ages 3 to 8, £10 adults, £8 children.

NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1QG, 0844 871 7646, www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre LAZYTOWN LIVE, 15+16 July. A 60-minute nonstop interactive show, packed with singing, dancing, spectacular acrobatics and music, featuring original tracks from the hit TV show.Tickets from £14.75.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, 20-30 July. One of the world’s favourite musicals,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will have audiences of all ages flying high with its mixture of madness, intrigue and exuberance.Tickets from £20.

PRE-EDINBURGH COMEDY FESTIVAL 22 July - 4 August, CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk A feast of laughs from 17 brilliant stand up performers, here in London before they head up North. For adult audiences, all tickets £12, all performances start 7.45pm - see www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark for the line-up and bookings.

ALBANY THEATRE ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk HATCHED: MOONSHINE’S ENTIRELY NECESSARY ADVENTURE, 22 July. Moonshine is a girl of thirteen with silver skin, who escapes her dark forest to find out who she is. On her journey she meets pirates, mermaids and faces the darkness in the world with her own silver light.

It is a coming of age story which examines the archetypes we are presented with in fairy tales and plays with gender roles and identity.

Ages 6+, 2pm start, pay what you want (from £1).

SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8PX, 0844 847 9944, www.southbankcentre.co.uk IT MUST BE LOVE, 9+10 July. Promise to complete an act of love (something you can do to show your love for someone else) by writing on a graffiti wall, or work with a typographer to write out your favourite song lyrics. 12noon - 6pm, free family event.

UDDERBELLY FESTIVAL, until 17 July. The upside down purple cow is back with a moo-vellous line up of comedy, music, a circus and family shows, www.underbelly.co.uk.

FAMILY GAMELAN TASTER SESSIONS, Wednesdays until 24 August. Playing the gamelan is a rewarding musical and social experience, inspiring self-confidence, improving co-ordination, sharpening listening skills and encouraging interaction and teambuilding. Try something new at a family workshops. Ages 6+, tickets £10.

THE TEMPEST, 29-31 July. A special production of Shakespeare’s play, performed for children with autism and special needs. Ages 10+, 11am, tickets £10. Call 0844 847 9910 for information.

BIG BRANDS • LOW PRICES

UP TO

75% OFF

Exclusive Offers to Families Readers at: mandmdirect.com/01/families familiesonline.co.uk

july / august 2016 - families south east

17

Some gardens have dragonflies.

Ours has a dragon.

Give your kids a day out their friends won’t believe at the Magic Garden.

Open every day until the end of October at Hampton Court Palace.

35 minutes from London Waterloo Entry included with palace admission ticket Book online now to save 18

families south east - july / august 2016

familiesonline.co.uk

JUNGLE BOOK - SOUTHBANK

CHESTER TUFFNUT - POLKA

GANGSTA GRANNY - CHURCHILL

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

THE TATE MODERN

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

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THEATRE ROYAL, Drury Lane, Covent Garden WC2B 5JF, 020 7850 8790, www.reallyuseful.com/theatres/theatre-royal-drury-lane Roald Dahl’s deliciously dark tale of young Charlie Bucket and the mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka comes to life in an action packed West End musical directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes.

Tickets from £16.50.

JUNGLE BOOK 13-28 August, THE SPIEGELTENT, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX, 0844 545 8282, www.londonwonderground.co.uk A spectacular new production from the award-winning Metta Theatre brings Kipling’s classic tale crashing into the 21st Century with breathtaking street dance and circus. Mowgli is finding her way in the urban jungle. With a beat-boxing bin man Baloo, graffiti artist Bagheera and a skateboarding Wolf crew, this heart-warming coming of age story will astonish and amaze. Ages 8+, tickets from £11.

ROYAL ALBERT HALL The ROYAL ALBERT HALL, Kensington Gore SW7 2AP, 0845 401 5045, www.royalalberthall.com AMALUNA, until 4 February 2017. Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring show has never before been seen in the UK and marks Cirque du Soleil’s 20th year at the stunning, world-famous venue.

STORYTELLING AND MUSIC SESSIONS, Wednesdays until November. Seasoned storytellers deliver a series of sessions for babies and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between parents/ carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, movement and stories. 0-4 year-olds, 10am and 11.30am, tickets £5.

CBEEBIES PROM, 28 August. Join theBBCConcert Orchestra and some of CBeebies’ best-loved presenters and characters in a special musical journey. Ages 0-5 years, 11am.

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE, Victoria Street SW1E 5EA, 0844 248 5000, www.billyelliotthemusical.com Set against the background of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot the Musical is the inspirational story of one boy’s struggle to realise his dream to dance against the odds. Featuring a timeless score by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful story, Billy Elliot is an uplifting and spectacular theatrical experience that will stay with you forever.

Tickets from £29.50, family tickets from £105.

SHAKESPEARE’S TELLING TALES 29-31 July, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE, 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT, 020 7401 9919, www.shakespearesglobe.com/education Celebrate the fun of storytelling at the Globe’s family literary festival.

We all have our favourite stories, whatever age we are. Perhaps it’s the antics of The Tiger Who Came to Tea or Gorilla, the thought provoking The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Last Wild or classics such as Robin Hood or Macbeth. The festival also features the free ‘Bottom’s Book Market’, dedicated to stories with pop up performances, puppet shows, reading tee-pees and a multi-sensory space accessible for all story lovers. For the full line up and bookings, see the website.

POLKA THEATRE POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, until 14 August. Join James and his new-found insect friends as they embark on an extraordinary adventure which takes them halfway around the world. Ages 5-11, tickets £15 adults, £10 children.

CHESTER TUFFNUT, until 14 August. Meet Chester, the daredevil treemole on a summer Woodland escapade. Chester Tuffnut isn’t your ordinary treemole, in fact he is one of kind. Ages 2-5, £19 adults, £9 children.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE

CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY CHURCHILL THEATRE, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 0844 871 7620, www.churchilltheatre.co.uk TIDDLER & OTHER TERRIFIC TALES, 12 July. Under the sea, out on the farm and into the jungle, these terrific tales are woven together with live music, puppetry and a whole host of colourful characters from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s best-loved titles: Tiddler, Monkey Puzzle, The Smartest Giant in Town and A Squash and a Squeeze. 1pm and 3pm, tickets £12.

BABAR THE LITTLE ELEPHANT, 19 July. The show is a new rendition of the childhood classic ‘Babar the Little Elephant’ with a narrator, live pianist and a lot of fun and expressive physical theatre that all come together to tell the story. Tickets £8.50 adults, £6.50 children.

GANGSTA GRANNY LIVE ON STAGE, 20-24 July. David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny is brought to the stage by the Birmingham Stage Company, the acclaimed producers of Horrible Histories. It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing - staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake but what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret... Tickets £16.50 children, £21.50 adults.

ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS, 8+9 August. A zany and hilarious tale based on the best-selling children’s book and brought to life on stage for the very 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. Tickets £12.50.

DINOSAUR ZOO, 20+21 August. Dinosaur Zoo brings awesome prehistoric creatures to life as you’ve never seen them before. From cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, marvel and interact with extraordinary life-like dinosaurs in this imaginative and hilarious live show. Ages 3+, tickets £14.

Art Activities DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

TATE BRITAIN

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £6 adults.

Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

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

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

FREE FAMILY TRAIL. Ask a gallery assistant or stop by at the Gallery Friends desk for a free trail; updated frequently and available for the permanent and temporary exhibitions.

WINIFRED KNIGHTS until 18 September. Declared a genius for her award-winning, apocalyptic work, Winifred Knights (1899-1947) was one of the most original British artists of the first half century. This first major exhibition of her work includes completed masterpieces alongside 120 preparatory works and life studies.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk The gallery features thousands of portraits of the most famous people in British history, from the 16th century to the present day. Open 10am-6pm daily.

DROP IN FAMILY SUNDAYS. On the third Sunday of every month, families are invited to drop-in with children aged 3+ to take part in portrait-related events.

TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain Open daily 10am-5.50pm, and until 10pm the first Friday of the month.

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

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

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk Free family workshops run on Saturdays from 2-3.30pm. Tickets available from 1pm from the information desk. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

THE CONSERVATOIRE THE CONSERVATOIRE, 19-21 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ, 020 8852 0234, www.conservatoire.org.uk The Conservatoire is Blackheath’s local independent arts centre, offering a broad mix of music, art, drama and cultural classes for all ages.

BACK IN TIME, 21 July - 2 September. All summer, the Conservatoire will be running art, music and drama courses for children and adults, exploring subjects as diverse as prehistoric cave paintings, to Victorian gardens, myths and legends, Greeks and Romans.

THE WALLACE COLLECTION THE WALLACE COLLECTION, Hertford House, Manchester Square W1U 3BN, 020 7563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org The Wallace Collection displays wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, in their main London townhouse. Family multi-media tours and trails bring the exhibits to life for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free.

FAMILY WORKSHOPS, 4 August. Includes Oriental Mail, Ancient Greek Olympics Storytelling Show!, Gloriumptious Birds!, Design-a-Gallery and more. Many are free.

THE LITTLE DRAW, 7 August. Little Draw artist Paul Wescombe explores the collection through drawing and doodling. 1.30-4.30pm, free drop-in.

TATE MODERN TATE MODERN, Bankside, SE1 9TG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk In June, the Tate Modern opened Switch House, an iconic new London landmark which provides ten floors of new display space, performance and installation art, a new restaurant and viewing level. Across both buildings, the museum displays permanent and temporary modern art, free drop-in events, with family-friendly festivals and activities both in the galleries and online. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free, charges for major exhibitions.

familiesonline.co.uk

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

THE NATIONAL GALLERY TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, Fridays to 9pm, admission free.

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

july / august 2016 - families south east

19

z

BOOK NOW

SUMMER HOLIDAY WORKSHOP DULWICH D

1st - 5th August 2016 Put on a show in a week long course led by an experienced, professional and fun team.

OPEN TO EVERYONE AGED 4-18 years old working in groups to suit age and ability, (4-6 years rehearse mornings only) no experience necessary.

Early Bird and Sibling Discounts available

“By far the best week of the Summer Holidays”

DULWICH W

020 8949 4116

@

ses s a l C ow n ing book

dulwich@stagecoach.co.uk

f

Stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich S /Stagecoachdulwich

Call your local Stagecoach: Dulwich 020 8949 4116 Blackheath 020 7112 8242 Beckenham 020 8541 0833 Sydenham 020 7228 0981 Upper Norwood 020 8672 6066 www.stagecoach.co.uk

20

families south east - july / august 2016

familiesonline.co.uk

Families South East Tel: 020 8699 7240 Email: info@familiesse.co.uk Contact: Robina Cowan MAGAZINE DESIGN: Lancasters 020 8658 9975 www.lancasters.co.uk Printed on paper from sustainable forests. www.russellpress.com

Workshop takes place at the Michael Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School Dulwich.