Families SE Oct 2010 issue 123 by Families Magazine

ISSUE NO. 124

速

www.familiesse.co.uk

south east london

ESTABLISHED 1996

OCTOBER 2010

WE BROUGHT UP our children to share, which is good, but when all of us are growling around the house with the same, absolute stinker of a cold, it’s less impressive. Added to that, we’re among the thousands of other parents who’ve blocked off swathes of the diary this term to visit open days in the search for next September’s school (I don’t just write this magazine - I live it!). We’ll be the family with pocketsful of tissues and throbbing heads - you have been warned... Robina Cowan, editor

2-3 Local News and Views

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

New shop in Blackheath Ottie and the Bea is a new shop in Blackheath which is designed to spark children’s imagination and creativity. With interiors created by a theatre designer, Ottie and the Bea is a celebration of storytelling - selling clothes, puzzles and party materials. It is also a world where children rule once they step inside. A team of children will review products, there will be monthly creativity workshops, and local news and family events information for parents in the immediate area and further afield across London. Owner Julie Marsen lives locally with her husband, two daughters and Nettie the dog. Julia studied drama at Goldsmiths and has appeared on TV as Tracey Barlow’s defence solicitor in Coronation Street; Anne Boleyn in David Starkey’s ‘The Six Wives of Henry the VIII’, as well as a role in The Bill. She told us: “Children need to be allowed to be children and to explore their creativity and their unique imagination. As an actor, I’ve been given license to explore those areas and I want to help children see just what is possible. We want to become an essential part of our community, the first point of call for a treat or a pocket money spend.” What fun! Ottie and the Bea is at 12 Old Dover Road, Blackheath Royal Standard SE3, open 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays and until 5.30pm on Saturdays, 020 8465 5318, www.ottieandthebea.co.uk.

Two new shops to spark children’s creativity, fitness in the great outdoors, perfect gifts by post, the ‘going rate’ for pocket money and de-stressing the autumn term

4-8 Education News Finding your child’s next school; why reading at home matters; dyslexia Q&A and education news

9-14 What’s On All the best listings for October, including half term workshops, new exhibitions, family events and shows

15 The Bookseller Crow New books for October, reviewed with a slice of life by the inimitable Justine Crow

16 Mothers Mean Business How a local mother left the 9 to 5 and set up her own business from home

17 What’s New A round up of useful new products, services and help at the end of your ‘phone

Moe’s potting shed

18 When Parents Separate

Just before going to press, we heard word of another brand new shop that’s captivating local parents. Moe’s Potting shop sells garden goodies for adults (spades, forks and trowels etc), wellies and outdoor clothing and games for children. There’s also a fantastic selection of ‘everything to do with bugs’ - stamps, stencils, magnifying glasses - it’s creepy crawlie heaven! Local nurseries have been buying up the stock for fun educational play, and parents are loving the pocket-money priced fun to be had. Pop in to see for yourself. Moe’s Potting Shed is at 109 Rosendale Road in West Dulwich, open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, 020 8761 2600.

Sorting out family finances after a relationship has ended

19 Halloween Horrors Broomsticks at the ready - we’re getting into the spirit of things at home, with spooky events for your little wizards and witches

20 The Back Page Local business contacts to make your life easier Front cover: Boy wears pleat front shorts

from £6, Oxford shirt from £9, tank top from £5, shoes from £16, all M&S, www.marksandspencer.com.

Send a thought South London mother Claire Wilson has set up online gifting company Send A Thought - the perfect place to start when you want to send more than a card but something more original than flowers. In a time when we are busier than ever, Send A Thought takes the stress out of shopping for a gift, wrapping it and posting it. With an extensive online selection for all occasions and budgets, you can choose from a range of unusual but affordable gifts from only £4.50. Alternatively, put the fun back into receiving something through the post and create your own Thoughtful Box - simply add any ‘little thoughts’ you like to your basket and Send A Thought will wrap it all up in one of their signature green boxes. To start spreading some letterbox glee, go to www.sendathought.co.uk.

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

Relaxing is easy once you have your pension plans in place

LocalNews

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Dust off that CV It’s that old back to work time again. If you need help with finding a job or smartening up your CV, try local organisation Women Like Us. Set up by two working mothers at their kitchen table, Women Like Us has grown into an award-winning enterprise with over 16,000 women across London registered with them. A recruitment agency that helps women find part-time and flexible jobs based in and around London, Women Like Us also offers coaching, advice and guidance to mothers looking for work. It can even offer free support to some mothers in the capital. To download some fantastic pain-busting tips to dust off your CV or see if you qualify for free support, register online at www.womenlikeus.org.uk or call 020 7633 4566.

Autumn can be an extremely stressful time for families who are settling children into new schools or looking to a new school or university from next September, and children facing entrance exams - all of which can take their toll on everyone’s wellbeing. Families asked the Vale Practice’s osteopath and director Amberin Fur, and hypnotherapist Lyndall Cowie for their advice on keeping body and mind in balance in the face of extra academic angst.

Q: How could hypnotherapy help to alleviate anxiety symptoms? Lyndall: ‘A hypnotherapist will teach techniques for helping the brain and body to remain calm while in challenging situations, using visualisations and positive thinking. Hypnotherapy is perfectly safe, has no side-effects and can be used by teenagers (under parental supervision and with permission) as well as adults.’

Q: What are the typical symptoms of stress over schools and academic demands? Lyndall: ‘For parents and kids the symptoms are the same: panic attacks, anxiety, poor concentration. For children you should particularly look out for loss of confidence and withdrawal from social activities.’ Amberin: ‘Often people find themselves filling up all their time with exam or school-related tasks at times like these, leaving little time to recuperate and refresh for the next day. They ignore aches and pains in the panic to meet deadlines and then wonder why they - and their kids - get ill when the crisis has passed!’

Q: How can osteopathy help to alleviate stress symptoms? Amberin: ‘Any physical, musculoskeletal pain is easily addressed in its early stages. Gentle massage techniques help stretch and settle areas which have been compressed and overloaded. Simple exercises can be taught to aid in sitting or standing properly and strengthening postural muscles.’

Q: What advice would you give to parents and children to try and lower the stress levels? Lyndall: ‘Parents can help their kids best by remaining calm and keeping routines as consistent as possible. If there are exams in the pipeline, allow enough time for preparation - prioritise workloads, plan a revision schedule to prevent last minute panics; encouragement and patience are also vital.’ Amberin: ‘Spending all your time hunched over school books, school or Ofsted reports and missing out on vital exercise - and fun - can lead to headaches, neck and back pain, and poor respiration. Make sure you take time out as a family

Q: Any helpful case histories? Amberin: ‘I treated a 15-year-old GCSE student with lower back pain, and headaches due to poor posture and tension. Her symptoms were so severe that her whole back was sore to even the gentlest of touches. As the pain was not addressed early enough, her sleep patterns were affected, interrupting much needed rest time. I am happy to say that her symptoms are much improved and when tension or postural problems arise, they are easily resolved with both structural and cranial osteopathy.’ The Vale Practice is at 64 Grove Vale, East Dulwich SE22 8DT. For information on their therapies and classes, call 020 8299 9798 or see www.thevalepractice.co.uk.

Children feel the pinch too New research from Halifax reveals that the amount of pocket money children receive has fallen over the past year, hitting a record seven year low. The average pocket money in 2010 is £5.89 per week, compared to £6.24 in 2009. The last time pocket money fell below £6 was in 2003, when the average amount was £5.79 per week. This is £2.48 lower than the highest level of £8.37 in 2005. The gender gap has closed considerably this year with boys on average receiving 40 pence more than girls. This compares to a gap of over £1 per week in 2009 when boys received £6.88 compared to £5.58 for girls. The gap between the amount received by older and younger children continues to close with children aged 8-11 receiving £4.57 per week and 12-15 year-olds receiving £7.02 per week.

Fitness for mummies

Outdoor fitness

Exercising with your baby and other mothers is fun and inspiring. Fitness for Mummies run classes for postnatal mothers. The specially targeted exercises focus on posture and ab and back muscles, building strength and fitness in a safe, fun environment. There are also evening classes for mothers who have returned to work, six week fitness in the park ‘boot camps’ and one-to-one personal training sessions. For more details, call Vicky on 0771 205 1208 or see www.fitnessformummies.co.uk.

Walking is a great way to stay fit, and it’s more enjoyable if you have someone to go with. Walkfit from British Military Fitness is a new way to be healthy in the great outdoors, combining walking with a series of low impact exercises designed to get bodies and minds going. All classes are run by fully trained serving or former members of the armed forces. Sessions are starting across a number of London parks, including Peckham Rye and Dulwich Park. To find out more, go to www.walkfit.co.uk or call 020 7751 9742.

I am a Trainee Counselling Psychologist. As part of my doctorate at London Metropolitan University, I am carrying out a study on mothers’ experiences of therapy to address postnatal psychological difficulties. I am looking for mothers who received therapy in the first year following the birth of their baby to share their experiences. Participation in the study involves a 45 minute interview at a location convenient to you. This study has received ethical approval by the university, and will help professionals offering counselling to mothers to address better their needs.

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families south east - october 2010

Research Help Requested

Over a hundred local fathers recently took part in a boroughwide, five-a-side football competition in Downham. The tournament was organised by Lewisham Children’s Centres, the Pre-school Learning Alliance and Teachsport, and attracted teams from nurseries, schools, community groups, children’s centres and nurseries across the borough. ‘South East London Dads Group’ won, closely beating runners up ‘Dads and Toddlers’ in the final by 2 goals to 1. The event was well attended by families who came along to cheer on their favourite teams, take part in craft activities and pick up children’s centre information. Although some of the dads had not practised together before the event, some of the teams are now making football practice a regular thing and are already looking forward to next year’s competition. South East London Dads is a social group for dads, especially stay-at-home dads in the Lewisham/ Blackheath/ Charlton/ Lee areas who sometimes feel isolated at home emotionally and socially. The group is part of the Lewisham branch of the NCT, the biggest charity for parents in the UK. For information about the free social events and courses, read more at www.selondondads.org.uk or email info@selondondads.org.uk.

and as individuals, and factor in relaxation as well as preparation!’

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• Baby passport photos

020 8650 8888 or 07983 718011

Mothers’ Experiences of Therapy

Footie fathers

Academic anxieties?

If you are interested please call or email and I will send you more information. Your interest is appreciated. Thank you, Laura Ruaro Bhatia Mobile 07866 959830 lauraruaro@yahoo.com

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0845 400 1277 october 2010 - families south east

Which School Next?

case in our heavily populated city - places are offered according to certain criteria. There are some you can do nothing about, so be realistic and don’t waste listing a preference if you know that you are unlikely to qualify. The criteria typically include a sibling already at the school; children in public care; an identified medical or social need; distance from school; and a defined number of places within certain ability bands to ensure intake at a range of ability levels. When voluntary aided schools are over-subscribed, the governors use the school’s own admissions criteria to decide which children will be offered places check the prospectus to see what they are and whether you qualify. Grammar schools, where they still exist, select pupils by aptitude, usually an entrance exam. Academies can set their own entry criteria, however they are still bound by the School Admissions Code. Most independent, fee-paying schools are selective, setting entrance exams in maths and English, often reasoning as well. Those who pass are usually interviewed, along with their parents. Many independent schools hold an allocation of places for state school applicants who meet the entry requirements. Means-tested burseries may be available to help with the fees.

by Robina Cowan

ANYONE ELSE who watched BBC2’s recent The Big School Lottery documentary series (worth watching on catch up if you didn’t) will appreciate how fraught parents find the process of trying to find a great local school for their children - and making sense of the various admissions criteria. It can be done! Here is Families’ guide to finding as much information as you can, and making the most of Open Days.

Where to start Draw up a shortlist of schools within your catchment area. Include all types - community, foundation, voluntary, independent, subject specialists, faith schools and academies. You will be amazed at the differences. And the similarities. Beware making up your mind on reputations of past glories - delve deep into the school which may be cruising on a brilliant but outdated image, and don’t write off the reinvigorated school struggling to shrug off past troubles. A friend admits to rather uncharitably poking fun at what had for years been known as the local ‘sink’ school. She recalls: “It took another parent to point out the possibility of other variables, and sure enough, I discovered that thanks to a relatively new head teacher, dedicated teaching and rigorous expectations of behaviour, an impressive proportion of pupils had made massive strides in their education, and furthermore the school had top-notch refurbished sports and performance arts facilities alongside a wide choice of GCSE and A’level subjects to suit all interests and abilities. So much for my scoffing - I attended the open day and was impressed!”

SCHOOLWEAR from M&S a/w 2010, www.marksandspencer.com

Doing your homework

families south east - october 2010

• Log onto the government website direct.gov.uk and type ‘choosing a school’ into the search box for lists of local schools, exam results, school profiles and application details • Log onto findmyschool.co.uk and type in your postcode for a list of local schools which you can select by primary, secondary, independent (and nurseries). The site provides a star rating based on the schools’ last OFSTED report and pinpoints them on a map, which is useful • Read inspection reports online at ofsted.gov.uk (for state schools) and isc.net (for independent schools), but be wary of out-of-date reports as things can change very quickly • Another useful resource is goodschoolsguide.uk, which has a wealth of information on different school types, school listings, and offer a paid-for advisory service which can be tailored to your child. Scour prospectuses and school websites for details of subjects taught, exam results and the school’s ethos. To supplement the information, try asking the school for a breakdown of its GCSE and A’level results for the last five years in every department, to see for yourself where the school performs particularly well, where it is relatively weak, and overall trends. Ask for copies of the school rules, its policies on bullying, racism and drugs and beware the school that says they don’t have such problems! Some schools will be more co-operative than others in providing this kind of information. Reluctance to do so is not necessarily a bad sigh - their tardiness, or otherwise, may merely be a reflection of the length of their waiting lists. Check out the state of the PTA or Friends of the School. Are the parents enthusiastic in their efforts to support the place? Is it a useful source of school

information as well as a a fundraising body? Is parental support valued by staff? Ask parents what they think. Any with children at the schools you are looking at will have a valuable insider’s view. Offer to shout them a coffee and pick their brains - most will be flattered to be asked for their perceptions of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

Welcoming faces Attend open days and always take up opportunities to see the school in action. Keep your eyes and ears open to what is really going on in the classroom, bearing in mind that the school will certainly be making a supreme effort to impress. Is work of all ability ranges on display? If so, this suggests the school is proud of all its students, not just the top achievers. Do the children seem really engaged in their activities? Do the teachers seem enthusiastic and inspiring, with an energetic rapport whooshing to and fro? Try your best to see beyond the beautiful displays of work and the smiling, welcoming faces. Take your child along and involve them, especially when looking at secondary schools. They will pick up a child’s-eye perspective you may miss. Don’t judge on academic achievement alone a wealth of extra-curricular activities adds greatly to lessons. Look out for competitive and non-competitive activities, team and individual pursuits. Staff who take the trouble to give up lunch breaks, early evenings and weekends to help develop the life of the school beyond the chalkface are committed and ambitious for themselves and their students. Open days usually include a head teacher’s presentation. A good head teacher makes all the difference and gives the school its sense of purpose and direction. A glowing CV of professional qualifications is only part of the picture - personal qualities count for as much if not more, and among these, authority is the most important. No amount of understanding or empathy, vision, vitality and integrity can compensate for a lack of the ability to command respect and obedience; several hundred adolescents are not controlled and organised by good ideas and intentions alone! Does he or she know their names? Does the head teach lessons, or have more of a figurehead role? Above all else, before you make your decision about a school, make sure you have acquainted yourself with its head.

•

• • •

Weighing up Finally, make your own judgement. An excellent school may still not be the ‘right’ school for your family. Think of the values that matter to you - is the school’s ethos in tune with the beliefs you hold dear at home? And at the end of the day, imagine the time when your child has a problem - it will happen. Do you feel your child be greeted rapidly with understanding and respect - and just as importantly - will you if you need to make that call? You can? Then that’s your school!

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

OPEN DAYS Phone ahead or go online for a prospectus, admissions criteria and full open day information: •

Alleyn’s School, Townley Road SE22, www.alleyns.org.uk, juniors 020 8557 1519, 4th + 16th November, senior school 020 8557 1500, 2nd October, 10th November

•

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

•

Bromley High School GDST, juniors and seniors Blackbrook Lane BR1, 020 8781 7000, www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net, 2nd October

•

Colfe’s School, Horn Park Lane SE12, www.colfes.com, senior school 020 8852 2283 13th November, pre-prep and prep 020 8463 8240, 9th October and 11th November

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Croydon High School GDST, Old Farleigh Road CR2, 020 8260 7500, www.croydonhigh.gdst.net, 2nd October

•

Dulwich College, Dulwich Common SE21, 020 8299 9263, www.dulwich.org.uk, junior department 6th + 8th October, junior and lower school 9th October

•

Eltham College, Grove Park Road SE9, 020 8857 1455, www.eltham-college.org.uk, junior school 13th November

•

James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS), senior department East Dulwich Grove SE22, 020 8693 1181, www..jags.org.uk, 9th October

•

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

•

Oakfield Preparatory School, 125-128 Thurlow Park Road SE21, 020 8670 4206, www.oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk, visits by appointment

•

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

•

St Dunstan’s College, Stanstead Road SE6, 020 8516 7200, www.stdunstans.org.uk, prep school 11th November, senior school 9th October and 6th November

•

Streatham & Clapham High School GDST, www.gdst.net/streathamhigh, juniors Wavertree Road SW2, 020 8674 6912, 9th November, 7th December. seniors Abbotswood Road SW16, 020 8677 8400, 6th October, 2nd November

•

Sydenham High School GDST, 020 8557 7000, www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net, juniors 15 Westwood Hill SE26, school experience tours by appointment on 12th, 13th + 14th October and 4th + 5th November. Seniors 19 Westwood Hil SE26, 5th October, 12th + 24th November

Getting in Prospectuses as bedtime reading and talking to anyone who will listen is of course, just the start of it. Once you’ve identified the ideal school on paper, there’s the hurdle of securing a place, and admissions procedures are not all the same. • State school admissions are co-ordinated by local authorities through a common application form where you list your preferences in one place, either online or on paper. The deadline for secondary school applications this year is 31 October - don’t miss it! • When schools are oversubscribed - often the

•

Thames Christian College, Wye Street SW11, 020 7228 3933, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk, 2nd October.

Nursery & Junior Department Open Days 2010 Tuesday

9 November

2.00 - 3.30pm

Tuesday

7 December

2.00 - 3.30pm

For more information please ring or email:

020 8674 6912 enquiry@shj.gdst.net Wavertree Road Streatham Hill London SW2 3SR

www.gdst.net/streathamhigh

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

‘Helping you to make the right choice’

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

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

october 2010 - families south east

Education News

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

Academy schools Senior Department Open Days 2010 Wednesday 6 October Tuesday 2 November

2.00 pm – 4.00 pm 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm

For more information please ring or email: 020 8677 8400 enquiry@shc.gdst.net 42 Abbotswood Road London SW16 1AW www.schs.gdst.net

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2XU IHHV DUH QRW DV H[SHQVLYH DV \RX PLJKW WKLQN 6PDOO LV EHDXWLIXO www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

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Academy status schools were introduced by the previous government. Run by outside sponsors, academies are outside local authority control and are free to set their own curriculum. Around 300 are now up and running across the country. Hundreds more maintained schools have registered their initial interest to find out more about converting to academies, including these locally: Secondary schools • The Charter School, SE24 • Forest Hill School, SE23 • Langley Park School for Boys, Beckenham • Langley Park School for Girls, Beckenham • Newstead Wood School for Girls, Orpington • St Joseph’s College, SE19 • Virgo Fidelis Convent, SE19

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

Primary schools • Archbishop Sumner C of E, SE11 • Balgowan, Beckenham • Brindishe, SE12 • Brunswick Park, SE5 • Charles Dickens, SE1 • Dulwich Hamlet Junior School SE21 • Dulwich Village C of E Infants’ School SE21 • Fairlawn, SE23 • Grinling Gibbons, SE8 • Kingswood, SE27 • St John’s Walworth C of E, SE17 • Tidemill Primary School, SE8

Scrabble for prizes The world’s number one word game is challenging UK primary schools to take part in an exciting competition encouraging children to have fun with words and enter to win a fantastic £500 cash prize. Classes in Key Stage 1&2 are invited to work together to share their local story using words connected on a Scrabble board. Entrants are encouraged to send in a snap of their finished board to be judged by record-breaking, four-time former Scrabble champion Philip Nelkon. The winning school will receive a £500 prize plus a Junior Scrabble set for every participating child in the class. The first 100 schools to enter the competition will each receive a free Scrabble Junior set. Participating schools will be provided with a teacher’s guide detailing how the activity fits into the Key Stage 1&2 curriculum, taps into new SEAL objectives and uses key skills such as word-play, story-telling, communication and working with others. The competition closing date is 30 October 2010. Teachers can sign up for an information pack by emailing scrabbleschools@mattel.com.

Real school lunchboxes Back to

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Watch your child’s reading take off without the waste and expense of buying extra books!

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families south east - october 2010

In search of fresh inspiration for packed lunches we asked some mothers for their top tips to blow away the boring cheese sandwiches and create envious eyes at the school lunch table. 1. A healthy option Spread a tortilla with soft cheese and grated carrot or cucumber then slice. Add a frozen smoothie in a container - it keeps everything cool and it’s one of their five a day 2. Cheesy egg tarts This is good for the making too - children can help make the pastry and do all egg and milk whisking. Find a recipe on the web or a good cookbook 3. It’s a wrap! Mix boiled eggs, potatoes, any veg and cheese - place in a tortilla and cut into triangles 4. Homemade ‘pizza’ Split an English muffin and toast it, add tomato sauce, top with cheese and grill. You could add carrots or red pepper to the tomato sauce and then blitz it, so the vegetables are disguised 5. A little extra Try cutting cheese into different shapes with a pastry cutter, draw a smiley face on a banana and for birthdays or grumpy days try a chocolate spread wrap - yummy!

Reading with Children - and why you are important! FINDINGS FROM research published by the National Literacy Trust in June show that families who encourage their children to read have an enormous impact on their young people’s attitudes towards reading, and their reading test scores. The research reveals that: • Children who aren’t encouraged to read at home are three times more likely to say ‘reading is boring’ than those who are encouraged (34% vs 12%) • Children are twice as likely to read outside school when they are encouraged to read by their parents (fathers - 46% vs 27%, mothers - 44% vs 18%) • 90% of above average readers receive encouragement to read by their parents. The research also found that one in four children doesn’t have books of their own at home, and nearly half rarely or never talk about reading with their family. The message is clear - set a good example by reading at home yourself, ration TV time and buy or borrow books for your children instead - you’ll be doing your child a massive favour.

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

Tips for parents Some children love reading, while others unfortunately struggle in the early stages. The most important thing is to develop a love of reading with your child, keep encouraging them, and try to keep it enjoyable. The helpful Reading Chest people have these tips for parents: 1. Read as often as you can with your child. While children read throughout their school day (eg from the whiteboard, during a game, from a big shared book), there may be not be much individual reading taking place. With large classes and a full timetable, this left more and more to parents. 2. Be positive! If your child makes mistakes when reading, don’t just say ‘that’s wrong’ - say something like ‘shall we check that together?’ Use praise whenever you can. 3. Don’t push your child up reading levels too quickly just to keep up with peers. Children will gain confidence and are more likely to enjoy reading when they don’t have to struggle on too many words. 4. Don’t force your child to read a book page by page if they don’t like it or if it is too difficult. Help them out by sharing the reading. Don’t be afraid to put a book aside completely and let them choose another one.

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5. Children learn to read in many different ways, such as helping with shopping lists, reading menus, sorting DVDs back into their boxes, reading and sending emails. It is not just a race to get through a basket of books at school so they can move to the next one. 6. Get into a good routine. If your child isn’t the type to pick up a book regularly because they want to - then it is helpful to set a routine of reading. A few minutes each day will make a huge difference. Bed time is not necessarily the best time for this as your child will be tired. Reading Chest is a book rental service, specialising in reading scheme books for 4-9 year-olds. Log on for recommendations and start borrowing at www.readingchest.co.uk. For more tips on encouraging your child to read, resources to explore and free, fun downloads, start at www.readingforlife.org.uk.

‘It has proved an enormous advantage as Max has started secondary school.’ Mother of 11 year old. With proper tuition children 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.

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Mother of 10 year old girl.

‘Chris was amazed that he was able to touchtype in just 10 hours.’ Mother of 12 year old boy. Also, after-school and Saturday classes. To find out more call:

020 8858 9180 YES Tuition and Training, The Station Building, 187 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich SE10 8JA.

october 2010 - families south east

Half Term Workshops GET DAN 'N' DANCE WORKSHOPS Half term, ROSEMEAD SCHOOL, Thurlow Park Road SE21, 07904 424 504, www.getdan-n-dance.co.uk 18-20 October, Street dance workshops. Learn fresh new dance routines, with killer new moves to all the latest tracks. Ages 4-7 10am12noon, ages 8-11 12.30-3.30pm. 25-28 October, Dance star vs Song Star. Learn the funky pop routines and the lyrics! Customise your outfit for the show at the end. Ages 6-11, 10.30am-3.30pm

Dyslexia common myths and how to recognise it

So what is dyslexia? The word dyslexia comes from the Greek, literally meaning ‘difficulty with words’. The condition can affect spelling and reading, and many people believe that’s all it is. But it can also affect individuals in other areas such as confusing dates and times; confusing left and right; difficulties getting ideas down on paper; difficulties sequencing numbers and information; and following verbal instructions. Working memory is often also poor. This shows itself when new information needs to be processed effectively and quickly. While dyslexia can be viewed as a learning difficulty, it can also be seen as a gift. Some talents shared by dyslexics include the ability to think in pictures, being creative and intuitive and being good with their hands. They’re often highly aware of their environment and have vivid imaginations. Children with dyslexia often have above average intelligence, yet they struggle with words and processing new information.

Who is affected? The exact percentage of the population is debated, but it’s generally thought to affect between 8% and 15%, 4% severely. That means that in a class of 30 children, three are likely to have dyslexic tendencies, maybe mild or possibly severe. So everyone is likely to know at least one child or adult who is dyslexic. Children with dyslexic tendencies are likely to be resistant to traditional teaching methods and

families south east - october 2010

HALLOWEEN DRAMA, MUSIC AND DANCE

benefit from a one-to-one, multi-sensory learning environment. Dyslexia often runs in families, with a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle or cousin struggling with it too. Most are born with it and don’t grow out of it, although they do learn to cope with it. It’s not directly linked to intelligence. Children and adults with other learning difficulties or sensory disabilities may also have dyslexic difficulties.

How to recognise dyslexia Sometimes it is hard to get a diagnosis of dyslexia. However, there’s a lot you can pick up about your child just by sitting down together with them and a good book that’s suitable for their age group. Areas of difficulty to look out for include: • Does your child struggle with reading or spelling? • Do they avoid picking up a book? • Do they guess at a word, looking at the whole word or just the initial letter? • Do they forget how to read or spell a word as soon as they’ve turned the page? • Do they find it hard to sound out individual letters in simple three letter words, for example cat, bat? • Do they find it hard to rhyme simple words? • Do they skip little words such as, and or the? • Do they miss out words when reading? These are all potential indicators of dyslexia. Other non-language indicators in primary-age children include difficulty with tying shoe laces or dressing generally; difficulty telling left from right, ordering the days of the week, months of the year etc; having a poor sense of direction; lacking confidence; and having a poor self-image. The presence of any, most or all of them does not necessarily mean your child is dyslexic, but I would recommend further investigation if you have any concerns.

I think my child might be dyslexic. What should I do now? Speak to an educational specialist, such as your child’s teacher. Or ask to speak to the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school must now have a teacher with this responsi-

25+26 October in BLACKHEATH 9am-12pm, 25+26 October in EAST DULWICH 1.30pm-4.30pm, and 26+27 October in CLAPHAM, 9am-12pm, 020 7350 2995, www.theatrebugs.co.uk Two fun-filled, half day spooktastic adventures - jam packed with drama, music, dance and arts and crafts. Lots of Halloween fun! Nothing too spooky - suitable for 3Ω to 8 year-olds. £48 per child, sibling discount available. Come in your favourite Halloween costume - the Bugs will dress up too!

bility. If your child is at nursery, their nursery teacher or health visitor will be able to point you in the right direction, although there is often a reluctance to consider dyslexia at this early age. You could also look at the Code of Practice, which sets out the way schools and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) should provide extra support to meet children’s special educational needs. The Code of Practice is available free from DCSF Publications by phoning 0845 60 222 60 and asking for CoP Ref: DfES/581/2001. Copies can also be downloaded from www.beingdyslexic.co.uk.

11+ ENTRANCE EXAM SUPPORT 25, 26 + 27 October, Cube Tuition in DULWICH and CROYDON, 020 8946 7682 or 020 8291 5522, www.cubetuition.co.uk Practice papers, advice and support for year 6 children to help them be confident, prepared and ready for 11+ entrance exams.

DESIGN WORKSHOP 25-27 October, DESIGN MUSEUM, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD, 020 7940 8783, www.designmuseum.org A three day course offering insights into professional practice and a chance to respond creatively to a design brief. Participants will work with product designer Gregor Timlin form the design collective Propwork, exploring a range of techniques, generating ideas, developing concept designs and working from 2D to 3D model making. Ages 12-16 years, 12.10-3.30pm each day, £125 for the course and materials.

Can you grow out of dyslexia? As children grow up, they learn to compensate for their difficulties, the more successful ones using their strengths to overcome their condition. Support during the formative years is vital to help overcome difficulties and unlock their potential in literacy and in other areas. As a parent, you can help your child at home by encouraging them to enjoy the world of words through fun books. Books that are relevant to their interest and developmental age are best, particularly if they have been designed with the dyslexic child in mind. Children struggling with dyslexia love pictures and colours, so colourful illustrations relevant to the words are engaging and helpful for these children. The multi-sensory approach is best, so supporting reading and writing with games or activities will help your children in an enjoyable way. This may help your child be less resistant to more formal learning tasks, such as homework set by school. Keep talking to key members of staff at your child’s school to ensure your child gets the best help and support that they need. Seek out extra private tuition, if you feel more help is needed and you can afford it. One-to-one tuition based on a multi-sensory approach with a dyslexia specialist is best.

More information • Corinna has developed a series of books specifically for dyslexic children. For a mini test and to see the books, go to www.dancingkites.co.uk • British Dyslexia Assocation, www.bdadyslexia.org.uk • Dyslexia Action, www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk.

All schoolwear from M&S autumn winter range, now available

DYSLEXIA IS OFTEN misunderstood, hard to diagnose and those affected by it often do not receive adequate support. So what is it and how does it affect children? Corinna Shepherd explains. My interest in dyslexia and my passion to help those who struggle with it started around five years ago. At the time, my son was struggling with literacy and lost interest in learning. At the same time, I was on a course for work on dyslexia and other learning difficulties. This caused me to realise he might be dyslexic, I had him assessed by an educational psychologist who confirmed that he was indeed mildly dyslexic. In response the school did not offer much support and advice as they felt he was performing adequately, but I knew he was not reaching his potential. My interest in this subject and the fact that dyslexia is often not picked up or addressed satisfactorily led me to establish The Chilterns IDL (Dyslexia) Centre in January 2007, and two further centres over the next few years.

PLAY WITH CLAY 25-29 October and Saturday mornings, STREATHAM & CLAPHAM HIGH SCHOOL, SW16, 07930 413 649, www.play-with-clay.com Children will learn to use different techniques to work on a variety of projects throughout the week to create a number of pieces to take home at the end of the workshop. Ages 6-14, whole days or half days available between 9.30am and 3.30pm, book first.

What’sOn For even more What’s On listings, go to www.familiesse.co.uk

ANIMATING STAGES

YES TOUCH TYPING

27 October, SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somerset.org.uk An all day studio for 13-18 year-olds. Learn how to create stop-frame animations then join artist Ashley Davies for this action packed studio day. Discover the basic principles of animation, and how to storyboard an exciting plot, building your own set and models, and making a short film, giving you all the know-how you need to make your own animations at home. The day will focus on making 3-D characters into an animation rather than editing processes and is not computer based. Students will require a digital camera or camera phone. 10.30am -4pm, book first. £18 for the day includes materials and refreshments.

Weekends and school holidays, YES TUITION and Training, The Station Building, 187 Greenwich High Road SE10 8HA, 020 8858 9180 The touch typing courses run by YES are a real hit with southeast London parents, because the 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.

LITTLE NEEDLES SEWING CLASSES 30 October, METHODIST HALL, 155 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill SE24, 07984 772040, www.littleneedles.co.uk Little Needles are celebrating their third birthday with an open afternoon for children aged 7+. Make a felt plushy toy, try out a sewing machine and get a free sewing kit! 2.30-4.30pm, £5.

Diary Dates for Grownups FIRST AID COURSES

THE BABY SHOW

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

22-24 October, EARLS COURT, London, 0871 231 0844, www.thebabyshow.co.uk All you need to know about pregnancy and early life, all under one roof. Meet midwives and health visitors, watch fashion shows and product demonstrations, enter your baby into a modelling competition, pick up free samples and see what’s new from hundreds of exhibitors. Open 9.30am-5.50pm daily, tickets from £16.95.

SE LONDON MUMPRENEURS EVENTS

6 November, CLARENDON HOTEL, Montpelier Row, Blackheath SE3, 0795 643 0668, joyousevents40@yahoo.com An afternoon of demonstrations and speakers with a host of yoga and reiki practitioners, massage therapists, beauticians, herbalists, nutritionists, weight loss counsellors, stylists, hairdressers and more. Free makeovers, samples and raffles. The event is sponsored by Malcolm & Co solicitors and a donation will be made to The Stroke Association. 12noon to 4pm, tickets £7.

07909 691605, www.selondonmumpreneurs.blogspot.com, email clare@motherslife.co.uk 6 October, BRAINSTORM IN A TEACUP. Bringing together mothers in business to swap ideas or brainstorm a problem. 10.30am-12noon in Blackheath, £13.

HEALTH, BEAUTY AND WELLBEING EVENT

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

Beckenham Beckenham Blackheath Blackheath Dulwich Dulwich Sydenham Sydenham

020 256 8979212 2156 01932 0800 5519 020169 8417 0010 0845 055 6368 0845 055 6368 020020 8949 1116 8949 1116

Autumn NOW ENROLLING Term FOR JANUARY 2010now enrolling october 2010 - families south east

MoreWhat’sOn For even more What’s On listings, go to www.familiesse.co.uk

Family Legal Services To arrange an initial free consultation please ring

020 8858 6971 Friendly, professional legal advice Email family@grantsaw.co.uk Visit www.grantsaw.com Norman House, 110-114 Norman Road, Greenwich, SE10 9EH Find us just around the corner from Greenwich train & DLR stations

Fabulous fun-filled music classes and parties for babies and young children.

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

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

020 8670 0644 www.tinpanannie.co.uk

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

LAUREN CHILD EVENTS DISCOVER CHILDREN’S STORY CENTRE, 383-387 High Street, Stratford E15, 020 8536 5555, www.discover.org.uk Centre open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, 11am-5pm weekends. Admission free for under 2s, £4.50 adults, £16 families. 9-10 October, BIG DRAW WEEKEND Enter the special Charlie and Lola, That Pesky Rat and Princess and the Pea artspace. Help recreate the funky multi-coloured skyline from That Pesky Rat and plunder some brilliant art materials to make a huge collage inspired by Lauren Child’s books. 11.30am and 2.30pm. 16 October, MEET LAUREN CHILD. The best selling author and illustrator of Charlie and Lola, Pesky Rat, Clarice Bean and Hubert Horatio is visiting Discover. Through the day visitors can explore a magical story trail, listen to Lauren Child’s best loved stories and create their own Charlie and Lola world to take home. Expect to queue - this is expected to be a very popular day!

MEMORIES OF WAR Until 15 October, Stephen Lawrence Gallery, UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH, Queen Anne Court, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row SE10, 020 8331 8260 Seventy years on from the start of the Blitz do we really know everything about the Second World War? The key events are well documented: evacuation, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, VE day, but these ‘headlines in history’ are also made up of individual narratives. By looking beyond the headlines and focusing on the oral histories of people who witnessed and experienced very different aspects of war, this exhibition reinforces and challenges how we choose to remember events. Exhibits include previously unheard oral testimony, visual images and artefacts, along with a series of events and screenings. Open 10am-5pm weekdays, 11am-4pm Saturdays.

LEGO WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT 23-25 October, SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL, 380 Old Street EC1, www.dk.com/legomosaic DK and the Lego Group are inviting all Lego fans to help create the world’s largest Lego Star Wars mosaic. The mosaic will measure an incredible 16 x 7 metres and will

show a tableau of the most iconic characters from the Star Wars films using 384,000 Lego bricks. The aim is to break The Guinness World Record for ‘the largest image built with interlocking plastic bricks’, working to an image designed by German artist Zoltan Simon and built with the help of Lego specialists The Brickish Association. Once completed, the Lego bricks, worth £50,000, will be donated to the Kids Company’s Toys for Christmas Appeal. Event open 10am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and until 4pm on Monday, entry free.

HALF TERM AT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON 23-31 October, MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Museum open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Here are October highlights: 23+24 October, A SHIP LOADED WITH... Explore the goods arriving in London as part of the Triangular Trade in this sweet-smelling art drop in activity. Your ship could be loaded with coffee, sugar, rum or tobacco. 12.302pm and 2.30-4pm, ages 5+, free. 23+30 October, VICTORIAN SPICE SELLER. Having arrived from Morocco, our Victorian spice seller sells his goods as medicines and ointments. Hear his story and find out what his London was like. 1, 2 and 3pm start, half hour sessions, ages 5+, free. 23-27 October, FAMILY DROP-IN ACTIVITIES. Create a piece of art inspired by the museum collection, have a go at building a famous London landmark, or use the e-learning studio to explore London’s history using digital technology. 11am-4pm, ages 3+, free. 24+25 October, THE KING OF BEGGARS. Billy Waters was a black street busker who became a popular character in central London in the 1780s. Learn more about this charismatic man through a storytelling session. 1, 2 and 3pm start, ages 5+, free. 25+26 October, THE VANILLA ORCHID. In 1841 Edmond Albius changed the future of vanilla. Learn how this very clever man made sure we didn’t run out of vanilla orchids, then make your own scented orchid to take home. 12.30-4pm and 2.3-4pm, ages 3+, free. 26+29 October, A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. Mary Prince’s fight for freedom brought her to London where her story was used to help end slavery in the 1800s. Meet Mary and hear her story of determination, compassion and survival. 1,2 and 3pm start, ages 5+, free. 27 October, THE BIG DRAW. Join in the drawing and making activities and help make a giant model of London, full of fantastic buildings. Craft workshops 10.30am-4pm. Model making noon-12.30pm and 2-2.30pm with a free ticket. 27+28 October, JOINT EFFORT. To ensure sugar, coffee and cocoa were harvested and ready for shipping to London, workers would travel from plantation to plantation in 1940s Haiti. In return for their help, the landowners put on a big party with food, music and dancing. Listen to a storyteller bringing the party to life once more. 1, 2 and 3pm start, ages 5+, free. 28 October, MEET MARY SEACOLE. Find out more about the extraordinary nurse who helped many soldiers during the Crimean War and how she came to settle in London through an entertaining gallery drama. 1, 2 and 3pm start, ages 5+, free.

Museum of London

families south east - october 2010

29 October, TRICKS AND TALES. Join a storyteller and Anasi the spider in his garden. He may need help digging his yams or he may be tricking Tiger out of his dinner. An interactive workshop to celebrate Black History Month. 11am, 12noon and 2pm start, under 5s, free. 30+31 October, BADGE OF SUPPORT. Many Londoners wore a badge to show their support for the ending of the slave trade in the early 1800s. We still use badges today to show our support, maybe for a political party or animal charity. Learn more about the Wedgwood cameo and design a new badge to say something about a subject you feel strongly about. 12.30-2pm and 2.30-4pm, ages 5+, free. 31 October, MEET ABUDIA MEGISTE. This wealthy woman travelled the vast Roman Empire with her husband. Originally from Africa, find out how she felt about the climate, food and life in Roman London. 1, 2 and 3pm start, ages 5+, free.

VICTORIAN GAMES 23-31 October, TOWER BRIDGE EXHIBITION, Tower Bridge Road SE1, 020 7403 3761, www.towerbridge.co.uk Step back in time with some old fashioned fun on the high level walkways of Tower Bridge. During half term visitors will be able to play giant dominoes, hopscotch, noughts & crosses, quoits and roll-a-ball, with prizes available for some games. On the way up to the walkway, there are amazing panoramic views across London, and displays showing how and why the bridge was built, plus a taste of life in Victorian London. Back on ground level in the engine rooms, see the magnificent restored steam machinery that used to power the bridge lifts. Younger visitors can also enjoy the Guy Fox Tower Bridge Passport, a sticker-based activity free for every child which makes exploring the history of the Bridge fun and helps to focus their attention during their visit. Open 9.30am-6pm daily, admission £3 children, under 5s free, £7 adults.

MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS 28 + 30 October, MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Fun and free events for families during half term. Make your own freedom box, listen to stories and even have a go at some computer animation techniques. 28 October, TRICKS AND TALES. Join a storyteller and Anasi the spider in his garden. He may need help digging his yams or he may be tricking Tiger out of his dinner. Meet his friends Cunning Fox and Snappy Crocodile and have fun chattering with the monkeys. This is an interactive workshop for under 5s and their carers with stories that celebrate Black History Month. Older siblings welcome. 11am, 12 noon and 2pm starts. 30 October, MAKE A ‘FREEDOM’ BOX. Make your own abolitionist box or purse with an anti-slavery campaign design, then decorate it. 12.30-1.30pm and 2.303.30pm.

Designs on your money WAR TIME TOYS 25- 29 October, LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM, 39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden WC2E 7BB, 020 7565 7299, www.ltmuseum.co.uk To mark the 70th anniversary of the Blitz in London, find out how 79 Underground stations offered shelter to nearly 63 million people during WW2. With manufactured toys in short supply during this time, children had to find other amusements. Visiting families can play wartime games, make a vintage style peg doll or cotton reel racer to take home, and listen to transport songs and stories. There’s plenty more for children to look at; they can get up close and personal with vintage London buses and tube trains, follow activity trails, listen to stories, try on replica uniforms and get busy in the hands-on galleries. Museum open 10am-6pm Saturdays to Thursdays, Fridays from 11am, admission free for accompanied under 16s, adults £10.

25 – 29 October 10:00am – 5:00pm

Banknote Big Draw Learn about banknote security features and design your own secure banknote. Enter our competition, with prizes to be won!

BIG DRAW AT THE BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM 25-29 October, BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum There are many security features which make bank notes hard to forge. Find out how clever it all is and have a go at designing your very own secure banknote to take home. Enter the museum’s competition and you could win a prize too! 10am-5pm, admission free. The Bank of England Museum tells the bank’s story from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Visitors can 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.

Admission free 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and public holidays. Entrance in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH. Tel: 020 7601 5545 www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum

ARTPLAY AT DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk On the first and last Sundays of every month, adults and children are invited to drop-in for a different workshop activity each week. Make everything and anything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-3-30pm, free with a gallery ticket or £2 per child. 31 October, THE BIG DRAW. Try your hand at drawing a portrait. Dress up using props and costumes and use special see-through frames to make colourful pieces to display in the gallery’s portrait room. 11am-4pm, free with a gallery ticket or £2 per child.

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE 26-29 October, GEFFRYE MUSEUM, 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch E2, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

EXPLORE CHARLES DARWIN’S HOUSE 27, 28 + 29 October, DOWNE HOUSE, Luxted Road, Downe, Kent BR6, 01689 859 119, www.english-heritage.org.uk Charles Darwin and his wife Emma and ten children seven of whom survived to maturity - lived at Down House for 40 years, and the house is where he wrote ‘On the Origin of Species’. It offers hours of fun and fascination and an insight into how Darwin lived and conducted experiments. Highlights for children include an exciting award-winning exhibition which includes a full-sized replica of Darwin’s cabin on HMS Beagle, interactive displays using traditional Victorian illusion and toys, Darwin’s outdoor laboratory and an activity trail for 5-9 year-olds. Open 11am-5pm, adult entry £9.50, free for accompanied under 16s. English Heritage members have free admission.

Light has been used for centuries to bring warmth and atmosphere into the home and festivities. This week of workshops will be inspired by candles, gasoliers and lamps found in the Geffrye’s period rooms, and festivals

october 2010 - families south east

ittle needles

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

MoreWhatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sOn For even more Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On listings, go to www.familiesse.co.uk such as Hanukkah, Halloween, Fireworks night and the Winter Solstice. 10.30am-4pm, free on a first come, first served basis. On the first Saturday of each month, the museum runs special workshops and quizzes for children to inspire creativity, from 10.30am12.30pm & 2pm-4pm. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays.

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somerset.org.uk Free family workshops run on Saturdays from 2-3.30pm. Tickets available from 1pm from the information desk. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Here are some highlights: 9 October, TRICK OF THE LIGHT. Discover how artists in the past used light and dark to dramatic effect in their work, and create a tonal masterpiece in charcoals and chalk. 16 October, MINI MASKED BALL. Long ago the King and Queen held huge masked balls at Somerset House. Guests would attend in incredible costumes and take part in plays and dances. Design your own tiny ball complete with the outfits and decorations that you would like to see. 23 October, SHADOWS ON THE WALL. Drop in to make moveable shadow puppets, and see them projected in the Old Somerset House shadow theatre. 11am-1pm and 2-4.30pm. 30 October, GLOWING GHOSTS. As Somerset House is a very old building there are sure to be a few things that go bump in the night, especially at Halloween Create your own ghosties, creepy crawlies and wicked witches to add to the galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glowing haunted house. Drop in from 11am-1pm and 2-4.30pm.

FAMILIES AT THE NPG

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

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

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

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place WC2, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk/events 9 October, MAKE YOUR MARK ON THE FUTURE. As part of the Big Draw campaign, visitors are invited to join artists including picture book author and illustrator Salvatore Rubbino and transform themselves into a living portrait. 1-4pm, free, 16 October, THE ADVENTURES OF NELSON AND THE BEAR. Hear the story of what happened when Nelson came face to face with a giant polar bear, and make a miniature bear to take home. Ages 3+, 10.3011.15am and 1.30-2.15pm, free. 16 October, PORTRAIT T-SHIRTS. Decorate and decorate a trendy t-shirt. Ages 5+, 11.30-1pm and 2.30-4pm, free with a ticket in advance on the day. 23 October, STORYTELLING FOR FAMILIES. Exciting storytelling sessions followed by a fun art activity. Ages 3+, 10.30am and 1.30pm. Also family art workshops from 11.30am-2.30pm. 25-29 October, CHASING TALES. Half term storytelling and art workshops for families will run from 11.30am-2.30pm. Ages 5+, free with a ticket in advance on the day. 27-27 October, 3-D IDENTITY CREATION. A three day workshop where participants will create a digital 3-D character with a public screening of the end results at 5pm on 29 October.

FAMILIES AT THE TATE TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain Open daily 10am-5.50pm, and until 10pm the first Friday of the month. Family trails are available daily from the Information Desks and are free for 5yrs and under. Go on a journey around Tate Britain and post your discoveries into your â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Post itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; box as you go. When you get home, open up the box and show your friends what you found. Or you could follow the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Join upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trail: play the listening game, search for shapes, patterns and talking hands, and make your own sculptures. Every weekend the free Art Trolley encourages children to imagine and create, make colourful collages, style a wonderful sculpture or perhaps make a sketchbook and fill it with great ideas.

SEASIDE FANS Until 21 October, THE FAN MUSEUM, 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10, 020 8305 1441, www.fan-museum.org The exhibition traces the evolution of the concept of a holiday by the sea, with fans of the Grand Tour in Naples and Venice, and advertising fans from the late 19th and early 20th centuries showing how the development of the railways makes the seaside accessible to the masses. A display of mythological fans depicts the world of legend when sea monsters devoured (or are about to devour) naked ladies. Chinese â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;applied facesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fans are decorated with the reaches of the estuary of the Pearl River at Canton with its famous pagoda landmark, while others show this busy shipping port with its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hongsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; along the waterfront. Museum open 11am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays. Admission free for under 7s, ÂŁ4 adults.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, South Bank, London SE1, 020 7620 0347, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Uncover the lady behind the legend at the brand new Florence Nightingale Museum on Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South Bank. The museum presents a vivid retelling of her story and how modern nursing began. The museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unparalleled collection features highlights such as Florenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pet little owl Athena as well as her lamp and medicine chest from the

families south east - october 2010

Crimean War. Engaging interactive exhibits as well as regular contemporary art exhibitions enhance the experience, visitors even use stethoscopes to hear the audio tour. Admission ÂŁ4.80 child, ÂŁ5.80 adults, ÂŁ16 families.

FAMILY EVENTS AT THE IWM IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk Museum open daily 10am-6pm. 9+10, 16+17 and 23-31 October, THE BIG DRAW. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is war?â&#x20AC;? Share your thoughts in writing and illustration on a postcard. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm. 27+28 October, TAIL END CHARLIE AND TAFF IN THE WAAF. Join author-illustrators Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom in drawing and writing on the theme of the impact war has on families. All ages. Until 31 October HORRIBLE HISTORIES: TERRIBLE TRENCHES. Find out about life in the terrible trenches during the WW1 in this unmissable family exhibition. An interactive gallery explores the dire details of life in the blood and mud of the Western Front, from both the British and German sides of the barbed wire. Find out how soldiers coped with foul food, legions of lice, gruesome gas, sickness and sores. Try on the curious clothing of the British and German soldiers, see real items used by soldiers in the trenches, climb through a mining tunnel and explore an officersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dugout. Peer into no manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land with a periscope, experience the terrible toilets, smell the stenches and splat the rats. Adults ÂŁ4.95, children ÂŁ2.50, family ticket ÂŁ13. Until January 2011 THE MINISTRY OF FOOD, until January 2011. Seventy years ago the wartime government announced the introduction of food rationing - a control that was to remain in force for the next fourteen years. The British public adapted to a world of food shortages by lending a hand on the land and being frugal and inventive with food. The exhibition features a wartime greenhouse, a 1940s grocerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shop, and a typical kitchen complete with larder, gas cooker, and an ample stock of economy recipes, demonstrating that growing your own food, eating seasonal fruit and vegetables, reducing imports, recycling and healthy nutrition were just as topical in 1940 as they are today. Adults ÂŁ4.95, children ÂŁ2.50, family ticket ÂŁ13.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1, 020 7930 3070, www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk Museum open 10am-5pm, admission ÂŁ4 children, ÂŁ6 adults. 25-29 October, CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CRAFT ACTIVITIES. Join craft activities and storytelling; make book marks, plant acorns and make leaf prints. From 11.30am.

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families During any visit, families can pick up a trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am5.45pm daily, admission free Saturday BACK-PACKS. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games. 10.30am-5pm.

MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD, Cambridge Heath Road E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk Open 10am-5.45pm Mondays to Sundays, admission free. Lots to do for children with trails, tours and creative Art Smarts, and a fabulous collection of toys from the past. Until 14 November, BLING. Take a closer look at the diversity of jewellery in east London, and discover how the ornaments we use to decorate our bodies often have great personal and cultural significance. Every piece of jewellery tells a particular story and what we value is highly subjective. Gold and diamonds make expensive statements about material value whereas an inexpensive trinket might have some profound sentimental value associated with a place, a person or a time in our life. 9 October to January 2011, CUT IT, FOLD IT, BUILD IT WITH PAPER. A display of beautifully designed and detailed paper models created specifically for adults, and simpler models produced for children. Visitors will be able to make their own during family workshops to form part of a giant 3D cityscape in and around the east end of London. 25-31 October, PAPER CHASE. A week of stories, trails and free drop-in art activities based on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Built it with Paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exhibition. Until 2 January 2011, DOLL FACE. A series of portraits by photographer Craig Deane, depicting a variety of dolls from the Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive behind the scenes collection.

deck up to the top of her bridge and all the way down through her nine decks to her massive boiler and engine rooms, well below the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterline.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, Clive Steps, King Charles Street SW1, www.iwm.org.uk The Cabinet War Rooms were created in 1938, as the underground storage areas of the Office of Works Building in Whitehall were converted to house the central core of government and to become a military information centre, serving the Prime Minister and the Chiefs of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. Intended as a temporary site, the rooms became operational on 27 August 1939, a week before the German invasion of Poland and Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s declaration of war. This â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;temporaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but timely measure served as the central shelter for government and military strategists for the next six years. Open 9.30am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, ÂŁ14.95 adults.

SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM, County Hall, Southbank SE1, www.sealife.co.uk/london In the amazing new Rainforests of the World area, visitors can journey across three continents and get up close and personal with over 3000 of the rainforestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; most famous and feared residents from a pair of 6ft West African dwarf crocodiles to a family of highly toxic poison arrow frogs and over 30 lethal piranhas. And as well as the exciting new Rainforests of the World, the Sea Life London Aquarium is home to thousands of marine creatures from every part of the world including 46 sharks. Admission ÂŁ12.50 children, ÂŁ17.50 adults.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road, South Kensington SW7, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk Until 3 Jan 2011, THE MINISTRY OF FOOD. Discover how the British public adapted to a world of food shortages, and how growing your own food, eating seasonal fruits and vegetables, reducing imports, recycling and healthy nutrition were just as topical in 1940 as they are today. Tickets ÂŁ2.50 to ÂŁ4.95, families ÂŁ13. Book on 020 7416 5439 or through the museum website.

DISCOVER GREENWICH OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE (next to the Cutty Sark), Greenwich SE10, www.greenwichwhs.org.uk Unlock the history of Maritime Greenwich, through artefacts, artwork, film and stories of former lives to bring the past to life. A permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tudor beginnings, through its naval past, as the Royal Hospital for Seamen and Royal Navy Staff College, right up to the present day. Special objects, including personal items from Henry VIIIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace, as well as fascinating stories from monarchs, admirals and architects help chart the historic townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development. Activities for children and families play a significant part in the new destination, enabling families to maximise their visit to Maritime Greenwich and for children to explore and understand the history of the magnificent site.

EVENTS AT THE HORNIMAN

OUT OF ART INTO LITERACY

HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, admission free. Regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the museum collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. Here are some event highlights: Until 17 October, ALLOTMENT LIFE. An exhibition combining indoor and outdoor elements to explore the allotment experience with photographs of life on two local allotments and a food garden outside. Free. 2 October - 9 January, PARDHAN GOLD. A selection of paintings by two contemporary artists from central India. Venkat Singh Shyam and Rajendra Shyam are part of the Gond tribe in the Madhya Pradesh, who transform sacred Gond myths and stories into iconic and narrative imagery. The exhibition celebrates a culture whose creative genius still flourishes by blending indigenous traditions with contemporary media. Free. 23 October, THE BIG DRAW. Contribute to the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tree of life by adding a your own drawings inspired by the beautiful paintings in the Pardhan Gold exhibition. 25-29 October, FAMILY ART FUN. Celebrate festivals and the changing seasons through art and craft activities. 11.30am-3.30pm, ages 3+, free drop in. 23, 25-28 and 31 October, DISCOVERY FOR ALL. How sharp are sharkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teeth? How do you wear a sari? Have you ever played a West African thumb piano, balanced a gourd on your head or stroked a badger? Explore thousands of real objects from around the world in these special sessions. 2-3.30pm, ages 3+, free.

Until 5 December, NATIONAL GALLERY, Trafalgar Square, London WC2, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk An exhibition celebrating the outcomes of two innovative projects involving local primary schools: Into the Frame, and Out of Art into Storytelling. Both projects enabled teachers to explore the potential of using National Gallery paintings to inspire their pupilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; discussion and writing both inside and outside the classroom. Examples of oral storytelling, animation, creative writing and mixed-media artwork from a selection of the participating schools will be on show. An accompanying film is available on the gallery website. Every Sunday, families can enjoy free two-hour workshops at 11am for a journey through the collection bringing paintings alive, listen to a themed story on the magic carpet from 10.20am and 11.30am, and take a free family trail through the collection.

Greenwich Maritime Museum

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM EVENTS QUEENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOUSE, NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM and ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH, National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk Museum open 10am-5pm daily. Admission free.

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Music classes for babies and young children!

SIR JOHN SOANEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MUSEUM, 13 Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org/families.htm Tucked away in Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. 1.304.40pm.

25-29 October, BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8000, www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Travel through time and space during a week of activities exploring the history of the world. Visitors will be able to create traditional objects, listen to stories, watch performances and take part in museum trails. 11am-4pm, admission free. At weekends, the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing collection is brought to life for children with free family workshops.

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

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ART AT SIR JOHN SOANEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOUSE

TIME EXPLORERS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM

HMS BELFAST HMS BELFAST, The Thames (between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, www.hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk Open 10am-6pm, admission free for accompanied under 16s, ÂŁ12.95 adults. Until 31 December, LAUNCH! SHIPBUILDING THROUGH THE AGES. A family-oriented exhibition using hands-on and computerised interactive displays and engaging film and footage. Discover the techniques of shipbuilding, from the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;age of sailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to modern prefabrication methods. A tour of this complex and huge warship take visitors from the quarter-

EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free. DISCOVER SUNDAYS. Be inspired by the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s galleries and take part in free design, craft, illustration and music workshops designed for families. Suitable for all ages. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-5pm, free. PLAY TUESDAYS. Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the museum through making, music, dance and drama. 10.30 and 11.30am, 1 and 2pm, suitable for under 5s; collect a ticket from the admissions desk. 25-29 October, THREE BOATS GO SAILING. Explore three of the boats on display at the Museum - Prince Frederickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barge, the Miss Britain III speedboat and the Dodo sailing yacht Ăą through a week of special workshops and play sessions. Uncover the stories behind these unique vessels to create new adventures and characters of your own. Children will be able to go on free mini adventures filled with stories and craft workshops throughout the week. Until 31 October, TOY BOATS. An enchanting exhibition featuring miniature ocean liners, toy paddle steamers, tin battleships and clockwork submarines alongside games, catalogues and photographs produced in Europe between 1850 and 1950.

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october 2010 - families south east

The Bookseller Crow

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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 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best titles.

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Theatre, Music & Shows FAMILY SUNDAYS AT THE ALBANY THE ALBANY, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk Fun for all the family with the best in theatre for the under 7s. Enjoy lunch and the Sunday papers in the cafe and garden, then take in a show. 17 October, TWINKLE TWONKLE, ages 4+, 3pm. 31 October, FROM HERE, TO THERE, ages 18 months to 4 years, 11am, 12.30 and 3pm.

Fun French for Children â&#x20AC;˘ 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11 years old â&#x20AC;˘ Games, Songs & Drama â&#x20AC;˘ Native French Teachers â&#x20AC;˘ Professional Materials â&#x20AC;˘ Free Trial Session For SE3, SE4, SE12 SE21, SE22, SE23 & SE24

THE GARBAGE KING Until 31 October, UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com Live music and a spectacular set made from recycled and found objects combine in a striking production that brims with the sights and sounds of the Ethopian capital city. Strong emotions, hope and a beautiful unlikely friendship makes the world stage premiĂ&#x2039;re of Elizabeth Lairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel. Ages 10yrs+, tickets ÂŁ10.50 children, 16.50 adults, ÂŁ46 families.

OF MICE AND MEN Until 24 October, BROADWAY THEATRE, Catford SE6 4RU, 020 8690 0002, www.broadwaytheatre.co.uk In the most widely known and loved of Steinbeckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s works, two men forge a powerful friendship. Aimless and rootless in 1930s America, George and Lennie dream of a time when they can set up in their own place and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;live off the fatta the landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Through Steinbeckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genius, George and Lennieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mutual bond of love achieves a mythological quality, raw with the pain of isolation, and the ache we all feel for a place called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This new production is directed by Cameron Jack, whose previous shows at the Broadway Studio Theatre have included A Clockwork Orange, Trainspotting, One flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Lord Of The Flies. Tickets from ÂŁ8.

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Until 14 November, COLOUR HOUSE THEATRE, Merton Abbey Mills, Merantun Way SW19, 020 8542 5511, www.colourhousetheatre.co.uk Wonderful new songs and a sparkling, witty script for all the family to enjoy. Ages 3+, performances 2 and 4pm, tickets ÂŁ7 children, ÂŁ9 adults.

FAMILY SHOWS AT THE LYRIC

26-31 October, LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE, Lyric Square, King Street W6, 0871 22 11720, www.lyric.co.uk Little Mouse canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleep, for there is something huffing and puffing outside, tap-tapping on the window, and drip-dripping nearby. Little Mouse would feel a lot safer if he could come into Big Mouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bed. But Big Mouse does not want to share his bed and is determined that Little Mouse should sleep alone! Based on the best-selling book by Diana Hendry and Jane Chapman, this is a bewitching tale about a scared little mouse with a very big imagination. 11am and 1pm Tuesday to Saturday, noon and 2pm Sunday. Tickets ÂŁ6 children, ÂŁ8 adults.

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE, Lyric Square, King Street W6, 0871 22 11720, www.lyric.co.uk Saturdays shows at 11am and 1pm, tickets ÂŁ6 children, ÂŁ8 adults, followed by Messy Play sessions for ÂŁ5.

PRINCE OF DENMARK 14-26 October, Cottesloe Theatre, SOUTH BANK SE1, 020 7452 3000, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk In royal Elsinore, the teenage Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes rage against the roles handed down by their parents. Set a decade before the action in Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hamlet, this new play is a terrific first introduction to Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti-hero. Talented young theatre-makers have been paired with experienced NT practitioners to produce this specially commissioned new play for audiences 10 yrs and above. On 25 and 26 October there will be family workshops at 10am before the morning performance, and theatre skills for families from 25-29 October for 8-12 year-olds.

THE REMEMBERERS - A LIVE HIP HOP GRAPHIC NOVEL 21 + 22 October, THE ALBANY, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk Norflyn, 2150. Kia - leader of the Found and guardian of the Rememberers, tells the story of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a 16 year-old girl who discovers that she alone holds the key to the future of humankind. With the sinister NorCon Corporation on her tail, will she accept her fate before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too late? A classic tale of good versus evil, told through rap, narration, lyrics, projection, music and graphic illustration. Ages 13+, tickets ÂŁ and ÂŁ8.

SHOW ME CHRIS & PUI 24 October, BROADWAY THEATRE, Catford SE6 4RU, 020 8690 0002, www.broadwaytheatre.co.uk CBeebies favourite double act visits the Broadway for a show filled with songs, sketches, games and joining in. 1 and 4pm, tickets ÂŁ10 and ÂŁ12.

families south east - october 2010

MISSION TO MARS Until 6 November, POLKA THEATRE, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB. 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2035, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to send the first human beings to Mars. Gail and Stephan have been selected from thousands and are ready to launch. Fun, fast-paced and packed with emotion, Unlimited Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new show is based on the real science of planned Mars missions. Join Gail and Stephan as they defy gravity and go further through the solar system than weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been before. Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes? Book your ticket for all the excitement, danger and discovery of the next giant leap into space. Ages 7-11, tickets ÂŁ8 children, ÂŁ12 adults.

LOST AND FOUND 13 October to February 2011, POLKA THEATRE, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB. 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com Once there was a small boy and one day he found a penguin at his door... A beautiful and touching tale of friendship, from Oliver Jefferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acclaimed picture book. Ages 3-5 years, tickets ÂŁ7 children, ÂŁ9 adults.

DO YOU RECALL that feeling when you opened your eyes in the morning and remembered it was your birthday? That sensation of being made of something unbreakable, the whole day being yours to have and everyone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to sacrifice? Yesterday I woke up like a seven year old with butterflies. One glance at the clock however transported me swiftly back to my middle forties and to a groggy drive down the Purley Way for 8am. Then Trasha needed a lift to Dulwich by 9am, whereupon a pool full of kids awaited me for Saturday morning lessons and after that it was straight to the first U11s league game of the season at Tooting for 1 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock; followed by a brutal battle with a plug of traffic at Streatham to make it up to the bookshop to man the till so that daddy could take the boy child to the Palace game at 3pm. Evidently my birthday must wait. YOUR PREGNANCY WEEK BY WEEK by Dr Philippa Kaye - Vermilion rrp ÂŁ11.99. Meanwhile Jo, erstwhile bookshop fairy, is overdue by several days now so it seems churlish to grumble about me having to wait a few hours for a glass of prosecco when sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had to wait a long nine months for hers. Her progress, chronicled at the till between unpacking boxes, has been fascinating; mothers will testify that you forget it all, each subsequent run up and confinement being a revelation. And of course, advice changes practically every blimminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hour. My girls both shoving their way out early - Trasha crawling on her elbows like a camouflaged marine - and my boy being one of the rare 5%, it says here, to actually sprog on his due date, I found myself engrossed in these latter chapters on the function of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sweepâ&#x20AC;? and when the cervix might be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ripeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for induction, as measured using the unbelievably inappropriately named Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scale - wrong on so many levels. Kayeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tone, all those in labour will be relieved to hear, is one of calm rationality. Scream when you feel like it. THE BABY-LED WEANING COOKBOOK by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett Vermilion rrp ÂŁ12.99. Though I was a feed-on-demand disciple (pure laziness couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be doing with all that heating up at midnight and testing on the back of the hand and all that bottle sterilising when there were a couple of full bosoms to hand), I am not certain I advocate the ole baby-led shebang persay. Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it in turn â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;leadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the kind of poolside foot-stamping behaviour I witnessed this week when not one but two perfectly intelligent women were reduced to subservient wrecks as their diminutive daughters called the shrieking shots over goggles and costumes and hats? However, dry and back behind the bookshop counter, having been asked by a customer for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Annabel Karmel sectionâ&#x20AC;? (once many moons ago, we were asked where our American psycho section was) I am sure a broad approach to feeding kids is, er, desirable. And the whole family eating the same thing makes sense on a practical level too. Besides, if the snapper could speak, do you reckon heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d prefer mashed manky banana and baby rice in the shape of a smiley face? Or an appetising ratatouille and toad-in-the-hole? HELP YOUR KIDS WITH MATHS by Carol Vorderman - DK rrp ÂŁ14.99. First Born did well in her GCSEs, thanks for asking, but I was possibly proudest of her â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for mathematics. I wish I could claim it was all in the genes but I got a capital â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Uâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for mine - I was a child of the generation that hummed lyrics from Hunky Dory when the homework came out of the satchel. When I peeked at her revision papers, it was as if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d suddenly developed dyslexia in Sanskrit. The nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite headgirl takes us baffled parents through the minefield of early maths very visually, while HOW TO DO MATHS SO YOUR CHILDREN CAN TOO by Naomi Sani, Vermilion rrp ÂŁ9.99 takes a step-by-step approach to enable us skivers to help with the homework instead of throwing it on the fire and taking the car down town.

THERE ARE NO CATS IN THIS BOOK by Viviane Schwarz - Walker rrp ÂŁ10.99. The long wait is over for the follow-up to her previous enchanting picture book and if you suspect this title is similar to that one, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have been paying an unusual degree of attention for a sleep deprived parent. Featuring the same trio of brushstroked moggies - Tiny, Moonpie and Andre - she magics them off on a trip and then magics them back again. Wish I was in this book. COLD FEET by Michael Dahl, art by Migy - Picture Window Books rrp ÂŁ13.99. Those pesky youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;uns love to ask the meaning behind idioms. This story from Monster Street, whose inhabitants are uncannily captured by local Crystal Palace artist Migy, tells the story of how Hannah and her fellow monsterlings come to terms with being scared of things. And save a fortune on ruined shoes. WHEN I WAS BORN by Isabel Minhos Martins & Madalena Matoso - Tate rrp ÂŁ6.99. This is an intriguing little hardback that introduces your small ones to the concept of perception. I love the opening with plain black pages and nothing but the words â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;When I was born I had never seen anything. Only the blackness of my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tummy.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ah. Just think. Joâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snapper is in there now, trying to pluck up the nerve to emerge. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be put off by the homework, mate! I have it on authority your dad is really good at sums... ALPHABEASTIES AMAZING ACTIVITIES by Sharon Werner & Sarah Forss Blue Apple Books rrp ÂŁ10.99. This should buy the wallpaper some time when your foundation stager is smart enough to scavenge that indelible felt-tip pen from your handbag. And from the series Seriously Silly Activities, Scholastic rrp ÂŁ6.99, comes SPOOKY, just right for the Halloween season, featuring supremely imperative doodles to complete such as a zombie in y-fronts and zombie cookery - the kids supply the pictures that go with the a recipe for leftovers that includes smelly socks and sawn off legs. DIY FASHION by Selena Francis-Bryden - Lawrence King rrp ÂŁ14.95. Sometimes I wonder if they were swapped at birth (had someone offered me a cuppa and a cheese and pickle sarnie post-labour, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have considered it) as my girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; idea of utopia is a rank jumble sale in a church hall, followed by a session sewing madly like female Dr Frankensteins to produce handbags from old jeans and belly-tops from t-shirts. This project book almost makes combining dead menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shirts with the business of threading a bobbin attractive. Almost. Speaking of projects, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed a distinct enthusiasm at the shop for the Sophie McKenzie series about four teenagers with psychic abilities. The latest, THE RESCUE, Simon & Schuster rrp ÂŁ6.99 keeps up the pace. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never known teenagers move so quickly without the aid of a pizza. A looong time ago it seems, I read a whole novel on holiday by Carl Hiassen his latest STAR GIRL. Very rude and hilarious with some superbly vulgar epithets that are far too useful to waste on a teenager, his childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books nonetheless maintain that same witty fleet-footedness without recourse to douchebagisms. SCAT, Orion rrp ÂŁ6.99, revisits his favourite themes of animal welfare and the environment in a deliciously un-precious style without a let-up in the pace and the fun. And I finally got home with wet swimming things and dirty football kit determined that my special day would not go down without a fight either. An hour or two later I was squashed into a big cushion with a large glass of fizz, surrounded by my loving family, wrapping paper and ribbon, a cascade of cards, some really nice presents, plus considerable detritus from an extravagant Chinese takeaway. As it is my birthday, I announced squiffily, I am not tidying up! Okay, my beloveds all agreed, with beatific faces. So I got up this morning and did it all instead birthdays are so very yesterday.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk october 2010 - families south east

What’sNew

Mothers Mean Business what it's like to be a

Why is the sky blue?

Phoenix Trader

Ah - those tricky questions our children ask us! Plenty of parents can’t remember enough of school science lessons to rustle up the answers - but now you can lay your hands on some fun ways to bring science alive together. Shell Education Service has produced a free 20 page Activate booklet containing a series of easy experiments for families to try at home to help stimulate children’s enjoyment of science. These include growing your own crystals, creating a home version of the spin dryer and building an explosive soft drink fountain. Download a free copy from www.shell.co.uk/ses.

WHEN CONSIDERING running your own business, sometimes it can be a safer bet to buy into an existing organisation rather than starting from scratch on your own. Someone else has done all set-up work for you, you will be part of a known name, and there’s usually support when you need it. Livia John lives in Plumstead and has two sons: three year-old Oscar and 15 month-old Isaac. We asked her how she swapped fashion for Phoenix Trading.

FSE: What did you do in your ‘previous life’? Livia: “Before I became a Phoenix Trader I was a regional business manager for a large high street fashion chain. After my maternity leave the business was unable to support me working part-time and I wasn’t happy to do full time so I had to resign. At the same time that this was happening I went to a local summer fete and found a fantastic stall selling beautiful Phoenix cards and stationery for amazing prices. I took a brochure away and saw that you could set up your own business from home selling these products.”

FSE: How does it work? Livia: “To become a trader it only costs £45 to set up and for that you receive everything you need to start trading including brochures, samples of the products, order forms and other stationery items. You are then free to start trading and you can sell the products at fetes, parties and via the brochures but you cannot sell them to retailers or via the internet apart from on your own company website which you can set up for free. You must register as self employed.”

choose. You can use it to have enough money to pay for your hair appointments and clothing or you can take it much further and create a decent part-time income to contribute to your household funds. The flexibilty is brilliant as there are no targets and absolutely no pressure from anyone so some weeks I spend an hour on my business and some weeks I try and devote all my free time to it. As you are part of a team (and you can create your own team) there is always someone to turn to for help and support and there is no feeling of rivalry amongst other traders. Working with Phoenix Trading is also a pleasure as they are dynamic and supportive and always coming up with great new products and designs.”

Livia: “You need to have good support from your partner or family as events or parties are often on an evening or weekend, although of course there are many daytime opportunities too.”

FSE: Does the work/ family balance work for you? Livia: “Setting up my own business has been the answer for me to create a positive work life balance. I love being my own boss and I find it really enjoyable having a business interest alongside looking after my two boys.”

FSE: Do you have any advice for anyone else who might be thinking of running their own business? Livia: “Direct selling is a really good business for mothers as the start up costs are low and the flexibility is high. It is also an area that is seeing a growth despite the recession. Do not be misled by claims that high earnings are easily achieved. It is illegal for a promoter or a participant in a trading scheme to persuade anyone to make a payment by promoting benefits from getting others to join a scheme.”

Find out more

Livia: “To start with I just showed the products and brochures to friends and family who instantly loved all the Phoenix range and from there I have built up a much larger customer base, going to events and holding parties in people’s homes. I am not a sales person by any stretch of the imagination and what I love is that the product sells itself.”

Tell us your story

Livia: “The benefits are that this is truly your business which you can take to any level you

For more details on the Phoenix product range or becoming a trader yourself, visit Livia’s website www.phoenix-trading.eu/web/liviajohn, or drop her an email: livia.john@yahoo.co.uk.

Would you like to be considered for a feature in in Mothers Mean Business? If so, send an email to editor@familiesse.co.uk with “Mothers Mean Business” in the subject line, along with a brief description of what you do.

take control of your website with full support and training

websites • online shops brochures • portfolios email marketing

020 8658 9975

www.lancasters.co.uk 16

families south east - october 2010

at Robert Morley & Co. Ltd., 34 Engate Street, London. SE13 7HA for full details or brochure on request

www.morleypianos.co.uk

FSE: Are there any drawbacks?

FSE: How easy was it to start up?

FSE: What are the benefits?

RENT-A-PIANO Home rental from only £30 per month Please call Julia on 020 8318 5838

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

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

0794 719 8881

www.littlegemsdance.co.uk

Quality family time

Meningitis app

Saturday 30 October is CSV Make a Difference day, when families across the UK are encouraged to volunteer together to benefit the local community. New independent research commissioned by the CSV campaign reveals that up to half of British people want to spend more time with their family. Forty one percent of over 11 year-olds plus feel they don’t spend enough time with their nearest and dearest, rising to 48% among 25-34 year olds. This year’s campaign is helping to bring people together by encouraging us all to give our time. CSV has a host of free ‘How to’ guides to inspire families and others to take part in Make a Difference Day: • Want to create a legacy that could last over 100 years? Get together with your loved ones and plant a family tree in your local community. The benefits are enormous - in just one year an average tree can remove one tonne of carbon dioxide from the air and can provide enough oxygen for a family of four • Spend time in the kitchen with the children baking a ‘celebrity’ pumpkin pie by TV Chef Rachel Allen. Donate your delicious pie to an isolated neighbour, a nursing home or your local homeless shelter • Spend an afternoon with the grandchildren getting your hands dirty to help others. Make a mosaic door number designed by interior designer and TV presenter, Andrea Maflin. Print your own personalised t shirts: Hemingway Design (as in Wayne Hemingway) have donated two fantastic sample images that you can use. Or get creative and design a t shirt for your local community sports or youth team or even your local homeless centre.

The Meningitis Trust has launched an app which has a symptom spotter, interactive quiz and advises how to get help. It is available as a free download for the iPhone, iTouch and iPad from www.meningitisapp.co.uk. If you don’t have an iGadget, the Menigitis Trust also has a free 24 hour, nurse-staffed helpline on 0800 028 18 28, and plenty of information on their website www.meningitis-trust.org.

Last year over 67,000 volunteers took part by visiting isolated neighbours, cooking cakes for elderly residents, joining community sport events, holding jumble sales, clearing waterways, saving hedgehogs, holding intergenerational tea parties and helping children to read. This year’s CSV Make a Difference Day includes events taking place from 23 October to 7 November. Ideas and information are on the website www.csv.org.uk/difference. To find out more about volunteering on CSV Make a Difference Day, call 0800 284 533 or email difference@csv.org.uk.

Eating disorders Studies suggest that eating disorders in children are at an all time high with as many as a quarter of adolescent girls in the UK currently affected. Half of nine to ten year olds say they want to be thinner and anorexia has been reported in children as young as seven. Having a child with an eating disorder affects the whole family and can place a huge strain on relationships between parents and with siblings. National charity Care for the Family is launching the first UK telephone befriending service for parents of children with an eating disorder. Launched this month, the new service is the first to offer parents one-to-one, ongoing support from trained ‘befrienders’ who have themselves been through the experience of watching their own child struggle with an eating disorder. Each befriender offers practical encouragement and insights drawn from real life, giving parents reassurance and emotional support to help them cope. To arrange to speak to a befriender call 029 2081 0800 or email eatingdisorders@cff.org.uk. For further information on eating disorders visit www.careforthefamily.org.uk/supportnet, and the Anorexia & Bulimia Care charity, www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk.

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

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

Weekend and weekday sessions now available

For further details ring Gordon on

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

Crawley Studios

Great Fun for Any Age Come along and enjoy the excitement of painting the item of your choice. We provide a large selection of unpainted pottery, from egg cups and mugs to ducks and dinosaurs, as well as paints, brushes, stencils and stamps.

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

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

october 2010 - families south east

and finally...

family life

TEN FACTS ABOUT CHILD MAINTENANCE

When parents separate - Child Maintenance Options The image of a break up isn’t one that tends to be front of mind as the confetti-strewn couple gaze into each others eyes with eternal longing. But breaks ups happen to the happiest-seeming couples, and the fall-out for children can be horrendous and traumatising. Approximately 45% of marriages are doomed for divorce, according to an Office of National Statistics (ONS) study, with half of those failing marriages ending before ten years have passed. One of the commonest causes of argument following a split is child maintenance, which is too often wrongly linked to access; it is crucial for separating parents to recognise child maintenance as a totally separate issue - children must be paid for regardless of how often and when and where they see the parent without the main day-to-day care. Attempts to negotiate child maintenance using the withholding of access as punishment for non payment should be resisted at all costs. Amicable break-ups, where couples have just grown apart and no other parties are involved, are it is believed more likely to result in maintenance being properly paid to whoever has full time care of the children. The reality however is that many break-ups are complicated, distressing, and a time when a multitude of hurtful accusations are hurled back and forth as feelings run high. Finding a way

to introduce the highly-charged topic of child maintenance payments into such emotional turbulence is often too difficult. And so heads get buried in the sand, the problem gets neglected until sorting it out feels impossible. Entrenched behaviour becomes a barrier to resolution, and all the while the children are going without. A recent survey commissioned by the Child Maintenance & Enforcement Commission showed that 93% of separating parents believe that mums and dads should pay for their children after a break-up. And yet, fewer than half of children in separated families benefit from regular maintenance payments.

Child maintenance is regular reliable financial or other support that helps towards your child’s everyday living costs.

Parents have a responsibility to provide financially for their children even if they live apart from them and the other parent.

You don’t have to use the Child Support Agency (CSA) - you and your ex can sort out maintenance privately between yourselves. Some parents though will have no alternative but to use the CSA where for example there have been repeated refusals to negotiate or pay maintenance.

A private arrangement, where appropriate, can save on solicitors’ fees and offer more flexibility than using the CSA.

Payments don’t have to be monetary under a private arrangement - they can be made in kind, such as paying bills or for days out or clothes.

Help is at hand What can you do if you aren’t getting regular maintenance for your child? Or perhaps you are a non-resident parent wondering how much you need to pay to the parent who has full time care of your child? Maybe you want to know whether the fact that you are repaying a joint loan might ‘count’ when your maintenance is being calculated? Does the fact that you take the children on holiday have any impact? Or buying them clothes, paying for school trips? Child Maintenance Options is a free, confidential, impartial, publicly funded service offering solid, reliable information about child maintenance for separating parents who don’t know where to turn. CM Options specialists are trained to help with child maintenance enquiries and problems, and offer information on all of the different options available. There is an on-line maintenance calculator, a private arrangement form and other guides that can be downloaded from the website, and the agents have a wealth of other knowledge at their fingertips too including state benefits, debt counselling and taxation.

To clarify and formalise their plans for child maintenance, separating couples can sign a ‘private arrangement’ form available from CM Options. Some couples even get the form witnessed by third parties, grandparents for example, to make it more formal still. The form can be downloaded from the CM Options website.

If you experience problems keeping a private arrangement in place, or if you want to avoid contact with your ex partner altogether, the CSA will calculate and collect child maintenance on your behalf.

Maintenance can be claimed for children up to 16 or 19 if they are in full time education.

Child maintenance payments won’t affect your child tax credits.

10. To calculate how much maintenance you should receive, use the calculator on the CM Options website.

Case studies Dawn Glover, 43, had been married for 20 years when she discovered her husband was having an affair. When they separated soon after, in August 2008, she didn’t know how to go about getting child maintenance for her two children, aged l3 and l6. She rang Child Maintenance Options and discovered that she could make a private arrangement with the children’s dad. Dawn, who works as a driving instructor, said “The information I was given made me feel really empowered. It was like a breath of fresh air. I am so relieved to be on speaking terms with my ex husband, as I didn’t want things to get nasty for the children’s sake or for them to be dragged into any arguments.” Dawn and her ex sat down and worked out an arrangement that suits them, which is that he pays the bills and has set up a standing order for the mortgage and household insurance. Dawn added “I am very happy with our agreement, and I wouldn’t ever ask for more money. Our relationship is friendly and he often pops over to the house. That would have been unimaginable three months ago.”

Halloween Horrors HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS and spooky events all hark back to the ghosts and spirits who were said to roam on the eve of All Saints Day. Traditionally, candles and fires were lit by the superstitious to keep away evil spirits - nowadays they attract Other People’s Children to your doorstep, bursting with chilly excitement (and too much sugar). It doesn’t have to be all about trick or treating and pound shop plastic - we have more wholesome ideas (and safe alternatives to tramping southeast London streets in the dark).

Halloween crafts Carve a pumpkin lantern, invite some little friends round and have a Halloween ‘making things’ tea, complete with pumpkin soup (see below). You could: • Make little witches, bats, black cats or spiders from coloured paper and felt, stick-on stars, wool and pipe cleaners - the Art Stationers in Dulwich Village is a good source of art materials • Make little edible ‘pumpkin’ treats - buy some satsumas and draw on ‘cut out’ eyes and jagged mouths with a black felt tip pen (this is one of our favourites - they’re also surprisingly popular to hand out to little visitors at the door come the night) • Make up some simple cookies and use writing icing to decorate them with spiders, bats, witches’ hats or pumpkins.

Halloween events

More information Read more at www.cmoptions.org or call the free helpline on 0800 988 0988.

families south east - october 2010

Preparation Tim e: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes. Se rves: 6 Ingredients 1 medium onio n 2 garlic cloves 6 tbsp oil 1.5kg (3lb) pum pkin 2 bay leaves 300ml (1/2 pt) milk 300ml (1/2 pt) single cream salt and pepper Instructions 1. Chop the on ion, crush the garlic and saut onion is transpa é in hot oil until rent the 2. Peel the pum pkin and cut int o 1c m pieces. Add along with the bay leaves, sa to the onion lt and pepper. 15 minutes un Cover and cook til the pumpkin for is soft 3. Transfer to a liquidiser, add the milk and bl Add the cream en d until smooth and reheat gent . Variations: ly before serving . - skip the crea m and add vege table stock - skip the bay leaves and ad d rosemary - add more ga rlic or add mild curry spices.

‘HELLOWEEN’ AT LONDON DUNGEON

SPOOKY WETLANDS

25-31 October, LONDON DUNGEON, 28-34 Tooley Street SE1, 0871 423 2240, www.thedungeons.com Be prepared to feel your blood freeze as the London Dungeon unveils a terrifying week including Jack O’Lantern and the echoing ‘Sounds of Hell’. Stingy Jack, damned by the devil and made to walk in darkness for all eternity with his turnip lantern, will be stalking the dark hellish corridors of the gruesome attraction and could appear at any moment. Visitors who survive Jack’s lair may wish they hadn’t, as the gates of hell gape open to receive them, with an infamous recording of the ‘Sounds of Hell’ echoing throughout a mirrored labyrinth. The eerie screams of tortured souls, will have guests feeling the flames of hell and screaming for a reprieve from the fiery maze. One for older children... Open 10am-5.30pm daily entry £17 children, £23 adults.

23-31 October, WWT WETLAND CENTRE, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes SW13 9WT. 020 8409 4400. www.wwt.org.uk Explore the biodiversity of autumn and go hunting for bugs, bats and decay this half term. Feed the big spider in her magical web and use your nature detective skills to solve the wetland murder mystery. The centre is a spectacular 105 acre wetland landscape of lagoons, lakes and ponds which offer a safe haven for hundreds of wild bird species, dragonflies, bats and amphibians. Open 9.30am - 5pm daily, entrance free for under 4s, £4.95 children, £8.95 adults, families £25.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY Joanne Richards, 39, saw an advertisement for CM Options on television and rang the helpline after her ex partner began intimidating her whenever she mentioned child maintenance. “He got on the net and told me what he was paying” says the mother of two. “The Options experts gave me a lot of help and support and I felt empowered at having got good, solid reliable information from the experts with which to confront my ex husband. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the service to anyone who has concerns about child maintenance. While Joanne was waiting for the private arrangement forms to arrive from Options, she informed her ex of her intention to approach the CSA unless he complied. This alone was enough to persuade him to enter into a private arrangement that is satisfactory to both parties. There was violence in the relationship, and Joanne needed to regain her confidence in order to feel confident enough to challenge her former partner. She said “Without Options I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I feel secure in the knowledge that, should anything go wrong, I can go straight back to Options for guidance about what to do next. They gave me information on organisations in my area that help victims of domestic violence which was really helpful. There didn’t seem to be any question or issue they couldn’t deal with.” Joanne’s relationship with the ex is now on more solid ground and she describes it as ‘ticking along nicely’.

Pumpkin Soup

25-31 October, LONDON EYE, Riverside Building, Westminster Bridge Road, South Bank SE1, 0870 990 8883, www.londoneye.com The London Eye is transformed into a Vampire Academy for the scariest time of year. Young visitors can sink their teeth into a range of Halloween activities by making a vampire mask, flying bat or puppet, and be enthralled by stories told by academy headmaster Dr Acula. Activities noon to 4pm, storytelling 3-7pm. Tickets £9.50 for 4-15 year-olds, under 4s free, adults £17.95.

FUN FAMILY FRIDAY 29 October, Painted Hall, OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE, Greenwich, 020 8269 4747, www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org Dress up in your most outrageous outfits and make your own jointed puppet spiders, bats, cats, witches and vampires to scare your family. Drop-in workshop for all ages, 2-4pm, £1 per child.

MISS HORNIMAN’S HALLOWEEN GATHERING 30 October, HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk You’ll need your own torch for Miss Horniman’s magical Halloween gathering! Discover ghoulish pumpkins in the community food garden and be spooked by stories in the creepy Centenary Gallery. Treats will be available for children who turn up in Horniman-related costumes. 5.30-6.15pm and 6.45-7.30pm, ages 5+, £3, book first.

activities for children - look out for horrible sights and listen for screams! Trips take approximately 50 minutes, book first by telephone, online or in person. Every booking must include at least one child and at least one adult. Boat ride tickets include museum entry: £8 child, £10 adult.

HANDS-ON HALLOWEEN 31 October, ELTHAM PALACE & GARDENS, Court Road SE9 5QE, 020 8294 2548, www.english-heritage.org.uk Explore the spookier side of Eltham through children’s activities and tours. The unique house combines the finest Art Deco home in England with the remains of a medieval and Tudor royal palace - the boyhood home of Henry VIII. Dare to join a ghostly tour and get your hands dirty with chilling craft activities just for children. Plus, don’t forget to dress for the occasion - a small prize will be given for the best children’s costume. 10am-4pm, admission £4.40 children, £8.70 adults, £21.80 families.

HALLOWEEN PARTY 31 October, QUEEN’S HOUSE, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk Enjoy a magical day out this Halloween as the Queen’s House in Greenwich opens its doors to all budding witches and wizards. Conjure up some spooky spells and create magic potions; watch out for ghostly surprises and bring your wand and broomstick to brush up on your flying skills in a special dance workshop. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Everyone who survives the Haunted House will get their own certificate to take home. 11.30am-4pm, suitable for all ages. Admission £3.50 child, £6 adult, £16 families.

GLOWING GHOSTS

HALLOWEEN BOAT TRIP

30 October, SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somerset.org.uk As Somerset House is a very old building there are sure to be a few things that go bump in the night, especially at Halloween. Create your own ghosties, creepy crawlies and wicked witches to add to the gallery’s glowing haunted house. Drop in from 11am-1pm and 2-4.30pm, free. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

30+31 October, from the LONDON CANAL MUSEUM, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Camden N1 9RT, 020 7713 0836, www.canalmuseum.org.uk Take a unique trip through Islington Tunnel on board one of London’s community narrowboats specially decorated for the occasion with a friendly costumed crew. Be prepared for some surprise goings-on in the darkness of the 191 year-old tunnel! Children receive sweets and a free glowstick. The Canal Museum itself will have special

october 2010 - families south east

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