Lambeth - What's on for the family - December 7th/8th 2013

Good afternoon or evening...or whenever you are reading this. The cold weather brought with it aches and pains, colds and bugs and so we have been rather out of action which is a shame as there have been some goodies over the last couple of weeks.

Not to worry, Christmas soon. Check out this weekend's things to do:

SATURDAY (7^th December)

It's the winter fair time of year!

The Horniman museum has their Christmas Fair this weekend  on both Saturday and Sunday. You can write Santa a letter and make a Christmas angel for a small fee. Santa's grotto is to be booked (check out the website) and the weekly chance to explore objects is also one. Visit Sunday for carol singing and storytelling. And for those looking for pressies, the market will be there!

It runs from 10:30 to 4:30. Catch the P4 from Brixton to the museum.

More christmas fun at the  Crystal Palace Food Market, on Hayes Lane. Head there to hear carols at 12 and from 12 - 3pm, the people from Untapped will be around for ceramic Christmas tree decoration painting.

The buses 3, 417, 249, 432 and 322 take you into the Crystal Palace area.

 Don't want a fair? Then pop into the Minet Libary for some under-fives storytime and play at 11am and for over-fives, there is crafts at  2:30pm. The library is located on 52 Knatchbull Rd, London SE5 9QY. Buses 36, 185 and 436 to Camberwell New Road, Buses 3, 59, 159  and 133 along the Brixton road. It's a ten minute walk from there. Give them a ring to make sure it is still on: 020 7926 6073.

SATURDAY (8^th December)

Head to Vauxhall City Farm. this weekend for their Christmas Open Day. There will be family activities and crafts, living nativity stable as well as all the animals to chat at. It’s open from 11am to 4pm. 

To get there catch a 2, 88 or 196. The area is also served by the overground and underground.

And finally, there is the Winter Fair at Brockwell Park from 11am to 3pm. Great for present shopping and the chance to meet santa (he has got a very busy weekend)!

This event is located in Brockwell Hall (the cafe at the top of the park). Buses to the main park entrance at Herne Hill include  3, 196, 322, 68 and 37. You can also catch the overground to Herne Hill.

So enjoy your weekend and say hello to santa from me! 

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

It's that time of year when autumn has truly taken hold: dark mornings and darker evenings; the beautiful blue of a sky with the Sun sitting ever lower. The russet and golden tones dominate the trees; leaves litter the streets; scarves are pulled from the depths of the wardrobe to shield us against that autumnal chill; and when I catch a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament I think "what if?"

Now whilst I'm not sure how I feel about burning Fawke's effigy on a bonfire, I do think it gives us a reason to stop, think about and admire the stunning architecture that surrounds us here in London. I for one am thankful that the plot was foiled. 

With this in mind, I've been having a little look to see where you can catch some fireworks this year and boy have you been spoilt. With offerings from Vauxhall and Crystal Palace, to name just a couple, there is plenty of choice (and if you fancy braving the cold, you can definitely catch more than one display).

In what seems to be a controversial decision, Lambeth Council has organised this years event to take place in Brockwell Park once again. Despite some concerns over transport links (or lack of) it's set to be a good-un. This years theme is 'The Four Seasons'; different zones will be located on the park to represent Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and to top it off, the display itself has been created by the team behind the London Olympics fireworks!

Part of a two-week Fire Festival, Vauxhall Pleasure Garden will have a full evenings entertainment. Beginning with the lighting of the bonfire, you can expect gymnasts, artists and parkour dancers to provide an insight into the origins of fire. 

Hopping out of Lambeth, Battersea Park's popular display has a 'Shrieks and Skulls' themed night - what with it being so close to Halloween and all. Unlike other events organised by their respective Council, this is going to cost you and the sooner you book your tickets the better (£6.50 until 27th October and then the price increases). Under 10s go for free, but be aware that they still need a ticket!

Southwark Park's night kicks off at 5pm and throughout the evening you can expect to see fire and light performances as well as enjoy the family fun fair. Southwark, like Lambeth, have been able to host another Bonfire Night that is free - a good choice if you are saving those pennies for Christmas!

Perhaps the most family-friendly of all the offerings however, is Crystal Palace Park. With not one, but two displays, you may feel happier about having your little one out after dark. Whilst the main display is set to music and is full of the loudest fireworks you could imagine, the children's display will be using those that are quieter and more colourful. 

You can see all the events below, with as much detail as is humanly possible! So take a look and let us know which event takes your fancy. Perhaps you've heard of another event that pips these? Don't be shy, sharing is caring and we'd love to hear what you're thinking of doing or not doing as the case may be!

It's also important to remember that safety is paramount on Bonfire Night. Keeping you safe are the good people @BonfireSafety; a beautifully designed, as well as informative, document has been filled with some little known facts, with some handy 'dos & don'ts' to keep you safe. Be sure to check it out here.

**If you are interested in going a little further afield then take a look at the spreadsheet created by IanVisits, he has gone the extra mile and collated all the information for you**

-----------------

Battersea Park

DATE: Saturday 2nd November

GATES: 18.00

BONFIRE: 19.30

DISPLAY: 20.00

PRICE: £6.50 until Sunday 27th Oct // £8 from Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November // £10 Saturday 2nd November before 6pm (buy tickets online), Children under 10 years go free, but still need a ticket.

-----------------

Brockwell Park

Dulwich Road

London

SE24 0NG

DATE: Tuesday 5th November

GATES: 17.00

PRICE: Absolutely free

-----------------

Crystal Palace Park

Thicket Road

London

SE20 8DT

DATE: Tuesday 5th November

GATES: 18.00

CHILDREN'S DISPLAY: 19.00

MAIN DISPLAY: 20.30

PRICE: £6 Adults // £4 Children (3-10yrs) // Children under 3 years go free.

-----------------

Southwark Park

Gomm Road

SE16

DATE: Tuesday 5th November

GATES: 17.00

DISPLAY: 19.00

CLOSE: 20.30

PRICE: Absolutely free!

-----------------

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

SE11 5HY

DATE: Friday 1st November

GATES: 18.30

BONFIRE: 19.00

STORY: 19.00

DISPLAY: 20.00

PRICE: Absolutely free!

-----------------

Lambeth - What's on for the family - January 19th-20th 2013

It's the weekend! Hooray! Time for some family fun. Except it's possible the snow is going to change what we can do this weekend. Anyway lets see what's on!

SATURDAY  (19th January)

Lambeth is rather quiet this weekend. Winter seems to lack one-off events in the area. If you don't fancy traveling too far, then take a visit to the library - get some books and films out and settle down at home as the weather gets cold.

Otherwise let's take a bus ride to get a bit of south London culture and head on the P4 to the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill. They have two different family sessions on today - one which allows you to handle objects (free) and another which is about having a go at art (£3 a child).

Or head in the opposite direction to Bankside to visit the Tate Modern. Seek out the Clore Learning Centre where they have an open studio so the children can explore and create. It's open from 11am to 4pm.

To get to the Tate Modern on bus, the 45 which passes through Brixton stops at Blackfriars Bridge Road. Alternatively, there is always the tube to Southwark.

SUNDAY (20th January)

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a drop in design event about creating costumes. This is on all day in the lunch room.

The museum is located in South Kensington. The number 345 bus will take you there; alternatively take the train or tube to Victoria and catch the District Line.

Get involved in a family activity at the National Gallery. They are also doing regular Sunday events for the family. Under fives have the Magic Carpet Storytelling at 10:30am and 11:30 am; and five to eleven year old children have a hands-on art workshop called postcards from Arcadia running at 11am to 12:20pm and 2am to 3:20pm.

The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN. Hop on the number 3 bus or 159 to get there.

Head down to the  British Museum for a free medieval animation workshop for kids age 7 +. There are two sessions - one starts at 11m and one at 2pm.

The British Museum is located at Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. Hop on the 59 bus to get there.

If the snow does arrive, then Brockwell Park is a good place for a bit of sleighing. However it gets very busy. If you can get out of the house, check out Spit-spot blog for some ideas of things to do.

Have a lovely weekend!