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! 

Lambeth - What's on for the family - November 16th/17th 2013

Another weekend of things to do coming your way! So let’s take a look  

SATURDAY (16^th November)

Pop up to Crystal Palace Food Market, on Hayes Lane, for some action storytelling from 11:30 to 12pm. This costs £1 per child. After that, stick around for some free crafting fun with books! The people from Untapped will be around from 12-3pm and the weather is looking good for Saturday!

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

Whilst the weather is nice and the autumnal landscape is beautiful, then take the family for a walk. We recommend you check out the Capital Ring Walk. Section 4 is a pleasant walk between Crystal Palace and Streatham. Check out the website to download a map and directions which include facts about the area.

The walk starts at Crystal Palace Train Station.

And staying in Crystal Palace, take the little ones to the Crystal Palace Park Farm, located on Ledrington Road, SE19 2BS. Open from 12 -4pm on Saturday and Sunday, get the kids to practice their animal noises!

If Crystal Palace is too far away, check out Vauxhall City Farm. Little ones love talking to the animals. It’s open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 to 4pm. 

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

As mentioned before, it’s a lot harder to find free or cheap things for the little ones to do as the weather gets colder.

  

SUNDAY (17^th November)

For those who like old vehicles and kids who like buses, visit  Merton Bus garage which is celebrating 100 years!  On this open day, there will a chance to have a look at some heritage buses and ride on one.

The event runs from 10.30am to 4.30pm at Merton bus depot, High Street, London, SW19 1DN and the 57 bus will take you from Streatham to the event.

Take a visit to the Tate Britain and check out Liminal  - a family event every weekend between 11 til 3pm. Go to the information desk for details. Website says it "invites families into a physical, material and social experience of sculpture through touch, interaction and collaboration"

 A number 2 or 88 bus ride across the river takes you to view some art. 

Another regular indoor event is the National Gallery's Sunday Magic Carpet Storytelling. Suitable for under-fives, it runs at 10:30am and repeats at 11:30 am.

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

Have a good one!

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**

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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.

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Brockwell Park

Dulwich Road

London

SE24 0NG

DATE: Tuesday 5th November

GATES: 17.00

PRICE: Absolutely free

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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.

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Southwark Park

Gomm Road

SE16

DATE: Tuesday 5th November

GATES: 17.00

DISPLAY: 19.00

CLOSE: 20.30

PRICE: Absolutely free!

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Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

SE11 5HY

DATE: Friday 1st November

GATES: 18.30

BONFIRE: 19.00

STORY: 19.00

DISPLAY: 20.00

PRICE: Absolutely free!

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Soft Play in Crystal Palace at Toddlers' World

I'm back! Well, not quite however I thought I'd let you know about my latest outing.

Baby Boo-boo's nursery is shut for part of Easter so it's been a chance for us to get out of the house. I decided that to avoid the mayhem of the Brixton Rec's soft play with big kids bouncing through the baby ball pit, I'd go check out another toddler's world for the under 5 yr olds. Having visited the one in Clapham, I expected more of the same - lots of plush new equipment and a gaggle of small children and parents enjoying it.

So we headed to the Crystal Palace National Sports centre with a new plan hatched about how we would get from the bus stop to the place avoiding the steps unlike our last sorry attempt. We caught the number 3 bus and got off the second to last stop. However as soon as we got off, I realised we would have to do serious back tracking to find a gentle slope down to the sports centre.

Sod this, I decided and we took the steps - bump, bump, bump and then some more... and some more! At least it was all down hill. We finally got to our location and entered the wonderful sports centre - I do love the architecture. We bought a ticket - £4.75 for the baby to play - and headed through the centre to the back.

An area was cordoned off using a large inflatable barrier and inside was a sparse collection of toys for the little uns to play with. It was quite different from the abundance of the very new toys at Clapham!  Some things seemed too old for the baby Boo-boo (who is one and walking), other things were for younger babies (sensory mats) or better for structured play (musical instruments). Many of the one o'clock clubs I've been to have better set ups than this and are free!

It wasn't a bad space and with a little bit of investment into a few new pieces it could feel like it was worth the entrance fee. For me it was a chance to let the baby run, walk and crawl around without too much to worry about so at the end of the day it fulfilled it's role.

If the centre wants a better attendance, than it should get a few new bits of equipment and make it look fun!!

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Information

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is located at Ledrington Road  London, SE19 2BB.

Non-membership kids pay £4.75 a session.

The centre can be contacted on  020 8778 0131

The opening times of the Toddlers' World are:

Monday       10:00 to 12:00pm  
Tuesday       1:00 to 3:00pm
Thursday     10:00 to 12:00pm

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Want to know more about soft play facilities in the Lambeth area and beyond? Read the following:

• our review of soft play at Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre
• our review of soft play at Brixton Recreation Centre
• our review of soft play at Bertie and Boo Adventure Island

Parent Bloggers & Websites Part 1: Places to take the kids

In my conversations to local parents, I get the impression that the Little Lambeth is a really helpful blog so I thought I'd let you know about some of other blogs which I find useful when it comes to looking for places to take children.

SE19 Kids lets you know what's on in the Crystal Palace area. Great for families in the south of the borough.

For parents in Streatham, check out Tooting Baby's diary of what's on in the area. Also includes a list of baby friendly eateries and local places to go for a day out.

Looking for reviews of things to do in London, then check out London with a toddler, lots of entertaining stories about visits to different places in London. Also includes an ace googlemap so that it's easy to find the places that the author has visited.

And finally, check out Clapham mums which covers the Clapham, to Clapham Junction area. It lists local activities and events and if you sign  up, you can get a card offering great local deals.

So there you go, a few more helpful hints. Let me know if you can think of anyone else to add to this list!

Taking Baby for a Swim Part 5: A review of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

Over the Autumn, me and baby Boo-boo got into quite a regular habit of going swimming and I wrote several reviews about the places we went to. One week, we decided to head out up the road to the Palace, take a dip in the pool and afterwards, meeting Gill who writes A Baby on Board blog.

Now I know the pool is in the middle of the park and the park is full of steps (beautiful steps but not buggy friendly!). So I caught a bus that took we to the train station which is slightly down the hill. Well, I thought that this should have been straightforward from here except it wasn't really. I could see the centre but getting to it took me on a tour around the running track, past a very crashed car and then I was faced with a flight of steps! Oh dear me! So there was I bumping the baby up the stairs, hoping my arms wouldn't give out.

It took me way to long to get to the swimming pool but anyway, we were here now and raring to get in the water! Crystal Palace National Sports Centre was built in 1964, is a listed building and until the recent Olympics was some of the best facilities in the capital. The main pool is 50m long and there is a teaching and a training pool. When we finally arrived, we got in, paid our fees and asked the receptionist what we needed to do. We took a lift down to the changing rooms. These were big open spaces with some private cubicles and at least one which had room for a buggy. We sheltered in there and wrestled with getting undressed (I am still so rubbish at this -I go into panic mode).

They don't have a buggy park in the changing room but there is plenty of space for them. Also they have big lockers which could store a folded up buggy. So everything was in it's place, clothes away, towels in hand, baby tucked under arm! And.... here we go!

 We followed the sign to the pools. We weren't quite sure -were we in the teaching pool or training pool? We followed one sign, had a peek in and there was a swimming lesson in progress so not there! Then we ask a life guard fella, who was very helpful and told us where to go (and then had a good look at my bottom - I so hate wandering around in my swimsuit!)

So we reached the pool which has several steps going into the shallow water. It is is in a huge, very light space next to the main pool and some people have suggested it is a bit like being outside. We sat on the steps and had a play. I did find it a little cold sitting half in the water but we had our fun and then went back to the changing rooms for the complication that is getting dressed.

We used the shower briefly and then got changed in the main area as it gave me more space to manoeuvre. The baby was put on the floor quite a few times so I could get bits and pieces for her. It is still not a smooth operation. They didn't teach me this at school or antenatal class.

So I'd say we quite liked the pool, changing room space was good, larger lockers for folded buggies but no clearly marked buggy park.  I did feel a bit cold at the pool side. I would go back if my partner was with me because I'd like a swim in the big pool enveloped in water and light while he looked after the baby!

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Information

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is located at Ledrington Road  London, SE19 2BB

At the sports centre, adults (non-members)  pay £4.50 (peak) or £2.55 (off-peak) per swim and  junior (non-members) pay £2.25 (peak) or £1.85 (off-peak). Family Swim (2 adults /2 children) is £9.10. From Monday to Saturday before 10am (during the school holidays), kids go free. After 10am, they can swim for a £1 during public swims.

The centre can be contacted on  020 8778 0131

The opening times of the  swim for all and are:

Monday       12:00 to 1:30 and 3:00 to 5:00pm (Teaching Pool)
Tuesday       7:00 to 9:30pm (Training Pool)
Wednesday  3:00 to 5:00pm (Teaching Pool)
Thursday     10:00 to 12:00pm (Teaching Pool)
Friday          3:00 to 5:00pm (Teaching Pool)
Saturday     9:00 to 2:00pm (Teaching Pool)
Sunday        9:00 to 12:00 and 3:00 to 5:00pm (Teaching Pool)

It's always worth phoning the pool to check it's open or that there hasn't been a change to the timetable.

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Want to know more about swimming with babies in the Lambeth area and beyond? Read the following:

• our review of Latchmere Leisure Centre
• our review of Brixton Recreation Centre 
• our review of Clapham Leisure Centre
• our review of Camberwell Leisure Centre