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

I’m back – fingers crossed that I can keep this up for a while! But, hey let’s get back to the weekend. It’s that lovely time of year when the leaves turn brown, a chill hits the air yet there are still things to do outdoors.

So what’s on?

SATURDAY (19^th October)

Head to the Southbank and make friends with some grazing goats! From 12pm head up to the wildflower meadow on Queen Elizabeth Hall roof gardens. There will be seed and woodworking activities with tea and food in the garden.

The 59 and 68 to Waterloo will take you there. Or catch the tube or overground.

Fancy traveling further afield? Then head up to Russell Square for the Bloomsbury festival. Family activities on offer include:

• ·          The Indonesia Kontemporar at SOAS, University of London (10 Thornhaugh St, London WC1H 0XG) featuring music, dressing up, storytelling, crafts and food.
• ·         Turn your doodles into cartoons at the Cartoon Museum (25 Little Russell Street, WC1A 2HH) from 12pm to 12:45pm and 2pm to 2:45pm.
• ·          Lots of walking tours – check the programme for more details. Great for parents with little babies in buggies or slings.
• ·         Love anything underwater? Then take a look around the Grant Museum of Zoology, (UCL, Rockefeller Building, University Street, London WC1e 6DE) from 1pm to 4pm, for their Life Under the Waves activities.

The buses 59 and 68 will take you to Euston which is close by. Festival continues through to Sunday.

And one more for those who want to stay closer to home, pop over to Myatts Fields for the Big Draw! From 1 to 4pm, draw with chalks around the bandstand and enjoy live music!

Myatts Fields on a rainy day.

 

Myatts Fields is located on Cormont Road( SE5 9RA). 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.

SUNDAY (20^th October)

Heading back into Lambeth, take a stop at Streatham Common Community Gardens, located next to the Rookery and enjoy their Apple and Squash day. From 12pm to 4pm, you can make juice and eat squash. Yum! Buses up that way include the 417 and 249. 

More apples? Then head down to the Globe to catch the Lion’s Part perform… as part of October Plenty and Borough Market Apple Day. There will also be traditional games, storytelling and an apple orchard. To get to Bankside on bus, the 45 which passes through Brixton stops at Blackfriars Bridge Road. Alternatively, there is always the tube to Southwark.

Green Man at Lion's Part performance

And finally if it’s raining, check out A Family at Wartime exhibition at the Imperial War Musem (Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ). It tells the real experiences of a family in Stockwell. The Museum is open from 10am to 6pm. The 3, 344, 59 and 159 buses pass the museum.

Have a good weekend!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - October 27th-28th 2012

Earlier this week I was thinking that I didn't have much to write about; everywhere is all half term, half term and Halloween with not much cheap or free stuff earmarked for the weekend and then, ker-plunk!, it all landed down. Lots to do and see, so here goes!

SATURDAY (27th October)

Let start local and the visit the lovely Brockwell Park Greenhouses which will be participating in the Big Draw this week. So on Saturday, pop up there, taking buses 3, 37, 68, 196 or 322 to Brockwell Park, march up the hill and have a go at drawing the plants and structures. This years theme is 'In Lines' and artworks will go up along the brand new vertical fencing. This takes place between 10:30am and 12:30.pm. Donations welcome.

And later on, for the cost of £5 a child, there is play dough session including tips of how to make your own using vegetable dyes and incorporating natural materials! Booking essential. Phone 07427 685714. The session takes place between 2pm to 4pm.

If you want more of a spectacle than Brixton Bolt should be more your cup of tea. This is the chance to see who is Brixton's fastest man, woman and child! All future Olympian sprinters get to it! The first race takes place on Popes Road at 11am. The market on Station road will be supporting this little venture! Come out and watch the action! Buses through Brixton include P4, P5, 188, 196, 59, 159, 3, 133, 333, 45, 345, and 37.

If you are happy to travel further afield hop on the 133 or 35 up to London Bridge and visit the Old Operating Theatre and museum at 9a St Thomas Street, SE1. This Saturday, it's open for free. Surgical demonstrations will take place on the hour, every hour. I'm not sure this is a buggy friendly space so might be worth giving them a ring on tel: 0207 188 2679. Also worth booking your visit as I expect lots of people will be popping in to see it!

An alternative trip out of Lambeth could take you to Somerset House located on the 59 bus route. Between 2pm and 4pm in the West Wing, there will be a chance to cut and paste things. Make a scary mask or a witches hat or a wand. All welcome to join in the gluey fun!

SUNDAY (28th October)

 

Back to staying local, pop over to Myatts Fields Park for a Halloween Event. Between 2pm and 4pm, there will be African drumming, a children's fancy dress event and spooky cakes at the Little Cat Cafe. Fancy dress prizes are awarded for the best costume: 5 and under; 12 and under; and anyone else; judging  is from 3pm to 3.20pm.

Shock at mummy's cake eating habits at the Little Cat Cafe

Myatts Fields Park is located on Cormont Road( SE5 9RA). 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.

Another local Halloween event is at the Brixton Windmill in Windmill Gardens. It's another opportunity to turn the children into scary monsters with a fancy dress procession at 3pm. There will be tales of a haunted mill, pumpkin carving and spooky games. The event is £2 per child. Sounds like lots of fun and action! To get there, travel up the hill on buses 159, 109, 133, 45 and 333.

And finally pop along to the Tate Modern for a family event in the Tanks. From 11pm til 5pm, visitors of all ages are encouraged to "explore moving image through interventions, projections and the live creation of 16mm film works with moving image collective, no.w.here, artist Anna Lucas and live publishing collective CATALOG". Sounds curious! Whose going?!  Local blog A baby on board has recently written a post on her visit to the Tate - check it out here!

To get to Bankside for the Tate Moden you can catch the bus 45 which passes through Brixton and  stops at Blackfriars Bridge Road. Alternatively, there is always the tube to Southwark.
 
So peoples, have a lovely weekend. Fingers crossed for good weather!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - October 13th-14th 2012

We've been lucky with the weather as the sun is still striking out and blessing us with it's rays! So what mini adventures can be had this weekend then?

SATURDAY (13th October)

As mentioned last week, this month is the Big Draw event - a celebration of drawing with lots of  happenings across the country (and in a space near you!). Last weekend the Brixton Windmill and Brixton Library hosted  a selection of art activities.

The library event is repeated this weekend on Saturday between 2pm and 4pm. There will be drawing and reading based upon the theme of children in Victorian Times. Open to all of the family and easy to get to; buses running through Brixton including the 3, 2, 195, 415, 133, 59, 159, 37 and 345.

The Big Draw is also on at Myatts Field Park this Saturday. Between 1pm to 5pm, there is an opportunity to have a go at drawing in workshops located around the bandstand. There is also a chance to hear the  London City Reggae Choir perform.

Bandstand and Little Cat Cafe at Myatts Fields Park

Myatts Fields is located on Cormont Road( SE5 9RA). 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.

And from drawing by hand to a bit of computer fun and photoshop technology, we can head to the British Museum (using the wonderful 59 bus) to play with the Green screen time machine, a family activity where you can place an image of yourself with museum objects. Fun for kids who know what's going on and parents who want to do comedy pics with unaware little ones!

The screen is located in the Samsung Centre and is open from 11:30am to 3:30pm. It's free but limited spaces. Otherwise the rest of the museum is always amazing to have a look around!

SUNDAY (14th October)

From a big museum to a little museum, pop into the Cuming Museum on Walworth Road. It contains the collections of the Cuming family and a room of local history information, very much designed with children in mind. There is also an exhibition about Charles Dickens on until Saturday 24th November. To get to the museum, you can catch a 35 or 45 along the Walworth Road or go to Elephant and Castle on the 133, 155 or 415 and it's a short walk from there.

The FREE button pressing exhibition in East Dulwich is back again with a second round of  Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata! Hop on the 37 bus from Brixton to East Dulwich (catch this bus on Acre Lane opposite the Town hall) to visit the exhibition at Space Station 65, located off Lordship Lane at 65 Northcross Street. Exhibition is on til 6th Jan 2013 and opens Thursday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm.

Boo-boo wondered whether it was in a plastic case to stop her from chewing it.

 
And if this automata has whetted your appetite for robots, then head to the Southbank to see Six Robots named Paul, a Merge Festival exhibit in which six robots draw a portrait of a sitter. As I understand it, you can book to be drawn by the robots and these pictures become part of an exhibition. How cool is that! Well, not sure how much small children will like the piece but it would certainly be curious to them for a while (five? ten? fifteen minutes? And then use bribery for a longer session.)

This exhibit is located at NEO Bankside, Pavillon A, 50 Holland Street, SE1 9FU (behind the Tate Modern) and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 12 to 7pm. Last day of the exhibition is October 21st. To get to Bankside on bus, the 45 which passes through Brixton stops at Blackfriars Bridge Road. Alternatively, there is always the tube to Southwark.

Not interested in robots but want to see something real, then head down to the Battersea Dogs and Cats home to go on a tour of the building! Yay for persuading mummy and daddy you need a pussy cat! Tours are on Saturday and Sunday at 11am or 3:20pm (Sunday) 4:20pm(Saturday). Donation entry price of £2. The home is located at 4 Battersea Park Road, SW8 4AA and can be reached by taking the P5 to Ascalon Street. Get off here and walk up Savona Street to get onto Battersea Park Road- you should come out opposite the Power Station.

Well, there's a weekend of robots, drawing, dogs and cats and in the immortal words of Looney tunes, "That's all folks!"

 

Lambeth - What's on for the family - September 29th -30th 2012

Well, I hope you've all got the hats and gloves out of your cupboards because boy, is it getting a bit nippy! But me personally I love this time of year. It's a chance to swish my feet through a big pile of red, orange and brown fallen leaves.

So what can we do and where shall we go?

SATURDAY (29th September)

The current forecast for Saturday suggests the sun has still got his hat on and we will be seeing lots or rays of sunshine! So we can still do outside things! Hoorah!

Today sees a central Brixton event - something called Brixton Come Together (what a nice title). It will be held at St Matthews Church from 10am to 7pm. The facebook page and website mention activities for kids but what those are it doesn't say. I'm hoping for face paints and bouncy castle! For grown up, there will be music, poetry reading, cinema and discussion.If you are in the area, check it out! There is lots of transport into Central Brixton including the following buses: 2, 3, 196, 159, 118,  35,  37, 345, 45, 333, P4, 133 and 59.

It is also Lambeth Archives annual open day. Now I know it's not the first place I'd think of taking a child along to but it does say that there will be "fun children's activities" I can't imagine they are going to be able to squash a bouncy castle in Minet Library so I'm don't know what it'll be!

The archives and this event certainly is interesting for adults. For those with pushchairs, I'm sure you can manoeuvre your way around the stalls of Lambeth's different societies whilst the baby sleeps. There is not really any changing or eating facilities here but Myatt's Field Park, just a few minutes walk away, has a baby change in the toilet and a kiosk cafe (which does great cakes)!

The archives is located at the Minet Library, 52 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY. The event runs from 10am til 5pm. To get to the library, you'll want to catch one of the following buses along Brixton Road: 3, 59, 159  and 133.

And it seems we are having a special Lambeth themed Saturday as we have an event at the Oasis Adventure Playground in Stockwell, to celebrate 60 years of the Stockwell Bus Garage. A bus garage? I hear you say. Well, yes, this is a rather amazing and not so well known piece of architecture. At the time of building, it was the largest unsupported area under one roof in the whole of Europe!

 This event is part of the 'All aboard for Stockwell' project. It runs from 1 to 4pm and involves junk model making, sketching and fabric painting. The Oasis Adventure Playground is located at Larkhall Lane, Stockwell, SW8 2PD. Buses near by are the 2, 196, 88 or 155.

SUNDAY (30th September) 

The weather today isn't looking so good so lets look at what's indoors in South London. I would recommend hopping on a bus to the Horniman Museum which is located on the route of the P4.

This museum is a wonderful collection of objects from stuffed animals including the rather well known walrus (who has a twitter account) to puppets to masks to musical instruments; lots to keep big and little minds occupied. Most of the museum is free. They do have a paying aquarium which means lots of time playing spot the creature in the tank. The tickets cost £2.50 for adults and £1 for kids - sounds reasonable to me!

Alternatively, if you can bare the long bus ride, take a journey to South Kensington and the museums on the number 345. A chance to see how easy it is to get there by bus! This Sunday is the Big Draw, Big Make event at the Victoria and Albert Museum from 11am to 5pm. There will be talks, pop-up studios, famous children's illustrators to hand and lots of drawing sketching fun to be had.

 And just in case the sun is out, one more out of the area event is the Pearly Kings and Queen Harvest Festival located in Guildhall Yard. Someone has made a map early for you folks to get there! Catch the 133 to Moorgate and walk from there. The event starts at 1pm. There will be Morris dancers, a maypole dancing and a marching band. Try explaining pearly kings and queens to a small child -enjoy!

Whatever you do and where ever you head to, have a good one!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - September 22nd -23rd 2012

Nearly time for the weekend again ! The cold air of Autumn is really starting to be felt so time to get out the big cosy jumpers to wrap up for some outings with the little ones!

Saturday (22nd September)

Saturday is abundant with things to do this weekend.

Local to Lambeth is the Stockwell Festival. Here’s hoping for good weather as local residents bring together food, markets and entertainment to Larkhall Park. Boosted by the working of the South Lambeth Market and the Cavendish Arms Pub, there will be more stalls and cabaret from the various nights at the pub. 

For the kids, there is a bouncy castle, magic show, infant funfair, children's sports day games and other entertainments. As long as the weather stays good, this should keep mum, dad and juniors very happy! The festival runs from 11:45am to 6pm and as mentioned is held at Larkhall Park. To get there, you can either catch a bus that goes along Wandsworth road, 77, 77a and 196 or one that goes along Clapham Road (Buses 88, 155).

And while you are heading that way, pop into Stockwell Studios at the former Annie McCall Hospital, McCall Close, Jeffreys Rd (off Clapham Road: Buses 88,155),  SW4 6QU. The building is open so take the opportunity to have a look around. There is a lovely garden for the kids to have a wander including a great tree house. For the grown-up you can look around at the art work. This might be one of the last opportunities to see this space as it is. It's not really buggy friendly though we have got the pushchair up and down the stairs!

For the architecture fans, it’s London’s Open House Weekend, an opportunity to wander around London's buildings for free. Is there anything the family can do together?  Lets have a look...

Open only on the Saturday is City Hall, (The Queens Walk, SE1 2AA  near Tower Bridge) the home of the Greater London Authority. It’s definitely worth a visit. You catch a lift to the top, check out the view and them walk down a very long spiral staircase. They have an activity for children between 11am -3pm on the top floor..This is for kids aged 5-10 and involves creating a re-imagined London.
 
The building is open between 9am to 6pm. From LB of Lambeth, it is best to catch buses 133 or 35 to London Bridge and walk to the building. This visit is probably not suited for buggy babies (although you could just catch the lift up to the top and back down again).

And whilst you are down that way, check out the Bermondsey Street Festival, just down the road from City Hall. Activities includes, fancy dress, maypole dancing, a tug of war and a dog show. Sounds intriguing! Do visit!

Looking to stay local, then head to Myatts Field to celebrate the Harvest Festival with them. There will be music, chutney making and a wild food trail. The park has a good playground and a cafe using produce grown in the greenhouses.

Myatts Fields is located on Cormont Road( SE5 9RA) (Buses 36, 185 and 436 to Camberwell New Road, Buses 3, 59, 159  and 133 along the Brixton road. A ten minute walk from there.) The event is on from 1pm til 5pm.

Sunday (23rd September)

 For your Sunday, there are still many Open House places to visit this weekend.

For those with the baby in the pushchair, a history tour of West Norwood Cemetery might make the day pleasant. Walks start at 2pm, 2:30pm and 3pm and take around an hour and a half. I’m sure you can leave if Junior starts screaming! Meet inside the Cemetery Gates. Buses from Brixton to West Norwood are 2, 322, 196 and 432.

Across the road is another Open House place, the South London Theatre, the Old Fire Station, 2a Norwood High Street, SE27 9NS (open from 1pm to 5pm). Unfortunately this isn’t buggy friendly but work with those who have older children. With all it’s nooks and crannies and it’s history as a fire station and theatre it is sure to get the imagination going!

For those in the Streatham area, take a hop across South London to Tooting for another place which probably can’t cope with the buggy – the Gala Bingo Hall (open from 9:30am to 11:am). This has an amazing interior – there is something rather magical about the place. I’m not sure how much a child would appreciate it but I still dream about the castles I visited as a child so you never know what might stay in a young child’s minds. Buses to Tooting are 333, 155 and 355.

And a last place to pop into on the Open House weekend is the Dulwich Picture gallery which will be holding some activities for children. Catch the P4 to this part of the world!

Come rain or shine, inside or outside, whatever you are doing this weekend, have a good one!