Taking Baby for a Swim Part 6: West Norwood Health and Leisure Centre

So things are a-changing! New leisure facilities have arrived and they need reviewing!

Princess Boo is less of a baby and definitely a toddler at 2 & 3/4 so our needs at the swimming pool have changed; however some issues are still the same. Let's take a look at Lambeth's latest addition to their swim facilities!

West Norwood's eagerly awaited lesiure centre opened during the summer. Would there be a creche to show that the council and leisure centre understood the needs of local mums? Hell no! The protest by Streatham Mums have been ignored. So although local parents aren't going to get a chance to take a small break from their kids to go to the gym or have a swim, they can bring the whole family for one of the family swim sessions.

The first rule of West Norwood swim is there is only one pool and it looks small. It is a standard 25m long and when it gets divided up so that other users can have private lessons, it starts to feel a little crowded. Saturday's swimming session felt a little cosy at times; however because the session is around lunchtime, most parents will be feeding their kids and shouldn't be taking them for a swim directly after food. A bit of strange planning by the leisure centre!

As Princess Boo is walking and talking and running and screaming, our needs at the swimming pool are slightly different. We still need a buggy park - and they do have a few spaces to store the pushchairs. On arrival, we gathered our swim stuff, parked the buggy (known as robot bug) and headed to the changing rooms. The pool is on the ground floor so easy to get to. There are separate male and female changing rooms. Each facility contains cubicled showers, toilets and changing areas. The changing space are good sizes so that even the single units have enough room for a parent and a child.

Me and Boo did some swift undressing as she kept trying to unlock the door which was very easy for her to do. I then had to load up our belongings into my arms and carry them out to the locker whilst trying to locate a pound coin to work the lock and hold onto a small child who was desperate to throw herself at the water even though her experience of it is limited.I spotted her dad and he came to the rescue so I managed to put our clothes away without dropping them in puddles.

Next up, the pool! Family swim sessions involve lots of floats and my daughter thought this was fab as did her father who tried to build a giant raft. A small area of the pool is divided from the main pool and the floor is 0.8 metres so Princess Boo could just about stand up in it. In this section I could securely rest on the bottom and hold her but in the main bit of the pool I had to stand to hold her which made it a little less relaxing. There are a few steps which lead into the main pool area but it's not really enough space for parents to sit and let their little ones walk up and down. Plus, the space feels a little cold. I was glad to be under the water.

So we had our swim fun and decided to try out the family change space. They have two very  big cubicles outside of the main changing rooms. These have a baby change and you can take in a push chair if needed . We went into the slightly smaller size which was a bit crowded for two adults and one small child who was still trying to open the door and revel naked mummy to the  people of Norwood. The biggest inconvenience of the family changing room was that they were very far away from the showers which are in the male or female changing room so one family member had to sacrifice shower time.

So overall, the facilities aren't bad. The pool looks out onto trees and lets in lovely light. And the space is generally clean and new. It's great for the area to have a pool. Check it out and let us know what you think!

West Norwood Health and Leisure Centre Information

West Norwood Health and Leisure Centre is located at 25 Devane Way, West Norwood, SE27 0DF

At the leisure centre, adults (non-members)  pay £4.20 per swim and babies pay £1.85. The centre can be contacted on 020 8761 1159.

The opening times of the pool are:

Monday - Friday       6:30 - 10:00pm
Saturday                    8:00 to 5:00pm
Sunday                       8:00 to 4:00pm

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 Camberwell Leisure Centre
• our review of Brixton Recreation Centre 
• our review of Latchmere Leisure Centre
• our review of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

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! 

Mumsnet Brixton

I think it's universally acknowledged that parenthood can be a little isolating at times, especially in those early days and particularly if you have moved to a new area away from family and friends. I know that this was true for me; a young baby, the upheaval of moving away from the support network I had AND a boyfriend who works long hours meant that I felt lonely about 80% of the time.

Starved of adult interaction and other parents who just 'got it' (and after a hugely unsuccessful trip to the Ritzy's Big Scream), I took myself off to Mumsnet where I had a stroke of luck - the only local group that was currently active? You got it, Brixton. I remember breathing a sigh of relief and feeling so thankful that there were people who were local and wanted something similar.

After a little hesitation I signed myself up and Marie - the Ambassador for the lovely Brixton lot - welcomed me warmly to the group. Since then I don't think I've made one official Mumsnet meet up - timing as opposed to not wanting to - but I have met up with Marie briefly (on a street corner to hand over cake - don't ask) and she was a wonderfully genuine person who I felt I could arrange to go for a coffee with any time. Now we are in touch regularly about how we are getting our with our respective babies and it's so good to know that someone is just there (for me anyway!).

When I spoke with Marie about the Mumsnet group, she explained why she put herself forward as the group ambassador and it turns out that she was feeling isolated too. With a friend from her antenatal group and another she'd met through Netmums, she started posting meet up dates and slowly but surely, more people joined the group. Now, meet ups are arranged every other week at baby-friendly cafes for people to get together with or without their babies - this for me was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders as Baby A goes off on adventures a couple of times a week.

So, if you are feeling a little lost and in need of some adult interaction or moral support - or if you just fancy meeting some new people - then go ahead and sign up to the group here - there will always be someone there and I believe there is a meet up arranged for tomorrow morning...

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!

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

Lambeth's New Real Nappies Scheme (and other nappy information!)

For expectant mums, one thing many take into consideration is whether to go for disposable nappies or reuseables. It's a tough question and only one you can answer.

However, if you are looking for advice and tips on what to get, then head to the Real Nappies for London Website which will answer all your questions on this matter.

Closer to home, head to Lambeth Council webpage and read about the Lambeth Real Nappies Scheme. There is an opportunity to talk to advisers and you can pick up a trial pack of three reuseable nappies. You will need to have proof of address and photo ID. Get in touch with them to find out more.

And for those who struggle with reuseables or don't feel it's the right thing for them, then check out this service which suggests it can recycle nappies! Is this the future? It would be interesting to see energy use and cost for all schemes.

Whatever you're choice, let's hope for a more environmentally friendly future which is easy on the planet, easy on the finances and easy on the parents.

"Sort my nappy out mummy!"

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

It's a bit of a slow weekend as many people remain on holiday and places stay shut.

However, visit my blog post of things to do over the Christmas period for some ideas.

SATURDAY (29th December)

Head to the Victoria and Albert Museum to catch a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. Or pop in for family fun at the Imagination Station. The number 345 bus will take you to South Kensington; alternatively take the train or tube to Victoria and catch the District Line.

If you don't fancy the V & A, then head to the Natural History Museum which has lots of family activities. An investigation of teeth and dinosaur diets sounds interesting!

Take a stroll through the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park: the market and Santa land is free! Buses 2, 36 and 137 will take you there.

SUNDAY (30th December)

 

Pop to the Museum of London to learn about London Bones. The museum is in the Barbican which can be reached by tube or bus (133 and 35) to Liverpool Street and a ten minute walk.

If the rain stops and you fancy a family walk, then 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 buses 3, 417, 249, 432 and 322 take you into the Crystal Palace area. The walk starts at Crystal Palace Train Station.

Hope you manage to stay entertained! Have a happy new year!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - November 24th-25th 2012

Wow - end of the month already. Where has the time gone? Baby Boo-boo has just turned 9 months and I'm back to work in Jan! So lets get on and enjoy ourselves! What can we do this weekend?

SATURDAY (24th November)

In case you haven't noticed, Christmas is just around the corner and as a warm up, Brixton market has their Christmas Experience Market on Saturday from 10 am to 5pm on Station Road. This includes a big tree that needs decorating so bring the kids down with some decorations and lend a hand!

Buses through Brixton include P4, P5, 188, 196, 59, 159, 3, 133, 333, 45, 345, and 37. Alternatively you can catch the tube or the overground into the area. 

A free walks for parents with buggy babies? Yes please if it doesn't get too cold. Check out a free history walk about Great Statesmen and Women. Meet at Westminster tube at 11:30am. Visit the website to book your place!

Buses to Westminster are the 88, 159 and 3.

All this walking makes Boo-boo tired!

Want a chance to explore  the city? Then have a go at the Natural History Museum Treasure Hunt running on Saturday and Sunday. Visit up to twelve location where kids have to take a rubbing of a raised drawing which relates to a treasure at the new gallery at the museum. Each rubbing is an entry for a competition! The hunt is on between 10am to 4pm. Check out their website for instructions!

And a final reminder, it's the last week of the Charles Dickens' Exhibition at Southwark's little Cumming Museum, located on Walworth Road. The museum is open between 10am til 5pm.

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.
 

SUNDAY (25th November)

Are the family willing to brave the cold, then Sunday is Junior Dig the Park up at the Greenhouses at Brockwell Park. Help plant 60 tree in the park. The event runs between 10:30am to 12:30pm for ages 5 and older. Get out the thermals, hats, gloves, scarves and warm coats!

And then visit the Herne Hill Market afterwards for some well earned food - it stays open to 4pm. I can recommend the hot apple juice with ginger!

Buses into the area include 3, 196, 322, 68 and 37.

And finally, looking for a space indoors to explore? Then head to the Tate Britain in Pimlico (just across the river from Vauxhall!). Every weekend they run Liminal, an interactive experience with sculpture for families running between 11am to 3pm. Ask at the Information desk when you get there.

Buses to Pimlico include the 185, 436, 36, 2 and 88.

Good luck anyone who has a go at the treasure hunt! And happy weekending to the rest of you!

Soft Play in Clapham At Toddler's World

Yes, it's my next visit to Soft Play. How will Boo-boo and I have fared on this outing?

This soft play is the type that can be dismantled and put away so we were here for one of the many sessions they run during the week.  This activity is held at the very very clean and sparkly new Clapham Leisure Centre in their large sports hall. Half of it had been cordoned off and the other half filled with soft play blocks and shapes, an inflatable bouncy castle and a toddlers climbing frame all set upon soft mats so no nasty falls for the little ones!

So when we arrived there were two other children there... a little quiet for a miserable grey Monday afternoon. I presumed everyone stayed at home. Anyway, we got to it, shoes off for me, coat off for baby and headed straight into the fun! Boo-boo always looks rather baffled by it all - she isn't quite sure how to react to it but eventually she started to get excited by all the shapes and things to clamber over. At 8 and a half month and a furious sniper crawler, she is keen to roam but somehow this wasn't quite inspiring her but did suit the babies and toddlers who were able to walk and understood what to do to get the fun out of the soft play.

So we soldiered on, smiling at other children whilst Boo-boo either attempted to wave at them or suck the soft play item. We did have a sit in the bouncy castle and I got chatting to another mum who told me it can get really busy. I can imagine that and it not being much fun for the very little ones. Then the daughter got restless and it was time for us to say farewell.

Overall I found it a little underwhelming and didn't look as much fun as the one at the Rec. It was cleaner and everything brand spanking new. But they did have a man on guard to check your ticket and just keep an eye on what was going on. However it wasn't too comfortable for parents if you wanted or needed to sit down with your child.

Toddlers World is located in the Sports Hall at Clapham Leisure Centre, 141 Clapham Manor Street SW4 6DB. The sessions for the week are on everyday at 1:30pm to 3pm and extra sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30am to 11am.

Entrance is £2.70 per child. For any other information, contact the centre on tel: 020 7627 7900

Buses past the leisure centre are the  88, 50, 155, 322 and 345.

Enjoy!

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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 Bertie and Boo Adventure Island
• 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 the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre 

Bach to Baby - a Classical Music Experience for Parents and Babies

It came up in a discussion recently that most of the events for babies either benefit the child or the parent but rarely both. Bach to baby offers something which both baby and mum or dad can enjoy - a session of classical music.

Each month Bach to Baby creates a theme for it's choice of music. It then plays at different venues around the capital. Parents attend with their children. Adults cost £10 and kids are free. The children can make all the funny sounds and noises they like, wander around freely (though not straying into the path of the musicians) and enjoy the music. Adults get to also enjoy the music whilst knowing their child isn't having to remain silent (which we know under a certain age is pretty impossible!)

They have recently started holding a Bach to Baby event in Pimlico. I went to check it out. The venue for the concert is a gorgeous old Victorian church. Coffee and tea are available at a price. Buggies are parked in an area of the church. Then you just pick a pew, sit back and enjoy the music. After an introduction to the musician and some information about the musical theme of the month, Miaomiao Yu, who set up this wonderful event, explained some of the background to each piece of music before it began. I sure many mums enjoyed hearing about something which stimulates the minds and isn't baby related.

The concert almost felt like it wasn't long enough. I forgot how much I loved listening to live classical music. The baby loved it and banged along to the songs before sleeping though a bit of Gershwin and a rousing version of America!

Bach to baby is held at different venues across the London. One concert is at Clapham and two others are nearby at Dulwich and Pimlico. Concerts are an hour long including nursery rhymes at the end. The concerts usually start at 10:30am. For more information about these concerts, visit the Bach to Baby website.

I recommend everyone do this at least once during their maternity leave!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - November 10th-11th 2012

Well, Christmas is well on the way. Halloween and Bonfire night have been and gone! So what's on for families this weekend?

SATURDAY (10th November) 

For parents with babies in buggies, this Saturday is the  monthly Brixton Market Heritage Walk led by the Brixton Society. Learn about the amazing history of the area. The tour starts at 2:30pm - meet at the corner of Beehive Place and Brixton Station Road. It cost £3 each and includes a free booklet.

Ready for a walk around Brixton

Buses through Brixton include P4, P5, 188, 196, 59, 159, 3, 133, 333, 45, 345, and 37. Alternatively you can catch the tube or the overground into the area.

If you have older kids and you can spare a few quid, then join your children up to the Kids Club at the Ritzy or Clapham picture house. Membership is £4. Films are on at 10:30 am in Brixton and 11:45am in Clapham. Kids and accompanying adult's entry is £1 each.

Travel through Brixton already mentioned. Buses through Clapham include the 35, 37, 322, 88, 155 and 345. Clapham Common is the nearest Tube station to the cinema.

If your little one is too young for these film clubs, then pop to your local library and check out the children’s movies on DVD. It’s £1 a film to rent for 3 days. And to make it more of a cinematic experience, cook up some popcorn and serve a juice drink with a straw!!

Happy to travel outside of the area? This Saturday, see the amazing Lord Mayor's Show, a three mile long procession through the City of London. The event starts at 11am and carries on to 2pm.

Suggestions for getting there are Thameslink trains from Herne Hill to get off at Blackfriars or  Farringdon. Or catch the tube to Bank.

Want something to exercise the brain cells? Then head out to the Festival of Geology.  Activities include handling extraordinary rocks, minerals and fossils, having a go at gem panning and casting a fossil. Events run between 10:30am to 4:30pm at UCL Main (Wilkins) Building, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT. The 59 bus will take you into the area.

 SUNDAY (11th November)

Looking for something on Sunday, then head to the Cartoon Museum to learn about 75 years of the Dandy comic. It costs £5.50 for adults but children go free. Catch the 59 bus up to Holborn to visit the museum on 35 Little Russell St, London WC1A 2HH. Sunday opening is noon to 5:30pm.

Want something to do closer to home? Then can I suggest a pleasant walk in Brockwell Park with a visit to the Community Greenhouses (open 12pm-4pm). Follow that with a slice of cake and a  hot drink at the cafe on the top of the hill or head to the Florence for a plate of chips (and a pint for mum and dad).

And whilst in Herne Hill, take a look at their Sunday Market 10am to 4 pm - foods and crafts. Buses into the area include 3, 196, 322, 68 and 37.

Ongoing events local to Lambeth  are the Charles Dickens Exhibition at the Cuming Museum or the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in East Dulwich . More details in this October post!

Boo-boo was disappointed that there were no flashing lights.

 Head out, have fun and may your weekend be happy and good! 

Lambeth - What's on for the family - November 3rd-4th 2012

Wow! Hasn't the year gone fast! November is here and Christmas just around the corner. Let see what the weekend has to offer.

SATURDAY (3rd November)

For those with kids under five, there's a fantastic day of art (called Tiny Tate) at the Tate Britain between 10am to 3pm. Hop on the buses 2, 185, 36, 436 and 88 or catch the tube to Pimlico.

Want a bit more art and happy to travel further? Then head to the Barbican to see Random International's Rain Room - an art installation where you control the rain! It is open between 11am - 8pm  and queues are big. So maybe one for a weekday visit!

Also visit the Lumacoustics' YrWall in the foyer  - a digital canvas which allows you to keep painting - fun for young and old!

And if you're up that way, check out the Museum of London for an event called Stories Retold which looks at how a story can go from a story to a book and back again. This is aimed at the over fives and is on at the following times: 1-1.30pm, 2-2.30pm & 3-3.30pm. The event is repeated on Sunday.

To get to the Barbican and the Museum of London, catch the 133 to Liverpool Street and catch the 153 or 100. Or take the tube to Barbican Station (which has lifts!)

If you want to keep it local, pop to the Imperial War Museum and make a poppy to put in their poppy field. This activity is on from 11am to 5pm in the Atrium til the 11th November. The 3, 344, 59 and 159 buses pass the museum.


And a quick reminder that this weekend is the last chance to take a tour around Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. More information here.

SUNDAY (4th November)

Head up to West Norwood for this month's Feast. Shop at the different markets and let the kids run off some steam at the front of St Luke's Church. The event runs from 10am to 4pm.

West Norwood Feast seen from St Luke's steps.

To get to West Norwood, you can catch buses 2, 68, 315 432 and 322.  The area is also served by the overground at West Norwood Station.

For those with babies in buggies, first Sundays of the month are the West Norwood Cemetary tours. Learn about the famous people buried here. Meet at 11am at the Cemetary gates. Donations welcome.

Learning about the history of West Norwood Cemetery.

Alternatively head out on the P4 bus to Forest Hill and take a visit to the Horniman Museum for a World of Stories at the Hands On Base. This starts at 11am and lasts for 45 minutes.

So lots of possibilities! Enjoy them! Happy weekend!

Taking Baby for a Swim Part 4: Latchmere Leisure Centre

So far our adventures into swimming have been fairly drama free however this visit came with a scenario I had expected at some point but so soon?

Let me begin at the beginning. We decided to visit the pool at the Latchmere Leisure Centre in Battersea. I'd read some good reviews and had been there a couple of times as a child. We got to the centre, got tickets and hired a padlock for the locker. We were pleased to see that in the shared changing area, they had several family sized cubicles with baby change facilities though many had a notice which read that they should be used by school groups during the hours of 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday which is peak Mummy and baby time!

Anyway, we got changed for the swim and noticed we had walked out onto a rather empty pool with a few people standing around. Yes folks, There was a poo in the pool and not just an ordinary poo but a scattered one! Yikes! poo!

The life guards were all scratching their heads and eventually told swimmers that it would take at least 20 minutes to sort out. So me, a few other mums, a couple of school groups and various others headed back to the changing room to get into our dry clothes. This is where the wearing the swimsuit option under your clothes fails!

I was not too sure about what to do once dressed; should we go home or should we wait? We headed up to the cafe for some lunch and waited til the pool clear. It definitely took more than half an hour for some poor guy to swim up and down with a net and goggles poo-hunting. I suppose it's preparation for if his partner has a water birth.

So, undressed again, a sprinkle in the shower and off into the pool. The teaching pool was busy with school groups. From what I can see it steps down into the water and also has a little slide for the kids. The main pool slopes down like a beach so you just walk into the water. The space also has a water slide. There is a step in the water which is great to sit in whilst holding a baby. Boo-boo really got into it and enjoyed jumping up and down.

After a splash around, we went back to change. We didn't shower as some were being replaced and it felt quite cold on the edge of the pool so got us dry and changed. Getting better at doing this.... honest.

Overall, facilities were good. Changing rooms smelt a bit but weren't dirty and seem regularly attended. Pool was family friendly. And it was only £3.70 for the pair of us - cheapest so far!

Latchmere Leisure Centre Information

The Latchemere Leisure Centre is located on Burns Road Battersea SW11 5AD.

It cost £4.55 for an adult swim and £2.80 for a junior swim (age5-16). For parent and baby under five between Monday and Friday - 9am to 5pm during term time it costs £3.70.  Telephone for further information on: 0207 207 8004

You need to bring your own padlock for the locker or you can hire on.

The pool timetable is located here, The teaching pool doesn't seem to have a timetable and was full of school groups however the larger pool is baby and toddler friendly.

Wave machine operates hourly Mondays-Fridays 16.00-19.00 and weekends 9.00-18.00.

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 Camberwell Leisure Centre
• our review of Brixton Recreation Centre 
• our review of Clapham Leisure Centre
• our review of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

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!

Soft Play at Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre

The baby is now big enough to want to crawl everywhere and anywhere and make decisions that everything is to be pressed or open or sucked. She is into everything! So soft play is a good place for her to go. We have visited the one in the Brixton Recreation Centre so thought we'd check out another local option, Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre located in Southwark.

The centre's soft play area is a shiny, new, two tiered affair with ball pits, soft shapes, tunnels and slides; this is spread across a room overlooking the swimming pool. There is lots of room along the side for parents to sit and plenty of space to park the buggies. They also have a bloke overseeing the proceedings. He explained how it worked (the take your shoes off bit and where parents can't go) and kept an eye on what was going on. There is a ladies and gents toilet in the area but I didn't check if they had any kind of baby change facility in these toilets. It certainly didn't indicate that you could change a baby in those toilets. Maybe the centre's designers didn't think a baby would be hanging out in the soft play section.

We enjoyed our visit to Peckham although there was some limitation to what we could do.  Boo-boo is crawling but not much else. We had a go on a rocking horse, played around with the soft shapes, chased some balls and had a play on a slide. All good and at £2 for an hour, pretty good for a baby whose only going to have a limited interest in the space. For bigger children, they might want to stay longer so it might be easier to take them somewhere where they can run around till you need to go or they are tired .

It was a pretty uneventful visit though the man on guard did tell off a grandma for taking a photo of her kid in the play area. At least we know he is doing his job!

Peckham Pulse Soft Play is £2 for a 50 minute session. Sessions are available from 9:30am to 6:00pm.

 It is located at Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre, 10 Melon Road, Peckham, SE15 5QN. You can travel there by buses 36, 436 and 345 

For any other information, the telephone number is 08448 933 888. Good luck with getting through to anyone!
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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 Bertie and Boo Adventure Island
• our review of soft play at Brixton Recreation Centre
• our review of soft play at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
• our review of soft play at Clapham Leisure Centre

Lambeth - What's on for the family - October 20th-21st 2012

Right, it really has got cold. I'm still searching for some kind of mitten option for the Boo-boo whilst spending my spare time in TK Maxx trying on winter coats!

Boo-boo gets to try on hats!

 Forecast for the weekend so far - Saturday is cloudy, Sunday is cloudy!!

So lets see what's on offer in the local area!

SATURDAY (20th October)

It's harvest time and places are celebrating by holding harvest events and apple days. Ruskin Park will be holding a tree planting day on the site of the Old Bowling Green. From 11am to 3pm, there will be a chance to hear live music from Dulwich Ukelele Club, plus face painting, arts and crafts and Apple Day activities to keep the little ones entertained!

Ruskin Park is located at Denmark Hill, SE5 8E. Buses in the area are 35, 42, 45, 68, 345 and 468.

Looking for more harvest time festivities? Then in the late afternoon, head to Landor Road to the Edible Bus Stop between 5pm to 7pm to celebrate their harvest festival. They ask that you bring food to share and good vibes! Landor Road is on the 322 bus route.

For something completely different, head to Cathedral Square for the RNIB Literary Wonderland. Based on Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland, it is a multi-sensory experiences set  in five magical realms, including the Mad Hatter's Story Corner and The Forest of Talking Mushrooms.

The event is from the 18th to the 20th October, 9 to 6pm at Cathedral Square, Hibernia Wharf, London Bridge, London SE1 9DA. Buses 133 and 35 head up that way.

SUNDAY (21st October)

The harvest festivals and apple days continue into Sunday! Hop on the 133 or 35 and head up to Borough Market (by London Bridge) to celebrate the apple harvest. From 12pm to 4pm learn from the market traders about the different types of apples and have a taste of the various flavours.

Loving the celebration of apples?  Then pop along the way from Borough market to the Globe Theatre where there is an Autumn harvest celebration called October Plenty which mixes ancient seasonal customs and theatre with contemporary festivity. There is a Corn Queen and a Berry Man (Autumn's Green Man) who will be part of a play performed outside the globe. There is an apple orchard created for children to decorate the trees and listen to stories. Events start at 12pm.

Want to do a bit more learning? Then Morley College (located on 61 Westminster Bridge Road in Waterloo on the 59 bus route) has a day of Family fun learning. From 11am to 4pm families can decorate cupcakes, make fruit kebabs, listen to storytelling, learn circus skills, pot a plant and many other things. Plenty to do here!

To enrol on the workshop you need to get there from 10:30am to register for the things you'd like to attend. A donation of £1 is suggested. For information, telephone 020 7450 1929.

And down the road from the college, head to Funharmonics at the Southbank Centre for some more educational fun! Between 10am to 2:30pm in the foyers at the Royal Festival Hall, have go at playing a musical instrument or join the family Orchestra workshops. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall will be hosting a free ceilidh  at 1pm. Travel here on the 59!

So that's lots of apples and learning fun to be had! Drop us a line if there are any events in your area you would like listed! Have a good weekend!