Lambeth - What's on for the family - September 8th -9th 2012

It's looking like September is the month to enjoy many fun filled weekends. There is lots of free entertainment for the children and the parents, and plenty of things to choose from. Not forgetting the excitement of the Paralympics and all it brings.

And on that note, I'll mention that the 8th is the the last day to take a stroll around the Olympic Mascots  which I mentioned in a previous blog post. We have spotted a few as we have visited the city and have entered the corgi competition to win lots of little model mascots.

Suitably unimpressed baby!

Another event finishing this week is the wonderful carousel at West Norwood Cemetery.  Visiting information is here and the last day to view is Sunday. We popped in last week and got to learn a bit about it. It is located in the Greek chapel which does have steps up to it so is rather buggy unfriendly ( but not awful!). The images on the carousel are all about the magnificent seven cemeteries - seven large burial grounds built in the early Victorian period. There is a man on hand who will tell you the stories. Plus you get to crank the handle of the carousel which makes it turn and changes the illumination which is projected onto the wall!

Boo-boo was delighted with the examples of Neo-Classical architecture.

SATURDAY 8th September

This weekend sees the Friends of Kennington Park mark their tenth anniversary by holding a  fun day  for the family. There will be live music, children's entertainment and nature trail safaris. If you haven't been to this park, they have a lovely cafe! Check  it out! Buses passing near Kennington Park are 185, 36, 133, 159, 59, 3, and 155.

Travel a bit further down the road and we have the fabulous Thames Festival. Yes, lots and lots of different ways to be entertained.  A couple of South Bank things to see is the weekend lineup at Watch this space at the National Theatre. Acrobatics, Circus entertainment. and theatrics are to be had in this area from 1pm to 6:30. There will be juggling, sword swallowing, acrobatics, and hula hooping all performing over the space of the afternoon. So pull up a pew, bring some snacks for the family and prepared to be entertained. A timetable of events can be found here. And this is all repeated again on Sunday!

Another treat at the South Bank is free performances of a play call the Garden, described as gravity defying outdoor theatre. The main player perform on swaying poles which were featured in the opening ceremony of the Paralymics. I saw this play the other year and was very taken by the movements and the stories. Do go and watch. There are performance at 1pm and 6 pm on the Riverside Terrace on both Saturday and Sunday. The best buses to the Southbank is the good old 59, or the 159 and walk along from the London Eye.

If you fancy getting involved with the creativity instead of just watching, the National Theatre runs The Pop-Up Workshop located up a set of stairs to the left of the Theatre Square. You can design a set, make a sock puppet or create a costume. It is free but you do need to book (Tel: 020 7452 3388 for more information) and it's suitable for kids age 6 and upwards! There are workshops on Saturday and Sunday from 1 til 5pm.


SUNDAY 9th September

Lets take a short break away from the South Bank to see what else is happening on the Sunday.

Today sees the Bandstand Marathon - live music performances between 1pm to 5pm.
on bandstands and other outdoor performance spaces across the UK. Lambeth has two spaces involved.

From 11am to 2pm, there will be bands playing outside the Herne Hill Train Station. This is also part of the Herne Hill Music Festival and marks the official opening of the Herne Hill Sunday market. Buses passing through Herne Hill are the 3, 196, 322, 37 and 201.

Clapham Common Bandstand also has a couple of bands playing. Some details here. Buses stopping by the common are 35, 37, 88, 322, 155 and the 345.

If you aren't quite in the mood for live music, then you can always learn a little bit of local history by coming on the free Brixton Mural Walk led by the London Mural Preservation Society. Now admittedly I'm a bit biased because I will be leading the walk. However, it's quite doable with a buggy or with older children. My daughter has been on the walk 4 time (twice in the womb and twice in her pushchair) and she is just 6 months! Meet at Stockwell Tube Station at 11am. Buses going near the tube station are 2, 196, 88,155 and 345.

And finally back to the South Bank for the Thames Festival Night Carnival. Perhaps a little late for the little ones but alright for slightly older children. It's a visually delightful illuminated evening spectacle of dancers, drummers and lantern-carriers. The parade starts at 7:15pm with performances starting at the beginning of Blackfriars bridge. The procession goes over the bridge and along Victoria Embankment. Probably best to catch a bus (No. 59) or tube it to the south bank and then a quick walk to Blackfriars Bridge.

So whatever you do this weekend, have a good one!

Lambeth - What's on for the family - August 18th -19th 2012

Actually I thought I'd be helpful and throw in something interesting for this Friday.

So Lambeth folk, heard of Archbishop Park? Well you north Lambethers will probably be aware of it but for central and southern residents, we are unlikely to have come across it. Situated near St Thomas's Hospital, it has tennis courts, cafe and a nice kids playground. It's a good little space!

And this Friday 17th August 2012, they have a Summerfest between 12pm and 8pm. There will be a bouncy castle, outdoor gallery, music and sports. Dr Bike will be there if you need anything checked (not sure he can do buggies), make artwork with Block 336 and visit the pop-up Cinema Museum. Nearby bus routes are 3, 12, 53 and 159. Check out the space - it might be somewhere you would like to re-visit.

SATURDAY (18th August)

 

Any parents who have ventured into central London will have spotted the painted Olympic mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville, dotted all over the town. I'm sure some of you have taken a pic of one - either on it's own or with yourself, the kids, the baby's buggy or random tourists climbing all over the poor thing.

These figurines are all part of the Stroll Discovery trails - 6  different walks to take you around London's sites and to visit the different games mascots. These walks can be downloaded online.

For Lambeth folk, the red trail starting at Westminster (bus route 159) is our local walk which at 4.8km (2.9 miles), it's not too bad a distance - works for parents with kids in buggies. For parents with walking children, you can always put in lots of stops. Of course, the main point of doing this, apart from seeing London sites and getting exercise and fresh air, is to take photos with the mascots! And you can enter them into a competition. Let me know if any of you win!

SUNDAY (19th August)

 

So if the weather is going to remain good , lets head for the park. As the summer starts to come to an end, we know that means only a month or two left to get around to visiting the miniature railway at Brockwell Park.

A brief experience but a  novel one and great for fans of Chuggington and Thomas the Tank Engine. The Railway is open on Sundays from 11am to 4pm til the 28th October. A return ride is £1. Brockwell park  can be reached by bus route 2, 3, 68, 37 and 196 as well as the Overground at Herne Hill.


Now if you want to see the real thing or rather the big version, steam engines regularly leave Victoria station. The next is due to leave Victoria on Thursday 23rd August at 9:44am  Get to the station early to join the train spotters getting excited about steam!

If trains aren't your thing, perhaps you like a little bit of art. West Norwood Cemetery has an art instillation in its Greek Chapel. The Streetscape Carousel are London cityscapes cut into three metre high steel drums. These can be turned by hand which creates large silhouettes inside the building. Not only is it an opportunity to muck about with shadows but a chance to see inside this chapel located in one of the more beautiful parts of the cemetery.

The art exhibit is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday til 9th September between 12:30 to 5:30. Bus from Brixton to West Norwood are 2, 322, 196 and 432. Have a stroll around the rest of the cemetery; it's a rather beautiful place.

STILL ON:

 

As mentioned last week, AMAZEment at the South bank (catch the 59 bus) is still on. We did a test drive of the the piece. It's buggy friendly and about ten minutes of entertainment for a parent with a baby. Plenty of places to sit and feed the small one.

 For bigger kids, there are inflatable pillows for them to jump over and part of the maze wall is kids books, so you can read them a story.

Also outside, as you head towards the Hayward gallery, there are structures they can wander into and crawl over. Check out the you tube film about how they were created.  And don't forget to visit the big Lego map!!

Have a great weekend!