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 - November 9th/10th 2013

Those leaves have nearly fallen off the trees. My view over Croydon is starting to appear as the trees in front of my house shed their summer coat. Winter nights are coming in fast and the time for hats and gloves is rapidly approaching.

So, on with the weekend!

SATURDAY (9^th November)

 It's the time of year where everything is moving indoors. However the big outdoor event this weekend is the Lord Mayor Show! Always good fun to watch. It starts at 11am from Mansion House near Bank and features buses, coaches, tractors, vintage cars, fire engines, the list goes on! 

If you still have energy. there are a free hour long walking tour of the city It starts at 3pm from no.1 Poultry which is near Mansion House and Bank underground station

 For those in the deep south of London - hop on a train to London bridge and get a bus from there. Those north of the borough, climb aboard a bus; the 133 will take you through Bank.

Staying in the city, St Pauls Cathedral is open for free today. This is a chance to view one of London's architectural gems without paying an arm and a leg. If you do want to visit the gallery, that costs £5/£3.

From Bank, you can catch a 76, 23 and 11

And after all that, don't forget the fireworks between Waterloo and Blackfriars at 5pm. If that doesn't make the children sleep well, than I don't know what will!

For those happy to visit the West End, Christmas has arrived at Covent Garden. Take the kids to pet a reindeer. Visiting hours are 12 to 4pm. 

Catch the number 3 bus or 159 to get to Trafalgar Square and catch an 11, 23 or 15 down the Strand to reach Covent Garden.

SUNDAY (10^th October)

As the outside world gets unfriendly, now is a good time to check out your local swimming pool.  We have a range of reviews on this site. 

• our review of Latchmere Leisure Centre
• our review of Brixton Recreation Centre 
• our review of Clapham Leisure Centre
• our review of Camberwell Leisure Centre 
• our review of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre 
• our review of Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre  

 Go and see for yourself what suits your family needs.
  
If you do fancy a good bus ride or train journey then you'll find the National Gallery's Sunday Magic Carpet Storytelling  is still running. 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. 

So that's a fairly quiet round up! Enjoy your weekend!

And then there were four...

With Ruth and Toddler Boo back in town and Baby A and me in tow, there is lots to be looking forward to as far as Little Lambeth is concerned. I for one am very excited!

Since moving to Lambeth a few months ago, I've struggled to find things to do with Baby A. It wasn't until I was pointed in the direction of this here blog that I realised just how much was going on. 

Thanks to Ruth, I'm now able to give a little something too and I'm glad that I have a very valid excuse to get out and about to experience things I might have been too nervous to do before. 

Keep an eye on the blog, there are lots of ideas floating about for up and coming posts - as well as a few drafts waiting in the wings. In between all of that, we'll try to keep you abreast of things happening in the local area. Don't forget Half Term is just around the corner so we'll be keeping our eyes and ears peeled for fun things to do with the family.

For now, check out the Sure Start Children Centre's page. We've been adding a little something, something for you all by linking in activity timetables for CC's across Lambeth. Hopefully to make it a little more convenient for you to access the information - it is a minefield!

We've signed up to Instagram (@LittleLambeth), it would be great to see your photos from around Lambeth. As ever, there is the Twitter (@little_lambeth) and Facebook presence so 'follow', 'hashtag', 'like', 'tweet', 'comment' and 'tag' away - it's always good to hear from you.

**In other news**

The creator of Little Lambeth has a new venture! By the sounds of it, Sarah is baking up a storm and I'm hoping to get my hands on some of her artisan gingerbread very soon. Have a gander at her Facebook page for Honey and the Moon and show your support for one of our own. We wish you the best of luck Sarah!

Taking Baby for a Swim Part 6: A review of Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre

Right, I’m back – just briefly though. Baby Boo is 18 months and is pretty much toddler Boo. So we thought we’d go and try out a few more pools for you. I can hear you thinking that this should be easier!

So where did we visit? Yes, Peckham Pulse with its hydrotherapy pool, had been a ‘to do’ for a long time.  It was so near to us and yet so far. However even though we are now living in the far reaches of Beulah Hill (technically Croydon) we thought we would head to the Pulse to satisfy the Little Lambeth readers.

Journey was fine. Our money was swapped at the desk for a ticket only to be told that the Hydrotherapy pool was closed. You WHAT? Yes I did think about going home but, no readers,  we were not here to just test the pool but to look at all the facilities that either make it heaven or hell.

So we decided to take the plunge (get it!) and go for a splash regardless. The changing rooms were easily sign posted and there were several decent size family rooms – one with a baby change piece of furniture. There were also lots of spaces to lock the buggies up as well as a few large lockers that looked like they could accommodate a folded pushchair. 

If you had visited with a tiny baby then there is space to change the baby and keep him/her with you in a family room. If you have come with a toddler, the family changing room offer the chance to let the kid run around without wandering off. 

We put our belongings in a locker and headed towards the pool. A quick ‘whoosh’ of the body under the shower and then we went to face the big, "full of kids because it’s the school holiday", pool!! One section had been roped off and had some floats. This was also the section with a small set of steps leading into the pool. But I wasn’t sure what the deal was so once the mum with the big kid realised I wanted to get into the pool, I went down the ladder with my child firmly clasped to me. 

So this wasn’t too bad but because we don’t really do the floaty baby seat thing or even the arm bands, I had to hold her which would be fine if she didn’t want to fight me and  escape.  My poor arms – water is my place to go to relax but not with a little one in tow! 

We carried on splashing around – or rather she splashed and I held onto her for dear life.  Lots of kids barged pass me and bumped into me. Really wasn’t too much fun but this wasn’t the fault of the visitors. Realistically I should have been in a baby pool.

So swim swum.  And splash sploshed. We got out, didn’t showered (as I was exhausted by this point), found the family room and changed with a minimal amount of wailing and fighting from my daughter.

So what do I think then? So really good basic facilities: big lockers, pushchair spaces with locks and large family rooms with baby change. Well done Peckham Pulse. I will be back to visit your hydrotherapy pool, one day ….soon.

Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre Information

Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre is located at 10 Melon Road Peckham, London, SE15 5QN

At the sports centre, adults (non-members)  pay £4.40 (peak) or £4.10 (off-peak) per swim and  junior (non-members) pay £1.50 (anytime), Family Swim (2 adults /2 children) is £9.10.

The centre can be contacted on  0844 893 3888

The opening times for parents and toddlers are:

Monday       3:00 to 4:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Tuesday       3:00 to 4:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Wednesday  12:00 to 1:00pm and 3:00 to 4:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Thursday     3:00 to 4:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Friday          3:00 to 4:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Saturday     1:00 to 2:00pm (Hydrotherapy Pool)
Sunday        8:00 to 9:00 and 1:00 to 2:00pm (Hydrotherapy 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 
• our review of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

Lambeth - What's on for the family - February 9th-10th 2013

Feeling a bit warmer out there? When will Spring start to show it's pretty face? Hopefully soon.

Let's see what's on this weekend:

SATURDAY (9th February)

Today is National Libraries Day and some of the  libraries will be holding family activities.

 West Norwood Library, situated at14-16 Knights Hill, SE27 0HY, has the following activities:

 10 - 10:45am      Fun with Newspaper (6 months - 4 years) 
 11am - 1:45pm   Badge making and crafts

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.

 

Carnegie Library, located at 188 Herne Hill Road, SE24 0AG, has a special Storytime at 2pm with free tea, coffee and biscuits afterwards! 

Hop on the P4 bus to get to the library.
 

 Brixton Library, off Windrush Square, SW9,  will be holding crafts, activities, treasure hunts and storytime starting from 2pm.

If you are down Brixton way, pop into Art Nouveau, 77 Atlantic Road, SW9 for some bric-a brac, cake and tea.

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.

From Art Nouveau to Arts and Crafts, Tuesday saw the opening of a new exhibition at the Cuming Museum about ceramicists, the Martin Brothers. Many pieces of their work are full of strange creatures and funny faces which will be curious to children.

The museum always has lots of things to encourage children to interact with the exhibitions. It opens 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and is located at the Elephant and Castle end of the Walworth Road.

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 (10th February)

For classical music fun, head to the Southbank Centre and have a go at a musical instrument or join the Human Orchestra workshops from 10.30am to 2.30pm in Royal Festival Hall foyers.
The 59 to Waterloo will take you there.

And this weekend sees the beginning of the Chinese New Year and it's the year of the Snake! Visit Trafalgar Square to catch the entertainment on the stage from 1pm followed by fireworks at 5.55pm

Best view is from daddy's shoulders!

Also time to mentioned that if you head to Trafalgar Square you can pop to the National Gallery for family events. 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 running at 11am to 1pm and 2am to 4pm.

Found the magic carpet! Now when's the story time?

For both activities, meet in the Pigott Education Centre Foyer. The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN. Hop on the number 3 bus or 159 to get there.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

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 

Soft play in Balham at Bertie and Boo Adventure Island

I have decided to venture further afield and see what is out there for the little one. I enjoy the bus journey, getting out of the house and seeing new things. This time the destination is Balham! A trip to visit Bertie and Boo Adventure Island.

It's easy to find as it is on the main road through Balham. As you approach you get a sense of it's popularity as mums and buggies storm pass you. Upon entering you are greeted by a sea of pushchairs, and lots of mums with toddlers all bouncing around the place. It's a little bit crazy!

Children under 18 months old get in for free however this means they get to play in a very small baby space outside the main soft play area (I understand they plan to expand this space). There was some soft mats and balls, shapes and a machine which blew air and kept the balls floating which amused the babies. However this little space wasn't a haven of peace for the babies as the toddlers would finish a play session, run into the baby section and go crazy!! It was like a baby mosh pit!

So I didn't stay long. The bigger space looks great. It has timed hourly session for £2.50 and all day tickets for £3.90 all day (just makes me tired thinking about it). They also do weekly events such as drama club and magical story of the week - these cost extra and include use of the soft play facilities. More information can be found on their website. If Balham is local to you (yes I'm talking to the Streatham/Clapham parents) then it's definitely worth a visit. I look forward to going back when my daughter is a bit older!

Bertie and Boo Adventure Island is located at 205-207 Balham High Road, SW17 7BQ. Opening times for soft play are:

Mon to Fri:         9:00am to 5:30pm
Sat:                     12:00pm to 4:00pm
Sun:                    9:00am to 12:00pm.

And while we were in the area we decided to visit the Bertie and Boo Coffee shop which is near Waitrose.

Boo-boo wants to know where her cake is!

This is a great spot to take a break with the kids, high chairs available, good baby friendly toilets, cakes for mums and food for the little ones. Really worth a visit if you are in the area!

The coffee shop is located at 162 Balham High Road, Balham, SW12 9BW. Opening times are

Mon:	7:30 am - 6:00 pm
Tue - Fri:	7:30 am - 7:00 pm
Sat - Sun:	8:00am  - 3:00pm

Balham is served by buses 249, 315, 355 and 155. It can also be reached by the underground and the overground!

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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 the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre  
• our review of soft play at Clapham Leisure Centre
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