Summer holidays in London - Let's make this the definitive thread

[lisalisa]

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ds has a lesson at 4:30 on tuesdays, & my mil takes them after nursery on mondays. dd loves it there too, it's perfect for littlies.

NQC - Are you the person I met at Britannia last Tuesday ? You minded ds1 (4yr) whilst I bundled ds2 into buggy hoping he would go to sleep .. and he didn't!

Will definitely try the Fox.... sounds fab.

Geffrye Museum do loads of stuff in the hols here

I love it there, but wouldn't recommend it if you're coming all the way from South London. Unless you're meeting friends there or something.

Um, yeah, that was me! Your older boy really liked me telling him to do swimming while you were out of the pool.

It was nice going with both boys yesterday, they really enjoyed themselves.

How funny. I knew you were a MNetter when you mentioned BLW ! ...and now I've heard your NQC accent!

Glad you enjoyed taking both boys. Took me months to pluck up the courage to do it.

Sorry for thread hijack. The only activity I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned is the Magic Carpet Story time at the National Gallery. Also TimeOut do a great "London for Kids" guide which I find really useful.

You should have said!

(I actually know people in real life who do baby-led weaning, so I couldn't assume BLW means someone is a MN person.)

I couldn't face taking both boys swimming when DS2 was tiny, it is just too much work going swimming with a tiny baby, anyway.

Ladies - many thanks for this great thread. Was wondering what on earth I was going to do with DD1 (4yrs9mon) and DD2(6 mon) this summer that didn't involve long car journeys and masses of money (ie Legoland). Live in Wimbeldon so have nicked all of singersgirl ideas for days out .

Am racking brain to see if I can add anything onto the list. Only one is paddling pool on Clapham Common (near Clap Common tube) and Battersea Park 1 o Clock club which is great. There's also Tigers Eye soft play zone in Merton (opp Sainsburys Savacentre) in weather is pants.

I've put a card in the suggestions box at Britannia asking for a play pen in the changing rooms. I think that will make all the difference.

I've put a card in the suggestions box at Britannia asking for a play pen in the changing rooms. I think that will make all the difference.

I've put a card in the suggestions box at Britannia asking for a play pen in the changing rooms. I think that will make all the difference.

opps sorry for triple post !

Oh, while we're (mostly) off-topic, you should consider coming along to the North East Meet-up, I went last time and had great fun.

Back on topic: what about Fruitstock ? I'm tempted to go this year ...

hello ruthydd - are you a hackney local too? might see you at britannia too!

yep - I live in Dalston.

Can't believe I've met a real live Mumsnetter without knowing it.

Yum yums sounds fun. I can't make it tomorrow, but hopefully next time ...

Fruitstock clashes with the Big Chill. I might start another thread about the Big Chill.

Oooh, was I the first MN person you'd met?

(When I did my "hello" sort of post, someone posted quite soon saying "hey, didn't I meet you by the bike shed the other day?".)

Where on earth is the Eastnor Castle Deer Park?

I might try to go to the Ben + Jerry festival, too. But that's Clapham, so a bit of a hike.

Oh, dug further, it's outside the M25. There are dragons out there!

NQC, you big Canadian girls' blouse
Herefordshire and Eastnor are gorgeous beyond compare. The only dragons are some Welsh ones peering in from over the border.
Get out there...it is real, rural England, utterly different from countryside close to London. [Grin] Good wool shops too you know!

So, does the wool come from the dragons?

(Seriously, I'm too lazy to travel, I've had lots of non-optional trips this year, a week in Mexico, three weeks in France, and have three weeks in Canada coming up, so sod it, I'm not bloody well travelling.)

You have had a bit of a year of it I know
But I promise you Herefordshire is balm to the frazzled soul for future reference!
The wool comes from happy Marches sheep

kingston has its 'Thumbs up it's Thursday' events - every Thurs in the holidays at different locations in Kingston. I got the leaflet today but I'll see if it is online anywhere.

here it is but you need to click on the date that you want

We do go to North Oxfordshire sometimes, to see the in-laws. Not sure they are much in the balm stakes, though, so to speak.

(I do like the English countryside, well, the Welsh countryside, Pen-y-Fan, anyway.)

If there are still tix, look out for Polka theatre's THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD, also, for younger ones, I really do recommend BEAR STORIES (alos Polka) for either 1-2 years or 3-4 - it's on until 5th Aug.
We will be at Brockwell Lido, Brockwell Park paddling pool, expoloring nearby places we don't usually get to like SYDENHAM WOODS (great for running through and a shady picnic, and you might see the urban-mythological Sydenham Panther which is reputed to live there).
Don't forget the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park - also the maze. They have a junior park rangers club of some sort that you can sign your child up to - it operates all year, with weekend events, but has special days in the summer.
We like to get a rowing boat on Battersea Prk lake once in a while, then run through the fountains.
The Livesey Museum, which has an inter-active MYTHS AND LEGENDS exhibition
Vauxhall City farm
Surrey Quays City Farm (is it called that?)

Kew is good for an all-day outing - expensive for adults - £11, but they don't charge for children, there is the excellent play area, ds loves the badger sett, and spotting things we eat, like avocados, in the tropical houses, and the bubbling mud in the evolution house. If you take your own food it's not a bad value day out.

Did you know that you can join a real carnival camp in the run up to carnival? You can go every day (or every so often) to help make costumes, and by buying a costume, you can take part in carnival - either on children's day or the adults day. A long day of dancing, but it's the only way to really enjoy the day at Notting Hill (if you must go), imo! Children who can help with gluing and sticking will be welcomed, too. Find your nearest carnival mas camp here
I also like Bushey park (train to Hampton Wick for the Hampton Wick gate - also potter by the river) to see the deer and picnic).
Easy seaside destinations by train: Whitstable or a bit further along, Swaleclliffe.
And trips out if driving - we liked Battle - great inter-active tour of the battlefield and Abbey - and Arundel castle.

Shame on any of you S Londoners who missed the Lambeth Country Show this weekend! The jousting was excellent, my personal highilight was the sheepdog demonstration in which the incompetent dog not only failed to get the 4 sheep in the pen, but let them escape right out of the arena where they tore across the rest of the showground. Only in Brixton .