Sooooooo, we're moving to Westbury Park in January...

[LittleMilla]

And I am super excited, but need to get my arse in gear and start organising a lot of stuff. We (DH and our 7.5 mo DS) are moving from London and hoping to put down some roots. We both went to uni in Bristol and love the city.

I was hoping for some help/advice on the best things to be signing us up for. I am supposed to be going back to work in April, but want to work 4 days a week and begin building a decent mummy network. Things I have been researching are:

Swimming classes (we've done little dippers in London, but cannot find anything similar in Bristol yet)
Mum and baby groups - looks like a lovely church in Westbury Park that seems to run some groups. Any others Gloucester Rd/Redland/Clifton/Westbury on Trym/Henleaze I should look at?
Nanny/nanny share. My hours could end up pushing me out of nursery hours, so looking in to this. Would love my DS to be with older children though, so keen for a share if possible. I am about to post on childcare
Some form of exercise class for me. We have done pilates up here with DS just playing, but he's getting too restless & antsy big now and so I really need somewhere with a creche
Music class for DS and I. Not something I have got around to up here, but he LOVES my terrible singing and we jingle bells and bash tamborines the whole time.

My DH is going to be in London 4 days a week to start off with - staying up for two nights. So I am keen to get myslef some buddies ASAP otherwise I might end up going bananas! We do have friends down there, but none with children yet.

Thanks in advance! xx

We do water babies - worth trying for swimming. It's very similar to little dippers

Have a look at Wiggles & Giggles. I went with DD and she loved it. Small groups (small room) in Westbury, singing and dancing for different ages.

I don't really do anything like this with DS yet but a friend in Henleaze does so I'll ask her.

We're from Westbury Park . Two DSs - 5.5 and 2.5.

When DS1 was little we did Music with Mummy which was good fun, and DS1 now does Splash Happy swimming but that's for older kids.

Redland Green church has a lovely playgroup that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays - very friendly and welcoming. Look here

Stacks of families with children, just hang around the playground in Redland park and smile and you'll have loads of friends in seconds.

Ah, thanks guys - quick replies which I wasn't expecting!!

I am not really a shy person, but I cringe massively about having to introduce myself to new people. I think I am going to just bite the bullet and put myself out there in the park - aaaaaaaaahhh!

Just going to google wiggles and giggles (love the name!) and water babies right now.

Thank you x

Ooh, talking of parks, there's also one on the main road in Henleaze and a really quiet, small park on a side road at the Waitrose end. Both friendly, both fun.

Thanks all.

I emailed the swimming, wiggles and giggles and church last night, so we'll see if they come back to me.

Very excited, but we start the dreaded packing today - aaaargh! x

Good luck with the move. Hope it's everything you could wish for.

I believe there's a new mums and toddlers group starting at Butcombe (the junior department of Clifton College) on a drop in basis. Not sure exactly what the details are but give them a ring. As it's new you may not encounter some of the cliques that can be evident at some groups.

However, Thursday mornings at ChristChurch always used to be good fun, if rather manic. Not sure what it's like as mine are a bit older now.

We were members of David Llloyd too which has some good classes and activities for little ones, and a creche so you can do your own work out too.

We live in Westbury park.

Jo Jingles - fab music and dance on Mondays in Redland Church Hall
Toddler group - tues and fri same hall. Turn up and put your name on the waiting list
Sing and sign - lots of local groups
Cairns Cafe at Cairns road baptist church - drop in Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri - very good cake!

Have fun

Swimming - we go to Dinky Dolphins at the Filton pool. It is a drop in session run 3 times a week

Horfield lesiure centre is you friend! Not only do they do swimming lessons (much cheaper than water babies) but they also have a creche and lots of different exercise classes.
Have you moved yet? Becasue if you're a bit closer to the gloucester road there are tonnes and tonnes of options for classes and mum and baby groups..... many of which are drop in which are good.....

Hello, we have now moved! Signed up to wiggles and giggles and we're starting water babies in a few weeks.

Will defo look up Horfield leisure centre, thanks! I wnat to get my arse moving, but my DS is now such a wiggle bum that I cannot contemplate any mum and baby classes.

Big thank you to the kind people that have PM'd me, I REALLY appreciate it!

Feeling slightly overwhelmed with options on gloucester Rd - just seems like SO much. Can anyone recommend some goodies??

Just going to look at times for the cairns drop in and maybe go along tomorrow. Hoping to go along to redland church one on Friday for a taster sesh!

Thanks again, already so happy to be here x