families upon thames magazine, november/december 2009, issue 67

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issue 67November/December 2009

The FREE magazine for families with young children living in the boroughs of Richmond, Kingston, Elmbridge, Hounslow and Spelthorne

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Families upon Thames magazine - popular with local parents and carers since 1997.

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 20092 FAMILIES UPON THAMES

Finding the rightsecondaryschoolneed not be difficult

For more information, enrolment and fee details call 020 7228 3933 or visit

www.thameschristiancollege.org.ukThames Christian College, Wye Street, London SW11 2HB

Nurseries inBrentford • Clapham • Hammersmith • Kentish Town • Wembley

Limited places available • Corporate discountsweb • www.bringingupbaby.co.uk

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We offer your child the best start in life

Need Childcare? We’ve got the solution!

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Homebased Childcare Courses from September 2009

Richmond Childminding Association Richmond Childminding Association

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Parents wishing to gain a Paediatric First Aid

Certificate also welcome.

Contact Linda on 020 8891 6090 or email [email protected]

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 3FAMILIES UPON THAMES

I appreciate that as someone with adegree of respect for Gordon Brown I'mprobably the last woman standing butwhatever your politics, you cannot helpbut admire the sentiments of a partnerwho stands up for her beleagueredhusband as Sarah Brown did in herrecent 'My husband, my hero' speech.When she described the PM as 'messyand noisy but when it comes down to itspends all this time thinking about thethings that matter' I identified straightaway with her feelings.

No more Daddy bashing from me -this year I have had good cause toreflect on the male role models in ourfamily. My normally energetic andvivacious Dad found himself in hospitalfor three months with debilitating heartproblems. Thankfully he made a fullrecovery due to a wonderful newtreatment but not before my sister,mother and I found ourselves on manyoccasions reflecting on his inspiringinfluence in our lives and how much weneed him and (tease them as we do)the other men in our lives. See pages16 and 17 for more on male rolemodels.

Christmas is coming and we havefound masses of local seasonal familyfun on pages 10 and 20 to 22. Checkout pages 6 to 9 for presents which lastbeyond 25th December and how tomake more of Christmas, literally.

welcome to families upon thames

FRANCES LOATES editorFAMILIES UPON THAMES PO Box 425 Walton on Thames KT12 5AG

t: 01932 254584 e: [email protected]

contents

Thanks to Vicki Knights Photography for supplyingthis issue's cover image. Vicki Knights fromSurbiton produces natural, contemporary imagesof your family at your home or on-location. Sheprides herself on a unique, bespoke service.Check out more of her work atwww.vickiknights.co.uk

Music with MummyA fun and lively approach to music for children

aged 1-3yrs. Jolly Babies - Classes specially

designed for babies under a year.

For more details on classes in Staines &

Shepperton please contact:

Karon 01753 583699 / 07810 425423

FOOTIE TOTSAn introduction to the world of

fitness and football for children ages

2 1/2 to 5 years

FOOTIE WIZARDSFor children ages 5 to 8 years

ALL CLASSES HELD INDOORS - FOOTBALL PARTIES

AVAILABLE

Call Andy for info and bookings on

07931 707720 or 020 8287 [email protected]

Flexible jobs flexible mothersJobs4mothers.com has a wide range of flexible jobopportunities available. We can help you:

•Update your CV •Refresh your interview skills•Explore a new career •Get local jobs in your location

Access is free, so log on today and register!

4 News and views

7 Christmas gifts

10 Christmas fun

12 Oh baby

14 Parenting

16 Dearest dad

18 Family fun in Richmond Park

20 Out and about this Novemberand December

22 Classified advertising


newsandviews...The people and the Palace

Be sure to go along toKingston Museum thisNovember and December forthe exhibition about thepeople of Kingston andHampton Court Palace in theTudor era. There were closelinks between Kingston andHampton Court Palace and alot of goods, services andtrade crossed the bridge overthe Thames.

You will be able to have asniff of what Kingston mighthave smelled like 500 yearsago and get hands on withmaterials that could havebeen used to build a realpalace. Accompanying the

exhibition is also a variedprogramme of workshopsand activities.

DELUXE NEW TODDLER GROUPAnnouncing the arrival of West End Playgroup's ToddlerGroup held in the lovely environment of West EndVillage Hall, Esher every Thursday. The location facing thevillage green and pond is idyllic and the hall itself is cleanwith modern facilities. What's more sessions are in theafternoon which suits many carers better, from 1 to2.45pm. The cost is £3.50 for the first child and £1.50for siblings. For more details call Helen on 01372 462594 or email: [email protected]

Sassy StirrersFun with food & beads/clay!

Xmas Bake-n-Create Workshop

Sat. 5 t h December 1230-4 .30pmVenu e: K ingston

Our most exciting Xmas workshop; baking Xmas gifts &bonus craft time to create a special gift using beadsor moulding clay! Hours of fun with goody bagspacked with baking & crafts to take home.

Suitable for boys & girls 6 – 14 years old!

Phone / email Susanfor moredetailsE: [email protected] Ph :07789 792 676

Birthday parties, afterschool club, adult classes

STORY EXPLORERS We were thrilled to hear of Story Explorers- a new toy and bookshop which alsooffers story workshops, recently opened at18 St Mary's Grove, Richmond. It isdesigned with the genius idea of helpingyou find a book, a toy to go with it, pluscoordinating wrapping paper to follow thetheme through if you want to!The shop has a strong eco ethos with abuggy park provided for customers toencourage them to come in their cars anda second-hand book section.Workshops are led by a former earlyyears teacher who offers an hour of playand stories for ages 2 to 5 years with adifferent theme each week. Check www.storyexplorers.co.uk or call 07748 592842.

Kingston Museum is atWheatfield Way, Kingston,KT1 2PSCall 020 8547 6463 or checkwww.kingston.gov.uk/museumfor more details.

See pages 1188 to 2222 for morefun family things to do inNovember and December.

Join Back2work Mum EntrepreneurLunch - Wed 27th January withSaira Khan, star of The Apprentice.email [email protected] or Tel 01932 589943Mob 07970 561 399

NEW NETBALL CLUBA new netball club called Nettles, has been launched inElmbridge providing training for girls and boys from 5 to11 years.

With classes in Thames Ditton, Walton and Surbiton,Nettles aims to get children, especially girls, into teamsports.

Nettles is split into three age groups: Under 7s focus onball handling and movement, Under 9s move onto tacticsand strategies and Under 11s play the modified version ofnetball called High 5.

For information on classes please contact 020 83983034 or [email protected]

A FLAIR FOR GYM We enjoyed Flair Gymnastics' DisneyThemed Invitational Competitionheld in Walton in October. With over600 gymnasts taking part thestandard was exceedingly high andthe event ran like clockwork withmusical entertainment from thetalented and lovely Daniel Boys. Seeour next issue for a feature ongymnastics and this great local club.To be included call 01932 254584.


DRAMA IN KINGSTON

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FAMILIES UPON THAMES, PO BOX 425, WALTON, KT12 5AG, issue 67.

Families upon Thames delivered to your door...

New to Kingston is DramaWorkshops, set up inSeptember, by husband andwife team David Hinton andCamilla Vella. Between themthey have over 40 years'professional actingexperience covering theClassics, Contemporary Plays,Musical Theatre, Film andTelevision work. They haveperformed in the West End,regionally and toured Europeand the Far East includingseasons with the RoyalShakespeare Company, TheGlobe and The Royal Court.

The pair have selected acompany of professionalactors to provide dramaworkshops for children agedbetween 5 and 8 years ofage, working in small groupsof children with two actorstaking each class.

The aim of the classes is todevelop children'simaginations, language,listening skills and toenhance their confidenceusing improvisation, roleplay,physical activity, games and

Try Something NewTry Nordic Walking• Burns 46% more calories than normal walking

• Tones the whole body

• Suitable for all abilities - low impact exercise

• Evening,Weekend and Day classes

Please call Beverley on 07903 356092

020 8547 1221

at ChristmasKingston

visit

kingston .co.uk

SPECIAL EVENTSChristmas Lights Switch On - Thurs 19 Nov

Entertainment from 3.30pm - Lights on at 6pm

*Interactive Light Show - Thurs 3 and Thurs 10 Dec

Clarence Street 4.30pm - 8pm

THROUGHOUT THE SEASONPark & Ride - 7 Nov - 16 Jan

Express bus from Chessington World of Adventures to Kingston

*German Christmas Market - from 12 Nov

Ancient Market Place

*Eden Craft & Gift Fair - from 19 NovAll Saints Church, opposite John Lewis

... and lacrosseCobham Lacrosse Club is in search of athletic (or semi-sporting) girls in state schools who would like to playlacrosse at school as a winter sport. They are looking for girls U13/14 who have the potentialto become good players and have the determination totrain to play lacrosse. Initially they will coach these girls inschool lunch times - or alongside school PE lessons

Entry will be free, but limited and by application - andthey hope to help with kit costs, boots and playing gear.

This programme is part-funded by English Lacrosse andsupported by Elmbridge Borough Council - it is free in thefirst year - more informationwww.cobhamsports.com/lacrosse/schools-programmes orcall Paul Reynolds on 01372 84 24 90

WANTED - SPORTY GIRLS ...for football

'The game of football is quite unsuitable for females andought not to be encouraged.'

Well, that was the view of the FA back in 1921 and althoughit took another 50 years to overturn the ban on women playingon FA grounds, today football is the fastest growing team sportamongst women and girls in England.

This year, the England team won its first international trophyagainst Canada and in 2007 Arsenal, the current FA Women'sPremier League Cup champions, became the first British side towin Europe's top club prize, the UEFA Women's Cup.

So why are local grassroots football clubs having troublerecruiting girls to play football? Is it because girls prefer Hockeyor Netball or is it that girls don't know that they can playfootball?

To any girl who has not played the game before, EnglandWomen's Head Coach Hope Powell says, 'just come and give ita go. Until you do, you won't realise how much fun football canbe.'

Kew Park Rangers, who train in Sheen, Richmond andChiswick, are offering Saturday morning taster sessions, so ifyou have a daughter or friend who wants to have a go at beingthe next Kelly Smith, just call Rob Sheldon on 0777 055538.

voice work, but mostimportantly, the focus is onhaving fun. Each class isthemed, and exercises andimprovisations are tailored tostretch and challenge thechildren. They focus on theprocess, rather than theperformance, to ensureeveryone, from the shyest tothe most confident,blossoms. Parents areinvited at the end of eachterm to watch a lesson inprogress.

Drama Workshops arepleased to offer the firstclass as a FREE trial,thereafter classes are £7 perweek. Classes are onSaturdays, during term time,at 10.30am and 11.30am atKingston Methodist Church,Fairfield South, Kingston.

Due to popular demandthey shall shortly be offeringAfter-School WeekdayClasses and a ChristmasHoliday Club. Call Camillafor details on 07778 485990or visit the website atwww.dramaworkshops.biz


newsandviews...

Do you belong to an organisation with aninterest in maternity? Or do you attend a group with otherparents, such as a parent and toddlergroup?

Make a difference to maternity servicesin Surrey by joining your Maternity ServicesLiaison Committee (MSLC)

MSLCs are looking for new userrepresentatives to go along and helpinform and improve how maternity servicesare run and developed in Surrey. There arefive MSLCs across Surrey, linked to each ofthe five maternity units. These committeesconsist of people like you, as well asmidwives, doctors and other healthprofessionals. They are lively groups whichmeet during the day six times a year, babiesare welcome at the meetings and expenseswill be covered. The groups are keen towelcome members from all differentbackgrounds to reflect the diversecommunity which is served by SurreyHospitals.

If you are interested in joining your localMSLC please contact: St Peters Hospital,Chertsey, email:[email protected] call 01932 722903

Park and Ride to Kingston Take the strain out of Christmas shoppingin Kingston with the annual Park and Ridescheme. Park for free at ChessingtonWorld of Adventures, and ride theexpress bus into Kingston. An adult return fare is only £2, childrentravel for free. Season tickets areavailable. Service operates from 7thNovember to 16th January, 7.30am to9pm Monday to Saturday and 8.30am to6pm on Sundays.

COMICS FOR CHRISTMASFor a gift that will inspire and giveenjoyment all year round, why not give amagazine subscription? Whether yourlittle one likes getting active withLazyTown, racing around with Roary orloves the magical world of Fifi and theFlowertots there's a Titan Tots magazine for them! Visitwww.titantots.com/families for exclusiveprintable Christmas cards featuring theirfavourite characters and a special FamiliesMagazine discount on subscriptions.Check out pages 7 to 9 for other giftideas.

SPACES AT SACRED HEARTKINDERGARTENSacred Heart Kindergarten in St Mark'sRoad, Teddington currently has spaces forchildren aged three and upwards. Sessionstake place in the mornings during termtime from 9 to 11.45am. There are placesfor 20 children in total so Sacred Heartprovides a gentle introduction to life in asetting away from home. Call 020 89776976 for more information.

HAD A BABY IN A SURREY HOSPITAL?

CHARITY STARTS AT HOME-STARTIf the commercialism of Christmas has youeager to divert some of your funds (orthose of the company you work for) to aworthy cause, we nominate Home-StartElmbridge as a very worthy cause thisyear. Home-Start Elmbridge is a charityworking in the borough to support andbefriend families with young children andwho need additional help at particularpoints in their lives. They recruit and trainvolunteers who then visit the families on aregular weekly basis. This group fulfils an amazing role in ourarea supporting families referred, mainlyby social services or health visitors, for awide range of different reasons - illness ordisability of a child; post-natal depression;bereavement or loneliness; alcohol or drugabuse or family conflict. The figures forthe last year are impressive: Families supported - 86Number of children involved - 178Volunteers supporting families - 60Although part of the national network ofHome-Start they receive no funding fromthem. Surrey County Council providesaround half of their income. Theremainder has to be found from othersources to maintain the needed level ofactivity. This year, other sources have beendifficult to find.

At the moment there is a seriousfunding shortfall with Home-StartElmbridge needing to raise a minimum of£25 000 which will be spent on stafforganisers and administrative costs,volunteer expenses and trainingvolunteers, additional group sessions aswell as outings and a Christmas party forthe families they support.We urge our readers to sparesomething for an organisation underthreat which has been so generous withinour community for 14 years. It reallycouldn't be easier, just go to:www.justgiving.com/homestartelmbridgeTo find out more, please contactJacintha on 01932 235802. For more onthe wonderful work which Home-startdoes, see page 13.

INTERNATIONAL DAY AT SUTHERLAND DAY NURSERYInternational Food Day took place on26th September at the Sutherland DayNursery, 384 to 386 Ewell Road,Surbiton. The event was arranged tocelebrate cultural diversity and to showthe children how different andinteresting different traditions can be.

Children and parents had a chance tosee the 'Sutherland United Nations':Italian elements and the globe in TiggersRoom, an Australian koala bear and akangaroo in Robin's Room, Japanesecherry blossom, fans and characters inKangaroos, Brazilian snakes, flowers andflags as well as African Music corner inRabbits Room and an Indian map, flagsand costumes in Owls.

Sutherland Day Nursery currently hasspaces available.

Contact them on 020 8399 8999email: [email protected]

Do you have any news from yournursery? Our January/ February 2010issue will have a special feature onnurseries. Contact us on 01932 254584email: [email protected]

WIN A PERSONALISED REINDEERwww.hotpressed.co.uk create personalised gifts for just about every occasion you can think of. ForChristmas they have Santa Sacks and masses ofproducts you can have personalised as gifts. Do you know someone who would love a cuddlyreindeer, featuring their name or photograph/imageor both? Hotpressed are giving away 3 reindeerswith personalised t-shirts to Families upon Thamesreaders. Simply send an email [email protected] with Hotpressedreindeer in the title and your name and address inthe text area by 30th November.

7FAMILIES UPON THAMESNOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2009

christmas

With nearly 70 children aged between four months and 23 years, Families magazine editorsthroughout the land have certainly done our fairshare of Christmas shopping over the years. Wehave been through and are still living all the agesand stages so this year we swapped notes forideas on gifts with staying power this Christmas.

It’s a fact that when our children are school age it's alwayseasy to buy for pre-school nieces and nephews because you soeasily remember what was a hit and what was a miss but it'salways tricky choosing a perfect present for your oldest girl orboy or any child older than your own. Some of us may evenforget babyhood favourites and panic when they have to buyfor an infant again. Looking for inspiration? Read on...

FRANCES LOATES asked Families magazine editors up and down thecountry for their recommendations for best-ever children's gifts.

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TINIES AND TOTS Lisa from Families upon Avon has found thatsimple toys work best, 'For under onesstacking cups or wooden bricks (my one yearold loves me building them up for him toknock down, we do this loads!)'

She’s not alone, Helen Ash from FamiliesManchester agrees that basic is best,'daughter (17 months old) is now playing withdolls (no interest in beautiful soft rag doll -much prefers the plastic ones which look likebabies). She is getting a pram for Christmasand a wooden kitchen’.GIRLSI have found that girls especially, of all ageslove to dress up. Claire Winter from FamiliesThames Valley East agrees, 'Dressing up is alsoa favourite with my 21/2 year old twins and 6year old girls. They have played with two setsof dressing up which had a variety of tops,skirts and wings costing about £10 each thatwe were given last year (I had to hide theplastic high heels as they nearly killedthemselves trying to wear them and eachother trying to get them off each other!) I amthinking a fireman outfit and a doctor's kit this

year to try and wean them offpink.’.

Sarah Hatch from FamiliesSurrey West adds, 'My twogirls (aged 5 and just 9) bothlove craft things. ELC dogood kits to make thingssuch as wooden spoonmonsters or decorate ajewellery box type of thing.Hama beads have beenquite popular (for about 5+)and my older one wasgiven a Super Badge It(badge making kit) whichwas a hit and actuallyworks really well.

For the last two yearsmy 5 year old has reallybeen into things likePolly Pocket, Littlest PetShop and Puppy in myPocket - she loves smalllittle animals and dollsto dress up.'

BOYS For a gift for boys (which many girls wouldlove too) Shelley from Families Herts says, 'Myson was an absolute Lego fanatic betweenthe age of 4 to 10/11 years. Were it not forhaving his head turned by PSPs and iPODs Ithink he would still be creating with Lego,and even now he insists on keeping it.'

Another idea is to pick out a theme likeVivienne from Families North West, 'Our son(now 11) went through the “anything to dowith dinosaurs phase” books, plastic models,model-making kits etc early on for about 5years or so. Then natural history and spacebooks, games, dvds.'

Construction toys are always a hit too, 'Myfour year old is very into hot wheels (althoughneeds help setting it up). Or marble towershas been our favourite for ages', Susan fromFamilies Sussex Coast told us.

Helen adds, 'Our son loved anything thatcould get him round quicker - a sit-on, push-along car from charity shop (from around 12months) and a wooden trike with trailer.'OVER 11sAt this age you're onto a winner if you can tapinto their hobbies, passions and interests. Liz(Families Solent East) did this successfully, 'My12 year old's favourite birthday present thisyear? A subscription to BBC Wildlife magazineand a tripod for her camera!'

Sadly my own daughters have not had such‘silent’ interests. A big hit during the earlysecondary years have been karaoke CDs. It'snot always pleasant to be around while theyare delivering their Lily Allen renditions so don'tsay I haven't warned you!

FOR EVERYONE Games are great and provide you with funtimes together at Christmas as a family. 'Thebest family present we had was Articulate -such fun', says Sara Carr (FamiliesCambridgeshire). In no particular order, Romafrom Families West gave us her top tengames for under the tree for ages 5+:1 Jenga2 Rummikub3 A really solid snakes and ladders4 Any kind of card game5 Battleships6 Pass the pigs7 Monopoly8 Boggle9 Cluedo10 Banana game/Scrabble

We were reminded of a classic which giveshours of fun by Sarah (Families Leeds), 'Froma personal point of view, I think you can'tbeat Playmobil for children from 4+. There isthe Police / Zoo / Pirate Ship for boys and thenthe Dolls House / Castle for girls.'

For a big present, Karen (Families ThamesValley West) found that 'Little Tykes CozyCoupe is the most played with toy we own.Ideal for 2/3 years upwards (and I include myteenager - he uses it as a skateboard!)Second-hand when we got it and stillholding up after 10 years' abuse.'

Train sets are adored by girls and boys ofall ages (as well as Dads) and you can't beatthe wonderful wooden set which my owndaughters played with for years and is nowlovingly packed up and stored in the loft forthe next generation. As Karen says, 'Briotrain sets are great for 2 to 3 years upwards!'

Ready to splash out? Sarah from FamiliesEdinburgh has a final thought, 'LastChristmas we vowed not to buy any moreplastic so had a family present of Wi and Wi-fit (technically, yes that is plastic!) which wasa huge success and meant we all playedtogether (girls did get a bit fed up when theleader board was entirely taken up by Mumand Dad - bad competitive parents).'

Visit local toyshops for these ideas andmore - see page 9 for details.

christmas


FRANCES LOATES helps youenjoy the run up to the

festivities by making your ownChristmas this year plus our

excellent independent toyshopshelp out with some great

recommendations for crafty toyswith masses of play value.

Top toy ideasFuntasia in Cobham is always full of craftykits for boys and girls, especially so in therun-up to Christmas. Creative children canfind almost anything there, from candles tovolcanoes to cards of course, dinosaurs,soap, mosaics and aeroplanes.

Branches of Play Inside Out (Walton,Teddington and East Sheen) are also burstingat the seams with creative ideas. OwnerNicola especially recommends the Galtranges which appeal to girls and boys withbeads, knitting and T-shirt painting sets aswell as My First Geology Set, My FirstWeather Set and My First Dinosaur Set. Shealso rates the craft range produced by AlexToys which include plenty of inspiration forstitchers and sewers.

Pandemonium in East Sheen say theyalways go out of their way to find unusualranges and promise lots of hands-on fun.They have plenty of Revell kits, including theStar Wars range and lots of plasticineanimation kits including Wallace andGrommit and Morph. One

Crafty Christmas

It’s official, making things is coolagain - I’ve seen the tv advert! Asa recent convert to knitting I amrediscovering the therapeutic valueof making stuff. Not only am Icalming myself down after a madday juggling work and children, I'mfinding myself to be part of agrowing number of people goingback to basics and reaping thebenefits.

The recession has had lots of uscooking from scratch again, growingour own vegetables and mendingand making clothes so why notchannel this fun activity for a home-made Christmas this year?

What's more, toy manufacturershave caught onto the fact thatwe're all on the hunt for gifts withadded value at the moment and thelocal toyshops tell us that theirshelves are heaving with greatcrafty kits for girls and boys rightnow.

The way I see it is either way it'sa win-win. Buy them now and theycan stay busy and maybe makegifts for other people to give asChristmas presents or wrap them upfor later and they will have hours offun being creative in the holidays,ignoring the lure of computer gamesand rubbish tv specials.

If you start one new Christmas tradition thisyear, make your own mincemeat togetheras a family. Quick and easy, you can bottleit up with pretty labels and ribbons andcan give it away as gifts as well:

450g cooking apples. cored and diced225g vegetarian suet280g brown sugar1kg mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas andcurrants) 110g glace cherries, halved1/2 teaspoon mixed spice1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon grated nutmegjuice and zest of 1 lemon5 tablespoons brandy

1 Stew the apples on a low heat untiltender. Leave to cool.2 Meanwhile, mix all the otheringredients together in a big bowl,making sure everything is well coated inthe brandy.3 When the apples are cool, mix theminto the other ingredients, making sureeverything is combined.4 Pack into sterile jars and seal well.The mincemeat tastes best when left tomature for 2 weeks. It will keep for up to4 to 5 months in a cool, dark place.

Make and giveAs Alison from Stitchclub says, 'Parents areincreasingly turning to more traditional andcreative toys for their children'. We love theirslipper kits (part of the Kids Set Easy range)suitable for ages 7 plus. Each kit contains allthe child needs to learn to sew somethingthey will adore. Stitchclub have cross stitch,knitting and sewing kits from grown ups too.

Craft sessions together around the kitchentable sound like perfect pre-Christmas fun.To make gifts for your children you may haveto be more secretive - www.kotorikits.comhave some lovely ideas including Christmasstockings, dressing up kits, a height chart kitand a baby bootee set.

Don't forget pottery painting too as greatdecorations for you or gifts for others whichthe children will love to make.

we'd never heard of was a kit to make tagsfor suitcases and bags - fantastic!

The Toy Station in Richmond has amassive range in stock but Karen pointed usin the direction of two recent award-winningranges they expect to be in high demand thisyear. Wammy, produced by Flair Leisure, wonBest Overall Toy Award in the 5 to 7 yearscategory recently. It's an innovative flexibleproduct which can be twisted, bent andconnected to make bracelets, crowns andmodels. The pack comes in various sizes toofrom 18 to 200 pieces.

Recipe taken from Good Home Cooking byDiana Peacock (Spring Hill an imprint ofHow To Books £12.99, available from localbookshops or order on 01476 541080). Itshows you how to make everything fromscratch, From butter to Black Forest trifle,seafood pancakes to sandwich fillings.This great book is your starting point forback to basic and beyond family food.

Cook something

Slippers fromwww.stitchclub.co.uk or John Lewis

Stocking from www.kotorikits.com


christmas

Lots of room for all my notes and appointmentsTear off shopping lists Pocket for paperwork Stickers to highlight important datesAttractive and easy to use

Make sure you’re not disappointed

this Christmas morning - let it be

known you want Organised Mum!

Our stylish stationery range has

been designed especially for

mums running busy homes

2010 calendars and diariesStationery and lists booksMagneticfridge listsPlannersAnd more!

Visit www.organisedmum.co.uk to see the full range of products

or phone 0845 644 7507 for a brochure

for you or any woman you

know

Put us on yourChristmas wish list!

www.pottery-cafe.com

WHAT WILL YOU DECORATEFOR CHRISTMAS?

London’s original decorating studio

Karen says that boys may bemore attracted to Bendaroos fromSpinmaster. These are wax sticksover super strong string and whatcan be created from them seemsonly limited by a child'simagination. Crafty toys can be ano-no for parents worried aboutmessy play at home but themanufacturers promise they don'tstain walls or furnishings which isa massive bonus at busy timeswhen we really don't want to bedoing panic cleaning as well.

Papillon Toys in Whitton willalso be stocking high-profileranges which will be advertisedon tv in the coming weeks suchas Spirograph and Sticker Factorybut manager Robert alsorecommended some other

RReeaaddyy,, sstteeaaddyy,, sshhooppOur special thanks go to local toyshops andpottery painting places for their help incompiling this feature. These wonderful storesare staffed with people who are passionateand knowledgeable about the products theystock and happy to take the time to help youout.The Toy Station, 6 Eton Street, Richmond,TW9 1EE 020 8940 4896Papillon Toys, 87 High Street, Whitton, TW27LD 020 8755 1870Play Inside Out, 42 Broad Street, TeddingtonTW11 8QY, 020 8614 5628: 54 High Street,Walton on Thames KT12 1BY, 01932 246124:377 Upper Richmond Road, East Sheen, SW147NX, 020 8876 5229Funtasia, 3 Oakdene Parade. Cobham KT112LR 01932 867374Pandemonium, 125 Sheen Lane, East SheenSW14 8AE 020 8878 0866The Pottery Cafe and Little Toy Shop, 322Richmond Road, East Twickenham TW1 2DU020 8744 3000The Pottery and Craft Studio, 16a High Street,Thames Ditton KT7 0RY 020 8398 6681

exciting ideas such as Shrinkles- sheets of paper which arecoloured in then baked in theoven to produce keyrings(ranges include ballerinas,knights, flower fairies andThomas). He also rates theGreat Gizmos range, includinga piggy bank kit for just £5.99and their wonderful ScienceMuseum kits such as Create aNight Sky and Pin Hole Camera.These tick all the boxes - crafty,fun and educational!

Paint a bauble at the Pottery andCraft Studio, Thames Dittonwww.thepotteryandcraftstudio.com

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christmas

What turns a normally quiet and politeseptuagenarian into a loud and abrasivelout, hurling abuse at a cross-dressing man?

The annual trip to the theatre to see thepantomime, that's what. Well, that's whatit's like in my family. Each year my parentstake my children to the pantomime andthrow themselves into their role as audiencemembers, intercepting sweets and elbowingothers out of the way to get to the front ofthe ice-cream queue. At all other times, theyare good, upstanding members of theircommunity, often found wondering aroundNational Trust properties and sucking onWerthers Originals.

Unless the theatres pump some funny gas

He’sbehind LIZ BOURNE loves a goodfamily Christmas show. Oh yes she does…

in through their air conditioning, there mustbe something very special about theChristmas pantomime that turns dignifiedpillars of society into theatre thugs.

Harking back to the Middle Ages and thetraditional Christmas mummers plays,modern day pantomimes have many of thesame elements. Every mummers play had amoral and good always defeated the badwith St George always available to play thehero. Father Christmas occasionally made anentrance as well, as did a quack doctor whomanaged to bring a corpse back to life,symbolising the reawakening of the earthfrom the death of winter.

In our modern day pantomime, a D-listcelebrity is brought back to life for a coupleof weeks, symbolising our obsession withfame and the reawakening of their career,albeit for a short time.

Audience participation has always been akey element in the pantomime. And it is thisthat gives the grandparents of middleEngland carte blanche to lower their guardfor a while and let rip in a way not seensince they heard that their local branch ofEdinburgh Woollen Mill was closing down.

The English are known for their reservednature and so audience participation doesnot always come naturally. At any othertime of the year, being split into two groupsand expected to shout or sing on demand,would cause any self effacing audience tostand up and leave, and immediately writeto their local paper in disgust. But this isChristmas and the rules are different.Personally, my competitive nature takes overand I have been known to brood for days ifmy side of the theatre wasn't consideredbest.

If it's really not your scene we're pleasedto report a trend which promises quality,acknowledges tradition but avoids trite.Kingston Rose's Treasure Island's castfeatures no former members of the BigBrother House and adapted pop songs, theP word is avoided throughout with theentertainment is referred to as a ChristmasShow.

Smaller community theatres may be goingdown the same route with their intimatesettings of traditional pantomime stories.This year Lanternfish Theatre is presentingAladdin and his Magic Lamp on 12thDecember at Riverhouse Barn, Walton. Thisshow aims to be an original version of thetraditional panto with all the associatedcharacters we know and love, performed byjust three actors and including comedy,music, dance and audience participation.

Whatever you opt for, there is somethingvery appealing about the pantomime/Christmas show that makes us break downthe barriers, enjoy the child-like quality ofthe genre (and the hidden innuendoes) andshout out to our heart's content. Or maybe

you!

OriginsAladdin (at Riverhouse Barn, Walton)The story comes from the Thousand-And-One Nights fable (or stories from TheArabian Nights) which also includes AliBaba and the Forty Thieves and Sinbad theSailor. The original story is set in China, buta strangely Arabian China (populated withgenies and magicians) But in the case ofpanto, it is a very English China - hence it iscentred around a Chinese laundry.www.riverhousebarn.co.ukSnow White (Richmond Theatre)This story (in German Schneewittchen) is afairy tale known from many countries inEurope, the best known version being theGerman one collected by the BrothersGrimm. The German version featureselements such as the magic mirror and theseven dwarfs, who were first givenindividual names in Disney's Snow Whiteand the Seven Dwarfs (1937).www.ambassadortickets.com/richmondJack and the Beanstalk (Paul Robeson Theatre, Hounslow)This is probably an English fairy tale, closelyassociated with the tale of Jack the GiantKiller. It is known under a number ofversions. Benjamin Tabart's moralisedversion of 1807 'The history of Jack and thebean-stalk' is the first appearance in print,but Joseph Jacobs popularised it in EnglishFairy Tales (1890). Jacobs's version is mostcommonly reprinted today and is believedto more closely adhere to the oral versionsthan Tabart's, because it lacks themoralising of that version.www.hounslowpanto.comTreasure Island (Rose Theatre, Kingston)This story more recent addition topantomime based on the book by RobertLouis Stevenson, first published in 1883.Traditionally considered a coming-of-agestory, it is an adventure tale known for itsatmosphere, character and action, and alsoa wry commentary on the ambiguity ofmorality-as seen in the character of LongJohn Silver. This is very unusual forchildren's literature both then and now andmakes fantastic material for family theatre.www.rosetheatrekingston.org

it's the couple of drinks we had in the barbeforehand…

For full details on the shows mentionedhere, please check our listings of these andother great local Christmas entertainment onpages 20 to 23.

“What they said

'Karen Louise Hebden'sadaptation...is a swaggeringsynthesis of cannon smoke, seashanties and three cornered hats...A production too good to miss.' The Guardian on Treasure Island.

'A wonderful show which keeps trueto tradition while injecting healthydoses of originality.' The Stage on Aladdin and his Magic Lamp.

HE’S EARLY!BGC Christmas Meeting Saturday 19th December

Features superb Jumps racing, Santa’s grotto and fairground rides. All entertainment is free of charge, including a free gift for every child

that visits the grotto; subject to availability.

Tickets from £15 per person, Fine Dining Packages from £65. Children aged 16 and under FREE.

Bookings:

0870 727 1234 ascot.co.uk The World’s Most Famous Racecourse


baby, baby

RuffleButt Bloomers In White With Pink Frill available from www.mummysonlinebabyshop.com01442 269 756

We quizzed some local mums on why they believe resuable nappiesare just as easy for parents as they are for the planet.

Has the case for 'real nappies' been proven?What about the damage that repeatedcleaning reusable nappies can cause to theenvironment? Basically if you wash your nappies at 90oCand tumble dry them every time, yourcarbon footprint will be far larger and dirtierthan if you used disposables….so don't!However, if you wash at 60oC with a fullload and line dry wherever possible, usingeco friendly detergent, then the impact onthe environment over 21/2 years issignificantly less than using disposables(lowering it by 200kg of CO2 - that'sequivalent to driving a car 1000km).What would you say to a tried, squeamish,sceptical mum concerned about the time andeffort involved in using real nappies? I was finding with disposables that theyleaked a lot and I needed to do more clotheswashing. Now I do less clothes washing anddo nappy washes every 2/3 days. I usebiodegradable nappy liners, which catchmost of the poo and are flushed down theloo. Because I have a mesh bag in the dirtynappies bin, it only takes a moment to bungit in the washing machine. It also means I

don't have to handle them again! There is noneed to soak nappies these days andmachines are very good at getting themclean. It then takes 5 minutes to put themout on an airer. (Don't tell my husbandthough because I count putting out thenappies as a major achievement!) SometimesI am super organised and fold them neatly bythe changing table and other times I justgrab the nappies off the airer as requireduntil I do another wash! How do you manage the used nappiesbefore you can get them through themachine? It's important to get a large bucket with a lidkept near your changing table so dirtynappies can go straight in. No soakingnecessary.Do you have any extra tips for keepingresuable nappies in pristine condition?If it's sunny, it's definitely worth drying themoutside as the sun bleaches out any stains.Realistically, the sun doesn't always shine inthese parts so will my house be full of dryingnappies on every radiator? I find the speediest way of drying thenappies is to put them on a peg drier andhang over a door.Isn't washing the nappies a daily chorenevertheless? Make sure you do buy enough to last you aday or two - you don't want to be a slave tothe washing machine. I have about 18.Still not keen on the laundry load, so is therea way I could get someone else to do all thelaundry involved and deliver clean nappies tothe house? There are nappy laundry services which willdo the washing for you. To find our what isavailable in our area visit www.goreal.org.ukIs there an alternative to disposable babywipes to go that extra eco mile?Use washable wipes if you want to save evenmore money and avoid the chemicals of theleading disposable brands. They are useful ina multitude of mucky situations!Will all this save me money? On average, taking into account the cost oflaundering, real nappies save you at least£500 and if you invest in some washablewipes (flannels to you and me) you couldsave a further £2501.Do real nappies get babies through the nightwithout a soggy cot and miserable baby inthe morning?Pop in a washable terry booster pad at nightto ensure baby gets through the night withminimum leaks.

What would I need to buy apart from thenappies? Will I have to invest in thosevicious looking nappy pins and crunchyplastic pants I remember?Expel from your mind origami-like foldingand nasty crunchy plastic pants. Althoughthese are still available if you really want, realnappies are bang up to date with Gore-texshells (breathable and waterproof), fleeceliners or even highly absorbent bamboopads. Many are shaped just like disposablesand are soft and flexible. Don't the nappy liners clog the sewagesystem potentially? Check the instructions on the pack beforeyou buy to see if it states 'flushable'. Thatway you will be safe!

For more information on reusable nappies, check www.goreal.org.uk

?

Did you know?* Modern reusable nappies are very similarto disposables and as convenient to use.* There is no need to use pins, as they have'velcro', poppers or ties to keep them inplace.

* Modern cotton reusable nappies maybe healthier for your baby, and can saveyou a substantial amount of money.* A wide variety of cloth nappies arenow available with cute colourfuldesigns.

Three of our local boroughs haveincentive schemes to help parents usereusable nappies.

HOUNSLOW offers a £50 vouchertowards the purchase or washing servicefor real nappies. Terms and conditionsapply and the vouchers have limitedavailability. Vouchers are only redeemablethrough particular stockists. Call 0208568 4913 for more details.

KINGSTON is currently running aNappy Kit Subsidy saving you around£50 on the cost of nappies. The kit costs£25, or at £8 if you are receiving housingbenefit/income support (proof required).The retail price of the kits' contents isover £70, so the subsidies really give yougood savings! The kits include: 3wraps/outers/covers of different brands;6to 7 nappies of different types andbrands; plenty of paper and fleece liners;one lidded bucket; care instructions anduser's guide; and information on otherenvironmental issues. Call 020 82860916 for more information.

RICHMOND is offering residents theopportunity to apply for a one-offpayment of £50 as cash-back against theprior purchase and use of reusablenappies for this financial year (1st April2009 to March 2010). One claim perchild not per year.

The £50 cash back incentive isavailable against either the purchase ofReusable nappies or a nappy launderingservice.

To be considered for the incentivescheme (or for further information)please register online or telephone theCorporate Contact Centre on 08456 122660.

Sadly the Surrey boroughs ofElmbridge and Spelthorne lag behindthose in London and do not yet offer anincentive scheme. For help and adviceabout real nappies, contact Surrey RealNappy Network on 07768 916276.

Disposable versus reusable - the bottom line

Disposable nappies are responsible for upto 4% of landfill waste. They areexpensive to dispose of and increasedlandfill contributes significantly to globalwarming. Are you ready to make theswitch to reusable nappies?


baby, baby

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Salma* contacted Home-Start Richmond asshe was feeling very isolated - her husbandworked 12 hour shifts, her extended familylived on the other side of London and sheknew very few people locally. At the timeshe had three young girls, aged about 41/2,2 and 5 months and they lived in a small flatwith no garden. Her mood (she was on anti-depressants) and general physical healthwere not good and she found it hard to getout with the children.

When volunteer Rebecca* was introducedshe spent time listening and talking withSalma, providing adult company and liftingher spirits. She spent time playing with andreading to the girls; and took them out tothe park on many occasions. This providedgreat stimulation for the children and Salmawith a very welcome break.

After several months, Salma is now feelingmuch more confident and physically well,having come off anti-depressants. She islooking forward to the future and is planningto train to be a classroom assistant and thenpossibly a teacher.

The whole family has really benefited fromhaving their volunteer. Salma's husbandsaid, 'Rebecca is the most wonderful thing tohave happened to us!'

If you or someone you know could benefitfrom Home-Start Richmond's help, talk toyour Health Visitor or contact them on020 8487 8500 [email protected] or visitwww.homestart-richmond.org.uk

* Names changed to protect confidentiality

Help from Home-Start

All of us needpropping up fromtime to time, sothank goodness forHome-Start andtheir volunteers whoprovide a listeningear when things geta bit too much.

Your local Home-Start schemeHome-Start Richmond, Parkway House,Sheen Lane, East Sheen SW14 8LS 020 8487 [email protected]

Home-Start Elmbridge, Case House, 85-89 High Street, Walton KT12 1DZ 01932 [email protected]

Home-Start Hounslow, 18 Ermine Close,Eastside, Hounslow, TW4 7PW 020 8577 [email protected]

Are you feeling isolated, with no family or friends nearby? Or suffering with post-natal illnessbut finding it hard to talk to anyone about it? Or having a hard time coping with your child's illness or the death of a close relative? You could be supported by a volunteer from Home-Startwho would visit you at home for a few hours a week to offer emotional and practical help. Allvolunteers have parenting experience themselves, are thoroughly trained and CRB checked.

??Home-Start Kingston, Siddeley House,50 Canbury Park Road, Kingston, KT2 6LX 020 8296 [email protected]

Home-Start Spelthorne, The ResourceCentre, Staines Park, Commercial Road,Staines, TW18 2QW 01784 [email protected]


parenting

The can-do attitude

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High self-esteem is one of those things that youcan spot in someone from a mile away. It oozesout of them, they seem happy, easy, centred.'Things' seem to go their way. Other people liketo be around them and they have love andlaughter in their lives. These people seem to walkon the sunny side of the street! The world istheir oyster. Everything appears to come to them.

It's also easy to spot someone with really lowself-esteem. Body language can be a bigrevealing factor. Their head might hang low, theireyes may be downcast, they may avoidopportunities for mixing with others andengaging in conversation. Their life seems muchheavier and more limited in possibilities. If yourchild has low self-esteem it can be like drivingthrough life with the handbrake on. The samefor you!

Where do you place yourself in terms of yourown self-esteem? Is it strong and high, or lowand weak? Where is your child?

Personal coach and teacher JUNE WHITTLE, based in Weybridge, sharesher ideas for boosting self esteem for both you and your children.

Imagine a number line in front of you, on thefloor or the table, from 0 to 10. Imagine 0 is theexample of low self-esteem I have given aboveand 10 is the example of high self-esteem.Where are you along that number line andwhere do you think your child is?

Of course, most of us and our children will fallsomewhere in the middle between the 0 andthe 10. So, now that you have placed yourselfand you have a number eg, 3 or 6 or maybe 8.Ask yourself, what can I do to raise that numberby just 1 point? What can I do to raise thatnumber for my child by 1? What can I do?It is worth remembering that we cannot GIVEself-esteem as a gift. We can however, provideself-esteeming experiences - and lots of them.Think about the following:

Identify how much 'quality' time you spendtogether. Time where you are not in the carrushing from place to place, or doing domesticjobs, or talking and texting on your phone. Akey element in building self-esteem is a sense ofbelonging and the feeling of being loved andvalued. Build in some pure engagement andlistening time. When someone really listens tous, with their full attention, it gives a feeling ofbeing special. So, call this time 'special time'. Itdoesn't need to be an expensive trip out - howabout 'special time' baking or kicking a footballin the garden or walking the dog? Just giving itthe label of 'special' and giving your undividedattention for half an hour will make a difference.Look through family photos together and talkabout shared moments and family members.

Nurture a 'can-do' attitude to open up aworld of possibilities and success. Talk aboutyour own dreams and things that you arelooking forward to. Talk about their dreams.Help them to turn their dreams into reality -show them the steps. They may have to improvesomething. They may have to save or stick tosomething. Talk about the steps.

Notice your use of language and theirs. Ifthey have a habit of saying 'I can't' add on theword 'yet'. Share stories of how you havemanaged to turn 'I can't yet' into 'I can' - swim,ride a bike, read a book, stay upright on skates,whatever!!

We all avoid situations where we feel wemight be put down, made a fool of or hurt.Help your child to gently step out of theircomfort zone. Remind them that it's ok tomake mistakes. As a teacher I regularly madedeliberate mistakes to encourage learning andpromote safe feelings around making mistakes.We really DO learn from our own and others'mistakes. Make some obvious mistakes for yourchild to pick up on and … when you make areal mistake - deal with it well! Your child willbe learning from how YOU cope with mistakes!

Notice how many negative comments popout of your mouth. Ensure that there are atleast 3 positive comments for every negativeone. At least!

As a final and very powerful tip - go out andbuy a special blank notebook together - or aplain notebook that can be decorated. Everyevening, at teatime or bedtime, talk about theday. Write down or draw a picture of the goodthings that have happened in your child's day.Note any compliments, words of praise orsuccesses - however small. As adults we havelearnt to dismiss these things as insignificant orgeneralise them: 'They didn't really mean it','They say that to everyone', 'What do theywant?', 'They would say that wouldn't they?'etc etc. In fact, these moments of praise andsuccess can make all the difference to our senseof self-worth and self-esteem - help your childto notice them and accept them!

June Whittle is personal coach and trainerworking in the field of motivation, teaching and learning. Contact her on [email protected]

Remind them thatit's ok to make

mistakes

Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Do you fall asleep easily and then wake up in the early hours of the morning - unable to get back tosleep? More people are suffering from sleep problems than ever before, leaving them feeling exhausted and irritable with excessive daytimesleepiness. Sleep is vital for our health and wellbeing.

June Whittle's sleep CD will help you in your desire for a deep and beneficial night's sleep. Available from www.sleepless.zite.me andwww.amazon.co.uk 50% of sales from readers of Families Upon Thames will be donated to Home-Start Elmbridge. Please add the initialsFUT after your name when ordering.


parenting

For everything in life we do we use astrategy? All our daily activity is generated andmaintained by strategies. We have strategiesfor love, hate, parenting, motivation, eating,fun, learning, spelling and just abouteverything else we do.

A strategy is a specific syntax of externaland internal experience that consistentlyproduce specific outcomes. Human experienceis an endless series of internal representations.We store our memories with the help of ourfive senses. Remember a time in your lifewhen you felt really happy. And as youremember that time do you have a picture inyour mind's eye? Now, I want you to hearwhat you heard, see what you saw and reallyfeel those feelings of being happy. Are thereany tastes or smells involved in that picture?

Now, where do those strategies comefrom? Lots of them revert back to ourchildhoods and how we have beenconditioned and taught from an early age.

Sometimes that endless sequence of aspecific strategy is not a very useful one and itdoesn't create the outcome we need. Then itis a good idea to suspend the process andchange it to something more constructive.

In Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) welearn that bad spellers are made not born.Bad spellers are not learning disabled, they areteaching disabled.

Any strategy we have been using with littleor no result we can change easily usingvarious NLP tools and techniques such asanchoring, changing submodalities, reframing,using metaphors, etc.

Working with your children can be easyand of fun to do. There is lots you can do athome to help your child become an excellentlearner. See the shaded box for ideas.

To help your child to improve their gradesand focus their attention in the classroom,teaching them The Learning State is veryeasy too.

� Pick a spot on the wall where thelesson takes place. Point to it and say 'Upthere'. Make sure you pick a spot above eyelevel, generally above the midline, maybeeven on the ceiling.

MARTINA GRUBMUELLER from Kingston believes learning is all about theright strategy.

� Notice how you can see things in yourperipheral vision, as you focus in on thatspot. See how far you can see while youkeep your awareness on the spot of the wall.Take in all the details of the objects aroundyou and see how far you can expand yourvision. Some people can see 180 degrees. � When your focus is fully in the peripheralthen bring your eyes down slowly and focuson the teacher.Everything that happens to us is recorded inour brain. The issue is not that we don'tknow it, the issue is that we sometimes can'trecall it and bring it out when we need it.Using The Learning State allows your child totake in information in a good, solid state, tostore it and bring it back when needed.

Same of these techniques are being usedfor children with Dyslexia and ADHD. Themost effective way of dealing with learning

1

2

34

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difficulties is by looking at the personholistically and also bringing in some physicalbalancing techniques such as The BowenTechnique to help balance the autonomicnervous system.

Check www.bowennlp.com for moreabout the holistic approach of dealing withlearning difficulties using a combination ofNLP, The Bowen Technique and othertechniques that can help your child becomea better learner.

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Learning disabilityor teaching disability?

Get into a positive state. Learning isusually inhibited in a negative environment.Create a little school situation where thechild can pretend to be the teacherexplaining the process to you or a sibling.Homework can be overpowering at timesif it covers too many aspects at once. Splitthe work into sections, small chunks andprioritise same with little breaks inbetween.Feedback is very important. Ensure lots ofpositive and inspiring comments relative tothe task.You can use appropriate comparisons tothe child's ability in the past. It is alwaysbetter to compare to own ideas andachievements in the past rather than anyother child that seems so much furtherahead. The idea is not to come up short toideals but to be aware of personal positiveimprovements, no matter how small theyare.Expect your child not to understand somethings, set them aside and come back laterand avoid getting trapped in bad feelings. And remember: You don't need to knoweverything - 'All important decisions aremade on the basis of insufficientinformation'.

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dearest dad

In defence of dad

Last week I was listening with growingfascination as a mother on the radio talkedabout an alien sounding world to me, whereTop Gear dominated the family tv, herchildren communicated in an endlesslyphysical way and where vaguely suggestivepictures of young women were appearing onthe walls of her oldest son's bedroom.

'How difficult for her', I found myselfthinking, 'having to bring out their soft,feminine, nurturing sides, lay down the rulesabout respecting the opposite sex and beingconstantly outnumbered'… and I'll confess itwas a second or so before I realised that thissituation, in reverse, was what my partner, Rcopes with in our house in a daily basis.

The fact that he had three sisters shouldhave prepared him forthe tantrums andturmoil of a femaledominated householdbut it has notprevented us fromreaching a pointwhere the rest of usdo consider him a vaguely alien, evendeficient, being who inexplicably resists ourattempts to give him a makeover, cannotfollow a three-way girly dinnertimeconversation or simultaneously perform theroutine tasks of making toast, ironing a shirtand phoning up the dentist to cancel today'sappointment.

Lucky for him R claims he only everwanted daughters but I'm not quite sure hehad thought it through. For him the earlyyears were certainly glory days. When ourfour darling daughters were very little theywere like a mini fan club. To them he wasendlessly entertaining and a source of funand adoration. Inevitably they learnt to playthe old trick of always asking him when theywanted something. It wasn't quite a case of'bad cop, good cop' though (and this was asign of things to come!) because of coursewe always faced the 'sensitivity issue' wherehe would blunder in with comments and

Born into a family where girls predominate, FRANCES LOATES has onlyjust realised what her partner has been enduring all these years.

actions, which would unintentionally upsettheir fragile feminine egos, and they wouldcome wailing to me. In the absence ofbrothers to tease them I'm sure it was a verygood thing!

R's interests revolve around sport and tryas he might, not one of them has reallyengaged. They have whinged endlessly forchips during rugby matches, failed to showeven token interest in his squash leaguetriumphs and mocked his cherished CharltonAthletic football shirt as a fashion travesty.

I'd say the time when it started to becomea real issue was in the 'tweenage' yearswhen the girls started to assert themselvesand complain about Grand Prix coveragewhen they wanted to watch Strictly and the

hearty carb-packed meals heprepared for them when theywere starting to getconscious of their figures.Many a time they seemed to'gang up' on him in that girlyplayground way and I havehad to leap to his defence to

reach a family compromise, which withoutanother male in the house, just had to bedone.

Now he is trapped in a life where the issueof the day is whether Ricky Whittle is hot ornot, he endures year after year in theaudience of their ballet shows and transfers aproportion of his hard-earned cash on aweekly basis in exchange for leggings, smocktops and party dresses at H & M.

The funniest thing has been theappearance of boyfriends in the house. You'dthink he would welcome the sight of anothermale on the doorstep? Someone else toshare a beer with, someone to be impressedby his car, someone to discuss the intricaciesof Fabio Cappello's World Cup strategies forthe England team?

Not a bit of it. We say that R transformsfrom reasonable, polite and tolerant dad intoa silverback gorilla at this point as anothermale invades his long-established territory.

Dads and daughters - the facts � Fathers generally have as much ormore impact as mothers do in thefollowing areas of their daughters'lives: academic and career success(especially in maths and science),creating a loving, trustingrelationship with a man, dealingwell with people in authority-especially men, being self-confidentand self-reliant, being willing to trynew things and to accept challenges,maintaining good mental health (clinical depression, eating disorders,or chronic anxiety) and expressinganger comfortably and appropriately- especially with men.� Mothers and daughters generallyknow each other better and spendmore time together throughouttheir lives than fathers anddaughters. � Too many daughters regret nothaving known their father very wellwhile he was still alive. � Society emphasises theimportance of mother-daughterrelationships more than father-daughter relationships. � Daughters who are raised bysingle fathers are just as welladjusted and as happy as daughtersraised by single mothers. � Fathers and daughters are usuallycloser when the mother works fulltime outside the home.� Many fathers believe that theirwives and daughters' feelings forthem are partly based on money.� A father usually has a closerrelationship with his kids when themother lets everyone in the familyknow how much she appreciates hisways of parenting - especially if hisway of relating to the kids isn'texactly like hers. � When parents are unhappilymarried, most children side withtheir mother against their father.

Taken from Embracing YourFather: How to Build theRelationship You Always Wantedwith Your Dad by Linda Nielsen.

Now he is trapped in a lifewhere the issue of the day is

whether Ricky Whittle is hot or not

?

He has not given a single one of them aneasy ride and it gets worse, if anything, astime goes on. There are a few poor lads inWalton on Thames who quake at themention of his name, I'm sure. From theaggressively silent treatment to producingthe recently inflated phone bill on a first visitto addressing them in an exaggeratedlyformal manner and referring to his 'list ofquestions' which has not yet materialised,but it's only a matter of time!

Is yours a lop-sided family? If so we'd love tohear about the dynamics in your house.Dads - are you outnumbered by girls? Tell uswhat it's like. Mothers of sons, how do youcope with continually raging testosterone?

Despite what they say, daughters do need dads


dearest dad

Beware Competitive Dad

For young children interests canbe fleeting. What is the centreof their life one week, the thingthat fills all their wakingthoughts, can be totallyforgotten the following week.However, even from an earlyage children can developactivities and skills that willremain with them for the restof their lives. An interest indrawing can be cultivated, aninterest in sport encouraged.Each of these interests needs tobe explored and developed, butwillingly dropped if the childloses interest. Every child'sroom is full of half-read booksor unplayed-with toys, thedebris of a lost passion. To theparents this might appear awaste of time and money, butfor the child it is vital forfinding out who they are.

From a very early age yourchild is on a lifelong mission todiscover where they are in theworld, what will stimulate themand make them grow. Just asimportantly, they need todiscover what does not interestthem and to let these thingsgo. The child should alwayslead; the parents can offerencouragement, suggestions,guidance and practical help,but they should always followthe child's explorations andinvestigations.

It's only too easy tounwittingly slip intoCompetitive Dad (or Mum)behaviour. Sport and games areCompetitive Dad's biggestinterests - from cricket to tennisand fishing, not to mentionweight-lifting and Monopoly.Simon Day, the tv character'screator, said that the characterwas inspired by a dad he oncesaw at a swimming pool. Hechallenged his two youngchildren to a race, but insteadof giving them a chance, heraced off across the pool thenwaited smugly for his strugglingoffspring to catch up. This

We are all familiar with the nightmare Dad bellowing on the

sportsfield but Competitive Dad can be found in other places too ...

KEVIN RYAN asks if there is one in your house?

Many years ago the television comedy series The Fast Show created the character CompetitiveDad. He is the best at everything and torments his long-suffering children with constant challengesthey can never live up to. This carefully crafted character is true for both mums and dads. So, becareful when helping your children set their goals; are they their goals or are they yours?

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Life and Career Coach Kevin Ryan is based in West London.Phone 020 8400 9045, email [email protected]

or check his website on www.movingoncoaching.co.uk?

E: [email protected]: 020 8568 6886 www.PopstarsAcademy.com

E: [email protected]: 020 8568 6886 www.PopstarsAcademy.com

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comedy character reveals anawful truth about how the goals,interests and ambitions of theparent become imposed on thechildren. The two children mighthave learned to love swimmingfor pleasure or as a sport, but theactions of their father riskedkilling that interest stone dead.

It is essential to encouragechildren to do things that theymight not naturally be inclined todo, such as reading, writing andmaths. It is advantageous for thechildren to pass down familytraditions and the parent's ownenthusiasms. These are thethings that can bring a familycloser together. However, it isvital to check yourself and ask:who am I doing this for? Whendoes communicating my love ofswimming stop beingencouragement and startbecoming imposing? Children'sdevelopment can be hamperedwhen the parent starts living outtheir own goals and ambitionsthrough their children.

It is essential to listen to yourchild, to their wants andinterests. Space should be givenfor experimentation and maybeeventual rejection. Sometimes itcan be truly heartbreaking for aparent when their child shows nointerest in something that is soessential for them. It has thepang of rejection of who theyare. This is especially true if thechild showed an initial interestand then loses it. It takes a lot ofcourage to acknowledge that thisis not your child's interest andmove on. Allowing your child tofind their own way is to allowtheir individuality to grow. Younever know, you might haveplanted the seeds of a passionthat they will return to in laterlife.

So when you are next at asports day or junior footballmatch and see some parent, red-faced, shouting at their childrenfrom the sidelines, you’ll knowexactly who you’ve encountered!


Designated a Site of Special ScientificInterest and a National Nature Reserve,Richmond Park is the largest of the RoyalParks and covers an area of 2500 acres. Sohow many of us have lost the habit ofvisiting regularly as a family? Do you stick tofamiliar spots or search out new corners toexplore? Is your family making the most ofthis amazing local green space?

Isabella Plantation is to the south west ofRichmond Park and best known for itsrhododendrons, at their peak in late springbut don't neglect this park at other times ofthe year. In November and December theIsabella Plantation assumes a very specialmagic as it transforms into a wintrylandscape.

ORIGINS In the 17th century, this area in the south-west corner of Richmond Park was knownas The Sleyt. This is the name usually usedfor boggy ground or an open space betweenwoods or banks.

By 1771, it is shown on maps as IsabellaSlade. Isabella may have been the wife ordaughter of a member of staff. But it ismore likely to be a corruption of the wordisabel, which was used as far back as the15th century to mean dingy or greyishyellow - the colour of the soil in this part ofthe park.

In 1831, Lord Sidmouth, the park deputyranger, fenced off 17 hectares (42 acres) ofthe Isabella Slade. He planted oak, beechand sweet chestnut trees as a crop fortimber and gave the area the name it hastoday.

The present garden of clearings, pondsand streams was established from the 1950sonwards. It is largely the work of GeorgeThomson, the park superintendent from1951-1971. Along with his head gardener,Wally Miller, he removed Rhododendronponticum from large areas and replaced itwith other rhododendron species. Theyestablished evergreen Kurume azaleasaround the Still Pond and planted otherexotic shrub and tree species. The mainstream through the garden from BroomfieldGate was dug in 1960 and the plantationwas enlarged to include Peg's Pond. Morerecently, in 1989, a wild stream was dug inthe northern section and this has now beencolonised by ferns, water plantains andbrook lime. The Bog Garden wasreconstructed in 2000.

By autumn, guelder rose, rowan andspindle trees are loaded with berries andleaves on the acer trees are turning red.Even in winter, the gardens have scent andcolour as there are early camellias andrhododendron, as well as mahonia, winter-flowering heathers and stinking hellebore.

Isabella Plantation is now run on organicprinciples. Its luscious ground cover andmature trees make good habitat for wildlifeand it is part of the Richmond Park Site ofSpecial Scientific Interest. It is a particularly

outandabout...A special spot

good place to see birds. Resident speciesinclude redpoll, bullfinch, woodpecker,sparrow hawk and tawny owl. There arewaterfowl, such as pintail, tufted duck andpochard. Visiting birds to look out for inNovember and December are siskin and reedbunting.

Male siskin

Female siskin

The siskin is a small, lively finch, which issmaller than a greenfinch. It has a distinctlyforked tail and a long narrow bill. The malehas a streaky yellow-green body and ablack crown and bib. There are yellowpatches in the wings and tail. It is mainly aresident breeder and in winter birds arrivehere also from Europe.

Spot it

What's fun for families The Isabella Plantationprovides a contrast with thevast, open landscapes ofRichmond Park. It's afantastic setting for games ofhide and seek but watch out,once inside, the IsabellaPlantation is bigger than itfeels and getting lost is veryeasy! Before the short walkback up to the car park, howabout a mini picnic on one ofthe benches with a flask ofsoup or hot chocolate andsome cookies?

Male reedbunting

Female reedbunting


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November and December - a great time to discover a winter wonderland in the Isabella Plantation at Richmond Park

The fruit on the guelder rose is edible insmall quantities, with a very acidic taste; itcan be used to make jelly. It is however verymildly toxic, and may cause vomiting ordiarrhoea if eaten in large amounts.

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GETTING THERE If you are going by public transport youshould be prepared for a good walk. FromRichmond Station, take the 65 bus to HamCommon, walk down Ham Gate Avenue(3/4 mile to Ham Gate), climb up hill toHam Cross, cross the road and walk downthe closed road. Veer right and enter theIsabella Plantation from the Disabled Gate.

For a more gentle walk approach fromPutney, take the 85 bus in the direction ofKingston. Alight at Warren Road onKingston Hill. Cross the road and walkdown Ladderstile Ride to the LadderstileGate. Cross the perimeter road inside thePark and, using the map (available fromwww.royalparks.org.uk) follow the path tothe Broomfield Hill entrance.

By car there is one road circumnavigatingRichmond Park. From wherever you enter,travel towards Kingston Gate or RobinHood Gate. The Broomfield Hill car parkwhich serves the Isabella Plantation isbetween these two points.

During November and December,Richmond Park is open from 7.30am to4pm.

The reedbunting is sparrow-sized but slimand with a long, deeply notched tail, themale has a black head, white collar and adrooping moustache. Females and wintermales have a streaked head. In flight the taillooks black with broad, white edges.Typically found in wet vegetation but hasrecently spread into farmland and, in winter,into gardens. When singing the male isusually perched on top of a bush or reed.

The spindle tree is named for thetraditional use of its wood in spindles forlooms, it is capable of growing to 6 metresin height. Its bright pink fruits containingthe seeds mature in the autumn months.

The rowan tree's autumn fruits are softand juicy, which makes them a very goodfood for birds, which then distribute therowan seeds in their droppings. Due to theirsmall size the fruits are often referred to asberries.

19th NOVEMBER to 8th DECEMBER,Letter to Santa at Eden Walk ShoppingCentre, Kingston. Take your letter toEden Walk Shopping Centre and post itin Santa's Special Post Box beforeTuesday 8th December and you couldwin one of three prizes including a familyticket to see Treasure Island at the RoseTheatre.

28th NOVEMBER, Santa arrives at hisMagical Ice Palace in Narnia atChessington Garden Centre, LeatherheadRoad, Chessington. Visit Santa thereevery day until 24th December, £6.50. www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk

29th NOVEMBER, Christmas Extravaganzain Whitton High Street, 12 noon to 5pm.Entertainment, charity stalls etc. raffleand tombola, bands including Kneller

5th NOVEMBER, Syon Park, Brentford.Gates open 7pm, starts 8pm. Cost£2/£5. Check www.syonpark.co.uk

6th NOVEMBER, Community FireworksDisplay, Kingsmeadow Stadium,Kingston Road, gates open 6.30 pm.Last entry 7.45 pm. Fireworks at 8pm.Tickets £3 children (ages 5 to 11 years),£4 adults, £4 and £6 respectively on thenight. Advance tickets from MarketHouse, Kingfisher Leisure Centre, TheMalden Centre, Kingsmeadow andTolworth Leisure Centres.

6th NOVEMBER, Firework Display toMusic at Meadhurst Club, Chertsey Road,Sunbury, 6pm. Children's fairground,kiddi karts, live music and South AfricanSpit Roast. Cost £5.50 for adults, £4.50for children. On the night all tickets £8.Book on 01932 763500,[email protected]

Throughout NOVEMBER, FREE entry onWednesdays at Painshill Park,Portsmouth Road, Cobham. 01932868113, www.painshill.co.uk

12th NOVEMBER to 27th DECEMBER,German Christmas Market at KingstonMarketplace, open daily from 10am to8pm. Great gifts, delicious food and atraditional Christmas atmosphere. EverySunday children can enjoy an alcohol-free children's punch, served FREE withtheir parent's order. Carol singers, facepainter, jugglers and magicians.

20th NOVEMBER, Star Walk at BedfontLakes,7pm. Discover constellations,meteors, planets, and satellites. £2adults, £1 children, 0845 456 2796.

20th NOVEMBER to 6th DECEMBER, TheEnchanted Woodland at Syon Park, 5 to8pm. Every Friday, Saturday and Sundayevening, www.syonpark.co.uk

28th NOVEMBER to 10th JANUARY, IceRink at Hampton Court Palace (exceptChristmas day). Book on 0844 412 4641www.hamptoncourticerink.com


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5th DECEMBER to 3rd JANUARY, Self-Guided Christmas 'Thinking Walk' forfamilies at Kew Gardens. Leafletsavailable from the gates www.kew.org

6th DECEMBER, Winter Woodland Day atCranford Park, Cranford Lane, Hounslow,10am to 1pm. Learn about Traditionalwoodland management and crafts. Giftson sale, 020 8573 1443.

6th, 13th and 20th DECEMBER, WinterWonderland at Osterley, Jersey Road,Isleworth 12.30 to 3.30pm. Festive craftactivities for families. Child £1. Contact020 8232 5050 for details.

12th DECEMBER to 3rd JANUARY, Fun atClimbers and Creepers at Kew Gardens,11am to 3.30pm. Nature-themed artsand crafts and seasonal face painting (£4 a face, £7 two) www.kew.org

20th DECEMBER, Tree Dressing Day atBedfont Lakes Country Park, ClockhouseLane, Bedfont, 12 noon. Decorate a treewith your unwanted Christmasdecorations. Details on 0845 456 2796.

19th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch On in Kingston. Entertainmentstarts at 3.30pm, Lights Switch On at6pm. FREE event.20th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on in Richmond24th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on in Tolworth26th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on in Teddington and Surbiton27th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on in New Malden27th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on and Celebrations inTwickenham29th NOVEMBER, Christmas LightsSwitch on in Cobham4th DECEMBER, Walton Festival of Light 5th DECEMBER, Christmas decorations,lights and dressed tree at Victoria Gate,Kew Gardens, www.kew.org

Carols at Osterley Stableyard

FIREWORKS & BONFIRES

WINTER WONDERLANDS

LET THERE BE LIGHTS WHERE IS SANTA?

Jim Hawkins as they swash-buckle theirway through a world of shipwrecks,pirates and magical islands in thisadventure of a lifetime. The auditoriumof the Rose will be magically transformedinto a pirates' paradise for this year'sChristmas show. Book on 020 7087 7940 or atwww.rosetheatrekingston.org

12th DECEMBER, Lanternfish TheatreCompany present Aladdin and his MagicLamp at Riverhouse, Manor Road,Walton, 4 and 6pm. Tickets £6 and £7,book on 01932 253354.

13th NOVEMBER, Echelford PrimarySchool Christmas Craft and Gift Fair, ParkRoad, Ashford, 6.30pm. Over 40 qualitygift and craft stalls. Refreshments andparking available. Cost 50p.

13th NOVEMBER, Latchmere School,Latchmere Road, Kingston, ChristmasCraft Evening, 7.30 to 9.30pm. Sellerscan reserve a table by calling PaulaTrovalusci on 020 8439 7977 or via emailon [email protected]. £1 admission.Ample parking and stalls will vary fromChristmas gifts to pampering andedibles. Mulled wine and mince pies!

18th NOVEMBER, Shopping Evening atAshley C of E Primary School, AshleyRoad, Walton, 7.30 to 9.30pm.Buy all your Christmas gifts in a relaxingenvironment while enjoying a glass ofmulled wine and mince pie. Admission£2.

21st NOVEMBER, Knollmead PrimarySchool Christmas Fair, Knollmead,Tolworth, 12 noon to 3pm. Visit Santa,have your face painted or your nailsdone. Have fun in the winter gamesroom. Browse the stalls for gifts andcards for all the family. Hot drinksavailable, entry 50p.

5th DECEMBER, Archdeacon CambridgeCE Primary School's Christmas Bazaar, TheGreen, Twickenham 2 to 5pm. Santa'sgrotto, face painting,mulled wine, games,raffle, crafts and gifts.Adults £1, children 50p.

5th to 20th DECEMBER,Saturdays and Sundays,Christmas at OsterleyPark House, OsterleyPark House, JerseyRoad, Isleworth, 12.30to 3.30pm. Discoverhow the people who lived, worked and played at Osterley overthe years might havecelebrated Christmasand decorated the House. Visit theChristmas Craft Fair andpurchase someChristmas gifts made by local artists andcraftspeople. NationalTrust members free oradults £5, children£2.50

Hall, Father Christmas and his Grotto IceMan. Call 020 8894 7055 for details.

5th and 6th 12th and 13th, 18th to 24thDECEMBER, Santa's Grotto at HounslowUrban Farm, Faggs Road, Feltham. £7.50per child, adults free. Check the farm isopen atwww.hounslow.info/parks/urbanfarm

5th and 6th and 11th to 24th DECEMBER,Visit Father Christmas in his Painshill ParkGrotto, Portsmouth Road, Cobham. Take a20 minute walk through the landscape tothe Christmas Wishing Tent on Grottoisland. Children booked to visit FatherChristmas can enjoy some festive fun andpurchase refreshments, then the Elves willlead the way to the Crystal Grotto. Don'tforget your camera! Book on 01932584284 or www.painshill.co.uk £4 to£8.50.

7th to, 11th, 14th to 18th, 21st to 23rdDECEMBER, Tea with Santa atChessington Garden Centre, LeatherheadRoad, Chessington, 4.30 to 5.30pm www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk

12th and 13th DECEMBER, Santa comesto Claremont Gardens, Portsmouth Road,Esher, 10.30am to 3pm. Cost £7.50 perchild, pre-book on 01372 467806.

12th to 23rd DECEMBER, Father ChristmasFestive Grotto in the Princess of WalesConservatory, Kew Gardens, 12 noon. Queue closes at 3pm daily.

13th DECEMBER, Santa in the Octagon atOrleans House Gallery, Twickenham, 2 to4pm. Join in the festive fun, take part inChristmas art activities and meet Santa inperson. Suitable for ages 5 to 10 years.£7.50 per child, please book in advance on 020 8831 6000.

2nd DECEMBER to 3rd JANUARY, Jackand the Beanstalk at Paul RobesonTheatre, Treaty Centre, Hounslow. Checkwww.hounslowpanto.com Book on 0845 456 2840.

4th DECEMBER to 10th JANUARY, SnowWhite and the Seven Dwarfs at RichmondTheatre, The Green, Richmond. Book on0844 871 7651,www.ambassadortickets.com/richmond

5th DECEMBER to 3rd JANUARY, Fun-filledCircus - Cirque Normandie, Le SpectacleMagnifique at Chessington GardenCentre, Leatherhead Road, Chessington.See www.chessingtongardencentre.co.ukor in store for ticket rates, dates andtimes of performances. Tickets can bepurchased online or by phone on 01372725638.

11th DECEMBER to 9th JANUARY,Treasure Island at Rose Theatre, HighStreet, Kingston. Adapted by KarenLouise Hebden and directed by StephenUnwin, enjoy a magical and musicalworld of adventure like you'll have neverexperienced before in this spectacularadaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson'swell-loved book. Join an array of well-known and colourful characters includingLong John Silver, Captain Billy Bones and


Please check all events before you leave home as details may have changed.

Drama WorkshopsRun by professional actors for ages 5-8

in the centre of KingstonFREE TRIAL CLASS!

Saturdays 10.30 & 11.30 - £7/classAfter School Classes - £7/class

Christmas Holiday Workshops21-23 December 10-12 @ £12/session

For details call Camilla on 07778 485 990Visit www.dramaworkshops.biz

1 – 5 DecemberBirmingham Stage Company presents

SKELLIGBy David AlmondDirected by Phil Clark

11 December – 9 January Rose Theatre, Kingston presents

TREASURE ISLANDBy Robert Louis Stevenson Adapted by Karen Louise HebdenDirected by Stephen Unwin

“A swaggering synthesis of cannon smoke,sea shanties and three cornered hats.” The Guardian on Hebden’s adaptation

CHRISTMAS AT THE ROSETICKETS FROM £7

Time Out

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Places currently available. Please contact: 020 8977 6976email: [email protected]

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

CHRISTMAS GOODIES

21st to 23rd DECEMBER, Perform's TheLion the Witch and the Wardrobe WinterExperience at King George's Hall, Esher,2.30 to 4.30pm. 4 to 8 year olds travelto Narnia and help Aslan the Lion defeatthe Wicked White Witch. Book on 0845400 4000.

7th NOVEMBER, Banyan Theatrepresents The Princess and the Pea atRiverhouse, Manor Road, Walton, 2 and4pm. Puppet theatre for ages 2 to 5years. Tickets £7 and £6, book on01932 253354.

28th NOVEMBER, Image Musical Theatrepresents Beauty and the Beast at VeraFletcher Hall, Embercourt Road, ThamesDitton, 2.30pm. For ages 5 to 10 years.Tickets £6, 0844 884 8832.

5th DECEMBER, An Introduction to Jazzat Riverhouse, Manor Road, Walton,2.30pm. Lots of noise and fun for ages 7and upwards. Tickets £7, book on01932 253354.

27th DECEMBER to 1st JANUARY, TudorChristmas at Hampton Court Palace.Entertained by the King's famous fool,the magnificent musicians of hischamber and the delights of games anddancing www.hrp.org.uk

Until 7th MARCH (Fridays and Sundaysonly) Ghost Tours at Hampton CourtPalace, 7.30pm. £25 per person,including drinks and light refreshments.Book on 0844 482 7795 or atwww.hrp.org.uk

5th DECEMBER, Pre-Show Family Fun atRichmond Theatre prior to Snow Whiteperformance, 6pm.

5th DECEMBER, Sassy Stirrers Bake nCreate Workshop, Kingston, 12.30 to4.30pm. Call 07789 792676.

12th DECEMBER, I Love Pantomime atRichmond Theatre, 10am to 12.30pm.For ages 8 to 12 years. Children willlearn and stage a song from the panto.Cost £10. Book on 0844 871 7651.

21st and 22nd DECEMBER, TheatrebugsDrama, Music and Dance Workshops,9.30am to 12.30pm, various venues.www.theatrebugs.co.uk 0207 350 2995

21st, 22nd and 23rd DECEMBER,Christmas Holiday Clubs with DramaWorkshop, Kingston Methodist Church,Fairfield, 10am to 12 noon. £12 persession www.dramaworkshops.biz

5th, 6th,12th,13th,19th and 20thDECEMBER, Ham House Christmas Fairwith local artisans, 11am to 5pm. Familyfun activities included in the ticket price.Admission Adult £3 Child £1.50 Family£7.50 - 2 adults and 2 children. Call020 8940 1950 for more.

28th NOVEMBER, 5th and 13thDECEMBER, Christmas Special at TheMusical Museum, Brentford, 399 HighStreet, Brentford, 3pm. Tickets £10.Book on 020 8560 8108.

5th DECEMBER, Kingston Philharmonia’sChildren’s Concert at Kingston MethodistChurch, Kingston. Checkwww.kingstonphil.co.uk for full details.

5th, 12th, and 19th DECEMBER, FamilyCarol Concerts at Ham House, 4.30 to6pm. Adults £15, children £9. FamilyCarols, Father Christmas and children'sgifts in the Great Hall. Booking essentialon 0844 249 1895.

6th, 13th and 20th DECEMBER,ChristmasCarols in the Stableyard at Osterley Parkand House, Jersey Road, Isleworth, 2and 3pm, 020 8232 5050 for details.

19th DECEMBER, Carols by Candlelightat Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Road,Teddington, 6.45 for 7.30pm. A festiveprogramme of seasonal music, wordsand song. Book on 020 8977 7558.

20th to 23rd DECEMBER, Deck the Hallsat Hampton Court Palace, 6pm. Singingof festive songs accompanied by silverband; wrap up and take a torch!£3.50/£7. Book on 0844 482 7795.


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Act, sing and dance atyour local Stagecoach

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Chertsey 01252 338203Chessington &Worcester Park 020 8398 8106HinchleyWood 0845 0500 195Isleworth 01932 886413NewMalden 020 8540 7791

Richmond 020 8948 9288Staines 0845 0556 356Surbiton 0845 0500 195Twickenham 020 8224 6905Walton on Thames 0845 0500 195Weybridge 0845 0500 195

Stagecoach -Educating Surrey’s children for 20 years.

Hinchley Wood 0845 0500 195 Twickenham 020 8224 6905

Isleworth 01932 886413 Walton on Thames 0845 0500 195

New Malden 020 8540 7791 Weybridge 0845 0500 195

Surbiton 0845 0500 195 Worcester Park 020 8398 8106

Richmond 020 8948 9288

Families upon Thames is designed by Sarah Harmer and printed by Warners, in Lincolnshire. Copyright, Families upon Thames Magazine 2009. Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, neither Families nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage. Families uponThames is part of the Families group, established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under

license. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of the advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

Chessington – 020 8391 4447Bridge Road, Chessington KT9 2ET

Ealing – 020 8571 6867Comer Crescent, Windmill Avenue, Ealing UB2 4XD

Shepperton – 01932 592525Shepperton Film Studios, Studios Road, Shepperton TW17 0QD

Nurseries also in:Walton on Thames – 01932 226975 or 252858

Ottershaw – 01932 874286, Ripley – 01483 222020

• Safe, secure and loving environment

• Preschool education curriculum approved by Ofsted

• French lessons and additional sports programmes

• Qualified, skilled and caring staff

• Full and part time care for children from birth – 5 years

• Large outside gardens

To give your child a helping hand in the early years please contact the numbers listed below for more

information or to book a visit

Providers of qualitychildcare

and education

Open from8.00am to6.00pm

51 weeks ofthe year

www.toadhall-nursery.co.uk

Use your spare room.Foster a Kingston child.

Kingston Fostering Team020 8547 6042

[email protected]/fostering

families upon thames magazine, november/december 2009, issue 67

Documents

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