F SUMMER 2016 R ISSUE NO. 178 E ESTABLISHED 1996 E

® familiesonline.co.uk SUMMER HOLIDAY Daycamps, workshops and childcare

THE BOOK PAGE Curl up with the best summer stories

WHAT'S ON Where to go, what to do, what to see this summer

online edition with working website links

Buy stick on labels for clothing!

Quick & Easy A Family a Literary 01786 473 508 Festival 29 – 31 July shakespearesglobe.com/tellingtales I READ SOMEWHERE that people are most contented during the season they were born, which would explain why my friend Clare loves nothing more than wrapping up in lots of jumpers and hiking the great outdoors (she’s a November girl), while on the other hand, having just celebrated a birthday, I’m in my element and head for the sun at the drop of a hat. Local News l email your news to [email protected] ’s calling and we plan to make the most of the long days by hopping on a bus and joining in with the many events, workshops, shows and festivals planned for the next few weeks. This is family time - have a great summer. Robina Cowan, editor Keyboard fun for grown ups Why should our children have all the fun? As both the IN THIS ISSUE director and teacher of Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes, Ali Hall has been told “I wish you did this sort of thing for adults” at the end of the children’s classes so many times, that it has inspired her to do 2-3 Local News and Views something about it - and it’s not just for class parents. Music making for grown-ups; dancing, diving and drama for On 16 July Ali is running a crash course (beginners children; why Wednesdays are great in Greenwich; and our welcome), where adults can explore the basics in a brand-new Families website relaxed, informal environment, enabling you to enjoy learning some simple, well known tunes and understand both reading and writing music. The course runs from 10am-3pm at St Philip & James RC Church, Poplar 4-5 Education News Walk, SE24. For information or bookings, call 0800 107 7949 or email Keeping your children’s brains ticking over during the [email protected]. lsummer holidays; and an inspiring ten year-old fundraiser For children’s summer courses, see page 7. Be part of SLYT this summer It’s show season at South London Youth 6-9 Holiday Camps and Workshops Theatre, with almost 200 talented students Make play while the sun shines - brush up on tennis skills, taking to the stage throughout July and have an outdoor adventure, discover computer coding or August for not one but three full-scale musical improve some school skills ready for the new term productions at theatres across South London. Students as young as four can take part in SLYT’s Infant workshop in August; while students aged 8 to 12 years have the exciting l10 What’s New prospect of appearing in a special performance of Matilda the Musical (however Frugal fashion for all the family, an online role with Families, both courses have only a few places left). funky furniture, and paint-your-own pyjamas SLYT is also very pleased to announce a second round of auditions for their Senior Workshop for students aged 13-19 years, who will appear in a two-act Broadway musical, produced over a two week workshop in August and designed to give students a very real taste of professional theatre. The new 11 The Book Page audition date is Thursday 14 July. New books to read on the beach, in the garden, in the bath For holiday workshop details, see page 7, and for more information, visit the lor in bed, reviewed by Justine Crow website www.slyt.co.uk, or call 0208 850 0516. Dive with champions Crystal Palace Diving Club was established after the 1984 12 Mothers Mean Business Olympics by World Champion Chris Snode and is ’s We talk to Samantha Fellows, local mother, scene painter top Junior diving team. and portrait painter Chris told Families : “We are Britain’s first professional diving programme and our Chinese Olympic instructors coach in mandarin and the training is quite fascinating to watch. Divers aged six to teens practice in the Olympic sized 13-19 What’s On pool and a diving gym with trampolines, springboards and Wonderful family events, shows and creative workshops to harnesses. Our top divers are from South London and fill those long summer days compete at all levels including for their school, London borough right up to l International and Olympic level.” The club’s holiday classes are lots of fun and include learn to dive, bubble and harness camps, and special competitive training sessions - for details see page 8. To book either for the summer or September term time, go to www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk or call 07776 284 651. Families London South East @ FamiliesSE Dancing to success Front cover: Childrenswear from the Hatley Spring/ Multi-award winning franchise, diddi dance has recently Summer 2016 collection. www.hatley.com/en_uk been honoured with a gold accreditation from the Children’s Activities Association - one of the first Next issue out 9 September, deadline 19 August classes in the UK to receive the prestigious award, a proud moment for local mum and Franchisor, Families South East Anne-Marie Martin. PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB Fast growing franchise, diddi dance has also 020 8699 7240, www.familiesonline.co.uk, scooped yet another fantastic award for Best Family [email protected] Friendly Franchise at Workingmums.co.uk’s prestigious ‘Top Franchise Awards’. Founder, Anne-Marie Martin Families South East is part of Families Magazines Ltd a franchise company. All from Plumstead was praised as a Franchisor that goes the extra mile for her franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under team and the classes’ family friendly atmosphere, flexible working hours, wage licence. Families® is a registered trademark of Families Magazines Ltd, Remenham and administrative support, were also highlighted. House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Now available at over 40 locations nationwide, the fun and unique dance Families South East are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or classes continue to get the nation’s tots on their feet, introducing them to photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and exercise, socialisation and creativity from an early age. With hopes to launch distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the internationally, there is no stopping Anne-Marie and the diddi dance franchise! accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence. Read more and find a class at www.diddidance.com.

2 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk New dance classes in Blackheath Perform are bringing new dance classes to Blackheath, after school on Wednesdays this September. Perform X is a brand new dance-based class for 6-12s. These unique high-energy weekly sessions are designed to boost coordination, improve concentration and give children a fun energetic way to develop physical skills, get fit and have fun. READER OFFER: Perform are offering Families readers an exclusive £40 off their first ten sessions. To secure your spot this September simply call 020 7255 9120 or email [email protected] quoting code NEWX051016. Spaces are limited so early booking is recommended. For children who love theatre arts, Perform drama, dance and singing workshops for 7-12 year olds boost children’s confidence, creativity and concentration skills. From September, the children will be rehearsing a thrilling new production of Ebenezer with original songs and music and the fantastic ‘Freaky Apparition’ dance routine. Book a free trial at www.perform.org.uk or call 020 7255 9120. Wednesday Workshops Wednesday for Crafty Kids workshops at Every Wednesday (27 July – 24 August)

Greenwich Make pompoms, your own jewellery, try Market decoupage or balloon modelling. Face painting fun, storytelling, hula-hooping and dancing. Visit Greenwich Market buzzes with Greenwich Market and meet the best arts, craft designer makers who showcase and designer makers. Delicious street food. some of the best arts and crafts in London, alongside delicious street food stalls. Open 7 days a week and This summer, take your children to the market on any Wednesday from 27 July Bank Holidays, 10am – 5.30pm to 24 August, where they can stretch their minds and their muscles at The Emma Nissim yoga workshop or burn off bags of energy at the hoola hoop sessions. greenwichmarketlondon.com A Royal Navy charity since 1694 Budding artists can get crafty the traditional way with designer makers and enjoy the satisfaction of making something themselves. Great for family gifts that mean that little bit extra. There’s face painting and balloon fun too and lots of giant games to play including skittles and board games. Greenwich Market is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm. Read more at www.greenwichmarketlondon.com. New website for Families This summer we are launching a fantastic new website which is designed to be more comprehensive than ever and easier to use. Whether logging on through your tablet, Every image smartphone, laptop or PC, you can look forward to finding more places to go, What’s On events and activities, education, childcare, tells a story classes and clubs and parties, parenting tips 25 July–31 August Free and advice - as well as some great new features, admission including eating out and local services. 10:00am–4.30pm With coverage across the whole country, south east London will have its very own locally focused websites covering , Greenwich, and Lambeth, bringing you information on a wide range of things to do both close to where you live - and across the area. Photo Album It’s all in the same place - start at www.familiesonline.co.uk, drop in your postcode and start discovering

The Museum is home to many fascinating and intriguing Kids Week is back items, each with its own unique story. Make your Now in its 19th year and run by the Society of Museum visit a day to remember by creating your own London Theatre (SOLT), Kids Week encourages photo album. Choose your favourite museum objects young people to experience the magic of live from a selection of images and use your creative talents theatre. Running throughout August, Kids Week allows to tell your own story. one child aged 16 or under to go free to a wide range of shows when accompanied by an adult 10:00am–5:00pm Share your experience paying full price, and up to two extra children can Monday to Friday. go for half price, per transaction. There are shows Closed weekends and boemuseum for all ages from under 5s to teens, including The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Bank Holidays. Entrance MAMMA MIA!, The Mousetrap and Wicked. in Bartholomew Lane, T: 020 7601 5545 Children can also take part in a fantastic range of free activities and events on London EC2R 8AH stage and backstage at many of the West End’s iconic venues, often with the cast and crew of the resident shows. www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum Tickets are now on sale at www.kidsweek.co.uk.

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SPONSORED ARTICLE 11 plus summer preparation 2016 By The Education Centre, Lewisham

The choice of secondary school options for parents experience of the exams before they face can be daunting; we can put down six choices on them in the exam room. For this reason it is not the London wide application form, and the schools recommended to wait to go through testing books we select can be in any borough. Obviously in order with your child just for the few weeks of the summer to get your school of choice you need to check holidays. The exams tend to include questions carefully that you meet the school’s admission which follow a set formula which children will not criteria, whether that is based on your vicinity to have seen before in school. the school, your attendance at a particular religious Here are two example questions. Although establishment or a selection process based on not hard, your child needs to answer each in academic achievement. approximately 20-30 seconds: Stick on clothing labels Many parents choose to register their child for Get ready early for back to school this year with the grammar school 11 plus exams held every Q1 What is the perimeter of a square whose area is name labels for clothing, ties and uniforms. Stick on September and/ or the independent school 625 cm2 labels is the easy way to label clothing - no ironing common entrance exams which usually take place or sewing necessary! Just stick the adhesive name in January. Q2 Select the word that has the closest in meaning label onto the care label of what you want to label If your child is going to do selective tests then to the primary word which follows and you’re finished. they need to be prepared. The expected level of Labels4Kids’ high-quality labels are made to attainment is extremely high and the exams cover INNOCUOUS = order in the UK and developed especially for subjects that have not have been taught in school Innocent, Offensive, Nasty, Invasive, Belligerent clothes, with strong adhesion to last many washes. by the end of Year 5. You may have wondered why Many other alternative name labels are also children attend lessons with tutors, usually Professional tutors know exactly what is required available, alongside personalised gifts including throughout year five, and in some cases for many for each specific test, they get to know your child major brands like Disney, Mattel and Nickelodeon. years; it is to give children time to absorb these new and can see any gaps in knowledge that need Labels4Kids is an award-winning family business subjects on top of their normal school lessons, as filling. Then they can teach the ‘new subjects’ that has been selling name labels online since 2004. well as cement their knowledge of the basics. and finally do timed practice work so your child has Since 2014, Labels4Kids also supplies John Lewis Every child needs to be given the chance to work experience of exactly how long they have so they with school name labels. up to the level required in order to pass and have can build up to completing the papers in the Order early, beat the rush and get some peace allotted time. of mind this summer, online at For many children these tests will be their first www.labels4kids.com/fam. formal exam and so any practice they can get beforehand will make them feel more comfortable. At the Education Centre we always recommend our pupils sit a mock exam in true exam conditions and attend our revision classes, both of which take place during the summer. To book to sit 11 plus familiarisation mock exam day or 11 plus intensive revision course, call 020 8318 2106 or visit www.theedcentre.co.uk. (Q1 answer 100cm. Q2 answer Innocent).

A new generation of charity workers Ten year-old Matilde Cacao was one of the youngest stallholders at this year’s Festival Fair, where she sold food ‘with a spine’ and homemade lemonade - all to raise funds for The Malala Fund. Showing great entrepreneurial skills, focus and determination, Matilde got up at 6am to prepare over 150 fruit kebabs and 10 litres of lemonade with help from her mother and brother. To promote the stall, Matilde distributed flyers in her school, Rosemead Preparatory School, and emailed friends. Her deputy head teacher Mrs Kastoryano also promoted Keep up with maths and the stall in the weekly school newsletter. This was Matilde’s first charity event, which she followed up at literacy during the Rosemead Preparatory School’s summer fair in June, where her next stall holidays included the very popular ‘Do It Yourself chocolate fondue’. Matilde’s initiatives have raised hundreds of pounds which have gone This summer, Explore Learning are encouraging directly to The Malala Fund to help girls to get the education they deserve. children and parents to learn new skills together, She commented: “Malala stands up for people. She is determined and and to get excited about showing off what they outspoken, and shows people that they have rights.” have learned in their centres, and back at school Watch this space for a new generation of charity workers! in September. Rosemead is a co-ed day school for children aged 3 to 11. Explore Learning’s passion is to help 5-14 year- Read all about it at olds achieve their potential and be the best they www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk can be. As they told Families : “We get to know each child as an individual and help them to fall in love with learning. Our goal is to build confident, fearless learners who are hungry for knowledge. We’ve delivered award-winning maths and English tuition The great literacy challenge to over 175,000 children across the UK.” This Keep an eye out in our next issue for a very special back approach has a proven record of supporting to school promotion for the award-winning Reading Eggs children both academically and attitudinally. Programme. There are local centres in Sydenham, For all you parents who haven’t yet seen how Reading Eggs Gate, Greenwich and Brixton. To book a free trial, can help your children learn to read, make sure you pick up our call 01483 447414, go to September issue - or read all about it now at www.explorelearning.co.uk, or follow their stories www.readingeggs.co.uk. on Facebook and Twitter.

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Developing independent Empowering girls to pursue thinkers and learners ideals and knowledge unafraid

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familiesonline.co.uk july / august 2016 - families south east 5

SUMMER COURSES YES,I can touch-type CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING e run fantastic summer holiday courses for Touch-typing Wages 6 to teens of all abilities. Our coaches taught in just are some of the best. Classes 10 hours are both challenging and fun where children work through er National Champions Summ national diving grades. for the last 7 years liday Ho s Come and learn to dive OUR OLYMPIC Course with the champions!!! COACHES Six weeks of Summer diving Junior School to Sixth Form – fun….. Jump in the bubble, touch-typing is a great skill to have swing in the harnesses, With proper tuition young people can learn to touch-type jump off the top board for surprisingly quickly and, what’s more, enjoy the whole Chen Wen experience. the crazy and brave! 2004 & 2008 British I Olympic Head Coach Improved speed and effectiveness in study. I • Englands Top Junior Diving Club Well presented work increases self-esteem. I • Bubble and Harness Camp There are particular benefits for those with dyslexia • Olympic Pool with Trampoline, Dryboards or dyspraxia. and Harness ‘Great teaching, wonderful encouragement, a warm, friendly atmosphere: the results in ten hours were • Fun but structured Professional Instruction amazing.’ • Swim 21 Certi0ed mother of 13 year old Chris Snode Book on line World Champion To find out more call: 020 7515 1707 or call today on 07776 284 651 email: [email protected] WWW.CRYSTALPALACEDIVING.CO.UK or call Norman on 07961 427640 Visit our website: www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk

SUMMER S CHOOLS AGES 3 TO 6 AGES 7 TO 16 AGES 15 TO 19

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TO BOOK YOUR CHILD’S SUMMER SCHOOL & FOR FULL www.freedomacademy.co.uk INFORMATION INC. PRICES PLEASE CONTACTS US [email protected] As seen on: 0203 793 6843

6 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk Holiday Camps and Workshops School’s out for summer - hurray!

There’s plenty of time for children to make play while the sun shines; brush up on tennis skills, have an outdoor adventure, make music, discover computer coding or boost their school skills ahead of the new term.

STAGECOACH DULWICH SLYT MUSICAL SUMMER WORKSHOP THEATRE 1-5 August at ALLEYN’S SCHOOL, WORKSHOPS SE22, 020 8949 4116, 8-26 August in Dulwich, 020 8850 0516, www.stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich www.slyt.co.uk A week of drama, dance and music lead by an South London Youth Theatre is once experienced, professional team, working to a show for family and friends at the end. Costume, again running summer holiday lights and sound are all provided and the workshops in Dulwich, which all work students will perform in the fabulous Michael towards a performance for family and Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich. Ages friends on the last day. Now in its 6th 4-16, Early Bird and sibling discounts available. year, SLYT attracts students with a SPARK4KIDS’ SUMMER passion for theatre and acting, and many CODING TECH CAMPS students have gone on to secure places Summer computer coding workshops at JAGS, at top London drama schools after Dulwich SE21, 020 8090 1444, attending Summer courses and weekly www.spark4kids.com STAGECOACH - DULWICH SPARK 4 KIDS classes. Spark4Kids’ Summer Coding Tech Camps are designed to teach THEATRE WORKSHOP, 8-20 August. children computer coding, games design, robotics & drones, A full-scale musical with a cast of 40 teenagers aged 13-19 years over building websites as well as coding with Minecraft in a fun, engaging two weeks. 10am - 6pm daily, £325 per student for the 10-day course. environment. Ages 5-7 and 8+, all levels and abilities welcome. Enrolment for this course is by audition. Term-time classes are also available - see website for more details. To book a Summer Coding Tech Camp, visit www.s4k.me/jags2016. ‘JUNIOR’ MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP, 22-27 August. Six days of Acting, Singing, and Dancing at this action packed experience, led SUPER CAMPS by professionals from the West End and designed to expose talented 11 July - 26 August, various venues including children to the thrill of live theatre! Ages 7-12 years, 9.30am - 4.30pm Blackheath High School in BLACKHEATH and St Dunstan’s School in , daily, £225 per child for 6-day course. Early booking is advised to 01235 467300, www.supercamps.co.uk ensure places and roles for each child. Super Camps keep children active in body and ‘INFANT’ MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP, 22-26 August. A new five mind, with a range of multi-activity camps and FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES day course for 4-6 year-olds, covering all aspects of performance, led by themed courses to suit everyone. The venues specialist teachers with a wealth of experience in working with this age offer sports, water activities, outdoor and indoor games, arts and crafts, group. 10am - 12.30pm daily, £95 per child for 5-day course, with sibling and great new activities for 2016. You can also rest assured knowing that discounts available. Early booking is advised to ensure places. your children are at the best camp in town after receiving yet another Outstanding Ofsted rating in 2016. Ages 4-14 years, 8am-6pm, bookings available by day or week. Standard prices start from £42 per FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD day and £190 per week; call or see the website for details. WORKSHOPS FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES - 25 July-5 August, various SE London locations, 0800 107 7949, UNIQUE DAY CAMPS www.funkymonkey.info 18 July - 12 August, GREENWICH STEINER SCHOOL, Mycenae Road Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes are running their fun filled electronic SE3 7SE, 01843 652833 [email protected], keyboard workshops across the summer holidays. Their ever popular www.firsthandexperiences.co.uk ‘One Hit Wonder’ one day taster workshops are perfect for 4-8 year old First Hand Experiences’ children’s camps explore seasonal, nature beginners, whilst the Keyboard Superstars week long workshops are a based themes that celebrate the natural world. Ages 4-11, £65 a day/ £280 a week, sibling discounts and half days for four year-olds available. must for anyone 5-9 years old who would like to explore the electronic keyboard further. OUTDOOR ADVENTURE. Meet wolves, giants and lost adventurers with immersive theatre deep in the wild woods; go mudlarking, CREATE A SHOW cob-building and crabbing on the banks of the river; get up close to PERFORM SUMMER WORKSHOPS birds of prey, wetland animals and butterflies; milk cows to make butter, 25 - 27 July in WEST NORWOOD, 0788 405 0954, pick fruit & veg at the farm, forage for your lunch, learn how to be a www.nuttyschildrensparties.co.uk, market trader and even make and sell your creations at your very THE JUNGLE BOOK: PERFORM email [email protected] own stall. SUMMER HOLIDAY COURSES Local actor, dad and children’s party entertainer Danny Nutt is running 18 July - 19 August in BLACKHEATH, GREENWICH and DULWICH, HEALTHY WHOLE FOOD Freshly prepared picnic lunches, gardening his second Create A Show summer holiday workshop: three days of 020 7255 9120, www.perform.org.uk/holidays and cooking each week. drama-inspired games, improvisation, running around, music and ART & CRAFT Inspired by your outdoor adventures professional artists Based on Rudyard Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book, Perform’s three singing, fun, rehearsals and a performance on the final afternoon. teach you to knit, weave, mould, sculpt, carve, paint & build. and five day courses are led by actors, musicians and dancers and end 9am-3pm each day, ages 6-9 years, £100 for all three days, with a mini-musical on the last day. Ages 4-7 years, £225 (3 day), £330 MUSIC, GAMES & THEATRE Sing, dance and celebrate your 20% discount for siblings. adventures with original songs and themed games. (5 day), 25% discount for siblings and reductions for groups.

Private Tuition • 11+ Mock Exams • 11+ Summer Revision • Common Entrance Prep • GCSE & A Level 020 8318 2106 [email protected] www.theedcentre.co.uk

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Tiny Tots Little Aces Junior Champs Grand Slammers age 2.5-3 age 3-4 age 5-7 age 8-11 fun filled tennis games and activities indoors SOUTH LONDON YOUTH THEATRE NUTTY’S CREATE A SHOW with sponge balls and mini tennis rackets FREE introductory session FREEDOM ACADEMY ARTS SUMMER INTENSIVE TOUCH TYPING phone 07877 391005 WORKSHOPS School holidays and termtime classes in SYDENHAM, 020 7515 1707, 8-19 August, various SE LONDON venues, 020 3793 6843, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk www.tennis-4-kids.com www.freedomacademy.co.uk Learn a new skill with a touch typing courses run by YES. Children find email: [email protected] Fun-packed, week long workshops full of acting, song, dance and them fun, and they work - most children are tapping away proficiently games for all ages from 3 to teens. in just ten hours. Sessions can be booked to fit around other holiday PETER PAN, 8-12 August in Sydenham. Ages 3-6, 9am-12noon. commitments so children can progress at their own pace. STICK MAN, 15-19 August in Dulwich. Ages 3-6, morning or afternoon sessions available. MINI CHAMPIONS HOLIDAY POP ACADEMY, 8-12 August in Sydenham. Write and record your own CHILDCARE songs, and film your own pop video in a professional recording studio, St MICHAEL’S CHURCH, Champion Crescent, Sydenham SE26 4HH, and take home your own CD. Ages 7-16, 9am-3.30pm. 0780 986 3082, www.minichampions.co.uk FILM SCHOOL, 15-19 August in Dulwich. Write, direct and star in your Mini Champions’ focus is to provide a stimulating environment for all own short movie. Ages 7-16, 9am-3.30pm. children during the summer holidays and after school. A host of activities are provided for children to enjoy including Horse Riding, Rock Climbing, Bowling, Sports Days, Theatre Trips, Museum Visits and much more. The TENNIS-4-KIDS club welcomes all children new and old. It often doesn’t take long for a 25-28 July and 1-4 August in HERNE HILL and FOREST HILL, new child to settle into the setting with the staff having several occasions 07877 391005, www.tennis-4-kids.com where at the end of a child’s first day they do not want to go home! Staff Rally round for a smashing time learning to play tennis with other have a wealth of experience of working with children in addition to first children. Tennis-4-Kids run mini sessions giving children lots of fun aid and safeguard training. The club is Ofsted registered and accepts learning basic to advanced skills. The friendly coaches run small groups children of primary school age. Open from 8am until 6pm during the for 3-11 year-olds from beginners to Grandslammers, with all equipment summer holidays. The club provides breakfast and an afternoon meal. provided. Term times sessions available too. Children are required to bring a packed lunch. £19.50 per day, 10% sibling discount. NIMBLE ARTS SUMMER HOLIDAY CLUB PUPPET THEATRE 1-26 August, HEBER SCHOOL, East Dulwich SE22, 07714 745 040, 8-16 August, COMMUNITY CENTRE, 50 Turnham Road www.nimblearts.co.uk SE4 2JD, 07946 552 625, www.minidrama.co.uk A summer of creative fun for 4-11 year olds! No two days will ever be the Mini Drama’s holiday course will give children the chance to design and same and every day there’ll be up to four exciting creative workshops run make their own puppets and theatre, then present a puppet show at by actors, film-makers, magicians, musicians and more. You can sign up the end. There will also be a mini stage performance and plenty of your child for the full summer or just pick the days that most interest you. drama-based play. Ages 3-6 and 7-11 years. Ages 4-11, open from 8am-6pm each day. From £29 for a half day, with discounts for more than five days, and for siblings. The workshops are JUNIOR TENNIS CAMPS Ofsted registered and parents can pay with childcare vouchers. 25 July - 25 August, SYDENHAM TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham SE26 6ET, 020 8778 7217, SUMMER DIVING COURSES www.sydenham-tennis-squash-croquet-club.co.uk 26 July - 2 August, CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING, Crystal Palace National Sydenham Tennis Club’s fun camps are great way to keep children aged Sports Centre, Ledrington Road SE19 2BB, 07776 284 651, 5-15 busy during the holidays. The camps include a mix of activities with www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk the focus on tennis coaching, games and other team events. Suitable for A variety of week long courses for children who are new or fairly new to all standards from children who want to try tennis for the first time to diving and want extra practice. Jump in, swing in harnesses and work those who have regular coaching. towards jumping off the top board. The courses are run by Swim 21 certified professional coaches, under the leadership of World Champion 11 PLUS REVISION COURSES Chris Snode. Ages 6 to teens, four day 26 July - 19 August, THE EDUCATION CENTRE, Adana Building, courses £45, five day courses £26.25. Conington Road, Lewisham SE13 7FD, 020 8318 2106, www.theedcentre.com Techniques, strategies and tips for answering exam questions successfully, with mock papers to build students’ confidence. Classes are held in small groups and include revision skills.

FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD SKILLS FREEDOM ACADEMY

8 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk

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CollSecchtoionl g from ho liday St Michaecl as r,e Kelvin Grove and Stp Br oavirdtehd olomew's Primary. C ontact us to enquire for other school collections. a place for children to flourish After school Summer Holiday

£10 per day pe£r1 9d.a50y p* e r day TENNIS 4 KIDS CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING * w*ar mW maearlm, sn macke aandl , d srinkas icncklu d ed and drinks inclu ded.

THE HIVE DAYCAMPS MULTISPORTS AT JAGS 11 July - 19 August, ELTHAM COLLEGE, Road, 25 July - 26 August, JAGS SPORTS CLUB, Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SCHOOL HOLIDAY HOURS: 8.00am-6pm, 25th July - 26th August, Monday-Friday London SE9 4QF, 020 3291 3791, www.thehive-kids.com SE24 9JN, 020 8613 6500, www.jagssportsclub.co.uk ADDRESS: St MHOicUhRaSel: s3 C.1h5uprmch-6, pCmha DmApYioSn: MRoanda, yS-yFdriednahya m SE26 4HH ADDRESS: St Michaels Church, Champion Road, Sydenham SE26 4HH Book a week of outdoor fun on a team-building adventure which will JAGS Sports Club run multi sports courses every school holiday to wwwGE.Tm IN TiOnUCiHc: whwaw.minicphaimopionns.co..cuk o .uk [email protected] Tel: 07809 863082 Tel: 07944 477300 introduce children to new and different skills every day. Mixing nature info@minichamp ions.co.uk Tel: 07809 8 63082 Tel: 0794 4 477300 encourage children to participate in fun games centred on fair play and exploration, story telling and mobile technology, The Hive Daycamps introduce children to such skills as foraging, geocaching, fire making, sportsmanship. The courses are designed to encourage youngsters to participate in new sports in a safe non-competitive environment. They wildlife tracking, wild cooking, wood carving, whittling, bee keeping, gardening, nature film-making, and even potion making. Ages 5-11 learn new skills and play as part of a team, where they all contribute. years, 9.30am-4.30pm each day, with extended care available. 9am-3.30pm, Ages 4+, £18 per half day, £110 a week. COMPUTER CODING FIT FOR SPORT THE STRINGS CLUB HOLIDAY Summer holidays, various venues including GIPSY HILL, , FOR KIDS DULWICH and , 0845 456 3233, www.fitforsport.co.uk CAMPS 25 July - 2 Sept, PRENDERGAST SCHOOL, SE4, 0121 296 Fit for Sport’s Ofsted-registered holiday childcare activity camps are Games Coding, Robotics designed to engage and educate children through activity, with 9204, www.thestringsclub.org swimming, ballgames, active challenges and arts and crafts based on Perfect for children who have never played an instrument before and Drones, Websites, Minecraft seasonal themes. Standard day 9.30am-4.30pm with extended hours budding strings players, where every day is different. Ages 4-11, from Fun, engaging sessions available. Ages 4-12 years, bookable by half or full day, or weekly blocks £17.50, book a half day, full day or full week, with wrap-around care - see the website for full details. avail able from 8.30am-5.45 pm. Term/Holiday courses

Ages 5 to 14+ THE POINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY CLUB CAMP BEAUMONT DAYCAMPS 11 July - 26 August, THE POINTER SCHOOL, 19 Stratheden Road, 11 July - 29 August , Colfe’s School in LEE, 01263 823000, Blackheath SE3 7TH, 020 8293 1331, www.pointers-school.co.uk www.campbeaumont.co.uk Themed activities each week offer sports, days out, crafts and Up to 40 different activities ranging from arts and crafts, swimming, Email [email protected] competitions. Ages 3-11, 9am-4pm with extended hours and half day soccer, tag rugby, tennis, motorsports, dance and drama, basketball, bookings available. and many more. Ages 4-16 years, 8.30am-5.30pm, from £47 per day. Call 020 8090 1444 www.spark4kids.com

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Be part of Families We are celebrating the launch of our all-new website this July, which is destined to become the number 1 resource for families through over 300 local sites across the UK. As a result, a number of highly flexible, home-based work opportunities are available for Area Managers to run local sites in southeast London. This is a fun and flexible opportunity which fits around family life, offering a great challenge - and the opportunity to earn money. There are no set up costs involved, you will be trained by industry experts and develop valuable CV-boosting skills in the digital, print and social media marketing industry. Area Managers are responsible for posting great ideas online and social media, adding useful and timely local content for families, and marketing and selling to local businesses. If you have good networking and communication skills, love your Facebook and Twitter, want to release your inner blogger and are interested in working flexibly from home, this could be for you. Find out more by emailing some brief details about yourself to [email protected]. Cleaning gets the brush off When the Wonderbroom press team sent us a sample to try, it wasn’t the most joyous product sample but hey, the things we do for our readers. But actually... it impressively brushes our cats’ hairs off the sofa, stairs and carpets. It also squeegees as a floor or window mop, and if you 17-19 Blackwater Street want to sweep your garden patio, go for it - it’s completely washable. East Dulwich SE22 8SD The telescopic handle reaches high windows; while unextended it’s the perfect length for the children to pitch in with some cleaning (it’s always worth a try). This could be £9.99 well spent - search 020 7720 1144 Wonderbroom at www.jmldirect.com.

Design your own Funky pyjamas furniture

Lala & Bea’s super soft, 100% organic cotton pyjama set comes with neon Dylon pens and an inspiration guide Punkin Patch Interiors supply creative sheet that children can use to create custom-made furniture to spark their own unique PJs. imaginative minds. Packaged in a mini tote bag that can How about this Siamese chest of also be decorated, the set is suitable drawers - eye catching, isn’t it! For this for ages 3-12yrs, £34 from and more inspiring furniture, go to www.lalaandbea.com. www.thebabycotshop.com.

10 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk The Bookseller Crow is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business. Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

It is customary at this point in the year for me to look at the sky, lick a digit to test the house-style that makes their non-fiction for children so irresistible. wind and recommend helpful holiday time diversions for the whole family but if like us Page after page of old-fashioned illustrations jammed with you have recently acquired new neighbours and if those neighbours have in turn, to analogue ideas for getting the most out of fresh air. Given that in put it bluntly, got the builders in, then you’ll be REALLY looking forward to some kind of my experience, there is no useful mobile signal beyond any escape this summer. No, I mean really. It’s not as if I can even London postcode, it’s an excuse to pull on the wellies (I still have hide in the garden because the aforementioned incomers have that finger in the air) and leave the digital world in the boot. brought a small super barky dog with them who, I’m pretty THE ARTY BOOK by Nikalas Catlow & David Sinden - convinced, is a descendent of Mussolini. Bloomsbury rrp £9.99. With lots of creativity encouraging THE 50 STATES ACTIVITY BOOK - Wide Eyed Editions rrp sections, otherwise known as a book for ‘indoors’ as opposed £8.99. By heck I enjoyed the original 50 STATES by Gabrielle to the muddy one above, I know far better than to remind you Balkan, WE, rrp £20 but now we get to be interactive with all that all to take drawing materials away with you wherever you go this glorious detail in this excellent collection of games and activities summer. For me, felt-tips were as important as baby-wipes. that reflect the curious wealth of quirk in the USA. With a pull-out Our favoured diversion was to turn paper sick bags into puppets. map, I challenge anybody of any age not to be fascinated, not Cheered up the whole ferry that did. to mention distracted. In fact, as Il Duce next door begins his DAYTIME VISIONS by Isol - Enchanted Lion Books rrp £11.99. canine posturing once more, I may just book me a flight to The illustration on the back depicts a peaceful infant asleep with Illinois. Or Idaho. Or Indiana. Mindyou, right now - yapyapyapyap a cat exuding ZZZZs in this alphabet book with a difference. - I’d be happy with Ipswich. Or even Ilford. Maybe not Ilford. Basically, each character is like a daily thought doodle - C is for AA STICKER & QUIZ ATLAS OF BRITAIN - AA rrp £6.99. With Come On! whilst waiting for a plant to grow; E is for Easy, as in 199 of yer finest stickers, this is one for the looooooong car being with you; Y is for YES! I do too... journey. I’m not sure how I feel about AA branding being A HEBRIDEAN ALPHABET by Debi Gliori, Birlinn rrp £9.99 is anywhere near the word ‘holiday.’ For me it brings back ghastly another one for the long journey. As the Shetland Island’s first memories of a 13 hour tow down the M1 with a series of jolly writer-in-residence, she knows her A for archipelago very well blokes in yellow uniform cheerfully informing me that their indeed. vehicles are speed restricted as we were overtaken by a burger NEVER SHAKE A RATTLESNAKE by Michaela Gordon & Nick van, a mobility bus and a house-fly. Plus the tach’ confirmed Sharratt; NEVER USE A KNIFE AND FORK by Neil Goddard & they’d each be needing an official rest at the wherever the next Nick Sharratt - Macmillan rrp £5.99. It is guaranteed that wherever services happened to be. The second driver punctured the front Sharratt pops up, there’s a delightful riot of daftness to make the tyre when he offloaded our poorly car at South Mimms and the littlest in the household squeal. These two titles are no exception - final relay driver screeched to a halt in at midnight let the bonkersness begin! And there’s more madness too from and said he wasn’t allowed to budge. I hailed a black cab for the the joint masters of children’s picture books Ian “Harry & the last leg. Fourth emergency service, my btm. Fourth blimmin’ tea Dinosaurs” Whybrow & Axel “Gruffalo” Sheffler in THE TICKLE break more like. BOOK, Macmillan rrp 5.99, with much laughter and MY TRAVEL JOURNAL - AA rrp £7.99. The scrapbook style lift-the-flappery. layout of this colourful DIY log is dandy for all the family to record FIZZLEBERT STUMP, THE BOY WHO DID P.E. IN HIS PANTS the highlights - and relay tow-truck lowlights - of all their summer by A.F Harrold - Bloomsbury rrp £5.99. If your burgeoning readers shenanigans. Good job I didn’t have one to hand when that tyre haven’t discovered the adventures of a lad who ran away to join got spiked on the ramp as my language was decidedly hi-viz. the circus, there’s a whole series to savour before the one after CITY TRAILS: LONDON - Lonely Planet Kids rrp £8.99. With New this - FIZZLEBERT STUMP AND THE GREAT York and Paris in the series, each guide contains 19 themed SUPERMARKET SHOWDOWN - is published in August. Gone routes full of facts on foot right into the middle of the city. Even are the days when nine year-olds had to smuggle Spike Milligan your average 7 year-old has to admit that travel apps are pretty titles out of the library for a dose of illicit silliness. I hid hopeless given that it’s an adult who’s downloaded it, it’s an adult Milliganimals inside The Hobbit. Bearing in mind my English who says they are in charge of it and it’s an adult who is now teacher subsequently told my parents that she didn’t see their begging their offspring to help them work out how to use it. My daughter as having any kind of future in “literature,” it clearly lot cringe when I ask if they can ‘big up’ the screen. “Mum, please didn’t do me any harm. say ‘zoom in’ when we are out in public..” SUMMER GIGGLES ANTHOLOGY - Simon & Schuster rrp While we are on the subject, there’s a new edition of the ROUGH £6.99. A collection of comical travel tales from catastrophic car GUIDE TO WALKS IN LONDON & THE SOUTHEAST, journeys - ahem - to turbo nans and rubbish ghost hunters, with rrp £12.99 out in July. Anybody want to take next-door’s mutt authors that include Jeremy Strong and prize winner, David with them? Solomons, to keep everyone amused. LONDON CYCLING GUIDE by Tom Bogdanowicz - Lifestyle HOW TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS by David Goldblatt - Profile Books rrp £9.99. On the mountainous slopes of rrp £9.99. Aided by the ephemera, rules and winners in this cycling has always been “a thing” - there was even an Anerley comprehensive explainer, there are many out there this summer Trophy in the ‘30s. But it seems the rest of the South East has who won’t be going away because they have the luxury of a sofa, finally begun to embrace not only its outer Bradley Wiggins but a wide-screen and a set of neighbours whose builders are NOT also its inner Monsieur Hulot and these days, bikes are not only hard at work drilling the hell out of the walls, the floor, the roof and for fitness and the commute but also for having fun. However, my sanity. They start early. No, not the athletics, (though the as a parent who enjoyed a thoroughly free-wheeling childhood, differing time zones across Brazil combined with BST will make I admit to extreme reluctance in encouraging anything other than for a whole heap of bedtime tantrums, and not just from the 6 a sedate circuit round the park for my own kids. Afterall, this isn’t year old), the builders - skips come at sparrow’s guff with a Amsterdam. Grand Theft Auto, more like. So, here’s the perfect massive clang, their jack-hammers go off 8am. But worse, by guide for overcoming any fearfulness, with more than 40 trails that noon the workers are all peacefully napping on the adjacent lawn take in as many safe paths as possible, as well as the sights. in the sun. Including the pooch. So I’ve decided to have a little From the Ham and High Hills, through West London’s waterways, sport of my own. Next time, I see them sleeping off their labours over and along the Thames Banks to the wonderful Waterlink Way with bare chests after drilling at dawn, I am going to unleash my (which reveals a Lewisham you never knew existed). champion: Trasha on her beloved trumpet. Her fusillade Samba THE USBORNE OUTDOOR BOOK by Jerome Martin - version of Chariots of Fire behind the fence should do the trick. Usborne rrp £9.99. There’s something about this publisher’s With me on maracas. On a loop. Happy Holidays! The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: [email protected] www.booksellercrow.co.uk

july / famifliaemsiolnielisnoen.lcion.eu.kco.uk august july / august 2016 - families south east 11 Mothers Mean Business

Samantha Fellows is a West Norwood-based mother of two girls, and a prolific artist. Her career has encompassed London Fashion Week backdrops, window displays for the likes of Harrods and Selfridges, and scene painting for numerous theatre and TV productions.

More recently, Sam has been taking commissions to paint portraits, mostly of children.

When we managed to catch up with her, Sam FSE: Your work often means working out of was fresh back from this year’s Dulwich London. How easy or difficult is it to juggle Festival Open House events, and was your work, childcare hours and family life? deservedly proud to have had a portrait of her It’s always a juggle but I’m fortunate to have two daughter Pearl selected for the BP Portrait very helpful grannies who live nearby as well as my Award Exhibition - now on at the National sister and her family. Portrait Gallery until 4 September. Not to be left out, younger daughter Rose is also FSE: Have your girls inherited your artist’s currently portrayed by Sam in the Royal gene and if so, would you advise them to follow Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, showing in your footsteps? until 21 August. I’d say they’re both naturally good at art and I would always advise anyone to follow a career in the arts. FSE: ‘Set painter/ scenic artist’ doesn’t often The creative industries are thriving in this country come up in careers guidance lists at school. and can make hugely rewarding careers. I wish the As a child, what did you want to be when you arts were focused more in schools. grew up? I grew up in a theatrical family and spent a lot FSE: When you have time off yourself, what do of time in theatres, both in the audience and in the you like to do? dressing rooms backstage. Despite enjoying Days off by myself are usually spent either catching performing as a child, I decided to focus on Fine up on art exhibitions or wandering around second Art at University. After I graduated, joining my theatre hand shops. and art interests to become a scenic artist seemed like a natural choice. FSE: Have you always lived in southeast London? If not, what brought you here? FSE: How did you get into what you do now? I grew up in Wimbledon and as an adult have lived After nearly 20 years working as a scenic artist, in Clapham, Camberwell, Brixton and now 11 years 10 of which running the art department of a in West Norwood. I love living in south London and prominent scenery construction company, I felt couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. It’s a ready for a change and wanted to start painting for wonderful place to raise a family and I can never myself again. I’d always kept up with life drawing relate to people who choose to move out to the and so portraits seemed a natural place to start. country when they have children. I remember loving I’ve been working on a series of paintings of my it especially as a teenager, loved the independence daughters for a year or so, and to have one of it offered... I’m a huge fan and very happy resident! each daughter selected for these two major open exhibitions has been quite overwhelming. Commissions for children’s portraits are coming FSE: Do you have a favourite shop/ café or in regularly now too and I enormously enjoy painting park in southeast London? these. I usually meet with the child and start by I love both Dulwich and Brockwell parks and have taking lots and lots of photos on an iPad. I then work spent a huge amount of time in both, especially from these images back in my studio and paint the when my daughters were younger. West Norwood finished portrait in oil on panel. I still supplement High Street is (finally!) becoming a lovely place to figurative painting with scenic work and I’m looking hang out. I can often be found in the Electric Café, forward to some exciting new projects this month Beamish and McGlue and Knowles of Norwood. such as the domed ceiling in Selfridge’s Food Hall. I also enjoy tutoring as a ‘visiting professional’ to FSE: How can readers find out more about Scenic Art students at Rose Bruford College of what you do? Theatre and Performance. Examples of my portraits can be seen on my website www.samanthafellows.co.uk while FSE: What would you say are the benefits of examples of my scenic work can be seen on working for yourself? www.samanthafellows.com. I’m also relatively I love that I can organise myself and make my own good at keeping up with my social media accounts decisions. I still enjoy working for set designers on and regularly put recent sketches, paintings and Twitter : @sammyfellows theatre and TV productions but now much prefer jobs on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Facebook: Samantha Fellows Artist making my own artistic choices in my own work. accounts. Instagram: samanthafellowsart

12 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk FOODIES FESTIVAL BLACKHEATH KENT FARM LIFE

What’sOn revitalise your lots of freshwebsite ideas for The Great Outdoors websites, blogs & shops LONDON WILDLIFE TRUST LEWISHAM PEOPLE’S DAY Join in with fun, free, activities run by the London Wildlife Trust across 9 July, MOUNTSFIELD PARK, Stainton Road, Catford SE6 1AN 020 8658 9975 London; suitable for children of all ages accompanied by their parents or One of southeast London’s biggest free festivals, with live music, crafts, www.lancasters.co.uk carers. Here are some highlights: for full details and bookings, see workshops, food, local businesses and community groups, children’s www.wildlondon.org.uk. entertainment and more. Noon - 8pm, admission free. BAT, MOTH AND OWL PROWL, 8 July. A guided night-time walk through Wood to discover bats, moths and tawny owls. Sydenham SPLASH FEST Hill Wood is part ancient woodland, one of the largest remaining fragments 7 August, SW11 4NJ, www.splashfest.co.uk of the Great North Wood which once stretched from to Selhurst. London’s first family-friendly aqua obstacle course features five zones of Many owls have been recorded and are known to breed in the wood. water-themed slides, foam and waterspout challenges over a 2.5km trail, 9-11pm. as well as a lively event village. Organised by the Royal National Lifeboat BUG DAY, 21 July. Celebrate the amazing invertebrates that are so vital Institution, Splash Fest is ideal for families with children aged 7-12 and to our world by exploring the weird and wonderful insects that live in promises to be one of this summer’s unmissable events. Tickets from . There will be pond dipping sessions to discover the £10, all profits to RNLI. wild world underneath the surface of the Dewy Pond; search for beetles IGHTHAM MOTE and creepy crawlies under logs, and identify butterflies and bees in the IGHTHAM MOTE, Mote Road, , Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0NT, Wood’s sunny glades. 11am-3pm. 01732 810378, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote BUTTERFLY WALK, 24 July. Join a Sydenham Hill Wood volunteer for Enjoy a gentle stroll around the gardens or take in a longer walk on the a guided walk looking at the range of butterflies that can be found in an ancient estate while urban woodland. 2-4pm, free, donations to London Wildlife Trust welcome. enjoying the beauty GREAT NORTH WOOD WALK, 20 August. A walk of four green miles of the Kent country- (and around 2-3 hours) through the remnants of the Great North Wood. side. Open 10am to The walk will begin at One Tree Hill, passing over the hill down to Brenchley 5pm, admission i Gardens, Wood Vale, Cox’s Walk, Sydenham Hill Wood, , from £5.50 didd ® Dulwich Upper Wood and finally to . 12noon start at children, £11 the Friends of One Tree Hill noticeboard next to the temple. adults, £28 ance families. d FOODIES FESTIVAL funky preschool dance classes 50 THINGS TO for girls and boys 8-10 July, BLACKHEATH, 0844 955 1111, www.foodiesfestival.com DO. Pick up an Foodies Festival is the UK’s biggest touring celebration of food and drink, activity pack, offering a lip-smacking line-up of foodie fun and the South heats of the explore the estate British Street Food Awards. Feast on signature dishes served from street and see how many parties food vendors, watch the capital’s culinary elite cooking live, sample the of the 50 things to nurseries latest superfoods, join wine and beer masterclasses, meet top bakers and do you can tick off. classes chocolatiers, and enjoy afternoon tea in the Vintage Tea Room. For a Free with soundtrack, local bands will compete to win the Unsigned Music Awards. admission charge. In the Children’s Cookery School, little foodies can decorate their very own SUMMER original edible gold medal, make pizzas and cupcakes, explore their taste buds HOLIDAY FAMILY fun and music 16 dance s tyles and learn basic cookery skills to practise at home. Open 11am-7pm Friday FUN, Thursdays relaxed and Saturday; to 6pm Sunday. Tickets from £10 adults, under 12s free. from 28 July to classes across 1 September. PARKSFEST SUMMER SUNDAY Discover the house South East London EXTRAVAGANZA through quizzes SE1 - SE18 call Anne-Marie: 07973 982790 10 July, MYCENAE HOUSE & GARDENS, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath, and go wild in the SE3 7SE, 020 8858 1749, www.mycenaehouse.co.uk natural play SE19 - SE27 call Nicola: 07832 913282 The Friends of Mycenae Gardens and Mycenae House present a packed area - every ww w. a n ce. co line up of chilled out live music, summer fun, activities for all the family Thursday will have di dd i d m including child-focused arts & creative workshops, great food and drink. a different theme, Featuring artists from Global Fusion, JazzNights, Icarus Club and from archaeology IGHTHAM MOTE Greenwich Steiner School. 12-5pm, admission free. to Victorian families, and a Teddy WORKSHOPS bears’ picnic. Free with admission charge. BROCKWELL PARK COMMUNITY GREENHOUSES, Brockwell Park SE24 9BJ, www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk SUMMER FUN AT KENT LIFE Be a bee, hug a tree, learn to forage or plant a pea. The one-acre secret 23 July - 4 September, KENT LIFE HERITAGE FARM PARK, Lock Lane, garden in the middle of Brockwell Park will host a wide range of holiday Maidstone, Kent ME14 3AU, 01622 763936, www.kentlife.org.uk Babysitting workshops for all ages on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Kent Life has unveiled a packed programme of summer holiday activities the summer holidays. Activities include gardening, cooking, storytelling, and events, including a visit by children’s favourite The Gruffalo and the and Flexible Childcare games, arts and crafts. All workshops 10.30am-12.30pm, £5 per child or attraction’s first-ever Ice Cream Festival. £2.50 low-income entry. The fun kicks off on July 23 with a fortnight of themed Nature Explorers. Check out the nature trails, take part in animal activities and visit Kent Life’s GARDENS 100% DBS KEW ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB, 020 8332 5655, farmyard friends. Come along on July 31 and see The Gruffalo, hear his CHECKED www.kew.org story and meet the owls and mice he encounters on his way. CHILDCARERS NEW - download our free is world-famous for its historic glasshouses, magnificent Young and old alike can discover their creative side between August 8 and babysitting app! vistas and precious specimen trees, not to mention royal buildings, the 21 with the Creative Crafters, when there will be plenty of crafty activities • Babysitting Pagoda, beautiful woods, a treetop walkway and great places for children including a visit to the Paint-a-Pot Studio. • Flexible Daytime Childcare to have fun. Open daily from 10am, admission £15 adults, £3.50 children, From August 22 to September 4, it’s summer holiday camp time featuring • Temporary Nannies reduced when prebooked. traditional games and races. Enjoy some seaside fun at the sandpit and THE HIVE, 2 July - 30 October. Experience the world of the British bee build a sand castle, or sit back and watch the Punch and Judy Show. Then • Part Time Nannies coming alive within Wolfgang Buttress’ award winning installation, The on August 29, Kent Life hosts its first Ice Cream Festival, with ice cream • PermanentHoliday Nannies Nannies Hive. Towering 17 metres high and twisting out of the ground in a shape vendors, chocolatiers and sweet stalls galore. Open 10am-6pm, admission suggestive of a swarm of bees this magnificent, ever changing space free for under 3s, adults £9.50, children £7.50, families £29.95. will host talks, tours, activities, films and family workshops. 0844 879 7189 www.likeminders.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk july / august 2016 - families south east 13 HMS BELFAST On the THAMES at The Queen’s Walk by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept. Open 10am-6pm, admission £16 adults, children £8, family tickets from £28. GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped CUTTY SARK HORNIMAN DINOSAURS ROBOTS AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time. Entry included in general admission price. NAVY GAMES, Saturdays in July. Find out how sailors of all ranks spent their leisure time playing the Royal Navy game of ‘Uckers’. Similar to Ludo, you’ll soon pick up this game which is easy to learn but harder to master. 11am-4pm, included in general admission price. SIGNALS AT SEA, Saturdays in August. Find out how the Royal More What ’sOn Navy send signals between ships using lights, codes and flags. This Find even more activities: www.familiesonline.co.uk then click What's On immersive activity will give you the opportunity to experience the many different ways that messages can be sent in secret and understood by only those who should know. 11am-4pm, included in general Events and Attractions admission price.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM THE FOUND, until 4 September. Foundling Fellow Cornelia Parker has invited over sixty outstanding artists from a range of creative disciplines to NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD, HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk respond to the theme of ‘found’, reflecting on the Museum’s heritage. Combining new and existing work with found objects kept for their Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies - discover Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges the diversity of the natural world through the nation’s finest collection apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music significance, this major exhibition is in part inspired by the Museum’s eighteenth-century tokens - small objects left by mothers with their of natural history specimens. Fascinating exhibitions display up to 70 gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and million plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals, with a hands-on workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and babies as a means of identification should they ever return to the Foundling Hospital to claim their child. education centre where you can meet real scientists at work. Museum crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of open 10am-5.50pm, admission free. beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London, an BACH TO BABY, 21 July. A classical concert for babies and their COLOUR AND VISION, from 15 July. Discover the earliest life on Earth animal corner and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday. families, performed by mother and pianist Miaomiao Yu, along with and trace the evolutionary history of colour and vision. Find out how early other internationally-renowned musicians. 10.30-11.30am, £10 adults, DINOSAURS - MONSTER FAMILIES, until 30 October. Discover the interactions gave rise to the wide variety of colours that we now see in fascinating world of dinosaurs and how they looked after their eggs, children free. the natural world. Adults £12, children £6. nests and babies through interactive exhibits, specimens from around MAGNIFIED MOMENTS, 23 July. Experiment with magnifying glasses SENSATIONAL BUTTERFLIES, until 11 September. This living the world and life-size models. Meet a replica of ‘Baby Louie’, the and sketching to make your own prints inspired by the Found’ exhibition. near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur hatchling, dig in the discovery exhibition includes a riot of colourful species usually found in the tropical Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and forests of Central and South America, Africa and Asia. The magical pit, touch a real dinosaur leg bone and come face-to-face with T-Rex’s up to two adults. relative - a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast. An exciting programme experience of being surrounded by free-flying butterflies is captivating of dinosaur-themed events and activities will also run throughout the year MEMORY MONO PRINTS, 26 July. Join artist Davina Drummond to for young and old alike. Wander through a tropical habitat of flowers, to complement the exhibition. Entry £7 adults, £4 children, £17 families, investigate the importance of objects and memory in this art-based vines and foliage and view these creatures close-up, using a magnifier under 3s free. family workshop. Bring your favourite personal object to the workshop to admire their intricate beauty and tiny features. Admission £6.50, families £22. COMMUNITY MUSIC DAY, 10 July. A day of community music and learn how to enlarge it into a monoprint that you can take home including concerts by local ensembles, music workshops, a capella and keep. Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. Discover what really singing and more. 12noon - 4pm, free. children and up to two adults. happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home. HETTY FEATHER DAY WITH JACQUELINE WILSON, 30 July. An Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day. SUMMER ON THE NATURE TRAIL, 16 July. Join a local environmental Tickets £60. expert for a summer-time nature trail walk. Have a go at sweep-netting, exciting free art workshop inspired by Hetty and friends, and the chance tree-beating, identification and other fun activities to discover plants, to explore the collection through Hetty’s eyes using a new trail. In the animals and insects that live in the museum gardens. 11am-12.30pm, afternoon, Jacqueline Wilson reads from Hetty Feather and signs books. CHILDREN AT THE V&A children £3, adults £5, book first. Family workshop 11am-5pm, free with museum entry. Talk and book V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families THE BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT, 27 July. Take part in the Big Butterfly signing 2pm, £7 children, £10 adults. Count with entomologist (bug expert!) Richard Jones; meet Mr Horniman DIY DOLL’S HOUSE, 2 August. Make your very own doll’s house in Pick up a family trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum on a tour of his gardens and make some butterfly art and craft. this family workshop led by artist Davina Drummond. Using the through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. 11am-3.30pm, free drop-in. Foundling Hospital building as inspiration for your design, create a There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free. POND DIPPING, Tuesdays from 26 July to 29 August. A fun family fantastic miniature house from card that you can take home. Suitable session exploring the environment in the Nature Trail pond. 11am-4pm. for ages 5 and up. Sign up on the day to reserve a place. Ages 5+, BACK-PACKS, Saturdays. Pick up a back pack and explore the Timed tickets available on the day. sessions start 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games. 10.30am-5pm. BIG WEDNESDAYS, until 31 August. Head to the museum gardens adults. where each Wednesday will feature different performances and activities FOUND PHOTOGRAPHS, 27 August. Take a small found object with POP-UP PERFORMANCES, Saturdays to 30 July. Join the ranging from storytelling, dance and films to music performances as well you to this hands-on family workshop and learn to create a black and performance team for fun and interactive gallery plays and activities, as art and craft inspired by traditions from all over Brazil. Activities are white photogram. Make a drawing using graphite, then work outside to with a different event each Saturday. 11am, 1 and 3pm, free drop in. free, drop-in and open to everyone. produce a photo of your chosen object using light sensitive paper and DROP-IN DESIGN, Sundays to 25 September. Pick up a design the sun. Ages 5+, sessions start 10.30am, 12, and 3.30pm, free for challenge and bring your fantastic ideas to life. 10.30am-5pm, ages 3+, BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL children and up to two adults. free. 8-16 July, THE BEDFORD, 77 Bedford Hill, Balham SW12 9HD, THE IMAGINATION STATION, 29 July - 4 September (except www.balhamcomedyfestival.com Saturdays). Explore the connection between nature and structural design Celebrating five years of hilarity, Banana Cabaret’s Balham Comedy SCIENCE MUSEUM and build a collaborative lightweight structure. On Fridays, work together Festival 2016 will be bigger and better than ever. Featuring some of the SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, with graduate engineers from Arup. 10.30am-5pm, ages 3+, free drop-in biggest names in comedy, this year’s event sees a Comedy Contest www.sciencemuseum.org.uk in the John Madejski Garden. featuring up and coming acts, plus workshops and activities for children. See the website for the full line up and bookings. Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily This gem of a museum houses dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from 10am-6pm except 24-26 December. bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography. its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine LAUNCHPAD SCIENCE SHOWS. The largest free interactive science Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails. intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and gallery in the UK is packed with exhibits which allow visitors to launch a There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank. rocket, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud. and regular special events. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free. Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open Ages 8-14, free. IT’S A HARD WORLD FOR LITTLE THINGS, until 17 July. Children 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free. ROBOTS, until 3 September. Explore the 500-year story of humanoid Carrying Heavy Objects is a series of six large-scale drawings that depict children and the burdens that they carry. The graphite drawings by C A EVERY IMAGE TELLS A STORY, 25 July - 31 August. Choose your robots and the artistic and scientific quest to understand what it means Halpin show children carrying physical, societal and political loads such favourite museum objects and create a photo album to tell your own to be human. Set in five different periods and places, the exhibition story. as: water; a blackboard; each other; in grief and love, or in the loneliness features a unique collection of over 100 robots, from a 16th-century of a runaway boy. The images explore children’s absolute will to survive THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM mechanical monk to robots from science fiction and modern-day in a sometimes-hostile adult world and reflects the plight of children on a 40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, research labs. Twelve of the robots will be working models and you may global and domestic scale; the show features local children and others www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk even get the chance to interact with one. Under 7s free, £13 children, from around the world. £15 adults, book first. Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art CLANGERS, BAGPUSS & CO, until 9 October. Meet Bagpuss, see the gallery, The Foundling Museum reveals the stories of the Foundling OUR LIVES IN DATA, from 15 July. Information about our lives is Soup Dragon and behold Noggin the Nog. Oliver Postgate’s voice and Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and increasingly being captured, analysed and used, transforming the world Peter Firmin’s puppets shaped the childhood memories of millions since composer George Frideric Handel. It houses significant collections of around us. From toys that can understand a child’s personality and they started collaborating in the 1950s. As well as telling the story of eighteenth-century art, interiors, social history and music. Open smarter public transport planning to new genomic technology that is Bagpuss and The Clangers, the exhibition goes behind the scenes of 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays. helping uncover the causes of rare diseases and cancer, big data’s some of their other creations; Pogles Wood, Noggin the Nog and Ivor Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults. invisible revolution has begun. Ages 8 to adult, free. the Engine.

14 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk ANIMATED! FAMILY FESTIVAL, 27 July, 3, 10, 24 and PIRATE TAKEOVER, 6+7 August. Oh no, pirates have 31 August. The museum presents a series of innovative taken over Greenwich! Join in a day of fearsome pirate TTHEHE HHITIT MMUSICALUSICAL AADAPTATIONDAPTATION OOFF TTHEHE AAWARDWARD WWINNINGINNING films inspired by the Clangers, Bagpuss & Co activities, jaunty songs and hair-raising stories. PPICTUREICTURE BBOOKOOK BBYY JJULIAULIA DDONALDSONONALDSON AANDND AAXELXEL SSCHEFFLERCHEFFLER exhibition. Take part in a craft activity and pick up a 11.30am-4pm, £7.50 children, £15 adults. trail for a full experience, or just grab your popcorn from SUMMER CRAFT ACTIVITIES, 16-18 and 23-25 the cafe, sit back and enjoy a movie. 10am, £6.50, August. Take part in crafty adventures. Create a under 3s free. creature of the deep, your own fishing game or a mini porthole picture. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-4pm, included ROYAL MUSEUMS in admission price. GREENWICH MYTHICAL CREATURES, 16+17 August. Here be National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal monsters! Take a look at some of the mythical sea Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, creatures on ancient maps and create your own 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk creature of the deep to take home with you. 11.30am- Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest 1.30pm and 2-4pm, included in admission price. “A FINE PIECE OF

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h 0330 333 4812 T treasures from all around the world. Where will you visit provide amusement for accompanied 5-11 year-olds and what will you find? Take a photo and share your on the first Saturday of each month and during school adventure. 11am-4pm, free. holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of ABOVE AND BEYOND, until 29 August. A each workshop. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays ground-breaking new exhibition about the wonders of to Saturdays, from noon Sundays. flight and mankind’s remarkable journey to space. INSIDE OUTSIDE, 26 July - 12 August. Explore how The Small Ads Created in collaboration with NASA, this exhibition people used to spend their time inside at home and hopes to inspire the next wave of engineers, pilots and outside in the garden. Create board games, servant astronauts by taking visitors on an exciting journey boxes, garden sketchbooks and more. 10.30am- through the past, present and future of aerospace in 12.30pm and 2-4pm, ages 5-16, free. France with the Family the most interactive exhibition on the subject ever to tour. Admission £9 adults, £6 children. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE Adult & Children’s Entertainer Justine’s family friendly house in GIANT NURSERY RHYMEATHON, 15 July. Join the MUSEUM rural Normandy is available to rent. Rhymeathon team and spend a morning singing, St THOMAS’S HOSPITAL, 2 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 Magic, Plate Spinning Sleeps 6+, fully equipped, rhyming and telling stories with us. For this anniversary 7EW, 020 7188 4400, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Balloon Modelling beautiful location year expect a visit from the big blue bear plus more Known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Interactive Games surprises. 10.30am-12noon, under 5s, free. Contact [email protected] Nightingale was a pioneering nurse, writer, and noted Karaoke, Mini Disco POLAR VOYAGE! 25 July - 5 August. Hop aboard statistician. The Florence Nightingale Museum thenormandienest.wordpress.com RMG Airlines for the journey of a lifetime as we celebrates her life and work, through personal material Tel: 020 8480 8176 celebrate our Above and Beyond exhibition. Follow in associated with Florence Nightingale, items relating to the snowy footsteps of arctic explorers as you head to the Crimean War and nursing artefacts. Open 10am- www.amigosmagic.co.uk the North Pole. Whilst you’re there, discover Inuit myths 7pm daily, admission £7.50 adults, £3.80 children. Handyman and legends and create your own Inuit launcher. All For all your household repairs and odd jobs. TAKE ME TO NEVERLAND, until 30 October. Using I offer a professional and courteous service ages, free. the magical collection from Great Ormond Street CHARACTER ENCOUNTERS, 6, 13, 20 and 27 Hospital, the Take Me to Neverland exhibition tells the www.shaunthehandyman.co.uk August. Meet a character from the past and take part in real story behind Peter Pan. Discover the origins of JM 020 8249 3264 or 07913 656 502 an exciting performance that will bring maritime history Barrie’sPeter Pan, from the success of the 1904 play to to life. 12noon, 1, 2 and 3pm. Ages 6+, free. the many adaptations that have continued to inspire PAINTING & AMERICAN ENCOUNTER, 8-19 August. Travel across both children and adults over the past century. the sea and back in time to when Europeans and Native DECORATING Americans first met. Take part in performances and Interior / Exterior make gliding birds from Native American myth and EXPERIENCE Experienced, Reliable, Clean legend. Suitable for all ages, free. TOWER BRIDGE, Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP, Fully Guaranteed / Insured PACIFIC QUEST, 22 August - 2 September. Fly to the 020 7403 3761, www.towerbridge.org.uk FREE ADVICE AND QUOTE beautiful Pacific islands and hear about the stories and Tower Bridge houses four unique venues; the traditions of the people that live there. Learn about their award-winning high level Walkways, the small luxurious John:- James & Lamont death-defying journeys across the seas and build a North Tower Lounge, the majestic Victorian Engine 37 020 8462 4646 - 07802 535695 flyable Maori kite. Suitable for all ages, free. Rooms and the charming Bridge Master’s Dining Room. Enjoy stunning London views from over the THE BRITISH MUSEUM Thames and continue to the Victorian Engine Rooms BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, to learn about the inner workings of the most famous 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org bridge in the World. Tower Bridge still lifts to enable The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first large ships to pass through - check the website before 8

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CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, L L Mondays to Thursdays, admission free. I 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark “This Tiger is PALACE STORIES, 7, 21 and 24 July, 4, 18 and 28 The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors August. The Palace’s history is brought to life through the cat ’s meow ” four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main tales of the characters who lived there, with stories !!!! The Times deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who inspired by the beautiful surroundings. 2.30-3pm, free. worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board MUSEUM DROP-IN, 10 July. A Georgian-themed through interactive displays, props, information boards drop-in, where young visitors can try on period and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends costumes, handle artefacts and learn about the history SAT 6 AUG - SUN 4 SEPT and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays of the palace. 2pm start, free. to Sundays, admission £7 children, £13.50 adults, from THE ART MARQUEE, 3 August. Get creative at the art BOOK NOW 020 7730 4500 £24 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other marquee, and make pizzas using fresh ingredients from cadoganhall.com Royal Museum Greenwich attractions. the vegetable garden. 1-4pm, £2 per child.

familiesonline.co.uk july / august 2016 - families south east 15

THE GRUFFALO THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA THE FAIRY QUEEN BRER RABBIT CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Theatre, Shows and Music

More What ’sOn KIDS WEEK 2016 Find even more activities: www.familiesonline.co.uk then click What's On 1-31 August, WEST END THEATRES, www.kidsweek.co.uk

Throughout August, children aged 16 or under can see a fantastic selection of shows for all ages, for free, when accompanied by a full

paying adult, and Kids Week is not just about the shows. There are also

EXOTIC ANIMALS AND BIRD ENCOUNTERS, 27+28 July, 3+4, HAMPTON COURT free backstage activities organised as part of Show & Activity Packages, HAMPTON COURT CASTLE AND GARDENS, 10+11, 17+18, 24+25 and 31 August . Enter the amazing world of tours, and stand-alone events at a variety of iconic London theatres. Hope-Under-Dinmore, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PN, Exotic Animals, Reptiles, Insects and Birds. These Encounters will bring 0 1568 797777, www.hamptoncourt.o rg .u k you up close and personal with Meerkats, Skunks, Spiders and Lizards

to name just a few! From Armadillos to Tarantulas and Baby Owls to Hampton Court has a 15th century medieval castle, award-winning Snakes, these amazing Animal Encounters have something for everyone. MY FIRST BALLET: SLEEPING gardens and parkland with over 1,000 acres of imagination. Open BEAUTY 10.30am to 5pm until 31 October. Opening times and prices may vary BEATRIX POTTER CHILDREN’S TRAIL, 6 August to 6 September. 6-10 July, PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT, on special event days - check ahead of your visit. Follow the Beatrix Potter Children’s Trail celebrating the 150th anniversary of her birth. 020 7863 8222, www.ballet.org.uk/myfirstballet MAGIC GARDEN, daily until 31 October. Let the kids go wild in the A reimagined version of the classic fairy-tale ballet created especially for new Magic Garden, set within the very grounds where Henry VIII’s AZTEC ADVENTURE DAY, 5, 12, 19 and 26 August, 2 September. Visit children as young as three. English National Ballet’s production is spectacular Tudor tournament played out. The rich history and legends Hampton Court Castle for an action packed day. Aztec has a selection of adapted to an hour in length and with a narrator to help young audiences of the Tudor court are reinterpreted in the new garden; from towers to activities on offer suitable for all the family; Kayaking, Canoeing, Archery, follow the story, it is the perfect way to introduce children to the magic of besiege, a secret grotto to discover and even a 25 foot dragon to climb! Circus Skills and so much more! ballet. Performances at 10.30am, 2pm, 5.30pm, tickets from £10. There are lots of things to keep children entertained inside the palace too, from dressing up as a Tudor courtier to accepting the digital missions challenge. These missions use iPads to create a unique way of exploring the palace to engage children of all ages. THE FAIRY QUEEN 16 July, BRIDEWELL HALL, St Bride Foundation, Bride Lane, Fleet Street GNOME SHOW, 15 July - 2 October. Look out for some unusual EC4Y 8EQ, 020 7936 3420, www.thesixteeneducation.com additions in the grounds of this summer! As part of the year-long celebration of its world famous gardens, 15 very special Join puppetry and physical theatre group, Box Tale Soup, and members of gnomes will be popping up around the Hampton Court estate, revealing the world renowned choir The Sixteen for their new family adaptation of hidden secrets to the intrepid explorers who can find them. Designed Shakespeare’s enchanting ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with two actors, and created by a range of local community groups, these aren’t your two singers, a guitarist and a cast of beautiful handmade puppets. typical common garden gnomes! From the whimsy of the maze, to the Be transported to a world of magic and mishap where Shakespeare’s Privy Garden’s formal Baroque topiary, each will reflect a unique aspect language is made accessible to a younger audience through the use of of the remarkable landscape around the palace, which spans centuries puppetry, physical theatre and the music of one of Britain’s finest ever of fascinating history. HAMPTON COURT composers, Henry Purcell. Ages 6+, 12noon start, tickets from £5.

16 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk THE GRUFFALO - LIVE ON STAGE BACKSTAGE TOURS. The Backstage Tours include an introduction to NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE 6 July - 4 September, LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftsbury Avenue W1D 7ES, the colourful history of the theatre, an insight into the redevelopment of NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 www.tallstories.org.uk/the-gruffalo, www.kennywax.com the Royal Opera House and a look at aspects of current productions. 1QG, 0844 871 7646, This July everyone’s favourite furry monster roars back into the West End Each tour is a unique experience, and may include opportunities to see www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre The Royal Ballet in class, or the magnificent backstage technology in in celebration of his 15th anniversary on stage! Tall Stories’ smash hit LAZYTOWN LIVE, 15+16 July. A 60-minute nonstop interactive show, operation. Suitable for ages 8+, book first. production of The Gruffalo returns to the Lyric Theatre by popular packed with singing, dancing, spectacular acrobatics and music, demand, forming a huge part of this summer’s West End calendar. PINOT THE MUSICAL featuring original tracks from the hit TV show.Tickets from £14.75. The most fearsome creature that never was - but is - takes to the stage Sundays from 3 July - 28 August, COLOUR HOUSE THEATRE, Watermill CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, 20-30 July. One of the world’s favourite in this enchanting production combining songs, laughter and storytelling Way SW19 2RD, www.colourhousetheatre.co.uk musicals,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will have audiences of all ages flying theatre with just the right amount of scary fun! Set to a wonderfully A young Russian cyclist has a dream to win the Tour de France in high with its mixture of madness, intrigue and exuberance.Tickets catchy score with original music and lyrics, The Gruffalo is a must-see memory of his champion-cyclist great-grandfather. So he and his from £20. show which continues to entertain audiences the world over. Tickets Cossack-dancing friends escape from Russia and enter France illegally. from £15.10. A fun, family singalong-in-French show suitable for all ages but PRE-EDINBURGH COMEDY FESTIVAL especially for KS 2&3 8-14 year olds. 2.30pm, tickets £10 adults, 22 July - 4 August, CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 MY FIRST BALLET: SLEEPING £8 children. 9HT, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk BEAUTY PUPPET THEATRE BARGE A feast of laughs from 17 brilliant stand up performers, here in London 6-10 July, PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT, PUPPET THEATRE BARGE, , Blomfield Road W9 2PF, before they head up North. For adult audiences, all tickets £12, all 020 7863 8222, www.ballet.org.uk/myfirstballet 020 7249 6876, www.puppetbarge.com performances start 7.45pm - see www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark for the A reimagined version of the classic fairy-tale ballet created especially for THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE, 23 July - line-up and bookings. children as young as three. English National Ballet’s production is 7 August. The two famous cousins visit each other and both experience adapted to an hour in length and with a narrator to help young audiences new sights and sounds. A special delight for young and old, with music, ALBANY THEATRE follow the story, it is the perfect way to introduce children to the magic of songs and rod puppets. Ages 3-8, performances 2pm. ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, ballet. Performances at 10.30am, 2pm, 5.30pm, tickets from £10. BRER RABBIT VISITS AFRICA, 10-31 August, 1-4 September. Brer www.thealbany.org.uk Rabbit travels to Africa to visit his grand mother. He gets himself into HATCHED: MOONSHINE’S ENTIRELY NECESSARY ADVENTURE, THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA trouble, and all the animals of Africa - elephant, lion and tortoise alike - 22 July. Moonshine is a girl of thirteen with silver skin, who escapes her 6 August - 4 September, CADOGAN HALL, 5 Sloane Terrace, London gather to help. Based on the traditional Brer Rabbit tales, this show was dark forest to find out who she is. On her journey she meets pirates, SW1X 9DQ, 020 7730 4500, www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com specially written for the company. Ages 3+, performances 2.30pm. mermaids and faces the darkness in the world with her own silver light. Adapted and directed by David Wood OBE, Judith Kerr’s ferociously It is a coming of age story which examines the archetypes we are LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE presented with in fairy tales and plays with gender roles and identity. popular tale The Tiger Who Came to Tea is the ideal introduction to LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, Ages 6+, 2pm start, pay what you want (from £1). theatre for your little tiger and the perfect summer treat. 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com When Sophie and her mummy welcome the hungry Tiger to tea, he PUSS IN BOOTS, 13-17 July. Would you trust a talking cat? You never proceeds to eat all the sandwiches, buns, biscuits and more. He even know, he might turn you from a pauper to a prince just like the hero of SOUTHBANK manages to drink all the water in the tap! What will Sophie’s Daddy say this story, brought to life on their incredible sloping stage. Ages 3 to 8, SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8PX, 0844 847 9944, when he gets home? Join the Tiger, Sophie and her mummy in this £10 adults, £8 children. www.southbankcentre.co.uk musical slice of teatime mayhem with sing-a-long songs, oodles of SNOW QUEEN, 21-24 July. There is a world of snow, which is beautiful IT MUST BE LOVE, 9+10 July. Promise to complete an act of love magic and interactive fun for children aged 3 plus and their families. but very cold. Gerda’s world is warm and full of flowers. Is she strong (something you can do to show your love for someone else) by writing Tickets from £14.50. enough to find her friend Kay, who has lost himself in the palace of the on a graffiti wall, or work with a typographer to write out your favourite ROYAL OPERA HOUSE Snow Queen? Ages 4 to 12, £10 adults, £8 children. song lyrics. 12noon - 6pm, free family event. ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, Bow Street, London WC2E 9D, 07304 4000, CAKE, 26-28 July. Cake takes to the kitchen to tell a story of valour UDDERBELLY FESTIVAL, until 17 July. The upside down purple cow is www.roh.org.uk and bravery as fresh as lemon scented washing up liquid. A brand new back with a moo-vellous line up of comedy, music, a circus and family FAMILY SUNDAYS, Last Sunday of each month. Explore the Royal object-theatre show for children and families. Ages 4 to 11, £10 adults, shows, www.underbelly.co.uk. Opera House, its artists and the world of opera and ballet. Sundays are £8 children. FAMILY GAMELAN TASTER SESSIONS, Wednesdays until packed full of creative and practical activities for all the family including 3 LITTLE PIGS, 29-31 July. “You can huff and puff all you like, you’re still 24 August. Playing the gamelan is a rewarding musical and social informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers, plus interactive singing not getting in!” Building your own home is not actually very easy, the experience, inspiring self-confidence, improving co-ordination, and dance activities. Ages 6+, 12-4pm, £5 adults, £3 children. three little pigs discover. What’s the best material to use? Will it keep out sharpening listening skills and encouraging interaction and team- FIRST OPERA: WELCOME PERFORMANCES. Welcome the rain? Will it be wolf proof? Ages 2 to 7, £10 adults, £8 children. building. Try something new at a family workshops. Ages 6+, tickets £10. Performances are for families who h ave never been to a ba llet or ope r a O DDLY, 9-12 August. A fun tale based on the much-loved children’s book. THE TEMPEST, 29-31 July. A special production of Shakespeare’s play, at the Royal Opera House before. You don’t need to know anything Norwich Puppet Theatre’s adaptation re-imagines the story with a mix of pup - performed for children with autism and special needs. Ages 10+, 11am, about either - just come along and give it a try. Tickets £5-£20. petry, tricks, masks and original music. Ages 3 to 8, £10 adults, £8 children. tickets £10. Call 0844 847 9910 for information. BIG BRANDS • LOW PRICES

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18 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk JUNGLE BOOK - SOUTHBANK CHESTER TUFFNUT - POLKA GANGSTA GRANNY - CHURCHILL THE More What ’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesonline.co.uk then click What's On

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL FACTORY VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE, Victoria Street SW1E 5EA, 0844 248 5000, THEATRE ROYAL, Drury Lane, Covent Garden WC2B 5JF, 020 7850 www.billyelliotthemusical.com SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE 8790, www.reallyuseful.com/theatres/theatre-royal-drury-lane Set against the background of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot the Roald Dahl’s deliciously dark tale of young Charlie Bucket and the Musical is the inspirational story of one boy’s struggle to realise his CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka comes to life in an action packed dream to dance against the odds. Featuring a timeless score by Elton CHURCHILL THEATRE, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 0844 871 7620, West End musical directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes. John, sensational dance and a powerful story, Billy Elliot is an uplifting www.churchilltheatre.co.uk Tickets from £16.50. and spectacular theatrical experience that will stay with you forever. TIDDLER & OTHER TERRIFIC TALES, 12 July. Under the sea, out on Tickets from £29.50, family tickets from £105. the farm and into the jungle, these terrific tales are woven together with JUNGLE BOOK SHAKESPEARE’S TELLING TALES live music, puppetry and a whole host of colourful characters from Julia 13-28 August, THE SPIEGELTENT, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road 29-31 July, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE, 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT, Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s best-loved titles: Tiddler, Monkey Puzzle, SE1 8XX, 0844 545 8282, www.londonwonderground.co.uk The Smartest Giant in Town and A Squash and a Squeeze. 1pm and 020 7401 9919, www.shakespearesglobe.com/education A spectacular new production from the award-winning Metta Theatre 3pm, tickets £12. Celebrate the fun of storytelling at the Globe’s family literary festival. brings Kipling’s classic tale crashing into the 21st Century with BABAR THE LITTLE ELEPHANT, 19 July. The show is a new rendition breathtaking street dance and circus. Mowgli is finding her way in the We all have our favourite stories, whatever age we are. Perhaps it’s the of the childhood classic ‘Babar the Little Elephant’ with a narrator, live urban jungle. With a beat-boxing bin man Baloo, graffiti artist Bagheera antics of The Tiger Who Came to Tea or Gorilla, the thought provoking pianist and a lot of fun and expressive physical theatre that all come and a skateboarding Wolf crew, this heart-warming coming of age story The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Last Wild or classics such together to tell the story. Tickets £8.50 adults, £6.50 children. will astonish and amaze. Ages 8+, tickets from £11. as Robin Hood or Macbeth. The festival also features the free ‘Bottom’s GANGSTA GRANNY LIVE ON STAGE, 20-24 July. David Walliams’ Book Market’, dedicated to stories with pop up performances, puppet Gangsta Granny is brought to the stage by the Birmingham Stage ROYAL ALBERT HALL shows, reading tee-pees and a multi-sensory space accessible for all Company, the acclaimed producers of Horrible Histories. It’s Friday night story lovers. For the full line up and bookings, see the website. The ROYAL ALBERT HALL, Kensington Gore SW7 2AP, 0845 401 5045, and Ben knows that means only one thing - staying with Granny! There www.royalalberthall.com will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake but what Ben POLKA THEATRE doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret... Tickets £16.50 children, AMALUNA, until 4 February 2017. Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring £21.50 adults. show has never before been seen in the UK and marks Cirque du POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 Soleil’s 20th year at the stunning, world-famous venue. 4888, www.polkatheatre.com ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS, 8+9 August. A zany and hilarious tale JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, until 14 August. Join James and his based on the best-selling children’s book and brought to life on stage STORYTELLING AND MUSIC SESSIONS, Wednesdays until for the very first time. With stunning effects, madcap action, original new-found insect friends as they embark on an extraordinary adventure November. Seasoned storytellers deliver a series of sessions for babies music (and lots of aliens of course!) this fantastically fresh and funny and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between which takes them halfway around the world. Ages 5-11, tickets £15 production will delight the whole family. Tickets £12.50. adults, £10 children. parents/ carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, DINOSAUR ZOO, 20+21 August. Dinosaur Zoo brings awesome movement and stories. 0-4 year-olds, 10am and 11.30am, tickets £5. CHESTER TUFFNUT, until 14 August. Meet Chester, the daredevil prehistoric creatures to life as you’ve never seen them before. From CBEEBIES PROM, 28 August. Join theBBCConcert Orchestra and treemole on a summer Woodland escapade. Chester Tuffnut isn’t your cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, marvel and interact with some of CBeebies’ best-loved presenters and characters in a special ordinary treemole, in fact he is one of kind. Ages 2-5, £19 adults, £9 extraordinary life-like dinosaurs in this imaginative and hilarious live musical journey. Ages 0-5 years, 11am. children. show. Ages 3+, tickets £14. Art Activities

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY TATE BRITAIN DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, SE21 7AD, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk Open daily 10am-5.50pm, and until 10pm the first Friday of the month. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends The gallery features thousands of portraits of the most famous people in Family trails are available daily from the Information Desks and are free and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £6 adults. British history, from the 16th century to the present day. Open 10am-6pm for 5yrs and under. Go on a journey around Tate Britain and post your Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child. daily. discoveries into your ‘Post it’ box as you go. When you get home, open ARTPLAY, first and last Sunday of each month. Creative drop-in DROP IN FAMILY SUNDAYS. On the third Sunday of every month, up the box and show your friends what you found. Or you could follow workshops for adults and children, with a different activity each session. families are invited to drop-in with children aged 3+ to take part in the ‘Join up’ trail: play the listening game, search for shapes, patterns Make anything and everything from bunting to block printing and all portrait-related events. and talking hands, and make your own sculptures. things in between. 2-3.45pm. Every weekend the free Art Trolley encourages children to imagine and FREE FAMILY TRAIL. Ask a gallery assistant or stop by at the Gallery THE WALLACE COLLECTION create, make colourful collages, style a wonderful sculpture or perhaps Friends desk for a free trail; updated frequently and available for the THE WALLACE COLLECTION, Hertford House, Manchester Square W1U make a sketchbook and fill it with great ideas. 3BN, 020 7563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org permanent and temporary exhibitions. ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE WINIFRED KNIGHTS until 18 September. Declared a genius for her The Wallace Collection displays wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, award-winning, apocalyptic work, Winifred Knights (1899-1947) was one 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org of the most original British artists of the first half century. This first major Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, in their main London townhouse. Family multi-media tours and trails bring the Tucked away in Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, exhibition of her work includes completed masterpieces alongside mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soane’s 120 preparatory works and life studies. exhibits to life for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free. treasures and develop new skills with specialist guidance. Sir John Soane (1753- 1737) was an inveterate collector, filling every nook and SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS FAMILY WORKSHOPS, 4 August. Includes Oriental Mail, Ancient Greek cranny of his beautiful home with items that fascinated him. From fossils SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, Olympics Storytelling Show!, Gloriumptious Birds!, Design-a-Gallery and www.somersethouse.org.uk to classical fragments from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and from more. Many are free. contemporary paintings to architectural models, drawings and literature, Free family workshops run on Saturdays from 2-3.30pm. Tickets THE LITTLE DRAW, 7 August. Little Draw artist Paul Wescombe he intended that after his death both his house and its extraordinary available from 1pm from the information desk. Children aged 6-12 years explores the collection through drawing and doodling. 1.30-4.30pm, contents should be used to educate and inspire. Free drop-in activities must be accompanied by an adult. free drop-in. run on the third Saturday of every month, with activities for all ages and families can take part together from 1.30-4.40pm. THE CONSERVATOIRE TATE MODERN THE CONSERVATOIRE, 19-21 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ, TATE MODERN, , SE1 9TG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk THE NATIONAL GALLERY 020 8852 0234, www.conservatoire.org.uk In June, the Tate Modern opened Switch House, an iconic new London TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN, 020 7747 2885, The Conservatoire is Blackheath’s local independent arts centre, offering landmark which provides ten floors of new display space, performance www.nationalgallery.org.uk a broad mix of music, art, drama and cultural classes for all ages. and installation art, a new restaurant and viewing level. Across both Open daily 10am-6pm, Fridays to 9pm, admission free. BACK IN TIME, 21 July - 2 September. All summer, the Conservatoire buildings, the museum displays permanent and temporary modern art, With over 2,300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons will be running art, music and drama courses for children and adults, free drop-in events, with family-friendly festivals and activities both in to visit the gallery, along with free hands-on art workshops for families at exploring subjects as diverse as prehistoric cave paintings, to Victorian the galleries and online. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free, charges weekends and during school holidays. No need to book, but places are gardens, myths and legends, Greeks and Romans. for major exhibitions. limited and allocated on arrival up to one hour before the start.

familiesonline.co.uk july / august 2016 - families south east 19

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SUMMER HOLIDAY WORKSHOP BOOK DDULWICH NOW 1st - 5th August 2016 Put on a show in a week long course led by an experienced, professional and fun team.

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20 families south east - july / august 2016 familiesonline.co.uk