As a working mum, it’s not possible to take as much time off during the school holidays to spend with your kids as you’d like. So when you do have a rare opportunity, it’s important to find something that’s really exciting, educational and/or memorable.

However, it’s not quite as easy as when your kids are diddlies. And it’s even harder when th...read the rest

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Compared to all the hype for the Twilight vampire-werewolf trilogy (American author Stephanie Meyer was also the writer of this story), this film almost slipped by under the radar. I took my teenage daughter along yesterday afternoon to see it as I thought it would be an interesting diversion during the Easter holidays.

I had read the book and e...read the rest

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The seven year old I took along with me to see this “live on stage” show at Richmond Theatre proclaimed it a “bit babyish” when I told her what we were going to see. I became more concerned when I realised that the vast majority of other diddlies in the theatre foyer WERE somewhat younger than seven.

However, with encouragement from the staff w...read the rest

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The audience (spanning diddlies to granddads) at Richmond Theatre were treated tonight to the UK premiere of the new Yin Yang production of the Chinese State Circus.

Now whilst some may prefer to be in a traditional circus tent, our current chilly weather made me truly glad that we were warm inside. And it was just what we needed to cheer us up ...read the rest

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Whilst I’m not a great lover of musicals, who can resist Charles Dickens and Oliver? My teen daughter was keen too – having helped with the stage management of various school productions (she knew all the words to all the songs). For a rainy Tuesday night, it seemed like a good idea for an evening’s entertainment. There were plenty of other parents...read the rest

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My daughter is studying the history of medicine in her history GCSE and has a keen interest in science. She asked about a possible trip to this museum which is in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, just around the corner from Holborn. Like any parent, when a child shows an interest in anything other than smart phones and social media – and especially when there...read the rest

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It took me about three attempts to read the book, but once I got into it I was hooked. It’s a wonderful, imaginative story – a young Indian boy grows up on a zoo in India but when his family and the animals take a journey to a new life in Canada there is a storm and he is ship wrecked – and has to survive for many days in a life boat with a zebra, ...read the rest

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Having discovered Winter Wonderland last year, we were full of excitement as we set off on Saturday for a return visit. We took the tube to Green Park and walked along Piccadilly against a steady flow of folk going the other way (they had made Hyde Park Corner tube station exit only). The hotels and restaurants were all cheerfully decorated and the...read the rest

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In our house, the festivities usually kick off when we go to see the annual pantomime at local Richmond Theatre. And last night Christmas was officially declared.

By 630pm (it starts at 7pm) the foyer was filled with excited children – some with their families, others with school and youth groups. Christmas tunes were playing and while some of ...read the rest

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Having sat through the previous films, and knowing that she had read all the books, I took my teenage daughter along to see the final episode of this trilogy stretched into four parts on Friday evening. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it having become a little weary of those mournful teens. But I was pleasantly surprised.

Bella Swan, th...read the rest

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The prospect of Christmas shopping strikes fear into the hearts of most people. But for those with small people to entertain, it’s almost depressing. And these days, with the ease and convenience of doing it all on-line, there has to be a pressing reason to take the plunge and join the crowds.

Most years, I take mine up to the West End so that w...read the rest

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Getting kids to appreciate art and culture can be a challenge – so make it a little more palatable for them with the promise of a night time adventure. Most of the museums and galleries in London are open late on Friday evenings and some provide additional entertainment – and all for free! So take the kids along to join the crowds of office workers...read the rest

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Whilst my kids and I thoroughly enjoyed our trips to the Olympics, one of the happy side-products was the discovery (for us) of the joys to be found around the Royal Docks.

Travelling to the ExCel Centre we used the DLR from Tower Hill/Gateway. Our non-London companion was very impressed with these driverless trains – trundling along over elevat...read the rest

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Nope. I didn’t go and see the latest Bat Man film. Instead, I decided to brave the night time bat walk at Barnes Wetland Centre. Now I’ve been to the Wetland Centre by day many times in the past – and my kids and I love walking around all those different environments trying to spot the various waterfowl. When I mentioned that I was going on a bat w...read the rest

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Ok, we are enjoying a rare warm spell and you want to be outside. But the rain is returning next week, so you’ll need some ideas of what to do when it does if you are brave enough to enter Olympics-bound London!

Following a West End meeting near Goodge Street tube station, I noticed (on Scala Street) a brightly coloured corner building containin...read the rest

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I went for a walk in the leafy residential area around the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London and passed through the gates of the West entrance of Holland Park. There’s a large grassy area at the centre of which is a sculpture containing two large tortoises and a triangular sun dial – a play on time.

Taking a side path, which...read the rest

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On a sunny Saturday afternoon you want to get those kids out into the fresh air. And there were lots of them on Twickenham Green yesterday to join in with and watch the fun on the Big Dance Bus.

As I arrived, tip toeing through the picnicking families and excited teens, there were a group of very young girls in long, floating pale pink and baby ...read the rest

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Don’t be put off by the impressive display of heavy artillery outside what looks like an impenetrable brick building. Slip down the side – past some helpfully placed picnic tables – and be greeted by really friendly and knowledgeable guides to this free and extremely child-friendly museum in the heart of Chelsea.

Let’s start with attractions for...read the rest

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It can be a bit of a challenge to entertain older kids in the City of London (perhaps while waiting for Mum or Dad to finish a work meeting) so it's good to know that you can spend an hour or so here to amuse them without having to pay for an entry ticket. And with inflation and monetary policy hitting the headlines so much of late perhaps your tee...read the rest

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Our community is lucky that the local traders (at the Whitton Business Association) invest a lot of effort in organising some great events and the RFU (Twickenham Stadium is nearby) always generously sponsors them. The annual highlight is our St George’s Day parade, which is apparently the second largest of its kind in the UK.

The High Street
...read the rest

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