Gareth's reviews
Review of Coram's Fields
23 Sep 08, 12:16
Fantastic central London park for kids 
Coram's fields appears to be a little known gem, a genuine one-off, and a great place to visit. But terms and conditions apply!!
You absolutely cannot get in here if you're an unaccompanied adult, you have to have kids, yours, or somebody else's with you or you won't be let in.
So what is this place? Well, it's on the site of the 'foundling's hospital' - which was built to look after the many unwanted children left in London in years gone by. That got knocked down many years ago, and with a legacy this area for children was built.
In essence it's like a giant playground - a couple of tree lined grassy areas for running around in, a large sand-filled play area, swings, slides, adventure playground, fountains (when they're working). There's also a sensory play area - mirros, things to bang etc
Animals - a whiole load of them - a couple of sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, a load of goats, geese, chickens - all of whom can be fed.
There's also a cafe which does really great coffee, but also pretty decent food for the family, pasta, pizzas and sandwiches etc
What's wrong with it? Nothing. It's free, there are always staff around, the kids toilets are ideally sized for little ones, and in my opinion this is a simply fantastic place for kids as they have a degree of freedom combined with safety to play in which is rare outside of school or home.
It's only about 7 mins from the British Museum, so if you're kids get bored looking at ancient marbles, drag them down here to run riot for a few mins whilst you grab a coffee and watch the rotters knacker themselves chasing a chicken round the grass.
This also gets more bonus marks as its located over the road from the back of Great Ormond St Hospital, and provides some space for families to come to during breaks from treatment.
In conclusion - faultless.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Carluccios
08 Sep 08, 16:24
Great staff - perfect for families 
I agree that the food in these places isn't amazing, do think it's better than average - decent, fresh flavours, nothing like a ready-meal. Coffee and desserts here are lovely. I've found these places great for lunch, especially with kids in tow. I was in here recently, in single-dad mode while the missus went off shopping, and managed to have a reasonable lunch and feed the kids without causing too much trouble. Staff were super helpful and friendly with the kids, so at this price point, these guys do really well.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nunhead Cemetery
02 Sep 08, 17:57
Saw a werewolf with a chinese menu in his hand..
strolling round Nunhead Cemetery. Actually, that's a lie, but if you come to one of the annual open days, which is more akin to a village fair (a fete worse than death) you'll see a really top-rate selection of goths here! So, what is this place? It's one of the huge Victorian cemeteries built to accomodate the rapidly expanding deceased population of London. It fell into disrepair post WWII I think, but since the 70s a hardy group of locals have managed to stop anyone's plans to build houses on it, and it's a nice woody hill in SE London, albeit one with thousdands of dead bodies lurking a few feet underground under some cracking gravestones. Kids like exploring the woods, and in one place you get a fantastic view of St Pauls. Nice place to come for a quiet stroll.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Ed
02 Sep 08, 13:17
Good clothes/gift shop combo
One of the shops occupying the fastest growing sector of the retail market - random, unecessary, but pricey and often uselss gifts. I say fastest growing, with financial doom knocking on our door at the time of writing it will be interesting to see how long shops like this hang around, I'm sure there's too many of them around these days! Anyway, why is this one worth your time? Well, they have a good range of clothes here too, for men and the ladies. they also seem to put some effort into sourcing their stock, rather than just generic stuff you find everywhere else. Staff are generally pretty helpful too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sugar Reef
02 Sep 08, 11:29
Unexpectedly unpopular 
Looked quite nice from the outside. If you like large, underground bars which smell a bit like a gents (a gents toilet that is), with little personality and no buzz - then you'll feel at home here. Didn't seem to be many people in here when I dropped by - looked like a hen party and some geeks/media people getting lashed on expenses - they seemed to be having fun though. Outside of 'happy hour' prices seem a bit steep. Conveniently placed in 'Tourist Central' - I guess it fills up on Friday nights with people celebrating their last night in London before flying home and hoping for some action, sorry guys, might be better off somewhere a bit groovier.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hair We Do
14 Aug 08, 12:34
Been closed for years - I think?!?! 
Seems to still be standing as a shopfront, but never seen it open, what's going on? With a name like this punters should be queueing round the block, shurely?!?!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of John Barnett
08 Aug 08, 14:58
Great for kids shoes/non-trendy footwear
Good local shoe shop, especially for kids. Good range of Clarks kids shoes, nice and solid for the little whipper-snappers. The staff are very good and patient with kids, and prices are very reasonable. I got some 'dad sandals' from here, but I'm not sure i should be admitting this in public on the interwebs.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of NatWest Cash Machine
01 Aug 08, 10:30
My cash machines of choice
Close to where i work, and often on the way to where I need to spend my moolah. But what's this, queues of tourists using MY cash machines?!?! Well, watch and learn, fools, as I sweep sedately through the doors and use the cash machine INSIDE the bank! Yeah, thought you'd be impressed!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Centre for Wildlife Gardening
23 Jul 08, 15:11
Wildlife haven in darkest Peckham
I pop in here at least a couple of times a month. The garden itself is great to walk around, and there are various different gardens within the area - including a sandpit for the kids, and a pond (remembering to hold hands with the little ones as the temptation of jump in with the frogs can be huge on a hot day). The centre building itself will sell you seeds and dispense advice, and you can also buy plants for your own garden here - one of the advantages here being the plants have been grown in the same environment as your own garden, so if it works here, it will work at home! But the main reason to come is to be inspired about what you can do with your own chunk of ground at home.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Horniman Museum and Gardens
22 Jul 08, 14:20
Fantastic museum for kids and parents
In summary, this museum was built with the money from a Victorian tea-trader, Mr Horniman to you and me. Some of the original collections are here, and it is fascinating to see these at a time when most museums seem to have fallen over themselves to clear out the old and make everything a multimedia experience. the main gallery is a cornucopia of animals, insects, birds of a feather - all stuffed and mounted for your persual. The centrepiece is an enormous stuffed Walrus - reason enough to visit. Other reasons to come - cafe - normally full of squaking kids, but get here early or when the schools aren't on holiday and you can sit down with a very decent coffee. Music Room - There's a little music room for the kids hidden downstairs where they can let some energy off by banging drums, xylophones etc Gardens - the museum is set in very lovely landscaped gardens, chock full of plants and trees to give you a bit of year round interest to your walk. Goats/chickens/geese - there's a little animals section in the park - walk up the hill past the museum and there you go, by the bandstand, some squawking things to go and stare at. Aquarium - pretty big aquarium for such a small museum - kids love it, especially the coastal section with the whooshing waves. Anyway, it's free, kids love, and there's plenty here for everyone, whether it's an angry goose or a paleontological ramble round the home counties.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.