Anon2

My ds has such hyper mobile feet that they actually delayed him being able to walk until he had treatment. He is not a dancer but has the most amazing feet now but does have to wear orthotics in all shoes. You might find your ds needs to consult a physio and a podiatrist to get the full range of treatment and advice. The exercises with the theraband might not be strengthening the correct part of the foot for the jumps he does.

My thoughts are with the French people at this distressing time.

Smallbytheseas, I've just reread through this thread and am now a little confused, not difficult I admit. Are you travelling from King's Cross to Hyde Park as one journey? Then travelling out from Hyde Park to Oxford Circus and back again? On the Piccadilly line you can travel directly from King's Cross to Hyde Park Corner without changing lines.

SP around £3.90 peak, slightly less off peak. As Alison says best information is on the TFL website. And smallbythesea that is one journey as long as you don't leave the tube system and touch out between trains. Are you planning on changing at Green Park? If so might be worth investigating how far you need to walk underground to change lines. You might find it is an easier, more pleasant walk from Green Park station to your destination above ground.

Which would tie in with our experience of the size of them.

Having just got back from an optician appointment and what was to be a shopping trip I can vouch that there were hoards of ditherers out in my local market town. My mother helpfully came back with the information it was very quiet yesterday on market day, normally heaving and today is pension day so all the village buses will have been running. I'm off to hit the Internet to do the shopping I couldn't face in person. PS We have also had plenty of short lived vouchers from everywhere from Waitrose to Strada. Is it because we are half way through month until last pay day before Christmas and takings are slowing down?

If you would be paying adult fares and have a contactless debit or credit card I would look at the info on the TFL website regarding contactless card payments.

In our experience Freed leotard sizing doesn't relate to any other brand. Dd wears a XS in most brands, a size 3 in school uniform leotard but has only just moved into a size 2 Freed from a size 0 that she wore for more than 4 years for vocational classes from age of 12. I think we found the RAD leotard cheaper on one of the websites (Planet Dance, Dance Direct or Move) and I believe I called and asked about the sizing in relation to another leotard I was buying her.

I find the extended family lunch on Christmas Day difficult. My sister always insists as it is Christmas it should be late, normally planning for starting around 3.30pm but inevitably it is later. No matter what I've fed my troops before hand they are ready to kill someone by the time we sit down and start the fun of passing around the vegetables and trying to be polite to each other. My husband likes an after lunch walk preferably at the coast which doesn't help the tension. It is always a relief when it is my sister's turn to have Christmas as her in-laws. I am working Christmas night this year and my husband and dd were a bit too quick with their excuses when it was suggested by my mother that my sister did lunch so I didn't have anything to do before work. Evidently I won't have anything to do as the pair of them will have it all in hand!

Trouble of posting without glasses! One is enough.

Lisa, I'm sorry you are not well enough to go. Why not post this message on the ticket exchange part of the forum? Might get a greater audience.

We have done that too. It was wonderful and doesn't seem anywhere near as taxing as tube station steps. We always have to climb to the top of towers/buildings when on holiday to appreciate the view - a real passion of my husbands.

Knew there was some reason why my husband insists on us climbing the stairs at Covent Garden and Russell Square - obviously preparing us for something. My dd only commented the other day on the commuters who run up the stairs at Covent Garden, said it must be cheaper than a London gym.

Oh dear. How soon? Can the teacher recommend another to support your dd through the next few months.

Peanut we arrange our family holiday to take in dd at a European summer school. She has a week dancing whilst rest of family holiday near by, we then move on as a family for a few days together. Have meet other families doing the same. It has worked well so far and it is dd who feels she is missing out on sight seeing with rest of us.

Sorry to hear your dd is feeling so low, a worrying time for you. Aileen makes a very good point about the clock changes, day light hours and mood. Have you discussed with her teachers how she is feeling at the moment and how she is coping in class? Her perception of how she is doing may vary wildly from theirs especially if she is being hard on herself at the moment. Hope you can sort this quickly for all your sakes.

I have to agree Janet. We live in a very rural location, our nearest neighbours being a 15 minute walk away down unlit lanes but we went through a period of having Trick or Treaters. I can only assume their parents were driving them around the villages. Last night in London most of those dressed up were adults in very elaborate costumes, I assume they were off to parties or other events.

Keep her in, draw the curtains and leave the radio on. Animals get so scared by the noise of fireworks. I've just seen a dog bolt pulling his owner over after a firework went off over the Thames.

I think the difference between day and boarding at sixth form at Elmhurst is roughly £2000 per term. Edited to add so the fees for The Elms are approx £2000 per term, including meals in school, laundry facilities but still no wifi!

Have you asked who she is performing with if they have any recommendations? If she isn't finishing too late have a look at underground lines and overground services from local station to see if can find somewhere not too far out that will be more reasonably priced. I think you will only find university accomadation that is commercially available and therefore a comparable price to a mid/top range hotel as students do not move out of their rooms for Christmas break.

Some schools also offer bursaries which might help. At Elmhurst sixth formers eat in school which keeps living costs down. Depending on Saturday dance commitments some sixth formers have weekend or holiday jobs. But having said that sixth form is very expensive and all the extras add up too - theatre trips, books, tights, shoes, trips home, overnight stays to watch class ... Maybe time to raise the issue with you dd and suggest she also applies for some courses that are funded by student finance if she has not already done so - Central, Rambert, Scotland.

Just checked and mine is ok.

I don't believe they help in the audition itself. The panel will choose on what they see on the day from the candidates facility, musicality etc. My dd went to lower school having never been an associate as it was not logistically feasible for us. However she was one of only two in her year that were not ex associates and at times she found that hard. The others all knew each other, or of each other from workshops, performances etc. There were a few girls who thought it was ok to tell my dd 'she wasn't as good as everyone else' as had not been an associate'. Things like that are hard to manage when they are 11 or 12 living away from home.

Just heavy rain in my part of the world I'm afraid.