I was a massive square at school (until I discovered I could get served in a pub at 15, anyway). I…read moredid my homework on time, I always did super amazing projects and liked getting top marks. That apparently hasn't changed and this week I went back to school. It's BRILLIANT. I'm doing a photography course at Greenwich Community College. This one is about composition and framing, and in two hours, I've already learnt stuff. I don't know the basics of photography, I've never been taught the technical stuff (I've also never asked anyone). So my four-week long course will teach me the basics, and also how to break the rules. We don't just sit in a photography classroom, oh no. Off I went running about Greenwich taking photos. Of flowers and double yellow lines, mostly. And then the best bit: We get homework! Oh, the school square in me is so pleased about the homework. I have to apply all the things I learnt last night, and show my best work next week. And we have an end of course presentation too. In a four week course. I'm so excited. I probably deserved the school bullying, if I'm honest. I'm even annoying myself with my excitement. Greenwich College are actually offering the first course you do with them for free, which is amazing. But the courses aren't massively expensive anyway. I might get a bit of a photo bug after this one and do them all. And no doubt be super excited about having to do homework.

In the shadow of the Telecom Tower & the subject of a recent…read morefurore in Fitzrovia : Given Grade II listed status. - ministerhttp://ow.ly/4dZsm #in #fitzrovia dividing the residents between those who wanted it pulled down & those who wanted it preserved as an important part of history. I fall into the latter category. The historian, Prof Ruth Richardson makes a compelling case that Charles Dickens, who lived 100 yards away (No.22) in the same street, describes this workhouse in Oliver Twist. Whatever the case, it was once a workhouse where the work was carpet beating. The men,women & children - even from the same family -were split up, stripped of all posessions &, with only one bowl of gruel (watery porridge) to eat a day made to work till most died. The luckier ones were conscripted by Florence Nightingale to work for her in the Middlesex Hospital opposite. One of my pictures here shows the exercise yard under which was recently found, a burial ground with bones going 20 feet deep. Unfortunately, you can only see it from the outside at the moment. for security reasons. With your back to the entrance notice the building opposite with balconies : No 47 was the Studio of the Pre-Raphaelites Rossetti & Holman Hunt in 1849

Bumpis is a great place to take the kids during the school holidays or after school…read more I regularly take my 2 boys here if they need to burn of some energy (and I need a break!). The play area itself is brilliant - in my opinion, its one of the best in the area. It is split on 3 levels with lots of different areas to keep the kids entertained for a few hours. They have an air gun at the top which fires out soft balls which the kids just love. There are a couple of slides and all the othe play equipment you would expect. There is a cafe area with lots of seating so unless it's a particularly busy day, you should be able to get a seat. They do lovely lattes/cappucinos etc and cakes, crisps as well as hot food. Parties start from £7.75 and are really great fun. The party have there own party room (there are a few rooms here) so you are away from everyone else while eating party food and playing party games. Although I can't remeber how much I paid to get in last time, the prices here are pretty average and they are a little cheaper after school.