Dressed in Red, Dressed in Red, Little Red Riding Hood...

Flowers for the forest

Thursday 27 June marked the first ever Theatre Arts performance at Gymboree Chiswick! It's a class I've wanted to offer for some time and with the launch of our drop-off classes this year it was the perfect opportunity.

For ten weeks our three little actors have been working on The Little Red Riding Hood and we've been amazed and delighted at what they've achieved.

Trees and bushes

The Theatre Arts course is designed to run as a cycle and it requires both regular attendance and a lot of hard work from its participants, both in and out of class. It's been fascinating to watch our children engaging with simplified versions of the same theatre games and performance exercises that I've done myself at both university and drama school. They've exceeded all my expectations in terms of their concentration and ability to understand the performance concept. A, H and S were only 3 (in fact in S's case 2!) at the time of the performance and it was one of my proudest moments in my six years with Gymboree.

Seeing how proud they were of their own achievements was also really special for us - building their own set

Mr Wolf & LRRH

and working on their own costumes has helped so much with giving them an idea of how a show fits together. It's also inspired us to start organising trips to the theatre and other kids activities which will hopefully be starting next month.

I strongly believe that this class represents the beginnings of the core performance skills of acting, singing and dancing and will give them a great base to continue these pursuits through school and beyond. Next month we begin rehearsals again although the script has yet to be chosen!

If you'd like your child to enrol please get in touch now as we have maximum of 8 spaces available - please also get in touch if you'd like to learn more about the benefits of the Theatre Arts programme.

Gymbo Moves House!

I've been very quiet on the blog the last six weeks, but there is a reason! We've said goodbye to the Chiswick Town Hall, our home of the last five and a half years, and moved to the Piccolo Play Centre a few roads down.

Hall before painting began

There's been a huge amount to do, not least redecorating the big downstairs hall that is now our teaching space. It's been a strange journey for me and I've found the move more emotional than I expected. My business has grown from three half days a week to five full days and it felt hard to say goodbye to the venue that's given me so much support and encouragement over the years.

We've had family and friends as well as all the staff working hard to effect the transformation and I'm so grateful for all their help and generosity.

Me, Jai & Keji

I'm very proud of what we've achieved so far and have been delighted with all the positive feedback we've received from our members. Our primary reason for moving was to offer our members a better experience through an expanded timetable, a cafe and outdoor play area in the same building, extra free play sessions and ground floor access for all classes. It's taken a lot of work and we're not finished yet so look our for more developments over the coming months!

Jungle loo phase 1!

Next month our new timetable will begin and I'm excited about hopefully seeing lots of new faces as well as our wonderfully loyal members who have made this move with us.

If you know anyone local with children under 5 please encourage them to book in for a trial class - from Sensory Baby Play up to drop-off classes for the older ones there really is something for everyone!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon....

Brickoven Milano: Italian Family Dining comes to Chiswick

Brickoven Milano on Chiswick High Road is my latest local discovery through Twitter. I met the lovely people there a few weeks ago to talk about running some classes in their playroom and was completely charmed by what I found. I took so many photos I'm going to have trouble fitting them in here, but also can't bear to leave any out!

I've now discovered the best coffee in town and all their wonderful baking is also done on site. There was a selection of four different cakes on the counter as well as the delicious mini-doughnuts being busily consumed by Nicoletta's daughter.

I recommended the coffee to a friend a few days later and he popped in to test them out. He explained they'd been recommended, thanked them for a fab coffee and was told with a smile 'It's on the house'. Now that's some awesome customer service!

The whole team are unbelievably warm, welcoming, and keen to talk to you about their menu and restaurant concept. Brickoven caters for all food intolerances offering a huge range of pizza bases and pasta. They're aiming to make eating out a family experience and they've come up with some seriously innovative ideas.

The restaurant is divided into three areas: the main restaurant, the playroom and the lounge. The restaurant is bright and airy with wonderful old Italian advertising posters on the walls - a legacy of the family's grandparents. There's also a view into the kitchen so you can watch your pizza being made!

All the bread is made daily and there was a heavenly smelling selection on the counter. It's quite an extensive menu with all sort of meat and fish dishes as well: so sure to be something to suit everyone!



The lounge is quiet and comfortable - also available as a function room for parties and meetings. It's certainly perfect for Gymboree parties so we'll hopefully be visiting again in that capacity too. Better still it's free to hire with a minimum spend.

Brickoven has to be the most family-friendly restaurant in Chiswick - not only do they have a separate playroom for the children but you can also watch a live feed through your smartphone or an iPad they'll bring to your table in order for you to keep an eye on them.



Busy weekends also mean a nanny on duty in the playroom as well.

Watch this space for my lunch review coming soon....

Brickover Milano
66 Chiswick High Road, W4 1SY
Tel. 020 8994 5834
Website coming soon www.brickoven.it
https://twitter.com/brickovenmilano