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Nothcote
Road
This area between Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common must have the
densest population of under-5-year-olds in the world. Everything a child
could need, and, indeed, everything a parent could need, is provided for
along this strip of high street. If you find yourself living here without
children you may feel you have landed on an alien planet but, if you have
young children, it is hard to beat
Food shops
Essentials
Interesting extras
Shopping for kids
Health & Beauty
Playgrounds
Nurseries
Prep & primary schools
Activities for children
Cafés
Pubs, Bars & Restaurants
Property
Food Shops
There are two independent butchers to choose from, just across the street
from one another. Impossible to pick between Dove (020
7223 5191) and Hennessy’s (020 7228 0891).
The Lighthouse Bakery (020 7228 4537) sells
wonderful bread and is a big hit with the children as they are occasionally
allowed a peek into the back.
The Grape Shop (020 7924 5638)
is an independent wineseller.
Shop for a dinner party at I Sapori (020 7228
2017) and pass the fresh pasta off as your own. Salumeria
Napoli is also not to be missed, for Barilla pasta and hard-to-find
Italian biscuits.
For a smelly gourmet experience, pop into Hamish Johnston,
the fine cheese shop (020 7738 0741). Kelly’s
is an organic food shop (020 7207 3967), selling freshly
prepared food daily, as well as the organic staples, including a good
range of baby food. They also operate a catering service, London
Food Focus at Kelly’s, call 07966 017322 for details.
Dandelion Natural Foods (020 7350 0902) is
especially good for natural vitamins for kids, a source of goats’
milk, beauty products and take-away food.
Two fishmongers: Northcote Fisheries (020 7978
4428) has a lovely colourful display; a small offshoot of Cope’s
Seafood Company from the Munster Road in Fulham is open next
door to Kelly’s. There is a street market – Friday to Sunday
– fruit, veg and flowers stand alongside handbags and trinkets.
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Essentials
A small Somerfield, Oddbins and Threshers, two
chemists, a post office and a Starbucks, dry
cleaners and a DVD/video rental shop are all here.
The Camera Shop has a good selection of frames
(020 7924 3686).
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Interesting Extras
There is no shortage of maternity shops with JoJo Maman
Bébé (0870 2410560) for basics, La
Conception (020 7228 7498) on Webbs Road for elegant pieces, 
prettypregnant
(020 7924 4850) for stylish clothes and underwear, and then there’s
the lovely Raspberry Beret (020 7738 0977) selling
some good pieces of second-hand maternity clothes alongside other second-hand
clothes.
At Northcote Music (020 7228 0074) you can
buy musical instruments, sheet music, CDs, including some recorded for
children. They also keep a list of local music teachers and hire out violins,
cellos, flutes and trumpets (and other instruments).
There are a few vintage and antique shops to choose from –
Living Vintage (020 7223 4440) has some lovely reconditioned mirrors
and pretty cushions.
The Bee Shop sells honey and everything else
they can think of bee-related.
For books, The Bolingbroke Bookshop is great
(7223 9344), speedy book-ordering and
good special offers. NB book clubs – they offer 20% discount when
you buy 5 or more of the same title.
The Cottage Garden (020 7924 3238) is a good
florist and offers discounts to Honeywell School families. La
Cuisieniere (and La Cuisieniere Too) (020 7223 4409) The envy of
any high street, a brilliant cooks’ shop, with great gadgets, aprons
and kids’ cookery sets.
Northcote Pet Stores (020 7228 7185) and Capstick
Sports (020 7228 7814) are both perfect examples of shops serving
the local community – all you need for pets and sports equipment,
on your doorstep.
There is an array of gift shops – I liked Lizzie’s
(020 7738 2973), which sells clothes, children’s toys (a shelf full
of Maisy goodies), baskets and Scandinavian style things for your home.
Sally’s (020 7223 6111) is right at home in this neighbourhood
– a children-only hairdresser.
Shopping for Children
QT Toys (020 7223 8637) is a great toy shop
– not the modern
wooden toy version, but a real plastic, toys and games treasure trove.
Power Rangers, Barbies, Playmobil and swords abound.
One
Small Step, One Giant Leap, the shoe shop that has
revolutionised children’s shoe-shopping (020 7223 9305), is a newcomer,
and the French have moved in with Petit Bateau taking
over a big corner site (020 7228 7233).
Quackers
(7978 4235) stocks children’s clothes and dressing-up, as well as
some lovely wooden toys, tea sets and hair accessories and Tom
Boy Kids (020 7223 8030) at the very end of the road furthest from
Clapham Junction caters for all discerning little shoppers.
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Health and Pampering
Head South for hairdressing and beauty treatments
(020 7924 3118); the Lemon Tree on Webbs Road
offers beauty therapies.
The Neal’s Yard Shop also has beauty rooms (020 7223 7141). Latchmere Leisure Centre is a good local sports facility (020 7207 8004). There is a big ball pit for tinies, the pool hosts a series of swimming lessons after school and the café is handy for the occasional kids’ tea. There is a crèche for under 5s, 9.45–11.45 Mon–Fri, £3.85 per session.
The Harbour Club is just the other side of
Wandsworth Bridge along Watermeadow Lane, and caters well for families
(020 7371 7700). There are lots of antenatal and postnatal yoga and other
exercise classes run in this area; one in particular caught my eye Powerprogramming
mums work out on the common with the pram. £5 per session –
call Liz Stuart on 07976 778413 or visit .
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Playgrounds
Wandsworth and Clapham Common both have extensive playgrounds. Wandsworth
Common has two playgrounds for little ones, an adventure playground for
older children,
a One O’clock Club, a Nature Centre and a good café. Clapham
Common playground
also has a popular café.
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Nurseries
Noah’s Ark Nursery School (020 7228 9593)
for children from 2.5 to 5 years – schools in SW12, SW11 and SW18.
Broomwood Montessori Nursery (020 8673 2185) is in Broomwood Methodist
Church Hall. Honeywell is the primary with a
great reputation on Honeywell Road – buy a house opposite, cross
your fingers, and your child can join the nursery at 3 years old.
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Prep and Primary Schools
Honeywell (020 7228 6811 for infants; 020 7223
5185 for juniors) and Belleville (020 7228 6727) are both good –
oversubscribed – primaries.
Thomas’s London Day Schools has a site
on Broomwood Road – boys and girls up to 13, independent (020 7326
9300).
Eaton House boys prep school in Belgravia has
a school on Clapham Common North Side (020 7924 6000).
Abingdon House School opened in January at 4 Abingdon Road. This is a co-ed for children from 4-9 years who need a bit of extra help before entering or re-entering pre-prep or prep schools. Call 0845 2300426 for further information.
St Barnabas and St Philips (020 7937 9599) and St Mary Abbots are both church primaries in the area (020 7937 0740); also look at Fox Primary at Notting Hill Gate (020 7727 7637). Top of page
Activities for Children
Swimming lessons at the Latchmere Leisure Centre
(020 7207 8004). There are drop-in clubs for swimming, judo, football
and dance. Trampolining courses also available.
The Northcote Library has a well-stocked children’s
library and two storytimes a week for under fives – Wed 2.30–3pm
and Thurs 10.30–11am. They also run a Sat Craft Club, which runs
in term time from 10.30am–noon. This is free and for under-10s –
first come, first served with a maximum of 10 children (you must stay
with under-8s).
There are plenty of music classes: Crechendo (020
8772 8100) runs classes at Battersea Arts Centre; Blueberry
(020 8677 6871) has classes in the Contact Centre, in Hambalt Road, off
Abbeville Road; Monkey Music is held in the
same location on Mon, Wed and Fri mornings (020 8699 0977) and Little
Musical Stars hold classes at the Library for babies and children
6 months–five years (020 8675 9016). Tin Pan Annie
(020 8670 0644) has 3 venues close by, including one at Broomwood Methodist
Church Hall, which is also host to many other children’s activities,
ranging from Brownies (020 8640 8805) and Cubs
(020 8646 1890) to Little Kickers football (01235
833854), Tumbletots (020 8464 4433 and Vacani
Dance School (020 7237 3574). It is also home to a Toddler Group
on Wed and Fri mornings (020 7924 1145). Mange Tout
(020 8672 2400) holds cooking classes with songs and games, encouraging
children to eat more healthily. The Wakehurst Playgroup
meets Mon–Fri from 9.45–12.15 at the Northcote Road Baptist
Church. Call 020 7787 6594 for details.
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Cafés
Two
excellent café choices for children – the long-established
Boiled Egg and Soldiers, where children are welcome and you probably
wouldn’t want to go without them. The newer arrival,
Crumpet, is more spacious than Boiled Egg and offers little pots
of chopped fruit and veg, fairy cakes and a picnic tea, as well as salmon,
chicken and mash and cheese on toast for £3.95, but lacks some of
the charm of the old favourite.
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Restaurants
Slice Pizzeria has café-style Italian
street
food – you can pick up a slice of Margherita pizza and a Pago juice
for £3.50.
Buena Sera and Numero Uno
are both fantastically easy with children.
Bar Mezza is a good Greek for grown ups.
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Property
Two-bedroom ground floor flat from £500,000
Three-bedroom houses (pretty rare) from £1m
Four or five-bedroom houses (a long wait) from £1.8m
Estate Agents
haart 020 7228 6588
KFH 020 7228 2666
Rutherfords 020 7350
0700
Douglas & Gordon 020
7924 2000
FPD Savills (Wandsworth office)
020 8877 1222
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First published in angels and urchins, Summer 2005