Hello September, where did you come from?! It feels like only a few weeks ago we were ringing in 2017 and I haven’t even made a start on my New Year resolutions yet! Although, in many ways – especially with a new school year almost upon us – September is usually a better time to get organised and the clean, crisp pages of my school year diary offer 52-weeks of opportunity! As I note important dates down in my neatest handwriting, I even optimistically schedule the time to exercise and attend my weekly Slimming World group. After a long summer of excess, I always welcome September and the clean slate it tends to bring.
The weather was a bit of a mixed bag in August and while we had the occasional day of glorious sunshine, it felt quite autumnal for most of the month. However, if it’s tropical temperatures on your doorstep that you are after, then head over to the new butterfly house at the Horniman Museum and Gardens. This specially-planted habitat is the perfect place to experience butterflies free-flying all around you and to discover amazing facts about the life-cycle and behaviour of these fascinating creatures.
Village Books are hosting an array of very exciting events this month, including an evening with Judy Murray, mother of tennis champions Jamie and Andy Murray, Scottish National Coach and coach of the Fed Cup. From the soggy community courts of Dunblane to the white heat of Centre Court at Wimbledon, Judy Murray’s extraordinary memoir ‘Knowing the Score’ charts the challenges she has faced, from desperate finances and growing pains to entrenched sexism.
The other event that caught my eye is Yotam Ottolenghi in conversation with a long-time friend and co-author of ‘Sweet’, Helen Goh. Sweet is a return to Yotam’s roots as a pastry chef and offers mouthwatering recipes for handcrafted sweet treats, freshly made with love, flair, real ingredients and lots of attention to detail. Yotam and Helen will also be assembling a pudding from Sweet and at the end this will be auctioned for charity! Meanwhile, my husband, having just read Conclave on holiday in Greece this summer, is particularly interested in attending Village Book’s October event An Evening with Robert Harris.
The annual Peckham Rye Fete organised by the Friends of Peckham Rye Park returns on 2nd September. There are lots of fun activities for all the family including sack races, a Punch & Judy show, coconut shy and dog show.
Fans of the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery may be interested in a guided walk from East Dulwich to Dulwich Picture Gallery on 24th September. This 2-hour street art walk will provide insights about this unique project, the artists and the Baroque paintings they are inspired by.
As always, details of all local news, events and ticket information can be found on our website arounddulwich.co.uk. You can also find us on Facebook, and follow @arounddulwich on Instagram and Twitter.