What’s On’ in Beckenham

What's On Guide |

Beckenham is 40 minutes by train from London and is part of the London Borough of Bromley. It’s an area rich in history and Saxon, Iron Age and Roman remains have been found in Beckenham. In fact the name Beckenham is thought to mean “Beohha’s Village”. The village is also recorded in the Doomsday book of 1086. Many old buildings still remain in the town, including a 14th century church.

If you live in Beckenham or decide to take a visit then you will be in good company! Charles Darwin lived in the town for a time and Enid Blyton’s early books were written in Beckenham. David Bowie lived in the town in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, and played gigs in The Three Tuns in the High Street - the pub is now called The Rat and Parrot.

However, Beckenham is also home to working mother Louise Dennis and her daughter Amy. Louise works four days a week for a charity in London. On her day off she likes to spend quality time with her little girl. Here, she explains what they get up to…

Tell us about yourself Louise?

I’m a working Mum. Monday to Thursday I’m at work so Friday is our day. We often go out to some of the places around Beckenham or we stay at home and have some fun at home.

So, what’s Beckenham like?

It’s about 40 minutes by train to London. We’ve been in occasionally to visit the aquarium or the zoo. It’s quite big, it’s part of the London borough of Bromley.

There’s a lot to do in Beckenham as well so we don’t have to go as far afield. Young ones get really excited about doing new things and even things around the garden they enjoy. Sometimes, if she’s had a busy week we do quiet things at home like reading or painting.

What are your tips for painting at home?

Make sure they’ve got old clothes and you’ve got old clothes on too. To be honest, Amy doesn’t really paint for very long. They have quite a short attention span. Sometimes Amy likes to do finger painting, sometimes she uses a brush or we have finger paints too. I took her to a playgroup where they dipped marbles in paint and then rolled them onto paper inside a box, it was great and didn’t make as much mess.

What can you do in and around Beckenham?

The libraries are really good. There’s a train in the library full of books. Amy likes swimming and there’s a good children’s pool. There are loads of parks and as long as it’s dry, you can’t beat going to the park and getting some fresh air. You can play on the swings, play hide and seek. Sometimes we’ll pick up leaves or acorns. There are some indoor children areas too. They can be quite expensive but they’re nice for a treat.

I take Amy to Kelsey Park in Beckenham, she really likes it.

What’s it like to eat out?

There are a lot of smaller cafes and restaurants which always cater for children where you can get children’s menus. Some of the pubs have gardens to go out into in the summer. Also, having a picnic outside is nice when the weather is nice.

You like being outside?

I do and Amy does too. They’ll be in school soon so I like to make the most of the time outside. It’s all about making learning fun. You can turn helping out with the washing into a counting exercise.

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WHERE NOW? Listen to the interview on podcast listed below.