Because DS is so disorganised OH and I are going to have to micromanage his time for at least a term at the RCM which means being around for every change over! So there will be long boring Saturdays for a while but when he becomes more independent I was wondering what parents do for all that time, especially those who cannot go home. OH is due to move out of his rental apartment this month and we wondered if he should rent somewhere with .25 miles of the RCM but that means doubling the rent.

At RNCM a lot of parents just sit in the cafe with laptop, book or newspaper, or go shopping in Manchester, plus there are usually some performances going on.

There are plenty of museums to browse round near RCM, and some nice cafes, or you have time to go further afield. Even if you went on a shopping spree every Saturday, it must be cheaper than renting!

Chris

Was just going to stick daughter on the train! * Am I expected to be there to speak to the staff?

I think I need to take over the "Most clueless parent" mantle. MNW and TDM seem to have got their acts together and I feel completely in the dark about what happens at JC.

* I found a brilliant bit on the national rail enquiries website describing how to get from A to B in New Street Station. It gives directions with pictures and says Turn left towards the door (picture of door) Walk forward 2 metres (yes really!) (Another closer picture of the door) Go through the door. (Another picture of the dorway open and what is beyond. ) It looks like it might be daughter proof.

Yeay! See my act! It's together!

Given the vast distances kids travel to JDs I imagine the place is swamped with parents (in varying degrees of confusion, pushiness, panic, debt .. and all other conditions associated with parenting the more musical child) so there's probably a policy about where and when all these people should go. Presumably there will be a handbook or something sent out in the summer?

At the moment I'm hoping something is sent out, as so far I've had nothing apart from a letter saying she's got in. I'm beginning to wonder what I've let us in for. The website is as clear as mud and the prospectus is better, but still a bit vague. It mentions ensembles and orchestras, but I don't know if you are assigned to them or choose them or how any of it works.

Oh well if I'm left hanging around I can always go next door to the museum to look at the dinosaurs. (I loved going there as a child, rushing through until we got to the room with the life size model of a T-Rex!)

I think renting somewhere would be a very expensive option when there are so many interesting ways to spend a Saturday in London. One thing you could perhaps do if you want a "base" is join a members' club, or become a Friend of a museum or suchlike. The Friends' room at the Royal Academy has a nice room which would be a quiet place to sit and drink a cup of tea. You could study French at the Institut Francais, or do a class at the City Lit, both within easy striking distance of the Royal College. There are also lunchtime concerts at places like Cadogan Hall and St James, Piccadilly and umpteen theatres and cinemas showing matinees. Alternatively, join a nearby gym, go swimming, or just sit in Kensington Gardens with a book and an ice cream.

If RCM is similar to RNCM you'll get a load of information over the summer, including which classes, which teachers, which ensembles etc.

Chris

MNW do you mean you are going to have to be at the College and get him from one session to the next? Surely, surely, the college will do this for you? Don’t tell me they’ve never dealt with a clueless child before - musical types are stereotypically disorganised, head in clouds etc. Or have I completely misunderstood?!

Andante, that's what we did with daughter of similar age and it worked fine. Got her used to a different rail network, not to mention navigating around London and the tube. It definitely paid off in terms of fostering independence, apart from anything else! And if your daughter learns to navigate Birmingham New Street, she could make a living helping lost travellers... members of my family for a start.

But some parents get involved and spend their day at the JD, especially if they're there for years and start with young kids, MNW, so you'll find lots of people just like you. Don't know about JRCM, but as Czerny says, the cafe at JRAM was absolutely wonderful, run by and with food provided by parents, and a lot of parents got involved in that. And lots sat there with laptops, books - one I met had started a Master's. It's time away from the home so you can plan to use it to your advantage. Daughter spent ages weighing up whether she'd rather be near the Zoo or the Natural History Museum, until it finally dawned that she wasn't going to have time to visit either. You could spend years just working your way around a different places each Saturday; no doubt other folks here can suggest lots, but outside South Ken, the Handel Museum isn't far (~Bond Street I think). And if you don't rent a flat in South Ken, you can probably afford the odd trip to Harrods!

Great ideas Czerny, this may be my year of culture!

SueHM, in the first year there is a probationary period and I just need to make sure DS is on the ball and he often needs intermittent pep talks on concentration, no blurting out in class/orchestra etc. I think he'll need a term of me just being on hand, reminding him to eat/drink or it could end it tears. Believe me, I'd rather I dropped him of at the entrance and go back to bed!

Maybe you could find an unoccupied practice room while you are there, or tackle grade 5 theory….?!

[quote name='SueHM' date='May 23 2011

New Street really isn't that hard to navigate I go through it at least twice a day. If you want any help then send me a message.

It's Birmingham Conservatoire not RCM



MNW has the thought of grade 5 theory made you faint?


The problem is that she needs to exit the station by the Victoria Square exit, and I think her train comes in on platform 1b, the only one that isn't connected to that exit, so she will have to go up to the concourse, down to platform 2 , along the platform and up to the other concourse. I was very relieved to see the pictures of what each step looks like.

Er...why would I need grade 5 theory?

For when you want to take grade 6 practical

For helping JMNW with his grade 5 theory papers.

Or like I did.... because I could. No other reason.
The problem with this is that teachers see it as intent to do do grade 6 practical.

MNW could just keep it quiet and then teacher starts making noises about getting grade 5, the certificate can be whipped out!

You won't be expected to take him to his lessons. Once you get your pack he wil probably have been assigned someone who knows the ropes and can show him around until he finds his feet.

At RNCM all the pupils get a pass as the concourse and some other areas are open to the public. It's not easy to just pop up and meet them outside the lesson or ensemble. You will not be allowed to sit in on ensembles. The rooms are ot big enough to hold the players and parents.

Part of going there is learning to become independent. You will be invited to sit in on his lesson once a school year and visit the small ensembles, The teachers may tell you that you are welcome to attend lessons but that will be entirely up to them.

I'm lucky that I take daughter, wait until after one of her lessons and then bring home surpless instruments. I return to collect her later. As Chrisc said most of the parents sit around with their laptops, some actually do work, others go shopping or spend time chatting.

I don't have any problems occupying myself on Saturdays although it's only until 3.45pm. I go off to a cafe for breakfast, go for long walks in the park or exploring little streets, shop, read a book, sightsee, nose around the library, meet Claudia for early lunch, go to the lunchtime concert, do some work on my computer, read the paper, go to retrieve the car and then it's time to go.

Wonderful peaceful time to myself!

The children learn where they have to go very quickly. We helped Claudia the first couple of weeks to navigate the building with a map and then she got the hang of it. Lots of the children just get dropped off in the morning with their packed lunch and collected later and they quickly make friends and hang out together.

Having said that there are reputedly some parents who sit in on lessons but this is their choice and I guess would require teacher approval.

Really struggling to work out what you will find so difficult about amusing yourself in London on a Saturday just THINK of the Pimm's you can get through in 8 hours!!! I'll happily come and keep you company window shopping in Howarth's/ Harrods/ Harvey Nicks... or at the V&A/Wallace Collection/Green Park...

I could lunch with one member a week!

You can also attend pupil concerts at RCM. But honestly, look around you..RCM is situated in one of the most cultural arenas of London - The V&A is full of interesting things and oft neglected in favour of the Science Musem. Harrods is not the only "shop" in Kensington, there are loads. In the Spring, Hyde Park and the Serpentine Gallery therein is full of delights. Take a picnic and a good book and enjoy your Saturdays. Make friends, paint your nails, window shop, knit, do "lunch" watch the world go by. Relax I promise you, boring ... No...

Are those of you that spend your day in London or wherever, waiting for them to finish one child parents? I have two other children that have sports matches, gym club, social activities etc that need me on a Saturday. Daughter will definitely be getting herself there and back once the dust has settled.

Yes of course it depends on the child's age and whether there are suitable transport links. Claudia will also make her own way there when she is a bit older, 14 or 15 maybe.

D1 will be 17 by the time she starts there, although not at all streetwise.

I was talking to a teacher the other day who studied at the RCM full time when she left school. She said that the students virtually never got drunk because they always had to perform or watch evening performances and hangovers and blowing bassoon for eight hours the next day just did not mix. Knowing my son I think I may coerce him to go down this route now!

Back to weekends in London: I do get your point about there being so much to do but I lived in London for years so I've been there, done that and once you've exhausted the possibilities then it does get a bit dull.

Does anyone know if they condense the littl'uns timetables into a few hours or if they spread it out so they can have lots of breaks?

When you?re tired of London, you’re tired of life….!

Exhausted the possiblities...? Really?

Tired of life - you have met my kids!

I home exed my kids in London and there are very few museums, events etc that I haven't been to at least 10 times with them. We used to live in the Royal Society! Also, when one is as intelligent as I, one finds it very difficult to find intellectual stimulation. But thankfully I seem to have found it on here!

Problem solved. Spend all day on the forum.
Like we usually do.

Will start you your own 'Entertaining NitWit' thread in the Cafe.

Time for some self-indulgent pampering instead then? (With a good book to hand obviously…..)

and some pimm's...

Wow! Makes me almost glad to be a simpleton from the provinces, who's only lived in London for one 6 month stretch. I can't imagine running out of inspiring things to do in London - I didn't even manage to exhaust my then local Tate Britain. Ever changing exhibitions in a huge array of galleries, and lunchtime and evening concerts - loads of them for free in all sorts of churches, halls & foyers, Covent Garden to sit in and encourage the street performers, a river to watch, and all those specialist shops. Not to mention matinees of theatre & operas performances. But if you've seen them all, maybe you've still got some friends in London that you could catch up with for some nice lunches.

I love London now that I go there as a tourist rather than live there. I grew to hate it then but see it with different eyes now...

Makes me grateful to be a simpleton full stop

I could probably spend 9-5 every Saturday in the British Museum and not get round to getting bored with it. But it is very much horses-for-courses - we had a work meeting/event/celebration at the Tower of London a few years ago, and one of my colleagues was astonished I'd bothered to go, given that I'd last been to the Tower a year prior to said meeting. He's a visit-once-that's-done person, whereas if I enjoy something I can just read/play/visit/etc it again and again and again and again