Big Fish Little Fish Are Back!

After a summer break and a busy Camp Bestival, Big Fish Little Fish return to South and East London – here’s everything you need to know!

big fish little fish tshirts

September (theme – Pirates!)

14th – The Bedford, Balham with DJ Food
20th – Canary Wharf Spiegeltent with Joe Muggs
21st – Shapes in Hackney Wick with Tayo

October (theme – Halloween!)

12th – The Bedford, Balham with Terry Farley
19th – Shapes in Hackney Wick with the London Readers Wifes

On the 19th October, Big Fish Little Fish are hosting a group meet-up of Out With The Family, an organisation that arranges social events for LGBT parents.

Tickets for all the events except the Spiegeltent are available here: http://www.wegottickets.com/bigfishlittlefishproductions

Tickets for Canary Wharf on the 20th are here:
http://www.seetickets.com/event/family-rave-with-big-fish-little-fish/spiegeltent-at-canary-wharf/810296

 

We’re going along to Balham this Sunday for a little dance and a drink and a fun afternoon (and I expect newly-turned-5-H will want to try her new Oyster card) – and we’ll be reporting back! I’m particularly looking forward to trying out my new camera! Oh, and talking like a pirate of course… arrrr!

 

Big-Fish-Little-Fish-September-pirate

Big Fish Little Fish – Camp Bestival Travelling Circus Tour

Big Fish Little Fish and Camp Bestival had their Travelling Circus event last weekend in Balham – and we went along to join in the fun!

Big Fish Little Fish events are ones we’re familiar with, and Camp Bestival is a festival which looks perfect for all of us. With a flyer like this, you know you’re in for a fun afternoon.

Big Fish Little Fish are in Balham these days, in a much larger venue, The Bedford. On entry you get a glowstick if you’re a young person which kept H happy!

big fish little fish colouring

Captain Cookie’s Craft Area is much bigger, with long tables and what felt like endless craft supplies, as well as a colouring in mural. With the theme being a circus one, everyone got to make hats with plenty of pom pom’s, stickers and hats to decorate. To the side were plenty of Happy Monkey smoothies and Bear YoYo snacks, all for free for children. There were free tattoos (temporary of course) nearby as well.

Big Fish Little Fish snacks

The space was shared with a small bar, snacks (£3 Hot Dogs) as well as a Dressing Up area courtesy of Badaboom, which included a photobooth (we didn’t get a chance to try as it was popular!). Adjacent to that room is the toddlers and baby rooms – loads of space and a bit quieter for younger children.

After crafting her hat, H was ready to dance. We all made our way downstairs, a circular dancefloor with a small stage greeted us, with pretty high barriers around the upstairs edge – safe enough for H to stand up and watch without (me) feeling scared. When downstairs there was plenty of space for dancing – although if you’re like H you’ll probably want to stand on the stage and do your thing.

Big Fish Little Fish Stage

Music ranged from Basement Jaxx to older music we all clubbed to back when we were younger – to the Prodigy, and so much more, all at child-friendly sound levels.

At intervals the glitter cannon was let off (we were upstairs for one which H enjoyed, though was desperate to get downstairs to, to pick up the glitter), closely followed by a bubble machine!

The best thing I found about the venue was having plenty of space to sit down – something which was occasionally a problem in Brixton – so we could sit back and watch everything, or head downstairs and join in.

Bar prices were reasonable, and snacks were priced fairly.

big fish little fish tshirts

 

Big Fish Little Fish have t-shirts for sale as well, at £10 which is a good price.

Big Fish Little Fish parachute

We really enjoyed the Korg Workshop – we were booked in for 4.10pm so right at the end of the day (just as the parachute dancing had started downstairs), so H and her friend M got to try out some Korg Monotron’s and a Kaossilator 2 which were a LOT of fun!

Big Fish Little Fish Korg Workshop

Big Fish Little Fish we know and love going to, Camp Bestival is a new world for us. I was a Reading Festival kind of girl back in my younger days, before festivals became some kind of weird fashion statement and less about the music. I can see us going to Camp Bestival next year as this year’s lineup is perfect for H – a good mixture of everything (especially now she knows people perform music on stage and it’s normal, y’know…) – also, if you head to Big Fish Little Fish today in Hackney you can buy Camp Bestival tickets without booking fees.

Big Fish Little Fish and Camp Bestival’s Travelling Circus visit Hackney this afternoon (Sunday 18th May) – tickets are still available and you’re set for a fun afternoon! Camp Bestival’s Travelling Circus are attending a few events around the country like this – check out their listings page for more information.

We received guestlist places for Big Fish Little Fish, this hasn’t changed our opinion of the event which remains honest, as ever.

Big Fish Little Fish Balham – Coming Soon!

We’re big fans of the Big Fish Little Fish events held in North and South London – nice social events where you can relive the music from your past with your kids at an acceptable volume, with themes and plenty of crafts to go with it.

Big Fish Little Fish Craft Room

Big Fish Little Fish Balham is about to launch – the Brixton events continue and now there’ll be further events held at The Bedford on Bedford Hill, a short walk from Balham tube and mainline rail stations.

Here’s the press release-

Big Fish Little Fish is a two-and-a-half hour afternoon rave for families with kids aged 8 and under. Born of a desire to create fun and friendly social events that adults and children could both enjoy, it brings together credible DJs playing quality music, craft activities for older children and a safe space for babies to chill out and play. Owner Hannah Saunders started BFLF to provide a place where music lovers of all ages could cut loose, enjoy themselves and meet like-minded souls. Her vision resonated so well with parents all over London that every single event in 2013 sold out.

We are pleased to announce that from January 2014 Big Fish Little Fish will run monthly in both Brixton (Effra Social, 89 Effra Rd, SW2 1DF) and Crouch End (Earl Haig Hall, Elder Avenue, N8 9TH) and from March in Balham (The Bedford).

Big Fish Little Fish dance floor

All venues have a fully licensed bar, two top DJs, club lighting system, free glowsticks, bubble machines, confetti cannons and a parachute dance. BFLF provides everything you would expect from a grown-up night out – but on a weekend afternoon, and with extras for the younger attendees. There is a cake stall, baby/chillout room playing a mix of music by Speakeasy D (with tents, tunnels, ball pool, inflatables etc), Happy Monkey craft room managed by child craft expert Captain Cookie, buggy park, full changing facilities and free healthy snacks (provided by Bear) and free smoothies (provided by Happy Monkey) for the children. There will also be a fancy dress theme each month.The craft area will have materials to make accessories fitting the fancy dress theme, temporary tattoo station and a giant mural that everyone can add to.

The Talent

The headline DJ for Brixton on January 18th was Frank Tope (Wild Geese/Rooty) and in Crouch End on the 25th it was Robin Hexstatic. In February in Brixton on the 15th we have Mark Force (Bugz in the Attic) and in Crouch End on the 22nd Jonny Trunk (Trunk Records). Our first Balham event  on the 2nd March will feature Mixmaster Morris.

At previous parties DJs have included: DJ Food (Ninja Tune), Will Nicol (Big Fun/Soulshaker), Nihal (BBC Radio 1/Asian Network), Si Begg, DJ Chefal (Rinse FM / Anti Social Entertainment / Deep Medi Muzik); JC (Queen of Hoxton); Joe Muggs (Mixmag; Sound of the Cosmos; Beat Hotel Glastonbury); Jody Thompson (Secret Garden Party) and Amanda Gettrup (Bestival).

At future events DJs will include Noodles; Mixmaster Morris and Altered Natives.

The Minnow Club

BFLF craft room leader Captain Cookie runs a craft and music cafe where parents and children can relax, socialise and have fun at the Prince of Wales pub, 469 Brixton Road, SW9 4HH on Thursdays from 10 – 12. Entrance £5 per family, no pre-booking.

BFLF Radio

Hannah and Natasha present a monthly magazine show on MEATtransMISSION (the new radio station run from MEATmission in Hoxton Market) with special guests, music and parenting chat.

 You can buy tickets for all events here

We can’t make it to the March Big Fish Little Fish Balham event, but will be there in April! Their website is over here.

Big Fish Little Fish Brixton

Big Fish Little Fish September Event

The Big Fish Little Fish September event had its official launch in Brixton, at the Effra Social club. We went to a pre-launch in the summer which we enjoyed. Big Fish Little Fish is a new afternoon club for those of us who used to go out; think of it as being like a playgroup which plays music you can dance to as well, with beer!

Big Fish Little Fish flyerBig Fish Little Fish September had a theme – a nautical one. That was fairly easy for us, so we got H ready to be a pirate – a stripy t-shirt and leggings plus a neckerchief I quickly made with spare fabric and some wonder web, though we had no hat. Fortunately the craft room was up and running where you could make so many different kinds of things – which included the aforementioned hats – fun!

Actually, most of Saturday was about fun; be it dancing, eating, making, or creating.

Big Fish Little Fish September craft

H got a free Cheeky Monkey smoothie and some Bear YoYo snacks and got on with the job in hand – there was plenty of craft supplies to choose from too, as well as some nautically themed temporary tattoos. At the licensed bar there were sausage rolls and scotch eggs at a reasonable price, as well as cupcakes from Rosie’s Deli Cafe in the craft area.

Big Fish Little Fish September pirate

What is there to say about the Big Fish Little Fish September event, compared to last time? The volume of the music was lower and one we could talk and dance with – it was perfect – not too loud for kids (or my) ears. The event just had two DJs this time – Strictly Kev aka DJ Food from Ninja Tune and Will Nicol which I felt kept the downstairs area going – I didn’t notice the changeover. H danced to some Future Sound of London, reggae, I tried to get her to dance to 808 State (she refused), and so much more – The Prodigy and SL2 (“mummy’s work put this out” I told her, she wasn’t impressed but still danced). There were glitter bombs, bubbles, a large parachute at the end and one very tired H. She loved her glowstick which is given for free at the door, which she made into a bracelet.

Big Fish Little Fish September dancefloor

We didn’t get to the chill-out room but did spend a lot of time in the craft area – which was brilliantly organised, with plenty of supplies – there’s plenty of things for kids to do, and if they love dancing the dancefloor is just the right size.

October’s event is on Saturday 19th with a theme of ‘Things that go bump in the night’ – and for us it’s an easy journey, the train from Carshalton to Herne Hill just twenty minutes, and the walk from there no more than ten – and a good route via Brockwell Park, avoiding the main roads too which also has a giant wooden conker near the venue. If you fancy food in the area afterwards we can recommend Olleys – we had a feast and came away with change from £40 too – and it’s very child-friendly.

brockwell park giant conker

We really enjoyed the Big Fish Little Fish September event and already a few of my friends are talking about going to the next one, see you there!

Thank you to Natasha for organising free tickets for us, this hasn’t affected our opinion of the event at all!