It could be a scene outside any trendy nightclub.
Guys in cool jackets and dolls in cute shoes queuing outside a door that’s firmly shut because they’ve reached maximum capacity. Right now, they’re only letting ‘one in, one out’.
Boujis? Not exactly. The venue is St. Mary Magdalene’s Church (off Holloway Road, N7), the guys and dolls are pre-schoolers and the event is not a glitzy night out but the popular play group Mini Mags.
Run by husband and wife team Graham (the laid-back clergyman) and Sarah (she plays a mean keyboard), Mini Mags is the spot to be on Tuesday mornings for Islington mamas in the know.
It’s a very welcoming group with cheerful volunteers who help with organising toys (there are bucket loads) and snack tables.
There’s nothing like rolling up on a bleary morning to meet friendly faces, hot cups of tea and trays laden with mini muffins, chocolate doughnuts and of course healthy snacks and fruits for the little ones.
There are sections for pre-crawlers and more structured activities like arts and crafts. But for an hour and a half, it’s free-form play with mums chatting each other up and kids roaming all over the spacious carpeted hall.
The session winds up with tidy-up time and then Sarah leads the story and sing-along, bashing the keys while the babes jam along with their shakers.
What’s great about Mini Mags is that they clearly put effort into making the group fun and yet it feels effortless.
The playgroup is on Tuesdays 10am-12pm. It’s closed for the next few weeks but will reopen after Easter.
Visit St. Mary Magdalene’s web site for venue details.
