I hope you've all recovered from that Wimbledon men's final by now - what a match, what a contest and what steel from both players. I couldn't help noticing how large the entourage for Nadal was; uncle, parents, coach, fitness guru and so on all grimacing and exulting with each swing of the racket. It's expertise and support that makes the difference when you feel under pressure, and that's what I'm hoping the team at Nursery Industry can bring you with our expanding team.

Babyhut founder and well-known industry face Chetana Palmer, is setting off on a 60-mile cycle ride from London to Hove on July 13th, to raise money for a little known charity , called the Lily Foundation. 

In a bid to raise awareness of the importance of child safety in cars and help parents ensure that they comply with the law, Halfords held its National Child Seat Safety Week initiative last month.

The Big Bug Hunt is an exciting new event that has just been launched by  Meningitis UK. Designed to appeal to pre-school children's love of bugs - and anything bug related - Cheeky Bug, like the meningitis bug, needs to be found.The event can be held at anytime throughout September and October 2008 at playgroups and nurseries. Money raised will go towards Meningitis UK's ‘Search 4 a Vaccine' Campaign and groups will also have the option of keeping 25 per cent for their own organisation.To register just visit http://www.bugbughunt.org/.

New research  carried out by Colief Infant Drops amongst dads across the UK, has revealed that 26% of dads would prefer a boy to a girl, dads in their 30's enjoy fatherhood most, older dads find it leaves them out of pocket and just 17% would have a baby themselves if men were able to!

IKEA is asking customers who have bought a BARNSLIG baby sleeping bag to bring it back to their local IKEA store for a full refund.

This year's EN Award for Most Entrepreneurial Company has gone to Kids Allowed for its innovative childcare centres in the north of England. The three centre operation has its headquarters in West Didsbury, Manchester. Jennie Johnson came up with the idea for a flexible, ultra-helpful childcare service in 2005.

Bafta on Piccadilly was the venue for a top toy award ceremony recently held by the Toy & Hobby Association. The MAX-IT Awards were created to celebrate excellence in design and communications right across the business of hobbies, games and toys. They recognise individuals and companies who have displayed outstanding innovation in 2007. And the winners are...

The Snow family has just opened the doors of a brand new store for expectant parents in Weymouth, Dorset.

This is the largest international fair for children's furniture, safety seats, textiles, prams, hygiene products, toys and fashion for babies and toddlers. Its a big venue with everyone who is anyone exhibiting to the rest of Europe and the world, so its a great place to find out what the new trends will be six months down the line.

The Gulf region is ranked amongst the fastest growing populations in the world. The high birth rate, coupled with wealth resulting from the oil reserves production has created a dynamic high growth economy in the region. The population is forecast to grow to 172 million by the year 2010 and this will create a market that will rank alongside the EU, the US and Japan as one of the largest in the world.

The Harrogate Nursery Fair next March is the 40th exhibition that has been held In Harrogate and is expected to be as big and successful as ever. There is a record take up from exhibitors who were at the 2008 exhibition and by the end of June over 80 companies had already reserved the stands. There is a wide variety of companies who have already booked. This is the trade fair not to miss as everyone in the industry is there.

Licensing legends Nickelodeon and TLC are lined up to exhibit at Brand Licensing Europe this October and will unveil some of the hottest and highest profile licensing properties available for business deals across Europe. On the TLC-Entertainment stand, retailers will find Monsters vs Aliens and Madagascar 2 (DreamWorks), Clone Wars (LucasFilm), Bratz (MGA), Gruffulo (Magic Light Productions), LazyTown (LazyTown), Sex and the City (HBO) and Ghostbusters (Sony). DreamWorks and Lucasfilm properties will also be showcased in the Brand Licensing Europe Screening Suite: Where Films Become Brands.

ABC Kids Expo, September 7th - 11th, 2008 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Nevada USA

Applications are invited for the 2008 Nursery Retailer of the Year Awards. The competition, organised by the Baby Products Association (BPA), is open to all independent retailers with the results announced at an Awards Dinner on the opening evening of BPA Baby & Child in October.

This season's must-see girlie film, ‘Sex in The City', has brought superstar status to the Stokke  Xplory pushchair. Set and prop designers famed for their choice of luxury handbags and jewellery chose the unique stroller as it fits so well in to the high fashion world.

The UK's leading and longest established group of investigative and testing laboratories has recently reported a significant increase in enquiries from householders hoping to take manufacturers and retailers to court.

TotsBots' Bamboozle hooded towel has been voted Best of the Best in a recent  UK's TIPS scheme.

Graco recently teamed up with the Lancaster Camera Safety Partnership to raise awareness of car seat safety with local parents in the Blackburn area of Lancashire. Parents were invited to come along to a roadshow for advice and  offered a complementary car seat check to ensure that their existing car seat was fitted correctly.

The new WeeRide is a clever new bike seat for children that won't tip you over! Mat Newman, Managing Director of WeeRide UK says its refreshingly different. ‘With a young family ourselves we struggled with the awkwardness of rear-mounted bike seats. They didn't feel safe, our youngest couldn't see anything and we couldn't interact with him.

New from John Crane Ltd, is the Woodlands Collection by Tolo® Baby offering newborn gift solutions that feature fresh packaging in new colourways, all with a forest theme. The charming Toadstool Musical Cot Toy plays a lullaby as bunny turns. Tel: 01604 77 49 49 or email sales@john-crane.co.uk

Concord has launched a new generation of dirt repellent covers for many of their best selling car seats, in response to providing what parents want.

For all businesses the leasing of suitable offices is one of the biggest outlays there is. Philip Drazen, Managing Partner of solicitors Fox Hayes, which has a department specifically addressing legislation relating to the nursery industry, answers a few common questions regarding business premises

Sally Wilkins first designed a new baby carrier back in 1978 for her third baby, Gideon. Three years later she'd come up with the Wilkinet Carrier for her next child. Today Gideon himself runs this popular, family business

The nursery industry attracts numerous creative and innovative new product ideas. Regardless of education or background, every new parent has a common purpose in caring for their baby and new products are constantly being designed and introduced to the market by people who want to make parenthood easier and more enjoyable. Having found a personal solution, they then want to share it with others.

BPA's Executive committee was confirmed at the recent AGM held in Banbury on 11 June 2008. One new member was elected; Dylan Johnson of Maclaren Europe Ltd who was co-opted alongside Mike Chapman of East Coast Nursery Ltd.

Initially, take up for BPA Retail membership was disappointingly slow, probably because, as with many new initiatives, people are cautious and take a while to recognise the benefits before committing themselves. However, the message seems to be getting through and in recent months BPA has seen a significant increase in enquiries and has recruited several new members, the newest being Olivers Babycare of Winchester.

The South West of England has plenty to offer from beautiful beaches to historic towns. Again and again business owners who have developed companies in Someret, Devon or Cornwall say the area helps provide a healthy work-life balance

Children learn by copying. The more often something is repeated, the more chances a child has to learn it and, the more likely it is that he will remember the cue that triggers the memory. Advocates of strict routines include famous names such Gina Ford and many parents swear by her methods.

Acid brights are set to break their usual summer limits this year as the nursery industry continues to utilise colour as a way of allowing parents to individualise their purchases, especially in the world of wheeled goods.

For her... this season it's got to be the mini-changing bag: either clutch-style (yes, really!) or in the altogether more practical buggy pannier. Pink Lining's new Storks and Bottom of the Garden ranges are sure to keep them ahead of the yummy mummy game - particularly the clutch-style changing mat, while Mamas & Papas (with the Saddle Bag) and OiOi are both offering bags that clip to stroller sides'. Anything that sets a mum apart from the rest of the parenting pack.

For consumers its not so much the extra features as the quality of the sound that really matters when it comes to buying a baby monitor.

Lindam's Baby Talk Video Monitor combines digital crystal clear sound and vision with a transmission range of up to 150M to give parents peace of mind wherever they are in the home. The parent unit is portable and runs on either mains or the included rechargeable Li-ion battery.

The Tomy Walkabout Platinum Digital Monitor is the ultimate monitor for parents wanting the very latest safety, reassurance and practical features to aid their baby's comfort while they sleep.

According to NPD data , Summer Infant are the No.2 brand for monitors, behind Tomy, with Summer on 22% market share . Summer are No:1 in Video with over 80% market share in Video Monitors

According to the blogging website www.youlookfab.com, maternity wear isn't quite as fickle as main stream fashion. Fashion guru Angie Cox says, ‘Maternity wear silhouettes tend to stay the same because the pregnancy body doesn't change. But subtle trend differences occur each season which are incorporated into maternity wear collections'. This autumn and winter neutrals are back with black being key and grey once more becoming the must-have backdrop. Angie emphasises neat tailoring with pinched in jackets and matching chic suits replacing the previous looser shapes.

The Bando from gro-group is a super stretchy band that extends the life of non-maternity tops, creating a fashionable layered look. The wide fabric band offers gentle support to the lower back and is made from super comfortable cotton that feels soft against the skin.

The Elizabeth by Storksak, priced £160, comes in tan, chalk or pink and for AW08 will also be available in navy. It is made from textured cow leather with a hard wearing finish and chunky brushed gold hardwear.

Clippasafe, the leading child safety manufacturer for over 50 years, has revealed that the innovative Bump Belt is one of its best-selling products over the first six months of this year.

Developed and designed in collaboration with midwives and lactation consultants, the award-winning Easy-Zip bra put AnnaCecilia® firmly on the map. Now the rest of the range looks set to keep them there.

Despite of the enormous increase in demand for natural and organic baby products, its amazing how many parents still haven't made the change, so the market, is growing and fast. For the most part its a question of not realising just how many chemicals go into mainstream products, from foods to fabrics, plastics to plasters. In general when given the choice of offering their child a chemical-free bubble bath or a brightly coloured, additive -saturated alternative, most parents would chose the former.

In an increasingly synthetic world it's understandable that parents would rather choose to use natural, safe products for their children. Bambino Merino has created a luxurious range of natural baby wear; sleep suits, body suits, pyjamas and even sleeping bags made from the finest New Zealand merino wool, an ecological, pure fabric.

Rochingham's new cot mattress collection ‘My First Little Bed, from Silentnight Beds', combines the expertise of Rochingham and Silentnight and has been developed with both baby and parent in mind. Beautifully soft and natural, the range is guaranteed to leave babies cosy and snug and bed-time zzzz-time! The new collection comprises:

Bambinex award winning washable nappies are the ultimate in comfort and absorbancy, packaged superbly for the retailer, our nappies are a must. Offering great margins and small minimums make this brand a truly favourable one.

How can you resist? Try this best-selling mild and gentle natural babycare range - everything you need including our new degradable eco nappy sacks, bodywashes, bubblebaths, body lotions, creams and biodegradable wipes. The range has won several prestigious awards, has a loyal following amongst mums, looks so cute on your shelf and offers great value for money.

Give babies the best start in life by using Green People's award winning natural and organic toiletries: pure, gentle organic formulations for young delicate skin.

What to buy to welcome a new baby into the world is almost as big a dilemma as what to buy a fourteen year old boy for Christmas! The fashion for ‘baby showers' - a girlie party that friends arrange for the honoured new mother plying her with baby things, has caught on in the UK, and with it, the need for cute baby buys, and congratulation presents for mum of course.

Taggies Baby Duck is just one of 20 new Taggies soft toys, rattles and teethers by Mary Meyer Baby available now from exclusive Taggies distributor, Haptic. In baby-soft plush fabric this cute little character makes a perfect gift with plenty of colourful, textured Taggies ribbons to keep those little fingers busy!

For children of all ages, the adorable, soft and cuddly Grannimals make the perfect gift. Each of these collectible hand-knitted animal characters are named, and come beautifully packaged in their own personalized keep-sake gift box.

Rainbow Designs is introducing two new additions to its timeless nursery gift ranges. The new ceramics lines feature much-loved children's characters and are all beautifully boxed and finished to make perfect Christening presents.

Lodger's cuddly fleece and cotton products range from baby wraps and slings, to pram snugs and blankets. Combining safety, comfort, and style, these products can be used at home as well as outdoors to keep babies and children warm and cosy.

When a baby is born its not just a kneecap that hasn't yet formed - only twenty two out of the total twenty six bones in the feet are present too. The feet take approximately sixteen more years to fully develop, although some can take two or three years longer.

Daisy Roots have been designing and manufacturing childrens' footwear in Northamptonshire since 1995, supplying retailers worldwide.

Check out our new range of stylish, comfortable and fun Shoo Shoos! Specially designed to be kind and gentle to little feet, the non-constricting nature of the shoes allows babies' feet to grow naturally. Non slip soles help promote those adventurous first steps.

Babyshoes have been supplying babywear, children's boutiques and shoe shops for over 30 years with one of the best in stock Continental Baby Shoes in the UK. Shoes are all leather with non slip leather soles with over 40 styles and 12 colours in stock. They have showrooms in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. For catalogue, prices and showroom addresses call Trevor on 0151 280 3049 mobile: 07711346842 email: babyshoes@blueyonder.co.uk