After a morning swim in Purley pool with the kiddiewinks, we are all ready for chips. There is something about swimming that always seems to have this effect on me, a healthy sandwich is just not enough to kill off the craving so we head around the corner to Wimpy.

I have a soft spot for the Wimpy menu. Back in the days of my childhood, Wimpy used to be a real treat.

The three kiddies all bundle through the door and head over to a table of their choice. There are a few other diners dotted about but still more than enough tables for them to choose from.

Toddler grabs the children's Power menu and refuses to share a peek with his siblings. I ask the waitress for another two to keep the peace.

I know already that the Classic Wimpy burger meal is the one for me. While I order I ask for no gherkins - I can't stand the slimy green things! The waitress tells me that there are none in their burgers here. Fab. Stepson orders a hamburger and chips from the Power menu for himself and Toddler, while Daughter chooses the Bender hot dog and chips. I order them all a milkshake as an extra treat as I always remember how great I thought they were as a child.

While we wait for our fuel I have a quick nose at the main menu. I am surprised to see that alongside each meal there is the exact calorie content for each one. My surprise turns to alarm when I realise that I will be consuming 337 calories from the burger alone! This makes me feel a tad guilty and makes me consider whether I should even think about looking at the dessert menu! For the health conscious this is a great idea, but not for guilt-ridden, Catholic-raised mums like me!

Food arrives and my mind is taken off considering dessert. Now the burger is in front of me thoughts of calories are pushed aside for eating concentration.

The children's meals look pretty good, and I am pleased to see that salt is not already added to their chips. Stepson is the only one who notices and proceeds to add a little on top.

Daughter Darling loves the Bender hot dog and says that from now on all hot dogs should look and taste this good.

I scoff the lot, as do the little troops - without allowing one crumb to be missed it seems!

By this point I feel full but have a little space for a certain Wimpy dessert - Brown Derby. YUMMY. I have a crazed grin as I order from the waitress! The Kiddies all have Mini Knickerbocker Glorys (that are included with their Power meals).They arrive first clearly putting Toddler Son in heaven, he has been distracted by the ice cream from performing his usual tantrum time. Result.

Verdict 8/10 sticky fingers: Wimpy was a winner for us. The service was quick, the food was freshly cooked, and the children were happy. My only disappointment was that the toilets were not up to scratch and whiffed a bit (making me want to disinfect myself when I got back to the table). The children received a toy (that they tell me works as a pencil sharpener) which they were all chuffed with - although I did have to put Toddler's in my bag... pencil-sharpened fingers are not a great idea. Other than that, Wimpy in Purley is a friendly, reasonably priced place if you fancy a bit of fast food eaten with knives and forks! I will be back again although next time I might pay more attention to the calories… might… maybe… maybe not!

Address:

949 Brighton Road

Purley

Tel: 020 8668 7730

Web: www.wimpy.uk.com