Surely we're missing the obvious here folks. The NSC cognoscenti, if asked in advance, would have recommended that Simster and partner toss a coin. Winner gets to stay home and babysit, loser has to go and sit through the remorselessly grim 'performance'. Job done! :thumbsup:
Ouch!
Sounds like one agency too many in your life. Happy to take the middleman's cut while the going is good, but the minute it's not, they don't want to know.
Whatever your Terms & Conditions with the agency state. Do baby-sitters normally commute round the M25? Personally I'd have gone for something more local, like a friend or neighbour's teenage daughter who would doubtless be glad of a bit of extra spending money.