The Joys of the Local Shop
I sat having a coffee recently with two long term residents of Lower Sunbury. They were reminiscing on how the village was in times gone by.
Shepperton Matters Articles
The 7 a Day Challenge
A few weeks ago, we heard that the recommendations for a healthy daily intake of fruit and veg had now been revised to SEVEN portions.
Something Old, Something New
Shepperton’s Sue Brown loves pretty things. She has a background in hair and fashion, so in her later years has turned her skills to designing and making hair embellishments, mainly for the wedding market, under the brand name Heidi Kench. Each of her pieces is hand made to suit the bride and her outfit.
Shepperton Woman
No, not another term for ‘ladies who lunch’ or perhaps more recently, those for whom waders or wellies are the latest ‘look’. The Shepperton woman in question is the oldest known inhabitant of the area, who lived here 5,500 years ago.
Longacres Branches Out
Yes, Spring is indeed in the air over at the new Longacres garden centre in Nutty Lane, Shepperton. As well as beautiful blooms and blossoms bursting forth, there are significant changes afoot.
Everyone Has a Book in Them…
One local resident fulfilled her dream of being published recently. Carmen Souchet from Shepperton writes under the pen name Molly Clifford-Nixon. She has been writing for years and attends the Studio Writers group at the Riverside Arts Centre in Sunbury.
An Old Sheppertonian – Harriet Lilian Palmer
Although she was born in Watford where she spent most of her early life, she moved to Shepperton during the war. She had two young children and a stepson of eight years old but worked in the local Sound City (now Shepperton Studios).
Floods Past and Present
The River Thames forms a large part of the Spelthorne Borough boundary. Although this provides a pleasant environment to live and pursue leisure interests in, the downside is that the risk of flooding has always been with us.
History of the Queen Mary Reservoir
The Metropolitan Water Board was formed in 1902 to improve the supply of water to the rapidly expanding capital, and quickly commenced a programme to vastly increase unfiltered water storage capacity.
Taking Pride in our Community
Last year at the Spelthorne in Bloom awards I listened to the High Sherriff talking about the power of bringing a community together through joint enterprise and effort. The blooming High Streets, local pub gardens and monuments gave our hearts a lift when we passed by and we know it is down to the joint …
Water, Water Everywhere…
Many of us choose to live by the river for the beauty, nature and access to the water. I am one of them. In choosing to live by the river we take calculated risks. The river is fickle, but with modern day flood defences, sluices and the Thames Barrier, surely we should be able to …
Where are they now? A look at some Halliford Alumni
An international Badminton name, a yacht designer, a film studio director, an Olympic gold medallist and a business entrepreneur: What do they all have in common? They all attended Halliford School.
Shepperton Kept it Local
The thick, cold fog did not seem to dampen anyone’s spirits on 11/12/13. Big Tree Night was a great success.
Sowing the Seeds of Community
There is no doubt at all that without the efforts of locals, and the Spelthorne in Bloom committee our villages would be missing something. The dazzling array of colour in hanging baskets and gardens have been a delight this year. Whereas last summer was beset with drought, this year the flowers are still blooming late …
The Rose Acre Nursery, Shepperton
The Rose Acre Rose Nursery once occupied a large area off the Laleham Road in Shepperton, between Sheepwalk and Fairview Drive.
The Art of Stained Glass Shepperton
Dropping off Shepperton Matters around the village recently, I popped in to Haywoods Glazing and had a chat. I didn’t realise what a chemistry lesson it would be!
Kempton Park Panoramic Restaurant
We came out of the lift on the second floor and were shown into a spectacular glass fronted restaurant and bar. There was a full moon and the floodlights were illuminating the course stretching out before us. People below were scurrying around the Tote, checking out odds. It was very atmospheric and promised an evening …
Visit to the National Gallery
I visited the National Gallery today, sounds crazy but it was the first time I had been. I found it a bit overwhelming at first, but wandered around and enjoyed it at random, taking it in and enjoying whatever came my way.
All Change as Ladies Ride the Footplate
A change of locomotive at the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway has seen Thomas Wicksteed leave the Kempton Steam Museum in early September.
Prizefighting in Shepperton
In his book ‘The History of Our Village’, published in 1867, William Schaw Lindsay, Lord of the Manor of Shepperton between 1857 and his death in 1877, relates that the village was for some years the scene of riotous behaviour due to its popularity as a venue for illegal prize fighting, or bare-knuckle boxing. The …
Shepperton Station in 1928
The railway had come to Shepperton in 1864, but by the time of this photo in 1928 it had been converted to run electric trains for 12 years.