By Monica Chard Nothing was going to stop local residents from making their gardens look beautiful for the annual Spelthorne in Bloom competition. This year it was even more important to spread some cheer in the form of colourful blooms. Lockdown earlier in the year had seen many of us enjoy our gardens and discover […]
Spelthorne Still Blooming – Albeit Socially Distanced! Read More »
By Claire Leonard Aquarius Performing Arts is a Musical Thea-tre class for children aged 4-12. Specialising in the three disciplines of Musical Theatre, acting, dancing & singing, each of our stu-dents have the opportunity to enhance their skills by working towards a presentation for parents at the end of term. We encourage them to perform
The Age of Aquarius Read More »
By Nick Pollard It may seem odd these days, when statues are being pulled down or hidden away, but a century or so ago the British Empire was celebrated nationally each year. Empire Day originated in Canada but was introduced to the UK by Lord Meath in 1905. It was particularly aimed at school children
Empire Day at Shepperton Green School Read More »
By John Maxen Following Laura Harrison’s interesting article of observing butterflies during lockdown in October’s Sunbury Matters, I thought I would relate my own experience in a new hobby taken up during lockdown – Moth Trapping. There are over 2,500 species of moths in the UK, and are generally demarcated into two main groups, macros
With thanks to Nick Pollard In Autumn 2015 Sunbury’s boatyard, George Wilsons & Sons closed for good. We ran an article on it back then, which we are now reprinting. The decision to do so followed the demolition of the old green boat sheds on Lock Island, opposite St Mary’s Church recently. They may have
As Boat Sheds are Demolished, We look at George Wilson & Sons Read More »
By Sarah Tune I love creating beautiful garden areas from plants and everyone always asks for evergreen shrubs. Why? Because they make an ideal hedge, which will benefit wild life or they are good for filling gaps in a flowerbed. Did you know there is so much more you can do with them? You can
The Joy of Evergreens Read More »
Currently the delivery of local council services in Surrey is split between Surrey County Council (SCC) and 11 Borough and District Councils and is known as a two-tier model. Borough and District councils organise your refuse collection, planning, meals at home, social hous-ing, parks and open spaces, environmental health and licensing, whilst SCC provide adults
#Residents Against Surrey Single Unitary Read More »
By James Ford-Bannister and David Young During September we at the Riverside, along with much of the country, began to look at the various ways we could restart our many activities as the Covid19 restrictions began to be relaxed. Plans were being made by dancers, actors, musicians, painters, projectionists and administrators as to how they
Notes from the Riverside Arts Centre Read More »
The Mayor and Mayoress were pleased to attend the annual visit to Weybridge Mariners Club, of a Flotilla of Dunkirk little Ships on Friday 11th September, but somewhat different from other years. Observing restrictions there was no dinner, no handshakes and certainly no hugging. The spirit of good fun and companionship was not deterred. Cllr
Mayor joins Dunkirk Little Ships Read More »
The front cover of this issue is up for auction. It is by Helen Blizard. Helen, a former Top of the Pops singer, has performed in the West End and as a TV actress and scriptwriter for EastEnders, Fools and Horses, and London’s Burning. She is also an avid supporter of local charity Their Future
Bid for Front Cover Art to Support Their Future Today Read More »
Surplus to Supper is a local charity, estab-lished in 2017 and which is currently bridging the gap between food waste and food poverty. We are based at Sunbury Cricket Club (Lower Thames Street). The Charity currently collects food from local Retailers and redistributes it to Food Banks, other Charities and Schools within the Spelthorne, Richmond
We Need Your Help to Create Change Locally Read More »
We always love seeing local photos taken by you. Thanks to this months contributors Simon Reilly and Drew Reeves. Do send any photos to monica@villagematters.co.uk
Well I really appreciated that last bit of extra sun-shine bringing autum-nal warm and letting us have some last minutes enjoying our gardens and open spaces, however there is no denying that the daylight is getting shorter and it is very dark by 8pm. We have seen the typical seasonal uplift in vehicle crime and
Sunbury & Shepperton Beat Read More »
Well done two young ladies for growing some super sunflowers. Little Summer Rose, aged 5 was the overall winner, but we also had to include this huge, but slightly faded beauty from Lucy. Her mum explains the battle of the sunflower v squirrel: “Our growing attempts were thwarted by our local squirrel: 1) nibbled the
Rotary Winning Sunflowers Read More »
Many people would like to see the Spelthorne (Ashford, Staines, Sunbury & Shepperton) Stations brought into Zone 6 for Oyster Card fare ticketing (Sunbury Matters – Sept 20) and who can blame them? A reduction in the price of the hyper-inflated cost of tickets for commuters can only be a good thing – or can
Bringing Spelthorne Stations into TFL Zone: A Blessing or a Curse? Read More »
by Nick Pollard This month’s photo is of the Deva Service Station in Thames Street, Sunbury, and dates back to the mid-1960s. The service station was originally opened as the Regal Garage sometime in the 1950s, on a previously open piece of land in Thames Street. There are some splendid cars of the period on
Deva Service Station, Sunbury Read More »
Alan Woolford was overwhelmed last month to receive notification that he had been nominated for and won the prestigious Sport and Recreation Alliance Emeritus Award 2020. It came somewhat out of the blue and within only a couple of days he had invited a select group of family and friends to join him at the
Congratulations on Sports Award Read More »
Spelthorne Borough Council has set out its response to plans from Surrey County Council to form a single unitary authority. Under the current proposals from the County Council, the 11 Districts and Boroughs would be merged together to form a single unitary authority. They report that it would give the county council greater decision-making powers
Spelthorne Responds to Unitary Authority Plan Read More »
D’Oyly Carte Island lies at the end of the Desborough cut as you go upriver towards Shepperton lock. Formerly called Folly Eyot. Richard D’Oyly Carte, hotelier and producer of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the Victorian era, bought the parcel of land in the Thames in around 1890 and built and shaped it into
D’Oyly Carte Island Sold Read More »
As part of Spelthorne Borough Council’s continued drive to im-prove community safety, a new, modern CCTV camera has been installed at Orchard Meadow car park in Sunbury. The camera will be monitored 24/7 along with cameras in Staines-upon-Thames town centre and elsewhere in the Borough. The installation was arranged in response to concerns regarding anti-social
New CCTV camera for Orchard Meadow Read More »
You may well have met Tony Kinsey, long term Sunbury resident. You may even have heard him perform. But did you know how significant a part he played in the heyday of the jazz scene, playing with household names and running his own band? Jazz was clearly in his blood. The beat got Tony Kinsey
Tony Kinsey – Britain’s Best Jazz Drummer Read More »
