We saw an example recently of what can happen if a politician does a speech ‘the old fashioned way’, ie, from memory and not using the magic of the autocue. Ed Milliband literally forgot two key important elements of his party address and he was lambasted for it.
I recently went to see the installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ at the Tower of London, which will see 888,246 ceramic poppies planted in the Tower’s moat, each poppy representing a British military fatality during the war.
Over 150 Spelthorne residents packed into the Church Hall in Laleham in October to attend a public meeting called by Spelthorne Councillors to discuss the future of Laleham Park.
On Saturday 20th September, local residents who are fed up and angry that Surrey County Council keeps claiming there is little local opposition to the Eco Park waste incinerator, organised a peaceful protest at the site entrance.
The craftsmen and women at Shepperton Studios are famous for their ability to create scenery and models for film and TV, during World War Two however, their predecessors put these same skills to a more vital use.
September always seems to be a busy month for heritage in our area, so this month I thought I would highlight several events and anniversaries.
2014 sees the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Thames Valley Railway, the original rather grandiose name for the branch line from Strawberry Hill to Shepperton.
It turns out that Functional Training involves training the body for activities performed in everyday life. So far so good. It combines muscle work with cardio so that you burn more calories.
I sat under the vines in the garden of Perry Cottage (you may have visited it during the Laleham Open Gardens) and chatted with life time Laleham resident Mavis Duncan about the village, the residents and what is important to them. Mavis is chairman and booking secretary of the Village Hall, taking bookings at all hours of the day for all sorts of gatherings.
The First World War began for this country on August 4th 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany, for invading neutral Belgium. As in many other communities all over the country, the war had a profound effect on our local towns and villages.
Round here, communities without planning blight are about as rare as FIFA officials in betting shops. Whether it’s the third runway, flood defences, the relentless mining of gravel, the
unwanted cuts to the Fire Service, or whatever, a permanent attritional war exists between residents, and developers, the Borough or the County.
These days it seems the dream of every youngster is to be famous or be a star. It looks as if for local girl Lucy Watkins it is all going in that direction.
One of the beautiful spectacles on the Thames is the tradition of swan upping. So, have you seen it? If not, it is really worth seeking it out this July.
Swan Upping dates back to the 12th century.
Laleham Park is a glorious unspoiled treasure in our borough. Earlier this year the Council put forward plans for the development of the park incorporating a football academy to which there was overwhelming opposition.
John Curtin has lived in Sunbury for 30 or so years. His is not your usual sort of office job. He is a collector and dealer in stamps – a philatelist.
Gilbert and Sullivan are of course best known for the series of comic light operas which bear their names, but the man whose knowledge of the music business brought them together and made the partnership work (not always an easy task) was Richard D’Oyly Carte
Concerned residents flocked to the meeting arranged by Village Matters on June 6th to hear from the Environment Agency about plans for the River Thames Scheme
Think High Sheriff and I bet you think of Robin Hood? Well I was personally held up by the High Sheriff of Surrey recently, so here is my merry tale…
St. Nicholas Church, Shepperton, this year celebrates the 400th anniversary of the present building being consecrated.
The summer is fast approaching and I’ve decided I want to feel fit and healthy again and no longer want to get through the days on copious amounts of coffee and then veg out on the sofa by 8pm.
It all started in 1996 with two residents (one of whom was a local councillor) drinking in a pub to discuss life in the village. A thought they had was that the village lacked a central water feature such as a village pond.
There have been allotments in the Parish of Laleham for more than 150 years. A local Tithe Map of 1845 shows a small plot of land off the Ashford Road, where the ‘Royal Estate’ is now situated, and was known as the ‘Poors Allotments’.
