Village Matters

Notes from the Riverside

At the start of January it is normal to wish everyone “A Happy New Year” in the hope that it will bring health, wealth and happiness. However, as I write this in December further Covid restrictions have just been announced. The need to wish good health for you and your family is there-fore doubly important. The wealth I cannot do much about, as I cannot manage to even win myself a tenner on the lottery. What I can guarantee though is happiness. Just come along to the Riverside for our annual pantomime to revel in all that traditional panto provides; laughs, music, spectacle, dancing. A great cast, plus over 25 young dancers to send you home smiling for the rest of the month, if not the year. 

If you need a Happiness booster throughout 2022, we can provide it with regular doses of laughter, plus music and drama. We have music to suit all moods and tastes from Jazz to the Classics, by way of musical comedy. Mood Indigo have a monthly concert featuring top professional jazz musicians, whilst Zodiac provide spectacle and music in their shows. During the year there will be seven daytime coffee concerts, the highlight of which will be in March with the appear-ance of the renowned classical guitarist Declan Zapala. Both serious and comedic drama will be provided by both the youngsters of the Youth Theatre, and also by Riverside Players, not to mention the annual Spelthorne and Runnymede Drama Festival. Maybe though you prefer to make your own amusement. Rather than sitting back to be enter-tained. Why not learn to dance? Two left feet? OK! Then how about painting or drawing, calligraphy, yoga, quiz evenings, Pilates, keep-fit, pottery, playing a musical instrument, literary or poetry appreciation, or flower arranging ? All levels of ability are catered for, so whether you are a learner, an improver needing a little help, or accomplished in your skill and just want to be with other like souls, I am pretty certain you can find what you need at Riverside. But if your particular interest doesn’t seem to be catered for, please let us know. There may well be others keen to fill that void. 

Whatever your choice you can be assured that at the Riverside we are very conscious of the need to ensure that we comply with the very latest regulations for the health and safety of everyone who enters our buildings. Each group meeting at Riverside or providing any form of entertainment has to have carried out its own risk assessment to the satisfaction of our Management Committee. 

We sincerely hope that 2022 will prove to be a better year for the readers of Village Matters, for the people of the local area and for the country as a whole, and that we may welcome back many old faces to Riverside during the year and also make the acquaintance of new friends. 

Riverside Arts Centre 57/59 Thames Street Sunbury TW16 5QF www.riversidearts.co.uk 07796 531427 info@riversidearts.co.uk