Look Local Magazine - Esher

LookLocal April 2018

Esher & Claygate

Your award-winning local community magazine

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Harbord McGlinchey SOLICITORS

Sensible straight forward pragmatic We offer robust advice, specialising in the following areas of law;

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OTHER AREAS •Boutique/Niche services

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22

34

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Contents

6 10 16 20 22 24 26 28 29 31 32 32 33 34 35 36 38

EMBER PLAYERS CLAREMONT PRODUCTION WOODLANDS PARK HOTEL COMPUTER TIPS GARDENING WITH SELINA CLAYGATE DRAMATIC SOC CROSSWORD PUZZLE ESHER BRIDGE CAFÉ SUDOKU & DIGI-SEARCH ART FAIR AT SANDOWN MUSIC ON THE GREEN ELMBRIDGE VOLUNTEERS WHAT’S ON See what’s on in and around Esher in April WHAT’S COOKING? MUSIC MATTERS PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

From the EDITOR

Happy Easter and welcome to our action-packed April issue!

What a month it’s been... snow, rain, wind and sun! But at last I can see some delicate green leaves unfolding on the trees in my garden and I’m looking forward to the first blossoms appearing any day now. The grass is certainly starting to grow too and I expect it will soon be time to dust off the lawn mower and start the weekly ritual of grass cutting: it’s always a great feeling when that job is done! But saying that, who knows, by the time you read this, Esher and Claygate could be covered by a blanket of snow again!

Between snowstorms and gales, we enjoyed a wonderful visit to the nearby Woodlands Park Hotel. This lovely local venue has so much to offer. We are happy to share our experience with you this month.

Did you know that it’s ten years since a real live water vole was officially recorded in Surrey and a new report released by The Wildlife Trusts paints a bleak picture of the future survival of this much-loved mammal? See page 24 for more information.

There seems to be a lot of bridge being playing locally! We were happy to hear of another Esher Bridge Café event, and we were also contacted totally by chance by a local resident who sent us a little bridge-related article, and we include this for you to enjoy. If bridge isn’t your thing, maybe art is more up your street? There is an Art Fair happening soon at Sundown Park, and finally, Claygate Dramatic Society will be performing a 1950s Radio Thriller ‘The Diamond Necklace’. With the cast in evening dress and sound effects produced on stage, let your imagination fly as you tune in to this specially written full-length play. Supper is included in the price of the ticket. Sounds like a great night out. See page 25 for details.

We hope you enjoy this busy spring issue.

Wishing you a wonderful month, until next time….

Ros

x

Ros Rudd - Editor

Next copy DEADLINE

5th April 2018 for the May 2018 issue phone us 01372 200 000 email us ros@looklocalmagazine.co.uk visit us online www.looklocalmagazine.co.uk like us on Facebook /looklocalmags follow us on Twitter @LooklocalMags

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4 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

The Ember Players

FOUR WEDDINGS AND AN ELVIS Picture by Roy Morris, shows: Rebecca Hack, Steve Clunn and Jonathan Clark With summer almost here, lots of Surrey brides will be gearing up for their big day. Months of menu planning, guest list grappling, colour scheming and general preening are almost over. Choice of venue is the first, and most vexed, question on most happy couples’ list. An affable parson in an idyllic country church? A registrar presiding in the orangery of a grand stately home? A rabbi tying your knot under a canopy beneath the stars? Or perhaps your tastes are more exotic. A Las Vegas chapel of love, for instance - with your very own Elvis, top lip a-quiver, taking you through the vows with a chorus or two of ‘Love Me Tender’.

There are an average of 115,000 weddings a year in Sin City, and the King of Rock (or somebody startlingly like him) can help launch you on the road to matrimonial bliss in a Blue Hawaiian chapel (with optional Hula Hula girls), a Doo Wop Diner with a 50s juke box and soda fountains, or, for a few hundred dollars extra, give you the `Pink Caddy`experience, in which he drives you down the aisle in a`64 convertible.

6 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

The Ember Players are taking the lid off the whole scene in their 2018 spring production ‘Four Weddings and an Elvis’ by Nancy Frick at Cecil Hepworth Playhouse, Walton-upon-Thames, from Thursday 3rd – Saturday 5th May. “The play follows three weddings,” says director, local filmmaker Neil Armstrong.

“And there`s certainly nothing understated about them! Bev and Stan are tying the knot live on the internet to exact public revenge on their ex-partners; Vanessa and Bryce are two ageing stars, desperate for publicity to revive their flagging careers, and mildmannered postal worker Martin is marrying an uncouth, tattooed punk called Fiona who has just been released after serving a jail sentence for attempted robbery and needs to find a husband before the cops come knocking again.”

And just when you think nothing can get any stranger, everything takes an hilarious final turn for the even worse!

To book a front row pew, ring 07752-655087 or visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/emberplayers.

Tickets are £13.

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8 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

To find out more information or to book an appointment with registered podiatrist Fiona Kumar phone 01372 464659 The Complementary Health Partnership, 5-6 Sydney Terrace, Claygate, KT10 0JJ

Claremont Fan Court Senior School’s Drama Department performs

‘RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET’ On 1st, 2nd and 3rd February 2018, the Senior School Drama Department at Claremont Fan Court School put on four fabulous high-energy performances of Return to the Forbidden Planet, a jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton, combining Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the 1956 science fiction film Forbidden Planet.

“The cast, made up of pupils from Year 7 through to Sixth Form, excelled this year with their sell-out performances of Return to The Forbidden Planet. We had such a good time performing each night and the audience loved joining in with the well-known songs. We even had the audience dancing in the aisle!”

Mrs B Horley, Head of Drama

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WOODLANDS PARK HOTEL

Such a beautiful local venue, the Woodlands Park Hotel was designed in 1884 for Mr Frederick C Bryant, the son of the founder of Bryant and May, the match company.

No expense was spared and the wonderful Gothic-style mansion was created, one of the first country houses to enjoy the luxury of electric light.

The house became a centre of Edwardian society in Surrey, with regular weekend parties and lavish dinners hosted by the Bryant family. The then-Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VII, was a regular visitor with his famous friend, the actress Lillie Langtry, who was also a friend of Oscar Wilde. So, as you can see, the history of this beautiful building was pretty impressive!

Today, when you enter, it is easy to imagine rubbing shoulders with these high society historical guests; the grandeur of the dramatic marble fireplace in the reception lounge is stunning, and with the beautiful

16 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

dome glass ceiling adding to the spectacle, it really is a special place to visit. Nowadays, this is still a wonderfully stylish place with a relaxed and comfortable feel.

We recently enjoyed a stay at the hotel which included a truly wonderful dinner in the Oak Room Restaurant.

Our evening started with a glass of perfectly chilled champagne and some beautifully crafted canapés. We enjoyed these in the comfort of the central lounge area of the hotel. We were then shown to our table in the restaurant. The oak-paneled room, which gives the restaurant its name, was beautifully set for dinner, with a relatively small number of tables. Several were already occupied, and we were shown to our table in a bay window at the end of the room. Again, the atmosphere was relaxed but special, and our waitress was friendly but professional. We made our choices from the eclectic selections on the menu and sipped our drinks in excited anticipation of what was to come.

Woodlands Ln, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham KT 11 3 QB 0845 072 7581

Our first course arrived; my seared scallops with chorizo and spiced cauliflower were delicious, a fabulous selection of flavours and just right to start a special meal.

My partner had chosen a work of art for his starter, a stunningly presented French-style terrine which he very much enjoyed. For our main course, we chose a vegetarian Wellington, filled with wild field mushrooms and served in a home-made tomato sauce, and the lamb medallions served with mash and shallots in a rich and flavoursome mouthwatering jus. My words don’t really do this meal justice but I hope the photos bring you a better representation of how lovely this meal really was.

To finish, we chose the iced lemon parfait and the poached pineapple and raspberry with coconut sabayon, and raspberry meringue.

Our meal was accompanied by a fabulous bottle of red wine as recommended by the staff.

Our night at the Woodlands Park Hotel was wonderful.

Our room was very comfortable with a sumptuously comfortable bed and a huge marble bath which I enjoyed relaxing in before bed.

Benson’s offers a second more contemporary restaurant choice within the hotel; it also offers a great range of appetising dishes and is popular with guests and local visitors.

Part of the Hand Picked Hotels group, the Woodlands Park Hotel makes a wonderful destination for so many occasions. I attended a stunning wedding here between Christmas and the New Year, and in the past, I have also attended the funeral of a dear friend here, but for a wonderful meal, and business meeting, afternoon tea or a romantic break, you really can’t go wrong.

To the general manager, Richard Storey, and his team, we say a huge thank you for your warm hospitality. We had a wonderful time with you and we will be back before long without a doubt.

LookLocal Magazine - April 2018 17

Local dramatist & script writer

PUBLISHES

HER FIRST NOVEL! We are very excited that Patricia Jones, already well known as a dramatist, has just published her first novel, Threads of Life.

Set in the fictional town of Wainbridge, the novel is about the relationships between mothers, daughters and friends who come together to stitch a heritage tapestry. Behind the creation of the Wainbridge Heritage Tapestry lie friendships and rivalries, births and deaths, heartache and romance, greed and betrayal - all the threads of life’s rich tapestry. If you like Joanna Trollope’s stories, you’ll enjoy this.

Whilst the official publication date of Threads of Life is March 29th 2018, Patricia will be launching her book on Friday 13th April at Walton-onThames Library. This is a ticketonly event, so book now to avoid disappointment. The launch will take place in the Ember Room at 2pm.

Ticket prices include refreshments.

Book via eventsbrite.co.uk

BOOK LAUNCH WALTON-ON-THAMES LIBRARY

13 F R I D A Y

APRIL 18 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

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This guide about backing up our computers was written by Les Beer, from Tecres in Leatherhead, which has been providing computer solutions since 1989.

When buying a computer or laptop, there is a whole heap of jargon that people throw at you with the expectation that you should know what they are taking about - SSDs, RAM, MHz, wifi, HDMI, and so it goes on. We have always felt this is a very rude way to treat your fellow man, so yes, we can talk jargon with you, but we can also talk in finest English to ensure your needs are best met.

There are a few pointers that you might appreciate knowing before you buy your new machine.

The key components:The processor or the CPU is the engine that powers the PC. It is advisable to buy the best that you can, as CPUs are costly items and are not efficient to change or upgrade at a later stage. If your needs are for base Word processing and Excel-type work, plus some internet browsing and email handling, a basic Intel Dual Core Pentium, Core i3 CPU or AMD A4 or A6 CPU would represent a good choice. If you are looking for something a bit more capable, a good all-round home machine, we would usually advise either an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU. Intel has just launched the 8th generation CPU, so there are some very good performing and great value machines with 6 and 7th generation CPUs. There are model variation within these CPUs - but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

Memory or RAM - the more the better, but this can usually be retro fitted. 4Gb of RAM is considered a minimum; going beyond 8Gb is often unnecessary. The latest, fastest DDR4 memory is nowadays standard fit. It moves on the performance of the machine significantly when compared to its earlier counterparts and will offer

20 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

solid performance for years to come.

Hard drives - the conventional mechanical hard drives have been using the same technology for around 20 years; they are very economic, have huge storage capacity, but can be slow. Upgrade to a Solid State Hard Drive (SSD) and the performance is phenomenal; they work at 15-20 times faster than the mechanical drives, they are more reliable (as they have no moving parts), but they cost more and have less storage capacity than the older type hard drives. If you need to store loads of data, a great solution is to have both in a machine: the SSD runs the operating system and programs and the mechanical drive stores your data.

Graphics cards - game players, photo and video editors and graphics users are better served by having a dedicated graphics card installed. In some cases, the graphics card can cost as much as the computer. In most cases, using the onboard graphics is sufficient, and should you wish to upgrade the graphics, this can sometimes be retrospectively added on a PC, but unfortunately rarely on a laptop.

Operating system - Windows is the dominant system here, with Windows 10 being the preferred choice, as it works in a very efficient manner and is the industrydominant product. Unlike earlier versions, Microsoft has stated that Windows 10 will be the operating system of the future, with the program being revised via updates, rather than a distinctly separate new version. To date, we are on the 4rd major version, with a new edition being scheduled for March/ April 2018‌. and yes, the updates are free of charge.

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Materials Part 1 DESIGNS FOR

ALL SEASONS

Selina Botham - 07894 553 202 or visit us online at www.designsforallseasons.co.uk

There’s a huge array of garden landscaping materials to choose from and it is good, especially when you are doing work to your house, to consider the way the house will connect to the garden. Flooring can be chosen to tie in with the outside paving materials and colours can be used inside and out. If you’re having an extension or new house built, we’ll often work with architects and interior designers to ensure that everything works well together.

Within the garden, it’s best to limit yourself to three different materials: more than that can feel too fussy and confusing to the eye. Normally, I use materials which will complement and tone with each other, but of course it depends on the design and sometimes a design may call for contrast.

Design-wise, every choice should link to the main theme or vision. In one garden, we’re using the same rock in different forms for different aspects of the design, playing with the contrasts of texture. In another, the same colour paving is used in different-sized slabs to create interest and movement within the design.

The landscaping materials should also be considered in relation to the building itself. Bricks might be used in

22 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

a traditional scheme to tone with the house bricks, but it’s best not to overwhelm the house with too much brick of a similar tone. In one front garden design we completed recently, the texture of the lines of decorative brickwork in a Victorian mansion in Kingston is reflected by the pattern of the paving in the driveway.

This kind of detail might not even be noticeable to the untrained eye, but it gives a sense of cohesion and belonging, so that the garden belongs with the house.

Careful consideration of materials, laying methods and the connections between different materials is an important part of the detailed design of a garden, and this and the detail of step tread thickness, coping stones on walls and other finishing touches provide the level of finish which will make your new garden a long-lasting pleasure to be in and use.

If you would like to redesign your garden and need some professional help, contact Selina on 07894 553 202 or see our web site for further ideas www.designsforallseasons.co.uk or our facebook page Selina Botham – Selina Botham - Designs for all Seasons or follow us on Instagram @ designsforallseasons

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LookLocal Magazine - April 2018 23

Where’s Ratty?

WATER VOLES IN DANGER OF

DISAPPEARING AFTER NUMBERS NOSEDIVE

The National Water Vole Database and Mapping Project has revealed that water vole distribution has plummeted by nearly a third across England and Wales.

The study analysed data collected by The Wildlife Trusts over a ten year period and found a 30% drop in places where water voles were historically found .* Now Surrey Wildlife Trust is calling for more funding for water vole conservation projects, and for landowners, local authorities and local people to work together to help give ‘Ratty’ a chance of survival.

Water voles used to be seen and heard regularly along ditches, streams and rivers across Surrey. And the much-loved mammal is a character – known as ‘Ratty’ – in Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic Wind in the Willows.

Not to be confused with rats, water voles are a similar size and brown in colour, but with a blunt nose and rounded face, a furry tail and small ears. They burrow in river banks and feed on reeds and grasses, often leaving piles of cigar-shaped droppings, nibbled vegetation and star-shaped footprints.

It’s believed the main reason for the dramatic decline

24 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

of the species in Surrey is two-fold: the widespread destruction and degradation of wetland habitats and the populations of non-native American mink, which prey on water voles.

The Trust’s ‘Surrey Water Vole Recovery Project’ trained volunteers to carry out specialist water vole studies, searching for signs of the species. Since 2015, around 100 surveys have been carried out across six different river catchments in the county, but sadly, not one water vole was found. While Surrey has no recorded water voles, neighbouring Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and London do have populations, which is encouraging.

You can help water voles and other wildlife where you live by signing up as a volunteer with the Trust, or support its work by becoming a member or by making a donation – visit www.surreywildlife trust.org to find out more. You can keep an eye out for water voles too and report sightings to the Surrey Biodiversity Information centre by emailing surreybic@surreywt. org.uk. *Ten year period: January 1st 2006 to 31st December 2015

Something rather

DIFFERENT...

CLAYGATE DRAMATIC SOCIETY

Claygate Dramatic Society is turning to the air waves as it presents the 1950s radio thriller “The Diamond Necklace”. With the cast in evening dress and sound effects produced on stage, let your imagination fly as you tune in to this specially-written full length play. Supper is included in the price of the ticket.

The project is a new one for the society, and director Juliet Bagnall, who is also the writer, explains how she came up with it: “A friend of mine gave me the idea of directing a radio play after he went to see the Agatha Christie Theatre Company perform three of her short radio plays from the 1950s. He described how the production created the mood of the time, greatly enhanced by being able to see some of the sound effects being produced on stage. Unfortunately, those plays were unavailable, and, having failed to find an alternative, I decided the only thing to do was to write one myself. The result is a thriller along the lines of Paul Temple,

for those familiar with the vintage BBC series, hopefully creating the atmosphere of the 1950s. You will find all the elements you’d expect, including a car crash, a time bomb, murder, kidnap, drugs dealers and police raids. It’s amazing what you can do on radio!”

The audience is invited to come in 1950s attire or evening dress if you wish. Bring your friends and make up a table of eight, or come on your own. All welcome.

“The Diamond Necklace” is being performed from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st April at 8pm at Claygate Village Hall, Church Road, KT10 0JP. Tickets £15, including supper, available from March 19th on 01372 466621, annehennings@hotmail.co.uk or Grosvenor Billinghurst, The Parade, Claygate on Saturday April 14th 11.00-12.00.

Or see claygatedramaticsociety.co.uk for a booking form.

LookLocal Magazine - April 2018 25

CROSSWORD PUZZLE APRIL 2018 ISSUE

Clue: 10 Across

Clue: 15 Across

Clue: 18 Down

Across 1. Knowledgeable person in a particular field (6) 3. Receive something offered (6) 8. Circuitous (7) 10. Luxury craft (5) 11. Prominent (5) 12. Out of the ordinary (7) 13. In front (5) 15. Felt pain (5) 20. Frequent patron (7) 22. Mindful (5) 24. Once more (5) 25. Imbue (7) 26. Firstborn (6) 27. Request for a sum of money (6)

26 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

Down 1. Oar (6) 2. Not at any time (5) 4. Aquatic South American rodent (5) 5. Leave out (7) 6. Aggregates (6) 7. Progeny (5) 9. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 14. Emaciated (7) 16. Item of furniture (5) 17. Colonnade (6) 18. Juicy fruit (5) 19. Breakfast food (6) 21. Parts of a chain (5) 23. Die away (5)

Clue: 19 Down

SOLUTIONS PAGE 36

Volkswagen UP

CAR REVIEW

BY TED MACAULEY

I hope I am not judged as disloyal. And I never imagined I would say it against my mini marvel and beloved Fiat 500, but there is a rejigged city car to beat my treasured treat.

The clues are that the rival is an UPsurging, UPwards bound, UPstaging, UPgraded, UPshot. Namely, the Volkswagen UP!!

Alright, I know the play on words may be overdone, but all the descriptions are full justification for the face-lifted challenger for top honours in the fiercely competitive city car class.

It arrived originally on the increasingly heavy and demanding commuter scene in late 2011 with eyewatering financial backing from VW who were ambitious for a takeover of the city car market and to overshadow the opposition. It didn’t quite work out that way originally and its rivals shaded its ambitions for a few critical years.

Then two years ago, the Volkswagen brainboxes facelifted their UP with more technical benefits, new and fresher colours, a nippy turbo petrol engine and leg room aplenty. The UPshot - sorry!!! - was a turnaround in the demand. Working on the new-found interest in their tiny offering, VW widened their showpiece’s power

and offer right now a choice of three, not the old two, petrol options.

They are 60bhp and 75bhp non-turbo engines or 90 bhp turbo, all of them excellent and without exception.

My personal preference, the guilty party in the overshadowing of my luvvvverly little Fiat 500, is 90Bhp UP Beats. It was a clever and astute move. Combined with its light, airy and roomy cabin, light steering, dead simple controls, vastly improved performance and low running costs and style on the go, the newer five-gear manual UP is reckoned to be the very best city car seller.

It is a dream of a performer around the stop-go-crawl city streets, and with its ample seating space, even for six-footers like yours truly, it is not so bad on the open roads on the longer journeys from the residential outskirts into the mêlée of the rush hours to and from the office.

In short, it is a class-leader. And at a reasonable price.

The genius of the VW planners and designers has to be admired when they come up with an undoubted winner of a car like this that will be UP and at ’em.

Specification: Up Beat 1.0T. Bhp 90. Mpg 60. Speed 115 mph. 0-62 in 9.9 secs.Price £11,505

28 To advertise please call email ros@looklocalmagazine.co.uk

Sudoku

Digi-Search APRIL 2018 ISSUE

APRIL 2018 ISSUE

Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9 just once. This can be done by applying logic - you don’t have to guess!

SOLUTIONS PAGE 36

4 7 1 8 7 7 1 9 0 1 1 4 5 2

8 3 7 4 7 4 8 9 9 1 0 8 0 8

5 9 5 0 4 0 3 3 3 0 5 6 0 7

3 6 0 6 0 8 0 7 7 9 7 7 1 7

0 0 3 7 8 3 9 5 5 7 8 6 8 4

2 5 7 3 3 7 2 4 6 5 4 9 7 0

7 8 5 8 0 2 6 3 8 8 9 9 4 9

5 4 8 2 2 0 3 2 7 4 3 4 9 2

8 9 9 3 2 5 8 1 9 9 7 2 2 8

4 5 4 0 8 7 4 4 4 3 5 1 7 4

5 0 0 4 5 3 0 5 3 7 6 1 4 7

2 1 3 8 0 8 5 8 0 5 7 0 9 7

8 7 6 8 1 5 7 7 4 0 4 5 2 2

2 3 2 5 3 0 7 9 3 3 8 7 2 3

5 8 1 2 4 2 2 4 2 7 7 4 5 2

Find the hidden numbers - horizontal or vertical 08580, 08744, 10975, 18749, 28501, 32743, 33872, 37246, 40577, 48530, 67487, 71901, 75037, 75432, 81242, 97228

To advertise please call us at 01372 200 000 29

CafÉ Bridge RETURNS TO ESHER - 23 MAY 2018

Anyone who enjoys duplicate bridge in an informal atmosphere, meeting new people and keeping active whilst raising money for a good cause, is in for a treat!

This is what Café Bridge is all about. Following on from the success of last year’s first ever Esher Café Bridge event in October, tickets are now on sale for this year’s event on May 23 and are selling fast.

Last year, the event sold out and 240 bridge players from around the area enjoyed duplicate bridge in some of Esher’s wonderful restaurants. Over £4,700 was raised for Princess Alice Hospice.

Christopher Roshier, a trustee of The Princess Alice Hospice, and his wife were one of the pairs who played in the Esher Café Bridge. He said “It was a really fun day and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The bridge was played in a great atmosphere and the organising team did a brilliant job, resulting in a significant amount of money being raised for the Hospice. We are very grateful to them”.

Putting on an event of this nature, which this year is in aid of Esher Citizens’ Advice, requires a large amount of goodwill from local restaurants, and we are very

30 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

grateful to the participating restaurants this year who are: The Bear, Côte, Castello, Giggling Squid, Zizzi, Henry’s Grill, Layla, Pizza Express, Siam Food Gallery and Brouge.

Café Bridge is a unique style of bridge, a concept devised on the continent and which is taking off in the London area. Events of this scale are enabled by our phone app-based scoring system, ‘BriAn’, which accumulates results from all the restaurants and allows players to follow their position in real time.

Organizer of the event, Louise Pilcher (pictured above second right with the Esher 2017 organizing team and Victor Lesk of BriAn), says: “It’s a win-win situation for everyone and a fun day out.

If you haven’t yet tried it and enjoy duplicate bridge, then sign up now. Players are applying from all over the south east of England. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy Esher at its best”.

To find out more about Esher Café Bridge, follow the link: brianbridge.net/esher2018 And for other Café Bridge events, visit the website: brianbridge.net/cafe

Art Fair DRAWS THOUSANDS OF BUYERS

More than 4,000 art lovers and collectors and interior designers, recently visited the Contemporary Art Fairs – Surrey at Sandown Park Racecourse. They evidently liked what they saw because many purchased two or more artworks to grace their home or offices.

Visitors were able to browse original works, including paintings, ceramics, glass and photographs, by around 160 artists who were on hand to talk about their work, inspiration and technique Deborah James of Windsor Events, founders and organisers of art fairs for the past 14 years, said: “The first Contemporary Art Fairs – Surrey was a great success.

We were delighted that so many visitors attended, both serious art collectors and those who were curious to find out more about contemporary art.”

Comments from visitors confirmed how friendly they found the Art Fair. Deborah said: “There was a great

vibe throughout the weekend. It was very sociable and relaxing. I’d like to thank the artists for making everyone feel welcome.”

Arty Activities The creative workshops, organised by Cass Art Kingston, proved very popular. Visitors of all ages were able to make their own screen print and take it home with them.

The Live Art Theatre was very popular with the art lovers, who could watch artists all weekend creating their artwork and learn about their techniques.

Supporting The Prince’s Trust The Prince’s Trust, the Art Fair’s chosen charity, raised £3,500 from sales of small canvases created by the exhibiting artists. The money will go towards supporting the Trust’s work in helping young people in the region.

LookLocal Magazine - April 2018 31

Music Action.. . .

VOLUNTARY

ON THE GREEN

Lunchtime Concerts Christ Church, Esher

Wednesday 18th April 2018

2NATION PERCUSSION DUO Matt Frost Tobias Jutestal Matt and Tobias met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, forming the 2Nations Duo in 2016.

Named to bring together the two cultures of Britain and Sweden, they have developed a programme of power and panache designed to be enjoyable by all.

Whilst building a reputation as an entertaining and engaging ensemble, Matt and Tobias are driven by their aspiration to perform the percussion repertoire to the highest possible standard.

There will be no sleeping at the back on this occasion, which is destined to be another highly memorable Music on the Green event.

Free entry, 12.30pm, concert 1.10pm. Retiring collection

FUTURE EVENTS:Wednesday 16 May: Tormead School Showcase Wednesday 20 June: Lucas Dick, clarinet, Amanda Hurton, piano

For further info, please contact the Parish Office:

01372 462282

Email: office@esherparish.org.uk www.esherparish.org.uk

ELMBRIDGE - APRIL/MAY 2018 Come and join your local community allotments People from different sections of our community working together are looking for keen gardeners & those new to gardening to get involved. Drop in sessions are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Good organisational and logistical skills required

A local foodbank is looking for a storehouse manager to organise the coming and going of donated stock.

The role requires a certain amount of heavy lifting/ carrying of crates of stock.

Become an ambassador

A charity supporting adults with learning disabilities is looking for confident, energetic volunteers to help publicise its organisation by attending community events in Elmbridge & surrounding areas.

Talking Newspaper seeks trustees and a treasurer

We are looking to recruit a range of people to oversee the governance, support our strategic vision and contribute to its leadership.

Support families across Elmbridge

We are looking for parents, carers & grandparents who know just how tough family life can be at times.

Our volunteers usually visit a family once a week for a couple of hours. Training & ongoing support are provided.

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THOSE ROLES?

For more info on these roles & many other volunteering opportunities, contact Voluntary Action Elmbridge,

please call: 01372 463 587 visit: www.vae.org.uk or email: contact@vae.org.uk Esher Civic Centre: Monday & Weds 10:00 - 13:00 Walton Library: Wednesday 10:00 - 13:00 Walton Quintet: Tues, Thurs & Friday 10:00 - 13:00

32 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

LOCAL EVENTS IN APRIL In Esher and Claygate

3rd - 15th

Wild Fowl trail at Claremont Landscape Gardens, Portsmouth Road, Esher KT10 9JG. 10.00 - 4.00pm We’ve got wide variety of water fowl here at Claremont ranging from the colossal Canadian goose to the cute and cuddly coot. We’ve hidden clues about them all around the garden. Fill out your trail sheet with all of the answers to win a small prize. For more info: claremont@nationaltrust.org.uk or 01372 467806

Weds 11th

Sassy Stirrers, Easter Bread Making and Cookie Baking workshop at All Saints Weston Church, Thames Ditton. 10.30am-3.00pm. Come and cook up some fun for the holidays. Lots of delicious goodies to take home and lunch is included. £45 per place.

Suitable for 5-12 year olds. Places are limited so book now online at www.sassystirrers. com to avoid disappointment or contact info@sassystirrers.com

Saturday 14th

Julie Ross presents an evening of the music of Rodgers and Hart - Any Old Place With You. Acclaimed cabaret performer Julie Ross looks at the work of the song writing team and sheds light on their complex relationship which, despite their differences, lasted 24 years and produced some 500 songs. Music Direction by Aaron Clingham Tickets £13.00. For more info visit www.verafletcherhall.co.uk or call 0845 652 8529.

Tuesday 17th

Trees in literature walk, 11.00am - 12.30pm. Investigate if any of the fabled trees mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and poetry can be found at Claremont Landscape Gardens. A treat for literature aficionados and tree enthusiasts alike. For more information email claremont@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01372 467806

19th - 21st

Claygate Dramatic Society ‘The Diamond Necklace’ A thriller written and directed by Juliet Bagnall. Claygate Village Hall, 8.00pm. Tickets £15, including supper, available from March 19th Box Office: 01372 466621 or email: annehenning@hotmail.co.uk or see: claygatedramaticsociety.co.uk

Friday 20th

Barons Classic Collectors Car Auction. A must for all motor enthusiasts - Viewing Day at Sandown Park Racecourse, 9.00am. For more info, please contact 02380 668 409.

Saturday 21st

Big Bead Show, at Sandown Park, Portsmouth Rd, Esher KT10 9AJ, 10am - 17.00.

For all your jewellery making needs, the Big Bead Show is the largest all beading event in the UK. There’s a fantastic range of traders bringing everything you’ll ever need to make your own fabulous jewellery. Tickets: From £4.80. www.thebigbeadshow.co.uk.

If there’s an event in May that you’d like mentioned, please contact Ros (details on p.3) before Tuesday 10th April 2018.

All entries appear on a first come, first served basis. Details of the above event are correct at time of print.

Rice Cake Rocky Road CHILDREN’S RECIPE MAKES 20 PIECES

Ingredients

200g Waitrose Belgian Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces 75g butter 2 tbsp golden syrup 75g essential Waitrose Mini White Marshmallows 8 Kallø Lightly Salted Wholegrain Low Fat Rice Cakes, broken into small pieces 180g pack Waitrose Love Life Berry Mix (dried) 150g fresh blueberries

Method

1. Gently melt the chocolate, butter and syrup together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently

simmering water. Leave to cool for 10mins while you line a 20 x 25cm baking tin with baking parchment.

2. Stir the marshmallows, rice cake pieces & dried fruit into the cooled chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin & scatter over the blueberries. Leave to set then cover with clingfilm & store in the fridge.

3. When ready to serve, lift out of the tin and cut into 20 pieces. These are best eaten on the day, or kept in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Cook’s Tip Vary the ingredients used in the mix for different flavour combinations. Try dried cherries or cubes of stem ginger in syrup.

Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 5 mins Recipe reproduced by kind permission of Waitrose. Over 5,000 recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes

MUSIC

Bridge Matters MY FAVOURITE

STORY

Well, maybe that’s just what it is - a story.

It’s been told about several expert bridge-players, so it could be entirely apocryphal. But here goes….

One of the tricks of the trade in bridge is the ‘Trap Pass’. You pick up a whale of a hand, and you say ‘no bid’. What you are cunningly hoping for is that when you later enter the bidding, your opponents will think you are adopting desperate measures against them and double you in some high-level contract, perhaps a slam.

Anyway, the story goes that an experienced player made use of this ruse and opened the bidding with ‘no bid’.

Here was his hand:Spades 3 Hearts 2 Diamonds 4 Clubs A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2 You’ve probably guessed what happened. The other three players around the table all said ‘no bid’ and the deal was passed out, whereupon our expert threw in his cards, muttering ‘ten points only, partner’. ‘Oh well’, said his partner, ‘we may have missed a part score, but I felt it was a bit risky to open vulnerable with nothing but 3 aces.’

Somehow, after this, I don’t think the Trap Pass is going to feature in my bidding. If I am lucky enough to be dealt a big hand, I’ll go all out to cash in on it.

Courtesy of local resident, Mr Clive Craigmile

WORDS BY

DAVID KID JENSEN

GIRL POWER At a time when the music industry was dominated by men, these women managed to make it big.

Match the artists to the songs: 1) Crazy 2) The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) 3) Shout 4) Baby, I’m Yours 5) Be My Baby 6) I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll 7) Big Yellow Taxi A) The Ronettes B) Lulu C) Joni Mitchell D) Cher E) Patsy Cline F) Barbara Lewis G) Joan Jet PUZZLE SOLUTIONS PAGE 36

Able Roofing ▲ New roofs ▲ Flat roofing ▲ Lead roofs ▲ Slates and tiles ▲ Chimneys repointed

▲ Guttering ▲ UPVC fascias & soffits ▲ Moss removal ▲ Valleys & flashing ▲ Exterior decoration

Free estimates | Fully insured Compton, Lower Farm Road, Effingham, KT24 5JL

Home: 01483 283137 Mob: 07930 733883

April Puzzle SOLUTIONS

CROSSWORD PAGE 26

SUDOKU PAGE 29

DIGI-SEARCH PAGE 29 4 7 1 8 7 7 1 9 0 1 1 4 5 2

David Jensen Quiz P35 Answers:

8 3 7 4 7 4 8 9 9 1 0 8 0 8

5 9 5 0 4 0 3 3 3 0 5 6 0 7

3 6 0 6 0 8 0 7 7 9 7 7 1 7

0 0 3 7 8 3 9 5 5 7 8 6 8 4

2 5 7 3 3 7 2 4 6 5 4 9 7 0

7 8 5 8 0 2 6 3 8 8 9 9 4 9

5 4 8 2 2 0 3 2 7 4 3 4 9 2

8 9 9 3 2 5 8 1 9 9 7 2 2 8

4 5 4 0 8 7 4 4 4 3 5 1 7 4

5 0 0 4 5 3 0 5 3 7 6 1 4 7

2 1 3 8 0 8 5 8 0 5 7 0 9 7

8 7 6 8 1 5 7 7 4 0 4 5 2 2

2 3 2 5 3 0 7 9 3 3 8 7 2 3

5 8 1 2 4 2 2 4 2 7 7 4 5 2

1) Patsy Cline (E) 2) Cher (D) 3) Lulu (B) 4) Barbara Lewis (F) 5) The Ronettes (A) 6) Joan Jet (G) 7) Joni Mitchell (C)

36 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

Silver get-togethers are free monthly groups bringing retired people together to take part in engaging crafts and activities.

Village Hall Whiteley Village Walton-On-Thames Surrey KT12 4EH

18th April 2018 10:00am until Midday Margaret Arnott, County Organiser for the NGS in Surrey, joins us to talk about how the NGS started and introduces us to some of the beautiful gardens which are open to visitors.

We will then be getting creative with some fresh blooms as we have a go at putting together our own ower arrangements.

For further information, or if you require subsidised transport to any of the get-togethers, contact:

helen@silvercharity.org or call 01932 953262

/WorldInSilver Charity No. 1166927

@WorldInSilver

www.silvercharity.org

Advertisers’ Index APRIL ISSUE - ESHER

Able Roofing ..................................................... 36 Harbord Solicitors................................................ 2 Bathrooms Eleven.............................................. 11 Kate Beard........................................................... 4 Bob Mitchell........................................................ 8 Lodge Brothers Funeral Care................................ 4 Brightercare........................................................ 14 Mailboxes etc..................................................... 29 Bruce’s Doggy Day Care..................................... 12 MPS Garden & Estate Machinery...................... 27 Chiropody - Melissa Bennett ............................. 23 Music Matters.................................................... 35 Claremont Fan Court School........................10/40 Music on the Green............................................ 32 Cleanability........................................................ 23 Roofs of Esher.................................................... 12 Complete Turf Management................................ 8 Sanctuary Bathrooms......................................... 19 DB Garden Services .......................................... 27 Sir William Perkins School................................. 13 Downs Solicitors ............................................... 15 Tec Res Computer Solutions ........................20/21 Dream Doors....................................................... 5 Waitrose Recipe.................................................. 34 Esher Tyre & Exhaust Centre............................. 39 Woodlands Park Hotel..................................16/17 Fiona Kumar Complementary Health.................. 8 Yoga with Barbara Currie................................... 23 Gardening with Selina........................................ 22 GHI Windows..................................................... 7 Guillaumes........................................................... 9

© LOOK LOCAL MAGAZINE 2018 DESIGNED & SET BY KIRSTY HAMILTON

All pages within are copyright of Look Local or its respective contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publisher’s prior written permission.

All material published in Look Local (including advertisements, editorials, articles and all other content) is printed in good faith.

Whilst all reasonable care is taken, Look Local does not in any circumstances accept responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of any material published, nor is any kind of warranty expressed or implied by such publication, and Look Local specifically disclaims all and any liability to advertisers, readers and users of any kind of loss or damage of any nature whatsoever and howsoever arising, whether due to inaccuracy, error, omission or any other cause. All material is accepted on the basis that its publication does not infringe any copyright and Look Local does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage of any kind resulting from claims of copyright infringement. ©Look Local Magazine 2018. All rights reserved.

38 LookLocal Magazine - April 2018

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Open Morning Whole School Thursday 21 June 2018, 9.30am-11.30am Introductory talk at 9.30am To reserve a place, please telephone 01372 473624 or email info@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Nursery Pre-Prep Prep Senior Sixth Form www.claremontfancourt.co.uk