Hinchley Wood Magazine - Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

KNUT WYLDE ON MANAGING CLARIDGE’S AS WELL AS HIS KIDS

CREATE AND GROW

SQUIRE’S TELLS US HOW TO HAVE AN EGG-CELLENT EASTER

MORE THAN BRICKS & MORTAR

DISCOVER HOW HINCHLEY WOOD GOT ITS NAME

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A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE BRINGING YOU THE NEWS & VIEWS FROM AROUND THE VILLAGE HW_Layout_08.indd 1

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ESHER VALET

We offer a professional service: Washing & Ironing Dry Cleaning Alterations & Repairs 6 Station Approach Hinchley Wood

Open Monday to Saturday 8:30am-5:30pm

020 8398 6380

STEPHENS FINE FOODS Your Local Family Butcher

John O'Neill Interior and Exterior Decorating & Property Maintenance

Quality Fresh and Cooked Meats Finest Home-Made Sausages Free Range Dry Cured Bacon Specially Selected Beef

Established over 40 years References Available

29 Station Approach, Hinchley Wood

Tel: 0208 339 0850 or 07913 486049

020 8398 7678

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WELCOME

H

ello everyone and welcome to the new, improved local magazine, Hinchley Wood. So what is Hinchley Wood? The magazine is still produced by the team at St Christopher’s Church but we’ve got loads of creative folk from media and arts backgrounds in our community so we decided it was time to make a change and produce something with a bit more sophistication, with more information about the goings on in your community of Hinchley Wood.

We’re going to send it out to everyone in the parish, and as well as your old favourites from schools, Scouts and Guides, you can expect some great articles!

In this first issue you can read about local resident Knut Wylde, Manager of Claridges Hotel, see what Squires Garden Centre has on offer this Easter, find out the history of local place names, make some yummy treats from a recipe provided by local Pampered Chef representative, Anne Morgan and get 04

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up to date information on children and the use of social media.

Our next issue will be out in July. We want this magazine to be about YOU: the people of Hinchley Wood. So if you’ve got something interesting to tell us, or you just want to share some information about something going on in Hinchley Wood, just email it to the parish office and Mandy Ali will make sure it gets to the editor’s office in time for the next edition! Just make sure you get it to us by the 25th May. We hope to hear from you soon!

Suzie Pepperell, EDITOR

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CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Herbert Marketing Liaison I have a marketing and PR background in the hotel industry. I am an active part of St Christopher’s and a stay-at-home mum of three.

Neville Thurlbeck Features Editor I’m the Director of Communications for The Retail Ombudsman.

I run the PR company Clear Vista Media and am a journalist and author. I also ring the bells at St Christopher’s.

Mandy Ali Production Manager I previously edited The Medallion and the Community Magazine.

My professional background is in PA/ Secretarial work but I have always had a passion for writing and literature.

Jon Usher Art Director After studying art & design at Central St. Martins I found my way into advertising.

15 years and a whole head of hair later, I’m still living the adland dream in London.

Want to be part of the team? If you have the time and think you can help contribute to the magazine please email us and we’ll be in touch office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell us what you think of the new magazine! Email us at office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk with your thoughts and your name will be entered into a prize draw for this gorgeous aluminised steel brownie pan worth over £20 kindly donated by Anne Morgan of Pampered Chef!!

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KNUT WYLDE

In the first Spotlight interview, Knut Wylde tells us how he came to be manager of Claridge’s, one of the World’s most prestigious hotels, whilst bringing up his two children with his wife in Hinchley Wood.

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How did you get in the hotel industry?

Well, believe it or not, my career in the hospitality industry actually started in 1983 in a small Italian village called San Geminiano, where I was on holiday with my parents and sister. We were having dinner in a small pizzeria, when I suddenly got up, went to the owner, ask for a pencil and pad and started taking orders and serving food. After that I was the head waiter for every function at our house, equipped with a napkin over my arm and the pencil and pad close at hand. Several part time jobs, placements in restaurants and small hotels were to follow.

system offered in Germany as one of the best training grounds. Not only do you work in every department of a hotel; you also attend a hotel management school during the 2 ½ year apprenticeship and graduate with a Hotel Management Business Certificate (1995). I decided not to take the route of attending some of the famous Swiss Hotel Schools but rather gain my experience “grafting” in a hotel. To further my academic skills I attended Cornell University in State New York for a 6 week management summer program in 1998 and then in 2008 I attended a two-week General Managers Program at Cranfield University.

Where did you start your career?

Where has your career taken you so far?

I graduated from High School in 1990 and started studying Hotel & Tourism Management for 2 years. After completing my study of Hotel & Tourism Management I left my home town and moved 100 kilometres south to the lovely city of Hamburg. Before I was allowed to start my apprenticeship as a Hotel Management Trainee at the legendary Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten I had to complete a six months voluntary internship as a bellboy.

Yes, I was wearing that little hat and moving the revolving doors. After that I was allowed to start my training programme, which took a further 2½ years, allowing me to gain insight into all departments of the then 106-yearold grand hotel. After passing the exams I stayed for another year working on the reception desk leaving the hotel in 1996 in the capacity of Night Manager.

What was your first experience in hotels?

Apart from staying in hotels as a guest while on holiday with my family I had a two-week work experience stint in my home town during the last year of high school. This was in a small hotel “garni” (similar to a B&B over here) and confirmed my desire take up a career in hospitality.

What qualifications have you achieved related to the hotel industry and where did you gain these?

My first hospitality related qualification was my Economics Management Degree in Tourism in 1992. I regard the apprenticeship

One of the reasons to start my career in hospitality was to be able to travel, see the world and experience many different cultures. I have been very fortunate and lucky to have been given the opportunity to live and work in some amazing locations.

After leaving Germany in 1996 I moved to London for the first time. I started at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane before joining The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner.

The Lanesborough was part of Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, an International Hotel company which gave me the opportunity to work abroad. This then took me to St Moritz, Switzerland and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where I spent about 6 months each being part of the hotel opening teams. I then moved to Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands where I spend two amazing years before returning to London in 2002 where I joined The Savoy Hotel. In 2006 my wife and I were craving sunshine and subsequently moved to the Maldives working for the amazing One & Only Reethi Rah. After we had enough of the sun and with our first daughter on the way we relocated to Scotland where I took on the challenge of running the hospitality side of Loch Lomond Golf Club. With our second daughter being born on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond it was time to return to London in 2010 where I was part of the opening team of The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

After successful opening and positioning this property I joined Coworth Park in Ascot, the Dorchester Collections Country House SPRING 2015

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Hotel before joining Claridge’s in March of 2014.

What is your role in Claridge’s and what’s your day to day life like?

In my role as the hotel manager I have operational responsibility of the day to day running of the hotel with a strong focus on guest and employee satisfaction, product quality, operational efficiency as well as staffing matters and revenues. Further I work closely with the General Manager on developing our future strategies and oversee projects including multimillion pound refurbishment projects.

“It’s very fulfilling to be working in one of the most luxurious and well respected five star hotels in the world.”

What makes Claridge’s stand out from other London hotels?

Claridge’s is a wonderful and unique hotel.

Our artist-in-residence, David Downton, always says, “Claridge’s is Claridge’s, and everywhere else is everywhere else.” We are very proud of our heritage and the many historic moments and stories Claridge’s has, but what makes the hotel special is that we are conscious of the present and the future. And we find it very important that the overall Claridge’s experience has a feeling of relevance to today. This is reflected in our design choices and our partnerships, but also in how we approach the single most important element in hotels—our service.

What are some of the biggest challenges of running a Five-Star hotel?

Something that gets a lot of focus is our service and our team, however I wouldn’t want to call that a challenge. It is great fun to work with our people. We have some of the world’s best hoteliers under one roof. The challenge is to keep motivation levels up, to create excitement every day, to nurture 08

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a sense of perfection, to deliver a lasting and meaningful experience consistently and at the same time do this effortlessly and naturally. The secret is this has to come from within and you have to be sincere in your approach to service and luxury on all levels.

What are your favorite features of Claridge’s?

I love the overall feel of Claridge’s: the lobby, our food, the atmosphere, the people – staff and guests alike. I am very proud of our newly created restaurant, Fera at Claridge’s.

How do you think luxury has evolved?

In the past, luxury was all about offering guests the widest choice possible, whereas today, it is more about an edited choice, carefully chosen and curated for them by experts. Sometimes a fully immersed experience is required, guided by us, and sometimes guests want to be fully in control of the experience themselves. I believe what matters more is that the experience is authentic and that it makes sense.

How do you balance a busy, demanding career with your family life – wife and two young daughters?

That can be the hard part as the hours of the hotel job are demanding. I am very fortunate having a very understanding wife who fully supports me. The good thing is that she used to work in hotels (that is how we met) so she knows the demands of the industry. I am fortunate enough not having to work too many weekends so that I can dedicate them to my girls.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Each day tends to be different, that’s why I love my job. It’s also very fulfilling to be working in one of the most luxurious and well respected five star hotels in the world being surrounded by the most amazing people.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

I firmly believe that if you love your job there are no hard parts. My work has become more of a lifestyle and looking at it that way makes it very special.

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How long have you lived in Hinchley Wood and why did you choose this area?

We have known this area very well for many years. My wife grew up in Esher and we used to live in Surbiton for many years before we left for the Maldives. When we relocated back to London from Scotland we first moved back into our flat in Surbiton and then started our house hunt and moved to Hinchley Wood in early 2011. Having two young children the choice of good schools was certainly another driving factor as well as being close to London and at the same time having great access to the outdoors.

What do you do to relax in and around Hinchley Wood?

We love being out and about. Being close to Thames Ditton, Hampton Court and Kingston is great. We love taking out the bikes with the kids and go for walks in Bushy Park and especially in the Woodland Garden.

I love playing golf and this area gives me great choice and access to some amazing courses. The one I actually enjoy a lot is Moore Place in Esher as it allows me to play a quick round and be back home swiftly for some family time. We also love the variety of pubs and restaurants in the area.

What’s your favourite hotel in or out of the UK?

This is a question I am asked a lot and is one of the hardest to answer. For me it first of all depends for what reason I am looking for a hotel. Is it for business or pleasure?

Do I want action or relaxation? For purely

personal and sentimental reasons the one that is special to me is Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands. After all this is where I asked my now wife the allimportant question and she said yes…

What’s your favourite Holiday place?

That again is very difficult to answer. It depends what we are after and what mood I am in. We tend to enjoy places with sun and beaches. One of the best holidays was a sailing trip in the Caribbean but then we spent a super week in Dorset last year.

What’s your favourite type of Holiday?

The perfect holiday for me is one where I can spend a lot of time with my 3 ladies! The location becomes secondary. As I spend so much time in hotels it is actually nice not to stay in a hotel. A nice B&B or Villa Rental can also be amazing but then we do go back to a hotel from time to time to get the extra special service we all love so much.

What should we look for in a good hotel?

Well, it depends again on your reason of your visit. Location for me is very important.

In terms of the hotel itself I would always look out for a hotel that has a very strong focus on service. At the end of the day it is the staff of hotels who make everything happen. They are the ones who create the very special moments that will make you go back to this hotel; not the amazing TV!

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THE FINISHING TOUCH PROFESSIONAL PAINTING AND DECORATING

Local service providing high quality interior and exterior painting and decorating, carpentry and polish plastering.

City & Guilds Qualified Call Anthony today for a Free Quotation

020 8398 6855 0770 1092786 Or email: info@thefinishingtouchltd.com Your Recommendation is my Reputation!

YOGA CLASSES AT ST CHRISTOPHER’S Beginners Welcome!

Classes are structured to allow beginners to work alongside more experienced students.•The programme is planned to allow beginners to learn in a safe and supportive environment, and for more experienced students to progress or maintain their practice.

General Classes Mon Mon Tue Wed Sat

10–11.30am Dolores Pinto 07984 654985 7.30–9.00pm Sharon Kipps 07350 135738 7.30–9.00pm Jane Howard 07768 023213 1.00–2.30pm Judith Richards 07761 078251 8.30–10.00am Nicola Pritchard 07976 256045 Anna Holmes 07528 848474

Church Church Hall Hall Hall

Supported class - for students needing more support in their practice through illness, injury or aging:

Tue 2.45–4.00pm Judith Richards 07761 078251 Hall

Contact the teacher of the class of your choice or email: yogadham@btinternet.com www.yogadham.co.uk

HAIR CREATIONS for creative styling

Opening Hours: Mondays 9:00am-5:00pm Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:00am-6:00pm Wednesdays 9:00am-5:00pm Fridays 8:00am-7:00pm Saturdays 8:00am-5:00pm

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INSPIRATION | IN THE GARDEN

EGG-CELLENT EASTER With spring-time finally upon us, Squire’s Garden Centre in Long Ditton has some fantastic gardening activities for both adults and children to enjoy over the Easter period.

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uying herbs in packets at the supermarket is expensive and let’s face it, we usually end up throwing away more than we use. Squire’s has an alternative solution - a fun and informal gardening workshop to plant and create a Kitchen Windowsill Trough that can be kept inside or outside and won’t occupy valuable kitchen space. It will take place on Friday 20 March at 10am and 2pm at the Long Ditton centre. At a cost of just £15 per person, you’ll be given expert tuition as you plant out your own herbs in a trough, ready to take home, and use in your cooking. The price includes plants, soil and the trough itself.

April is a wonderful month to welcome wildlife, so why not also try your hand at the Wildlife Crate Gardening Workshop taking place on Friday 17 April, at 10am and 2pm.

For just £25 per person, you’ll be guided through how to fill your crate with colourful cottage plants and wildflowers to take home so you can watch nature be drawn to your garden. Again the price includes plants, soil and the crate itself.

they plant a beautiful Easter bunny basket, to take home and care for as it grows in the garden. All for just £5.50. Children can also take part in a FREE Easter hunt and will receive a mini chocolate egg.

‘Create & Grow’ Easter Half-Term Fun activities are run on a first come, first serve basis – while stocks last, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, head along to your local Squire’s Garden Centre, or visit the website.

All gardening workshops and ‘Create & Grow’ will take place at all Squire’s Garden Centres apart from Chertsey. Booking is essential for these events and can be made at the information desk.

Check the website www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk for full details.

Whether you’re a gardening expert or completely new to it all, these workshops are suitable for all levels of experience.

At both workshops, participants will receive a voucher for a complementary tea or coffee to enjoy in the café bar after the session.

Budding little gardeners will be guided as 12

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IN THE GARDEN | INSPIRATION

The Easter Special ‘Create & Grow’ programme for children gets off to a hopping start on Monday 30th March from 9am - 12pm and will run on the following dates:

Monday 30th March

Tuesday 31th March

Wednesday 1st April

Thursday 2nd April

Monday 6th April

Tuesday 7th April

Wednesday 8th April

Thursday 9th April

Friday 10th April

* Basket shapes may vary

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EDUCATION | HINCHLEY WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

BUILDING BLOCKS Hinchley Wood Primary School continues its preparations as it heads towards becoming a 3 form entry school.

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ou may know that we are about to expand our school to become a 3-form entry school. This means that there will be 3 classes in every year group. The gradual increase of numbers over the last 4 years has proved a gentle process of expansion and has allowed us to refine and to develop further our core purpose at Hinchley Wood Primary School.

Parents work in close partnership with us in all aspects of school life, from contributing time in the school day (sustaining and improving on high standards of achievement) to raising funds for projects which enrich the quality of education provision across the premises and across the curriculum.

We are working together to optimise the opportunities which the expansion programme brings us.

We were successful in our re-assessment of the Values charter mark in June 2014. A group of governors and parents were invited to speak at a conference on the importance of our school values in our community.

The feedback they got was that they presented our work in a “warm, welcoming, encouraging and knowledgeable way�. That will be an important feature of teaching and learning at our school, however many pupils we admit.

DID YOU KNOW...

Our most recent whole school achievement was to be awarded the anti- bullying charter mark.

Once again, governors, parents and staff worked together to be confident that our children feel safe and supported in their learning and their friendships throughout the school day. Whatever the size of our school, the safety and well-being of the children will be the first focus of the adults around them in our learning community.

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HINCHLEY WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION | EDUCATION

LOCAL COMMUNITY IS KEY

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elcome to Hinchley Wood Primary School Association.

We exist for two main objectives. Firstly, we strive to increase the levels of participation in wider school life of both our children and also of the parent and carer community. Secondly, through that participation we aim to raise funds to enable the school to buy equipment and services that directly benefit our children, enhance their learning environment but would otherwise be out of reach.

We organise a diverse and wide range of activities and events throughout the year, some internal to the school such as children’s discos and fashion shows, but also larger events such as our Fireworks night and the Summer Fair (pictures below) which are open to the wider community.

Having a sense of being part of the local community is key, and that is why we are keen to involve local businesses and the wider community in our activities.

We always try and use local suppliers as we believe the produce is of the highest quality.

We look forward to welcoming you to join in with our events.

EVENTS THIS YEAR 9th May

Summer Ball

20th June

Summer Fair

Open to the Community

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Christian Aid Week 2015 Christian Aid Week is the single biggest act of Christian witness in the UK. For thousands of people throughout the country, it s a way of answering Jesus’s call to help people in need, and showing the community just how much good the church is doing in the world. Our House-to-House Collections, organised by local churches, raise almost 9 million every year.

Christian Aid Week 2015 will focus on our transformative work in Ethiopia.

Alone, Afraid and in Pain

Loko's daily battle to stop her children starving.

oko is frightened of being attacked by hyenas with no one to hear her screams. So she prays as she walks. Her faith pushes her on.

It’s a job she dreads, but she has no choice she must continue, week after week. If she doesn’t, her children will starve. As it is, oko can only afford to give them one small meal a day. oko refuses to give up hope. She dreams of owning a cow one day its milk would help her children to grow strong, and she could also sell some so she could save enough money to set up a small business buying and selling tea and coffee. ive oko hope. Our collectors will be dropping envelopes through as many front doors as they can. When they come round to collect them, please give generously. If you will be out, think about dropping the envelope with your donation into St Christopher’s Church.

oko walks alone for eight hours a day, in shoes so thin that thorns repeatedly pierce through to her feet, to gather and sell firewood so she can feed her children.

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With your help, we can provide cows to vulnerable women in Ethiopia - just 150 is enough to buy a female cow and a promising future for someone like oko.

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HINCHLEY WOOD SECOBDARY SCHOOL | EDUCATION

THINKING OF OTHERS Students at Hinchley Wood School not only think of others but they also take action!

Support for Ebola Crisis

Through fund raising assemblies and parental donations the school has collected £1,300 for the Ebola Crisis Appeal. A parent who has been in West Africa, helping to set up an Ebola Treatment Centre, told the school the money will go towards financing a number of survivor kits; these comprise a few months’ worth of food and are given to people who have been discharged from the treatment centres to help ensure they make a full recovery.

Helping Young Language Learners

To mark the European Day of Languages, 90 Thames Ditton Juniors pupils were invited

by Hinchley Wood students to take part in a languages festival. The Year 6 children were given a taste of six different languages in small groups hosted by HWS students who were either studying a language or speak it at home. The languages shared ranged from Gujarati and Japanese to Polish and Italian.

Learning about Poverty

Another charity to benefit from HWS support was Action Against Hunger, when students and staff took part in the national ‘Live Below the Line’ campaign; their challenge was to live for just £1.00 a day for five days. As well as raising awareness of the poverty that affects over 1 billion people worldwide, the total funds raised from sponsorship totalled £950. This was the second year running that HWS students have taken part in this very worthwhile campaign and the combined total donated so far is an impressive £3,000.

Charity Knitters

Students and staff also joined forces for the BIG KNIT, a nationwide campaign that got people knitting mini hats for Innocent Smoothie drinks. For each hat knitted and sold the company donated 25p to Age UK who helped keep the elderly warm during the winter months with blankets, hot water bottles and hot meals; Hinchley Wood despatched 254 hats!

Following on from this, the school appointed 15 Language Ambassadors from Year 9 (aged 13 and 14 years), who trained during their lunchtime to teach basic Spanish to the junior school pupils. The Year 6s were taught simple things like greetings, numbers, colours and school vocabulary; the juniors were apparently “fascinated” and spoke Spanish as they walked back to school!

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KEEPING UP

WITH THE

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Louisa Jenkins helps level the playing field with this insider guide to Social Media.

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he modern world is different in so many ways and technology and the rise of social media is moving so fast it’s hard to keep up! Today’s kids are ‘born digital’ and their growing pains are being played out online. Understanding and guidance can help smooth the transition towards responsible online behaviour.

Privacy is always a concern for any communication carried out online and kids may need to understand the difference between a real world friend and an online one who might actually be a stranger. The internet can often seem like an imaginary place for young children and they may need reminding that they still need to remember

the usual rules about talking to strangers.

This also applies in the case of Cyber Bullying, it can be much easier to be mean when you’re not face to face with a person, so you may like to remind your kids that there are other kids, really sitting in their rooms and reading what they’ve said.

Age-inappropriate content is easy to access and whilst you may have the correct parental controls set up, your kids may be able to access content if someone in their social networking circle makes it available to them.

Sadly Online Grooming is on the increase, so make sure you know who your kids are SPRING 2015

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connecting with, it’s easy to hide behind a fake profile. In addition to the obvious concerns, your child’s Emotional Wellbeing can be negatively affected if their social network isn’t as big as their friends or they have been excluded from a certain group – really this is no different from playground bullying, just a little harder to spot.

Here are some tips to help your kids be safe online: • Connect with your kids – talk to them about the risks and make sure communication lines are always open • Make a deal with your child that you must be friends with them on any network, and that new friends should only be accepted when you are both confident it is safe • Check their privacy setting on a regular basis – sites are often changing policies and it’s important to know when this might affect your kids • Stay calm – if your kids come to you with an online problem deal with it calmly rather than threatening to take away devices, this will help them feel confident in asking for help • Reputation – make sure your kids know anything they post online is permanent –

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they should only post things they would be happy for parents or teachers to see • Teach them to be a good friend – avoid posting pictures or statements that could hurt or upset someone • If they are upset they should speak to a real person, not vent online Here we look at a few of the most popular sites and apps that your kids might be using.

Facebook: is the original and largest social media site going. Tweens/Teens are increasingly leaving this in favour of sites and apps that offer richer features and a safe haven from watchful parents.

Need to know: To sign up you need to be 13 or over. Privacy controls are complex and need to be managed carefully to ensure content stays visible to a limited network. Be aware that messaging within the site is open to access from people who don’t know you.

Twitter: microblogging site, allows 140 character updates, you can also follow other users activities.

Need to know: It’s popular because it’s quick and easy. Also great for keeping up with celebrity gossip and breaking news.

The default is public, but you can keep

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you tweets private if you alter settings. It’s immediate, so avoid posting ‘in the heat of the moment’. It’s a promo tool for celebs and invites a whole new level of celebrity worship.

Instagram: One of the most popular sites, users can post photos with fun filters and effects on them. You can follow other users and comment on pics.

Need to know: Teens/Tweens are on the look out for likes and may measure success or even self worth by the number of likes and comments. Public photos are the default setting and the addition of #hashtags (using the hash sign before a word makes the photo searchable for that term) can make photo’s visible to those beyond your kids actual followers. Additionally the use of geotagging (tagging images with the physical location) is a worry for parents. Private messaging is now an option and although there is nothing wrong with group chats , kids may be more likely to share inappropriate content with their inner circle. Mature content is available, terms of service state you must be over 13 and not to post nude or sexually suggestive images, but there are no rules about drugs, violence or swear words.

Snapchat: A phone messaging app which allows users to set a time limit on photos or videos before they disappear.

Need to know: Data is data, whenever an image is sent it never truly goes away. It can make sexting (sending messages with sexual content) seem acceptable and it appears ‘untraceable’.

and view looping 6-second video clips.

Need to know: It’s full of inappropriate videos, there’s a lot of clever, funny stuff on Vine but most of it isn’t for kids. There are significant privacy concerns, everything is public by default. If your kids film you being silly, you may want to talk about where they are planning on sharing it!

Ask.fm: social site that lets kids ask and answer questions – sometimes anonymously Need to know: Although there are some friendly interactions, there are lots of mean comments and some creepy sexual posts. Bullying is a major concern with this site. Best option is to turn off anonymous answers and keep out of the live stream.

WhatsApp: essentially a free unlimited sms app Need to know: Users should be 16 or over.

It automatically connects to your address book. Although it’s great for the pocket kids may still need limits set. Comes with the same sexting warnings as Snapchat.

There are so many different ways to communicate online and the circle is widening every day, especially as many of these sites are also available on smartphones or as apps. The internet is still a wonderful place, a great place to learn and thanks to social media it’s now possible to interact with people who you can learn from.

You’ll be fighting a losing battle trying to get your kids to stay away from the technology so embrace it, learn about it and join in along with them so you can teach them to use it responsibly and keep them safe.

Vine: a social media app that lets users post

GET IN TOUCH WITH LOUISA Louisa Jenkins is a freelance Marketing Consultant.

For advice or access to one of her one-to-one marketing workshops to help your business please contact her on louisajenkins2013@gmail.com

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COMMUNITY | THE HINCHLEY WOOD COMMUNITY HUB

HINCHLEY WOOD COMMUNITY HUB Find out why St Christopher’s Church and Church Hall have grown to become ‘the venue of choice’.

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t Christopher’s Church and Church Hall are now used for so many activities and functions that the facilities in Claygate Lane are now simply referred to as the Community Hub.

“It’s great to see the Church making available its buildings for wider community use”

She always likes to hear from new potential hirers and is happy to discuss individual requirements.

The Hub has a pre-school nursery, dance groups to suit a range of tastes (and energy levels!), children’s film matinées, yoga, taichi, kung fu, Weight Watchers, Mothers Union, wedding and baptism parties and a host of other regular and one-off events.

Mandy says “If you don’t know where we are, why not visit us on 7 May when we become a Polling Station for the day?”

Rev John Kronenberg

Mandy Ali, House Manager (Tel: 020 8398 9095) is in charge. She has a list of hirers from A to Z and everything in between. To be more specific - from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (music exams to you and me) all the way through to Zumba!

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In fact, over 40 organisations and individuals use this important local resource with its ability to cater for numbers of almost any size at competitive prices. It’s part of what makes living in Hinchley Wood so agreeable.

It doesn’t stop there, though. The Parochial Church Council want to make the experience

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THE HINCHLEY WOOD COMMUNITY HUB | COMMUNITY

of coming to the Community Hub a whole lot better, and in 2015 there are plans to make major upgrades to the buildings, driveways and parking areas.

Tim Blair, Project Co-ordinator, says “I’m excited about the changes which include improved driveways, proximity parking and better disabled access; a new floor for the Church Hall; better heating controls; solar panels to generate electricity and save on utility costs; reducing the carbon footprint through a range of energy-saving measures and many other enhancements that will benefit everyone. This is very good news for Hinchley Wood – both for church-goers and the community at large.”

However, nothing comes cheaply these days

and the ongoing funding for the Project includes an allocation from St Christopher’s own reserves, a successful Eco Fund Capital Appeal, grants received from trusts, a grant from Elmbridge Borough Council with other possible sources such as our County Council.

Among the many individual supporters is Cllr Mike Bennison who has shown his enthusiasm for the Community Hub by donating £1000 from his Surrey County Councillor’s Member Allocation.

With fundraising not yet complete and contributions still actively sought, it is hoped to secure all the funding needed by Easter.

This would enable the works to be scheduled over the remainder of 2015.

HIRE THE HALL OR CHURCH...

The Hall has a good-sized stage, a modern kitchen with brand new appliances, new toilets and disabled facilities and a huge canopied outdoor decking area. It is now the largest venue of its kind in Hinchley Wood. The Church itself is an extremely large and versatile space seating 300+ people – ideal for choir or orchestral performances, lectures, rehearsals and playgroups.

For more details please telephone the Parish Office (weekday mornings) on 020 8398 9095, or email office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk SPRING 2015

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COMMUNITY | THE HINCHLEY WOOD COMMUNITY HUB

WHAT’S ON? Take a look at all the great activities that are happening every day at the Hinchley Wood Community Hub Weekdays during term time:

Christopher Robin Nursery School (Hall)

Mondays:

9:15am: 6:45pm: 7:30pm: 1st Monday each month:

Tuesdays: 3:45pm: 5:30pm: 7:30pm: 7:30pm:

Zumba with Maria Mitchell (Church) Clubbercise (Church) Broadway Sequence Dance (Hall) Theology at The Angel (8:00pm at The Angel Pub) Yoga with Judith Richards (Hall) Yoga with Judith Richards (Hall) Yoga with Jane Howard (Hall) Line Dancing (Church)

Wednesdays:

9:30am: 1:00pm: 3:00pm: 7:30pm: 8:00pm: 1st Wednesday each month: 2nd Wednesday each month: 4th Wednesday each month:

Thursdays: 9:15am: 6:00pm: 7:30pm:

Stay & Play (Church) Yoga with Judith Richards (Hall) Yoga with Judith Richards (Hall) Pilates with Jo James (Hall) Kung Fu with Andy King (Hall) Girls@Georgie’s (8:00pm at Georgie’s Coffee Shop) Mother’s Union Monthly Meeting (7:30pm Church) Women’s Wednesday Fellowship (7:30pm at Hinchley Wood School) Zumba with Maria Mitchell (Church) Weight Watchers (Hall) Band or Choir Practice (Church)

Fridays:

1st Friday each month: 2nd/3rd Friday each month:

Saturdays: 8:30am:

Messy Church (3:30pm in the Church) Family Film Matinee (3:30pm in the Hall) Yoga with Nicola Pritchard (Hall)

Sundays:

3rd Sunday each month:

Mustard Seeds service at 3:00pm (Church)

The church is also regularly used by the National Blood Transfusion Service and as a Polling Station for Elmbridge.

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REGULAR SERVICES AT ST CHRISTOPHER’S Sunday Mornings at 10:00am Family Communion Service 1st & 3rd Sundays Communion Service with Sunday School 2nd & 4th Sundays Sunday Evenings at 6:00pm - Various Services as advertised Weekday Mornings at 9:15am - Morning Prayer Thursday Mornings at 10:30am - Midweek Communion 1st Friday of the Month - Messy Church 3rd Sunday of the Month - Mustard Seeds

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vicars, ministers and lay workers. These are supported and trained by teams employed by the diocese who offer help and resources to the parishes, as well as our 2 bishops and other senior clergy.

The Diocese of uildford is The Church of England in most of Surrey and orth East Hampshire, as well as parishes in West Sussex and the ondon Borough of Kingston. The Diocese has 21 church buildings which see more than 25,000 people worshipping on an average Sunday, in addition to many thousands more of all ages who use those buildings or neighbouring Church halls on weekdays for church activities and community clubs and meetings.

The diocese straddles the orth Downs, extending from tiny rural communities to the busy commuter towns, with areas of challenging social depravation and great affluence in sharp contrast. From Egham down to oxwood and from Walton-onThames across to Farnham there are villages and market towns, suburbs and urban areas, organi ed into 163 parishes, led by local

1. lb Judges verse 25 2. lb Jeremiah I verse 20 3. 1 tablespoon I Samuel I verse 25 4. 3 of Jeremiah II verse 11 5. lb Samuel verse 12 6. lb ahum III verse 12 chopped . 2o umbers II verse 8 blanched and chopped 8. 1lb I Kings I verse 22 9. Season with 2 Chronicles I verse 9

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The Diocese of uildford s Common urpose is to grow communities of faith and engagement. It enjoys close links with over 90 local schools as well as closer involvement with a fast-growing number of academies, where in terms of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools 98 are ood or Outstanding . Its 2 3 licensed clergy and chaplains provide service to parishes, hospitals, schools, sports teams, prisons and many more areas.

The work of the Diocese of uildford is supported and enabled by an enormous host of volunteers who give their time so freely.

They enable worship, education, music, youth and children’s work, plus a range of social projects to facilitate and brighten human lives.

10. A pinch of eviticus II verse 13 11. A teaspoonful of Amos I verse 5 12. 3 tablespoons of Judges I verse 19

Ingredients

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The relationship between Church and state in this country means that every one of the 1 million or so people who live in our area has a parish church, and access to its support and facilities when they need them most, often at life events such as Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.

ote. eaven probably means baking powder Method Beat 1, 2 and 3 to a cream.

Add 4 one at a time still beating.

Then add 5, 6 and and beat again.

Add 8, 9, 10 and 11 having previously mixed them.

Then add 12.

Bake in a low oven for 1 hours.

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Spring 2015 Come and join us for Messy Church at St Christopher’s, Hinchley Wood.

Our fun, after-school, Christian event for children of all ages accompanied by their parents/grandparents/carers.

There are refreshments, craft activities, bible stories, prayers, lively action songs and a cooked tea for everyone from 3:30pm until about 6:00pm Friday Friday Friday Friday

3rd April 1st May 5th June 3rd July

Good Friday Who Is God? Who Is Jesus?

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

EVERYONE WELCOME! NO NEED TO BOOK - JUST TURN UP SUGGESTED DONATION £1.00

STAY AND PLAY at St Christopher’s Church on Wednesday Mornings in term time from 9:30am to 11:00am

A group for parents/carers/under 5’s every Wednesday at St Christopher’s Church Just drop in for toys, games, crafts, free play, singing and circle time, garden, refreshments For more details,contact the Parish Office on 020 8398 9095

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INSPIRATION | IN THE KITCHEN

Tasty tips

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

My name’s Anne and I’ve been the local representivive for Pampered Chef for 7 years! So if you’re looking for some Easter inspiration for the kitchen, look no further.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES 110g butter 250g sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 140g plain flour 40g cocoa powder Pinch of salt 110g chopped walnuts (optional) 200g chocolate chunks 50g mini fudge chunks 100g white chocolate and mini Easter Eggs to decorate

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

Place butter in Classic Batter Bowl – microwave on HIGH for 30–40 seconds, or until melted. Add sugar, egg, vanilla to batter bowl, mix well using Stainless Steel Whisk. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, add to bowl and whisk until smooth. Chop nuts (if using and choclate with Food Chopper and stir in the fudge chunks and half of the nuts and chocolate.

Place batter into Brownie Pan using Large Scoop. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until set in centre (do not overbake). Meanwhile chop white chocolate coarsely with Food Chopper.

When it comes out, put the rest of the chocolate on top and with the Small Spreader, spread it around until it melts and then throw on the other half of the walnuts.

Sprinkle over white chocolate and decorate with mini chocolate Easter Eggs.

Place on Non-Stick Cooling Rack still in Brownie Pan. Serve warm or cold!

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IN THE KITCHEN | INSPIRATION

SMOTHERED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC Serves 4-6 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil or garlic-infused olive oil, plus extra olive oil for spraying 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 oven-ready chicken (about 1.8 kg) 1 lemon, cut into quarters 3 – 4 whole garlic bulbs/heads, separated into cloves and peeled (about 40 cloves)

Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas 5.

Lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with olive oil; set aside. Combine half of therosemary with the paprika, salt and black pepper in the 250ml Prep Bowl; set aside. Remove and discard giblets (if present) from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim excess fat, if necessary. Place lemon quarters and remaining rosemary inside cavity of chicken.

Tie ends of legs together with kitchen string. Lift wing tips up towards neck, then tuck under back of chicken. Place chicken, breast-side up, into prepared baker.

Brush outside of chicken with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush; coat chicken completely with seasoning mixture. Arrange garlic cloves around chicken. Bake, covered, 1 hour.

Carefully remove lid and continue roasting 25–35 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with a skewer.

Remove chicken from baker to Reversible Bamboo Carving Board using Meat Lifters; let stand 10 minutes before carving. Carve chicken using Carving Set. Remove garlic from drippings; serve with chicken.

GET IN TOUCH WITH ANNE Never heard of Pampered Chef? We offer great quality kitchen tools which are practical and lovely to cook with. These are available through our in-home cooking parties or you can order direct from me. Hosting a party is really easy. They’re a good fun social, our recipes are simple but spectacular and of course we all get to eat what we’ve cooked! So if you’d like to host your own party, coffee morning or fundraiser, or if you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you: Anne Morgan, 07950 290535 or www.pamperedchef/biz/annemorgan We also offer a very successful business opportunity where you can earn an extra £300–500 per month! Do call if you’d like to find out more.

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COMMUNITY | ST. CHRISTOPHER’S CHURCH

WHO’S WHO? 1: THE CURATE My job... or some of what I do alongside adults & infants!

by Rev’d Caroline Mullins Baptism – have you ever thought about

having your child ‘Christened?’ If you live in St Christopher’s parish, or you worship regularly at the church, then you might want to talk to us about this. We encourage you to come along and see if we’re the sort of church family you would like to be part of.

And I visit families to help them to get ready for their child’s baptism.

Stay & Play - do you have a pre-school child

and sometimes wonder how to meet others in the same situation? I run the toddler group at St Christopher’s – yes actually in the church! We’re open on Wednesday mornings during term time, from 9.30-11am. There are activities, plenty of space, refreshments, and song & story time at the end.

Mustard Seeds @ 3pm – parents with very

young children will enjoy this 1⁄2 hour service once a month on a Sunday afternoon. We have a Bible story, songs and prayers suitable for the very young and their families.

And we have tea and cake afterwards!

Messy Church – once a month on Friday afternoons (3.30-6pm) we get messy, have fun, celebrate together and then share a cooked meal. It’s a completely different way of doing church. If you haven’t been, come along and see. You can come straight after school – if you don’t mind the school uniform getting messy.

Girls @ Georgies - well, I used to lead this

each month, but now lots of other people take turns, which is even better. We have 34

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a glass of wine or a coffee and sort out the problems of the world! Our topics have ranged from war to sex education, terrorism to friendship, fracking to life after death.

For details about any or all of the above, ring Caroline on 020 8224 3334 or email me curate@stchristopherschurch.org.uk

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ST. CHRISTOPHER’S CHURCH | COMMUNITY

SHARING GOD’S WORK Vicar

Reverend John Kronenberg The Vicarage, 98 Manor Road North vicar@stchristopherschurch.org.uk 020 8786 6391 (Day Off : Friday)

Curate

Priest in Retirement

Reverend Fred Harte 01372 802548

Pastoral Assistant

020 8339 0850

Moira Beardshall

Contact Church Office

Gift Aid Administrator Servers Team

Parish Office

Open 9:00-13:00pm, Monday-Friday 020 8398 9095 office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk

Parish Administrator Churchwardens

Sacristy Team

Hilda Highley, John Kronenberg, Caroline Mullins, Jean Hoseason

Band and Choir Leader Philippa Kronenberg

GodZone Sunday School Jane Barnett

Liz Hammond 020 8786 6802 Margaret Thomson 020 8398 4156

020 8398 9095

Mark Schuringa 020 8339 8841 mark@dittonwinetraders.co.uk Tracey Warren 020 8398 3624 tracey124@ntlworld.com

Deputy Churchwardens Celia Francis Eileen Griffiths Suzie Pepperell

Heather Allen

Ivan Burnside & Sean Warren

Reverend Caroline Mullins 1 Chesterfield Drive, Hinchley Wood curate@stchristopherschurch.org.uk 020 8224 3334 (Day Off: Monday)

Mandy Ali

PCC Secretary

020 8398 0657 020 8398 6168 07980 665427

Parochial Church Council

Heather Allen, Moira Beardshall, Tim Blair, Ann Ellis, Celia Francis, Eileen Griffiths, Liz Hammond, Suzie Pepperell,Margaret Thompson, Neville Thurlbeck, R Herbert

Deanery Synod Representatives Liz Hammond & Suzie Pepperell

Stay & Play

020 8398 4082

Wednesday mornings 9:30am-11:15am For pre-school children and parents, grandparents and all carers.

Mothers’ Union

Branch Contact: Philippa Kronenberg 020 8786 6391 pcf.kronenberg@btinternet.com Contact Parish Office Branch Secretary: Suzie Pepperell Branch Treasurer: Moira Beardshall

Women’s Wednesday Fellowship Jean Hayes Maureen Price

020 8398 1914 020 8398 2561

Church & Hall Bookings

Parish Office 020 8398 9095 office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk

Parish Magazine Team

Rachel Herbert , Neville Thurlbeck, Jon Usher, Mandy Ali & Suzie Pepperell Advertising: Mandy Ali 020 8398 9095 Editorial: Suzie Pepperell 07980 665427

www.stchristopherschurch.org.uk SPRING 2015

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The MU is an international Christian charity with over 4 million members in 83 countries! Mothers’ Union actively seeks to support families who are vulnerable in society. Members around the world respond to the needs they see within their own local communities.

In South Africa this may mean using the spare land next to the local church to start a vegetable garden. roduce from the garden is then used to feed families who are affected by HI AIDS and who come each week to share a meal and give mutual support to each other.

Across the UK members run cr ches and craft groups in prisons. They help families to maintain contact and enable children to see their parents in a safe and supportive environment.

Members run Away From It All holidays that give families the opportunity to have uality time together - families who desperately need a break and some extra support.

Many of our members are involved informally in supporting the bereaved in their local area.

We lobby local and national governments and we are represented at the United ations Commission.

In Hinchley Wood, we are very active supporters of a number of local schemes, as well as running fundraising initiatives to raise money for larger appeals.

We support our local Refuges by providing clothes, bedding, kitchen e uipment, and toiletries. We can source all sorts of things when asked recently we provided a really good uality buggy to a young person with a new baby who was homeless. We provide Christmas gifts for children at the refuges, and last Christmas we gave a hamper of treats to every woman in the refuges - over 48 parcels packed and wrapped!

When an emergency situation suddenly destabilises family life, Mothers Union members can provide relief support to meet the most urgent needs facing communities.

These are just some examples of how Mothers’ Union is helping families facing adversity. Whatever the need in the community, Mothers’ Union members are trained and supported to identify relevant needs and how they can help. We have over 300 Community Development Coordinators who help members respond to the needs of families around them.

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Come and join us and be part of an exciting, outward looking group. Contact hilippa Kronenberg on 020 8 86 6391 or email pcf.kronenberg btinternet.com

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We meet on the second Wednesday of the month at St Christopher’s Church for film nights, discussions, talks, and music evenings. There is also an MU communion service at 10:30am on the first Thursday of the month, followed by coffee and biscuits. •We organise day trips and Christmas lunch at a local pub.

8 April 7:30pm 13 May 7:30pm 10 June 7:30pm

Discussion: Are YOU labelled for life?

Desert Island Favourites Talk: Claire Duff on Modern Midwifery

Come along and join us! Call our Branch Contact, Philippa, on 020 8786 6391 or email pcf.kronenberg@btinternet.com

WOMEN’S WEDNESDAY FELLOWSHIP Are you interested in talks, outings and friendship?

The Women’s Wednesday Fellowship is a social organisation, formed in 1958, which is open to ladies of any faith or none.

We meet at 7:30pm on the 4th Wednesday of every month (except August) at St Christopher’s Church or at the School next door. ●Illustrated talks by Entertaining Speakers ●Social Gatherings ●Outings to Theatres and Places of Interest Forthcoming talks include ‘The Life & Times of Jane Austen’, ‘The Work of Parish Pastoral Assistants’ and ‘The Chocolate Man’.

For further information, please contact

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COMMUNITY |WOMEN’S WEDNESDAY FELLOWSHIP

WOMEN’S WEDNESDAY

FELLOWSHIP

The Women’s Wednesday Fellowship meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month.

There are lots of talks and outings. Here are the reports from the last two meetings of 2014.

On we were all looking forward to hearing Margaret atter’s talk on and we were not disappointed!

Margaret then took us along a time-line of the history of toilets. The Romans had communal toilets, for men only. They cleaned themselves with a sponge on a stick or a cloth - both were dipped in vinegar and then put back for further use!

Many other customs were described for example, clothes were hung in castle toilets as it was thought the smells deterred moths. In 18th century eorgian dining rooms one went behind a screen in the same room during the long meals! rimitive flush toilets first appeared in 1 5.

The talk started with a tale of a lady who towed her caravan behind a Morris Minor some years ago. She en uired of the campsite owner if there was a B C on site.

Being too embarrassed to mention the word ‘toilet’ she had used B C to stand for ‘Bathroom Commode’. The site owner misunderstood and thought she meant ‘Baptist Church’. She was informed there was one 9 miles away which would accommodate 25 people at a time and it was advisable to take a packed lunch!

His wife had gone there 6 years ago and had to stand!

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In 1928 the first toilet-rolls arrived. During the war toilet rolls were often in short supply and not very soft. Many of us remembered the newspaper on a string and toilets outside and often down the garden. This is why chamber pots were so useful. owadays we are spoilt with abundant toilet rolls, even a choice of colours and patterns!

Mary Spurgeon ovember 2014

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WOMEN’S WEDNESDAY FELLOWSHIP | COMMUNITY

On we held a joint meeting combined with the Mothers Union. We do this every December. We met in Hinchley Wood School’s Sixth Form Common Room, which was very comfortable. Each year we take it in turns to provide the speaker and this year it was our turn. We were lucky to have three speakers who were going to give a joint talk on .

The first speaker was Avril, respresenting the Jewish faith. Avril outlined the history behind the relatively modern festival of , celebrated since 683 BC and falling on the 25th of the 3rd month in the Jewish calendar, roughly our December.

She showed us various interesting items and explained the significance of the menorah holding 9 candles. She talked about the special foods related to Hannukah & told us about the tradition of giving children gifts on each day of the 8 day festival.

The festival symbolises enlightenment & fun –

The Hindhu speaker, Shantini, explained the ancient festival of Diwali symbolises ‘good over evil’, ‘hope over despair’, ‘knowledge over ignorance’, ‘ . It is also the start of the financial year in India. Small oil lamps are lit, food is prepared, families and friends meet to celebrate and gifts are exchanged.

The vicar of St Christopher’s Church, John Kronenberg, talked about the Old Testament references to light. He then showed the group the church’s Wreath where 4 candles are progressively lit on each of the 4 Sundays preceding Christmas. The fifth candle is lit on Christmas morning - in fact it is done just after midnight at the Midnight Mass service.

This is to symbolise ‘ and a triumph over darkness.

After enjoying hearing from our speakers, we spent a happy hour chatting over hot drinks, sherry and mince pies, and we had a chance to look at all the things the speakers had brought with them - it put us all in a very festive mood!

Jean Hayes December 2014

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? Roger Thompson looks at local history and takes Hinchley Wood back to Saxon times

A

have two old walled settlements one near the Thames and the other a little higher up.

There are several names for Esher but all are connected to the Ash tree which was very important in Saxon religion

That visitor would have been completely right as we shall see in articles to come. What they would not see is that our village is part of a story going back to Saxon times and that the clues to that world are just as readily available as a walk around our streets.

Local names are not without some mysteries. Claygate comes from Clai (clay) and gait (Norse for path) but there is no evidence for Viking settlement anywhere in this area. Cobham which almost certainly originates from Cobbe’s Ham (village) is for some unknown reason called Covenham in the Domesday Book.

visitor to Hinchley Wood would not take long to come to the conclusion that they were in a pre WW2 development area. The row upon row of thirties housing, the large and well kept gardens and the carefully designed village green all tell their story.

That evidence is in the names. Let’s start with Hinchley Wood. In 1241 it was recorded as Hengesthill which comes from the Saxon for Stallions Hill. Horses had religious as well as practical significance for the Saxons.

From this beginning the name gradually evolved. In 1539 it had become Hynkes Hill, Hinks Hill Wood by 1843 and Hinchley by 1860.

Other names around us also tell a story. In Saxon times the Thames had no well shaped banks and was bordered by marshland. In the Saxon language ‘sey’ means island.

Molesey was an island of higher ground between the Thames marshland and the river Mole. A perfect place for settlement.

The word Ditton originates in the combination of Dyke or Dic meaning a wall combined with ‘tun’ another word for settlement. So we

The answers to these two questions have yet to be found. We can see, however, a rich pattern of early Saxon settlement in our area which has left us a wealth of evidence in our village names. You can do the same research in many parts of the UK. Sometimes the names might be Viking or Celtic and even Roman but they all tell a story.

Let’s finish with Kingston or Cynnges Tun which proudly boasts that it hosted the crowning of seven kings. Why was this?

There are several reasons. Kingston had the first bridge across the Thames after London Bridge. King Alfred took control of London but the old Roman town remained deserted.

The people of Wessex lived on its edges. In Alfred’s time London was on the borders of the Danelaw while Kingston was firmly part of Wessex territory and the obvious coronation candidate for Alfred and his descendants.

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COMMUNITY | 1st HINCHLEY WOOD SCOUTS

RECORD SUCCESS 1st Hinchley Wood Scout Group come top... again!

1

st Hinchley Wood Scout troop have yet again won Esher District’s Top Troop Trophy. This trophy is presented annually to the best Scout Troop in Esher District based on a number of events designed to demonstrate a number of different Scouting skills.

The Explorer Scouts didn’t quite achieve the success of 2013 only missing 1st place by 1 point in the SCOPE trophy, the District competition for older Scouts aged between 14 and 18.

This is the first time ever that the Trophy has ever been won by the same Scout Group for 5 years in succession, the previous record of 4 also being set by 1st Hinchley Wood.

Even with the final results of the last competition still to come in Hinchley Wood Scout Troop has such an unassailable lead that it is impossible for one of the other 9 Groups in Esher District to overtake them and claim the trophy.

TOP AWARDS Beavers, Cubs and Scouts

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hilst doing fantastically well in the Esher District competitions there has also been a lot of individual success with 3 Cubs: Fraser, Ilan and Nate all achieving their Chief Scout’s Silver Award, the highest award in the Cub Section (8–11 years old).

We had similar success in the Beaver section (6–8 yrs) with Jamie Tebbs, Ashley Wright, Noah Goddard, Seth Hislop and Sam Vincze all achieving the Chief Scout Bronze award.

To achieve this they had to complete a large number of challenges over their 3 years within the Cub section. The 6 challenge badges, each comprising a number of different tasks are: Creative Challenge, Community Challenge, Fitness Challenge,

In the Scout section we are delighted to have achieved another record as we are about to present 12 Scout with their Chief Scout’s Gold Award, the highest award in the Scout Section (11–15 yrs). This is the highest number ever achieved at one time.

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Global Challenge, Outdoor Challenge & Promise Challenge.

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1st HINCHLEY WOOD SCOUTS | COMMUNITY

If you would like to help support Esher’s most successful Scout Troop call Chris Beaney on 020 8224 0981

www.1stHWScouts.org.uk SPRING 2015

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COMMUNITY | GIRL GUIDES

PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING Fundraising Activities for Hinchley Wood Units

Sunday 10th May

The Guides will be attending THE DITTONS FAIR to raise money for their Switzerland trip.

THE DITTONS FAIR, GIGGS HILL GREEN, THAMES DITTON 1pm – 4.30pm

Saturday 6th June 2015 12-3pm

Hinchley Wood Friends of Guiding Summer Fair Memorial Gardens, Hinchley Wood After the Mothering Sunday and Harvest Festival Church parades at St Christopher’s Church there will be a cake sale to help raise funds for Girl guiding running costs.

Other News

All units will be joining together to celebrate World Thinking Day on 22nd February at Thames Ditton Junior School from 2pm to 4.30pm.The activities will all be based around using recycled materials. We will also be making smoothies with the Elmbridge BC smoothie bike.

This term 4 Brownies went to the Civic Centre to serve tea and cakes to people from local Community Centres and talk about the Brownie centenary exhibition (which some of the Brownies helped install) celebrating 100 years. We looked at badges and talked about Brownies and Guiding with them. The Brownies earned their hostess badge.

The exhibition is on until the end of March.

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GIRL GUIDES | COMMUNITY

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irlguiding welcomes girls and young women from the age of 5 upwards. Meetings are held at Lynwood Guide and Scout Headquarters on the corner of Lynwood Road and Claygate Lane. New members are welcome to join us.

To register your interest in your daughter joining a unit or being added to the waiting list for a particular unit. It is an online system, please access this website and enter your daughter’s details: http://www. girlguiding.org.uk/interested. The details you enter will then be passed on via the Girlguiding website to the relevant leader who will then contact you to let you know if there is a place at the unit or most likely to ask if you would like to join the waiting list.

Volunteers! We are always pleased to hear from volunteers wishing to join us. We welcome YOUNG LEADERS aged 14+ and ADULTS aged 18+. Girlguiding provides excellent training and volunteers can choose the age range they prefer to work

with. Guiding is a great experience for the girls AND the Leaders!

Hinchley Wood is part of the Dittons District.

Our Joint District Commissioners are Sue Rodger and Lesley Sullivan who can also be contacted for information about units in Hinchley Wood, Thames Ditton, Long Ditton and Weston Green.

Sue’s email is sue_c_rodger@hotmail.com Lesley’s email is lesleysullivan@hotmail.co.uk Volunteers required to help keep units running. 3rd Hinchley Wood Brownies are looking for an adult volunteer to become a new leader for the group. We also need adult volunteers for 1st Hinchley Wood Brownies ,Guides and Rainbows. Please contact Sue Rodger if you would interested in undertaking leadership training or are already a qualified leader and would be able to make a weekly commitment to one of our groups.

www.girlguiding.org.uk SPRING 2015

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HINCHLEY WOOD

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Do you need help with transport to an appointment with the Doctor, Dentist, Hospital or Chiropodist?

Call Hinchley Wood Care, a team of volunteer drivers who can help.

Our phone-line is open every weekday from 9:30am-12:00pm and we will provide transport whenever we can.

07546 407431

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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE IN ‘HINCHLEY WOOD’, GET IN TOUCH WITH MANDY ALI IN THE PARISH OFFICE. OUR RATES ARE VERY REASONABLE AND WE REACH OVER 2000 HOUSEHOLDS PER ISSUE. CALL 020 8398 9095 OR EMAIL office@stchristopherschurch.org.uk

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