VantagePoint November 2014 - Guildford & Villages by VantagePoint Magazine

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Guildford & Villages • November 2014

VANTAGEPOINT POINT YOUR COMMUNITY  YOUR VIEW

MAGAZINE

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THIEPVAL

A local architect’s memorial to the Missing of the Somme

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TO THE POINT An amazing friend of Marcus and mine called Mat Dibb has just set an oﬃcal Guinness World Record. He recorded the fastest lap by an individual rider at the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course on an electric bicycle. This is despite the fact that he is a kidney patient and on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Mat has dedicated himself to raising money and awareness Stefan Reynolds for the South West Thames Kidney Fund, and Editor & Publisher raised more than £2,000 on this record breaking achievement. Mat has also raised £3,253 by cycling 1,000 miles in 10 days as part of 2010’s John O’Groats to Lands End challenge, and £8,650 on World Kidney Day 2013 through a 48hour, non-stop turbo training challenge in his local village hall. If you would like to ﬁnd out more The local magazine about how you can become a donor or volun- produced by local teer with the South West Thames Kidney Fund, people for the local community, please contact Anne Collard on 020 8296 3698.

Every month we try and run a free profile of a local charity, group or organisation and I now have a healthy number for this feature for 2015. That said, we do have some gaps so if you are involved in such an organisation and would like to get some free publicity in VantagePoint, please get in touch with me by email and hopefully I can find you a slot sometime during the next year. Well Humph has arrived and so far all is going well. He’s very well behaved at home, and just a tad bored when he is in the office and awake and who can blame him? He is growing at a rate of knots (another phrase for our What the Dickens feature I feel) and he has just started obedience classes, so it will be interesting to see what progress he has made by this time next month. stefan@vantagepublishing.co.uk

VantagePoint is published by Vantage Publishing, a Godalming based local magazine business which was first established in 2009 when we launched our first community magazine. We now publish five community magazines which are delivered monthly by Royal Mail to 107,277 homes across the South East, which gives us the largest local circulation in the local area, all with guaranteed delivery by your postman.

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November 2014

Contributors: Caroline Boucher, Andy Goundry, Jessica Harding, Matthew Pottage, Nash Robbins, Debbie Serpell, Kirstie Smillie Print: Polestar Stones Cover: Andy Bailey

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6 Jottings Your local community noticeboard

8 Fashion with Kirstie Colour concepts

14 Thiepval Lutyens’ memorial to the Missing of the Somme

20 Prepare Yourself for Winter 24 Dennis Brothers

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Jottings Remembrance Sunday is on 9th November and will be particularly poignant this year as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. I’ve been greatly impressed with the way so many clubs, schools and churches have grasped the huge significance of this date by putting on so many exhibitions, displays and events. It’s good to know that younger generations are being made aware of the huge sacrifices our forebears made for our future. On a lighter note, we are off on some more musical nostalgia later this month. The Manfreds are playing at G Live in Guildford on 30th November with, I gather, pretty much the whole original line up. The next day we’re off to Haslemere Halls to see Fleetwood Bac, a highly rated Fleetwood Mac tribute band. Will report back next month. Apparently there is a rumour going round that R.A Robertson & Sons of Bramley are closing down, I believe it has even been published in a local journal. Anyway, they would like to reassure their customers that they are NOT CLOSING DOWN but there may be a possibility of the business re-locating, locally. Please feel free to contact them on 01483 892207. There’s an exhibition entitled ‘Art by Jo Maynard – Pet Portraits and Wildlife’. It’s taking place at The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Gallery, 7 Saba House, Kings Road, Shalford,

- YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Guildford GU4 8JU from Saturday 1st November to Saturday 29th November. Do go and see detailed and lifelike pencil drawings of pets and wildlife. Commissions very much welcomed. You can commission Jo to draw your pet (photo-shoot included) or buy a gift voucher for a portrait. Otherwise, just browse and buy lovely signed limited edition prints, mugs and greeting cards of Jo’s drawings. All sales support endangered wildlife. For more information see www. davidshepherd.org. Open MondayFriday, 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and entry is free. Don’t forget, there’s a folk music session every Monday at the Star in Church Street Godalming at 9pm. Also at the Harrow at Compton every Wednesday at 8.30pm and every 1st and 3rd Sunday at the Queen Victoria in Shalford starting at 8.30pm. All musicians, singers and audience welcome. It’s free; just turn up. For more information phone Kevin Gorton on 01483 415962. Why not join the Guildford Travel Club on alternate Tuesdays at Onslow Village Hall at 8pm for illustrated talks on travel by a range of photographers, travellers, explorers, mountaineers and writers? On Tuesday 4th November, Tony Escritt talks on the Images of Borneo. Through the eyes of several inhabitants of Malaysian Borneo, he takes a look at the character of the country, its landscapes and wildlife. Membership

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for the season (October to April) costs £32. Visitors are welcome and will be charged £7 on the door. Please see www.guildfordtravelclub.org.uk for further details or contact Jenny Allan, membership secretary on 01483 452399. Wonersh and District Garden Club’s next meeting is on Tuesday 4th November at 7.30pm in The Memorial Hall. Mr J Clark will be giving a talk the subject of which is ‘Looking after your pond’. Looking ahead, Tuesday 2nd December is the date for the Social Evening, with mince pies and mulled wine plus more slides to be shown by Mr Dennis Halls. My thanks go to Graham Payne, who is stepping down as publicity officer, for sending in the club’s notifications so clearly and concisely over the past few years. Happy retirement! Guildford is at a critical time in its history as it decides on the best path to adopt in the town’s draft Local Plan and draft Master Plan. The Guildford Society’s annual Architecture Lecture is therefore perfectly timed to offer some creative, long-term ideas to be considered in assessing the planning challenges that face many towns like ours. Entitled ‘Growth in the South East: An Opportunity for Placemaking?’ it will demonstrate how careful planning is instrumental in protecting the character of towns and villages in the south east as populations continue to grow. It takes place at the University’s

Jottings is your community noticeboard for local events and information, edited by Nick and Angie Crisell

To feature here, please email us at jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk

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Colour Concepts Fashion stylist, Kirstie Smillie, looks at how to wear colour. There may be talk of a monochrome trend this winter but colour was very much alive on the catwalk and the designers showed us how it’s done. Most of the time we know which colours we like and keep it simple by paring with the neutrals of black, white, and all shades of beige and soft greys. But for those days when you need a boost, be brave and think about the Colour Wheel. The Two Colour Option, (colours sitting opposite each other), are complementary shades which have the power to ‘pop’. Even if it is a little detail or a narrow belt, the choice of colour could be more interesting than just black. The Three Colour Option, sit in a triangle which can rotate to unite the Primary colours of red, blue and yellow or the Secondary shades for more interesting combinations. This is often noticed in printed fabrics; the choice of colour lifting its neighbour. We have obviously learnt from nature - the green leaves of chard have powerful fuchsia pink running through it and the iris with its

perfect purple and brushstroke of yellow. Prada’s beautifully edged coat and Dior’s eye-catching dress stand out from the crowd. These shades are very vibrant, so for every day think about wearing them in softer tones and diﬀerent percentages, not 50/50; maybe 80/20 or even 90/10. It’s a hint that is needed, not a shout! In high street terms this is easily translated. Take the rich royal blue shirt by Reiss, and to add a pop of colour go to the opposite shade and introduce a warm orange leopard belt by French Connection or for evening, a narrow golden metallic belt. Jigsaw’s bottle green knitted biker jacket would look great with jeans, but for a warmer colour option, try their deep red cigarette trousers. For tonal dressing take inspiration from Gucci this season. Soft shades of sage green and slate blue are easy to wear and it’s the diﬀerent textures of leather and fur that add the interest. Vibrant shades of reds and fuchsia are powerful yet wearable with black accents. I personally have to be in the right mood for colour and print - ready to take on the world knowing that I may be looked at (and judged) more than if I wore my trusty jeans and pastel sweater. I often opt for a gorgeous printed scarf, full of colour, movement and cosiness. It’s an easy way to add the rainbow of colour into your outfit. You now have all the knowledge - use it wisely and choose your moments. And enjoy.

What colours say: Blue is noted as one of the most popular colours to wear in the world and in an interview situation, blue symbolises loyalty and control whereas grey represents conﬁdence and allows the interviewer to focus on you, not what you are wearing. Black Brown Purple Green Yellow Blue Red White Grey 8

- Black is the colour of authority but too much can be unapproachable. Soften with textures. - Brown conveys reliability, stability, and genuine character. Lift with soft pastel shades. - Purple gives the impression of luxury, wealth and sophistication but is sometimes too bold. - Green is easy on the eye, calming, refreshing and balancing. Mint through to Bottle. - Yellow signiﬁes cheerfulness and creativeness but can be overpowering if there is too much. - Blue gives the impression of trust and logic and is calm and peaceful. Simple to wear. - Red is an emotional and powerful colour, exciting and courageous. Choose occasion wisely. - White denotes simplicity and cleanliness and always works in unity with other colours - Grey is sophisticated and conﬁdent, and easy to lift with any other colour. vantagepointmag.co.uk

How the Designers do it:

Chard by nature, fuchsia and green dress by Christian Dior.

Iris by nature, purple and yellow trim coat by Prada.

How the High Street does it:

Above: Knitted biker jacket, £149 and cigarette pants, £110, Jigsaw Far left: Diego shirt, £95 Reiss; belt, £45 French Connection. Left: Peppermint green print with red tassel scarf, by Anthropologie.

Above: soft pastels and rich tones by Gucci

Kirstie Smillie is a Personal Stylist working in the Surrey area. Feel relaxed and conﬁdent in your own style with a wardrobe full of clothes you love. Email kirstie@kirstiesmillie.com or call 07773 234947

November 2014

Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!

Rik Medlik Building on Thursday 6th November at 6.15pm for 7pm. Admission to the lecture is free but to give an idea of numbers, registration would be appreciated to: events@ guildfordsociety.org.uk. The next Antique Collectors Fairs are on Thursday 6th and Thursday 20th November at Cranleigh Village Hall, from 7.30am-3.30pm Free entry and refreshments are available. The next fairs in Shere Village Hall are on Sunday 9th and Sunday 23rd November from 11am- 4pm. Free entry and car parking. Pocket Dream, an adaptation of Edward Hall’s hit Propeller production of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, comes to The Electric Theatre in Guildford on Friday 7th November. Pocket Propeller is the ideal introduction not only to Shakespeare but also to the thrill and excitement of theatre. It aims to deliver a ﬁrst class theatrical experience to a young audience based on a sixty minute version of a Propeller production. Propeller is a renowned all male Shakespeare company which combines a rigorous

approach to the text with a physical aesthetic to create productions full of clarity, poetry, speed and imagination. They deliver a fresh and inspiring introduction to Shakespeare to delight all ages. After the performance, young audiences will be invited into a performance space where the actors will encourage them to express their response to the work in the freest possible way. The actors will also invite questions and feedback from the audience in an open and engaging dialogue. Tickets are available from The Electric Theatre box oﬃce on 01483 444789 or available online at www.electrictheatre.co.uk.

The Guildford Society is hosting a film show in aid of SSAFA - The National Armed Forces Charity. Produced by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra the Circle 8 Film Group, ‘Guildford in triumphantly returns to G Live on the Great War’ is a very moving film Friday 7th November as part of the also suitable for young people of 10+ Guildford International Orchestral years. It will be screened on Saturday Season. They will be performing an 8th November and together with a outstanding repertoire of some of supporting programme and interval, Beethoven’s finest works. Opening will last around 2 hours. It will take with Beethoven’s stormy Coriolan place in the Upper Hall at Trinity Overture, the impeccable Spanish Centre, Trinity Churchyard, High virtuoso Joaquín Achúcarro will Street, Guildford and starts at 6.45 for perform his youthful Piano Concerto 7pm. Tickets cost £6 plus booking fee No.2. Concluding the concert will of 50p and are available from: http:// Crawley Clinic_Layout 1 11/07/2013 14:29 Page 1 be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 guildfordsociety.ticketsource.co.uk ‘Pastoral’ arguably one of Beethoven’s or cheque and s.a.e. to the Guildford

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most popular works. Leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be the young and passionate conductor Eduardo Portal. Audience members will be able to gain an insight to Portal’s professional life and inﬂuences during the free pre-concert talk which is open to ticket holders. Tickets: £22.50, £34, £37.50 Students and Children £10 plus booking fee of £2. Call 0844 7701 797 (10am to 6pm, Monday-Saturday) or online at www.GLive.co.uk. Also the ticket desk in the main foyer will be open from 10am Monday to Saturday.

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Society, c/o 92 Wodeland Avenue, Guildford GU2 4LD. Subject to demand, a limited number of tickets may also be available on the door. Visit the website www.guildfordsociety. org.uk for latest information. Surrey County Walkers have some excellent walks coming up in November. Here are brief details: Saturday 8th November, 7 mile moderate walk along North Downs. Meet Shere Recreation Ground, Ref 187/073479. Leader Pat, 01483 284913. Sunday 16th November, 7.5 mile moderate walk around Lurgashall and Blackdown. Meet Lower Car Park Blackdown, Ref 186/922306. Leader Bob, 01932 355333. Saturday 22nd November, 7.5 mile easy walk around Bisley and Donkey Town. Meet Bisley cp, oﬀ A322 roundabout near Hen & Chicken pub, Ref 186/948597. Leader Colin 01276 474258. Sunday 30th November, 7 mile moderate walk around Old Arlesford, Bighton, Bishops Sutton. Meet Arlesford old Stn (Watercress Line). Pub lunch at Bighton. Leader Andrew 01252 520256. For all walks, meet at 10am sharp.

The Guildford Astronomical Society (GAS) welcomes anyone interested in astronomy. Members come from all walks of life and age-groups. Many are beginners just starting out in astronomy, while some are experienced amateurs with a wealth of astronomical knowledge. They meet in the prestigious lecture theatre block at the University of Surrey where their main event is the monthly get together; parking is plentiful and access is disabled friendly. They always have a varied series of lectures and weather and new moon permitting, they have regular club meets for observing at one of their dark-sky sites away from Guildford’s lights. Members can also use their observatory housing a 20ʺ Newtonian reﬂector. They run regular training sessions and introductory courses for beginners and a signedup member can even borrow, free of charge one of their loan scopes. Promoting astronomy is one of their major activities and they do a considerable amount of outreach work for schools, Scouts and the general public. Tempted? Why not go along as a visitor one evening. Visitor

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fees and membership subscriptions are very modest. More information on future meetings and events at www. guildfordas.org. If you are looking for somewhere to play bridge, this might be of interest. You will be very welcome to go along and play friendly sociable Duplicate Bridge at Shalford Village Hall on Fridays at 7.15pm. For further details contact the organiser, Philip Thomas on 07753 405711 or visit Bridgepedia’s website: www.bridgewebs.com/ bridgepedia. Bramley Music is pleased to welcome Richard Saxel and friends To Holy Trinity Church, Bramley on Saturday 8th November at 7.30 pm. This is the Saturday closest to Armistice Day and Silent Noon will be an evening of music and readings echoing the First World War. They are very grateful to Richard, who has been a great supporter of and ambassador for Bramley Music, for making this possible. In addition to Richard playing the piano, you will also hear Lucy Cronin (soprano), Angus Meryon (clarinet), Nicholas Warden (bass-baritone) and Peter Longshaw (narrator). Tickets £10

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ThIEPVAL

The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme

When it came to designing Britain’s largest war memorial, it was to a local Surrey architect that the Imperial War Graves Commission turned. Sir Edwin Lutyens was arguably the ﬁnest British architect of the 20th century, fêted for his country houses and for largely designing New Delhi, when it was chosen to replace Calcutta as the seat of the British Indian government. Although born in London in 1869, Ned (as he was always called) grew up in Thursley, Surrey where he spent his time indulging in his passion for looking at houses, watching all the stages of buildings going up, haunting the carpenter’s shop at Thursley and a builder’s yard in Guildford. At 15 it had become apparent that Ned was cut out to be an architect, a career encouraged by Ralph Caldecott, a Surrey neighbour (the illustrator of so many delightful children’s books depicting Surrey cottages). He began his own practice aged just 19 in 1888, his ﬁrst commission being a small private house called Crooksbury, near Farnham in Surrey. During WWI, Lutyens was appointed one of three principal architects for the Imperial War 14

Graves Commission (IWGC), which was created in 1917 to care for the graves of all of those from the Dominions who had died on active service. He was responsible for more than 60 war memorials at home and abroad, with the Cenotaph in Whitehall probably the best known. But it is the majestic Memorial to the Missing of the Somme that stands out as one of his finest achievements. One of the cardinal principles of the IWGC was that the names of all of those who had died during the conflict should be remembered in the appropriate theatre of action. This was relatively straightforward for the bodies that were capable of identification but proper consideration had to be given to the ‘Missing’ - the 517,000 who were known to have died, but whose bodies either could not be found or, if they could be found, could not be identified. The unknown bodies were buried under a headstone inscribed with words chosen by Kipling: ‘A Soldier of the Great War Known Unto vantagepointmag.co.uk

God’ supplemented by any other relevant information that could be gathered from the uniform on the body. This left open the question of how to commemorate the names of the Missing. The idea that eventually emerged, promoted by Lutyens and his colleague Sir Reginald Blomfield, was to have the names inscribed on stone walls in the cemeteries, although it was recognised that it would take time to assemble accurate lists of the Missing and reach a conclusion as to which was the appropriate cemetery for each theatre of action. Whilst the Commission was wrestling with this problem, it had been included as a member of the Battle Exploits Memorial Committee, which had been established in 1918 to consider the general question of battlefield memorials. One of the first items that they had to consider was the question of some form of memorial at Ypres, the salient around which had seen some of the War’s most bitter fighting. Lutyens name was suggested by the War Office but Sir Fabian Ware, the IWGC’s founder and vicechairman, did not think that Lutyens was the right man to design it. In a letter to Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director of the British Museum and architectural advisor to the IWGC, Ware said: ‘I took a rather strong line about the matter as I knew that you would feel that Ypres, with its gothic associations etc etc was not the kind of work at which Lutyens would excel. The other memorials will give more scope to the special blend of Lutyens genius’. Kenyon replied that ‘Lutyens might very well have the Somme or Cambrai-St Quentin’.

November 2014

Above: The Cenotaph in London

Below: Goddards near Abinger, Surrey, one of Lutyen’s country houses, now owned by the Landmark Trust.

By October 1921, the Commission had drawn up plans for memorials on 12 sites in France and Belguim which were to act as Memorials to the Missing as well as battlefield memorials. Two memorials (Arras and St Quentin) were allocated to Lutyens. Progress was slow and compromised by the need to acquire the land and secure the consent for the designs from the French Commission de Monuments Historiques. As the Commission developed its plans the French began to be concerned about both the number of the memorials and their size, as they were in danger of overshadowing their own commemorative proposals. The French view was shared by Ware and his colleagues and in May 1927, the Commission endorsed a new plan that saw one memorial move over the border into Belgium and the names of the Missing being split between four stand-alone memorials. Three of the sites were already committed, leaving just one site to be decided. The original list of 12 had included memorials for various phases of the Somme battles, rather than a single memorial. However, with no other Somme memorial planned, it was decided that the final site should be at Thiepval to commemorate the area that, along with the struggle at Ypres, had become one of the most significant areas of the Western Front. By the time that the Commission had undertaken its reappraisal Lutyens had already made substantial progress with the two projects allocated to him. The St Quentin design had been through a number of iterations. When the local commune had first been

approached about the matter it suggested the memorial could be placed in a new square they were creating in the middle of the town for its own memorial. The Mayor met Lt-Col Cart de Lafontaine (the Commission’s French speaking architect who had the responsibility for liaising with the local authorities) to discuss the matter. He stated that he did not want an obelisk or statues but would prefer a building such as a pantheon or a Hall of Memory, within which the names could be inscribed. Lutyens went to France and met Paul Bigot, the architect of the commune’s memorial, on 9th July 1923 and concluded that the location was unsuitable because of the difficulty of combining two memorials on the one site, especially as the British one would overpower its French counterpart. The Commission suggested a site 2km north of the town and the Mayor welcomed the proposals as he considered that they would ‘considerably add to the historic and artistic interest of St Quentin’. Lutyens was asked to design a memorial to contain 60,000 names and he prepared plans for a multi-columned arch to straddle the road. Although the Commission did not endorse its revised plans for the memorials until May 1927, it had already become attuned to the French concerns and the possibility of relocating the St Quentin memorial to Thiepval to become a memorial for the Missing of the Battles of the Somme, which had been raised with Lutyens the previous May. Wasting no time, he inspected the area in August and a commanding site away from the roads on a ridge south west of the village was chosen. Approval of the design was finally received from the Commission des Monuments Historiques on 12th April 1928 and construction work was in progress on the foundations by the following March. The memorial as built is the largest British war memorial in the world and its ‘extraordinary red brick and white stone’ has been described by the architectural historian Gavin Stamp as ‘one of the finest works of British architecture of the 16

Lutyens put forward the idea that the cemeteries should contain a War Stone - a Stone of Remembrance. Cemeteries with over 1,000 burials have a Stone of Remembrance designed by Lutyens.

20th century’. Despite its chequered history the basic design of the memorial remained relatively constant but the main change was to its size, as it was scaled up or down depending upon the number of names it had to accommodate. It stands 140ft high and takes the form of a series of interpenetrating arches of four increasing heights, which give rise to 16 massive pillars on which are carved the 72,099 names of the Missing. The main building material is red brick, with limestone being used for the panels that hold the names. Limestone has also been used to provide cornice lines that wrap around the memorial to link the keystone of an arch on one level with the springing point of the one on the next. It is a masterful composition, made all the more so because the use of differing heights of arches gives it two profiles - from two sides chunky and muscular, from the other two tall and slender. At its heart, in the void created by the two tallest arches sits, reverentially, a Lutyens War Stone on its familiar three stepped plinth, the top and lower treads twice the width of the middle one. The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval was unveiled on 1 August 1932 by the Prince of Wales and its completion effectively marked the end of the Imperial War Graves Commission’s work in Belgium and France. The memorial and cemetery are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and are located on the D73, next to the village of Thiepval, off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929). The Thiepval Visitor Centre was built in 2004 and is located a short distance from the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme and the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery. It is open daily from February to mid December. See www.en.historial.org for more information. FIND OUT MORE

Part of this is an edited extract from Lutyens and The Great War by Tim Skelton and Gerald Gliddon, published by Frances Lincoln.

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(under 18 and students £5) to include a free drink. The external charity they will be supporting is the Royal British Legion. Make a note of Saturday 20th December at 7.30 pm, when there will be a Christmas Concert by the Harlequin Chamber Choir in Holy Trinity Church. On Saturday 8th November, Watts Gallery has an Open Studio and Demonstration Day: ‘The Art of Moorcroft’ takes place between 12 noon-4pm, free drop-in. Moorcroft Art Pottery has been made in Stoke on Trent since 1897 and Peter Harrison, one of Moorcroft Pottery’s most experienced artists will demonstrate the signature techniques of decoration. Work is for sale in the shop. On the same day there is also a ‘Terracotta Workshop’ for children. 10 to 12 year olds: 10.30am-1pm and 13 to 16 year olds: 2pm- 4.30pm. The cost is £7.50/£6.50 Friends. You can ﬁnd more information at www.wattsgallery.org.uk. The Village Archives present ‘Blackheath 1914-1918 - A Surrey Village at War’. With funding granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund and sponsorship from the Blackheath

Village Society, the archive has a very unique and comprehensive exhibition planned. The exhibition will not only follow the story of the 60 men who went from Blackheath to serve their country but will also feature life on the home front that include stories of life in the surrounding area and many other interesting features of the period. Costumes, personal ephemera and battle-ﬁeld artefacts will be on display accompanied by some fascinating tales. The exhibition will run from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th November. Opening times-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am- 8pm, Sunday 11.30-5pm. Free entry and refreshments will be available. Remembrance Sunday at Clandon Park on Sunday 9th November is from 12pm-3pm. Visit the Surrey Infantry Museum and discover Clandon’s role as a military hospital during WWI with a talk from 12.30pm-1.30pm. Visit the reimagined operating theatre in the Earl of Onslow’s former dressing room and see the Marble Hall as a WWI hospital ward, with the help of a pin hole camera. Normal admission applies. See www.nationaltrust.

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org.uk/clandon-park or call 01483 222482 for more information. On Monday 10th November there’s a Volunteering Coffee Morning at Clandon Park. Fancy a new challenge? Would you like to meet new people? Why not pop along to Clandon Park’s coffee morning and find out more about volunteering opportunities available. Coffee will be served at 9.30am and there will be talks and a tour of the house and garden at 10am. Please call 01483 222462 or email clandonpark@nationaltrust. org.uk to register your interest. You can also go to www.nationaltrust. org.uk/hatchlands-park or call 01483 222482. Onslow Village Residents’ Association is holding its last event before Christmas on Tuesday 11th November. This will be a talk on the Weald and Downland Museum and will be held as usual in the Village Hall, Wilderness Road, Onslow Village, Guildford GU2 7QR. The speaker will be John Walshe who is a long standing volunteer at this fascinating and very different museum in Singleton. He will be giving a digital presentation

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and talk, with a general insight into the work and scope of the museum. Complimentary mince pies and mulled wine will be served as well as their usual tea and coﬀee from 7.15pm. Entry is free to members and £3 to non members. Guildford Jazz has a great gig on Wednesday 12th November at Jazz @The Pavilion, Guildford Rugby Club, Guildford Road, Godalming GU7 3DH. Playing will be the world class saxophonist, composer and beautifully melodic improviser, Julian Argüelles who has been at the heart of British jazz for three decades. His CV is mighty impressive and he is joined by three other world class musicians to complete his quartet; Kit Downes on piano, Sam Lasserson on bass and James Madden on drums. It’s a unique opportunity to hear one of the giants of jazz in a great local venue. Don’t miss it! Doors open at 7.30pm Music from 8pm. Tickets £12 in advance from www.guildfordjazz.org.uk. Are you are Interested in the Arts, Heritage and Culture? Horsley Decorative & Fine Arts Society meets at East Horsley Village Hall on the

second Wednesday of the month from October to July for lectures on a wide variety of subjects. The lecture on 12th November will be William Kent: Artist, Architect, Garden Designer, Interior Decorator by Caroline Knight. Coﬀee 9.45am to 10.15am. Lecture from 10.30am to 11.30am. Visitors (£5) and new members welcome. For more information and the full programme visit their website www. horsleydfas.org.uk or phone Chris on 01483 280021. Guildford Natural History Society has only one meeting in November but it promises to be a good one. On Thursday 13th November Janet Buck is to give an illustrated talk describing a recent holiday in Bandhaugarh National Park, India, with pictures of tigers and other wildlife. Their talks are held at The Guildford Institute in Ward Street at 2.45pm, usually ending at about 4.15pm. Free to GNHS members but they welcome visitors although they do ask for a small donation. Further details from Bridget Hopkins on 01483 275826. Would you like an opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping?

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On Thursday 13th November the West Surrey National Trust Centre will be holding their annual Coffee Morning in The Marble Hall at Clandon Park from 10.30am until 12 noon. Stalls will include ladies fashion, jewellery, Christmas cards, books and homemade cakes as well as grand raffle. Entrance is £2.50 which includes coffee and biscuits. All are welcome so do go along and take your friends. For enquiries regarding this event ring Sara Graham on 01252 810708. Vivace Chorus’ next concert on Saturday 15th November features arguably one of the greatest choral works ever written – the Mass in B minor by J S Bach. They will be joined in Guildford Cathedral by six fine baroque soloists, including counter-tenor Damian Ganclarski and the superb Brandenburg Sinfonia. There is also a free pre-concert talk starting at 6.30pm. The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12-£26 and are available from Tourist Information 01483 444334 or you can purchase online, where you will be able to find further details: vivacechorus. org or www.guildford-cathedral.org/ In home care services Live-in-care Surrey Senior home care Dementia home care 24 hour care at home Elderly respite care Long term care services Short term care services Adult care services

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A WORLD OF WEAVINGS AT THE ORIENTAL RUG GALLERY! Step into a World of Weavings at Surrey’s awardwinning Rug Specialists in Wey Hill, Haslemere, and discover a fabulous array of stylish and decorative rugs, oriental carpets, kilims, and tapestries, designed to give your interior that added WOW! factor.

Choose a Rug Masterpiece, traditionally hand-woven in silky-soft yarns by craftsmen weavers, using a colour palette of natural dyes and in a wide range of sizes. Our highly sought-after weavings’ practicality, durability and good quality are guaranteed.

Explore a Treasure Trove of hand-woven pieces, overﬂowing with beautiful Persian, Turkish, Caucasian and Bukhara decorative designs, sumptuous silks, traditionalwith-a-twist rugs, colourful kilims, alluring antique weaves, resplendent runners, elegant aubussons and fascinating sumaks, with a captivating array of tribal rugs, trappings, and silk and wool-weave scatter cushions – all ideal for living- and drawing-room interiors, hallways, bedrooms, boudoirs, snugs and ﬁresides.

A large selection of the Rug Gallery’s weavings can be viewed on the website, but with so many more in stock at the stunning shop premises, you can browse and choose from hundreds available. As Master Rug Craftsmen, we undertake an extensive range of rug works in our Rug Gallery’s custom-built Restoration and Cleaning studios. Services include expert repairs, restoration and bespoke alterations, professional deep-wash cleaning, stain corrective treatments, durable anti-slip rug underlay, insurance-approved written valuations, a rug and textile wall-hanging technique, and with collection and delivery oﬀered All your rug needs under one roof at The Oriental Rug Gallery Ltd, where a legacy of woven craftsmanship awaits! For more information, please call: 01428 656 657 or visit: www.theorientalruggallery.co.uk.

November 2014

Prepare Yourself this Winter Last Christmas and New Year was a diﬃcult time for a number of people. The rains brought ﬂooding and high winds brought down power lines, leaving many people without power for up to three days. Many were not fully prepared for what happened, so we have compiled a few hints and tips to help, should there be a repeat this year.

Power Cuts

Generators Those of us who were without power for three days last Christmas might have appreciated having had a generator to run some of the basics in the house. The panel opposite has some information on generators should you decide to go down this route.

Radio During power cuts, the best way to receive news is often a wind-up or battery powered radio tuned into local news stations. Last year, it was annoying that many utility companies were directing people to their websites for more information or oﬀered a phone number. If there is no power and everyone is telephoning at the same time you may not be able to easily access the information. You can now buy wind-up radios from around £10. Telephones One of the most common problems during a power cut is being unable to use your telephone. Many people now have cordless telephones and almost all of these require electricity to work. To get around this, all you need is an old fashioned plug-in landline telephone which you can use at all times and can be bought for around £5. If you don’t have one, buy one now. Mobile Phones Make sure you keep your mobile phone fully charged and limit its use to preserve the battery. If you have a smart phone, remember that it may be the only device that can access the internet. However, be aware that even mobile phones can stop working properly during a power cut as more people than usual try and use the network at the same time. Also some phone masts might not have a power backup or this might run out during a prolonged outage. 20

Fridges and Freezers People often ask how long food will last in a fridge or freezer during a power cut. The oﬃcial advice is that it should be safe as long as power is out no more than four hours, although that seems a bit cautious. Others suggest that 15 hours is more realistic as long as you keep the door closed as much as possible. Thawed or partially thawed food in the freezer may be safely re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. Partial thawing and re-freezing may aﬀect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.

TIPS Keep one light on so you know when the power returns. If your electricity or gas goes oﬀ, make a note of the date and time of the disruption, and for how long it lasted. This means you will have a record if you want to claim compensation from the energy company for multiple disruptions. Have spare charcoal so you can cook on your barbecue if necessary. I know several people who cooked their turkey like this during the Christmas power cut last year. Remember to have candles, matches, torches and spare batteries available. vantagepointmag.co.uk

Flooding

Don’t Get Caught in the Dark!

Hopefully we will not see the return of the flooding that affected quite a lot of people last year. For those of you that are worried about the risk to your property there are products that you can buy to help protect yourself. Blue Pages is a directory of property flood products and services put together to advise and inform you of the range of products available to help reduce the risk of flooding to your home or business (www.bluepages.org.uk). In the event of the threat of imminent flooding, your local council may assist by providing sandbags to those at extreme risk.

Cold and Snow Have a flu jab - these are free for anyone aged 65 and over, as well as for pregnant women. Stock up on tinned and frozen foods so you don’t have to go out too much when it’s cold or icy. Wear lots of thin layers – clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres are particularly good and maintain body heat. Fresh snow is easier to clear before it is walked or driven on, and salt is more effective if most of the snow is cleared first and only needs to be spread thinly. Snow is likely to affect some council services so please contact them for updates. Check on neighbours, family and friends especially those who live alone.

Are you prepared for another winter of electrical black outs? Ofgem has already warned that mainland Britain could face power shortages in the years ahead due to demand outstripping supply in cold snaps and this, along with unforeseen winter storm damage, means that power cuts are becoming increasingly common. Installing a standby generator in your home or small business is the answer and not as costly as you might think. However it is important that any generator is correctly connected to your house supply through a mains transfer switch by a qualified electrician. Standby generators range from simple portable units suitable for running basic lighting and small electrical devices to fully fixed and installed generators that will automatically start up during a power cut and provide a full mains supply to your house or business. Choosing the correct type and output of a generator is crucial as the wrong size or type can damage your electrical equipment and generator. You must therefore take advice from a professional supplier and installer to ascertain what is the right solution for you. One important point to consider is that standby generators are used infrequently but are relied upon to work efficiently when required. It is therefore very important that the equipment is maintained properly and routinely run and checked. Something relatively new to this sector of the generator market is remote monitoring. This is where a generator can be remotely started and stopped on a monthly basis and diagnostics undertaken. This information is then relayed back to the owner, supplier or engineer and should a fault be found then the problem can be immediately resolved. This can be a more cost effective method than maintaining a generator on site. So it would seem that the need for a standby generator is going to become greater as we are experiencing more and more freak winter weather and national grid outages so it is something to contemplate before the cold weather sets in. Information has been supplied by a local company, Power Sure Limited who provide generators for the home and for small businesses. For more details see www.power-sure.co.uk.

Chichester District Council - 01243 785166 - www.chichester.gov.uk Guildford Borough Council - 01483 505050 - www.guildford.gov.uk Mole Valley District Council - 01306 885001 - www.molevalley.gov.uk Waverley Borough Council - 01483 523333 - www.waverley.gov.uk Electricity UK Power Networks - 0800 783 8866 - www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk Flooding Environment Agency - 0845 988 1188 - www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency Water - sewerage issues Thames Water - 08459 200 800. Souther Water - 0845 278 0845 November 2014

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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!

events/diary/2014-11-15/vivacechorus-concert. There’s a super concert featuring The Guildford Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm. Taking place at G Live in Guildford, the programme includes Glazunov’s The Seasons- Autumn, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 and headlines Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherzade. The piano soloist is Masa Tayama and the conductor is Darrell Davison. Tickets are £15-£20, under 25’s £7.50-£15, and under 11’s £5. Book them from GSO box office on 01483 415847, G Live on 0844 7701 797 or online at www.g-s-o.org.uk. There’s a wealth of free business information available in Surrey Libraries. They subscribe to a range of quality online business information resources which can be found on their Online Reference shelf - www. surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/reference. For example there is ‘Cobra’ for those thinking of starting up or who are running a business; start up guides, fact sheets on how to write a business plan, grow your business or get advice on competitors; available in all Surrey libraries. ‘Key Note’ is a leading provider of market research intelligence in the UK; available in Epsom, Guildford and Woking libraries. Then there’s ‘MarketLine’ - concise economic reports on companies, industry sectors, products and countries; available in all Surrey libraries. Analyse country statistics and market data using the databases. Finally, ‘Mint UK’ is a powerful business intelligence database, with information from Companies House. Create tailored mailing lists with the facility to search turnover, location and industry and find named individuals using the mailing wizard. Available in Addlestone, Camberley, Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Godalming and Woking libraries. You can book a computer in advance and use these resources without charge if you are a member of Surrey libraries and joining the library is free. Further advice is available on their business weblinks and a downloadable leaflet with full details of their business offer is also available on their website www. surreycc.gov.uk/libraries. For further information contact Surrey Libraries Enquiries Direct Tel: 01483 543599. Email: libraries@surreycc.gov.uk. 22

‘Write time’ is an organisation that offers supportive, no-frills workshops, retreats and gettogethers for writers in the South East. They are holding a workshop from 10am-12pm on Saturday 15th November at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Cost £25. The first British self-published author to top the Amazon charts (with co-author Mark Edwards), Louise Voss (Catch Your Death and Killing Cupid) will spill the secrets of getting to number one and help you to craft a best-selling blurb for your own book. Coffee and cake are included plus the opportunity to develop and receive feedback on that all-important blurb. Go to www.write-time.co.uk or call 07891 040160/07989 038143 for more information. A combined Charities Christmas Fair takes place on Saturday 15th November in the Guildhall, High Street, Guildford from 10am to 3pm. There will be a huge selection of Christmas cards, an amazing array of interesting gifts, games and refreshments and an opportunity to talk to the participating charities This annual event, now in is 15th year, is an ideal opportunity to support local charities, have a cup of tea or coffee, purchase your Christmas cards and take part in some fun and games. It’s also a rare chance to see inside this historic building, which can be described as the true heart of Guildford. Guildford Christadelphians are holding a Bible presentation ‘A time for peace’. It takes place at St.Catherine’s Village Hall, Chestnut Avenue (off Portsmouth Road), Guildford GU2 4HF at 10.30am on Sunday 16th November. Plenty of free parking. Wouldn’t it be great to have real peace, lasting peace all over the world? Here in the UK many of us do enjoy peace, but many worldwide are affected by terrorism and political upheaval. Their Bible talk is based on the message that Jesus Christ is returning to this earth to set up God’s kingdom, when there will be a time of peace. Further information can be obtained by either going to the website www.thebibleinguildford. org.uk or if you would like information about joining a Bible reading group, contact 01730 859324. The Historical Association Surrey Branch’s next meeting is on Tuesday 18th November at 7.30pm. Professor

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Jonathan Phillips of Royal Holloway College, University of London, will give a talk on ‘Saladin: The Life and Legend of the Conqueror of Crusader Jerusalem.’ Meetings are at St Nicolas’ Hall, Guildford GU2 4AW and non members are always very welcome (£3 at the door); student admission is free. Professor Phillips is an acknowledged authority on the Crusades and is an excellent speaker. Further details, if required, available from Rollo Crookshank on 01252 319881 or crookshank@starkmann. co.uk. Guildford Opera returns to the Electric Theatre in November with La Bohème. Puccini achieved a perfect blend of the carefree and the tragic in one of the best-loved operas of all time. Set in the vibrant Latin quarter of 19th century Paris, vivid street and café scenes packed with colourful characters collide with the stark reality of life on the edge of survival. As always, Guildford Opera has assembled a wonderful cast of soloists. It’s sung in English and features a children’s chorus alongside Guildford Opera chorus and orchestra; a great evening is assured. Performance times: 18th, 19th & 21st November at 7.30pm. Saturday 22nd November at 6.30pm. Tickets are £20 (Tuesday and Wednesday), £24 (Friday and Saturday). Concessions: student ticket (u18’s) £12 and 10% off all groups of 10 or more on Tuesday and Wednesday. A theatre booking fee is added to the price of each ticket. To book, contact the box office on 01483 444789 or visit www.electrictheatre. co.uk. The Ewhurst Players current group recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ was the first three-act production that they performed back in November 1974. So, what could be more fitting than to run it again 40 years later. They do however have a new cast! but amazingly, the very same director. Set just after World War II, this delightful farce tells the story about what happens when a boys’ school receives some shocking news as two schools are to be merged into one. Subsequent events are complicated by the arrival of the parents; chaos ensues! It’s on at Ewhurst Village Hall - car park opposite and tickets are £8 in advance. It runs from Wednesday 19th-Saturday 22nd vantagepointmag.co.uk

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November 2014

Dennis Brothers Britain’s oldest vehicle manufacturer company was established in Guildford. In the first in a series, Andy Goundry tells the story. Most folk enjoying been reasonably effective, for as company a quiet drink in the folklore recalls, John became one of the first, Wetherspoons pub at if not the first person, to fall foul of motoring the bottom of North law by being prosecuted for ‘driving furiously Street in Guildford will up Guildford High Street at the speed of be unaware that they 16 mph’. A not inconsiderable fine of 20 are relaxing on the shillings was repaid many times over as the site of Britain’s oldestDennis brothers used this incident in their established vehicle advertisements as proof of the machines manufacturer. Indeed speed. Then – as now – speed sells! one of the oldest in the The very first Dennis commercial vehicle, the 1904 15cwt. van built for Harrods. (Dennis Society). world, with a history Motorised tricycles soon gave way to which can be traced back to 1895 and the motorised quadricycles, which although far from substantial closing years of the Victorian era. vehicles, set the scene for a move into building motor cars in 1901. This was facilitated by a move from the outgrown High During Queen Victoria’s reign, the industrial Street premises to an old army barracks in North Street. revolution had seen both the birth and rapid development of the railway system, In 1901 motor cars were still a rarity, with probably no more offering comparatively fast ways to transport than 500 in Britain, however the Dennis brothers continued to both goods and people over relatively long invest in their belief in the future of motoring, they expanded distances. As the 19th century ended however, further with a purpose-built office and factory – the Rodboro that railway supremacy was about to be Buildings on Onslow Street, now the home of JD Wetherspoons challenged, and subsequently beaten, by a amongst others. Indeed, so successful were sales of the Dennis new form of road transport – that powered by Brothers products that the firm moved into part of the new internal combustion engines. factory even before the rest was completed. Few of the pioneers of this second industrial revolution can have imagined how their early inventions would develop. Certainly one John Dennis would not have done so when he left his native Devon in 1894 to join Filmer & Mason, a firm of ironmongers in Guildford High Street. As a country boy, John’s interests lay in farm machinery, and soon after arriving in Guildford in 1895 he built a bicycle, using parts bought through his employer. This first machine was soon sold profitably, leading to the manufacture and sale of further cycles, and, after a period working for a cycle manufacturer in London, John was able to set up his own business in 1895, selling his Speed King and Speed Queen cycles from The Universal Athletic Stores at the bottom of Guildford’s High Street. John’s brother, Raymond, then only 17, soon moved up from Devon to join John in his growing business. In a far-sighted move, John and Raymond built, in 1897, a motorised tricycle fitted with a single-cylinder De Dion engine. Although inevitably primitive, this machine must have 24

Interestingly, final assembly of cars was carried out on the third floor, the lower floors being given over to stores, offices, showrooms and component manufacturing. A large lift was therefore required to carry the finished cars down to ground level. As the sales of motor cars increased, and as more manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon, the Dennis brothers looked for diversification opportunities. They quickly realised that the principles developed for moving people via motor cars could be adapted to move goods, thereby providing significant benefits to businesses large and small who had hitherto been reliant on horse-drawn transport. In 1904, Dennis built their first commercial vehicle, a 15 cwt van for Harrods department store. Shortly afterwards, their first bus followed, which plied between Kingston-upon-Thames and Richmond. Rapid success in sales of this broadened product range meant that the capacity of the Rodboro Buildings factory was again soon exceeded. A new 10 acre site was purchased at Woodbridge Hill, then a greenfield site on the edge of Guildford. Never ones to spend money unnecessarily, one of the first buildings on the site was reputedly a disused Mission vantagepointmag.co.uk

Hall from Brixton which was dismantled, transported 30 miles, and re-erected to become No. 1 shop.

war would need far more in the way of reliable mechanised transportation than was readily available. Thus the Government devised the ‘subvention scheme’, whereby the owner of a lorry approved by the War Department, who made that vehicle available for use for the war eﬀort, would be rewarded with a payment of £110. The vehicle types approved for this subsidy were subjected to rigorous testing by the War Department, thus owners who participated in the scheme not only received the cash subsidy but invested in the vehicle in the knowledge that it had successfully passed these tests.

A further broadening of the Dennis range in 1908 proved to be significant, when a fire engine was produced for the City of Bradford Brigade. Traditionally, fire engines had been horse drawn, and used steam-powered pumps, with inevitably slow response times. In contrast, Dennis’s Bradford appliance could be on scene quickly and pumping immediately, thanks to its White & Poppe petrol engine. The success of this revolutionary appliance initially led to London and then other fire brigades throughout Britain, and indeed throughout the world. The name Dennis soon became synonymous with Fire in the public’s eye. Sales success in fire engines was matched by thriving orders for buses and other heavier vehicles, at the expense of the original passenger cars. Indeed, in 1909 the company issued a statement to confirm that it was still building ‘passenger cars’. In truth however, the manufacture of Dennis cars was a relatively short-lived era, with comparatively few ever having been built. Fittingly two of the very few remaining cars belong to John Dennis, grandson of one of those original Dennis brothers, and can be regularly seen participating in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Dennis was in the forefront of manufacturers submitting vehicles for these tests. Their vehicles successfully completed the tests without too much change. The foresight of both the Government and Dennis paid oﬀ as over 7,000 of these reliable vehicles were built over the war years, seeing honourable and trusty service in all theatres of war. The Woodbridge Hill factory toiled day and night during the war to produce these vehicles, leading to the directors receiving a letter of encouragement from Lord Kitchener.

By 1910, Dennis’s claimed proudly, and justifiably, that their fire engines operated all over the world, from Auckland to Zanzibar, whilst over 1,000 Dennis lorries and vans were at work moving goods around the country. Perhaps one of the company’s greatest strengths in these pre-Great-War years of rapid growth came from its ability and readiness to produce vehicles for specific uses, alongside their more standard ranges. This flexibility was made possible by the Woodbridge Hill factory making complete vehicles rather than just bodies or chassis. By 1910 the factory was producing 1,000 vehicles annually. The factory was extended several times, covering over 260,000 square feet by 1916 – massive by any standards. Even before then, war was in the air, and Dennis, which became a public company in 1913, took the decision to cease passenger car production in favour of concentrating on commercial vehicles. In part, this was in response to the Government’s recognition that the coming November 2014

From top: Two adverts dating from 1925 and 1928 (www.gracesguides.co.uk). An iconic 1914 Dennis N Type, immortalised in an Airﬁx kit. This vehicle is still owned by Alexander Dennis Ltd. and can regularly be seen competing in the London to Brighton Historic Commercial Vehicle Run. (Andy Boulton) Pictured here in the early years of the 20th century, the Rodboro Building was not in fact named until it was occupied by the Rodboro Boot & Shoe Company in 1917 after Denis moved to Woodbridge Hill. (Dennis Society).

Ironically, at the end of the war this effort resulted in a vast fleet of surplus lorries no longer needed by the military. These found their way back to the UK and at a stroke destroyed the market for new lorries and indeed buses, thereby precipitating the Dennis business into its first real challenge in a new and uncertain future. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andy Goundry spent his working career in vehicle design and development, with almost twenty years in senior engineering and management roles at Dennis. Since retirement he has continued a close involvement with vehicles, writing for specialist magazines and websites, as well as producing his own motoring website www.autonews.uk.com. © Andy Goundry 25th September 2014 25

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November at 7.45pm. Doors and bar open from 7pm. There’s traditional seating format with a Period Tuck Shop and Bar available from 7pm and during the interval. To reserve tickets, call 01483 272378 or email tickets@ewhurstplayers.com. For more information about the Ewhurst Players go to www.ewhurstplayers. com or find them on Facebook. There are loads of events at RHS Garden Wisley during November. Perhaps the two that stick out are the Christmas Shopping Evening on Thursday 20th November from 5.30pm. Bestselling author and cook, RHS Ambassador Mary Berry will be opening this late shopping evening and signing her books. Enjoy a warming drink and a mince pie to get you into the season’s mood. It’s a free event. The other is The Christmas Craft and Design Fair which runs from 25th – 30th November, 9am-5.30pm (5pm Sunday) Browse and buy from over 150 of the finest craftspeople and find original and unusual gifts. The event is held outside the Garden. Members go free, family guest £6, non-RHS members £9. Accompanied 16’s go free. Garden entry is included in the

ticket and there are some great other events such as the Glasshouse display, the Fruit and Veg competition that is open to all and the Royal Watercolour Society’s 210th exhibition. The Wey Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Society’s next lecture, by Mr James Taylor, is entitled ‘Your Country Needs You: Art and Design of World War One’. It takes place at Shalford Village Hall on Thursday 20th November at 10.45am, with refreshments from 9.30am. Why not join them for a different perspective on the Great War and discover how art made a vital contribution to the campaigns of 1914-1918? The Society offers a monthly programme of varied and fascinating talks by first class speakers. There are also special interest days, visits and an annual tour for members. New members and visitors are warmly welcomed. Annual membership is £40 and visitors pay £6 per talk. If you are interested, contact the membership secretary on 01932 355113 for more information or visit their website at www.theweyvalleydfas.org.uk.

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On Friday 21st November, Farncombe Music Club presents ‘Julia Fordham Porcelain 25’. Following two sell-out UK tours in 2013, Julia Fordham returns to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her landmark album ‘Porcelain.’ Julia will be performing the album in its entirety, accompanied by her longtime pianist and album producer Grant Mitchell. (No, not the guy from East Enders!). Tickets: £20 in advance, £23 on the door. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7.45pm. Julia will also perform many of her other hits and include a few surprises along the way. It’s going to be popular, so early booking is advised. Tickets available in person from Record Corner, Pound Lane, Godalming, online from www. wegottickets.com/julianlewrymusic or call 01483 421520. Info: www. julianlewrymusic.com or www. facebook.com/farncombemusicclub. Guildford Cathedral Appeal is delighted to announce today that it has reached its ﬁrst phase goal of £1.3m which will enable an application for a multi-million pound grant to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund next month. The Dean of Guildford,

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November 2014

T G Green Cornish Ware In her second article for VantagePoint, local antique dealer Debbie Serpell discusses T G Green Cornish Ware, something she herself collects. Cornish Ware is one of the most popular kitchenwares ever produced. Its production began in Derbyshire at the Church Gresley Pottery in 1926 and by 1930, the range was well established and extremely fashionable. It is said that the colour of the blue and white banding was likened to the blue of the Cornish skies and the white crests of the Cornish sea waves and this is why the pottery was given its name. A thriving export market was established and Cornish Ware was shipped in vast quantities to the colonies in the early 20th century. In the 1950s different colour banding was introduced to this kitchenware. The yellow banded pottery (‘Cornish Gold’) is perhaps the best known of these colour changes (figure 1), but other colour bands such as black, red and green were made. Collectors are keen to find these rarer colours and will pay remarkable prices for unusual pieces in rare colour bandings. The popularity of the new colour bandings never competed with the blue and white range and less were made since the market did not demand it in the same way. It is for this rarity factor that they fetch bigger prices in the collectors’ world today. 28

In 1966, Judith Onions was employed by the pottery as a freelance designer to update the Cornish Ware product designs. She was a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London. Her new shapes to the tea and coﬀee sets were retailed in 1967 and became popular immediately. Almost all T G Green pottery is well marked with what is called a back stamp. In general terms, earlier pieces have a shield-shaped mark (see left) and the later Judith Onion ware is marked with a target shaped mark. There are variations to this general rule of thumb. A church mark is present on some pieces and was used until the late 1930s for example. The most important tip to establishing the authenticity of a piece is by feeling the body of the item. Genuine TG Green wares have a ridged banding pattern. This is due to the manufacturing process whereby the white pottery is dipped into a blue slip which is then left to dry. Once dried, the pieces are turned on a wheel and bands of white are created by removal of the blue slip. This turning technique forms the ridging that can be felt between the bands and has never been successfully replicated by other potters. vantagepointmag.co.uk

A diverse number of Cornish Ware products have been made. They range from clock faces to cruet sets, standard kitchen flatware (figure 2) to rarer items such as the egg separator and rolling pin (figure 3). The rarer the product, the greater the potential for it to realise high prices in the collectors’ market. An extremely rare blue and white banded electric clock, 24cm in diameter, with an early green shield mark, realised £550 at auction in recent years. Many storage jars were produced. Some are plain and unmarked but others identify the name of the stored item on their side, such as ‘Sugar’, ‘Salt’, ‘Flour’ etc. These named jars have under glazed black lettering on their sides. Common names such as ‘Sugar’ and ‘Salt’ can be found for between £10 to £40 a piece (figure 4), but rarer named jars can fetch astonishing prices. A rare storage jar, only 11cm in height, bearing the name ‘Yellow Sugar’ fetched £770 at auction several years ago. Another jar with the name ‘Bisto’ brought £600 and a ‘Dessicated Coconut’ jar brought £350 under the auction hammer. Similarly, a jar labelled ‘Boracic Crystals’ sold in 1998 for £530. The named marking of pieces of Cornish Ware was not confined to storage jars. Sugar and flour sifters, vinegar jars, milk jugs and salt boxes are some of the many items that have the attractive black side lettering that raises them aesthetically above the plain versions of the same pieces. If you add a colour rarity to this group, then the collecting appeal is greatly enhanced (figure 5).

A word of warning: The Cornish Collectors’ Club have warned of ‘fake’ named Cornish blue and November 2014

white productions, which appeared in the late 1990s in both auctions and antique fairs. A good rule of thumb is that the green shield mark was originally applied by the factory to plain jars. The black shield mark was applied to the bona fide named ‘productions’ (see bottom left). The temptation by the fakers is to apply black lettering to the plain jars and then to cover the fake names with a band of acrylic glaze. While the labels are quite convincing, the authenticity of the piece can be easily checked by scratching the surface of the lettering with a sharp blade. Genuine marked pieces will withstand this testing, but fake named items can be scratched off, since the lettering is not fired and under the original glaze. In short, treat named green shield marked jars with a degree of suspicion. This may not always be the acid test, but is a good starting point if you are uncertain of the authenticity of a piece. I have been a collector of Cornish Ware for over 20 years. My own collection is far from perfect, since I am happy to buy damaged pieces and am never in a rush to complete my collection. The beauty in this field of collecting lies in the fact that it is largely affordable. I have bought from car boot sales, charity shops, auctions and sites on line and over the years I have amassed a large variety of Cornish Ware items. My own personal preference is to collect only the earlier shield marked Cornish Ware rather than the later Judith Onions pieces. This is not to say that the Judith Onion pieces are less worthy of collecting. Her work has a distinct 1960s appeal in shape and style, which in my opinion sits better alone than alongside the earlier wares. Although I own a few rare items of Cornish Ware, my collection largely represents the more common pieces. The added joy of this kitchenware is in its durability and it survives everyday use as well as any good quality kitchenware of today. The thrill of my collecting is in identifying the vast range of different styles of kitchenware which exist, even in something as simple as the design of cup shapes (figure 6).

FIND OUT MORE

Debbie Serpell and her husband run Nest Egg Antiques - www.nesteggantiques.co.uk. Contact bmoo@btopenworld.com or 07774 234509. 29

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the Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams said: “It’s a wonderful achievement and we’re so grateful to the many individuals, families and organisations that have supported us through the MAKE YOUR MARK campaign”. This autumn as part of its second phase, Make Your Mark will continue to raise funds for the Cathedral Appeal, including for the refurbishment of the organ. To make a donation visit www.guildfordcathedralmym.com, TEXT MARK02 £10 (or any amount) to 70070, or send donations (payable to Guildford Cathedral) to Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill, Guildford GU2 7UP. The Shalford Charity Christmas Fair is on Saturday 22nd November from 10am to 2pm. It takes place in Shalford Village Hall (behind the pond and opposite Shalford post oﬃce). This annual Fair is a great start to the Christmas season and raises a substantial amount for mainly local charities. It’s a fun event with lots of interesting and varied high quality stalls plus events for children, excellent refreshments and a quality wine tasting challenge. Go along and buy some early presents and reward yourselves with a delicious cake or

other produce while supporting good causes!

are around in Guildford – take friends and family!

Wonersh History Society has a meeting on Saturday 22nd November at 2.30pm in Lawnsmead Hall, Wonersh. David Rose will be talking about ‘Floods and Storms - an act of God’. Tea and biscuits will be available and everyone is welcome.

On Sunday 23rd November, Guildford Rambling Club has organised an out of town walk. They are meeting at 10.15am in the car park on Goatshurst Common near Sevenoaks for a 10 mile walk. See www. guildfordramblingclub.org.uk for more details.

RASASC hold their biggest event of the year, The Winter Fair, on Saturday 22nd November 10am4pm at the Guildhall in Guildford High Street. As usual they are asking for donations of any ‘As New’ items that you might like to get rid of. If you are having a clear out over the next few weeks please think of them - DVDs, CDs, books, 2015 diaries, vouchers, chocolates, wine, toiletries, jewellery, gift sets, any nice new items (not too large). Please also pass on the request to any of your friends who might be having a clear out. Items can be left in the oﬃce, or at Blink (at the bottom of Guildford High Street) who have kindly agreed to collect donated items for them. Volunteers are needed to help on the day; please do go along if you

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Tuesday 25th November is the date of the next Electric Theatre Jazz Café gig. It features Trish Clowes, saxophonist and composer who is currently a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. Her third album was recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra earlier this year, and is due for release at the London Jazz Festival this autumn. If you want to know what she’s like, here’s just one quote: “British Jazz at its best; I suggest you go and see her now before it’s diﬃcult to get in the room. I assure you she is a great great talent” – Jamie Cullum. It takes place at The Electric Theatre, Onslow Street, Guildford GU1 4SZ at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 from the Electric Theatre box oﬃce on 01483 444789.

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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER! ‘Old Father Thames: The River in Art’ is the title of the next lecture of West Surrey Decorative and Fine Arts Society on 25th November. The lecture, to be given by Andrew Davies, explores how artists such as Canaletto, Whistler, JMW Turner and Monet have been compelled to portray the Thames in all its moods and activities. The Society is also holding a ‘Special Interest Day’ featuring ‘William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement’ on 11th November. (Booking essential) The Society meets in Shalford Village Hall on the fourth Tuesday in the month at 9.45am for coﬀee. Lectures start at 10.30am. New members and visitors are very welcome and details of their programme of lectures, visits and holidays for 2014 and 2015 can be found on their website www. nadfas-westsurrey.co.uk. For more information please ring 01483 811671. Get the Christmas season oﬀ to the perfect start by attending the Advent Concert by Candlelight, at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford on Tuesday 25th November. It’s in aid of The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and starts at 7pm for 7.30pm.This beautiful

church will be lit by candles and the Christmas tree lights will be switched on during the concert. Festive music will be played by the Royal College of Music Brass Ensemble, and The Surrey Youth Choir, one of leading youth choirs in the country, and will be singing Advent music and carols, conducted by Rufus Frowde and accompanied by organist Richard Hills. Guest speaker will be Roger Black MBE, the retired Olympic and World Championships medal winner. Tickets including refreshments, £15 (£7.50 12 and younger). Available from: The Cystic Fibrosis Trust: 0300 373 1100 or events@cysticﬁbrosis.org.uk. Also Guildford Tourist Information Centre, 155 High Street, Guildford GU1 3AJ, 01483 444334 or www.visitguildford. com. On Tuesday 25th November, Ewhurst Horticultural Society holds their AGM followed by a talk with slides; ‘The Hidden Gardens of Cape Town’ by Mrs Gill Ford. It takes place at The Glebe Centre at 7.30pm and there will be refreshments and a raﬄe. The Lightbox Gallery and Museum in Woking will commemorate the

The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) is the country’s largest nature conservation charity. The RSPB Guildford & District Local Group holds its popular Grand Christmas Fair at Cranleigh on Thursday 27th November in Cranleigh Village Hall. The Fair is open from 9.30am-12.30pm, entry is free, and it can help solve all your present-buying for Christmas. They will have stalls for RSPB Christmas cards, calendars and gifts, as well as bird feeders, bird seed and peanuts. Homemade cakes,

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centenary of World War One with the exhibition ‘The Horse at War: 1914-1918’ (25th November 20141st March 2015). Exploring the role of the horse in World War One, the exhibition will compare the glorified image of officers and their chargers at war with the piteous desolation of these animals as beasts of burden when faced with gunfire and trench warfare. They are delighted to announce that ‘Joey’, the original West End horse puppet from the National Theatre’s acclaimed stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel ‘War Horse’, will feature in the exhibition. Definitely one to visit.

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A GOOD Book In this regular column we feature books that we, and our reviewers, like. They may not necessarily be new books, but they’ll be fiction and non-fiction books that we have enjoyed. We’ll always include at least one children’s book in the selection each time. We’d love to hear your thoughts on anything you feel we should be reading and sharing with others.

Goshawk Squadron Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson Published by MacLehose Press Paperback. Fiction. Price £8.99.

Derek Robinson earned a Booker nomination for his first novel, Goshawk Squadron, in 1971. It is an extraordinary black comedy, focusing on a WWI squadron of flyers and, in particular, its cynical and harddriving commander, Major Stanley Woolley. The bitter experience of the air war has taken its toll on him – and all the veterans of the squad. Vivid flying sequences and rousing scenes in French villages unlucky enough to have alcohol available contribute to this portrait of men under terrible pressure. But at the centre of the maelstrom is the relationship of Woolley and his lover, a nurse whose brush with death leads to an awakening of emotions that the Major doesn’t expect. Wisecracking responses to sudden death and the wretched living 32

conditions are entirely believable; Robinson’s portrait of characters is extraordinarily convincing; and the descriptions of the air war’s particular allure is compelling. Robinson continued to publish a series of searing, gripping novels about pilots in various conflicts through the decades. Readers should be grateful to MacLehose Press (an arm of Quercus) for bringing them all back into print – they form an extraordinary series of glimpses into the realities of air wars and the sacrifices made by the pilots in conflict after conflict. Reviewed by Nash Robbins

Man at the Helm Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe Published by Viking, August 2014. Fiction. Price £12.99.

Nina Stibbe’s first published book made her famous, in some circles, if only for inspiring Alan Bennett to deny being able to fix a bicycle. Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life consists of a series of letters Stibbe wrote

while an au pair for a particularly well-connected family in London; Bennett is only one literary character who the young Stibbe writes about in missives to her elder sister. It is charming, funny, and terrific fun. Now Stibbe has published her first novel, and all the qualities that made her epistolary non-fiction such a pleasure to read are present in Man at the Helm. Lizzie Vogel remembers the year 1970, when her parents divorced and her mother ended up with the children in an unwelcoming English village. The difficulties of being single in a judgemental hamlet are multiplied by the challenge of being a playwright. But the children develop a plan to find their mother a husband . . . Charming and funny, Man at the Helm avoids clichés of childhood or sentimentality. And although told from the position of a nine-yearold, it is very much about the world of adults and the hardship of the divorcee’s life. This book is sharp-eyed, witty, and wonderfully memorable – if you enjoyed ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith I think you might like this too. Reviewed by Nash Robbins vantagepointmag.co.uk

Almost English By Charlotte Mendelson Published by Pan Macmillan £5.59

When the feckless Peter simply disappeared leaving his wife, Laura, and their small child, Marina, the pair had no option but to move in with his Hungarian mother and sisters. Determined to make the best of the situation, these perpetually upbeat old ladies share the tiny basement flat in Bayswater, are kind to Laura (who has to sleep on the sofa), and besotted with Marina. So when, in her early teens, Marina decides her life will be transformed and glorious if she goes to boarding school, they rally round, gather their savings, and send her off. Mistake. Marina is utterly homesick. Laura pines. She sends a daily postcard to her daughter. But neither is able to tell the other of the desolation of their separation. Both their lives unravel at an equally pell-mell pace, unnoticed by the oldies who have pinned their hopes on Marina studying medicine at Cambridge and who visit the school at every opportunity in their flamboyant, but threadbare, best clothes. Mendelson has a deft and thoroughly convincing touch with her characters – the aching emptiness of homesickness, the hopeless dithering of Laura trying November 2014

to get a handle on her life, the unwavering love and endearing eccentricity of the ancient relatives. This was a worthy nomination for the Booker long-list last year. Reviewed by Caroline Boucher

Lady Luck and Me By Ben Dobson Self published in June 2014. Paperback. Non-fiction. £8.99. Available from Amazon

I was sent this book after receiving an email from the author, who lives locally and had decided to write his own story after suﬀering from depression, for which there is sadly little support. He wrote the book in the hope that it might help others in the same situation and I suspect for cathartic reasons too. I must admit that I started reading it with some trepidation but I need not have worried because this really is quite an uplifting book. Ben’s travails are sad, funny, touching, embarrasing and sometimes worse. The sad times are never very far away but nor are the adolescent adventures, with some slightly predictable ‘In-betweeners’ style comedy moments which can’t fail to either elicit a huge laugh or a course of tutting, depending upon the reader. What makes this book so enjoyable is the author’s writing. The prose is ﬂuent, witty, clever and touching. He also emerges as a very likeable

young man who has been dealt, through no fault of his own, with a set of cards that are not obviously a winning hand. And yet his ability to put words on paper so well proves that there is an ace in there somewhere. Reviewed by Stefan Reynolds

Cakes in Space By Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre Published by Oxford University Press Hardback. Children’s Fiction. £8.99

What a super book this is, despite it only being in two colours. How glorious it would have been to see the killer cupcakes in full colour. However, that doesn’t detract from the quality of the writing and illustrations. It’s about Astra and her family who are travelling through space to a new home on Nova Mundi when their spaceship is attacked. It’s all down to Astra to save everyone on the ship from the killer cupcakes, batty battenbergs and marauding muﬃns. As it says: “people should eat cakes, not the other way round..” This is a really fun story by Philip Reeve with fabulous illustrations by Sarah McIntyre – what a dazzling duo they are, they really should have their own cartoon series on TV. I loved this book. Reviewed by Jessica Harding 33

Three soup recipes for autumn This month, we have asked three local food businesses for a favourite soup recipe. Soup is the perfect thing for these autumn months, both easy and quick to make. It makes a great starter for a formal dinner or a light lunch or supper. Some of the best (and cheapest) soups can be very simply made with whatever left over vegetables you have lurking in the fridge. Simply chop and sweat an onion in some olive oil, add the chopped vegetables and some stock, and leave to simmer. When the vegetables are tender, whizz it all up with a blender, season to taste and there you have it, an instant soup. One of the best soups I have ever made was actually a recipe for curried peas from the wonderful Jennifer Patterson, one of the Two Fat Ladies. I decided to turn it into a soup by adding some stock and some cream at the end, and it was transformed into something very special. SR

Cannellini Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero & Virgin Olive Oil Be in the Kitchen is a small cookery school in a beautiful homely setting in Effingham, Surrey and they pride themselves on fresh, fun and healthy food using local produce. Be’s background with the Roux brothers and Leith’s school of food and wine gives her the expertise and professionalism to share with her clients. Please visit www. beinthekitchen.co.uk for more information. This recipe is taken from Rose Gray of the iconic River Café in London, which she founded with Ruth Rogers. 1. Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain and reserve the liquid. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic until softened but not coloured (20 minutes). Add the parsley and beans and cook, stirring until the beans are well coated with the mixture. 3. Heat the butter and stock in a large pan, add the Cavolo Nero, cover with a lid and braise for about 8 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, put three-quarters of the beans in a food processor with 250ml/8fl oz of their liquid, and briefly pulse (you do not want a purée). Add more liquid if necessary, but it should be thick. Return to the whole beans 34

with the cavolo nero and stock and season with salt and pepper. 5. Serve in large soup bowls, drizzled with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients 225g/8oz cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 3tbsps olive oil 6tbsps chopped fresh ﬂat leaf parsley sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 20g/ ¾ oz butter 150ml/ ¼ pint stock 200g/7oz Cavolo Nero or Swiss Chard, washed and ﬁnely sliced For the dressing: Extra virgin olive oil

vantagepointmag.co.uk

FOOD

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cumin Oil

This recipe comes from The Hungry Guest in Petworth. Set up in 2011, it now includes a wholesale artisan bakery and production kitchen, a food shop complete with its own butchery and cheese room and a catering service. For more information, visit www.thehungryguest.com or telephone 01798 344564. 1. Peel, de-seed and cut the pumpkin, put it on an oven tray and roast it until soft, which should take 15-20 mins.

Stichelton (a traditional English blue cheese made from raw milk) if you are feeling really naughty!

2. Peel and dice the onions and garlic and sweat these down in oil for roughly 5 mins, until soft and translucent.

To make the cumin seed oil, simply warm the oil with cumin seeds and leave to infuse for 24 hours.

3. Add the roasted pumpkin and the milk and bring to boil. Turn it down and simmer for 5 mins and then remove from heat.

Ingredients 30ml good quality oil 1 large white onion, ﬁnely chopped 20g garlic, peeled and crushed 500g Crown Prince pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 2cm chunks 500ml full fat Goodwood farm milk Cumin seed oil 50g walnut oil 5g cumin seeds

4. Using a blender, blitz the soup on highest setting until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Stichelton cheese (optional) Serves 4

5. Serve topped with pumpkin seeds, cumin oil and crunchy croutons. You could also add some crumbled

Potato & Smoked Haddock Soup This soup recipe comes from Jane Stockdale who runs her own Farnham based business, Home Cooking for Small Occasions. For more information 01252 723161 or 07775 696918 or email her at janestockdale01@hotmail.co.uk. 1. Sweat the garlic, onions, leeks potatoes and saffron in the butter with 1 teaspoon of salt (optional) and 2 tablespoons of water for 6 minutes. 2. Meanwhile poach the haddock in enough full cream milk to cover the fish with a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and black pepper for a couple of minutes on each side (if you should have left over white wine a splash would add to the flavour). 3. Remove the fish, reserve the liquor, flake and skin the haddock. Keep it to one side. 4. Pour the stock and haddock poaching liquor over the vegetables and simmer until soft. 5. Add the haddock and heat further for a few minutes. November 2014

6. Stir in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and juice. Season and serve

Ingredients 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 2 medium onions, peeled and diced (2.5cms) 2 medium leeks, washed and sliced 2 floury, white potatoes (baking size) - peeled and diced (2.5cms) 1 pinch saffron threads 55g butter 1 litre fish stock - half of this can be the poaching milk from the haddock (if using reduce the amount of stock accordingly) 400g smoked haddock 8 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped Zest and juice of 1 lemon Salt and black pepper Serves 4 35

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bread, jams and chutney will be for sale, plus stalls with a range of crafts, plants and produce from members’ gardens, secondhand books and CDs, and bric-a-brac. The popular tombola and a raffle will both be available again this year. Tea and coffee will be served throughout the morning at a very reasonable price. All profits go to the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). More information at www. rs p b . o rg . u k /g ro u ps / G u i l d fo rd , contact gadcom2010@gmail.com or phone 01372 467074.

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information on the meetings or about the 2014/15 programme, contact John Petty, membership secretary on 01483 861974, johnpetty@sky.com and on www.amitiesfrancaises.com.

meet at Shalford Village Hall at 1pm for a 1.45pm start. Visitors and new members are always most welcome. For further details contact 01483 578368

Blackheath Village Bridge Club is holding its annual charity Christmas Bridge afternoon on Thursday 27th November, at the Blackheath Village Hall starting at 2 pm. There will be prizes, raﬄes, a fantastic tea with home baked cakes, and ﬁnishing with a glass of wine and mince pies, all for £36 per table of four. Their charity this year is the Tadworth Children’s Trust and the village hall. For entry forms, ring 01483 892059 or email jeanniedavies@mac.com. But hurry, they only have room for 18 tables.

Dark tales always seem well suited to winter. Robert Louis Stevenson’s chilling tale of ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, with its atmosphere of swirling fog and devilish mind chemistry is Guildburys Theatre Company’s choice for their winter show at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. As is invariably the case, the original story is far more complex and intriguing than the Hammer Horror version and is the perfect treat for a winter’s night out at the theatre. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde will be at the Electric Theatre from 27th-29th November at 7.45pm with a matinee on Saturday 29th at 2.30pm. Tickets are available from the box oﬃce on 01483 444789 or online from www.electrictheatre. co.uk. More information about Guildburys Theatre Company can be found at www.guildburys.com and at Guildburys FaceBook page.

The next in Les Amitiés Francaises’s popular series of lectures in French will be held on 27th November in the Baptist Church Hall, Queen Street, Godalming at 7.30pm. Dr Karen Serres, Director of Paintings at the Courtauld Gallery in London will talk St.Catherine’s Flower Arrangement on ‘Courtauld Gallery et la France’, Club will be holding their last outlining the Huguenot ancestry of the demonstration of the term on 27th Courtaulds and the noted collection November. The new term will start of modern French art which became in March 2015. Margaret Williams the gallery and institute of today. The will get everyone into the Christmas December meeting on 11th will be on mood by demonstrating ‘Hey it’s ‘La Corse’ - Not just Napoleon’s’. Non- Christmas’ and the competition will members are very welcome (£6 at be ‘Panto Time’ (with a title). Go along Milford Window Company Oct 13_Layout 12/09/2013 12:36and P get some the door). Brochures are available in on1 27th November libraries and museums and for further diﬀerent ideas for Christmas. They

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Sandy Lane, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1HF 01483 573111 www.pilgrimwood.co.uk pilgrimwood@goldenagehealthcare.co.uk

November 2014

GARDEN

What to do in

November

With Matthew Pottage, Garden Manager at RHS Garden Wisley

Goodbye autumn, hello winter By mid to late November when the trees have ﬁnished dropping their leaves, the garden is just about ready for its full hibernation. Make sure all fallen leaves are either collected and placed on the compost heap, or, as we do at Wisley sometimes, blow them back onto the beds. They will naturally break down and you’ll be astonished how quickly the worms help with the composting process. Herbaceous perennials can be cut back now that they are dormant, unless you want them standing for structure or seed heads. In a similar way to leaving the fallen leaves

Going to pot Finally, spare a thought for potted plants this winter, whose root balls can freeze after periods of prolonged cold. If you have slightly tender plants in pots, wrapping the pot with bubble wrap or ﬂeece during periods of sub-zero conditions will help aid survival, especially with evergreens.

on the soil, you can cut back herbaceous plants and put the tops on the beds to break down. Just chop them up into small pieces ﬁrst. Make the job easier by cutting the plant back bit by bit with shears or a hedge trimmer. We have tried this at Wisley in some of the less high proﬁle areas and have enjoyed the results. The outcome looks like mulch as it is a cocktail of stems and leaves which is great for the soil structure.

Sleeping lawns and performing tree circles Depending on the weather, sometime in November tends to be the time to stop cutting your lawn. Remember to try and keep falling leaves oﬀ the grass, and take time to spike (aerate) the lawn if you can. This assists with drainage and helps relieve compaction which often occurs throughout the summer. If the cold weather hasn’t reached your garden yet, it is still possible to take a rake to the lawn to get rid of any moss or thatch. If you have struggling grass under the edges of trees or perhaps around the base of a tree in the lawn, now is a good time to increase the tree circle around the base. This doesn’t just tidy up scrappy looking shaded grass, but also helps the ﬁbrous root system of the tree. Tree circles can also pack a punch with spring bulbs, so mark out any tree circle extensions, throw down a generous covering of crocus bulbs and simply cover with 5-10cm of home-made compost topped with a load of fallen leaves. Leave nature to do her work. The bulbs will correct themselves (depth and orientation) and the compost will get to work improving life for the tree. Just remember never to heap mulch or soil up against tree trunks – think doughnuts not pyramids!

FIND OUT MORE

RHS Garden Wisley, Woking GU23 6QB. Visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley to ﬁnd out more.

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live by a top professional keyboard artiste, during a two hour concert? If so, why not go along to one of West Surrey Organ and Keyboard Club’s monthly concerts. You will be assured of a warm welcome in a friendly club atmosphere. Refreshments are served in the interval and a raﬄe is always held. The next concert is on Sunday 28th November and starts at 2.30pm, the December pre Christmas concert is on Friday 12th and starts at 7.30pm. Admission for visitors is £6; if you want to take along a party of people, call the telephone number below regarding reduced admission charges. Concerts are held at Shalford Village Hall, Kings Road, Shalford GU4 8JE. The venue has good on site parking and full disabled access and facilities. Contact: Brian Isom on 01252 266270 or email pambry@talktalk.net. Website www. organfax.co.uk - select Club Directory, then ‘W’ in the A-Z listing. The Watts Gallery in Compton is holding a number of ‘Watts at Night’ evenings. You can enjoy 2 for 1 admission, music, bar, readings, exhibition talks and candlelit Chapel tours. There’s also a chance to sample some delightful Russian cuisine

November 2014

provided by Russian Revels and enjoy winter illuminations by artist Mary Branson. The ﬁrst one is on Friday 28th November and subsequent ones will be on 19th December, 30th January and 27th February. A lovely night out for friends and families. This year’s Wonersh Memorial Xmas Fayre will take place in The Village Hall on Saturday 29th November with the doors opening at 2pm. All the traditional stalls will be there, including a bottle tombola, cakes and preserves, gifts, books, lucky dip and teas. Please support this important community asset by browsing and buying; and enjoy a cuppa plus a slice of Martin’s famous Victoria sponge with friends and neighbours. Proceedings will conclude with the drawing of the raﬄe at about 3.30pm. On Sunday 30th November Guildford Rambling Club is meeting in Ashstead Lane in Godalming for an 8 mile walk. See www.guildfordramblingclub.org. uk for more information. In January 2014, a local guy called Philip Thomas started to run a friendly and sociable duplicate bridge session

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on Friday evenings at Shalford Village Hall called the ‘Bridgepedia Bridge Circle’. Philip is an accredited English Bridge Union Tournament Director and, also teaches bridge for Surrey Adult Learning and privately. All standards of players are welcome. Partners are always available for people who want to go alone. The emphasis is on having an enjoyable fun evening. Play starts at 7.30pm but players are asked to arrive by 7.15pm. Table money is £3 which includes tea, coﬀee etc. The session ends at about 10.30pm. The West Surrey National Trust Centre will be holding their annual Christmas Music evenings with singing from the Epsom Chamber Choir in the Marble Hall at Clandon Park on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December commencing at 8pm. This event heralds the start of the Christmas season for many of their supporters. All are welcome so please go along and take your friends. Tickets cost £13 and include a glass of wine and a mince pie in the interval. To purchase tickets please contact Gisela Duckworth on 01252 836857.

Alice Holt Forest Alice Holt is such an ancient forest that no one is completely certain how it got its name. Most likely, it came from Ælfsige, anglo-saxon bishop of Winchester and “holt” meaning simply “a wood”. The Forestry Commission took it over in 1924 and established a research centre which advises on forest management, nursery, soils etc. anywhere in the country and does extensive research here. They also re-established an arboretum (close by, though not on this walk), with the help of an army of volunteers. There is always lots going on and lots to do at Alice Holt, so it is well worth a trip for visitors of all ages. For more information, please visit www.forestry.gov.uk/aliceholt. This walk is taken from www.fancyfreewalks.org and reproduced with kind permission.

The walk

  

1. From the car park, go ahead past a metal barrier and follow the wide stony path. After 200m, ignore paths left and right. (The righthand path leads to a picnic area and a circular path. The left-hand path leads to the Alice Holt Research Centre.) After another 400m, go straight over a tarmac path. The path curves left with great views to your right over Hampshire. Just after, avoid side tracks left and right. The path descends between cypress trees, then ascends again and runs level amongst pines, becoming more grassy. After Alice Holt Forest and another level section, a total of 2 km from the car park, you come to a more open area with a wire fence ahead on your left, next to a tree plantation. 2. Avoid the path that forks left to a tall gate but, 20m further, turn right on a path. (If you are adventurous, and want to stay dry, you can instead continue on the main path for 120m and ﬁnd a very narrow but clear path, almost hidden, on the right – beware of an extremely narrow one just before it – and follow it through dense conifers, wheeling left a bit at the end through some tall pines . This takes you to the Y-junction mentioned below.) After nearly 300m on this straight path, at a junction, turn sharp left to arrive in about 200m at a Y-junction. Take the right fork on a path that takes you through a wooden barrier. Keep straight ahead with houses and gardens on your right and, after 130m, turn right on a quiet residential road. In about 250m, just after St Huberts (with its little turret and wind vane) turn left on a narrow footpath. This takes you past a ﬁlling station (with a small shop) to the main A325 road. 3. Cross the road carefully and turn right to reach, at a junction, the Halfway House pub at Bucks Horn Oak, sadly closed and for sale at the 40

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   time of writing. Fork left by the pub on a side road signed to Dockenfi eld. In 100m, ignore a muddy byway on your left, con  tinue a further 150m and turn left onto the tarmac drive which  is the  entrance to Alice Holt Forest. Avoid a left fork that only   goes to the office and stay on the snaking drive, passing a car  park on your right and forking right to the café, toilets and cycle   hire centre.  4. Instead of looking for the shortest way, this section takes you in a loop round the best part of the forest, but always finding dry paths. From near the café, toilets and cycle hire, turn right downhill on a path marked as the Willows Green Trail. Your path goes over a bridge with railings. At a T-junction,turn left on the Long Route, soon reaching a T-junction with a wide sandy gravel track. Turn right here. In 200m, at a crossing path with waymarkers, turn left on the red route, a grey gravel path, passing several stick huts or ‘dens’ as your path veers right. After 200m on this path, at a T-junction, turn left on another wide path, with houses sometimes visible beyond. Keep ahead on this path for about

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WALK

350m, avoiding a left fork halfway along, until you reach a major T-junction, indicated by a fork in the path. Keep left here and turn left as you join another path at the T-junction,still on the red route. 5. You will be following this path more or less straight for over 600m. In about 100m, avoid a left fork at a marker post, thus leaving the red route. Your excellent wide path snakes its way downhill. In a dip, you pass a junction sharp left and, 50m later, reach a crossing path. Turn right on the crossing path (the path left would take you back to the Centre). You will be following this main, rather curvy, path for over 700m. Your path wheels left and goes over a crossing path. Your next encounter is with that rather muddy byeway across your path. Your path curves right as it meets a grassy path on the left and goes over a stream. Stay on the main path as it bends sharp left and then right again, avoiding all the lesser, muddy side paths. 6. On your left soon is George’s Lonely Oak, named after a long-serving forester. You soon reach another junction. Turn left here to avoid the muddy horse path ahead and quickly right again, staying on the wide dry path, passing some cypresses and a picnic table. This takes you, in another 100m or so, to a very wide path at an oblique T-junction. Turn right on this wide path to reach, in 150m, a 5-way junction. 7. Now leave the main route, which bends left, by going straight ahead on another wide path. In about 200m, you reach the border of the forest indicated by a wooden gate and a small car park. A small community on the Surrey border, welcome to Rowledge! St James’s church is on your left. Keep straight ahead on the lane to a junction in the village. 8. Turn left on School Road, passing the Cherry Tree pub on your right, a worthy watering hole with two gardens and some good food. Continue on the road, passing various houses, a recreation ground and a parking area. Rowledge House, soon on the right with the dragon-crested outhouse, was a hostel during World DISTANCE: 7 miles OS MAPS: Explorer 145 (Guildford) STARTING POINT: Gravel Hill Road car park. The nearest postcode is GU10 4LJ but for navigation purposes, you need to set GU10 5JD which will take you on the Gravel Hill Road. GETTING THERE: you reach the car park from the A31 road (signposted Winchester Alton), just 3 miles (5 km) west of

War II for Jewish child refugees who arrived on the Kindertransport. At a T-junction, turn left on Fullers Road. Avoid a footpath immediately on the right, continue on the road for 250m and, just past Fox Hollow, turn right at a fingerpost on a footpath. 9. This path, which is almost dry, soon takes you over a gurgling stream, through woodland and out to a junction of farm tracks. Keep straight ahead and, after passing an entrance to a farm, keep ahead on a hard-core grassy track [March 2014: it was partially blocked by a heap of rubble – hopefully clear now!]. Finally, you reach the main A325 road. Cross the road carefully and go through a swing gate directly opposite into the front yard of the Forest Inn, Holt Pound, a family pub and a reliable place for lastchance refreshment. 10. Pass the pub on your left and go through a wooden gate into a meadow by a four-way fingerpost. Fork left here across the grass, aiming for a metal swing gate in front of a house visible in the trees ahead. Go through the gate, turn right in front on the house and go past a wooden barrier back into the forest, avoiding side paths. This long straight (and fairly dry) path makes for a pleasant final saunter back to your starting point. After pines, a more open section, and more pines and birch, you go over a crossing path with views on the right. Finally, after a total of just over 1 km on this path, you go through a metal barrier to a lane. Turn left on the lane and in 20m fork right, back to the car park where the walk began.

Farnham, Surrey. If coming from the east, go straight ahead at a roundabout, ignore several left turns until you cross the Hamsphire border; just after you glimpse the Bull Inn on the right, take a left ﬁlter and turn left, in front of a clump of pines on narrow Gravel Hill Road. Follow this fabulously twisty road for just under a mile, entering the dense forest and going over a railway. The car park is ¼ mile after the railway bridge, the ﬁrst obvious right fork on a gravel, rather uneven, track. Park at the end or tight along the edge if full.

Neither the publisher nor the author can accept any responsibility for any changes, errors or omissions in this route. Diversion orders can be made and permissions withdrawn at any time.

November 2014

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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!

Guildford Fringe Theatre Company’s adult panto is back after their sell out of Cinders in 2013. Dick is on his way to London to seek fame, fortune and love (or at least lust) when he meets ‘Peter The Pussy(cat)’ and they form a bond as iconic as Ant and Dec. The trio of sailors, Watt, Ware and Howe, have been conceived purely for comedy value and have very little to do with the plot, other than allowing the use of lots of risqué jokes! I think you might get the gist! After last year’s success they have extended the run for this year’s adult panto to 16 performances, from Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 20th December. It takes place at The Back Room of the Star Inn, Quarry Street, Guildford GU1 3TY. Tickets can be purchased online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ GuildfordFringe by phone on 0844 8700 887 or in person at the Tourist Information Centre, Guildford. Strictly over 18’s. Full information at www. GuildfordFringe.com. Are you prone to getting a little peckish in the evening? You might fancy indulging in a Mediaeval Christmas Banquet. Last year’s banquet was a great success and therefore two dates are available this year. They take place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th December at The Guildhall Guildford. Apparently there are 24 dishes to get through; no wonder life expectancy was about 35 or so in the Middle Ages! I admit to having a squint at the menu - that put on 5 pounds alone! The dishes do sound delicious and after all it’s only once a year… Apart from the food there will be appropriate entertainment to help it go down. Tickets at £60 are available in advance from www.guildfordchristmas.co.uk. Doors open at 7.30pm. The Wey and Arun Canal Trust are running their very popular Santa cruises on 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd December with 40 minute trips departing at 11am, 12noon and 2pm. Tickets cost £9 each and include light refreshments and a gift from Santa for children under 12 years old. If you would like to make a booking or receive further information on special events and private charters, or on the restoration work and volunteering opportunities on the canal, please call the Trust Oﬃce on 01403 752403 or e-mail oﬃce@weyandarun.co.uk. Also lots more information on www. weyandarun.co.uk. 42

You may remember my mention of ‘The Waterbabies’ in a previous edition. Two youngsters Callum Gathercole and his pal Jay Olenicz are aiming to beat the world record as the youngest pair to row across the Atlantic, while raising money for three great charities. The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge is taking place in December 2015. In the meantime, Callum has succeeded in beating the World Record 100km U 19 Ergo challenge. Callum began the challenge on Saturday 13th Sept at 9 am and was lying on the ﬂoor of the Friary centre in Guildford with exhaustion by 4.03pm having beaten the previous record (7hrs 18 min 8 sec). The new world record is 7 hours and 2 minutes. A fantastic achievement. No doubt we will keep you posted as the challenge nears. You can follow developments on www.thewaterbabies.co.uk .

44>

For those who haven’t heard of Circle Dancing, it’s great exercise, relaxing and fun. It’s suitable for men and women of all ages and you don’t need a partner. Lynn Frances is an experienced teacher of 32 years and holds classes at Pirrie Hall Brook on Thursdays in three ten-week terms, 7.30-9.30pm. St Catherine’s Hall Guildford on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, 7.30-9.30pm and WI Hall Hartley Wintney on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7.309.30pm. Contact Lynn on 01420 474881.

Chance for Childhood is recruiting runners for the Doitforcharity.com Santa run. This is a 5 or 10km race taking place on Sunday 7th December in Victoria Park, London. Thousands of people are expected to take part raising funds for many diﬀerent charities and now this is your chance to join them! No previous experience required. All you need to do is pledge to raise £100 for Chance for Childhood to help empower communities and protect children facing the worst forms of injustice. Free Santa Suits and medals will be provided for all runners on the day. To reserve your place, please call 01483 230250.

This is a great Christmas stocking filler. The Wey & Arun Canal Trust calendar – priced at £7 - is filled with beautiful images with plenty of space to add personal diary notes. Funds raised from the sale of the calendars will be used to help progress the restoration of the Wey & Arun Canal. They are available at the Loxwood Canal Centre, which is open from 1pm to 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at the weekend from 11am to 4pm until the end of December. Telephone 01403 753999 to reserve a copy for collection. Copies can also be ordered by post by calling 01403 752403 between 9am and 1pm Monday to Friday or by emailing office@weyandarun.co.uk. I was lucky enough to get a 2014 calendar; there are some beautiful photographs. As I write, I have just received the 2015 calendar; it really is very good with some beautiful photography, and you certainly won’t be disappointed,

KIDS recently launched a new suite of resources to support families and carers of disabled children and young people to help them navigate the reforms to Special Educational Needs and Disability provision. KIDS works with disabled children, young people and their families. As part of the ‘Making it Personal:2’ project, sponsored by the Department for Education, KIDS has worked with a number of partners to develop a new suite of resources to explore how personal budgets and the local oﬀer will beneﬁt families. The full suite of resources is available to view on the KIDS website: www.kids.org.uk/ mip2. In case you haven’t heard of it, KIDS is a charity that was established in 1970 by John Mulcahy, an inspired teacher who became concerned about the development of a disabled child in one of his classes.

On Sunday 7th December, The Hogs Back Road Race, one of Britain’s greatest road races, is back for its 55th year. This great winter road race takes in the best climbs, and views, in the Surrey Hills and is managed on behalf of Guildford & Godalming Athletics Club by local company ‘aat events ltd’ who deliver Surrey’s best-known road running event, the Surrey Half Marathon. The event is a great opportunity for local runners to represent their clubs and compete for kudos in the inter-club competition. Guildford & Godalming AC will be providing the volunteers on the day to ensure a safe and enjoyable run for everyone. Road closures will be in place and residents are being notiﬁed over the coming weeks. The whole community is involved in preparing for the event, which expects to attract over 800 runners. Thanks to Michael vantagepointmag.co.uk

PROFILE

Making Time for Tigers Surrey is not a place you would normally associate with tigers but tucked away in the village of Shalford beats the heart of a passionate campaign to help reverse the trend in the decline of wild tigers. TigerTime was launched in 2011 by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) and now boasts an extraordinary following. With almost 700,000 people now supporting the campaign and the petition to ban the trade in tiger parts, TigerTime also has a host of celebrities backing its work. These include actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley and Deborah Meaden. Campaign manager Vicky Flynn said: “The pace at which TigerTime has been able to reach out and engage new audiences has been amazing. With all supporters engaged TigerTime has the potential to reach 18 million people with one tweet, which has to be good news in spreading awareness about the plight of the tiger.” There are estimated to be as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild. Through poaching and being pushed into smaller and smaller pockets by human encroachment and poaching 97,000 tigers have been lost in the last century. “We work in India, Thailand and Russia ﬁghting to preserve tigers and their habitat by supporting anti-poaching, education, community outreach and undercover investigation teams,” adds Vicky Flynn. “DSWF has been part of tiger conservation for over 30 years and are now engaging new audiences with TigerTime.” While tigers may seem a long way from the leafy lanes of Surrey their importance as a keystone species for the health of the planet cannot be under estimated. They protect the forests that

help create balanced and rich biodiversity and ensure that overgrazing is kept in check. Losing them would be a tragedy. “We have incredible support in Surrey and there are many ways that people can get involved,” adds Vicky. “Our DSWF Gallery in Shalford sells beautiful gifts and artwork to support conservation. The range includes stunning photographs by Farnham-based photographer, Alan Seymour and the latest addition to the gallery is ‘Kai’ a beautiful pencil drawing by Peasmarsh artist, Richard Symonds which is being sold to raise funds for TigerTime’s work.” The team also host fundraising events like the amazing ‘TigerTime Comedy Night’ which this year is on Sunday 23rd November at G Live in Guildford. With four comedians, including the super dry wit of radio 4’s Simon Evans and the exciting new talent of Angela Barnes, Gareth Richards and Matt Richardson, it promises to make you ‘roar’ with laughter for a really good cause. Tickets are £20 and available now from G Live on 0844 7701 797 and the DSWF Gallery, 7 Kings Road, Shalford, GU4 8JU. The acts have all donated their time free of charge to help maximise funds for tigers. “The generosity of our supporters is often humbling,” says Vicky. “But, in the ﬁght to save the tiger in the wild so that future generations will not know them simply as storybook creatures, we all need to unite and ﬁght for their survival. Wouldn’t it be great to see Surrey put on the map as the place that helped save this iconic big cat.” Image top left: Sultan by Farnham photographer Alan Seymour FIND OUT MORE

To ﬁnd out more about TigerTime’s work visit the website at www.tigertime.info. Follow on Twitter @TigerTimeNow or see the facebook page TigerTime – Save the Tiger. TigerTime is a campaign of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation – a UK registered charity No: 1106893.

November 2014

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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!

More-Molyneux, they can use the Loseley Estate as the parking, start and finish area. It starts at 9am. Places sell fast for this popular event, so sign up soon to secure yours: www. hogsbackrun.co.uk. Production of the great Wintershall religious plays performed in Surrey, London and Glastonbury has been passed to the next generation of the Hutley family, ensuring that the tradition stays alive. Peter Hutley has passed the baton to his daughter Charlotte. With a cast ranging from 75 for the Nativity to 200 for the Life of Christ, all willing amateurs except for the professional Christ, the plays are a huge undertaking. The Passion played in Guildford High Street and is now regularly staged in Trafalgar Square. This year, it also went to Glastonbury. The Nativity will be performed at Wintershall and also returns to All Souls Church in Langham Place and the piazza at BBC Broadcasting House. Rehearsals start next month. Contact 01483 892167 if you would like to be involved. Performances are on 17th December in London and 18th to 21st December at Wintershall. I can’t think of a better way to start Christmas than listening to Handel’s Messiah. For many music lovers, Handel’s Messiah defines both choral music and Christmas. Ever since its first performance in 1741, this work has remained at the heart of musical life, with its vibrant choruses – including the Hallelujah Chorus. Guildford Choral Society is joined for this performance by a quartet of outstanding soloists and one of the leading baroque ensembles, the Hanover Band. It takes place at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 20th December at 7.30pm. The conductor and Musical Director is Jonathan Willcocks. Tickets: Front Nave: £25, Mid Nave: £17, Rear Nave: £10, West Gallery: £19. Concessions: (children, students, disabled and ES40), £10 on all seats except Front Nave. Available from: boxoffice@guildfordchoral.org or directly from Derek Lake on 01494 675571. Also from the Guildford Tourist Information Centre: 01483 444333. Guildford Shakespeare Company, Guildford’s award-winning theatre company, is proud to announce that actor Brian Blessed will be joining the company to play Shakespeare’s King Lear in their opening production of 44

2015. This will be first time that Brian has played this iconic role on stage. The production will also be the first time that he has worked on stage with his actress-daughter Rosalind, who will be playing one of Lear’s three daughters, Goneril. The production will run from 17th January to 7th February 2015 at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford High Street. Tickets are £24 adults, but there are concessions, family tickets and reductions for matinees and preview tickets. Also there will be an allocation of 20 tickets every Monday for under 25’s, students and jobseekers at £12.50. Book at www.guildford-shakespearecompany.co.uk or call the box office on 01483 304384. There’s no booking fee. We have mentioned in ‘Jottings’ The Lightbox Gallery and Museum in Woking on many occasions. We are delighted to hear that out of over 800 nominated museums, they reached the shortlist of 6 finalists in The Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award 2014 in association with Kids in Museums. The Telegraph article described The Lightbox as a unique addition to the list: ‘The Lightbox, in a stunning building by Marks Barfield (of London Eye fame) in Surrey, focuses largely on art, making it unique on this shortlist. It engages directly with its community, inspires creativity for all ages and abilities, exceptionally so, and has a brilliant Young Curator’s programme.’ For more information visit www.thelightbox.org.uk or call 01483 737800. Founded in 1905, Rotary is an international organisation of local clubs, 26 of which are in Surrey. The total membership worldwide is over 1.2 million. The object of Rotary is to provide humanitarian service to the community at local, national and international level; encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to work for goodwill and peace in the world. Originally a male organisation, Rotary membership is now dual gender and a recent innovation has been the introduction of corporate membership which allows a company or corporation to become a member of a local Club and designate up to four employees to attend meetings and participate in the Club activities. Clubs meet regularly and there is now no minimum attendance rule and members are simply asked to support their Club to the best of their ability

as individual circumstances permit. For further information about Rotary go to www.guildforddistrictrotary. org.uk or for an application form to join contact Anne Coakley - anne@ acoakleyandco.co.uk Tel: 01252 702218 Fax: 01252 702818. The Royal Surrey County Hospital Christmas Raffle tickets are now on sale and all funds raised will go towards their current campaign ‘Detecting Women’s Cancers.’ The tickets are £1 each and the prizes are: 1st £1000, 2nd £500 and 5 x 3rd prizes of £100 each. Please contact the fundraising office at the Royal Surrey if you would like to purchase tickets or if you have some spare time that you would like to ‘donate’ to help sell the tickets? Please call 01483 464146 or email sarahwelsby@nhs.net. We wrote quite a lot about The Guildford Fringe Festival so it was most interesting to learn that it was a tremendous success and in just its second year managed to treble in size. Nick Wyschna who set up Guildford Fringe Festival as a spin-off to Guildford Fringe Theatre Company is already working on plans for next year’s event and hopes to double the number of audience members and the performers taking part. If you are interested in performing at the festival in 2015, would like your venue to be involved or want to join the mailing list to be the first to hear all the Guildford Fringe Festival news call 01483 361101, email info@ guildfordfringe.com or visit http:// guildfordfringe.com/ I have just learnt that Tesco is once again proposing to open a store where it seems the majority of the population don’t want one! Slightly baffling considering their current predicament. Their next local target is Bramley and I believe there is already an online petition for objectors. It reads “Tesco: Leave Bramley Alone. You are not needed nor welcome.” If you want to have a say, here’s the link: http://www.change.org/p/tescoleave-bramley-alone-you-are-notneeded-or-welcome. FIND OUT MORE

More Jottings are available online at vantagepointmag.co.uk. To send in an entry, go online or email us at jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk.

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Four Gables Food Academy is opening its doors to our readers with a Christmas contest to make one lucky winner’s festive season a wonderful one. Four Gables have created a happy hub of culinary activity. With courses such as Briliant Baking ,Dinner Party Delights, Fabulous Fish, Fusion, Market Kitchen, Indian Cuisine and more, you are spoilt for choice. Inside you have a professional kitchen where you can totally immerse yourself in a day of cooking bliss.Visit www.fourgablesgroup.com for more information. To enter, please answer the following question: Q: Name one of the courses you might be able to win a place on. Please enter online at www.vantagepointmag. co.uk by 20th December 2014.

Create wonderful parties for your children without all the stress. This FREE book will show you exactly how the experts do it.

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Avoid common mistakes that nearly all parents make. All youwonderful need to know themed Create partiesabout for your children without all th parties. This FREE book will show you exactly how the exper WhyAvoid timing yourmistakes party that correctly common nearly allcan parents make. make Allall youthe needdifference. to know about themed parties. timingparents’ your partyphone correctly can make all the difference WhyWhy taking numbers can Why be very takingdangerous. parents phone numbers can be very dangerous. By Mr Mysto Why the experts hate working outside, and you should too. Master Children’s Why the experts hate working outside, party games don’t work any more. and Why youtraditional should too. Entertainer. What to look forparty when booking hall for your party. Why traditional gamesadon’t 1,000 Free books work any more. Why letting children have a run around is the worst way to s to give away look formore. when booking a hall Andto much much No Obligation - What FREE Offer Exclusive For VantagePoint Readers for your party.copy We’ll Even PayIn Conjunction Grab your calling free on 0800 - 01 8 With Mr by Mysto the Magician letting children have a runallfrom around The Postage CreateWhy or - 350586 a mobile wonderful parties for01737 your children without the stress. This FREE book will show you exactly how the experts do it... is the worst way to start. And much much more. Grab your copy by calling free on of Magic 0800 01 88 118 The orSign 01737 350586 from a and Fun mobile.

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Have you seen the major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, marking 100 years since the first full day of Britain’s involvement in the WWI? Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower’s famous moat until 11th November. Each poppy represents a British Grab your FREE copy by calling free on military fatality during the war. Why traditional party games don’t work any more and where to find modern, fun games. What to look for when booking a hall for your party.

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To enter to win this piece of history, simply answer the following question: Q: How many poppies will be planted at the Tower of London? Enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk by 30th November 2014.

Please enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk. Postal entries can be sent to us at the address given on page three.

✤ ‘the personal touch’

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