Runnymede Jazz Club D’Oyly Carte - The Next Chapter 14/15 Heat your home an alternative way 18/19

All that was missing was smoke, dancing andFlapper girls. Otherwise attending the monthly jazz session of the Runnymede Jazz Club was like a throw back to another era. The music vibe was of a black and white film. It was epic. Entertaining us were a magnificent Reeds United. They have been playing together for 24 years. George Huxley is over 80 and plays with tremendous energy. John Maddocks was the perfect partner. The evening was quite magnificent. What was equally wonderful was to see what a crowd there was to enjoy the music. The community centre at Addlestone had an audience of around 150. This jazz is accessible and fun. You can’t fail to tap your feet to the beat and enjoy the interaction between band members. The Runnymede Jazz Club has been running since 1995, initially at based at Chertsey Hall, but latterly at Addlestone Community Centre, Garfield Rd, Addlestone, KT15 2NJ. It’s aim is to promote the enjoyment of traditional jazz to the area. Annual membership is only £15 for joint or £7 for single and tickets are £12 for members or £14 for non members. Contact Box Office or call 01784 441694 for an application form or get an application form from the Membership Secretary at the next concert. You can email the club at runnymedejazzclub@hotmail.com or have a look at the programme of forthcoming events at www.runnymedejazzclub.com. Do book in advance. It is a busy club, and for good reason!

John Maddocks (L) and George Huxley with Reeds United

As providers of live-in and community care throughout Spelthorne, Elmbridge and Runnymede, we are extremely excited to be moving to new premises in Shepperton High Street. This move will enable us to expand and to develop the services we offer. Even more, it puts us in a fantastic position to connect and engage with the local community and other businesses. Business Owner Louise Cobban says “Shepperton holds so many personal memories, and my own grandparents have been in Shepperton for over 60 years. My dream has been to open my business in the High Street and am so excited to be able to achieve that this year. We are especially looking forward to the community events, and we LOVE Big Tree Night! We would be so pleased to see as many of the local people as possible and our kettle is always on so please do drop in and say hi to us!” We will be having an open day on the 5th March and hope to have local businesses and community figures join us in celebrating our High Street. Pop the date in your diary !

If you are compassionate and an exceptional carer, we would love to hear from you. Contact us for further information and let’s help the NHS free up beds and get people their correct care packages to aid rehabilitation and quality of life.

By Monica Jones and with thanks to Andy Hill

There is always so much interest from readers when we run anything on D’Oyly Carte Island and the Eyot House that sits on it. Those of you who use the towpath and river will have noticed that the moorings around the island are once again filling up and that the house itself has had some changes. New owner, Andy Hill, promised to keep Shepperton Matters informed as they progress their plans to develop the property and we are delighted to bring you an update. As a brief reminder of the history, the house was built by Richard D’Oyly Carte, then owner of the Savoy and director of the very successful D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, where he partnered with the famous Gilbert & Sullivan to stage their ever popular operettas. He had originally intended Eyot House to be a 5* boutique hotel, however, when the local council refused a drinking licence, D’Oyly Carte himself moved in. D'Oyly Carte Island was the weekend retreat for many of D’Oyly’s famous hotel guests. As well as Gilbert & Sullivan, other clients he represented included JM Barrie (Peter Pan) and Oscar Wilde. The island had its own pet crocodile (a possible inspiration for JM Barrie) and when it escaped, D’Oyly offered a £250 reward (in todays money) for the return of his “harmless pet”. The house remembers the pet crocodile with a wooden replica housed in one of the window alcoves at the front of the house. Aiming to retain as many ‘nods’ to the era as possible, Andy Hill has decked the olive trees on the distinctive first floor balcony of Eyot House with fairy lights. The term ‘fairy lights’ was invented at the Savoy Theatre when D’Oyly created miniature lights to adorn the dresses of the lead fairies on the opening night of one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic operas.

Another of D’Oyly’s innovations was when he opened the Savoy Theatre in 1881 it was the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity. D’Oyly beat Thomas Eddison, the inventor of the light bulb, by two weeks to his first public building display that was also in London. The new owners of D’Oyly Carte Island have recognised this world first by spectacularly illuminating Eyot House in a style that D’Oyly would have approved of. The difference today is the lights used to illuminate the house and island are extraordinarily environmentally friendly. The new owners have appointed London Architects, Parti, who have been instructed to maintain the history, culture and design of Eyot House, and D’Oyly Carte Island, in line with its Grade 2 listed status. This will include repairing the significant damage caused by vandals, squatters and the elements over the last 10 years together with improvements to enhance the original design. Parti have considered a variety of sensitive

alterations which they will discuss with the local authority and English Heritage, fully aware the Architect for Eyot House was the same architect that D’Oyly used at the Savoy Hotel. As stated, the new owners have reinstated moorings around the island and have been overwhelmed with demand. So the Environment Agency have been asked for ideas about how additional moorings can be provided to help others who wish to moor on the island. The east end of the island has, since the 1970’s, made one of the two outbuildings fully equipped with a winch and slipway, to clean and maintain boats whilst the second building was used as a retail shop for a variety of boating parts and accessories available to the passing boaters. Today’s boats are more reliable and require less maintenance and there was nothing in the retail shop that could not be bought and delivered by Amazon the next day! So the plan for the east end of the island is to create something that will support the wider boating community and local residents. Parti have a range of ideas in their feasibility study. Maybe this area of the island could in fact welcome the public, by obtaining the licenses that D’Oyly was unable to secure in 1890. What a fitting conclusion to D’Oyly’s unfinished business and what a very attractive place for locals it would be! Watch this space!

Very early on in the existence of Shepperton Matters I Very early on in the existence of Shepperton Matters I met Ron Fabry at the Shepperton Village Fair and ran met Ron Fabry at the Shepperton Village Fair and ran an article on him. His skill in the art of caning was an article on him. His skill in the art of caning was quite something. It is increasingly unusual to meet quite something. It is increasingly unusual to meet someone with this ability. He worked his craft with a someone with this ability. He worked his craft with a smile and was always willing to chat. smile and was always willing to chat. I was so glad to have known this gentle man who I was so glad to have known this gentle man who passed away and was laid to rest in February. passed away and was laid to rest in February. This from his widow Joan: This from his widow Joan:

“Ron had a passion for living; a love of the “Ron had a passion for living; a love of the physical: Football, swimming, boxing, running physical: Football, swimming, boxing, running all played their part. all played their part. And he loved to talk, to entertain with stories from And he loved to talk, to entertain with stories from a treasure store of a life tightly embraced. a treasure store of a life tightly embraced. He worked hard and thought to the future, a man He worked hard and thought to the future, a man of his time, and he loved being a husband, father and grandfather. of his time, and he loved being a husband, father and grandfather. He loved and was loved and will be missed by all those who knew him, and more so by He loved and was loved and will be missed by all those who knew him, and more so by his family.”his family.”

Cut out the commissions and sell direct to Cut out the commissions and sell direct to the dealer! Home visit valuations. Immediate the dealer! Home visit valuations. Immediate payment, however large or small. payment, however large or small. Call 01932 785635 Call 01932 785635 www.jcstamps.co.uk www.jcstamps.co.uk

With soaring energy prices, we are having to look at either putting on extra layers, or finding an alternative way of heating our homes in the long term. Furthermore, as governments across the world have committed to making changes to help stop and reverse climate change, including the reduction in use of fossil fuels, we as householders have to do our bit and make changes. We are being incentivised by the government to do so. From 2025 you will no longer be able to install a gas boiler. We need to start to explore alternatives and change our heating systems. This will not happen overnight. Arguably it should happen faster than it is likely to. But for now, let’s explore what those heat sources might be and how you can start making changes in your home. Better Planet is a renewable energy supplier. They launched in 2004 with a vision to make it easier and more affordable to use renewable resources for heating and electricity. They are well versed in the changing landscape of alternative energy, and the government incentives that are available. As well as solar power, which most of us have heard of and understand, Better Planet offer heat supply solutions using air, water and ground. These sources of heat are a new concept to many in this country, although they are widely harnessed in other countries around the world.

Better Planet take pride in offering clients honest advice on what is the best solution for their property, both from a technical and financial point of view. They will visit your home and discuss which source of heat would be best suited to you, based on your environment. If you have lots of land, a ground source pump might be the best choice. If you live by water, then why not use that as your source? For most of us, we will be choosing air source heat pumps. Think of this as a reverse fridge. The pump will take air, extract the heat and redirect it to your home. The system can use existing radiators but you will need new elements installed too, including a cylinder, buffer tank and control panel. Better Planet use high performing products from well-established manufacturers. Over the years they have developed relations with preferred manufacturing partners supplying high quality products at preferential prices and warranties. They will always recommend products with solid performance at competitive prices. For most heat pump projects, they specify units manufactured by Nibe. Nibe were established over 70 years ago. They are based in Sweden and are the leading manufacturer of heat pumps in Europe with over 50,000 heat pumps installed every year. Better Planet is Nibe’s leading installer in the South East of England. With soaring energy prices, we are having to look at either putting on extra layers, or finding an alternative way of heating our homes in the long term. Furthermore, as governments across the world have committed to Air source heat pump unit making changes to help stop and reverse climate change, including the reduction in use of fossil fuels, we as householders have to do our bit and make changes. We are being incentivised by the government to do so. From 2025 you will no longer be able to install a gas boiler. We need to start to explore alternatives and change our heating systems. This will not happen overnight. Arguably it should happen faster than it is likely to. But for now, let might be and how you can start making WHY CHOOSE A HEATPUMP? 1. Saving running costs changes in your home.Although heat pumps use electricity, the running cost is usually significantly lower comBetter Planet is a renewable energy supplier. pared to traditional alternatives. The potential savings depends on several factors such as They launched in 2004 with a vision to make replaced fuel, age of the replaced boiler, type of heat pump and quality the heating distribu-it easier and more affordable to use renewable tion system. Savings can be up to 70% if the resources for heating and electricity. They are heat pump replaces electric storage heaters. 2. Environment – reduce CO2 emissions. well versed in the changing landscape of al-Replacing a gas or oil boiler with a heat pump reduces CO2 emissions and it contributes to ternative energy, and the government incentives that are available. As well as solar powwww.villagematters.co.uk er, which most of us have heard of and under-

fight climate change. The CO2 reduction is even higher if some of the electricity used to run the heat pump is generated by solar PV on site.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) will launch in spring 2022 to aid the decarbonisation of buildings. It will provide upfront capital grants to support the installation of heat pumps, and in some circumstances biomass boilers, in homes and some non-domestic buildings. The BUS will be open to properties located in England and Wales. Vouchers of £5,000 for air source heat pump installations and £6,000 for ground and water source installations. 90,000 vouchers are to be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. 4. Future proof your property At some point in the future, it will no longer be possible to heat properties with gas or oil. All such boilers have to be phased out before 2050 according to the government’s climate commitment. A heat pump installation is a long term investment in your property. This is especially true for a ground source heat pump system. The ground collector, boreholes or horizontal loops, will support several generations of heat pumps. It is an energy well with a life similar to that of the property itself.

There are several types of heat pumps available. They all share the same function of collecting energy from outside the property and moving it inside for heating, hot water and also for cooling. See which might be right

Collects energy from the ground collector, either by vertical boreholes or horizontal loops

Collects energy from pipes submerged in water, for instance in a lake, pond, brook, river, moat or a canal.

Heat pumps can provide cooling, distributed either through underfloor pipes or fan coil units.

Installation of ground source heat system Collects energy from the atmosphere air outside.

Extracts heat from the exhaust air of a building and transfers the heat to provide energy.

Achieve higher efficiency with a system that combines ground collector source with other source, for instance air or solar.

There are case studies on the Better Planet website (www.betterplanet.co.uk) if you would like to find out more detail. One Sunbury resident who recently installed a heat pump said “I found Better Plant to be responsive and professional. They performed when they said they would and left me with, I hope, a good fault-free system”