February 2017 Shepperton Matters

Shepperton

Matters

Putting Local Business First.

Bringing a Community Together

February 2017

Issue 64 Serving Shepperton and Laleham

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8200 Homes Every Month

Welcome!

Hello and as this is the first issue of 2017 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! So, here we all go again!

Having spent Christmas and New Year abroad (and although coming home to far colder temperatures) I can honestly say it is lovely to be home. We live in a special place; The river, the parks, the history, and each of us in the community make up a wonderful cocktail.

But we have come home to a lot of issues facing the community; cuts in resources, the threat of a huge development on Kempton Park, the threat of a 15% rise in council tax, and if we don’t accept that, the threat of losing social care which is the lifeline for so many of us. It is a rather depressing list.

However that is not all. As usual

February 2017 the issue is full of puzzles, offers and stories about local people and groups that make this such a special place. We hope you enjoy it.

See you next month!

Reader Offers Longacres - £19.99 for 12 red roses Holiday Inn– unlimited Prosecco carvery and kids eat free at Half Term (t&cs apply) Shepperton Cricket Club 20% off room hire Dream Doors - VAT free this month King & Thai - 10% off food M-T. Group wine deal Everyone Active - 2 memberships for 1. Save £300 Village Windows– 20% off repairs Ivory Tusk - 20% off food

Contents

Published by:

Village Matters Ltd

Worst Floods in Memory - 1947 4 Our Lord Lieutenant, Dick Whittington 6 Bus Routes Leave Many in the Cold 10 Supporting Mission for Vision 12 Help for People to live Independently 14 Save Our Services 18 Your Memories of The Hovel 20 Recipe of the Month 26 Halliford WI Welcomes You 31 What is CARE in Shepperton?

34 Shepperton Residents Association 43 River Thames Scheme Update 37 Charlton Village Residents 38 Gardening Matters 41 What’s On 43/44 Advertising Rates/Deadlines 46

Advertising / Editorial : Monica Chard Telephone: 07979 808991 Email: monica@villagematter s.co.uk www.villagematters.co.uk Shepperton Matters is a member of the Village Card scheme Front Cover: “Light Trails on the M3 from Sheep Walk” by David Povey one of our winners at the Shepperton Fair Photographic competition 2016 Please ‘like’ us on Facebook. www.facebook/ Sunbury&SheppertonMatters

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The Worst Flood in Living Memory - 1947

By Nick Pollard

At this time of year, residents who live near the Thames will be remembering the terrible floods of three years ago, which caused such disruption and damage. Exactly 70 years ago, in 1947, our community was facing an even worse challenge. The winter of 1946-47 was exceptionally harsh, said to be the worst for 300 years, and well above average snowfall was experienced in February. When the thaw came the following month, floods, the like of which had not been seen in living memory, were unleashed across the area.

The photo shows the results in the area around Shepperton Lock, which can just be made out above the centre of the picture, the D-shaped Shepperton Lock Island standing just above the floods, to the right of the lock. Above and to the left D’Oyly Carte Island was also spared, both these islands having been artificially built up using dredged material. It was a different story at Hamhaugh Island, to the right of Lock Island, and at Pharoah’s Island, to the bottom right, though. Both were clearly submerged, as was the Towpath area alongside, and the flood waters stretched as far as the eye could see. The line of poplar trees to the top left mark Ferry Lane, beyond which the Church Square area, being slightly higher, escaped the floods, but was completely cut off from the High Street by the torrents of water. The army had to be brought in with lorries and amphibious DUKWs to ferry residents between areas of dry ground, so that they could attempt to carry on their daily lives.

A new exhibition ‘Floods and Freezes’ has just opened at Spelthorne Museum in Staines, featuring photos of the many times the Thames has flooded or frozen in the Spelthorne area since the late 19 th century.

Admission is free, see www.spelthornemuseum.org.uk for opening details. Nick Pollard will be showing a selection of old photos of Sunbury and Shepperton at the Annual General Meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society on Tuesday 21st February at Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton, starting at 8pm.

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Visit our stunning newly refurbished showroom in Ashford!

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Our High Sheriff - Dick Whittington

By Monica Chard, Editor We are lucky enough at VilRichard’s interest in supportlage Matters to meet some ing the young extends to truly remarkable people and many areas and he is continube able to share some of our ing the work of his predecesstories with readers. We sor Elizabeth Kennedy, in recently interviewed the High supporting youth restorative Sheriff of Surrey, Richard justice. This involves young Whittington to hear how his offenders following a rehabilyear is going since he took itation programme rather than over the role earlier this year. a custodial sentence. Not only The position is by invitation is a restorative justice only and is an appointment by programme about a quarter of the Queen for a term of one the cost but it sees reoffendyear. Whereas the High ing rates fall by up to 80%.

Sheriff used to be the King’s Richard is planning a visit to enforcer and tax collector and one project where youths are used to raising armies, it is helping repair one of the somewhat different today. banks of the Thames in this High Sheriff of Surrey, The responsibility of High area.

Richard Whittington Sheriff is to support all organOther activities have seen our isations that uphold law and order, including High Sheriff sit in on anger management the courts, police, prisons, emergency services classes with a EIKON, a Surrey youth charity and voluntary bodies. But it is also the chance partly funded by the High Sheriff Youth to champion causes, particularly within the Awards, where teens are coached in youth sector. There is no salary but the techniques to help volatile behaviour. He has position is an immense honour and a chance also attended a Safe Drive/Stay Alive to leave a legacy within the community. workshop run by Surrey Fire and Rescue, Supporting the young comes naturally to where 16/17 year olds from Surrey schools are Richard. He is chairman of the board of given a very sobering and hard-hitting presengovernors at Gordon’s School, Chobham tation about the dangers of drink and drug which has a strong tradition of the STEM driving. subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering The High Sheriff Youth Awards have supportand Maths). Following a conversation with a ed 5000 young people in the county. Grants local engineering business owner who had are awarded for a wide range of youth projects invited a group of local school children to in Surrey. Donations and grants are available visit his business and only two had turned up, from £100-£5000. For information log on to Richard decided he wanted to use his position the website www.surreyhighsheriff.org. to engender connections between youngsters and Business by establishing apprenticeships and work experience. There is huge pressure By the way, and in case you were wondering on the young today, faced with vast university about the name Richard Whittington is indeed fees and employment challenges thereafter, so a distant relative of Dick Whittington, the it felt natural to promote STEM subjects and 14th century Lord Mayor of London, and later give youngsters opportunities to use those Sheriff of London. Yes really! skills to get into the work place.

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Why choose an International Education for your Child?

Would you like your child to emerge from education as a confident, independent young adult, with a full and life-long appreciation and understanding of other cultures?

There is one form of education that can deliver these attributes more than perhaps any other, and that is an international education at an international school, like ACS Cobham.

ACS Cobham International School teaches globally recognised qualifications that will open doors to top universities and exciting careers worldwide. The school has offered the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme since 1986, for students aged 16 to 18, making it one of the most experienced IB World Schools in the UK. The IB Diploma is cited by university admission officers as the ‘best qualification to thrive at university’ and is widely recognised as the best education programme for helping students develop critical Higher Education study skills such as independent inquiry and self-management.

In 2016, two ACS Cobham students achieved the maximum IB score of 45, equivalent to 7 A* at A Level, placing them in the top 0.3 per cent of all IB Diploma students worldwide. In total, 97 diplomas were awarded, with an average score of 33 points – equivalent to over three A* grades at A level.

Over 70 nationalities are represented at ACS Cobham, creating a rich international environment. While many students are expatriates, local families are enrolling in ever-increasing numbers as awareness grows of the benefits an international education affords.

Students benefit from an education that allows them to mature into well-rounded individuals with a better understanding of the world.

To find out more about ACS Cobham, or to register for an Open Morning visit www.acs-schools.com/opendays.

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The History of Valentine’s Day We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and (most importantly) romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. The Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s Please mention Shepperton Matters when responding to adverts

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feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa.

The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415

by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century.

By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection.

Sources; various Written by Paul Chard

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Rotary and Men in Sheds Support Mission for Vision

Mission for Vision, featured last year in Shepperton Matters, was founded by Ian Squire in 2003 as a means to improving the lives of those living in the poorest regions in the developing world. Every year he assembles teams to travel to remote areas to carry out clinics and provide glasses, medication and cataract operations Old glasses are collected from customers in the practice and are recycled to be used on the missions. Ian has also developed a portable frame and lens system which enables the correction of complex refractive error in areas where there are no optical facilities.

Dave Good from Shepperton Aurora Rotary came up with the idea to create a collecting box where people could leave old spectacles. Greeno’s Men in Sheds have made the box for Rotary which has now been installed in Budgens supermarket in Shepperton High Street.

So far Mission for Vision has worked in Uganda, Ghana, Guatemala, Burundi and Mozambique, DR Congo and Nigeria.

Mike Gicquel President of Shepperton Aurora Rotary said “We are delighted that Shepperton Aurora Rotary has been able to co-ordinate this joint project with several local organisations to support this local Charity “ If you have any old glasses that you don’t know what to do with, take them down to Budgens and you will know you are helping The cabinet in position with L to R, Mike Giquel, someone to see. What could be better?

Mark Toogood, manager of Budgens, Ian Squire and Dave Good

Thinking of Selling your Stamp Collection?

Cut out the commissions and sell direct to the dealer! Home visit valuations. Immediate payment, however large or small.

Call 01932 785635 www.jcstamps.co.uk

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20% off Food with this ad Mon-Thurs

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New Buses Leave Many Out in the Cold

We now know the extent of the changes to services since Abellio decided to bail out of their contract with Surrey County Council at the end of last year.

One piece of good news is that at least we have preserved some of the services covering our communities. But there are certainly some gaps. We the 555 has been taken on by First Berkshire and is now ONLY serving Terminal 5 and not the other terminals at Heathrow, nor indeed Hatton Cross. Another bid would have preserved the original route but was not financially viable. Heathrow Airport were asked to bridge the gap but said that funds were not available to do so. Moreover, the service is reduced to hourly, with the exception of a couple of very early runs which will arrive into Heathrow at 0340 and 0445 (funded by Heathrow) and at 0600 and 0715 (funded by SCC). Oh, and did I mention, the 555 might in fact be discontinued altogether!

Considering Heathrow is hoping for approval of another runway and the focus is all on growing local business and jobs as a result, the lack of transport to reach it seems extraordinary.

Laleham Residents Association continue to battle for the long term fate of the 458. Although the new 458 bus franchise appears to be working well there is huge concern that the arrangements are only in place until August this year. What happens after this? There are County Council elections in May and that there may be different people responsible for buses and their subsidies thereafter. New councillors may not be committed to continuing this vital community service.

The 458 is the only public transport serving Laleham and the service is essential for many to get to work or school on a daily basis and for others to get to the Doctors surgery in Shepperton or the public library.

With the issue of congestion high on the agenda within Spelthorne Borough Council surely the issue of public transport needs to be looked at holistically to give people the choice to leave their cars at home. Cutting buses is only going to exacerbate the problem.

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Supporting residents to live independently Have you noticed that a family member, or someone you care for is starting to struggle with their day to day life? Perhaps they are becoming more forgetful and you are concerned for their wellbeing, or maybe they are finding it harder to move around or cope at home? Naturally this can be a very worrying time, so understanding the best way to support or find care to help them is important. But where do you start?

Right here in Surrey there’s lots of care and support available, from walking aids and grip rails, through to help with personal care and jobs around the home like cleaning or gardening. There are also organisations who help people who are beginning to have problems with their memory.

All of these services can make a really big difference and allow your loved one to continue to live well and independently in their own home for longer.

Working with many organisations, including the voluntary, faith and community sectors, we want to ensure any information available is easy to find and that’s where Surrey Information Point (SIP) comes in. Packed full of useful local links, contact information and advice, SIP is the go to place for finding the right information about care and support packages. There are also links to local clubs where people can find a way of keeping or getting more active and meet new friends.

So, if you have a family member or someone who you care for who could do with some extra help, remember, there is care and support available to them. Go to: Surreyinformationpoint.org.uk Or call Surrey County Council’s Adult Social Care Helpline: 0300 200 1005

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Age UK Surrey Office in Shepperton Open for Business As Usual

Following the announcement by Age UK Runnymede and Spelthorne of their planned closure at the end of March, Age UK Surrey, based in Guildford, would like to assure clients and older people across Surrey that Age UK Surrey is open for business as usual.

Clients who need support can call the Guildford office on 01483 503414.

Age UK Surrey also has a regional office in The Greeno Centre, Shepperton which provides a Help at Home and Gardening Service to older people who need help and support in their home. They will provide a Home Help who will undertake a wide range of tasks or a gardener to do jobs around the garden.

Deborah Seabrook, Help at Home Manager said “We are so proud of all our Home Helps who deliver an amazing service to our clients across Surrey. Having a supportive, reliable and friendly person come to your house makes such a difference to people, who just need a bit more help around the home or garden.”

For more details about Help at Home and Gardening in the boroughs of Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne please call Shirley or Sally at Age UK Surrey Shepperton office 01932 248192 or email shepperton.office@ageuksurrey.org.uk.

Have Fun with Pilates!

Pilates is a form of exercise with an emphasis on core strength. Regular practice can lead to a stronger leaner body with increased protection to your spine helping you to stand taller and able to move with a new ease.

We meet at Laleham Village Hall every Monday evening between 6 and 7 Classes are relaxed and informal and all are welcome regardless of age and experience. You won’t have to enrol on a whole course as you pay just £9 each time you come and you won’t need to bring anything as everything you need is provided.

But be warned....once you start you won’t want to stop!

Looking forward to seeing you.

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Save Our Services

By Monica Chard, Editor Just when we thought we were safe after the fight for Fire Services in 2014 than we hear that there is a proposal on the table to shut down Staines Fire Station.

This proposal comes on the back of a target by Spelthorne to build a further 15,000 homes in the borough. It also comes only 3 years after the worst flooding in memory which tore through our communities.

The Eco Park currently under construction must also be a concern. There were reports last month of a huge blaze in the recycling centre in Brentford and we already know about the fire at an ‘Eco Park’ in Scotland which burned it to the ground. Imagine the unimaginable - a huge blaze in Charlton Lane. How quickly could it be contained? Imagine how many people reliant on the fire service in times of natural disaster such as flooding will be left stranded, or worse. Imagine how many homes will be at risk from this proposed closure.

Whilst consolidation of Staines and Sunbury to the Fordbridge site seems logistically acceptable, the fact that the proposal is to shut Staines before the Fordbridge site is fully operational. This could be a disaster.

A compromise to the closure of Sunbury and Staines stations which was reached in 2014 was that an additional ‘retained’ fire engine would be based at the new fire station at Fordbridge, making it a 2 pump station, one pump being full time (24/7) and the other being retained or ‘on call’. This hard won proposal for the retained fire appliance at the new fire station is now also to be scrapped in order to make immediate savings. It means that the fight which had been won in 2014 has now been lost.

Savings have already been made by reducing the size of crews from 5 to 4. If Staines Fire Station does indeed close, fire cover for the whole of Spelthorne will be met by the single Sunbury fire appliance with pumps coming in from other boroughs to help.

Under current proposals Surrey will end up with 30 fire engines across 11 boroughs, but only ONE of them will be based in Spelthorne, which already has the worst statistics in fire deaths in the past 5 years and surely one of the highest density of population?

So forget Fordbridge because it’s still just on paper In fact forget everything from the 2013 consultation”. Under this new proposal, our fire services are basically halved. Staines closes and we are covered only by the single engine and crew in Sunbury.

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There are other details, such as whether the Fordbridge site will ever be built and the valuable river service provided by Sunbury which could be lost.

This is purely a cost saving initiative and it is potentially detrimental to your safety. It also highlights to pointlessness and misnomer of these consultations”.

Make sure you have your say. Complete the online survey at the following website: https://www.surreysays.co.uk/surrey-fire-rescueservice/changes-to-fire-cover-in-spelthorne/ consultation/confirm_submit You can also email Kay Hammond (Cabinet Associate for Community Safety Services) what you think of her plans k.hammond@surreycc.gov.uk. Or write to her at Surrey County Council, County Hall, Kingston KT1. You can also contact your Surrey County Councillor: richard.walsh@surreycc.gov.uk Finally see below for info on a lobby to be held at Knowle Green on 23rd February.

This concerns us all!

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Sudoku

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Your Memories of The Hovel, Shared

It was great to know that we had jogged the memories of many of our readers with our piece on The Hovel in the November issue. We had emails and calls from several of you. For some, The Hovel and the trickery it usually entailed, was particularly close to home. “I live in Burton on Trent and have just received Shepperton Matters from my Uncle who lives in Shepperton. I didn’t know, but he tells me that my father Edward Kirby rewired The Hovel round about the 1950's and put in some of the quirky booby traps” wrote Laurence Kirby.

David Hudson wrote “I used to visit The Hovel in the early 60's as a teenager. The intercom system was reputedly from an old Naval Destroyer and Len was able to communicate with all parts of the restaurant.

In addition there was a microphone and speaker outside the entrance so he could hear his customers comments as the left and reply! Hence the buy line “If you bring it up, bring it back”. Probably the best thing for male teenagers (and probably male adults as well) was that the chairs all had a page from American Joke books stuck under the seat! THEY WERE VERY RUDE!!”

Finally Ann Shrubb got in touch. “I was reading the article on The Hovel and had to giggle as it brought back very fond memories of the place. Len, as described, certainly was an enigma. The pub was the only one I knew where you could buy a glass of milk if you wanted. I wonder if anyone remembers the drain in the floor on the way to the ladies toilet. As you passed over it, he would send a blast of air up through it, to raise the ladies skirts (just like Marilyn Monroe). He had a hidden microphone in the loo so anyone in the pub and restaurant could hear every word you said if you went there with a girlfriend for, what you thought was, a private natter. If my memory serves me correctly, there was a guitar fixed over the door, and as the door was opened, a plectrum of sorts would strum across the guitar and then you would hear Len's dulcet voice over a load speaker saying 'If you bring it up, bring it back'. He used to tell us that the jars on the window sills held parts of his body where he had had numerous operations, such as gall stones and appendix. There were dirty joke post cards everywhere, even underneath the bar stools! It didn't matter how many times you visited the establishment, you was always find sometime different to see. What a fun place it really was. I bet you couldn't get away with it now - sadly!

It certainly sounds like a one off. What an impression it made on the community.

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Word Search

Can you find all of the Valentinerelated words hidden in the grid? adore flowers affection friendship amorous gift balloons girlfriend be mine heart beau heartthrob beloved honey bouquet hugs boyfriend I love you cards kisses cherub love chocolate lovebirds courting pink crush red cupid red roses darling romantic date secret admirer envelope sweetheart February Valentine flirt Solution on p36

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Recipe of the Month Baked Cauliflower Cheese

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the sauce 20g/¾oz unsalted butter 20g/¾oz plain flour Grated nutmeg to taste 250ml/9fl oz skimmed milk 40g/1½oz mature cheddar, finely grated 2 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard 15g/½oz parmesan, or similar hard cheese, finely grated

Method Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6.

Place the cauliflower florets into an ovenproof dish and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, then adding the flour and cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until a light golden colour. Gradually add the milk until smooth, and then cook over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes stirring constantly until thickened.

Add the grated nutmeg. Reduce the heat then add the mustard and cheddar cheese. Put the roasted cauliflower into the sauce and mix so that all the florets are coated. Pour the cheese and cauliflower mixture back into the roasting dish, sprinkle over the parmesan and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling. Serve as a supper dish with a green salad.

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Is it Time for Spelthorne to Make an Exit?

By Malcolm Robertson

We know that Surrey County Council is broke. We just don't know by how much. One month the Deputy Council Leader will say there is a deficit of £6 Million, the next the Leader will say that it's £15 Million. Truth is, nobody seems to know, and with that sort of financial mismanagement, insolvency beckons.

We do know that here in Spelthorne the misleadingly titled 'eco park' was going to cost £50 million. Then, when it was authorised by Surrey's Cabinet, the price had gone up to £93.3 million. Not only a massive price rise, which should have been enough to put them off the whole idea, but Surrey even found that the incinerator/gas plant combo was not ‘Value For Money’ by £2 million and in fact it would have cost less to sack the contractor and start again! To cap it all, the engineer's assessment to back up the incinerator plan was based on the original model, an incinerator which had been built in Scotland, which had never been efficient, which had an inherent design defect and which had ultimately been destroyed by fire. Now, instead of that model we have a prototype which has never been tested with household waste.

Surrey treats Spelthorne with disdain. Referred to as the 'reservation', we get what the rest of Surrey does not want - hence the incinerator. It claims it can only afford to provide one fire engine to cover the whole Borough. It is a County of 11 Boroughs, which possesses 35 fire engines. Surely Spelthorne deserves far more than the solitary one which they want to give us?

With changes to political systems throughout the world, perhaps it is now time for Spelthorne to go it alone as a Unitary Authority, or alternatively to be our own Borough within London, with which we have a lot more in common.

Whatever happens we need far better representation than we are now getting from Surrey.

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MBE For Shepperton Niki

Huge Congratulations to Niki Molnar who has been awarded an MBE for services to politics in the New Years Honours List 2017.

Niki started in political activism early, helping her mother deliver leaflets from the age of seven. Although none of her family were involved in politics directly, many of her parents’ friends were councillors and MPs, whom she could always be found debating with.

Niki took over the family engineering business at the age of 18 when her father died, but after selling the company 5 years later, Niki trained as a croupier, managed a Formula 3000 motor racing team, worked in Formula One, but finally settled down in IT after being offered a job as International Marketing Director for a Software company. After only 18 months – and 11 years ago – she started her own business again, this time in Internet Marketing, which she has run ever since, helping start ups and established small and medium-sized businesses.

Niki returned to politics as a volunteer when she started to advise the Conservative Women’s Organisation on their Internet marketing strategy 7 years ago. She was elected Deputy Chairman in 2008, Chairman 2011-2012 and after stepping back for a year was elected Chairman again in 2013 for a full 3 year term. In 2016, she was elected National President.

Closer to home Niki has been active on the Shepperton Big Tree Night committee and is well known to many of you in the community.

Niki said “I am over the moon”. The investiture will be in mid February.

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Halliford Women’s Institute Would Like to Welcome You Our Halliford W I meets the first Tuesday of every month in Halliford village hall, except for August when we break for summer. We have 45 members and we celebrated our 94th birthday in 2016.

We are a lively bunch (see photo!) with lots of interests in local and national causes. We are involved in making trauma teddies which are used by the police for very young children and knit items of clothing for premature babies at St Peters hospital.

We celebrated Christmas with a very energetic party , dancing to music from the past. A competition was held for the best wrapped present and they were then distributed among local residents by one of our members who is involved with meals on wheels.

Our Christmas was rounded off by a lovely lunch at Thames Court where 34 of our members gathered to celebrate a very successful 2016 and to look forward to 2017. Already we have trips planned to Frogmore Paper Mill, a boat trip down the Thames, a day out to the Chelsea Hospital and in August a day out to the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery, which for some reason is a complete sell out. We also meet locally once a month for lunch and occasionally meet for trips to the cinema.

Two of our members along with 98 other W I ladies appeared on stage for the Royal Command Performance in front of their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall singing with Gary Barlow a song from his new musical "The Girls" based on the true story of the Calendar Girls.

Belonging to the W I can be a rewarding, enjoyable and exciting experience. New members are always welcome. If you would like to find out more, just pop down to Halliford Village Hall on the first Tuesday of the month or for more information call Joyce Elwell on 07928434206 .

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What is CARE in Shepperton? Could You Help?

“Good morning, CARE in Shepperton. Can I help you?” “Good morning, can I have a car to take me to the Health Centre next Thursday, please?” This is a conversation that takes place five or six times every weekday, on average.

Who are CARE in Shepperton? They are a group of local volunteers who take Shepperton residents to and from medical appointments. Our clients are people, who for one reason or another, cannot drive or are not able to use public transport. As we all live longer so our ability to do things we used to take for granted becomes diminished. In addition, our local transport services are not that frequent or do not cover a convenient route. Try getting from some parts of Shepperton to either of our local hospitals by bus and you will appreciate the problem.

CARE has been in existence for some 27 years and currently has about 150 clients on its books.

We almost never say “No” to a request. However, there are some days when we struggle to find a driver to take a client. Increasingly we rely on a small number of dedicated drivers who keep turning out. Sometimes these people find they are not able to help for a short period; holidays, family matters or even the need to use the NHS themselves, thus removing them from the pool for a period.

Could you spare one weekday a month to help? Or even be available on an occasional ad-hoc basis to back up our duty drivers? One person cannot be at St Peters, Ashford and the Health Centre at the same time. You will meet some wonderful people who are very grateful for your time and effort and you will be contributing to the community spirit of Shepperton.

If you feel you can help please call Cliff Shears on 01932 562735 or email cliffshears@outlook.com.

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Solution to February Sudoku

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River Thames Scheme Update By the Environment Agency

The River Thames Scheme includes a new flood channel, improvements to 3 weirs, community measures and will provide other benefits to local communities and the economy. We are working with 7 local councils, including Surrey, Spelthorne and Elmbridge to reduce flood risk to over 15,000 homes and businesses between Datchet and Teddington.

What a busy year 2016 was! We held several successful community based workshops and drop-ins, gathered data from environmental and threshold surveys, and progressed with the design and funding for the scheme.

We ran two discussion workshops for the scheme channels affecting Staines, Laleham, and Shepperton within Spelthorne and one for the downstream communities for Shepperton, Sunbury and Molesey. Around 60 local residents and organisations with a broad range of interests attended and discussed scheme updates, enhancement opportunities and how they want to stay involved in the future.

We also held 10 public local surgeries throughout November and December at different local venues across the scheme area.

We met approximately 400 people and discussed the latest information about the scheme in an informal way. Residents told us that they are concerned that the scheme will increase their flood risk. We were able to show them interim outputs from the new modelling where on average, there will be a reduction on flood levels in the river everywhere once the scheme is complete. We also emphasised that we will not build a scheme that makes flood risk worse for others.

We propose to hold more of these local surgeries this year. Keep an eye on out in Sunbury Matters or our web site (www.gov.uk River Thames Scheme) over the next couple of months for more details.

In order to improve our understanding of local flood risk we are measuring the height of the lowest threshold (lowest entry point To advertise call Monica on 07979 808991

for flood water) for over 3500 properties over the whole of the River Thames scheme area. You may have seen our surveying contractors out and about and continuing until February or March this year. This data will help us to consider a range of options to improve flood risk at a community level, from temporary or permanent flood barriers to individual property level measures, such as door barriers and air brick covers.

Not only have we been doing height surveys but also many environmental surveys. These include site investigations to find out the ground conditions and ecological, fish, landscape and archaeology surveys. We want to find out as much as possible along the route of the channels and around the weirs at Teddington, Molesey and Sunbury to ensure we improve the environment and do not damage it.

For any queries or comments please contact: rts@environment-agency.gov.uk

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Controlling Behaviour in Relationships Abuse isn’t always physical Domestic violence is the highest reported violent crime in Surrey. Those who experience it don’t always suffer physical violence – many experience emotional abuse such as controlling behaviour.

The control comes in many different forms. From one partner constantly criticising, intimidating or threatening the other, through to more obvious things like making them look or dress in a certain way, checking their phone, restricting their money or cutting them off from friends and family.

If you think you may be in a controlling relationship, we are here to help when you are ready. You can visit the Surrey Against Domestic Abuse website or call 01483 776822 for help and advice. In an emergency you should always call 999.

Solution February Word Search

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Shepperton Residents’ Association

By Richard Hewitt We can look back on another successful Big Tree Night in mid –December but, as the New Year begins we find that there are a lot of things happening in Shepperton which are of interest to many of our residents!

Firstly, there are the varied bus operators who have taken over the bus routes previously operated by Abellio. Whilst there are similar timetables to many of the routes there are some serious deficiencies, such as the popular 458 route now operating hourly rather than the previously half-hourly service, and the 555 now going to Terminal 5 rather than Terminal 4 and Hatton Cross. This latter revised routing is far from satisfactory given its use, in particular, by Heathrow workers. The relevant Surrey County Councillors are being pressurised to return the routing to that used previously.

Many residents have expressed concerns over the planned closure of Staines Fire Station, therefore, the Borough Council have arranged for a Public Meeting to be held in the Council Chamber on Tuesday 7th February (commencing at 7:30pm) to allow residents and other interested parties to ask questions of the County Councillors and Fire Service personnel in attendance. In advance, County Councillor Richard Walsh, Cabinet Member for Localities and Community Wellbeing, gave the following answer to a query from a resident: “The development of the new fire station ‘Fordbridge’ is still going ahead but has been delayed while we secure the best possible vehicle access to the site. Subject to planning it is anticipated that ‘Fordbridge’ Fire Station will be operational by summer 2018”.

We believe that the Cemex proposal to extract gravel at the Watersplash Farm site will now be considered by the County Planning and Regulatory Committee at its February Meeting. We understand that the Environment Please mention Shepperton Matters when responding to adverts

Agency still remain concerned with the proposals for dealing with water contamination and possible flooding problems. Whilst we have very serious traffic concerns with the expected large HGV movements.

Meanwhile, the County Council intend installing a Toucan Crossing in Gaston Bridge Road near the junction of the A244 with Green Lane. This was requested by the Association prior to the installation of the Cycle Routing to Walton.

As we go to press the Leader of Surrey County Council, David Hodge, has announced a proposal to seek a Council Tax rise of 15%.

By the time that you read this the reasons for this increase and how it will be approved will have been formally announced.

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Hi All I hope that you all had a Happy Christmas and New Year.

It seems ages since we took part in the Christmas festivities and light up Charlton Village.

This year’s winners of the best lit up houses were: 70 Hetherington Road with runners up 2 Harrow Way and 3rd place 91 Walnut Tree Road.

The prizes were given out on the family night at the Harrow Pub on the Monday 19 th December where residents turned up to enjoy Lyle and Sammy’s Christmas hospitality.

We are into a new year and unfortunately, we still have the same old Village problems that we continue to try to resolve. However our main problem of local traffic continues to be a bugbear and the lack of support that we receive from Surrey County Council is phenomenal.

On Friday 25th November, there was a serious accident at the traffic bollards on the bend going into Charlton Village from New Road, where the bollards and streetlight were flattened. Not to mention the unfortunate occupants and vehicles that were involved in the accident.

This was not the end of the matter. Over the next 6 weeks there were a further 6 accidents in the exact spot. But despite the clear danger, Surrey County Council and our local County Councillor Richard Walsh did nothing about it until the New Year. In addition to this all they have done is replace the bollards with a temporary construction and NO streetlight.

Councillor Walsh has consistently promised us traffic calming measures to no avail.

We were promised Visual Traffic Calming Entrance Gates to the Village. This has taken nearly two years to achieve - with the Resident Association now paying for them as we have refused to accept Surrey Council’s offer of a preferred supplier, Gladsons at £1956.00, as opposed to £760.00 from Jacksons, which makes us wonder how many other things Surrey pay in excess for, by using their preferred supplier.

I hope that we can move forward and that the street light is replaced before February 1st when Surrey County Council start to turn the street lights off at night.

If you have any questions, please send us an email to cvramessages@gmail.com and we will gladly answer any queries.

See also our Facebook Page - Charlton Village Shepperton Residents Group.

Karen Howkins Charlton Village Résidents Association Please mention Shepperton Matters when responding to adverts

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Gardening Matters Spring Colour It may be cold out there, but Spring is on its way.

Many of us will be itching to get into the garden for the first time since the summer to either catch up with gardening or just to see that everything is still alive and well. The thought of trying to get the garden ready for summer can be quite a daunting task.

However there is hope when you see things blooming and the colour beneath last autumn’s leaves; the motivation that is needed to keep going and knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will all be worth it, when your well designed garden is shown off to your friends and family.

A lot of people think that now is a pretty dormant time in the garden, with very little going on. Well you couldn’t be more wrong!

A well designed garden will show colour all year round. Sometimes it’s not just through flowers. It could be the foliage or stems. Around now a few plants have started to kick into action and I can see a lot of things coming into flower in my garden.

Here are some ideas to get colour and life in your garden in late winter time: Hellebores – A great starter. Usually comes out late February/ early March. To show them off to their best cut the old leaves off and leave the flower stems to work their magic. Coming in pinks, whites, purples and mixtures these will brighten up any shady corner within the garden.

Pulmonaria (see photo) – Working best in partial shade, this perennial looks good all year round, with leaves that are bright and sometimes spotted giving a good foundation throughout, but it has its magical moment when flowering. Coming in pinks, purples and whites it’s a sure way to brighten up a woodland floor.

Camellia - A hardy shrub that looks spectacular when flowering. With so many varieties it’s hard to know which one to choose. But this plant can liven up any garden. An early flowerer to get you in the mood for spring. Being evergreen its great all year round. Why not try using it as hedging?

Primula- Starting to flower early March these small perennials stand out at the front of boarders or in pots. Keep deadheading them and they will try to keep going. With some varieties flowering later these are a nice addition to any garden.

Sarcoccoca – Just starting to go over however the scent is still prominent. This does not mean that is the end for this shrub, once the flowering is done the blue/black berries appear making it a lovely all year round plant. Try and place it near a window or door. So if there is an off chance that you might open or step outside you will be hit with the fragrance.

Putting the flowers aside other ways that you can introduce colour this time of year; Cornus – Dogwood has amazing bright stems that can really stand out. Whether it is red, orange or green these are a great way to bring a wintery garden to life.

Heucheras – Who couldn’t love a Heuchera?

With so many different varieties there use is endless. Bright reds to pop out, bright purples to break up some green, oranges, acid greens, silvers and so many more there is so many different ways that you can use the almighty Heuchera.

If you need help trying to introduce colour into your garden this time of year please feel free to contact us.

Gardening Tips and Advice by Holley Designs Garden Design & Creation www.holleydesigns.com Tel 01932 829593

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What’s On - Shepperton & Laleham Send info on local events to info@villagematters.co.uk to be listed here Shepperton Players ar e per for ming the dr ama 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' by Jeffrey Archer at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street, Sunbury-on-Thames. The performances take place at 8pm on Thursday 9th to Saturday 11th February 2017. Tickets are £10 per person and can be obtained from the box office on 07505 206757 and on-line. Tickets can also be obtained at the door subject of course to availability. More nfo at www.sheppertonplayers.org.uk Staines Musical Theatre Group Presents MADE IN DAGENHAM from 15-18 March 2017 at The Magna Carta Arts Centre, Egham. Tickets from £11. Telephone 01784605805 The Marriage of Figaro. Thames Philhar monia Oper a ar e per for ming Mozar t ’s immortal opera ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ performed in its original Italian. Its first performance was a sell out and this repeat performance has been arranged by popular request. Normansfield Theatre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9PS. Sat 11 Feb. 0333 121 2300 Half Term Family Fun at Brooklands. On weekdays dur ing Half Ter m, popular car r ides will be operating from 11am-1pm and from 2-3.00pm (subject to weather). Take a trip in a vintage-style car up Test Hill or along the Members’ Banking of the old Race Track, courtesy of the Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road Weybridge Surrey KT13 0QN. 13 Feb to 17 Feb A new exhibition ‘Floods and Freezes’ has just opened at Spelthorne Museum in Staines, featuring photos of the many times the Thames has flooded or frozen in the Spelthorne area since the late 19th century. Admission is free, see www.spelthornemuseum.org.uk for opening details. Nick Pollard will be showing a selection of old photos of Sunbury and Shepperton at the Annual General Meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society on Tuesday 21st February at Hallifor d School, Russell Road, Shepperton, starting at 8pm.

Sunbury Antiques Market. 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. From 6.30am.

Kempton Park Racecourse.

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Community - Shepperton & Laleham Send community events info to info@villagematters.co.uk The Probus Club of Shepperton for r etir ed business and pr ofessional men meets on the first Tuesday of each month to hear a speaker followed by lunch. In November we had a talk on the “Hogsback” Harley club. We welcome new members: please telephone 01932 223814 or 242372 SPELTHORNE CHORAL SOCIETY r ehear se ever y Monday evening dur ing ter mtime 7.30- 9.30pm at Our Lady of the Rosary School, Park Avenue, Staines.

Very friendly atmosphere and no audition required, just a love of singing Choral Music.

Our Conductor is Sean Bui and Accompanist Lindsay Bridgwater. All information via the website at ;- www.spelthornechoralsociety.com or call 07527 155443.

Spelthorne Natural History Society. Come and get involved in helping out this year: Sunday 5th Feb10.00 am Continuing the r estor ation of Lor d’s Bridge Pond, opposite the War Memorial, Shepperton, TW17 9HL. Clearance of vegetation on the banks and from the pond. Park in the High Street or in Manor Park car park, Church Road(chargeable). Sunday 12th Feb 10.00 am Nutty Wood for general maintenance.

Meet at the end of Nutty Lane near Charlton Village TW17 0RQ. Wear strong footwear and waterproofs. Refreshments provided and most tools too.

Shepperton and Sunbury Rotary Club ar e looking to r ecr uit new member s. We meet Monday evenings at the Anchor Hotel in Shepperton. If you would like to get involved with local and international projects and enjoy a vibrant social life please telephone Geoff Williams on 01932 782779 for more information.

Shepperton Library will be closed fr om 4pm on Satur day 14 January 2017 and is scheduled to re-open at 10am Tuesday 14 February. This closure is to redecorate and replace the carpets in both the library and staff area. It is nearly 20 years since the library last had any cosmetic work and the staff area even longer. We will also be taking the opportunity to refresh the library with Surrey libraries new stock offer. This will offer the borrowers a more extensive range of new items.

Sunbury & Shepperton Arts Association Saturday February 18 2017 at 10.15 for 11am. Music for a While with Camilla Jeppeson (soprano) John Holland-Avery (Baritone) Michael Leach (Piano) in a programme of music by Purcell Donizetti Mozart and Gilbert & Sullivan Tickets @ £8.50 on the door and from: 01932 765498

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Index of Advertisers Alterations/Tailoring The Zipyard 37 Beauty Beauty by Daniela 21 Bedrooms Ashford Interiors 5 Building Work Disabled Access 33 Business Competition 8 Car Bodywork Chip & Paint Repairs 41 Care Services Alina Homecare 32 Carpenter JC Carpentry 41 Carpet Cleaning Nick Lewis Cleaning 35 Cinema/Studio Pinewood Studios 7 Children’s Play Squires 23 Computer Repairs My PC Helper 18 Curtains & Blinds Decorama 28 Cycle Repairs Hinton Cycles 21 Decorator SDS 39

Electrician Paige Electrics 39 Estate Agents/Property Curchods 24/25 Events/Hire Hazelwood 28 Holiday Inn 13 Shepperton Cricket 14 Flooring LPT Flooring 41 Footcare Mary Pedersen 32 Fruit/Veg Quality Fruit 30 Garden Services/ Supplies Easicut Mowers 41 Longacres 13 Glazing Repairs Glenn Hudson 39 Handyman/ Maintenance/DIY i-Handy 39 Health/Wellbeing Everyone Active 15 Charlie Croucher 18 Heating/Plumbing Progas 39

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Insurance Hard to Insure 34 Ironing Service 35 Kids Activities Squires 23 Kitchens Ashford Kitchens 5 Kitchen Makeover Dream Doors 27 Mobility Services Shepperton Mobility 16 Kudos Mobility 31 Oven Cleaning Ovenclean 41 Removals Thorogood 12 Restaurant/Pubs Holiday Inn 25 The King & Thai 19 Ivory Tusk 29 Roofing/Guttering Aldridge & Sons 39 Scalp Treatment Scalp Excellence 32 Schools ACS International 9 Halliford School 2 Hampton School 51 Staines Prep 22

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Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of the information included in this publication, neither the publisher nor the editorial contributors can accept any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. Shepperton Matters does not endorse any advertising material included in this publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form without prior permission of the publisher.

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