The Worplesdon Witness April 2022

Published on: 14 Apr, 2022
Updated on: 19 Apr, 2022

Jan Messinger with her monthly round up of news from the parish of Worplesdon.

Queen’s platinum jubilee events

There are a number of events talking place across Worplesdon to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee in June.

Worplesdon Parish Council is helping to promote them and also has a list on its website. Click here for details.

Easter trail at St Mary’s Church

There is an Easter trail again this year at St Mary’s Church at Perry Hill.

The Easter trail at St Mary’s Church.

It forms an interactive walk through the churchyard with an Easter garden, prayer stations and places to pause for reflection.

Staff required at Worplesdon View care home

Worplesdon View care home is looking to recruit staff “who have a passion for people” and has just hosted a “meet the manager day” so prospective employees could have a look around the home and the service it provides for its residents.

The care home has a rating of 9.7 on the carehome.co.uk website.

Group visit to the Sime Gallery enjoyed

A large group enjoyed their visit to the Sime Gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall. They received two talks that included Sime’s life as well as the history of St Mary’s Church, where Sidney Sime is buried in the churchyard.

A peak inside the Sime Gallery.

The group enjoyed refreshments of tea and cake in the Tovey Room at the hall.

Tea and cake is available on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2pm to 4pm. It’s a great place to meet with neighbours and friends, and take aways are available too.

Plenty of roadworks going on

Road works have been increasing throughout Worplesdon.

The new road improvements in Jacobs Well.

Clay Lane now has speed tables in two places around the junction of Jacobs Well Road and Blanchards Hill. These caused a couple of weeks of disruptions while the work was in progress.

Work at the entrance to Merrist Wood College on Holly Lane has been again delayed. Worplesdon’s Surrey County Councillor Keith Witham says it is due to problems with the supply of materials.

Electricity supply works at Perry Hill.

There has also been works due to electricity supply issues adjacent to the green at Perry Hill on the A322. Temporary traffic lights caused minor disruptions.

Surrey County Council offers a weekly online bulletin of highways works and their progress. Click here to view.

Phone box’s Mothering Sunday theme

All dressed up for Mothering Sunday.

The redundant phone box in Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village has been decorated with a Mothering Sunday theme. Will it be decorated to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee?

Weyside Urban Village meeting

A meeting was held at Jacobs Well Village Hall that featured display boards showing images and details of what the Weyside Urban Village development at nearby Slyfield will look like.

Staff from Guildford Borough Council attended to answer questions. The council has granted outline planning permission for 1,550 homes to be built on the site, that includes relocating Thames Water’s sewage treatment works and the council’s depot.

There will now be a series of smaller more detailed planning applications regarding the council’s depot.

Trees felled and new ones planted

Felling under way of two horse chestnut trees on Perry Hill green.

Two horse chestnut trees on the green at Perry Hill have been felled following an inspection by Worplesdon Parish Council that found the trees to be unsafe.

They have been replaced by two young trees.

One of the two replacement trees.

They will be watered and monitored for two years and replaced in the event that they do not grow.

Samplings planted at Merrist Wood College.

New trees have also been planted at Merrist Wood College replacing ones that have been felled.

Also, the college reports the birth of quad lambs, a rare occurrence and mother Mollie is being well looked after by staff and students.

Horse and rider spotted by Worplesdon Memorial Hall

It’s not often you see a horse and rider on the footpath / cycle lane at Perry Hill.

Arider on their horse outside Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

I was surprised to see this as I was talking to staff from Surrey’s highways about memorial hall signs that were due to be put up, but the pandemic got in the way. They will now be erected during the new financial year.

And as a reminder, any photos of events and occasions at the hall down the years are still welcome for the hall’s centenary event in October. Please send details to me, at jan@wmh.org.uk .

Fire at Rokers farm

Firefighters attended Rokers farm, Fairlands, on Friday, March 25 when wooden pallets and debris being burnt got out of hand.

The blaze at Rokers in Fairlands.

The fire crew arrived at 7.15pm to control the blaze, but already local social media was awash with people asking “what’s happening?”

Lively parish council annual meeting

Worplesdon Parish Council’s annual meeting was once again held in person after two years being held online, due to the pandemic.

Worplesdon Parish Councillor Nigel Mitchell gives his presentation on the speed watch initiative.

Held at St Alban’s Church in Wood Street Village, speakers gave details of Guildford Borough Council’s Aspire grants scheme, the Sime Gallery, Wood Street Village Cricket Club, charities within the parish, and the speed watch initiative.

Also discussed was parish grass cutting, antisocial behaviour on Wood Street Village green in which cars are driven across it at night. A person raised concerns about the speed limit on the A322 through Perry Hill.

Latest meeting of the parish council

Matters discussed included 13 planning applications, land drains at Jacobs Well recreational ground, Wood Street Village’s Queen’s platinum jubilee fun fair, and associated planned activities throughout the parish, Wood Street Village summer show on July 16 and Jazz festival on July 17, a memorial bench request for Wood Street Village and a request to plant tree in memory of a past resident, a proposed 15m monopole at Perry Hill, antisocial behaviour at Wood Street Village green, Sime Gallery art instillation, quarterly playground inspections, flood forum meeting dates for 2022, Zero Carbon Guildford climate change meeting feedback, councillor training feedback along with reports from Surrey County Councillor Keith Witham, and Guildford borough councillors, finances and an extraordinary meeting for the review of all policies and procedures of the council to be reviewed.

The first cut of the grass this year at Perry Hill.

Also, that Guildford Borough Council has resumed cutting grass in the parish with a new employee undertaking the first cut of the year at Perry Hill.

Colts invited to join Wood Street Village Cricket Club

See poster below advertising the club’s colts cricket for 2022.

And the adult sides have a packed fixture list for the new season starting on April 30, through until the end of August.

There will be Saturday and Sunday fixtures with 26 home matches to enjoy.

More details on the club’s website or phone 07764 835005, for more details.

New developments at Rokers

Rokers Animal feeds and Tack has announce the first phase of constructing its new retail building is due to begin on the old soft play building, previously Little Angels, that closed in July 2020.

This will provide a bigger and better animal feed, tack and shop.

Customers can sign up for a loyalty card for monthly special offers, especially useful for your pet foods. The shop also sells fresh local produce, fruit and vegetables.

Water fountain at Fairlands

Residents were quick to take photos of a column of water at the entrance to Fairlands.

There she’s blows: the water fountain at Fairlands.

It resulted in low water pressure, but Thames Water was quick to respond.

It looked like a fountain, with one resident comparing it to Las Vegas!

Evidently, it was caused by a water tanker crew turning the valve the wrong way. This it was quickly rectified by another crew.

Bus shelters to be removed and a new one installed

One of the bus shelters that will be removed in Wood Street Village.

Two ageing bus shelters are being dismantled in Wood Street Village, with temporary traffic lights in operation during their removal.

Surrey County Council does not plan to replace them.

The new bus shelter in Jacobs Well.

However, a new bus shelter has been installed at Jacobs Well, by the village hall.

Further strong winds brings down a tree

Wind damage to another tree.

Branches of a tree were blown down near Rokers in Fairlands after more strong winds, with power cuts too.

More news from Jacobs Well

The residents’ association’s monthly afternoon tea returned this month after being cancelled in March due to Covid affecting organisers.

Highlights at the social club at the village hall include knock-out darts, an Easter draw, bingo, cheese and wine and quiz evenings.

Its May Day fair will not take place this year, with hopes it will return in 2023.

Dead goose found in pond

A dead Canada goose was found in Wood Street Village pond, but it is not known how it died.

Wood Street Village Association asks people to report any suspicious behaviour they may witness. The pond is managed by Worplesdon Parish Council.

School crossing patrol man steps down

Worplesdon Primary School’s crossing patrol man (lollipop man), Steve, has resigned.

There was some heated debate on local social media with praise and thanks for the dedication to the job of seeing children safely across the road close to the school.

Shop and post office temporally closed

Fairlands post office and party shop had to close for a week as postmaster Steve caught Covid.

However, the shop was able to supply pre-ordered balloons.

Dates for your diaries

Worplesdon Place hotel and restaurant has a number of events this Easter. See photo below.

Fairlands welcome its art group back that meets on Tuesdays from 11am to 1pm.

It is holding an exhibition in May. Contact Val Dillon on 07910 850559, for more details.

Fairlands club’s entertainment in the community hall includes a children’s Easter challenge on Sunday, April 17, from 11am, including a treasure hunt for children up to the age 11, a quiz, bingo and music from Gronya.

The Cricketers pub at Rydes Hill is raising money for the Phylis Tuckwell charity with a quiz night on May 6, starting at 7pm.

Worplesdon Women’s Institute is holding a spring sale on Saturday, April 16, from 11am and 2pm at Worplesdon Memorial Hall. There will be nearly new clothes, bric-a-brac, jewellery and more. Donations welcome on the day.

And Fairlands Women’s Institute has plenty going on. See poster below.

Celebrate St George’s Day on Saturday, April 23, at Fairlands community hall with dancing to popular local band called Grapevine, 8pm until late. Tickets £15 from Mandy on 07906 502442.

The Jolly Farmer pub’s quiz night with quiz master Pete on March 25, was cancelled as he was on driving duties for aid to Ukraine. Further quiz night at the Burdenshot Road pub will be every second Thursday of the month.