The Worplesdon Witness December 2020

Published on: 14 Dec, 2020
Updated on: 16 Dec, 2020

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

Christmas is coming…

The parish is fortunate to have some seasonal names all year round. The Christmas Bakery at Rickford, Holly Lane between Fairlands and Perry Hill and Holly Lea in Jacobs Well. The parish is getting into the festive spirit with many indoor and outdoor decorations in people’s homes and gardens.

Christmas lights in Worplesdon were turned on earlier than normal to give some seasonal cheer.

Decorating the Christmas tree at Perry Hill.

The two Christmas trees supplied by Worplesdon Parish Council and tree lights beside the green at Perry Hill have already received social media comments and thanks from residents.

Lights in the trees beside the green at Perry Hill.

Banners have also been put up by the parish council in the six areas wishing residents a Happy Christmas. Regrettably, the Christmas tree on Wood Street Village green was vandalised, but is now back to its best.

Christmas greetings from Worplesdon Parish Council.

Fairlands Pharmacy, Budges, Post Office Christmas opening times are listed below.

St Mary’s Church at Perry Hill has spaces bookable for Christmas services.

Reflective carols at 2pm on Saturday, December 19.

Nine lessons and carols at 5pm on Sunday, December 20.

Midnight mass at 11pm on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24.

Christmas Day service at 11am.

There will also be a Christmas Day service at 9.30am at St Alban’s Church, Wood Street Village.

Services continue to be available on YouTube, search for “Worplesdon Parish”.

Church volunteers have been hard at work for most of 2020 producing online weekly services as well as collecting for the North Guildford Food Bank and supporting residents’ needs.

It should be remembered that the Diocese of Guildford has also seen a significant drop in revenue this year.

Santa will be visiting Fairlands on Saturday, December 19.

He will visit all roads on the estate and a timed schedule has been circulated to Fairlands residents.

He will also be visiting Liddington New Road, Liddington Hall Drive and Gravetts Lane.

Residents are reminded not to block Santa’s route with parked cars.

Many households have amazing outdoor lights ready to welcome the visit.

However, it will be a sad season with no pantomime this year being rehearsed and held in the hall by the Fairlands Players.

At Jacobs Well there are lights up around the well by the village hall and residents are encourage to tie a Christmas wish to the well.

News from Jacobs Well

Jacobs Well social club remains closed and the garden club, the Women’s Institute and Rendezvous club look forward to resuming their programmes of events and wish everyone a happy Christmas.

A country market takes place between 10am and 11.30am on Fridays in the village hall.

Jacobs Well’s hedgehog project says it is vital to find the creatures’ nests to help their survival. This can only be done by GPS tracking and the project is keen to make contact with any groups or organisations who may be able to help. Tel 01483 833661, for more details.

Family run bakery for 160 years

The Christmas Bakery is 160 years old and continues to be run by the same family.

It has plans to refurbish the bakery with the addition of a café, if plans are passed by Guildford Borough Council.

Seasonal treats at The Christmas Bakery.

Seasonal items now on sale include Christmas cakes, Yule logs, mince pies, gingerbread, biscuits and truffles.

The Christmas Bakery, Rickford, Worplsdon.

It now has a free-standing sanitizer station and canopy for customers to queue under as only three people are allowed in the shop at one time.

Graham Allen.

Care home boss gets first coronavirus jab at Royal Surrey

Barchester Worplesdon View Care Home’s senior general manager Graham Allen, who was the first recipient of the coronavirus vaccination at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, gives his views on it.

He said it was “just like having the flu jab,” and had the vaccination “for my staff and more important my residents”.

Christmas tree harvest on Whitmoor Common

The Whitmoor Common Association has held its annual Christmas tree harvest with Rydes Hill Preparatory School.

This year there was a good turn out at the family event that saw people of all ages – ranging from one year old to 90 years!

The Whitmoor Common Association organised the annual Christmas tree harvest with Rydes Hill Preparatory School.

Funds raised are shared between the association (cost of a chain saw and first-aid courses for its members) and the school.

Rydes Hill Preparatory School has held a “reindeer run” in aid of the Phyllis Tuckwell hospice in Farnham, and has made donations to the North Guildford Food Bank.

News from Merrist Wood College

Calves and kids have recently been born at Merrist Wood College.

The equine arena is back operating with horse-riding, dressage and show-jumping fixtures.

Children attending Earthlings’ forest school have been making Christmas wreaths.

Its fleecy frolics event is scheduled for April 24 and 25, and the college has gift vouchers available for “animal encounters” for adults and children.

Café closed until next year

Rokers’ Farmhouse café has announced it will stay closed until 2021.

Hair salon marks 10 years in Fairlands

Charley Brown’s hair and beauty salon in Fairlands has been in business for 10 years.

Charley Brown’s hair and beauty salon.

Proud to be an independent family run business, plans to celebrate its 10th birthday have been put on hold for the time being.

The salon is open again and staff say they are delighted to offer customers appointments, even if are “in aprons and masks instead of sequins and heels!”

It has a Christmas raffle with three beautiful hampers to be won. It also sells styling products and gift vouchers.

Community hall closed but association remains busy

The Fairlands, Liddington Hall and Gravetts Lane Community Association’s hall remains closed.

The community association’s hall.

However, a Christmas quiz online via Zoom will be held on Wednesday, December 16. For more details send an email to paul.kassell@ntlworld.com

Since March, its monthly quizzes have raised £1,300 for charity.

Kitchen firm coming to Fairlands

The Kitchen Refurbishment Company will be coming to Fairlands.

A new shop on Fairlands Parade will be the Kitchen Refurbishment Company, that has been trading since 1989.

Pubs and restaurants open

The Jolly Farmer pub in Burdenshott Road welcomes diners indoors and outside where it has a covered area. Indoors there is a roaring fire in the grate.

With its new menus, the Worplesdon Place hotel and restaurant has outdoor covered pods for dining.

The White Hart pub in Wood Street Village also offers a new menu. Children’s meals are free from Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

Seasonal flooding has started in Worplesdon

The Holly Lane roundabout (A322) and by St Mary’s Church have been affected by heavy rain causing surface water on the road.

Surface water by the Holly Lane roundabout on the A322.

Flooding can be reported to Surrey County Council along with issues regarding drains, manhole covers, street lights and traffic lights.

Parish council news

Worplesdon Parish Council has recently maintained benches and has repainted basketball posts in Perry Hill.

Freshly painted basket ball post and bench at Worplesdon Memorial Ground, Perry Hill.

The parish council alerted Jacobs Well residents to a nest made by an oak processionary moth on its recreation ground, that was cordoned off for public safety. The caterpillars are covered in small hairs which can cause health risks in humans.

A ditch in Gravetts Lane is scheduled to be re-dug with help from Active Learning students from Merrist Wood College.

News in brief

Residents of Wood Rise in Broadacres, off Broad Street. are pleased with a replacement road sign.

Dog walkers who allow their pets to foul without clearing up face fines of up to £1,000 if caught. Report to Guildford Borough Council by clicking here.

Decorated phone box in Wood Street Village.

A former phone box in Wood Street Village is looking rather festive thanks to local florist Tina Lewis.

Worplesdon Memorial Hall welcomed back its outdoor gym enthusiasts from Evolve Body Transformation Bootcamps after the second lockdown.

Evolve Body Transformation Bootcamps are back.

In January it is offering an eight-week challenge – it’s a great time to improve your physical and mental health.

Some sessions are held at Merrist Wood College.

Click here for details.

Worplesdon Pre School has been in operation inside the Memorial Hall and returns on January 4.

The Sidney Sime art gallery at the Memorial Hall has been featured in the Peeps into the Past page in the Woking News & Mail.

David Rose, who edits the page, was supplied copies of three of the caricatures sketched by Sime in the 1900s while he sat in the New Inn pub at Perry Hill.

The accompanying details of the characters was supplied by gallery volunteer Stephen Cranstone, who has researched the lives of the 36 characters, the sketches of whom are on display in the gallery.

And recently, Stephen has matched the sketch of a Sergeant Major Smith with a photo from online First World War records of the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment.

To see them and for opening time of the gallery, click here.

Worplesdon’s Surrey County Councillor Keith Witham (Con) invites residents to take part in an online survey. Go to: www.guildfordconservatives.com/residents_survey

Fungi growing on Whitmoor Common.

Worplesdon’s amazing fungi are still flourishing in the strangest of places. However so is the litter, including a huge pile of apples on the common not near an apple tree and was Mary Poppins on Whitmoor Common recently?

Someone dumped a pile of apples on Whitmoor Common.

Who does this brolly belong to?

“Charlie’s den” on Whitmoor Common (side near the field and houses by Monkey Bridge) has a Christmas theme after previously decorated for Hallowe’en and Remembrance.