The Worplesdon Witness February 2021

Published on: 11 Feb, 2021
Updated on: 14 Feb, 2021

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

Businesses’ temporary closure due to Covid

The shop at The Christmas Bakery at Rickford and Fairlands post office and party shop had to close for temporary periods as staff self-isolated. They are now both open again.

The bakery itself remained open as did its shop in Ash Vale.

The shop at the Christmas Bakery was shut while staff self-isolated.

A little light dusting…

Building a snowman on the grounds next to Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

The recent snowfall, although it only lasted a couple of days, brought joy to young and old in Worplesdon with lots of photos being taken and walks and sledging.

Snowmen on the green at Perry Hill/

The greens, Worplesdon Memorial Hall grounds and Fairlands recreational ground have seen many snowmen!

Sime Gallery’s outreach

The Sime Gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall gave a presentation and talk via Zoom to members of the Send & Ripley History Society. It featured artist Sidney Sime’s local and theatre caricatures.

New corporate branding for the gallery will soon be seen on its website, leaflets and posters.

Also, check out the gallery on YouTube. Search for Sidney Sime Gallery

Unfortunately, the usual February half-term children’s activity week will not be taking place, but it is hoped to rearrange it for later this year.

Parish council settles into new offices

Worplesdon Parish Council has unpacked its files and is settling into its new offices and council chamber on the business site on Queen Elizabeth Park, Stoughton.

The council chamber at Worplesdon Parish Council’s new offices on Queen Elizabeth Park, Stoughton.

Its annual meeting takes place Wednesday, March 10, at 7.30pm. It will be its first-ever via Zoom, with all welcome to attend. To be able to log in, call the parish clerk on 01483 300094, or email: clerk@worplesdon-pc.gov.uk

Agendas of previous meets can be found on the parish council website and on notice boards. Minutes of meetings are on the parish website.

Others matters recently discussed by the parish council include: a planning application for land at Burpham Court Farm for change of use to become a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), numerous individual applications as well as a larger application to build 12 homes at School Lane, off the A322 near Perry Hill, and the Weyside Urban Village scheme at Slyfield.

Quarterly playground inspection reports, recent tree planting by Surrey County Council, and the repositioning of a replacement bus shelter were topics also discussed.

A donation has been received from the United Reformed Church, whose Perry Hill Chapel closed last year.

A request was considered for the lay-by near the entrance to Russell Place Farm at Wood Street Village to be decommissioned and planters to be installed. Residents will be consulted on this suggestion.

Worplesdon’s Surrey County Councillor, Keith Witham (Con), informed the parish council of the cost of pavement resurfacing.

Brookside, Jacobs Well.

Brookside at Jacobs Well will cost £58,000, following lobbying from Cllr Witham following a petition raised by its residents.

He also reminds residents with bus passes that they are valid before 9.30am for those going for early morning Covid vaccine appointments.

He informed residents via his newsletter about new laws making unauthorised traveller encampments a criminal offence. He said that he hoped that the seizure of travellers’ vehicles and selling them to pay for clear-up costs would be included in the legislation to be published by the Home Office.

There were five illegal encampments in Wood Street Village last year.

Cllr Witham also informed the parish council of the reduction of the vehicle speed limit on the A322, between Worplesdon View care home and School Lane, Perry Hill, from 60mph to 40mph.

The parish of Worplesdon benefits from the work of its head groundsman. To stop regular flooding he has cleared a drain in a ditch in Tangley Lane, off the A322.

Before: the blocked drain and flooded ditch in Tangley Lane.

And after.

However, the flooding on the A320 at the junction with Salt Box Road near Jacobs Well is a far greater issue. The parish council is awaiting flood defence work by Surrey County Council.

Power surges

There have been numerous small surges in electric power resulting in power cuts throughout the parish.

On the evening of January 18, there was a power cut, and residents in the Whitmoor area were without electricity until 5am the following morning. On February 8, many households in Fairlands, Wood Street Village and Perry Hill no power until 4.30pm.

Worplesdon churches continue with services on YouTube

St Mary’s Church at Perry Hill and St Alban’s Church in Wood Street Village are continuing with services uploaded to YouTube.

They are usually one per week, but an extra service was uploaded to celebrate the bible story of the presentation of Christ in the temple.

The churches are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Kneelers at St Alban’s Church that are no longer being used are being returned to people who made them. If you know anyone please get in touch.

Donations for the North Guildford Food Bank continue and can be collected from your doorstep. Click here for church website contact details.

Worplesdon St Mary’s Churchyard under snow

News from halls and community centres

Worplesdon Memorial Hall took part in Action with Communities in Rural England’s online ‘Doomsday Book’ for the celebration of 100 years of village halls.

Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

The Memorial Hall will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

A total of 299 entries signed up to the villages halls ‘Doomsday Book’ and Worplesdon was one of the few highlighted because of its Sime Gallery.

Jacobs Well Village Hall and Fairlands Community Centre remain closed. Both have bills to pay, such as for utilities and insurance, with no regular income at present.

Fairlands has set up a Just Giving page to raise funds.  Thirty-three supporters have raised £840, so far.

Its next online fundraising quiz night will be on Wednesday, February via Zoom at 8pm, Email paul.kassell@ntlworld.com

A spy camera perhaps?

An eagle-eyed resident of Thatchers Lane at Perry Hill notice what appeared to be a camera at the entrance of the road on a signpost of the A322.

The parish council checked with Surrey Highways who reported it is for measuring road temperature to assist with the deployment of gritting lorries.

The camera is being used to measure road temperature to assist with the deployment of gritting lorries.

Celebs say farewell to Jacobs Well

Celebrity couple Flavia Cacace-Mistry and Jimi Mistry, with their dogs Pablo and Zak, have said goodbye and best wishes to residents of Jacobs Well after seven years as residents themselves.

They have moved to the West Country.

Frog Grove Lane phone box decorated for Sir Captain Tom Moore

The decommissioned phone box in Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village has been decorated again by Tina Lewis.

The decorated phone box in Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village.

This time it pays respect respect to the late Sir Captain Tom Moore and forthcoming Valentine’s Day.

Perfect Choice Plants taking orders once more

Perfect Choice Plants of Wood Street Village’s Sandyacre Nursery is again offering home delivery of plants and compost.

Deliveries are made within a 15-mile radius of its nursery. Click here for its website.

Fleecy Frolics will not take place

Merrist Wood College has decided not to go ahead with its popular Fleecy Frolics event planned for April 21, due to the ongoing pandemic.

Merrist Wood College will be posting pictures of its new-born lambs on social media.

But with lambs being born, it will post pictures on social media and will be taking booking for when events can again take place.

With its zoo licence, the college has many other interesting animals and people can learn about these too.

The college is keen to remind people that it is a 400-acre estate and is able to accommodate outside events. Click here for details on its website.

Signs within Merrist Wood College warning about.

There are public footpaths through the estate and signage reminding people to stay on the paths and not park vehicles in certain places, as it is a private estate.

Weekly Covid testing for school staff

Staff at Worplesdon Primary School take Covid test kits home twice a week, reporting results to NHS Track and Trace as well as to the school.

Open for takeaways

The Royal Oak pub in Wood Street Village is offering takeaway pizzas, and the White Hart, just down the road, is offering takeaway roast dinners.

While signs at Worplesdon Place hotel and restaurant say it will reopen on July 20. The entrance and exit are now blocked off by metal fencing.

New signage on the common’s car parks

Surrey County Council has installed new signs at its Salt Box Road car parks leading to Whitmoor Common and Britten’s Pond. Some people may be questioning why?

One of the new signs installed by Surrey County Council.

And there continues to be issues with cars being parked on the grass verges of Salt Box Road. Motorists are reminded that there are double yellow lines along much of the Salt Box Road and parking restrictions apply not only to the road itself, but any pavements and verges.

Cars parked along the verge on Salt Box Road.

There have been no volunteer working parties on Whitmoor Common during the latest lockdown.

However, Surrey Wildlife Trust staff and its contractors have been undertaking some work in conjunction with the management plan for the area. This has included felling silver birch trees.

Truly decorative water tap

And finally… This has got to be the most highly decorated water point in any graveyard in the borough. Worplesdon knows how to make something eye-catching and a talking point. After all, we need something positive to talk about.

The decorated water tap in Worplesdon St Mary’s Churchyard.

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