The Worplesdon Witness July 2023

Published on: 11 Jul, 2023
Updated on: 12 Jul, 2023

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

News from the Sime Gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall

The Sime Gallery has paid tribute to its trustee Chris Ewbank who died on June 25.

The gallery says, Mr Ewbank, of Ewbank’s auction house in Send, had lived in the Worplesdon area since the 1980.

He gave his time, skills, knowledge and financial support to the gallery as well as being chairman of the Worplesdon Memorial Hall from 2019-2020.

He leaves a wife, four children and nine grandchildren. He would have celebrated his golden wedding anniversary later this year.

Plant pots at the Some Gallery.

The gallery has entered the Guildford in Bloom competition for the first time. Children from Worplesdon Pre-school have decorated plant pots, planted flowers and drew their own flowers to add to the courtyard garden. Judging takes place on July 12.

Talks about the gallery and artist Sidney Sime have been given to two groups at their meetings in the past two weeks.

The gallery’s Mary Broughton (chair of its trustees) with a pull-up banner promoting the On Your Doorstep summer promotion campaign.

The gallery is participating in the On Your Doorstep summer promotion campaign along with Watts Gallery Artists’ Village, the Guildford Shakespeare Company, West Horsley Place and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

The gallery will be holding a barbecue on August 18.

The gallery is open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2pm to 4pm.

Bells ring out for wedding at St Mary’s Church

Newlyweds Joe and Kate at St Mary’s Church.

It’s always good to see a wedding, and Joe and Kate got married at St Mary’s Church at Perry Hill, with five of the church’s bell ringers with some visiting ringers from Haslemere.

Their wedding car was a Rolls Royce named Olivia.

Wedding services can also held in Wood Street Village: at St Alban’s Church, Hunts Farm and Littlefield Manor. And at Merrist Wood College and Worplesdon Place hotel and restaurant.

Wedding celebration parties can also be held at Perry Hill at Worplesdon Memorial Hall and at the Asperion Hillside hotel, the latter offering a private dinning area for smaller celebrations.

Wood Street Village Show, this Saturday, July 15

Volunteers of Wood Street Village Association are busy preparing for this year’s village show on the green on Saturday, July 15, from noon to 5pm.

Wood Street Jazz Festival, this Sunday, July 16

The annual Wood Street Jazz Festival, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm, features world-class jazz on the green.

Pre-order food from the Shahin restaurant when ordering your tickets to attend the festival.

Every penny raised from the day goes directly to Challengers, to help break down the barriers to play for local disabled children and their families.

There will be 15 great raffle prizes as well many donated by local businesses in Wood Street Village.

Oak processionary moth found at Rickford Hill

An oak processionary moth was found on a tree at Rickford Hill, during an inspection of the tree by Guildford Borough Council.

The tree where the oak processionary moth was found.

The caterpillars of this moth feed on the leaves of oak trees, and the small hairs on the caterpillar pose a health risk to humans, causing rashes and breathing difficulties.

Grass verges now mown

The grass verges at Rickford and Perry Hill have been mown and the person cutting them had to mow each area four times as it was so high.

Mowing the grass at Perry Hill.

The verges are maintained by Surrey County Council, while the person undertaking the work was sub-contracted from Guildford Borough Council. Most of the parish of Worplesdon has now had its grass verges cut.

Make the date for Fairlands community association’s annual meeting

The Fairlands, Liddington and Gravetts Lane Community Association is holding its annual meeting on Monday, July 24, at 8pm in the community centre..

The meeting is extended to all those who have an interest in the future of the community.

Cricket news

Worplesdon and Burpham Cricket Club’s first team have had five wins and currently lie second in their league.

The second and third teams also play on the recreation ground adjacent to Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

Long-term cricket fan and former Worplesdon star player Terry Cater (left) and Phil Bower, the new caretaker at the memorial hall, pictured while watching a match at the recreation ground.

Wood Street Village Cricket Club hosted a Presidents’ XI game against a select Wood Street XI.

Estate agents Burns & Webber Estate is the new club sponsor.

Whitmoor Common Association’s busy annual meeting

At the meeting on July 6 at Worplesdon Memorial Hall, about 28 people attended, including Surrey County Councillor Keith Witham, Guildford Borough Councillor Phillip Booker and Worplesdon Parish Council’s chairman, Nigel Mitchell.

Picture taken at the association’s annual meeting with Adam Bolton from Surrey Wildlife Trust, far right. Next to him are Paul and Elspeth Rijbroek.

Topics discussed were safe access to certain numbered footpaths, while Adam Bolton from Surrey Wildlife Trust spoke about the seriousness of fires often caused by barbecues and discarded cigarette butts.

He said these were made worse by the increased growth of scrub gorse, while more fires are expected due to the rise in temperatures.

Fire management plans will focus on reducing the risk to life, property and the environment.

No-fence grazing, in which cattle wear collars attached to a GPS device linked to Surrey Wildlife Trust staff’s phones is due to be introduced to Whitmoor Common.

During the next 12 months, work on the scrub area at Jordan Hill will be undertaken and the management of the Window-winged caddis fly. This is a very rare insect that has a stained-glass patterned wing.

Have you seen this bird of prey?

A Fairlands resident is seeking help to find her 17-year-old captive harris hawk called Layla, that has escaped.

Poster of the missing hawk.

News from Worplesdon Parish Council

The latest full meeting of Worplesdon Parish Council included eight financial matters, looking at seven planning applications, Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council reports, and feedback from the Surrey Flood Action Group Forum,.

Three members of the parish council have been co-opted onto Guildford Borough Council’s corporate governance standards committee for 2023-2027.

Other topics looked at included a request from the Wood Street Village Show for an inflatable slide, a bus shelter at Jacobs Well Road, overgrown alleyways, the clerk and chairman’s report and the negotiation of a further lease on the parish council’s offices at Queen Elizabeth Park.

The next meeting will be on August 10.

Roadworks in Holly Lane.

Road works have been happening again at Holly Lane and on the Worplesdon Road / Saltbox Road roundabout, where road resurfacing is happening at night.

Pavement repairs in Frog Grove Lane.

In Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village, the pavement is being resurfaced.

Flowers are blooming everywhere!

Worplesdon is in bloom after a mixture of sun and rain.

At the Christmas Bakery there are flowers around its outdoor seating area, at Rokers Farmhouse Cafe, the Sime Gallery, the cottage by Worplesdon Memorial Hall, a Fairlands resident’s back garden, as well as at Sylvester’s garage on Aldershot Road.

Christmas bakery.

Rokers Farmhouse Cafe.

The Sime Gallery.

Cottage by Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

Fairlands garden.

Sylvester’s garage.

School’s rearranged sports day

Worplesdon Primary School’s sports day will now take place on Tuesday, July 18.

The school receiving a gold award for its Guildford in Bloom entry.

The school has received a gold award for its Guildford in Bloom entry.

Borough councillors take a tour of the area they serve

The newly elected Guildford Borough Councillors for Worplesdon, Bilal Akhtar, Honor Booker and Philip Booker, have been getting to know the parish.

Parish clerk Gaynor White (left) with the three councillors visiting the Sime Gallery

They went on a tour led by the clerk of the parish council, Gaynor White.

Councillors on the litter-pick in Wood Street Village.

They visited a community engagement event at Merrist Wood College and a community litter-pick in Wood Street Village.

Grower’s wild flowers are a floral explosion

Homestead Flowers reports the mixture of sun and rain has caused a floral explosion.

Growing nicely at Homestead Flowers.

It is offering free delivery of bouquets in Wood Street Village.

No pesticides or sprays are used.

Pub news

The Royal Oak pub in Wood Street Village.

The Royal Oak pub in Wood Street Village has a big bingo night on Saturday, July 29, and starts at 7pm with a fun prize for families.

This is followed by cash bingo and music bingo rounds for adults.

The Jolly Farmer pub on Burdenshott Road has had hanging baskets stolen.

However, visitors had fun when the Pilgrim Morris Men came and entertained.

There is a new bar snacks menu and Friday and weekend pizza menu.

Tea afternoon goes down a treat

Jacobs Well’s July afternoon tea party was a success with profits donated to the National Eczema Society. Email nick@nfcol.com for more details of the next one.

Pre-season training dates for Worplesdon Phoenix

Poster with details of Worplesdon Phoenix Football Club’s training dates.

Rokers’ new store is open

Pictures show the new store at Rokers.

The first phase of Rokers’ new animal feed, equestrian and country store opened on Tuesday, July 11.

The former store will be demolished and the final phase built in its place.

Plans for Hesters Yard revealed

About 55 people attended Wood Street Village Association’s latest meeting at which developer Bewley Homes presented plans for Hesters Yard at 116 Oak Hill.

After the short presentation, questions from the audience and answers from the three representatives for the developers lasted for nearly an hour and half. The main focus was the loss of local businesses.

Homes development continues

The building of homes continues off Keens Lane, at Montague Place.