The Worplesdon Witness, June 2020

Published on: 15 Jun, 2020
Updated on: 18 Jun, 2020

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

What’s changed since mid May

Well, dogs are happy. Not only are they getting plenty of exercise, Auntie Emse dog groomers in Fairlands Avenue reopened on May 11. While Merrist Wood Dog Day Care and Panache Pupz in Jacobs Well are taking bookings with new strict operating procedures in place.

However, Charley Browns hair and beauty and Blendz barber shop in Fairlands Avenue remain closed until at least July 4. Customers are being thanked for their patience while they follow Government guidelines and National Hairdressing Federation announcements putting in place new rules and guidance for the safe working environment for staff and customers. Blendz will be operating a booking system for the first time.

The theme for Mental Health Awareness week (May 18 to 24) was kindness. We can all think those who have been kind in Worplesdon in recent weeks.

A talk was due to be held by Fairlands medical practice patient’s participation group with a grant from Worplesdon Parish Council. However it could not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions.

There have been positives and negatives to recent weeks during lockdown. Maybe you have got to know your neighbours? You may have been one of the many people helped by volunteers from Worplesdon villages? Or maybe you have found it difficult to home school, or work from home? Maybe you have been lonely missing your family and friends as well as your normal activities. With restrictions gradually lifting there will still be many things not open including our pubs, restaurants and playgrounds.

Anyone for tennis, golf or cricket?

Worplesdon Tennis club at Worplesdon Memorial Recreational Ground has been able to resume, under strict rules from the Lawn Tennis Association.

Merrist Wood Golf Club is also now open to visitors and members. A pre-reserved tee time is required booking online. Most clubhouse facilities remain closed. More details about covid-19 regulations can be viewed on its website.

Getting ready fro some cricket at the Worplesdon Memorial Recreation Ground.

Worplesdon & Burpham Cricket Club has been preparing the pitch at Worplesdon Memorial Hall Recreation Ground in anticipation of the new season. Some members have practised within guidelines.

While the football and cricket pavilion has been closed, maintenance has been done and when the bar is able to open again it will look like new!

Worplesdon’s schools

Worplesdon schools have remained open for vulnerable and key workers’ children and have now welcomed back Reception class Year 1 and Year 6 children.

Other year groups continue with virtual learning from home. Worplesdon Primary School has put in place “bubbles” for children returning in much smaller groups.

Some Reception and Year 1 pupils have only been able to return on a part-time basis. The children in Years 2 to 5 who are not returning to school at present access the curriculum via Google Classroom or Google Meet. The school’s parent-teacher association has been supporting parents with child-friendly activities via its Facebook page to maintain a sense of belonging and school spirit.

Wood Street Infant School has had its green flag status renewed as part of Eco-schools England. It has continued with outdoor classroom day. Learning, connecting with nature, aims to restore well being. The children who have been attending the school have done this and those learning from home in their gardens.

Rydes Hill Preparatory School’s planned a 75th anniversary alumni garden party and summer fair has been postponed until next year. It continues with virtual tours of the school for prospective parents.

Merrist Wood College is holding a virtual open event on Saturday, June 20, from 9.30am to 12.30pm for prospective students to find out about courses and programmes. Attendance can be booked on its website.

Worplesdon Pre-school has reopened at Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

Worplesdon Pre-school returned to Worplesdon Memorial Hall on June 1, but only with children who will be starting Reception classes in September.

No marquee at Wood Street Village Show

Wood Street Village has announced there will be no marquee for its planned village show on Saturday, July 18.

Its horticultural society has been hosting online activities including decorating a biscuit/ cupcake or animal model from fruit or vegetables. 100 sunflower seeds have been collected for a race to see who can grow the tallest sunflower.

Concrete blocks or not

Wood Street villagers also responded with their opinions to Worplesdon Parish Council following Surrey County Council’s offer of concrete blocks for the triangle of grass on the green where there had been a recent unauthorised encampment. A public meeting will take place after Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Cheesman Brothers’ home deliveries continue

Cheesman Brothers fruit and vegetable wholesalers since 1975 continue to provide doorstep deliveries to households.

Fruit and veg boxes delivered to your door by Cheesman Brothers.

Currently, there is the addition of Petersfield asparagus and runny and set honey from a local beekeeper called Well Cottage of Normandy, to its wide range of fruit, vegetables and dried goods including flour.

Its provide a mixed box that can have items added or removed depending on your taste. Tel 01483 572469 or email matthew@cheesmanbros.co.uk for more details.

Enjoy a takeaway meal

The Cricketers pub at Rydes Hill is offering a roast meal, ordered by 7pm Saturday for Sunday, as well as a takeaway service.

The Royal Oak pub in Wood Street Village is offering takeaway pizzas and giant filled Yorkshire pudding.

Water for thirsty dogs courtesy of the Royal Oak pub in Wood Street Village.

Outside it also has water for dogs to drink.

Worplesdon Place pub and restaurant at Perry Hill.

The White Hart pub and restaurant at Wood Steet Village, Worplesdon Place pub and restaurant at Perry Hill and the Jolly Farmer pub in Burdenshott Road are missing their customers, hoping it won’t be long until they can reopen.

Worplesdon Place had only been open hours after its refit before lockdown, while the Jolly Farmer has had some amazing renovation work indoors and in the garden.

The garden at the Jolly Farmer pub, Burdenshott Road.

Other businesses and trades operating again

MoT tests at the Peter Silvester garage on Aldershot Road at Clasford Bridge resumed on May 18.

Fairlands’ dental and implant centre is open for face-to-face consultations. However, it may not be able to provide all care and treatments.

The homes development at Montague Place, Keens Lane.

Builders are working at both Montague Place in Keens Lane and the 45 shared ownership and rented homes development on Aldershot Road at Clasford Bridge.

Care workers are being offered a discount on homes at Montague Place. See Taylor Wimpey’s website for details.

Fairlands community rallies round

The Fairlands community has continued with its support of deliveries to people who can’t leave their homes.

About 8,000 prescription medicines and food supplies have been delivered by volunteers to a very large area, not all in the parish of Worplesdon.

There has also been fundraising for the Fairlands Community Centre.

Evolvebootcamps.co.uk raised £2,300 with a sponsored run of 1,500 / 525km lap relay around the field next to the community centre. It runs sessions at the centre.

Budgens has returned to normal trading hours as has Rowlands pharmacy and Fairlands post office and party supplies.

They have all been thanked by the Fairlands Liddington Hall and Gravetts Lane Community Association for their flexibility and support to local residents.

The community association continues to hold Zoom quiz nights. The next fundraiser is for the Normandy Therapy Garden on Wednesday, June 17, at 8pm. Email paul.kassell@ntlworld.com for more details.

Updates from Worplesdon’s county councillor

Worplesdon county councillor Keith Witham.

Surrey County Councillor for Worplesdon Keith Witham has kept residents informed of local business discretionary grants for businesses not eligible for other grants during the pandemic.

Surrey is one of 11 councils to lead “test and trace” data capture for informed and scientific decision making.

And Guildford Borough councillors

Cllrs Bob and Ann McShee and Cllr Ruth Brothwell have attended online meetings via Teams.

Bob on the Guildford Joint Committee, licensing committee and community executive advisory board. He has also been appointed as deputy environment and design champion.

Ann on the licensing committee and community executive advisory board.

Ruth on planning and place-making and the innovation executive advisory board.

Planning permission for 35 new allotment pitches at the Aldershot Road (Westborough) site with landscaping, cycle storage and car parking has been approved. This is linked with the relocation of the Bellfields allotments, part of the Weyside Urban Village project at Slyfield.

Keeping the parish looking good

Worplesdon Parish Council staff have continued to work throughout the pandemic as well as the groundsman and contractors keeping the grass cut and parish looking good.

Keeping Worplesdon tidy!

Councillors are currently holding meetings online.

There are three casual vacancies for parish councillors.

Opportunities to become a Worplesdon Parish Councillor and do your bit for the area.

The parish council has been made aware of another unauthorised encampment in Wood Street Village.

The latest police-reported crimes for Worplesdon, including Pirbright and Normandy, for April 2020 were: antisocial behaviour 34, violence and sexual offences 14, public order five, and other theft four. Crime can be reported to the police by phoning 101.

Churches using YouTube and Zoom to connect with congregations

St Mary’s and St Alban’s Churches continue with YouTube for services, Zoom meetings for coffee and prayer groups and the new way of collecting for the Guildford food banks.

Vinyl banner advertising online church services.

They have received guidance from the Diocese of Guildford and the Government regarding opening of churches.

Until the forthcoming parochial church council for St Mary’s and St Alban’s has met, the churches will remain closed.

Holiday at Home, planned for August has 19 has been cancelled.

Worplesdon Memorial Hall and Sime Gallery

The Sime Gallery’s new logo.

The hall and home of the Sime gallery has remained closed.

However, one of the lots in a Rainbow charity auction for the NHS was a champagne tea and talk at the gallery about the artist Sidney Sime.

The winning bid will see eight people enjoy their tea and talk when gallery is allowed to open.

The auction, hosted by Ewbank’s, raised more than £20,000.

The Sime Gallery is holding a “Bogey Beasts Design competition”, inviting primary and secondary school and college students to create a design inspired by Sidney Sime’s book Bogey Beasts.

The winning design will accompany the gallery’s new logo and to illustrate his work and will be used on merchandise. Visit the website www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtsWxggYVw4&feature=youtu.be or www.sidneysimegallery.org.uk/visit the gallery.stml for more details.

More about Bogey Beasts on You Tube.

And click here for the gallery’s own website.

Zooming in at Jacobs Well

Jacobs Well Residents’ Association has been hosting weekly Zoom meetings for residents to raise questions, observations or topics of interest for the area and informing them of resurfacing works on the Woking Road.

Please use the dual bins for general litter and dog poo. If these are full, please take your rubbish home and dispose of in your own bin.

With an increase in dog walking, residents have been reminded to take their rubbish home – especially dog poo.

Bins in Harry’s Meadow have seen a large increase in dog poo plastic bags.

The bin next to the First World War war commemorative picnic bench is being used to discard the waste. It is most unpleasant to sit next to during the recent warm weather!

Worplesdon View Care Home

Worplesdon View Care Home is offering video calling for families to stay in touch while it is closed to visitors.

Cows on Whitmoor Common

The annual grazing of cows on a part of Whitmoor Common grazing hasn’t stopped walkers, joggers, cyclists and dog walkers from enjoying the open spaces.

Cows are back on a part of Whitmoor Common.

When visiting stay safe: do not light fires, take your rubbish home, protect wildlife.

A discarded bottle of urine. Don’t dump it, take it home!

Unfortunately, bottles of urine can be seen on some common land close to residential houses.

Geoff’s new DVD of more than 800 photos by the late Dave Salmon

Local Worplesdon historian and writer, retired railwayman Geoff Burch, has released a new DVD, Dave Salmon A Man and his camera Part 1 Railways.

Featuring the photography of Dave Salmon who died in 2015 and who lived almost all his life in Guildford.

A review of the DVD and details on obtaining a copy from Geoff has been published on The Guildford Dragon NEWS.

Call for vintage photos of Worplesdon

With the centenary of Worplesdon Memorial Hall coming up, many residents will surely have been in their lofts doing lots of sorting during the lockdown. What have you found with links to Worplesdon?

Please remember to share your memories and especially photographs with us. Email photos to Guildford Dragon NEWS writer David Rose at d.rosedragon@gmail.com

He will forward them to me, Jan Messinger.

Centenary celebrations are now being planned for 2022.