The Worplesdon Witness: March 2020 Update

Published on: 15 Mar, 2020
Updated on: 19 Mar, 2020

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

Parish churches’ change to regular events

In line with advice from the Guildford Diocese, Worplesdon’s St Mary’s and St Alban’s churches are temporarily closing the Friday café, Smilers, and village lunches, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The toddler group and youth café will continue for the moment. The guidance also sees minor changes to church services. See church website for up-to-date information.

Meet your borough councillors

Worplesdon’s Guildford Borough Councillors, Bob and Ann McShee and Ruth Brothwell will be at Jacobs Well Village Hall on Tuesday, March 31, from 2pm to 6pm, to answer questions about the Weyside Urban Village housing and redevelopment scheme planned for the Slyfield area.

Community engagement event and parish council annual meeting

People are welcome to a community engagement event at St Alban’s Church Hall in Wood Street Village on Tuesday, March 24, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

It will focus on extra activity equipment, play frames for children and zip wires, together with calisthenics frames and other more generic fitness equipment, which could be located at Wildfield Close.

The annual meeting of Worplesdon Parish Council follows at 7.30pm with all residents welcome.

Fleecy Frolics

Merrist Wood College is hosting its popular Fleecy Frolics event on Saturday, April 25, from noon to 4pm and Sunday, April 26, from 10am 4pm.

Tickets must be bought in advance. There are also regular animal encounter tours. Check website for details.

VE Day 75th anniversary celebrations

The 75th anniversary of VE Day is being celebrated in Wood Street Village on bank holiday Friday, May 8.

From noon onwards there will be music, Maypole dancing, children’s entertainment and a bouncy castle

A similar event is to be held at Jacobs Well.

Road name for new homes on former pub site

Homes are being built on the site of the former Hare and Hounds pub in Broadstreet, and a new road there will be called Langford Close.

Memorial to Pte Albert James Langford.

The road is to be named after Private Albert James Langford, who was born in 1897 and died on August 11, 1916 aged 19.

He served with 1st Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment and is buried in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetrey, Longueval, France. Members of his family still live locally.

Road named after wartime aircraft crash

The new road adjacent to Silvesters Garage, off the Aldershot Road at Clasford Bridge, is to be called Halifax Close.

The road is close to the site at Merrist Wood where an RAF Halifax bomber crashed in March 1941, during the Second World War. Four men lost their lives, and it is believed the aircraft was brought down by ‘friendly fire’.

Salute to litter pickers

There are community minded Worplesdon parish residents who are regularly seen out picking up and keeping the area tidy.

Community litter picking helps to keep the area tidy.

And now pupils at Worplesdon School have been set a different kind of homework – collecting litter in their local area. This is what one Year 6 pupil collected.

The amount of rubbish discarded in roads near Whitmoor Common, along with fly tipping, is a continuous issue.

Although Guildford Borough Council’s cleansing department clears the unwanted rubbish, the cost is borne by council taxpayers.

The Help Clean Up Our Streets event has now been postponed to September 11 to 17.

Guildford Borough Council helps with community litter picking, hiring free of charge litter grabbers, high visibility vests, plastic sacks, gloves and safety advice. It will also collect the bagged rubbish.

Click here on the council’s website for details.

Worplesdon Place reopening on Friday, March 20

Worplesdon Place reopens on Friday, March 20, at 5pm after a refit and just in time for Mothering Sunday.

Worplesdon Place is reopening after a refit on Friday, March 20.

Staff from owners Youngs have been working hard behind the scenes and have received ‘gin training’ and refining their skills in preparation for events planned for Mothering Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and St George’s Day.

There is a new menu too and the pub / restaurant is also being advertised for use for corporate as well as other functions. Click here for website.

Wood Street Village Association’s quiz night raises £310 for its parish churches

The quiz was won by the ‘Crew of the Black Pig’ team which is well known for its success at quiz events.

Last year’s quiz raised money towards the improvements to the toilets at St Alban’s Church and this year’s proceeds will probably be used for improvements at St Mary’s Church.

History talk A Romany Lifestyle well attended

The illustrated history talk, A Romany Lifestyle, by Geoff Burch and David Rose on Sunday, March 8, in Worplesdon Memorial hall was attended by 80 people.

Worplesdon resident Geoff Burch spoke about his mother’s Romany family and their roots in and around Old Woking, while David gave general details and stories about Gypsies and travellers in this part of Surrey in times gone by.

Geoff showed family items such as the last clothes peg his grandfather made and a trade token with the name of Carter stamped on it.

These metal tokens were used by farmers to pay itinerant workers, such as Gypsies and travellers. Tokens were paid daily and then redeemed for cash from the farmer at the end of the week.

Geoff’s forebears, the Bakers, worked for Farmer Carter at Old Woking.

All go at Save Planet Sime

The Save Planet Sime art activity afternoon for children was held during recent half-term holiday at the gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

The Sime Gallery’s new logo.

Volunteer helpers used their skills and expertise to engage 60 children in fun activities and with a visit to the Sidney Sime art gallery upstairs at the hall.

With thanks to the sponsorship of Ewbank’s auctioneers, everyone had an enjoyable afternoon.

The gallery is open on the first Wednesday of the month, from 2pm to 4pm and on bank holidays.

Click here for website.

And here for Facebook page.

Questions from gardeners

Worplesdon Gardening Club hosted the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time with 156 people packed into Worplesdon Memorial Hall for the recording.

BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time at Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

They spent two hours listening to the panel who answered 20 questions, from local residents and gardening club members.

Questions on a wide range of gardening topics were answered by Matthew Pottage of RHS Wisley, plant pathologist Pippa Greenwood and plantsman Matt Briggs. The chairman was Peter Gibbs.

Gardeners’ Question Time is on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays at 3pm and Sundays at 2pm.

The first edition of the Worplesdon recording was broadcast on February 28 and March 1. The second will be on March 27 and 29.

Water, water everywhere

Flooding caused by storm Dennis resulted in the closure of Clay Lane in Jacobs Well.

The road was flooded outside Hurst Farm and near to the entrance of Safeguard Coaches’ depot.

Surface water near the roundabout on the A320 Woking Road near Jacobs Well disrupted travel for many days as more rain fell.

In Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village, there was a good deal of surface water.

Brook filled with water beside Tangley Lane.

Other ‘wet’ spots included Tangley Lane.

Worplesdon flood forum’s walkabout

The Worplesdon flood forum walkabout takes place on Friday, July 3, at 10.30am. Meet at Wood Street Village community car park.

The walk will be around Blackwell Farm, the source of two streams that eventually run through the Worplesdon area.

Guildford MP Angela Richardson will be present and has agreed to chair the flood forum, taking over duties from previous MP Anne Milton.

Worplesdon Parish Council ensures it is aware of all flooding that has taken place before flood forum meetings. It attends these with representatives from Surrey County Council, Guildford Borough Council, Thames Water, Surrey Wildlife Trust, Merrist Wood College, the Environment Agency and residents.

What’s on at Jacobs Well Village Hall

A country market is held every Friday from 10am to 11.30am. Jacobs Well WI meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7.30pm.

Guildford Flower Club meets on the first Wednesday of each month.

Last Tuesday of the month at 8pm, Surrey Jazz Orchestra are in concert.

Fairlands Community Centre and road resurfacing

New committee members are required for the bar at the centre.

No experience necessary for over-seeing the running of the bar and regular entertainment committee meetings, just a willingness to make a valuable contribution to your community.

More details from Mandy Renshaw on 01483 852134.

Road re-surfacing on St Michael’s Avenue, Fairlands.

St Michael’s Avenue had a resurface to its road on February 28.

Worplesdon School – Ofsted rates it ‘Good’

Worplesdon School had an Ofsted visit on January 28 and 29, and has the continued rating as a ‘good’ school.

In its report, Ofsted states: “Pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 are improving. Leaders’ expectations for behaviour are high. Lessons are engaging and pupils contribute well to their learning.”

Anyone for Cricket?

A list of Fairlands Cricket Club’s fixtures for the coming season, May 3 to September 6, are now available from Gerry on 0797 552997.

Wood Street Village cricket junior season is scheduled to start on April 17. Click here for details.

Worplesdon & Burpham Cricket Club was established 1999. They play at Worplesdon Memorial Recreation Ground. Click here for details.