The Worplesdon Witness March 2024

Published on: 15 Mar, 2024
Updated on: 17 Mar, 2024

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

Rector to say farewell to Worplesdon parish

Worplesdon churches, St Mary’s and St Alban’s, will be saying goodbye to their rector, the Revd Alex Russell.

After eight years in Worplesdon she is moving to take up a new position in Blackheath, south-east London, to work for a charity that provides housing for older people.

Her final church service will be Sunday, May 12.

Mothering Sunday flowers in church.

Mothering Sunday services took place at both churches with gifts for and to remember mums.

Sime Gallery’s Easter workshop at St Mary’s Church

There will be an Easter workshop on Sunday afternoon, March 24 as part of the Sime Gallery’s community outreach.

It takes place at St Mary’s Church, Perry Hill, where there will also be an Easter trail around the churchyard.

Easter Sunday services are on March 31 at St Mary’s and St Alban’s Churches.

The youth club met at St Alban’s on March 1 and the children made Mothering Sunday gifts of flower planters.

Flower planters made at the youth club.

Parish lunches at St Alban’s Church Hall are on March 19 and April 16. To book, phone the church office 01483 233091.

More decorating at Worplesdon Memorial Hall

Worplesdon Memorial hall has received further decoration by Phil the caretaker.

The freshly painted Thompson Room.

He has painted the Thompson Room and replaced the outside toilet’s door.

New door to the outside loo.

Groups that use the hall and who welcome new members include, zumba, cerco, pilates, dog training and dance classes.

The tennis courts at Perry Hill.

At the tennis club’s annual meeting, member Philippa received the cup for most improved player.

John Brand was wished a happy 80th birthday and it seems he is still formidable on the tennis court.

Worplesdon Pheonix football team has postponed a number of home and away games due to water logged pitches.

There’s always fly-tipping!

Items have been dumped along Gooserye Road this month, and have been reported.

Mattresses and other items dumped along Gooserye Road.

You can report fly-tipping online to Guildford Borough Council’s website https://my.guildford.gov.uk/customers/s/report-fly-tipping

News from Worplesdon Parish Council

Not surprisingly, given the heavy rain this winter, many people attended Worplesdon Parish Council’s latest flood forum meeting.

During storms in January properties in Halifax Close off Pitch Place, Rickford and Oakhill suffered from flooding.

Minutes of the parish council’s meetings can be viewed online at  https://worplesdon-pc.gov.uk

The parish council received a presentation by Worplesdon Primary School for its plans to convert a sports field to a multi-use games area.

It has also scrutinised five planning applications and a request for permission to land helicopters on Wood Street Village green.

The parish clerk’s report included section 106 monies from the Bluebell Rise development for improvements on the green at Perry Hill to include additional trees, a bench and planters.

 Worplesdon’s Surrey County Councillor Keith Witham confirmed the replacement pavement in front of the former Ship pub at Pitch Place cost £20,000.

Its annual parish assembly is on Monday, March 18, at 7pm at Fairlands Community Centre.

There will be a networking session by local organisations, a report from the chairman, a report regarding the replacement community centre at Fairlands, grant awards and how local groups have benefitted.

 The next full council meeting will be on April 4.

John Gunner’s bench now in place

A bench to honour the second freedom of the parish recipient, the late John Gunner, has been placed by the pond in Wood Street Village.

The new bench in memory of John Gunner.

John loved of all things connected with farming and the countryside. His huge contribution to the community of Worplesdon benefitted residents for many years.

And another bench has been re-installed

Worplesdon’s Rural Pie bench is back thanks to a resident who highlighted its decay.

The replacement Rural Pie bench.

Thanks to input from Worplesdon Parish Council, the bench is back beside the A322 opposite the Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

Surrey County Council agreed to fund the replacement of the backless bench.

The bench commemorates the Rural Pie Scheme. This was a Second World War initiative to provide a midday meal for workers, particularly farm workers, with no access to canteens.

Some tidying up work

Hedges have been cut back in Frog Grove Lane.

Hedges have been cut and ditches cleared in Frog Grove Lane, Wood Street Village.

Residents show interest in planning application for house 

Residents have taken an interest in a planning application for a large house that, if passed, would be built in a field at Maryland, between Whitmoor Common and St Mary’s Church.

Notice by local residents about the planning application.

The application includes the demolition of an existing cottage, plus landscaping and other associated works.

Picture from outside residential house on Whitmoor common of application.

Barber’s shop to open in Jacobs Well

A barber’s shop is opening on April 9 in the parade at Stringers Avenue, Jacobs Well.

New barber coming to Jacobs Well.

Rokers to sell plants

Rokers Animal feeds, Equestrian and Country store will now be selling plants.

These will be from Perfect Choice Plants, from its family-run Sandiacre Nurseries in Wood Street Village.

The Rokers Farmhouse café is due to reopen on March 20.

Perfect Choice Plants will be supplying Rokers.

News from the Sime Gallery

The Sime Gallery continue to give talks to outside organisations, plus is other outreach includes a weekly artwork sessions for people from the halow project.

The newly decorated gallery is displaying a wider range of pictures, some of which have not been displayed before.

The Sime Gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall.

The gallery is opens Wednesday and Sunday afternoons with time for tea and cake in the Tovey Toom at the Ta Ta café.

Look out for Sidney Sime’s final resting place in St Mary’s churchyard. Walking trail leaflets are available from the gallery. These lead around the village or around Whitmoor Common and past homes of the caricatures Sime drew.

Trees planted at Pitch Place

Trees have been planted Pitch Place by Worplesdon Parish Council, which maintains the green.

The young trees planted at Pitch Place.

Christmas Bakery’s Easter delights

Don’t forget to buy your hot cross buns from the Christmas Bakery, in addition to its traditional lardy cake and a wide selection of other cakes, rolls and pastries.

Classic hot cross buns at the Christmas Bakery.

Christmas Crescent, within the new development off Keens Lane, is named after two men who died on active service during the First World War.

Christmas Crescent.

They were Private Sydney Christmas and Lance Corporal Walter Reginald Christmas, cousins of the family, and died on the same day, April 23 1917, and both of the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment.

Both men were in their early thirties and left wives and families in the village.

Jacobs Well Village Hall news

Jacobs Well held its monthly afternoon tea on March 11.

Contact Nick Collett at nick@nfcol.com for details of these.

John Kelly, David Rose and Mick Douglas rocking at the social club.

A packed social club on March 9 featured musicians John Kelly, David Rose and Mick Douglas with songs from the 1950s and 60s.

March 16 is Paddy’s Night for an Irish-themed evening that will include a disco, food and prizes.

There’s bingo on March 23 and an Easter draw on March 30.

Fairlands Community Centre

The bar at Fairlands Community Centre has quiz nights on March 20 and April 17, with bingo on March 21 and April 4 and 18.

There’s a singer who sounds like Elvis there on April 6.

Fashion show at Worplesdon Memorial Hall

Fashion show at Fairlands Community Centre.

There will be another fashion show on Friday, April 5.

Free bootcamp sessions

You can train for free in March with Evolve bootcamps, who are based at Bullens Hill Farm, Woking Road GU4 7PR.

This is a  fun, social and non-intimidating group offering fitness classes to transform your body and change your perception of exercise.

You can train for free in March with Evolve bootcamps.

Cricket pitch flooded

Wood Street Village’s cricket pitch at Toby Oaks on Backside Common has been flooded.

The flooded cricket pitch.

However, training on the indoor nets has continued.

Mary Stamp remembered

More than 100 friends and relations of Mary Stamp gathered in her memory at Worplesdon Memorial Hall’s pavillion after her funeral.

Mary had been a very active member of the local football club for most of her life.

Her late husband Wally, and one of their sons, Nigel, having played football for Worplesdon.

Flowers were left in her memory on one of the recreation ground benches.

Saying goodbye to John Richard Barton

Villagers also said goodbye to John Richard Barton, who has died at the age of 94.

His funeral was at St Mary’s Church.

His family have thanked his friends and neighbours in Fairlands and Worplesdon for their help and support. 

Duck go a wandering

Ducks are wandering around Whitmoor Common and very near to where they have laid eggs in a front garden in previous years.

Mallard ducks n Whitmoor Common.

I’m sure we have all said “nice weather for ducks” recently given the amount of heavy rain we have had!

Sping flowers blooming

Here are some photos of spring flowers at the parade of shops in Fairlands, at St Mary’s Church and on Perry Hill.

Fairlands.

St Mary’s Church.

Perry Hill.

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