Communities - Chertsey

Roof fall at the Crown Hotel

2009-07-20T09:48:55Z

Firemen were called to an incident at Crown Hotel Chertsey at about 1am on Friday (July 17), where someone was reported to have fallen off the roof.

Do you know anything about this?

Call 01932 561111 or email tamarahughes@trinitysouth.co.uk

Rabbits beheaded after row with car park youths

2009-07-17T13:35:37Z

MOTHER of two Fiona Mason of Eastworth Road Chertsey has revealed this week of her horror when she found her rabbits dead and decapitated just hours after she got into a confrontational argument with a group of youths.

Single mum Fiona 29 said: "I was trying to sleep but there were some kids hanging out in the Surrey Herald car park drinking and mucking about. I threatened them with the police. They were mouthy and rude but it did calm down and I went back to bed."

]]> "In the night I got up to go to the bathroom and saw a fox in the garden I went out to check on the rabbits and their cage was open. I went down to the bottom of the garden and there was a rabbit with its head chopped off. My father found the other rabbit without its head when he came round the next morning"

"There was no damage to the hutch and we took the body to the vet who said that it didn't look like the rabbit had been killed by a fox, there where no bite marks and their bodies were intact. He said it looked like it had been killed by a blade.

"The rabbits had been separated from their mother too young and I hand reared them, I was very attached they were like old friends.

"I was absolutely distraught it makes me sick to think that they met a violent end. It gives me nightmares to think that someone got into the garden.

"We live in this day and age where people carry knives, who start off hurting animals and end up stabbing other people.

"The children don't understand why the rabbits have both suddenly gone. I obviously haven't told them why."

Fiona who is also a local artist bought two more rabbits for her sons Harry who is two and Oli who is three.

Woman believes she could be related to Henry VIII

2009-07-13T09:37:20Z

A WOMAN from Addlestone who has been studying her family tree thinks she may be related to Henry VIII sixth wife Catherine Parr.

Annabel whose maiden name is Parr took time off from her teaching job at Feltonfleet School in Cobham to pursue the project she said: "An interest just snowballs. Its like detective work. Its about wanting to know your roots."

"I am very excited about the prospect of being related to Catherine Parr" who Annabel believes to be the only wife to have the true "measure of Henry."

]]> By the time Henry married Parr he was incapacitated but that didn't stop him very nearly beheading Catherine after a political disagreement.

Despite this Annabel said: "I think he treated her very well, she was his nurse by then and I think they were happy even though she was in love with Thomas Seymour."

Annabel Holdsworth, of Church Road, Addlestone has already discovered that she is a descendant of notorious cricked player George Parr, known as the Lion of the North.

Annabel is the first in her family to confirm the rumour that she is descended from the legendary cricket player George Parr by using information from censuses to build her family tree.

George's first-class cricket career lasted from 1844 to 1870. He was a former captain of Northamptonshire county cricket club and captained England's second tour to Australia in 1864, where they returned home unbeaten. The 'Parr Stand' at Trent Bridge cricket ground was even named in his honour.

Annabel explored her family tree using the help of the website ancestry.co.uk the online index that records millions of marriage and death censuses.

ST Anne's School gets cash from BAA Heathrow

2009-07-10T09:56:47Z

ST Anne's Primary School has been awarded a £2,500 grant to reduce their carbon footprint.

The school in Free Prae Road in Chertsey was given the cash from BAA Heathrow towards recycling and new taps to prevent water wastage.

The school is already involved in a number of eco-projects including a sustainable garden where the children grow vegetables and paper recycling.

]]> Head teacher Ann Coleman said: "I also introduced a litter picking punishment and invested in mechanical litter grabbers, but the children love collecting rubbish so much that they now ask me if they can do it.

"I say to the children that it's down to them. It's their world, if they don't look after it no one will."

The grant was awarded as part of the Community and Environment Awards scheme sponsored by BAA Heathrow and Groundwork Thames Valley who provide small grants for community groups and schools.

Bags give-away will encourage more recycling

2009-07-09T16:21:32Z

Visitors to Lyne Lane Community Recycling Centre (CRC), Chertsey, took away 69 free pre-sort bags as part of Surrey Waste Management's (SWM) summer-long campaign to get people recycling.

The waste minimisation team has kick-started their pre-sort campaign to make residents aware of the benefits of sorting their waste before coming to a CRC.

]]> They held a day-long road show at Lyne Lane CRC on 8 July, where they gave away free bags to customers to help get them into the habit of segregating their recycling. The re-usable bags are large, strong and are easy to carry from your car to the container on site. They are also easy to fold down and store.

By grouping items of the same material together before you leave the house you will not only make it even easier to recycle but it will save you time while on-site.

You can recycle more than 30 different items at SWM's CRCs, including mobile phones and aluminium foil. These items are among a list of materials that are recycled with the proceeds going to local charities.
Since August 2008 SWM's 15 sites have collected 1,503 old mobile phones, raising £5,250 for the Rainbow Trust, a charity which helps terminally ill children and their families.

Kate Marsh, waste minimisation advisor, said: "We'd like to thank Chertsey residents for recycling and let them know that you can recycle more items than you may think.
"The campaign aims to encourage those who don't already separate or pre-sort their waste before they come to the site, to help not only to make recycling easier when they are at the site, but also to help save them time."

The waste minimisation team advise and encourage Surrey residents on how to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste so that as little as possible ends up in landfill. They do this through a variety of fun and informative methods at schools, community events and at SWM's CRCs across the county.

SWP girls celebrate end of exams

2009-06-15T10:58:15Z

Year 7 at Sir William Perkins's School marked the end of their first summer exams at the Chertsey school by taking part in the annual Pyrcroft Picnic on June 12.

Having joined the school in September, settled in quickly, and now having taken their first school exams, they deserved some fun and relaxation on Friday, and were taken by their teachers to St Anne's Hill.

]]> As the photographs show, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, eating a delicious picnic and letting their hair down by playing energetically in the tranquil setting.

Other picnickers who had gone there expecting a quiet lunch may have had rather a surprise, but looked on graciously and sympathetically as the girls sat enjoying their picnic lunch before letting off steam and working off some energy!

The Head of Year 7, Ms Pippa Marriott, said "They are a lovely year group, and have worked hard since they joined us in September, and they deserved to celebrate the end of their summer exams by relaxing in such beautiful surroundings.

The staff enjoy it as much as the girls, with the Head joining in the game of football, and we were really lucky with the weather, so the girls could play around on the grass, and amongst the trees, and although we take balls, bats etc, the girls tend to show great initiative in amusing themselves! It was wonderful to see them all having good old-fashioned fun, without an electronic device in sight!"

Encounters with Nature

2009-06-12T09:40:24Z

A new exhibition will be shown at the Windsor Street Gallery in Chertsey from Friday (19) until Thursday, July 2.

Painter Alan Knight will be showing his work on the theme 'My Encounters with Nature'.

Entry is free and the gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 12 noon to 5pm and 10am to 5pm at weekends.

For more information, contact Helen Hadley on 01932 780147.

Victorians Undressed

2009-06-11T14:48:06Z

Back by popular demand, Brigid Strowbridge will give a demonstration on the art of corset making at Chertsey Museum on Saturday 27 June.

The demonstration, which is inspired by the Victorian corsets on display in the Vanity Fair exhibition at the Museum, will take place at 10.30 and 1.30. Tickets are £4 per person; prior booking is required on 01932 565764

]]> Brigid Strowbridge is a Costumier in Theatre, Television and Film, and a former Lecturer in Costume Construction at London College of Fashion

In Your Own Words

2009-06-09T14:09:42Z

Chertsey Museum's temporary exhibition over the summer months is In Your Own Words. The exhibition draws on personal accounts of how life in the Borough of Runnymede has changed over the years. The memories are being collected through a local oral history project. Visitors will be able to listen to extracts of recorded memories and view many local history items from the Museum's collections. The exhibition opens on Saturday 13 June and remains on view until Saturday 13 September

]]> Deborah Martin, a freelance oral historian, has so far conducted 30 interviews with local people in the Borough. She has transcribed the interviews and edited the recordings for this exhibition. The actual recordings will become part of the Museum's archives for future generations to access.

The oral history project is being grant funded by BAA Community & Environment Awards, the Co-operative Membership Community Fund, Grassroots Grants through the Surrey Community Foundation, the Feoffees of Chertsey Market and the Friends of Chertsey Museum who co-ordinated the fund raising.

Commenting, Emma Warren, Chertsey Museum's Curator said:

"We are grateful to all those who have shared their memories with us. They have all had interesting and different snippets to add to the story of life in Runnymede, even if they didn't think they did at the time! We are also grateful to the Friends of Chertsey Museum for co-ordinating the funding for the project"

Pride and Prejudice European premiere

2009-05-31T20:55:18Z

Local drama group Thorpe Players is breaking new ground with their next production. Not only is it an European premiere, but it features a mother and daughter acting the roles of mother and daughter. Dee and Angie Bews have both been members for many years, but this is the first time that they have acted together and they are both thrilled to be playing Mrs Bennet and her daughter Lizzie in a new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice.

Director Sharon Young "searched for a version of the story that kept the truth of the book, and this one by Jon Jory does just that. I am excited and nervous at staging such a well-known and well-loved classic, but I know my cast will meet the challenge and they and the audience will enjoy the humour and charm of the play." Thorpe Village Hall is an old barn, and just right for this show, which takes place from Wednesday, June 10 to Saturday, June 13 at 8pm. Tickets are £9 and can be booked on 07923 583295.

Don't miss the junior doctors summer fete

2009-05-29T11:24:09Z

The junior Doctors at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust are having a Sports Summer Fete to raise awareness and funds for the St Peter's Stroke Unit.

On the day, there will be a football and netball 5-a-side competition, with games, sporting activities and entertaining demonstrations all day, including the Chertsey Fire Service and Scouts, dancing demonstrations and choir, and many more.

There will be food served all day and it's free admission so come on down!

You can enter your team now for the 5-a-side by emailing rhianydd@doctors.org.uk

What's on in your area?

2009-05-29T10:47:09Z

Why stay in doors when there's so much going on in your local area, and much of it is free!

Check out the our guide to what's on in your area for the week ahead. Tip: you'll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view these links.

Listings page one
Listings page two

Mayor Jim Broadhead hands over to successor

2009-05-19T18:47:52Z

After a busy diary as Mayor and attending what is nearly one event every day of the year, Cllr Jim Broadhead (pictured) is ceremonially stepping down from office on Wednesday, May 20 at Runnymede Civic Centre, in Addlestone.

The Mayoral gown, chains and tricorn hat are the dress the Mayor wears when present at all sorts of events each week.

]]> In this non-political appointment, Cllr Broadhead has had a memorable year, clocking 302 events, meeting and greeting people from all over the country, at openings, launches or other occasions in Runnymede and beyond the borough.

Cllr Broadhead enjoys singing second tenor in a male voice choir, and he has enjoyed an entertaining year calling on the Weybridge Male Voice choir to perform at several mayoral functions for him.

It has been a year that marked the Borough Council's move into new open-plan purpose built Civic Centre, in Station Road, Addlestone, and the year the Duke of Gloucester officially opened the building.

During the year as civic head of the Council Cllr Broadhead has incorporated charity fundraising for three charities, Runnymede Alzheimer's, Eikon and Eyesright. and the total sum raised through donations, functions and support will be announced shortly. Cllr Broadhead lives in Addlestone and elected as an Addlestone North councillor. He currently works in Weybridge in credit management.

His wife Peggy is also a borough councillor (Addlestone Bourneside) and is renowned for wearing glorious hats to the numerous functions she is invited to attend with him.

Cllrs Jim and Mrs Peggy Broadhead have served as Mayor of Runnymede six years apart. Mrs Broadhead was Mayor in 2002-2003.

Incoming Mayor, Cllr Paul Tuley (pictured) has selected to support the following four charities: Age Concern Runnymede; Runnymede Scouts, Surrey Women's Aid (The Englefield Green Refuge), The Rotary Club of Chertsey's "Daisy Appeal" for the Early Birth Unit at St Peter's Hospital.

He lives in Chertsey and has worked in the town for more than 30 years, in finance and insurance. He is married to Mrs Inga Tuley. He enters his tenth year as a Runnymede Councillor and was originally elected in 2000 for the New Haw Ward and on re-election in 2002 was returned for the Chertsey Meads Ward where he is currently serving. Prior to this he was a local councillor for the London Borough of Hounslow for seven years.

The Mayor making ceremony will occur in the Council Chamber at the Runnymede Civic Centre, at 7.30pm on Wednesday 20 May, when Cllr Tuley will be sworn in to office as Cllr Broadhead steps down.

This will lead the Annual Council meeting for 2009-2010.

Age Concern offers handyman service

2009-05-19T18:47:52Z

AGE Concern Runnymede has appointed a new handyman to help elderly residents in their own homes.

Bob Wilson has joined the team, which is based in Staines Lane, Chertsey, and will carry out small jobs around the home for a small charge.

]]> Bob said: "I have always enjoyed helping people and doing practical DIY tasks.

"I'm really looking forward to getting to know local people and helping them to continue to live independently in their own homes."

Eleanor Jones, chief officer at the charity explained that elderly residents in Runnymede will now have access to an affordable handyman service that they know is safe.

To contact Bob for any odd jobs, call either Age Concern Runnymede on 01932 566040 or Bob directly on 07787 424493.

This service has been funded by Surrey Supporting People and NHS Surrey.

Charlena twirls her way to victory

2009-05-18T10:23:02Z

A SCHOOLGIRL from Chertsey has won her first baton twirling competition just four years after learning to do it.

Charlena Ward, 11, of Heriot Road, took part in the contest in Bracknell last Saturday (May 9), watched by her mum, Lynette.

]]> The pupil of Jubilee High School in Addlestone, took up baton twirling about four years ago after deciding she wanted to do something a bit different.

This was her first competition win since she started doing it.

Lynette said: "We are all very proud of her and what she has achieved. Charlena has always shown a lot of promise and I think she is doing really well. Hopefully this is one of many competition wins."

Charlena learned to baton twirl with Oasis Twirlstars club in Basingstoke, which she represented in the contest.