Worcester Park Life Jan 19

Worcester Park Life

KT4’s ONLY FREE Independent Community Magazine and Business Guide Jan ‘19 Issue 128

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Welcome to YOUR Worcester Park Life from jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk After a hectic December, January can be a bit of an anti-climax but does give us a chance to breathe again. As I write this (still mid-December), we have a very busy lead up to the 25th and looking forward to both carol concerts, singing and nativity whilst frantically still writing cards/buying presents/wondering when they’ll get wrapped/where to hide them away from curious offspring and dog.

The Christmas delivery slot is booked, and, because I’d forgotten to get in there early, a nice bit of contingency is built in - who can forget Margo Leadbetter’s cancelled Christmas from the Good Life! There was, however, the year I’d been so organised I’d cleverly secured a late delivery for the 23rd. We were at a neighbour’s drinks party when the truck arrived, so for convenience I asked the driver to just offload the shopping into the boot of my car. Awoke the next morning to a still frozen solid turkey (it was a very cold night!) that had no chance of safely defrosting in time.

I couldn’t get a fresh one - despite my best search efforts - so instead we were treated to a couple of large chickens with all the usual trimmings. I did make it up to my guests by having them and others back a few weeks later and took the opportunity to shun to traditional route and prepare ‘the bird’ in a less conventional way - slow cooked, smothered in a wonderful Moroccan rub of spices and served with cous cous and chick peas. OK, I did have to do roasties for the children, but not a sprout in sight. Delicious!

I’m still waiting for a flash of inspiration for our annual Hogmanay dinner party. We’ve had the same very traditional menu for a number of years and feel it’s time to shake it up a bit. My request for permission to return to the Murrrderr Mystery night format has been rejected by ‘himself’. Bah humbug! So it’s back to the drawing board...

I hope you enjoy the magazine this month, please use our advertisers and keep hold of it until you get the next one. So we can deliver the magazine to most of the KT3 postcode, we split the distribution over a two month period. If you have had this edition delivered you probably won’t get the January one. There are a limited number of copies available from Waitrose, Worcester Park Library, St Mary’s and Christ Church with St Philip but don’t forget that it is also published online - you can get the link from our website.

The copy dates for the next couple of editions are below. If you’d like to advertise or have a local story to tell, please call or email.

Since ‘08

Since ‘05

Published by Malden Media Ltd Editor Jenny Stuart jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk 020 8336 2915 www.maldenmedia.co.uk 36 Rosebery Avenue KT3 4JS

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Until next time, best wishes, and a Happy New Year to you and yours!

Jenny

Deadline for our February editions 17th January Deadline for our March editions 17th February

Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the editor. All advertisements are commercial and not indicative of any endorsement by the editor who accepts no responsibility for any loss suffered directly or indirectly by any reader as a result of any advertisement or notice published in this magazine.

All in-house artwork and editorial presented in this magazine remains the copyright of Malden Media Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored on any retieval system, or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical. recording, photocopying, or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher.

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Worcester Park History What could you do with 60p? by David Rymill Have you ever wondered where I find information for these articles? Many people, including WPL readers, have provided facts and photographs, but my research is underpinned by the sources at Surrey History Centre, the county’s archives and local studies service, located about 15 minutes’ walk from Woking station.

magic, or rather science and craft, on documents that have suffered from storage in damp basements or from mice, and make them robust enough to handle again – you might like to go to www.surreysays.co.uk/legaland-democratic-services/libraries.

Although there are no questions specifically naming SHC, questions 2.1 and 4.3 provide an opportunity to add your own comments, and you could add support for the archive service there. You can find background information at www.exploringsurreyspast. org.uk/consultation-on-council-services

The History Centre is part of Surrey Heritage; its climate-controlled strongrooms contain six miles of documents about Surrey’s history, from the 12th to the 21st century. They range from official records of councils, churches and schools, to title deeds, maps and less formal records such as letters, diaries and photograph albums, donated or deposited by Surrey families, and audio recordings of memories of Surrey people.

If you visit SHC – and I’d encourage you to join the 14,000 or so who visit each year – what can you find about Worcester Park?

Why mention this now? Surrey County Council is holding a public consultation, until 4th January 2019, about a proposal to cut its cultural budget by more than 50%, which would affect libraries and other services including Surrey History Centre. Although no details are known of how specific services would be affected, SHC’s budget would probably be dramatically cut if this proposal is approved. The archive service currently costs each Surrey resident approximately £1.20 a year, so the proportion of the cut that might affect SHC would save you slightly over 60p a year.

Whilst you continue reading, you might like to be thinking about how you could spend that.

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The official records include minutes of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and its predecessors, an important source of local information. As well as minutes, the EEBC records include a fine set of mid 20th-century photographs taken by planning staff, showing shops and houses that might otherwise never have been photographed; they include the photograph of Cunliffe Parade, Vale Road, reproduced here (SHC ref 3995).

Pre-1933 building control plans include drawings of some houses that have since vanished, such as Drumaline (now the site of Drumaline Ridge). There is a lengthy series of plans of proposed railways (QS6/8), including several 19th-century schemes in our area that were never built.

If you live in the Sutton or Kingston portions of Worcester Park, this still affects you: although both boroughs have their own archive services, many documents about Malden and Cheam Common are held in SHC, and many official records before Greater London was formed in 1965 cover the entire old county of Surrey, including all of Worcester Park.

There are records of several local churches including St Mary’s, Cuddington (6348), St John the Baptist, Old Malden, including parish registers dating back to 1676 (2473), Stoneleigh Methodist Church (6208), and Christ Church Methodist (now Christ Church with St Philip; you can find records of St Philip’s at Sutton Archives) (6349). The Christ Church archive includes the photograph, reproduced here, of the original chapel in Longfellow Road (still standing, near the playground).

School records include minutes from the 1930s relating to the Stoneleigh West schools, now The Mead and Auriol.

If you feel Surrey should still have a county record office, staffed by professional archivists and conservators – the latter being qualified to work their

SHC holds records of Cuddington, Cheam and Ewell manors from 1429 to 1903 (2238). Documents relating to Nonsuch Palace include accounts of Sir Thomas

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l

e

g

Cawarden, appointed Keeper in 1544 (LM), such as an inventory of ‘stuff’ at Nonsuch in 1555. There are title deeds and maps, for the Old Malden estates amassed by the Weeding family in the 19th century (258). It is fascinating to read letters written by people who might otherwise now just be names in a register, and get an idea of their aspirations and concerns.

The letter-books, containing flimsy copies of letters being sent out – a precursor of carbon copies – of T W Weeding show how he ran the estates – and also give some personal insights, such as arrangements for his wedding to Alice Brinkley (after whom Brinkley Road is named).

There are similar letter-books kept by the Stone family, when developing their ‘Stoneleigh’ estate – which extended beyond what we think of as Stoneleigh, to Woodlands Avenue and Kingsmead Avenue (4253), while some estate agents’ records provide the only reference I have found to the intriguing Worcester Park Garden Village Society Ltd, which built at least one house in Kingsmead Avenue in the 1920s (265/3/4/44). The map of the area around the top of The Avenue reproduced here is part of an estate agents’ brochure dated 1882 (SP/1240); it gives names of owners or occupiers of most houses in The Avenue, which you wouldn’t find on an Ordnance Survey map.

In this article I have only scratched the surface of the archive treasures waiting to be explored. You too can experience the excitement of untying a bundle of letters, or unfolding a parchment deed, that no-one has read for centuries: details about visiting SHC are at www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/historycentre and you can search the online catalogue at www.surreyarchives.org.uk/Calmview or explore thousands of documents available online at www. surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre/ online-records – these received 5,194,963 online visits in 2017/18.

In addition to providing access to documents, Surrey Heritage runs many events: in 2017/18 these included 35 exhibitions, across Surrey and beyond; 62 talks etc at SHC and 74 around the county reached nearly 7,000 people. An annual highlight is Surrey Heritage Showcase, a joint local history fair with local partners in a different town or village each year.

The service has secured significant external funding towards special projects including a pioneering programme between Surrey schools and museums, which has worked with 150 schools. It is also notable for working with marginalised and minority communities, and has won awards for partnerships with mental health charities in Epsom and Woking, drawing upon the exceptional collections of psychiatric hospital records – including those at Horton – to inspire life-enriching encounters with heritage and culture.

Have you thought of anything better to spend 60p a year on? .

David.Rymill1993@alumni.aber.ac.uk (020) 8330 6563

Worcester Park, Old Malden and North Cheam: History at our Feet Published in 2012 and available at £10 (plus £2 towards postage if required) from the Rymill family. Ring 020 8330 6563 for more details. This 300-page book tells the story of Worcester Park from the Iron Age to the present day, and includes memories of local life from 1908 onwards, and over 150 maps, photographs and drawings - mostly never published before.

To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

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Ruth Jemmett Writes Looking Forward - A New Year And New Dreams hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and don’t feel too jaded after all the merriment.

Well – 2018 was certainly a year to remember! We started off having to contend with The Beast from The East, and then nearly melted as we dealt with our hottest summer on record. Gardeners and farmers were thrown into confusion, as they tried to make sense of the vagaries of our very individual climate! The gardens here in Salisbury Road weren’t as lush as usual, despite or efforts with watering cans and hoses. It has been a year when the Word ‘Brexit’ seemed to be everywhere – and will doubtlessly be on our lips for a long time to come.

January takes its name from the Roman god

Janus, the guardian of doorways and bridges, who had two faces – one looking backwards and the other facing forwards. The Anglo-Saxons called January Wolfmonath, as this was a time when hungry beasts were most likely to kill humans. This is usually the coldest month of the year, but at least the days will start to lengthen, and if we are lucky we might see snowdrops trying to force their way through the frozen soil. New Year’s Day is an English Bank Holiday, and Scotland have a Bank Holiday on 2nd. For some people 2018 was the best year of their lives, whilst for others it was a stressful time, and one they are pleased to consign to history. Although time and calendars are man-made concepts, their existence makes some sense of our place in the scheme of things. I am sure that some of you will have received Stephen Hawking’s last book (Brief Answers To the Big Questions) for Christmas, in which he tried to clarify

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the meaning of time and our place in the great scheme of things. He died on 14th March last year.

We will miss his truly great mind. He even explored the idea of time travel. I think most of us have enough trouble trying to cope with our present worries, without stressing out about what lies in the distant future. I think that most of us are grateful that we don’t know too much about what lies ahead of us. We like to think that we are evolving into something better, and always make New Year Resolutions with hope in our hearts, but one can’t help thinking that we will go on repeating the same old mistakes! Hawkings was of the opinion that perhaps our entire universe eventually contracts and then recreates itself after a few million years, in exactly the same form. That could explain our feelings of déjà vu. So often we meet people, supposedly for the first time, and think “Haven’t met you somewhere before?” Perhaps there is something in the theory!

On 1st January 1962 The Beatles auditioned unsuccessfully for Decca Records. They were rejected, on the grounds that “groups with guitars are on the way out”! They went on to sell more than 500 million records! I was an enthusiastic amateur musician many years ago, and submitted some of my efforts to Decca too. They didn’t think much of me either!

On 4th January in 1967 the British racer and engineer Donald Campbell was killed whilst trying to break the water speed record on Coniston Water in The Lake District. He was travelling at more than 300 mph at the time. He was the son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, who had broken speed records on both land and water in the 1930s. The well-known television chef Rick Stein will celebrate his birthday on the 4th. His enthusiasm for his subject has certainly encouraged a lot of people to ‘have a go’ in the kitchen. Isaac Newton was also born on this day in 1643. Not many people realise that at one point in his life he attempted to become a Member of Parliament. Unfortunately he made little impact in The House of Commons, appearing on records as someone who asked for a window to be closed!!!

Luckily for science his talents lay elsewhere!

The 6th January is the feast of The Epiphany, which reminds us of the manifestation of the young Christ to The Magi. It is also known as Twelfth Night, when Christmas decorations should be taken down. I am renowned for leaving mine up for far too long, and watching mistletoe berries drop, exhausted, on to the carpet!

On 8th January 1935 the singer Elvis Presley was born. Younger people will say “Elvis who?”

He certainly lived the dream, and thousands of fans went along for the ride, as we enjoyed his songs and film appearances. He died far too young, but thanks to technology new generations can enjoy being entertained by “The King”.

The garden of Chez Jemmett looks rather sad at the moment, although one brave yellow rose on an arch is still pretending it is summer. The weather played havoc with my grapes, so there was no chance of wine from them. Before the frosts started I took several hydrangea cuttings, and they are happily settling into the greenhouse, together with the ones I have taken from fuschias and honeysuckle.

Cuttings are always very cheering to do, as they bring hope for the future – and save you a fortune in the process. I have learnt by mistakes over the years, and soon realized that if you over-water cuttings they don’t like it. I didn’t put my spring bulbs into pots until after the beginning of December, but nature has a sneaky way of catching up with things.

Don’t forget that it will be Burns Night on 25th January, so get that Haggis out! Also, how can you possibly forget that on the last Monday in January it will be Bubble Wrap Awareness Day! (You can rely on Americans to create a special day for just about anything!)

Put the bad things of last year behind you, and remember that John F, Kennedy said “Those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”.

Happy New Year.

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Finance Spot the Pension Scammers Since new regulations were introduced in 2015 allowing greater pension freedoms, criminals have been targeting retirees, and those approaching retirement, in an attempt to fraudulently exploit the system.

Figures published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) show that victims of pension scams lost £91,000 each on average in 2017, with more than 30% of pension holders aged 45-65 being unaware of how to check that they’re dealing with a legitimate pension adviser.¹ So how do you know if you’re being targeted by pension scammers? Here are just some of the methods they might use.

Unexpected contact Unsolicited contact by someone offering advice on your pension is likely to be a scam. They may claim to be backed by the government, but no legitimate pension-related organisation or adviser would cold-call you. This type of contact could also be made by email, text, post or in person.

Fraudulent letters and websites In the past, letters that appear to be official at first glance have been sent to pension holders, purportedly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Fraudulent websites have also been set up that look similar to government-backed schemes, such as the Pension Wise service.

Free pension review A common tactic used by scammers, and one that gives them access to a considerable amount of personal and financial information, is offering a free pension review. If you’re under 55 they may try to persuade you to take your pension early; otherwise it could be with a view to transferring your pension into a fraudulent or unregulated scheme.

Releasing pension monies early If you’re under the age of 55, pension scammers may tell you it’s possible to access your pension early. This isn’t the case unless you meet certain, very limited, criteria regarding your health.

Withdrawing your pension below the age of 55 will

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trigger a tax liability of 55% of the amount withdrawn.

You may also lose your pension entirely if the proposed new scheme/investment plan is fraudulent or unregulated, and still face this tax charge.

Alternative, long-term, or complex structures A common approach by pension scammers is to propose the transfer of monies to a different fund or investment structure. Amongst other terms used, these structures could be described as: • Complex: you’re not certain where your money will ultimately be placed.

• Long-term: you won’t realise you’ve been scammed for several years.

• Alternative: investments not ‘traditionally available’ .

Higher/guaranteed returns One of the fundamental aspects of investing is that there are no firm guarantees. Scammers may tell you guaranteed returns at a certain percentage are available, or perhaps that you’ll receive higher returns from the investment product they’re offering, but this is not the case. They may also say their investment strategy is low risk, but a low-risk strategy is not associated with high returns.

Time-limited offers Scammers sometimes pressurise their victims into signing quickly, saying it’s a time-limited offer.

They may even arrange for a courier to deliver their documents and then wait until you sign them. This

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gives you little time to go through the documents properly, and to carefully consider what you’re doing.

Tax loopholes Pension fraudsters might say they know of tax loopholes, or ways in which you could make extra savings on tax. There are no tax loopholes with legitimate pension arrangements.

Withholding contact details If they don’t want you to call them back, have limited contact information available, only a mobile phone number or a PO Box address, for example, it’s cause for serious concern and you should cease communications with them straight away.

Pension scammer common phrases These are some of the words and phrases used to con people out of their hard-earned pensions (they could all be used at any time during the con process): • Tax loophole: relating to the early withdrawal of pension funds.

• Sophisticated investor: often when trying to sell products ‘not traditionally available’.

• Free-of-charge: in relation to pension reviews and transfers.

• This offer won’t last long/you need to sign quickly/ we’ll send a courier with your documents: high pressure selling tactics.

• Pension loan/savings advance/cash incentive: in relation to unlocking a pension before you’re 55.

What can you do if you think you’re being targeted by scammers?

• Simply hang up the phone and block their number if you believe you’re being targeted. Ignore any email messages or text communications.

• Check the FCA Register – this contains firms authorised to provide pension and other financial advice. If they’re on the register, make sure the contact details match those provided by the FCA. • Contact Pension Wise or the Pensions Advisory Service for free, impartial advice and guidance.

• Report it to the FCA on 0800 111 6768, and Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

• Contact your own pension provider – they may still be able to block a transfer of monies.

Hopefully, being aware of the common tactics used by pension scammers, and when they’re likely to be used, will offer some protection, and help you avoid becoming one of the unfortunate and startling statistics.

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Square Dancing New Year - New Start – Try Something Different!

This is gentle exercise that is never boring or strenuous because the moves change all the time and you have to concentrate on what the Caller wants you to do. The music is new every week. This is dance where style and rhythm take second place to direction and teamwork with a live singer and a wide variety of music.

Above all it is good fun - we laugh a lot, which is the best medicine of all.

You will achieve moments of satisfaction in a figure well executed and you will laugh at moments of chaos.

You will make new friends as you all work together.

Square dancing is suitable for singles and couples and is for all ages. Team work is the key, you will make new friends while learning a new skill and taking gentle exercise. It offers fun and friendship, exercise, coordination and dexterity every session.

It is teamwork – Your team of eight dancers depend on each other.

Twenty years ago, we agreed to try a new hobby with absolutely no intention of going back for a second session – we would be able to say, “We tried it and we didn’t like it!” However, after just five minutes, my husband was hooked and we are still learning and having fun!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Hogsmill Square Dance Club was founded in 2011 and now has over a hundred existing members who meet weekly in this area. This is our only daytime club and the first opportunity for new daytime dancers to join for five years so come along and give it a try. First session is free.

So what is square dancing?

It is modern – The music used is everything from country and western and all-time standards to modern pop.

It burns off calories – During an hour of dancing you can burn between 400 and 800.

It’s a mental challenge – Reacting quickly to the square dance caller keeps you mentally on your toes. Whilst concentrating on the moves you escape from any worries and pressures.

It is sociable – This contains a social component that solitary fitness endeavours do not.

It is fun – Square Dancing brings people together for fun and friendship which contributes to self esteem and a positive outlook.

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Structured dancing with a variety of music and no skipping It keeps you fit – Square Dancing is the perfect Exercise your brain and your body - all ages, exercise. It combines all the positive aspects of physical singles and couples exercise with none of the negative elements. It is low Info Granville & Wendy 02035 567449 or 07752 impact activity requiring constant movement and 431721 directional changes that keep the body in shape.

Email spencer8@tiscali.co.uk It keeps you healthy – As with all regular exercise, square dancing can lead to slower heart rate, lower New dancers welcome throughout January 2019. blood pressure and improved cholesterol profile. The £4.00 (incl. refreshments) movements of many square dances can strengthen your weight-bearing bones. It is a positive alternative to aerobics or jogging when recovering from illness.

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Pets How to keep your pets warm this winter As winter deepens and the weather starts to bite, it’s important to make sure our pets are warm and comfortable to avoid illness and distress. Even those animals with thick, furry coats are susceptible to the cold, so what can we do to help our dogs, cats, and rabbits stay warm this winter?

Keeping your dog warm and cosy A warm dog coat offers protection from the winter cold, and as temperatures drop, even dogs with the thickest fur will benefit from the extra insulation when exercising or playing outside. A fleece-lined inner layer with a waterproof outer is a good choice, particularly if the two layers can be detached and used individually as the weather dictates.

Making sure your cat is warm this winter It’s more difficult to ensure your cat is warm in the winter given their independent nature, but they have a natural inclination to find warm places. That’s why it’s advisable to provide a cosy shelter in your garden, to reduce the likelihood of them sitting underneath cars or in other warm but dangerous places.

Protecting your rabbit from the worst of the winter weather If your rabbit is spending the winter in an outdoor hutch, you’ll need to provide additional protection from the elements. Siting their hutch away from the cold winds and driving rain, providing extra bedding, covering the hutch with a blanket and their run/outdoor area with tarpaulin, will all help to keep them healthy and safe.

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17

Parkin’ some thoughts Fighting Fit

by Nick Hazell

The London Prize Ring Rules of 1838 make for an exciting read.

They introduced measures that remain in effect for professional boxing to this day. From then on, head butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting a man while down, using stones or hard objects in the hands and biting were outlawed from the ring to become features of the January sales.

Boxing today is a bit safer now than in the early 19th century. Even so, on the surface it might be hard to see how a sport in which two people throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time with the express aim of beating each other senseless, could offer anything of interest to your average Parky. After all, brave and inspirational though he was, Mohammad Ali wasn’t the best advertisement for the neurological benefits of this particular sport.

Yet, as that other pugilistic philosopher Lennox Lewis remarked, in boxing you create a strategy to beat each new opponent and in that sense it’s just like chess, only slightly more blood, missing teeth and Sylvester Stallone. When your opponent is the “Parkinator”, having a strategy that keeps you on your feet rather than one which sends you crashing to the canvass is a must have.

As it turns out, all of the things boxers do in training that build balance, speed, agility and flexibility, people with Parkinson’s need to help reduce and even reverse some of the effects of the condition. I first experienced the potential as part of a gruelling session with Craig, my personal trainer at the Malden Centre. Craig is a man who can make a minute during the course of a workout seem like a fortnight, but he’s brilliant at adjusting his sadistic techniques to challenge my physical deficiencies and our boxing sessions became a highlight of the week.

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At this point I should say that no one gets hit. It’s all about using boxing moves and other strength and conditioning methods to get the brain and body to work in collaboration which is not the typical way of things Chez Parkinson’s. Hammering at the punch bag or hitting the pads also affords the opportunity to get rid of some of the frustration that comes with the daily experience of living in that inhospitable accommodation without getting arrested.

So convinced am I as to the potential benefits, I’ve even helped to set up a charity to support the work of my friend Charlotte. She’s a specialist fitness coach from up North who has pioneered these techniques in the UK and is achieving some incredible results. People who have not walked for years are now skipping and throwing punches, more often than not in the right direction. I’m not sure what’s happened to me, but through this experience I seem to have developed a social conscience which is inconvenient for a corporate lawyer.

At present, our London offering is confined to the fashionable but Parky strewn surroundings of Peckham. The concept has the backing of Parkinson’s UK, the European Parkinson’s Association and is being sign posted through the NHS. They, of course, are not doing the work or paying the bills, but the hope is that the combination of Charlotte’s tenacity with the outcome of a research program will lead to a more widely available alternative treatment.

Of course, this isn’t a cure. Parkinson’s doesn’t play to the Marquis of Queensbury’s standards. It flouts the Prize Ring Rules, constantly hitting the man when he’s down, holding him against the ropes and pouring the spit bucket over his head. What I hope we’re doing through this initiative though is adding a few lead weights to the gloves of fate and giving our opponent a few painful blows under the belt.

After all, it’s no more than he deserves.

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Lemon Pot Puddings

Baking - Lemon Pot Puddings

These delicious individual hot lemon puddings are the perfect sweet treat after a hearty winter supper or Sunday lunch.

Ready in: 40 minutes | Makes 6 IngredIents

100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 175g golden caster sugar

Zest and juice of 2 large lemons (you will need about 120ml lemon juice) 4 medium eggs, separated 75g plain flour 130ml milk

2 tbsp flaked almonds

tIP

Icing sugar, for dusting

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Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Grease six 175ml ovenproof ramekin dishes with butter.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the lemon zest then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Sift over half the plain flour and fold in, then fold in the lemon juice and milk. Sift over the rest of the flour and fold in.

Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared ramekin dishes and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Place the dishes in a large roasting tin and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

Serve immediately, dusted with icing sugar.

These puddings will form a lovely layer of thick lemon custard under the sponge topping so take care not to overcook them. They will still have a slight wobble in the centre.

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21

Voice for Wildlife New Year Resolutions? by Carol Williams Do you make any? More to the point, if you do, do you keep them? We have another year ahead, full of opportunities to help wildlife - and to do a better job of it than last year! Another year in which to grasp the concept that everything we do, however small, impacts in some way on the natural world. Let’s resolve to make it a positive - send out some ripples that will improve things globally by acting locally, on our own patch, in our personal choices.

As a member of the local charity, Wildlife Aid, which is based in Leatherhead, I regularly receive their newsletter, ‘Wild Lives’. I thought I’d start 2019 off by sharing some of the information in the Winter edition, beginning with this quote: “ We are delighted to announce the exciting news that next Spring work will begin on the wetlands phase of our new headquarters - to be named The Wildlife Aid Centre”.

I am always thrilled to read about the creation of any new wetlands, since so many have been lost in the UK over the past fifty years, to the detriment of frog and toad populations. The article goes on to explain that the work will be done in three stages, the first one involving transforming a neglected and impoverished area of scrubland into an important wetland habitat and wildlife corridor. British wildlife continues to decline at an alarming rate, due to several factors, the most serious being habitat loss, and so any move to create or restore wild places is to be welcomed - linking up the small fragments with ‘corridors’ is vital, so that animals may move through the landscape to find food and places to raise their young. The new Wildlife Aid Centre will hopefully play an important part in educating people about the need to respect and conserve areas of wild and how to go about re-creating and restoring them.

Staying on the topic of wetlands for the moment, I also read in my Winter copy of ‘Wild Lives’ that the University of Exeter is to research the ecological and hydrological benefits of reintroducing beavers to some areas of the country as part of flood management schemes. Kent, Wales, Cornwall and the North York Moors have been highlighted as suitable regions to benefit from this.

Beavers were once common in the UK - bringing them back is an exciting re-wilding move which I sincerely hope will prove popular with people and achieve the desired result of containing floods in the future.

Anyone who would like to know more about the work of Wildlife Aid, or, even better, would like to become a

22

supporter, please go to their website www.wildlifeaid.org. uk, email mail@wildlifeaid.org.uk, or write to The Wildlife Aid Foundation, Randalls Farmhouse, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0AL Whilst Wildlife Aid has been busy raising orphaned badger cubs for re-release in due course, our government has been continuing to blame badgers for bovine TB and issuing licences to landowners to kill thousands of them in several English counties!!! This, in spite of the science that categorically states that culls ( aka massacres) will do no good, will merely disperse survivors in a panic, resulting in the spread of the disease to other herds as badgers flee, and will have minimal effect on the health of dairy cows, since bovine TB thrives in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions and any animal passing through a field with infected cows in it, may be a vector, not just badgers.

Infected cows ought to be in isolation, not out in a field with the rest of the herd. Since badgers are supposed to be a ‘protected species’, this is even more worrying, suggesting, as it does, that our wildlife laws are rubbish. The Dorset Badger Trust is currently trialling vaccination of badgers - studies have suggested that this will be both effective and economical. The infamous cull of badgers is costing the government far more than a vaccination programme would, and with little or no obvious effect. We, the taxpayers, are, of course funding this badger slaughter, , because all of government income derives from taxes. Do we have a government that is simply wanting to eradicate badgers?

Why should any of our precious wildlife be the scapegoats for a dirty industry? My advice to everyone who cares about badgers is to stop buying dairy products -to cease helping to fund the very industry that is the given reason ( excuse?) for the slaughter of these wonderful, iconic creatures. There are loads of alternatives to dairy milk and cheese now those of us who care about wildlife will make the effort to swap to these -it really isn’t that difficult and will send a powerful message in support of badgers. Please do it. Any industry responsible for the wholesale and indiscriminate massacre of wild creatures does not deserve to be allowed to continue trading.

Another member of mustelid family of mammals, a cousin of the badger - the pine marten - is slowly making a comeback after not being seen in England for over 90 years. There were some reports of sightings in Shropshire in 2015, and now there is a photograph of one, in Wild Lives, taken in the Kielder Forest. The animals are thought to have crossed the border from Scotland, and some captive bred individuals are due to soon be released into the Forest of Dean -numbers of them are also rising in Wales. Good news indeed, and very welcome, but lest we grow complacent, British wildlife continues to suffer massive declines and losses. I am saddened to learn that the UK is now classed as

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one of the most Nature depleted countries in the world!

So it is just as well I live here then, isn’t it? :) Obviously wildlife is in serious need of all voices like mine - and hooray for men like Chris Packham, out there doing his utmost, even having the courage of his own convictions and the sincerity and integrity to ‘plate up for the planet’ (as the Vegan Society calls their campaign to move people away from environmentally damaging eating habits).

General levels of awareness and environmental education in this country remain low, however, so it is to be hoped that the new Wildlife Aid Centre will be able to address this - it’s very urgent that people stop either destroying wildlife deliberately or living in ways that result in Nature being depleted. It is our heritage - we can’t leave the next generations with so little natural beauty to enjoy!

I am thankful for everyone who does care and does try to help, wherever and whenever they can. Even something as simple as picking up litter is a help. I found a great pile of beer bottles and cigarette packets in the shrubbery in Shadbolt Park, just a few days ago. And every stroll along a suburban street results in a bag of litter. Is this not shocking? Putting out water and keeping it ice free in Winter is very important - and do feed the birds with high energy seeds during the cold times.

Many of us will be aware of the serious problem of plastic in the oceans, so anything we can personally do to reduce our own reliance on plastic packaging will help - even if it is only to try to buy unwrapped fruit and vegetables and to take

your own bags, or some containers,to the supermarket to put your produce in, rather than using yet another small plastic bag. We are killing wildlife with all of this plastic, as well as actually building up concentrations of microplastics in the bodies of the smaller marine creatures - with, as yet, unknown consequences on the health of larger animals who eat fish and crustaceans, including ourselves. ( Definitely time to stop eating fish!

Besides which, many wild creatures can only eat fish, and many are, in fact. going short, due to us and our greed. 30% of sea life, I read recently - that’s shocking and very worrying).

Do recycle all the plastics you can, but there is no substitute for not using it in the first place. Many biodegradable plastics are now coming into the market - in nowhere near enough the quantity we need yet, but please look out for them and choose them. I have even seen an article showcasing edible six pack rings - they feed turtles rather than choke them to death in the sea!

Why aren’t all lager and beer packs, if not in cardboard, using these?

And so, to wrap up - definitely NOT in plastic!! - please make some resolutions to do much more than you already do, for wildlife in 2019. Thank you.

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25

Gardening Winter Colour by Pippa Greenwood Happy New Year to you! Despite the winter weather, with planning and strategic planting your garden can still look gorgeous, with colourful plants to add interest to your plot.

Dogwoods or Cornus are great winter stem-colour plants. Planted in a moist sunny spot, the crimson-red stems are stunning during winter, plus in autumn you’ll get red and purple foliage. To keep these colourful stems coming, cut them back to ground level in late spring every alternate year.

Winter classic good looks come from hollies, either green-leaved or in variegated form, such as ‘Argentea Marginata’ with silvery leaf edges, ‘Golden Queen’ with golden-yellow leaf edges, or ‘Ferrox Argentea’ with silver-edged leaves covered with prickles!

Some willows can be kept quite small, and have stunning coloured winter stems. For egg-yolk yellow stems go for Salix alba ‘Vitellina’, for scarlet-orange stems there is ‘Britzensis’, or Salix acutifolia ‘Blue Streak’ has purple stems with a slivery-grey bloom and grey buds. These stems also need to be cut back to ground level every two years.

The ghost bramble, Rubus cockburnianus, a relative of the standard bramble, has arching white stems that look great in winter sunshine. In summer it produces sprays of small purple flowers.

Christmas Roses or hellebores, including Helleborus argutiflorus, have cup-shaped green flowers with prominent stamens, are tough and perform well.

The classic Christmas rose proper is white-flowered (developing a pink tinge as they age), and look stunning against the central cluster of golden-yellow stamens. The variety ‘Potters Wheel’ has flowers up to 10cm in diameter.

Snowdrops in single and double forms look great planted in drifts or naturalised on a grassy bank. Buy ready-to-flower snowdrops in pots now, plant them out, and then plant them ‘in the green’ in a month or two’s time, when you can get the bulbs, complete with leaves, ready for planting by mail order.

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Winter aconites have bright yellow, shiny petals and flowers like golden stars, and produce a superb display when planted close to and amongst snowdrops. Plenty of moisture without waterlogging is key.

Winter flowering pansies make a splash of colour in any garden, with just about every conceivable colour available. Even when struck by frost, the flowers soon perk up again.

Clematis cirrhosa is a winter-flowering climber with yellow to white bell-shaped flowers and a delicate lemony perfume. The inner surface of the petals is delicately freckled, with variety ‘Freckles’ having the best dark spotting. The flowers last from early winter until the start of spring.

Winter-flowering jasmine can be loosely trained against a wall for a great winter display of bright yellow starry flowers, and will remind you that spring is coming!

At www.pippagreenwood.com you can join ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ for great vegetable plants and weekly advice, practical and pretty plant supports, the fantastic SpeedHoe, gardening tools, signed books and more! Or why not book Pippa for a talk at your gardening club?

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Recipe Tandoori lamb with naan Serves 4 Ready in 30 mins, plus marinating time A pot of yogurt and a few spices can transform lamb steaks into a delicious spicy supper. If you prefer, serve with pilau rice or on a bed of spiced couscous.

4 large lamb steaks 6 tbsp natural yoghurt, plus extra to serve 2cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 tsp each garam masala and ground cumin 1 tsp each ground coriander and chilli powder 1 tbsp lemon juice 4 garlic and coriander naan breads Rocket leaves and sliced tomatoes, onion and cucumber, to serve 1 Place the lamb steaks in a shallow dish. Mix together the yoghurt, ginger, garlic, spices and lemon juice and add 1/2 tsp salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Spread over the steaks. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours (or overnight).

2 Grill the marinated steaks under a preheated medium grill for 6-8 minutes on each side until just cooked and lightly charred in places. Cover the cooked steaks and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, sprinkle the naan breads lightly with water and heat under the grill for 2-3 minutes. Top with rocket leaves and sliced tomatoes, onion and cucumber. Slice the steaks and pile on top of the salad.

Serve with the extra yogurt on the side and mango chutney, if liked.

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TIP - To make tandoori fish, replace the lamb steaks with 4 salmon fillets. Spread the marinade over the fillets and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours. Bake the fish in a preheated oven at 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6 for 20-25 minutes until just cooked.

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Estate Agents and Valuers

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LAST CHRISTMAS

OUTSIDE?

This time last year, just before the Christmas break, we wrote our January article expecting political uncertainties would result in a subdued property market in 2018.

They did. A year later, with a postponed vote on the Brexit deal, the uncertainty continues, though that could have changed by the time you read this!

People without urgency to buy tend to wrap up warm and plan Christmas rather than house hunt in the cold and rain. However, we sense that buyers and sellers who have been happy to delay their plans, anticipating a better time to enter the market are, after two and a half years of uncertainty, making the decision that there is no time like the present. There is, after all, a limit to how KNEW YOU WERE WAITING long people are keen to put key changes in In broad terms there are 2 types of buyers, their lives on hold. and renters, that need FIELD to move now, KINGthose GEORGE including people who require more space FAITH INDOOR BOWLS CLUB and those relocating for work, and those Property prices are holding steady. Pundits that would like toLearn move at some point. The forecast some small changes, up or down to Bowl former contribute to a base level of depending on who you read, though nothing Coaching transactions thatFree will occur no matter what dramatic. Most predictions are countrywide All isAges & the political environment at the time. averages but, when broken into regions, the consensus is that London prices will fall a Abilities Welcome Those that would like to move often wait for the ‘right time’ and tend to hold off during little, the Home Counties will hold and the Bar • Restaurant any period of distraction, political or rest of the country is something of a mix. A major factor in prices will continue to be the Social Events personal. However, in any longer timespan, say a decade or two, broadly the same continually increasing housing shortfall.

Large Car Park

number FUNCTION of people will buy and FOR sell their The number of new homes being built has ROOM ALL property but, because some will pick their been much lower than the estimated OCCASIONS moment, that doesn’t happen in a steady requirement for many years. During the last flow. For the last two and a half years we recession construction levels dropped and Jubilee Way, Chessington hadn’t really recovered before the latest have mainly been helping the people who KT9 1TR wave of uncertainty dented it again. It’s now have a specific urgency. Towards the end of reported the UK needs just under 4 million 020 8397 7025 2018 that started Tel: to change. new homes. Building in the South-East is www.kgfindoorbowlsclub.co.uk We have recently noticed sellers testing the considered to be only a third of the level market, not expecting anything to happen needed to meet future demand. quickly, and then being surprised when it has. Property that is priced realistically is attracting attention and the people looking are mainly those that need to move and, while viewing numbers have fallen a little, there are fewer speculative enquiries. That, of course, is partly down to the time of year.

In a desirable location with good schools, transport links and family housing set against a backdrop of a rising population and an under provision of new homes, property prices are more than likely to hold and eventually increase. Anybody know of an area like that?

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A Photographer Dreams...

January by Hugh Griffiths www.creativelight.org.uk

Bushy Park again. There are two car parks, one of which is almost always full. But that is the one near the ponds which have nice trees around them and plenty of water birds – swans, gulls of different sorts, ducks, coot. There is a lot to photograph when you’re there, but that’s not always a helpful situation to be in. You can flounder around, taking pictures of a lot of nice things, but never settling down to take a great photo of a particular scene. That’s one of my problems: not thinking ahead as to what I want to photograph and therefore just looking around to see what’s good. It can work, but I know (and need to keep telling myself ) that some of my best work has come when I’ve sat and looked and waited.

This picture is a result of that sitting and waiting. Swans are beautiful creatures, very graceful and elegant.

They glide along as if there is nothing for them to do – just swanning along (sorry!). But they are not exactly uncommon, and lots of people take lots of pictures of them. The trick is to make a picture that is a bit different, but still shouts ‘swan’ at the viewer. I spent a fair amount of time looking at a pair of swans – they mate for life and spend their days swimming around with their mates and, when the time comes, with their cygnets. A lot of photos, then. But too many were of the normal, and too common, graceful ship floating along variety. Then they turned their backs on me: and the tips of the wings seemed to be so lovely and clean, and pure. I was really pleased with this image; the feathers are sharp, the background doesn’t take anything away from the wings, and way in which they are arc-ing towards each other is attractive.

This picture was taken in Richmond Park – near the Roehampton Gate for those who know the area. A very cold January that year, with snow lying on the ground and the trees looking their stark best for the camera. I really like trees in winter; their lack of leaves gives them an architectural feel with lots of tracery and detail to look at. And here, the trees, alongside the Beverley Brook are particularly interesting. They look like they have been pollarded, so that the branches are sparse and thin – making it seem like someone has given the tree a bad fright. To be honest, I don’t find this part of the park great for pictures; it’s too open and doesn’t have enough trees or deer to create enough interest.

However, there is a whole line of these trees along the brook, and they can make for a nice photograph. There is a good photo to be taken of the whole line of them – but I saw that the single tree silhouetted against the snow-covered grass would work. So, I took a few shots, and decided that this one could bear with some extreme editing. I took all the colour out and increased the exposure of the picture, so that I could get what is called a very high key look.

Does it work? I think so: the picture is certainly worth more than a passing glance. The detail on the tree itself – the bark and the bit of snow in the crook of the trunks – together with a lot of missing detail elsewhere During the first half of last year a friend and I in the picture make the trees the centre; as if they spent time walking along the Wey and Godalming weren’t anyway, but even more so now. The branches Navigations in the Guildford area. We took a 3- or were sharpened to create that crispy gossamer effect 4-mile portion each time, and gradually covered the … I really like it and it was one of my earliest “good” whole length. These canals are absolutely amazing. photographs.

You are less than a kilometre from the A3 in most = Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers 32

cases, or even in the heart of Guildford, marching slowly but determinedly but you could be 100 kilometres along. On a path that winds into the away. Particularly in the countryside, distance, but with no rest places in surrounded by farms and water view. A couple of kilometres away is meadows, crossing roads and walking Guildford, and behind us is Bowers past locks; I have lived around here Lock. Where is he going? What are for ages, and have never been. What a his thoughts? I don’t know, but I waste! hope this picture helps you, just a Late January, then, and we were walking bit, to care. a stretch from Guildford to Bowers Lock AsServices you may realise, I don’t often R.J. Tree qualified & profession R.J.weather.

Tree Services qualified & professional staff are dedicated in surprisingly nice It wasn’t take photos with people in them exactly tropicalto sunshine, but you can to the highest levels of service – last year that began to change in every the highest levels of service in every instance. see that the sun was doing its best to and maybe 2019 will continue keep us happy.We And are since happy this was our We –are happy tounusual. give advice – on all you thatall change so this is pretty It helps me to give advice – on your arboricultural queries. first walk that was quite an important motivator. There remember that for all the beauty in our landscapes were lots of very pretty views – of the canal itself, canal it is people, you and me, who really matter. I love barges, the locks, the houses alongside the butquotes • one Free • path; Free nice looking images, but sometimes thatquotes sends are dedicated the picture that has stood out to me is this gentleman, a message can be much more valuable.

Try it –NPTC think qualifie • Fully • Fully NPTC qualified probably homeless and carrying his belongings on his about something you want to say from a picture, try to back, walking up the path, overtaking us • andTree moving Tree /c reductions crown thins capture /that message in the photo.•And thenreductions see if that into the distance. communicates to the viewer.

They may get a different ulturalWe queries.

Tree felling • Tree fellingmessage, maybe none at all, but it•is truly did say hello, but there was no conversation. worth trying.

And I took a few pictures of him on his way.

This • Stump removal • Stump removal one, however, sums up a lot of the pathos and The Malden Camera Club meets on•most Thursday Hedgeworks • Hedgeworks hardness of his situation (of course, I R.J. am making an evenings at the Library in Kingston Road.

We are are a dedicated Tree Services qualified & professional staff enormous amount of assumptions about• himTree – always • TreeCome surveys surveys & reports friendly group and love our photography. along & rep highest levels of service every instance. dangerous!). There he is, his world onto histhe shoulders, one evening.

You will in be very welcome! ns

ree!

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33

Clubs To feature in this section email info@wplife.co.uk Mondays

Vibrant Ukulele Club meets most Mondays from 7.30-9.30pm at Christ Church with St Philip, Ruskin Drive, WP. Beginners and players all welcome. The club is aimed at adults learning to play the ukulele and singing a number of well-known songs in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Music is provided and also tuition for beginners. Sessions are FREE with a small donation towards music and refreshments.

Contact Steve 07795 085600

New Malden Rotary Club Malden Golf Club,Traps Lane Monday evenings 6.15 for 6.45pm Barry Collins 07740 257 255

Worcester Park Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Group first Monday of the month at 2pm and finishing by 4pm. If the first Monday falls on a Bank Holiday the meeting takes place on the second Monday.

Old Malden Scout Hall, 411 Malden Road, KT4 7NY. All retired civil servants and friends are welcome to attend and if you are interested in listening to one of our speakers please contact John Wright on 020 8337 8965 or johnandglenisw@gmail.com

mailto:johnandglenisw@gmail.com Do you enjoy listening to show tunes, big band music, jazz, light classics etc? Come along to an evening of live music played by top artistes. We meet on the second Monday of each month at our Banstead venue Banstead Organ & Keyboard Club Church Institute Hall, High Street, Banstead SM7 2NN Doors open 7pm for 7:30pm start.(Visitors £7) Visitors & new members are always welcome to our concerts.

020 8330 5795, or visit www.bansteadorganclub.co.uk

Worcester Parkers Women’s Institute meet on the 3rd Monday of every month 7.45pm to 9.45pm at Christchurch with St Philip Church Hall in Ruskin Drive, Worcester Park. For more information contact Sue Hostler on 020 8337 3756 wi.worcesterparkers@gmail.com

*There is currently a waiting list.

Cheam Common Art Group Small friendly Art Group who meet at Christ Church With St Philip Ruskin Road, Worcester Park 7.30 – 9.30 p.m.

Welcome new members just to draw and paint in any medium without tuition. If interested come down for an evening and meet us to see whether this is for you Brenda Banks 020 8330 0928 Worcester Park Over 60’s Welcome Club meet every Monday from 1pm to 3pm at Christ Church with St Philip Church Hall in Ruskin Drive. Worcester Park.

All over 60’s welcome to join us for a cup of tea and a

34

biscuit or two, plus some outstanding entertainment in the way of singers and musicians. One Monday a month we have Bingo and every Monday we run a raffle. Days outings to the coast are organised throughout the summer months, and mid week holidays are organised two or three times a year. Come a little earlier and meet up with some friends and have a chat before the entertainment starts. We would love to see you. Contact Joyce on 020 8330 5065.

The ladies After Eight Club 2nd Monday of every month from 8pm onwards at Christchurch with St Philips church hall. We have interesting speakers, outings and dinners and all are welcome for a small subscription to cover our costs. Just come along and join in. Carol on 020 8337 2452 St James Players If you enjoy acting do come or help backstage. Monday and Wednesdays 8pm New members welcome.

St James Church Hall, Bodley Road New Malden.

Mem Sec: linda@dunnz,net

Tuesdays

Music Lovers Wanted! - for “In the Mix” Singing Group. at Wesley Hall, Christchurch with St. Philip Church, Ruskin Drive, Worcester Park. Every Tuesday 1.30pm - 3.30pm. A weekly sing- along and social with pro singer/vocal coach Sheila Daniels and pianist. New songs every week, from the 1920s through to the 1970s, covering all genres. £6.50 on the door plus tea/ coffee and home-made cakes. No booking required.

Sheila 07868 039 514 or visit www.thesugarband.co.uk/In_the_Mix

Vegan Group - monthly bring and share buffet,. every second Tuesday. 7.30pm until 9.30 in Room 1,Christchurch with St Philip, corner of Ruskin Drive, WP. For vegans and anyone interested in learning more about veganism.

Conquest Art Group inspires people living with disability or long term health issue to discover their creative energy and build self-confidence through art. Our art group meets every Tuesday at St Mary’s Cuddington, The Avenue, Worcester Park, KT4 7HL from 1:30 to 3:30pm. Anyone over 18 is welcome, all art materials and refreshments are provided. If you would like to come along and give us a try, please contact Carole on 020 8786 8534.

The Worcester Park Dramatic Society is a local amateur drama group of long standing. We stage two major productions a year at the Adrian Mann Theatre in Ewell, in April and November. We meet every Tuesday and most Fridays at 8.15 pm in the Elmcroft Community Centre in North Cheam, on the Sainsbury’s site. Apart from play readings, rehearsals and set construction, we have quiz nights and various social

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events. We also arrange group outings to amateur and professional theatre productions. We welcome new members to help us stage future productions, anyone willing to act or work backstage. membership secretary, Trevor Payne on 07540 084430.

“Lunch Break” - a friendly lunch club for those retired, meeting on a Tuesday 12-2pm (term time only) at Worcester Park Baptist Church, The Avenue - free, but donations invited. Occasional speakers. Brian on 020 8224 6675 or Rowena 07837 941298

NHS Retirement Fellowship Are you retired or about to retire from the NHS? Why not join us on the 1st Tuesday of every month from 10am -12 at Royal British Legion, Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, KT5 AL. We have speakers, activities, coffee & chat.Other outings & activities are also arranged during the month.

Lorna on 020 8337 4121

Wednesdays

Keep Fit Stay Fit every Wednesday 10.15-11.15am at Christ Church with St Philip, Ruskin Road. Come along and give it a try ! Jo Hamilton on 020 8786 3444.

The Probus Club of Ewell Coming up to retirement? Just retired? Looking to make new friends? Why not join the Probus Club of Ewell? Since it was founded over 40 years ago, the Probus Club of Ewell has been attracting businessmen from Worcester Park and its surrounding areas with a

broad range of professional and business backgrounds.

We meet on the first Wednesday of each month, usually at Banstead Golf Club for a Lunch followed by a Speaker. Anyone wishing to know more about us or wanting to make contact can do so through our website www. ewellprobus.co.uk or by email to secretary@ewellprobus.co.uk.

Talking Of Trains In Surbiton Programme of talks which take place locally at the Surbiton Library Hall each Wednesday evening throughout the winter months. The first meeting is free; the fee for the complete year is just £50.

www.talking of trains.co.uk

Free Badminton taster session Come and enjoy playing BADMINTON with us!

Wednesdays 7:45pm to 9:15pm at Stoneleigh Methodist Church, Stoneleigh Crescent, KT19 0RT Interested? Please contact Will Ward: willjward@gmail, 020 8393 9779 or 07874 896211 or just turn up on the night. N.B. Spare racquets available - if requested beforehand.

Thursdays

Tunes’n’Tea Come and enjoy an afternoon of live music, tea, coffee, cakes and conversation. Every month, a selection of Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, Folk and Standards – great tunes, old and new for you to enjoy and join in with if you wish. There’s a live band and

Rented accommodation for independent living “Dedicated in supported shelted to making the housing lives of older people Charity No. 204444 þ No worries about home maintenance costs & bills þ En-suite rooms þ Home cooked meals every day þ Community alarm system þ Short term accommodation also available

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Why not visit us to find out more? info@abbeyfieldwell.co.uk ■ 020 8393 0881 ■ www.abbeyfield.com/ewell To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

35

Ewell. The club was founded in 1936 and currently singers making a fun afternoon. Feel free to dance if has a membership of 85. New members are welcome the music moves you! The sessions take place on the to join us at the car park in Horton Country Park on 2nd Thursday of each month. January 10th, February Saturdays at 10am for either a road ride or an off-road 14th, March 14th, April 11th, May 9th, June 13th ride. Our rides are usually between 20 and 35 miles 1.30pm-3.30pm and always include a cake stop before returning by St John’s Church Hall, Station Approach, Stoneleigh, 1pm. kingstonphoenixrc@gmail.com or see our website KT19 0QZ (next to Stoneleigh Station, West Side) at kprc.org.uk.

Entrance: £3.00 All Welcome!

Malden Emergency First Aid Society (Mefas) Thursdays 1.30pm and finishing at 3.30.

Members meet each Thursday evening at 7.30pm for Group Singing Lessons -“Discover the high level First Aid training. New members required. Everyone of well being, strength and confidence which can welcome. Hall available for hire. Christine 07966661015 be achieved when you learn to sing without effort.”

Breathe Easy (Merton & Sutton) Group .Weekly small group classes. Each session focuses Wheezy? Breathless? you are not alone, come and join on gentle physical and vocal exercises, breathing us at your local friendly support & information group technique and song practice with individual advice for anyone affected by a lung condition. We meet and feedback. Call 07868 039 514 or visit www. between 2-4 pm on the 3rd Thursday of every month skylarkvocal.co.uk for more info. Sessions Mondays at at St. Bedes Conference Centre, St. Anthony’s Hospital, 11.30am and Thursdays at 7.30pm at Christchurch with London Road, North Cheam. SM3 9DW St. Philips, Worcester Park. Suitable for beginners 'and P U T YGeorge O U Ron G AR D7530 EN MAINTENANCE IN TH 0208 647 confident singers.

H A N DThursday S O F SFellowship O M E O Every N E Thursday W H O atR2.30pm EALLY CARES Ewell Badminton Club Meet every Thursday 9.30 for men and women, finishing with a cup of tea 11.30 am in hall in Welbeck Close, Ewell, KT17 2 BJ ( and biscuits or cakes. A lively, friendly meeting - Tree surgery - One off TidyPark Baptist church near Honda Garage, Ewell Bypass ). at Worcester in The Avenue.

We have use of 3 courts, and are a very friendly group - Garden - Stump Maintenance Well-known, familiar hymns and prayers,Grinding musical of players. New players would be most welcome. afternoons, andLawns a variety of speakers on topical - Strimming and Weeding - Decking and Elizabeth on 0208 393 3355 or e-mail libbymuscutt@ subjects, including help and advice.

Newclearance members Garden - Hedge Trimming yahoo.co.uk welcome. Church office 0208 330 1755 - Path and Patio Washing St. John’s Hall is open between 2.00 and 4.00pm for - Landscaping Tea And Chat. If you are on your own please feel free to drop in for a free cup of tea and some company. 411 Malden Road (between Worcester Park station and The Plough). 213 Bus stops nearby.

Sutton Mariners Sailing Club A local offshore sailing club founded in 1988 that meets at 8pm every Thursday evening at the Borough Sports Ground, home of Sutton United FC, Gander ‘PUT YOUR GARDEN MAINTENANCE INTel: THE020 8330 7 Green Lane, SM1 2EY. We are a small andinfo@cypressgardenservices.co.uk friendly club HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY CARES’ www.cypressgardenservices.co.uk Mobile: 07958 of about 60 members and have about a dozen boat owners amongst us providing crewing opportunities - One off Tidy during the summer months as well as enjoying - Garden Maintenance meetings listening to interesting speakers and social - Decking and Lawns nights. If you would like to get afloat come along and - Hedge Trimming meet us – we’re sure you will enjoy the experience.

- Landscaping www.suttonmariners.org.uk - Tree surgery East Surrey Family History Society - Stump Grinding For those who are interested in finding out how to - Strimming & Weeding investigate their family history the Sutton Branch of - Garden clearance the East Surrey Family History Society holds meetings - Path & Patio Washing on the first Thursday of the month at St Nicholas N THE Church Hall, Robin Hood Lane. Most months we have a TENANCE I N I A M N E D GAR RES' REALLY CA 'PUT YOUR professional speaker. March 2 Miss Anne Carter EONE WHO M O S F O S HAND Contact us on: How life changed forever in 1914 April 6 Ian Waller: - Tree surgery y ding or 07958 727 272 - One off Tid Tel: 020 8330 7787 - Stump Grin Village Crafts Finding out about the records of those nance Weeding - Garden Mainte - Strimming and Lawns who worked in rural industry. www.esfhs.org.uk - Decking and den clearance Gar info@cypressgardenservices.co.uk g min shing Trim ge Wa o - Hed - Path and Pati Kingston Phoenix Road Club is a cycling club with g www.cypressgardenservices.co.uk - Landscapin members in Worcester Park, New Malden, Epsom and

36

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers rdenservices.co.uk

info@cypressga

Tel: 020 8330 7787 272 Mobile: 07958 727

The Worcester Park Hello Club launched last November and is welcoming new members! We meet every Thursday morning from 10am – 12 noon.

The club is aimed at anyone who would like to come and join in with board games, quizzes, cards, occasional craft sessions - or just to have a chat and a coffee. Adults of any age are welcome to come and get to know each other. The main aims of the club are: • To meet new people and build friendships • To become involved with the local community • To access activities, information and advice The club is very friendly and informal. Every month there will be a member of staff attending from the SCILL Information & Advice Service – they have information on most topics for all your needs and will be pleased to assist you.

The drop in club was set up by Sutton Vision, Christ Church with St Philip and SCILL , working together in partnership. We are fortunate to be provided with a welcoming and comfortable venue at the Christ Church with St Philip Community Hall. There are accessible toilets on site. There is a small charge for coffee and tea at the church café.

SCILL 020 8770 4065 Sutton Vision 020 8409 7166 Christ Church with St Philip 020 8330 7630

New Malden Women’s Institute Shiraz Mirza Hall, Manor Park Hall, Malden Road, New Malden, KT3 6AV. 2nd Thurs of each month at 7.30pm Barbara 0208 546 1495 or twocavs@googlemail.com

Fridays

Quest a meeting place for people with physical disabilities between the ages of 20 - 60. However, once a member there is no age cut off. The aim of the club is to provide a welcoming, caring atmosphere for the members and allow the carers to have a regular break.

Annual subscription. and £2.50 for lunch. We have various social activities and every second month we have a speaker. Christchurch with St. Philip, Ruskin Drive, Worcester Park. We meet the 2nd and 4th Fridays in the month from 12.45 to 4p.m June Day, Club Secretary, on 02083301220

RSPB Epsom & Ewell Local group 2nd Friday of every month at 7.30, apart from July and August, at All Saints Church Hall Fulford Road, West Ewell with guest speakers who illustrate their enthusiasm on a variety of natural history subjects. We also have several birding outings throughout the year which is arranged to suit all ages. There is a small charge for non-members of the RSPB. rspb.org.uk/groups/epsom.

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020 8643 4313 email us at:

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37

The Association of Surrey Bookbinders - we meet on Friday mornings in the Scout Hut in Dell Lane, Stoneleigh Roger@gmathews.co.uk 020 8330 2306

Bridge Club A friendly club for people who have just learned to play or are looking to improve their bidding and play in an informal atmosphere which promotes learning and development. We meet every Friday in the upstairs meeting room at the Worcester Park Library, Stone Place. from 2 - 4 pm. Just turn up or email Carla at carlaplatten@gmail.com for further information.

Sunday

North Cheam badminton club meet every Sunday at the Elmcroft Community Hall North Cheam.

We are a small mixed club looking for new members of reasonable club standard especially ladies.

Contact Pat Odonnell on 02083938895.

General

Auriol Bowling Club Auriol Park, Salisbury Road, Worcester Park. It is a mixed club of around 45 men and 25 women, who play outdoors from April to Sept with a busy fixture list of league and friendly matches against other clubs, as well as internal club competitions. David Regan 020 8337 8919 www.auriolbowlingclub.com.

Cuddington Bowling Club Sandringham Road,

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Worcester Park and we play on an excellent 6 rink green that has been acclaimed by many of the club’s visitors this year. We are a mixed club with about 60 members and play a range of friendly and league fixtures catering for all abilities. Secretary Mike Ridley 020 8715 8326 Treasurer Mark Broughton 020 8337 9699

Social Dancing with Glitters at Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell Village. 8.30 - 11 pm. Over 18s. Entrance fee £8. All standards of dancing. Friday 4th & 8th Jan. National Trust - Epsom, Ewell and District Supporters Group Formed in 1971, we run a varied

programme of social eventswhich includes Evening Lectures at Bourne Hall in Ewell, once a month from Oct. to June, Coach Outings which visit historichouses and gardens(not necessarily N.T.),Guided London Walks, and other trips to London e.g.The Magic Circle, The Royal Opera House (backstage tour).Other special events include Coffee Mornings, Holidays and Christmas Lunch.

Newsletters are produced four times a year.If you would like more information please visit our website: www.epsom-ewell-district-nt.co.uk or telephone Paul on 020 87158486 Malden Manor Bowls Club, Manor Park, Malden Road.

New members will be made very welcome. Roll ups, league matches, internal and external competitions; we offer bowling for all levels of interest and ability. Men’s Secretary Gerald 020 8949 4623 or Ladies Secretary 020 8394 0877.

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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39

Hobbies Grab your knitting and take to the streets By Kate McLelland Like it or loathe it, we’re all familiar with the kind of art that appears – usually without warning – in public places. While some of these images clearly merit the description of ‘street art’, most tags (marks casually spray-painted in seconds) could be more accurately described as ‘graffiti’ (defined by the dictionary as something “scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly”).

Under the Criminal Damage Act 1971, anyone caught defacing property can be fined or face a prison sentence of up to ten years if the damage costs more than £5,000. But despite the threat of legal action, street art has become part of our urban landscape: what’s more, it seems the public has developed a deep affection for images that transform our public spaces in a positive way. Whenever the street artist Banksy creates a new artwork, it attracts global media attention, not to mention droves of tourists eager to photograph the elusive painter’s work. Whether you think street art is a good or bad thing, the underlying Like it orMalden’s loathe it, we’re all familiar with the kind of art thatMalden’s appears – usually without warning – in public places. While some of these images clearly merit the description of ‘street art’, most tags (marks casually spray-painted in seconds) could be more accurately described as ‘graffiti’ (defined by the dictionary as something “scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly”).

& &

problem with anything spray-painted on a wall is its durability – it can only be removed using specialist cleaning techniques.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that tagging is often associated with street gangs, whose marks are intended to establish territorial rights and warn elusive painter’s work. Whether you think street art is a good or bad thing, the underlying problem with anything spray-painted on a wall is its durability – it can only be removed using specialist cleaning techniques.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that tagging is often associated with street gangs, whose marks are intended to establish territorial rights and warn off rival gang members. However, amongst the testosterone-fuelled antics of these urban gangs you may have noticed that another form of ‘graffiti’ is gradually emerging around the UK’s cities and towns (and even in some villages). Fluffy and lovable, ‘yarn bombing’ could be described as graffiti in sheep’s clothing – in simple terms, it is the action of covertly covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material, as a form of creative expression. Yarn bombing combines the ‘matronly’ crafts of knitting

We deliver to 24,000 We

Under the Criminal Damage Act 1971, anyone caught defacing property can be fined or face a prison sentence of up to ten years if the damage costs more than £5,000.

But despite the threat of legal action, street art has become part of our urban landscape: what’s more, it seems the public has developed a deep affection for images that transform our public spaces in a positive way. Whenever the street artist Banksy creates a new artwork, it attracts global media attention, not to mention droves of tourists eager to photograph the

homes in in KT3 KT3 and and KT4 KT4 homes

Call 020 8336 8336 2915 2915 to Call 020 8336 2915 to advertise Call 020 to advertise from£28 justplus £21 plus plus VAT a month month from only VAT VAT a month advertise from just £21 a maldenmedia.co.uk www.maldenmedia.co.uk maldenmedia.co.uk

40

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

off rival gang members. However, amongst the testosterone-fuelled antics of these urban gangs you may have noticed that another form of ‘graffiti’ is gradually emerging around the UK’s cities and towns (and even in some villages). Fluffy and lovable, ‘yarn bombing’ could be described as graffiti in sheep’s clothing – in simple terms, it is the action of covertly covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material, as a form of creative expression. Yarn bombing combines the ‘matronly’ crafts of knitting and crochet with the maternal gesture of wrapping something cold in a warm blanket, with the objective of transforming the concrete and steel objects found in an urban streetscape. Lampposts, parking meters, bicycles, cars — even objects as large as buses and bridges — have all been ‘bombed’ in recent years.

Yarn bombing (aka guerilla knitting or guerilla crochet) has become a way for artists to reclaim and personalise public spaces that might otherwise be considered unwelcoming. The trend began in 2005 in Houston, Texas, when textile artist Magda Sayeg decided to cover the door handle of her shop with a knitted wrapping.

Magda admits that at the time she had no idea of where her actions might lead: “All I wanted to see was something warm, fuzzy and humanlike on the cold, steel grey facade I looked at every day.”

The idea soon caught on and since that time social media has played a key role in popularising the craze, alerting people to displays in out-of-the-way areas or inspiring them to create their own ideas for street art.

UK artist Lauren O’Farrell, who has adopted the nickname ‘Deadly Knitshade’, is a yarn-bombing pioneer whose name is now synonymous with the craft in Britain. While recovering from cancer treatment in her twenties she taught herself to knit, and subsequently formed a knitting club with her friend. As her skills developed she decided to direct her energies towards becoming – in her words – a “squishy Banksy”.

Lauren isn’t afraid of making big statements with her work. One of her early projects involved covering a phone box (displayed in Parliament Square as part of the BT ‘Art Box’ charity project) with a giant ‘cosy’. She didn’t seek permission to cover the box and admits she didn’t worry until the police asked her what she was doing. “We told them it was a craft project and we wanted to take a photo, and they let us,” Lauren explained to theartsdesk.com. “The fact that they did opened the floodgates. I thought, I could now do this anywhere.”

the streets with knitting needles and crochet hooks. A few years ago 104-year-old grandmother Grace Brett came to public attention as possibly the oldest street artist in the world. As part of a band of ‘yarnstormers’ known as the Souter Stormers, she helped to decorate various landmarks in Selkirk, Scotland, during the YES Arts Festival, where yarn-bombed items included public benches, phone boxes and trees. Grace, who became a focus for media attention during the festival, told interviewers she thought the town looked lovely, adding: “I’m not bragging, but I’m quite pleased with what I’ve done.”

Yarn bombing has now become an integral part of many community events and festivals across Britain and its gentle, non-confrontational approach has also led to an association with a number of projects linked to mental health. In Cornwall “We are enough: the creative yarn bomb of love” is a project created to raise awareness of people who suffer with social anxiety. This year-long community arts initiative will conclude in May 2019 during Mental Health Awareness Week and the project reflects the views of many communities who see yarn bombing as the perfect way to convey a message of hope, positivity and kindness.

KING GEORGE FIELD INDOOR BOWLS CLUB

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41

Puzzle Time answers on page 44

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Pictograms 2 words SEYMOUR AUSTEN FONDA RUSSELL

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RING MIDDLE BEE BEE 42

WORDWHEEL

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TARGET Excellent: 53 or more words Good: 44 words Fair: 38 words

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Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers INTEREST

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Quick Quiz Review Of The Year 1. When he was born in April, what position did Prince Louis of Cambridge take in the line of succession to the British throne?

6. In June, which country officially lifted a ban meaning that there were no longer any countries in the world where women were forbidden to drive motor vehicles?

2. Ingvar Kamprad, who died in January at the age of 91, is best remembered for founding which business in 1943?

7. Which song did Theresa May briefly dance to as she stepped onto stage for her keynote speech at the 2018 Conservative party conference?

3. Which country hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics?

8. Following their wedding in May, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became the Duke and Duchess of where?

4. After over two decades on the BBC, what was broadcast on ITV for the first time in April as part of an advert break during an episode of Britain’s Got Talent?

5. In January, the results of Donald Trump’s first medical since becoming US President revealed that he was taking a drug called finasteride to try to prevent what?

9. In June, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, became only the second ever elected head of government to do what while in office?

10. In July, which song dropped from number one to number 97 to set a record for the fastest ever fall from the top of the UK singles charts in a single week?

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43

Kids Play There’s lots going on for pre-schoolers

Monday

Worcester Park Baptist Church 9.30-11.30- a lively toddler group, where carers of any kind are welcome to attend and supervise their youngsters. Our age range is from young babies to 3-4 years. Sarah on 020 8393 7299 or email via the church’s website www.wpbc.org.uk Christ Church with St Philip Parent and Toddler Group is a very welcoming and relaxed place to meet new friends for yourself and your toddlers. We are open to all Mums, Dads, Grandparents and Carers. We meet in the Church Hall on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30 until 11.15am during term time

Tuesday

Toddling2Church, Christ Church with St Philip 2-3pm. Parents, carers and pre-school children are all welcome to join us for songs with percussion instruments, a Bible story simply and sensitively told, a story-related craft activity and, of course, drinks and biscuits.

Thursday

Carer and Toddler group for all families with twins and multiples.

Come and meet other local families who understand all about having more than one of everything!

We meet every Thursday at Worcester Park Baptist Church from 9.30- 11.30 am with toys, craft, songs, refreshments and stories during term time. Come along and join in - other pre-school siblings also welcome. There will be a minimal cost of £2 per family.

Friday

Christ Church with St Philip Parent and Toddler Group 9.30 until 11.15am - see Monday

Saturday

Men behaving Dadly, Grace Church - every 3rd Saturday of the month, 9.30 to 11 am, at Green Lane Primary School. For Dads and their pre-school children (0-4). The kids get to play with the toys, the Dads get a bacon roll and coffee, and Mums might possibly get a lie-in... £3 on the door.

For more information & contact details, www.gracechurchworcesterpark.org Old Malden Library (Church Road, Worcester Park) Tuesdays, 10.30-11am, Rhyme time aimed at age 0-3 Tuesdays, 2.30-3pm, Story time aimed at age 3+

Wednesday

Christ Church with St Philip Parent and Toddler Group 9.30 until 11.15am - see Monday Worcester Park Baptist Church 9.30-11.30- see Monday. we have vacancies on a Wednesday

Unit 2 Chancerygate Business Centre Red Lion Road, Surbiton KT6 7RA

44

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about your business in your local magazines in 2019 from just ÂŁ28 plus vat a month Be seen and heard by the your local market in the Village Voice and Worcester Park Life.

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45

Solutions

CodeWord

Quiz

1. Fifth 2. Ikea 3. South Korea 4. The National Lottery results 5. Hair loss 6. Saudi Arabia 7. Dancing Queen 8. Sussex 9. Give birth 10. Three Lions

Sudokus

Pictograms

1. Some Like It Hot 2. The French Connections 3. The Dark Knight Rises

46

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WINTER

Sale ON NOW!

UP TO

50% OFF

TUDOR WILLIAMS LTD 53-59 High Street, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4BU

THROUGHOUT THE STORE

Tel: 0208 9422277 | www.tudorwilliamsltd.co.uk To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

47

Able 2 Build & Sons Ltd

LOFT CONVERSION & EXTENSION SPECIALISTS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Loft Conversions Extensions Full Refurbishments Part Refurbishments Driveways & Patios Gas & Electrical Works Plumbing Carpentry Tiling Plastering Painting & Decorating Property Maintenance

• Highly skilled, professional and extremely trustworthy workforce • All work will be completed efficiently with minimal disturbance to your lifestyle • We come highly recommended with many references • Fully Insured • Free Quotations

0800 566 8198 07889 255 097 www.able2build.co.uk

info@able2build.co.uk

Constructing Your Future 48

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers