Surrey Occasions | Autumn 2016

Surrey Harvest

The pick of the county’s crop of fine food and drink producers

High Street Heroes Shopping in Banstead i n t e rv i e w s

The Jam’s Rick Buckler on growing up in Woking weddings

How to make your 2017 wedding decidedly different events

The Surrey Game & Country Fair Loseley Park, Guildford

ÂŁ500

*

off all replacement Conservatory roofs

Offer ends 31st December 2016 *Conditions Apply

Go to www.kingsbridgelocal.co.uk for more details.

Bring your Conservatory back to life Is your conservatory too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter ?

We can transform your existing conservatory into an extension that you can use all year round whilst also increasing the value of your property by up to 7% Get in touch for your free consultation...

0800 988 3800 01293 277 312 Visit our showroom at 534 London Road, North Cheam, Surrey SM3 8HW

The Home Improvement Experts customerservice@kbi-ltd.co.uk www.kingsbridgelocal.co.uk

Editor Claire Mahoney T: 07812 106992 E: claire@surreyoccasions.co.uk Designer Paul Buckley T: 01484 660090 E: paulb@surreyoccasions.co.uk

Welcome

Advertising sales Tania Toohey T: 07702 619941 E: marketing@surreyoccasions.co.uk Publisher Paula Winchcombe Surrey Occasions T: 07766 257776 E: paula@surreyoccasions.co.uk Printed and distributed by Bishops Printers T: 02392 336917 E: enquiries@bishops.co.uk Contributors Anthea Turner David McConnell Olivia Greenway Karen Glaser This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without written consent of the publishers. © Surrey Occasions 2016.

The views expressed in Surrey Occasions magazine are those of its individual authors, not those of Surrey Occasions and its editors and publishers. While precautions have been take to ensure the accuracy of the contents of the magazine, and neither the editors, publishers or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise there from.

About Surrey Occasions Surrey Occasions is a courtesy glossy, lifestyle magazine with a circulation of 12,500.

The quarterly title is distributed within selected high-quality residential and commercial areas. It is circulated through quality independent newsagents with the Sunday newspapers, to affluent homes, and by hand to readers across Surrey.

Areas covered include Weybridge, Walton, Virginia Water, Cobham, Tadworth, Claygate, Oxted, Oxshott, Thames Ditton and Guildford. Golf and country clubs, health clubs and spas, top hotels and other chosen venues receive numerous copies of the magazine to share with guests and visitors.

Hello!

As I write this on a sunny August afternoon, it seems strange to think that in a matter of weeks we will be beckoning in the chillier autumn evenings. Despite the blue skies, signs of the new season are already apparent in the hedgerows, with bumper crops of blackberries almost ripe for picking and fruit trees heavy with this year’s crop. As we bid farewell to the summer, it seems that the promise of nature’s bounty is our tradeoff for the fact that the days will soon become shorter and darker.

Surrey is very lucky in that the county is absolutely bursting with great local produce and now is a great time to stock up on it. In early summer, I had the pleasure of visiting a number of our local food and drink producers, including Silent Pool Distillers, Albury Organic Vineyard and Denbies Wine Estate (who incidentally feature on our fabulous cover).

These Surrey businesses have harnessed what the local landscape offers up to create wonderful produce that is a world away from the overpackaged, over-travelled goods we tend to rely on from our supermarket shelves. So this issue we decided to make it a ‘Surrey Harvest Special’ that celebrates the craft and care that goes into creating a quality home-grown product. Our new food and drink editor, Olivia Greenway, has been chatting to a number of suppliers of mouth-watering cheese, wine and chocolate about what goes into their goods and most importantly, how you can get hold of it. You can read more on page 18 onwards.

Harvest time is also a time for celebration and we can’t think of anywhere better to see in the new season than at the Surrey Game and

“These Surrey businesses have harnessed what the local landscape offers up to create wonderful produce that is a world away from the overpackaged, over-travelled goods we tend to rely on from our supermarket shelves.”

Country Fair, which is being held at Loseley Park this September. This will be a great way to get up close to the rural crafts and traditions that have helped shape our farming and rural communities over the years. We even have two sets of family tickets to give away for the Sunday show! So do make sure you turn to page 17 to find out how you can enter. In fact, we have a bumper crop of competitions for you this issue, particularly if you are a music fan – with tickets to The Magic of Motown and Abba musical, Thank You for the Music up for grabs.

We do hope you enjoy this issue, which we have really enjoyed putting together.

Please tweet to us @surreyoccasions and tell us what you think. You can also follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/surreyoccasions. We’d love to hear from you!

Claire Mahoney Editor

surreyoccasions.co.uk 3

WELCOME to our Reigate Clinic

We are delighted to announce the opening of the second Harley Street Skin Clinic in Reigate The Reigate Clinic is located conveniently in Bell Street adjacent to the high street and close to Priory Park.

We have taken great care to convert this grade 1 listed building into a state of the art facility. This beautiful old building has not one but two Minor Ops Suites with private consulting, treatment and dedicated laser rooms.

Our multi award-winning clinic in London will always be our prime location however patients more and more are looking for a local facility that is convenient for travel and parking.

“Highly Reigate has been opened to serve experienced patients who are team of demographically based Consultants in the home counties, Greater London, South and doctors” London and South East England. This means that we will be able to treat our patients more effectively and with the same highly experienced team of Consultants and Doctors.

Why Reigate?

• Shorter waiting times • Follow up care after • • • •

having treatment/ surgery in London No GP referral required Consultant led service Care Quality Commission registered Convenient location & parking

The Reigate Clinic has 1st class medical treatments and facilities that you have come to expect from our Harley Street Skin Clinic. Husband and wife team Dr Aamer & Lesley Reynolds Khan are the medical directors. This means that you are assured of the passion and expertise that you have come to know at our London Clinic.

Book your Consultation If you would like to book a consultation for any of our treatments and procedures, please call the clinic in Reigate on: 01737 247246 or email: reigate@harleystreetskinclinic.com

For further information Tel: 01737 247246 16 Bell Street Reigate RH2 7BG reigate@harleystreetskinclinic.com www.harleystreetskinclinic.com

WIN! IN THIS ISSUE

10

Three pairs of tickets to see The Magic of Motown in Guildford

17

Two family tickets for the Surrey Game and Country Show

27

A pampering spa day at Norton Park Hotel in Winchester

31

A set of young drivers lessons at Kempton

39

Two tickets for Thank You For The Music at the Epsom Playhouse

42

On the cover: Overlooking an autumal vineyard at Denbies Wine Estate, mist and low cloud shrouding the hillside at Box Hill by Helen Dixon

Inside

this issue Autumn 2016

16

24 15 38

25

22

34

regulars

5

SO Welcome

6

SO Noteworthy News, views and updates from around the county

au t u m n f e at u r e s

16 Harvest special

28

12 SO What’s On

Theatre, music, events and exhibitions coming up over the next few months

22 SO Food & Drink

Food editor, Olivia Greenway, rounds up a tasty selection of food and drink news from your area

25 SO Weddings

SO brings you its Autumn wedding edit and introduces Surrey’s own wedding entrepreneurs – David and Lydia Cox, plus some creative decoration ideas from Quirkiful

28 SO Travel

David McConnell goes on a motoring holiday with a difference, when he travels across Bulgaria in an East European Trabant

32 High street heroes

We visit Banstead high street to see why it’s such as great place to shop independently

18 Pick of the producers

38 SO Beauty

Update your beauty bag with on-trend Autumn colours and see what’s new at Surrey’s spas

Inspiring design ideas to get your home cosy for Autumn

50 Secret Surrey

Ten things you might not know about This issue’s secret Surrey is the town of Hersham

Olivia Greenway selects some of the county’s finest artisan food and drink producers

44 Schools in Focus

34 Shooting Star Chase

40 SO Interiors

We look at the traditions behind the annual Harvest festival and how they are still celebrated today. Plus your chance to win tickets to the Surrey Country and Game Show in September

As part of our new partnership with hospice charity, Shooting Star Chase, we speak to one of the families about how the hospice has helped them through difficult times

36 Surrey Wellbeing

Karen Glaser looks at the growing popularity of Yoga across Surrey and how it has become a valuable tool for managing anxiety and depression

columns

11 Growing up in Surrey

In the first of our new series, Rick Buckler of The Jam, tells us about his early life in Woking

42 SO Homes

Anthea Turner shows us how to make sure this Halloween is a hoot rather than havoc surreyoccasions.co.uk 5

SO News & Updates

Noteworthy News & updates from around the county

Healing for horses

Disability charity helps chef share his cooking skills A disabled ex-chef is sharing his passion for cooking with staff and visitors at a disability day centre in Godalming, giving them the skills they need to cook independently.

Michael, 68, regularly delights all at the Hydon Hill day centre in Godalming by sharing techniques and baking up delicious treats with support from the centre’s amazing staff.

Michael worked as a professional chef in central London, before he developed Multiple Sclerosis 14 years ago. Since then, Michael has been a regular at Hydon Hill, which is run by leading charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.

He said: “With the help of staff, I started baking here almost straight away, about a month after I arrived. I now come into Hydon Hill on Tuesdays and Fridays to bake. It’s my relaxation. I think the residents like my cooking because they eat it, and there’s never much left!

“I’m not allowed to cook at home, only here. I have a tendency to put things in the oven and walk away! I have one-to-one support when baking at Hydon Hill so there are no issues.”

6 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Volunteer co-ordinator at Hydon Hill Jonathan Lelacheur said: “Michael does the cookery classes here, he is the head chef as far as I’m concerned! He works with everyone here and teaches them how to cook. He taught his support worker Jade, and she now uses those skills at home.

“It’s very, very important that we support people to move forward and do the things they’re passionate about. We need to see the person in the wheelchair, not just the chair.”

You can help raise funds for Leonard Cheshire Disability by holding a Give & Bake tea or coffee morning in exchange for a donation to the charity, which will directly support disabled people locally, including Hydon Hill.

Jonathan said: “A donation could provide life enhancing care and support at our services, such as Hydon Hill. Without it, Michael would never have been able to continue cooking.”

To register for Give & Bake visit leonardcheshire.org/giveandbake or call 020 3242 0396.

Having wanted to get out of her 9-5 office job and work with her life’s passion of horses, Emma Trace decided it was time to set up a new business venture. Surrey Equine Massage, in Dorking, offers treatment for horses to aid their recovery from injury. Emma’s belief is that all horses can benefit from massage regardless of discipline, from the retired horse, happy hacker, up to an international competition horse or racehorse.

Emma has spent three years training in both Human & Equine Sports & Remedial Massage. She covers Surrey, South London & West Sussex surreyequinemassage.co.uk

Pennyhill Brasserie gets makeover Pennyhill Park in Bagshot has reopened its The Brasserie restaurant following a refurbishment to give it a fresh new look and menu.

Julian Tomlin, general manager of Pennyhill Park says: “The Brasserie refurbishment has given us the opportunity to offer a new and exciting selection of fresh and delicious dining options for our guests throughout the day, with something to suit everyone. We wanted to create a welcoming and friendly ambiance together with tantalising food, and based on our guest feedback so far we are thrilled with the results - it’s been a real hit.”

To book, Tel: 01276 486 150 or visit pennyhillpark.co.uk

SO News & Updates

Deepdene Trail now open to visitors

UK retail first for Guildford kids store South African designer children’s wear retailers, The Kids Emporium, has chosen Guildford for the site of its first branch in the UK. The shop specialises in maternity and children’s wear, baby travel systems, furniture, décor, toys and gifts. The new Guildford store will stock some of the top South African brands including baby bath apron and snuggle blanket range, Lily and Jack, ThandanaDiaper Bags, teething solutions from Nom Nom, novel gifts from Rhubarb & Custard and many more.

Kids Emporium is situated in White Lion Walk opposite Swarovski and next to The Card Factory.

MUST READ

The Deepdene Trail opens this September.

The brand new walking trail, which starts just outside of Dorking, will enable visitors to enjoy free access to the Deepdene Estate, one of the country’s most historically significant gardens – privately owned since their creation in the 17th Century.

As you walk through the trail, a new mobile App will reveal glimpses of the landscape as it was in the early 1800s through to the present day. Discover Deepdene’s connection to the famous cursed Hope Diamond, the tragic reason behind the Hope family Mausoleum and how this unique landscape has changed over time.

For more info visit: molevalley.gov.uk/ deepdene

Call to treasure your local heritage Surrey residents are being encouraged to treasure their local heritage though a series of open days across the county in early September as part of the Treasure your Treasures festival. The event is co-ordinated by the National Trust to showcase buildings and hidden histories in communities.

Here are some of the places you can visit in Surrey between Thursday 8 and Sunday 14 September.

Archives & Special Collections Tour University of Surrey, Guildford

On Thursday 8th September the Archives & Special Collections team at the University of Surrey will be hosting a tour to give people a glimpse into the archives and the wealth of artefacts and treasured materials held within the collections.

‘The Things You Do for Love’ is the second novel by local author Rachel Crowther.

It tells the story of elite surgeon, Flora Macintyre who, although successful at juggling her career and marriage, suddenly finds herself with neither and decides to runaway to France. However, a family get together reveals a dark secret that threatens to tear everyone apart. Author Fay Weldon describes it as a “delight of a read.” ‘The Things You Do for Love’ is £7.99.

The Hope Mausoleum is said to be one of the most important historic buildings of its kind and the sole intact surviving structure created by the highly influential, collector, builder and designer of major international importance, Thomas Hope.

‘Love Architecture Trail,’ The Lightbox, Woking

8-10 September. Celebrate Heritage Open Days and Love Architecture 2016 and take part in this self-guided family trail linking The Lightbox and WWF’s Living Planet Centre.

Army Medical Services Museum, Aldershot

8-10 September. Explore the history of army medicine, military nursing, veterinary and dental care from the 1600s to the present day at this fascinating museum.

‘Butterflies in the Landscape of Mole Valley,’ Leatherhead Institute

9 September. Gail Jeffcoate will explain why our hills, woods, farmland and gardens are so rich in butterfly diversity.

Arts Workshop, The Electric Theatre, Guildford

14 September. Join in an art workshop exploring the heritage of The Electric Theatre run by Flora Gare where you can drop in and make your own copper wire light bulb, using recycled electric cable, and write your own name or choice of word illuminated in the centre.

Waverley Abbey House

Find out more about the fascinating history of Waverley Abbey House on Sunday 11 September. Enjoy free guided tours throughout the day and learn about the house’s rich history dating back to 1700s. heritageopendays.org.uk

@SurreyOccasions 7

SO News & Updates

Charlie Brooks launches second theatre school Surrey-based actress, Charlie Brooks is to head up an inspirational new acting academy in Cobham.

Charlie Brooks, the actress best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and theatre productions such as ‘A Streetcar

Take a hike through Haslemere Haslemere Walking Festival 2016 Friday 23 to Sunday 25 September

ov e r

7,500

Haslemere will once again play host to a weekend of enjoyable and varied walks, inspired by becoming Surrey’s only ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town.

The festival is supported by Haslemere Town Council.

All walks are free to attend and are led by knowledgeable walks leaders to guide people along the route with some designed for families. Booking for all walks is essential and numbers are limited so early booking is recommended. Details of all the walks can be found at: haslemere.com/vic.

visitors

Guildford Fringe Festival 2016 saw over 7500 people at their events, shows and exhibitions throughout the month of July.

This year saw the highest number of Edinburgh preview shows that have ever come to Guildford to warm up for their big gigs.

OLY M P IC SUCCESS

Cheam-based Special Olympics Great Britain athlete, Daniel Wolff, has been selected as an ambassador for a new national campaign, Together We Will.

The 22-year-old, who has autism, had often lacked self-confidence as a young adult and faced challenges in developing his academic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics.

Daniel has also found communicating with others difficult at times, but this hasn’t stopped him being active. With his family’s support, he turned to his local Special Olympics club to focus on something that he knew that he could excel in – running.

Daniel and his family are actively supporting the campaign to highlight the

8 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Named Desire’, is launching a second performing arts school in association with the Mark Jermin Stage School of which she is patron, specifically an acting academy for children aged 7-16 with aspirations of appearing in TV, film or theatre roles.

The new venture opens on 14 September at St Mary’s Church Hall, set within the beautiful grounds of the Manor of Parkside School, near Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham, and will be run by Charlie and her team of expert teachers.

For further information about the Saturday stage school in Thames Ditton and the acting academy in Cobham, their locations, times and prices and to register to join either school, visit: markjermin.co.uk

benefits of being active for disabled people and to encourage others to take part in sport and exercise.

Since joining his local Special Olympics club in 2008, Daniel has gone from strength to strength – spurred on by the challenge to follow in his great-grandfather’s footsteps.

In July 2015, Daniel won the 400 metre gold medal for Great Britain at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

This summer also marks 80 years since his great-grandfather, Frederick Wolff, won gold in the 4 x 400 metre relay at the Olympic Games in Berlin.

Daniel credits his great-grandfather as being an inspiration for his determination and success, coupled with the support of his Dad, Paul Wolff, his coach, Dave Mitchell and those at his local running club and Special Olympics group.

Since 2015, the Together We Will ambassador has continued to progress in his beloved sport of running.

Daniel is also in the final stages of achieving Paralympics GB status and could be competing in Tokyo, Japan in four years’ time.

The catwalk comes to Guildford Get ahead of this season’s fashion trends at the The Friary Guildford’s fashion show on Saturday 17 September, where a number of top brands will show off their latest looks for Autumn.

The event will include a catwalk show hosted by television and radio personality Jamie Laing, who will also be available for a meet and greet during the day. The shows start at 11am, running through to 4pm with models parading the new season’s styles from the iconic fashion retailers based in The Friary including Topshop, River Island, Mango, Muji, Superdry and more.

For those tempted by some of the new trends on offer you’ll be able to take advantage of a number of special fashion and beauty giveaways and oneday only discounts. Boutique Goldsmiths will be giving away a fantastic prize, alongside The Friary Guildford giving shoppers the chance to win up to £500 for a new autumn/winter wardrobe.

Visit: thefriaryguildford.com

“We are a friendly, independent optical and eyewearpractice, based conveniently on Banstead High Street.

We provide specialist eye care services to both NHS and private patients.

We pride ourselves on being a market leader in all aspects of the optical experience we give to our patients. From the time you book your appointment with us you can be assured that you will be in great hands.

Using the latest hi-tech imaging equipment, our team of highly skilled optometrists, aim to deliver first class comprehensive eye examinations.

Our extensive selection of eyewear has something for everyone with the latest cutting edge looks.

Your journey with us will be a unique, fun experience with our professional staff who add that personalised touch that only a local independent practice can offer.

Our extensive selection of eyewear has something for everyone with street savvy frames, from handmade Acetate frames to top of the range buffalo horn ones, along with light rimless Lindberg from Denmark. These include designer names such as Armani, Bulgari, Jaguar, Tiffany & Co, Mont Blanc. Lunor, Oliver’s People, the list is endless ...

“Our aim is to offer patients the highest quality of clinical care in combination with giving them the choice of some of the best spectacles in the world. My team are experienced and dedicated. Visit us for a unique experience knowing we use the most state of the art equipment available” Ushma Patel

Our Extended Eyecare services include:

Topcon SWEPT source Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Cataract Detection and referral

Contact Lens Fittings

Glaucoma Screening

Dry Eye Assessments & Maintenance

Macular Degeneration Detection

Eye Disease

Eye-Care Opticians, 20 High Street, Banstead SM7 2LJ 01737 353225 info@eye-careopticians.com www.eye-careopticians.com

Bbl floral design is based in Ewell village, we specialise in all aspects of floristry.

You may require flowers for your home on a weekly basis, a party or a large corporate event seasonal or general, we thrive to fulfil your requirements to the highest standard. Bbl floral design loves working closely with our clients creating your vision.

Events • Party’s • Christmas decorations • Weekly contract flowers •Prop Hire

Call Lyn for further details on 0208 393 6322 www.bbldesign.co.uk

competition

WIN!

Two tickets and a chance to meet the cast at The Magic of Motown in Guildford

The unstoppable Magic of Motown thrills its millionth music fan this year, embarking on a supersensational nationwide tour that also honours the 50th anniversary of chart-topping single Reach Out I’ll Be There – and what’s more it’s coming to Guildford in October.

Revel in hit after hit as the incredible, all-new for 2016, theatrical treat with a huge cast marks 50 years of Reach Out and a decade of continuing the legend of solid-gold artistes the Supremes, Temptations, Jackson 5, Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and more.

SO has teamed up with EasyTheatres for the chance for you to win a pair of tickets to go and see The Magic of Motown at G Live in Guildford and meet the cast before they perform live on stage. For your chance to win tickets to the show on Thursday 20th October, simply answer this simple question:

In which American city was the Motown label based?

To enter visit: surreyoccasions.co.uk and click on the link to the competitions page Entries close on Friday 30th September 2016

SO Growing Up in Surrey

There was always somebody to play with as I had two twin brothers. We spent most of our time kicking a football around and riding around on our our bikes.

At the time Woking Park was a big affair.

It had crazy golf and a lido and lots of fields to explore and a river running though it. It was a big attraction when the weather was nice.

I went to Goldsworth Primary School which was just around the corner from where I lived. It had a primary, junior school and a secondary school, but the secondary school was knocked down, so I ended up going to Sheerwater Comprehensive, which was a big Greater London Council overspill school.

My older brothers were into the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. So I discovered music through them. One of my earliest memories is playing with a Scalextric set while my brother was playing Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles. Whenever I hear that early Beatles album, all I can think of is me scrabbling round on the floor trying to get this car back on the racing track.

Because I liked carpentry and wood work I made my first drum kit at school. I couldn’t really afford to buy one and the local music shops only sold sheet music, trumpets and violins. So building my own kit was the quickest way of getting round the problem. I borrowed the bass drum for the kit from Guildford YMCA. I don’t think I ever gave it back.

I wasn’t allowed to have drum kit at home, so I used to practise either round a friend’s house or at the local church hall or scout hut. I also used to practise

One of the first records I ever bought was an instrumental called ‘Diamonds’ by the Bud Ashton Orchestra. The reason I liked it is that in the middle there was this great drum break. I never wanted to listen to the lyrics, I was always only interested in what the drummer was doing. At that time I was really drawn to progressive rock bands because, as far as I could see, they had the best drummers.

I was with Paul (Weller) for six years before we got signed to Polydor. We got together in 1972 while we were still at secondary school, so we grew up musically together. We spent years doing the rounds at local pubs and clubs. It wasn’t just about learning to play, it was also about learning to be on stage. We were mostly a covers band at the time.

My first taste of proper fame came when I walked into a local pub and somebody had put our first single ‘In the City’ on the jukebox. That does give you a buzz, because you know that record is sitting in lots of juke boxes all over the place. However when it kept happening I must admit, I did start to find it a bit annoying. As soon as you walked in they would put the record on and you would think: “Oh no not again.” It’s very sweet, but I have heard it a lot!

I’ve never moved from Surrey and now live in a village called West End near Chobam. I know a lot of people around here and I’ve no real desire to move anywhere else. It’s the people that make the place.

Rick Buckler’s autobiography: That’s Entertainment: My Life in The Jam (£14.95) is available from all good book shops.

Growing up in Surrey

I grew up on Church Street which was a long road which pretty much ran from one side of the town centre to the other. There was a big christchurch in the middle of this road which actually burnt down in the 1960s and everyone came out of their houses to watch. It was big news at the time.

on the end of the bed with a pair of sticks, which was great to get your arms going and learn the various drum patterns.

Surrey Occasions speaks to Rick Buckler, drummer with The Jam, about his early years growing up in the Surrey town of Woking

Photograph courtesy of © Derek D’Souza at: blinkandyoumissit.com

Woking in 1955 when I was born was pretty run down. It was the start of a big redevelopment period so there were lots of terraced houses like my own being knocked down and demolished. So it was fairly grim. It was a time of constant change.

Woking has changed immeasurably over the years. There are so many coffee bars and restaurants now. It didn’t use to be like that, it was quite austere.

@SurreyOccasions 11

SO What’s On DON ’ T MISS !

Price: £10; family ticket: £31.

To book: 01483 369350 glive.co.uk/online/allevents 30 September Russell Kane: Right Man, Wrong Age If you’re 16, but feel 21, or 80 but have the heart of three oxen, worry not: no one is ever the right age, says Russell Kane Price: £18.50 To book: 01483 369350 G Live glive.co.uk/online/allevents shows

18 September Surrey Classic Vehicle Gathering Over 400 classic vehicles including cars, motorcycles, military vehicles and commercials will be on display at this 20th anniversary event, inlcuding a fly-past by a Spitfire or Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. surreyclassicvehicleclub.com

23 September Ocean Film Festival World Tour

gardens

Dorking Halls Surrey folk will once again be able to immerse themselves in the wonders of the ocean without getting their feet wet, as the Ocean Film Festival World Tour returns this autumn with a selection of the world’s most enthralling ocean-themed short films: two hours of sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface. As well as capturing the power and beauty of the ocean, the films celebrate the surfers, kayakers and oceanographers who live for the sea’s salt spray; who chase the crests of waves; and who marvel at the mysteries of the big blue.

Time: 7.30pm Tickets: from £11 Tel: 01295 402199 oceanfilmfestival.co.uk

6 - 11 September Wisley Flower Show Say goodbye to summer with this spectacular floral extravaganza featuring more than 55 nurseries, the National Dahlia Society Show and countless floral displays.

RHS Wisley Tel: 08452 609000 rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley exhibitions

What’s On September charity

4 September Polesden Lacey Mrs Greville’s Donkey Derby and Family Fun Day is jointly organised by the National Trust and Leatherhead & District Lions Club.

Over 6,000 people attended last year and this year it promises to be another fun-filled event.

Gates open 10am - First race 11am Free entrance to house and gardens leatherheadlions.co.uk

12 surreyoccasions.co.uk

f e s t i va l s

17 September Haslemere Food Festival Free bites of local cheeses, pies, and chutneys, and sips of ale and sparkling Surrey wines at this foodie festival, now in its tenth year.

Tel: 01428 645425 haslemere.com/foodfestival t h e at r e

14 September Stick Man Scamp Theatre adapts author Julia

Donaldson’s children’s classic with a trio of top actors, puppetry, songs and funky moves.

G Live Price: £12 To book: 01483 369350 glive.co.uk/online/allevents c o m e dy

17 September Comedy Club 4 Kids G Live Cracking family entertainment from the UK’s best comedians for every one over six years old, and under 150.

Until 25 September Surrey Sculpture Society Trail More than 50 traditional and contemporary artworks for sales from some of the South East’s best sculptors Tel: 08452 609000 rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 29 September Dorking Museum & Heritage Centre Dorking 1916 Special exhibition to commemorate The Great War with a focus on the home front.

Time: 10am-4pm Price: Adult: £2.00, concessions £1.00, under fives free, family tickets £4.50 Tel: 01306 876591 dorkingmuseum.org.uk ta l k s

15 September Sue Perkins Live!

SO What’s On A rare chance to enjoy an evening with the cake show star, ‘Have I Got News For You’ regular and author of the memoir Spectacles.

G Live Price: £26.00 To book: 01483 369350 glive.co.uk/online/allevents

The late Dave Salmon lived in Guildford all his life and chronicled the town’s changing landscape with the camera he always carried. David Rose and Geoff Burch discuss his startling images.

To book: 01483 562142 Price: free

22 September Joan Collins Unscripted Dame Joan reveals her stories and secrets, and answers audience questions about her long, illustrious career.

G Live Prices: £26; £40.50; £56 To book: 01483 369350 glive.co.uk/online/allevents

a rt

28 September Dave Salmon: a man and his camera

10-11 September Arts & Crafts museum Watts Gallery Artists’ Village is offering a series of free activities including Lincout Lives On, an exhibition of contemporary prints, co-curated by Cath Kidston and Gwen Hughes, all available to purchase.

Down Lane, Compton Tel: 01483 81023 Wattsgallery.org.uk DON ’ T MISS !

October t h e at r e

8-30 October Grimms’ Fairy Tales Award-winning Shakespeare company bring a brand new adaptation of a selection of the classic tales, staged in an antique Flemish Spiegel tent in Stoke Park.

Prices: from £16.50 (children); £80 family (three adults; two children) guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk f e s t i va l s

9-16 October Guildford Book Festival Now in its 27th year, the festival takes place in venues across the town.

Tel: 01483 563562 Guildfordbookfestival.co.uk wa l k s

7 October Venture Through the Quaking Mire Join Jamel Guenioui for a journey across the diverse wetlands, river meadows and grasslands of Thundry Meadows in Elstead.

Booking essential, and wellies advised!

Meeting point: Mill Pub car park, Farnham Road Price: adults £4, children £1 Tel: 07817 166730 27 October Explore the Commons!

An early autumnal wildlife walk around the habitats of Royal, Bagmoor and Guinea Commons in Elstead Time: 10am-1pm Price: adults £4; children £1 To book: 07891 850892 ta l k s

24–29 October Stepping Out Richmond Theatre Amanda Holden leads a star-studded cast in this wonderfully funny and heart-warming comedy which charts the lives of seven women and one man attempting to tap their troubles away at a weekly dancing class. Initially all thumbs and left feet, the group is just getting to grips with the basics when they are asked to take part in a charity gala. Directed by three time Olivier-Award winner Maria Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along) and adapted for the stage by prolific stage and television writer Richard Harris (Outside Edge, A Touch of Frost).

Tel: 0844 871 7620 Richmondtheatre.net

1 October Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford Fresh from presenting the Olympics in Rio, Clare Balding will launch her first children’s book: The Racehorse That Wouldn’t Gallop. There will be a Q&A session and the chance to get your book signed.

Time: 3pm Price: £12 (£20 OTD) Tel: 01483 44 0000 yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 19 October Twins in Science Sarah of TwinsUK will give an insight into the importance of twins in science, and discuss the

similarities and differences between identical and non-identical twins to estimate the importance of genetic and environmental influences in common conditions such as diabetes and asthma.

Guildford Institute Time: 2.45pm – 3.45pm Price: free To book: 01483 562142 c o m e dy

6 October Pete Firman: TriX The Electric Theatre, Guildford The “UK’s leading comedy magician” (Time Out) Pete Firman has a brand new, jaw-dropping show.

Tickets: £15.50 To book: 01483 444789 electrictheatre.co.uk nat u r e

10 October – 7 November Flower Arranging for Autumn The aim of this course is to create a different floral autumnal arrangement each week, using a range of techniques and styles.

Time: 10am to 12pm Price: £50 for the course To book: 01483 562142 music

6 October – 3 November It’s Never Too Late – A LightHearted Introduction to the World of Classical Music The Guildford Institute All you need for this course is a love of music and the desire to find out more: no need to be able to read music.

Price: £62.50 To book: 01483 562142 guildford-institute-org.uk 29 October Epworth Choir The choristers will be singing their hearts out and raising money for Transform Housing and Support at the same time.

St Dunstan’s Church Woking Time: 7.30pm To book: 01483 768136 epiworthchoir.org a rt s a n d c r a f t s

2 October Harvest Home Dapdune Wharf Autumnal crafts, Morris dancing and apple pressing beside the river with a bonfire from 12pm, where you can pick your own baked

@SurreyOccasions 13

SO What’s On potatoes and toast marshmallows.

And you get to try will weaving, too!

Time: 11am to 4pm Price: Normal admission, plus £2.50 per child activity Tel: 01483 561389 Nationaltrust.org.uk/riv

A woodland and heathland walk on Addington Hills for fungi, the rotters of the natural world. Meet at the car park on Addington Hill off Shirley Hills Road.

Price: adults £4; children £1.

To book: 020 8651 0073

15-16 October Festival of Crafts 2016 Farnham Maltings Part of Farnham Craft Month, and now in its 20th year, this contemporary festival showcases work from a selection of the UK’s leading designers and makers.

Time: 10am – 5pm Price: £3; under 5s are free Tel: 01252 75444 craft.farnhamaltings.com

19 November Copse and Loggers How do we balance the needs of bats, invertebrates and forests at Fir Tree Copse. Find out with a range on this late autumn walk around a Wealden woodland Price: adults £4; children £1 To book: 07968 832504

November wa l k s

6 November Addington Hills Fungus Foray

ta l k s

16 November Deer in Surrey White Hart Barn, Godstone Illustrated talk by Surrey Wildlife Trust chief executive Nigel Davenport Price: adults £3; children are free To book: 01883 345020

shows

fa i r s

1-5 November Gangsta Granny New Wimbledon Theatre The producers of Horrible Histories bring David Walliam’s best-selling book Gansta Granny to the stage.

Staying with Granny will never be the same.

Times: 7pm, Wed & Fri 10.30am, Thu 1.30pm, Sat 2.30pm Tickets from £22.50 Tel: 0844 871 7646 atgtickets.com

12 November Christmas Craft Fair Rural Life Centre Tilford, Farnham A selection of traditional and modern crafts on demonstration plus unique gifts for sale.

Admission free Tel: 01252 795571 rural-life.co.uk

4 November An Evening of Burlesque Camberley Theatre The producers of the UK’s biggest touring burlesque show, An Evening of Burlesque, bring the traditional art form up to date with this all-new theatre show.

Time: 7.30pm Tickets: £22 Conces: £20.00 1 in 10 go free.

Booking: 01276 707600 camberleytheatre.biz

f e s t i va l s

18-19 November Caterham Beer Festival Soper Hall This year is the fourth installment of this annual event which is only stumbling distance form Caterham station. As well as raising your glass you’ll be raising money for good causes.

Admission: £5.00 (includes a souvenir glass) caterhambeerfestival.com

DON ’ T MISS !

25 November

Cricketing tales come to Cranleigh Having already extended their hugely successful tour once this year, Blowers and Backers are taking to the road again this Autumn due to popular demand. Rogues on the Road is crammed full of even more wonderful (and occasionally outrageous) anecdotes from two extensive careers spent broadcasting around the globe. Bastions of the beloved Test Match Special with over 80 years in the commentary box and touring the globe between them, Henry and Peter have some great tales to tell. Between them they’ve seen plenty of shenanigans across the years and across the globe, so come ready to be shocked and entertained by good men behaving badly.

Time: 8.00pm Tickets: £20.00 Box Office: 01483 278 000 cranleighartscentre.org

14 surreyoccasions.co.uk

SO What’s On

All images © Claire Vincent

DON ’ T MISS !

1–2 October

See the wood from the trees See rural crafts in action at this year’s Surrey Hills Wood Fair at the Birtley Estate in Bramley. The fair takes place on the first weekend of October and promises to be a day out with a difference Each year the Surrey Hills Wood Fair gets bigger and better yet retains the traditional charm of a rural day out in the Surrey Hills for all the family. This year you’ll discover a range of interesting stalls to browse and buy from as well as great local produce and a variety of refreshment stands including a beer tent! The Surrey and Sussex Coppice workers will be demonstrating their skills and there will be opportunities to buy a whole host of wood products.

Carrie White, events manager for Surrey Hills Enterprises, a Community Interest Company (CIC) who organise the Wood Fair comments: “The Surrey Hills Wood Fair offers something for everyone and we encourage families to come and enjoy a different day out in the Surrey Hills. Discover rural crafts, see working vintage machinery, sample delicious Surrey produce, enjoy horse and cart rides and even climb a tree – there really is something for everyone!”

Entertainment is big on the agenda this year and there is a host of local bands co-ordinated by the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford as well as the ever popular horse and wagon rides and chainsaw demonstrations. There’s a big focus on families with lots for children from, craft making and animal attractions to theatre shows courtesy of the Man in the Moon Theatre Tent. And to help the squeezed budgets of many families the Wood Fair is FREE for children under 12.

Tickets are priced at £10 on the gate and can be purchased at the discounted rate of £7.50 in advance on-line at surreyhillswoodfair.co.uk. The fair also welcomes dogs on leads and parking is free.

Times: 10am – 5pm.

Visit: surreyhillswoodfair.co.uk

@SurreyOccasions 15

SO Traditions

Reaping what we sow Fruit and vegetables, corn dollies, happy childhood memories and a bit of a knees-up.

We refer, of course, to the Harvest Festival and there’s no better place to enjoy it than in Surrey

16 surreyoccasions.co.uk

SO Traditions

A rural celebration The celebration of the annual harvest dates back to Pagan times.

But modern food production and our reliance on imported food produce has widened the gap between our understanding of our food’s providence and what we put on our table.

Yet in many communities across the county, particularly in churches and schools, the tradition of harvest time still carries on, usually by bringing in produce from the garden, allotment or indeed the supermarket and distributing it among the poor and senior citizens of the local community, or using it to raise awareness of those in the developing world where growing crops is a struggle.

Harvest comes from the Old English word ‘hoerfest’, meaning ‘autumn’ and refers to the season for gathering grain and other produce. The full moon nearest the autumn equinox is called the harvest moon and the Sunday nearest this moon became the day of celebration. Not only did farmers, their families and all who had helped with the harvest feast on their own produce, they danced and sang; a welcome break from working the land.

Harvest celebrations pre-date Christianity, yet it has always been seen as a spiritual time. Some farmers believed that a spirit resided in the last sheaf of grain to be harvested. The grain was beaten to the ground to chase away the spirit. Other farmers used the last sheaf to make a corn dolly, which would take the place of honour on the table and be kept until the spring to bring luck to the new crop. The horse bringing in the last cart load was decorated with garlands of flowers and colourful ribbons and it was common to hear shouts of celebration as the final grain was cut.

Harvest celebrations are not all about the successful completion of the main harvest from the land. There are festivals across the UK that give thanks for the fishing seasons too, with the first salmon caught being gifted to the local vicar. Lammas day, or Loaf Mass is the day to celebrate bread and on the 1 August local farmers would take a freshly baked loaf to church to celebrate the first reaping of the crops. St Michael’s Mass, also known as Michaelmas, is the 29 September and celebrates the end of the productive season in farming. During the Middle Ages, a huge religious feast would take place, market stalls would spring up, prayers would be said and games would be played.

While the emphasis of the harvest festival has changed, we should all still take time, over the coming weeks to stop and thank those responsible for putting food on our table: the bees and butterflies pollinating our flowers, the cattle grazing the meadows, the farmer who works from dawn to dusk and the shop who sells farmers’ produce are all to thank. The full meaning behind traditions may be fading, but the work they entail carries on.

Loseley Park

The Surrey County Agricultural Society has its own day of celebration with the Surrey Game and Country Fair – a day incorporating all things rural, including local food, drink and crafts.

Hosted in the stunning and tranquil setting of Loseley Park near Guildford on the 25 September, the Surrey Game and Country Fair is a fantastic opportunity for the whole family to experience many elements of rural life.

The fair brings together all manner of rural activities, including a have-a-go shoot, gun dogs, fishing, falconry and hounds. There will be terrier and ferret racing, a pigeon release and vintage tractors on display. Spectacular main ring entertainment, a food hall, food theatre and farmers’ market will run alongside children’s activities – there is something for everyone.

On the same day, close to Loseley Park is the County Ploughing Match, a true rural spectacle with modern and vintage tractors, majestic heavy horses and horticultural hand ploughs working the land under the watchful eye of the judges. A sight not to be missed.

The Surrey Game and Country Fair is on Sunday 25 September and opens at 9am. Tickets start at £4.50 for a child and £8.00 for an adult. Entry for under 5’s is free.

Entry to the ploughing match only, is free. For more details on how you can celebrate autumn, the harvest and the benefits we all reap, visit: surreygamecountryfair.co.uk The Surrey County Agricultural Society is a charity dedicated to promoting farming and agriculture across the county.

competition

Tickets for The Surrey Game and Country Fair for the whole family!

SO has two family tickets up for grabs worth £27.00 each for the Surrey Game and Country Fair on Sunday 25 September. A family ticket admits two adults and two children.

WIN!

To enter visit our competition page online at: surreyoccasions.co.uk Winners will be chosen at random and the closing date is 16 September 2016.

@SurreyOccasions 17

Albury Vineyard

SO Food & Drink

Pick Albury Vineyard

Food & drink editor, Olivia Greenway, selects some of the county’s finest artisan food producers

18 surreyoccasions.co.uk

of the Surrey crop Surrey has a wealth of independent food and drink producers, but by their nature, they are often small or very new, so they can be a bit under our radar. You may be surprised to find that a little gem is just around the corner from where you live. Nearly all of these companies can supply directly online, but most encourage you to visit. So do pop in to see them – they’d love to welcome you.

SO Food & Drink

Norbury Blue Norbury Cheese was set up by dairy farmer couple Neil and Michaela Allam in 2001. Norbury Blue farmhouse cheese is the only cheese made in Surrey. The closed Friesian herd graze on meadows beside the River Mole below Boxhill and then go to be milked twice a day. Michaela tells SO: “Our cheese is unique but I’d say it’s a cross between a stilton and a continental blue. We make it from fresh milk produced on that day. It has a natural rind and is suitable for vegetarians. The family-size truckles weigh about 600gm.” Norbury Blue is supplied to quality food outlets, farmers’ markets and restaurants in Surrey and beyond. This lovingly handmade artisan product is not available in supermarkets. See their website for more stockist information.

Visit: norburyblue.co.uk

Tillingbourne Brewery Founder Steve Dodd had to quickly go from competent home brewer to commercial producer when he bought beer machinery from Old Scotland Farm near Shere and decided to base his planned micro-brewery there. From first setting eyes on the site in July 2011 to producing their first beer in November that year, it was a steep learning curve and lots of hard work. But with his partner Lee Nicholls, an old school friend, the pair made their dream of producing excellent beer a reality. Their signature is a beer bursting with flavour and heavy on hops. Most popular are ANOB, The Source and Falls Gold, the latter winning the Golden Ale Champion trophy of The South East in the CAMRA awards 2013-2014. Tom Wright, their brewer and drayman told SO: “We supply local pubs and restaurants within about a twenty mile radius.

You can sample up to seven varieties at a selection of local pubs, or come here and try it for yourself. We sell all sizes up to party casks, holding 72 pints. Supplied with cradle and tapping kit, they are perfect for parties and weddings.” Open to visitors on Fridays from 1pm to 6.30pm and Saturdays 10am to 3.30pm.

Visit: tillybeer.co.uk

Albury Organic Vineyard Albury Organic planted their 12 acres of vines in 2009. In 2011, they had their first rosé and in 2014, that year’s vintage won gold at the United Kingdom Vineyards Association Wine of the Year competition. Their sparkling wines use the same production method as Champagne. Matured for two years, in 2015 their first vintage of Albury Estate Premier Cuvée won silver at the UKVA Wine of the Year competition. Albury Estate Classic Cuvée and Albury Blanc de Blancs followed with sparkling Silent Pool rosé the latest addition. Owner Nick Wenman – who lives nearby – is fulfilling an almost life-long dream of one day owning a vineyard. He told SO, “We are very small and only sell into the organic market and Surrey.

English sparkling wines have won more awards in the past five years than Champagne and are competing with it head-on. Our wines are enjoyed at Le Manoir, Claridges, Drakes in Ripley and Lime Wood. Production of English wine is set to double over the next five years. Ironically, the English weather is good for sparkling wine production: it needs a cool climate; we have similar terroir – clay on chalk; and lastly we now have very skilled professionals working in the business. English wine is a top quality product.” Readers can test this for themselves by visiting the vineyard on Saturdays from 11am to 4pm, for tasting and purchasing.

Visit: alburyvineyard.com

@SurreyOccasions 19

SO Food & Drink

Silent Pool Distillers Silent Pool is a local beauty spot on the main A25 road from Guildford to Dorking. Who would have thought that the crystal clear water here would be the inspiration for a distillery? Silent Pool Distillers has only been established since late 2014, yet is already causing a stir, winning a Taste of the South East award for its Silent Pool Gin in March 2015. The company then won three awards at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in July and a gold award at IWSC in August. 2016 has been just as busy, with a gin developed especially for HM The Queen – English Rose Gin – to mark her 90th Birthday. Ian McCollouch, founder and Surrey resident told SO: “We have a lot of exciting news this year. The latest product is rye vodka, which we are selling as ‘Wry Vodka’.

More of our popular pop-up dining events with Surrey Spice are planned here at the distillery. Our hour-and-a-half distillery tours with a talk run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm and include a tasting. You can book a tour and buy all our products online, or in Waitrose and Majestic nationwide. But best of all, come and see us at Silent Pool.” Distillery shop is open seven days a week: 9am to 5pm during the week and 10am to 4pm at weekends.

Visit: silentpooldistillers.com

AuBel Chocolate Natasha Sutton’s artisan chocolates, made in small batches to order, are unique. “I’d never been given a box of chocolates I really liked, so I decided to make my own – the sort that I would want to buy.”

Her 15 years working for Cadburys and Green and Blacks, have stood her in good stead. As she is involved in the production from start to finish, she has an overall eye on the quality. “Any fillings I use in my chocolates are derived from the natural ingredients themselves. I don’t use oils or essences.” Natasha only set up AuBel in 2014, but she’s already won a bronze, silver and gold award from the Academy of Chocolate and more recently a silver award from the International Chocolate Awards. Natasha will deliver locally, within five miles of her home in Ashtead or you can order online.

You may also buy a selection at Greenwise in Ashtead and Fetcham.

Shelf life of AuBel chocolates is about two to three weeks, if they are kept cool, and the bars for up to three months. It’s unlikely they will be resisted for that long.

Visit:aubelchocolate.com

The Harry Pie Store Claude Harry and his wife Jenny have been making their delicious pies in Twickenham since 1986. The secret of the pies is the light and crumbly melt-in-your-mouth shortcrust pastry with six tasty fillings: poached salmon and dill; carrot with ginger; tomato and mozzarella; mushroom; leek; provençal. The ready-to-bake artisan frozen pies are sold in pairs and have no artificial colourings, flavourings or additives. The delicate pies are perfect for buffets and go well with salads. Jenny tells SO: “Although our pies may be cooked straight from frozen, I recommend defrosting first and then cooking in a moderate oven for ten to twelve minutes. They are sold in most farm shops in Surrey including Priory Farm, Secretts and Garsons and several delicatessens including Village Greens.

Some are stocked in Waitrose in Banstead and Egham. We make a watercress special with smoked trout for Kingfisher Farm Shop (famed for its watercress beds) and this variety is also stocked in Ripley and Priory Farm.”

20

RETIREMENT APARTMENTS FOR SALE

CAMBERLEY - Stokes Lodge, Park Lane OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

CATERHAM - Caterham Lodge, Stafford Road • OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

Visit us and re ceive a £15 Marks & Spencer* gift card!

Thinking Retirement...

Think Churchill.

FARNHAM - Hawthorn Lodge, Longbridge OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

Living in a beautiful Churchill Retirement Living apartment really makes a lot of sense when the time comes to considering retirement options.

Secure, worry-free, with a social life to join in with when you want, and all whilst remaining independent – our Owners often wish they’d moved here years ago!

LEATHERHEAD - Emmeline Lodge, Kingston Avenue • OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

Our Lodges are conveniently located close to local shops and amenities – and with our experience and award-winning personal service, it could be easier than you think to make that move.

Make the first move towards Churchill Retirement Living today – you’ll be surprised how easy it can be.

WALTON-ON-THAMES - Ash Lodge, Churchfield Road • OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

ADDED PEACE OF MIND • Lodge Manager • Owners’ Lounge • Guest Suite for friends and family • Landscaped gardens†

• 24-hour support • CCTV security entrance system • Parking • Lift to all floors

WARLINGHAM - Greenacres Lodge, Limpsfield Road • OPEN DAILY 10am – 5pm

Call TODAY to find out more

0800 458 1851

Visit churchillretirement.co.uk † Selected developments benefit from landscaped gardens. Computer generated imagery subject to change. *One member of the party must be aged 60 or over and take a tour of the Show Complex to quality for the gift card. This incentive is applicable to first time visitors on or before 18th November 2016 to listed developments only. One gift card per visiting party.

Home is at the heart of your retirement

FOLLOW US

SO Food & Drink

FOOD & DRINK ROUND-UP Food & drink editor, Olivia Greenway serves up the latest foodie news from around the county

Sainsbury’s to stock Surrey wine invention

Baker boy win New baking sensation, Jack Sturgess of ‘Bake with Jack’ has won the Local Hero category in the Fantastic British Food Festivals’ new Fantastic Food Stars competition. The overall winner will be revealed on 18 September by Great British Bake-off winner Nadiya Hussain at the Sandown Park Food Festival.

Jack, who is based in Camberley, knew he wanted to work in food from a very early age. After an eight-year career in professional kitchens he launched Bake with Jack in 2013. Bake with Jack is the realisation of his dream of teaching people to bake in their own homes – and showing that homemade bread is achievable in any location.

Jack visits with all the ingredients and equipment and clears up afterwards.

All you have to do is enjoy learning about baking bread.

Jack says: “I put all my energy into Bake with Jack, and work very hard to make my baking courses super special every time.” bakewithjack.co.uk

An innovative food flavouring created by a Surrey businessman has hit the shelves of Sainsbury’s with the help of a Start-Up Loan and a successful pitch to the supermarket giant. Just Add Wine sachets contain the concentrated equivalent of a 175ml glass of full-bodied red wine, meaning anyone home cooking can add a dash to a dish without having to open a full bottle. Inventor Neil Osborne is based in Weybridge and says that Just Add Wine was born out of his own frustration when cooking at home for friends and family.

“It was clear there was a huge gap in the market.

Getting through the door with Sainsbury’s was the real challenge. But I did and they loved it. Before we knew it, we were in production.”

The Talbot in Ripley is now preparing to launch a feast ‘Fit for a Queen’, cooked by award-winning Two Star Michelin Chef Martin Blunos. Having cooked for Elizabeth II on the event of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, Martin will recreate the dishes enjoyed

by Her Majesty to the letter, along with a very special Silent Pool Rose Gin Cocktail.

The Hand and Spear, Weybridge has opened twelve boutique guest bedrooms, handy if you fancy a weekend escape or a night somewhere different. Of course, the big attraction here is the food. Seasonal and British, it is locally sourced where possible. The Aberdeen beef is Surrey reared; the duck is cured and fish smoked by the kitchen on the premises. They also grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Handandspear.com

Blending for busy people

Call to the bar!

The Jetty Seafood Bar and Grill restaurant has opened at Alexander Terrace, Guildford in the new Guildford Harbour Hotel, following success with similar concepts in Dorset and Devon. As well as fish dishes, vegetarian and vegan options, there is a set two- or three-course lunch and early

Pub with rooms

supper price. Living up to its name, the Long Bar boasts the well, longest–bar outside London at 120ft. Naturally, there is a dedicated daily changing cocktail list with skilled mixologists crafting their magic. Microbrewery beers and a decent wine list also feature.

Guildford-harbour-hotel.co.uk

The menu will be served both for lunch on 19 October 2016 (priced at £29 per person) and dinner on 21 October 2016 (priced at £60 per person to include canapés on arrival, as well as champagne and additional dessert courses).

To book, tel: 01483 225188 or email events@thetalbotripley.com

Is your blender languishing at the back of the kitchen cupboard after an initial flurry of activity? If, like most people’s it is, then the Natural Blender smoothie subscription is for you. Each Saturday, Natural Blender will deliver five new smoothie recipes with the exact amount of preportioned ingredients to make 10 nutrition packed smoothies, straight to your door. As well as fresh fruit and veg, your box will contain a whole host of super foods, such as bok choy, figs, coconut water, hemp seeds or maca powder! All you have to do is blend, drink and feel a whole lot better for it! £24.50 per box. naturalblender.com

22 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Showrooms: 78 & 82 Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8DL • Telephone: 01932 856850 • www.whw.co.uk

SO Charities

Giving horses another chance Mane Chance Sanctuary welcomed over 500 people to their farm on their big Open Day in August. Young and old were kept busy with plenty of stalls, a wide variety of foods, Axeman and his chainsaw, apple pressing, junior judo demonstrations from Kimesanchin Martial Arts Club, merchandise of every kind and all to the background music of the Backbeat Beaters band.

However, the highlight of the day were the tours of the horses given by James French and Jenny Seagrove. James is the Equine Consultant at Mane Chance, a charity founded in 2011 by actress Jenny Seagrove, that rescue and rehabilitate old, abused and abandoned horses. The 47 acre site in Compton, Surrey is a vast oasis of peace and tranquillity and currently home to 29 residents.

The horses are integrated within the local community and the sanctuary regularly welcomes terminally ill, special needs and under privileged young people to visit and spend some time with them, often with breathtaking results.

The charity have just completed building a Respite Barn which will allow these visits to take place throughout the winter as the barn is large enough to accommodate the horses and their human friends. Funded by grants and assisted by the generosity of numerous local suppliers and some incredibly dedicated volunteers, the barn was opened by the lovely Gillian Wright, best known for her portrayal of hugely popular Jean Slater in EastEnders.

Founder, Jenny Seagrove, said: ‘To be able to officially open our Respite Barn was a highlight for me. This facility means, amongst other things, that if they want to visit us 365 days a year, then the team from Shooting Star Chase hospice and many other groups, will be able to. The joy their children get from being with our little Shetlands is quite wonderful. I’m so grateful to all the foundations, companies and individuals who have made this important addition to our facilities a reality. We look forward to being able to help horses help people.”

More and more horses are being abused, abandoned and put to sleep as their costs grow and receiving no government assistance, the future of Mane Chance relies mainly on donations and fundraising events. They will be holding four such events over the coming months, so please look out for them and support them if you can:

Surrey Occasions had the pleasure of attending the Mane Chance Sanctuary Open Day in Compton in August to see the unveiling of the sanctuary’s new Respite Barn

Actresses Jenny Seagrove and Gillian Wright (Gillian played Jean Slater in EastEnders) at the opening of the Respite Barn

f o rt h c o m i n g f u n d r a i s e r s

12 October

An Evening with Pete Howarth at Loseley House 26th October

A 5-a-side soccer challenge in association with Richmond Hyundai at Merrist Wood College 7 December

Annual Christmas Lunch at Guildford Harbour Hotel 11 December

Christmas Carols at Church of St Peter & St Paul

24 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Inside the Respite Barn

Visit our website to see owner and actress, Jenny Seagrove, talking about the charity and East Enders actress, Gillian Wright opening the new Respite Barn. Visit: surreyoccasions.co.uk If you would like to support the charity in other ways by donation, sponsoring a horse or volunteering, you can find all the relevant details on their website. manechancesanctuary.org

SO Weddings

THE WEDDING EDIT Surrey Occasion’s round-up of the latest wedding know-how, news and fashion

Wise Up

Lydia and David Cox celebrating their own wedding in 2012

Anyone planning a wedding knows how difficult it is to choose suppliers.

No-one wants to be let down on their big day. Well, a Surrey couple have now come to the rescue with Be Wedding Wise, the UK’s first ever reviews based wedding directory.

The newly betrothed can visit the site to search across 20 different categories for reputable, trustworthy wedding suppliers.

The company was set-up by Lydia and David Cox after realising that, while there was an abundance of resources for sourcing suppliers, there wasn’t anywhere that you could read trusted reviews. “We wanted to create one simple website where client reviews were mandatory and, most importantly, independently verified ensuring the hard work of validating suppliers was taken care of,” says Lydia.

Wedding suppliers sign up to become a Be Wedding Wise member where they pay a monthly, or annual subscription fee, and create an online company profile. Be Wedding Wise has a strict policy of only accepting suppliers as permanent members once they have received a minimum of two verified customer reviews, the only site in the UK insisting upon this verification process.

Every customer testimonial is read by the Be Wedding Wise team before being made live.

The Be Wedding Wise team personally call, or research online, to check their authenticity.

Once suppliers become permanent members, future reviews are randomly spot-checked to ensure continuous credibility.

Lydia says it’s alarming how many horror stories they have been told about unreliable suppliers. “Make-up artists texting in sick on the morning of the wedding, catering companies closing down just weeks before a wedding, cake orders being completely forgotten about - the list goes on,” she says. “All of these things can be avoided by doing your due diligence before choosing your suppliers. It’s critical to research your suppliers thoroughly, ask lots of questions and most importantly get a signed contract.”

n o t j u s t a g i r l’ s best friend

These stunning white gold and diamond gentleman’s ring sets from Clarkes Jewellers in Sutton, prove that the groom needn’t be left out when it comes to having a beautiful wedding band to show off. As well as stocking top brands, Clarkes also has an onsite workshop and will work with a couple to design a completely bespoke product. Visit: clarkesjewellers.co.uk

for modern mothers

Jaques Vert has some fabulous fresh new looks for Mothers of the Bride for the next season, including this classic suit in a subtle neutral shade.

Jacket £149.00, skirt, £79.00. Hat: Rachel Trevor Morgan £129.00

Visit: beweddingwise.co.uk

@SurreyOccasions 25

SO Weddings

Surrey Wedding

Robert Hooper

Sarah and Dominic Hart got married at Bookham Baptist church and chose the beautiful historic venue of Loseley Park for their barn reception. The venue was given lots of personal style touches that made the day their own

Venue Styling: Quirkiful Events Sweetie Table Bakery: Natasha Allwood through Quirkiful Events Lanterns: Busy Bee Events Official Photographer: Robert Hooper

The groom proposed on 16 June 2015 whilst the couple were on a weekend away in Bath. The bride wore a fishtail lace dress by Mori Lee from Love Me Do bridal shop in Kingston Upon Thames and the bridesmaid’s dresses from Coast.

The couple knew they wanted a colourful scheme with cornflower blue.

Busy Bee Events provided beautiful lanterns that hung over the barns dance floor.

Quirkiful Events, also based in Bookham, provided a bespoke paper fan backdrop to the top table, custom made bunting on the entrance table, decorated jam jars, hand painted signage in the font used on

Florist: NDSF Thistles

something blue

Add a smattering of blue to your wedding outfit with these beautifully bohemian ‘Violet’ modern Mary-Jane style shoes from Freya Rose, which are trimmed with opal and blue Swarovski crystals. The shoes even have a special memory foam lining to keep you comfortable until the early hours. Price: £365 visit: freyarose.com

Catering: Caper & Berry Wedding Cake: Liz Brown of Betty Bakes

the invites, a sweetie table in the theme of American football team the Steelers and prop hire to suit their scheme Flowers were provided by Vanessa Ali Shah of NDSF Thistles in Ashtead, and the brides Godmother also created the floral centre pieces around a birdcage for each table, which worked wonderfully.

Matt Lincoln

c o o l c at e r i n g

Moodboard colour scheme and invites designed by the couple were a great starting point for suppliers

26 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Ashtead-based Four Gable Events prides itself on offering something different on the catering front. Most popular are their food stations, each serving a different national cuisine.

Cocktails are one of their specialities though and with a unique twist. Take a look at these fab cocktail ice lollies, perfect to help your guests chill at a summer wedding. fourgablesevents.com

Specialise in

and other fabulous labels.

Beautiful Personally Designed Wedding & Engagement Rings by Diamond specialist & Gemmologist Louise Claydon Call or email us for your personal free consultation

One of the best collections for Mother of the Bride, Groom and guests with hats, fascinators & bags to match.

020 8643 8797 info@clarkesjewellers.co.uk www.clarkesjewellers.co.uk

www.serendipityfashions.co.uk Tel: 01483 577475 Open 10am to 5pm Tues - Sat 52 New Road | Chilworth | Guildford | Surrey | GU4 8LU

competition

WIN!

A pampering spa day at Norton Park Hotel in Winchester Unwind in luxurious surroundings on this indulgent Spa Day in Winchester.

The winner and their guest will be invited to spend the day in the picturesque country spa at Norton Park Hotel, set amongst 54 acres of glorious Winchester countryside. You’ll enjoy a full day making use of the spa and health club facilities – including pool, sauna, steam room and dedicated spa lounge – before an indulgent 60 minutes of pure pampering, as you’ll be able to pick from a choice of luxury ESPA treatments each. A two course lunch dining in style at one of the hotels exquisite restaurants, each with seasonal specials and stunning views of the hotel grounds completes the day. The perfect treat of relaxation!

To enter visit: surreyoccasions.co.uk and click on the link to the competitions page Entries close on 30 October 2016

SO Travel Motoring Holidays

Travels with a Trabant Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 but in places it still feels like the 1950s. So what better way to explore it than in a classic car from that era – the trusty Trabant. With a top speed of around 50mph, you won’t be going very fast but, says David McConnell – that’s not really the point

David McConnell and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

28 surreyoccasions.co.uk

It’s early afternoon and the sun is high, sending temperatures into the 80s and Guildford-born Neil Penn and I are embarking on a week long, 750-mile drive across the interior of Bulgaria.

Outside, a vast mountain range dominates the sun-kissed skyline. Below it, lies a vast, gently undulating blanket of happy sunflowers. It feels like we are the only tourists here. And there’s barely a car on the road. Except for us and the affectionately-known, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, our trusty Trabant that will be our transport for the next seven days.

Neil, who had lived in and around Surrey all his life, fell in love with Bulgaria twelve years ago when he decided to buy and re-build a couple of ramshackle barns and disused houses in the remote village of Gostilitsa.

He now lives there permanently and determined to show-off of this lesser known corner of Europe, decided to set up a classic car holiday business. Classic car enthusiasts can now explore the beauty of the Balkans in one of Neil’s fleet of Trabants or ‘Trabbie’ as they are also known, taking in beautiful UNESCO heritage sites, vineyards and dramatic mountain passes along the way.

The Communist-era Trabant first hit the streets in 1957. With a reputation for being slow, basic and noisy, it would not be everyone’s first choice for a classic car.

But being the Eastern European people’s car, it really wouldn’t make sense to tour this former Communist country in anything else.

“It’s a an incredibly robust vehicle,” says Neil. “And there’s a real connection with the people it was designed to serve. Plus the pace of life is much slower here. What’s the rush? Just sit back and enjoy the scenery.”

SO Travel Motoring Holidays

Views across to Veliko Tarnovo the ancient capital of Bulgaria

With a gear stick protruding from the steering column, no power steering and brakes that seem to take an age to respond, mastering the Trabant is a little like learning to drive all over again. And yes, it is slow (top speed is about 50 mph).

Having mastered our ‘Trabbie’, we quickly (well fairly quickly) set off. Our journey begins in the capital, Sofia, close to Bulgaria’s Western border with Macedonia and Serbia.

A typically bustling, historic European city with a pedestrianised boulevard at its heart, it offers plentiful outdoor eating and drinking. I’d recommend taking a free walking tour to get a sense of the city’s intriguing Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and more recent Communist history.

Heading east out of Sofia, within half an hour the countryside begins to reveal itself. With few cars on the road I quickly relax and settle into the drive.

And what jewels there are to discover.

Veliko Tarnovo, the ancient capital of Bulgaria, is a particular gem.

Clinging to the mountain-side, laced with narrow, pretty cobblestone streets and quaint shops, it’s ideal for wandering and taking in the views.

From there our drive takes us up the vertiginous Shipka Pass, a climbing, winding road that tested my mastery of the Trabbie. Cheered on by a group of workmen repairing the road, we took the Trabant up nearly 4,000 ft. to reach the Shipka Monument, the site of Bulgaria’s

If you aren’t tempted by a Trabbie and want to try a different location for a motoring holiday. Here’s a selection both here and abroad South West France in a Citroen 2CV, with Tour de Canard. Car only, book your own accommodation, from 499 Euros for one week. tourdecanard.com Southern India in a Hindustan Ambassador, Vietnam in a Jeep, or Peru in a Toyota with Classic Car Journeys. Car and accommodation included, from £2,500 for two weeks. classiccarjourneys.co.uk The UK in an Austin Healey, Jaguar E-type, MG, Rolls-Royce or Ferrari with Webbs of Weybridge. Car only, book your own accommodation, prices vary. webbsofweybridge.co.uk

Buzludzha – graffiti

@SurreyOccasions 29

SO Travel Motoring Holidays

Buzludzha – the now abandoned conference centre of Bulgaria’s Communist past

Shipka church

most famous battle, from where you can take stock and survey the panoramic mountain views.

Plovdiv, the country’s second city and Europe’s official Capital of Culture in 2019, is another must-see. Head to the old town to see the Roman amphitheatre, still used for concerts and plays, and peruse the

Veliko Tarnovo

30 surreyoccasions.co.uk

bric-a-brac and antique shops lining the Roman-cobbled streets. Walk around any corner and you’re likely to stumble across a pile of Roman ruins, almost casually littered throughout the town.

Striking and fascinating items of Communist history crop up everywhere.

Small villages often have a large missile

or old fighter jet taking centre stage in the village square but nothing quite compares to the massive UFO-shaped conference centre, Buzludzha.

This extraordinary, outrageous piece of brutalist architecture perched on top of a hill was the meeting place for Bulgarian Communist bosses. Now abandoned and covered in graffiti, getting there requires a 20km drive up a winding, pot-holed road but is well worth the effort. Climb the steps and peek inside to get a sense of the arrogance of Communist power.

Our drive also took in Madara Rider, home to a rare 8th century mountainside carving, one of many UNESCO heritage sites. The steep climb to the top was tough but the views match anywhere in Europe.

Bulgaria’s interior has yet to gear up for tourism and driving through its heartland is a voyage of discovery, especially in a Trabant. It’s essentially a wilderness, offering superb vistas and mountain walks accompanied by birds of prey, snakes and even wild bears. In the small towns and villages horses, donkeys and cows amble freely with the cats and dogs.

As for the Bulgarian people, we were welcomed everywhere. Perhaps they liked the fact that two rather odd Englishmen were driving a Trabant, which always elicits a smile and a wave, but I prefer to think Bulgarians are like that with everyone.

If you’re tempted by a motoring adventure and exploring Bulgaria, check tour dates at classiccarholidays.co.uk.

Tours of Romania and Macedonia are also available. Four star hotels along the route are included and booked for you, and your Trabbie comes with fuel, satellite navigation and a mobile phone should you need to contact Neil and his technical support team, Macho and Toncho. All you need to do is book your flights and bring your driving licence. Prices start from £745 for one week (£695 if booked before 16 October).

SURREY CLASSIC VEHICLE CLUB

Surrey Classic Vehicle Gathering & AUTOJUMBLE

Assisted by 3rd Farnham Scouts

Also supporting Alzheimer’s Society

Flypast by RAF Memorial Flight Spitfire or Hurricane *

*Subject to weather and operational conditions

Something for all the family

Over 400 classic and vintage vehicles in the delightful setting of Tilford’s Rural Life Centre Autojumble • Stalls • Crafts • Steam Railway • Free Car Parking • Static Bird Display • Café/Bar with Picnic Area • Period Music played throughout the day • Children’s play area • Wood turning displays

Adults £ 9.50 Over 60s/Concessions £ 8.50 Children (5 - 16) £ 7.00 Family £ 29.00 (2 adults + their children under 16)

Classic Vehicle Owners - Dress in the period of your vehicle Award for ‘Best Dressed’

The Surrey Classic Vehicle Club www.surreyclassicvehicleclub.com The Rural Life Centre www.rural-life.org.uk

Please email surreyclassicvehiclegathering@gmail.com for booking details

competition

WIN!

Young Driver is a groundbreaking driver training scheme, offering driving tuition to 10-17 year olds –so up to seven years before they can legally take to the road. It is the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons and has delivered more than 350,000 lessons at 45 venues across Britain. It’s about having fun, but it’s also helping youngsters become safer drivers, by educating them for longer.

Thirty or sixty minute lessons take place behind the wheel of a dual-controlled SKODA Citigo car, with a highly qualified driving instructor. A whole road system is created to help the drivers learn everything from changing gears and parking to using roundabouts and manoeuvring a slalom.

Vouchers for Young Driver lessons make a great idea for a present for difficult to buy for teens, and Young Driver can also run birthday parties.

For more information on the Young Driver scheme visit: youngdriver.eu or call 0844 371 9010

A young driver lesson at Kempton Park Surrey Surrey Occasions has teamed up with Young Driver to offer five lucky people the chance to win a 30-minute Young Driver lesson, worth £34.95, which can be redeemed at the scheme’s new Surrey venue, Kempton Park.

The winners will each receive a 30-minute lesson at Young Driver’s Kempton Park venue. Driving tuition is also available for young people with disabilities.

To enter visit: surreyoccasions.co.uk and click on the link to the competitions page Entries close on 30 October 2016

Terms and conditions: 1. Five winners will receive a voucher for a 30-minute Young Driver lesson at the Kempton Park venue. The winner can choose a time to suit them from all times/dates available at the time of booking. 2. Vouchers are valid for nine months from date of issue. 3. To take part in Young Driver, the participant must be aged 10 or over and more than 1.4 metres tall. 4. There is no cash alternative for the prize and no alternative will be offered. Prizes are non-transferable.

SO Shopping Supporting Surrey’s High Streets

High Street

Heroes

The Surrey town of Banstead in the borough of Reigate has over 100 shops running along its long High Street. Here’s 12 of our favourites, although there are many more to choose from

Robert Fuller Robert Fuller opened his menswear shop in Banstead High Street in 1953 and moved to its current location in 1959. Now owned by the Chapman family, the store stocks all the top men’s brands for tailored and casual attire, including Armani, Boss and Paul Smith along with more unique brands such as Jacob Cohen, Circle of Gentlemen and True Religion.

Get in touch: 01737 356 789 robert-fuller.co.uk 32 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Ciao Italia The Genco family have been serving up traditional Italian cuisine and hospitality at their restaurant Ciao Italia for over 16 years. On the menu are Italian staples such as risotto, pasta and pizza, as well as extensive meat and fish dishes, beautifully presented and at reasonable prices. Get in touch: 01737 362 569, ciaoitaliabanstead.co.uk

JT Snuggs Jewellers J T Snuggs is a family jewellers which opened in the High Street in 1996. As well as stocking a fine range of jewellery and watches, they also carry out repairs and valuations. They are also members of the National Association of Goldsmiths and the Company of Master Jewellers. Get in touch: 01737 373 764, jtsnuggs.co.uk

Honeysuckle For unique gifts and beautiful accessories, make sure you pop into Honeysuckle. Everything is lovingly displayed from kitchenware to candelabras. They also stock a wide range of jewellery and have a great collection of Danish designs. Get in touch: 01737 370 644

Art of Living Cooks and foodies should make sure you pop into the Art of Living. This family-run business supplying high-quality cookware started out in Reigate 1972 and now has a number of shops in Surrey with the Banstead branch being opened in 2012. All the team are either cooking experts or enthusiasts. And are more than happy to answer your questions whether you want to buy or simply have a browse. Get in touch: 01737 379 870, aolcookshop.co.uk

SO Shopping

Agenda This fashion forward womenswear boutique sells a good selection of modern fashion separates along with pretty accessories such as hats, scarfs and jewellery at some great prices.

You can also take a peek at what’s in store before you visit by going to their website.

Get in touch: 01737 373 634, agenda.fashion

The Beauty Boutique

Boutique Cakery and Patisserie

Take the weight off your feet at The Beauty Boutique for a spot of pampering and preening in one of their four treatment rooms, each with heated couches. Why not try out the Neom Happiness treatment - a combination of guided meditation, reflexology, shiatsu, cranio and Thai massage to decrease stress levels and release endorphins. Get in touch: 01737 850 777, thebeautyboutique.me

Whatever the celebration, the team at the Boutique Cakery will turn your idea into something almost too good to eat. Their creations range from three-tiered fairytale castles for children’s birthdays to unique contemporary wedding cakes or dessert tables full of delectable treats like iced biscuits, French macarons, cakepops and cupcakes. Get in touch: 01737 668 121, boutiquecakery.com

All Saints Church Probably the oldest building near Banstead High Street is All Saints Church (the church orchard is on the High Street) The church hall houses a pre-school and an open-door cafe for coffee, cake and lunches between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Saturday. The church itself is also open for visitors and has a fascinating history. Founded in Anglo Saxon times, it even has a mention in the Domesday Book. It was given a new lease of life in Victorian times by the architect, GE Street, and artist and designer, William Morris, provided one of the windows.

Mad Lilies The team at this Banstead florist are mad about all flowers and foliage – not just lilies. Their style embodies contemporary British floristry with natural palettes of colours, textures and scents from mainly UK flowers and foliages. All designs are created at the studio and retail shop and you can also order online. Apparently, the kettle is always on so you’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome. Get in touch: 01737 356 404, madlilies.co.uk

M & S Carpet & Flooring M & S Carpet & Flooring was founded by Matthew Owston and Steven Wingrove who are both domestic and contract flooring specialists with over 25 years experience between them. The Banstead store has a huge selection of examples of carpet, wood and vinyl floorings to choose from, plus they will come to you home and give you an estimate for free! Get in touch: 01737 360 776, Mandscarpetandflooring.co.uk

Interior Transformation Studio With a growing client base from Ewell to Epsom, this design consultancy can commission everything from elaborate, one-off designs to the complete furnishing of a home. Pop into the showroom for an initial consultation and to discuss your brief and budget. Get in touch: 01737 355 284, interiortransformationstudio.co.uk

@SurreyOccasions 33

SO Shooting Star Chase

Going the extra mile In June 300 walkers got up at the crack of dawn to take part in hospice charity, Shooting Star Chase’s, Sunrise Walk. Between them raised over £43,000. One of those walkers was Leanne Beardsall. Here she explains why doing the walk is so important to her

Leanne and partner hold their lanterns which lit the start of the Sunrise Walk 2016 in memory of her daughter Isabelle

34 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Isabelle Beardsall was born in December 2011 over two months early and spent four weeks on the special baby care unit, where she was feeding well and getting stronger. But it was a few weeks after they came home when her mother, Leanne, spotted worrying signs that something might not be right with her newborn.

“Isabelle’s feeding tube had been taken out and she was gaining weight - she seemed fine. But then one day she didn’t stop screaming, she was refusing to be fed and she was twitching.

I took her to the hospital for some tests and the doctors said she was having seizures and diagnosed her with cerebral palsy. Her condition just got progressively worse and worse from there.

“It wasn’t long before her body was quite rigid and she couldn’t turn her head, she lost her smile, she’d cry constantly throughout the day and night, and the seizures were relentless – she’d have hundreds a day. She couldn’t swallow and her tongue was fixed in a set position so she had to be tube fed again. She’d also have apnoea attacks where she’d go blue and couldn’t breathe.”

Leanne was caring for Isabelle as well as her siblings, Freddie and Faith, who were both under 3 years-old, on an average of one hours sleep a night. Eight months in, with Leanne visibly exhausted and at breaking point, Isabelle’s community nurse suggested they go to Shooting Star Chase for some support. They were referred to Christopher’s – the Guildford-based hospice.

“I was a bit worried about going to the hospice but the nurse reassured me it was somewhere I could have a break and not worry.

I could leave Isabelle with the staff, they knew how to do everything and she would be safe. When we first visited I sat in the car park not knowing if I wanted to take her in. Then I walked in the door and was so surprised. It wasn’t clinical and structured - it was just like a house. I felt so relieved.

“I remember the short break we had there as a family – it was the first time I’d slept for six hours in months. It was brilliant. We also went to Christopher’s Christmas party and Freddie and Faith absolutely loved it. They were coping with so much at home so it was amazing to see them being made a fuss of by the staff and having fun.”

SO Shooting Star Chase

“You wouldn’t think a four year old could get depression but he’d be in his bed crying his eyes out, he had no interest in anything and he’d lash out.”

Not long after Shooting Star Chase started supporting Leanne and her family, Isabelle’s condition started deteriorating rapidly.

“Isabelle wasn’t quite right over Christmas and New Year, and on the 3 January I remember it being a particularly peaceful day.

Isabelle had hardly cried all day and it was a bit eerie - like the calm before the storm. That evening her apnoea alarm went off and we cleared her airway. It sounded again shortly after, which never happened so I knew it was really serious. We reached her cot and she had died. The paramedics tried to resuscitate her and the doctors did the same in the hospital – it was like watching car crash. I wanted to stop looking but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I couldn’t physically move and speak. And the moment they announced her death I screamed and couldn’t get my breath.”

After Isabelle died the family went straight to Christopher’s to stay until her funeral. Isabelle’s body laid in rest in the Mistral Suite at the hospice, a dedicated area where a child can lay at rest, allowing their family to say goodbye in a familiar and supportive environment.

“Isabelle’s birthday was a few days before she had died, and we’d just had her Christening and Christmas so her cards and presents were all around the house. Going home was the last thing we wanted to do. For the first three days at Christopher’s I just sat there not able to function and the staff did everything for us - they did our washing, made sure we ate and looked after Freddie and Faith. They even organised a little party for Freddie on his birthday which was a few days after Isabelle died. They did it all – banners, balloons, bunting, cake and a present. He still says it was his best birthday.

“They understood at Christopher’s. It was all the little things you wouldn’t even think of when you’re in that situation and they just do it for you. I was worried I’d smell the aromatherapy oils they used in the Mistral Suite when I was out and about shopping or something, and the memory of that room would make me breakdown there and then. So the therapist sat with me and we picked my favourite smells and she put them on a cycle so I wouldn’t get used to the same smell.”

L to R Sister Faith, Isabelle and brother Freddie

Isabelle’s family were offered practical and emotional support to help them cope with her death, as are all bereaved families at Shooting Star Chase. This can include counselling, support groups, memory days and pamper days for parents, grandparents and siblings – for as long as needed.

“Since Isabelle’s death the hospice has helped Freddie loads.

You wouldn’t think a four year old could get depression but he’d be in his bed crying his eyes out, he had no interest in anything and he’d lash out. Christopher’s did some play therapy with him and helped him cope with his grief – and it made a huge difference. The therapist at the hospice even spoke to his pre-school and later, his teachers at school, and explained how to handle Freddie after he’d been through such a difficult time.”

Leanne has been fundraising for Shooting Star Chase since Isabelle’s death, raising over £2800 with sponsored cycles and her work as part of the Aldershot Friends Group. In 2013 Leanne completed the Sunrise Walk dressed in pink in memory of her daughter - along with her family and friends. This year she took part in her second Sunrise Walk, where she took on the 20k route at dawn across stunning sights including Richmond Park, Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace.

“The Sunrise Walk is such a lovely event because it raises money for bereaved families like us and I know just how vital the support from the hospice has been to me and my children in coping with Isabelle’s death. I can’t imagine what life would be like without Shooting Star Chase – I don’t even know what I would have done.” shootingstarchase.org.uk

@SurreyOccasions 35

SO Wellbeing

Natural

high

With World Mental Health Day coming up in October, Karen Glaser looks at the growing number of people that are turning to Yoga to manage conditions such as depression and anxiety

“I’ve been practising yoga for five years and was able to stop my medication for acute anxiety two years ago. And once I’d started yoga, the healing happened wonderfully quickly – I went from taking a daily pill of Clonazepam, to half a pill, to one quarter and then to stopping altogether in the space of just six months.”

Diana Silva Franco discovered for herself what scientists have known for some time. Just three weekly sessions of this ancient exercise can help fend off a range of anxiety disorders. Why? Because yoga boosts a chemical in the brain that is essential for good mental health.

All exercise is, of course, good at improving a person’s mood, but researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine discovered in 2010 that levels of the amino acid GABA are much higher in those who do yoga, which focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing, than in those who carry out the equivalent of a comparably strenuous exercise such as walking.

In other words, this exercise which originated in India some 5,000 years ago, is a natural anti-depressant: a low-cost alternative to the staggering 41 million prescriptions for anti-depressant pills doctors issued in 2013 in England alone.

So while medication and therapy will always be necessary for some, for the increasing numbers who suffer from mild depression and anxiety – in the West, ten times more of us are diagnosed with the conditions now than 70 years ago – yoga might well be one remedy. Which, in turn, is surely something we should ponder in the run-up to World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

At first, Surrey resident Julie Fastiggi didn’t even want to ponder yoga’s benefits.

“I’m a club runner and used to get really nervous before races. When yoga was first floated as a possible remedy for my nerves, I said no thanks. I didn’t think it would be tough enough – I wanted something with more ‘rah’ to it.”

Eventually, though, the Woking Athletics Club coach, who also has a business called Running Matters, was talked around and she enrolled on a ten-week yoga course for runners. The results amazed her. “When you do a half marathon you really need to eat before, but before the course I just couldn’t stomach anything.

36 surreyoccasions.co.uk

SO Wellbeing

After those ten weeks, I ran the Surrey Half Marathon and was able to eat something before the race. It was a real breakthrough.”

In fact, so convinced is she now by the calming effects of the exercise that Julie is now a qualified yoga teacher, as well as running coach and club runner.

Julie is right to combine yoga with other sporting activities says, Luma Zaki. She runs Yoga in Surrey (yogainsurrey.co.uk) and says that becoming a yogi, as yoga practitioners are called, doesn’t mean you need to give up the Zumba class. “The beauty of yoga is that it doesn’t just help you feel calmer while you’re doing it. The stress that drips out of your sweat on the yoga mat, continues to abate in every day life. It makes you more resilient. My yoga mat certainly helped me through my divorce.”

Accredited counsellor, yoga therapist and instructor Eve Menezes Cunningham (feelbettereveryday.co.uk) isn’t surprised by this. “As well as feeling calmer on the yoga mat, the benefits carry over into our everyday lives as we, with practice, retrain our nervous systems and even rewire the brain. Yoga is a small word for a vast practice which has many different styles: strong movements are brilliant for anxiety as they help burn off those stress hormones, other poses are more calming for the nervous system, while others are more uplifting. But all yoga encourages a level of mindfulness and has been shown to help the hippocampus, a part of the brain impacted by depression.”

For Eve, yoga is also what she describes as a psychospiritual practice, the movements of which release the fascia which stores a lot of emotion. This is certainly the experience of Guildford-based German teacher Edit Broad who took up yoga at the age of 49.

“Not long after I had started, I went on a yoga retreat in Thailand and during one session, a lot of difficult feelings intruded and I was in floods of tears. Even now, 16 years later, my yoga sessions can be painful and frustrating but I go to classes six mornings a week, and afterwards I am ready to start the day.”

She does those sessions at Red Hot Yoga, the first yoga studio in Surrey, and still the county’s biggest (redhotyoga.co.uk). Studio manager Amanda Tolchard rolled out a yoga mat when she realised she needed to be kinder to her body: “I come from a really active health and sporting background, but my former exercise

“It makes you more resilient. My yoga mat certainly helped me through my divorce.”

Surrey-based Yoga teacher Luma Zaki routine was beginning to feel punishing. I wanted to take things a bit slower.” What she didn’t expect, however, is that after a couple of sessions, she’d stop shouting at her kids. “It’s an incredible way of relieving stress.”

As a clinical psychologist Dr Jeremy Gauntlett-Gilbert, of Royal United Hospitals, has assessed and provided treatment for people with a wide range of physical illnesses and conditions such as depression and addiction and is a firm believer in the benefits of its practice. “There is at least two decades of solid research which shows that the ability to accept difficult physical poses, to accept the pain, can lead to an ability to function with pain in everyday life which, in turn, can lead to a decrease in anxiety.”

In Diana Silva Franco’s case, that anxiety evaporated in just six months, of course. In fact, she’s so impressed by yoga, she is considered giving up her job in a PR agency and becoming a fulltime yoga teacher. She’ll give the exercise some great PR, that’s for sure.

37

SO Beauty

Metallic eyes

Taste of the tropics Danish organic beauty brand, Urtekram, is bringing a taste of the tropics to the UK with its new coconut-scented range of hair and body products, infused with organic virgin coconut oil and organic coconut nectar. Urtekram products are free from parabens, synthetic ingredients and artificial colours.

From £1.75 from Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic and independent health and beauty retailers.

For a metallic twist on winged-eyeliner, try these liquid metallic eyeliners from Eye of Horus. The felt-tipped applicator delivers a smudge free, long lasting impact in either Alchemy Gold, Ancient Pewter, Imperial Bronze and Sphinx Copper. £16.50 beautybay.com

Urtekram.com

Lip smacking The new season is the perfect time to experiment with a new lipstick shade. Sainsbury’s Boutique says they have a shade for every skin tone including as ‘Brown as a Berry’ and ‘Don’t Rest on Your Coral’. £7.00 sainsburys.co.uk

BEAUTY ROUND-UP New trends and treatments for Autumn

Aromatherapy on the go

Sheets ahead

This trio of handbag sized aroma rollers, from British organic company ila, are great if you need an essential oil boost while out and about. They come in three versions: Aroma Roller for Inner Peace: featuring moringa, jasmine and sandalwood oils; Aroma Roller for Vital Energy: a zesty fragrance, infused with moringa, patchouli, lemongrass, rose geranium and juniper berry oils and Aroma Roller for Glowing Radiance, a divine smell drawn from Indian rose otto. £29.00 from Harrods and Fenwicks.

These sheet masks from Timeless Truth are a great way to give your skin facial-style results at a fraction of the cost. Each mask contains a skin replenishing serum along with active ingredients such as caviar, bee venom and apple stem cells to target precise skin issues such as aging, acne and hyper-pigmentation. Individual sachets cost from £7.90. Box of 5, £23.50 - £38.50.

ila-spa.com

ttmasks.co.uk

s pa s a n d s a l o n u p da t e

38 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Guildford Spa expands

West Byfleet beauty

Popular Guildford hair and beauty salon, Mary Ann Weeks @ Aveda, has created a Aveda Spa and Wellness Studio on the salon’s top two floors. The new treatment rooms will offer Aveda’s signature facial and body treatments as well as maintenance essentials such as waxing, manicures and pedicures. The Wellness Studio will hold exercise classes including yoga, pilates, barre and tai chi. maryannweeks.co.uk

The Natalie Marie Beauty Clinic has recently opened its doors in West Byfleet.

Owned and managed by Natalie Marie who has worked in the beauty industry for the past 10 years.

Natalie says the clinic will offer a wide range of beauty treatments and advanced face and body re-juvenation treatments. nataliemariebeautyclinic.com

WIN!

THE FINEST

Egyptian Cotton from King of Cotton

competition

Tickets and a chance to meet the cast of Thank You For the Music at the Epsom Playhouse The world’s longest-running ABBA concert show is coming to Epsom to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Swedish super group’s biggest selling hit – Dancing Queen.

The production is now in its 23rd year. Show producer Michael Taylor boasts that the spectacle has been delighting live music fans for longer than Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida did during the 70s and 80s.

“Combining Lycra-tight harmonies with superb musicianship,” he says, “Thank You for the Music has outlasted ABBA in their prime.

The set list, drawn from ABBA’s nine number one hit singles, nine chart-topping albums and 19 top 20 singles in the UK, includes solid-gold hits like Super Trouper; Waterloo; Mamma Mia; Thank You for the Music; Gimme, Gimme, Gimme; Knowing Me Knowing You; Mamma Mia and, of course, Dancing Queen.

Michael promises: “Dancing kings and queens – have the time of your lives with the all-time greatest party-time extravaganza of the year.”

We have teamed up with EasyTheatres for the chance to win a pair of tickets to go and see the show at the Epsom Playhouse on Saturday 3 December 2016. Winners will also meet the cast before they perform live on stage.

To enter please answer this simple question:

Thank You for The Music, an authentic live tribute to Abba, celebrates the 40th anniversary of which hit single?

To enter visit: surreyoccasions.co.uk and click on the link to the competitions page Entries close on 30 October 2016

Milano 800 thread 50 x 75 pillow case £17.30

20 Disco% u Use

Not only is our bed linen the finest, our thread

nt

SurrCeoyde: on th 16 websitee

counts are guaranteed. A recent BBC investigation indicated that some major retailers exaggerate these numbers and without a magnifying glass it’s difficult to check. But rest assured, you can count on our thread counts, just read the label.

Visit the website and sign up for our newsletter to receive a £10.00 voucher. Call for a catalogue on 020 8332 7999 EST

1880

KING OF COTTON The world’s finest linen and towelling www.kingofcotton.com B A N S T E A D, R I C H M O N D, B Y F L E E T, N I C E a n d M A L AG A

SO Interiors

1

2

Deep & meaning ful Fall for Autumn’s deeper hues to create modern-looking warmth with accents of gold for a luxurious touch 4

3

40

SO Interiors

5

1

Trick of the light

Underneath this sleek, minimalist aluminium modern light from Kolarz, is a striking and ornate gold plaster relief of flowers. Available in black, white and gold, with contrasting interiors, the Aura Libertà gold version is covered with 24ct distressed gold leaf that is applied by hand. From £732 + VAT, The Lighting Centre, Guildford. Tel: 01483 579411, lightingcentre.co.uk 2

Warm wool

The Campaign for Wool is holding a ‘Wool Week’ from 10 – 16 October 2016. Celebrate by adding some warm wool upholstery or soft furnishings from wool specialists Moons to your home. Pictured is Moons Parquet Collection chair upholstered in Turquoise Parquet fabric @ £49.95 per metre. Tel: 01943 873181, moons.co.uk

6

3

Leopard print

Add some drama to your walls with this Leopardo Black, electric Blue and Bronze peacock feather design by fashion designer Matthew Williamson for Brewers Home. Price £79 a roll, brewershome.co.uk 4

Oriental flavour

This Chinese Gate Rug in wool and bamboo silk by Jennifer Manners combines a traditional Chinese fretwork design with contemporary colours. Measures: 1.8m by 2.4m. Price: £2,500, for stockists visit: jennifermanners.co.uk 5

6

Blooming lovely

Let bold florals in sumptuous velvet take centre stage in your living room with the Saturday sofa in Vintage Bloom, a new floral print from Sofa.com. £2,020.

7

Going for gold

Pop your evening drinks on this gold James Bond-esqe West Elm Martini side table from John Lewis. £139, johnlewis.com

Take it easy

Casper armchair in tan leather, £1,700. Scatter cushion in Hector Fossil Wool and Hugo Mustard from £50. Cotswold herringbone throw, £110. All from Neptune.com

Sanet van Rooyen

7

Grand designs Determined to make interior design affordable for all, a Richmond-based entrepreneur has set up the UK’s first completely online interior design platform.

Decology, set up by Sharon Costi, will team you up with your own designer for as little as £250 per room. You will collaborate directly online with your chosen designer, who will curate a final design for you, working up concept boards and layout plans along with overall styling advice and a shopping list of suggested products to help you achieve your finished look.

Sharon Costi

The best bit is that you can even purchase all your recommended products through the site and have them delivered to your door.

Decology features products from brands including; The Rug Company, Farrow & Ball, Amara, Nest, Urban Outfitters, Abigail Ahern, Cox & Cox, Grahame & Green, Oliver Bonas, Niche Modern, Made.com and Heal’s.

Find out more at: decology.co.uk

SO Homes

House

proud

Letting the children have a Halloween party is a good way of heading off pleas to go trick or treating and its far safer, says Anthea Turner Children love dressing up and Halloween parties give them the perfect excuse to become witches, wizards and ghosts for a night. They’ll not only have hours of fun helping to create their costumes, but if time is short, the supermarkets are filled with inexpensive masks, witchy wigs and costumes during October. d e c o r at i o n

Turn your party room into a witches’ cavern. Decorate it with spiders made from fluffy pipe cleaners and fluffy balls from the craft shop. Replace a couple of light bulbs with orange or green ones to give the room an eerie glow. Paint faces on black balloons, attach the balloons to sticks and drape black cloth capes around them. Stand the sticks in sturdy containers around the room. games

Paint a large picture of a witch’s head and mount it on a cork message board. Make sure your witch has an enormous nose.

Blindfold each of the children in turn and given them a small blob of Blu-tack or Plasticine. They have to stick their ‘warts’ on the face of the witch. The child whose wart is nearest the end of the witches’ nose is the winner.

42 www.antheaturner.biz

t r i c k s a n d t r e at s

It’s easier to put a spooky spin on party food than you might think. Why not try some of these ideas?

Beefburger spiders Make tiny round beefburgers, cook them and stick twiglets in the sides for legs. Make eyes with tiny blobs of cream cheese Witches fingers Cut glacé cherries into quarters and stick on the end of chocolate finger biscuits with a little red icing (use ready-made for ease) to make witches fingers.

Creepy cupcakes Make tiny cupcakes in sweet cases and decorate with black and green icing spiders, bats and witches’ cats.

Pumpkin soup Serve pumpkin soup in hollowed-out pumpkins so they look like soup cauldrons and don’t waste the seeds. Pat them dry, lay them out on some baking parchment on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and salt and toast them in the (oven pre-heated 300º F 150º C), for around 30 minutes.

A perfect, healthy Halloween snack.

Instagram: @AntheaTurner

Twitter: @AntheaTurner1

w i tc h e s b ro o m s t i c k s

Get the children involved in making food as part of the entertainment. One savoury treat they will enjoy making is witches broomsticks.

Ingredients 1 packet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry Two different coloured types of cheese such as Cheddar and Red Leicester.

Method 1. Simply dust a pastry board or clean work surface with some flour and lay out the pastry sheet.

2. Cut strips of pastry 2½cm to one inch wide along the shortest width of the pastry. Do the same with the other half.

3. Make three 2cm cuts at one end of each of the strips of pastry. Spread them out slightly to make a broom shape.

4. Lay the brooms on a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with Red Leicester on one half of the brooms and the grated Cheddar on the other half.

5. Bake for 10–12 minutes until crisp.

6. Allow to cook on the tray for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to get cold before serving.

I must warn you – they are scarily moorish!

Smith & Byford

Total Home Solutions

Heating Plumbing Electrical Solar

Surrey’s leading home & heating solution th

We are celebrating our 50 Birthday To celebrate 50 years of Smith & Byford, we’re giving our lucky customers the chance to `strike gold’ and win a special prize All of our gas, electrical & plumbing customers will be entered into a prize draw for their chance to win

Dont miss out!

50

years

FLEXIBLE IONS PAYMENT OPT ur We now offer o payment easy customers an0 months interest option with 1n new Worcester free credit o ers* boil

Contact us today to find out more

50ars ye

Smith & Byford can provide you with the Total Solution for all your heating and electrical needs

020 8722 3439

ths@smithandbyford.com

5 0 y ears

Visit our showroom at: 36 The Broadway, Cheam Village SM3 8BD * Credit is provided by Hitachi Personal Finance, a division of Hitachi Capital (UK) Plc authorised and regulated by Financial Conduct Authority - only on Worcester Boilers, T&C’s apply

SO Schools

Schools in focus With the new school term in full swing, it’s time to take a look at Surrey and the surrounding areas’ finest educational establishments for both reception and secondary school-aged children

Cranmore School, West Horsley, Surrey

Amesbury School, Hindhead Producing ‘confident children with unlimited options,’ Amesbury prides itself on sending children to the best senior schools in the country at both 11+ and 13+. A family school offering a unique and distinctive ethos; a rigorous learning environment, but one which is relaxed and good-humoured, competitive yet civilized, self-confident but without arrogance.

Amesbury’s principle purpose is simply that they want every child to enjoy their time at school; to feel valued as an individual, in an environment where their talents can prosper. To find out more we welcome you to our next Open Morning on Thursday 6 October. For more information contact Liz Wright (see details below).

01428 604322 l.wright@amesburyschool.co.uk www.amesburyschool.co.uk

44 surreyoccasions.co.uk

Successful schools never stand still.

Cranmore, one of Surrey’s leading independent prep schools, has an impressive academic record underpinned by strong pastoral care. It is extending its provision for girls to become fully coeducational from 2½ – 13 years. Recent developments include a Forest School for younger children, a major makeover of the indoor pool and a hospitality suite to entertain parents and visitors at school functions. Work is also underway for an exciting, imaginative £250,000 project to transform its Bright Stars Nursery. Already graded ‘outstanding’ in its most recent inspection report, the additional facilities make it one of the top nurseries in the South-East.

01483 280340 office@cranmoreprep.co.uk www.cranmoreprep.co.uk

Halliford School, Shepperton Halliford School is an independent day school for boys aged 11 to 18, and girls 16

Students from Cranmore school

to 18, located on the Thames, near Walton Bridge. Behind the Georgian house that visitors see from the road, are modern buildings housing light and airy classrooms, theatre, library, sports hall and a new music, art and Sixth Form Centre. At Halliford we pride ourselves on providing a nurturing environment with an ethos to encourage, where the 400 pupils are encouraged to maximise their academic potential whilst experiencing opportunities to develop skills beyond the classroom – in sports, music, art, and drama as well as a range of extracurricular activities and trips.

01932 223593 registrar@halliford.net hallifordschool.co.uk

SO Schools

Hampton School & Hampton Prep, Hampton Hampton School and Hampton Prep are renowned for offering an outstanding education to all their pupils. In 2016 both schools received the highest praise from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).

Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep School: for girls aged 3-7 and boys aged 3-11 Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep School (formerly Denmead) is located on a dual site in the leafy surrounds of Hampton village. The School’s stunning new state-ofthe-art Prep building opened this year and includes many eco-friendly features such as a ‘living roof.’ Pupils have an abundance of outdoor space with onsite grass playing fields and an all-weather games area.

Inside, the design is light and spacious.

Facilities include IT suites, a purpose-built art room, library, music rooms, and an attractive, spacious hall. Well-qualified and dedicated staff are hugely committed to nurturing talented young children and providing them with a broad and balanced curriculum tailored to their needs.

Hampton School: independent day school for boys aged 11 – 18 The nearby Hampton School is one of the UK’s leading independent senior schools combining academic, sporting and artistic excellence with exceptional pastoral care.

Results at GCSE and A Level are among the highest nationally and boys leave as happy, well-rounded individuals who have the confidence and resilience to succeed in the world. The extensive co-curricular programme forms an essential part of the balanced education which Hampton provides, and the onsite Hammond Theatre hosts an impressive array of musical and dramatic performances. The school also has an enviable reputation for excellence across an unusually wide range of sports and boys benefit from first-class coaching, 27 acres of on-site playing fields and a state-of-the-art 3G sports ground.

Particular strengths are cricket, football, rowing, rugby, tennis and chess.

Hampton Prep enjoys close links with the senior school and an increasing number of boys are moving on to Hampton School via the Assured Place Scheme.

020 8979 5526 admissions@hamptonschool.org.uk hamptonschool.org.uk hamptonprep.org.uk

Hurstpierpoint College, West Sussex Hurstpierpoint College enjoys a stunning, safe and superbly equipped 140-acre country campus ideally located in the Sussex countryside between Brighton and Haywards Heath. Many of our pupils choose the options of either weekly or flexi-boarding (pupils board for three nights a week on days of their choice). Academic excellence is the foundation of the Hurst education providing a ‘through-school’ education from reception to end of sixth form; senior school teachers are subject specialists and teach across both schools which benefits younger children greatly and creates a smooth transition for pupils moving from prep to senior school. At Hurst, we regard co-curricular activities as being key to the all-round education of each pupil. Our extensive sporting, cultural, intellectual and social programmes help pupils develop as rounded, accomplished individuals who are ambitious with a clear sense of purpose.

01273 836936 Registrar@hppc.co.uk hppc.co.uk

St George’s, Weybridge St George’s Junior School (3-11 years) and St George’s College in Weybridge (11-18 years) are leading independent coeducational Roman Catholic day schools in Surrey, including nursery, reception, college and sixth form, offering a valuesled education for all. The college has a record number of girls attending and a new headmistress, Mrs Rachel Owens, who will

start in September 2016. The Junior School will begin the new academic year with a brand new nursery and Performing Arts Centre to add to the recently built building for the Lower Years, known as ‘The Ark’.

The Junior School is also benefiting from the recently acquired 40 acres of new land close to the River Wey, designed especially for outdoor learning. Contact us to book onto our next open mornings taking place on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October 2016.

01932 839400 contact@stgeorgesweybridge.co.uk www.stgeorgesweybridge.com

St Nicholas’ School, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire St Nicholas’ School in Church Crookham, Fleet is a leading independent day school, educating girls from 3-16 years and boys from 3-7 years. The school operates an extended day from 8.00am – 6.00pm and has dedicated buses covering routes from Alton, Camberley, Basingstoke, Farnham, Fleet and Odiham. St Nicholas’ School is set in beautiful surroundings and has superb facilities including a full-size sports hall, a large art and textiles centre, four science laboratories and specialist facilities for music, ICT, food-technology and drama. The school maintains its excellent track record for GCSE results and is regularly placed near the top of the Hampshire League Tables.

It achieved highest rating of “Excellent” during ISI Inspection. Open Events will take place on Saturday 8 October 10am1pm, Saturday 4 March 2017 10am-1pm, and Thursday 11 May 2017 6-8pm.

01252 850121 (option 2) registrar@st-nicholas.hants.sch.uk st-nicholas.hants.sch.uk

@SurreyOccasions 45

Independent Day School for boys aged 11-18 years

Open Mornings 11+ & 13+ Entry Saturday 24 September 2016 10.00am - 1.00pm (no booking required - see website for details)

Sixth Form Entry Thursday 29 September 2016 9.30am - 11.00am (by appointment - see website for details)

• Scholarships and Bursaries available • 22 route coach service • 27 acre campus

020 8979 9273 www.hamptonschool.org.uk admissions@hamptonschool.org.uk Hampton School, Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 3HD

Part of the Hampton School Trust.

IAPS Independent Day School for boys aged 3 -11 & girls aged 3 - 7 years

Open Mornings Friday 7 October and Friday 18 November 9.30am: Headmaster’s welcome – Prep School 9.45am - 11.00am: Tours – Pre-Prep and Prep Places can be reserved through our ‘Visit the School’ page

Our Impressive State Of The Art New Prep Building Is Now Open Our innovative Prep School facilities will provide pupils with an outstanding learning environment that utilises the latest technology. Hampton Prep School has very close links with Hampton School providing the opportunity for Assured Places to Hampton.

020 8979 1844 www.hamptonprep.org.uk admissions@hamptonprep.org.uk Formerly Denmead Pre-Prep School & Prep School, Gloucester Road, Hampton, TW12 2UQ

HURSTPIER POINT COLLEGE

St Nicholas’ School FLEET

•

HAMPSHIRE

An independent day school for boys and girls aged 3 - 7 and girls aged 3 - 16

Open Morning

Sat 8th October 2016 10am-1pm • Small class sizes • Inspiring teachers • First rate facilities • Outstanding results

st-nicholas.hants.sch.uk

01252 850121

HIGHEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL RATING

“Excellent”

ISI INSPECTION OCT 2015

INSPIRE | NURTURE | ACHIEVE

Cranmore School Independent Preparatory School for girls and boys 2 ½ - 13

SEP 16

SEP 16

MAR 17

APR 17

23

24

4

28

OPEN MORNINGS

An independent co-educational day school for pupils aged 3-18

Ewell Castle School

09.30 -11.30

Friday 23 Sept & Saturday 24 Sept 2016

With an ethos in which each child’s achievements are acknowledged, valued and celebrated, pupils thrive academically as a result of a varied curriculum, an extensive extra-curricular programme and outstanding pastoral care.

Saturday 4 March & Friday 28 April 2017

Open Evening - 6th Form Tuesday 27th September 6pm - 8pm

Open Morning - Whole School Saturday 8th October 10am - 12 noon Thursday 13th October 9am - 10.30am Wednesday 9th November 9am - 10.30am Cranmore extends its provision for girls by introducing full co-education in stages

www.cranmoreprep.co.uk

01483 280340 admissions@cranmoreprep.co.uk

West Horsley, Surrey KT24 6AT

For further details and to pre-register please visit our website ewellcastle.co.uk 020 8394 3576 admissions@ewellcastle.co.uk

C O - E D U C AT I O N A L D AY S C H O O L FOR CHILDREN AGES 2-13

preparing pupils for their senior schools at 11+ & 13+

OPEN MORNINGS Nursery & Junior School

College & Sixth Form

30 September & 1 October 2016

1 October 2016

Call 01932 839437

Book now at www.stgeorgesweybridge.com Leading independent co-educational Roman Catholic day schools in Surrey offering a values-led education for 3 to 18 year olds.

A Registered Educational Charity No.1017853

Halliford School - Shepperton

95 STG - Surrey Occasions_ad6_SeptOM_quat.indd 1

Independent school for boys 11-18 and girls 16-18 Set in six acres close to the River Thames

26/07/2016 16:23

Every Amesbury pupil is an individual and so is every Amesbury teacher. Our cause, our responsibility, is to provide the spark of curiosity in each individual child and a culture in which it can burn brightly.

OPEN MORNING Thursday 6th October 2016

Small school where pupils are valued as individuals

OPEN MORNING 2016

Saturday 1st October 10am - 12noon (Headmaster’s Presentation 12noon)

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING

“Parents in search of an education which will deliver confident children who see their futures in terms of unlimited options rather than curtailed ambitions .... would be well advised to pay a visit” (Good Schools’ Guide)

Wednesday 12th October 6.30pm - 8.30pm

OPEN DAYS

Thursday 10th and Tuesday 15th November Tours at 9.30am and 11.30am (by appointment)

Please contact the Registrar registrar@halliford.net

Telephone 01932 223593 www.hallifordschool.co.uk

To find out more and to arrange a visit contact Liz Wright at l.wright@amesburyschool.co.uk Amesbury Hazel Grove, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6BL

01428 604322 www.amesburyschool.co.uk

SO Secret Surrey

10 T H I N G S YO U MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT

1

Hersham Earlier this year, The Sunday Times voted Hersham one of the nicest places in the UK to live. Situated in the district of Elmbridge, the town was immortalised by punk rockers Sham 69 in their hit single ‘Hersham Boys’

3 7

Hersham Village Market takes place on Friday mornings 10.30 – 12pm in Hersham Village Hall. There’s only one rule for stallholders: everything they sell must be either home grown, home made or hand crafted.

Hersham was a site of firsts for bygone monarchs. King George III set eyes on his first ever drill plough here, and Queen Victoria ogled her first steam train in the village.

50 surreyoccasions.co.uk

4

2

Hersham’s famous sons include the disgraced PR guru Max Clifford and Jimmy Pursey, founder of the punk rock band Sham 69. The group’s biggest hit was ‘Hersham Boys’. In it they sang: “Council estates or tower blocks, wherever you live you get the knocks. But the people round here they are so nice. Stop being naughty take our advice.” Another musical connection comes in the form of actress and singer, Julie Andrews who, although born in Walton-on-Thames, speaks about her formative years in Hersham in her book ‘Home’.

There are several good places to sup and quaff in the village, including historic pub The Watermans Arms (thewatermansarmssurrey.co.uk), where you can also get bed and breakfast, and The Royal George (theroyalgeorge-hersham. co.uk) which offers a finger-licking Thai menu from Monday to Saturday, and a traditional roast on Sunday until 3pm.

5 8

The earliest surviving record of Hersham, on the banks of the River Mole, is from 1174 when it was known as ‘Hauerichesham’ meaning river meadow of a man called Haeferic. It is not listed in the Domesday Survey a century earlier because, back then, it formed part of neighbouring Walton-on-Thames.

Its proximity to London and Shepperton Studios, has made Hersham a regular on the silver screen. ‘The Mummy’ was filmed here as were the movies Monty Python, The Glass, and the TV shows Nighty Night and Ashes to Ashes.

This is a smart place to invest in bricks and mortar. In the past year, house prices were up 11% on the year before and 24% up on 2012. The average overall asking price is now £699, 985, with detached properties in Hersham going for an average, and staggering, £1, 275, 337.

9 10

6

You may assume parakeets need a more tropical climate than Surrey has to offer, but Hersham is home to the UK’s largest colony of the Himalayan bird.

At last count, there were some 7,000!

Despite measuring up at just 10.29 km sq., Hersham boasts no fewer than four technology and trading estates.

Some of the biggest electrical transformers ever made were built in Hersham, after the Hackbridge Electric Construction Company moved here in 1923. From the early to mid 20th century, the village was also the manufacturing base for aircraft, cars, motorcycles and aero engines.

naturally outstanding

Interiors are from a similar property at Bookham Grange.

Located on the edge of Bookham Commons.

The Common presents the final opportunity to own a large family home at Bookham Grange, a privileged rural Surrey location on the very edge of the National Trust's Bookham Commons.

Selling Agent

01372 273448

ashtead@michael-everett.co.uk www.michael-everett.co.uk

Beyond its stunning setting and attractive elevations lies a beautiful balance of contemporary living space, which includes a light-filled orangery with folding glazed doors that open onto the terrace and peaceful garden beyond.

This five-bedroom detached executive home, with integral double garage is ready to move into now and priced at ÂŁ1,399,950 Call today to make your appointment to view.

Bookham Grange, The Approach, Great Bookham Common, Bookham, Surrey KT23 3BF

www.latchmere-properties.co.uk

RESERVE YOUR NEW 66 PLATE BMW AT COOPER THAMES DITTON.

Cooper Thames Ditton

The Ultimate Driving Machine

LOW PAYMENT & DEPOSIT NEW CAR OFFERS.

1

BMW 118i SPORT 5-DOOR SPORTS HATCH.1 DEPOSIT

£319 £319 PER MONTH

DEPOSIT

4 5 BMW 420d M SPORT COUPÉ.4

BMW 520d M SPORT SALOON.5

+

+

DEPOSIT

PER MONTH

BMW 320d SPORT SALOON.3

£369 £369 PER MONTH

DEPOSIT

ALL AVAILABLE ON 48 MONTH PERSONAL CONTRACT HIRE AGREEMENTS.

£389 £2,000 £399 £399 PER MONTH

3

+

PER MONTH

BMW 218i SPORT COUPÉ.2

+

+

£295 £295

2

DEPOSIT

BOOK A TEST DRIVE^ AND PRE-ORDER YOUR 66 PLATE BMW.

Cooper Thames Ditton 42 Portsmouth Road, Long Ditton, Surrey KT6 5PZ 0203 733 8123 www.cooperthamesdittonbmw.co.uk Official fuel economy figures for the BMW range: Urban 33.6-72.4 mpg (8.4-3.9 l/100km). Extra Urban 55.4-91.1 mpg (5.1-3.1 l/100km).

Combined 44.8-83.1 mpg (6.3-3.4 l/100km). CO2 emissions 147-89 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

The Cooper Group is a credit broker.

Prices shown are for 48 month Personal Contract Hire agreements for 1a BMW 118i Sport 5-Door Sports Hatch, with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 5.17p per mile; 2a BMW 218i Sport Coupé, with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 5.47p per mile; 3a BMW 320d Sport Saloon, with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 7.12p per mile; 4a BMW 420d M Sport Coupé, with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 7.85p per mile; 5a BMW 520d M Sport Saloon, with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 6.69p per mile. Applies to new vehicles ordered between 1 July 2016 and 30 September 2016 and registered by 31 December 2016 (subject to availability).

Retail customers only. At the end of your agreement you must return the vehicle. Excess mileage, vehicle condition and other charges may be payable. Hire available subject to status to UK residents aged 18 or over. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Terms and conditions apply. Offer may be varied, withdrawn or extended at any time. Hire provided by BMW Financial Services (GB) Limited, Summit ONE, Summit Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0FB. Inchcape Retail Limited, trading as The Cooper Group, commonly introduce customers to a selected panel of lenders including BMW Financial Services. We may receive commission or other benefits for introducing you to such lenders. This introduction does not amount to independent financial advice. ^Test drive subject to applicant status and availability.