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Guildford & Villages • January 2015
VANTAGEPOINT YOUR COMMUNITY YOUR VIEW
Turner at Petworth House Inside: GUILDFORD RUGBY MOVING LATER IN LIFE SOUNDING OFF: ‘GOG’ ON CYCLISTS
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TO THE POINT It is hard to believe it is January already, which marks a year since we successfully launched VantagePoint. The feedback we have received is enormously gratifying and I am also delighted that so many charities and local groups benefit from the free Jottings we provide every month. By my reckoning, we have published more than 4,000 events since last January to the advan- Stefan Reynolds tage of both readers and the event organisers. Editor & Publisher Please do keep them coming in! We have a new, locally based gardening writer joining VantagePoint this month. Beth Otway will be writing her column monthly and she will also have further information on her website which will expand upon some of her subjects as space in the magazine is always at a premium, given all the relevant local information we want to feature every month.
The local magazine produced by local people for the local community,
Last month I mentioned the fantastic response we had had to the competition to win one of the Tower of London poppies. Sadly there could only be two winners and the first couple of names pulled from the proverbial hat were: Mrs S Colles from Liphook and Debbie Keen from Lower Bourne. Congratulations to them both. Humph continues to increase in size almost daily and now weighs in at 15kg, which is probably close to half his adult weight. He remains fixated with food and still eats his meals in literally a matter of seconds. He’ll get a shock next month when his meals reduce from three to two. The upside to this love of food is that training is going pretty well, touch wood... stefan@vantagepublishing.co.uk
VantagePoint is published by Vantage Publishing, a Godalming based local magazine business which was first established in 2009 when we launched our first community magazine. We now publish five community magazines which are delivered monthly by Royal Mail to 107,714 homes across the South East, which gives us the largest local circulation in the local area, all with guaranteed delivery by your postman.
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vantagepointmag.co.uk THE VANTAGEPOINT TEAM
January 2015
Marcus Atkins Sales Director marcus@vantagepublishing.co.uk
Trish Soper Sales trish@vantagepublishing.co.uk
Carol Martin Sales carol@vantagepublishing.co.uk
Nick and Angie Crisell Jottings jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk
Contributors: Andrew Crisell, Bernardo Hunte, Be Kassapain, Penny Kitchen, Beth Otway, Kirstie Smillie Print: Buxton Press Cover: Timothy Spall as Turner in the Old Library - a recreation of the Turner painting An Artist and his Admirers - Simon Mein and Thin Man Films
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CONTENTS Rugmart 0115_Layout 1 10/12/2014 09:01 Page 1
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6 Jottings Your local community noticeboard
8 Turner at Petworth A unique exhibition of artwork and artefacts
14 Moving Later in Life Penny Kitchen on helping parents downsize
20 Fashion Model mum
22 Guildford Rugby 26 Long Term Care How this could affect you or a loved one
30 Sounding Off with Andrew Crisell Down with pedal-philes!
34 Garden Taking a look at terrariums
36 Food Healthy New Year
40 Walk Box Hill
43 Profile
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Jottings First of all, we would like to wish you all a very happy New Year. We do hope you had a really good Christmas and unlike 2013, managed to cook Christmas dinner without disruption! We look forward to receiving all your jottings in the coming year. If you are a club, society, school, charity or indeed anyone who is doing something for the benefit of our community and would like some publicity to increase membership or highlight an event, do email us. Although we can’t guarantee it, we will certainly try our best to include your entry. As I write, Guildford Rugby Club continues their fantastic run. They have won nine games in their league and have lost just two, both by narrow margins and are lying thirrd in the league. There are three home Saturday matches in January, 3rd January v Dover, 10th January v Wimbledon (current league leaders, so should be a cracker!) and 31st January v Chobham. Do try and get down to Broadwater and watch a game; the standard of rugby is pretty high and all the games I’ve watched this season have been very exciting. There is a great atmosphere not to mention a very convivial bar! Why not join Guildford Travel Club on alternate Tuesdays at Onslow Village Hall at 8pm for illustrated talks on travel by a range of travellers, photographers, explorers,
- YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
mountaineers and writers. On Tuesday 6th January, Chris Beynon cycles through central and eastern Madagascar seeing day-to-day life as well as some of the famous wildlife. On 20th January, Catherine Moorehead talks about an expedition across Bhutan taking in the unexplored region below the world’s highest unclimbed peaks. New members are welcome to join from January to April for £16 and of course visitors are welcome and will be charged £7 on the door. See www.guildfordtravelclub. org.uk for further details or contact Jenny Allan, membership secretary on 01483 452399. Cranleigh Village Club Sports & Social Club has live music on just about every Saturday night. There is also live dancing on Thursday 8th January at 8pm. Quiz Night is on Friday 23rd January at 8.30pm. The quiz comprises teams of 4-6; all welcome, members, guests and non-members. There are various categories of questions including general knowledge, sport, TV, music, history, geography, film, food and drink and books. Bar meals: full menu available from 6.30pm8pm. Club opening time: MondayWednesday 6pm -11pm: ThursdayFriday 12 noon-2.30pm. Evenings 6pm -11pm: Weekend: Saturday 12 noon-11.30pm: Sunday 12 noon11pm. The club welcomed their new caterers Geoff and Rosie Middleton to the club, why not give them a try with
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their new full and extensive menu. The function room is available to hire for a wedding, party, christening, funeral, games night, and skittle alley. They also have a big screen available for films or broadcasting TV and videos. There is a folk music session every Monday at the Star in Church Street, Godalming at 9pm and at the Harrow at Compton every Wednesday at 8.30pm. Also every first Sunday at the Queen Victoria in Shalford starting at 8.30pm and the Royal Oak in Sydenham Road, Guildford on the third Sunday at 8.30pm. All musicians, singers and audience welcome. It’s free, just turn up! For more information phone Kevin Gorton on 01483 415962. The Whips, West Horsley Players are staging the fun-filled pantomime ‘Dick Whittington and his Cat’ at West Horsley village hall. Go along and see a traditional panto for children and adults and laugh along with the Dame, the rat pack, rollicking sailors, shipwreck, camel and lots more! Performances are on Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th and Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th January and start at 7.30pm with Saturday matinées at 2.30pm. The 15th January is a Charity Night in aid of the 1st Fetcham scout group and tickets are available from 01483 284141 or online at www. horsleyamdram.ticketsource.co.uk.
Jottings is your community noticeboard for local events and information, edited by Nick and Angie Crisell
To feature here, please email us at jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk
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Turner at Petworth House Visitors to the National Trust’s Petworth House in West Sussex will be able to enjoy a unique exhibition of artwork and artefacts, inspired by the themes in Mike Leigh’s award-winning film Mr. Turner.
Turner in the garden of the Chelsea cottage he shared secretly with his Margate landlady, under the name ‘Mr Booth’. The painting was last exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1852 – a year after Turner’s death.
Petworth House played a starring role in the film having once been the home of one of Turner’s greatest patrons, the third Earl of Egremont.
• Turner’s personal possessions, including his fishing rod, watch and signet ring, books from his library, and his painting materials. Some of these pieces have never been on public display before.
The exhibition features over 30 works of art, mostly by Turner, and on loan from major museum collections including the Tate and V&A, alongside personal effects once belonging to the artist, some on show for the first time. Also on view are paintings and drawings by the actor Timothy Spall, created whilst he trained for his role as Turner in the film, together with props and items of costume from the feature. Highlights include: • Major loans of Turner’s paintings in oil and watercolour • Rarely seen portraits of Turner, such as John Phillip’s touching late watercolour – possibly the last painted image of the artist before his death, and CW Cope’s oil sketch, one of the very few visual records of Turner at work. • The first showing of a painting by 19th-century artist Alexander McInnes, discovered on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. It shows 8
• Props and items of costume from the film, Mr. Turner.
Below: Petworth House - Carved Room with four Turner landscapes set into Grinling Gibbons panelling - credit National Trust, Bill Batten.
• The additional 20 Turner paintings that reside permanently at Petworth House alongside countless masterpieces by other artists in five historic show rooms, several of which featured in the film. • A short film by Mike Leigh’s production company Thin Man Films, about the making of Mr. Turner at Petworth House, and featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage. Visitors can also tour the Old Library, not usually open to the public, but once used by Turner and other artist guests as a studio in the 19th century. This extraordinary space, which features in the film, hosts an exhibition of artwork by Timothy Spall, who was awarded the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance as Turner. vantagepointmag.co.uk
Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at Petworth House, Andrew Loukes said: “Mike Leigh’s work on Mr. Turner at Petworth was arguably the most significant cultural moment at the ‘house of art’ since Turner himself was a frequent guest here in the 1820s and 30s.
JMW Turner and Petworth House and Park
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775– 1851) was born in London and entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1789. He is one of the best-loved English Romantic artists and became known as ‘the painter of light’ due to his use of brilliant colours for his landscapes and seascapes. The critic John Ruskin became a great champion of his work.
“Having been a major location for the film, Petworth is a fitting venue for Mr. Turner – an exhibition: a unique show of loans celebrating a great British film, inspired by its principal themes and featuring an important mix of iconic paintings and rarely seen exhibits.” The exhibition explores major themes of the film, such as travel, patronage, science, the Royal Academy and colour. Included in the collection are views reflecting Turner’s many European adventures, such as the enigmatic oil Calais Sands (Bury Art Gallery). Turner’s work at Petworth is showcased by a group from the Turner Bequest (Tate), including the famous view of the third Earl of Egremont striding out with his dogs – a scene recreated in the film. Turner’s close involvement with the Royal Academy is represented by examples of his work as student, lecturer and exhibitor, while his lifelong residence in the capital is also acknowledged through works such as The Port of London (V&A). Mike Leigh said: “Petworth wrote itself into the film rather than us having to think of possible stately homes; it is such an extraordinary, and rare, and rarefied place. “When you’re in a place like Petworth and you’re saying, ‘OK, let’s pretend it’s 1828’ and you do all the research, and get into the costumes and breathe the air, you really do experience some kind of magic.” FIND OUT MORE
Booking is essential for Mr. Turner – an exhibition. For more information please visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk/petworthturner or telephone 0844 249 1895.
January 2015
Left: Timothy Spall as Turner - Simon Mein and Thin Man Films
Turner had strong links with Petworth. During the 1820s and 30s he was a frequent visitor to the house as a guest of his friend and patron the third Earl of Egremont. The 20 paintings bought and commissioned by the third Earl continue to be enjoyed by thousands of visitors today, and are central to the story of Petworth.
Petworth House as a film location for Mr. Turner
Above: The Artist and his Admirers by JMW Turner, 1827 - Tate Britain
Mike Leigh filmed for just over a week at Petworth House, which was the seat of one of Turner’s greatest patrons - the third Earl of Egremont, played by Patrick Godfrey in the film. Turner famously had the run of the house when he visited, and annexed the enormous library as his art studio, which was vividly brought back to life in the film. Little needed to be done to the interiors to prepare them for filming; they remain much as they were during Turner’s time.
Petworth House’s splendid Carved Room is prominent in the film, and contains four landscapes painted by Turner for the 3rd Earl, two of which are of Petworth House and Park. The film also captures a scene portrayed in Turner’s painting, Petworth Park, with Lord Egremont and his Dogs (on show), which depicts the Earl walking towards the house with his dogs at sunset. Petworth House’s Marble Hall and Little Dining Room also feature.
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Tai Chi Shalford Group welcomes new members on Friday mornings in Shalford Village Upper Hall and the new term starts on 9th January. Various qi-gong and warm up exercises. Cheng Man-ch’ing Yang-style 37 step form. Instruction available if you are new to tai chi or if you are converting to this form or if your tai chi is rusty and needs dusting off. Go along and feel the energy and enjoy tai chi with this enthusiastic group. For more details ring Susan on 01483 893373 or Margaret on 01483 574473.
addition to any trophy cabinet! Top three finishers will receive prize vouchers thanks to event sponsors Runners Need. The events sold out in 2014, so secure your place now if you would like to take part in 2015. Race dates: 10 Jan, 31 Jan, 21 Feb. 8.30 am start. £20 per race, or £50 for all three. www.g3series.co.uk or www. facebook.com/aatevents. Guildford Rambling Club is meeting at 10am on Sunday 11th January next to the Jolly Farmer in Burdenshott Road for a 9 mile walk and on Tuesday 27th January in Horsell for a 5 mile morning walk. Also, ‘an out of area’ walk is planned for Sunday 25th January. The club will meet in Selborne at 10am for a 9 mile walk with the option to drop out after 5 miles. See www.guildfordramblingclub.org.uk for more information on these walks and the club in general.
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Sunday 11th, 8 mile easy walk around Cove, Ansell Farm, and Minley. Meet at Sail Training Centre, Hawley Lake, Minley Road. Ref 186/841584. Leader Cyril 01252 546160. Saturday 17th, 7 mile easy walk around Christmas Pie, Flexford and Wood Street Village. Meet at Normandy cross-roads carpark. Ref 186/926616. Leader Andrew 01252 520256. Sunday 25th, 7.5 mile easy walk around Bisley and Donkey Town. Meet in Bisley carpark, off A322 roundabout near Hen & Chicken pub. Ref 186/948597. Leader Colin 01276 474258. Saturday 31st January 8 mile easy walk around South Nutfield, Nutfield Marshand Redhill. Meet at Earlswood Common carpark, Earlswood Lakes. Ref 187/267484. Leader Jim 01737-764149. For all walks meet at 10am sharp.
The Runners Need G3 Series consists of three tough cross-country running events all starting and finishing at Newlands Corner, near Guildford. The dates for 2015 have been set – 10 January, 31 January and 21 The next event of Onslow Village February. These races are notoriously Residents’ Association (OVRA) is on challenging taking in all that the Tuesday 13th January in the Village Surrey Hills can throw at runners – How many times have you read about Hall, Wilderness Road, Onslow steep inclines, sticky mud, technical how good walking is for you? Well Village Guildford GU2 7QR. Andrew descents, and sand! The delicious there’s no denying it, it is good for Robertshaw will be talking about post-race brownies and flapjacks you! Surrey County Walkers organise 24 Hour Trench Warfare. He is a Milford Company Oct 13_Layout 1 12/09/2013 12:36 Crawley P Here Clinic_Layout 1 11/07/2013 Page 1 make a Window well-deserved reward. New some historian, 14:29 museum curator, great weekly walks. are military for 2015 are the G3 medals – a great brief details of January’s agenda. broadcaster and trained teacher. He
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has gained a reputation for bringing the past to life. He will be giving a digital presentation and talk on the reality of trench warfare on the days when major battles were not taking place. He explores the experiences of men in the trenches based on a replica trench system he built especially for his book. Copies of the book will be on sale on the evening. Complimentary tea and coffee will be served from 7.15pm. Entry is free to OVRA members, £3 to non members. On Tuesday 13th January at 8pm, Nils Lofgren will be performing at G Live in Guildford. The legendary American songwriter, guitarist and pianist Nils Lofgren returns to the UK. Known for his world-class guitar playing and onstage acrobatics, Lofgren was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. Expect classic Lofgren favourites like ‘Shine Silently’, ‘I Came to Dance’, ‘Keith Don’t Go’ and many others from his vast back catalogue. Tickets: £29.50, £39.50 Students, Unwaged & Friends of G Live: Save £2.50 Groups 8+: Save 10%. A £2.00 per ticket booking fee applies, capped at six per
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website www.guildfordsociety.org.uk for details.
The date for the next Cranleigh The Guildford Society is hosting Antiques Collectors & Craft Fair is the first of its 2015 talks ‘What is on 15th January in Cranleigh Village Experience Guildford‘ on Thursday Hall. Free entry and refreshments are 15th January at St Nicolas’ Parish available. Runs from 7.30am - 3pm. Centre, Bury Street. Society members and the general public are welcome; Guildford Natural History Society has however, there is an entry fee of £3 just one talk in January: On Thursday for non members. A subsidiary of 15th January Colin Jones will tell us Elevate Guildford Ltd; ‘ Experience about Japanese Gardens. These are Guildford’ promotes and markets described as islands of tranquility, the town on behalf of its 240 retail awash with cherry blossom in Spring. members, comprising local and The gravel gardens of Tokyo and Kyoto national shops, cafés and restaurants, are as different and interesting as any leisure and entertainment venues. garden in the world. The venue is the The speaker is Amanda Masters, Guildford Institute in Ward Street and the general manager who will talk talks start at 2.45 hrs, usually ending about their role as the co-ordinating around 4.15. Free to members. We body in marketing events and other welcome visitors but we ask for a work to ensure that Guildford is a small donation. Further details from safe and welcoming venue , including Bridget Hopkins: 01483 275826. funding the work of the Blue Caps - Town Guides. You will also hear Two Compton residents, Ken Miller about the work of the Guildford BID and Tim Carter, have each played (Business Improvement District) an important part in the Prostate where businesses come together and Project OctoBeardFest Appeal. They Wizard Quarter 0115_Layout Page are hoping that the1fi05/12/2014 nal total will 10:00 be decide on projects orWindow improvements they wish to see in the town. See their an astonishing £80,000. Ken raised
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Moving later in life When elderly parents need to downsize, it can be an ordeal for the whole family. Penny Kitchen talks to a woman who knows how to help from first-hand experience. Amanda Fyfe was a successful businesswoman with a young family when she realised that her parents, aged 75 and 85, needed to downsize – and needed help to do it. This presented problems for all the family members, not least because her parents lived several hours’ drive away. Both Amanda and her brother wanted to help, but spending weekends looking for suitable accommodation, and then helping her parents to get rid of a lifetime’s accumulation of possessions, took an increasing toll on family life, and on the emotions. “Mum was very fit and still worked full-time at Oxfam, but she was beginning to feel isolated and wanted to move closer to me. Dad who was that much older was beginning to slow down – but he didn’t want to move.” Finally Amanda’s parents were persuaded and she takes up the sory: “I found them somewhere to live, no problem; found a buyer for their house, no problem; but the practicalities of moving them from a very large four bedroom bungalow into a little two bedroom flat were huge. I was going over every weekend. I had three stepchildren living with me, a dog, a business with 18 employees to run, and an old house which required a lot of looking after. 14
“I was driving to my parents’ every Friday evening, frantically sorting through their belongings and I was exhausted. It would literally be ‘OK, right, Mum, let’s clear this room now’. I would start and she would say ‘But Auntie Annie gave me those…’. Tempers frayed as the hours ticked by. “Oh, the guilt afterwards!” Amanda acknowledged ruefully. “It should have been an exciting time for them, but frankly they must have been glad to get rid of me on Sunday, to have five days of peace. Meanwhile my brother was making trips over to clear the garage.” Amanda had planned her parents’ move. They were going to stay with her for a week while she cleaned and sorted boxes in the flat, but in the end she had to make them move into the flat. “It was awful. It was probably the most stressful time of my life.” As I listened to Amanda recount the story, I thought of my own parents years ago – them in Canada, me in Surrey – and, despite my urging, putting off the evil day when they had to downsize. Lacking practical support, they understandably could not face the upheaval. As I was of minimal help, they could have vantagepointmag.co.uk
benefitted enormously from someone like Amanda. Not the stressed and overloaded Amanda who dealt with her own mother and father’s move, but the Amanda who today, as a professional ‘senior moves manager’, can stand back from the fraught family situation and guide her elderly clients through the process. A revelation On a business trip to the States shortly after her parents’ move, Amanda was telling an associate there about the ordeal. “He said to me ‘You should talk to my wife – she got in a senior moves manager.’ “The concept of a specialist helping older people downsize and move house was a revelation to me and I thought this is something I could do myself back in England. I’m usually calm and organised. I’ve always loved older people and felt relaxed with them – I loved visiting my grandparents and felt closer to my own parents when they got older.” Training in America through the Senior Moves Trade Association followed and Amanda reduced the time she spent at her other business in order to experience at first-hand what it would be like to move other people. “I had moved every three years because my father was in the army, so I could do that with my eyes closed, “ she explained, “ but it is very different moving yourself and moving someone else.” Amanda’s father died in 2011, a turning point for her. At the age of 49, she sold her business to concentrate full-time on her new venture. Today she feels well qualified to offer good advice to others who may be facing the prospect of helping to relocate elderly relatives.
• Invite other - older - family members or friends of your parents to sit in on one of these sessions so that they don’t feel they are being bullied. • Be open and truthful with them. Unfortunately, adult children may approach the issue obliquely out of respect for mum and dad. Show them reality but at the same time show them solutions. For example, point out to them “the day is coming when one of you might have a fall – who will pick you up?” Describe all the available options – care home, sheltered accommodation, ground floor flat, etc. • Parents will capitulate if the adult children give assurances often enough that they can help them. But what if adult children can’t offer help for whatever reason? Like me, they may live far away; the chemistry/history between parents and children sometimes gets in the way; and sadly, some families are estranged. Amanda believes that this is where the American concept of Senior Moves provides a solution. You will inevitably get situations where mother might want to keep something that daughter has designated for the charity shop. Says Amanda: “Someone like me coming in can spare the time to chat about a precious possession that holds a memory for the elderly person. We act as surrogate family to them because we’ll listen to them, whereas often family members have commitments of work, children at home, etc. We give them every minute of the hours we’re with them.” And importantly, there is no emotional childparent tension.
Amanda’s advice • If you haven’t already talked to elderly parents about a move, it is essential to open up a communication channel. You may not be able to convince them at first, but you have to keep trying. And if subtlety doesn’t work, you have to sit them down and say “mum and dad, we have to have a serious conversation here.”
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Who do you call? Ghost busters are possibly the only services Amanda hasn’t enlisted to help her clients! She helps get services in, contacts charities, organises house and garage clearance, makes a floor plan of the new property to help them plan in advance where pieces of furniture will go. “We can even unpack for them so that they don’t have to face new rooms full of boxes. But the important thing is, they are always in control.” She will take on any or all parts of the relocation process, but at each stage her clients are presented with choices and asked how they would like to proceed.
Questions to ask Amanda is always happy when a family calls her in at the beginning of the process and the questions she asks provide a guideline for anyone in this situation: • Do the parents want to move nearer to their family? • Should they stay where they are because they have friends in the area, because they’ve always lived there? • Are they sociable, do they like to go for a drink in the evening? Or perhaps they like gardening or to go and listen to talks? This should be taken into consideration when choosing accommodation. • What sort of support do they need now – and importantly, what support will they need in five years’ time? It’s a much shorter time frame for an older person – closer to five years than 20. The type of accommodation families choose is dependent on personality and interests as well as finance. Amanda takes her clients personally to see what’s on offer and they are sometimes pleasantly surprised. “Care homes, retirement flats and sheltered accommodation are labels that a lot of elderly people don’t like, so I might take them to visit a retirement community so they can see what it’s really like and make up their own minds.” 16
A service like this wasn’t something anyone could have envisaged needing years ago. Amanda explains why: “The change in our culture over the last 30 years means that daughters no longer live at home, or take parents in, or are there to assist when they get old. Now every woman I know works. And also we live so far away from our families now. “Older people themselves have become more independent. They are happy they’ve been able to build an independent life and they don’t want to disrupt their children’s lives. “It also has a lot to do with an improvement in health – by and large the baby boomers aren’t unhealthy, just frail. “It’s great when the adult children want to be in contact, to help and make sure their parents are OK, but it’s also nice for them to know that they can go away and someone like me will be helping to sort things out. The sad thing is where we are helping elderly people who are completely on their own, or have children who just don’t care.” Penny Kitchen in a Farnham based writer and editor. She can be reached by email at penny. kitchen@btopenworld.com. FIND OUT MORE
Amanda Fyfe can be contacted on 0118 9794629 or email enquiries@seniormoves.co.uk. All staff are CRB checked and fully insured.
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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!
a fantastic £1,810 and Tim, who is Operations Manager at Nikon UK in Kingston, encouraged 18 Nikon staff to grow beards, raising over £1,000. In a further exciting development, Tim is trying to get the Prostate Project nominated as Nikon UK’s charity of the year for 2015. All the money raised will be used to support Professor Hardev Pandha’s cancer research team at the University of Surrey and specifically, to help fund a new 500 man trial that if successful, will provide the extensive visibility, governance and a CE mark for a prostate cancer urine test that is 50% more accurate than the 30 year old PSA blood test. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at www. octobeardfest.co.uk or by contacting Tim on 07989 865702. Fantastic, well done chaps! If you fancy treating your family to a feel-good show in January that is not a pantomime, why not go along to the next Compton Little Theatre Group adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ from Thursday 15th - 17th January. It takes place at Compton PilgrimHall Wood_Layout 1 day 14/10/2013 Village at 8pm each with an additional Saturday matinée at 3pm.
To order tickets at £10 for evenings, and £8 for the matinée, call the box office on 07964 515103. Rehearsals are well under way and the large cast of adults and children are working hard to ensure an enjoyable evening. Theatre suppers will be available from The Harrow pub next door to the hall. The Wey Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Society start the New Year with a lecture by Ms Jo Walton entitled ‘From Coalbrookdale to the Crystal Palace’. Why not join them at Shalford Village Hall on Thursday 15th January and learn about the fascinating relationship between art and design in the Industrial Revolution? Refreshments are available from 9.45am and the lecture starts at 10.45am. The Society offers a monthly programme of varied and fascinating talks by first class speakers. There are also special interest days, visits and an annual tour for members. New members and visitors are warmly welcomed. Annual membership is £40 and visitors pay £6 per talk. 16:05 Page If you are1 interested, contact the membership secretary on 01932
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355113 or visit their website at www. theweyvalleydfas.org.uk. Even in January, there is much to do and see at RHS Garden Wisley GU23 6QB. Their website is pretty comprehensive and gives details of all upcoming events. www.rhs.org. uk/wisley. Just to give you an idea, here are a few that caught my eye. Always a favourite, Butterflies in the Glasshouse runs from Saturday 17th January to Sunday 8th March and is open from 10am to 3.45pm. It really is a tropical paradise where exotic butterflies of all sizes and colours take flight amongst plants from far-off shores. If you’re lucky one might even land on you! Normal garden entry applies, but you can beat the queues and pre-book a time slot for weekends and half-term by going to the website. In conjunction with this, there is a Butterfly Photography Morning (nontutored) on Thursday 29th January from 7.45am to 10.15am. Based in the Clore Learning Centre, where refreshments will be served, you will be free to visit and photograph the glasshouse and butterflies as you please. As there are only 25 places,
Pilgrim Wood is an elegant, 1920s country house situated in three acres of grounds in an area of outstanding natural beauty close to the North Downs Way. Our elevated position provides remarkable views of the surrounding countryside, yet we are conveniently located only two miles from the centre of Guildford. Registered and compliant with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for 35 residents over the age of 65 years, we provide long term residential care as well as respite and convalescent care in an individual, family run home. We encourage our residents to partake in an active and varied lifestyle, including festive and social events, regular outings, and a daily program of group activities. We welcome visitors, so please feel free to stop by or call to make an appointment.
Sandy Lane, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1HF 01483 573111 www.pilgrimwood.co.uk pilgrimwood@goldenagehealthcare.co.uk
January 2015
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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!
please book as soon as possible by calling 08456 121253, open 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. RHS members £21, non-RHS members £34. Guildford Shakespeare Company, Guildford’s award-winning theatre company, has announced that actor Brian Blessed will be joining the company to play Shakespeare’s King Lear in their opening production of 2015. This will be first time that Brian has played this iconic role on stage. The production will also be the first time that he has worked on stage with his actress-daughter Rosalind, who will be playing one of Lear’s three daughters, Goneril. The production, which runs from Saturday 17th January to Saturday 7th February, will be staged in Holy Trinity Church, Surrey’s largest Georgian church on Guildford High Street. It will be Guildford Shakespeare Company’s 24th since their inception in 2006. Performances start at 7.30pm, with Saturday matinées at 2.30pm (no performances on Sunday). Tickets cost £25, £21 concessions (over 60’s.under 16’s, students, Equity), £18 matinées and family tickets are £80 (2 adults
+ 2 children under 16).There are also 20 tickets set aside every Monday for students, under 25’s and job seekers for £12.50. To book, go to www. guildford-shakespeare-company. co.uk or call 01483 304384. My goodness, no sooner had I written this jotting than I got an email saying due to the amazing demand already, they have extended the run by a week, and so, King Lear will now run until Saturday 14th February. I suggest you book as soon as possible. Surrey Care Trust helps people to improve their skills for life, work and learning through training, education, mentoring and volunteering. They hold a number of fund-raising events throughout the year and on Saturday 17th January they are organising a Quiz Evening for gardeners. They are hoping to see all you Surrey gardeners for a competitive evening at Worplesdon Village Hall near Guildford. It starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £15 to include a posh ploughman’s supper of speciality cheeses and a variety of breads and home-made pickles. To book your place and to find out more about all
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their other events, call Jennifer Britt on 07825 410667, email events@ surreycaretrust.org.uk or visit www. surreycaretrust.co.uk/event. Clandon Park, near Guildford is open Every Saturday and Sunday from Saturday 17th January to Sunday 15th February, 11am - 3pm. Enjoy a special winter opening of Clandon Park and discover what it was like to care for a grand country house in the 18th century, and how to keep it looking its best today. Ground floor rooms open, last admission 2.30pm. Shop and restaurant also open. Normal admission applies. More information at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clandonpark, tel 01483 222482. Farncombe Music Club (FMC) has another Acoustic Cafe on Sunday 18th January. There’s another great line-up for this popular live music show which is also recorded for broadcast on Brian Player’s radio show and syndicated across the internet. The show will feature acoustic blues, country and folk from Caddy Cooper, the singersongwriter Phil Nelson, plus folk band Tinlin. Only £5 entry (£4.40 including
www.architecturesurrey.co.uk
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Southern Pro
January 2015
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Model mum Farmer’s wife and mother of four, Jo Baker, has a model experience Having bought a raffle ticket from the school’s charity event, Jo was a little surprised to be holding the winning ticket. “I really wasn’t sure I would do it, but I am so glad I did, it was a lovely day”. With a busy life (mainly in wellies) running the farmhouse and four boys to look after, there really couldn’t have been a better winner. So, towards the end of last year, on a beautiful bright day, the pamper team turned up full of optimism - great weather, stunning location and a lovely model to work with. Whilst celebrity hair and make-up artist, Hanna Wildman spread out her brushes, powders and glosses on the kitchen table, fashion stylist, Kirstie Smillie started to edit Jo’s wardrobe and choose some great looks for her to wear. Meanwhile photographer, Anna Saverimuttu searched for the best light and locations for the photo session.
Hanna kept Jo’s make-up minimal. “I was conscious that as Jo doesn’t normally wear a lot of make-up, she needed a light, simple look to reproduce herself. I didn’t want to change her, just enhance what is there already.” Hanna’s Five Minute Morning Routine for Jo: (Ok, maybe 10 minutes, but after practice, it should get quicker!) A tinted moisturiser, cream blush and cream eyeshadow (all simply applied with fingertips) followed by a quick pencil eye line, mascara and lip gloss. Et voila.
Above: Jo glowing and gorgeous Right: Jo’s natural look
Far left: Hanna’s eyelash up-date Below: Wardrobe edit with Kirstie
Hanna emphasised that the “most important part is to have shades that flatter ... with the wrong choice of colour you can go to plenty of effort but not necessarily achieve the best results. For Jo I kept everything warm.” For the photoshoot, Hanna added an extra detail, just a few single eyelashes on the outer corners to highlight Jo’s blue eyes. Maybe not for every morning but great for a special occasion. 20
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FASHION FOOD Meanwhile, upstairs, with clothes now spread on bed and doorways, Kirstie worked her magic: “It’s so easy to forget gems already in your wardrobe. By taking everything out, trying it on and assessing if it still works for your lifestyle, it’s possible to reduce your options and make your fashion choices simpler. Only then, invest in missing pieces you really love and know you will wear. ” Jo’s wardrobe consists of easy pieces in muted tones and shades of blue, and the fluid layers from Mint Velvet fit perfectly worn with jeans and slim fit trousers. We ditched a few obviously older pieces but also rejuvenated others that had been forgotten. One new addition that Jo loved, was a cashmere poncho from The Gate in Guildford, as it’s just one of those pieces that won’t date, and for the early morning school dash, looks fab worn in any season. Once hair and make-up and outfits had been decided, the team moved about the house and gardens with Anna taking these great photos. Jo soon relaxed and got used to others organising clothes and hair for each shot. There were a few extra visitors, a friendly cockerel, moody cat and herd of cattle to deal with, but the relaxed mood made for a fun indulgent day. Jo had some ‘self time’ away from her everyday duties - learnt make-up and wardrobe tips, with some great images to remember the day by.
“I am so pleased that I didn’t chicken out! It really was a fun and unusual way to spend a day.” Hair and Make-up/Hanna Wildman. Visit www.hannawildman.com. Fashion styling/Kirstie Smillie. Visit www.kirstiesmillie.com. Feel relaxed and confident in your own style with a wardrobe full of clothes you love. email: kirstie@kirstiesmillie.com. Photographs/Anna Saverimuttu. A luxury hair, make-up and photography service for women. Visit www.annasaverimuttu.co.uk to find out more. Clothes credit: Mint Velvet, 162 High St, Guildford 01483 385301. Cashmere poncho, The Gate, Guildford 01483 453466. Evening dress, House of Fraser, www.houseoffraser.co.uk. Bolero, Edenblu, www.edenblu.com.
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Guildford rugby club THE LATEST HAPPENINGS AT OUR LOCAL CLUB Originally formed in 1922, Guildford Rugby Club is a members’ club, but is open to all. In 2002 Guildford & Godalming RFC merged with Old Guildfordians RFC with a plan to build a new clubhouse. In 2012 that dream was turned into reality with a £1m clubhouse development funded through RFU funding, loans, member contributions, sponsorships and fundraising. The club has recently been granted RFU Club Accreditation, which is a Clubmark standard for how the club is run including the management of the overall club, the promotion of sport in the community at grass roots level, and child welfare. As a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) they do not pay players. Their strategy is to provide excellent coaches at all levels. At first XV level the squad (pictured) is coached by Dave Ward, the Harlequins and present England Saxons hooker, who toured with the England Squad in New Zealand this summer. The first XV backs are coached by Ross Chisholm, also of Harlequins. Kyle Sinckler of England and Harlequins is the scrum consultant. These coaches are augmented by Matt Hawkes. A youth and mini coaching co-ordinator was appointed in 2012 to help and assist in coaching development throughout the club. They currently have over 75 volunteer coaches with RFU coaching qualifications. This is one of the highest coaches-to-player ratios in Surrey, not to mention the number of first aid qualifiers. Guildford 1st XV were promoted to London 1 South last season [Level 6] as champions of their league. They were also London and South East Winners of the Intermediate Cup and winners of the Surrey Trophy and are currently in the top three of the new league. Their success is well earned and makes for some exciting rugby. Most games are prefaced by a supporters lunch and new faces are very welcome. They have a vibrant and active ‘Vets team’ that train on Tuesday nights with a huge turnout for Touch Rugby. Led by Tim Williams, the Guildford alumni, past players and their friends are not allowed to retire to their armchairs, with Tim’s catchphrase being that ‘the beer really does taste better when it has been earnt’. Guildford also boasts a successful ladies section called the Gazelles. They welcome new supporters and players to all sections of the club and especially to the ‘Youth’ and ‘Minis’ where the age groups are often running two or more teams. Last year the entire ‘Mini’ section went on tour and the same is planned this season. At Christmas the ‘Minis’ played at the BIX SIX Game at Twickenham in front of 75,000 spectators.
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The club holds numerous rugby galas and is actively involved in taking rugby into the nonplaying state schools. In this way the club is actively working in taking sport into the community and delivering the post-Olympic legacy. Meanwhile they are also working with a growing number of local and national companies with their Team Guildford Business Club, allowing them to support sport in the community. Even in affluent Surrey and Guildford there are families that appreciate the hardship support that the club offers them. Finally, they now have a clubhouse fit for purpose. These outstanding facilities incorporate a function room able to seat 175 people which is perfect for corporate events, weddings, funerals and private parties. It has a disabled lift, separate meeting rooms, bar and eight changing rooms with separate showers. Not to mention two additional changing and shower rooms for the referees, and even an upstairs loo for the ladies. Those familiar with the club of old will be pleased to learn that the fireplace is still intact. The club is immensely proud of what they are developing and they look forward to seeing you at the club if you are interested in playing or spectating.
FIND OUT MORE
Guildford Rugby Club, Broadwater Sports Club, Guildford Road, Godalming GU7 3DH. Tel: 01483 416199 www.pitchero.com/clubs/guildford VantagePoint is a proud sponsor of Guildford Rugby.
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Meet a local business... Creative Blinds & Shutters In the first of an new occasional series, Carol Martin goes behind the scenes of a local business. Did you know that curtains are old hat, wooden venetians are ‘last year’ and shutters are the new trend? Neither did I, but I was brought quickly up to speed by Richard Teague when I visited the Creative Blinds & Shutters showroom in Wrecclesham, Farnham. With over 18 years’ experience in the industry there is not much that Richard doesn’t know about blinds, awnings and shutters. Which can only be good news for the majority of us who don’t buy these products very often and are rarely up to speed with the latest options available. How reassuring it is to have an expert on hand to advise on the pros and cons of each different type of window covering and some of the problems which can occur during fitting. Richard explained that it’s good to do your research before buying. He said: “Find a company that Richard Teague, Director at Creative Blinds and knows what they are Shutters, with Pippa his Jack Russell. doing. We’ve had lots of people who have come to us after they have used someone else and it’s gone wrong.”
The team apply the same care to tricky or smaller jobs. Richard talked about finding arched shutters and solid panels to match originals in an old schoolhouse. And then there was the time he did such a good job supplying and fitting a roller blind in Compton that the customer flew him out to do all the windows at a second home in Portugal. Looking after customers makes good business sense too. Richard explained: “The business has grown 43% year-on-year for the last four years and 70% of the business comes from repeat customers or recommendations.” He added: “What I have noticed over the last three or four years is that people do want to ‘buy local’. They are looking for service and are prepared to pay for it.” I was impressed by his genuine drive to do a great job. And with their once a year sale now on until February 14th, there is no better time to get in touch. Creative Blinds & Shutters, 11 The St, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4PP. Tel: 01252 727490.
“Deal with a local company so that if anything goes wrong you can knock on the door, rather than having to phone a call centre in Abu Dhabi.”
What type of window covering do you need? CBS advises:
It is clear that Richard is proud of the service and advice he and his team give to customers. Unlike other firms in the industry CBS sales people do not work for commission and have been fitters before becoming sales people. This means they know the problems that can occur and will advise accordingly.
Watching TV without glare, preventing the children from getting up too early – black out roller blinds
CBS also offer a design service and the team is not afraid to challenge an idea to get a better result.
Privacy but ability to see out too – venetian blinds or shutters
Richard had a smile and a twinkle in his eye when he told me about being asked by an interior designer to come and look at a new German Hoff house and quote for vertical blinds. Richard felt shutters would look much better and I wasn’t surprised to hear that he got his way! Isn’t it great to meet business people who are passionate about what they do?
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Long Term Care Bernado Hunte looks at how this could affect you or a loved one An inescapable fact of life is that we all are born with parents and possibly grandparents. We may now be parents or grandparents ourselves, however, the ‘Peter Pan’ in us wants us to live forever…free of aches, pains, serious illnesses and forgetfulness. The real world is of course quite different. We do have a finite existence on earth. Our loved ones do age, become frail, have heart attacks or strokes, struggle with cancer, contract any number of conditions and in some cases they don’t even recognise us any more. I write this article as both a qualified independent chartered financial adviser who gives regulated advice on long term care and a son whose mother fought off cancer when she was 67. She then contracted Parkinson’s in her early 80s and lived as a widow in her own home with daily incoming care. She then fell one day when she was on her own smashing her elbow joint to pieces which led her into hospital for an operation. She ended her days in a care home as she was deemed to be unable to look after herself at home after her elbow operation. Her time in the care home was approximately 18 months…she actually died of pneumonia aged 85. My personal experience with my mother may ring bells with you. I was lucky in that I was one of three siblings so the responsibility of looking after my mother was ‘shared’...looking back there were good and bad aspects of ‘sharing the responsibility’ as I discovered. Not everyone gets on fabulously well with their fellow siblings. So who may need long term care? Today more people are living longer. This improvement in life expectancy also brings with it the increased possibility of a person suffering a chronic illness later in life resulting in the need for another person to look after 26
them. This need is most likely to arise for very elderly people, typically those aged 80 or over. Numbers in this section of the population are rising quickly. Recent figures from the National Office of Statistics predict that by 2035, 110,000 of the population will be living to the age of 100. That’s a sevenfold increase in the number of people living to the same age in 2013. Although there is no guarantee that a person will have the need for long-term care during their lifetime, the numbers who do are increasing substantially, and the problem is likely to worsen further in the future (Who may need Long Term Care - Techlink Professional 7th November 2014). Long term care can be provided in a separate residential care home by an independent care provider or in the person’s own home. There is also a difference between a residential care home and a nursing care home. The latter provides ‘nursing’ care by qualified nursing staff. People entering a residential home usually do not need much ‘nursing’ care e.g. they may be physically fit but have ‘dementia’. When it is ‘established’ that someone can no longer look after themselves and therefore ‘needs’ care, all sorts of issues start to surface. How and what will the State provide? What social security benefits can be claimed e.g. Attendance Allowance or Registered Nursing Care Contribution? Can care be provided in the home or would residing in a care home be better? Is Power of Attorney in place and which relative/friend has the ‘power’? Which relative/ friend can do most of the local legwork? (Other relatives/friends may live a considerable distance away). What will the care cost? How do vantagepointmag.co.uk
we go about finding what assets the individual has? How do we go about finding what net monthly income is being paid to the individual? Does the individual own a home? Will it have to be sold? Where is the individual’s will, is it up to date and is it valid? What are the processes we must go through on behalf of the person requiring care? Where there are two partners and one needs care how do we deal with the fitter one? Out of all the relatives/friends which one will offer to do all the above ‘spadework’. Will just one relative/friend liaise with the solicitor and the financial advisor? Do any of the relatives/friends live abroad? Do the closest relatives/friends get on with each other? You will now conclude that there are quite a few ‘hoops’ to pass through. Emotions will undoubtedly surface in some individuals. My personal experience is that the fewer the relatives/friends the smoother the ‘processes’ will flow, as human nature is quite interesting to observe! This is where the combination of an experienced LTC CF8 qualified adviser who has a good working relationship with a solicitor who is also familiar with all aspects of long term care will provide much needed support, guidance and a steadying influence.
For me, professionally speaking, the best way to look at the overall situation is to start from the simple premise which is: this is my mum or dad, aunt or uncle, relative, friend. He/she has hopefully lived a good life to date but their health is now failing and they deserve the very best care, so let’s try and give them the best that resources/circumstances will allow. If you pursue this philosophy then processes tend to go more smoothly and purposefully. Here is an inescapable fact. What we do now know is that two in three women and one in two men will develop high care needs (Techlink Professional -Reform of the current Long Term Care provisions Friday 7th November 2014). The question is who amongst our relatives/friends will it be? This article attempts to look at the human and practical sides of what is involved in providing care for an elderly person. In a subsequent article I will spell out how the ‘financial assessment’ operates. The present UK coalition government established the Commission on Funding on Care and Support chaired by Andrew Dilnot in July 2010. The government responded with the ‘Care Act 2014’. FIND OUT MORE
Bernardo Hunte is a CF8 qualified Independent Chartered Financial Planner with Aspect8 Ltd. Aspect8 Ltd is a member of Best Practice IFA Group Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Bernardo can be contacted at bernard.hunte@ aspect8.co.uk or 01403 331419.
For more information call 01252 220080 or visit www.melodycare.co.uk. Melody Care 10 The Enterprise Centre, Coxbridge Business Park, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 5EH. “Mum is very fond of her carer”
Melody Care were there when we needed them most Good health is something many of us take for granted. Those who have to care for a loved one with failing health know only too well the devastating effects this has on their quality of life. So often people’s worlds are turned upside down when a parent or spouse become seriously ill or lose the ability to care for themselves. It is when this happens that professional help is often needed. Melody Care has an enviable reputation for providing Care Assistants to help share the burden. Whatever the circumstances might be, Melody Care will be there when the help is needed most.
January 2015
A typical day for a Melody Care Live-In Care Assistant: • Arise and prepare the house for the day (draw curtains, open windows, etc) • Feed and walk any pets • Deliver morning tea or breakfast, newspaper and post • Prompt or assist with any medication requirements • Prepare bathroom for washing • Assist with all aspects of personal care if necessary • Assist with dressing and hair care etc • Perform household duties (cleaning, laundry, etc) • Accompany Client to shops/dentist/ doctor/hairdresser/ friends or family • Prepare and serve lunch • Break 14.00-17.00hrs • Prepare and serve dinner • Close down the house for the night • Run a bath and prepare bedroom • Assist with all aspects of personal care and undressing, ready for bed.
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booking fee if booked online). Show starts at 2.30pm (doors open at 2pm). I have already mentioned that FMC are collaborating with Grayshott Folk Club to bring the band Caravan to St John’s Church, Farncombe on Thursday 22nd January. Tickets: £16 advance (£19 on the door). Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7.45pm. Most people will remember the extraordinary voice of Sarah Jane Morris from her time in the 80s band, The Communards, (who are best known for their hit ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’) but this versatile performer has enjoyed a varied solo career as a modern jazz soul singer. She brings her eclectic show to Farncombe Music Club on Friday 30th January, promoting her latest album, ‘Bloody Rain’. (www.sarahjanemorris. co.uk. Tickets: £16 in advance, £19 on the door. Show starts at 7.45pm, doors open 7pm.For tickets to all these shows, go to www.wegottickets. com/julianlewrymusic or call 01483 421520. For tickets and information, you can email: julianlewrymusic@ aol.com. In its January meeting, the Historical Association, West Surrey branch,
is featuring a talk by Professor Dan Stone on ‘Rethinking Liberation: The End of the Holocaust?’ Professor Stone, of Royal Holloway College, University of London, is a leading authority having recently published a book on post-war European history and he is currently working on the ‘Concentration Camp’ for the Oxford University Press and the ‘Liberation of the Nazi camps’ for Yale. The meeting is at 7.30 pm on 20th January at St Nicolas’ Hall, Bury Street, Guildford GU2 4AW. Non members are very welcome (£3 at the door) and students are free. Further information from Rollo Crookshank on 01252 319881 or email crookshank@starkmann.co.uk. The West Surrey Natural History Society (WSNHS) holds monthly talks by well-known naturalists from September to April on a wide variety of natural history subjects. The talks are held at Ripley Village Hall at 8pm on the fourth Thursday in the month. All meetings are free to members or £3 for non-members. Annual membership single £7, Family membership £12. Members receive a regular newsletter. All enquiries
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to the society secretary, Anna Stribley on 01372 457623 or you can find further information at www. wsnhs.wordpress.com. The talk on Thursday 22nd January is ‘Guyana - A Naturalist’s Wonderland: illustrated talk by Martin Angel.’ Guyana is a little known South American country covered with rainforests and savannahs. On any other continent, its great rivers, the Essequibo and Demerara, and dramatic waterfalls such as the Kaieteur Falls would be famous. Should be a fascinating talk. Les Amitiés Françaises’s popular series of lectures in French continues with its first talk in the New Year on Thursday 22nd January at 7.30pm in the Baptist Church Hall, Queen Street, Godalming. Thierry Viennois’ lecture will be on ‘Napoleon – not just Corsica’. This complements the December talk on ‘La Corse - Not just Napoleon’...given by Cédric Cabanne, which set the historical and geographical backdrop to his incredible life. Thierry Viennois’ lecture will be mainly on the history of Napoleon, who was born in Ajaccio in 1769 and was granted a free military In home care services Live-in-care Surrey Senior home care Dementia home care 24 hour care at home Elderly respite care Long term care services Short term care services Adult care services
If you have home care needs, call us today on
01483 533367
for friendly advice on how we can help you and your family.
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Home Counties Carers – it is all about you Lucinda and I founded Home Counties Carers back in January 2012, since then we have worked extremely hard to build and develop a team of Carers that are friendly, reliable and trustworthy and who genuinely care. We knew from the outset that having a strong team of Carers was what our Clients wanted and deserved. It is not unreasonable to expect to see the same carer regularly, for them to arrive promptly, to always be well presented, polite and well mannered and who are competent in carrying out what they have been asked to do.
and positive career please contact Home Counties Carers as it is all about you. Contact Matthew Kalupka on 01483 224985 or visit the website at www. homecountiescarers.vo.uk
Everyone one of our Client’s has a different need, some want help once a week to go shopping, others to need a live in Carer for companionship and to help with all daily tasks. If you would like some help and support at home or are looking for a rewarding
Providing personalised support in your own home “Based in Guildford we are a family run business that is committed to providing older people and young adults with learining disabilities with friendly & reliable Carers who genuinely care” Lucinda Kalupka, Nurse & Registered Manager
From just an hour a day to 24 hour support
• Companionship • Personal care • Light domestic duties • Post treatment convalescence
• Trips out • Meal preparation • Medicines prompts • Respite & holiday cover
We listen to your needs and together reach a solution
Call us today on 01483 224 985
info@homecountiescarers.co.uk | www.homecountiescarers.co.uk
We also have great opportunities for Carers
January 2015
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Soundingoff Down with pedal-philes! Andrew Crisell recently made a list of potential gripes and was horrified to discover that virtually everything irritated him, the classic symptom of a dreadful old fogey. Here he tackles cyclists... This month, your friend Gog, or ‘Grumpy Old Git’ as he is unchar- ing a pedestrian. If this confuses and terrifies itably termed, is going to change his personality. He, or rather the motorists, so much the better. I, am going to struggle into some outlandish garments, climb on to my high horse – or its mechanical equivalent – and preach a I was recently driving my wife to the station. sermon at you. For I want you to know that I am a Special One We weren’t hurrying, but she did have a train to and that I can look down on most of you because I am much, catch. Ahead of us, pootling along in the midmuch holier. Whereas you move about the planet in large four- dle of the road at a steady six miles an hour, was wheeled cabins which burn gallons of irreplaceable fossil fuel, I a lady on a bicycle. Road manners seemed to burn only my own calories. I am . . . suggest that she should bow your heads and whisper it reverBeing a cyclist allows me to invoke the pull over to the left and ently – a cyclist! Right of Alternation, to switch at will allow us to pass her, but between being a road user and, when perhaps consumed with This exalted state gives me certain the righteousness of the traffic lights are against me, being a inalienable rights. It permits me to being green, she didn’t pedestrian. flout human dignity by wearing unbudge. So to warn her speakably silly helmets, dressing like that he would like to a frogman even though I don’t go into the water, and having overtake her, Gog gave her – not a parp but lights winking not only from my bike but from my head, my feet, a respectful toot on his horn, and eased past. my bum and my belt. It allows me to bang on the roofs of cars The lady was incensed. Suddenly cycling much that get in my way. And it enables me to flout many of the rules faster, she caught up with us outside the staof the road, such as observing red traffic lights. I also like travel- tion. “You beeped your horn at me!” she acling three abreast with other cyclists, especially on narrow roads, cused. “He beeped his horn at a cyclist!” she so that the Great Satan, the car driver, cannot overtake me. I like declared to the passing pedestrians. Suddenly to weave in and out of traffic, often at high speed and without I felt like a social leper, someone who has been giving notice of my intentions. Above all, being a cyclist allows publicly denounced for torturing kittens. me to invoke the Right of Alternation, to switch at will between being a road user and, when the traffic lights are against me, be- Our roads are narrow and clogged and make relatively little provision for cyclists. Being slower and more vulnerable, they deserve special consideration from motorists. But let cyclists be considerate, too. When tempted to feel ecologically holier-than-thou, they might remember that it’s not ‘motorists’ or ‘cyclists’ who pollute the planet: it’s human beings. Do you agree with Andrew? What irritates you these days? Please write in or let us know at editor@vantagepublishing.co.uk.
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SURREY CARE AWARDS 2014 At Beritaz Care we are incredibly proud to announce that as a company we have been selected as a finalist for the 2014 awards for “Using Technology in Care Settings”. The celebrations took place at Epsom Downs on 21 November 2014 and we were celebrating the really excellent, caring service that goes on in Surrey’s care sector. Social care staff are so often unsung heroes and Surrey Care Association wants to change this by highlighting and rewarding their achievements.
Careblox for our payroll and our new CRM system. In addition to this, we hope to very soon be using an online system to record details of medication for all residents.
As well as showcasing the good practise of Surrey’s care providers and their staff, the Surrey Care Awards help raise the profile of adult social care in the county, promoting the wide range of rewarding employment opportunities that exist in our sector. This is a great achievement for our team, and one we have worked very hard towards during the past few years. We pride ourselves on our technological advancements, using the I Care system on a daily basis to maintain aBeritaz number of records1on all residents, well 1as using 0914_Layout 14/08/2014 11:45asPage
Beritaz Care Beritaz Care Care You Can Trust
Ashton Manor Farnham
Robertson NH Godalming
Springkell House Hindhead
Nursing Care for Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Nursing Care
Nursing Care for Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Beales Lane, Wrecclesham, Farnham GU10 4PY
Priorsfield Road, Hurtmore Godalming GU7 2RF
Wood Road, Hindhead GU26 6PT
01252 722967
01483 421033
01428 605509
www.ashtonmanor.co.uk info@ashtonmanor.co.uk
www.beritazcare.co.uk robertsonnh@beritazcare.co.uk
www.springkellcare.co.uk info@springkellcare.co.uk
We believe our clients deserve a quality lifestyle that respects their dignity and independence; their loved ones expect assurance and peace of mind. We provide these within a friendly yet professional caring and secure environment. Our core values: Caring - we care with warmth and understanding in a secure and happy environment. Trusting - we build and maintain strong relationships by being open and transparent. Choices - we respect each other and those around us through understanding and supporting individual needs and choices. January 2015
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education in France but had to study French in Autun before entering the academy. February’s talk on Monday 9th February will be on Les Fauves – Matisse, Braque et Derain ‘Colour in the South of France’, to be delivered by Brian Stimpson. Non-members are very welcome at the lectures (£6 at the door) and brochures on Les Amitiés are available in libraries and museums. As well as a programme of lectures, there are convivial lunches and dinners together with visits to historic houses and gardens, all with a French connection. For further information, contact John Petty, membership secretary on 01483 861974, john.petty@which.net and on www.amitiesfrancaises.com. Writers’ Night Out! Step away from the keyboard and mingle with likeminded local writers at Write-Times unstructured, informal pub night. It’s on January 22nd from 7.30pm, upstairs at The Keep pub, 29 Castle Street, Guildford GU1 3UW and it’s free! Inspiration awaits! Also, gear up for their February Writers’ Retreat. Date and venue to be confirmed at time of writing but should now be on
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their website. Details at www.writetime.co.uk or call 0798 903 8143. Home-Start Guildford has another Volunteer Preparation Course starting on Thursday 22nd January. Home-Start Guildford is a family support charity covering the whole of the borough of Guildford and they are now expanding into Bookham and Fetcham in Mole Valley. They provide home-visiting volunteers with parenting experience to support families who are struggling to cope, with at least one child under five. Examples of difficulties might be: postnatal depression, illness/disability (of parent or child), multiple births, family breakdown, and financial worries. Can you spare a few hours each week to help a family with young children? Are you interested in learning new skills on our friendly, free, volunteer training course? If the answer is yes, they are recruiting now. Call Harriet on 01483 511181, or email office@hsguildford. org.uk for more information. Cranleigh Arts Centre always has some great musical acts every month. January is no exception. On Saturday
24th January, The John Wilson Band will be playing at 8.30pm. John Wilson has played with just about everyone of any note, The Stones, The Who, Status Quo and Genesis to name just a few. Promises to be a great evening. Tickets are £20 (£18 if booked in advance). Do check out their website www.cranleighartscentre.org and find out all that’s going on. Strictly Come Dancing favourite Anton Du Beke comes to G Live on Saturday 24th January. Partnering Erin Boag in That’s Entertainment, this brand new show features classic ballroom and showbiz favourites, and signature dances including the foxtrot, tango and waltz. Performances are at 3pm and 7.30pm and tickets are £39.50 or £47.50 plus booking fee of £2 unless a Friend of GLive or a group of 8+. You can book on line at www. GLive.co.uk or call 0844 7701 797 (10am-6pm, Monday -Saturday.) ‘The Boy who Bit Picasso’ is the title of the January lecture of West Surrey Decorative and Fine Arts Society on Tuesday 27th January. The lecture, to be given by Antony Penrose,
vantagepointmag.co.uk
Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER! is based on his book of the same name. Antony’s parents were Lee Miller, the photographer, and Roland Penrose, curator and biographer of Picasso. Picasso was just one of many great artists who visited Farley Farm House, the Penrose family home in Sussex. ‘The Boy who Bit Picasso’ is an amusing and entertaining account of life at the farmhouse when Picasso came to stay. The Society meets in Shalford Village Hall on the fourth Tuesday in the month at 9.45am for coffee. Lectures start at 10.30am. New members and visitors are very welcome. Details of their programme of lectures, visits and holidays for 2015 can be found on their website www.nadfas-westsurrey.co.uk. For more information ring 01483 811671. Also at G live on Saturday 24th January is the Comedy Club 4 Kids. Do you love comedy? Then take the family to G Live! These family friendly comedy shows feature real standup comedians and sketch acts, but without the rude bits and at a family friendly time. Suitable for ages 6-11. Starts at 3pm.Tickets: £10 Family Offer: £31 (2 adults, 2 children). A 50p
per ticket booking fee applies, capped at six per order. Fee-free booking for Friends of G Live and Groups of 8+. Call 0844 7701 797 to buy fee-free. Steven Arnold, known to many as beleaguered Corrie butcher Ashley Peacock, will appear in Guildford Fringe Theatre Company’s first production of 2015, Concrete Boots. The play, a new piece written by London-based playwright Stuart Price, received rave reviews when it was recently performed at Camden Fringe. A tragic comedy, it follows the lives of brothers Cubby and Toby as they struggle to escape from certain death after a revenge attack by local gangsters sees them kidnapped and up to their necks in trouble… The intimate setting of The Back Room of The Star Inn, Quarry Street, Guildford means the audience cannot help but be caught up in this funny, enlightening and honest tale. It runs from Wednesday 28th January until Saturday 7th February. Doors open at 7.30pm for curtain up at 8pm. Purchase your tickets online at www. ticketsource.co.uk/GuildfordFringe, by phone on 0844 8700 887 or in
Make your home stand out with beautiful, quality lighting
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person at the Tourist Information Centre, Guildford. For full information visit www.GuildfordFringe.com. St Catherine’s School presents an evening with Jonathan Veira on Thursday 29th January at 7.30pm. Opera Unmasked is an exclusive evening with Jonathan Veira, international bass-baritone opera singer, raconteur and comedian. His glorious voice, outstanding stage presence and superb comic timing have led him to perform leading roles on many of the most prestigious opera stages around the world. Jonathan and his accompanist, Sue, will journey through his comic repertoire of arias and stories gathered from a career spanning 27 years of international opera. Tickets at £15 for an adult and £10 for a child can be booked at http://veira.bpt.me. This event is open to the public and doors open at 7pm. The bar is open before the performance and drinks can be preordered for the interval. St Catherine’s School is situated in Station Road, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0DF. Merrow
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January 2015
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GARDEN
Taking a look at
Terrariums With Beth Otway
I love bringing nature indoors; vases of flowers, pretty stones and all manner of leaves, bark and pinecones are welcome in my house at any time of year. I enjoy house plants, but I especially love creating bottle gardens or terrariums. Terrariums are fun to plant up either by yourself, with a friend, or with children or a disabled or housebound friend or relation; they are something everyone can be involved in and enjoy, which is wonderful. Whether you’re looking for a unique present or to add a special touch or feature to your home, whatever your style or budget, I’d recommend a terrarium. I have a number of terrariums, here’s a closer look at two of them: The first is a glass terrarium I bought second hand, it cost me £10. After giving it a good clean I set about planting it up: first I added a mixture of gravel and activated charcoal, then I added a layer of very fine gravel, then a layer of peat free coir compost and on top of this I added my own peat free compost mixed with sand. I carefully planted my plants and mosses, each chosen to cope with the humidity and conditions of a terrarium. All manner of items can be used to plant a beautiful and unique indoor garden: bell jars, cloches, carboys, old fish
bowls and tanks, sweet jars, cheese domes, even old light bulbs! Select a sturdy, robust container, without any drainage holes, that’s made of clear glass, strong plastic or acrylic. Choose a container with a wide enough opening to allow for planting and maintenance and ensure you select one with enough height and room for both the growing medium and the plants. My second terrarium is a BiOrbAir, a specially designed, automated terrarium, created by a company known for their aquariums. The BiOrbAir uses modern technology to create a stable microclimate with regulated humidity and air movement. It even has LED lights which simulate daylight, allowing you to take nature with you, even in a basement office or room without any natural light. The lights are designed and arranged so that the plants will grow upright, meaning you won’t have to regularly turn the terrarium as with traditional types; this also allows you to have a ‘backdrop’ to your planting design should you wish. The way the terrarium is lit means that it also adds a soft, natural looking light to the room, casting pretty foliage shaped shadows – it really is beautiful and creates a unique feature and talking point. The design and features of the BiOrbAir take a lot of the guess work and worry away from the planting and maintenance of the terrarium. The water level indicator, a discreet tube at the side of the base of the unit lets you know if you need to top up the water reservoir. This is such a great feature, the tube can even be used to drain water from the base should you accidently overfill your terrarium. Watering is a key component of any aspect of gardening, it’s so easy to get it wrong; this is such a clever feature and will give confidence to gardeners of all ages and experience. There’s a fan which runs continually drawing in fresh air and circulating it around the terrarium; I’d compare the noise of the fan with the sound of a laptop computer fan running. Another exciting feature is the misting unit! The built in sensors control the humidity, creating a perfect environment for plants to thrive. For a list of suitable terrarium plants, please visit my website: www.pumpkinbeth.com. Beth Otway is a horticulturalist and garden writer from Godalming. She is vice-chairman of Godalming in Bloom, the Programme & Visits Secretary for The National Vegetable Society Surrey District Association and the Press Officer for Milford Horticultural Society. She is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, Milford Horticultural Society and the National Vegetable Society. Beth is a vegetable enthusiast and has an allotment where she enjoys growing a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, herbs and cut flowers. Beth has previously worked for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Wisley, reviewing and editing digital photographs of RHS plant trials.
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meets every Thursday morning at Merrow Village Hall from 10.15am to 12.15pm. They are a very sociable group of ladies who enjoy a lighthearted game of badminton as well as coffee and a chat. The group has been in existence for 40 plus years but now finds members are fewer and are therefore recruiting new people. All ages and abilities are welcome and free taster sessions are available. For more details contact Gill on 01483 576176 or just turn up! Watts at Night is on the 30th January until 9pm. Enjoy late night opening with music and a bar, experience exciting performances and get involved with creative workshops for all ages. Enjoy 2 for 1 admission (Friends, Volunteers , 16 and under FREE) and take the opportunity to explore the exhibition at night. Step into Supernature, a fantastical light sculpture in the grounds of the gallery composed of hundreds of beautifully illuminated porcelain sculptures. Take the chance to enjoy this piece at its best in the dark of night. Supernature at Watts Gallery has been made possible by iGuzzini lighting systems
January 2015
and a kind donation from Emma Verey. As a part of your evening delight in Russian cuisine by booking a three course Russian banquet, provided by Russian Revels. Dinner must be booked in advance at £27 per head. Guests for dinner will be seated at 7.30pm. Call: 01483 813593 or book online at www.wattsgallery.org.uk. There is much more going on at the Watts Gallery, so check the website for details. Bramley Music’s 2015 season begins at 7.30pm on Saturday 31st January when Paul Guinery will be giving a piano recital. It will take place at Holy Trinity Church, Bramley. Paul is an announcer and presenter on BBC Radio 3 and the World Service. He is also a fabulous pianist, with several CDs to his name. Paul is equally happy to play tunes from the golden age of Porter and Gershwin as well as the classical repertoire. As his programme is likely to include an arrangement of Addinsell’s iconic Warsaw Concerto, inevitably, the recital is called “Dangerous Moonlight”! Tickets are £10 (£5 for under 18’s and students), available at the door, or in advance
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from Robertsons in Bramley High Street, or you can reserve them by telephoning Stuart White on 01483 892645 or emailing stuart.white@ rpc.co.uk. There is a free glass of wine or soft drink in the interval. Proceeds are all for charity. We are told, and I can well believe it that walking makes you happy and keeps you healthy. Over 70,000 people walk with Walking for Health regularly. Getting involved with your local Walking for Health scheme couldn’t be easier. Find the health walk scheme closest to you. Visit the national Walking for Health website: www.walkingforhealth.org.uk and enter your postcode or place name in the search box. You’ll then find all the information you need to join a group for regular walks. There are two walking groups in the Guildford area: The Boxgrove Walk Group offers free 1 hour walks from the car-park at Boxgrove Park shops at 10am every Monday morning; Meet at 9.45 am. Routes include: The Riverside Park, an easy flattish walk. A walk towards Newlands Corner - need to be reasonably fit for this walk. A walk to
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Healthy New Year by Be Kassapian from Be in the Kitchen Welcome to ‘Be in the Kitchen’ Cookery School and an introduction into our wonderful way of healthy eating. This month’s recipes are taken from their regular ‘Energiser’ and ‘Kill Sugar Cravings’ demonstrations, which are all free from sugar, caffeine, wheat and alcohol. Free-ing your body from these things is liberating and powerful, but unless you can enjoy the recipes and feel ‘full’ when you have eaten, a healthy eating regime won’t last long. So Be makes sure you love her recipes and want to eat this way for the whole year. Join Be for one of their spring workshops. Just £45, this includes welcome drinks (coffee if needed!), cake, lunch and a glass of Prosecco – or not if you are being extremely good!
Roast ratatouille baked with goat’s cheese This heart-warming, cosy, full flavoured, luscious bubbling gem is a huge ‘detox’ favourite. It might seem odd to be cooking Mediterranean veg in the winter, but the colours and flavours are just what we need as a ‘pick me up’ on those freezing days when we are trying to revert to a sensible eating regime after Christmas.
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6. 2. Prepare the vegetables: Take the ends off the courgettes and cut each into 4 large chunks. Cut the stem end off the aubergine, cut in half lengthways and divide each half into about 8 chunks. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut each half into 4 pieces. Peel and quarter the red onions. 3. Put all the vegetables into a large roasting try and pour over the olive oil. Add the herbs, crushing a little bit with your fingers as you put them in. Season generously with salt and pepper and then toss everything together so they are all coated evenly. 4. Transfer the roasting tray to the top
of the hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to brown. 5. Remove the tray from the oven, turn the vegetables over and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until starting to brown on the second side. 6. Stir in the garlic, then add the tomatoes and tomato puree to the tray, mix well together and return to the oven for a final 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 7. To serve: Tip the ratatouille into a large shallow oven proof dish (or individual dishes). Arrange the goat’s cheese slices on top and return to the top of the oven for 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese has melted and is bubbling attractively!
Ingredients 3 courgettes 1 large aubergine 4 sweet peppers, mixed colours 3 red onions approximately 4-6 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs or a few sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 tin good quality chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato puree 2 x goat’s cheese logs (approx 140g each), cut into 1 cm/ ½ in slices Serves 4-6
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FOOD
Turkey burgers with chilli, coriander & feta Drizzled with tzatziki 1. In a large bowl, mix the turkey, red onion, chilli, coriander, feta and seasoning (not too much salt because the feta is salty). Shape into 4 large burgers, place on a tray, cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes to develop the flavour. 2. Make the Tzatziki: Mix all the
ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to use. 3. Preheat a grill on its highest setting. Grill the burgers on each side for approximately 3 minutes or until brown and feeling ‘firm’. 4. Serve with the tzatziki drizzled over.
Ingredients 500g minced turkey ½ red onion, finely chopped 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 1 handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped 110g/4 oz feta cheese, crumbled salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Tzatziki 150ml/ 5 fl oz low fat natural yoghurt ½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded & finely diced small bunch fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed juice of ½ lemon salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 4
Greek yoghurt with ‘cappuccino’ crunch This recipe comes at the start of my ‘Kill Sugar Cravings’ Demonstration. Caffeine is a trigger for me and somehow after a nice coffee, my defences are weakened and I reach for sugar, so drinking coffee it out! But I love a cappuccino because they look so lovely and I hate feeling deprived. At ‘Kill Sugar’, we teach you to start the day with an amazing breakfast, of which one part is a delicious, luscious crunchy layered yoghurt/muesli that looks like a cappuccino. This way, you get the ‘look’ without the caffeine and it tastes so good you don’t feel you’ve missed out!
1. Prepare the ‘crunch’: Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add the nuts, seeds, oatbran, buckwheat flakes, cinnamon and stevia. Gently stir over a medium heat until pale golden in colour and smelling ‘toasted’. Remove the pan from the heat and tip the ‘crunch’ onto a plate and allow to cool. 2. Divide half the ‘crunch’ mixture between two small tumblers (or wine glasses), spoon half the yoghurt on top and then layer with the remaining ‘crunch’ and yoghurt on top. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon before serving. NOTE: The ‘crunch’ can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days and is so named as it does resemble
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a cappuccino. Caffeine is not good when giving up sugar, so you have this instead and feel good about it!
Ingredients 100ml/3 ½ fl oz Greek, Goat’s or Natural Probiotic Yoghurt For the ‘crunch’ 1 heaped teaspoon coconut oil 30g/1oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped 30g/1oz sunflower seeds 30g/1oz pumpkin seeds 30g/1oz oat bran 30g/1oz buckwheat flakes ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra for dusting) ½ teaspoon stevia Serves 2
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Pewley Down, need to be reasonably fit for this walk. A walk to Guildford town, an easy ½ hour walk to town for a coffee-chat on every last Monday of the month, take the bus back or do a ½ hour return walk. The Fairlands Walk Group offers free walks from the Farmhouse Café at Rokers every Wednesday morning; Meet at 9.45am for an hour walk or at 10.15am for a shorter, easier walk. Just go along, it’s free! Wear waterproof footwear and take a raincoat on rainy days. Every step matters. For more information visit www.walkingforhealth.org.uk. A Tiger Time Comedy Event takes place at GLive on Monday 2nd February- featuring Simon Evans, Angela Barnes and Gareth Richardson for a bumper evening of laughs all for just £12.50. It starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available online from GLive at www.GLive. co.uk or call the ticket office on 0844 7701 797.You can save the booking fee and buy direct from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Gallery at 7 Kings Road, Shalford, GU4 8JU. Tiger Time is a campaign run by The David Shepherd Wildlife
January 2015
Foundation and all proceeds from this event will help save tigers in the wild. Guildford Jazz introduces Jimmy Hastings on Tuesday 3rd February at The Electric Theatre Jazz Café. Veteran multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Hastings is much in demand at all national jazz venues, either as a solo performer or with his own quartet. He has played in bands with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr., Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and Aretha Franklin. He performs regularly with many of the big bands of today, as well as being a full-time member of the Humphrey Lyttleton Band. With Cheryl King on piano and Marianne Windham on double bass it should be a great evening of jazz. It starts at 7.30pm, tickets cost £12 and are available from the Electric Theatre box office on 01483 444789. Guildford Choral Society would love to welcome participants to its next Singing Day. It takes place at Normandy Village Hall, Manor Fruit Farm, Glaziers Lane, Normandy GU3 2DD. They will be singing, perhaps the
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greatest choral work ever written, The St Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach. It takes place on Saturday 7th February from 10am to 5.30pm. To book a place contact ticket master, Derek Lake, on 01494 675571. More details can be found at: https://guildfordchoral. org/events/singing-day-st-matthewpassion. Following this Singing Day, the Society will be performing The St Matthew Passion on Saturday 7th March at 7.30pm. For this performance the choir under Jonathan Willcocks, will be joined by Guildford High School Choir and one of the finest orchestras in the country, Florilegium. If you only listen to one choral work in your life, I urge you to choose Bach’s Matthew Passion. Tickets are available at £10 to £20 (concessions available) from boxoffice@guildfordchoral.org or directly from Derek Lake on 01494 675571. They are also available from the Guildford Tourist Information Centre: 01483 444333. Situated on Ward Street, The Guildford Institute is a charity committed to providing educational and cultural activities to the local community. One of this month’s
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Box Hill The walk affords views of the Mole Valley from both the east and the west. It starts with a climb up to and then along the Pilgrims Way, returning across the top of Box Hill. The afternoon walk crosses the Mole and ventures up to Norbury Park with views down onto Mickleham. The walk description is provided by Guildford Rambling Club (guildfordramblingclub.org.uk).
The walk Walk east, past Rykaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cafĂŠ, through the car park of the Burford Bridge Hotel and then a few yards along the A24 towards Dorking. Just past the roundabout take a path left, down into a field by the side of the River Mole. Walk around the edge of the field, by the river, to reach a footbridge. Cross and follow the path right to reach a T junction where you turn left and start to climb a hill. Ignore the first signpost pointing right. Instead, take the second path right, at the top of the first set of steps. The path climbs up some more and then strikes out east, along the flank of the slope. Keep going until reaching a five bar gate at a point where a path merges in from above left.
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Go through the gate and immediately reach a T junction where you turn right and walk down only a few yards before breaking off left (unsigned) for 5 yards to reach a lane. Turn left and a signpost takes you uphill from the point where the lane deadends at a gate. The path then turns right and continues east, along the flank of the slope. Keep going until passing a bench with a view down over Brockham. Shortly afterward reach a T junction with a path coming down from the left. Turn left to take this path back (west) towards Box Hill. At one point you are forced left down some steps and then right to continue on. Keep going, straight across at a cross paths with a wide track. Continue until, at a T junction, turning left to continue on in the same direction. Go through a gate and, a few yards further on, drop down left a few yards and turn right to continue on in a
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WALK
grassy open area but still parallel to the main path with which you eventually remerge. Again continue on to pass the Box Hill viewing platform and later the grave of Major Peter Labilliere, who had himself buried upside down there in 1800. The track widens and takes you down a wide grassy slope. Just before three trees in the middle of the slope, turn left and walk down to the starting car park. You could use the cafe and/or toilets and/or picnic here. You could go on to the Stepping Stones public house in West Humble (see later) or the field by the Mole that you traversed earlier. After lunch, from Ryka’s, again head towards Dorking as you did at the start of the morning walk but do not drop down left into the field. Instead walk on a few yards and go through an underpass to the other side of the A24. On the other side, turn left and quickly right, into West Humble Road. Walk up past the Stepping Stones pub to just beyond West Humble Station. Pick up the path going right from the right-hand side of the road just beyond the station and alongside Fanny Burney’s house. (Frances Burney (1752 – 1840), later, Madame d’Arblay, was an English novelist, diarist and playwright.) Enter a large field, staying on the right-hand side, and crossing a footbridge over the Mole. On reaching Swanworth Farm, take the path left and cross the
Mole again. Continue on to a small field with an information plaque then swing right, onto a wide path running right and through a wood and eventually meeting an asphalted lane running uphill, left, towards Norbury Park House. Follow this up to and then around the perimeter of the grounds of Norbury House, staying alongside its wooden fence. You will swing left and pass a sawmill. Follow the fence until it breaks off left and downhill. (At this point it is worth briefly diverting left to look at the view out over the valley and over Mickleham.) Continue on along the wide path until reaching a signpost saying “Druid’s Grove” and pointing down some steps to the left. Go down the steps to join a narrow footpath on which you head right. At a T junction with a wider path, go right and later take a left fork. At a T junction, go straight over and steeply down a lot of steps to emerge on the bank of the Mole. Follow the bank, right, to reach the field by Fanny Burney’s house. Cross to the far right corner and emerge by West Humble Station. Walk back to Ryka’s.
DISTANCE: A figure of 8 of 5 plus 4.5 miles
GRID REFERENCE: 5 171 1 520
OS MAPS: Explorer 146 - Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate
REFRESHMENTS: Ryka’s café, Old London Rd, Dorking, Mickleham, Surrey RH5 6BY (01306 884454) or the Stepping Stones, Westhumble St, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6BS (01306 889932)
STARTING POINT: The car park by Ryka’s café and next to the Burford Bridge Hotel (RH5 6BX) at the foot of Box Hill
Image above: Box Hill by John Miller
Neither the publisher nor the author can accept any responsibility for any changes, errors or omissions in this route. Diversion orders can be made and permissions withdrawn at any time.
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highlights includes a talk on electronic voting given by the highly-esteemed Professor Steve Schneider, director of the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security. Also available is a visit to the Lightbox in Woking. Visit attendees will be treated to a private guided tour of The Horse at War exhibition and will get a close-up view of ‘Joey’, the original, life-size horse puppet from the National Theatre’s acclaimed stage production of War Horse. Full details of the Institute’s spring programme can be viewed on their website: www.guildford-institute.org.uk. Alternatively, for more information call 01483 562142 or email info@ guildford-institute.org.uk. Get Fit Boot Camp Guildford is a family run business with over 10 years of experience and is running a very special cross country run on Sunday 8th February. Starting at 9.30am at Newlands Corner, Guildford, area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there is a strict 100 spaces limit. They also have just a few spaces left for their all inclusive May Algarve Beach Boot Camp. With weekly sessions on your doorstep they can help you get fantastic results - www. getfitbootcamp.co.uk. Ewhurst Horticultural Society’s next talk is by Paul Gallivan and is entitled ‘Woolbeding Gardens’. It’s on Tuesday 10th February at The Glebe Centre and starts at 8pm. Visitors are welcome, there will be a raffle and refreshments will be available. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is looking for people to be part of a Guide Dogs Support Group. Lots of voluntary roles are available, from organising events, helping with collections and raising awareness of the work they do. Roles are very flexible and can be suited to how many hours you are able to donate. There is something to suit everyone! Katie Smith, local Guide Dogs representative, says “Whatever you’re interested in doing, whether you have a little or a lot of time to spare, you will be guaranteed to meet new people and have some fun! At the same time you will be raising funds to enable Guide Dogs to create the special partnerships which can change the lives of people who are 42
blind and partially sighted.” To find out more information, please contact Katie Smith on 07795 611459 or email katie.smith@guidedogs.org.uk. For more information on Guide Dogs, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk. Winston’s Wish is calling out across the country for families, friends, colleagues and classmates to join them and help raise £50,000 to support bereaved children by hosting a charity breakfast in February 2015. From the 9th to 15th February, Winston’s Wish is asking everyone to make their morning special and revive the tradition of the Great British Breakfast! This can be anything from sturdy full English, to a good old cuppa and toast, to a fancy continental dish. To support the campaign the Great British Brekkie website has been revamped to include sample ‘brekkie’ recipes, a gallery of supporters’ photos and videos, an interactive ‘brekkie’ map and online registration: w w w. g r e a t b r i t i s h b r e k k i e . o r g . uk . Winston’s Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity in the UK and all funds raised from the Great British Brekkie go directly into their work supporting children and their families after suffering the death of a loved one. I can’t believe that I am writing about next half-term already but I mention this as it should be a nice thing to go to during the half term break. Sooty, the nation’s favourite bear will be at GLive on Thursday 19th February in a fabulous new show to entertain the whole family. Featuring a spectacular mix of magic, music and mess- guaranteed giggles for Sooty Fans old and new! It’s Sooty’s Birthday party and things aren’t going to plan. Sooty and Sweep get messy baking the birthday cake and will Soo ever decide which dress to wear? Special party guests include legendary Sooty favourites Butch the bulldog and Ramsbottom the snake. Sooty said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting Sooty fans old and new – and I can’t wait to squirt the Mums and Dads with my water pistol!” The Sooty show is the longest running children’s programme in the world, it must be, even I remember it as a kid! Harry Corbett originally bought Sooty for his son Matthew whilst on holiday in
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Blackpool in 1948. Sooty first appeared on our screens in 1952. Following Harry Corbett ’s retirement in 1976, Sooty was operated by Corbett ’s son Matthew, and enjoyed a new wave of popularity on stage and TV. Matthew retired in 1998, giving Sooty to then co-star Richard Cadell who presented the show through another five series. In June 2008, Richard Cadell bought the rights to Sooty. Tickets are £15 adults, £13 children. Family tickets and group bookings are available. Go to www.GLive.co.uk or call 0844 7701 797 (10am-6pm, Mon-Sat). RASASC (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre- Guildford) offers listening and support for women and men who have experienced childhood or adult rape and/or sexual abuse. They are holding a Telephone Helpline Volunteers Training Course starting on Thursday 22nd February 2015. Limited number of spaces – female only. The course runs on seven Thursday evenings (7.30pm to 9.30pm) from 26th February to 9th April plus there are three Sundays (10am to 4pm). On completion of the course, you would need to be free two evenings a month from 7.15pm to 9.45pm for the helpline plus the second Tuesday evening of every month for clinical supervision. Volunteers are offered a friendly and supportive environment, with supervision and ongoing training and no previous experience is necessary. Details and application form on www.rasasc-guildford.org or email vivcien@rasasc-guildford.org. This does qualify as an informal placement, but they need a commitment from you of at least 18 months. The Surrey Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 8th March. Starting and finishing at Woking Leisure Centre the closed-road running event is the biggest in the county, and will take 6,500 runners through the country lanes to the South West of Woking before returning to the town for their big finish! The scenic course is flat and fast, so it’s a great place to secure your best 13.1 mile finish time! A Kids Race will take in a 2km closed road circuit in Woking hopefully inspiring the half marathon runners of the future. The running route will be lined with local live bands, and local club cyclists will vantagepointmag.co.uk
PROFILE
Waverley Singers Formed by a small group of 18 girls in South Farnham in 1955 and later joined by male voices, the Waverley Singers are celebrating their Diamond Jubilee this year in 2015. Our very first rehearsal was at a house at 19 Waverley Lane which is why we are named the Waverley Singers. We have proudly brought a high standard of music to Surrey and Hampshire over the last 60 years, performing a wide range of classical music and raising thousands for charity in the process. Led throughout this time by only three conductors – a sure sign that directing the Waverley Singers is a pleasurable occupation – we have performed in all the major concert venues in the area. From the Anvil in Basingstoke where we sang Verdi’s Requiem in 2007, to Guildford Cathedral, where we performed the Bach Magnificat in 2010 and the Monteverdi Vespers in 2012, we have delivered large choral works every year to loyal and enthusiastic audiences. We also perform in St Andrew’s Parish Church, Farnham as well as in St Andrew’s Garrison Church, Aldershot, The Maltings in Farnham and St Thomas-on-The Bourne in Farnham. Each season we are accompanied by top class professional musicians like the Brandenburg Sinfonia and the Brandenburg Brass Ensemble and internationally known organists as well. Our soloists are provided by the Josephine Baker Trust, a charity which promotes the education and training of students of outstanding quality studying at the Royal College or Royal Academy in London. These remarkable singers have gone on to perform in major opera houses throughout Europe and the USA and have won competitions such as the Cardiff Singer of the World and the Kathleen Ferrier Prize, and some have been offered places on the Jette Parker Young Artists scheme at the Royal Opera House.
singing services in St George’s Chapel Windsor. We have previously sung in Chartres Cathedral, Caen, Amsterdam and most recently in Bruges Cathedral. Our Diamond Jubilee Year promises another excellent collection of concerts. We will be offering a Gala Evening of Opera on 22nd March 2015 with award-winning soloists and will also be performing Haydn’s Creation in Guildford Cathedral on 20th June, which will be the main celebration for our Jubilee Year. Now numbering over 100 voices, the Waverley Singers rehearse every Thursday night at South Farnham School during school term time with breaks in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. This year the Waverley Singers are again offering a chance to singers to join us to perform a major work at our Come & Sing day on 7th February 2015 at St Andrew’s Parish Church, Farnham. We will be rehearsing and performing Haydn’s Creation in a single day beginning at 12 noon and culminating with a performance at 6pm in the glorious acoustic of St Andrew’s. If you can read music and would like to perform with a 100-voice choir, do please contact us at www.waverleysingers.com.
Our conductor, Richard Pearce, who has been with us for five memorable seasons, also records and broadcasts with the BBC Singers and the Philharmonia Orchestra and performs yearly at the Proms. Richard enjoys challenging us with new material. Contemporary composers like Will Todd, Eric Whitacre, Bob Chilcott and Morten Lauridsen and less well-known works by Kodaly, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky are performed as well as larger, more familiar, choral pieces. The learning experience of mastering modern music is as much a part of the enjoyment of singing as perfecting major choral works. The Waverley Singers have also travelled. Last summer we gave concerts in Trinity and Jesus Colleges at Cambridge, as well as January 2015
Waverley Singers at Trinity College, Cambridge 43
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lead the runners out onto the course. The Surrey Half Marathon will be working closely with local charities. Their official Charity Partners for 2015 are Shooting Star CHASE, WWF, Woking, Sam Beare Hospices and Harrison’s Fund. They hope that runners will use the Surrey Half as an opportunity to fund-raise for charity. Entries are selling fast, and prices will go up on 1st January, so ensure you enter before Christmas to secure your place on the start line. To enter, go to www.surreyhalfmarathon.co.uk . You can follow them on Facebook – www. facebook.com/surreyhalfmarathon Twitter - @surreyhalf. Download the app – Search ‘Surrey Half’ in your app store. Do you love comedy? Renowned English comedian, Milton Jones, will perform at G Live (London Road, Guildford) on Friday 13th March. ‘Milton Jones and the Temple of Daft ’ starts at 8pm and tickets are £25. Milton is a patron of Chance for Childhood, a Guildford-based children’s charity working to empower and strengthen communities, and to protect vulnerable children in East Africa. All proceeds will go towards Chance for Childhood’s work. To book your tickets, call 0844 7701 797. Visit www.chanceforchildhood.org for more information on the charity. Ewhurst and Ellens Green Bridge Club is a friendly club which meets at Ellens Green Memorial Hall, on the Surrey/West Sussex border. They meet every Friday night and play a mixture of duplicate bridge individual pairs and team events - as well as occasional County and World Wide simultaneous pairs events. They are an EBU-affiliated club, so members can earn master points and benefit from the other benefits which EBU membership brings, such as training days. They hold a summer party to which members’ partners or spouses are invited, and they have an annual bridge weekend away in some congenial location where they play some less formal bridge and enjoy free time for walking or other leisure activities. New members are warmly welcomed and can come as visitors to ‘try us out’ - ideally with a partner. They meet every Friday evening, with a 7.10pm for 7.20 pm start, at Ellens 44
Green Memorial Hall, Furzen Lane, Ellens Green RH12 3AR. For further information visit their website www. ewhurstbridge.org.uk or contact the Hon. Secretary, Carole Warde, on 01293 786653 or edrawlc@gmail. com. The Surrey Hills International Music Festival 2015 celebrates its sixth season with ‘Hear the Colour’, an exciting programme of exceptional music performed by world class artists in venues across the Surrey Hills from 30th April-2nd May. Tickets priced £26-£29 are now on sale from www. shimf.co.uk or the Tourist Information Centre, High Street, Guildford, tel 01483 444334. The 2015 programme is the Festival’s most ambitious yet with many internationally acclaimed artists already confirmed including: Alexander Sitkovetsky ( Violin); Wu Qian ( Piano); Natalie Clein(Cello); Leticia Moreno (Violin);Michael Collins (Clarinet); Natalie Klouda (Violin); The Festival gala night on 2nd May Mairlot Hall, St Teresa’s, Effingham will feature The London Mozart Players with guest conductor Dimitry Sitkovetsky. View the full programme at www.shimf.co.uk. Do you want to join a vibrant, exciting and burgeoning annual multi-arts festival in the heart of Guildford? Well, applications for the Guildford Fringe Festival, which runs from the 1st – 26th July are now open. With productions planned to run at a number of venues in and around Guildford, the Fringe Festival is open to anyone – the more diverse the better – so get in touch and show them what you’ve got! Guildford Fringe’s position as a completely open-access festival means that, for a small fee, anyone can book themselves into the programme of events, with applications welcome from artists, groups and producers from all artistic disciplines. In previous years, events have included theatre, burlesque, comedy, kids’ shows, music, dance, exhibitions, street entertainment, talks and cabarets! In 2014, 3,000 people attended, visiting a record 70 events spread across 9 venues, and 2015 is already shaping up to be an even bigger, better and more entertaining affair. To enter an event into Guildford Fringe Festival
2015, send an email to info@ GuildfordFringe.com or call the office on 01483 361101 for an application form. The deadline for entries is 1st March 2015. For full information, visit www.GuildfordFringeFestival.com. Thousands of families from across the UK will have the chance to try their hand at over 75 different sports and activities at GoFest2015, which was launched in November by Olympic gold medallist and BBC presenter Sharron Davies and footballing superstar Kevin Keegan. GoFest will be the UK’s first festival of sport, fitness, dance and health and takes place at Surrey Sports Park on the weekend of 10th-12th July 2015. Around 15,000 people are expected to attend the event which will include 12 specialist zones such as GoCompete, GoSplash, GoTry, GoCool, GoFuel and GoTeens along with live music, entertainment and picnic areas. GoFest has teamed up with charity partners, Macmillan and SportsAid and a selection of elite sportsmen and women who will be on hand to offer expert coaching tips across the weekend. I gather that camping will also available nearby to give the weekend a true festival feel. Tickets and more information are now available at www.gofest.co.uk/ tickets. There was quite a lot of good news in the Chancellor’s autumn statement particularly if you are buying a house for under £2 million! George Osborne also announced that he is awarding a significant grant to the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance. The seven figure sum will go towards the charity’s capital investment programmes based on a new helicopter and future needs. Cranfold Job Seekers Club is a registered charity based in Cranleigh. For more information visit them at Cranleigh CAB, Village Way, Cranleigh GU6 8AF or call 01483 272252. They are open Wednesdays from 9.30am to 5pm and Fridays from 9am to 5pm. FIND OUT MORE
More Jottings are available online at vantagepointmag.co.uk. To send in an entry, go online or email us at jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk.
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WIN WIN A RUSTIC OAK TV/DVD UNIT FROM FURNITURE THERAPY Furniture Therapy has teamed up with VantagePoint Magazine to give away this lovely Rustic Oak TV/ DVD unit. Our Rustic Oak range is very popular and this particular piece would be an asset to any living room. There are many more pieces within the range that match this unit and they can all be found on our website www.furnituretherapy.co.uk. Furniture Therapy is a family run business based in Compton, near Guildford where we have a showroom displaying many pieces of quality furniture for your home.You are more than welcome to visit the barn or view most of our ranges on our website. Furniture Therapy has been running for two years, supplying fantastic furniture at fantastic prices. Q: How many years has Furniture Therapy been running? Please enter online at vantagepointmag.co.uk by 31st January 2015.
WIN A GREAT NIGHT OUT IN GUILDFORD WITH G LIVE! Do you remember space hoppers, Luke Skywalker, Top of the Pops and the Pans People? Revive the Golden age of pop with the Solid Gold 70s Show, the nearest thing you will get to capturing this incredible musical legacy! Including disco hits, glam rock, power ballads and party anthems, this show features music from the likes of Queen, 10cc, T Rex, Suzi Quatro, ELO, Osmonds, Bay City Rollers, Elton John and many more! Featuring spectacular tracks such as We Are The Champions, Mr Blue Sky, Daddy Cool, Waterloo and Xanadu, this show will have you dancing in the aisles. To enter, please answer the following question: Q: In what year did Abba win the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo? A. 1974 B. 1979 C. 1984 Please enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk by 6th February 2015.
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS FOR THE MIKADO The Mikado is one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most easily recognisable and best-loved operas. It will be performed by the award-winning Godalming Operatic Society (GOS) at the Borough Hall, Godalming from 17th to 21st February and at The Leatherhead Theatre 26th to 28th February. Evening performances are at 7.30pm and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.
GOS, together with Vantage Point, is giving you the opportunity to WIN a pair of tickets for the performance at Godalming on Thursday 19th February and a pair of tickets at Leatherhead on Thursday 26th Feb.
The first two correct entries drawn will win a pair of tickets for either Thursday 19th February performance at Godalming or the Thursday 26th February performance at Leatherhead.
Just answer the following question by indicating A, B or C on the website entry form:
Closing date is 31st Jan 2015.
Godalming Operatic Society’s 2015 production of The Mikado is sure to be a eye-catching and colourful show with superb musical numbers such as ‘Three Little Maids’ and ‘Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day’ plus the usual witty storylines. The highly accomplished team of Robin Wells (Musical Director) and Pat O’Connell (Stage Director) join forces once again for this un-missable production.
For GODALMING TICKETS:
Tickets for both venues can be obtained from the Main Box Office – Tel: 01252 703376 or visit our website: www.godalmingoperatic.org.
Which of these is a character from The Mikado? A: The Grand Duke B: Nanki-Poo or C: Winnie the Pooh For LEATHERHEAD TICKETS: Name one of the three little maids? A: Tum-Tum B: Katisha or C:Yum-Yum Enter your answers on the online entry form at:
www.godalmingoperatic.org
Please enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk unless otherwise stated. Postal entries can be sent to us at the address given on page three. TERMS & CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: By entering these competitions you agree to receive periodic emails from VantagePoint Magazine,Vantage Publishing Ltd and the originator of the competition you are entering.You can opt out of receiving these at any time and your data will never be passed on for use by third parties.The prizes are non-transferable and have no cash alternative. Only one entry per person per competition and prizes will only be sent to homes with a GU, KT and RH postcode.
SALE SALE SALE
£229 £183
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£289 £231
£299 £239
£398 £318
£1038 £830
£679 £543
£479 £383
£199 £159
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Furniture Emporium The trading name of Cranleigh Furniture Ltd
264 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8RT www.cranleighfurniture.co.uk
01483 271236