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Dorking & Villages • November 2014
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A local architect’s memorial to the Missing of the Somme
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TO THE POINT An amazing friend of Marcus and mine called Mat Dibb has just set an offical Guinness World Record. He recorded the fastest lap by an individual rider at the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course on an electric bicycle. This is despite the fact that he is a kidney patient and on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Mat has dedicated himself to raising money and awareness Stefan Reynolds for the South West Thames Kidney Fund, and Editor & Publisher raised more than £2,000 on this record breaking achievement. Mat has also raised £3,253 by cycling 1,000 miles in 10 days as part of 2010’s John O’Groats to Lands End challenge, and £8,650 on World Kidney Day 2013 through a 48hour, non-stop turbo training challenge in his local village hall. If you would like to find out more The local magazine about how you can become a donor or volun- produced by local teer with the South West Thames Kidney Fund, people for the local community, please contact Anne Collard on 020 8296 3698.
Every month we try and run a free profile of a local charity, group or organisation and I now have a healthy number for this feature for 2015. That said, we do have some gaps so if you are involved in such an organisation and would like to get some free publicity in VantagePoint, please get in touch with me by email and hopefully I can find you a slot sometime during the next year. Well Humph has arrived and so far all is going well. He’s very well behaved at home, and just a tad bored when he is in the office and awake and who can blame him? He is growing at a rate of knots (another phrase for our What the Dickens feature I feel) and he has just started obedience classes, so it will be interesting to see what progress he has made by this time next month. 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 107,277 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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November 2014
Contributors: Caroline Boucher, Jessica Harding, Jack Hebden, Matthew Pottage, Nash Robbins, Debbie Serpell, Kirstie Smillie Print: Polestar Stones Cover: Andy Bailey
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6 Jottings Your local community noticeboard
8 Fashion with Kirstie Colour Concepts
11 Tulips for Spring Plant those bulbs now
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Lutyens’ memorial to the Missing of the Somme
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Jottings Remembrance Sunday is on 9th November and will be particularly poignant this year as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. I’ve been greatly impressed with the way so many clubs, schools and churches have grasped the huge significance of this date by putting on so many exhibitions, displays and events. It’s good to know that younger generations are being made aware of the huge sacrifices our forebears made for our future. On a lighter note, we are off on some more musical nostalgia later this month. The Manfreds are playing at G Live in Guildford on 30th November with, I gather, pretty much the whole original line up. The next day we’re off to Haslemere Halls to see Fleetwood Bac, a highly rated Fleetwood Mac tribute band. Will report back next month. I, like quite a few others, watch ‘Strictly’ on Saturday evenings; yes I admit it! I also admit that I do like watching the jive, even tried it myself in years gone by. Anyway, like me I bet there are quite a few of you out there who would love to be able to jive. I know that when I see people jiving properly, I’m extremely envious. Well, jive lessons are available locally. You can learn
- YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
original American 40s/50s style (not Lindy Hop or modern jive). Lessons are on Mondays from 8-10pm at South Holmwood Village Club, Warwick Road, South Holmwood, Dorking RH5 4NP. The cost is £6 on the door, free tea and coffee; bar if preferred! Call 07854 621522 for more information. Unfortunately, I think you might have very little time to act; however I’m including it just in case. Kids for Kids is delighted to welcome poet and writer Kenneth Stevens for an evening of poetry and music on Tuesday 4th November from 7.30pm. It’s at The Old Chapel, St John’s School, Leatherhead. Kenneth has had over 25 books published, and as well as poems, he is a well known novelist and children’s author. Kids for Kids supporter Sylvia Herbert will curate the evening in aid of Kids for Kids, to support the Dorking based charity’s projects in Darfur. Entry is by a suggested donation of £10 which will help provide a mosquito net to protect children from deadly mosquitoes in this forgotten region. Refreshments will be available and music will be provided by Brigitte Furze on the violin and Lynda Chan on the piano. For further information and to reserve tickets, please email contact@kidsforkids.org.uk.
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There are a couple of days left to pop into St Martin’s Church in Ockham Road South, East Horsley to see ‘The Knitted Bible Experience’. This exhibition of thirty-four knitted 3D scenes from the Bible will appeal to all ages. There are children’s activities and refreshments and admission is free. But you will have to hurry; the exhibition is only on until Wednesday 5th November. Further details on the website www.easthorsleychurch.org.uk. You can also call 01483 282038 or email: TheKnittedBible@ easthorsleychurch.org.uk. Messy Church meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 3.30pm until 6pm in Dorking United Reformed Church, West Street. As is traditional with Messy Church, they have ten activities running for an hour and then a short celebration time followed by a pasta supper. Most of all they would welcome you to just come and chat and meet with them and enjoy the activities; there is no set charge but they ask for a donation as appropriate. They always welcome regular or occasional helpers to go and help support the activities adding new ideas and enthusiasm to the team. Remember Messy Church is for adults too so people from all ages
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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Dorking Halls Event Screenings National Theatre Encore: Frankenstein Friday 7 November, 7.30pm
Royal Opera Live: L’Elisir D’Amore Wednesday 26 November, 7.15pm
The Vatican Museums in 3D Tuesday 18 November, 7.30pm
Royal Opera Encore: L’Elisir D’Amore Sunday 30 November, 2pm
Bolshoi Ballet Encore: The Pharaoh’s Daughter Sunday 23 November, 3pm
Bolshoi Ballet Encore: La Bayadere Sunday 7 December, 3pm
Hockney Tuesday 25 November, 7pm
National Theatre Live: JOHN Tuesday 9 December, 8pm
From top: The Pharaoh’s Daughter and David Hockney
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Colour Concepts Fashion stylist, Kirstie Smillie, looks at how to wear colour. There may be talk of a monochrome trend this winter but colour was very much alive on the catwalk and the designers showed us how it’s done. Most of the time we know which colours we like and keep it simple by paring with the neutrals of black, white, and all shades of beige and soft greys. But for those days when you need a boost, be brave and think about the Colour Wheel. The Two Colour Option, (colours sitting opposite each other), are complementary shades which have the power to ‘pop’. Even if it is a little detail or a narrow belt, the choice of colour could be more interesting than just black. The Three Colour Option, sit in a triangle which can rotate to unite the Primary colours of red, blue and yellow or the Secondary shades for more interesting combinations. This is often noticed in printed fabrics; the choice of colour lifting its neighbour. We have obviously learnt from nature - the green leaves of chard have powerful fuchsia pink running through it and the iris with its
perfect purple and brushstroke of yellow. Prada’s beautifully edged coat and Dior’s eye-catching dress stand out from the crowd. These shades are very vibrant, so for every day think about wearing them in softer tones and different percentages, not 50/50; maybe 80/20 or even 90/10. It’s a hint that is needed, not a shout! In high street terms this is easily translated. Take the rich royal blue shirt by Reiss, and to add a pop of colour go to the opposite shade and introduce a warm orange leopard belt by French Connection or for evening, a narrow golden metallic belt. Jigsaw’s bottle green knitted biker jacket would look great with jeans, but for a warmer colour option, try their deep red cigarette trousers. For tonal dressing take inspiration from Gucci this season. Soft shades of sage green and slate blue are easy to wear and it’s the different textures of leather and fur that add the interest. Vibrant shades of reds and fuchsia are powerful yet wearable with black accents. I personally have to be in the right mood for colour and print - ready to take on the world knowing that I may be looked at (and judged) more than if I wore my trusty jeans and pastel sweater. I often opt for a gorgeous printed scarf, full of colour, movement and cosiness. It’s an easy way to add the rainbow of colour into your outfit. You now have all the knowledge - use it wisely and choose your moments. And enjoy.
What colours say: Blue is noted as one of the most popular colours to wear in the world and in an interview situation, blue symbolises loyalty and control whereas grey represents confidence and allows the interviewer to focus on you, not what you are wearing. Black Brown Purple Green Yellow Blue Red White Grey 8
- Black is the colour of authority but too much can be unapproachable. Soften with textures. - Brown conveys reliability, stability, and genuine character. Lift with soft pastel shades. - Purple gives the impression of luxury, wealth and sophistication but is sometimes too bold. - Green is easy on the eye, calming, refreshing and balancing. Mint through to Bottle. - Yellow signifies cheerfulness and creativeness but can be overpowering if there is too much. - Blue gives the impression of trust and logic and is calm and peaceful. Simple to wear. - Red is an emotional and powerful colour, exciting and courageous. Choose occasion wisely. - White denotes simplicity and cleanliness and always works in unity with other colours - Grey is sophisticated and confident, and easy to lift with any other colour. vantagepointmag.co.uk
How the Designers do it:
Chard by nature, fuchsia and green dress by Christian Dior.
Iris by nature, purple and yellow trim coat by Prada.
How the High Street does it:
Above: Knitted biker jacket, £149 and cigarette pants, £110, Jigsaw Far left: Diego shirt, £95 Reiss; belt, £45 French Connection. Left: Peppermint green print with red tassel scarf, by Anthropologie.
Above: soft pastels and rich tones by Gucci
Kirstie Smillie is a Personal Stylist working in the Surrey area. Feel relaxed and confident in your own style with a wardrobe full of clothes you love. Email kirstie@kirstiesmillie.com or call 07773 234947
November 2014
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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!
in the community are invited to join in the fun. Find out more at www. dorkingmessychurch.org.uk.You can also follow them on Facebook. There are lunchtime recitals every Thursday at St Martin’s Church in Dorking. This month’s performers are: pupils of Epsom College (6th), organist John Belcher (13th), music for clarinet and piano with Frank Palmer and Peter Bullett (20th), and organist Mark Brafield (27th). The recitals start at 1pm and are free. If you would like more information call 01306 742629. Watermill Jazz continues to meet as usual every Thursday evening (next one on 6th November) at the Friends Life Social Club in Pixham Lane, Dorking. There are some great acts lined up for November. Doors open at 8 for 8.30pm start. Tickets are priced at £17/£18; call 07415 815784. The next Antique Collectors Fairs are on Thursday 6th and Thursday
20th November at Cranleigh Village Hall, from 7.30am-3.30pm Free entry and refreshments are available. The next Fairs in Shere Village Hall are on Sunday 9th and Sunday 23rd November from 11am to 4pm. Free entry and car parking. There’s a wealth of free business information available in Surrey Libraries. They subscribe to a range of quality online business information resources which can be found on their Online Reference shelf at www.surreycc.gov.uk/ libraries/reference. For example there is ‘Cobra’ for those thinking of starting up or who are running a business; start up guides, fact sheets on how to write a business plan, grow your business or get advice on competitors; available in all Surrey libraries. ‘Key Note’ is a leading provider of market research intelligence in the UK; available in Epsom, Guildford and Woking libraries. Then there’s ‘MarketLine’ - concise economic reports on companies, industry
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sectors, products and countries; available in all Surrey libraries. Analyse country statistics and market data using the databases. Finally, ‘Mint UK’ is a powerful business intelligence database, with information from Companies House. Create tailored mailing lists with the facility to search turnover, location and industry and find named individuals using the mailing wizard. Available in Addlestone, Camberley, Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Godalming and Woking libraries. You can book a computer in advance and use these resources without charge if you are a member of Surrey libraries and joining the library is free. Further advice is available on their business weblinks and a downloadable leaflet with full details of their business offer is also available on their website www. surreycc.gov.uk/libraries. For further information contact Surrey Libraries Enquiries Direct Tel: 01483 543599. Email: libraries@ surreycc.gov.uk.
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TULIPS FOR SPRING
By Jack Hebden You will by now have seen many bulbs start appearing in great numbers in the garden centres, and the bulb catalogues are eagerly thumbed at home. Spring flowering bulbs are a really important part of the garden year and for the most part they are easy to grow: snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses, muscari are all pretty much things that you can plant and forget. They are usually happy to be left in the ground to ‘naturalise’ and they will not only flower year after year but they will multiply too. Tulips, however, are altogether more tricky and yet a spring garden without tulips isn’t quite right. Spring needs tulips, but unlike the other bulbs you can’t leave tulips in the ground to look after themselves and to multiply or, more accurately, you can’t rely on them to do that. Some people dig their tulip bulbs up each year, but I certainly don’t, and so I look for tulips that will happily stay in the ground from year to year and put up with the winter-wet, sticky, clay soil and which will still make a show year after year. Not all tulips will do this. In fact, in my experience, most won’t. If you are buying good bulbs you are unlikely to have any trouble getting a good show in the first year of planting, although a hideously wet winter like last year can cause some failures. It’s in the second and subsequent years that things may not go according to plan. What I’m looking for are tulips that once planted will go on flowering strongly year after year with relatively little help from me; actually, if I’m honest, with no help from me. I don’t want to be spending money on bulbs that are only going to give me one year of decent flowering. I don’t want to be replacing bulbs each year; instead I want my money and my efforts to be adding to my in-ground stock. I want the November 2014
display to be improving and increasing each year. To achieve this you have to find the right tulip bulbs for your garden conditions. Some will ’do’ in one place but not another. So it is a matter of trial and error but here are a few which I have found successful in the less than ideal conditions of my own garden. The first place to look for tulips which will reliably repeat year after year is among the species tulips. These are, in effect, the wild tulips from which the posh garden varieties that we now have were originally hybridised and developed. They are much more delicate looking than the bold hybrids but don’t be deceived by that; they are accustomed to fighting their corner in the wild and they can put up with anything the South East weather can throw at them. I think they are very much under-used and should be planted more widely. Some will happily ‘naturalise’ in wild parts of your garden as well. Two species tulips which I have found particularly successful are Tulipa Bakeri and Tulipa Clusiana, and every year I add a few to my bulb order. Sometimes you can get these in garden centres but not always. They are not rare or uncommon so if you Google ‘species tulip UK’ you will find plenty of places to buy them on-line and >12 11
What we want is a succession of tulips from March to May and over the years I have narrowed down my choice of bulbs to those which I know will give me several years of repeat flowering. Two of the best to get the ball rolling in March are the Fosteriana hybrid Orange Emperor and the Greigii hybrid Toronto. The first is, as you might expect, orange, while Toronto is a coral pink colour and has the bonus of having two or three flowers per stem. A bit later, in April, the Darwin hybrid Daydream comes into flower and this is perhaps my absolute favourite tulip. Every year when it starts to flower I am surprised by the fact that it is yellow but it quickly changes to the soft orange which I remember. Why I am caught out every year by this I don’t know, but I am. Daydream is a cracker and repeats happily with no attention.
Overleaf, left: Species tulip Clusiana Overleaf, right: Toronto Above: Species tulip bakeri Left: Daydream
will also see on-line what a wide range there is of these species tulips. They’re not expensive either. Getting the more familiar garden tulips to repeat over several years is not so easy. Most will disappear quite quickly if you leave them in the ground and some won’t even make it to the second year. Very often I plant the new bulbs in tubs and pots in order to make a display on some steps or at an entrance or on a low wall. Then as soon as they have finished flowering I transplant them into their permanent positions in the garden so that they can go about the business of building up their food store for next year’s blooms and establishing themselves in their permanent homes. Incidentally, notice how effectively Great Dixter uses pots and tubs of bulbs, particularly tulips, to accentuate a feature such as an entrance. 12
The tulip show finishes for me in May with two majestic varieties Dordogne and Menton. Dordogne is a spectacular combination of dark pink and orange and Menton is a sort of salmon orange. And, importantly, despite their size, these two seem well able to withstand the strong winds which we get here. Obviously these tulips are not the only tulips in the world which will flower for several years without attention, but they do that in my garden when umpteen other varieties have failed. Each year I re-order some of these tulips because I know they are going to deliver, but I also experiment with new ones too. Some of the new ones graduate to become regular buys and those that throw in the towel after one season are not ordered again. You have to find out what will work in your garden, in your conditions. Some varieties seem to last for ever: we have some ‘unknown’ tulips in the garden which were already here when we arrived eleven years ago and they are still flowering vigorously. Conversely, I am always reading that tulip Praestans Fusilier will happily repeat year after year, although it never has for me in either of my Sussex clay gardens. It’s also very easy to forget from one year to the next exactly what you planted and what did well and what didn’t, so do make notes. I always find this a bore but my wife is meticulous about it and when it comes to re-ordering I’m always glad that she is. One final point concerns the cost of bulbs and you will perhaps notice that there are differences in price, sometimes quite big differences, for what appear to be the same thing. Usually the more expensive bulbs will be bigger, and bigger is usually better in the sense that the plants that you get from the bigger bulbs will themselves be bigger, but smaller bulbs from a good source will still flower very well. Just make sure that if you are paying top dollar you are getting the best. vantagepointmag.co.uk
Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!
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The Leatherhead and District Charity Fayre is on Saturday 8th November from 10am to 2pm. It takes place at The Theatre, Leatherhead and is organised by The Leatherhead Rotary Club. There will be lots of gifts and cards, a tombola and a café where Father Christmas will be in attendance! Surrey County Walkers have some excellent walks coming up in November. Here are brief details: Saturday 8th November, 7 mile moderate walk along North Downs. Meet Shere Recreation Ground, Ref 187/073479. Leader Pat, 01483 284913. Sunday 16th November, 7.5 mile moderate walk around Lurgashall and Blackdown. Meet Lower Car Park Blackdown, Ref 186/922306. Leader Bob, 01932 355333. Saturday 22nd November, 7.5 mile easy walk around Bisley and Donkey Town. Meet Bisley carpark, off A322 roundabout near Hen & Chicken pub, Ref 186/948597. Leader Colin 01276 474258. Sunday
30th November, 7 mile moderate walk around Old Arlesford, Bighton, Bishops Sutton. Meet Arlesford old Stn (Watercress Line). Pub lunch at Bighton. Leader Andrew 01252 520256. For all walks, meet at 10am sharp. ‘My Dear Auntie’ - a Conscientious Objector’s story, is being encored by request! It’s a fascinating exhibition of The Great War related in letters, pictures and voices, by a brave man who did not fight. It includes 1917 ration books, English and French, passports and money of the time. The young can build models of the ‘portable houses’ made for refugees. Dorking writer and former Thorndike Theatre director, Joan Macalpine has lent a treasure of her father’s letters and photographs sent home from the Marne district of France. He worked there, with his team, for the Friends War Victims Relief Committee. The German advance and retreat in 1914 (the first battle of the Marne) had left villages and farms shelled and
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burnt, and the population reduced to sleeping on straw in the ruins. The exhibition is on at The Dorking Quaker Meeting House, Butter Hill, South Street, Dorking RH4 2LE (opposite Waitrose) on Saturday 8th November from 10.30am-4pm and Sunday 9th November from 12.30pm-3pm. Dorking Choral Society will be giving their first concert with their new conductor Hilary Campbell on Saturday 8th November. They will be singing two masterpieces of baroque music, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, an impressive setting of psalm 110, and one of Bach’s bestloved cantatas, Sleepers Awake. It takes place in St Martins Church, Dorking and starts at 7.30pm. For tickets, contact Nick Hudson at njhuds@yahoo.co.uk or call 01306 888014/07855 014163. After that the choir will be preparing their Christmas celebration which takes place on Sunday 14th December at the United Reformed Church in West Street.
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ThIEPVAL
The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme
When it came to designing Britain’s largest war memorial, it was to a local Surrey architect that the Imperial War Graves Commission turned. Sir Edwin Lutyens was arguably the finest British architect of the 20th century, fêted for his country houses and for largely designing New Delhi, when it was chosen to replace Calcutta as the seat of the British Indian government. Although born in London in 1869, Ned (as he was always called) grew up in Thursley, Surrey where he spent his time indulging in his passion for looking at houses, watching all the stages of buildings going up, haunting the carpenter’s shop at Thursley and a builder’s yard in Guildford. At 15 it had become apparent that Ned was cut out to be an architect, a career encouraged by Ralph Caldecott, a Surrey neighbour (the illustrator of so many delightful children’s books depicting Surrey cottages). He began his own practice aged just 19 in 1888, his first commission being a small private house called Crooksbury, near Farnham in Surrey. During WWI, Lutyens was appointed one of three principal architects for the Imperial War 14
Graves Commission (IWGC), which was created in 1917 to care for the graves of all of those from the Dominions who had died on active service. He was responsible for more than 60 war memorials at home and abroad, with the Cenotaph in Whitehall probably the best known. But it is the majestic Memorial to the Missing of the Somme that stands out as one of his finest achievements. One of the cardinal principles of the IWGC was that the names of all of those who had died during the conflict should be remembered in the appropriate theatre of action. This was relatively straightforward for the bodies that were capable of identification but proper consideration had to be given to the ‘Missing’ - the 517,000 who were known to have died, but whose bodies either could not be found or, if they could be found, could not be identified. The unknown bodies were buried under a headstone inscribed with words chosen by Kipling: ‘A Soldier of the Great War Known Unto vantagepointmag.co.uk
God’ supplemented by any other relevant information that could be gathered from the uniform on the body. This left open the question of how to commemorate the names of the Missing. The idea that eventually emerged, promoted by Lutyens and his colleague Sir Reginald Blomfield, was to have the names inscribed on stone walls in the cemeteries, although it was recognised that it would take time to assemble accurate lists of the Missing and reach a conclusion as to which was the appropriate cemetery for each theatre of action. Whilst the Commission was wrestling with this problem, it had been included as a member of the Battle Exploits Memorial Committee, which had been established in 1918 to consider the general question of battlefield memorials. One of the first items that they had to consider was the question of some form of memorial at Ypres, the salient around which had seen some of the War’s most bitter fighting. Lutyens name was suggested by the War Office but Sir Fabian Ware, the IWGC’s founder and vicechairman, did not think that Lutyens was the right man to design it. In a letter to Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director of the British Museum and architectural advisor to the IWGC, Ware said: ‘I took a rather strong line about the matter as I knew that you would feel that Ypres, with its gothic associations etc etc was not the kind of work at which Lutyens would excel. The other memorials will give more scope to the special blend of Lutyens genius’. Kenyon replied that ‘Lutyens might very well have the Somme or Cambrai-St Quentin’.
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Above: The Cenotaph in London
Below: Goddards near Abinger, Surrey, one of Lutyen’s country houses, now owned by the Landmark Trust.
By October 1921, the Commission had drawn up plans for memorials on 12 sites in France and Belguim which were to act as Memorials to the Missing as well as battlefield memorials. Two memorials (Arras and St Quentin) were allocated to Lutyens. Progress was slow and compromised by the need to acquire the land and secure the consent for the designs from the French Commission de Monuments Historiques. As the Commission developed its plans the French began to be concerned about both the number of the memorials and their size, as they were in danger of overshadowing their own commemorative proposals. The French view was shared by Ware and his colleagues and in May 1927, the Commission endorsed a new plan that saw one memorial move over the border into Belgium and the names of the Missing being split between four stand-alone memorials. Three of the sites were already committed, leaving just one site to be decided. The original list of 12 had included memorials for various phases of the Somme battles, rather than a single memorial. However, with no other Somme memorial planned, it was decided that the final site should be at Thiepval to commemorate the area that, along with the struggle at Ypres, had become one of the most significant areas of the Western Front. By the time that the Commission had undertaken its reappraisal Lutyens had already made substantial progress with the two projects allocated to him. The St Quentin design had been through a number of iterations. When the local commune had first been
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approached about the matter it suggested the memorial could be placed in a new square they were creating in the middle of the town for its own memorial. The Mayor met Lt-Col Cart de Lafontaine (the Commission’s French speaking architect who had the responsibility for liaising with the local authorities) to discuss the matter. He stated that he did not want an obelisk or statues but would prefer a building such as a pantheon or a Hall of Memory, within which the names could be inscribed. Lutyens went to France and met Paul Bigot, the architect of the commune’s memorial, on 9th July 1923 and concluded that the location was unsuitable because of the difficulty of combining two memorials on the one site, especially as the British one would overpower its French counterpart. The Commission suggested a site 2km north of the town and the Mayor welcomed the proposals as he considered that they would ‘considerably add to the historic and artistic interest of St Quentin’. Lutyens was asked to design a memorial to contain 60,000 names and he prepared plans for a multi-columned arch to straddle the road. Although the Commission did not endorse its revised plans for the memorials until May 1927, it had already become attuned to the French concerns and the possibility of relocating the St Quentin memorial to Thiepval to become a memorial for the Missing of the Battles of the Somme, which had been raised with Lutyens the previous May. Wasting no time, he inspected the area in August and a commanding site away from the roads on a ridge south west of the village was chosen. Approval of the design was finally received from the Commission des Monuments Historiques on 12th April 1928 and construction work was in progress on the foundations by the following March. The memorial as built is the largest British war memorial in the world and its ‘extraordinary red brick and white stone’ has been described by the architectural historian Gavin Stamp as ‘one of the finest works of British architecture of the 16
Lutyens put forward the idea that the cemeteries should contain a War Stone - a Stone of Remembrance. Cemeteries with over 1,000 burials have a Stone of Remembrance designed by Lutyens.
20th century’. Despite its chequered history the basic design of the memorial remained relatively constant but the main change was to its size, as it was scaled up or down depending upon the number of names it had to accommodate. It stands 140ft high and takes the form of a series of interpenetrating arches of four increasing heights, which give rise to 16 massive pillars on which are carved the 72,099 names of the Missing. The main building material is red brick, with limestone being used for the panels that hold the names. Limestone has also been used to provide cornice lines that wrap around the memorial to link the keystone of an arch on one level with the springing point of the one on the next. It is a masterful composition, made all the more so because the use of differing heights of arches gives it two profiles - from two sides chunky and muscular, from the other two tall and slender. At its heart, in the void created by the two tallest arches sits, reverentially, a Lutyens War Stone on its familiar three stepped plinth, the top and lower treads twice the width of the middle one. The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval was unveiled on 1 August 1932 by the Prince of Wales and its completion effectively marked the end of the Imperial War Graves Commission’s work in Belgium and France. The memorial and cemetery are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and are located on the D73, next to the village of Thiepval, off the main Bapaume to Albert road (D929). The Thiepval Visitor Centre was built in 2004 and is located a short distance from the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme and the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery. It is open daily from February to mid December. See www.en.historial.org for more information. FIND OUT MORE
Part of this is an edited extract from Lutyens and The Great War by Tim Skelton and Gerald Gliddon, published by Frances Lincoln.
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Remembrance Sunday at Clandon Park on Sunday 9th November is from 12pm-3pm. Visit the Surrey Infantry Museum and discover Clandon’s role as a military hospital during WWI with a talk from 12.30pm-1.30pm. Visit the reimagined operating theatre in the Earl of Onslow’s former dressing room and see the Marble Hall as a WWI hospital ward, with the help of a pin hole camera. Normal admission applies. Visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk/clandon-park or call 01483 222482. On Monday 10th November there’s a Volunteering Coffee Morning at Clandon Park. Fancy a new challenge? Would you like to meet new people? Why not pop along to Clandon Park’s coffee morning and find out more about volunteering opportunities available. Coffee will be served at 9.30am and there will be talks and a tour of the house and garden at 10am. Please call 01483 222462 or email
at The Abinger Hatch pub on Monday 10th November at 8pm. This meeting is open to the public, but there is a private committee meeting prior to this.
The Probus Club of the Horsleys is a luncheon club for retired business and professional gentlemen. They meet on the second Monday of each month for a convivial lunch followed by a speaker. In October they had a talk on the Costa Concordia and in November (Monday 10th) they will hear about the growth of Epsom Coaches and tales of the travel industry. In December there will be one of two ladies lunches held each year, where members can bring wives, friends or partners and in January the Chief Constable of Surrey will talk about policing in the County. Visitors and new members are welcome. For further information contact David Lush on 01483 280267.
The Horsley Floral Decoration Group (affiliated to NAFAS) is a friendly afternoon flower arranging club. They meet at East Horsley Village Hall on the second Tuesday of each month (except August) at 2pm (next one 11th November). They have a varied programme of demonstrators/speakers/in-house entertainment, trips, internal competitions (optional), sales table, refreshments etc. Visitors and new members are very welcome (Feb/ AGM Members only). They would love you to join them (first visit free) for fun, flowers and friendship. For more details phone Yvonne on 07976 281060 or Beryl on 01483 831422.
Wotton & Abinger Flower Show Committee are holding their AGM
mas gift t s i r h C e u A uniq urers t n e v d a r for outdoo
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Prepare Yourself this Winter Last Christmas and New Year was a difficult time for a number of people. The rains brought flooding and high winds brought down power lines, leaving many people without power for up to three days. Many were not fully prepared for what happened, so we have compiled a few hints and tips to help, should there be a repeat this year.
Power Cuts
Generators Those of us who were without power for three days last Christmas might have appreciated having had a generator to run some of the basics in the house. The panel opposite has some information on generators should you decide to go down this route.
Radio During power cuts, the best way to receive news is often a wind-up or battery powered radio tuned into local news stations. Last year, it was annoying that many utility companies were directing people to their websites for more information or offered a phone number. If there is no power and everyone is telephoning at the same time you may not be able to easily access the information. You can now buy wind-up radios from around £10. Telephones One of the most common problems during a power cut is being unable to use your telephone. Many people now have cordless telephones and almost all of these require electricity to work. To get around this, all you need is an old fashioned plug-in landline telephone which you can use at all times and can be bought for around £5. If you don’t have one, buy one now. Mobile Phones Make sure you keep your mobile phone fully charged and limit its use to preserve the battery. If you have a smart phone, remember that it may be the only device that can access the internet. However, be aware that even mobile phones can stop working properly during a power cut as more people than usual try and use the network at the same time. Also some phone masts might not have a power backup or this might run out during a prolonged outage. 18
Fridges and Freezers People often ask how long food will last in a fridge or freezer during a power cut. The official advice is that it should be safe as long as power is out no more than four hours, although that seems a bit cautious. Others suggest that 15 hours is more realistic as long as you keep the door closed as much as possible. Thawed or partially thawed food in the freezer may be safely re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. Partial thawing and re-freezing may affect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.
TIPS Keep one light on so you know when the power returns. If your electricity or gas goes off, make a note of the date and time of the disruption, and for how long it lasted. This means you will have a record if you want to claim compensation from the energy company for multiple disruptions. Have spare charcoal so you can cook on your barbecue if necessary. I know several people who cooked their turkey like this during the Christmas power cut last year. Remember to have candles, matches, torches and spare batteries available. vantagepointmag.co.uk
Flooding
Don’t Get Caught in the Dark!
Hopefully we will not see the return of the flooding that affected quite a lot of people last year. For those of you that are worried about the risk to your property there are products that you can buy to help protect yourself. Blue Pages is a directory of property flood products and services put together to advise and inform you of the range of products available to help reduce the risk of flooding to your home or business (www.bluepages.org.uk). In the event of the threat of imminent flooding, your local council may assist by providing sandbags to those at extreme risk.
Cold and Snow Have a flu jab - these are free for anyone aged 65 and over, as well as for pregnant women. Stock up on tinned and frozen foods so you don’t have to go out too much when it’s cold or icy. Wear lots of thin layers – clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres are particularly good and maintain body heat. Fresh snow is easier to clear before it is walked or driven on, and salt is more effective if most of the snow is cleared first and only needs to be spread thinly. Snow is likely to affect some council services so please contact them for updates. Check on neighbours, family and friends especially those who live alone.
Are you prepared for another winter of electrical black outs? Ofgem has already warned that mainland Britain could face power shortages in the years ahead due to demand outstripping supply in cold snaps and this, along with unforeseen winter storm damage, means that power cuts are becoming increasingly common. Installing a standby generator in your home or small business is the answer and not as costly as you might think. However it is important that any generator is correctly connected to your house supply through a mains transfer switch by a qualified electrician. Standby generators range from simple portable units suitable for running basic lighting and small electrical devices to fully fixed and installed generators that will automatically start up during a power cut and provide a full mains supply to your house or business. Choosing the correct type and output of a generator is crucial as the wrong size or type can damage your electrical equipment and generator. You must therefore take advice from a professional supplier and installer to ascertain what is the right solution for you. One important point to consider is that standby generators are used infrequently but are relied upon to work efficiently when required. It is therefore very important that the equipment is maintained properly and routinely run and checked. Something relatively new to this sector of the generator market is remote monitoring. This is where a generator can be remotely started and stopped on a monthly basis and diagnostics undertaken. This information is then relayed back to the owner, supplier or engineer and should a fault be found then the problem can be immediately resolved. This can be a more cost effective method than maintaining a generator on site. So it would seem that the need for a standby generator is going to become greater as we are experiencing more and more freak winter weather and national grid outages so it is something to contemplate before the cold weather sets in. Information has been supplied by a local company, Power Sure Limited who provide generators for the home and for small businesses. For more details see www.power-sure.co.uk.
Chichester District Council - 01243 785166 - www.chichester.gov.uk Guildford Borough Council - 01483 505050 - www.guildford.gov.uk Mole Valley District Council - 01306 885001 - www.molevalley.gov.uk Waverley Borough Council - 01483 523333 - www.waverley.gov.uk Electricity UK Power Networks - 0800 783 8866 - www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk Flooding Environment Agency - 0845 988 1188 - www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency Water - sewerage issues Thames Water - 08459 200 800. Souther Water - 0845 278 0845 November 2014
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meets at East Horsley Village Hall on the second Wednesday of the month from October to July for lectures on a wide variety of subjects. The lecture on 12th November will be William Kent: Artist, Architect, Garden Designer, Interior Decorator by Caroline Knight. Coffee 9.45am to 10.15am. Lecture from 10.30 to 11.30am. Visitors (£5) and new members welcome. For more information and the full programme visit their website www.horsleydfas.org.uk or phone Chris on 01483 280021. Holmwood Village Produce Association is holding their Autumn Evening on Wednesday 12th November at 7.30pm. It is in South Holmwood Village Hall, Warwick Road RH5 4NP and all are welcome. In a very exciting coup, the Holmwood VPA has managed to entice Matthew Childs, a garden designer quite literally dripping with medals, to go and speak at the VPA Autumn Evening. Flush from his RHS Chelsea success, he will talk about how he pitched for and won the contract, sponsored by Brewin Dolphin investment managers, and then how he and his team designed the garden, sourced the materials, had everything made and then built it. The evening is free to members of the Holmwood VPA, with a modest £2 entrance fee for non-members. Refreshments available from the bar as well as teas and coffees. The Dorking & District U3A holds its monthly meeting on Wednesday 12th November at 2.30pm in the Christian Centre beside St Martin’s Church in Dorking. Social historian and archivist Michael Gilbert will illustrate some of the most fascinating and unusual stories from the history of the capital in a talk entitled ‘London 1900-1914’. Admission is free. For more information on the range of activities offered by the Dorking U3A visit www.dorkingu3a.org.uk. Would you like an opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping? 20
On Thursday 13th November the West Surrey National Trust Centre will be holding their annual Coffee Morning in The Marble Hall at Clandon Park from 10.30 until 12 noon. Stalls will include ladies fashion, jewellery, Christmas cards, books and homemade cakes as well as grand raffle. Entrance is £2.50 which includes coffee and biscuits. All are welcome so do go along and take your friends. For enquiries regarding this event ring Sara Graham on 01252 810708. The next meeting of the National Vegetable Society Surrey District Association will be held on Thursday 13th November 2014 at 8pm in the Lovelace Room of East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Avenue, East Horsley KT24 6QT. Jim Arbury, the renowned RHS Fruit Specialist will be giving a talk entitled ‘Fruit for the Small Garden’. The talk is free for NVS members, £3 for guests and visitors and £1 for members of affiliated societies. Guests and visitors are always very welcome. For more information contact Beth Otway beth@otway. com or telephone 01483 420989. The Motor Neurone Disease Association, East Surrey branch, is organising a Night at the Dogs. It takes place on Friday 14th November from 7pm onwards and is at The Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, Plough Lane. Tickets £35 to include admission, race card, welcome drink, 3 course meal and tea/coffee. There’s even a free £2 Tote bet. You need to book straight away by calling Simon Edmands on 07753 821964, email simon. edmands@ukipme.com. Following a sell out show of his own at Epsom Playhouse last year, plus a second visit as special guest to Peter Howarth, the lead singer of The Hollies in March of this year, Michael Armstrong returns to the venue for another acoustic solo show. Since the release of his debut EP in 2012, Michael has been very successfully forging his
way in the music business and has given up his day job in the building/property trade. He has been gaining a large amount of media and industry support, whilst building a solid fan following, and some very famous admirers of his music along the way too. This has enabled Michael to record his first album comprising mainly his own compositions, which is set for release in 2015.The concert takes place on Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm at Epsom Playhouse Myers Studio Theatre. Tickets at £12 (Pass Card £11) can be obtained by calling the box office on 01372 742555/742227. Alternatively, go to www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk. There’s a Christmas Fayre at St. Barnabas Church, Ranmore, on Saturday 15th November from 10.30am to 1pm. There will be all the usual stalls including cakes and produce, crafts, books and jewellery; plus there’s a raffle and several children’s activities. Fun for all the family! On Saturday 15th November, from 2pm -4pm, there’s a Family Activity Afternoon at Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre. Discover why William Mullins is special to Dorking and his place in history. Dress up in the clothes of his time. Design some new shoes for his shop or make a moving card of the Mayflower ship. These ‘Family Saturday’ events take place on every third Saturday of the month from 2pm - 4pm. They are fun and informative and suitable for families with children up to age 10. They are free with the museum entry price. Entry prices - £2 adults, £1 children (under 5’s free), family ticket £4.50. No need to book just drop in. All materials will be provided but children must be accompanied. For further details see: www.dorkingmuseum.org.uk or email: admin@dorkingmuseum. org.uk. Tel 01306 876591. Vivace Chorus’ next concert on Saturday 15th November features arguably one of the greatest choral vantagepointmag.co.uk
Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER! works ever written – the Mass in B minor by J S Bach. They will be joined in Guildford Cathedral by six fine baroque soloists, including counter-tenor Damian Ganclarski and the superb Brandenburg Sinfonia. There is also a free preconcert talk starting at 6.30pm. The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 - £26 and are available from Tourist Information 01483 444334 or you can purchase online, where you will be able to find further details: vivacechorus.org or www. guildford-cathedral.org/events/ diary/2014-11-15/vivace-chorusconcert.
£20, under 25’s £7.50-£15, and under 11’s £5. Book them from GSO box office on 01483 415847, G Live on 0844 7701 797 or online at www.g-s-o.org.uk. ‘Write time’ is an organisation that offers supportive, no-frills workshops, retreats and gettogethers for writers in the South East. They are holding a workshop from 10am- 12pm on Saturday 15th November at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Cost £25. The first British self-published author to top the Amazon charts (with co-author Mark Edwards), Louise Voss (Catch Your Death and Killing Cupid) will spill the secrets of getting to number one and help you to craft a best-selling blurb for your own book. Coffee and cake are included plus the opportunity to develop and receive feedback on that all-important blurb. Go to www.write-time.co.uk or call 07891 040160 / 07989 038143 for more information.
There’s a super concert featuring The Guildford Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm. Taking place at G Live in Guildford, the programme includes Glazunov’s The Seasons- Autumn, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 and headlines Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherzade. The piano soloist is Masa Tayama and the conductor is Darrell Davison. Tickets are £15-
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A combined Charities Christmas Fair takes place on Saturday 15th November in the Guildhall, High Street, Guildford from 10am to 3pm. There will be a huge selection of Christmas cards, an amazing array of interesting gifts, games and refreshments and an opportunity to talk to the participating charities This annual event, now in is 15th year, is an ideal opportunity to support local charities, have a cup of tea or coffee, purchase your Christmas cards and take part in some fun and games. It’s also a rare chance to see inside this historic building, which can be described as the true heart of Guildford. The cellist Natalie Clein appears with pianist Sergio Tiempo in a recital presented by the Dorking Concertgoers Society. Natalie is a former BBC Young Musician of the Year who now enjoys a flourishing international career and her programme will include sonatas by Mendelssohn and Shostakovich as
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T G Green Cornish Ware In her second article for VantagePoint, local antique dealer Debbie Serpell discusses T G Green Cornish Ware, something she herself collects. Cornish Ware is one of the most popular kitchenwares ever produced. Its production began in Derbyshire at the Church Gresley Pottery in 1926 and by 1930, the range was well established and extremely fashionable. It is said that the colour of the blue and white banding was likened to the blue of the Cornish skies and the white crests of the Cornish sea waves and this is why the pottery was given its name. A thriving export market was established and Cornish Ware was shipped in vast quantities to the colonies in the early 20th century. In the 1950s different colour banding was introduced to this kitchenware. The yellow banded pottery (‘Cornish Gold’) is perhaps the best known of these colour changes (figure 1), but other colour bands such as black, red and green were made. Collectors are keen to find these rarer colours and will pay remarkable prices for unusual pieces in rare colour bandings. The popularity of the new colour bandings never competed with the blue and white range and less were made since the market did not demand it in the same way. It is for this rarity factor that they fetch bigger prices in the collectors’ world today. 22
In 1966, Judith Onions was employed by the pottery as a freelance designer to update the Cornish Ware product designs. She was a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London. Her new shapes to the tea and coffee sets were retailed in 1967 and became popular immediately. Almost all T G Green pottery is well marked with what is called a back stamp. In general terms, earlier pieces have a shield-shaped mark (see left) and the later Judith Onion ware is marked with a target shaped mark. There are variations to this general rule of thumb. A church mark is present on some pieces and was used until the late 1930s for example. The most important tip to establishing the authenticity of a piece is by feeling the body of the item. Genuine TG Green wares have a ridged banding pattern. This is due to the manufacturing process whereby the white pottery is dipped into a blue slip which is then left to dry. Once dried, the pieces are turned on a wheel and bands of white are created by removal of the blue slip. This turning technique forms the ridging that can be felt between the bands and has never been successfully replicated by other potters. vantagepointmag.co.uk
A diverse number of Cornish Ware products have been made. They range from clock faces to cruet sets, standard kitchen flatware (figure 2) to rarer items such as the egg separator and rolling pin (figure 3). The rarer the product, the greater the potential for it to realise high prices in the collectors’ market. An extremely rare blue and white banded electric clock, 24cm in diameter, with an early green shield mark, realised £550 at auction in recent years. Many storage jars were produced. Some are plain and unmarked but others identify the name of the stored item on their side, such as ‘Sugar’, ‘Salt’, ‘Flour’ etc. These named jars have under glazed black lettering on their sides. Common names such as ‘Sugar’ and ‘Salt’ can be found for between £10 to £40 a piece (figure 4), but rarer named jars can fetch astonishing prices. A rare storage jar, only 11cm in height, bearing the name ‘Yellow Sugar’ fetched £770 at auction several years ago. Another jar with the name ‘Bisto’ brought £600 and a ‘Dessicated Coconut’ jar brought £350 under the auction hammer. Similarly, a jar labelled ‘Boracic Crystals’ sold in 1998 for £530. The named marking of pieces of Cornish Ware was not confined to storage jars. Sugar and flour sifters, vinegar jars, milk jugs and salt boxes are some of the many items that have the attractive black side lettering that raises them aesthetically above the plain versions of the same pieces. If you add a colour rarity to this group, then the collecting appeal is greatly enhanced (figure 5).
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A word of warning: The Cornish Collectors’ Club have warned of ‘fake’ named Cornish blue and November 2014
white productions, which appeared in the late 1990s in both auctions and antique fairs. A good rule of thumb is that the green shield mark was originally applied by the factory to plain jars. The black shield mark was applied to the bona fide named ‘productions’ (see bottom left). The temptation by the fakers is to apply black lettering to the plain jars and then to cover the fake names with a band of acrylic glaze. While the labels are quite convincing, the authenticity of the piece can be easily checked by scratching the surface of the lettering with a sharp blade. Genuine marked pieces will withstand this testing, but fake named items can be scratched off, since the lettering is not fired and under the original glaze. In short, treat named green shield marked jars with a degree of suspicion. This may not always be the acid test, but is a good starting point if you are uncertain of the authenticity of a piece. I have been a collector of Cornish Ware for over 20 years. My own collection is far from perfect, since I am happy to buy damaged pieces and am never in a rush to complete my collection. The beauty in this field of collecting lies in the fact that it is largely affordable. I have bought from car boot sales, charity shops, auctions and sites on line and over the years I have amassed a large variety of Cornish Ware items. My own personal preference is to collect only the earlier shield marked Cornish Ware rather than the later Judith Onions pieces. This is not to say that the Judith Onion pieces are less worthy of collecting. Her work has a distinct 1960s appeal in shape and style, which in my opinion sits better alone than alongside the earlier wares. Although I own a few rare items of Cornish Ware, my collection largely represents the more common pieces. The added joy of this kitchenware is in its durability and it survives everyday use as well as any good quality kitchenware of today. The thrill of my collecting is in identifying the vast range of different styles of kitchenware which exist, even in something as simple as the design of cup shapes (figure 6).
FIND OUT MORE
Debbie Serpell and her husband run Nest Egg Antiques - www.nesteggantiques.co.uk. Contact bmoo@btopenworld.com or 07774 234509. 23
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well as a Bach suite for solo cello. Sergio Tiempo will also play a group of Chopin preludes. It’s on Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm. Tickets are £20; call 01306 740619. Go along to Dorking Museum on 16th November between 2pm and 4pm for ‘Family Saturday’. You will be able to see an actual dinosaur footprint, a fossilised iguanodon tail and more. You can find out all about dinosaurs - measuring activities and sorting dinosaurs into meat and plant eaters, make a 3D Iguanodon or Baryonyx Walkerei from card and decorate them. This activity is suitable for families with children up to age 10. There’s no need to book; just drop in; all materials will be provided. Normal museum admission applies (£2 adults, 5-18 yrs £1). For more information please email admin@dorkingmuseum. org.uk. On Sunday16th November Guildford Rambling Club is meeting in Brockham for a 10 mile walk with the option to drop out after 5.5 miles. See www. guildfordramblingclub.org.uk for more information. If you’re an ‘Elvis’ fan or even if you aren’t, make a note of Wednesday 19th November, 7.30pm. Ben Portsmouth a multi talented musician, singer and songwriter had Elvis’s DNA in his blood from an early age. His father was an avid Elvis fan and Ben grew up on a diet of Elvis songs. Having honed his musical talent Ben started his journey as an Elvis Tribute Artist in 2005 when he formed the Taking care of Elvis band. In August 2012 Ben made history when he won the Elvis Presley Enterprises Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis, crowning him ‘Worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist’ – the only artist from outside the USA to ever win this prestigious title. The following year he was invited to top the bill on the David Letterman Show. Anyway, he’s coming to Dorking Halls and doing a one off concert. Tickets 24
cost £21. To book, visit www. dorkinghalls.co.uk or call the box office on 01306 881717. Friends go for £18.50 when booking through the box office. I suspect that this will be a sell out concert so don’t delay. The Ewhurst Players current group recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ was the first three-act production that they performed back in November 1974. So, what could be more fitting than to run it again 40 years later. They do however have a new cast! but amazingly, the very same director. Set just after World War II, this delightful farce tells the story about what happens when a boys’ school receives some shocking news as two schools are to be merged into one. Subsequent events are complicated by the arrival of the parents; chaos ensues! It’s on at Ewhurst Village Hall - car park opposite and tickets are £8 in advance. It runs from Wednesday 19th-Saturday 22nd November at 7.45pm. Doors and bar open from 7pm. There’s traditional seating format with a Period Tuck Shop and Bar available from 7pm and during the interval. To reserve tickets, call 01483 272378 or email tickets@ewhurstplayers. com. For more information about the Ewhurst Players go to www. ewhurstplayers.com or find them on Facebook. There are loads of events at RHS Garden Wisley during November. Perhaps the two that stick out are the Christmas Shopping Evening on Thursday 20th November from 5.30pm. Bestselling author and cook, RHS Ambassador Mary Berry will be opening this late shopping evening and signing her books. Enjoy a warming drink and a mince pie to get you into the season’s mood. It’s a free event. The other is The Christmas Craft and Design Fair which runs from 25th-30th November, 9am-5.30pm (5pm Sunday) Browse and buy from over 150 of the finest craftspeople and find original and unusual gifts. The
event is held outside the Garden. Members go free, family guest £6, non-RHS members £9. Accompanied 16’s go free. Garden entry is included in the ticket and there are some great other events such as the Glasshouse display, the Fruit and Veg competition that is open to all and the Royal Watercolour Society’s 210th exhibition. On Saturday 22nd November, Ashtead Choral Society will be performing Benjamin Britten’s magnificent War Requiem. Combining the war poetry of Wilfred Owen with the Latin words of the requiem mass, this is quite simply one of the finest creations of the human spirit; its message of peace more urgent now than ever in an increasingly violent and disordered world. It is being performed in Dorking Halls and starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12-£20 and can be booked by calling 07504 332354. Leatherhead Rotary is holding a Quiz Night on Saturday 22nd November at 7pm. It takes place in Leatherhead Parish Church Hall, Church Road, Leatherhead KT22 8BD. Maximum teams of 8 but smaller teams welcome. The cost is £12.50 per person to include a shepherd’s pie supper (veggie option available). There’s no bar, so take your own booze! For tickets and more information call Gary Zabel on 01372 800810 or email garyzabel@ ntlworld.com. A publican is calling on the Surrey community to help his pub win a ‘Rural Oscar’ in a nationwide competition. Jon Briscoe, whose pub The Jolly Farmers at Betchworth is in the running for Champion of Champions in the 10th anniversary Countryside Alliance Awards. Jon say’s “The pub is a real hub of the community and we go out of our way to support local businesses, in fact we work with more than 30 of them. Over recent years we have generated around £5m for the local economy and it’s fitting that The Jolly Farmers is up for the enterprise vantagepointmag.co.uk
Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER! award as we’re always thinking of ways to do things differently, to offer something more than the norm. The creation of the UK’s first farm shop in a pub is a good example of such an initiative.” Public voting will open on 1st November at 9am and will close on 30th November at 6pm. Voting will be online at www.countrysideallianceawards. org.uk or by post, via voting forms available at The Jolly Farmers. Don’t forget, every vote counts! You may remember my mention of ‘The Waterbabies’ in a previous edition. Two youngsters Callum Gathercole and his pal Jay Olenicz are aiming to beat the world record as the youngest pair to row across the Atlantic, while raising money for three great charities. The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge is taking place in December 2015. In the meantime, Callum has succeeded in beating the World Record 100km U 19 Ergo challenge. Callum began the challenge on Saturday 13th Sept
at 9 am and was lying on the floor of the Friary centre in Guildford with exhaustion by 4.03pm having beaten the previous record (7hrs 18 min 8 sec). The new world record is 7 hours and 2 minutes. A fantastic achievement. No doubt we will keep you posted as the challenge nears. You can follow developments on www.thewaterbabies.co.uk. The pianist Angela Brownridge is touring the UK with some of her favourite repertoire. She will give a recital in the Martineau Hall in Dorking Halls and her programme includes music by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Scriabin. It’s on Saturday 22nd November at 7.30pm. Tickets are £20; call 01306 879200. Dorking Choral is presenting an evening of Mozart at St Martin’s Church, Dorking on Saturday 22nd November at 7.30pm. They will be performing the Mozart C Minor Mass with the Chameleon
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Arts orchestra who will also be performing the D Minor piano concerto. Tickets £15 (£10 under 25’s in full time education) available from www.brockhamchoral.org/ tickets.asp or Maria Chadwick c/o Michael Frith, 40 South St, Dorking; tel 01306 882728 KIDS recently launched a new suite of resources to support families and carers of disabled children and young people to help them navigate the reforms to Special Educational Needs and Disability provision. KIDS works with disabled children, young people and their families. As part of the ‘Making it Personal:2’ project, sponsored by the Department for Education, KIDS has worked with a number of partners to develop a new suite of resources to explore how personal budgets and the local offer will benefit families. The full suite of resources is available to view on the KIDS website: www.kids. org.uk/mip2. In case you haven’t
World class healthcare with a local approach St Anthony’s Hospital combines the most advanced medical procedures and skills with the kind of personal care that many hospitals have forgotten how to provide. We specialise in complex cardiac cases, orthopaedics, urology, vascular, breast and colorectal cancer surgery – and in the dedicated, compassionate care of the individual. St. Anthony’s has been established at North Cheam for over 100 years. The only independent hospital in the area to provide full intensive care, it offers a safe and secure setting for complex and routine surgery.
For further information please contact
020 8337 6691 St Anthony’s Hospital, North Cheam, Surrey SM3 9DW. Registered Charity no: 1068661.
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A GOOD Book In this regular column we feature books that we, and our reviewers, like. They may not necessarily be new books, but they’ll be fiction and non-fiction books that we have enjoyed. We’ll always include at least one children’s book in the selection each time. We’d love to hear your thoughts on anything you feel we should be reading and sharing with others.
Goshawk Squadron Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson Published by MacLehose Press Paperback. Fiction. Price £8.99.
Derek Robinson earned a Booker nomination for his first novel, Goshawk Squadron, in 1971. It is an extraordinary black comedy, focusing on a WWI squadron of flyers and, in particular, its cynical and harddriving commander, Major Stanley Woolley. The bitter experience of the air war has taken its toll on him – and all the veterans of the squad. Vivid flying sequences and rousing scenes in French villages unlucky enough to have alcohol available contribute to this portrait of men under terrible pressure. But at the centre of the maelstrom is the relationship of Woolley and his lover, a nurse whose brush with death leads to an awakening of emotions that the Major doesn’t expect. Wisecracking responses to sudden death and the wretched living 26
conditions are entirely believable; Robinson’s portrait of characters is extraordinarily convincing; and the descriptions of the air war’s particular allure is compelling. Robinson continued to publish a series of searing, gripping novels about pilots in various conflicts through the decades. Readers should be grateful to MacLehose Press (an arm of Quercus) for bringing them all back into print – they form an extraordinary series of glimpses into the realities of air wars and the sacrifices made by the pilots in conflict after conflict. Reviewed by Nash Robbins
Man at the Helm Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe Published by Viking, August 2014. Fiction. Price £12.99.
Nina Stibbe’s first published book made her famous, in some circles, if only for inspiring Alan Bennett to deny being able to fix a bicycle. Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life consists of a series of letters Stibbe wrote
while an au pair for a particularly well-connected family in London; Bennett is only one literary character who the young Stibbe writes about in missives to her elder sister. It is charming, funny, and terrific fun. Now Stibbe has published her first novel, and all the qualities that made her epistolary non-fiction such a pleasure to read are present in Man at the Helm. Lizzie Vogel remembers the year 1970, when her parents divorced and her mother ended up with the children in an unwelcoming English village. The difficulties of being single in a judgemental hamlet are multiplied by the challenge of being a playwright. But the children develop a plan to find their mother a husband . . . Charming and funny, Man at the Helm avoids clichés of childhood or sentimentality. And although told from the position of a nine-yearold, it is very much about the world of adults and the hardship of the divorcee’s life. This book is sharp-eyed, witty, and wonderfully memorable – if you enjoyed ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith I think you might like this too. Reviewed by Nash Robbins vantagepointmag.co.uk
Almost English By Charlotte Mendelson Published by Pan Macmillan £5.59
When the feckless Peter simply disappeared leaving his wife, Laura, and their small child, Marina, the pair had no option but to move in with his Hungarian mother and sisters. Determined to make the best of the situation, these perpetually upbeat old ladies share the tiny basement flat in Bayswater, are kind to Laura (who has to sleep on the sofa), and besotted with Marina. So when, in her early teens, Marina decides her life will be transformed and glorious if she goes to boarding school, they rally round, gather their savings, and send her off. Mistake. Marina is utterly homesick. Laura pines. She sends a daily postcard to her daughter. But neither is able to tell the other of the desolation of their separation. Both their lives unravel at an equally pell-mell pace, unnoticed by the oldies who have pinned their hopes on Marina studying medicine at Cambridge and who visit the school at every opportunity in their flamboyant, but threadbare, best clothes. Mendelson has a deft and thoroughly convincing touch with her characters – the aching emptiness of homesickness, the hopeless dithering of Laura trying
to get a handle on her life, the unwavering love and endearing eccentricity of the ancient relatives. This was a worthy nomination for the Booker long-list last year. Reviewed by Caroline Boucher
Lady Luck and Me By Ben Dobson Self published in June 2014. Paperback. Non-fiction. £8.99. Available from Amazon
I was sent this book after receiving an email from the author, who lives locally and had decided to write his own story after suffering from depression, for which there is sadly little support. He wrote the book in the hope that it might help others in the same situation and I suspect for cathartic reasons too. I must admit that I started reading it with some trepidation but I need not have worried because this really is quite an uplifting book. Ben’s travails are sad, funny, touching, embarrasing and sometimes worse. The sad times are never very far away but nor are the adolescent adventures, with some slightly predictable ‘In-betweeners’ style comedy moments which can’t fail to either elicit a huge laugh or a course of tutting, depending upon the reader. What makes this book so enjoyable is the author’s writing. The prose is fluent, witty, clever and touching. He also emerges as a very likeable
young man who has been dealt, through no fault of his own, with a set of cards that are not obviously a winning hand. And yet his ability to put words on paper so well proves that there is an ace in there somewhere. Reviewed by Stefan Reynolds
Cakes in Space By Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre Published by Oxford University Press Hardback. Children’s Fiction. £8.99
What a super book this is, despite it only being in two colours. How glorious it would have been to see the killer cupcakes in full colour. However, that doesn’t detract from the quality of the writing and illustrations. It’s about Astra and her family who are travelling through space to a new home on Nova Mundi when their spaceship is attacked. It’s all down to Astra to save everyone on the ship from the killer cupcakes, batty battenbergs and marauding muffins. As it says: “people should eat cakes, not the other way round..” This is a really fun story by Philip Reeve with fabulous illustrations by Sarah McIntyre – what a dazzling duo they are, they really should have their own cartoon series on TV. I loved this book. Reviewed by Jessica Harding
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heard of it, KIDS is a charity that was established in 1970 by John Mulcahy, an inspired teacher who became concerned about the development of a disabled child in one of his classes. Horsley Garden Society holds flower and produce shows, meetings, lectures and visits that bring together those with an interest in gardening. They hold a plant sale which is open to the public, along with three shows at which members compete for awards and trophies with their flowers, fruit and vegetables, homecrafts and handicrafts. All activities take place at the West Horsley Village Hall. The next meeting, which is the AGM, is on Wednesday 26th November at the usual time of 8pm. Anyone interested in membership at the modest cost of £8 per annum should contact the chairman, Roger Lindsay, email sue.roger@ virgin.net or the membership secretary, Terry Lazenby, email
terrylazenby@terrylazenby.plus. com. Dorking Halls is the venue for two very different operas this month. The first, to be screened on Thursday 27th November at 7.30pm, is Puccini’s tragic Madame Butterfly performed by Opera & Ballet International with exquisite sets, international soloists, a chorus and a full orchestra. Tickets £25 - £35; call 01306 881717. The programme of opera screenings continues with two showings of Donizetti’s comic masterpiece The Elixir of Love live from the Royal Opera House on Wednesday 26th November at 7.15pm and repeated as a matinee on Sunday 30th at 2pm. Tickets are £17; call 01306 881717. The Heath Players is a small friendly amateur dramatic group. They are interested in extending their range of plays and entertainment and always welcome new members whether acting or being involved back-stage or front of house. They meet every
Tuesday at Box Hill Village Hall at 8pm. For further information, telephone the secretary Anne Vine on 01737 844087; they would be happy to include you on their mailing list to keep you informed of events, or visit their website: www. heathplayers.co.uk. The Heath Players forthcoming production is the much loved play ‘A Month of Sundays’ by Bob Larbey and directed by William McKee. It will be performed at the Box Hill Village Hall on Thursday 27th and Saturday 29th November at 7.30pm. Tickets at £10 can be reserved by calling Caroline Siggins on 01306 887159. Get out your scissors and glue and join the National Trust with their annual Christmas wreath making workshops. Following last year’s success, the National Trust will be holding separate workshops at different sites. There will be a workshop on Friday 28th November at Leith Hill Place, home of one of England’s greatest composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who vantagepoi
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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER! gave it to the National Trust in 1944. See www.nationaltrust. org.uk/leith-hill/things-to-seeand-do/leith-hill-place. On Friday 5th December, there is another workshop at Bookham Commons which comprises three ancient commons. See www.nationaltrust. org.uk/bookham-commons. Both workshops run from 10am to 3pm and cost £25 per person which includes a typical rustic winter lunch with warm soup and a roll. All materials are supplied. Booking essential. The West Surrey National Trust Centre will be holding their annual Christmas Music evenings with singing from the Epsom Chamber Choir in the Marble Hall at Clandon Park on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December commencing at 8pm. This event heralds the start of the Christmas season for many of their supporters. All are welcome so please go along and take your friends. Tickets cost £13 and include a glass of wine and a mince pie in
the interval. To purchase tickets please contact Gisela Duckworth on 01252 836857 Conquest Art is a charity that runs art workshops for people suffering from physical disabilities, helping its members to discover their artistic potential in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere. The Dorking group meets on Thursday afternoons in the main hall of the United Reformed Church in West Street, and new members are always welcome. All kinds of art materials are provided. For more information, contact the group leader, Frances Harber, on 01306 880263.
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a unique addition to the list: ‘The Lightbox, in a stunning building by Marks Barfield (of London Eye fame) in Surrey, focuses largely on art, making it unique on this shortlist. It engages directly with its community, inspires creativity for all ages and abilities, exceptionally so, and has a brilliant Young Curator’s programme.’ For more information visit www.thelightbox.org.uk or call 01483 737800.
There is a Candlelit Christmas Concert in aid of Kids for Kids to support sustainable projects for children in Darfur. The music is provided by Danes Hill School Chamber Choir. The concert is on We have mentioned in ‘Jottings’ Thursday 4th December at 7pm The Lightbox Gallery and Museum at All Saints, Fulham, SW6 3LA. in Woking on many occasions. We Celebrity guests this year include are delighted to hear that out of host Charlotte Hawkins, readers over 800 nominated museums, they Julie Etchingham, Ruth Rendell reached the shortlist of 6 finalists and actor Timothy West who in The Telegraph Family Friendly will be accompanied by his wife Museum Award 2014 in association Prunella Scales. All in aid of Kids Crawley Clinic_Layout 11/07/2013 14:29 Page 1 with Kids in Museums. The Telegraph for 1 Kids who support children article described The Lightbox as in Sudan. Tickets available via
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Three soup recipes for autumn This month, we have asked three local food businesses for a favourite soup recipe. Soup is the perfect thing for these autumn months, both easy and quick to make. It makes a great starter for a formal dinner or a light lunch or supper. Some of the best (and cheapest) soups can be very simply made with whatever left over vegetables you have lurking in the fridge. Simply chop and sweat an onion in some olive oil, add the chopped vegetables and some stock, and leave to simmer. When the vegetables are tender, whizz it all up with a blender, season to taste and there you have it, an instant soup. One of the best soups I have ever made was actually a recipe for curried peas from the wonderful Jennifer Patterson, one of the Two Fat Ladies. I decided to turn it into a soup by adding some stock and some cream at the end, and it was transformed into something very special. SR
Cannellini Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero & Virgin Olive Oil Be in the Kitchen is a small cookery school in a beautiful homely setting in Effingham, Surrey and they pride themselves on fresh, fun and healthy food using local produce. Be’s background with the Roux brothers and Leith’s school of food and wine gives her the expertise and professionalism to share with her clients. Please visit www. beinthekitchen.co.uk for more information. This recipe is taken from Rose Gray of the iconic River Café in London, which she founded with Ruth Rogers. 1. Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain and reserve the liquid. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic until softened but not coloured (20 minutes). Add the parsley and beans and cook, stirring until the beans are well coated with the mixture. 3. Heat the butter and stock in a large pan, add the Cavolo Nero, cover with a lid and braise for about 8 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, put three-quarters of the beans in a food processor with 250ml/8fl oz of their liquid, and briefly pulse (you do not want a purée). Add more liquid if necessary, but it should be thick. Return to the whole beans 30
with the cavolo nero and stock and season with salt and pepper. 5. Serve in large soup bowls, drizzled with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients 225g/8oz cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 3tbsps olive oil 6tbsps chopped fresh flat leaf parsley sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 20g/ ¾ oz butter 150ml/ ¼ pint stock 200g/7oz Cavolo Nero or Swiss Chard, washed and finely sliced For the dressing: Extra virgin olive oil
vantagepointmag.co.uk
FOOD
Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cumin Oil
This recipe comes from The Hungry Guest in Petworth. Set up in 2011, it now includes a wholesale artisan bakery and production kitchen, a food shop complete with its own butchery and cheese room and a catering service. For more information, visit www.thehungryguest.com or telephone 01798 344564. 1. Peel, de-seed and cut the pumpkin, put it on an oven tray and roast it until soft, which should take 15-20 mins.
Stichelton (a traditional English blue cheese made from raw milk) if you are feeling really naughty!
2. Peel and dice the onions and garlic and sweat these down in oil for roughly 5 mins, until soft and translucent.
To make the cumin seed oil, simply warm the oil with cumin seeds and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
3. Add the roasted pumpkin and the milk and bring to boil. Turn it down and simmer for 5 mins and then remove from heat.
Ingredients 30ml good quality oil 1 large white onion, finely chopped 20g garlic, peeled and crushed 500g Crown Prince pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 2cm chunks 500ml full fat Goodwood farm milk Cumin seed oil 50g walnut oil 5g cumin seeds
4. Using a blender, blitz the soup on highest setting until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Stichelton cheese (optional) Serves 4
5. Serve topped with pumpkin seeds, cumin oil and crunchy croutons. You could also add some crumbled
Potato & Smoked Haddock Soup This soup recipe comes from Jane Stockdale who runs her own Farnham based business, Home Cooking for Small Occasions. For more information 01252 723161 or 07775 696918 or email her at janestockdale01@hotmail.co.uk. 1. Sweat the garlic, onions, leeks potatoes and saffron in the butter with 1 teaspoon of salt (optional) and 2 tablespoons of water for 6 minutes. 2. Meanwhile poach the haddock in enough full cream milk to cover the fish with a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and black pepper for a couple of minutes on each side (if you should have left over white wine a splash would add to the flavour). 3. Remove the fish, reserve the liquor, flake and skin the haddock. Keep it to one side. 4. Pour the stock and haddock poaching liquor over the vegetables and simmer until soft. 5. Add the haddock and heat further for a few minutes. November 2014
6. Stir in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and juice. Season and serve
Ingredients 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 2 medium onions, peeled and diced (2.5cms) 2 medium leeks, washed and sliced 2 floury, white potatoes (baking size) - peeled and diced (2.5cms) 1 pinch saffron threads 55g butter 1 litre fish stock - half of this can be the poaching milk from the haddock (if using reduce the amount of stock accordingly) 400g smoked haddock 8 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped Zest and juice of 1 lemon Salt and black pepper Serves 4 31
GARDEN
What to do in
November
With Matthew Pottage, Garden Manager at RHS Garden Wisley
Goodbye autumn, hello winter By mid to late November when the trees have finished dropping their leaves, the garden is just about ready for its full hibernation. Make sure all fallen leaves are either collected and placed on the compost heap, or, as we do at Wisley sometimes, blow them back onto the beds. They will naturally break down and you’ll be astonished how quickly the worms help with the composting process. Herbaceous perennials can be cut back now that they are dormant, unless you want them standing for structure or seed heads. In a similar way to leaving the fallen leaves
Going to pot Finally, spare a thought for potted plants this winter, whose root balls can freeze after periods of prolonged cold. If you have slightly tender plants in pots, wrapping the pot with bubble wrap or fleece during periods of sub-zero conditions will help aid survival, especially with evergreens.
on the soil, you can cut back herbaceous plants and put the tops on the beds to break down. Just chop them up into small pieces first. Make the job easier by cutting the plant back bit by bit with shears or a hedge trimmer. We have tried this at Wisley in some of the less high profile areas and have enjoyed the results. The outcome looks like mulch as it is a cocktail of stems and leaves which is great for the soil structure.
Sleeping lawns and performing tree circles Depending on the weather, sometime in November tends to be the time to stop cutting your lawn. Remember to try and keep falling leaves off the grass, and take time to spike (aerate) the lawn if you can. This assists with drainage and helps relieve compaction which often occurs throughout the summer. If the cold weather hasn’t reached your garden yet, it is still possible to take a rake to the lawn to get rid of any moss or thatch. If you have struggling grass under the edges of trees or perhaps around the base of a tree in the lawn, now is a good time to increase the tree circle around the base. This doesn’t just tidy up scrappy looking shaded grass, but also helps the fibrous root system of the tree. Tree circles can also pack a punch with spring bulbs, so mark out any tree circle extensions, throw down a generous covering of crocus bulbs and simply cover with 5-10cm of home-made compost topped with a load of fallen leaves. Leave nature to do her work. The bulbs will correct themselves (depth and orientation) and the compost will get to work improving life for the tree. Just remember never to heap mulch or soil up against tree trunks – think doughnuts not pyramids!
FIND OUT MORE
RHS Garden Wisley, Woking GU23 6QB. Visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley to find out more.
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https://mydonate.bt.com/events/ kidsforkidschristmas or by emailing contact@kidsforkids.org.uk. They cost £25 per adult and £15 per child. Mulled wine and mince pies are served after the concert. This is the perfect way to kick off the festive season. For a joyful start to Christmas why not go along to ‘Carol Praise’. It takes place on Saturday 6th December from 7 to 8.30pm in the Methodist Church (next to West Horsley Village Hall.) You are invited to go along and sing your favourite carols. There’s a break for refreshments and mince pies, etc. If you would like to make a request call 01483 282474. Chance for Childhood is recruiting runners for the Doitforcharity. com Santa run. This is a 5 or 10km race taking place on Sunday 7th December in Victoria Park, London. Thousands of people are expected to take part raising funds for many different charities and now this is your chance to join them! No
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previous experience required. All you need to do is pledge to raise £100 for Chance for Childhood to help empower communities and protect children facing the worst forms of injustice. Free Santa Suits and medals will be provided for all runners on the day. To reserve your place, please call 01483 230250.
exhibiting some of her semi abstract views of Venice. Do go and browse and see the new Venice works plus some mouth-watering paintings and objects hand-made by local, talented people. The Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-2pm in November and December.
If you have visited Venice, and if you haven’t, I would urge you to do so; you will be interested in an exhibition of paintings at the Wow Gallery, 78 South Street, Dorking. Local, professional artist, Angela Brittain is exhibiting at the gallery for the first time with some of her unusual pictures inspired by a visit to Venice. These paintings focus on people rather than views and are a wry look at Venice life. Taking popular subjects like St Mark’s Square and the maze of small waterways, Angela uses these backdrops to depict some of her observations during the visit. Caroline Salmon, Gallery owner and accomplished painter, will also be
Did you see BBC’s Countryfile programme which was broadcast on 12th October, which was appropriately composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birthday? A section of Capel Choral Society sang Vaughan Williams’ Linden Lea for the camera at RVW’s boyhood home Leith Hill Place. The broadcast version was the result of a number of ‘takes’, one of the problems being aircraft noise, and voices were beginning to wilt by the end! Several people in the area who have personal memories of RVW were also interviewed, including Margaret Dale who still sings with Capel Choral. The choir has welcomed some new members;
“Where great sheds are Bourne” An independent family run business, established in 1995, Bourne Buildings is a familiar sight to the residents of Farnham. We are well known for our advertising banners, which overlook the Shepherd & Flock roundabout: favourites include, “Forget red roses, buy her a shed”, “Now is the Winter of our discount-sheds” and our current offering of “Fall for our sheds this Autumn”.
ADVERTORIAL
the pond is about 10ft above the level of the very busy roundabout only 50ft away!
With staff sharing over 80 years of experience and special offers running month to month you will always receive the best service, and can be sure you are getting not only the best prices locally, As well as keeping the locals amused, Bourne Buildings is but in the whole of the UK (including the now the largest garden buildings showsite in the UK and internet). has over 200 garden buildings on show all year round, as well as thousands of stone items ranging from statues & In short, if you’re thinking of buying a birdbaths, to benches & urns. garden building, for any reason, it’s well worth paying us a visit. Our picturesque showsite is set around an old mill pond which creates a stunning and unique environment; well worth a look even if not looking to make a purchase. Many customers, on an almost daily basis exclaim “how they have been driving past for years and never realised that the 100ft mill pond existed – let alone the extent of the selection on display”. What surprises them further is that November 2014
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Alice Holt Forest Alice Holt is such an ancient forest that no one is completely certain how it got its name. Most likely, it came from Ælfsige, anglo-saxon bishop of Winchester and “holt” meaning simply “a wood”. The Forestry Commission took it over in 1924 and established a research centre which advises on forest management, nursery, soils etc. anywhere in the country and does extensive research here. They also re-established an arboretum (close by, though not on this walk), with the help of an army of volunteers. There is always lots going on and lots to do at Alice Holt, so it is well worth a trip for visitors of all ages. For more information, please visit www.forestry.gov.uk/aliceholt. This walk is taken from www.fancyfreewalks.org and reproduced with kind permission.
The walk
1. From the car park, go ahead past a metal barrier and follow the wide stony path. After 200m, ignore paths left and right. (The righthand path leads to a picnic area and a circular path. The left-hand path leads to the Alice Holt Research Centre.) After another 400m, go straight over a tarmac path. The path curves left with great views to your right over Hampshire. Just after, avoid side tracks left and right. The path descends between cypress trees, then ascends again and runs level amongst pines, becoming more grassy. After Alice Holt Forest and another level section, a total of 2 km from the car park, you come to a more open area with a wire fence ahead on your left, next to a tree plantation. 2. Avoid the path that forks left to a tall gate but, 20m further, turn right on a path. (If you are adventurous, and want to stay dry, you can instead continue on the main path for 120m and find a very narrow but clear path, almost hidden, on the right – beware of an extremely narrow one just before it – and follow it through dense conifers, wheeling left a bit at the end through some tall pines . This takes you to the Y-junction mentioned below.) After nearly 300m on this straight path, at a junction, turn sharp left to arrive in about 200m at a Y-junction. Take the right fork on a path that takes you through a wooden barrier. Keep straight ahead with houses and gardens on your right and, after 130m, turn right on a quiet residential road. In about 250m, just after St Huberts (with its little turret and wind vane) turn left on a narrow footpath. This takes you past a filling station (with a small shop) to the main A325 road. 3. Cross the road carefully and turn right to reach, at a junction, the Halfway House pub at Bucks Horn Oak, sadly closed and for sale at the 34
time of writing. Fork left by the pub on a side road signed to Dockenfi eld. In 100m, ignore a muddy byway on your left, con tinue a further 150m and turn left onto the tarmac drive which is the entrance to Alice Holt Forest. Avoid a left fork that only goes to the office and stay on the snaking drive, passing a car park on your right and forking right to the café, toilets and cycle hire centre. 4. Instead of looking for the shortest way, this section takes you in a loop round the best part of the forest, but always finding dry paths. From near the café, toilets and cycle hire, turn right downhill on a path marked as the Willows Green Trail. Your path goes over a bridge with railings. At a T-junction,turn left on the Long Route, soon reaching a T-junction with a wide sandy gravel track. Turn right here. In 200m, at a crossing path with waymarkers, turn left on the red route, a grey gravel path, passing several stick huts or ‘dens’ as your path veers right. After 200m on this path, at a T-junction, turn left on another wide path, with houses sometimes visible beyond. Keep ahead on this path for about
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WALK
350m, avoiding a left fork halfway along, until you reach a major T-junction, indicated by a fork in the path. Keep left here and turn left as you join another path at the T-junction,still on the red route. 5. You will be following this path more or less straight for over 600m. In about 100m, avoid a left fork at a marker post, thus leaving the red route. Your excellent wide path snakes its way downhill. In a dip, you pass a junction sharp left and, 50m later, reach a crossing path. Turn right on the crossing path (the path left would take you back to the Centre). You will be following this main, rather curvy, path for over 700m. Your path wheels left and goes over a crossing path. Your next encounter is with that rather muddy byeway across your path. Your path curves right as it meets a grassy path on the left and goes over a stream. Stay on the main path as it bends sharp left and then right again, avoiding all the lesser, muddy side paths. 6. On your left soon is George’s Lonely Oak, named after a long-serving forester. You soon reach another junction. Turn left here to avoid the muddy horse path ahead and quickly right again, staying on the wide dry path, passing some cypresses and a picnic table. This takes you, in another 100m or so, to a very wide path at an oblique T-junction. Turn right on this wide path to reach, in 150m, a 5-way junction. 7. Now leave the main route, which bends left, by going straight ahead on another wide path. In about 200m, you reach the border of the forest indicated by a wooden gate and a small car park. A small community on the Surrey border, welcome to Rowledge! St James’s church is on your left. Keep straight ahead on the lane to a junction in the village. 8. Turn left on School Road, passing the Cherry Tree pub on your right, a worthy watering hole with two gardens and some good food. Continue on the road, passing various houses, a recreation ground and a parking area. Rowledge House, soon on the right with the dragon-crested outhouse, was a hostel during World DISTANCE: 7 miles OS MAPS: Explorer 145 (Guildford) STARTING POINT: Gravel Hill Road car park. The nearest postcode is GU10 4LJ but for navigation purposes, you need to set GU10 5JD which will take you on the Gravel Hill Road. GETTING THERE: you reach the car park from the A31 road (signposted Winchester Alton), just 3 miles (5 km) west of
War II for Jewish child refugees who arrived on the Kindertransport. At a T-junction, turn left on Fullers Road. Avoid a footpath immediately on the right, continue on the road for 250m and, just past Fox Hollow, turn right at a fingerpost on a footpath. 9. This path, which is almost dry, soon takes you over a gurgling stream, through woodland and out to a junction of farm tracks. Keep straight ahead and, after passing an entrance to a farm, keep ahead on a hard-core grassy track [March 2014: it was partially blocked by a heap of rubble – hopefully clear now!]. Finally, you reach the main A325 road. Cross the road carefully and go through a swing gate directly opposite into the front yard of the Forest Inn, Holt Pound, a family pub and a reliable place for lastchance refreshment. 10. Pass the pub on your left and go through a wooden gate into a meadow by a four-way fingerpost. Fork left here across the grass, aiming for a metal swing gate in front of a house visible in the trees ahead. Go through the gate, turn right in front on the house and go past a wooden barrier back into the forest, avoiding side paths. This long straight (and fairly dry) path makes for a pleasant final saunter back to your starting point. After pines, a more open section, and more pines and birch, you go over a crossing path with views on the right. Finally, after a total of just over 1 km on this path, you go through a metal barrier to a lane. Turn left on the lane and in 20m fork right, back to the car park where the walk began.
Farnham, Surrey. If coming from the east, go straight ahead at a roundabout, ignore several left turns until you cross the Hamsphire border; just after you glimpse the Bull Inn on the right, take a left filter and turn left, in front of a clump of pines on narrow Gravel Hill Road. Follow this fabulously twisty road for just under a mile, entering the dense forest and going over a railway. The car park is ¼ mile after the railway bridge, the first obvious right fork on a gravel, rather uneven, track. Park at the end or tight along the edge if full.
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.
November 2014
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Jottings - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD - NOW IN DATE ORDER!
however, they need to increase their numbers, particularly male voices and specifically tenors! The Choir is now rehearsing the music for its Christmas concert at which the main works will be Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit and Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium – there will also be traditional carols for choir and audience. The concert will be held in the church of St John the Baptist, Capel on Monday 15th December. The Choir will also be singing Christmas Carols at Polesden Lacey on the previous day at 2pm, during one of the National Trust’s special Christmas opening days. If you’re interested in joining the choir contact the secretary at secretary@capelchoralsociety.com or phone 01306 712365. There’s also more information at www. capelchoralsociety.com. Beare Green & Newdigate Choral Society is now rehearsing for their Christmas concert on Wednesday 17th December at 7.30pm in Newdigate Village Hall when they will be singing some of Bob Chilcott’s Carols and pieces from ‘Christmas in Blue’. Join in their festive singing, rehearsals every Wednesday at 7.45pm in Newdigate Village Hall; no auditions necessary. Please ring the secretary 01306 631115 for details. Dorking Walkers like to walk round Dorking in moderation; sounds good to me! They also like to walk and talk as they go. If you would like to join them you’ll find they are a very mixed group from many backgrounds. Most of them are no longer spring chickens and their walks reflect this. But being in the Surrey Hills, you can’t avoid ups and downs altogether. The group is organised on a self-help basis and members take turns to plan and organise routes mainly around the Dorking area. At the end of each term and half-term the walk finishes at a pub, where they have a bite of lunch before going home for a well earned rest! In November they will be tackling Oxshott Common, 36
Wotton, Denbies and back to Wotton (same car park different direction) They end the term at Betchworth and an opportunity for lunch at the Watermill in Dorking. If you are interested please contact June Letheren on 01737 842084. Production of the great Wintershall religious plays performed in Surrey, London and Glastonbury has been passed to the next generation of the Hutley family, ensuring that the tradition stays alive. Peter Hutley has passed the baton to his daughter Charlotte. With a cast ranging from 75 for the Nativity to 200 for the Life of Christ, all willing amateurs except for the professional Christ, the plays are a huge undertaking. The Passion played in Guildford High Street and is now regularly staged in Trafalgar Square. This year, it also went to Glastonbury. The Nativity will be performed at Wintershall and also returns to All Souls Church in Langham Place and the piazza at BBC Broadcasting House. Rehearsals start next month. Contact 01483 892167 if you would like to be involved. Performances are on 17th December in London and 18th to 21st December at Wintershall. The Royal Surrey County Hospital Christmas Raffle tickets are now on sale and all funds raised will go towards their current campaign ‘Detecting Women’s Cancers.’ The tickets are £1 each and the prizes are: 1st £1000, 2nd £500 and 5 x 3rd prizes of £100 each. Please contact the fundraising office at the Royal Surrey if you would like to purchase tickets or if you have some spare time that you would like to ‘donate’ to help sell the tickets? Please call 01483 464146 or email sarahwelsby@nhs.net. Founded in 1905, Rotary is an international organisation of local clubs, 26 of which are in Surrey. The total membership worldwide is over 1.2 million. The object of Rotary is to provide humanitarian service to the community at local, national and international level; encourage high ethical standards in all vocations,
and to work for goodwill and peace in the world. Originally a male organisation, Rotary membership is now dual gender and a recent innovation has been the introduction of corporate membership which allows a company or corporation to become a member of a local Club and designate up to four employees to attend meetings and participate in the Club activities. Clubs meet regularly and there is now no minimum attendance rule and members are simply asked to support their Club to the best of their ability as individual circumstances permit. For further information about Rotary go to www.guildforddistrictrotary. org.uk or for an application form to join contact Anne Coakley - anne@ acoakleyandco.co.uk Tel: 01252 702218 Fax: 01252 702818. We wrote quite a lot about The Guildford Fringe Festival so it was most interesting to learn that it was a tremendous success and in just its second year managed to treble in size. Nick Wyschna who set up Guildford Fringe Festival as a spin-off to Guildford Fringe Theatre Company is already working on plans for next year’s event and hopes to double the number of audience members and the performers taking part. If you are interested in performing at the festival in 2015, would like your venue to be involved or want to join the mailing list to be the first to hear all the Guildford Fringe Festival news call 01483 361101, email info@ guildfordfringe.com or visit http:// guildfordfringe.com.
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FRIENDS OF DORKING From Flower Power to Christmas Sparkle Founded in 2011, the Friends of Dorking is a voluntary group of local businesses, retailers and community members who work together to make the lovely market town of Dorking even more attractive. Throughout the summer months the town comes alive with dozens of baskets of brightly coloured flowers, hanging from lampposts and buildings along the High Street, West Street and South Street. This year, as well as the hanging baskets, the Friends of Dorking, with help from the National Trust and Transition Dorking, was also able to create two very special raised beds of edible plants and flowers in the high street, outside W A Truelove and Son, whose staff also helped to keep the displays watered and looking at their best. Towards the end of the year, as the nights draw in, where once were hanging baskets, sparkling displays of Christmas lights brighten up the town, welcoming late night shoppers and those visiting the pubs, restaurants and the theatre. A new addition to the Christmas lights in 2012 was the commissioning of a very special display spanning the whole width of the High Street, showing Father Christmas in his sleigh, being pulled, not by the traditional eight reindeer, but by four Dorking cockerels. These depicted the town’s unique five-toed breed and now also its emblem. (Regular visitors to Dorking will almost certainly have bumped into Dorkers, the seven-foot tall Friends of Dorking mascot, somewhere around the town.)
very controversially disqualified for running!). He also made an appearance at their annual Supercar Event at Dunsfold Park. He was also a VIP (Very Important Poultry) guest, helping Tadworth cut a very special birthday cake to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of the Children’s Trust shop in Dorking High Street. As well as all of their ongoing activities around Dorking itself, the Friends of Dorking has also recently entered the town into The Great British High Street Awards. More information about the awards and how you can support your local town at www. thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk. None of the above, however, could be achieved without the wonderful support of the town’s business and residential community, for which the Friends of Dorking would like to say a huge THANK-YOU!
Whether out and about setting the trail for the town’s annual Easter Egg Hunt, or helping out on Independents Day, Dorkers is now a key member of the Friends of Dorking team and even escorted Mary Portas (Queen of Shops) around the town during her visit last year. Over the past 12 months, Dorkers has also established an excellent working relationship with his new best friend, Tadworth the Hound, from the nearby Children’s Trust charity. Throughout the year, Dorkers has supported Tadworth at several of the Children’s Trust fundraising events, including their Pancake Race in Horsham Town Centre (where he was November 2014
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For further information about the Friends of Dorking and how you can support this lovely market town, please visit the website at www.friendsofdorking.org.
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To enter to win this piece of history, simply answer the following question: Q: How many poppies will be planted at the Tower of London? Enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk by 30th November 2014.
Please enter online at www.vantagepointmag.co.uk. 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.
King William IV, Mickleham Book now for your Christmas parties 2 Courses Traditional roast turkey and all the trimmings Just £19.95
The historic building was built in 1790 as an ale house for workers at Cherkley Court. Its stunning views have been enjoyed for over 200 years. We strive to give our customers quality products and courteous service. All our food is prepared from scratch inhouse by our professional chefs. All our ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible – meats from Nash Farm, breads from Westcott Bakery, and fruit and vegetables come directly from Covent Garden. Eamonn and Anne wish you a pleasant visit and both hope that you agree that the King William IV is Surrey’s best kept secret! Telephone: 01372 372590 Web: www.thekingwilliamiv.com The King William IV is situated directly behind Frascati Restaurant, 25 yards up Byttom Hill on the A24 between Leatherhead and Dorking