Surrey County Show

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Celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Surrey County Show

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Surrey County Show and the fantastic family fun day out shows no signs of slowing down.

The annual show brings the country and rural life together in the heart of Guildford with animals, entertainment, rural crafts, food and drink and competitions to guarantee a day with something for everything.

Surrey County Show welcomes around 40,000 visitors to the 66-acre site at Stoke Park and this year they can expect the usual variety of attractions that makes it such a great day out.

At the centre of the show on bank holiday Monday (27th) are the animals and livestock that ensure this truly is a country show – cows, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and donkeys will fill the fields.

Competitions will put beef bulls alongside dairy heifers with rare sheep breeds on show too. Two of what will be the most popular competitions promise to be the ‘Grumpiest pig’ and the fascinatingly named Pig most like its owner!

Horses, ponies and donkeys will be on parade in the equine rings and why not bring your dog along and for the chance to win a prize in the fun dog show – there’s a class for everyone as well as dog agility and terrier racing among others.

Younger children will be able to handle smaller animals at Miller’s Ark petting farm as well as enjoy entertainment from Punch and Judy, a sheep show and donkey rides.

Rural life is a major feature of Surrey County Show too with birds of prey, a milking parlour, Dorset Axeman, vintage tractors and a whole host of rural crafts.

Over in the Grand Arena, big beasts of a very different kind will star when the monster trucks – 7.5ton Big Pete and The Grim Reaper – leap 15ft into the air, crushing anything in their path and will pull a car in a monster tug-of-war.

The heavy horse musical drive and marching band will add to the colour and spectacle of the day with more theatrics coming tricks and stunts from the BMX show.

Guildford Fringe Theatre Company will perform all day and there’ll be Maypole and Morris dancing to entertain you too.

You’ll no doubt need some sustenance to help get you through the day and there are plenty of food and drink choices to keep you going. The Food Theatre will feature a British cheese talk and tasting while Crumbs Brewery will show how they brew beer from left-over bread.
Food and drink from all over the world will rub shoulders with local delicacies on offer at Surrey Farmers’ Market.

If you like to shop ‘til you drop there’s plenty to choose from with hundreds of stalls offering everything from clothing to gifts and homeware to furniture and even luxury cars!

Stoke Park is easy to reach by road or rail, with on-site and nearby parking, four Park and Ride sites and a special train station shuttle bus at £1 each way. Don’t miss it – with so much to see and do, the biggest challenge will be fitting it all in to one day!

Surrey County Show is on Monday, 27th May, from 8am to 6pm.

For tickets please visit Surrey County Show

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The English Wine & Food Festival

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Vineyard varieties: The English Wine & Food Festival in Wallingford will showcase wines from 11 local vineyards

Raise a glass to all the great wine being produced on your doorstep at the English Wine & Food Festival.

If you didn’t even know there were vineyards in the Thames and Chiltern region then this is a great opportunity to discover and taste it for yourself.

There are 11 local vineyards taking part in the event which will offer members of the public the opportunity to taste, compare and buy award-winning wines all in one location – Brightwell Vineyard in Wallingford.

You’ll get to meet winemakers, growers and a Master of Wine specialising in English wine as well as learning more about the grape varieties that do well in our unpredictable climate.

You may know classic grape varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but do you know your Bacchus from your Ortega?

The festival is a must for foodies as well as wine lovers with the chance to pair the wide range of crisp, fruity wines with the freshly made local dishes on offer.

The festival on Saturday, 8th June will include vineyard walks, wine sales and tastings, local vineyard information, artisan hot and cold food, local crafts and a pay bar.

The local vineyards taking part are:

Fairmile Vineyard, Henley

Brightwell Vineyard, Wallingford

Bothy Vineyard, Frilford Heath

Oaken Grove Vineyard, Marlow

Harrow & Hope Vineyard, Marlow

Stanlake Park Wine Estate

Winding Wood Vineyard, Hungerford

Chafor Wine Estate, Gawcott

Daws Hill Vineyard, Radnor

Hendred Vineyard, East Hendred

Wyfold Vineyard, Marlow.

Entry £2 adult, children free and wine tastings cost £10 for 10 wines or £8 if bought early. You can book your tickets here

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How to spend a day in

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Whether you’re a tourist or just curious about our capital, spending the day exploring London can be an amazing experience.

Danny Horwood, from urban scavenger hunt innovators Foxtrail London, shares his advice for what to include on your to-do list.

Much of London’s diverse landscape is made up of buildings that have made it through the Great Fire, the Blitz, and the many other threats since the city was founded more than 2,000 years ago.

A great place to start is London Wall, while mostly in ruins, is estimated to have been built in 190-225 AD and is widely considered the oldest building in London. London Wall is conveniently close to the major landmark Tower Hill, famous for its gruesome executions, and the even more iconic Tower of London, so you can pay a visit to the Crown Jewels, ravens, and Beefeaters while you’re exploring the area.

 

Modern London

Modern London is diverse, influential, and packed with culture, so there’s always plenty of new landmarks to discover – some are bizarre, like the world’s longest tunnel slide at the UK’s tallest sculpture, the Orbit, and some are impressive, like the Shard and it’s 244-meter-high observation deck.

While not the newest addition to London’s skyline, the London Eye has become an icon in its own right to rival Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, despite originally being designed as a temporary feature. With some of the best views in the city, it’s ideal for taking in all the sights of London at once and a great option for time-pressed tourists.

 

Don’t miss…

London is home to some of the world’s greatest eating, drinking, and shopping experiences, but there are so many more unique attractions to explore. Madame Tussauds, the London Dungeon, and Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station, for example, are world-famous must-sees. London’s most popular attraction, the British Museum, boasts one of the largest and most comprehensive displays of world history, if galleries are for you then the V&A museum of art and design has something weird and wonderful for everyone to enjoy, including fashion exhibitions.

If you’re only in London for a short while, it can feel a waste to spend it indoors. Simply strolling down the many famous streets of this old city, there is so much to see and discover including more major landmarks, hidden treasures, and other curiosities.

Why not take a guided tour to get the inside scoop on the rich history of the buildings around you, or take part in an organised scavenger hunt to interact with the city? Getting the family involved in a treasure trail is a great way to have fun, work as a team, and learn through experience.

  There’s so much to see and do in London, just get out and explore!

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Hero police dog

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Britain’s bravest police dog who was stabbed in the line of duty has visited Heathfield School with his handler to discuss the role of police animals, perseverance and resilience.

Britain’s bravest police dog who was stabbed in the line of duty has visited a school with his handler to discuss the role of police animals, perseverance and resilience.

Eight-year-old German Shepherd Finn was stabbed with a 10-inch blade when tackling a suspect in October 2016. His handler PC Dave Wardell has campaigned since then to make it an offence to harm or abuse an animal in the line of duty.

So called Finn’s Law became law in April this year.

The pair were at Heathfield School in Ascot on Thursday, 23rd May to chat to the pupils and to say an extra special thank you for the use of their stage to practise their act for Britain’s Got Talent.

Finn and PC Wardell wowed the judges even bringing a tear to the eye of Simon Cowell with their dog show/magic act – they will find out today (25th May) if they have made it to the finals.

Girls at Heathfield watched a video of the performance, heard about the incident in which Finn was stabbed and about PC Wardell’s attempt to get the law passed.

The duo were joined at the school by PC Wardell’s former colleague and officer Sebastian Ellis. They both spoke about facing adversity, the importance of resilience and perseverance, careers in the police force and how to become a dog handler.

The session was finished with a demonstration of how scent tracking works.

PC Wardell said it was lovely coming back and being able to say thank you for the use of the stage. He added: “I really enjoyed sharing my story with a younger audience that that found at the House of Parliament! It was a pleasure too, to take questions on dogs, my career and dealing with the Government.”

Headmistress Marina Gardiner Legge said: “Standing up to adversity, perseverance and resilience are important qualities we work to instil in our girls.

“PC Wardell had an extremely moving story to tell and we were delighted he, Sebastian and Finn were able to share it with us.”

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SWT photography exhibition

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Be inspired to protect nature by the photographs on display at the Wild Surrey Art & Photography Exhibition.

The exhibition which opens tomorrow (25th May) is part of Surrey Wildlife Trust’s celebration of its 60th anniversary and captures the appreciation and love for the county’s wildlife as well as highlighting its vulnerability and the need to protect it.

The exhibition in Guildford House Gallery, at the top of High Street is free and open to all to come and celebrate Surrey’s amazing nature inspired artworks between 10am and 4.45pm every day. This year Wild Surrey is sponsored by Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s Chessington Conservation Fund.

The short-listed artists include adults and children, amateur and professional, from all over Surrey who have captured serenity and joy in a glowing sunrise or mysterious moonlit landscape. Others have captured a glimpse of a tender character in a hedgehog, fox, butterfly or bee. Like the wildlife and habitats in Surrey, there is a great celebration of colour and diversity of style and media, from printmaking to watercolour, ink and digital artwork.

A more thought provoking side to this exhibition depicts an awkwardness of nature around urban life, a discomfort to see foxes eating from bins, swans nesting around litter, scenes of urban life and nature decaying together.  There is a butterfly settled in the middle of a road, common toads clinging on to survival as they mate on a doorstep, plastic waste in rivers choking otters and fly tipping on nature reserves.

Charlotte Magowan, director of people engagement for Surrey Wildlife Trust, said: “We are so looking forward to seeing the wining artwork up in the exhibition. The high quality of artwork really celebrates the beauty of Surrey’s nature and wildlife.
“The narrative of the exhibition shows how precious and yet precarious Surrey’s nature can be. We hope as many people as possible will come and feel inspired to protect it.”

Wild Surrey’s top £500 prize winners will be announced on Saturday at the special celebratory opening night. Local artist Celia Lewis and photographer Richard Peters will be among the judges.

Can you go wild for 30 days?

Take the challenge and find out

For more information about the exhibition which runs until 16th June, visit Surrey Wildlife Trust

Photo credit: Amy Lewis

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Go wild in Guildford

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Watch out for the giant badger on 1st and 2nd June and take on the 30 Days Wild challenge

Could you go wild for 30 days in June? That’s the challenge being issued by Countryfile’s Matt Baker.

The UK’s biggest nature challenge, 30 Days Wild, is encouraging people to do something wild every day of the month and get closer to nature.

Matt was inspired by the work of Surrey Wildlife Trust when filming in the county in April and is urging Surrey residents to join in in their thousands.

The challenge is proven to make people healthier, happier and more likely to do something to help the wildlife in their gardens and enjoy nature on their doorstep.

And the choice is yours when it comes to what you do to ‘go wild’ – you could just lie in the grass and gaze up at the clouds, spend some time by the river, admire the dragonflies, create a bucket pond at home or listen to birdsong instead of putting your headphones in on the way to school or work.

The Trust has plenty of ideas on its website and there’s an app which will generate daily ideas.

If you’re in Guildford on Saturday 1st and Sunday, 2nd June don’t be surprised to see a giant badger in High Street – he’ll be celebrating as part of a weekend of activities to mark the wildlife trust’s 60th anniversary. Be inspired by the large pop-up wildlife garden and gardening experts. Get up close to wildlife, take part in fun wildlife themed activities, face painting and trails and much more. There’s also free entry to the Wild Surrey Art and Photography Exhibition at Guildford House Gallery which runs until 16th June.

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Charlotte Magowan said: “30 Wild Days is the perfect excuse to just get out there every day and enjoy nature where we live.

“Surrey’s countryside is incredible and it’s just too easy to get stuck in the hamster wheel of life and miss the beauty of the natural world.

“Whether you decide to watch the sun go down, listen to a dawn chorus, take a meeting outside, feed the birds or take a video of a minibeast, we want everyone to get closer to nature. It is only by experiencing nature that we recognise its value and realise how important it is to protect it.”

There are a wide range of events, walks and talks taking place as part of SWT’s diamond anniversary, to find out how to get involved and inspiration for ideas visit Surrey Wildlife Trust

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Rudridge walk

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Get on the FAST Road to Rudridge and help raise funds for the Stroke Association

We hope we can raise as much money and awareness of the condition as possible and do our bit to support those who have been affected by a stroke.”

Staff from a Farnham company are planning to walk 50km in memory of a former colleague and raise some funds for a very worthy cause at the same time.

Tony Marshall, who worked for materials and groundworks supplier Rudridge, suffered a fatal stroke in 2016 and now the company is hoping to raise awareness of stroke symptoms and support survivors by raising funds for The Stroke Association.

The walk has been called The FAST Road to Rudridge, recognising the acronym that helps identify stroke symptoms encouraging people to act on them – Face, Arms, Speech, Time.

The route they will take on Saturday, 22nd June goes from Southwater in West Sussex to the company’s Farnham depot and includes five walking challenges ranging from 13k to 50k taking in the scenery of the Downs Link Path and the North Downs Way.

Among those taking part will be several of the company’s customers and suppliers who will all be treated to a celebration afterwards at Badshot Lea FC’s new ground in Wrecclesham.

Sales director at Rudridge, Paul Duke said: “Tony was a much loved colleague and he is sorely missed by so many of us here at Rudridge.

To undertake this challenge in his memory will be an honour.

To find out more or make a donation visit Just Giving

Photo (from left):  Tony Marshall with friends and Rudridge colleagues Mark Stacey and Richard May.

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Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush

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Burst though bubbles and help raise funds for Helen & Douglas House

Frothy, foamy, fabulous fun is on offer all in aid of a good cause next month where you can join hundreds of others fit to burst and fundraising.

Run, jump and dive through thousands of coloured bubbles at the Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush on Sunday, 2nd June at Cutteslowe Park, Oxford and in Prospect Park, Reading on Sunday, 9th June, in a 5k challenge with a difference.

Anyone of any age is welcome to join in the fun and running isn’t compulsory, you can walk or even toddle your way through the family-friendly fun.

Burst through four colour stations with cannon pumping bubbles up to four feet high and get engulfed in light, foamy fun while wearing a Bubble T-shirt which you’ll get on the day. Once you’ve completed the run, special Bubble Rush medals will be handed out.

The route is 2.5k which you can choose to tackle once or twice but remember if you choose to do two loops it’s double the fun – you’ll get covered in colour eight times!

Funds raised at Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush will help towards the £3million it costs annually to run the hospice and make a real difference to local terminally ill children and their families.

Helen & Douglas House helps families to cope with the challenges of looking after a baby or child who will die prematurely and allows them to spend time together creating memories.

Places for the Bubble Rush are limited so book as soon as you can, entry is available at various prices for families, individual adults and children and the run takes place in two waves at 10am and 11am.

To register to take part visit eventbrite and visit Helen & Douglas House for more information about and how you can help through their other fundraising events.

Photo credit: Helen Stuwart

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Chilterns Walking Festival

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There are a wide variety of walks to enjoy – however you like to take yours – as part of the Chilterns Walking Festival from Saturday, 18th May to Sunday, 2nd June.

Are you an ambler? Do you like to saunter? Would you consider yourself to be a plodder or are you a trekker?

However you like to stroll, trudge, wander or roam, the Chilterns Walking Festival is the right route for you if you like to put one foot in front of the other. The 16-day event offers spectacular views, local stories and fun activities to enjoy as you get out and explore the countryside on one of more than 50 guided walks and special activities this month.

There’s a wide variety of walks to choose from, ranging from short gentle ambles to more challenging hill hikes, all to the backdrop of the stunning Chilterns countryside. The walking festival offers the chance to meet artists, craftspeople, farmers, food producers and storytellers.

You might choose to “meet the maker” with an art and craft walk from Nuffield, visit a blacksmiths and a furniture maker and be inspired by the scenery around you or perhaps you’d like a walk to a woodland camp where a simmering kettle and chance to cook lunch over a campfire await?

For something rather different how about discovering “powerful places in the Hundreds of Aylesbury”: an Iron Age fort, a medieval castle and the Prime Minister’s country residence at Chequers. Discover Henley, explore its history and go on the trail of Midsomer Murders and filming locations – you’ll hear personal anecdotes and details not found in the guide books.
There’s lots of history to enjoy along the way, too. Follow in the footsteps of your ancestors along the Tuddingway, a medieval route along the Thames corridor with divisions up into the beechwoods and take a guided tour of the historic Jordans meeting house (complete with tea and cake at the end) in the company of a life-long resident of the Quaker-founded village of Seer Green.

How ever you decide to walk the Chilterns, there’ll be a trail for you with walks for different ages, interests and levels of fitness; walks for young families, those with limited mobility and dog walkers. Each walk is guided by an experienced knowledgeable leader.

The main event sponsor is camping shop Complete Outdoors. Managing director Andrew Inkley said: “For over 35 years, we’ve been helping people to prepare for their adventures, whether walking in the park, or climbing a mountain. As a Chilterns company we loved the idea of supporting a local walking festival that helps people to discover what’s on their doorstep.”

The festival is also sponsored by family-owned and run brewer and pub company Brakspear and many of its 132 pubs are located along the routes of the Chilterns, so why not pop in to in and enjoy a well-deserved pint along the way?!

  Most of the walks and events are free but must be booked in advance. For full details and to book head to Visit Chilterns

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Let’s Rock the Moor

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Get ready to rock the moor in Cookham

It’s festival season and there are so many to suit every musical taste – if retro style is your thing then Let’s Rock The Moor in Cookham is for you.

Celebrating 10 years this year, Let’s Rock The Moor began in 2009 as a charity event attended by 1,200 people and headlined by Nick Heyward (who remains part of the Let’s Rock family). In 2019, almost 10 times that audience will be treated to non-stop entertainment and hits from many of the biggest names from the 80s including Erasure’s Andy Bell, Marc Almond, Shalamar, Jason Donovan, Go West and Nik Kershaw.

This is the first of 12 Let’s Rock festivals taking place over the summer, expected to attract in excess of 150,000 party goers who will be entertained by some of the biggest names of the era, with different line-ups.

Let’s Rock organisers Nick Billinghurst & Matt Smith said: “We’re really proud of what we’ve created with Let’s Rock and it’s such a thrill to work with so many iconic artists.

“What makes Let’s Rock truly special is our amazingly loyal and up-for-it audience, and every year we strive to improve their experience. Here’s to our best Let’s Rock summer yet!”

Let’s Rock continues to work with many amazing charities including Child Bereavement UK, The Wooden Spoon, and The Link Foundation. They also work with local charities wherever possible. To date almost half a million pounds has been raised for children’s charities by The Let’s Rock brand.

Let’s Rock is a family-friendly festival; children can enjoy complimentary activities within the ‘Kids’ Kingdom’. For adults, there are multiple bars and a ‘Club Tropicana’ VIP area, plus of course the all-important posh loos.

To find out more and book tickets go to Let’s Rock the Moor

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