Banff film festival

Karen Neville

Egham

Picture credit: Ben Tibbetts

Celebrate the great outdoors with exhilarating stories and intrepid characters as the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for 2020. 

The tour features two different collections of films from the world’s best film makers, with super-human challenges, inspiring journeys and stunning cinematography from the four corners of the globe.

The tour’s films are chosen from hundreds of entries into the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which is held every November in the Canadian Rockies. The UK and Ireland tour visits 60 locations along the way. As well as thrilling films, each event features a free prize draw for exciting outdoorsy goodies from the tour partners.

UK tour director Neil Teasdale said: “We can’t wait to share the latest inspirational films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival on our biggest tour yet.

“As well as exhilarating stories starring intrepid characters and pioneering journeys, an evening at Banff is a celebration of the great outdoors, with a vibrant atmosphere and a real sense of community. And we guarantee audiences will leave inspired to have an adventure of their own.”

For more information about the films and to book tickets visit www.banff-uk.com

The tour comes to G Live in Guildford on 13th March with the ‘red’ series of films and 29th April with the ‘blue’ series of films.

‘Red’ films – Charge, Danny Day Care, The Flip, Home, Up to Speed, The Imaginary Line, The Ladakh Project and Thabang

‘Blue’ films – A Nordic Skater, Return to Earth, The High Road, Spectre Expedition – Mission Antarctica, The Frenchy, The Long Rover Home and The Running Pastor

All programmes may be subject to change.

UCA photography

Karen Neville

Egham

Photo in image: From the series La Frontera © Harriet Brookes

Students from the University for the Creative Arts are showcasing some of their work in the latest exhibition at The Lightbox. 

UCA in Farnham has a reputation for educating some of the most innovative photographers of the time and the exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to explore their work.

The students have captured a variety of themes in their photography to explore contemporary issues, some of which are deeply personal.

Among those whose work is on show include documentary photographer Harriet Brookes whose project La Frontera examines the problems faced by people in Gibraltar during the Brexit negotiations.

Using a series of black and white portraits, Sian Hayden’s photography engages with the uncanny and the male gaze while Neve Marinou explores issues surrounding harassment and the Me Too movement.

UCA Farnham MFA Photography Show is on at The Lightbox, Woking, until 2nd February. Entry to the exhibition is free.

More info

Surrey Wildlife Trust hedgerows

Round & About

Egham

Photo: Hedgehog – Jon Hawkins

Traditional hedge laying skills a lifeline for bees, bugs and butterflies

An ambitious new project by Surrey Wildlife Trust to inspire young people to connect with nature in the North Downs and Surrey Hills has received a £390,000 boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

By reconnecting people with the local landscape, the Trust hopes to prevent traditional hedge laying skills and wildlife from going extinct in the county by creating vital habitat for hedgehogs, bees, bugs and butterflies.

The project aims to inspire young budding ecologists, practical conservationists and the wider local community by working with schools, colleges and youth groups.

Events such as a hedgerow festival, hedgerow tales storytelling workshops and hedge laying competitions will help the Trust reach its goal of engaging and inspiring thousands of younger people in the project over four years.

Working in partnership with other landowners and organisations across the North Downs, the Preserving Surrey’s Hedgerows Heritage project provides a lifeline from our agricultural history for wildlife and future generations. It will also leave a legacy of creating, restoring and protecting more than 70 kilometres of hedgerows in the North Downs and Surrey Hills to create a more resilient and wildlife rich natural environment for the future.

For hundreds of years, generations of hedge layers have maintained the iconic patchwork quilt landscape of hedgerows to mark boundaries, contain livestock and shelter crops from extreme weather, they have provided a source of food, shelter and safe passage for plants and animals across the landscape.

Today a third of all wildlife in the county is already extinct or heading towards extinction with more than 130 key species that depend on hedgerows at risk. These species include dormice, hedgehogs, bats, butterflies such as the brown hair streak and rare pearl bordered fritillary, bees, bugs and birds such as the white throat and yellow hammer.

Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, chief executive at Surrey Wildlife Trust, said: “Hedge laying skills need to become mainstream if we are to help nature’s recovery and future-proof our environment. To protect our valuable wildlife and create jobs for our future, younger people need to upskill in nature conservation skills.

“Through our project we hope to give people the opportunity to develop skills and careers in the environment and also improve the health and well-being of young people by reconnecting them with nature.”

The project aims to engage and inspire 2,400 local people, with a focus of more than half being young people from school and youth groups, as well as community volunteers, landowners, farm managers, corporate volunteer teams, public and private sector contractors in the restoration of hedgerows.

Stuart McLeod, Director London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Urgent action needs to be taken to secure the future of Surrey’s hedgerows and the wealth of wildlife they support and cultural heritage they represent. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players new generations will be equipped with the traditional skills and passion needed to help the county’s hedgerows thrive once more.”

For further information

Star of Wonder

Round & About

Egham

Lucy Barker tells us about ‘Star of Wonder’ at Guildford Cathedral

Star of Wonder is a beautiful light and sound show that makes full use of the massive vaulted ceiling and majestic interior of Guildford Cathedral.

Created by artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper of Luxmuralis (Light Murals), the show celebrates the twelve days of Christmas. It takes visitors on the journey of the Magi, through starry skies, religious images and colourful laser beams, in a stunning kaleidoscope of colours.

We went as a family and our two small boys (age five and two) were enchanted by the display all around them. For a first visit to the cathedral it was certainly impressive, and memorable.

It’s on for the next three nights – 16, 17 and 18 January, at a cost of £5 (accompanied under 16s £2.50).

Review of Aladdin

Round & About

Egham

Review of Aladdin at the New Victoria Theatre Woking, by Lucy Barker

From the moment the curtain went up on Aladdin, my five-year-old was spellbound by the giant King Cobra snake that reared up at baddie Abanazar’s command. The thing was huge – it reached to the top of the stage and seemed to extend into the audience, complete with flashing eyes and sinuous body.

Next came the double act of David Phipps-Davis as Widow Twankey and Bobby Davro as Wishee Washee, old hats at panto, whose banter was a key feature of the production. Some of the comments were a bit adult for the children but the audience didn’t seem to mind. My son was particularly keen on the donkey derby that took place between ‘mother and son’ although the joke wore a bit thin for me.

As a lifelong Strictly Come Dancing Fan I was looking forward to seeing Brendan Cole, who didn’t disappoint as the Spirit of the Ring and completely overshadowed the special effects genie. I, like the rest of the audience, was entranced by the magic carpet ride taken by Aladdin (although my imagination was stretched a bit too far by the fact that only he got to take a ride, leaving his companions to just walk out of the cave!). This was a definite highlight as, like the snake, Aladdin flew over the audience as well as the stage.

CBBC favourite Mischa Eckersley did a good turn as Princess Jasmine and special mention must also got to Pearce Barro in the title role. The production also featured the talents of veteran ventriloquist Dawson Chance as Chief of Police.

Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable night out, from getting to sneak out at bedtime (his, not mine) with my son; to the display in the foyer of a monkey sneaking into the treasure cove; to obviously the production itself, which contained all the elements of a traditional Christmas pantomime.

The panto runs until 5th January 2020

For more information and tickets

Unicorn adventures

Round & About

Egham

Lorrin Chantrey tells us how her four-year-old daughter inspired a unique project, including some festive woodland fun this month & parties galore

 

My Little Unicorn started two years ago when Lorrin’s daughter Hope started showing locally, for a bit of fun, with her pony.

‘’There’s usually a fancy dress class at local fun shows and this was always Hope’s favourite class. Her little pony Taylor has been as everything you can imagine – Beauty and the Beast, Princess and the frog… We were starting to run out of ideas of what they could go as next. Hope said one day; why don’t we take Snowdrop as a unicorn? It had honestly never crossed my mind to dress a pony as a unicorn…’’

But that’s just what they did and, with Hope as a princess, she won first place and reserve champion of the entire show. ‘’We put photos on Facebook,’’ explains Lorrin, ‘’as you do, proud mum. I then started getting messages from friends of family and friends asking to take Snowdrop the Unicorn along to their kids’ parties. We thought; why not, it’ll help pay for farrier, vet, feed bills etc.’’

After doing this for about a year, roaming with Snowdrop pretty much every weekend, it all became a bit much and inspired the next step. The family decided to build a woodland wonderland at Lorrin’s mum’s stables, ‘’so people could visit us to make ours and the ponies lives easier!’’

After obtaining all the relevant licenses, insurance and inspections, My Little Unicorn is open seven days a week, offering individual experiences, pony trekking, photo shoots, birthday parties, wedding visits, naming ceremonies… ‘’whatever a unicorn can be involved in, we do! We are always adding to the woodland and trying to come up with new ideas on how we could make it more magical, it is a never-ending game!’’

The family used to breed miniature Shetlands some time ago, and breed Appaloosas (with spots). They don’t breed ponies any more but the special ponies they didn’t want to or couldn’t rehome for one reason or another now have a whole new role!

‘’Most ponies born with big bold spots lose their markings as they get older,’’ adds Lorrin, ‘’so it just so happens we’ve ended up with lots of little white ponies that we’ve known most or all of their lives. They have been reared and handle by children most of their lives (bar a couple of rescues) so they adore having lots of fuss and attention. I used to be a photographer full time, so at the start of the summer holidays I decided to take the plunge and become a full time unicorn handler and I can honestly say it’s the best job ever!’’

More info

From 20th-24th December, you can book in to enjoy a 20-30-minute festive experience. Your child/ren will firstly be greeted by a golden unicorn, ride on his jingle sleigh down through the forest to meet two little mischievous pony elves! After warming up with a cup of delicious spiced punch and a yummy festive treat, you will wait to be called by one of the friendly eskimos to meet Santa! Please visit

Missing pieces

Round & About

Egham

Locally based charity Jigsaw helps children come to terms with the loss of a parent. Here’s why you should support the Big Christmas Challenge.

 

More than 40,000 children across the UK lose a parent each year, which works out at 112 every single day.

In Surrey and West Sussex alone, by the age of 16, one in 20 children and young people, will have experienced the death of one or both of their parents.*

Jigsaw (South East) offers a bereavement support service for children and young people who have experienced the death of a significant family member through illness, accident, suicide or murder (through groups in Reigate, Guildford and East Grinstead). Its Grief Project, delivers a six-week support group for families.

‘It was great to share our memories and to realise you are not on your own’

‘Made me realise how much it effected me and it helped a lot that I’m not the only one going through it and everything will be OK’

Through the Preparing for Loss service, Jigsaw offees child-centred, tailored support to families, who will be helped by a named support worker. This individual works on a one-to-one basis with the child and/ or young person when their loved one is terminally ill, at the time of the bereavement and in the initial days and months following the death. They give parental support and advice during this difficult period for the family.

‘First time I’d talked about the painful memories’

‘Jigsaw has brought me so far since my Dad died 3 years ago’

Sophie Bewley, fundraising co-ordinator at Jigsaw (South East) says: “We’re a small charity and we are reliant on fundraising, donations and grants. These ensure we continue to deliver vital services to help children and young people during a devastating and vulnerable period in their lives.

“The Big Give Christmas Challenge runs from noon on Tuesday, 3rd December, until noon on Tuesday, 10th December. During this period all donations to Jigsaw (South East) will be doubled. We’re aiming to raise a minimum of £3,000 during the week.  The money will be used to help fund our Family Groups in 2020.”

Jigsaw (South East)

For information on how to donate to Jigsaw (South East) during the Big Christmas Challenge visit www.jigsawsoutheast.org.uk/ or https://www.jigsawsoutheast.org.uk/make-a-donation/

If you are interested in volunteering for Jigsaw (South East) please contact Volunteer co-ordinator Sarah Dodson by email:  [email protected]

* Parsons, S (2011) Long-term Impact of Childhood Bereavement: Preliminary Analysis of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). London: Child Well-being Research Centre.

* Child Bereavement Network: www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/research/local-statistics.aspx

A Wintershall tale…

Round & About

Egham

Experience the magic of the Christmas story live at The Wintershall Nativity Play, from Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd December.

The critically acclaimed production is presented both outdoors in the rolling landscape of the Wintershall Estate as well as inside the intimate surroundings of Holly Barn.

50 volunteer actors in biblical costumes, alongside a cast of sheep, donkeys, horses and a sheepdog, take the audience on foot from the open air into the atmospheric, candle-lit barn, as the story of how Jesus changed the world unfolds with songs and music and joyful carolling.
The Nativity has become a much-anticipated fixture of the Christmas season, performed by Wintershall, producers of the famous Passion of Jesus which plays to an audience of over 20,000 people each Easter in Trafalgar Square.

Enjoy this timeless festive experience with friends and family as the real story of Christmas is brought to life. Visitors are encouraged to wrap up warmly and mince pies and hot drinks will be available before and after the performance.

Wintershall first performed The Nativity in 1989, with a cast headed by Peter and Ann Hutley and their family on their beautiful farm, the Wintershall Estate, an area of extraordinary natural beauty in the Surrey Hills. The cows were evicted from the barn for a night and a handful of people came to see the makeshift production. One of the wise men found himself wearing Ann’s fur hat and their pregnant daughter-in-law sat on a bale of hay with a torch to light the action.
Now Holly Barn is a licensed theatre and 6,000 visitors come to see the 90-minute nativity every year, with tickets selling out for the last two years. It featured on the BBC’s Songs of Praise in 1996 and again in 2004. In 2013, the nativity was performed in the BBC’s Piazza in London to critical acclaim.

More info

The Wintershall Nativity Play will be performed on 18th December at 1pm & 4.30pm, 19th & 20th December at 4.30pm and 7pm, 21st December at 11am, 2pm & 5pm and 22nd December at 2pm and 5pm.
Performances are 90 minutes long and there is free parking. Tickets £9-£20 with a family ticket (two adults, two children) £50 & £55. Not advised for under 5s. Book early to secure your preferred date and time.
To book please call 01793 418299 or visit

Match made in heaven

Round & About

Egham

The story behind a local production of Little Matchstick Girl at Farnham Maltings has an equally moving significance & legacy

The Little Matchstick Girl is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most evocative and best-loved fairytales. And this month the tale is brought to life on the Farnham Maltings stage thanks to an equally heartfelt journey.

The show’s producer is Sophie Key whose father, Jeremy Paul, was a well-known television writer, starring in Upstairs Downstairs, Secret of Sherlock Holmes, Lovejoy, Midsomer Murders and Hetty Wainthrope. He originally adapted The Little Match Girl for television in the early 1970s and was then approached by composer Keith Strachan to turn it into a musical, which they did in 1977 at The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond. ‘’I was six at the time,’’ recalls Sophie, ‘’and I remember the production vividly, which my father also directed. In the 1980s it was adapted again for television starring Twiggy and Roger Daltrey. My sister and mum [well-known actress Patricia Garwood who played Beryl in No Place Like Home in the 1980s] put on a version of it about 10 years ago at The Lighthouse Theatre in Poole, and another sister was in that production.

‘’I took my daughter, Abbie, who was six at the time to see this production, and she absolutely loved it, and has been asking me ever since to put on a production.’’

A decade later, and in a lovely turn of events, this show comes to the Farnham stage and Abbie will star in this production, playing Liza, one of the rich girls the Match Girl meets. ‘’So, this is also an opportunity to pass the magic of the show down to the next generation,’’ adds Sophie. ‘’I have a close personal connection to the show, and it is a fulfilment of a lifetime ambition to put on my own production of it. The reason I am doing it this year is that I sadly lost my mum to cancer in February, and I wanted to put my energies into something creative and positive and something she would have been really proud of me for doing. My dad died eight years ago, so I’m dedicating the production to both their memories.’’

The musical includes the song’Mistletoe & Wine which was the Christmas Number 1 of 1988, recorded by Cliff Richard, and went on to win an Ivor Novello award. Composer Keith Strachan explains how this came about: ‘’Mistletoe & Wine, was a Christmas song to be sung by the cast in the style of a Christmas Carol. We discussed using a traditional carol but decided to write our own. And I kept saying to the others ‘this is a hit’ and I sent it to recording artists but no one was interested in recording it… Well at least not until 1988 when Cliff Richard heard it and made it his own.’’

Sophie lives in Farnham and runs a corporate video production company with her husband. This is the first theatre production she has done for a number of years although she trained originally as a theatre director at The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.

‘’I have cast the production using local talent, including actors from FAOS, Haslemere Players, The Grayshott Stagers, Farnham Dance, Showshack Elite Theatre Group, and pupils from Weydon, All Hallows and Frensham Heights. So it’s a real community project. All profits from the production are going to Phyllis Tuckwell.’’

More info

Book your tickets for The Little Match Girl at 2.30pm on Saturday, 14th December by calling 01252 745444 or visit

Running, for good elf

Round & About

Egham

Take part in the Santa & Elf fun runs in Hindhead, Godalming and Farnborough this month to raise money for a life-changing charity.

Phyllis Tuckwell’s Santa & Elf Fun Runs are the perfect way to get all the family in the festive spirit this Christmas.

The charity has three events to choose from: the first on Sunday, 1st December, at the picturesque Devil’s Punch Bowl in Hindhead, then The Pepperpot in Godalming for a 4k route on Saturday 14th December and lastly at The Wavell School in Farnborough on Sunday, 15th December.

“This year we’re celebrating 40 years of hospice care,” says fundraising manager Gemma Jones, “so asking everyone who registers to raise just £40 to mark our special ruby anniversary!

“We rely heavily on the support of our community to continue providing our services across west Surrey and north-east Hampshire. We have to raise over £20,000 every day to do this and events like this make a real difference; helping us to raise some of the funds we need. Come along and support Phyllis Tuckwell this Christmas.

More info

Registration is £16 for adults and £9 for children (under 14) and all who register will receive a Santa suit for adults and an elf hat for children. Register in advance as fees will be higher on the day. To register your place visit…