Home makeovers with Surrey Decluttering

Karen Neville

surrey

Virginia Water mum Victoria Fearnley is obsessed with tidiness and organisation and can help you restore order to chaos with Surrey Decluttering

How often have you looked in that cupboard or opened a door to a room only to close it and walk away overwhelmed by the chaos inside?

You need to invite Victoria Fearnley round to ‘remove clutter, restore order and create a well-functioning home’. Through her business Surrey Decluttering she gets to ‘combine my passion for helping people with an obsession for tidiness and organisation.”

Since September 2020 Victoria has helped clients create better functioning homes in stress-free environments. Drawing on her scientific background and career in R&D she makes the most of her keen eye for detail and innovative and creative skills to come up with storage solutions and decluttering hacks.

She explains: “I provide decluttering, re-organising and tidying of any spaces and rooms within your home, including lofts, garages and sheds. I will also provide light cleaning to the areas of your home that I work on.”

She always brings her ‘decluttering kit’ which includes bin bags, labels, cardboard boxes, parcel tape etc and there’s no charge for any small items for her kit she uses.

Victoria also offers complementary services such as assembling new storage solutions (e.g. IKEA furniture), putting up shelves and re-painting a cleared-out room. Just tell her what you want doing and she’ll help if she can!

Originally from a small village in Sweden, she was by her own admission always a ‘tidy’ child, adding: “I would often re-arrange the content of my wardrobes and things on my shelves just for fun! Please don’t judge me – we didn’t have electronic devices or daytime TV back then!

“Having been brought up in Sweden, I love regular visits to IKEA, who doesn’t? I love making up their furniture and finding new storage solutions. It might be my Swedish heritage that made me a keen DIY-er, so typically I always have a new project on the go!”

Among Victoria’s top tips are:
• Start small with a 30-minute declutter session, focus on one area at a time, a wardrobe or kitchen drawers
• Seasonal sorting – what to store, what to keep as the seasons change, pack away clothing you know you won’t need and rotate with that which will be worn
• Declutter high traffic areas of your home notably hallways and kitchens, try instead keeping a basket or box in those areas to gather together items which accumulate quickly

Find out more about how Victoria can help you have the tidy clutter-free home you’ve always wanted at surreydecluttering.co.uk 


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Join University of Surrey Charity Run

Karen Neville

surrey

Annual run returns on March 2nd to raise vital funds for Royal Surrey Charity

The annual University of Surrey Charity Run is back! This much-anticipated event, organised in collaboration with Spaceways Storage and the Royal Surrey Charity, invites friends, families, and the local community to lace up their running shoes and make a difference.

Scheduled for Sunday, 2nd March, the run will take participants through the picturesque University of Surrey campus and Guildford’s iconic landmarks. With routes catering to all fitness levels – 10lm, 5km, and a 2.5km family-friendly-option – there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned runner chasing a personal best or a beginner looking to enjoy a fun day out.

Spaceways Storage is generously covering 100% of the event’s costs, ensuring that every penny raised goes directly to the Royal Surrey Charity. These funds will help enhance patient care at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, supporting its mission to deliver exceptional, compassionate care in a welcoming and safe environment.

Moira Martin, Spaceways Storage Charity Events Founder said: “I am delighted that once again Spaceways Storage are organising the annual University of Surrey Charity Run. The idea behind it has always been that a local business would work with the local University to raise funds for a local charity. This year we are raising funds for that most worthwhile of charities, our very own Royal Surrey Hospital. Local people, local businesses and local students running to raise money for the local hospital. What could be more inspiring. Let us hope that this year we raise more than ever before!”

Sandra Lowry, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at Royal Surrey Charity, said: “Royal Surrey Charity is delighted to have been chosen as the official charity for the University of Surrey Charity Run this year. Fantastic local events like these are not only great for bringing the community together, but also help local charities to raise vital funds. The money raised from this year’s Charity Run will support patients and staff at our hospitals, helping us to fund state-of-the-art equipment and technology, transform wards and waiting areas, invest in research, training and education and celebrate and care for our amazing NHS staff. We are so grateful to the University of Surrey for supporting the charity and giving us this wonderful opportunity to be part of this year’s charity run.”

Don’t miss the chance to join the fun, get active, and make a meaningful impact. Mark your calendars for 2nd March and be part of this inspiring event! Sign up today at: University of Surrey Charity Run


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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen star Q&A

Liz Nicholls

surrey

Liz Nicholls chats to interior designer, dad & grandad Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, 59, who has helped design Rangeford Villages’ new luxury retirement villages, with his daughter Hermione

Watch the full interview here:

Q. Hello Laurence! How do you like to be addressed?!
“Whoa, gosh that’s such a question. ‘Laurence’ is very cool, I’ve always liked being a Laurence… I was nearly a Lancelot; that was a good swerve to be honest. My father, who hankered thoughts that I’d play rugby for Wales, wanted me to be a Gareth.”

Q. Do people constantly misspell your name?
“Yes, but I’m very relaxed about it. Y’know, ‘Laurence’ is nothing like as complicated as ‘Llewelyn’ so thank the Lord for small mercies! I regret the fact that Dr Johnson brought in spelling. It would all be much better if we just made it all up.”

Q. Can you tell us how you came to lend your peacock flourishes to Rangeford’s new retirement villages in Surrey & the Cotswolds?
“It’s a very organic relationship, happenstance! Rangeford were building in Siddington, on the edge of my village. I work with Hermione and, as an almost 60-year-old myself, I feel the way forward for my generation is to entice people into a relationship with retirement living that’s based much more closely on boutique hotels rather than caravan parks. Just because you’re a specific number, just because you’ve had a specific amount of birthdays, and you have quite so many rings that you can see when you’re cut in half like a tree, that doesn’t mean that the design volume knob should be turned down. Older people are not frightened by design.

This is such an extraordinary odd and Western European attitude! Anywhere else in the world, being senior is seen as a ‘flowering’, as a moment of great accomplishment, a moment when everything you’ve created throughout your life can be celebrated. You celebrate that through colour and commitment, excitement, opulence! Unbeknown to us, that’s absolutely where Rangeford see themselves, too. I found it incredibly refreshing to find a company that understood this. My generation of Boomers who saw the Sex Pistols live don’t want to be shuffled into some ghastly oatmeal trailer park. Actually what we want is somewhere that keeps us active, diverted and alive! So many studies show that the more social contact we have the older we get, the longer we live. So as far as I was concerned it was the creation of a design landscape that drew all its inspiration from contemporary hospitality. I also wanted to reflect a lot of the things I love, especially since this first one was Cotswold-based, and to have a bit of an Arts & Crafts hat on. At the moment people are very interested in this. They see a Brit design legacy that’s not only worth celebrating but ridiculously rare.

We don’t have many things we can put our ‘Britain is Cool’ hat on for, other than William Morris and [Thomas] Chippendale. What William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement did was incredibly influential throughout the world. It all comes from [Morris’s] love of nature. I think that’s one of the main inspirations from the Rangeford projects: they’re all about the exuberance of nature at its most engorged, its healthiest, its most vibrant, when you get as much chlorophyll as you possibly can. I wanted to create an environment that’s… chlorophyllaceous, if that’s a word! The interesting thing behind all of this, and what’s a big moment for me as an elderly ‘designosaur’ (and also for my business) is the point when Hermione is taking over as that arbiter, that figurehead.

This – we found out recently – is what happened with Williams and May Morris. When May Morris took over the business at the beginning of the 20th century suddenly it became a different and very successful proposition. What Hermione’s been enjoying with the installation in Surrey is that people come over and go “oooh gosh!”. There is that slight assumption that a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen interior is going to be too tricky to live with, too many notes, too much colour, too stimulating! But this is good in the context of Rangeford. To everyone who’s said ‘ooh I actually love this’ she can say ‘yes that’s because it’s Hermione Llewelyn-Bowen, not Laurence! Hermione believes in a more holistic way. She feels that what she’s doing with my pattern legacy is to create spaces that have energy and vibrancy but aren’t necessarily full of… ‘poisonous looking weedy things’ as she calls them.”

Q. I’ve read that you live with your children & grandchildren, which sounds idyllic! Can you tell us about this multigenerational living arrangement?
“In many ways it’s mirroring what I’m doing with Rangeford. They have this brilliant concept which is to encourage their buyers to see what they’re doing not as ‘downsizing’ but ‘rightsizing’. They want their buyers to think about creating a way of living that’s right for the physical resources they have. And, much more importantly, that hardwires the physical resources they’ll have in ten years or 20 years. What’s important for my generation is that you cannot be in denial about growing older. You cannot keep wearing the sportswear you were wearing when you were 20. You can’t keep the Oasis mullet that you sported when you were 20. You have to go with the flow slightly. Noël Coward had the most brilliant expression: he said you have to invite old age in and give it a cocktail. In other words you make it a very gentle transition rather than a point of crisis, a moment when your life is turned upside down.

And that’s very much what we are doing at home in terms of the way Jackie and I live; we’re occupying a fraction of what was a very large space for us on our own, but we’re tailoring it to suit everything that we enjoy. The other side of the house is lived in by Hermione and her husband and their two children and then Cecily and her husband and their two children live in a garage block on the other side of the courtyard. So we are the rock and roll Waltons! We do have that moment of ‘good night john boy’ and all of that stuff. Our grandchildren are an incredibly important part of our daily lives. Our children are intertwined with everything that we do – we work together and Cecily’s husband Dan is our commercial director, and I’m about to do a big publishing project with Cecile. We are literally living above the shop. That feels like it’s such a strange and anachronistic thing in this day and age but I actually think it’s a natural state of grace. This is exactly how families operated in the world, before the 20th century’s obsession with urbanity forced everyone to abandon the nest and leave it to the old crows, only returning occasionally. We are there supporting each other and it means Cecile and Hermione can spread their wings and be who they want to be. They’ve got the incredible safety net and support of Jackie who’s very much there for the children and for them. Meanwhile, of course for us, a stated scientific fact, people live longer and happier when they have as much access to younger people as possible, rather than being confined to somewhere that’s all about you and your generation. My grandchildren are growing up in an incredibly lively, vigorous space when they have cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, all very much a part of the daily tribe.”

Q. I did laugh when I saw your post on Instagram, saying you and Jackie were in Venice, spending the kids’ inheritance! Are you a romantic couple? And will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day this month?
“We are incredibly romantic. And no, Valentines Day isn’t a big deal. I always feel that if you wait a year to do something romantic and thoughtful you’ve got something wrong there. We’re so lucky, we met each other at 19. So many people we know, in their sixties, they’ve only just met ‘the one’, but they haven’t got much of their life to spend together. We’ve done everything together: we’ve grown up together, we’ve built businesses together, we’ve taken risks, not doing programmes, doing other programmes, putting out product ranges, relaunching wallpaper in 1999, in the absolute teeth of the wallpaper depression when no one was buying wallpaper… I’ve always felt empowered, stabilised to do these things because I had my life, my real life, my home life. I was going home to an incredibly safe and secure environment so I felt safe. It encouraged me to be more ‘me’. This is something my daughters have said: they are now making some exciting decisions about who they are, what they a re and what they do. They’ve got this stable, rock-like foundation to be whoever they want to be. A lot of their friends, people their age, they’re querulous and very uncommitted to trying new things, because they’re still looking for that great relationship. Get on with that! Find the right one who allows you to be who you are!”

Q. You won our hearts on television. Do you watch much telly?
“It makes me laugh with my sons-in-law because they have these enormous televisions, as their generation is wont, which we’re always trying to find concealments for when we’re doing interiors. And yet all these enormous televisions play is Peppa Pig and Bluey: they’re not there to watch international sport or nature documentaries at all. They’re being wasted on computer-generated animation. I rather like Bluey. I find it hard not to watch Bluey without having a little tear. I’m often being crawled on by grandchildren and we all find it very emotional – it’s a powerful watch! Of course, at the moment, we’re all over Jilly Cooper’s Rivals which is about where we live.”

Q. Yes! Rutshire, haha! Do you know Jilly?
“Yes! I was sitting next to her a couple of nights ago, trying to convince her that she was almost certainly related to Daisy May Cooper, which would be two polar opposites here in the Cotswolds. Jilly and I have always got on very very well. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never read any of her books. Rivals is not only set where we live and reeks horribly true on many social levels but it’s also giving me the most phenomenal PTSD from the 1980s. That was very much an era when Jackie and I were at these parties and doing that naughty thing, and it’s brought it all back, rather…”

Q. Speaking of the 1980s, I wonder whether you think there is such a thing as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste?
“Basically, there is no such thing as good or bad taste. This is peculiarly British obsession, one that was created – if you want to be very boring about it – by the Earl of Burlington in 1720. That aside, it’s a class obsession because there was a general indoctrination that supposed that the ‘posher’ you were, the better your taste was, which is absolute rubbish! Particularly if you live in the Cotswolds; the poshest people have the most terrible taste most of time. Taste should always be subjective, in fact taste is a word I’ve never used. Taste suggests, etymologically, that it’s decided by committee. Style is a much more interesting word: it comes from the Latin ‘stylus’ which means pen. It implies that style is something you write, you change to suit yourself, and I think finding your own style is a much more important obsession than trying to achieve good taste. Half the time, particularly in Britain there’s an obsession with taste and avoiding bad taste so that you end up with no taste at all, and that’s absolutely what happened in the ’90s!”

Q. What’s the favourite interior you’ve ever visited, Laurence?
“Oh, big question. I mean, I’ve just come back from Venice, as you say, which has a lot to see. I get very excited by interiors that tell stories, unlike the mass-produced ones with delusions of blandeur! When you see the same kind of colour scheme and the same kind of irritating inability to engage, they’re very unstimulating spaces. Inevitably historical rooms tell you a lot. Venice is a very interesting place because style was always unhindered. You never had to worry about being attacked Barbarians or Goths here because you were in an island in the middle of a lagoon. So you were allowed to show off as much as you bloody well wanted! There was no upper limit to showing off. Meanwhile, you were fantastically wealthy, you had access to incredible craftsmen, incredible artists, incredible materials. So a Venetian room is an act of a self-aggrandisement. And I find it very difficult not to fall in love with that kind of expressive aesthetic.”

Q. If you had a magic wand, what would you wish for?
“For everyone to have a magic wand.”

Q. Do you have a favourite piece of music?
“I like a lot of contemporary film music and gaming music, weirdly, including classical and opera. I continue to be very fond of artists like Goldfrapp. I tend not to like too much pop but my playlist is bonkers and eccentric; it’s like a dressing up box of extraordinary stuff from here there and everywhere.”

Q. Final question! You dress beautifully, including today. Are you always dapper or do you sometimes just chuck a pair of joggers on!?
“No. I will put on pyjamas and a dressing gown which I think is very appropriate. But the current obsession with ‘comfort’, I don’t really understand. Wear clothes that suit you, fit you, and you can keep them on. The idea that you’re just going home to watch Gogglebox is appalling… that was the taste police talking, wasn’t it!”


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Dorking schoolboy in Tom Hanks film

Karen Neville

surrey

From Dorking to Hollywood: Finn Guegan to appear in new Tom Hanks blockbuster, with special screening at Dorking Halls on Sunday 19th January

Not many boys from a small Surrey village are able to say that they have appeared alongside Tom Hanks in a Hollywood film, but that is exactly what Finn Guegan can claim.

Finn, aged 14 from Westcott, is set to star in the new drama film ‘Here’ directed by Robert Zemeckis (Director of Back To The Future, Forrest Gump and Cast Away) being released across the UK this week.

Finn, who plays Young Richard in the new film, grew up around the Dorking area from the age of three, living in Betchworth and now Westcott, having attended St Martin’s and today The Ashcombe School in Dorking, where he is studying GCSE Drama alongside other subjects.

Having gotten into acting via family friends who run an actors’ agency, Shack Artists, who now manage his acting work, Finn has previously appeared in crime drama Grace on ITV and science fiction dystopian drama Silo on Apple TV, before going on to film Here alongside Tom Hanks, Paul Bettany and Robin Wright.

Based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire and told in a nonlinear fashion, Here is the story of a single piece of land and its inhabitants throughout time and across generations. From the distant past through to the 21st century, Here captures the human experience in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, often featuring events from different time periods simultaneously in multiple panes on screen.

Speaking about his time filming Here, Finn says: “I had an amazing experience filming Here at Pinewood Studios and I even got to meet Tom Hanks, who was lovely. I can’t wait to finally see the finished film at Dorking Halls.”

To mark the release of the film, Finn will be hosting a special screening of Here at Dorking Halls, the art deco theatre and cinema venue of Reigate Road, on Sunday, 19th January where he will provide a short introduction to the film with a hosted Q&A with more about his experience filming, his acting work and path from Dorking to the big screen.

Looking ahead to the hosted screening on Sunday, Keith Garrow, Dorking Halls General Manager, says: “We are delighted to have the chance to welcome Finn and his family for the special screening of Here at Dorking Halls. To have a local connection to the film makes it extra special and we are very proud of Finn’s role in the new blockbuster – we are sure it is just the start of his glittering film career!”

The special screening of Here, with an introduction by Finn Guegan, will take place at 8pm on Sunday 19th January at Dorking Halls with tickets now on general sale. The film will then run at the Dorking Halls’ Cinema from Monday 20th January.

To book tickets for Here at Dorking Halls, call the Box Office on 01306 881717 or visit https://www.dorkinghalls.co.uk/whats-on/film-list


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Local care home marks century celebrations

Round & About

surrey

Celebrations have been in full swing at Corrina Lodge Nursing Home, as one of its residents reaches his centenary in style

Ken was joined by family, friends, staff and fellow residents as he received a telegram from the King in recognition of his landmark birthday. A champagne reception was held at the home and guests enjoyed a selection of delicious cupcakes made by the home’s chef Kathleen.

Ken was Born in Leeds in January 1925. Before starting his new chapter of his life at Corrina Lodge Care Home, Ken and his wife Sylvia, lived locally and were residents locally in Heatherside since 1970.

After a Napier apprenticeship in Acton, having previously worked as a 15yr old on Spitfires part at Hendon, and managing an Anti-Aircraft Battery in Gunnersbury Park, he attended Loughborough College to complete his education. He spent a year at the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in Abadan (Iran), then worked as a Mechanical Engineer for EMI. He then joined the Medical Research Council Unit at Hammersmith Hospital.

After retiring he was a volunteer at the Army Logistics Museum in Deepcut and the Parachute Regiment in Aldershot.

Ken, took all the celebrations in his stride and has thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories from his life with everyone. Among those relatives attending was Ken’s three children Susan, Andy, Kate, his five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Speaking about her centenarian Dad, daughter Susan said “during this time talking to Dad I have found out so many new stories I have never heard before and even about people I didn’t know about and it is wonderful to listen to Dad speak about his life. We are all so incredibly proud of Dad and all he has achieved in his hundred years, and it’s wonderful to be with him on this very special day to say just how proud he makes us feel.”

Dumitru Varzaru General Manager or Barchester Corrina Lodge added: “We’re delighted to be celebrating a truly remarkable Ken as he reaches this amazing milestone.

Corrina Lodge Care Home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Corrina provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 58 residents from respite care to long term stays.


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Godalming Operatic Society celebrates 100 years

Karen Neville

surrey

Enjoy the splendour of Gilbert and Sullivan with Godalming Operatic Society’s production of The Yeoman of The Guard, February 19th to 23rd at Godalming Borough Hall

Godalming Operatic Society is going back to where it started to celebrate its centenary with its upcoming show The Yeoman of The Guard. 

Widely regarded as one of the country’s leading Gilbert and Sullivan societies, GOS was founded in 1924 and had its first production, The Yeomen of the Guard, on February 19th, 1925. Now exactly 100 years later, February 19th, 2025, the curtain will rise again. 

Set in the Tower of London, The Yeoman of The Guard tells of the arrival of a travelling troupe of performers sparking forbidden romances, fantastical plots and unrequited love. It’s full of delightful tunes including When a Wooer goes a-Wooing, and Free from his fetters grim. 

Yeomen is considered by many to be Gilbert & Sullivan’s finest work, a view also expressed by both of them. Darker than many of the other G&S operas, the pathos is well balanced by much joyous and colourful music which ‘bubbles with wit and good humour’. 

This special production will be accompanied by a professional orchestra, this year expanded to 24 players, under the direction of Musical Director, David Wright. The production will be fully staged with spectacular costumes and scenery. 

With the exception of the war and Covid, Godalming Operatic Society has put on a major Gilbert and Sullivan production every year, including the more rarely performed works such as The Grand Duke and Utopia Ltd. 

In addition to a fully-staged opera each February, in June or July they put on a smaller scale work, often at a smaller local venue such as the Wilfrid Noyce Centre in Godalming. Previous summer productions range from a concert version of Aida to The Zoo by Arthur Sullivan and most recently the 2019 Summer concert A Night at the Opera featuring a wonderful selection of grand opera arias, ensembles and chorus pieces. 

Over the years the Society has won many awards and accolades from NODA for its productions, costumes and more. 

New members are always very welcome. Previous experience is not necessary – it is enthusiasm that counts! The Society has a very active social side too with regular events and trips to see other shows, supporting other amateur operatic and musical theatre groups in the local area and further afield. The first point of contact is Chairman, Lee Power, at: [email protected] 

To book tickets for Godalming Borough Hall, February 19th to 23rd, please go to Godalming Operatic Society event tickets or call 0333 6663366. 

The Yeomen of the Guard will also run February 27th to March 1st at The Leatherhead Theatre. Visit The Leatherhead Theatre or phone 01372 365141. 


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Join Alton Runners this new year

Karen Neville

surrey

If ‘start running’ is one of your New Year’s Resolutions, read on! Running coach, Fran Light, from Alton Runners tells us how to get into running and how to keep running 

In seven years coaching beginner runners, one rule I have found to be true is ‘keep it fun and you will continue to run’.  

Websites offer training programmes and valuable tips on techniques, well worth a look, but if you don’t enjoy running, you will stop, so here’s how you can make your running journey a happy, joyful one. 

Every run is a gift

Even on days when you’re not feeling it, a run can add a little joy to your day, perhaps you spot something new, see a particularly adorable dog, a crochet post box topper, or a stunning sunset. You might just enjoy being out in the fresh air or having time to yourself. Look for the positive. Treat every run as a gift, rather than a chore, and you’ll feel enriched and happy.  

Mix it up!

Establishing a running routine is a good idea but can lead to boredom. Add some variety and you’ll be less likely to lose your running mojo. Try different routes. Run your ‘go to’ route in reverse. Add some side roads. If you normally zone out listening to music, leave your headphones at home and engage with your surroundings. Run at a different time of day. Set yourself fun challenges, say a cheery hello to at least five passers-by, or find five different coloured doors.   

Buddy up

We all have days when a solo run is what we need, but similarly, some days it’s good to chat. Joining a running club (Alton details below) is one way to meet new running buddies. You could also pair up with a friend who runs. It’s unlikely you will both naturally run at exactly the same pace, so agree to run at a pace comfortable for you both. 

Banish negative self-talk

Banish phrases like “I should go for a run”. Start saying “I want to go for a run” instead (even if you don’t) and soon you’ll be feeling it as well as saying it.  

Look after yourself

Running isn’t fun if it hurts, so increase your chances of staying injury and niggle-free by cross-training, taking rest days and doing a warm-up before every run and a cool-down afterwards. Take it slow and steady, and most importantly, just enjoy it! 

About Alton Runners

Alton Runners is a friendly and inclusive running club located in Alton, Hampshire, welcoming runners of all abilities. Whether you’re looking to get fit, achieve a personal best at a parkrun, or train for a marathon, we have something for everyone. 

We participate in the Hampshire Road Race League and the Southern Cross Country League. 

Join us for training sessions twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, typically at Jubilee Fields and Anstey Park.  

Fran’s speciality is teaching beginners via the Club’s Alton Rookie Runners programme. For more information visit the Alton Runners website: Alton Runners


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Surrey Wildlife Big Give Christmas Challenge

Karen Neville

surrey

Image: Vaughn Matthews

Help Surrey’s nature bounce back this Christmas – world-beating heathland habitats need your help and every donation will be doubled this December

Wildlife lovers in Surrey can make a gift with double the impact this Christmas, thanks to an appeal by Surrey Wildlife Trust with the backing on the philanthropic Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s 100 for Heathlands Campaign – part of its urgent Save Surrey’s Nature appeal – is aiming to raise £100,000 for our county’s rare and threatened heathland environments – habitats that support a huge range of animal and plant life that can’t thrive elsewhere, from Nightjars and Sand Lizards to wildflowers, butterflies and the small-but-ferocious Heath Tiger Beetle.

Image: Nick Upton

From midday on Tuesday 3rd December to midday on Tuesday 10th December, contributions from members of the public up to a total of £25,000 will be doubled by a match funding pot of £25,000, made up of £12,500 from Big Give Champions and £12,5000 from pledgers Kia UK – potentially enabling SWT to raise a total of £50,000 towards its target.

Sadly, more than 86 per cent of Surrey’s lowland heathlands have been lost in the last two centuries, with those that remain requiring careful management to survive the impact of climate change, pollution, the over-growth of dominant plants and excessive development. As well as working with volunteers, conservation experts and local communities to keep Surrey’s heaths in top condition, SWT wants to create new corridors of good habitat to make Surrey’s landscapes more resilient, help wildlife find safe places to live and prevent the fragmentation of these special places.

The Trust is even exploring the reintroduction of native species like Beavers, Black Grouse and Red Deer to restore heathland ecosystems to their full potential for wildlife and people, and plans to carry thorough studies to assess the feasibility of these initiatives.

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Director of Reserves Management James Herd, who leads conservation work on heaths including Barossa, Pirbright Ranges, Whitmoor Common and Chobham Common says: “Helping protect our beautiful local heathlands is a great way to create some good news this Christmas. Nature faces immense challenges, but we have big plans to turn things around. If we all do what we can for the places we care about, we can ensure that wildlife has a secure home for generations to come – and that will be good for every one of us.”

What your donation can do:

£10 helps maintain areas of bare ground on heathland reserves to benefit insects and reptiles. 

£25 pays for a conservation grazing animal to graze a site for a week, keeping it in good condition for nature. 

£36 will pay for a habitat survey to ensure we are doing the right thing for particular species. 

£165 pays for one hectare of heathland management on Whitmoor common. 

£300 pays for a tree popper, an important piece of equipment for scrub clearance used by Reserve officers and volunteer groups. 

£1,200 pays for 4 hectares of heathland restoration and management on Chobham common.

Donate and find out more about Save Surrey’s Nature and the 100 for Heathlands appeal at www.surreywildlifetrust.org/save-nature


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Nathalie Beauvillain Scott’s Faces of Guildford 

Karen Neville

surrey

How many of Nathalie Beauvillain Scott’s detailed life-like portraits will you recognise in her Faces of Guildford exhibition?

You may well recognise the people featured in the work of French artist Nathalie Beauvillain Scott currently on display at venues in Guildford. 

She started the Faces of Guildford project five years ago and it is now coming to an end with an exhibition which runs through to January in the town centre. It includes 13 oil portrait paintings and 13 pencil drawings of Guildfordians who have had an impact on the community in the past and the present. Nathalie has had a close relationship at some point with most of the people included in her exhibition.  

Nathalie was born in Fontainebleau, a little town near Paris and as a child always had an interest in drawing. At Secondary school she specialised in Art and History of Art.  

In 1989 she became involved with a group of artists based in Weybridge. She was then creating deltaic paintings on a huge scale based on the shape of the delta. She then went back to Paris to study art for a few years. 

In 1993 she returned to the UK where she met Tony Scott, founder of Guilfest. While bringing up their three children, Nathalie worked as a mural artist getting commissions all around Surrey in schools, private houses, bars and hospitals. 

Her interest in portraiture started in 2003 and she has received many portrait commissions ever since.  

She specialises in highly detailed portrait paintings of everyday life. Her portraits of everyone from children to celebrities and royals are recognised for their incredible likeness. Nathalie paints almost exclusively in oil on canvas. The time-consuming process begins with a detailed drawing and she then applies a succession of thin layers of oil. Some of her portraits will have a narrative content telling a story whereas others will be more about capturing the personalities of her sitters at a specific time in their lives. She recently started to draw portraits in pencil on paper. 

Her meticulous approach to portraiture resulted in her work being displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in 2004, 2010, 2012 and 2015 as part of the BP Portrait Award.  

For the last few years, along with six other local artists, Nathalie has been running an artist-run exhibition space, GU ART currently in White Lion Walk Guildford. 

You can view Nathalie’s incredible work at New House Art and Space Gallery, Fays Passage until November 30th, GU ART, White Lion Walk, December 4th-11th, St Mary’s Church, Quarry Street, January 4th-12th and Growlers & Cans, Chertsey Street, January 15th-22nd. 


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Pantomime japes, jeers & jokes

Karen Neville

surrey

Love them or loathe them, pantomimes are most people’s first introduction to the theatre, the tales of good triumphing over evil are as old as time but that doesn’t stop their enduring allure. So book your tickets and take your seat…

Boo, hiss or sealed with a kiss, if it’s December then it must be panto month so start practising your jeering and cheering and tuck into those sweets as you enjoy Robin Hood and Maid Marion as they right wrongs, sing songs and sort out the wicked Sheriff in the swashbuckling panto at the Yvonne Arnaud, Nov 30th-Jan 5th. Starring Lucy Benjamin as the Sherriff of Nottingham who is making residents’ lives a misery raising taxes. Will Robin and his gang of merry men come to the rescue and help them fight back. Also stars Guildford favourite Peter Gordon and Guildford Shakespeare Company’s Matt Pinches. Book at Robin Hood | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Panto just wouldn’t be the same without a famous face gracing the stage and Woking’s New Victoria is welcoming Christopher Biggins and Steps’ Faye Tozer among its cast of Sleeping Beauty. Once upon a time in a land far away, Princess Aurora is given a 21st birthday present by her evil aunt Carabosse (Tozer). By pricking her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel she is placed under a cruel curse and forced to sleep for 100 years. Expect magic, music, comedy and special effects from Dec 6th-Jan 5th. Tickets: Sleeping Beauty Tickets | New Victoria Theatre, Woking in Woking | ATG Tickets

Get ready for a spellbinding pantomime like no other at Camberley Theatre this Christmas, Dec 7th-31st. Join Snow White and her lively band of friends in a fun-filled adventure packed with unforgettable songs, hilarious moments, and stunning scenery. With a few twists on the classic story, this is Snow White as you’ve never seen before and will have you laughing, smiling, cheering and booing all the way through. Buy tickets at Snow White | Camberley Theatre

Godalming Borough Hall is hosting Jack as he climbs that beanstalk in search of riches trying to evade the giant. The professional show – featuring a talented cast with top West End credits – promises spectacular song and dance, colourful costumes and lots of fun and laughs for the whole family, Dec 14th-28th. For the 6th year running, the Pay What You Can scheme will return to the venue’s popular panto, with the producers doing their best to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy a family pantomime. Book tickets for the giant of a pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk by calling 01483 361101 or visit Godalming Panto | Jack & The Beanstalk 2024

Magic spells, glittering costumes and a few modern surprises await at Prior’s Field School theatre where you’ll find Godalming Theatre Group presenting Cinderella, Dec 18th-22nd. Tickets at Musicals | Godalming Theatre Group | Godalming

Pantos aren’t just for Christmas, many local theatre groups will be entertaining audiences in the new year, like the Ewhurst Players who are on stage at the village hall with Cinderella in February. Visit HOME | Ewhurstplayers nearer the time for dates & more. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be hi-ho-ing at The Arbuthnot Hall, Shamley Green thanks to SHADES on Jan 23rd-25th, more at shamleygreenshades.co.uk. Red Riding Hood will be trying to evade the wolf at Compton Little Theatre, Jan 16th-18th. Buy tickets at Compton Little Theatre event tickets from TicketSource. There’s fun for all with the mischievous puppet Pinocchio in Churt Amateur Dramatic Society’s panto in the village hall, Jan 28th-Feb 3rd, Churt Amateur Dramatic Society event tickets from TicketSource.

Enjoy all you could wish for with Byfleet Players’ Aladdin at the village hall, Jan 9th-11th. Book tickets at The Byfleet Players – Amateur drama group based in Byfleet, Surrey

Embark on an uproarious adventure with Peter Pan & the Lusty Boys the Adult Panto, the latest masterpiece from the Guildford Fringe team! Brace yourselves for an hour of non-stop hilarity with no dull moments, as this rib-tickling spectacle takes centre stage until Jan 4th at The Back Room of The Star Inn. Indulge in naughty, smutty, and downright silly humour that’s sure to leave you in stitches. Book at Peter Pan & the Lusty Boys at The Back Room of The Star Inn event tickets from TicketSource

There are more than pantos to enjoy with the magical musical Santa’s Wish at G Live, Dec 18th-24th. Snowflake the magical elf is in a tricky spot, Santa’s sleigh has crashed and now he is lost. Can Snowflake help Santa and save Christmas? The heart-warming adventure is full of colour and fun and a sprinkling of circus magic. Tickets at Book Santa’s Wish tickets | G Live Guildford

Enjoy a family show fit to burst with festive fun at Farnham Maltings. Diana Hendry and John Lawrence’s joyous tale, Christmas in Exeter Street, is being brought to life in the Maltings’ second annual Christmas show from Dec 13th – 24th. With 37 characters, seven animals, 10 instruments, and an abundance of Christmas magic, Cordelia O’Neill’s new adaptation conjures the beautiful chaos and heart-warming generosity of the festive season.Tickets are available from £10-£22 at Christmas in Exeter Street | Farnham Maltings

WAOS Musical Theatre are staging the moving and powerful Evita at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Dec 10th-14th. The story portrays Eva’s rise alongside her husband, President Juan Perón, her advocacy for the poor, and her battle with illness. The musical is renowned for its emotional depth, Latin-infused score, and the iconic ballad Don’t Cry for Me Argentina. Book tickets at WAOS Musical Theatre presents Evita Tickets | Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking in Woking | ATG Tickets

Enjoy these traditional treats & more, KN 


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