Honorary Remembrancer`s Report 2014

Borough
of
Guildford
Report
of the
Borough Honorary
Remembrancer
for the
Municipal Year 2014/15
Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2
Business and the Economy ............................................................................. 3
The Community.............................................................................................. 20
The Villages ................................................................................................... 25
Local Government.......................................................................................... 43
Law and Order, Fire and Rescue ................................................................... 46
Guildford People ............................................................................................ 51
Guildford People: Anniversaries .................................................................... 53
Guildford People: Honours ............................................................................. 54
Guildford People: Obituaries .......................................................................... 57
Religion .......................................................................................................... 60
Charities ......................................................................................................... 65
Organisations and Societies .......................................................................... 73
Culture and Entertainment ............................................................................. 79
Heritage ......................................................................................................... 88
Children and Young People ........................................................................... 94
Schools .......................................................................................................... 98
Higher Education ......................................................................................... 103
Science and Technology .............................................................................. 107
Health .......................................................................................................... 112
Sport ............................................................................................................ 117
Index ............................................................................................................ 124
HONORARY REMEMBRANCER’S REPORT
FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2014-15
Introduction
Mr Mayor,
In this report I have attempted to give an impression of life in the Borough of
Guildford in the past year; principally as a record for yourself of your term in
office, but perhaps also as some testimony for the future to show what we
were like here in the early 21st century. From a historical perspective, the most
tragic episode was the destruction of Clandon House in April. The Borough
lost one of its most precious historic gems.
You will understand that I have not been able to note everything of importance
that has occurred during the last twelve months. Much has had to be omitted
simply because I have not come across it in the sources available to me.
Some omissions are more deliberate. For example, crime is very prominent in
local newspaper and radio reports, but I have been very selective in those I
have included. Neither has it been generally my practice to record local
objections to planned developments. However, the present controversy
resulting from the Local Plan must find its place.
If there is crime, committed by a few, there is also charity, freely given by very
many. If there are concerns for the future, there is also confidence in the
town’s economic strength. I hope you will find in these pages, if not a portrait,
then at least a sketch of what, in my opinion, is a very special community.
Matthew Alexander,
Honorary Remembrancer of Guildford
May 2015
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Business and the Economy
Economic vitality
On 11th December Lambert Smith Hampton’s UK Vitality Index placed
Guildford first in having the best prospects for economic growth of any town
outside London, beating Cambridge into second place. Guildford’s high
level of affluence and educational attainment, and record low
unemployment, were deciding factors. The town was seen as benefiting
from one of the country’s most respected universities, and was expected to
attract considerable investment, including a £150 million regeneration
scheme based around the railway station. The report also rated Guildford as
the most affluent community in Britain, the second most highly-educated,
after Edinburgh, and the eighth most productive and most entrepreneurial.
At the same time, the Halifax Quality of Life Survey judged Guildford to be
the 23rd best place to live in Britain. Elmbridge, Waverley, Mole Valley and
Surrey Heath all scored more highly, however.
In April a survey by the chartered accounts UHY Hacker Young placed
Guildford as the 20th wealthiest constituency in the UK in 2012-13, with an
average gross income of £42,400 compared with a national average of
£27,445. It came ahead of London, but behind five other Surrey
constituencies.
Companies
In July figures were released which showed that 269 businesses had been
set up in Guildford between January and March, a 9% increase on the same
quarter of the previous year and an all-time record. 124 companies closed,
a 31% fall against 2013. These indicated confidence in the local economy.
In December, the Office of National Statistics said that in the calendar year
2014, 845 companies had been set up in Guildford and 660 closed.
House Prices
In April 2014 the charity Shelter calculated that someone earning the
median post-tax wage of around £24,000 in Guildford would take 14 years
to amass a 20% deposit on a property valued at around £240,000. Figures
released in June showed that nobody in Guildford had applied for the
government’s equity loan scheme since its introduction in April 2013.
On 31st July the Daily Telegraph published a national survey of villages with
houses worth over £1million. Top of the list came East Horsley with 46.
Sally Blundell Jones of Strutt & Parker described it as “Beautifully middle
class, full of accountants, solicitors, city types and internationals. This is the
Surrey affluenza belt, connected to motorways and London Waterloo by
train, yet swaddled in green belt, with a private sports club, good schools,
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riding and golf courses.” Many houses built in the 1930s have been
extended, and tennis courts and swimming pools added. Seventh was West
Clandon, with 24 houses worth over £1m. “Within the Guildford halo… top
prices are paid because it has a walk-to-the-station commute with trains to
Waterloo, obviating the need to join traffic jams into Guildford.”
In February the Office for National Statistics gave the average wage in
Guildford as a little over £26,500. With houses averaging around £359,000,
the ratio between them was 1:13.5. This compared with a national average
of 1:8.
On 23rd March the Land Registry released figures showing how house
prices were affected by the success of nearby state schools. Homes near
schools within the top fifth for GCSE results in Surrey cost over a £100,000
more than those in the bottom fifth. In 2013 the top performing school in the
county was St Peter's Catholic School, Guildford, and the average nearby
house price was £561,615. However, proximity to main-line railway stations
was even more significant. Houses within the catchment area of George
Abbot School, rated ninth in the county, were actually priced less
(£375,487) than those nearer the Guildford and London Road stations.
On 7th April the Generation Rent report from the Halifax stated that 78% of
non-homeowners in Guildford considered that they might never be able to
buy a house, despite the number of first-time buyers having risen over the
previous year. The main obstacles reported by young people were high
prices, low incomes, and the size of the deposit required.
Rents
In August Guildford tenants were paying an average rent of £261 per week,
2.6% lower than in August 2013.
Figures released in February showed the average monthly rental for a twobedroom home in Guildford was £1,250, requiring a household income of
nearly £40,000 per annum without housing benefit.
Empty Dwellings
In May it was reported that in 2013 the Borough had 487 homes that had
been empty for over six months, an increase of 9% over the previous year.
Social Housing
Figures released in November showed that 130 houses had been built in
Guildford in the year 2012-13, 58% fewer than in 2011-12.
From 1st August Guildford Borough Council changed its housing allocations
policy to require that applicants for social housing should have a local
connection. The change followed consultation with applicants, providers and
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the Tenants’ Action Group.
In November the first new council houses to be built in Guildford for more
than twenty years were completed, as tenants occupied three homes in
Wyke Avenue, Normandy. Guildford Borough Council was the first council in
Surrey to take advantage of the changes in social housing finance, enabling
it to deliver new homes directly to local residents. The government gave
Guildford Borough Council £360,000 in extra borrowing powers to build two
houses.
In February anonymous stickers appeared in Southway, Park Barn reading
“No more students taking family houses”. They were denounced by Anne
Milton MP as discriminatory.
Homelessness and rough sleeping
In May 2014 the homelessness charity Shelter reported an increase in
houses being repossessed due to mortgage arrears in the previous financial
year. The rate in Guildford was one in every 198 homes, which was better
than the average of one in every 136 for the South East. By December this
had improved to one in 227, compared with a regional average of 142.
In December statistics from the charity Homeless Link showed that
Guildford had seen 13 applications and 5 acceptances for statutory
homelessness in July to September 2014, compared with 4 applications and
one acceptance during the same period in 2013.
In February figures were released showing that the number of rough
sleepers in Guildford had risen from 8 in 2013 to 10 in 2014.
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Chapter 1
On 1st May Chapter 1 celebrated its tenth anniversary with a reception at
the Guildhall. At Chapter 1’s Mulberry House in the Epsom Road young,
single homeless women are given accommodation and support. Most have
a local connection to Guildford.
Guildford Action
In October Guildford Action, a charity supporting homeless people and
isolated families, moved their premises from Woodside Road and Leapale
Lane into the refurbished Beverley Hall in Haydon Place. The refurbishment
was funded by Guildford Borough Council and Waitrose.
Riverside
In July a group of homeless people at Vaughan House completed a cookery
course to prepare them for independent living. Vaughan House is a 47-bed
hostel, run by the charity Riverside. The scheme was organised in
partnership with Guildford Borough Council, and the Jamie Oliver
Foundation, which provided two chefs from Jamie’s Italian Restaurant at
Friary Bridge.
Employment
In June the number of Job Seekers’ Allowance claimants in Guildford fell to
0.9%. This was below 1% for the first time since October 2008. However,
for those under the age of 24 the figure was 16.8%. August saw total
claimants continuing to fall, to 0.7 % but the percentage of those aged
below 24 rose to 20.7. By October there were 335 fewer claimants than in
the same period in 2013. The rate continued to fall. In December claimants
totalled 645, 35% fewer than in the previous December.
In March figures were released by the Department of Work and Pensions
showing that between October 2012 and September 2014 1,319 penalties
had been imposed on Guildford claimants of Job Seekers’ Allowance for
failing to meet the terms of their benefits. This was the highest number of all
Surrey boroughs.
On 9th January the Work Programme provider Kennedy Scott celebrated its
25th anniversary with a reception at its Woodbridge Road headquarters.
Anne Milton MP congratulated the company, which provides specialist
training and support for the long-term unemployed. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, presented awards to some of the staff.
Guildford Job Club
In October the Guildford Job Club closed as a result of improvements in the
local economy and employment prospects. Founded in September 2009, it
had helped hundreds of people to find new work – on average two per
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month.
Personal Debt
On 13th July members of the debt-counselling charity Christians Against
Poverty held a barbecue at Westborough United Reformed Church. Over
the previous two years, the charity had helped around seventy local
households. In the first week of 2015, they received 479 calls about
personal debt, many relating to Christmas spending.
In August the Children’s Society and the charity Step Change released a
report which calculated that 16% of families in the Guildford constituency
were in problem debt, owing a total of £8,429,554.
In October Step Change said it had seen a 27% increase in people in the
Guildford area seeking its help during the previous year. The average debt
was nearly £14,000, and the average household was left with £12 at the
end of each month.
Enterprise M3
On 10th February Enterprise M3 held a meeting on Business Support and
Funding for Growth at the Surrey Sports Park. It gave professional service
providers, banks, consultants and others news of the Enterprise M3 Local
Enterprise Partnership’s initiatives to support economic growth in the M3
geographical area and the new Funding Escalator.
Black Friday
On 28th November the American institution of ‘Black Friday’ was introduced
to Guildford, in which several retailers offered large discounts. Trading was
reasonably brisk, though few shoppers seemed to realise it was a special
day.
Shopping
In January figures released by Springboard showed that in December
Guildford’s shopping footfall had increased by 10.7%, compared with a
2.9% increase in the South East as a whole and a 1.7% decline nationally.
Bird Table
On 26th February the first meeting of The Bird Table was held at The Angel
Hotel on Guildford High Street. It is a network of business development
groups for women, run by business coaches from Talent Tree Coaching.
The three-session courses set out to develop female business potential.
Surrey Chambers of Commerce
On 10th March Surrey Chambers of Commerce Business Women in Surrey
marked International Women’s Day by nominating the county’s top ten
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business women. They included Helen Collins, Divisional Commander of
West Surrey in Surrey Police, Helen Parlane, Events Manager, ColgatePalmolive, Louise Stead, Director of Nursing and Patient Experience at the
Royal Surrey County Hospital, and Perdita Hunt, Director of the Watts
Gallery.
Guildford Business Leaders
On 4th March the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, hosted a
dinner for the Guildford Business Leaders at the Guildhall.
Guildford Means Business
On 14th May the eighth Guildford Means Business Exhibition was held at G
Live. Over a hundred local companies were represented, many classified as
Small or Medium Enterprises – “the lifeblood of a business community like
Guildford,” as Matt Pereira described them.
Guildford Business Forum
On 14th May the eighth Guildford Means Business exhibition was staged at
G Live. Over a hundred local firms participated, and the seminar
programme was led by Nigel Botterill, founder of the ‘Best of’ franchise and
Kimberly Davies of Sarsasparillo Marketing.
Breakfast Budget Brief
On 13th January the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted the Breakfast
Budget Brief for Business at the Guildhall. Representatives of local
businesses and business organisations heard about Guildford Borough
Council’s budget review for the coming financial year and the vitality of the
local economy.
SETsquared
On 24th June SETsquared was ranked as the top university business
incubator in Europe by the University Business Incubator and second only
in the world to the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at
Rice University, Houston.
Experience Guildford
On 4th July Experience Guildford celebrated local independent businesses
with National Independents’ Day. A loyalty campaign followed, rewarding
visitors with cash prizes.
On 11th July the annual Customer Service Awards scheme was launched,
inviting customers to vote for local businesses.
On 8th October the Experience Guildford Customer Service Awards were
presented at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre for the second year. Customers
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had voted for those who delivered exceptional customer service. Virgin
Money won the National Retail award, The Bear Garden the Independent
Retail, Côte the National Food & Drink, Olivo the Independent Food & Drink,
Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel the National Lifestyle & Leisure, and G Live
the Independent Lifestyle & Leisure award. The floral window dressing
competition was won by Party Shoppers. The Mayor, Councillor David
Elms, attended the ceremony.
In October Guildford was given Purple Flag accreditation by the Association
of Town & City Management, indicating that the town centre met or
surpassed the standards in managing the evening and night-time economy.
Led by Experience Guildford, the initiative demonstrated that Guildford
provided an entertaining, diverse, safe and enjoyable night out.
On 20th November Experience Guildford launched a range of offers and
incentives to support Guildford's businesses during the Christmas season.
Guildford's Little Book of Offers included vouchers, offers, competitions and
giveaways from retailers, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and
lifestyle businesses. There was also free parking in Pay and Display car
parks every Thursday from 4pm from 27th November to 18th December.
Small Business Saturday
On 6th December Small Business Saturday celebrated local businesses and
encouraged shoppers to patronise local shops during the Christmas period.
The organisers, Experience Guildford, said that 60p of every pound spent at
independent businesses went back into the local economy. Guildford’s MP
Anne Milton toured local shops. Isabelle, of Sew Masters Sewing Machines,
said “We've just had a couple come into the store who had come all the way
from Sussex. They said Guildford was worth coming to because it's not like
every other town centre - it has lots of independent shops.”
In March the Local Data Company released figures showing that in 2014 the
number of independent shops in the South East fell slightly by 0.23%.
However, Amanda Masters, the Manager of Experience Guildford thought
that Guildford was an exception to this decline. While there were few
independent shops on the High Street, there were many in the side streets
just off it. Several barbers had opened, probably because of the current
fashion for beards.
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Guildford Hosted Buyer Group Showcase
On 11th the Mayor, Councillor David Elms welcomed over thirty guests to
the Guildford Hosted Buyer Group Showcase at a dinner at the Hog’s Back
Hotel. They included coach operators, travel agents and group travel
organisers, who were given a tour of the area, taking in key attractions, with
a view to attracting business. They subsequently visited Guildford
Cathedral, Dapdune Wharf, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, the Watts Gallery
and Clandon Park, took a guided walk with the Guildford Town Guides and
had afternoon tea in the Guildhall.
Surrey Property Awards
On 13th November the 5th annual Surrey Property Awards and West Surrey
Association of Surveyors, Auctioneers and Estate Agents’ gala dinner was
held at G Live. Some four hundred attended the event, including the Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, who presented the Mayor’s Award to Linden Homes
Guildford.
Toast of Surrey
On 23rd April 2015 recipients of the Toast of Surrey Business Awards
included Healthcare on Demand; a healthcare company based in Eastgate
Gardens, as Young Business of the Year; Oakleaf Enterprise, in Walnut
Tree Close, a mental health charity in providing vocational training for those
suffering from mental health issues (as Social Enterprise). Diamond
Logistics of Wood Street Village; a local courier and logistics business and
also the headquarters of a national franchise network, in the turnover up to
£5 million category; and Andertons Music, based in the Woodbridge Road,
with a global reputation for musical instruments, in the over £5 million
category.
Apprenticeships
On 9th September the Surrey County Apprentices and County Scholars
Awards Ceremony was held in the Rik Medlik Building at the University of
Surrey. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
On 12th March Guildford College hosted an event for National
Apprenticeship Week. It aimed to persuade more small businesses to take
on apprentices, promote the range and breadth of apprenticeships on offer,
and celebrate the achievements of apprentices.
Empty shops
In April 2014 statistics were released showing that there was an 8.6%
vacant unit rate for Guildford town centre shops. This compared favourably
with south-eastern average of 11.9%. Nevertheless, concern was
expressed by retailers over high rents and business rates, together with
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expensive parking.
Electric Bikes
On 21 March the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, formally opened the
Electric Bikes Store in Woodbridge Road, Guildford. It had been trading
since January, selling electric-powered bicycles using the most modern
technology.
That's Surrey TV
In June Ofcom approved the licence for That's Surrey as part of That's TV
network of local television stations. Following its launch in 2015, the station
will serve the Guildford area on Freeview, YouView and Virgin Media,
reaching some 54,000 local viewers.
The Clavadel
On 2nd May The Clavadel in Pit Farm Road was opened by Anne Milton, MP
for Guildford. It is a 32-bed care centre specialising in post-operative
rehabilitation and convalescence. The Mayor, Councillor Diana LockyerNibbs, accompanied by Honorary Freeman Andrew Hodges, attended.
Beard Guildford
In July Beard Guildford refurbished Beaufort House in Chertsey Street for
South Yorkshire Pensions Authority. The contract was worth £3.5 million.
Allianz
In 2014 Allianz UK’s revenue grew by 12.0%, with around 500,000 more
policies in force than in the previous year. There was also a good level of
underwriting profit, in a highly competitive market.
Philips Electronics
In September Philips Electronics, based in the Guildford Business Park,
posted revenue of £788 million in the year to 31 December 2013, a £37
million increase on the previous year.
Hallmarq
On 23rd May Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging opened new offices adjacent to
its headquarters in Merrow Business Park.
Riley’s
On 15th September Riley’s sports bar in Haydon Place closed after the
company went into administration, with a loss of six jobs.
McDonalds
On 19th October McDonalds took the decision to close its restaurant on the
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Upper High, where it had been located for 33 years. Staff were transferred
to other branches.
Turtle Bay
On 14th November Turtle Bay Guildford opened in Dolphin House at the top
of North Street. A Caribbean-themed restaurant and bar, it employed
around 60 staff.
Thirteen
On 27th March the cocktail bar Thirteen was launched at 13, Bridge Street,
the former premises of Bar Med. There was a dance floor, with resident disc
jockeys, and a kitchen providing a variety of popular foods.
Headcase Barbers
In August Headcase Barbers opened a branch in Swan Lane.
Burrito Loco
On 18th October the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, opened Burrito Loco, a
Mexican takeaway bar in Jeffries Passage. The proprietor, Miguel Cavaller,
had previously run the café at the Lido.
Phase Eight
On 19th September Phase Eight moved to 48, High Street from its previous
location in the Upper High Street
Cameo
On 14th August the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, officially
opened Cameo in the former Dusk Nightclub venue in North Street. The
proprietors, the Luminar Group, invested £300,000 in the refurbishment,
which created some 35 new jobs.
Morrisons
On 5th June a Morrisons convenience store opened on the Upper High
Street, employing twenty staff.
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Charles Russell Speechlys
On 9th October the newly-merged Charles Russell and Speechly Bircham
city law firms moved into new offices at One London Square, employing
around 130 staff. Guests at the reception included Dame Sarah Goad, Lord
Lieutenant of Surrey, the Mayor of Guildford, Councillor David Elms and
Anne Milton MP
On 20th November Charles Russell Speechlys hosted a conference on the
future of the games sector in partnership with UK Interactive Entertainment.
The event attracted speakers such as Simon Benson from Sony, talking
about the future direction of virtual reality, Oscar Clarke sharing his insight
into the future sustainability of free-to-play as against paid games, and Nick
Hurley from Charles Russell Speechlys discussing staffing and building
teams. He described Guildford as the “Hollywood of Games” and the
“Elysium of Electronics”.
Prestons
On 5th March the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith,
accompanied by Mr Mig Vale, attended the official opening of Prestons, an
independent jewellers at 94, High Street, Guildford.
Andertons Music
On 5th July Andertons Music celebrated its 50th anniversary with a party at
Guildford Cathedral. Over 350 guests attended, including the Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, who offered a toast to the company. On 21st July an
auction began, in aid of Music for All, a charity dedicated to promoting
music-making. Over £20,000 worth of instruments and musical equipment
were included, and the proprietors, Lee and Peter Anderton, donated
£5,000 personally.
On 18th November Andertons won the Music Industry Association’s award
for the Best Large Retailer, receiving 30% of the votes cast.
Semafone
On 10th September Semafone, based in Walnut Tree Close and which
specialises in fraud-prevention software used by call centres which take
payments over the telephone, was awarded a United States patent for its
secure card payment technology. The company already held a U.K. patent
for its Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency signalling to capture card numbers. On
2nd October Semafone secured £4 million from the Business Growth Fund
and £1 million from Octopus Investments and other existing shareholders,
and planned to expand its business in North America.
Marlin Electrical
On 26th September Marlin Electrical Ltd, based in Merrow, went into
administration, and was then sold to a group backed by the company's
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directors. The sale safeguarded 22 jobs.
Acal
At the end of September the electronics group Acal announced a 20%
increase in sales in the previous six months over the half-year period
before, boosted by acquisitions and growth in its design and manufacturing
businesses.
Greyfriars Vineyard
On 28th June Greyfriars Vineyard held an open day, showcasing its 2011
Sparkling Rosé, which had won a Silver Medal in the 2014 Sommelier Wine
Awards and a Bronze Medal at the 2014 International Wine and Spirit
Competition, and its 2011 Blanc de Blancs. There were free tours and
tastings of its new wines.
Scillonian Road Cider Co-operative
On 24th and 25th August the Scillonian Road Cider Co-operative
demonstrated their ‘juice and strain’ method of juice extraction at the
Brogdale Cider Festival. It performed well against the traditional ‘pulp and
press’ method.
Little Beer Corporation
On 29th June the inaugural Little Brew-off took place at the brewery in the
Midleton Industrial Estate. Eighteen entrants submitted beers that they
thought represented Guildford. Tasters ranked Mint Conditioned Ale first,
followed by Little Omen and Guildford Saxon Ale. The brewery’s founder,
Jim Taylor, opened new premises on 12th September, and went full-time.
Hog’s Back Brewery
In the financial year 2013-14, Hog’s Back Brewery saw an increase in
business of 25%, principally resulting from sales of its Traditional English
Ale. From April, the firm was back in profit.
On 12th May Hog’s Back began planting a new hop garden near the brewery
in Tongham. The Rev. Claire Holt of St Paul’s church blessed the field. One
of the hop varieties planted was Farnham White Bine, the mainstay of the
area's pre-eminence in hop growing in the 18th and 19th centuries and which
ceased to be grown locally in 1929. In August the wires and tension posts
were installed, up which the bines climbed.
On 26th June the Hogs Back Brewery installed a 2½ tonne fermenter to
brew Hogstar lager on the site.
By early December Hogs Back had planted 3½ acres of new hops opposite
the brewery, making it the largest newly-planted traditional hop garden in
South-east England. Three varieties of hops were planted; Fuggles, for the
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award-winning Traditional English Ale, Cascade, for Hogstar lager, and
Farnham White Bine, for a planned ‘green-hop’ beer. The White Bine were
the only such hops grown in Britain.
On 20th February the Hogs Back Brewery began proceedings in the
Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court against the cider company
Magners for infringing the trademark for its cider Hazy Hog. They claimed
that Magners’ Cider Hog dispenser could cause confusion with its own
brand.
In March the brewery’s Traditional English Ale was awarded the gold medal
for the Best Bitter in London and South East by the Campaign for Real Ale.
Separately, the Society of Independent Brewers gave Hog’s Back’s Hogstar
English Lager the gold medal in the Premium Pale and Golden Lagers
category of the National Keg Beer Competition.
Silent Pool Distillers
In early November the first calvados was produced by Silent Pool Distillers
at their distillery at Sherbourne Farm. The apples were sourced locally and
the boiler was fired by wood from the Albury Estate. Gin, vodka, brandy,
grappa and other products were planned. The Albury Limited Release gin
proved popular at Christmas, having gone on sale in a small number of local
shops on 13th December.
In May 2015 the main product, Silent Pool Gin, made with water from the
Silent Pool spring, was showcased in the Grown in Britain section of Expo
Milano in Italy.
Gavin Thorn Photography
On 10th April 2014 Gavin Thorn Photography of Guildford was given the
Best Start-up trophy at the EMEA Business Excellence Awards in Brighton.
Joint
On 26th March Joint, the butchers in Jeffries Passage, closed after 14
months trading. The Trustees of Abbot’s Hospital had reclaimed the
property after rent was not paid.
Richmond Motor Group
In July the Richmond Motor Group acquired the former Grays showroom in
Slyfield Green for a Hyundai car dealership. 21 new jobs were created and
more were planned as part of the proposed development of the site.
Safeguard Coaches
On 5th November Safeguard Coaches, based in Guildford Park Road, was
named Small Bus Operator of the Year at the coach and bus industry’s
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Route One Awards in Birmingham. The award recognises excellence.
Thomson Ecology
In May Thomson Ecology, based in the Research Park, had their
environmental DNA technique for detecting great crested newts approved
by Natural England. The technique provides a rapid and cost-effective
methodology for determining if the newts are present in ecological surveys.
Vines Group
In September the car and motorbike dealerships Vines Group, based in
Slyfield Green, announced pre-tax profits of over £1 million as a result of a
more buoyant market in the previous year. Revenue rose to £131 million for
the year to 31st December 2013, up from £128 million the year before.
Futura Medical
On 9th October Futura Medical plc launched Blue Diamond, its CSD500
condom. In its first month it achieved an estimated 15% share of the
Netherlands online condom market.
Alexander Dennis
On 1st May the Enviro400 double-deck bus was launched, which was
lighter, more fuel efficient and had more seats than its predecessor. Over
400 had already been ordered by operators, including Go-Ahead,
Stagecoach, and Reading Transport. Multi-year contracts with operators
such as National Express would bring total sales to around £80 million.
On 14th October ADL showcased the Enviro500 low-height double deck bus
at the American Public Transportation Association’s exhibition in Houston,
Texas. The 13½ foot height means it could operate throughout the USA and
Canada without requiring over-height permits.
On 5th November Alexander Dennis Limited unveiled the Enviro200 midi
bus. Like the Enviro400, it was lighter, more fuel efficient, able carry more
passengers, and easier to maintain.
On 24th November ADL announced that it was to establish a new
manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada. This was the result of an
agreement with the transport authority Metrolinx to supply over 250 lowheight double deck buses over years.
On 10th March Alexander Dennis announced that Stagecoach Group had
placed orders for over 400 new vehicles.
Hart Brown Economic Forum
On 24th June the tenth Hart Brown Economic Forum was held in the Rik
Medlik Building at the University of Surrey. Mark Berrisford-Smith of HSBC
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said that 2014 was the first normal year since 2006. In discussions, the
Leader of Guildford Borough Council, Councillor Stephen Mansbridge, said
it would be a disaster for Guildford business if Britain left the European
Union.
Friary shopping centre
In April 2014 Kiko, an Italian cosmetics company, and Smiggle, the
Australian stationers, opened shops in the Friary Centre. Scott Linard,
Director of Asset Management and Leasing for M&G Real Estate, said that
it demonstrated the continuing attraction of Guildford to retailers.
Sainsbury’s
On 23rd May the Burpham branch of Sainsbury’s was rated Store of the
Week by the national trade magazine The Grocer. The magazine’s mystery
shopper gave it full marks for shop floor service.
In August the branch declared its intention to raise £3,000 for the Guildford
YMCA.
Waitrose
In August a small branch of the supermarket Waitrose opened at the Shell
garage on the Worplesdon Road.
Radisson Edwardian Blu Hotel
On 23rd March a copy of the Magna Carta was put on display in the lobby of
the Radisson Blu Edwardian as part of the 800th anniversary celebrations
for the document. It was a replica of the City of London's re-issue of the
charter in 1297.
White Lion Walk
In August the White Lion Walk shopping centre staged an exhibition to
commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. All the
exhibits were loaned by local residents, including medals, uniforms,
photographs and keepsakes, which had been kept in families.
HSBC
In June HSBC opened its Guildford and Surrey Commercial Centre in One
London Square. The bank had allocated £100 million of lending to support
local businesses through its SME Fund.
Space Airconditioning
In November Space Airconditioning plc, the Moorfield Road-based Daikin
distributor, were re-certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard for
the coming year. The external auditor praised the company’s combined
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environmental management system.
Sanofi
On 20th June Sanofi Inspires held their sponsored Midsummer Bike Ride
around Guildford. Starting from Horsley Park, there were three circular
routes of 10, 30 and 60 miles. Seventy riders took part, and £5,000 was
raised for the Teenage Cancer Trust. This brought the company’s total
contribution to the charity to over £180,000.
On 12th March the NHS removed Sanofi’s drug Jevetana from its Cancer
Drug Fund, despite protests from Guildford doctors and the Prostate
Project. Used to treat hormone-resistant advanced prostate cancer,
Jevetana costs around £22,000 per patient per year.
BTU Group
On 2nd March BTU (Installation and Maintenance) Ltd and BTU
(Poolservices) Ltd celebrated respectively their 50th and 40th anniversaries.
They had dedicated the special year to raising funds for the mental health
charity Oakleaf Enterprise.
Consult Hyperion
On 20th March Consult Hyperion, the strategic and technical consultancy
whose headquarters are on The Mount in Guildford, received an award for
being one of the south’s most ambitious companies. Over 5,000 companies
in the south of England were researched against a set of measures by the
accountants Baker Tilly, the law firm Rawlison Butler, and consultants
Endgame Insight. The criteria included a desire to build a business of some
significance, to be a leader rather than a follower, and an ability to think,
and act, strategically.
Morgan Sindall
In May Morgan Sindall plc acquired the lease of Bramley House in the Old
Portsmouth Road as the base for its construction projects in the south of
England. Around fifty staff from their former offices in Reigate and Fareham
were transferred there. The Area Director described Guildford as ‘a fantastic
central location’.
Get Ahead VA
On 16th October Get Ahead VA, based in Pewley Bank, Guildford, won the
Mums and Work Flexible Business of the Year award for promoting familyfriendly and flexible working for their employees.
4G mobile access
In September Vodafone and O2 started to introduce 4G connections in the
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Guildford area. EE had already provided the service.
Post Office
On 30th June the Royal Mail launched Dog Awareness Week, highlighting
the problem of dog attacks on postal workers. From April 2013 to April 2014
there had been 56 dog attacks, an increase of 12% on the previous year.
Rail delays
On 11th July a man threatened police with a knife at Guildford railway
station. South West Trains turned off the power for over half-an-hour, as the
man was trespassing on the tracks.
Rail fares
In May statistics released by the Office of Rail Regulation showed that
nearly 8 million passengers used Guildford Station in the year 2012-13. This
made it the busiest station in Surrey, and the fourth busiest in the South
East. Waterloo was the busiest. In the summer South West Trains ordered
another 30 5-carriage trains, providing for a further 18,000 peak-time
passengers.
On 1st January South West Trains raised the price of a season ticket from
Guildford to Waterloo station to £4,248, an increase of £144 over the
previous year.
In January figures were released showing that passenger satisfaction levels
on the London line had fallen to 79% from 83% in the previous year.
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The Community
Guildford Philanthropy
On 15th May the actress Jenny Seagrove hosted a Guildford Philanthropy
evening at the Guildhall. The Guildford Bike Project and Glade were
featured, having benefited from Guildford Philanthropy support. Guildford's
Young Ambassadors attended to update the guests on the progress of their
projects.
Bellfields Greenspace Project
On 1st June the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, officially opened the
Bellfields Green Space Project at the Fir Tree Road Community Garden.
Those who attended had the opportunity to plant seeds.
Bellfields Carols
On 21st December carols were sung on Bellfields Green, with a short
service hosted by St Peter’s Church. Members of New Hope Church and St
John’s, Stoke attended, as did Anne Milton MP. The choir of Weyfield
Primary Academy sang and there were refreshments in St Peter's Church
Hall afterwards.
Joining In
On 22nd May a community choir was formed by over thirty people from the
Westborough and Park Barn area. It was organised by Julia McShane, the
Westborough ward councillor, community warden Tracy James and David
Rose of Joining In.
Travel SMART
On 17th August the Guildford Cycle Festival was held in Stoke Park. Savage
Skills performed their Ultimate Air Show and visitors could try a simulated
mountain bike trail. There were also guided cycle rides, competitions and
demonstrations by professionals. Contributions came from Charlotteville
Cycle Club and the Guildford Bike Project, amongst others.
Guildford Bike Project
On 16th May the Guildford Bike Project celebrated its second anniversary by
opening its refurbished and extended workshop at Guildford Borough
Council’s Woking Road Depot. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, cut the
ribbon with the bike project’s co-ordinator, John Thurlow of the Surrey
Lifelong Learning Partnership, and Laura Thurlow from the Community
Foundation for Surrey.
Furniture Link
On 14th July Furniture Link moved to new premises at Deaconsfield on
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Cathedral Hill. The charity refurbishes and sells on donated furniture.
Guildford in Bloom
On 26th June the Guildford in Bloom awards ceremony for local schools was
held at the Clandon Garden Centre. Among the schools given a silver-gilt
award were Shalford Infant School, Worplesdon Pre-School and
Lanesborough Preparatory School.
On 2nd July judges from South & South East in Bloom visited to appraise
Experience Guildford's town centre floral displays, including the Best
Dressed Window competition. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, received
them at the County Club.
On 24th September Guildford won the Silver Gilt award in the South East in
Bloom competition at a ceremony at Burchatts Farm Barn, Stoke Park. The
judges were particularly impressed by the Castle Grounds and considered
Guildford to be a tidy and colourful town with good links with community
groups. Councillor Jen Powell, chairman of the Guildford in Bloom
Committee, was given the Outstanding Achievement Award for her work as
chairman since 1987.
Westborough and Park Barn Community Fun Day
On 27th September the community fun day was held at Kings College in
Southway, jointly organised by the Park Barn & Westborough Community
Association, the Joining In project and Travel SMART. There was a bouncy
castle, live music, and stalls and stands manned by groups from the
community. Joining In held its annual awards ceremony for community
volunteers. Prizes and certificates were presented by the chairman of the
Association, Wayne McShane.
Traffic jams
In May 2014 the Highways Agency published its M25 to Solent Route
Strategy Evidence Report, which identified the A3 in the Guildford area as
having the highest level of congestion along the route. Speed and reliability
levels were at their lowest there, in particular southbound between the
junctions with the A320 and A322. The A3 was serving both as a key
strategic connection and as a local arterial road.
On 16th December a petition was launched by Fiona White, County
Councillor for Guildford West, calling on the Highways Agency to install
speed cameras and safety signs in the Guildford urban section of the A3.
The road from the Burpham interchange to the A31 exit had seen increased
traffic congestion. Over the previous five years there had been over 160
collisions, with 12 fatalities.
At the end of October a gas leak in Burpham caused long traffic jams along
Boxgrove, Parkway and the London Road while Southern Gas Networks
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replaced the mains.
On 12th January a serious five-vehicle accident closed the A3 near the
junction with the Hog's Back.
On 12th February the University of Surrey published a report showing that
Guildford motorists were exposed to high levels of air pollution at traffic
lights during rush-hour congestion. The lights at the Bridge Street-Onslow
Street and Ladymead-Parkway junctions showed especially high levels of
pollutants.
Road repairs
Throughout the year there were complaints about potholes in Guildford
roads. Surrey County Council’s Operation Horizon aimed to overhaul the
county’s roads with a more permanent surfacing, but faced significant
funding problems.
Riverside Nature Reserve
On 1st January local members of the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds began the New Year with their annual walk to find and identify birds at
Riverside Nature Reserve. Some forty different species of birds were known
to live in the area.
The White House
On 16th March the White House, by the Town Bridge, after a refurbishment
that included a new conservatory and a renovated upstairs function room.
On 13th March the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, had attended a reception
there to mark the completion of the work.
Firefly
On 11th March the independent arts venue Firefly at the Keystone pub was
launched by a party with live music and an art exhibition. The venue hosted
music, poetry, and scientific events.
Best Bar None
On 26th February the Guildford Best Bar None awards ceremony for best
practice in the licensed trade was held at the Mandolay Hotel. Organised by
Experience Guildford, the entrants were judged by the Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, Anne Milton MP, Councillor Gordon Jackson, the West Area
Fire Commander, Andy Treasure and Kevin Lorimer of the County Club.
The overall winner was The Boileroom, and was judged as best
independent pub as well. The Britannia came top in the national category, G
Live was best independent bar, and the Radisson’s MKB Bar was best
national bar. Wetherspoons was rated the best late night venue in the
national category, with the legion top of the independents.
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Kane FM
On 8th September the community radio station Kane FM 103.7 began
broadcasting from the University of Surrey’s Student Union, having moved
from their previous base in premises owned by the Lockwood Centre in
Slyfield.
Access Group for Guildford
On 29th October the Mayor’s Award for Access presentation evening was
held at Park Barn. The Samson Centre won the Services to the Community
Award for the facilities and assistance they offer to those affected by
multiple sclerosis. The Prospects Group/Open Hands Praise Club received
the Services to the Community Award for their work at Christ Church with
adults with learning disabilities. Shopmobility took the Customer Services
Award for their loan of powered wheelchairs to help those with limited
mobility to shop in the town. A special award was presented to Councillor
Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, for her work on the Ability Whirl in the Sutherland
Memorial Park.
North Guildford Food Bank
By December the North Guildford Food Bank project had been in operation
for just over two years, and in that time fed more than 1,800 people, half of
whom were children.
Libraries
In January figures were released showing a 10.5% fall in attendances at the
public library in North Street in the previous year. Ash library saw a 2.4%
fall.
Carols on the Green
On 12th December the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, opened the 'Carols on
the Green' charity event for the community of Stoughton opposite the
Methodist Church.
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Missing animals
On 10th June the Kennel Club reported that there were 1,271 cats and 260
dogs missing in the Borough of Guildford, one of the highest rates for
missing animals in the country.
Strikes
On 10th July there were widespread strikes by public service unions over
pay and pensions. They included the National Union of Teachers, Unison,
Unite, the Public and Commercial Services Union, and the Fire Brigades
Union. Queen Eleanor's CofE Junior School was partially closed.
Charlie Hebdo
On 8th January a vigil was held at Tunsgate to pay respect to the twelve
members of staff of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo who had
been murdered in their Paris office. On 16th January G & J News, in the
Woking Road, displayed copies of Charlie Hebdo for sale. Raj Sarma of G &
J News said it was their job to show them our support. “We all stand
together."
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The Villages
ALBURY
Remembrance Cavalcade
On 14th September Albury Parish Council organised a Remembrance
Cavalcade in honour of the horses and mules killed during the First World
War. 143 horses and riders met at Farley Green and rode in procession to
Albury. They were given a blessing from the vicar, the Rev Andrew
Pearson.
Albury Organic Vineyard
On 27th November the Prime Minister, David Cameron, drank Silent Pool
Rosé at a “Taste of Surrey” presentation at the Houses of Parliament. The
event was organised by Anne Milton MP.
Albury Music Festival
On 20th July the Albury Music Festival was held on the Cricket Ground,
showcasing local musicians. The money raised was presented to local
charities, including over £2,000 to the Friends of the Hurtwood.
GASP Motor Project
In June GASP, the project based at Albury Sandpit that helps the
development of young people, received £8,000 from the Surrey Police and
Crime Commissioners Community Safety Fund. It was one of several
funding sources for the project.
On 14th October two Kings College students came top in the GASP Motor
Project awards. Callum Powell won the Skill Development Award and Dan
Norris won the GASP Role Model Award.
ARTINGTON
Loseley Park
From 25th to 27th April 2014 the Loseley Spring Garden Show was held in
the Walled Gardens. Around 3,000 attended, despite heavy showers. There
were forty stalls, including plant sales, bygones, driftwood sculpture, garden
furniture and food.
On 18th May the first Young Epilepsy sponsored walk was held at Loseley
Park to launch National Epilepsy Awareness Week. The route ran the
grounds of Loseley House and up onto the North Downs, before returning to
the house. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was the official starter.
From 18th to 20th July the Garden Show (formerly the Great Gardening
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Show) was held at Loseley Park, with more than 200 exhibitors. Running
parallel was the Surrey Sculpture Society in the Walled Garden and the
Loseley Natural Photography Competition.
On 9th August the second annual Dogfest was held in Loseley Park,
attended by thousands of visitors and their dogs. There were
demonstrations by police dogs and a 4km charity walk in aid of the
Humanimal Trust.
Surrey Country Fair
On 28th September the Surrey County Ploughing Match and Country Fair
was held at Loseley Park. The classes involved over 70 tractors and horsedrawn ploughs, with rural sports and activities including fly fishing and
beagling. A ‘Lamb National’ sheep race was held and sheep dogs displayed
their skills.
ASH
Ash Manor School
On 21st August the GCSE results were announced. 65% of pupils had
passed with A*-C grades.
Ash Music Festival
On 26th July the annual Ash Music Festival was held on Harper’s Recreation
Ground opposite the Red Lion. Over a thousand people attended to see
bands including Asylum Affair, Lost Lady Luck, The Large Portion, and The
Serial Thrillers. More than £7,000 was raised for the Phyllis Tuckwell
Hospice and Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Ash Parish Fun Day
On 12th July the annual Ash Fun Day was held in the Ash Centre, Ash Hill
Road and on the adjacent recreation ground. Organised by the Parish
Council, it included flower, vegetable, flower arranging, craft, baking and
photographic competitions. There were performances by the Oku Nojo
Daiko Japanese Drummers, the Henfold Birds of Prey and a display of
Classic Cars. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
By April, however, doubts were being expressed as whether the Fun Day
would continue in 2015, as attendances had declined.
Lakeside Nature Reserve
On 31st October an Autumn Fun Day was held at the Lakeside Nature
Reserve in Lakeside Road, Ash Vale, organised by Safer Guildford, the
Play Rangers and Parks & Leisure Services Rangers. Activities included
pumpkin carving, a nature trail, a scavenger hunt and making bird boxes.
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The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
Ash in Bloom
Ash War Memorial
On 10th August, at the Ash war memorial in Ash Hill Road, there was a
rededication ceremony to mark the centenary of the First World War. Over
400 marched from the Ash Centre to the memorial, where poems were read
and prayers offered. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, read a poem and
crosses were laid. There was an exhibition of local history at the Victoria
Hall, staged by Ash Museum.
Joining In
On 24th March the Ash and Tongham 'Joining In' directory was launched at
the Victoria Hall. Local groups and organisations were listed online, to
encourage people to take part or become a volunteer. The directory began
with the Westborough and Park Barn area of Guildford and had expanded
its coverage. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended
the event.
COMPTON
Watts Gallery
In July the Watts Gallery acquired Self-Portrait in a Red Robe, George
Frederic Watts's only known self-portrait painted in the middle period of his
career. Painted in 1853, it depicts him in the red gown of a Venetian lawyer.
The gallery bought it with help of grants from the Art Fund, the Heritage
Lottery Fund and V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
On 18th October, Compton villagers made terracotta poppies in the Village
Hall to commemorate the dead of the First World War, in a project
organised by Compton Parish Council and the Watts Gallery. On 9th
November they were displayed at the village war memorial, which was
designed by Mary Watts and unveiled in 1922.
On 26th January work began on the project to restore G F Watts’ studio at
Limnerslease in Down Lane. The intention is to return the studio to its
original state, using the original furniture and equipment and referring to
photographs taken at the time. The Drawing Room will be the Mary Watts
Gallery, displaying her designs and interpreting the Watts Cemetery Chapel.
The Compton Gallery will tell the story of the Watts family in Compton.
In March the Arts Council England awarded £100,000 to the Gallery
towards establishing an artist’s village in Compton.
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Paint Modern
On 24th April 2014 the Paint Modern art school opened in Pucks Oak in The
Street. Courses were run by Kim O'Neil, a contemporary painter, and
sponsored by the art materials company Winsor & Newton.
Mane Chance Sanctuary
On 24th May Mane Chance Sanctuary held its Spring Open Day at
Monkshatch Garden Farm. There were tours of the park and Paralympic
gold medallist Sophie Christiansen opened the new disabled ramp. The
charity works closely with the Shooting Star CHASE hospice and Disability
Challengers.
EAST CLANDON
High Clandon Estate Vineyard
On 24th May the Quintessence of Sparkling Wine & Art party celebrated the
introduction of the High Clandon 2009 Vintage Cuvée. The cuvée was made
by the traditional Champagne method, from a trio of champagne grapes
with four year's maturation. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended
with the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms.
Hatchlands
On 7th August the Cambridge Touring Theatre Company staged Alice in
Wonderland at Hatchlands, an interactive performance with music and
dancing, as part of the Summer Festival.
On 7th September the fourth annual Hatchlands Park 10k and 5k races were
held. Organised by the Guildford Lions, around a hundred runners were
started by the Mayor, Councillor David Elms. David Rollins won the men’s
10k and Karen Collins won the women’s 10k. About a thousand pounds was
raised for local charities.
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EAST HORSLEY
Limegrove Care Home
On 20th June at Limegrove Care Home residents participated in the Mexican
Wave, as part of the National Care Home Open Day. There was a small fun
fair, and stalls with different food from all over the world. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, was among the visitors.
Poppies
In August Ross Adams of Effingham placed thirty large poppies around East
Horsley to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The
parish council bought them from the Royal British Legion, and Ross Adams
put them up as a tribute to his great-great-grandfather, who was killed on
the Somme.
Christmas Party
On 5th December the Bishopsmead Christmas Party was held, with a
competition for Christmas cakes.
Nomad Theatre
On 26th and 27th July the Nomad's 16th Play in a Week, Sew What? played
at the Nomad Theatre. It was part of Let Loose, the Nomad integrated
theatre programme for people with all types of disabilities. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms attended one of the performances.
Horsley Library
Activities at the Library included weekly Rhymetime, Storytime, computer
sessions, and monthly 'Meet the Beat' drop-in sessions with the local police
Safer Neighbourhood Team.
EFFINGHAM
Howard of Effingham School
On 24th April 2014 Howard of Effingham won the years 8 and 9 girls’ football
competition in the P&G Surrey School Games Late Spring Festival.
A-level results were good, with 78% of pupils gaining five or more A*-C
grades, including English and mathematics.
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Effingham Commoners Day
On 28th September the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was guest of honour
at Effingham Commoners Day, the annual ceremony celebrating the
commoners' rights to grazing. Activities on the Common included archery,
nature trails and guided walks.
Royal British Legion
On 24th January the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the Royal
British Legion Surrey County Conference at the Effingham Royal British
Legion Club.
NORMANDY
St Mark’s, Wyke
On 22nd June a special pet service was held at St Mark’s church at which a
variety of animals were brought by their owners to be blessed.
On 29th March a donkey took part in the annual Palm Sunday procession.
Normandy Village Fete
On 25th August the Normandy Fête had a First World War theme. The
produce show had a ‘Dig for Victory’ fruit and vegetable section and a
Trench Cake and ANZAC Biscuits were among the baking classes. Despite
the rain, many wore period costumes, and the Farnborough British Legion
sang songs of the war years. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was
among the visitors.
Normandy Therapy Garden
On 29th May a Gardener’s Question Time was held at the Therapy Garden,
chaired by Jez Stamp, formerly a student at Merrist Wood College who had
won the national title of Young Horticulturalist of the Year in 2013. Some
fifty gardeners attended.
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PIRBRIGHT
Army Training Centre
On 29th May HRH the Duke of Kent inspected a passing-out parade at the
Army Training Centre. Accompanied by the band of the King’s Division, 71
recruits from a variety of Corps paraded at the ceremony, which saw them
become soldiers.
On 17th October 76 (Maudes) Battery, Royal Artillery marked its departure
from the Army Training Centre with a special parade. Their flag was lowered
for the last time to the music of the Royal Logistic Corps Band and the
Pipes and Drums of 19th Regiment Royal Artillery.
On 12th November the Surrey Community and Corporate Covenant
Conference was held at the Army Training Centre. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, and Councillor Matt Furniss gave a presentation on plans for
the national celebration of Armed Forces Day, which Guildford will be
hosting on 27th June.
In November the Defence Infrastructure Organisation completed a £20
million redevelopment of the Elizabeth Barracks in Pirbright. It included new
buildings and refurbished living accommodation for more than 400
personnel, offices, sports and welfare facilities, vehicle workshops and new
kitchens. On 5th December the Welsh Guards moved in from Hounslow.
On 23rd March the Beech Grove Recreation Area at Alexander Barracks in
the Army Training Centre was officially opened. The five-acre area included
bicycle tracks and a picnic site. The cost was met by the Armed Forces
Military Covenant Scheme, Surrey County Council, and Guildford and
Woking Borough Councils. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the
ceremony.
Scarecrow Festival
On 21st June the annual village Scarecrow Festival was held on the green
as part of the 800th anniversary celebrations for St. Michael & All Angels
church. A medieval theme was chosen, with the scarecrows dressed as
historical personalities from the previous 800 years. First prize was won by
a scarecrow of Winston Churchill. The Wolfshead Bowmen recreated
medieval archery and falcons were displayed. There was a tug-of-war, stalls
and entertainments, including songs from the children of Pirbright School
and the Pirbright Singers.
St Michael and All Angels
On 28th September the St Michael and All Angels patronal festival was
marked by a special service. The Rt Revd Ian Brackley, Bishop of Dorking,
consecrated the 800th anniversary banner, embroidered by villagers, and
the donated furniture in the Lady Chapel. The Mayor, Councillor David
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Elms, was in the congregation.
Pirbright Historians
On 30th October James Grimshaw published An Intelligent Tory, a
biography of Henry de Worms, later Lord Pirbright. The son of Jewish
immigrants, he became a multi-millionaire and a successful politician. A
great benefactor to Pirbright, he built the village hall in 1899.
Periwheels
On 3rd November Periwheels, the community transport scheme for Pirbright,
was officially launched by the mayor, Councillor David Elms, at Lord
Pirbright's Hall. By then 41 volunteer drivers and 23 volunteer duty officers
had signed up to provide lifts to hospital appointments or shopping trips for
those needing such help.
Cherrywood Nursery
On 24th October the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith,
accompanied by Councillor Gordon Jackson, officially opened the new
garden at Cherrywood Nursery on the Green.
PUTTENHAM
Puttenham Neighbourhood Area
On 3rd December Puttenham was designated a Neighbourhood Area by
Guildford Borough Council, after an application by Puttenham Parish
Council. It meant that residents and other interested parties could help to
produce a neighbourhood plan.
Puttenham Church of England School
On 24th March the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited Puttenham, by
invitation of the Chairman of Puttenham Parish Council, John Green.
During the visit the Mayor toured Puttenham C of E School and officially
opened their new canopy.
RIPLEY
Wyllie & Mar
In May Wyllie & Mar, the furniture business founded in 1837, finally closed.
It had been based at Teulon House in Ripley High Street for many years,
but had found retail trading difficult following the economic crisis of 2008
and the increase in online selling. The upholstery side of the business
continued.
Dunsborough Park
On 31st May Dunsborough Park was open to the public as part of the
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National Gardens Scheme, and over 400 visited. The local charity
Transform served homemade teas and raised £1,226 for homeless and
vulnerable people.
Guildford Accordion Club
On 20th June the Guildford Accordion Club held a concert at Ripley Village
Hall with the Tillingbourne Accordion Orchestra and the blind singer Denise
Leigh, who was accompanied by her husband Stefan Andrusyschyn. On
26th October, the fourth annual Super Orchestra Day was held in Ripley
Village Hall. Led by Ian Watson and Julie North, the orchestra had members
from groups from all over south-east England and rehearsed before an
evening concert.
Ripley Farmers’ Market
On 14th June the second annual Ripley Bake Off was held as part of the
Farmers’ Market. There were over seventy entries, and the Cakes &
Gateaux prize went to Armani Nicholson. Over £200 was raised for Home
Start.
Papercourt Sailing Club
On 14th March the Surrey Schools Regatta was held on Papercourt Lake
with over 105 sailors taking part, representing 19 schools and nearly thirty
Sailing Club members helping out on the day. The Royal Grammar School
came second in the school prizes.
Ripley Rocks
On 12th July the seventh Ripley Rocks music festival was organised by
Ripley Scouts in Court Meadow. A large audience enjoyed fine weather and
bands such as Eric and the Claptones.
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Send and Ripley History Society
From July to November Send and Ripley History Society staged Lest We
Forget, an exhibition on the First World War in the museum behind the
Village Hall.
At the end of November the History Society opened a new exhibition in its
museum by the Village Hall. It displayed finds made during sand and gravel
extraction in the area, including a mammoth tooth and a Bronze Age axe
head.
In 28th January the Society marked its 40th anniversary with a dinner at the
Toby Cottage. The Chairman, Les Bowerman, gave an outline of the
activities of the Society over the years.
Rotary Club of Ripley and Send
On 19thJuly the Rotary Club of Ripley and Send, together with Woking
District Rotary Club, organised the annual Ripley Event on the Green,.
There were entertainments, stalls, a dog show, pony rides and classic
vehicles. Proceeds went to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
On 10th March the annual charities night at the Talbot saw donations being
made to several charities, including Surrey Young Carers, Home Start,
Surrey Care Trust, Send Scouts and Rotaract.
Ripley Bonfire Association
On 25th October the annual Ripley Bonfire saw around 10,000 people
attending. There was the crowning of the Bonfire Queen, a torchlight
procession and a funfair as well as the fireworks. Approximately £9,000 was
collected for local clubs and organisations.
Pinnocks Coffee House
In March Pinnocks Coffee House in Ripley High Street was voted the best in
Surrey by the Tripadvisor website, scoring 4.5 out of a possible five points.
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SEALE & SANDS
Hampton Estate
On 9th July Bridget and Bill Biddell of the Hampton Estate received the Duke
of Cornwall Award in the Royal Forestry Society’s Best of England
Excellence in Forestry Awards.
SEND
St Mary's Church
On 12th August the Western Front Association commemorated Lt Robin
Skene, the first British pilot killed on active duty during the First World War.
A short service was held at his grave in St Mary's churchyard, where
wreaths were laid. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
Poppies
On 3rd August wooden poppies were planted at the parade of shops, one in
memory of each of the 21 Send servicemen who died during the First World
War. One was for Lieutenant R. Skene. Send and Ripley History Society
organised the event to publicise their exhibit in the nearby telephone kiosk.
Vision Engineering Ltd
In September Vision Engineering’s new Vision Z2 video inspection system
was released, with full-HD (1080p) digital imaging. Integral image capture
by USB removed the need for a separate computer.
In December the TIM5 materials and metallurgical inspection microscope
was introduced to provide high-quality inspection of surface details of
materials.
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SHALFORD
Shalford Village Fete
On 8th June the annual Village Fete was held, with a hog-roast lunch,
locally-brewed beer, a dog show, competitions, stalls and sideshows. Local
Scouts helped in the organisation. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended.
Shalford Cricket Club
From 12th to 19th July Shalford Cricket Club celebrated its 150th anniversary
with a series of matches on the Common, including some against local
teams it had played in 1864. There was also a visit from the Marylebone
Cricket Club, and a history of Shalford Cricket Club was published.
Station footbridge
On 3rd September the footbridge over the railway at Shalford station was
damaged and had to be dismantled. Linking Tillingbourne Road with Station
Road, it had provided an important local route, but in March 2015 it still had
not been replaced, to the annoyance of residents.
SHERE
Shere Open Gardens
On 29th June around twenty private gardens were visited by the public as
part of the annual Shere Open Gardens day. Vegetable specialists held a
gardeners’ question time at the allotments and money was raised for a
variety of village charities and causes.
Felbury House
On 16th August the annual summer fete was held at Felbury House
Residential Home, Holmbury St Mary. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki
Nelson-Smith, presented a cheque to the Chairman of the Lifetrain Trust
Charity, Paul Wilkinson, on behalf of Felbury House.
Shere 40k
On 13th September the annual Shere 40k race was run, starting from the
Recreation Ground. It was multi-terrain trail race over the North Downs Way
and Surrey Hills, and this year’s charity was Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Shere Hill Climb
7th September the Shere Hill Climb up Staple Lane, was closed to all other
traffic. The course ascends by 300 feet over a distance of nearly a mile with
a series of challenging corners along the route. 135 cars entered,
representing a cross section of motoring history from the early days right up
to a modern exotics. Each car completed three runs. The event was
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supported by Brooklands Motor Company, Quicksilver Exhausts and
Spellbound Cars. All profits went to local charities, including Surrey Air
Ambulance, GASP Motor Project, Shere Infants School, Cherry Trees,
Shere Village Nursery and West Clandon School.
Havoc at High House
On 21st September a medieval fair was held at High House to celebrate fifty
years of Handa Bray's being Lord of the Manor of Shere. Some 500 visitors
watched a tournament by the Medieval Combat Society, falconry, archery,
Tudor musicians, medieval crafts, and maypole dancing by children from
Shere School.
Shere Tennis Club
On 27th September the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, opened the
refurbished courts at Shere Tennis Club. There were new surfaces, fencing
and nets, together with benches donated by Shere Open Gardens. Funding
was assisted by Fields in Trust, the London Marathon Trust and the
Guildford Community Grants scheme.
ST MARTHA
War Memorial
During the year the War Memorial was restored as part of the
commemoration of the First World War. The fencing was also renewed and
the funding was provided by Guildford Borough Council and English
Heritage.
Chilworth2gether
On 21st April 2014 over a thousand people watched the annual Duck Race,
with a record entry of 500 plastic ducks. A novelty race of home-made
ducks preceded the main event. Over £2,000 was raised towards the
purchase of land for a village green.
In March, however, the owners, Guildford Diocesan Council, put the price of
the land at nearly £50,000 per acre and it was decided the village green
proposals could not be proceeded with.
On 6th April 2015 the Duck Race was again held at the Picnic Area by the
Chilworth Gunpowder Mills. Over £1,500 pounds was raised for local
schools, charities and amenities.
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TONGHAM
Village Fete
On 16th August the annual Tongham Village Fete and Family Fun Day was
held on the Recreation Ground. Organised by the Tongham Fundraisers,
attractions included falconry and a dog competition. About a thousand
attended and over £2,500 was raised for the Surrey Air Ambulance.
White Hart
In February the White Hart was named joint winner of the Winter Pub of the
Season competition by the Hampshire & Surrey Borders branch of the
Campaign for Real Ale.
WEST CLANDON
Clandon Park
On 30th April 2014 soldiers visited the newly-opened recreation of the
operating theatre at Clandon Park, commemorating the house’s use as a
war hospital during World War I. A service was held at the church of St
Peter and St Paul, attended by the Mayor, Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs.
On 13th July Macmillan Cancer Trust held its 4th annual classic car show in
the grounds of Clandon Park.
On 13th February the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment hosted a lunch at
the Surrey Infantry Museum at Clandon Park. The Mayor, Councillor David
Elms, was one of the guests.
Clandon Wood Natural Burial Ground
In April 2014 the Clandon Wood Surrey Hills Natural Burial Reserve was
voted the best of the 300 natural burial grounds in the UK in the Peoples’
Awards, presented by the Association of Natural Burial Grounds.
On 5th and 6th July the Burnt Out Theatre company gave open-air
performances of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at Clandon Wood
as part of the Guildford Fringe Festival.
In July Clandon Wood was awarded Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy
for its high environmental standards.
On 6th September Clandon Wood was voted Cemetery of the Year at the
Good Funeral Awards.
Ashley Park Care Home
On 20th June the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, visited
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Ashley Park Care Home, as part of the National Care Home Open Day.
Royal British Legion
On 3rd August the West Clandon Branch of the Royal British Legion held a
drum head service on the recreation ground to commemorate the centenary
of the start of the First World War. The service was led by the Revd
Barnaby Perkins, rector of East and West Clandon, and attended by about
150 local people, amongst whom was the Mayor, Councillor David Elms.
The Earl of Onslow read out the names of the forty soldiers from both
villages who gave their lives in the war.
On 31st August the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association Annual
Merdeka Day lunch was held at Clandon British Legion Hall. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, was one of the guests.
On 25th April the Mayor, Councillor David Elms attended the 100th
Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign Dinner at the West Clandon Royal
British Legion.
WEST HORSLEY
West Horsley Independent Players
From 8th -10th and 15th to 17th January the Whips’ pantomime Dick
Whittington was staged in the Village Hall, as was the Whippets production
of Oliver from 19th to 21st March.
West Horsley in Bloom
On 11th July the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the West Horsley
in Bloom presentation evening at West Horsley Village Hall. There were 38
entrants, with a total of 54 entries. The judges’ prize went to Mrs Amelia
Plaickner.
WISLEY
RHS Wisley
From 28th to 29th June the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley
hosted its first Arts Fest. It included an aerial acrobat, live music, theatre
performances, literary talks, craft demonstrations and art workshops.
From 23rd August to 28th September the Surrey Sculpture Society staged its
16th annual sculpture trail at RHS Wisley, part of the Society’s 20 th
anniversary celebrations. The sculptures by local artists, included works in
stone, metal, bronze, resin, glass, ceramic, wood and found objects.
From 2nd to 7th September the RHS Wisley Flower Show saw over forty
specialist nurseries and garden trade stands. There were displays by the
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Surrey National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies and the
National Dahlia Society.
On 4th November the 6th annual Surrey Human Resources Forum was held
in the Glasshouse at RHS Wisley. Organised by the Recruitment
Consultancy, based in Guildford High Street, over sixty local firms were
represented.
From 27th to 29th March the annual Spring Plant Fair was held. Exhibitors
included Plant Heritage and the British Cactus and Succulent Society.
On 17th April RHS Wisley took part in National Open Gardens Day.
Wisley airfield
In March Mike Murray, of Wisley Property Investments, denied that the
Prime Minister David Cameron was involved in the proposed development
of over two thousand houses on the site of the former Wisley Airfield, as
had been alleged by opponents of the scheme.
WORPLESDON
Jacobs Well May Fayre
On 5th May the Deputy Mayor, Councillor David Elms opened the Jacob's
Well May Day Fayre at the Village Hall. He crowned Felicity Pettit the May
Queen. Some two hundred visitors were entertained by the Surrey Jazz
Quintet and the Elise Maria Academy of Performance Arts.
Wood Street Village Show
On 19th July the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, officially opened the Wood
Street Village Summer Show on the green.
Christopher Robin Day Nursery
On 7th October the Christopher Robin Day Nursery in Wood Street was
visited by OFSTED inspectors, who reported the school to be outstanding.
Teaching was excellent and the children's self-care skills, independence,
communication and language well developed. The Manager, Jamie Barnes,
was described as inspirational, working closely with parents and outside
agencies.
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First World War Exhibition
On 4th August Worplesdon Parish Council staged an exhibition of original
First World War objects at the Memorial Hall. Some two hundred visitors
saw medals, military equipment, photographs and documents. There was a
display on the 33 Worplesdon men who died during the Great War,
researched and presented by a team from the parish council. Refreshments
were provided by Fairlands and Worplesdon Women’s Institutes.
Guildford Club for the Disabled
On 11th December the Guildford Club for the Disabled carol service and
Christmas tea was held at Jacob's Well Village Hall. The Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, was a guest.
Sidney Sime Gallery
On 19th February a Half Term Family Workshop was run at the Sidney Sime
Gallery in Worplesdon Memorial Hall. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
was one of the visitors.
Burpham Will Remember Them
On 2nd and 3rd August the ‘Burpham Will Remember Them’ community
project staged a flower festival and exhibition in St Luke’s Church to honour
the 18 Burpham and Jacobs Well men who are commemorated on the
parish war memorial. Around 500 local people attended and over £500 was
raised for the Royal British Legion. The project had researched men’s
backgrounds and those of other local men who had fought in the First World
War.
On 3rd August a service of remembrance was held at St Mary’s, arranged by
Worplesdon Parish Council. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, and the
Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey, David Hyper, laid a wreath beside the roll of
honour.
White Lyon & Dragon
On 18th March Tom Harland, manager of the White Lyon & Dragon,
presented a cheque for over a thousand pounds to the Thai Children’s
Trust. The money had been raised by various functions during the previous
year. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the occasion.
Burpham Neighbourhood Forum
At the end of October the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum submitted its
Burpham Neighbourhood Plan to Guildford Borough Council. The plan set
out policies designed to guide development and wider strategic
improvements in Burpham over the following twenty years.
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Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area
Much work was needed to clear up after the storms and floods at the
beginning of the year. Some of the paths adjacent to the Hodge Brook were
restored and a leat dug to improve the flow of water through to the pond,
among other projects. This work was done by volunteers, who were
supplemented by helpers from South West Trains on their charity days.
Worplesdon and District Bridleways Association
On 26th October the annual Ash Ranges Pleasure Ride raised funds for the
Worplesdon & District Bridleways Association and the Surrey & Sussex Air
Ambulance. Over 50 riders took part in the10-mile ride from Stoney Castle
near Pirbright.
Wagging Tails
On 22nd May Clair Slingo, owner of the dog care franchise Wagging Tails,
based in Wood Street Village, was named Bartercard Woman Franchisee of
the Year at the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards.
Worplesdon View
On 2nd August the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited the 1940s-themed
summer fete at Worplesdon View Care Home. On 22nd August, the Deputy
Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith attended Worplesdon View Care
Home as they celebrated their 2nd Birthday.
On 23rd October the Mayor returned for the 'Naming of the Floors’ ceremony
at Worplesdon View.
Worpfest
On 6th September Worpfest, the annual music festival, was held in the
grounds of St Mary's Church. There were nine hours of music from mostly
local bands, and the proceeds went to local charities. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, was among the audience.
Mud Slog
On 16th November Muscle Acre Events organised an obstacle course race
entitled Mud Slog at Wood Street. Some 200 contestants competed over a
10 or 5 km trail including tyres, hay bales, horse jumps and an eight-foot
wall.
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Local Government
Guildford Borough Council
On 25th April 2014 Councillor Caroline Reeves was elected as leader of the
Liberal Democrat Group, succeeding Councillor David Goodwin who had
been group leader since 2010.
On 7th May the Annual Meeting of Guildford Borough Council - the Mayor
Making - was held at the Guildhall. Councillor David Elms was elected as
Mayor for the municipal year 2014-15 and Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith as
Deputy Mayor. Afterwards the new Mayor hosted a lunch at the County
Club, Guildford.
On 11th May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, headed the procession to
Holy Trinity Church for the annual Civic Service.
In May Guildford Borough Council maintained its Aa1Stable credit rating by
Moody's Investors Service. The rating meant that the Council had high
standards of financial management and budget control, and represented a
low level of credit risk.
On 26th June Guildford Borough Council approved grants totalling £132,360
for forty community groups. Arts, sport, play and community projects were
supported, including Disability Challengers, Guildford YMCA, Barn Youth
Project, Furniture Link Guildford, Guildford Community Mediation Service,
the Artventure Trust and Ripley Bowling Club.
On 8th July Guildford Borough Council announced that all its bids for
government funding for local economic growth had been approved. Jointly
with the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, over £15 million has
been secured. It included £2.7m for the Guildford Gyratory project, £5m for
the University of Surrey's 5G Mobile Technologies Arrow Project, a
provisional allocation of £3.7m for sustainable transport improvements and
another 3.7m for improved access to retail and employment sites in
Guildford.
In July Carol Humphrey, Head of Planning Services at Guildford Borough,
resigned after fifteen years with the Council.
In July Keep Britain Tidy awarded Green Flag status to Allen House
Grounds, the Castle Grounds, Riverside Nature Reserve, Stoke Park,
Sutherland Memorial Park, Guildford Crematorium and Stoke Cemetery,
recognising them as some of the best-kept green spaces in the country.
On 25th September Colin Cross, representing the Liberal Democrats, was
elected Councillor for Lovelace Ward at the by-election following the death
of Councillor John Garrett in July. The full results were Colin Cross (Liberal
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Democrat) 555, Ben Paton (Conservative) 225, David Sheppard (UKIP) 63
and Robin Woof (Labour) 32. The turnout was 48.7%.
On 12th December the RAC Foundation report on council parking profits
showed that Guildford Borough Council had made £6.3 million in the
previous year, significantly higher than most councils. The Lead Councillor
for Transport Infrastructure and Environment, Councillor Matt Furniss,
explained that , unlike elsewhere, the Council provided and ran all the major
car parks itself.
On 11th February the Council approved the new budget and set the council
tax for 2015-16. It provided for a 1.5% increase in the council tax. Leader of
the Council, Councillor Stephen Mansbridge, said, “This year we have seen
an 8% reduction in our support from central government which, taken with
the cuts we had last year, represents a 14.5% reduction in central
government funding since 2013-14.”
Local Plan
The consultation on the Draft Local Plan ran from July to October 2014 with
around 15,000 responses’ The most frequently raised topic was the Green
Belt. On 6th May the Local Plan was discussed at a public forum held by
Eagle Radio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. More than 250 attended, and
protection of the green belt once more dominated the debate, together with
affordable housing.
Green Belt
On 29th April 2014 Guildford Borough Council released the Green Belt and
Countryside Study, in preparation for the Draft Local Plan. Amongst other
matters, it considered the major expansion of three sustainable settlements:
Normandy/Flexford, Send and Send Marsh/Burnt Common. Other areas
with potential for development were in Shere and Gomshall, a site south of
Tongham, and Wisley airfield.
On 6th October the Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, Eric Pickles, issued new guidance that the green belt should
be considered as a ‘stronger constraint’ in the production of local plans. At a
meeting at Millmead the next day, the Leader of Guildford Borough Council,
Councillor Stephen Mansbridge, referred to this as a ‘shift in the wind’ of
government policy, while protesters from Send demonstrated outside.
Responses to the Draft Local Plan consultation showed widespread
opposition to building on the green belt and the Council carried out a
comprehensive reassessment of the sites.
The Save the Hogs Back campaign group put up a notice at the entrance to
Blackwell Farm but removed it following a threat of legal action from the
Council.
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In November the Guildford Greenbelt Group was registered with the
Electoral Commission as a political party, with a view to their candidates
fighting the borough election under that name. In December the Group
confirmed it would field candidates against Anne Milton MP and Sir Paul
Beresford MP in the parliamentary elections, as well as others in the
borough elections. Susan Parker, the group’s leader, was selected to stand
against Anne Milton in Guildford. In February the Group left a bicycle at
Horsley station for the use of commuters, to reduce car pollution.
Highways Agency
In March the Highways Agency moved its national headquarters from
Dorking to Guildford. The agency signed a 10-year lease to rent Bridge
House. Aviva Investors, the landlord, refurbished the building before the
agency moved in
Parliament
On 15th July Guildford’s MP, Anne Milton, was promoted to the positions of
Government Whip and Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household in a
cabinet reshuffle. On 27th November she met the Queen to receive the
wand of office as Vice-Chamberlain.
On 12th March the Queen approved the appointment of Anne Milton MP to
her Privy Council. From then on Anne Milton could use the title “The Right
Honourable”.
European Parliament
On 22nd May 38,721 Guildfordians cast their votes in the European
Parliament elections, a turnout of 38.15%. The Conservative Party attracted
the majority,14,605, with UKIP coming second with 9,926. The Liberal
Democrats came third with 4,568, then the Labour Party with 4,004 and the
Green Party 3,616. There were fifteen parties standing in the South East
region, which returned four UKIP, three Conservative, one Green and one
Liberal Democrat MEPs.
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Law and Order, Fire and Rescue
Surrey Police
On 18th May Surrey Police's PC Paul Barnham with police dog Ethel won
first prize at the National Police Dog Trials in Sheffield.
On 21st May the Divisional Commendation Ceremony was held at the
Refectory at Guildford Cathedral. PC Richard McEwen was praised for
saving a Guildford girl from committing suicide in January.
In the late summer the Surrey Police memorial garden was established at
Mount Browne. Laid out by Merrist Wood College students, the garden is
designed to provide a space to remember former colleagues who
contributed to policing in Surrey. Landscape Construction Lecturer Tony
Begg of Merrist Wood was awarded a Surrey Police Commendation as a
result of his involvement.
On 21st September Surrey Police hosted a Family Fun Day at its Mount
Browne headquarters. There were displays, demonstrations and activities,
including a ‘Junior Detective Trail’ for children. The highlight was the Anna
of Avondale dog trials, won by PC Paul Barnham and his dog Ethel.
On 7th November Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary published a
report which concluded that between 1st November 2012 and 31st October
2013, some 21% of incidents reported to Surrey Police did not make their
way into official statistics. This was around the national average for the
under-recording of crime, but called into question the reliability of crime
figures.
On 18th November the annual Crimestoppers Ambassadors Reception was
held at Surrey Police Headquarters, to raise awareness of Crimestoppers
and to encourage local people to become ambassadors. It was hosted by
the former High Sherriff of Surrey, Dr Helen Bowcock DL and guests
included the current High Sheriff of Surrey, Peter Lee, the Mayor, Councillor
David Elms and representatives of other groups including Rotary, Surrey
Freemasonry and Neighbourhood Watch.
On 27th November Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary released its
annual Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy report. It was critical
of the under-recording of crimes and Surrey’s lack of resourcing and
capability within investigation teams, while praising the force for having
good victim focus.
In January figures showed that sexual offences in Guildford had increased
to 124 from 93 in the previous year. Violent crimes went up to 570, the
highest on record. However, overall, all recorded crime fell by nearly 6%.
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In January Chief Constable Lynne Owens reported that in 2014, 440 people
had been detained by Surrey Police under section 136 of the Mental Health
Act. On New Year’s Eve these ‘concern for safety’ calls had accounted for
20% of police time. She called for a fourth emergency service to be set up
to respond to mental health crises.
On 25th March Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and
Local Government, criticised the Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner,
Kevin Hurley, for seeking to increase the police's share of the council tax,
and spending public money on consultation over it.
Surrey Fire and Rescue
From 2nd to 4th May 2014 there were intermittent strikes by members of the
Fire Brigades’ Union over proposed changes to their pensions and
retirement age. Emergency cover was given by non-striking fire fighters and
the private contractors Specialist Group International. On 12th June a 24hour strike was held, the first time fire fighters had struck for a full day in the
long-running dispute. Further strikes were held over eight days from 9th to
16th August between noon and 2pm, and 11pm and midnight. There was
another 24-hour strike on 9th December.
On 9th May three engines from the Guildford Fire Station attended a fire at a
house in Colburn Crescent, Burpham caused by an electrical fault in a
washing machine.
On 19th May John Greenhouse died in a fire at a maisonette in Berberis
Close, on the Bellfields estate.
On 24th May a fire damaged the premises of Newey & Eyre Ltd, electrical
wholesalers, in Deacon Field on the Midleton Industrial Estate. The police
suspected arson.
On 4th June Blue Watch officer Natasha Sutlieff, from Guildford fire station,
was able to restart the heart of a two-year-old girl who had been injured in a
car accident on the A246 in West Horsley. The child was air-lifted to St
George's Hospital in Tooting.
On 18th October crews from several Surrey stations attended a house fire in
Ockham Road South, East Horsley. No one was hurt in the incident.
On 31st December firefighters from Guildford, Godalming and Woking
tackled a blaze in the annexe of the Manor House at Field Place, Compton.
They prevented the fire from reaching the main building.
On 31st January a man was rushed to hospital suffering from smoke
inhalation following a fire at his flat in Hazel Court, Bellfields. Two crews
from Guildford fire station attended the incident.
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On 6th March three pumps from Guildford fire station and a fourth from
Woking attended a house fire in Abbotswood. Crew commander Clyde
Rafferty emphasised the importance of smoke alarms.
On 15th April a heath fire started on the Stoney Castle Ranges in Pirbright.
The fire caused significant damage to the heathland before the blaze was
brought under control.
On 23rd April the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited Guildford Fire
Station for a tour of the old and new buildings at Ladymead. Work on the
new building was almost completed.
HMP Send
At the beginning of June HMP Send was described as highly successful in
the report of an unannounced inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
Prisons. Send, with 280 female inmates, provided a consistently good
service. The conclusion was that “This is not only a good prison; it is a
useful and effective prison”. The Independent Monitoring Board also
reported a decrease in incidents of self-harming in the previous year.
On 9th July at the Send Family Link meeting at HMP Send Visitors Centre,
the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith presented awards to longserving volunteers. The charity provides support services for families visiting
women in custody.
In September figures were released showing that in 2013-14 1.5% of the
prisoners had tested positive for drugs, more than double the percentage in
the previous year.
In October figures were released showing that the cost of keeping each
prisoner at HMP Send had been £41,463 in the previous financial year. This
compared with a national average of £36,237. It was also reported that 13
illicit mobile phones had been found in the prison. Only 11% of the prisoners
were engaged in industrial work.
Magistrates
On 14th March the Guildford Heat of the Magistrates Mock Trials took place
at the Guildford Magistrates Courts. The national competition aims to teach
young people about the criminal justice system and specifically the role of
the magistracy and courts. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
Street Angels
On 19th October a Street Angels and Volunteer Chaplains commissioning
service took place at the Guildford Baptist Church, Millmead Centre. The
Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was in the congregation.
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Service for the Judiciary
On 3rd October the annual Service for the Judiciary was held at Holy Trinity
to celebrate the beginning of the legal term. The High Sheriff of Surrey, Mr
Peter Lee, led the procession of Crown Court & District judges and Surrey
magistrates from the Guildhall. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, led the
civic procession, to which other Surrey mayors had been invited.
Murder
On 6th January Matthew Boyd appeared at Guildford Crown Court accused
of murdering Richard Stroud, who died following an attack on 3 rd January
outside Guildford City Social Club. He was remanded in custody until a
hearing scheduled for 1st April.
Arson with intent to endanger life
On 23rd November a fire broke out in a ground-floor flat on Clandon Road,
Guildford. A man was seen running away from the premises; the police
considered it to be a case of arson.
Explosives
On 2nd December Michael Tongeman, charged with possessing explosives,
was ordered to be detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act.
Modified fireworks and improvised detonators had been found in his room in
a bail hostel at St Catherine’s in December 2013.
Drugs
In late April and mid-May, Operation Leek saw over thirty arrests of local
criminals involved in the supply of Class A drugs in the Waverley and
Guildford areas. On 23rd May brothers Stephen and Carl Tardif, both from
Manor Road, Tongham received six years and three years, four months
respectively at Guildford Crown Court. On 29th May Stuart Randall of Ferry
Lane, St Catherine’s Village was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
April Williams of Worplesdon Road was sentenced to 40 months.
On 20th June nine others were sentenced, including Aaron West of The
Oval, Guildford, who was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence, a
six-month supervision order and ordered to undertake 120 hours’ unpaid
work.
On 1st July a closure notice was served on 7, Raynham Close, Burpham as
part of Operation Leek.
On 25th November two men were arrested following the discovery of a
hydroponic cannabis factory in Rydes Hill.
On 12th March a drug dealer was given an antisocial behaviour order
banning him from the University of Surrey campus for five years. Jack
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Buggy of Eastbourne had been arrested for possessing cannabis the
previous May.
Legal highs
On 8th April the Southern Addictions Advisory Service began weekly
sessions at the Guildford Action Day Centre in Haydon Place to provide
information and support about legal highs; substances which mimic the
effects of illegal drugs.
Guildford Crown Court
The Guildford Crown Court handles all the more serious crimes committed
in Surrey. Of the small number of murders, the double murder in Farnham
by John Lowe using a shotgun resulted in a life sentence with a minimum
term of 25 years. A second double murder was that of a husband and wife
in their home in Fetcham at night. Viktoras Bruzhas pleaded guilty and at
the Old Bailey received a life sentence with a minimum term of 33 years.
By 1st September the five courts in the Crown Court had 600 cases, a 60%
increase from 365 at 31st May 2013, when committal proceedings were
abolished. By 17st April 2015 the number was around 545. This
considerable extra workload included more serious sex offences (many
alleging crimes between 5 and 45 years ago), and more cases came up
from the magistrates’ courts.
It seemed that more elderly or vulnerable persons were suffering from theft
by their carers, or from fraud by those charging unjustified sums for work on
their property. They were also the targets of distraction burglaries and
scams by telephone. There continued to be many cases of late-night street
violence by those in drink and/or under the influence of drugs, and robberies
of the young for their mobile phones. Criminals from London came to Surrey
to supply drugs and also to burgle, with expensive cars outside homes
being a frequent target.
Surrey Police and the Crown Prosecution Service strove to ensure the guilty
were caught and convicted. The court staff worked very hard to handle
efficiently such a large caseload, assisted by Probation officers and witness
support.
On 20th February the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited the Guildford
Crown Courts, by invitation of His Honour Judge Christopher Critchlow.
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Guildford People
Ollie Davies
In February Ollie Davies from Guildford was rated the overall men’s
champion at the English Alpine Ski Championships in Bormio. The 17-yearold won both the GS and the Slalom. In March he went on to become the
British Under-18 Super G champion at the Delancey British National Alpine
Ski Championships in Tignes.
Councillor David Elms
On 7th May Councillor David Elms was elected Mayor of Guildford. He had
lived in Guildford since moving from London in 1971. He worked for the
local vehicle manufacturers Dennis Brothers, and then as a fireman at
Guildford and other west Surrey stations. He joined Worplesdon Parish
Council in 1990 and became a magistrate in 1992. The Mayor’s chosen
charity for his mayoral year was the Army Benevolent Fund Surrey.
On 11th April the Mayor, accompanied by the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms,
hosted a Charity Ball at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel in aid of the
Army Benevolent Fund.
On 23rd April Councillor David Elms attended a Battle of Waterloo
bicentenary dinner in Farnham, at which money was raised for the Army
Benevolent Fund.
James Byng
On 10th June James Byng of Ash Vale was given one of the National Carers
Awards at a ceremony organised by Carers UK and sponsored by Lloyds
Pharmacy. He had devoted himself to looking after his grandmother, who
suffers from dementia.
Katherine Legge
On 27th June Katherine Legge, born in Guildford but living in America, was
announced as an Amlin Aguri driver, becoming first woman named to race
in the electric cars of Formula E.
Russ Carpenter
On 11th July Russ Carpenter of Guildford was inducted into the British Drag
Racing Hall of Fame in recognition of his development of the British Daimler
V8 Hemi engine and for his contribution to the sport for over fifty years. His
car, the Glacier Grenade, became the first under 5.5 litres to do a quartermile race from a standing start in less than eight seconds in July 1980. Russ
Carpenter won the Euro Series Championship twice in the 1980s.
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Steven Lee
On 11th September Steven Lee of Onslow Village, as Artistic Director of The
People’s Theatre Company, received the Music & Arts Award at the Eagle
Radio’s Community Champions celebrations at G Live.
Michael Redman
In September Michael Redman of Ash was hailed as Britain’s most prolific
father, having had 26 children with nine different women in 37 years. An exsoldier, he worked as a bus driver, based in Guildford, and met some of the
mothers while working on the buses.
Stanley Collins
In September Stanley Collins, aged 88 of Fairlands, was claimed by the
B&Q store in Ladymead where he worked to be the oldest employee in
Britain. Following retirement, he had joined the firm when it opened 24
years earlier.
Matthew Phillips
On 2nd November Matthew Phillips of Guildford won a bronze medal at the
first ParaClimb Scotland competition for disabled climbers. He had trained
at the Surrey Sports Park and achieved full marks for all of his six climbs to
qualify for the finals, in which he came third.
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Guildford People: Anniversaries
Edna Salt
On 30th May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the 100th birthday
celebrations for Mrs Edna Salt at Sunrise Senior Living, Peasmarsh.
Lillian Jefferson
24 September the 105th birthday celebrations for Mrs Lillian Jefferson took
place at Ashley House Nursing Home, Shalford. The Mayor was one of the
guests.
Giovanni and Gioseppina Fallea
On 5th October Giovanni and Gioseppina Fallea celebrated their golden
wedding. Originally from Sicily, they moved to Guildford in 1963 to run the
Woodbridge Café. In 1966 they demolished and rebuilt the café over a
weekend, and became its owners in 1976. They retired in 2003.
Kenneth Duncan
On 24th January the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith attended
the 100th birthday party for Kenneth Walter Duncan at the Hogs Back Hotel,
Seale.
Joan Covey
On 19th February the 100th birthday celebrations for Mrs Joan Covey were
held at St Mary's Church, Aldershot Road, Guildford. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, was a guest.
Mollie Edwards
On 15th March the Mayor was invited to the 100th birthday celebrations for
Mrs Mollie Edwards at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel. For many years
she had worked at Timothy Whites in Guildford High Street.
Peter and Sue Secrett
On 20th February Peter and Sue Secrett of Merrow celebrated their golden
wedding. They had lived in Guildford for the previous 32 years.
Colin and Ann Ritchie
On 3rd April Colin and Ann Ritchie celebrated their gold wedding by
renewing their vows at Emmanuel Church in Shepherds Lane. Both had
lived in Stoughton all their lives.
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Guildford People: Honours
THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS
Colin Stokes
Colin Stokes was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for
charitable services to the Prostate Project, which he co-founded in 1998
with John Davies, consultant urologist at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
Richard Mead
Richard Mead was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of his
work for the Guildford branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. In
the fifteen years he was fundraiser, its annual income doubled to £30,000.
OTHER HONOURS
The Guildford Roll of Honour
On 21st July the name of Dato Dr Kim Tan was added to the Guildford Roll
of Honour at a ceremony and a dinner in the Guildhall. Dato Dr Tan is a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and a biochemistry graduate of the
University of Surrey. He stayed in Guildford after graduating, inventing
sheep antibodies and poultry diagnostic tests, which his own company,
Springhill Management, marketed. He helped found the Transformational
Business Network, a British charity supporting social venture capital
investments in developing countries.
NEW YEAR’S HONOURS
Harry Carter
Harold Mark Carter of Guildford was created a Companion of the Order of
the Bath for services to government legal services and services to the
community. He was a Deputy Legal Adviser in the Treasury Solicitors.
Julienne Elizabeth Meyer
Professor Julienne Elizabeth Meyer of Guildford was made a Commander
of the Order of the British Empire for services to nursing and older people.
She worked on developing improved services for older patients at the City
University of London.
Philip Wood
Professor Philip Richard Wood of Shere was made a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire for services to English and financial law. He was
a Special Global Counsel for the firm of Allen and Overy, specialising in
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financial law.
June Davey
Mrs June Davey of West Horsley was awarded the British Empire Medal for
services to heritage in Surrey. She had been a volunteer room steward and
tour guide for the National Trust at Clandon Park since 2003.
THE MAYOR OF GUILDFORD’S AWARDS
The Mayor’s Award for Service to the Community were given to:
Fred Bridges for the Royal British Legion Poppy Day collections in Ash.
David Brown for his work with the Victoria Hall Management Committee.
Renata Buday for her work for the Guildford Hungarian Cultural Association.
Nigel Campion-Smith as Senior Steward of Guildford Methodist Church.
Mark Clover for services to the community of Send.
Diana Cox for running the Ripley Village Baby and Toddler Group.
Rebecca Froggatt for her work as a Community First Responder.
June Harris for work at the Wood Street Village Post Office.
Val & Dave Holt for their work for St Francis' Church, Westborough.
Valerie Jenner for her work as the Editor of Ripley & Send Matters.
Scott Judd for fund raising for the British Heart Foundation.
Maureen Lemin for her support for the local community.
Dorothy Naylor for her work with Guildford Action.
Polla Rashbrook for her work for the Hungarian Cultural Association.
John Slatford for his work for the Send & Ripley History Society.
Freda Spickett for helping the children of Ripley Primary School.
Jackie Strange for her services to the community of Ripley and Send.
The Friary Guildford Brass Band for services to local charities.
Sandra Tilley for services to the community of Ash Vale.
Samantha Tod for her work with the Normandy Youth Club.
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Peter Trevana for flood protection work in Worplesdon.
Howard Turner for his work on Send Parish Council.
Brenda & John Wakefield for services to the community of Westborough.
Nigel Wilkinson for helping the homeless community in Guildford.
Peter Williamson for his services to the community of Guildford.
Sheila Willis for her services to the community of Guildford.
Doreen Yaxley for her work with the elderly residents of Merrow.
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Guildford People: Obituaries
Stanley Revell
On 2nd April Stanley John Revell of Winds Ridge, Send died at the age of
age of 92. He had lived in Send for 46 years, after a distinguished career in
the RAF. Usually known as George, he worked for Vickers-Armstrongs
(Aircraft) Ltd (later BAC) on the VC10 airliner. After his retirement he was
active in Send Help, the church of St Mary the Virgin, the Air Training Corps
and the Normandy Veterans Association.
Professor Anthony Kelly
On 4th June Professor Anthony Kelly ScD FRS FREng CBE DL died in
Cambridge. He had been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey from
1975 to 1994, during which time the number of students increased from
3,000 to 7,000 and the annual income rose from £6 million to £63 million.
He was instrumental in developing the Surrey Research Park. He gave his
name to the Anthony Kelly Technology Centre there, which houses start-up
companies, and was the first Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology. In
his field of engineering, Tony Kelly established an international reputation
for his work on composite materials.
Alex Wedderspoon
On 10th June The Very Reverend Alexander Wedderspoon died at the age
of 83. He had been appointed Dean of Guildford in 1987, having been a
lecturer at the University of London and a Canon Residentiary at
Winchester Cathedral. He served at the Cathedral until he retired in 2001.
On 23rd June the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was among the
congregation at his funeral at the Cathedral.
Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe
On 2nd July Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe died at the age of 99.
She had inherited West Horsley Place from her mother, Lady Margaret
Crewe-Milnes, in 1967. As there were no children of her marriage, the
estate passed to her great-nephew, the former television presenter Bamber
Gascoigne.
Councillor John Garrett
On 26th July Councillor John Garrett passed away after a long illness. He
was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and Architects and
Surveyors Institute, a Brother of the Venerable Order of St John and Knight
Commander of St John of Jerusalem - Knights Hospitaller. He had been
Mayor and then an Honorary Alderman of Wandsworth before being elected
to Guildford Borough Council in 2003 as member for Lovelace Ward. John
Garrett served as Deputy Mayor in 2011-12.
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Sally Porter
On 15th August Sally Porter died. She had moved to Compton in 1975, and
served on the Parish Council for many years. In 1983 she opened a tea
shop in the front room of her home and in 1993, began the Tea Shop at the
Watts Gallery. The Gallery took over the running of the Tea Shop in 2009.
Jack Harrington
On 20th November Jack Harrington died at the age of 84. He had been
President of the Guildford Table Tennis Association since 1992, and had
played in the previous last season before falling ill. He was considered the
greatest player in the Association, having won numerous competitions from
1945-6 onwards. He played for Surrey and captained Guildford in many
successful inter-league competitions.
David Clarke
On 28th November David Clarke died at his home in Chilworth. Born in
London in 1931, his family moved to the Guildford area two years later. He
attended the Guildford School of Art, where he met his wife Juliet. Deeply
involved in drama, he founded the Cloister Players, who performed plays in
Racks Close, St Mary’s, Guildford and other local venues. It was as a
Pageant Master, though, that Guildford will chiefly remember him. In 1953
he staged the Guildford Coronation Pageant. This was followed in 1957 by
the Pageant of Guildford, to celebrate the seventh centenary of the town’s
royal charter, attended by Her Majesty the Queen. This was staged in
Shalford Park, as were the Pageant of England in 1968 and the Silver
Jubilee Pageant of 1977.
Bob Symes
On 19th January Robert Symes-Schutzmann died at the age of 90. Born in
Vienna in 1924, he left Austria after the Anschluss with Germany in 1938
and fought in the Royal Navy during the war. After the war he moved to
England and joined the BBC, which gave him the opportunity to share his
enthusiasm for engineering and railways through popular radio and
television programmes. He lived for many years in Honeysuckle Bottom,
East Horsley, and presented the Circle Eight Film Group’s Guildford....This
is Guildford, the story of the local railways.
Daphne Bell
On 9th February Daphne Bell MBE of Withies Lane, Compton died at the
age of 87. Born in Kenya in 1928, she came to England and ran a remedial
centre in Guilford for nearly thirty years. She had been awarded an MBE for
her services to the stroke charity TALK, which she helped set up in 1998
and of which she was Chairman.
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Doreen Bellerby
On 15th March Honorary Freeman Doreen Bellerby died at the age of 95.
With her husband Bill, she had moved from South Wales to Guildford in
1946 and in 1954 was elected to Guildford Borough Council, on which she
served as a Labour member until 1995. Between 1958 and 1989 she also
served four terms as a Surrey County Councillor. Doreen served on many
Council committees, and was involved with a wide range of local
organisations. In 1991 she was awarded the MBE in recognition of her
services to the community, together with her husband Bill, and both were
awarded Honorary Degrees by the University of Surrey. In 1995 the Council
conferred the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Guildford on the couple
in recognition of their long and distinguished public service as councillors,
and their outstanding contribution to local voluntary organisations.
Lt Colonel John Molyneux-Child
On 2nd February Lt Colonel John Walter Molyneux-Child of Ripley died at
the age of 75. He was lord of the manors of Dedswell and Papworth, and
had revived locally some of the old ceremonies associated with manorial
history. These included the Assize of Bread and Ale, held annually at the
Talbot Inn with bands and folk dancers to raise fund for charities.
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Religion
Church of England
In November figures showed that attendances at Sunday Anglican services
in the Diocese of Guildford had increased from 22,900 in 2009 to 23,500 in
2013. This 4.4% rise was against the general trend of falling attendance
nearly everywhere else. In Guildford itself, 3.7% of the Christian population
went to an Anglican service on Sundays, compared with a national average
of 2.7%.
Guildford Cathedral
On 26th April 2014 Dianna Gwilliams, the Dean of Guildford, and the Mayor
of Guildford, Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, were among those who
abseiled down the 160 feet of the cathedral’s tower to raise over £10,000 for
the Make Your Mark appeal for the cathedral’s restoration. In July an
anonymous trust agreed to match donations to the appeal up to a total of
£45,000.
On 5th May Wildlife Rocks saw the guitarist Brian May perform to hundreds
outside the Cathedral. The Troggs, Hawkwind and Katrina Leskanich also
took the stage at the event to raise awareness of wildlife and benefit wildlife
charities.
From April to June, the Make your Mark- Guildford Cathedral pop-up shop
was operating in the Friary shopping centre.
On 22nd June the annual Surrey Joint Services’ Charities Choral Mattins
was held to mark the start of Armed Forces Week. It recognised the
contribution of the armed forces and the service charities. The LordLieutenant, Dame Sarah Goad DCVO JP, inspected the members of the
armed forces who attended. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was among
the congregation.
On 14th September the Friends of Cathedral Music presented a cheque for
£20,000 to the Cathedral girl choristers towards an endowment for the choir.
On 10th October the Guildford Cathedral Tea and Evensong Service was
held in support of National Hospice Care Week. The Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended.
On 24th October the Royal British Legion launched its Surrey Poppy appeal
at Guildford Cathedral. The Dean, the Very Revd Dianna Gwilliams, the
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad, and the Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, were among those who attended. Parachutists landed by the
Cathedral before a special service was held, volunteers abseiled down the
tower for charity and in the evening the image of a poppy was projected
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onto the tower during a musical event.
On 13th November Tom King, Guildford Cathedral’s Head Chorister, won
the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year competition, at the final held
in St Paul’s Cathedral. He sang the hymn Christ Triumphant and If thou art
near, attributed to J. S. Bach.
In December an appeal was launched for £800,000 to repair the organ.
On 6th February an evening was hosted by Anne Milton MP at the House of
Commons, attended by the Dean, Dianna Gwilliams and the Mayor,
Councillor David Elms. As well as dinner in the Churchill Room, addressed
by the Speaker, John Bercow MP, the guests visited both the House of
Commons and the Lords. The event raised £7,482.74 for the Cathedral’s
Make your Mark appeal.
On 9th February the new Bishop of Guildford, the Right Reverend Andrew
Watson, forbade the Revd Stephen Sizer, vicar of Christ Church, Virginia
Water, from using social media for six months after he had posted a link to
an article that blamed Israel for the 9/11 attacks. The Bishop told a press
conference that “Many find Stephen's actions to be increasingly unhelpful
and counter-productive.”
On 28th February the Rt Revd Andrew Watson was inaugurated as the 10th
Bishop of Guildford at a service in the Cathedral. He had been Bishop of
Aston since 2008. The anthem was a setting of Herbert’s Love bade me
Welcome, composed by the Bishop himself. The Mayor was in the
congregation of some 900 people from all the 200 parishes of the Diocese.
On 20th March, Mrs Elizabeth Kennedy was installed as High Sheriff of
Surrey at a ceremony at Guildford Cathedral, taking over from Peter Lee.
She said she would highlight the problem of reoffending and the lack of
support available to tackle it. The Mayor and Mayoress were amongst those
who attended, and went on to the Shrieval Dinner afterwards at Loseley
Park.
On 26th March it was announced that the Government's First World War
Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund had given a grant of £500,000 towards
reroofing and repairing the tower and transepts of the Cathedral.
On 25th April The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, accompanied by the
Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms, attended the St George's Day Parade and
Service at Guildford Cathedral.
Holy Trinity, Guildford
On 3rd May the second Trinity Folk Festival was held at Holy Trinity church.
Guests included Martyn Joseph, Jez Lowe & the Bad Pennies, Miranda
Sykes & Rex Preston, and Luke Jackson. The festival raised funds for
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Oakleaf Enterprise.
On 4th August the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War was
commemorated in a service in Holy Trinity church. The Revd Rod Pierce
conducted the service which was attended by around forty people. Candles
and lights were put out at intervals until only one candle was left; to be
extinguished at 11pm, one hundred years to the minute after war was
declared in 1914.
On 20th September the Artists and Makers Guild organised their first festival
in Holy Trinity church. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
On 7th March the Guildford Fairtrade Group put on Discover Fairtrade, an
event in Holy Trinity where Fairtrade products were on sale. The Deputy
Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, was guest of honour.
St Nicolas, Guildford
On 6th November the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, officially opened the
20th annual Cards for Good Causes charity Christmas shop at St Nicolas'.
On 16th November the Guildford & Godalming Interfaith Forum held a multifaith event in St. Nicolas’ Parish Room. Representatives of seven different
religious traditions spoke on the topic of religious freedom, sharing prayers
and music. £100 was raised for Guildford Action.
On 21st December the Mayor gave a short speech about his chosen charity,
ABF The Soldiers' Charity – Surrey, at the St Nicolas' Carol Service.
Hillsong Community Church
On 15th February the Guildford Campus of the Hillsong Community Church
held its first service in G Live, its new home. The Mayor, Councillor David
Elms, attended.
Guildford & Woking Humanists
On 10th February the newly-formed Guildford & Woking Humanists group
held a meeting at the Guildford Institute, addressed by Pavan Dhaliwal,
Head of Public Affairs at the British Humanist Association. Amongst other
topics, the role of humanism in school religious studies was discussed.
St Mary’s, Guildford
On 6th March the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith attended the
Women's World Day of Prayer Annual Service at St Mary's Church,
Guildford.
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Churches at Risk
In October English Heritage published its annual Heritage at Risk Register.
It included Holy Trinity, Guildford; St Mary's, Guildford; St Luke’s, Burpham
and St Paul, Tongham. Holy Trinity had defective gutters, cracked
rendering, leaks, slipped slates, and open joints to the brick and stonework.
St Mary's had decaying stonework in the tower and window surrounds. St
Luke’s had defective roof tiling and rainwater disposal. St Paul’s needed
repairs to the roof, guttering and stonework. The churches were encouraged
to apply for Heritage Lottery Fund grants.
Passion play
On 19th April 2014 the Wintershall Estate presented The Passion of Jesus in
Guildford High Street. It was the fifteenth annual performance, with a cast of
80. Beginning at the bottom of the High Street, the play moved up to the
crucifixion outside Holy Trinity church. On 4th April 2015 the sixteenth
performance was given.
Muslims for Humanity
On 27th April the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held ‘Muslims for
Humanity’ in Tongham Village Hall, an event to raise awareness of their
revival movement within Islam which encourages its followers to live with
mutual love and affection. Their motto “Love for All, Hatred for None” was
demonstrated by their fund-raising for local relief during the recent floods.
Among those attending were the Mayor, Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs,
accompanied by her Chaplain, the Reverend Monica Taylor.
Islam
On 26th July Dr Chris Hewer gave the first of two study days entitled
‘Understanding Islam: the Basics’ in the Diocesan Education Centre at the
Cathedral. It aimed to explain Islam through the eyes of a Muslim believer.
Hinduism
From 25th September to 3rd October the nine nights of the Hindu festival of
Navratri were marked with religious music, dancing and prayer at Holy
Trinity and Fairlands Community Centre. It was organised by the
Anandmilan community group. On 7th October the Sharad Purima harvest
festival was celebrated.
Guildford & Godalming Interfaith Forum
On 16th November Guildford and Godalming Interfaith Forum
commemorated Interfaith Week with a devotional meeting at St Nicolas'
Parish Room, Guildford. With a theme of religious freedom, representatives
from seven faiths shared prayers and music from their traditions. The
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended.
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On 14th April a public meeting on ‘Are we what we eat?’ was held at St
Joseph’s, Eastgate Gardens.
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Charities
Royal Voluntary Service
On12th May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms presented the Royal
Voluntary Service’s Long Service Awards at the Guildhall, together with the
Service’s Chief Executive, David McCullough. There were 58 recipients in
all, from a variety of local charities.
Voluntary Action South West Surrey
In July Voluntary Action South West Surrey published an updated booklet
listing over fifty clubs and organisations in Park Barn and Westborough
area. It was part of the ‘Joining In’ project, funded by Travel SMART.
In December Community Connectors, an organisation in north Guildford
that connects lonely or isolated elderly people with someone to help them,
received a £10,000 grant from the Poyle Trust. This enabled the scheme,
which is managed by Voluntary Action South West Surrey, to continue.
Help for Heroes
In April 2014 staff at Debenhams in Millbrook raised over £3,000 for the
military charity Help for Heroes.
Samson Centre
On 7th August the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited the Samson Centre
at Riverside, with members of the Access Group. The Samson Centre is the
home of the Guildford Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Group, which is a self-help
group for people affected by multiple sclerosis.
On 11th September John Hambly, founder of the Samson Centre, received
the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Eagle Radio’s Community
Champions celebrations at G Live.
On 13th September the Samson Centre's Queen Tribute concert took place
at G Live. The Queen tribute act, Rhapsody was followed by a silent auction
which raised funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Group. The Deputy
Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, was in the audience.
On 25th November the High Sheriff of Surrey, Peter Lee, visited the Centre.
Disability Challengers
On 31st May the Challengers celebrated their 35th anniversary celebrations
at Stoke Park. The actress Sally Phillips helped with a balloon launch, as
well as two patrons, the British Paralympian Rachel Morris and the actor
Matthew Kelly. There was live music in the evening. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, attended, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki
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Nelson-Smith.
On 12th October the fifth annual Kelly's Riverside Run raised over £14,000
for Disability Challengers.
On 23rd February an evening event was held by the Challengers Business
Club at G Live. George Robson of the Harlequins Rugby Club addressed
the networking meeting.
Shooting Star CHASE
On 17th September Shooting Star CHASE opened a charity shop in
Tunsgate. On the same day the charity won the Brand Development prize
for the best new, changed or evolved brand in the Third Sector Awards.
On 22nd October the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the
Christopher's Hospice Open Day.
In November the Kids Inc. Day Nursery presented over £1,000 to CHASE.
The money had been raised at the nursery’s summer fair.
On 23rd December Red Watch from Guildford Fire Station provided a
seasonal treat by covering the hospice in fake snow from their foamproducing fire engine. Hundreds of toys, donated to the Surrey Advertiser’s
campaign, were handed over for the children.
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice
Surrey Sands
In April 2014 Guildford Borough Council made a grant of £4,412 to Surrey
Sands, the neonatal death charity. This went towards the construction of a
babies’ memorial garden at Guildford Crematorium.
Count the Kicks
On 20th July Count the Kicks, a charity aimed at reducing stillbirths, held a
Teddy Bears Picnic at the Sutherland Memorial Park in Burpham. During
the event, the Guinness World Record for the largest number of tombola
prizes was broken, with 5,104 against the previous record of 4,802.
Crossroads Care Surrey
On 13th June, as part of Carers’ Week, Crossroads Care Surrey hosted a
Dementia Care Café at Fairlands Community Centre to thank 25 local
carers. The charity provides respite breaks to unpaid carers.
Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre
On 24th June pupils of Frances Andrade, the Guildford music teacher who
had taken her own life after giving evidence in a sexual abuse trial, gave a
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concert in her memory at the Guildford Institute. The money raised went to
the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre.
On 22nd November the RASASC held its Winter Fair at the Guildhall, with
gifts and refreshments. Amongst those attending were the Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, and Anne Milton, MP for Guildford.
In April figures showed that incidents of rape in 2013-14 were relatively low
in Surrey. There were 18 per 100,000 offences against adults and 35 per
100,000 against children, compared with the national average of 28 per
100,000 adults and 72 per 100,000 children.
National Centre for Domestic Violence
On 16th September the National Centre for Domestic Violence opened its
new headquarters in Edgeborough House on the Upper Edgeborough
Road. The service provides an emergency injunction service to survivors of
domestic violence. The Assistant Chief Constable, Louisa Rolfe, performed
the official opening, which the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
Halow Project
On 22nd May Olivio, the Quarry Street restaurant, announced that it would
donate 50p to Halow, which supports young people with a learning
disability, for every dish of spaghetti bolognese that was ordered.
On 30th July thirteen of Halow’s young people went llama trekking, paired
with volunteers from National Citizen Services, who attended local schools.
The following day the NCS members collected donations for Halow on
Guildford High Street.
On 15th September the chartered accountants Moore Stephens organised a
pub quiz at The Albany, Guildford. More than a hundred business people
from banks, solicitors, and other local organisations competed, raising over
£1,000 for Halow.
On 3rd December the Project opened an exhibition entitled This Is Me, My
Voice, My Choice at St Mary's Church, Guildford. Photographs and mixed
media images depicted young people from the Project. The Mayor attended
the occasion.
On 31st January the local band Voodoo Stripe played Jimmy Hendrix
classics at the Keystone pub in the Portsmouth Road as part of the launch
of the fund-raising campaign ‘Love Halow’.
On 21st March the Halow Project's annual party was held at the Stoke &
District Horticultural Society in Bellfields. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor
Nikki Nelson-Smith, was a guest.
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Carers Support Guildford
There are four Carers Groups in the Guildford area, meeting once a month;
at Ash, Fairlands, Horsley, and a Parent Carer Group in Ash.
In the spring of 2015 the Trustees of Carers Support decided to establish a
new Friendship Group in Guildford. The main purpose of the group was to
support former carers when they were bereaved or their caring role ceased.
Fountain Centre
In February the Fountain Centre was presented with £10,000, raised by
Guildford Golf Club as its charity of the year.
Cancer Research UK
On 25th May 2,800 runners took part in the Race for Life, held for the
second year at the Surrey Sports Park. The 5k charity run raised
sponsorship for Cancer Research UK.
In March Charles Russell Speechlys, based in London Square, were
appointed by Cancer Research UK to provide legal services for the
administration of legacies to the charity.
Oesophago-gastric Cancer Project
On 21st June the third annual Oesophageal & Gastric Cancer Awareness
event was held at the Bandstand in the Castle Grounds. There was a
display of owls and the Accidentals Concert Band and Grandpa’s Spells
Jazz Band performed. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
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Guildford Undetected Tumour Screening
In June four bowel cancer sufferers underwent the first treatments with the
new Papillon radiotherapy machine at St Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal
Surrey County Hospital. The hospital was the first in the south of England to
offer this kind of treatment for bowel cancer; a form of radiotherapy. GUTS
had helped to raise the £200k required to purchase the Papillon machine.
The Prostate Project
On 22nd June Sounds of Summer was presented by the Guildford
Barbershop Harmony Club at the Electric Theatre in aid of the Prostate
Project. There were contributions from Surrey Fringe, Vocal Dimension,
dancers from the Susan Roberts Academy, and the harpist Margaret
Watson, amongst others. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
The Octobeard Fest raised over £80,000 for a trial of a prostate treatment at
the Surrey Cancer Research Institute.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
From 17th to 19th April, swimmers took part in Swimathon 2015, fundraising
for Marie Curie Cancer care at Guildford Spectrum. It was part of the UK’s
biggest fundraising swimming event.
Macmillan Cancer Support
On 2nd August helium balloons were released at Ripley Cricket Club to raise
funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. In return for a donation of £2, entrants
could write their name on a tag and stand a chance of winning a prize for
the furthest travelled balloon.
On 26th September the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning saw a wide variety
of companies, organisations and groups in the Borough holding coffee
mornings to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Among them, the
Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended one at the Holiday Inn, and the
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith attended another at Mount
Alvernia Hospital, which raised £1,110.
On 12th February the Macmillan Aftercare and Rehabilitation Service won
the National Quality in Care Oncology award for supporting people through
a team approach. The team provides a specialist follow-up service for
people who have completed treatment for head and neck cancer at St
Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
On 4th March the Guildford Area Group’s annual quiz, held at the Ashuka
Tandoori in Merrow, raised over £1,800. Guildford’s MP, Anne Milton,
attended.
On 20th March a gig by the rock band Fake ID at the Star in Quarry Street
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raised £500 for the charity.
Guildford Talking Newspaper
On 28th April 2014 the Guildford Talking newspaper celebrated the first
anniversary of its conversion from cassette tape format to digital memory
sticks.
Sight for Surrey
On 3rd May the Mayor, Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, hosted her
Diamond Ball at G Live, in aid of Sight for Surrey. There was a Grand
Auction with the auctioneer Jonathan Pratt, a Grand Raffle and dancing to
the Co-Stars Party Band.
Oakleaf Enterprise
In June the Santander Foundation donated £5,000 to Oakleaf Enterprise,
based in Walnut Tree Close, which provides vocational training and
employment support for people with mental health illnesses.
On 10th September, World Suicide Prevention Day, Oakleaf Enterprise
reported that there had been 35 suicides in Guildford during the previous
year. The Chief Executive, Clive Stone, said the area had specific
pressures, particularly concerning employment and the cost of living.
On 10th October volunteers raised over £2,000 for Oakleaf on World Mental
Health Day by walking over a 15-foot trail of hot coals.
Children in Need
On 26th October singer-songwriter Emma Stevens of Guildford performed a
twelve-hour singathon under the Tunsgate Arch to raise money for Children
in Need. Hoping to raise £500, she collected over £1,200.
Samaritan’s Purse
At Christmas Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity with an office in the
High Street, distributed boxes of presents to children around the world as
part of their Operation Christmas Child.
British Heart Foundation
On 17th May a fair at the Fairlands Community Centre to raise money for the
British Heart Foundation and Action for Bladder Cancer raised £800. The
Mayor, Councillor David Elms, accompanied by the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy
Elms, attended, as did Guildford’s MP Anne Milton.
On 7th November the Mayor, accompanied by the Mayoress, attended the
British Heart Foundation Autumn Fair at the Holiday Inn, Guildford.
On 13th February the British Heart Foundation launched National Heart
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Month with an event at the Guildford Children's Centre in Bellfields. Hats off
to Laurel and Hardy featured Tony Carpenter as Stan Laurel, and Philip
Hutchinson as Oliver Hardy. The Mayor and the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy
Elms, were in the audience.
On 27th February the British Heart Foundation held an event at the Holiday
Inn in Guildford to thank the hotel for its help in raising over £18,000 for the
charity in five years. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, accompanied by
the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms, attended.
In February the Spectrum Leisure Centre raised over £10,000 for the British
Heart Foundation through fund-raising events and a £10 donation from each
new joining fee.
Headway Surrey
On 23rd May Robert Keen, President of the United Kingdom Air Cargo Club
presented a cheque to Headway Surrey for £8,000 at the charity’s offices in
North Road. The Cargo Club’s members are based mainly round Heathrow
and Gatwick airports.
On 30th October the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted Headway’s 20th
anniversary celebrations at its annual meeting in the Guildhall. The brain
injury charity had been registered in 1994.
On 15th January the Rotary Club of Guildford presented a cheque for £6,400
to Headway Surrey, which had been the club’s President’s Charity during
2014. The money had been raised by collections and events, including
garden parties, street collections and the annual Bridge Day.
Diabetes UK
On 30th June Roy Johnson, Chairman of the Guildford and South West
Surrey Diabetes UK Group, received the charity's National Supporting
Diabetes UK Inspire Award at the House of Commons. Figures released in
July showed that around 9% of the local population had been diagnosed
with diabetes.
On 28th February the South East ‘Making a Difference’ Conference was held
at the Holiday Inn, Guildford.
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Community Foundation for Surrey
On 23rd June the Community Foundation for Surrey announced at an event
at the University of Surrey that it had helped over fifty disabled people
during the two years that its Surrey Supported Employment fund had been
making grants.
Business in the Community
On 16th May Business in the Community organised Give & Gain Day, in
which office workers volunteered for community projects. Fifty volunteers
built a village of nine yurts at Henley Fort to accommodate schoolchildren.
Water Aid
On 14th June the West Surrey group of Water Aid started their annual
sponsored walks from Newlands Corner. Over seventy walkers took part,
including Guildford’s MP Anne Milton. The money raised went towards the
Water Aid campaign ‘To be a Girl’, which sought to transform lives of the
world’s poorest people by giving them access to safe water and sanitation.
Ebola Crisis Appeal
In November the Disaster Emergency Committee thanked the people of
Guildford for raising £102,000 for its Ebola Crisis Appeal to cope with the
epidemic in West Africa.
Artventure Trust
In the early months of 2015 the Artventure Trust painted a mural along a
thirty-two metre wall opposite the Electric Theatre. The theme was arts and
community, and depicted scenes of Guildford life both in the town and the
countryside.
Woodland Trust
On 1st November Sam Jones of Guildford was named Volunteer of the Year
by the Woodland Trust as the best champion of woods and trees. The
Juniper Award was given for his work as a local media volunteer.
Lloyds Bank Community Fund
In November the Lloyds Bank Community Fund gave donations to four
Guildford charities. The Matrix Trust received £3,000; Pond Meadow
Special School £2,000; National Autistic Society Surrey Branch £1,000; and
2nd Guildford Scout Group £500.
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Organisations and Societies
Guildford Lions
On 21st April 2014 the Guildford Lions’ annual Easter Fair was held in
Shalford Park. Many attended to see a dog show, a classic car display, a
farmer’s market and a car boot sale. Some £5,000 was raised for charity. On
6th April 2015 more than 3,000 visitors attended, including the Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith.
On 5th July the annual Charity Raft Race was held at Millmead. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, judged the best decorated raft before officially starting
the race. The Mayor and Mayoress then boarded the National Trust’s electric
launch to go down stream to the Riverside Centre for the presentation of
prizes to the winners. The theme was nursery rhymes and the overall winner
was Holdaway Building Services’ Hooks Wet Dream. The event raised around
£4,000 for charity.
On 7th September the Guildford Lions sponsored races at Hatchlands Park
raised around £1,000 for local charities. A hundred competitors were started
by the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, accompanied by Guildford’s MP Anne
Milton and the Lions’ president, Barry Jutsum. David Rollins won the men’s
10k race, and Karen Collins the women’s. Jon Ladley and Susan Illman won
the men’s and women’s 5k races.
On 24th January the Guildford Lions Senior Citizens Party was held at
Shalford Village Hall. The Mayor and Mayoress were guests.
Freemasonry
On 28th September the Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey’s annual
thanksgiving service was held at Guildford Cathedral. Among those attending
were the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad DCVO JP, and the
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith. The Provincial Grand Master,
Eric Stuart-Bamford, presented a cheque for £20,000 to the Dean, the Very
Revd Dianna Gwilliams, in support of the Cathedral Appeal.
Rotary Club of Guildford
On 25th September Rotary Club of Guildford’s street collection raised over
£675 for the Ebola bucket clean water initiative. Seventy hand-washing
buckets can now be provided in Liberia to restrict the spread of the infection
there. By Christmas the Guildford Rotary Ebola Appeal had raised £7,537.
On 13th December the Rotary Club Christmas Fair was held at the Royal
Grammar School. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended.
On 14th December the Mayor was guest of honour at the Rotary Club of
Guildford's Mayor of Guildford's Christmas Concert, performed by the Vivace
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Chorus, at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford. Proceeds from the concert went to
the Mayor’s Local Distress Fund and the retiring collection to the Mayor's
chosen charity: ABF The Soldiers' Charity - Surrey.
Rotary Club of Guildford District
On 11th May the Rotary Club of Guildford District’s annual 10km sponsored
walk set out from Shalford Park. Several hundred walked the route, taking in
Bramley, Wonersh and Chilworth. Many small, local charities benefited from
the approximately £20,000 raised.
Rotary Club of Guildford Chantries
The year’s chosen charities were the Halow Project and the Royal Surrey
County Hospital Charitable Fund. Support continued for the Beacon Centre
and Guildford Action.
Guildford Society
In April 2014 the Society’s Design & Heritage Annual Report saw Guildford’s
heritage and landscape to be under threat from a combination of a new Local
Plan and proposed new development. The economic recovery, Guildford’s
position as a regional economic centre and continued inward migration were
seen as increasing pressure for development. However, it was recognised
that development and regeneration were essential.
On 13th November the Crabtree Award was presented by Robin, Countess of
Onslow to Perdita Hunt in recognition of her work for the Watts Gallery. Then
followed the eighth Guildford Society & University of Surrey Annual
Architecture Lecture by John Letherland on "Growth in the South-East: an
Opportunity for Placemaking ?"
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Holy Trinity Amenity Group
On 22nd June the annual HTAG open gardens day was held, with members in
Castle Hill and Chantry View Road agreeing to let the public view their
gardens.
On 15th October the pumpkin competition was won by Gordon
Bridger.
Guildford Mukono Link
On 21st May the High Commissioner of Uganda, Prof. Joyce Kikafunda, was
the guest of honour at the meeting of the Guildford Mukono Link at the
Guildhall. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, greeted her and presentations
were made by local primary schools about their links with schools in Mukono.
Worplesdon Primary School raised £300 for Mukono Boarding School.
Guildford-Freiburg Association
On 31st May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, welcomed the head of
Freiburg's International Relations office, Günter Burger and his team. The
group, joined by members of the Guildford-Freiburg Association, toured the
town centre with a Guildford Town Guide and took afternoon tea at the Gallery
Café, Guildford House.
At the end of June members paid their annual visit to Freiburg. The Chairman,
Peter Slade, was presented with a certificate, recognising the ten years that
he had served the Association, by the Burgermeister, Otto Neldeck.
On 17th August the Guildford-Freiburg Association Summer Party was held at
Grasmere Close, Merrow. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith,
accompanied by her Consort, Mr Mig Vale, were guests.
24 October the Guildford- Freiburg Churches Link social evening took place at
St Mary’s, Shalford.
On 13th November the distinguished German TV journalist Susanne Gelhard
gave the Guildford-Freiburg Association annual lecture in the Guildhall. Her
subject was The EU and Germany.
On 13th December the Guildford-Freiburg Christmas Market was held in the
Guildhall. Items on sale included wooden toys, candles and German
Christmas food. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended, accompanied
by the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms.
On 16th January the Guildford-Freiburg Association's Lecture, Music of the
Spheres was given by Hartmut Warm at the Guildhall. The Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith was in the audience.
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Circle 8 Film Group
On 19th July the Circle Eight Film Group premiered its feature-length
documentary film Guildford in the Great War at the Electric Theatre. There
was a full audience, including the Mayor, Councillor David Elms. During the
year, the group celebrated its Golden Jubilee, having been founded in 1964
by a circle of school-leavers using 8 millimetre film to make amateur movies.
Since then, they had produced 204 film and video productions, and won 128
awards at International, National and Regional Film Festivals.
Charlotteville Jubilee Trust
On 24th January Burns Night was celebrated at the Spike Heritage Centre in
Warren Road, with whisky tastings, the traditional supper, and dancing to
Hogs Back Band.
Guildford Institute
In July the Guildford Institute was granted £7,700 to refurbish the kitchen,
match-funded by Surrey County Council. The kitchen supplies The Beano,
Guildford’s only vegetarian restaurant.
On 4th November the physicist Professor Alf Adams of the University of Surrey
gave a talk at the Institute on his work on the strained semiconductor laser
and it impact on many electronic devices. Professor Adams is a Fellow of the
Royal Society.
Guildford Model Engineering Society
On 5th and 6th July Guildford Model Engineering Society’s annual steam rally
and exhibition was held in Stoke Park. There were miniature steam train rides,
garden railways and the 00 gauge indoor layout. There were also model
traction engines steaming around the site, model boating pools, and model
aero and internal combustion engines, amongst other demonstrations and
displays.
Guildford Archery Club
In April 2014 Guildford Archery Club received a grant of £45,000 from Sport
England to rebuild its store and provide new Olympic-standard targets at its
base at the Manor Fruit Farm in Normandy.
On 10th May the club celebrated its diamond jubilee by planting a yew tree –
the traditional wood for bows – at its Manor Fruit Farm base. It was
announced that it had been voted Club of the Year for 2014, and the High
Sheriff of Surrey, Peter Lee, presented the club’s President, Colin Ellsley, with
a commemorative medal.
On 9th July Guildford Archery Club was named Ontarget Club of the Year by
Archery GB, the national governing body for the sport.
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On 25th August the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, shot the First Arrow to open
the Acorn Tournament at Guildford Archery Club. The trophy was won by the
club itself, against competition from Richmond and Woking.
Guildford Astronomical Society
On 20th March the Guildford Astronomical Society gathered at Newlands
Corner to view the predicted partial eclipse of the sun. Unfortunately, heavy
cloud cover prevented any observations.
English Speaking Union
On 27th October the Guildford branch of the English Speaking Union held an
evening at the Bar Des Arts in Millbrook. Special guests included Jane
Easton, the ESU’s director general, Catherine Moorhead, who spoke on the
Victorian explorer Haversham Godwin-Austen, and Nick Wyschna, who
provided musical entertainment. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki NelsonSmith, attended.
Hungarian Cultural Association
On 12th July the Hungarian Cultural Association celebrated its 5th anniversary
with traditional dance and singing at the St John's Centre, Merrow. The first
two members of the Sustaining Hungarian Community Engagement Project
were welcomed, followed by a team-building workshop. The Mayor, Councillor
David Elms, attended.
The County Club
In the calendar year 2014 events at the club raised £8,570 for charities, with
an additional £1,408 given from Club funds.
On 19th February a showing of the Circle Eight film group’s Grandad’s
Guildford at the Club raised £2,000 for the Michael Varah Memorial Fund and
the Fountain Centre.
On 23rd April the Mayor, Councillor David Elms started the inaugural County
Club Car Rally from Guildford High Street. The money raised from this event
will go to the Mayor's chosen charity, The Army Benevolent Fund - The
Soldiers' Charity, Surrey. The 4 day event is an 860 mile route starting in
Guildford, and ending up in Calais via St Malo and Le Mans.
CAMRA
On 28th May four founding members of the South Surrey group of the
Campaign for Real Ale met once again at the Three Pigeons in Guildford High
Street. They were marking the fortieth anniversary of the group, formed in
1974 to preserve traditional British beer.
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The National Trust
From 11th to 13th July the Puffing a' Wey steamboat rally was held at Dapdune
Wharf, at which some owners offered river trips on their steam-powered
boats. The event was jointly organised by the National Trust and the
Steamboat Association of Great Britain.
In August the National Trust completed repairs following the damage caused
to the River Wey by the winter floods. Along the stretch between Millmead
Lock and Ladymead in Guildford, the river burst its banks and destroyed the
towpath.
On 27th and 28th September the National Trust’s River Wey Festival was held
at Dapdune Wharf. On 27th September the Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended the unveiling of the Transport Trust's ‘Red Wheel’ plaque
commemorating one of the first rivers to be canalised for commercial traffic in
1653.
On 9th December the Mayor officially reopened Millmead Lock, which had its
gates renewed.
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Culture and Entertainment
Surrey Hills International Music Festival
From 1st to 4th May the fifth Surrey Hills International Music Festival was
held. On 3rd May, at a gala concert at St Teresa’s School, Effingham, three
international soloists, Crispian Steele-Perkins, Wu Qian and Lawrence
Power performed with the London Mozart Players, conducted by Daniel
Cohen.
Surrey Poetry Festival
On 24th May the 2014 Surrey Poetry Festival took as its theme ‘Performing
and Translation’, presenting some of the work of poets, performers and
translators. Organised by the University of Surrey, its principal venue was
the Guildhall.
Vivace Chorus
On 27th April eleven singers from the Vivace Chorus cycled into the town
centre on their sponsored ride from Paris to London. (Paris was where Verdi
had started writing his Requiem.) They raised around £10,000 for the
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which provides support to families who
have a child with a terminal illness. On 18th May the Chorus performed
Verdi’s Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall.
On 15th November the Vivace Chorus concert at Guildford Cathedral
featured Bach’s B minor Mass. Both the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, and
the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended.
On 7th March a concert at G Live was given by the Vivace Chorus, together
with the violin soloist Tasmin Little, and the Brandenburg Sinfonia. The
conductor was Jeremy Backhouse.
Guildford Choral Society
On 21st June, at the summer concert, Jonathan Willcocks conducted the
Guildford Choral Society in David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus and Ariel
Ramírez’ Misa Criolla at Guildford Cathedral.
On 1st November the Society celebrated its 175th anniversary with a concert
at Guildford Cathedral. The programme included Beethoven’s Mass in C
and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was in
the audience.
Occam Singers
On 1st November the Occam Singers performed Rachmaninov’s Vespers in
Holy Trinity, Guildford. Conducted by David Gibson, the work was based on
traditional ancient Russian Orthodox chant. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor
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Nikki Nelson-Smith, was in the audience.
On 25th April the Occam Singers Concert at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford
was attended by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith.
Surrey Festival Choir
On 12th July the Surrey Festival Choir gave their War and Peace concert in
Guildford Cathedral to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War. It
included Haydn's Mass in Troubled Times and Dona Nobis Pacem by
Vaughan Williams. A collection was made for the charity Help for Heroes.
Guildford Symphony Orchestra
On 17th May the Guildford Symphony Orchestra's gave their Last Night of
the Proms concert at G Live. The programme included music from several
European countries, ending with the traditional Rule Britannia, Jerusalem,
and Land of Hope & Glory. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was in the
audience.
On 28th March the Guildford Symphony Orchestra held its annual Una Clark
Young Artists Concert at Guildford County School. Five finalists performed
concerto movements with the Orchestra for the prestigious Jellinek Award.
The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was in the audience.
Guildford Art Society
From 17th October to 9th November the Guildford Art Society staged its
autumn exhibition at Guildford House Gallery.
This is Guildford by Brenda McKinnon of the GAS was chosen by the Mayor
of Guildford, Councillor David Elms, as the image to appear on his personal
‘thank you’ cards which he sent throughout his mayoral year.
From 17th April to 4th May 2015 the spring exhibition was mounted at
Guildford House.
Surrey Artists Open Studios
From 7th to 22nd June the summer Surrey Artists’ Open Studios programme
offered the opportunity to meet local artists and take part in work. Amongst
local participants was the Artventure Trust, which opened its studios at St.
Peter's School in Merrow.
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Surrey County Show
On 24th May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, welcomed the King's Troop,
Royal Horse Artillery, as they rode up Guildford High Street. The 36
horsemen of the troop were in Guildford to present their Musical Drive at the
Surrey County Show on the following Monday. On 26th May heavy rain fell
on the Surrey County Show in Stoke Park, organised by Surrey County
Agricultural Society. Nevertheless, 24,000 attended and there were
hundreds of entries for livestock, horse and donkey, floristry, bees and
honey and dog classes and the poultry show. The Mayor, accompanied by
the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms, attended the President's Lunch. However,
the muddy conditions left the show organisers with a large bill to restore the
damaged turf.
Wild Wood Adventure
On 17th May the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, officially launched the Wild
Wood Adventure aerial adventure course in Stoke Park’s Peacock Wood by
sliding down a zip wire. The course, costing £880,000, includes zip-wires,
climbing walls and a 15-metre free fall, together with a new car park and
other public facilities. It is operated as a partnership between Craggy Island
Ltd and Guildford Borough Council.
AirHop
On 7thJuly the AirHop Trampoline Park was launched in the Midleton
Industrial Estate, consisting of fifty interconnected trampolines in a free
jump zone. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended the
opening.
Crossfit
On 2nd August the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, officially opened Crossfit
Gym's new building at Pew Corner, on the Old Portsmouth Road.
G Live
On 22nd May The Two Worlds of Charlie F opened at G Live. In the
centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, the play stars wounded,
injured and sick military personnel and professional actors. The production
contributed to the Royal British Legion. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended.
On 5th July Surrey Dance Partnership presented a festival of workshops and
dance performances at G Live. It included family storytelling, street dance,
line dancing, Bollywood dancing and a tea dance, run by Surrey Swing.
On 14th July the Surrey Music Hub held its second annual music education
conference called All Together Now. The event celebrated good practice
and increased partnership working in music education. The work of young
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musicians and groups from Surrey were showcased.
On 21st July a sculpture celebrating Guildford’s involvement in the 2012
Olympics was installed at G Live on the grassed area near the London
Road. The steel figure, by Ian Campbell-Briggs MRBS, represents Juno
carrying the Olympic Torch.
On 4th August a man from Shropshire was arrested on suspicion of
manslaughter by gross negligence in connection with the deaths of two men
at G Live in February 2013.
On 14th February the Royal British Legion’s Swinging to Victory concert was
staged by the Astor Big Band at G Live. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki
Nelson-Smith, accompanied by her consort, Mr Mig Vale, attended and half
of the profits went to the Legion.
The Boileroom
In June the Boileroom stood accused of breaching the terms of its licence. A
group of residents complained to the council about public safety, and the
prevention of crime and disorder. A petition, called “Save the Boileroom
from Closure”, gained thousands of signatures. On 19th September a
licensing sub-committee of Guildford Borough Council decided that the
Boileroom could keep its licence, suggesting that the beer garden close half
an hour earlier and that noise levels should be lowered.
On 2nd December the Boileroom signed up to the charity Attitude is
Everything's Charter of Best Practice, who campaign for access to live
music events for disabled and deaf fans. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended the event at the Boileroom, which was the 100th venue to join the
campaign.
On 7th February the Boileroom held its annual Vintage Guildford event, this
time in the nave of Guildford Cathedral. There were stalls selling vintage
clothing and records, vintage hairdressing and makeup, live music and a
vintage fashion show.
Guildford Shakespeare Company
From 12th to 28th June the Guildford Shakespeare Company gave an openair performance of Twelfth Night at Guildford Castle.
From 14th to 26th July they performed Henry V in the grounds of Guildford
Cathedral, the first time they had used that venue.
From 23rd October to 8th November The Canterbury Tales was staged in St
Mary's Church, Guildford. On 27th October the Mayor attended the
performance.
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On 17th January the Guildford Shakespeare Company's production of King
Lear, starring Brian Blessed, opened in Holy Trinity Church, Guildford. The
Mayor attended. On 19th January Brian Blessed collapsed while playing
Lear. He recovered and went on with the performance without further
incident.
All the World's a Stage
On 9th July All The World's a Stage presented their final Lock-In cabaret
night at the Stoke Hotel.
Story Pocket Theatre
Over the New Year the Story Pocket Theatre presented The Nutcracker in
the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre’s Mill Studio.
Guildford Summer Festival
From 20th June to 15th August the 31st Guildford Summer Festival was held.
There were over a hundred events, including the Town Centre Cycle Races,
Guildford Festival Craft Fair, Farmers’ Markets, Guildford Cricket Festival,
Guildford Lions Raft Race, drama in the Castle Grounds, classical concerts,
Guilfest and Guildford Walkfest. Many events were dedicated to the
commemoration of the First World War.
Herald Players
From 17th to 26th July the Herald Players production of Kenneth Grahame’s
The Wind in the Willows was staged at the bandstand in Guildford Castle
Grounds.
From 22nd to 25th April they performed My Mother Said I Never Should by
Charlotte Keatley at the Star Inn in Quarry Street.
Surrey Sculpture Society
From 7th July to 18th August the Surrey Sculpture Society staged a sculpture
trail in the Walled Garden at Loseley House. It formed part of the
celebrations of the Society’s 20th anniversary.
From 30th September to 6th November the Surrey Sculpture Society further
marked its 20th anniversary with an exhibition in Guildford Cathedral. Work
by 35 artists was displayed, including work in bronze, stone, ceramic, glass,
resin and metal
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
On 9th May the second Surrey Young Superstars Awards ceremony was
held in the Mill Studio. The awards, organised by Haslemere Travel and the
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, honour young people for their achievements.
Dame Penelope Keith presented the awards. Lauren Hillman of Worplesdon
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was the overall winner as well as the Fundraising Superstar in the 13-19year-old group. The Courageous Superstars were Oli Nuttall of Aldro School
and Alex Perryer of Guildford. Jay and Robyn Parsons of Guildford were
given the Caring Superstars award for looking after their mother, and the
Fundraising Superstar (5-12 years) was Ronan Lenane of Cranmore
School, West Horsley. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the
ceremony.
In September the Yvonne Arnaud’s Youth theatre began an apprenticeship
scheme, in which young people could gain experience of theatre
administration.
On 7th December the annual Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Service was held at St
Mary's, Guildford. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was in the
congregation.
On 15th December Seymours Independent Estate Agents became a
Guardian Angel of the theatre by renewing its sponsorship for the third year.
Having lost its Arts Council funding in 2008, the Guardian Angels initiative
had raised £240,000. The theatre attracted some 150,000 people each
year.
On 29th January the Yvonne Arnaud was awarded £5,000 by the Theatres
Trust towards the refurbishment and installation of automatic sliding
entrance doors. This aimed to improve access and ensure a better
experience for audiences at the theatre
Electric Theatre
Among a full programme throughout the year, from 27th July to 2nd August
the Electric Theatre staged the Electric Film Festival.
On 28th February Voices in Concert featured local choirs and singers,
performing to raise funds for the Detecting Women's Cancers Appeal of the
Royal Surrey County Hospital.
Guildford Arts
From 9th – 24th July the Guildford Arts summer exhibition was staged in the
Mill Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Works by 24 artists included
paintings, prints, sculpture, glass and ceramics.
Guildford Beer Festival
On 25th and 26th July the fifth Guildford Beer Festival was hosted by
Guildford Cricket Club at the Sports Ground in Woodbridge Road. There
were over seventy cask ales from local independent and micro-breweries,
including the Hog’s Back Brewery and the Little Beer Company, who both
introduced a lager. Live music was provided by Andertons and the
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Boileroom.
Friary Guildford Brass Band
On 19th May the Friary Guildford Band won the Southern Counties Amateur
Bands’ Association Entertainment Contest and took the prizes for the Best
March and Best Soloist.
On 11th October Friary Guildford represented London and the Southern
Counties at the National Championships in London, where they came 16th
out of twenty finalists.
On 7th December the Friary Guildford Brass Band Christmas Concert was
held at the Park Barn Centre, in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The
Mayor, accompanied by the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms, attended.
On 17th January the Friary ended fifth in the Butlins Mineworkers’
Championships, receiving a £1,000 prize and the Butlins Trophy as the
Most Entertaining Band and Best Bass Section.
On 22nd March the band came top in the London and Southern Counties
championships, qualifying for the third successive year for the national
finals.
Ambassador Band
On 25th November the Ambassador Band, based in the Worplesdon Road,
was voted the best wedding band in London and South East at the Wedding
Industry Awards at Farnham Castle. The band performed music from the
1960s to the present day.
Guildford Book Festival
From 12th to 19th October 25th Guildford Book Festival hosted over fifty
events at several venues in the town. Authors who gave presentations
included the BBC broadcaster Andrew Marr, Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Kate
Mosse, the cricketer Kevin Pietersen, and The Countess of Caernarvon.
Guildford Opera
On 18th-19th and 21st to 22nd November the Guildford Opera Company
staged Kevin John’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme at the Electric
Theatre. Hannah Kirk sang the part of Mimi and the orchestra was under
the direction of Kevin Griffin.
Southern Pro Musica
On 20th June Southern Pro Musica presented Saint Saens’ Carnival of the
Animals at Holy Trinity Church, together with Carnival 2 by Guildford
composer Peter White. The guest double bassist was Tom Martin. The
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Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the concert.
On 10th October Southern Pro Musica performed From the New World at
Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, with works by Dvorak and Smetana. The
conductor was Jonathan Willcocks and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki
Nelson-Smith, attended.
On 22nd March the orchestra was joined by pianist Lucy Parham for works
by Mozart. It was their first performance at the Yvonne Arnaud and marked
the end of the annual Guildford International Music Festival. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, was in the audience.
Surrey Mozart Players
Performances by the Surrey Mozart Players at the Electric Theatre under
their conductor Kenneth Woods included 20th September (Mozart’s Overture
The Impresario, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 5),
15th November (Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Vaughan Williams’ On
Wenlock Edge, Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow, and Haydn’s
Symphony No. 44 – Trauer), and 31st January (Hans Gal Idyllikon,
Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto, Barber’s Canzonetta for Oboe and
Orchestra, and Sibelius’ Suite from Pelleas and Melisande).
Guildford Fringe Festival
From 1st to 27th July the Guildford Fringe Festival took place. It included
plays, musical theatre, stand-up comedy, debate groups, movie nights,
cabarets, quiz nights, music, art exhibitions and more. There were nine
venues including The Bellerby Studio (G Live), The Keep Pub, The
Keystone, The Back Room, The Electric Theatre, Bar Des Arts, The
Boileroom, and Clandon Wood Natural Burial Reserve.
On 26th July One in the Ink, a contemporary art exhibition, was staged in the
Back Room of The Star Inn, in Quarry Street as part of the Fringe Festival.
Guildford illustrators displayed their work, and the event ended with an
auction.
From 3rd – 20th December the Guildford Fringe’s Adult Pantomime Dick by
Chris Towndrow was staged at the Star Inn, Guildford. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, attended the opening night.
Guilfest
From 18th to 20th July the Guilfest music festival was once again held in
Stoke Park, attracting some 15,000 people each day. Headline acts
included Jedward, the Boomtown Rats, the Human League and Kool & the
Gang, with bands performing on ten separate stages. There were only three
arrests, and police praised the organisers. However, Trowfest Ltd, the
festival organisers continued to be plagued by financial problems and went
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into insolvency on 18th September, with some artists not having been paid.
Guildford Chamber Choir
On 18th October the Guildford Chamber Choir sang Monteverdi’s Vespro
della Beata Vergine in Holy Trinity in aid of the Guildford-based mental
health charity Canterbury Care.
On 14thMarch the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the Guildford
Chamber Choir Spring Concert at St Nicolas' Church, Guildford.
Pranksters Theatre Company
From 4th to 12th July the Pranksters’ production of Shakespeare’s Henry V
was performed at Guildford Castle, as part of the Royal Shakespeare
Company’s Open Stages project.
From 14th to 15th November Death by Fatal Murder by Peter Gordon was
staged at the Stoke, as was Michael Wall’s Amongst Barbarians on 7th
March, the Pranksters’ Play in a Month.
Guildford International Music Festival
From 13th to 22nd March the Guildford International Music Festival hosted
some fifty events at a variety of venues. They included jazz at Loseley Park
and Japanese Drumming with the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers at the
Electric Theatre.
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Heritage
First World War commemorations
On 7th June the launch event of the annual Guildford in Bloom competition
was held in the Castle Grounds, and took the form of a First World War
commemoration. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, unveiled the carpet
flower beds which had a World War 1 theme. A Naafi-style café was run by
the Castle Green Bowling Club and there were entertainments.
On 13th July Trenches & Tribulations was staged at The Keep in Castle
Street, a commemorative programme of songs and poetry from the First
World War. The Mayor was in the audience and the proceeds went to the
Army Benevolent Fund, the Mayor's chosen charity.
On 4th August a vigil to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First
World War was held at Guildford Cathedral. Their Royal Highnesses the
Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Mrs Sarah
Goad DCVO JP, the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, the High Sheriff of
Surrey, Peter Lee, Ann Milton MP, and the Chairman of Surrey County
Council, David Munro were among the congregation. There was music and
readings relating the First World War. Some of the words used were those
of men and women of Surrey who fought in the war or were personally
affected by its course. The readings were given by, among others, Dame
Penelope Keith DBE DL. The Earl of Wessex concluded the readings by
quoting the then foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, who said: "The lamps
are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
On 24th August a special service and ceremony was held under the
Cornmarket arch to commemorate Captain Francis Grenfell VC, who was
born at Hatchlands in East Clandon. It was held exactly a century since the
heroic action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross at Audregnies in
Belgium. An engraved stone was unveiled on one of the southern piers of
the arch.
On 13th September an exhibition at Holy Trinity commemorated the
centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Local groups and
churches told the stories of those involved in the Great War through
documents, photographs and objects.
On 21st September Stoughton commemorated the Great War with a
community event at Cardwells Keep, the former depot of The Queen’s
(Royal West Surrey) Regiment. Organised by Sheila Willis, Councillor
Pauline Searle and David Rose, the event was attended by over 400 people
and opened by the Mayor, Councillor David Elms. Pupils of Stoughton First
School and Northmead Junior School sang wartime songs, and there was
music from the Surrey Police Band. There were exhibits from the Surrey
Infantry Museum, the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment Re-enactment
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Society, sea cadets, scouts, guides and private collectors displaying military
items from the war. The event ended with a march to Stoke Cemetery for a
service of remembrance.
On 28th December the Royal British Legion organised a re-enactment of the
1914 Christmas truce on Peaslake School Playing Fields. Around 300
people watched, including the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith,
as actors playing British and German troops emerged from reconstructed
trenches and played a game of football.
On 9th March the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, held a ceremony at the
Guildhall to mark Commonwealth Day. A message from the Queen was
read by a member of the Guildford Youth Council, another from the
Secretary-general of the Commonwealth was read by an international
student based in Guildford, and the Commonwealth affirmation was read by
the Leader of the Guildford Borough Council, Councillor Stephen
Mansbridge. The flag raising was followed by a commemoration of the
Commonwealth soldiers who supported this country in the First World War.
Four candles were lit in remembrance of the four years of the war. These,
along with all the lights in the Guildhall, were then extinguished and a twominute silence was observed.
Dicing for the Maid's Money
On 15th May the annual ceremony of John How’s Charity, known as Dicing
for the Maid's Money, took place at the annual general meeting of the
Guildford Poyle in the Guildhall. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
presented the cheques to the two competitors. John How’s Charity was
paid to Lisa Norris, who received £60 and Julie Ward, who had in fact
thrown a lower score, received a cheque for £62 for John Parson’s Charity.
Abbot's Hospital
On 26th September the staff, governors and residents of Abbots Hospital
held a lunch to say farewell to the Master, Tony Richmond. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, attended. On 2nd October Bob Jennings was
inducted as the 37th Master at a service in the chapel, which the Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, attended.
Heritage Open Days
On 13th September the 20th annual Heritage Open Days began, during
which 57 local buildings and 36 churches were freely open to the public.
The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, welcomed visitors to the Guildhall, there
was a re-enactment of 12th century life in the Castle Grounds, and vintage
vehicles gathered at the Rodboro Buildings. Buildings open included the
Guildford Masonic Centre, the Great Barn in Wanborough, the Aaronson
Noon studio in West Horsley, Normandy Therapy Garden, the Hogs Back
Brewery in Tongham, the Surrey Police museum at Mount Browne and the
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Army Medical Services Museum in Ash Vale.
Transport Trust
On 27th September the Transport Trust unveiled ‘Red Wheel’ plaques at
both Rodboro Buildings and Dapdune Wharf. The first acknowledged the
national significance of the first purpose-built motor factory in Britain, now
known as Rodboro Buildings but constructed by Dennis Brothers in 1901.
The plaque at Dapdune Wharf commemorated one of the first rivers to be
canalised for commercial traffic in 1653.
May Morning and Summerpole
On 1st May the Pilgrim Morris men of Guildford danced at dawn at the top of
St Martha’s Hill, as was customary.
On 3rd May they processed with the Summer Court from The Star up
Guildford High Street, and danced as usual outside Holy Trinity. They then
proceeded to the Castle Green to erect the Summerpole. There was more
dancing on Town Bridge in the afternoon.
American airmen commemorated
On 15th September relatives of four American airmen who died when their
aircraft crashed at Jacobs Well in 1944 visited the memorial to the crash. A
short service of remembrance was led by the chairman of Worplesdon
Parish Council, Dr Paul Cragg. Some thirty attended and a piper played a
lament. Afterwards the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, invited the visitors to
tea in the Guildhall.
Guildford Castle
In April and May 2014 the Castle Keep was scaffolded to re-render areas of
stonework and remove plants that were growing in the mortar.
Guildford Museum
In June the Arts Council awarded Guildford Museum the status of an
accredited museum, recognising the standard of its exhibitions and
services.
From 16th June to 13th September Guildford Museum presented Last Post Remembering the First World War, an exhibition by the British Postal
Museum on the role played by the Post Office. It ran in parallel with
Guildford's War, an exhibition of life on the home front during the First World
War.
Remembrance Sunday
On 9th November the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, led the Council
procession to Holy Trinity Church for the Guildford Service of
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Remembrance. For the first time members of the Women’s Royal Army
Corps Association took part. Afterwards, the Mayor took the salute at a
march-past of service veterans, followed by groups from Guildford Sea
Cadets, Army and Air Force Cadets, St John Ambulance, Scouts, Guides,
the Salvation Army and the British Legion. Accompanied by the Friary
Guildford Band, the procession went to the war memorial in the Castle
Grounds for the wreath-laying ceremony.
On 11th November the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, the Leader of the
Council, Councillor Stephen Mansbridge and Managing Director of Guildford
Borough Council, Sue Sturgeon, observed the Armistice Day two minute
silence from the Guildhall Balcony. The commemoration was marked by
similar ceremonies through the Borough.
Armed Forces Week
On 23rd June the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted the Armed Forces
Day flag-raising ceremony at the Guildhall. Col (Rtd) Patrick Crowley
represented the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and Jacob Allman, of
the Combined Cadet Force at the Royal Grammar School spoke on behalf
of the cadets. A trumpeter sounded the Last Post and Reveille on the
balcony and Binyon’s verse was read by Mr Bill Wallis of the Royal Air
Force Association.
On 28th June around a hundred soldiers of the 3rd Battalion The Princess of
Wales's Royal Regiment exercised their freedom to march through
Guildford to mark Armed Forces Day. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
welcomed the troops, together with the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame
Sarah Goad, DCVO, JP, the Sheriff of Surrey, Peter Lee, Anne Milton MP
and Col (Rtd) Patrick Crowley. There was a short service and inspection
outside Holy Trinity Church, and the Mayor took the salute from the
Guildhall balcony.
On 19th March two 105mm artillery pieces fired a four-gun salute on the
Castle Green to mark the hundred days remaining until the national Armed
Forces Day event in Stoke Park in June. The gunners came from the Royal
School of Artillery and other servicemen in uniform attended, as did the
Mayor, Councillor David Elms.
Tourism
On 3rd July Visit Surrey, tourism consultants, conducted a feedback session
at Millmead House on the Borough’s visitor strategy. Representatives of
around fifty organisations and businesses attended. A survey had revealed
that visitors had a positive view of Guildford, valuing its shopping, the
countryside and the river.
In August Visit England released figures showing that the Guildhall had
attracted 4,771 visitors, Shalford Mill 3,199, the Undercroft 3,166 and
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Wanborough Barn 1,900 in the previous year.
On 3rd October the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted an afternoon tea
for Malcolm Parry of the University of Surrey and the Deputy Mayor of
Daejeon at the Gallery Café, Guildford House.
On 14th March the results of a Cambridge Study commissioned by Guildford
Borough Council into visitors to the town were released as part of English
Tourism Week. In 2013, 4,000,000 people made day trips to Guildford and
333,000 visitors stayed overnight, spending directly some £318,520,000
locally. This represented an increase of 5.5% compared with the previous
year.
Christmas lights
On 20th November the Christmas Lights were switched on by Josie
Lawrence, the star of the Yvonne Arnaud pantomime Snow White & the
Seven Dwarfs, with the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, and Peter Gordon of
Eagle Radio. There followed a firework display presented by White Lion
Walk. There were stalls on the High Street, and the Experience Guildford
stage outside Holy Trinity saw contributions from Guildford College
Performing Arts students; Creative Minds, Carols at Christmas; Rock Choir;
The Guildford Fringe Theatre Company and students from the Performance
Preparation Academy.
Christmas Day
On 25th December the Mayor, Councillor David Elms paid visits to Guildford
Ambulance Station, the Fire Station, Surrey Police headquarters, and the
Royal Surrey County Hospital, calling at the Maternity Ward to present gifts
to the new mothers and babies. He also visited Footsteps at Beverley Hall
Community Centre in Haydon Place, to thank the volunteers for providing
Christmas meals for the homeless and needy.
New Year's Day
On 1st January the Mayor returned to the Maternity Department at the Royal
Surrey to visit the first babies to be born in 2015.
The Guildhall
In April 2014 work began to repair the famous Guildhall clock, dating back
to 1683. Scaffolding was erected on the High Street to give access to the
clock case and mechanism, which was extensively repaired and restored.
The cost of the work was over £44,000.
On 2nd December the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted a reception at
the Guildhall to thank representatives of local voluntary organisations and
charities with whom he had worked closely.
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Guildford Pub Bombings
On 5th October the fortieth anniversary of the Guildford Pub Bombings was
marked by a commemorative service in Quakers’ Acre at the memorial to
those killed. Paul Craig, Guardsmen William Forsyth and John Hunter of the
Scots Guards, and Privates Ann Hamilton and Caroline Slater of the
Women’s Royal Army Corps died when an IRA bomb exploded in the Horse
and Groom, opposite Quakers’ Acre in North Street.
Guy Fawkes Night
On 5th November around 20,000 people attended the Guildford Lions
Fireworks Fiesta. Over a thousand joined the torchlight procession to Stoke
Park after being addressed by the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, from the
Guildhall balcony. At Stoke Park he lit the Town Beacon and watched the
firework display. On 11th December the Guildford Lions distributed the
money raised, handing over cheques for £5,000 each to Guildford Action
and Oakleaf at a ceremony in the Guildhall.
Guildford Pancake Races
On 17th February the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, started the annual
pancake races on the High Street. Anne Milton MP and Tony Scott, formerly
of Guilfest, cooked the pancakes. Organised by the Charlotteville Jubilee
Trust, the proceeds from the event went to two local charities, Guildford
Action and the Eagle Radio Trust.
Good Friday
On 3rd April The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, took part in
the Good Friday Walk of Witness, starting from the Rotunda at the bottom of
North Street and finishing in Guildford High Street.
Clandon House fire
On 29th April a fire broke out at Clandon House, a National Trust property.
Fire crews from a wide area attended the blaze, but the building was
reduced to a shell. Some of the contents were rescued, but there was
extensive damage and the Surrey Infantry Museum in the basement lost
most of its irreplaceable artefacts.
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Children and Young People
Child poverty
In August the Children’s Society and the charity Step Change released a
report on child poverty. It calculated that in the Guildford constituency there
were 3,284 children in 1,887 families that were in problem debt -16% of all
families. These families owed an average of £4,468 each.
In October End Child Poverty published figures giving levels of child poverty
in each area of the country. Guildford averaged 9.1% before housing costs
were taken into consideration, but 14.7% after they had been. This
compares with the national figure of 15.9% before housing costs, and
25.1% after. The wards with highest percentages were Stoke and then
Westborough, both with nearly 30% including housing costs. Burpham had
the lowest with 6.9%.
Childcare
On 16th December Find a Babysitter reported that a quarter of unemployed
mothers wished to return to work, but could not because of the costs.
Joanna Yates, a Guildford mother, said that she could not afford to have a
second child because of the expense of childcare. She blamed the cost of
living in Surrey and ineffective government childcare policies.
Guildford Baby Sensory
In June Guildford Baby Sensory held a Wild West themed event for babies
and toddlers at the Coliseum Gym, Slyfield Green. In a joint venture with
Tommy’s and Toddler Sense, it raised over £400 to improve children’s
development.
Boys’ Brigade
On 17th July 1st Guildford Company of the Boys’ Brigade celebrated 25
years of being based at St John's, Stoke. Nearly a hundred people
attended, including the 32 boys who were members. There were awards,
games and a barbecue.
Scouting
On 27th April around 800 Guildford West and Guildford East scouts attended
a parade at Guildford Cathedral to celebrate St George, the patron saint of
scouting. A collection for a local charity resulted in a cheque for £791.88
being later presented to Guildford Action.
On 17th May the Surrey Scout's Tea Party was held at Bentley Copse,
Shere. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith attended,
accompanied by her daughters.
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On 13th September the Queen's Scout Award Evening was held at the
Guildhall, Guildford.
On 22nd November St Nicolas 9th Guildford A won the annual backwoods
cooking competition.
In January Dick Seymour was presented with the Chief Scout's 40 Years’
Service Award. Formerly Head of Geography at the Royal Grammar School,
he was Group Leader of the school’s Scouts for over twenty years.
Girlguiding
On 5th July over 1,300 Brownies from West Surrey celebrated at the Star
Quest Big Birthday centenary event at Merrist Wood College. There were
activities and demonstrations, followed by an evening concert.
YMCA
On 1st April 2014 Guildford and Sussex Central YMCAs merged to form the
YMCA Downs Link Group. It comprised centres in Brighton& Hove, Lewes,
Horsham and Crawley as well as Guildford.
In May Thomson Ecology presented over £1,500 to the YMCA, which had
been raised by staff over the previous six months. The fund-raising had
been led by the ecologist Leanne Wall.
On 2nd July the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the 40th anniversary
celebrations for Victim Support - Surrey and Sussex.
Young Enterprise
On 30th May the Surrey Institute of Directors invited selected teams from the
Young Enterprise Surrey County Finals to present their business ideas at a
breakfast at Guildford Cathedral’s Refectory. Amongst them were pupils
from Guildford High School.
On 16thJune the South East England Young Enterprise Finals were held at
Guildford Cathedral. Eight teams of young entrepreneurs from Surrey,
Sussex, Kent and the Channel Islands competed for the chance to
represent their area in the Young Enterprise UK finals to be held in July.
The main event supporters were ExxonMobil, the Federation of Small
Businesses, South East Water and notonthehighstreet.com. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, attended.
261 (Guildford) Squadron Air Training Corps
The annual summer camp was at RAF Marham in Norfolk, home to the
frontline squadrons of the RAF’s Tornado GR4 force.
On 27th September six cadets from Guildford travelled to RAF Boscombe
Down to go flying in the Grob Tutor Aircraft. They all had the opportunity to
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take control of the aircraft.
On 21st September five cadets from Guildford attended the Battle of Britain
Memorial service in Westminster Abbey. This was just one of three events
that 261 Guildford Squadron attended that day and the five were chosen for
their high standards of drill and uniform.
From 24th- 26th October, around twenty cadets from 261 went to Hankley
Common for the annual 24-hour exercise, Exercise Hope.
On 9th November a detachment took part in the Remembrance Sunday
parade in Guildford.
Guildford Sea Cadets
On 16th May Lieutenant (SCC) Colin Whitear left the command of Guildford
Sea Cadets to become Assistant District Officer for Surrey. He was
presented with a new sword from the staff and cadets to mark the 13 years
he had commanded the unit.
On 17th June the Guildford Sea Cadets demonstrated their skills to the
Mayor, Councillor David Elms, at Dapdune Wharf. The highlight was a
reconstruction of the Operation Frankton, a raid by commandos in canoes
on German shipping in Bordeaux in 1942. The cadets then explained what
they had learnt as part the Junior Citizens scheme.
A trophy was presented to Guildford Sea Cadets by Miss Frances Dawson,
the daughter of CPO Francis Dawson, a founder of the cadets in 1942. The
Dawson Trophy, named in his memory, will be awarded to the cadets who
achieve high standards of smartness and regular attendance.
On 3rd November Petty Officer Pat Francis was awarded a burgee by Lt Col
David Gosling to mark the achievements of the unit in many areas.
Individual awards were also presented to cadets.
On 29th November Cdr Mike Evans, Chairman of the Guildford Sea Cadets,
received the Ledger Trophy in recognition of the work of the unit’s
management. It was presented at the Southern Area Sea Cadets’
conference at HMS Sultan, Portsmouth.
Meritorious Service
On 15th October the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad
honoured members of the Reserve Forces and Cadets with medals and
certificates in recognition of their dedicated service. Among those given the
Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate for Meritorious Service were Chief Petty Officer
(SCC) Leah Ashcroft, for her work with the Guildford Sea Cadets, and
Captain Edward Badham, for his support of the Combined Cadet Force at
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the Royal Grammar School, where he is a teacher.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards
On 9th March the Duke of Edinburgh Awards presentation evening was held
at Guildford Cathedral. There were 54 gold, 165 silver and 443 bronze
awards presented to local young people. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended the ceremony, together with the Vice-chairman of Surrey County
Council, Sally Marks.
Refresh Youth Club
On 27th March the High Sheriff of Surrey, Elizabeth Kennedy, presented a
cheque for £3,000 to the Refresh Youth Club in Bellfields. The club is run by
the Matrix Trust, a Christian charity, in partnership with St Peter’s Shared
Church in Hazel Avenue and Emmaus Road Community Church. The High
Sheriff’s Youth Award helped to buy sports equipment and funded activities.
Surrey Youth Games
On 21st and 22nd June the P&G Surrey Youth Games were held at the
Surrey Sports Park. Two thousand 7-16 year olds competed in 16 different
sports; Guildford came fourth out of eleven borough teams.
Goldhawks Basketball
On 27th September the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, joined the Goldhawks
Basketball Club at a reception at the Holiday Inn, Guildford for John
Amaechi OBE, the first British player to play in the NBA.
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Schools
Road Safety
In October Guildford Borough Council investigated road safety at Boxgrove
Primary, St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary and St Peter’s Catholic
Secondary schools in Merrow. Concerns had been expressed about traffic
congestion, inappropriate parking and speed limits outside the schools. 60%
of parents living within a mile of Boxgrove Primary School were driving their
children to school.
Extra classes
On 19th September Stoughton Infant School and Worplesdon Primary
School were permitted to increase their number of places to cope with the
growing population of north and west Guildford.
Royal Grammar School
On 8th June Will Pinhey of the Royal Grammar School won the National
Theatre’s New Views writing competition with his play Is There Wifi in
Heaven? The competition is open to 15−19-year-olds, and he beat 400
entrants with his half-hour play about friendship and morality. It was
performed by professional actors at the National Theatre in July.
Lanesborough Preparatory School
On 7th July boys from Years 6,7 and 8 performed All The World's a Stage in
front a packed audience that included the Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
and the Mayoress, Mrs Wendy Elms, in Braganza House.
Guildford County School
On 4th July Anne Milton MP opened the new Art Block at the County School
as part of the celebrations of the school’s centenary of its move to the
Farnham Road. The Art Department staged an exhibition of A Level Fine Art
and Photography and GCSE Art and Design. A centenary book, covering
the school’s history from 1905, was published and commemorative mugs
sold.
Guildford High School for Girls
In July GHS sixth former Katherine won a bronze medal at the International
Chemistry Olympiad in Vietnam.
On 14th September three GHS girls were awarded Gold medals in Archery
for the Girls’ Recurve Team at the Woking Archery Club Open Tournament.
On 16th November, GHS Junior School achieved second place in the
Sunday Times Parent Power List of Top 100 Preparatory Schools.
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In early February, three Guildford High School companies - Luna, Atlas and
Phoenix - participated in the Y Factor Competition, organised every year by
the Young Enterprise organisation. Phoenix won the Alexander Dennis
Award for the Best Manufactured product for their innovative I-Explain
booklet to help people use their iPads and iPhones. Luna won the John
Band Award for the Business Most Likely to Succeed for their marketing of
a stylus pen for use with tablets and smart phones. Atlas, which has
produced a GCSE Revision Guide for students, won 1st prize for the Best
Stand.
Tormead School
On 19th May Tormead’s Team Utopia made it to the Wings of Hope 2014
Semi-Finals. The four girls were invited to the House of Lords, to present
their fundraising efforts to a panel of judges. The Wings of Hope
Achievement Award was set up to support every child’s right to a free
education, specifically for developing schools in India and Malawi.
In November a Tormead team won the Championship of the Girls
Independent Schools Gymnastic Association. Three Tormead gymnasts
took the top individual titles.
Cranmore School
On 19th May a cheque for £6,897.04 was presented by the Junior
Department to Cherry Trees, the money having been raised from the boys’
annual 'swimathon'.
In June the U11 Freestyle team finished 4th in the English Schools’
Swimming Association relay championships. In January Cranmore
swimming teams won all three trophies - U13, U11 and U10 – at the
Guildford & District Gala.
On 5th December £3,000 was presented to Sergeant Major Dent from
Headley Court, for the rehabilitation of injured servicemen supported by
Help for Heroes. The money had been raised during the annual Action Day.
King’s College
On 1st September Kings College was officially re-opened by Anne Milton MP
as an academy within the Guildford Education Partnership.
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George Abbot School
On 20th March the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, welcomed students from
the Jean Moulin Academy and George Abbot School's student exchange at
the Guildhall.
Northmead Junior School
On 19th September the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, visited Northmead
Junior School’s Charitable Assembly for the Cleaford Christian Trust's 20th
anniversary and the Romanian Children's Hospital Charity, together with
Angus Cleaver of the Cleaford Christian Trust. A play therapist from the
children’s hospital in Brashov thanked the school for the support it had
given.
St Teresa’s, Effingham
On 13th November St Teresa’s School, Effingham was given the prize for
the Outstanding Financial or Commercial Initiative at the Independent
School Awards in Nottingham. In 2012, St Teresa's borrowed money to
invest in projects including refurbishment of the science department and
sports hall. Two years later, the school had a surplus and the roll had
increased by more than 25%.
In April the St Teresa’s Equestrian Centre was completed. The project
included a 30x60m sand school, 12 acres of paddocks fencing, stabling and
hard standing. Costing £250,000, the Centre enables girls to ride regularly
as an extra-curricular activity.
St Peter's Catholic School
On June 26th the St Cecilia’s Theatre and liturgy building was officially
opened by the Trustees of the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust. Over two
hundred guests attended, including the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, and
Anne Milton MP. There was a dramatisation of the life of St Cecilia and the
school’s orchestra and combined choirs provided the music.
A-level results
Guildford County School achieved its best-ever A-Level exam results. 35%
of results were at grades A*-A. 60% of all grades awarded were at A*-B with
an overall A’ level pass rate was 99.5%. At AS Level 42% of grades
achieved were A or B and 92% secured A-E. Five had places at Oxford or
Cambridge.
Guildford High School saw 40% obtaining grade A*, 97% grades A*- B. 19%
of the girls going on to university had places at Oxford or Cambridge.
The Royal Grammar School had a 100% pass rate, with 80% at grades A or
A*, 40% A*. 26 boys went on to Oxford or Cambridge.
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Guildford College’s pass rate was 97.8%, and 72% of candidates gained A*C. Tormead had 95% A*-C results. George Abbot had a 99% pass rate, with
84% A*-C.
GCSE results
On 21st August the GCSE results were announced.
At St Peter’s Catholic School 89% of students achieved five or more A*-C
grades.
The Royal Grammar School had a 100% pass rate, 33 pupils gaining nine
or more A*s.
Christ's College gained a 99.4% pass rate, with 70% of students gaining
five or more A*-C grades.
At George Abbot School, the pass rate was 99.3% with 89% achieving five
or more A*-C grades. 11 candidates gained 10 or more A*s.
Guildford County School saw 76% achieving five or more A*-C grades,
including maths and English.
Tormead School gained A*-B grades in 94% of papers with 60% achieving
8 or more A*s and As.
Sandfield Primary School
In July Sandfield Primary School received its best ever Standard
Assessment Test results. 80% of pupils achieved level 5 in reading.
On 12th January parents of Sandfield Primary children protested against the
impending closure of the nearby York Road underpass as part of the
building of the new Waitrose store nearby. Those needing to cross the busy
road were diverted to the traffic-light controlled crossing at the Stoke Road
junction and the underpass at the junction of York Road and Woodbridge
Road. The Waitrose developers, Bowmer & Kirkland, said that
improvements would be made to the York Road crossing before the nearby
subway was closed.
Holy Trinity Pewley Down School
On 17thJuly the school’s new chapel was dedicated by the Bishop of
Dorking. The composer Will Todd, the father of a school pupil, wrote a
setting of Psalm 150 for the occasion. The stained-glass artist, Kathy ShawUrlich, had designed windows with a pilgrimage theme. The chapel is also
used for other activities, including dance, drama, and meetings.
Young Enterprise
On 4th February West Surrey Young Enterprise held the annual Y Factor
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event, in the Great Hall of the Royal Grammar School. Eighteen businesses
set up by pupils in the area competed for prizes. Guildford High School won
the Most Likely to Succeed award for a pen which combined a normal pen
with a touchscreen stylus.
Weyfield Primary Academy
On 16th September Ofsted inspectors visited Weyfield Primary Academy
without notice. Their report rated the school as inadequate and eight areas
required special measures. Standards were much lower than average and
the number of exclusions for poor behaviour was much higher than in most
schools. Teachers and governors were criticised for not improving pupils’
achievement and the quality of teaching. On 8th January a report noted the
school’s plans for improvement, and an inspection in March found that
“reasonable progress” was being made.
Ripley Court School
In November children in the middle school brought in presents and wrapped
them to send to children abroad, who might not otherwise have had the
benefit of a very happy Christmas.
Merrow Cof E Infant School
On 14th June the summer fair raised £3,500 towards improvements to the
playground. There was a Fancy Dress Competition on the theme of
countries of the world.
Guildford Grove Primary School
On 8th August the Spinney Children’s Centre at Guildford Grove Primary
School in Southway hosted the Mill Cottage farm experience, where
children could meet and fondle a variety of animals. Around 650 visitors
came to the event.
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Higher Education
University of Surrey
On 4th May the University’s Electronics and Amateur Radio Society sent a
stuffed toy in the form of a stag to the fringes of space by a helium balloon.
The toy was later auctioned for charity, and raised £205 for Mind.
On 7th May University of Surrey students celebrated Holi, the Hindu festival
of colours, by dancing and covering each other with green, yellow and blue
powder. Hosted by the Indian Students’ Association, the event marked the
arrival of spring.
On 12th May the University of Surrey was ranked twelfth overall in the
Complete University Guide league table. In twelve subjects, including
Medical Technology, Engineering and Sociology, it featured in the top ten of
the table. On 3rd June it rose to sixth place in the Guardian University
League Table, two places higher than in the previous year. The national
rankings took into account standards of teaching, academic progress and
employability rates, amongst other factors.
On 3rd June the University of Surrey was given a Grand Challenges
Explorations grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This was to fund
Professor Johnjoe McFadden’s project to improve the control of tuberculosis
by modifying the current vaccine and designing a new test for the human
form of the disease.
On 7th July researchers from the University of Surrey, together with the
Institute of Cancer, published a paper in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, which concluded that the time of day and sleep
deprivation had a significant effect on human metabolism. This had
implications for the best time of day to test for diseases, and for
administering medicines effectively.
On 9th July, a Topping Out ceremony was held to mark the structural
completion of the James Clerk Maxwell Building, to house the 5G
Innovation Centre.
In July the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security’s MSc in Information Security
was certified by the Government Communications Headquarters. The new
course, offered by through the Department of Computing, was chosen for
delivering high-standard cyber security research and education, in order to
meet the security challenges of the future.
On 11th August the National Student Survey ranked the University of Surrey
8th out of 135 for student satisfaction, scoring 91%.
On 23rd September the television presenter Greg Foot hosted ‘Inventing the
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Future with Greg Foot’ in the Rik Medlik Building. The evening of stunts set
out to inspire young scientists and engineers, and all who were intrigued by
science and engineering research.
On 29th October a night bus service began from the Friary bus station to the
University and around the hospital. Following negotiations between the
University of Surrey's Students' Union and Arriva Bus Services, it ran for a
six month trial period.
On 7th November a research paper was published that demonstrated how
glass could be changed to allow computers to transfer information using
light and so increase computer processing speeds. The research by the
University of Surrey, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and
the University of Southampton, enabled the electronic properties of
amorphous chalcogenides to be altered by ion doping.
On 24th November university staff collected signatures for a petition for
improvements in relations between management and staff at a
demonstration outside the Austin Pearce Building.
On 8th December the University was awarded a £5 million grant from the
Higher Education Funding Council for England as part-funding for the
‘Engineering for Health’ Learning Laboratory to address the demands of an
ageing population.
From 28th February to 1st March the National Student Space Conference
was held at the University of Surrey. Organised by UK Students for the
Exploration and Development of Space, the event was hosted by the Surrey
Electronic and Amateur Radio Society. Over 300 attended, including
students, academics, and professionals, to share their knowledge of space,
discuss the challenges facing the sector, and to create new links between
groups.
On 17th April the University went into partnership with Crowdfunder to allow
enterprising students and staff to seek backing for projects from a wide
group of supporters – ‘a crowd’. ‘Project creators’ share an idea or project
with immediate contacts such as friends and family, who then share it with
their circle of contacts, while social media enhances the ability to reach out
to an even larger crowd. Supporters would make a pledge that only
becomes a physical donation once a project has reached its minimum need.
Guildford College
In late June and early July a group of teachers from the southern Chinese
province of Hainan spent a month at Guildford College, learning about
English teaching methods. The initiative was part of a joint A-Level project
in which Chinese students would study for a year in China and a further
year in Britain.
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On 6th November A Level Mathematics students from Guildford College
gained 7 gold, 9 silver and 9 bronze certificates in the UK Senior Maths
Challenge, organised by the UK Mathematics Trust.
On 11th March the Schools Minister, Lord Nash, announced plans for a new
college during a visit to Guildford College. The Guildford University
Technical College would educate14 to 19 year-olds in cyber security,
computer science and engineering, and was planned to open in 2017. He
remarked that "I gather Guildford is booming pretty well already as it is, but
clearly that creates demands for specialist skills, more technical skills and
computer science, cyber security, engineering."
Merrist Wood College
On 27th April 2014 the College's annual lambing day, Fleecy Fun and
Frolics, attracted large numbers to see the animals, woodland craft
demonstrators, chainsaw demonstrations and dog events.
On 15th May Josh Read and Jonathan Leuba, students from Merrist Wood
College, won the Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge’s
College Climbing Competition for the South of England for the second year
running.
On 18th May the summer show at Merrist Wood drew 15,000 visitors to see
motorcycle stunts, falconry, agile dogs and horsemanship. There were
helicopter trips and donkey rides, and displays by the college’s
departments.
On 3rd July the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, marked the start of work on
Merrist Wood College’s new Animal Management Centre by digging the first
clod. The £4.5m building was intended for the study of animal management,
behaviour and welfare.
On 24th and 25th August the Iberian Performance Show was held at Merrist
Wood College. More than eighty Lusitanos and Spanish horses competed in
classes including dressage, showing, general equitation, and side saddle.
The University of Law Guildford
On 1st October the Explore Law open day introduced GCSE and A level
students to the study of law and work as a lawyer. There were interactive
law workshops and information and advice on a career in the law.
During the year, students carried out pro bono work for a number of local
organisations. These included shadowing advice sessions at the Guildford
Citizens Advice Bureau, operating the Guildford Employment Rights Advice
Line Direct, volunteering at the National Centre for Domestic Violence to
help to obtain court orders to protect victims, and assisting at the Surrey
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Law Centre.
Academy of Contemporary Music
On 10th May Molly Smitten-Downes, a former student of the Academy of
Contemporary Music, represented Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Her song Children of the Universe came 17th out of 26 entries.
Guildford School of Acting
On 11th June, Caroline Heale (Head of the Production Technical Unit) was
given the Outstanding Achievement Award for stage management and
technical theatre education at the National Stage Management Awards in
London.
In July the Destination of Leavers Survey from the Higher Education
Statistics Agency showed that 97.3% of graduates from the University of
Surrey’s Guildford School of Acting were in employment or education when
contacted six months after graduating in 2013.
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Science and Technology
Surrey Research Park
On 10th July the Surrey Research Park was given the award for the Most
Successful Innovation Environment by the United Kingdom Science Park
Association. The award recognised excellence in providing access to new
markets, contributing to technology development, assisting with research
linkages, providing sources of competitive advantage, contributing to R&D
performance and increasing on-park business to business interactions.
The Pirbright Institute
On 1st May 2014 the Pirbright Institute was fined £72,350 by City of London
magistrates after admitting breaches of the Specified Animal Pathogens
Order in 2012 and early 2013. The breaches involved the safety of a
ventilation system used in its experiments on cattle infected with foot-andmouth.
On 18th July seventy delegates from the International Veterinary Biosafety
Workgroup visited the Plowright Building at the Pirbright Institute, the new
high-containment laboratories housing the Biotechnology & Biological
Sciences Research Council’s National Virology Centre. The following day
the Institute held an open day as part of its centenary celebrations. Over
250 visitors toured the new laboratories, and learnt about the research into
livestock diseases during the century since it was first set up as a cattle
testing station for tuberculosis in 1914.
In August the Pirbright Institute established the UK Veterinary Vaccinology
Network. Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council, it connects leading researchers to improve the development of new
vaccines against animal diseases.
On 14th October the Pirbright Institute were the overall winners of the BIG
Challenge Awards for biodiversity enhancements given by the Construction
Industry Research and Information Association. The Institute also came top
in the Large Scale Permanent category for its ‘Populating and Pollinating
Pastures’ project.
On 31st October the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, officially opened the
National Virology Centre, laboratories that are dedicated to the prevention
and control of virus diseases. The £135 million cost was funded by the
government through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council.
On 17th November the Institute confirmed a new strain of avian flu
discovered at a duck breeding farm in East Yorkshire. It investigated a
possible link with an outbreak in the Netherlands.
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PrimeVigilance
On 21st April 2014 PrimeVigilance Ltd, based at the Research Park,
received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade
Category in recognition of its overseas earnings and commercial success
over the last six years. PrimeVigilance provides medical information
services for worldwide pharmaceutical companies.
MedPharm
In July the pharmaceutical development company MedPharm Ltd, which
tests and manufactures ointments in the Surrey Research Park, announced
it was to increase its laboratory and office space by a third and create up to
15 new posts over the following two years.
Surrey Satellite Technology
On 8th July Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd announced the successful
launch of TechDemoSat-1. It was a technology demonstration satellite for
eight different items of equipment and software, one of which was a
radiation monitor from the Surrey Space Centre. The spacecraft was
launched into 635km sun-synchronous orbit on board a Soyuz-2 launch
vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. As a make-weight, it
carried a metal plate bearing the Challengers charity logo.
On 10th July Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd announced that it had
contracted with the Algerian Space Agency to build the Alsat-1B Earth
observation satellite. Algerians would work with SSTL during the assembly
and test phase, and Algerian students given scholarships to pursue degrees
at the University of Surrey.
On 21st July Surrey Satellite Technology won the Best Aerospace and
Defence Company award at the Insider's first ‘Made in the UK’ national
finals, held in Liverpool.
On 31st October the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, visited SSTL, being
greeted by the Chief Executive, Dr Matt Perkins. He was told of the
International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, under which image data
from Earth observation satellites is pooled so that up-to-date maps and
assessments of conditions on the ground can be made available to relief
agencies.
On 12th November Philae, a European spacecraft, landed on the comet
designated 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. One of the lander’s components,
a stabilising wheel, had been designed by Surrey Satellite Technology ten
years earlier.
On 8th December SSTL announced that its geostationary satellite platform
had been selected for the first Eutelsat Quantum, which was due to be
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launched in 2018. The design was based on the SSTL GMP-T satellite. The
prime contractor for the new spacecraft was Airbus Defence and Space in
Portsmouth.
DMCii
In July DMCii’s UK-DMC2 completed five years of providing wide area,
high-resolution satellite imagery. The earth-observing satellite remained
perfectly healthy and was expected to continue operations until at least
2018. During its time in orbit the DMC2 had, amongst other projects,
detected deforestation for the Brazilian government, provided a national
crop classification layer for the US department of Agriculture and assisted in
the forecasting of Locust plagues in Algeria.
Cobbett Hill Earth Station
In July live footage for BBC Sport’s coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in
Brazil was transmitted by satellite from the BBC’s locations in Brazil to
London via the Cobbett Hill Earth Station, an independent teleport offering
satellite communication services in the Normandy Technology Park.
In January the World Teleport Association rated the Cobbett Hill Earth
Station as the fourth fastest-growing teleport in the world in 2014. The
growth was a result of the company's flexible, reliable and dynamic
approach to customers’ requirements.
Gold-i
On 22nd April 2014 Gold-i, based at the Surrey Technology Centre, was
given the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognising their innovation in the
area of financial trading technology. Their products helped retail brokers to
trade more profitably and manage risk more effectively. In July the Chief
Executive, Tom Higgins, was presented with the award by the Lord
Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad, having been previously introduced
to the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
On 30th December Gold-i announced that it had attained Gold Certified
Partner Status from Microsoft, the highest accreditation level provided to
technology vendors who develop and support products using Microsoft
technology.
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SATRO
On 19th June the 17th annual Summer Science Festival was staged by the
Surrey Science and Technology Regional Organisation at the Surrey Sports
Park. Around 800 students from secondary schools and colleges across the
area attended, as did the Mayor, Councillor David Elms. The event was
supported by The Skills Show, The European Social Fund and The National
Careers Service.
On 24th February the SATRO AS Mathematics Challenge was held at
George Abbot School. Teams of five AS level mathematics students were
given two hours to tackle maths problems which included concepts which
they might expect to meet should they continue to study maths at degree
level. Nearly 200 students competed, and the Royal Grammar School
teams came top with 95%.
Memset
On 14th July Memset, a provider of cloud IaaS solutions, had their Content
Delivery Network named as Best Managed Service Innovation at the
Internet Services Providers’ Association awards.
On 12th November Memset received two ‘highly commended’ awards at the
UK IT Industry Awards. They were for Small Supplier of the Year and
Infrastructure Innovation of the Year for their cloud storage solution,
Memstore.
Eseye
On 15th October Eseye received its ISO 27001:2013 certification from
Alcumus ISOQAR, a UKAS approved certification house. The ISO27001
certificate is a global Information Security Management System standard
that protects Eseye and its customers by ensuring implementation of an
effective security system.
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22Cans
On 7th August 22Cans, the video game company based in the Surrey
Research Park, released the second version of Godus. The game allows
the player to play a god, shaping the world and inspiring faith in its people. It
was the work of Peter Molyneux, a key player in the Guildford video games
industry. In 1987 he founded Bullfrog Productions, later acquired by
Electronic Arts, and then Lionhead Studios in 1997, later acquired by
Microsoft. He formed 22Cans in 2012.
In October 22Cans raised £526,563 through the crowdfunding platform
Kickstarter. On 4th December Jack Attridge of 22Cans was named in
Develop Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list of talented young game designers. He
had worked on Godus, which had become an international success.
Fireproof Games
On 22nd August Fireproof Games, based in Bedford Road, saw its The
Room Two game rated as one of the runners-up in the Best 3D Visuals
section of the Unity Awards. Director Barry Meade said that Guildford had
an unparalleled gaming culture.
Imagineer Systems
On 15th December it was announced that Boris FX, a leading visual effects
software developer had acquired Imagineer Systems, based in the Surrey
Research Park and developer of Mocha, the planar tracking and visual
effects tools.
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Health
Health Profile
In April 2014 statistics were released showing that Guildford & Waverley
had the second highest one-year survival rate for cancer in Surrey, at nearly
69% compared with 68.2% nationally.
On 21st May Guildford came 13th out 111 towns for happiness in the
Rightmove website’s Happy At Home Index. Around 50,000 people were
surveyed about 12 aspects of the towns where they lived.
In December it was estimated that 1,779 people had Alzheimer’s Disease in
Guildford.
On 12th February Public Health England reported that the Guildford ward
with the highest life expectancy was Burpham; with 88.9 years for women
and 85.6 years for men. However, in Stoke ward men’s life expectancy was
78.6 years.
Guildford & Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group
In June the annual report and accounts for 2013-14 were published,
covering the Group’s first year of operation. Of a total budget of £228
million, £102 million had been spent on the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
In July another £1 million was invested in general practices by the Group, to
improve access to GP appointments.
Royal Surrey County Hospital
In April 2014 the Boards of the Royal Surrey County Hospital and Ashford
and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts agreed that merging the
two organisations would be the best way to ensure quality local healthcare
with maximum benefits for patients. They began detailed work on
developing a business case for the merger. However, a survey later in the
year showed that 72% of consultants at the Royal Surrey did not consider
that a merger of the trusts would benefit patients. In February the
Competition and Markets Authority referred the plans to a second
assessment phase.
On 21st April Radio Lion, the Royal Surrey's own hospital radio, closed after
broadcasting for nearly 40 years. Technology had advanced to enable
patients to bring their entertainment with them, on items such as i-pads and
kindles. A survey revealed that only six patients out of 331 listened to Radio
Lion. The hospital needed the studio space for staff, currently working in the
foyer, when the new Marks & Spencer shop was opened.
On 20th May the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust won
the CHKS Top Hospitals patient safety award for its achievements in
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healthcare quality and improvement.
On 5th June staff protested over proposals for staff pay increases. On 13th
October some NHS workers went on strike between 7am and 11am. Their
union, Unison, was in dispute with management over the pay rises. There
was a picket line at the Royal Surrey. On 24th November there was another
four hour strike.
On 6th June the Tomosynthesis Appeal was launched at the Royal Surrey,
with over a hundred singers from local rock choirs performing. The Mayor,
Councillor David Elms, and Anne Milton MP released balloons to mark the
beginning of the appeal, and over £2,000 was raised towards a 3D
mammogram tomosynthesis machine to detect breast cancer.
In June the St Luke’s Cancer Centre began a clinical trial of a vaccine
against advanced late-stage ovarian cancer. It was headed by Dr Agnieszka
Michael, who is both a lecturer in the University’s Department of Microbial
and Cellular Sciences and a consultant medical oncologist at the Royal
Surrey. The therapy was developed by the biotechnology firm PsiOxus and
funded by a £1.7 million government grant.
On 20th June the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP officially opened the new
Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Surrey. The £4.7m extension has twelve
additional bed spaces, including four isolation rooms. A larger family and
visitors’ area was also provided. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki
Nelson-Smith, attended.
On 18th July the Surrey Cancer Research Institute was launched. It is a
virtual network-wide institute based at the Postgraduate Medical Education
Centre of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, and aims to draw together
clinical and scientific research into cancer. Its Director is Hardev Pandha,
Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Surrey, and Consultant
in Medical Oncology at St Luke’s cancer centre.
In July figures showed that 96.6% of patients arriving at Accident &
Emergency in the first quarter of 2014-15 were seen within four hours, an
improvement on the previous year. It followed additional staff being
appointed, funded by the clinical commissioning group.
On 4th August Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, praised the
‘superb care’ provided by the Royal Surrey when he gave a speech there
about waiting times, increased pressure on the NHS and the danger of
focusing on targets.
In August figures were released showing that, since the passing of the
Health and Social Care Act in 2012, income from private patients at the
Royal Surrey County Hospital had increased by over a quarter, from £3.6m
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to £4.6m.
On 2nd December the Care Quality Commission published the results of 310
replies to a questionnaire from patients who had attended the Royal
Surrey’s Accident &Emergency (A&E) Department during the first three
months of the year. Of these, 88% reported a good service and the
Commission considered it was performing better than the national average.
In the New Year the Hospital announced that its A&E Department was
under severe pressure, though it did not report a major incident crisis.
In January figures were released for the previous year showing that, while
improved, the waiting times in A&E were still below the government’s target
of 95% to be seen within four hours of arrival. The figures also showed a
welcome decline in mortality in the Hospital from 83 in 2012, 68 in 2013 and
58 in 2014. Over £12 million had already been spent on temporary staff in
the current financial year. The difficulty in recruiting more permanent staff
was put down to a lack of affordable housing and parking at the hospital.
However, by April improved times brought the figures for the full year up to
the 95% target.
On 10th February the newly-refurbished Ophthalmology Unit at the Royal
Surrey was re-opened by Anne Milton MP, after a refurbishment costing
£1.6 million. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, attended the ceremony.
On 27th March the Health Service Journal named Nick Moberly, Chief
Executive of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, as one of the fifty top Chief
Executives in the country.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
In August Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s research
and development team began a clinical trial, together with Richmond
Pharmacology, of a patch which releases the drug asenapine through the
skin to control the symptoms of schizophrenia.
On 5th September the Trust was named as one of the hundred best NHS
employers in a survey carried out by the Best Companies Group. The Trust
was particularly praised for its equality and diversity, and staff commitment.
On 12th November Don Illman of the Surrey and Borders Trust was
presented with the People's Choice Award at the Living and Ageing Well
Awards, for his advocacy on behalf of mental health service users.
On 12th December the topping out ceremony was carried out on the new
buildings at the Farnham Road Hospital. The £30 million project was the
first purpose-built mental hospital in Guildford, and was due to be opened in
the autumn of 2015.
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In March the annual NHS Staff Survey ranked the trust 12th in the country
as the best place to work.
Guildford Wellbeing Centre
On 15th May 2014 the Guildford Wellbeing Centre was launched at the Park
Barn Centre. Aimed at people in the early stages of dementia, it provides
information, support and access to appropriate assessment and support
services. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended the
event.
Nuffield Health
On 7th February the Mayor, Councillor David Elms re-launched the Nuffield
Health and Wellbeing Centre at Railton Road, Queen Elizabeth Park.
Mount Alvernia Hospital
On 20th February the Chief Inspector of Hospitals published a report on the
standards of treatment and care provided by BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital,
following a Care Quality Commission inspection in November. It found that
patients were cared for by kind and compassionate staff and the hospital
had good systems and processes which supported staff in providing a good
service. There had been significant and consistent improvements since the
previous inspection in 2013, though there was still need for more.
St John Ambulance
On 28th October the Mayor, Councillor David Elms, hosted the St John
Ambulance Donor Awards at the Guildhall.
On 7th March St John Ambulance held a Breath of Life event at the
Guildhall, attended by the Mayor.
The Whiteley Clinic
On 11th June Mark Whiteley, Director of the Whiteley Clinic on the Surrey
Research Park, was named Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors,
in the London and South East’s Small Company category.
Excess Winter deaths
In December the Office for National Statistics published figures showing that
70 more elderly people had died in the winter of 2012-13 in Guildford than in
equivalent warmer periods. Age UK considered this to be because of poor
insulation in houses, especially in rural areas.
South East Coast Ambulance Service
In February figures were released showing that the South East Coast
Ambulance Service had missed its eight-minute target for responding to
115
high-priority calls in over a quarter of cases.
On 23rd April the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith was given an
update on the work of the Surrey's Air Ambulance at the Rik Medlik Lecture
Building, followed by dinner at the Lakeside Restaurant at the University of
Surrey.
116
Sport
Surrey Sports Park
On 5th July the second Fitness Festival was staged at the Surrey Sports
Park. Activities included Les Mills Body Attack, Spinning and Zumba, Les
Mills GRIT, Bootcamp and Box Master. The festival was sponsored by
Sweatees, the gym clothing company.
On 17th August the England Women’s Rugby team, based at the Surrey
Sports Park, won the Women's Rugby World Cup by beating Canada 21-9
in Paris.
On 21st August the 14th FIR Racketlon World Championships were held at
the Surrey Sports Park. Racketlon involves playing table tennis, badminton,
squash and tennis, and players from over thirty different countries
competed. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, took part in the official
opening ceremony.
On 9th April the University of Surrey was placed in joint second place for
good sport facilities in the Times Higher Education Student Experience
Survey 2015, two places higher than in the previous year.
On 23rd April the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, attended the
Surrey Sports Park’s fifth anniversary reception in the Varsity Suite.
Town Centre Cycle Races
In June concerns were raised about the condition of the roadway for the
annual town-centre cycle races at the North Street corner into Market
Street. Work was promptly carried out to improve the surface. On 9thJuly
the Town Centre Cycle Races went ahead, organised by the Charlotteville
Cycling Club. Six races were run, the earlier ones for children. Gruffudd
Lewis was the winner of the main race, the Colbornes Elite Criterium,
beating Alex Paton, his team-mate in the Pedal Heaven Colbornes RT, into
second place.
Ride London-Surrey 100
On 10th August the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 cycle race took
place, which involved some road closures in the eastern part of the
borough. Over 24,000 riders took part: a record number for a British cycling
event. The event was marred by the death of Kris Cook of Woking, who
collapsed at Newlands Corner with a heart attack. On 17th August a
memorial gathering was held on the site, when around three hundred
cyclists attended.
Tour of Britain
On 13th September Stage 7 of the Tour of Britain passed through Ash Vale,
117
Normandy, Wanborough and Puttenham on its way to Brighton.
Guildford City Football Club
On 29th June Mark Redhead took over as Club Chairman of Guildford City
from Chris Pegman.
On 9th August Guildford City opened the new season by beating Farnham
Town 1-0. On 16th August they dropped out of the Football Association Cup
in the first match, when they beaten by Ashford United 2-0.
By the end of October City were second from bottom in the Premier Division
of the Combined Counties Football League. On 25th October they beat thirdplace Molesey 2-3, their first win for seven matches.
On 1st November City left the FA Vase competition when they lost 2-4 to
Littlehampton Town.
On 22nd November City’s 1-6 defeat by Spelthorne Sports left them one
place from the bottom of the Premier Division, after having won only 5
matches out of 22. It was followed by the departure of the manager Kevin
Rayner, together with the coach, Rowen Martin.
Donovan Chislett then became manager, and the team drew their first
match under him. However, a series of defeats then took them to the bottom
of the Combined Counties Premier League. In March matters improved with
four successive victories, lifting City out of the relegation zone briefly, before
losing to Epsom 1-3 on 28th March.
At second from bottom of the league, on 14th April a 4-1 defeat by Badshot
Lea made relegation seem inevitable. However, victories followed,
culminating on 25th April with a 2-0 triumph over Mole Valley bringing City
out of the relegation zone.
Guildford Cricket Club
On 19th April Guildford opened the season by beating Basingstoke by 21
runs. On 27th April they beat Beddington by 6 wickets in the first round of
Group 11 in the Royal London National Club Championship. In 17th May
they beat Banstead by 104 runs in the opening match of the ECB Premier
division. However, a series of defeats followed and they began to slip down
the division, leaving them on the brink of relegation by the end of July. On
9th August their win over Leatherhead by six wickets was the first victory for
seven weeks. Another win followed on 16th August when Guildford beat
Spencer by 8 wickets.
In July a partnership was agreed between Surrey County Cricket Club,
Guildford Cricket Club and Guildford Borough Council which extended the
use of the Woodbridge Road ground and refurbished the pavilion. Guildford
118
would be the county club’s second home.
Guildford Cricket Festival
From 20th to 23rd July Surrey CCC played Kent CCC in the LV County
Championship at Woodbridge Road, Kent winning by 89 runs before a
crowd of 6,000. On 27th July Surrey lost to Glamorgan by three wickets in
the 50-over Royal London One-Day Cup.
Guildford City Cricket Club
On 11th August Guildford City’s Under-15 team won the NatWest National
Club Championship at Oundle School.
Flora Doris Cup
On 22nd July the Flora Doris and Admiral Dunlop trophies were presented
by Flora Doris’ President Ray Cotton to Surrey County Cricket Club’s
Chairman Richard Thompson on the outfield of the Woodbridge Road
ground. The competition, named after the wives of the founders, began in
1946 and at its peak the Flora Doris Cup was played by fifty Surrey clubs
annually. Subsequently, other competitions replaced it and it was last
played for in 2013. The trophies are now displayed in the Galadari Museum
at the Oval.
Guildford Spectrum
In April 2014 Specky’s Creche at Spectrum was the first in Surrey to receive
the Surrey County Council’s Early Days Improvement Award.
On 4th July it was announced that three lifeguards at Guildford Spectrum
had won awards at the CIMSPA & IQL UK Lifeguard Triathlon. The
competition is based on the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, and tests
lifeguards’ lifesaving skills.
On 18th July Guildford Spectrum was awarded a certificate for the top
fundraising site for the British Heart Foundation, having raised over £3,500
for the charity during the previous year through a series of sponsored
events and collections.
On 19th and 20th July the South and South East GymFusion event was held
at Guildford Spectrum as part of the British Gymnastics National Festivals
programme. A total of 32 teams entered, with nearly 600 gymnasts taking
part. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was among the audience of over
one thousand.
On 11th October the 33rd annual Sport For All Day was held at Spectrum.
The free activities included gymnastics, archery, squash, fencing and iceskating. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, Guildford’s MP
Anne Milton and Guildford Young Ambassador Dillon LaBrooy were
119
amongst those attending.
In November Guildford Spectrum was rated as “excellent” in its Quest
assessment, the highest grade that could be awarded. Managed by
Freedom Leisure in partnership with Guildford Borough Council, the leisure
centre underwent a thorough assessment of its operations and
management in the Quest national benchmarking process for Sport
England.
On 11th April an Olympics Taster Day was held for people with disabilities at
Guildford Spectrum. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith,
visited the event.
Sport Guildford
On 18th September the Sport Guildford Awards were presented in the Ivy
Theatre at the University of Surrey. The Mayor, Councillor David Elms,
attended.
Guildford Rugby Club
On 6th September Guildford RFC opened the League season by being
beaten by Sutton & Epsom 24 – 26. By the end of October they stood third
in the London 1 South division.
However, beating the leaders Sidcup 18-17 the following week had the
effect of seeing them fall back to fourth place as Chobham leapfrogged
them. On 22nd November Guildford defeated Hove 48-3, returning them to
the third position.
On 6th December a 20-15 win over Havant was their 10th victory in 12
games. On 13th December they defeated Twickenham 29-12, and moved up
into second place. However, in the New Year Guildford slipped back down
to 5th place.
Guildfordians
On 27th September newly-promoted Guildfordians RFC opened the season
by beating Croydon 15-13 in the Surrey Two Division. On 10th January a 2921 win over Chipstead earned them a place in the semi-finals of the Surrey
Shield.
Guildford Flames
On 6th September Guildford Flames beat Basingstoke Bison in a pre-season
challenge, only to lose to them the following day. On 14th September the
first English Premier League match saw them beat Milton Keynes 5-3.
On 5th October Flames beat the defending league champions, Manchester
Phoenix, 6-3. On 18th February their 4-3 win over Basingstoke Bison put
120
them second in the League after Telford Tigers. On 8th March Guildford
Flames beat Swindon Wildcats 6-3.
On 28th March Guildford Flames lost 3-2 to Milton Keynes Lightning and
then again 4-3 the next day. It meant that Flames went out of the EPL playoffs for the first time.
Guildford City Amateur Boxing Club
On 5th July over 100 people attended the opening of Guildford City Boxing
Club’s new base at Park Barn Community Centre. It was opened by the
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith, together with Tony Oakey, a
retired British, Commonwealth, and world light heavyweight champion.
On 13th December Adam Battle of Guildford City ABC failed to secure the
Southern Area welterweight title when his fight with Johnny ‘The Pexican’
Garton was stopped in the eighth round. He claimed that the blow which left
him reeling was actually an illegal clash of heads, and demanded a
rematch.
On 5th March Guildford City Boxing Club gave a demonstration at the 22nd
annual High Sheriff of Surrey’s Youth Awards.
On 22nd March Billy King of Guildford City won the silver medal in the
Juniors 60kg contest at the England Boxing Junior Championships at
Sheffield.
Tokon Shotokan Karate Academy
On 19th May the team from Tokon Shotokan Karate Academy won ten
medals, including two golds, at the 7th Japan Shotokan Karate Association’s
World Karate Championship in Italy.
Sunrise Gurkha Taekwondo club
On 26th July 53 members of the Sunrise Gurkha Club completed a 10-mile
hike in hills around Guildford. Departing from Millbrook, the route took the
walkers to Newlands Corner, where refreshments were provided by the
Royal Gurkha Restaurant of Rydes Hill.
On 13th September, the Mayor attended the Annual Sagamatha Taekwondo
Guildford Branch 5th Anniversary Celebration at the Stoke and District
Horticulture Society, Bellfields Road, Guildford.
Castle Green Bowling Club
On 27th July Paul Plummer and Julie Hinde won the Club Pairs Competition,
and were presented with the Lasham Trophy by the Mayor, Councillor David
Elms. The trophy was given to the club in 1919 by Frank Lasham, a
Guildford printer, who was its first president.
121
Guildford Bowling Club
On 24th July the 60th annual Frank Henry Cup competition was held at Stoke
Park, being won by Janet McEntee and Sue Chitty of Albury Bowls Club.
The Mayor, Councillor David Elms, was a spectator, and at the tea
afterwards he received a cheque for £200 towards the Mayor's Distress
Fund.
On 24th and 25th April the club marked its 130th anniversary with an open
weekend.
Wey Kayak Club
On 30th May Liam Heath of the Wey Kayak Club, together with Jon
Schofield, won the silver medal in the Kayak Double 200m race in the ICF
Canoe Sprint World Cup in Hungary.
Guildford Hockey Club
On 11th May Guildford Hockey Club’s under-14 team won the England
Hockey National Championship by beating Leicester 2-0 in the finals at
Wakefield. However, the next season saw the first XI lose four of its first six
matches in the Men's Hockey League Conference West. Their first victory
was not until 25th October when they beat Whitchurch 3-0.
Guildford City Swimming Club
On 27th April 2014 Guildford City came fourth in the Arena League National
‘A’ Final at Cardiff.
On 5th August Hannah Russell of Guildford City won the gold medal in the
women’s 100m backstroke S12 at the IPC Swimming European
Championships in Eindhoven. She also won another five medals during the
event.
On 13th December Guildford City won the Arena League SE regional final
for the 10th year running. Two weeks earlier they had also taken the
National Junior Arena title.
Star Diving Club
On 2nd to 4th May 2014 Star Diving Club won six medals at the National
Skills finals at Sheffield. They were rated the best 5m club in the country.
From 21st to 23rd November Star Diving Club finished a successful season
by winning four gold, five silver and four bronze medals at the England
Talent Games in Luton, together with the Top Girls’ Team Trophy.
Surrey Storm
On 7th March Surrey Storm’s 55-42 win over Hertfordshire Mavericks
secured them second place in the Superleague. However, their 47-58
122
defeat by leaders Manchester Thunder the following week at the Surrey
Sports Park saw them slip back to third. On 25th April 2015 Surrey Storm
became Netball Superleague champions for the first time by defeating
Hertfordshire Mavericks 56-39 at the Copper Box.
Guildford Parkrun
On 10th May the Guildford Parkrun attracted 221 competitors, of whom 24
were first timers and 38 recorded new personal bests. Representatives of
17 different athletics clubs took part.
Hog's Back Road Race
On 7th December the 55th Hog's Back Road Race saw over 500 runners
compete over the 11.7km course. Starting and finishing at Loseley House, it
ran up Guildown Road, along the Hog's Back ridge and then back through
Compton. The event was organised by Guildford & Godalming Athletic Club,
whose men's and women's teams both won their sections.
Guildford Lido
On 26th April 2014 the Mayor, Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, opened the
new season at the Lido by diving into the 50 metre pool. There were three
new slides and the paddling pool had been refurbished.
On 6th June the Phoenix Aquathlon series began at the Lido. Consisting of
both swimming and running events, the series continued on 4th July and 1st
August. On 4th July around 160 competitors took part in the 5km adults’ and
3km children’s races around Stoke Park. The swimming events took place
in the Lido pool.
In July and August the hot weather led to long queues for admission,
prompting some complaints.
123
Index
22Cans ........................................................................................................ 113
4G mobile access .......................................................................................... 19
Abbot's Hospital ............................................................................................. 91
Academy of Contemporary Music ................................................................ 108
Acal ................................................................................................................ 14
Access Group for Guildford ............................................................................ 23
Advanced Motorists ....................................................................................... 33
Air Training Corps .......................................................................................... 97
AirHop ............................................................................................................ 82
Albury............................................................................................................. 25
A-level results .............................................................................................. 102
Alex Wedderspoon......................................................................................... 58
Alexander Dennis........................................................................................... 16
All the World's a Stage ................................................................................... 84
Allianz ............................................................................................................ 11
Ambassador Band ......................................................................................... 86
American airmen ............................................................................................ 92
Andertons Music ............................................................................................ 13
Anthony Kelly ................................................................................................. 58
Apprenticeships ............................................................................................. 10
Armed Forces Week ...................................................................................... 93
Army Benevolent Fund ...................................................................... 52, 78, 90
Army Training Centre ..................................................................................... 31
Arson ............................................................................................................. 49
Artventure Trust ................................................................................. 43, 73, 81
Ash........................................................................................................... 26, 27
Ash Manor School.......................................................................................... 26
Ashley Park Care Home ................................................................................ 39
Beard Guildford .............................................................................................. 11
Bellfields Carols ............................................................................................. 20
Best Bar None................................................................................................ 22
Bird Table ........................................................................................................ 7
Black Friday ..................................................................................................... 7
Bob Symes .................................................................................................... 59
Boys’ Brigade ................................................................................................. 96
Breakfast Budget Brief ..................................................................................... 8
British Heart Foundation ................................................................................ 71
BTU Group ..................................................................................................... 18
Burpham Neighbourhood Forum.................................................................... 41
Burpham Will Remember Them ..................................................................... 41
Burrito Loco ................................................................................................... 12
Cameo ........................................................................................................... 12
CAMRA .......................................................................................................... 79
Cancer Research UK ..................................................................................... 69
Carers Support Guildford ............................................................................... 69
124
Carols on the Green....................................................................................... 23
Castle Green Bowling Club .......................................................................... 124
Chapter 1 ......................................................................................................... 6
Charles Russell Speechlys ............................................................................ 13
Charlie Hebdo ................................................................................................ 24
Charlotteville Jubilee Trust ............................................................................. 77
Child poverty .................................................................................................. 96
Childcare ........................................................................................................ 96
Children in Need ............................................................................................ 71
Chilworth2gether ............................................................................................ 37
Chown Court .................................................................................................. 29
Christmas Day ............................................................................................... 94
Christmas lights ............................................................................................. 94
Christmas Party ............................................................................................. 29
Christmas Tree Festival ................................................................................. 32
Christopher Robin Day Nursery ..................................................................... 40
Church of England ......................................................................................... 61
Churches at Risk............................................................................................ 64
Circle 8 Film Group ........................................................................................ 77
Clandon House .......................................................................................... 2, 95
Clandon Park ................................................................................................. 38
Clandon Wood Natural Burial Ground............................................................ 38
Cllr David Elms .......................................................... 43, 52, 66, 81, 82, 85, 91
Cllr Diana Lockyer-Nibbs ............................................... 11, 38, 61, 64, 71, 125
Cobbett Hill Earth Station ............................................................................. 111
Colin Stokes ................................................................................................... 55
Community Foundation for Surrey ................................................................. 73
Companies ....................................................................................................... 3
Consult Hyperion ........................................................................................... 18
Count the Kicks .............................................................................................. 68
Cranmore School ......................................................................................... 101
Crossfit........................................................................................................... 82
Crossroads Care Surrey ................................................................................ 68
Daphne Bell ................................................................................................... 59
David Clarke .................................................................................................. 59
Diabetes UK ................................................................................................... 72
Diana Lockyer-Nibbs ................................................................................... 49
Dicing for the Maid's Money ........................................................................... 91
Disability Challengers .................................................................................... 66
DMCii ........................................................................................................... 111
Domestic Violence ......................................................................................... 68
Doreen Bellerby ............................................................................................. 60
Drugs ............................................................................................................. 49
Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards .......................................................................... 99
Ebola Crisis Appeal........................................................................................ 73
Economic vitality .............................................................................................. 3
Edna Salt ....................................................................................................... 54
125
Effingham ....................................................................................................... 29
Effingham Commoners Day ........................................................................... 30
Electric Bikes ................................................................................................. 11
Electric Theatre ................................................................ 70, 73, 77, 85, 87, 88
Empty Dwellings .............................................................................................. 4
Empty shops .................................................................................................. 10
English Speaking Union ................................................................................. 78
Enterprise M3 .................................................................................................. 7
Eseye ........................................................................................................... 112
European Parliament ..................................................................................... 45
Excess Winter deaths .................................................................................. 117
Experience Guildford ....................................................................................... 8
Explosives ...................................................................................................... 49
Extra classes ............................................................................................... 100
Felbury House................................................................................................ 36
Firefly ............................................................................................................. 22
Fireproof Games .......................................................................................... 113
First World War .................................. 17, 29, 34, 35, 39, 41, 63, 82, 84, 90, 92
Flora Doris Cup ............................................................................................ 121
Food Bank ..................................................................................................... 23
Fountain Centre ............................................................................................. 69
Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area ............................................................. 42
Freemasonry .................................................................................................. 74
Friary Guildford Brass Band ........................................................................... 86
Friary shopping centre ................................................................................... 17
Furniture Link ................................................................................................. 21
Futura Medical ............................................................................................... 16
G Live ............................................................................................................ 82
Galliard Wind Ensemble ................................................................................ 80
GASP ............................................................................................................. 25
Gavin Thorn Photography .............................................................................. 15
George Abbot School................................................................................... 102
Get Ahead VA ................................................................................................ 19
Giovanni and Gioseppina Fallea .................................................................... 54
Girlguiding ...................................................................................................... 97
Goldhawks Basketball.................................................................................... 99
Gold-I ........................................................................................................... 111
Good Friday ................................................................................................... 95
Green Belt ...................................................................................................... 44
Greyfriars Vineyard ........................................................................................ 14
Guildford & Godalming Interfaith Forum ........................................................ 64
Guildford & Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group .................................. 114
Guildford & Woking Humanists ...................................................................... 63
Guildford Accordion Club ............................................................................... 33
Guildford Action ....................................................................... 6, 50, 63, 95, 96
Guildford Archery Club ................................................................................... 77
Guildford Art Society ...................................................................................... 81
126
Guildford Arts ................................................................................................. 85
Guildford Astronomical Society ...................................................................... 78
Guildford Baby Sensory ................................................................................. 96
Guildford Beer Festival .................................................................................. 86
Guildford Bike Project .................................................................................... 20
Guildford Book Festival .................................................................................. 86
Guildford Borough Council ............................................................................. 43
Guildford Bowling Club ................................................................................ 124
Guildford Business Forum ............................................................................... 8
Guildford Business Leaders ............................................................................. 8
Guildford Castle ............................................................................................. 92
Guildford Cathedral ........................................................................................ 61
Guildford Chamber Choir ............................................................................... 88
Guildford Choral Society ................................................................................ 80
Guildford City Amateur Boxing Club ............................................................ 123
Guildford City Cricket Club ........................................................................... 121
Guildford City Football Club ......................................................................... 120
Guildford City Swimming Club ..................................................................... 124
Guildford Club for the Disabled ...................................................................... 41
Guildford College ......................................................................................... 106
Guildford Community Job Club ........................................................................ 6
Guildford County School .............................................................................. 100
Guildford Cricket Club .................................................................................. 120
Guildford Cricket Festival ............................................................................. 121
Guildford Crown Court ................................................................................... 50
Guildford Flames.......................................................................................... 123
Guildford Fringe Festival .......................................................................... 38, 87
Guildford Grove Primary School .................................................................. 104
Guildford High School for Girls .................................................................... 100
Guildford Hockey Club ................................................................................. 124
Guildford Hosted Buyer Group ....................................................................... 10
Guildford in Bloom ................................................................................... 21, 90
Guildford Institute ........................................................................................... 77
Guildford International Music Festival ............................................................ 88
Guildford Lido .............................................................................................. 125
Guildford Lions ............................................................................................... 74
Guildford Means Business ............................................................................... 8
Guildford Model Engineering Society ............................................................. 77
Guildford Museum.......................................................................................... 92
Guildford Opera ............................................................................................. 86
Guildford Pancake Races .............................................................................. 95
Guildford Parkrun ......................................................................................... 125
Guildford Philanthropy ................................................................................... 20
Guildford Pub Bombings ................................................................................ 95
Guildford Roll of Honour ................................................................................ 55
Guildford Rugby Club ................................................................................... 122
Guildford School of Acting ........................................................................... 108
127
Guildford Shakespeare Company .................................................................. 83
Guildford Society............................................................................................ 75
Guildford Spectrum ...................................................................................... 121
Guildford Summer Festival ............................................................................ 84
Guildford Symphony Orchestra ...................................................................... 81
Guildford Talking Newspaper ......................................................................... 71
Guildford Undetected Tumour Screening....................................................... 70
Guildford Wellbeing Centre .......................................................................... 117
Guildford-Freiburg Association ...................................................................... 76
Guildfordians ................................................................................................ 122
Guildhall ......................................................................................................... 94
Guilfest........................................................................................................... 88
Guy Fawkes ................................................................................................... 95
Hallmarq ........................................................................................................ 11
Halow Project ................................................................................................. 68
Hampton Estate ............................................................................................. 35
Harry Carter ................................................................................................... 55
Hart Brown ..................................................................................................... 17
Hatchlands ..................................................................................................... 28
Havoc at High House ..................................................................................... 37
Headcase Barbers ......................................................................................... 12
Headway Surrey ............................................................................................ 72
Health Profile ............................................................................................... 114
Herald Players ............................................................................................... 84
Heritage Open Days ...................................................................................... 91
Highways Agency .......................................................................................... 45
Hillsong Community Church .......................................................................... 63
Hinduism ........................................................................................................ 64
HMP Send ..................................................................................................... 48
Hog’s Back Brewery....................................................................................... 14
Hog's Back Road Race ................................................................................ 125
Holy Trinity Amenity Group ............................................................................ 76
Holy Trinity Pewley Down School ................................................................ 103
Holy Trinity, Guildford .................................................................................... 62
Homelessness and rough sleeping .................................................................. 5
Horsley Library ............................................................................................... 29
House Prices ................................................................................................... 3
HSBC ....................................................................................................... 17, 18
Hungarian Cultural Association ...................................................................... 78
Imagineer Systems ...................................................................................... 113
Islam .............................................................................................................. 64
Jack Harrington .............................................................................................. 59
Jacobs Well May Fayre .................................................................................. 40
James Byng ................................................................................................... 52
Joan Covey .................................................................................................... 54
John Garrett ................................................................................................... 58
John Molyneux-Child ..................................................................................... 60
128
Joining In ..................................................................................... 20, 21, 27, 66
Joint ............................................................................................................... 15
Julienne Elizabeth Meyer ............................................................................... 55
June Davey .................................................................................................... 56
Kane FM ........................................................................................................ 23
Katherine Legge............................................................................................. 52
Kenneth Duncan ............................................................................................ 54
King’s College .............................................................................................. 101
Lakeside Nature Reserve ........................................................................ 26, 27
Lanesborough Preparatory School .............................................................. 100
Legal highs .................................................................................................... 50
Libraries ......................................................................................................... 23
Lillian Jefferson .............................................................................................. 54
Limegrove Care Home ................................................................................... 29
Little Beer Corporation ................................................................................... 14
Lloyds Bank Community Fund ....................................................................... 73
Loseley Park .................................................................................................. 25
MacDonalds ................................................................................................... 12
Macmillan Cancer Support ............................................................................. 70
Magistrates .................................................................................................... 48
Mane Chance Sanctuary ............................................................................... 28
Marie Curie Cancer Care ............................................................................... 70
Marlin Electrical.............................................................................................. 14
Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe ........................................................................ 58
Matthew Phillips ............................................................................................. 53
MedPharm ................................................................................................... 110
Memset ........................................................................................................ 112
Meritorious Service ........................................................................................ 98
Merrist Wood College .................................................................................. 107
Merrow CofE Infant School .......................................................................... 104
Michael Redman ............................................................................................ 52
Missing animals ............................................................................................. 24
Mollie Edwards............................................................................................... 54
Morgan Sindall ............................................................................................... 18
Morrisons ....................................................................................................... 12
Mount Alvernia Hospital ............................................................................... 117
Mud Slog........................................................................................................ 42
Murder ........................................................................................................... 49
Muslims for Humanity .................................................................................... 64
National Trust ................................................................................................ 74
New Year's Day ............................................................................................. 94
Nomad Theatre .............................................................................................. 29
Normandy ...................................................................................................... 30
Normandy Therapy Garden ........................................................................... 30
Northmead Junior School ............................................................................ 102
Nuffield Health ............................................................................................. 117
Oakleaf Enterprise ......................................................................................... 71
129
Occam Singers .............................................................................................. 80
Oesophago-gastric Cancer Project ................................................................ 69
Ollie Davies .................................................................................................... 51
Paint Modern ................................................................................................. 28
Papercourt Sailing Club ................................................................................. 33
Parliament ...................................................................................................... 45
Passion play .................................................................................................. 64
Periwheels ..................................................................................................... 32
Personal Debt .................................................................................................. 7
Peter and Sue Secrett.................................................................................... 54
Phase Eight ................................................................................................... 12
Philip Wood .................................................................................................... 55
Philips Electronics .......................................................................................... 11
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice ................................................................................ 68
Pinnocks Coffee House ................................................................................. 34
Pirbright ....................................................................................................... 109
Pirbright Historians......................................................................................... 32
Poppies .......................................................................................................... 29
Post Office ..................................................................................................... 19
Pranksters Theatre Company ........................................................................ 88
Prestons......................................................................................................... 13
PrimeVigilance ............................................................................................. 110
Puttenham ..................................................................................................... 32
Puttenham Neighbourhood Area ................................................................... 32
Radisson Edwardian Guildford Hotel ............................................................. 17
Rail delays ..................................................................................................... 19
Rail fares ........................................................................................................ 19
Rape .............................................................................................................. 68
Refresh Youth Club........................................................................................ 99
Remembrance Cavalcade ............................................................................. 25
Remembrance Sunday .................................................................................. 92
Rents ............................................................................................................... 4
Richard Mead ................................................................................................ 55
Richmond Motor Group .................................................................................. 16
Ride London-Surrey 100 .............................................................................. 119
Riley’s ............................................................................................................ 11
Ripley ............................................................................................... 33, 34, 104
Ripley Bonfire Association ............................................................................. 34
Ripley Rocks .................................................................................................. 33
Riverside .................................................................................................... 6, 74
Riverside Nature Reserve .............................................................................. 22
Road repairs .................................................................................................. 22
Road Safety ................................................................................................. 100
Rotary Club of Guildford .......................................................................... 74, 75
Royal British Legion ....................................... 29, 30, 39, 41, 56, 61, 82, 83, 91
Royal Grammar School ................................................................................ 100
Royal Surrey County Hospital ...................................................................... 114
130
Royal Voluntary Service ................................................................................. 66
Russ Carpenter .............................................................................................. 52
Safeguard Coaches ....................................................................................... 16
Sainsbury’s .................................................................................................... 17
Sally Porter .................................................................................................... 59
Samaritan’s Purse.......................................................................................... 71
Samson Centre .............................................................................................. 66
Sandfield Primary School ............................................................................. 103
Sanofi-Aventis ................................................................................................ 18
SATRO ........................................................................................................ 112
Scarecrow Festival......................................................................................... 31
Scillonian Road Cider Co-operative ............................................................... 14
Scouting ......................................................................................................... 96
Sea Cadets .................................................................................................... 98
Seale & Sands ............................................................................................... 35
Semafone ...................................................................................................... 13
Send .............................................................................................................. 34
Send and Ripley History Society .................................................................... 34
Service for the Judiciary ................................................................................. 49
SETsquared ..................................................................................................... 8
Shalford ......................................................................................................... 36
Shalford Cricket Club ..................................................................................... 36
Shere ....................................................................................................... 36, 37
Shere 40k ...................................................................................................... 36
Shere Hill Climb ............................................................................................. 36
Shooting Star CHASE .................................................................................... 67
Shopping.......................................................................................................... 7
Sidney Sime Gallery ...................................................................................... 41
Sight for Surrey .............................................................................................. 71
Silent Pool Distillers ....................................................................................... 15
Small Business Saturday ................................................................................. 9
Social Housing ................................................................................................. 4
South East Coast Ambulance Service ......................................................... 118
Southern Pro Musica ..................................................................................... 87
Space Airconditioning .................................................................................... 18
Sport Guildford ............................................................................................. 122
St John Ambulance ...................................................................................... 117
St Mark’s, Wyke ............................................................................................. 30
St Martha's ..................................................................................................... 37
St Mary’s, Guildford ....................................................................................... 63
St Michael and All Angels .............................................................................. 31
St Nicolas, Guildford ...................................................................................... 63
St Peter's Catholic School............................................................................ 102
St Pius, Merrow.............................................................................................. 64
St Teresa’s Effingham.................................................................................. 102
Stanley Collins ............................................................................................... 53
Stanley Revell ................................................................................................ 58
131
Star Diving Club ........................................................................................... 125
Station footbridge ........................................................................................... 36
Steven Lee ..................................................................................................... 52
Story Pocket Theatre ..................................................................................... 84
Street Angels ................................................................................................. 48
Strikes ............................................................................................................ 24
Summerpole .................................................................................................. 92
Sunrise Gurkha Taekwondo club ................................................................. 123
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust .............................. 116
Surrey Artists Open Studios ........................................................................... 81
Surrey Chambers of Commerce ...................................................................... 8
Surrey Country Fair........................................................................................ 26
Surrey County Show ...................................................................................... 82
Surrey Festival Choir ..................................................................................... 81
Surrey Fire and Rescue ................................................................................. 47
Surrey Greenspace Project ............................................................................ 20
Surrey Hills International Music Festival ........................................................ 80
Surrey Mozart Players ................................................................................... 87
Surrey Poetry Festival .................................................................................... 80
Surrey Police ................................................................................................. 46
Surrey Property Awards ................................................................................. 10
Surrey Research Park.................................................... 58, 109, 110, 113, 117
Surrey Satellite Technology ......................................................................... 110
Surrey Sculpture Society ............................................................................... 84
Surrey Sports Park....................................................................................... 119
Surrey Storm ................................................................................................ 125
Surrey Youth Games ..................................................................................... 99
That's Surrey TV ............................................................................................ 11
The Boileroom................................................................................................ 83
The Clavadel .................................................................................................. 11
The County Club ............................................................................................ 78
The Fox.......................................................................................................... 41
The National Trust ......................................................................................... 79
The Prostate Project ...................................................................................... 70
The Queen Victoria ........................................................................................ 36
The University of Law .................................................................................. 107
The White House ........................................................................................... 22
Thirteen.......................................................................................................... 12
Thomson Ecology .......................................................................................... 16
Toast of Surrey .............................................................................................. 10
Tokon Shotokan Karate Academy ............................................................... 123
Tormead School........................................................................................... 101
Tour of Britain .............................................................................................. 120
Tourism .......................................................................................................... 93
Town Centre Cycle Races ........................................................................... 119
Traffic jams .................................................................................................... 21
Transport Trust ........................................................................................ 79, 92
132
Travel SMART ............................................................................................... 20
Turtle Bay ...................................................................................................... 12
Unemployment ................................................................................................. 6
University of Surrey...................................................................................... 105
Village Fete ........................................................................................ 30, 36, 38
Vines Group ................................................................................................... 16
Vision Engineering Ltd ................................................................................... 35
Vivace Chorus................................................................................................ 80
Voluntary Action South West Surrey .............................................................. 66
Wagging Tails ................................................................................................ 42
Waitrose..................................................................................................... 6, 17
War Memorial........................................................................................... 27, 37
Water Aid ....................................................................................................... 73
Watts Gallery ................................................................................................. 27
West Clandon ................................................................................................ 38
West Horsley ................................................................................................. 39
West Horsley in Bloom ................................................................................... 39
West Horsley Independent Players ................................................................ 39
Westborough and Park Barn Community Fun Day ........................................ 21
Wey Kayak Club .......................................................................................... 124
Weyfield Primary Academy .......................................................................... 104
White Hart ...................................................................................................... 38
White Lion Walk ............................................................................................. 17
White Lyon & Dragon ..................................................................................... 41
Whiteley Clinic ............................................................................................. 117
Wild Wood Adventure .................................................................................... 82
Wisley ............................................................................................................ 39
Wisley airfield ................................................................................................. 40
Wood Street Village Show ............................................................................. 40
Woodland Trust.............................................................................................. 73
Worpfest ........................................................................................................ 42
Worplesdon .................................................................................................... 40
Worplesdon and District Bridleways Association ........................................... 42
Worplesdon View ........................................................................................... 42
Wyllie & Mar ................................................................................................... 33
YMCA ................................................................................................ 17, 43, 97
Young Enterprise ................................................................................... 97, 104
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre ................................................................................. 85
133