Fountain Centre’s Celebration of Christmas Concert
The Fountain Centre team are delighted to be holding their traditional Carol Concert, hosted by patron and renowned Opera soprano Kathryn Harries and featuring special guests Surrey Hills Choir and St Edmunds Catholic Junior School Choir.
The Fountain Centre Carol Concert takes place at Holy Trinity Church at the top of Guildford High Street on Wednesday 8 December 2021 from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are already on sale from www.thelittleboxoffice.com/fountaincentre and cost £10 each (under 12’s go free).
Holy Trinity church has full disabled access, and the ticket price includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. There will be a cash bar and an opportunity to purchase Fountain Centre Christmas cards and other Fountain Centre branded goods making ideal gifts.
Fountain Centre Chairman Martin Read said: “We are so excited to be getting back to real events as its been so long since we have been able to meet all our supporters and patrons face to face. The lack of events has made fundraising very difficult but the demand for our services is as high as ever so the proceeds from this event will be put to good use. Our Christmas concert is always a joy so we are really looking forward to seeing everyone again in this lovely venue.”
Details of the work of the Fountain Centre can be found at www.fountaincentre.org along with details of this event and a link to tickets.
The Fountain Centre is an independent charity established in 1998 and based at St. Lukes Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The charity supports over 2500 cancer patients and their families as they go on their cancer journey with counselling, complimentary therapies, wellbeing, family service and more.
Christmas at Elm Nursery
Elm Nursery is a family run farm shop, children’s farm, plant nursery and cafe located in leafy Sutton Green.
This Christmas, Elm Nursery has everything you need for the festive period and for the big day. Order your free range turkey now, along with beef, lamb or game and all the trimmings. The shop has a large selection of fresh, seasonal vegetables to buy in store or to order for
Christmas dining. It really does offer stress free shopping and you will be supporting a local business too! A huge range of high quality, British grown Christmas trees will be ready to buy from the last weekend of November along with decorations and gifts.
The children’s farm at Elm Nursery is well worth a visit for animal lovers in the family! They have alpacas, goats, guinea pigs, free roaming chickens, pigs, Shetland ponies and a friendly donkey called Applejack. Food to feed the chickens is available to buy in the farm shop. It is an ideal venue for a low key morning or afternoon out for young and pre-school children, without the pressure of a day trip. Entrance to the farm is £4 per person and under 2’s are free.
From Sat 4th – Thurs 23rd December, there will be festive scenes on the farm. Father Christmas usually parks his sleigh for safekeeping until Christmas Eve. The sleigh is perfect for little helpers to sit in (and a fab family photo opportunity!). The farm is open every day from 10am – 3.30pm (last entry 3pm). No need to book.
Elm Farm Café has been newly refurbished and is open under new management for brunch, light lunches, home-made quiches, soups and cakes. Fresh coffee and other hot drinks are on the menu too. The café is open Tues – Sun, 9.00am – 3.30pm (closed Mondays) open every day during school holidays.
Sutton Green Road, Sutton Green, Guildford, Surrey, GU22 0ES.
Telephone: 01483 755559
Website: elmnursery.co.uk
Facebook: @elmnurseryfarm
Instagram: @elmnursery
Burpham Residents’ Winter Lectures 2022
Cheer up your chilly nights among friends. These one-hour Winter Lectures are given by local residents for local residents.
Considering the council’s advice about gatherings and the number of Omicron cases, it has been decided to postpone the Burpham Winter Lectures until the danger is past. It is expected that the lectures will be delayed until early spring but there is caution about setting an actual date at this point. Online broadcast of the lectures has been considered however, as the intention was to offer the chance for people to get out and meet neighbours face-to-face and to help create community spirit, postponement has been chosen as the best option.
If anyone would like to be notified of a new date, probably in early spring, they can write to secretary@burphamca.org.uk and will be sent an alert when new dates are available.
There’s no fee, but a collection at the exit to help room costs. All lectures take place at the Burpham Village Hall on Burpham Lane.
They all start at 8.00pm and last just over an hour, including questions.
Friday
7th
January
2022
Creatures
of
the
Rain:
Gargoyles,
Grotesques
and
Hunkypunks
Andrew Plumridge will reveal some of the bizarre creatures that enrich the upper reaches of our churches and public buildings.
Friday
14th
January
2022
Freewheeling
to
Vienna
Paul Gillingham will share his adventure of cycling to Austria’s capital.
Friday
21st
January
2022
Yes,
Minister
–
an
insider’s view
Former minister Bob Hughes will take us behind the scenes of government to consider the realities of life at the top.
Friday
28th
January
2022
Medieval
sex
and
marriage
Historically, marriage has been an awkward matter. Why were panels of women assembled to assess the virility of a husband? And just how celibate were the priests who married them? Brian Creese will answer these questions and more.
Friday
4th
February
2022
You
have
the
right
to
remain
silent…
Andrew Plumridge will lead us through a selection of bizarre and obscure laws that you probably break on a daily basis.
Chai on the patio
Last year Burpham Pages spoke to Mandira Sarkar, founder and inspiration behind Mandira’s Kitchen based at Silent Pool. We learnt about (and sampled a few of) the fantastic authentic Indian meals that they produce and sell frozen from their converted cowshed in the Surrey Hills. Alongside the meals the team at MK also offer hands on cookery lessons, spice tours and bespoke catering in between sampling the gin and wine from their neighbours!
Well, Mandira and her dedicated team haven’t been standing still whilst in lockdown and have been creating new experiences as well as new recipes and have now launched their ‘Chai On The Patio’ offering.
This new addition to Mandira’s Kitchen provides the most delicious spot to enjoy fabulous Indian street food. Beautifully positioned, they have five tables of six which can be booked for slots of one hour (or more) where you can catch up with family & friends over some delicious food and drink. Each 1 hour slot costs £20 and is fully redeemable against any purchases you make on your visit.
They have an exciting street food menu – which you can order at the time of your booking, plus you can always add more dishes when you get there.
Walk-ins are welcome, but booking is advisable especially for busy times and weekends. The menu is also designed to be a takeaway should you wish to enjoy elsewhere.
Masala chai is a tea beverage made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. Originating in India, the beverage is traditionally prepared as a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves.
Talking to Mandira she clearly has missed the freedom recently to visit home but we are fortunate that she is happy to recreate the taste of home here to share with us. “Summer seems to have passed us by but I still consider myself so lucky to be in beautiful Burpham during these uncertain times. We have the ancient Medieval town with every modern amenity within walking distance as well as the stunning Surrey hills on our doorstep too – the best of both worlds. Not being able to travel to India to see my family and eat at our favourite restaurants, I have tried to recreate many of my favourite dishes and here is one to share with you. Perfect with a cup of chai or a glass of wine or gin or beer…
Recipe: Mandira’s easy to make pakoras
Ingredients (makes 15 medium sized pakoras):
To make these delicious morsels you will need:
- 2 large red onions sliced
- A bag of baby spinach, chopped
- Approx. 2 heaped tablespoons of gram flour (besan)
- 1 heaped tablespoon of rice flour (optional – can substitute with self raising flour if you want)
- Salt to taste
- 1½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 level tsp chilli powder
- 1 finely sliced green chilli
- 1 tsp of coriander seeds, roughly ground – you need to be able to bite into these
- Oil (enough to cover your pan to the depth of an inch)
- Cold water (alternatively you can use beer)
Method:
- Tip all the ingredients, except the water (or beer) and oil into a large mixing bowl.
- Add about 3 tbsp water (or beer) to start with and gently try and bring together. The mixture should hold but not get too thick or doughy – the secret to light fluffy pakoras is not too much gram flour. If you find you need a little more binding then add gram flour and if it is too dry add a tiny bit more water (or beer).
- Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Heat oil – about an inch to cover the pan. A wok is usually good but a heavy bottom frying pan also does the job.
- Once the oil is smoking reduce the heat and then gently spoon a tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil. Careful to regulate the temperature, if it’s too hot it will remain raw inside and burn outside – too cold and you get greasy pakoras. Should take about 3 minutes on each side.
- Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot with ketchup or a mint and yoghurt sauce.
Mint and Yoghurt Sauce
Blend together 1 clove of garlic, half a cup of mint leaves, salt and ½ cup of Greek yoghurt. Serve chilled with pakoras.
About Mandira
Burpham resident, Mandira is the owner (general dogsbody) of Mandira’s Kitchen. MK are a wholly woman led business operating out of a 400 year old converted cowshed overlooking the beautiful Silent Pool. They create award winning Indian food offering authentic homestyle freezer meals, bespoke catering, Indian picnics, hands on cookery lesson and spice tours. Mandira’s Kitchen now offer an authentic street food cafe option on their patio which is a fabulous way to spend some time with friends and family.
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre announces Autumn 2021 Season
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre has an exciting autumn season planned!
If you need a laugh after the past 18 months there’s comedy aplenty, including the latest production from the creators of The Play That Goes Wrong, Groan Ups (20 to 25 Sep); Agatha Christie-inspired romp, Crimes in Egypt (8 & 9 Sep); and evenings with Miriam Margolyes, David Suchet, Andy Hamilton and Arthur Smith and more.
A stand out production of the season is new political comedy Maggie and Ted (12 to 16 Oct), starring Martin Jarvis and Clare Bloomer. Shining a light on the relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Ted Heath, this uproariously funny play comes to Guildford only, direct from a sell-out West End debut.
Are thrillers more your thing? If so, you’re in luck! The most scandalous political thriller of the year, Dead Lies (2 to 6 Nov), stars Clive Mantle, Harriet Thorpe, Kimberley Wyatt and more. There’s also ghost stories galore, with a gripping new adaptation of American classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (18 to 23 Oct), starring Wendi Peters and Bill Ward; and terrifying new spine-chiller When Darkness Falls (28 to 30 Sep).
Families can enjoy a delightful adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ award-winning picture book, What the Ladybird Heard (5 & 6 Oct) packed full of live music and puppetry. The theatre’s much-loved panto will also return (3 Dec to 9 Jan) for lashings of slapstick silliness for all aged 5 to 105!
Other season highlights include Being Mr Wickham, with Adrian Lukis as Pride and Prejudice’s most roguish gentleman (28 to 30 Oct); Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s iconic musical, Tell Me On A Sunday (16 to 20 Nov), starring Jodie Prenger; and Olivier Award-winning Ian McDiarmid in the world premiere of Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table (9 to 13 Nov).
As well as Main House productions, the Yvonne Arnaud team are thrilled to bring performance back to the Mill Studio after a long period of closure. There’s a diverse programme on offer,
including the acclaimed Paines Plough Theatre’s Sessions (30 Oct), and award-winning Who Cares (23 Oct) from Lung Theatre, as well as a delightfully festive recreation of Charles Dickens’ famous performance of A Christmas Carol, performed by John O’Connor, in the lead up to Christmas (20 to 24 Dec).
To find out more or to keep up to date with the latest news, visit www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk or sign up to the theatre’s mailing list and social media channels.
Lewis Carroll: Guildford’s Links to Wonderland
By Alex Rose
As Alice embarked on her journey through the looking glass, Carroll began his life in Guildford, the place that may have partially inspired ‘Looking-Glass House’, the fictional parallel of ‘Wonderland’ from the famous sequel, ‘Through The Looking Glass’. So, how was the children’s author of ‘Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland’ impacted by Guildford?
Behind the picturesque Guildford castle, and its beautiful grounds, Castle Hill boasts the famous grade two listed building, The Chestnuts, acquired in 1868 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (more famously known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll) for his six sisters. By then, he had already written his first successful book, ‘Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland’, and that same year he would begin writing its sequel, ‘Through The Looking Glass’.
Born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, he and his ten siblings grew up in isolated villages in the English countryside with their father, Reverand Charles Dodgson, and mother, Frances Jane Lutwidge. As the eldest boy of the family, he was skilled at entertaining himself and his brothers and sisters, making up a number of games and telling imaginative stories. He attended Christ Church, Oxford and graduated in 1854 with degrees in mathematics and classics. He was also a keen photographer, notably shooting pictures of actress Ellen Terry and poet Alfred Tennyson. After graduating, he stayed at Christ Church, and became a lecturer, teaching mathematics – a position he had sought. Although taking deacon’s orders in 1861, Dodgson was never ordained a priest, as his stammer made preaching difficult.
If you take a walk through the castle grounds today, you might notice the locally famous statue of Alice in the moment she enters through the looking glass, reaching out towards the ruins of Guildford Castle.
Due to this stammer – which he referred to as his ‘hesitation’ – and his position in the family, with eight younger siblings, he found it easier to talk to children, three of which were the children of Henry George Liddell, Christ Church’s dean. The Liddell children – Lorina, Edith and Alice – held an important place in his affections. They were the only children at Christ Church whilst he tutored there. On July 4, 1862, he and his friend, Robinson Duckworth, took a boat from Oxford to Godstow along the Thames and picnicked on the bank. This is where Dodgson first recounted the story of ‘Alice’s adventures underground’, revealing the story of a little girl called Alice who fell down a rabbit hole and travelled into a fantasy world.
The story was partially based on a picnic taken by the same party around two weeks earlier, when they all got caught in the rain. Both Alice and Duckworth remarked on how improved this story was from his others, and Alice went as far as to plead with Dodgson to write it out. Not only did he handwrite it, he also illustrated it and presented it to her for Christmas in 1864. Within a year he had published it under the title of ‘Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland’.
Other marks of his links to Guildford are the March Hare pub near Guildford Castle, and The Mad Hatter hat shop.
While Dodgson lived in Oxford, he often visited his family in Guildford. Where he not only enjoyed holidaying, but also fully took part in local life. In many ways, Guildford was his perfect second home, even allowing a quick journey to parts of London he frequented. He became good friends with the headmaster of the local royal grammar school, and the banker who lived next door. He was often called upon to preach at St Mary’s
Church on Quarry street, which was, and still is, the oldest building in the town.
Another of Dodgson’s pastimes was to take leisurely walks around the castle grounds, where it is thought that he was inspired to write ‘The Hunting Of The Snark’.
If you take a similar walk through the castle grounds today, you might notice the locally famous statue of Alice in the moment she enters through the looking glass, reaching out towards the ruins of Guildford Castle. The statue, ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ sits in the Alice Garden, just behind The Chestnuts. It was sculpted in 1990 by Jeanne Argent to memorialise Lewis Carroll and his famous sequel, ‘Through The Looking Glass’, which he wrote in Guilford within the year of procuring the family home. At the start of the book, Alice travels through the looking glass on the fireplace mantel, and finds a very different world, similar to how Dodgson and his family must have experienced a large change when moving to Guildford.
Any visitor to Guildford would notice Carrolll’s impact woven through the town, including two statues, one previously mentioned, and one on the bank of the river Wey. This second statue was sculpted by local artist Edwin Russell in 1984 and depicts the two sisters from the book – Alice watching as the white rabbit leaps towards the rabbit hole. Other marks of his links to Guildford are the March Hare pub near Guildford Castle, and The Mad Hatter hat shop.
Lewis Carroll is buried in The Mount cemetery, Guildford, where you can still find his grave today, under a pine tree to the left of the chapel.
Sadly, on January 14, 1898, Dodgson died of Pneumonia after a bout of influenza. He passed away at The Chestnuts, two weeks away from turning 66 years old, and was buried in The Mount cemetery, where you can still find his grave today, under a pine tree to the left of the chapel.
Carroll’s remarkable imagination and nonsensical style has entertained generations of readers and influenced pop culture in countless ways, and Alice’s stories continue to shape the world from their spiritual home in the town of Guildford.
Guildford Lions' 'Firework Fiesta' to go ahead this year.
After the cancellation of the fireworks in 2020 due to the lockdown restrictions it’s great to see that the Guildford Lions Firework Fiesta will be going ahead this year.
Guildford Lions are delighted to confirm our annual fireworks display WILL take place this year, on Saturday 6th November at Stoke Park, albeit with a number of changes.
To ensure the evening remains as safe as possible we have decided to make some radical changes which can be summarised as follows:
- Due to the current concerns and uncertainties it is with real regret we must confirm that there will not be any torchlight procession this year. Our concerns centre on the lack of available space for social distancing.
- The fireworks display on Stoke Park will still go ahead as the size of the park will allow people to socially distance if they so wish.
- To offset the loss of the torchlight procession we will be introducing live music for the first time. This will feature Blurasis an award winning band who cover songs by a host of artists including Blur, Oasis, Coldplay and many more.
- Peter Gordon will again be our MC.
- Again, for the first time the event will be an all ticket affair and contactless only. Gates will open at 5.00pm, the music will be at 6.00pm & 7.30pm with the fireworks at 8.30pm.
- Tickets will cost £10 per adult with children under 16, accompanied by their parents, free. Tickets will be available via www.seetickets.com – early bird ticket sales will be starting shortly priced at £8.00.
- There will be a full licensed bar, a real ale marquee and a gin bar by Pub of the Year The Star Inn, Godalming plus delicious hot food by Mandira’s Kitchen.
- Free parking will again be available at the Spectrum and The Guildford College with disabled parking available at the Guildford High School on London Road.
It will be wonderful to once again host such a wonderful community event and as ever ALL profits from the evening will be used to support our clubs welfare fund and also the Guildford Sea Scouts. For more information please visit our website www.guildfordlions.com or our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/GuildfordLionsClub/
Sport in Burpham
Moira MacQuaide’s history of Burpham
Burpham Football Club was established in 1956, using the newly opened Playing Fields. Local builder, Percy Howard, built the small pavilion as changing rooms – plus a place for a barrel of beer after matches! The Green Man also had a team that played on Sundays. After Guildford City FC ceased playing at Joseph Road in 1996 Burpham FC were asked to move to the Spectrum to represent Guildford, becoming AFC Guildford. Burpham FC now plays in the Guildford & Woking Alliance Football League. In 2000 a group of Burpham fathers started Burpham Juniors FC.
Burpham Cricket Club was established in 1957, also using the Playing Fields. In 1999 they merged with Worplesdon and since 2011 have played their matches at Worplesdon, where there is a pavilion with more facilities, including bar & kitchen – essential for cricket teas.
Burpham Tennis Club was started in 1990 by Jane Hill and benefits from the facilities in the Sutherland Memorial Park extension. They provide coaching, have a junior section and the all-weather courts allow them to play all year round.
Burpham Bowling Club, established 1990, is one of the largest in Guildford. They benefit from a recently refurbished clubhouse, with bar, enabling club members to enjoy a full social programme in addition to matches.
Table Tennis had been played in Burpham since at least 1938, when a team from the Kingpost played in the league. PC Fred Oliver taught youngsters to play at Burpham Youth Club. The Burpham Table Tennis Club started in 1966 and Fred’s children, Derek and Christine won many tournaments. Susan and Linda Howard, Percy’s daughters, played both tennis and table tennis, going on to become top UK players. The club closed in the 80s.
During the 1980s the Anchor & Horseshoes had an Aunt Sally team that played in the pub garden and competed in matches with several other local pubs. The pub also had a darts team.
Both Burpham Primary School and George Abbot provide a range of sporting activities for pupils and some have gone on to represent their country at their sports.
There was a swimming pool at the Kingpost from the 30s until the 50s, but this was purely a social activity for Burpham. And finally, when the Duke of Sutherland lived at Sutton Place, he kept his polo ponies alongside Clay Lane and Prince Phillip came here to play the game.
If you are willing to share your memories and/or photos to tell us more about Burpham then please contact Moira MacQuaide, either by e-mail (moira.macquaide@gmail.com) or by phone or text (07963 756543). My two books (‘The History of Burpham Primary School’ and ‘Burpham – A Gateway to Guildford’) are still available from me for £10 (free delivery locally) or on Amazon.
Community Update – March & April 2021
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 01483 567791 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Covid-19
At the time of writing (end of January), we are still in lockdown with no idea when it will end – just a glimmer of hope that March might bring some relief.
On a positive note, more people are now being vaccinated and those responsible for setting up and running the G Live centre are to be congratulated on a very efficient operation.
The Burpham Community Support Group is still active so if you need help with shopping, collecting prescriptions or would just like to chat to someone don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call 07880 586455, email support@burphamca.org.uk or contact the Secretary (details below).
Litter picking
Many thanks to the people who have already volunteered to join our group of litter pickers.
Obviously we cannot do very much while strict Covid regulations are still in place but once they are eased, we hope to be out and about keeping our village tidy. If you could spare a couple of hours on a Saturday occasionally, please let Liz Turner know, email membership@burphamca.org.uk All equipment will be provided.
We are also looking to find ways of making the public areas more attractive and any suggestions you may have would be welcome.
What else is the BCA doing in lockdown?
We are still having monthly committee meetings via Zoom. The major event so far was the response to Sainsbury’s application to extend their loading bay – no doubt there will be more to write about on that issue in future updates. And therein we find ourselves in a quandary; quite a few people have challenged the BCA’s actions in the past, saying we are only interested in opposing planning applications. Perhaps now is a good time to take stock and consider this accusation.
Yes, we have opposed some corporate applications where they are likely to cause problems for residents such as increased traffic congestion. No, we do not get involved with individual planning applications; the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum (BNF) might object if some aspect ignores the Neighbourhood Plan, for example insufficient parking spaces.
For newer readers who may not have heard of the BNF, it is a statutory body that worked with the community to produce the Burpham Neighbourhood Plan (BNP). A neighbourhood plan contains planning policies for a single neighbourhood area, in our case Burpham Ward. The BNP was formally adopted by GBC in April 2016 and is used to determine planning applications, along with the Council’s Local Plan.
What the BCA tries to do is perhaps best summed up by that often quoted phrase due diligence. It’s been around since the 16th century, originally meaning care taken to avoid harm to people or property but can also refer to research done before a business transaction. What does this mean for the BCA in practice?
The following article may help to explain.
Weyside Urban Village
This is the proposed Slyfield redevelopment, just across the river from the Nature Reserve. The present sewage treatment plant is to be moved and some 1,500 homes built.
So what does this have to do with Burpham? One committee member decided to find out if we needed to be concerned about anything – 246 documents later, a few things emerged that might be of interest to us.
There’s the sewage problem –
we are at the end of the main sewer from Merrow and Burpham which has flooded three times in four years. Any back flow ends up here so maybe we should investigate further.
“…be familiar with regional and local planning principles, considering how they might best be applied to Burpham and if necessary make representation to appropriate authorities should planning proposals be deemed contrary to good practice or adversely affect local residents.”
The nature reserve will be expanded across to Jacob’s Well which is to be welcomed, but the proposed parking area has only 12 spaces. Will this mean more cars trying to get into Bower’s Lane where there is already a problem, highlighted in the last Burpham Pages?
When the sewage works are relocated, the sludge tower will be moved to land adjacent to the Dennis factory – it will rise some 20 metres. Will this affect the view?
It appears that Thames Water cannot provide sufficient drinking water for all the new houses – will this have any effect on our water supplies?
The BCA Constitution, approved by members in 2018, says we should “be familiar with regional and local planning principles, considering how they might best be applied to Burpham and if necessary make representation to appropriate authorities should planning proposals be deemed contrary to good practice or adversely affect local residents.”
This is what we try to do – not opposition for its own sake but ensuring that the community has a voice in its future development by practising due diligence.
Help by joining the Burpham Community Association today!
Subscriptions are £8 per household or £4 per single occupancy and run from January to December. Join now or renew your membership for 2021.
You can pay by:
Direct Debit – visit our website at www.burphamca.org.uk which has a link to this system – an email to treasurer@burphamca.org.uk giving your details would be helpful.
Online:
Account name: Burpham Community Association.
Sort Code: 40-22-26.
Account Number: 41049194
To help the Treasurer please identify yourself using initials, surname and the first line of your address.
Please contact Liz Turner, our Membership Secretary, if you have any queries. Her email address is membership@burphamca.org.uk
BCA on Facebook & Twitter!
Join the conversation! Open to members and non-members, it’s a great way to stay up-to-date with everything that’s happening in our community.
twitter.com/burpham_c_a
facebook.com/burphamCA/
Guildford Community Lottery
A way for everyone to support local causes and be in with a chance to win prizes of up to £25,000. 50% of all tickets sold from our page go to the BCA!
Community Update – September & October 2021
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 01483 567791 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Wey Navigation Lengthsman
Back in the Middle Ages, a lengthsman was someone who kept a length of road tidy and passable. When the canal system was developed, a lengthsman was responsible for a length of canal, maintaining and repairing banks and tow paths, and also undertaking lock keeper’s duties.
The Stoke length of the Wey Navigation runs from Millmead Lock to Bowers Lock, and for the past 16 years has been looked after by Richard Cant who is now moving on to become a lecturer at Merrist Wood.
The BCA is very grateful for all that Richard has done to keep his ‘length’ in good order, and his willingness to help both the BCA and BNF when river issues have cropped up.
He has given an insight into his work in his ‘Richard’s Wey’ column in the Guildford Dragon – well worth a visit to the Dragon if you have never read them. A few years ago, the BCA organised some summer evening walks along the canal and round the Riverside Park; they were led by Richard who gave the walkers a real insight into the canal and wetlands habitat. He also kindly arranged for a boat for those unable to manage the complete walk.
We wish Richard and his family all the very best and thank him for all he has done for ‘our’ bit of the Wey Navigation.
Burpham Flood Forum
The Flood Forum will take place on Friday 24th September, at 1pm in the Village Hall.
Angela Richardson MP will chair the meeting which will include representatives from SCC, GBC, the Environment Agency, Thames Water and the National Trust. The meeting is open to the public, so if you would like to attend please let the Secretary know (contact details above).
At her request, Ms Richardson undertook a walkabout in July to see for herself the various issues raised in the Flood Action Plan – inadequate barriers behind the houses that back on to Merrow Lane, crumbling culverts, cameras that cannot be accessed, foliage maintenance issues and erosion of the watercourses, most evident along the Wey Navigation. The Action Plan is available on our website: www.burphamca.org.uk
Burpham Neighbourhood Forum (BNF) Survey
The first survey was done in 2013, prior to the drawing up of the Burpham Neighbourhood Plan which was formally adopted by GBC in 2016.
Work has started on updating the Neighbourhood Plan and the BNF are conducting a second survey to find out the views and aspirations of all who live and work in Burpham. Ward. You will find a copy inside this magazine, or you can complete it online via the BNF website.
This is your chance to have some say in Burpham’s future – please use it.
A very important date for this year’s diary…
Saturday 11th December, 7.30pm in the Village Hall sees the return of the BCA Christmas Social! There will be a quiz and tombola plus drinks and nibbles and we hope many of you will join us.
…and some more dates for 2022
Sue Hackman and Andrew Plumridge are planning some more Friday evening Winter Lectures. Subjects include talks on marriage and sex in Mediaeval England, gargoyles, a minister on behind the scenes at Westminster, beloved and puzzling objects from the Museum (hands on) and with luck, a Formula One driver.
They hope to present these live in the Village Hall but this will depend on any future restrictions – they will be via Zoom if all else fails. The dates are 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th of January and the 4th February.
Help by joining the Burpham Community Association today!
Subscriptions are £8 per household or £4 per single occupancy and run from January to December. Join now or renew your membership for 2021.
You can pay by:
Direct Debit – visit our website at www.burphamca.org.uk which has a link to this system – an email to treasurer@burphamca.org.uk giving your details would be helpful.
Online:
Account name: Burpham Community Association.
Sort Code: 40-22-26.
Account Number: 41049194
To help the Treasurer please identify yourself using initials, surname and the first line of your address.
Please contact Liz Turner, our Membership Secretary, if you have any queries. Her email address is membership@burphamca.org.uk
BCA on Facebook & Twitter!
Join the conversation! Open to members and non-members, it’s a great way to stay up-to-date with everything that’s happening in our community.
twitter.com/burpham_c_a
facebook.com/burphamCA/
Guildford Community Lottery
A way for everyone to support local causes and be in with a chance to win prizes of up to £25,000. 50% of all tickets sold from our page go to the BCA!