Community Update – March & April 2022
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 07513 366072 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Flood Forum date change
The meeting scheduled for the 21st January had to be postponed due to concerns over the rise in Omicron infections. It will now take place on Friday March 25th at 1pm in the Village Hall. If you wish to attend, or raise a specific issue, please email secretary@burphamca.org.uk
For any new residents, the Flood Forum came about because of the 2013/2014 floods. The BCA established a flood action group of local residents to try and identify the problems of local surface water management and propose solutions. Together with the various agencies responsible for these issues this led to the formation of a Forum chaired by our MP which meets normally biannually.
The main areas of concern are:
- Issues along the Merrow Common Stream which flows from Merrow Lane through Great Oaks Park and Weybrook Park to its outlet into the Wey Navigation
- the erosion of the banks along the Wey Navigation.
The latter problem was the focus of a walkabout on a miserable January afternoon. Two members of the BCA Committee, accompanied by Angela Richardson MP and representatives from GBC and the National Trust took a close up look at some of the issues we have raised. Erosion is one of the main concerns; it is happening on both sides of the river and much of the tow path has been lost.
Another worry is the number of mature trees lost. There were 207 reported blockages between Godalming and the Thames in the last 10 years; with other trees falling away from the river that could be up to 300 lost trees, including quite a few along Burpham’s stretch. There is also concern over the Nature Reserve and the rest of the flood plain not draining properly; this could lead to unwanted flooding in other places.
It was agreed that these issues need to be addressed and we look forward to what the agencies involved have to say at the Flood Forum this month. The committee would like to thank Angela and the representatives for giving their time and enduring a cold, wet and muddy walk.
Defibrillator fundraising… progress report
As you know, we’re busy fund-raising for two community public access defibrillators (cPAD). At the time of writing we are over 60% of the way to our £6,000 target.
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated – it really is appreciated. Special thanks to George Potter, our local County Councillor, for the £1,000 from Surrey County Council Members’ Community Allocation Funding. Thank you also to our fantastic local pub, the Anchor & Horseshoes, for donating the funds from their recent Quiz Night. Our plan is to provide two high specification Zoll 3 defibrillators, carry cases, outdoor heated cabinets, installation, training and ongoing support and maintenance. They’ll be installed outside Aldi and the Sutherland Memorial Park Hall. If you’d like to donate, please go to our JustGiving page or scan our QR code.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/burpham-community-association
If you’d prefer to write a cheque then please send it to our Treasurer (details in the joining section) with a note that it’s for the cPAD project. Thank you!
Bird recognition
Many thanks to the birdwatchers of Burpham who responded to our request in the last edition of Burpham Pages – all agreed that this bird in Jim’s garden is a common buzzard. Lucky Jim indeed, as it is very unusual for them to visit gardens. One respondent noted that red kites, sparrowhawks, kestrels, peregrine falcons, barn owls, tawny owls, little owls and hobbies (summer migrants) have all been seen locally.
Address Correction
The new address for the BCA given in the January edition should have been 6 Darfield Road, Burpham GU4 7YY. Apologies for the incorrect postcode.
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 2022.
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!
Reminiscing over the history of Burpham
Moira MacQuaide’s history of Burpham
As we celebrate 100 issues of Burpham Pages, it’s interesting to look back at the history of Burpham that we have discussed in past issues.
Communities are constantly changing. Some buildings get demolished and new ones are built. People come and go – some live here in order to commute to work more easily, and some live and work locally. We know from archaeologists that there were Roman and Saxon settlements around Burpham, and Guildford Museum holds various artefacts that were found here, such as the Samian Bowl*.
The paper trail telling us about people living in Burpham starts mainly in the 16th Century, with church records for Worplesdon Parish recording births, marriages and deaths. The Manor of Burpham at that time extended from Woking Road, including all of Jacob’s Well, right over to the boundary with Merrow at the edge of Great Goodwin Farm. The area was predominantly agricultural, with four farms along the London Road, as well as Burpham Court Farm and, later on, Gosden Hill Farm. The Domesday book tells us that there was a mill, which continued right up to the 20th Century. Sir Richard Weston created the Wey Navigation, working with Burpham landowners, enabling river traffic to access the River Thames, making transport links easier.
100 years ago, Burpham consisted of farms, and limited housing along London Road and Burpham Lane, then more farms and housing in Jacob’s Well. There was one church, St Luke’s, and one school, Burpham Primary School. The Methodist Chapel had closed down. The blacksmith had given up and the mill had stopped milling. There were two pubs, the Green Man and the Anchor and Horseshoes. Occupations were changing, with more white-collar jobs such as sales, teaching and office work, instead of farm workers.
As we look around Burpham and Jacob’s Well today, there are few reminders of the history. New Inn Farmhouse is the oldest building in Burpham, dating back to the 17th Century, while Jacob’s Well has about five houses dating back to Tudor times. Burpham has lost the Green Man pub and the Tudor cottages on Burpham Lane. Marlyn’s and Marlyn’s Cottage probably date back to the late 18th Century. There are several Victorian cottages along London Road and Burpham Lane. Recent boundary changes have resulted in Abbotswood and Ganghill being included in Burpham. We’re still waiting to hear what will happen to Gosden Hill Farm – will it be developed to double the size of the community? MJA Car Sales has moved away, leaving the Kingpost building, so what will happen there?
Change happens. Communities evolve. Housing is needed. What will Burpham look like in the future? Hopefully some of the old buildings will be saved to remind us all what the community looked like in the past.
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 – July & August 2022
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 07513 366072 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Another Jubilee
Next year sees another important jubilee – not a cause for national rejoicing perhaps, but important to Burpham.
Back in July 1973, a group of local people set up the Burpham Community Association (BCA). The idea was to have some social events, meetings to discuss local issues and regular newsletters informing members of local affairs. By the end of the year, some 500 households had taken
up membership.
In July 2023, the BCA will celebrate its Golden Jubilee – 50 years of looking at local issues, bringing them to public attention and, when necessary, taking action to avoid or at least minimise any adverse impact on the community. The early years of the BCA saw such issues as A3 congestion, the housing developments at Weylea Farm and Bowers Farm, Sainsburys application to build a supermarket and the first proposed development on Gosden Hill Farm. The proposal to build an incinerator at Slyfield galvanised many residents into action resulted in the formation of GAIN (Guildford Anti Incinerator Network) led by the then vicar of Burpham, Reverand Colin Matthews.
In more recent years, local concerns have included the loss of the Green Man and the construction of the Aldi supermarket.
Clay Lane Link Road, the Slyfield Regeneration Project (now the Weyside Urban Village) and flooding issues, highlighted by the serious floods during the winter of 2013/2014 which led to the development of the Burpham Flood Forum. Over the last two years, the BCA linked up with Burpham Church to form a Community Support Group to help residents during Covid lockdowns. The most recent community event has been the fundraising for two defibrillators. The BCA is also involved in discussion with GBC over the future of Sutherland Memorial Hall – and the proposed development at Gosden Hill outlined in GBC’s 2016 Local Plan remains a serious concern. This is a development of 1,700 dwellings and associated infrastructure – it will have a devastating impact on Burpham.
A few years ago the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum was initiated by a group of committee members due to concerns about future developments and a desire to ensure they would be appropriate and built to a high standard. Government policy had introduced neighbourhood plans designed to give local communities a voice. The Burpham Neighbourhood Plan was adopted in 2016 as part of the development plans for GBC.
Help us to celebrate!
Fifty years of dealing with such a variety of community issues should not be allowed to pass without acknowledgement and we look forward to having a Golden Jubilee celebration next summer. If you have any memories you would like to share, we would love to hear from you; please email secretary@burphamca.org.uk or write to Liz Critchfield, 276 London Road GU4 7LF.
BCA Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting was held at the Village Hall on May 12th 2022.
The Chairman presented a summary of the Annual Report and the Treasurer presented the accounts for the year ended March 31st.
Highlights of the last year include the successful fund raising for provision of defibrillators, the relaunch of the Burpham Flood Forum under Angela Richardson’s chairmanship and some improvements to the management of the Wey Navigation and its surroundings. Other BCA activities have continued throughout the year, including many planning, development and infrastructure matters which have the potential to affect the quality of life in Burpham for the long term.
The accounts showed a small deficit for the year after a £1000 donation to the defibrillator fund. The Guildford Community lottery now provides about half of our annual income and we encourage members who can afford to support this to buy tickets for the weekly draw.
www.guildfordlottery.org/support/burpham-community-association
After confirming that Liz Critchfield retired as Secretary at the end of 2021, the remaining committee members were re-elected unanimously and unopposed. The Chairman reminded the meeting that we are a small group of volunteers and that, although we will continue to do our best, without additional support this will limit our ability to help the community.
The AGM of the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum was then held and the committee re-elected with Andrew Plumridge and Niels Laub confirmed as new members. Catherine Hughes was thanked and received gifts on her retirement as Secretary after 10 years.
The meeting concluded with a quiz with questions connected with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee which was hotly contested and enjoyed by all.
This was the first public meeting we have been able to hold for more than two years. We plan to hold a summer meeting, probably in July, and hope that many members will join us for an enjoyable evening then.
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 2022.
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 – May & June 2022
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 07513 366072 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Defibrillator
Back in January 2021 a Burpham resident, Alex Donaldson, suggested to the BCA Committee that it would be a very good idea to have a defibrillator in Burpham.
The committee agreed and a working party was set up; it was chaired by Andy Clapham and included some committee members and Alex. They had their first meeting in February 2021 – just one year later, the first of two defibrillators was installed outside Aldi, whose support was vital. We would like to thank all the people who made this possible by donating to our fund-raising or helping to advertise the campaign. A particular thank you goes to Surrey County Councillor George Potter, the proprietors of the Rajdoot, all the Sports Clubs who use Sutherland Memorial Park, the Women’s Institute and the Guildford Lions for their support and generosity.
We do still need to raise a bit more money to buy the second defibrillator (to be installed at Sutherland Park) so if you would like to contribute, please use our JustGiving page or contact the Treasurer.
We are going to arrange some training and awareness sessions covering CPR and use of a defibrillator; if you are interested please email cpad@burphamca.org.uk
Flood Forum Meeting
This took place on the 25th March; Angela Richardson MP chaired the meeting with representatives of interested agencies and residents.
Issues raised included the problems along the Wey Navigation and it seems that persistence has paid off! The Burpham Flood Action group has succeeded in getting the ancient ditch cleaned and prepared for a complete clear out of fallen trees. The river has been allowed to flow too fast which has contributed to the erosion of the banks and subsequent loss of trees; it has now been slowed so we are hopeful that the present extent of erosion – some four metres – will not get worse. There is also a possibility that GBC and the National Trust will work together to strengthen and repair the banks – as the photo shows, much needed.
Other issues discussed included the Merrow Common River, the state of associated culverts, water egress, its management and the importance of understanding Riparian ownership for
residents living on the edge. It was proposed a further visit to this site involving all interested parties would take place to review any work required.
The BCA would like to thank Angela and the agency representatives for their time.
BCA Annual General Meeting 12th May
It seems hard to believe that our last public AGM was in 2019.
In 2020 it was cancelled because of Covid lockdowns and 2021 was held via Zoom so we look forward to presenting the Annual Report and the Treasurer’s Report to a live audience. The election of Officers will also take place.
You should be aware that the current committee comprises a small group struggling to cope with the many issues that affect Burpham – traffic congestion and the resulting pollution, infrastructure issues, the potential loss of Sutherland Memorial Hall as a community asset, flooding and damage to the Wey Navigation. We desperately need more people to come forward to give a hand so if you feel you could help, even in some small way, please contact the committee using the above email address.
The BCA AGM will be followed by the Burpham Neighbourhood Forum AGM, after which you are cordially invited to stay and enjoy our first social event since 2019. There will be drinks and nibbles, and to celebrate the Jubilee we have a special Jubilee Quiz – there will be prizes! If you are coming to the AGM and Social it would be helpful if you would let the committee know (details above).
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 2022.
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 – January & February 2022
To get in touch with the BCA: Contact the secretary on secretary@burphamca.org.uk call 07513 366072 or visit the website at www.burphamca.org.uk
Sutherland Memorial Hall
There cannot be many people in Burpham who have not visited Sutherland Memorial Hall. It has been the venue for many family celebrations, sporting activities, a meeting place for local groups like the Brownies – and also for the BCA public meetings.
The hall, like all other public places, was closed during Covid lockdowns and the last BCA meeting was in January 2020. Back then, the hall was run by the Sutherland Memorial Park Amenities Club (SMPAC) – all volunteers from the various groups using the hall. When GBC decided to increase rents and responsibilities for the hall, every effort to keep going was made by the relevant bodies but in the end it proved too large a commitment. The running of the hall then became the responsibility of GBC.
Despite the ongoing worries over the Omicron variant of Covid, we are hoping to start our bi-monthly meetings in 2022. We knew the nursery school had re-opened so assumed the hall was open for business. GBC were asked for details of hiring procedure and charges. The response was stark. The nursery has a long term lease for use and holds the keys; GBC “have no resources to arrange ad hoc use ourselves.”
Apart from the over-subscribed Village Hall, there are few alternatives where local meetings can be based. Sutherland Memorial Hall is a valued community asset and must not be squandered. The BCA will pursue this issue vigorously.
Committee Changes
Liz Critchfield has retired as secretary, the committee would like to express their gratitude for her effort, professionalism and high quality work in over ten years in the role.
For the time being, the secretary’s responsibilities will be shared by the remaining members as so far no one has come forward to take the job on. Please be assured that someone will respond to any emails, telephone calls or letters. The email address remains the same but the contact telephone number has changed (see above) and the address if you wish to write, is Burpham Community Association, 6 Darfield Road, Burpham, GU7 7YY.
Defibrillators
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our fundraising for two defibrillators, one to be situated in Sutherland Memorial Park, the other at Aldi.
We need to raise around £6,000 to cover the initial cost, maintenance and training. The project has the support of Councillor George Potter and we are hopeful that some SCC money might be forthcoming. So far we have raised over £2,000 – if you would like to donate, please use our Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/burpham-community-association
We could really use some help with fundraising so if you would like to be involved with this project please email cpad@burphamca.org.uk
Flood Forum
The next Forum, chaired by Angela Richardson MP, is provisionally booked for the morning of January 21st.
If you have any issues you wish to raise please contact the BCA.
Burpham’s Newest Resident
This magnificent creature appeared in Jim Allen’s garden at the end of November last year and has caused a bit of a problem.
Despite much hunting through bird books none of us can be sure of a correct identification – buzzard? peregrine? Perhaps any bird spotters out there could give us some help!
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 2022.
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 – November & December 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
Defibrillators for Burpham
The BCA took part in the Burpham Wellfest on August 22nd and would like to thank Ruth Stone and her team for organising agreat day. We took the opportunity to launch our fundraising campaign for two Community Public Access Defibrillators (cPADs) for Burpham which we hope will be located at Sutherland Memorial Park and Aldi.
We shall be working with the Community Heartbeat Trust, a charity aiming to aid and support communities in the correct provision of defibrillators. So far, some 7,000 communities have benefitted from their help.
Defibrillators, also known as AEDs (automated external defibrillators), help someone in cardiac arrest by sending a current of electricity across the heart to allow it to resume a normal rhythm.
Defibrillators, also known as AEDs (automated external defibrillators), help someone in cardiac arrest by sending a current of electricity across the heart to allow it to resume a normal rhythm. If cardiac arrest is untreated, death occurs in around 97% of cases. With rapid action – good CPR (chest compressions) and the use of a defibrillator – survival to hospital can be 70%.
There is no point in buying cPADs and leaving them on a convenient wall. We want to run awareness sessions and CPR training, and the cPADs will need ongoing maintenance to ensure they are
fully functional at all times.
So how much will all this cost?
Two high specification Zoll 3 defibrillators, carry cases, outdoor heated cabinets, installation, training, support and maintenance for a few years will cost in the region of £6000.
If you would like to get involved with this project and help with fundraising events, please email cpad@burphamca.org.uk You can also donate by using our JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/burpham-community-association
Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time – it can affect children and adults, males and females, and all ethnic groups. It could be your life or that of someone you love. At the time of writing (early October) donations collected total £1,387.73. This includes £1,000 from the BCA. Please help us raise the rest!
Burpham Neighbourhood Forum Survey
Do you have any concerns about the future of Burpham? How will traffic from Gosden Hill affect us? How will the proposed Sustainable Movement Corridor affect London Road – will there really be room for two bus lanes, two cycle lanes and two general traffic lanes? Can our bus services be improved?
How good is our water supply – a recent publication from Thames Water suggests that Guildford can rely on a bore hole and the river as “they never run dry.” Well, not yet anyway.
The BNF are carrying out a survey prior to updating the Burpham Neighbourhood Plan. A copy was in the last issue of Burpham Pages. Please complete it and let us know your views on the future of Burpham by the end of November 2021. You can also do this online via the BNF website. If you require a further hard copy please contact the Forum Secretary on 01483 826124.
BCA Committee
The Secretary will definitely be retiring at the end of this year and the committee is looking for someone to take over the role.
Ideally we would like to see several people step up to help; we are a small group trying to deal with important issues for the community. The more willing hands, the lighter the load. If you think you can help, contact the Secretary – please!
Don’t forget…
The 2021 series of Winter Talks in the Village Hall – or via Zoom if there are restrictions in place. The dates are 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th of January and the 4th February.
And finally…
You are cordially invited to join us for a Christmas celebration on Saturday 11th December, 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
There will be mulled wine, festive nibbles, a Christmas quiz and a tombola.
Please could you let the Secretary know if you intend coming to give us an idea of numbers.
See you there!
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 – July & August 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
Annual General Meeting
The AGM took place via Zoom on May 13th. We were joined by Angela Richardson MP who engaged in a lively and good-humoured discussion with members; the BCA would like to thank her for taking the time to talk to us.
Topics covered included:
- Gosden Hill Farm developments and the importance of adequate infrastructure.
- The possibility of an A3 tunnel and its likely impact on carbon emissions.
- Weyside Urban Village and concerns over sewage capacity and the provision of fresh water. We have subsequently learnt that GBC has been reviewing the needs for new developments and has been told by Thames Water that there is very limited additional drinking water available. The BCA will provide more details when we have had time to study the report carefully and consider the implications.
- Limited medical facilities available now Burpham has no GP surgery.
- Proposed country wide changes in planning legislation which could leave local authorities with little control.
- The importance of listening to local voices.
BCA Committee
The existing committee members were elected for the coming year.
Chair – Andy Clapham
Treasurer – Sue Poole
Membership Secretary – Liz Turner
Technical Advisor – Jim Allen
Minutes Secretary – Catherine Hughes
Secretary – Liz Critchfield (until the end of 2021)
You can read the Annual Report and Financial Report for 2021 on our website. If you would like a copy but don’t have a computer, please phone the secretary on 01483 567791 and we will deliver one.
Litter Picking
Sixteen people walked round most of Burpham on April 10th – the first litter pick of the year. We thought you might like to see what they collected.
Many thanks to the volunteers and to GBC who provided the hi-vis jackets and litter pickers and arranged for the collection of the bags. If you would like to volunteer please contact the Membership Secretary on membership@burphamca.org.uk
Community Heartbeat
You may have read in previous articles that we’re planning to raise funds for two Community Public Access Defibrillators (cPAD) in Burpham. The locations are yet to be fully confirmed but we’re intending one to be fitted outside Sutherland Memorial Hall and one near the shopping parade.
We’ll be working alongside The Community HeartBeat Trust which is a charity whose aims are to help and support communities in the correct provision of defibrillators. So far they have helped over 4500 communities so we’re in safe hands!
Defibrillators (also known as AEDs) are medical devices that help and support a rescue for a patient in cardiac arrest. They achieve this by applying a current of electricity across the heart to stop it, allowing it to reconfigure automatically. Defibrillators are not ‘Heart Re-starters’
– any sign indicating this is wrong!
Death from cardiac arrest if untreated is about 97% of cases. With the correct and rapid treatment, survival to hospital can, in theory, be raised to around the 70% mark, but this assumes rapid action, good CPR (chest compressions) and also the timely use of a defibrillator.
Of course, there’s no point buying and fitting a couple of cPADs and just leaving them. We’ll need to sort out awareness sessions for the community as well as ongoing maintenance to ensure that the units are fully functional at all times.
How much will all this cost?
Including the maintenance for a few years, we’ll be looking to raise in the region of £6,000 for both units. Our fundraising project will kick off soon so please keep an eye on Burpham Pages, our website and newsletters for more information. If you’re keen to help with the fundraising and would like to be involved in this project, please email cpad@burphamca.org.uk.
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 – May & June 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
If at first you don’t succeed…
One of the functions of the Burpham Flood Forum has been to research the various water courses in the Ward.
Upstream from Bowers Lock is possibly the oldest stream; it appears at the rear of Abbotswood and drains into the River Wey. If you walk along the towpath from Bower’s Lane and turn left at the bend by Old Buck’s Weir, heading upstream, you may have noticed a deep ditch on your left which ends in a pipe. This is the outflow from that ancient stream.
The flow of water has been impeded to such an extent that it has flooded the towpath.
Over the years, this ditch has become choked with fallen trees, and other vegetation has been dumped in it. The flow of water has been impeded to such an extent that it has flooded the towpath. The BCA raised this issue with various authorities as far back as 2013 and there followed years of playing that well-known game called ‘pass the responsibility parcel.’
…keep on nagging.
After seven years of patient trawling through a multitude of documents, it transpired that GBC was ‘the responsible landowner’ and therefore responsible for clearing the ditch. We are delighted to report that the fallen tree which was blocking the flow has been removed and we understand that the full length of the watercourse will be cleaned out this spring.
NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day
The National Health Service came into being on 5th July 1948 and brought free health care to everyone. In the past year that service has been tested to the limit by the impact of Covid-19.
On Monday July 5th this year we have an opportunity to show our gratitude when the first NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day. takes place. It is hoped to hold a series of events throughout the day – flag raising, a 2 minute silence at 11am, special lunches and teas and at 8pm church bells will ring out.
The BCA hopes to do something to mark this occasion…
Money will be raised for two causes – NHS Charities Together and the National Care Association. The BCA hopes to do something to mark this occasion, perhaps working with other Burpham groups so keep a look out on social media for more information. To find out more about this event go to https://www.nhsfrontlineday.org
Litter picking
The first BCA litter pick of the year was due to take place on the 10th April (this article was written at the end of March).
Many thanks to all the volunteers. If you would like to join in, please contact the Membership Secretary on membership@burphamca.org.uk
The average household in the UK throws away around one tonne of rubbish every year; of that, 400kg is plastic waste.
The average household in the UK throws away around one tonne of rubbish every year; of that, 400kg is plastic waste. The Covid pandemic has seen a huge increase in single use plastic – cleaning wipes, disposable masks and gloves, and coffee cups, not to mention 38.5 million plastic bottles every day. Much of this ends up in landfill, or incinerators or in the environment. There are a few simple things we can do to help prevent this:
- Use a refillable water bottle.
- Take your own re-useable cup for coffee. Many businesses in Guildford accept them and some offer a discount for using them rather than disposable ones.
- Avoid single use packaging – buy loose if you can.
- Try refill shopping – there are several places in Guildford where you can refill dry foods and bathroom essentials – Noel’s Farm Shop in Sutton Green, Guild Foods Market in Woodbridge Road and Food for Thought in North Street.
For more information contact Plastic Free Guildford at www.plasticfreeguildford.org.uk or their Facebook page www.facebook.com/PlasticFreeGLD
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!
The Anchor and Horseshoes Pub
Moira MacQuaide’s history of Burpham
Now the only pub in Burpham, despite the growth of the community over the last century, the Anchor and Horseshoes has a long history. The name of the pub has varied over the years, but always included either Anchor or Horseshoes or both. But how old is it?
A map from 1675 seems to show two pubs on the London Road in Burpham, in approximately the right places to be the Anchor & Horseshoes and the Green Man, so could the pub be one of the two oldest buildings in the village?
The earliest paper records show that George Heath was the Licensed Victualler, or publican, in 1785, followed by his son James until 1826. The family ran two business – the pub and the village blacksmith. From the 1830s William Baker ran the pub, with his wife Lois, who was James Heath’s daughter. After William’s death she went on to run the business with her second husband, James Alllwright, but after his death she continued as publican on her own for another 35 years. She was the last of her family to own the pub after more than 100 years and was buried at St Luke’s Church in 1889. “…having accommodation for travellers and persons requiring refreshment other than drink; stabling provided; for the use of the general public.” Lois’s son William inherited the pub, but wasn’t interested in running it, so he leased the business to the Guildford brewers Lascelles Tickner. Later it was sold to Farnham United Breweries, who were taken over by Courage & Co in 1927. In 1892 the pub was described as
“…having accommodation for travellers and persons requiring refreshment other than drink; stabling provided; for the use of the general public.”
In 1904 it had four bedrooms and stabling for four horses. Managers came and went but the Lintott family ran the pub for almost 30 years in the mid 20th century. A road traffic improvement scheme in the 1930s proposed putting a new road through the pub garden, which would have left the building marooned on an island between two roads. In 1954 a small plane crashed into the garden, when Kenneth Owen’s Gemini aircraft’s wing hit a row of trees and was almost sliced in two. The pub became a useful meeting place for finding tradesmen of various sorts, and it was often the starting point for stag nights for young people.
Over the years it has been extended and renovated several times. However, if you look at the side of the building, from the main car park, you can see the timber frame building in the external walls, suggesting that the original pub was built earlier than 1700.
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.
Jonathan Dudley – Publican of Burpham
Moira MacQuaide’s history of Burpham
“Jonathan Dudley, long time publican of the Green Man in Burpham, is one of my local history conundrums!”
Jonathan was born in Leighton Buzzard in 1846. In his youth he was an agricultural labourer on farms in Bedfordshire, then worked as a coachman. In 1869 he married Martha Tarrier in Luton and they had eight children, though five died in infancy, the last three being born in Worplesdon. It’s not clear why they moved to Surrey, or how John (as he became known) came to Burpham, but by 1876 he was working in Worplesdon as a coachman.
It’s likely that they didn’t live in Burpham as they had three of their children baptized at St Mary’s, Worplesdon in 1876, but the rest were baptized at St Luke’s. By 1878 he was recorded as being the Publican for the Green Man and was living there with his family and lodgers. The pub was owned by the Elkins family until 1890, when it was sold to Hodgsons Kingston Breweries.
Martha died in 1884, aged 37 years, leaving John working at the pub and looking after four small children. She was buried in St Luke’s graveyard. In the late 19th century, Burpham was still a small hamlet, with around 350 residents, one church and two pubs. John would have been an important man in the community, knowing most people as the Green Man would have been a popular meeting place. In 1888, having lived here for about ten years, John married Maud Ellen Durrant Mansell of Chiddingfold. They had four children, of which their only son, Frederick, served in the Great War.
John would have been an important man in the community, knowing most people as the Green Man would have been a popular meeting place.
John continued as publican at the Green Man into the early 20th century, but from 1909 to 1912 he was replaced by Alfred Jacob. For some reason he became a builder’s contractor and was living with his wife and four children in George Road in Guildford. (Why the change?) However, by 1913 John was back running the pub, which he continued to do until about 1922.
From about 1920 they lived at Cornflower Cottages in Burpham, no longer residing at the pub. John died in 1927 and Maud Ellen moved to Woking until her death in 1936. She was buried with John at St Luke’s.
Many of John’s children stayed in the Burpham and Woking area and it may be that some of their families are still living here – I would love to find out. John Junior, and wife Emily, lived on Burpham Lane for many years and his
two daughters attended the local school.
But the questions remain – why did Jonathan Dudley come to Surrey and why, in his sixties, did he change jobs but then return to the pub for another ten years? If you know then please do tell me!
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.