The Woking Magazine, winter 2007

Woking Blackhawks
mean business
Festivities in Woking
Woking’s firefighters tackle a hot topic
The Woking Magazine | Winter 2007/2008
Please read and then recycle
Winter | 2007/2008
Introduction
Welcome to the winter
issue which looks
back on some recent
successes, forward to
the Christmas period
and ahead to some of
the developments that
we can expect to see
in 2008.
During the autumn, nine local young people
gathered together to tell others about their
successful expedition across the Sinai Desert to
raise money for Woking and Sam Beare
Hospices. Their impressive feat, which involved
walking in temperatures of up to 50 degrees
Celsius, is reported on pages 24 and 25.
Local gardeners also celebrated success in the
autumn at the annual Woking in Bloom
presentation. You can find out who has the
greenest fingers in the Borough on page 18.
If you’re looking for fun things to do over the
Christmas period, the ‘What’s on’ pages (27 to 29)
may offer a number of good ideas, our feature on
the pantomime (pages 12 and 13) will present at
least one good reason to enjoy ‘happy days’ and the
‘Out and about’ spread (pages 16 and 17) will help
you to walk off your Christmas dinner! And please
don’t forget to dispose of your Christmas-related
waste carefully using the information on pages 10
and 11.
On the topic of waste, 2008 will hopefully see the
Borough’s residents recycling more materials than
ever when it becomes possible to place glass
bottles and jars in the blue-lidded wheeled bins
(page 11). This is a major step forward that will
help divert even more waste from landfill sites.
Other things to look forward to in the new year
include free countrywide bus permits for disabled
people and residents over 60 years (see page 18),
a new Woking Borough Council website (page 23)
and the chance to see local basketball team, the
Woking Blackhawks, in action at the leisure
centre (pages 6 and 7).
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a
happy 2008!
Karen Porter
The Woking Magazine Editor
Front cover: Damian Knode and Emeka Okorocha from the
Woking Blackhawk Flyers prepare to play. Photo by Tom Miles.
www.woking.gov.uk
Contents
News in brief
A snapshot of the latest news from
across the Borough
4
Woking welcomes the
Blackhawk Flyers
Surrey’s 2007 Sports Club of the
Year bounces into Woking
6
Christmas in Woking
A guide to festive fun and markets
in the Borough
9
Christmas waste
Information about Christmas and New
Year waste collection arrangements
10
15
My Woking
Founder member of the Woking Asian
Business Forum talks about his Woking
16
Out and about
A walk through heath, pasture and
woodland, beginning and ending in Bisley
Firefighters tackle a hot topic!
Local firefighters explain how they
are working hard to make our
neighbourhoods safer
20
Getting closer to finding the
right formula
Find out how residents have helped
shape the Council’s new website
23
What’s on
A list of the Borough’s events over
the next three months
27
Contact details
The Woking Magazine is compiled and published four times
a year by Woking Borough Council. A total of 48,000 copies
are printed and delivered free to households and many
public information points across the Borough.
Editorial Team: Karen Porter, telephone 01483 743024,
email karen.porter@woking.gov.uk DTW Vavasour,
telephone 01233 614525, email kate@dtwv.co.uk
Design: DTW Vavasour
If you wish to advertise in The Woking Magazine, please
call Dory Merriman on 07775 598470, or email
dory.merriman@woking.gov.uk
The appearance of adverts in The Woking Magazine does
not constitute an endorsement by the Council. The Woking
Magazine is distributed to households via Royal Mail. We
have no control over the type or quantity of other materials
that are delivered by Royal Mail at the same time.
3
Winter | 2007/2008
Have you
encountered a
kiosk yet?
Free-standing consoles which
provide local information at
the touch of a screen are now
available for people to use at
11 different locations across
the Borough.
The impressive-looking Woking
Kiosks have been provided by
Woking Borough Council to give
members of the public free and
immediate access to online
services and information relating
to the Council, transport, local
events and facilities and the
emergency services.
The kiosks can be activiated
simply by touching the screen
and then navigating through the
pages using the large buttons
that are displayed on the user
interface. Although every
kiosk also has a keyboard,
touching the screen allows
the user to move quickly and
easily throughout the site.
Kiosks can be found at the
Civic Offices, Visitor Information
Centre, The Lightbox, St Mary’s,
The Vyne, Moorcroft, Leisure
Centre, Pool in the Park,
Sheerwater Community
Centre, Maybury Centre and
the York Road Project.
So, if you haven’t encountered
a Kiosk yet, take the plunge
and touch a screen today!
For further information,
please phone the Council on
01483 755855.
News in brief... News in brief... News in brief... New
Get fit and have fun with the 50+ Club
Woking residents, aged 50 and over, who have some time on their
hands are being encouraged to join the 50+ Club, based at Woking
Leisure Centre in Kingfield Road.
The club, which is run jointly by Woking Leisure Centre and a committee of
members, aims to offer opportunities for fitness and fun to anyone over 50.
There are three sessions per week and
members can attend as many or as few
sessions as they like. Each session starts
with a low to moderate workout, and
members can then choose to join in a
range of other activities such as short
tennis, outdoor tennis, badminton,
racquetball, table tennis, short mat bowls,
outdoor bowls, country dancing, or a
water workout. They can also choose to
go to the gym or for a swim. They may
then finish off their session with a visit to
the Heatwaves Suite, where they can use
the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. The
cost is £5 per session (£4.80 for over 60s)
and for every four sessions attended, the
fifth session is free.
The club aims to create a fun atmosphere where new members feel
welcome and make friends. The committee organises a full calendar of
social events, such as a monthly guided walk, evening walks during the
summer, trips to places of interest, quiz evenings, a summer garden party
and concerts. There is also an annual short break at the Manor House Hotel
at Okehampton, Devon and a foreign holiday in Leutasch, Austria in 2008.
If you would like to know more about the 50+ Club, pick up a leaflet at
Woking Leisure Centre’s reception or access the club’s page on Window on
Woking at www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/woking50club
Woking residents ‘tune in’ to comm
Residents from across the Borough have been ‘tuning in’ to a range of
local issues at special community-led workshops, organised by Woking
Borough Council, Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, Surrey Fire and
Rescue and Surrey PCT (Surrey Heath and Woking Locality).
The ‘Tune In’ workshops are being held in each of the nine Woking
neighbourhoods over a twelve-month period to give local people the
chance to discuss the issues that matter most to them and work with local
organisations to find ways of improving the areas in which they live.
So far, residents in Goldsworth Park, Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford
and Maybury have taken the opportunity to tune in and a fourth workshop
was being held for Sheerwater and Woodham as this issue of Woking
Magazine was going to press.
Work is now under way to try and address many of the points that were
raised in the Tune In workshops, and progress is being posted up on special
Tune In pages on Window on Woking (www.windowonwoking.org.uk).
4
www.woking.gov.uk
ws in brief... News in brief... News in brief... News in brief...
Getting to grips with glass
From Wednesday 2 January 2008, all households in Woking Borough
will be able to recycle glass bottles and jars by placing them in their
blue-lidded wheeled bin.
This new development, which will
allow residents to divert even
more waste from landfill sites,
follows a successful pilot scheme
to work out how the glass could
be separated from the rest of the
recyclable materials.
Now that the process for dealing
with the waste has been
established, the Materials
Reclamation Facility at
Leatherhead is preparing to
process glass, collected by those
Woking households which use
wheeled bins, from the start of
the New Year.
important that people do not put
glass in their blue bins before 2
January as this will contaminate
the waste load and prevent it from
being recycled. If people have a
lot of glass bottles and jars to
recycle before this time, they
should take them to their local
bottle bank or civic amenity site.”
In November, over forty
police personnel relocated to
Woking Borough Council’s
Civic Offices as part of a
long-term plan for the two
organisations to develop a
closer working relationship
and bring about positive
changes for the local
community.
For further information, please
call Customer Services on
01483 755855.
A leaflet explaining more about
glass recycling will be sent to all
households at the start of
December along with a green and
white ‘Yes to glass’ sticker for
people to stick on the top of their
blue-lidded wheeled bins.
But, Ray Lee, Woking Borough
Council’s Head of Local Services,
is keen to emphasise that this
change will only take effect from
the New Year: “It is really
munity issues
In the New Year, residents in the remaining five neighbourhoods will get the
opportunity to influence the future of their community at Tune In workshops.
So, if you haven’t already had the chance to ‘tune in’ to your
neighbourhood, please check out the dates below for an event coming to
your neighbourhood soon.
Horsell – Horsell Village Church Hall – Monday 14 January 2008
Mount Hermon, St Johns, Hook Heath and Mayford – Mayford
Village Church Hall – Monday 31 March 2008
Knaphill and Brookwood – Vyne Centre – Wednesday 28 May 2008
Old Woking, Kingfield and Westfield – Old Woking Community Centre
– Tuesday 1 July 2008
Woking Town Centre – H.G. Wells Conference and Events Centre –
Thursday 25 September 2008.
www.woking.gov.uk
Council and police
move in together
Woking is the first borough in
the South East to implement a
co-location project of this
nature, which involves staff
from the Woking Safer
Neighbourhood Team including
Neighbourhood Specialist
Officers, PCSOs and the
Community Safety Team,
sharing one wing of the Civic
Offices with Council staff.
The teams have been working
closely together on a number
of neighbourhood-focussed
projects including the ‘Tune In’
workshops, but sharing the
same office space will now
give them further opportunities
to pool information about local
areas and jointly tackle
community-related issues as
they arise.
Despite this significant change,
Woking Police is still occupying
the building in Station
Approach, from which it will
continue to provide a counter
service to members of the
public. It is not possible for
people to report crimes or carry
out any other police-related
business at the Civic Offices.
5
Winter | 2007/2008
Woking welcomes the B
It’s a Friday night, it’s cold and wet outside and the evenings are
drawing in. You want to do something different, watch something
that is exciting and action-packed which provides good,
inexpensive fun for the whole family. So, is there something like this
right here in Woking?
Well yes, actually, there is. The Blackhawk Flyers
basketball team – Surrey’s 2007 Sports Club of the
Year – is back at Woking Leisure Centre creating a
storm of excitement on Friday nights.
Fast, furious, full of passion, drama and some
serious slam dunking action, the Flyers play all of
their home league matches at the Leisure Centre and
are starting to attract some interest from local people
who are keen to catch some basketball fever.
Blackhawk’s Chairman, Keith Farmer, started out at
the club a couple of years ago when his son became
interested in the sport. He became the club’s
secretary and took over at the helm as Chairman
last year.
“Basketball is so exciting to watch and the
Blackhawk Flyers play to a really high standard. They
are the top local team in Woking and the fierceness
of the competition makes it compelling viewing for
spectators,” said Keith.
“We’re delighted to be playing back at Woking
Leisure Centre – it’s a great venue with an excellent
viewing gallery for spectators. And, as it only costs
80p to get in to watch us, it’s great value
entertainment for the whole family, so it’s well worth
coming along to watch us in action.”
The Flyers compete in
Division One of the Wessex
League. This is the top Southern
Region league and competing at this
level includes travelling to other clubs
in Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and
Buckinghamshire.
A basketball game usually comprises
of four quarters of 10 minutes each but in practice lasts in the region of
one to two hours. This is because the
clock is stopped whenever the ball is
out of play or for an infringement of
the rules.
Basketball has quite involved rules
and requires two on-court referees
and two table officials who control the
clock and keep a record of scores and
fouls. Just like in football, a player can
be excluded from taking further part in a
game if they commit fouls - although, in
the main, this relates to the number of fouls
committed not the severity. Four personal fouls are
allowed, but a fifth would require the player to be
substituted and they can take no further part in the
game. There are just five players from each team on
court at a time, but with a squad of around 10, the
players roll on and off with some frequency.
Originally founded about eight years ago with an
under-12 boy’s team, the momentum of the
Blackhawks has grown over the last four years.
Today, it’s a thriving community club with more than
100 registered players, which includes the men’s first
team ‘The Flyers’, the men’s second team ‘The
Hunters’, a women’s team and numerous children’s
teams. The club is now recognised by its governing
body, England Basketball, as one of the top 25 clubs
in the country. Quite an achievement for the
Blackhawks up against the larger professional clubs!
6
www.woking.gov.uk
lackhawks
Alongside running the teams, key members of the
Blackhawks have also invested time and resources to
run coaching sessions within local schools in addition
to children’s parties at Woking Leisure Centre.
“It really is a big family club,” said Keith. “I love
seeing the kids enjoy basketball and learning new
skills. They get to make new friends, learn how to
work as a team and learn about commitment. It’s
very character building and we have had a number
of parents come and thank us for helping to give
their children some direction by getting them
involved in sport and away from hanging around
the streets.”
Club is accredited with the Sport England Clubmark,
England Basketball three star and Active Surrey Gold
Club awards.
Interested in joining?
Boys, girls, men and women of all ages and abilities
from nine years upwards who are interested in
learning to play competitive basketball can get
involved with the Woking Blackhawks. Training is
delivered by nationally qualified coaches and the
For more details, contact Chairman
Keith Farmer on 01483 771500,
Secretary Martin Marshall
on 01483 722680 or visit
the club’s website at
www.blackhawks.co.uk
Fixtures
The home games for the Woking Blackhawk Flyers take place on Friday nights (see fixtures below),
as do the Hunters, with ‘tip off’ at 8.15pm. Entry is only 80p per person, so why not get behind your
local team and check them out?
Friday 7 December
Blackhawk Hunters
v
Aborfield R.E.M.E
Friday 14 December
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Farnborough Phantoms
Friday 21 December
Blackhawk Hunters
v
Farnham Vipers
Friday 11 January
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Aztec Lemmings
Friday 18 January
Blackhawk Hunters
v
Camberley Old Pros
Friday 1 February
Blackhawk Flyers
v
South Bucks Comets
Friday 8 February
Blackhawk Hunters
v
Slough Scorpions
Friday 15 February
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Woodley Warriors
Friday 22 February
Blackhawk Hunters
v
Basingstoke Bobcats
Friday 7 March
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Reading Arrows
Friday 28 March
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Windsor Warriors 1
Friday 4 April
Blackhawk Flyers
v
Aztec Jaguars
www.woking.gov.uk
7
Christmas in Woking
It’s that time of year again! Here are a few ideas of things to do that should get you into
the spirit of Christmas, and have you humming carols for weeks to come.
Woking Town Square will be bustling with
stallholders over the festive period, as the Craft and
Farmers’ Markets will be paying a visit, offering up
some opportunities to buy unique presents for
friends and family.
Santa will be available for visits in his grotto at The
Lightbox from 10am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm, on
Saturday 8 December 2007. The cost of a visit will
be £3.50 per child and includes a present to take
home. He will also be in Debenhams from
24 November, where it will cost just £3 to meet
him on the lower level of the store.
Craft Market
Celebrate the ‘Magic of Christmas’
The Craft Market hits Town Square from Friday 23
November to Sunday 9 December, 9am to 5.30pm
(Sunday 10am to 5pm), selling a range of unusual
gifts and crafts including jewellery, toys, clothing,
pictures and confectionery.
On Saturday 8 December, between 11am and 4pm,
Woking Town Square will be filled with farm animals,
biblical characters and a stable as a reminder of the
real meaning of Christmas. Festive music will
entertain and stars of this year’s pantomime ‘Peter
Pan’ will also be dropping by to say hello!
Markets galore!
Farmers’ Market
The Farmers’ Market will
be in town twice during
December, with a tasty
selection of locally
produced goods, providing
some key ingredients for
wholesome winter dinners.
Pop along to Town Square
on Thursday 20 December
and Saturday 29
December, between 9am
and 2.30pm.
Ho, Ho, Ho… Santa Claus is coming
to town!
Keep your eyes peeled for Santa’s sleigh on the horizon,
as he will be visiting Woking on a number of occasions
to discover what local children are hoping to find in
their stockings!
www.woking.gov.uk
Oh, little town of Woking…
Come and join in the singing with the fantastic
Salvation Army Band, as they play all of your
favourite carols on Saturday 8 December, from 5pm
to 6pm, in Woking Town Square. An evening
guaranteed to lift your heart and get you into the
spirit of Christmas!
Get all wrapped up in giving
A team of volunteers from
Woking Hospice will be on hand
from Saturday 15 December
until Sunday 23 December in
the Peacocks Centre, to
free up some of your
valuable time over the
Christmas period with their
gift wrapping service.
Simply go along to their
Gift Wrap Desk in the
Food Court, choose
your paper, make
a donation of
between
50p and £1
for each
present and
they’ll do the
rest for you!
9
Winter | 2007/2008
*
Normal collection day
Date of collection
week commencing
24 December 2007
Date of collection
week commencing
31 December 2007
Monday
Saturday 22 December *
Monday 31 December
Tuesday
Monday 24 December **
Wednesday 2 January
Wednesday
Thursday 27 December
Thursday 3 January
Thursday
Friday 28 December
Friday 4 January
Friday
Saturday 29 December
Saturday 5 January
For those households serviced on Monday, it has been necessary to bring your
collections forward to Saturday 22 December.
** For those households serviced on Tuesday, it has been necessary to bring your
collections forward to Monday 24 December.
Please ensure your waste or recycling is available for collection at the boundary of
your property by 6.30am on the relevant days listed above.
Collections will return to normal week commencing Monday 7 January 2008.
There will be no collection of clinical waste on Wednesday 26 December 2007. Collection will take place on
Thursday 27 December 2007. Normal service will resume on Wednesday 2 January 2008.
If you have any further queries regarding your waste collection or recycling, please do not hesitate to contact us
on 01483 755855.
Kerbside collection of green waste
There will be no collections of
garden waste on Saturday 22
December 2007 and for a
further two weeks, during the
weeks commencing Monday 24
and Monday 31 December
2007. Please do not place
garden sacks out during this
period. Collections of garden
waste will resume on the same
day as your next scheduled
black wheeled bin collection,
either week commencing
Monday 7 January or Monday
14 January 2008.
10
For households unable to home
compost, our kerbside
collection service is a great way
to recycle garden waste such as
grass cuttings, clippings and
weeds. To participate, you need
to place your green garden
waste in official clear sacks,
(made from 100% recycled
plastic) and place them on the
vehicle kerbside by 6.30am on
the same day as (or night
before) your black bin or sack
collection. Other containers will
not be collected.
www.woking.gov.uk
Recycle your rubbish this Christmas
Please help Woking reduce the
amount of waste going to landfill this
Christmas by recycling your rubbish.
Christmas trees
Martyrs Lane Civic Amenity
Site, Woking
Christmas cards
A refuse collection vehicle will be
stationed next to the all-weather
sports pitch off Elmbridge Lane,
Kingfield (to the rear of Woking
Leisure Centre) on Sunday
6 January and Sunday 13 January
2008. Please do not leave your
Christmas trees anywhere else. All
trees will be chipped and
composted.
Residents are able to recycle their
old Christmas cards by placing
them into their recycling bin or sack.
Alternatively, your Christmas trees
can be taken to the following Civic
Amenity sites:
Lyne Lane Civic Amenity Site,
Wrapping paper
Christmas wrapping paper (not foil
or shiny plastic coated wrap) can
be put into your blue-lidded
recycling bin or sack. Other types
of wrapping will still need to be
put into the black bin or sack.
Phone: 01483 721119
Slyfield Industrial Estate Civic
Amenity Site, Guildford
Phone: 01483 532187
Swift Lane Civic Amenity Site,
Bagshot
Phone: 01276 474470
Chertsey
Phone: 01932 560271
Recycle glass from Wednesday 2 January 2008
From Wednesday
2 January 2008 you will be
able to recycle glass in
your blue-lidded wheeled
bin. You will be able to put
glass bottles and jars in
your bin, along with paper,
card, plastic bottles, tins
and cans. Until then,
please continue to
separate your glass and
take it to one of the
Borough’s bottle banks.
Any blue-lidded wheeled
bins containing glass prior
to Wednesday 2 January
2008 will not be collected.
Yes please
Glass jars (all colours)
Glass bottles (all colours)
Please ensure that glass bottles and
jars are rinsed before placing them in
your blue bin.
No thank you
Light bulbs
Kitchenware
Pyrex products
Window glass
Please remove all lids
and put them in your
black bin
Please note: materials listed in the red column will contaminate the waste and you will need to
remove them before the container can be emptied on the next scheduled collection day.
If you use blue sacks
Unfortunately, for health and safety reasons, households that use blue recycling sacks are unable to recycle
glass through the kerbside collections. If you would like to request a blue-lidded wheeled bin, please contact the
Council to arrange delivery. Alternatively, for those properties using blue recycling sacks, please continue to
recycle glass at your local bottle bank or street recycling bin.
Woking Borough Council and Biffa Waste Services wish all residents
a happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
www.woking.gov.uk
11
Winter | 2007/2008
Peter Pan flies into Woking!
From Friday 7 December to Sunday 13 January, the New Victoria
Theatre in Woking will play host to ‘Peter Pan’, a swashbuckling
family pantomime with stunning special effects, sumptuous
costumes, superb sets and a generous helping of fairydust!
The Woking Magazine caught up with two of the show’s stars,
Henry Winkler of ‘Happy Days’ fame and Clare Buckfield from
‘2point4 Children’ and ‘Dancing on Ice’, to find out more about
one of Woking’s main highlights of the Christmas season.
Henry Winkler plays
the villainous
Captain Hook in the
show, which is a far
cry from his role as
the super-cool Fonz
in ‘Happy Days’, for
which he is most famous. But
Henry is no stranger to playing
Hook. He played Peter Pan’s arch
enemy in panto at Wimbledon last
year and loved it so much he
couldn’t wait to come back! He’s
really excited about slipping into
character again and looking
forward to coming to Woking.
Are you excited about playing
Captain Hook in Woking?
“I’m really excited to be playing
Captain Hook! I had such a great
time playing him last time in panto
that I just had to come back again.
I just can’t wait to get to Woking!
We’re all going to have a
wonderful time and I can’t wait to
celebrate Christmas and New Year
with the people in Woking.”
What similarities are there
between you and Captain Hook?
“I think that Captain Hook is the
person I want to be in real life! I
mean, who else gets to carry a
sword! Plus, with my hook, I
wouldn’t have to queue for
anything – I would get all the
best seats!”
How do you describe
pantomime to your fellow
American stars?
“I tell them it’s a cross between
mayhem, acting, burlesque, a
musical and loads more. It’s
basically more fun than that you
should legally be allowed to have!
But it’s the hardest job in the
world – in Broadway you do eight
performances a week in the
theatre, where as in panto you do
12 performances a week – my
brain is like cream cheese by the
end of it!”
What aspect of performing in
pantomime again are you most
looking forward to?
“I am really looking forward to the
relationship between the
performers and the audience –
where else do you get 1,700
people screaming at you?”
Do you have any memorable
moments from when you played
Hook in last year’s pantomime?
12
“Well, when I played Hook last
time, I lost my hook in one
performance – it got hooked to
Peter Pan and ripped right off! I
just pulled my sleeve up and had
to carry on! Another time my
microphone just stopped working,
so they gave me a hand-held
microphone – I thought I was Tom
Jones! I can’t wait to see what will
happen this year in Woking –
that’s the beauty of pantomime,
you just never know what might
happen…”
Clare Buckfield plays Peter Pan in
this year’s production. Although
Clare is most famous for playing
Jenny Porter in ‘2Point4 Children’,
she has recently become a
household name due to her
fabulous ice skating skills on ITV’s
‘Dancing on Ice’. No stranger to
flying, the actress had to fly
through the air during the final for
‘Dancing on Ice’ and secured
herself second place. This is
Clare’s first time playing Peter Pan
and she’s delighted about the
challenge ahead.
Have you been to Woking
before?
“Yes, I came to Woking a few
years back when I was in panto
www.woking.gov.uk
with Frank Bruno. The pantomime
was ‘Goldilocks and The Three
Bears’ and it was great fun. It’s
such a fantastic theatre, a really
lovely space.”
What do you think of Woking?
“Well, what more could a girl
want!? It’s got a theatre and
shops! I do really like Woking – it’s
so easy to get to from London
which is great as it means I can
commute from London to Woking,
so I can live at home during the
pantomime season.”
How did you react when you
heard you would be working
with the Fonz!
“It’s unbelievably cool to be
working with the Fonz! I’m a
massive ‘Happy Days’ fan so I
just can’t wait to work with Henry
Winkler. I have never been so
popular since everyone found out
I was working with Henry – all my
family and friends are coming to
the panto just to see him!”
What do you like about panto,
why is it special to you?
“I love the fact that pantomime is a
traditional fairy tale and it’s
wonderful to be able to see the
children’s reactions when you
come on stage. I think that children
spend a lot of time on computer
games and pantomime is such a
great way to get them involved in
theatre from a young age.”
What are you doing for
Christmas this year?
“I have Christmas Day off and I
will be spending it at home with
my family in Cambridge.”
You have had experience of
‘flying’ as you had to soar
through the air on ‘Dancing on
Ice’. Has that experience
prepared you for this role?
have some good practice of flying
in ‘Dancing on Ice’, but it’s a bit
different in pantomime as I
obviously won’t have heavy ice
skates on.
Hook your tickets now for this
year’s pantomime Peter Pan by
calling the New Victoria Theatre
Box Office on 0870 0606645
(booking fee) or online at
www.theambassadors.com/woking
There are some great flying
scenes in Peter Pan - plus I get to
fly over the auditorium which I am
so excited about! The flying
doesn’t worry me – it’s the sword
fighting! I’m naturally quite clumsy
so I’m a bit scared!”
There are
performances on most
days at 2.30pm and
7.30pm, but
please check with
the Box Office.
Tickets from £14.
Win tickets to see the show!
If you’d like to enjoy the magic of panto with friends or family, why
not enter our competition to win a family ticket to see ‘Peter Pan’ at
the New Victoria Theatre? To enter, all you need to do is answer the
following questions:
1. Who is playing Captain Hook in this year’s pantomime?
2. What was the name of Henry Winkler’s character in
‘Happy Days’?
3. What is the name of Peter Pan’s fairy friend?
Please send your answer to Karen Porter, Woking Borough Council,
Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking Surrey GU21 6YL by
Friday 14 December.
Terms and conditions
Family ticket (four tickets, maximum of two adults).
Valid from 18 to 19 December and 8, 9, 10 January.
Terms and conditions apply – contact the box office on
0870 060 6645 for details.
“Flying is really great fun. I did
www.woking.gov.uk
13
MY
In 1986, Sajid Mahmood was given the support of his family to buy
a small shop in Walton Road. Now, some 20 years later, he runs
three successful shops, is working on a fourth and is channelling
his remaining energies into helping others both in this country
and abroad.
Sajid moved to England from
Pakistan in 1984 and lived with
family members in Reading for
two years before deciding to buy
a small store in Woking. From the
outset, he resolved to work hard
to generate his own success as
he explains: “I was determined to
work as many hours as I could in
order to make the business
succeed. I regularly worked
between 14 and 16 hours a day
and, even now, I rarely put in less
than 12 hours a day.”
Sajid’s efforts helped him and his
wife, Rifat, to create a unique
grocery store which now
provides specialist ethnic foods
to customers who enjoy the
flavours of Pakistan, India, China,
Thailand and the Caribbean. By
taking time to find out what
products customers want to buy,
Sajid has managed to fill a gap in
the market and, with the help of
his family, he has managed to
repeat this success in both
Camberley and Reading.
Now, though, he is keen to help
others to become successful in
business and is a founder
member of the Woking Asian
Business Forum, which has
recently been established with
the support of Woking Borough
Council. This forum will help
young people in the Borough to
fulfil their potential, as Sajid
www.woking.gov.uk
explains: “We are really keen to
provide assistance and advice to
young people who want to set up
their own business. We have
started to organise monthly
meetings to discuss how we can
best do this and now have an
office in Hollywood House, in
central Woking, that people can
call to make an appointment with
an adviser.”
Working with and for others is
something that Sajid has done
for a number of years. Between
2002 and 2004 he was Vice Chair
of the Mosque Committee and he
is now President of the Woking
Pakistan/Kashmiri Welfare
Association which helps people
within these communities to cope
with difficulties such as family
bereavement. Working with a
small number of friends, Sajid
has also managed to fund the
development and maintenance of
a small hospital in Pakistan
which provides basic medical
care for people who do not have
much money. The Hashim
Welfare Hospital, which is
affiliated with the Ashford and St
Peter’s Hospitals, has treated
more than 78,000 patients since
June 2003 and provides an
invaluable service to the local
people.
Back at home in Woking, Sajid
enjoys strolling along the tow
path or treating his family to a
pizza and a game of ten pin
bowling in town. He welcomes
many of the developments that
have appeared in the Borough
during the 20 years that he has
been here: “Before the Peacocks
Shopping Centre was built,
Woking was a different town –
this development really changed
the landscape. The Lightbox is a
great addition to the town and,
when the sun shines, I think the
pavement cafés give the place a
real holiday feel.”
Anyone who is keen to contact
the Woking Asian Business
Forum should phone
01483 710830 or email
info@wabf.org.uk
15
Winter | 2007/2008
Out and about
ok Lane
Ho
oad
oor R
12
Trulley Brook
est
13
L an
e
8
Distance: 6.5km or 4 miles
G
as
Luc
Time: Allow 1 1/2 hours
Type of walk: Level, easy walking;
suitable for all abilities but with a
few stiles along the way. You may
find it helpful to use OS Explorer
Maps, numbers 145 and 160.
7
5
Lu
Furze Farm
6
The route
Heathland is an ancient
landscape, developed through
the ages as woodland was
cleared to grow crops. North
West Surrey has light and
sandy soils, poor for
cultivating but ideal for hardy
plants like heather and gorse.
The NSC at Bisley is the
headquarters of the National
Rifle Association (NRA) and
the world’s best known
shooting centre. Set in 3,000
acres of Surrey heathland,
Bisley played host to all the
shooting disciplines of the
2002 Commonwealth Games.
3. Turn right onto the tarmacked
lane, indicated by a fingerpost. At
the pathway junction, pass farm
buildings on the right and a
cottage on your left. You may
hear a muffled sound in the
distance of gunfire from the
National Shooting Centre (NSC).
16
re
Works
Please remember: When walking
through residential areas, please
respect private property and take
your litter home with you. Please
note that you may encounter
livestock in some parts; keep
dogs under control at all times.
1. From the car park, turn left down
Shaftesbury Road, between the car
park and pub, and turn immediately
right onto a gravelled drive.
ns
tm
Bren
n
Fe
9
Pri
Start/finish: Bisley Village Car
Park, next to the Hen and
Chickens pub, on the A322
Guildford Road
2. Take the footpath to the left
and then the bridleway, opposite
the white house. This bridleway
brings you to Bisley Common.
t
Key facts
tree
ad S
This issue’s route takes you through heath, pasture and woodland,
beginning and ending in Bisley. The walk takes in pathways, tracks
and some fields, so wear suitable footwear, particularly during or
after wet weather.
10
11
Bro
What better time of year than winter to take a brisk walk through
the woods and over the heath in your wellies, enjoying the crisp
fresh air, before returning to a cosy pub to warm up again?
Cuckoo
Hill
www.woking.gov.uk
Bisley C
Key
ui
ld
f
or
d
R
Roads
Footpaths
Route
Stream
oad
G
Parking
A
32
2
La
n
e
ford
ild
Gu
Road
14
ad
Ro
een
ucas Green
Farm
A 32 2
Fo r
Pine Grove
Farm
d Road
Bisley
The MoD owns the Bisley
Ranges, on which the NRA
and the Royal Logistics Corps
are based, and is the United
Kingdom government
department responsible for
implementation of
government defence policy
and the headquarters of the
British Armed Forces.
The MoD also manages day
to day running of the armed
forces, contingency planning
and defence procurement.
1
7. The path emerges onto Lucas
Green Road, which becomes Priest
Lane. Continue straight on, passing
a composting works on your right,
and soon cross a small stream.
Start
8. The wide bridleway continues
through woodland to Hook Lane.
Turn right here, and then join the
bridleway to your left.
2
P
3
4
6. The path now passes the
entrance to Furze Farm and carries
straight on towards the Ministry
of Defence land. Stay right with
the MoD land on your left.
9. Follow the track as it bears left
across the heath, ignoring
pathways leading off the main
track. After entering the woods,
take the next bridleway to your
right opposite the MoD gates.
10. Follow the track and turn right
at a way marker. Continue straight
on, down Cuckoo Hill and through
the pine forest, going straight
over the pathway junction.
11. Bear right at the lane and
then left down Broad Street. At
the T-junction, cross with care
and continue straight on down
the path ahead.
Common
4. Pass over a stile and continue
ahead towards Furze Farm. Look
for a fingerpost to the left, directing
you across the corner of a field
towards another stile on the far
side.
5. Follow the path towards
another stile and into woodland.
Immediately turn left and follow
the edge of the woods.
www.woking.gov.uk
This area is Brentmoor Nature
Heath Reserve, which is
managed by the Surrey Wildlife
Trust. Brentmoor Heath
occupies the north eastern
corner of a very extensive
block of lowland heath that
includes the MoD lands:
Colony Bog, Pirbright and
Bisley ranges and the training
areas of West End Common.
The reserve is predominantly
wet and dry heath habitats,
with areas of woodland, acid
grassland and ponds. Most is
designated as a Site of
Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI), of national importance
and protected under the
Countryside and Rights of
Way Act 2000.
12. Cross the field, go through a
kissing gate, and continue over a
foot bridge which takes you over
Trulley Brook.
13. Go through a kissing gate and
continue straight on, keeping the
trees to your right. Cross two
more stiles and join the wide
track through woods.
14. On returning to Lucas Green
Road, cross carefully and continue
along the footpath. Turn right on
to Ford Road. As it bends left,
take the bridleway to the right.
15. This bridleway skirts the
village green, bringing you back to
the pub and the start of the walk.
17
Winter | 2007/2008
New countrywide tickets to ride
From 1 April 2008, the existing bus permit scheme will change to give
permit holders free off-peak travel on bus services throughout England,
not just across the county of Surrey.
This development, which will enable disabled people
and residents aged 60 and over to ride free of charge
to destinations across the country, will require two
major changes to the way in which the current
scheme is administered.
Firstly, all existing permit holders will have to be issued
with a new-style pass, which will be in a standard
national format so that it will be recognised by bus
drivers across England, not just within Surrey. Secondly,
in order to reduce the likelihood of fraud, all passes will
have to include a photograph of the permit holder.
Over the winter months, Woking Borough Council will
be contacting existing permit holders by post, asking
them to complete a new application form and provide
a passport-style photograph in order that they may
get a new permit to travel. In addition, the Council
intends to launch a promotional campaign to tell other
people who may be eligible for a permit about the
scheme and how they can obtain their ticket to ride.
Following changes that were introduced in the
Chancellor’s 2006 budget, all adults aged 60 years and
over and eligible
disabled people will
get free off-peak
travel on all local
buses anywhere in
England from 1 April 2008. Local people who have not
held a permit before, but who think they may be eligible,
can speak to staff at the Council on 01483 755855 or
visit the Civic Offices to find out more.
Talking about the new bus permit scheme, Woking
Borough Council’s Head of Local Services, Ray Lee,
said: “This new scheme will give older people and
those with certain disabilities the opportunity to travel
wherever they like in the country, free of charge. All
they need to do is ensure that they have completed
the new application form and provided a passportstyle photograph. Like all other Councils in England,
we are working hard to ensure that all eligible
residents have their bus permit in time for 1 April.”
For further information about the bus permit scheme,
please contact Woking Borough Council on
01483 755855 or visit www.woking.gov.uk
A blooming good result for Woking’s gardeners
In the autumn, Woking’s green-fingered gardeners celebrated their success in the
Borough’s popular annual Woking in Bloom and Allotment Awards, joined by the Mayor
and Mayoress of Woking, Cllr Bryan Cross and Helen Cross.
For more information about the Woking in Bloom competition, call Andy Calfe, Woking Borough Council’s
Neighbourhood Team Leader, on 01483 743451, email andy.calfe@woking.gov.uk or visit www.woking.gov.uk
Best large front garden – sponsored
by Woking Borough Council
1st Barry and Pam Gray, Knaphill
1
Best small front garden – sponsored
by Squires Garden Centre (see pic 1)
1st P.R. Blondell, Barnsbury
Best hanging basket – sponsored
by Harpers AV Ltd
1st Scott Ranger, Byfleet
2
3
18
Best kept community (shared)
garden – sponsored by The
Woking Review (see pic 2)
1st Consort Court
Green gardener award – sponsored
by Woking Borough Council
Winner – Mrs R.J. Pullen
Best tub or container – sponsored
by Woking Borough Council
1st Mr E. Bunce, Maybury
Best school environmental garden –
sponsored by Curchods Estate
Agents (see pic 3)
1st Horsell Village School
Best floral public house – sponsored
by The Woking Review
1st The Plough, Horsell
Best new entrant – sponsored by
Woking Borough Council
Winner – Consort Court
www.woking.gov.uk
Domestic abuse is not always
evident from the outside
Have a look at the pictures below. What do you think these people have got in common?
Emotional and psychological abuse
often goes unrecognised and
unreported, especially by the
individuals who are experiencing it
and their own friends and family.
Often the perception is that most, if
not all, cases of domestic abuse
are extreme, or include physical
maltreatment. However, domestic
abuse can build up very gradually
over time and the person suffering
the treatment can be deceived into
thinking that it is all part of a
‘normal’ relationship.
Despite often incorrect stereotypes,
domestic abuse can take place
within any religion, ethnic group,
class or age group and normally
takes place within an intimate or
family-type relationship.
Emotional and psychological abuse
is one of the most disturbing forms
of abuse as it leaves no visible
marks and can be well hidden.
Some of the mistreatment the
abuser will inflict is criticism and
verbal abuse, pressure tactics,
threats and harassment, isolation
and disrespect such as: telling their
partner they are worthless, causing
fear, embarrassment and a loss of
dignity. The abuser will often
interrupt the person’s phone calls,
refuse to help with housework or
childcare, shout, mock or accuse,
threaten to withhold money,
disconnect the telephone or take
the children away.
Subtle forms of abuse are used
by the abuser to control and
manipulate the other person, such
as making reference to what they
are wearing, eating or drinking.
The abuser can often strip them
of their identity and the ability to
control their own thoughts and
actions. The sufferer may have
extremely low self-esteem and
feel inadequate; they are often
made to give up relationships with
close friends and family.
Those who experience domestic
abuse often have tendencies to
blame themselves and defend the
behaviour of their abuser. They can
end up believing that they are
incapable of being on their own,
and cannot live without their partner.
There is also support available through Victim Support, please visit their
website www.victimsupport.org.uk or phone 01483 770457.
If you are a man wanting support, please visit The ManKind Initiative at
www.mankind.org.uk or phone the national helpline on 0870 794 4124.
www.woking.gov.uk
Help is at hand
The good news is that help is
at hand. Surrey Women's Aid
provides a wide variety of
services to women and their
children who have been
affected by domestic abuse.
Their services include:
a 24-hour helpline – support,
information and access to
other services.
emergency accommodation –
access to safe
accommodation, which
consists of a bedroom,
bathroom and other
shared facilities.
outreach – support to women
in the community, whether
they have left or are still in an
abusive relationship.
children's workers – workers
offer specialist support to
children living in refuges.
If you would like advice or
information about domestic
abuse, need somewhere safe
to stay or simply want someone
to listen to you, phone
01483 776822.
19
Safer neighbourhoods – a hot
In the last issue of The Woking Magazine, we showed how council and police officers are working
together with local people to provide safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods. This time, our focus
turns to the local fire and rescue service, which is also getting more involved with people at a
neighbourhood level to make the Borough safer.
We are also keen to reduce the
incidence of road traffic collisions
in the Borough and are constantly
thinking of new ways to try and
achieve this.”
Blue Watch Crew Manager, Steve
Murray, explains: “When we are not
attending emergencies, we spend
our time working with local people
to reduce the risk of fire at home,
at work and within the community.
For all of the watches, a key
priority is reducing the risk of fire
in people’s homes and they do
this by carrying out free Home
Fire Risk Checks. These checks
involve visiting households to
look at potential problem areas
and providing advice on how to
stay safe from fire. The firefighters
can help residents to work out a
fire safety plan and can fit smoke
alarms free of charge for people
who are in need of them.
To help the firefighters build up
positive relationships with local
people, Surrey Fire and Rescue
has given each of the four
watches their own neighbourhood
areas to concentrate upon (the
map shows which watch covers
each of the nine established
neighbourhood areas). This
means that, when they are not
responding to emergencies, the
firefighters can go out into their
assigned areas to work on their
other priority issues.
The station is tasked with
carrying out approximately 700
checks a year, a figure which Age
Concern Woking is adding to
since it relocated to the fire
station in September last year.
Mary Lucas from Age Concern
explains: “Some of our volunteers
have been trained by the
20
firefighters to carry out home fire
risk checks, and we do these in
the homes of people over the age
of 65 – this also enables us to
offer any other help the older
person might need.”
The relationship between Age
Concern and the firefighters is
clearly flourishing, to the extent
that the firefighters have given their
full support and co-operation to
an amusing 2008 calendar
featuring firefighters and older
people (see picture, right). This
is available from
Goldsworth
Park
Knaphill and
Brookwood
White Watch
There are currently around 50
people based at Woking Fire
Station in Cawsey Way. The staff
are split between four watches –
red, blue, white and green – which
rotate to provide 24-hour cover
for the Borough. As you’d expect,
each watch is responsible for
responding to all 999 calls relating
to fires and road traffic collisions
across the Borough as well as
attending a range of other
emergency calls such as flooding
and chemical incidents. In recent
years, the role of firefighters has
also developed to include other
responsibilities relating to
prevention and education and
working alongside other agencies
to assist with joint safety initiatives.
Watch Manager Ian Goddard
Goldsworth Park, Knaphill and
Brookwood, Horsell
Email: iangoddard@surreycc.gov.uk
www.woking.gov.uk
topic for Woking’s firefighters
safe. Specifically, they offer advice
to young drivers about staying
safe on the road. The eye-catching
‘Don’t be distracted’ artwork which
is now on the wall of the fire station
was the result of an initiative with
young people in Sheerwater to
get them thinking about the risks
of driving irresponsibly.
Woking Fire Station, priced £5 –
all profits to Age Concern Woking.
As well as the Home Fire Risk
Checks, the firefighters also work
with local youth groups to
educate them about how to stay
All of the watches are now keen
to work more closely with their
designated neighbourhoods and
would like to encourage people to
make contact if they are keen to
have a safety check, receive
advice on fire prevention or would
like information and advice which
could benefit a local group.
To contact someone from
Woking Fire Station, contact the
relevant Watch Manager for your
neighbourhood or phone the main
freephone number 0800 085 0767
or complete an online Home Fire
Risk Check request form at
www.surrey-fire.gov.uk/
besmartbesafe
But please remember, if it is
an emergency, don’t hesitate
to call 999.
Horsell
Byfleet, West Byfleet
and Pyrford
Wo
wn
To
g
kin
Maybury
Blue Watch
Sheerwater
Watch Manager Kevin Dockley
Sheerwater, Maybury
Email: kevin.dockley@surreycc.gov.uk
www.woking.gov.uk
Green Watch
Hook Heath,
Mount Hermon
St Johns and
Mayford
Red Watch
Old Woking,
Kingfield
and Westfield
Watch Manager Russell Picket
Watch Manager Stewart Ashley
Woking Town, Hook Heath, Mount
Hermon, St Johns and Mayford
Byfleet, West Byfleet, Pyrford, Old
Woking, Kingfield and Westfield
Email: russell.picket@surreycc.gov.uk
Email: stewart.ashley@surreycc.gov.uk
21
Winter | 2007/2008
Woking’s bright future
In October, Eliza Fleming (16) was crowned Woking’s first Leader for
Youth. Eliza won the chance to work with senior decision-makers
within Woking Borough Council after writing a manifesto presenting
the youth issues she thought needed addressing in the Borough.
Here, Eliza tells us about her experiences.
My week started on Monday
morning, when I met Deputy Chief
Executive, Douglas Spinks and
Director of Neighbourhood
Services, Mark Rolt at the Civic
Offices. They asked me why I
wanted to be Leader for Youth
and what I thought of Woking.
Following that, I went onto the
Woking News and Mail office,
where one of the journalists
interviewed me. I was asked
about my opinions on topics
affecting Woking, as well as what
I wanted to achieve by being
Woking’s Leader for Youth. The
interview was something I’d never
experienced before and found it
fun! Returning to the Civic Offices,
I was taken on a tour of the
building and Council Chamber,
where I saw the stained glass
window, which I found very
interesting.
On Tuesday morning, I was
involved in a photo call for local
newspapers to promote the
Leader for Youth scheme, with the
Council’s Chief Executive, Ray
Morgan and Leader of the
Executive, Cllr Anne Murray.
It was certainly fun to have a
photographer to take my photo!
After that, I went on a tour of
Woking’s green initiatives with Ray
and local councillors. The visit
included Woking Leisure Centre,
Brockhill Centre for the Elderly
and the recently built solar
paneled cover (Albion Square) in
front of Woking Train Station.
From what I saw, it is clear that
Woking has many positive
environmental projects that the
public themselves may not even
be aware of.
Thursday was the most interesting
of days. In the evening, I met the
Mayor of Woking, Cllr Bryan
Cross. I’d never met him before,
so it was a good experience, and
quite interesting as well because
he explained the Mayoral duties
and what holding such a position
was like. After meeting Bryan, I
attended that evening’s Council
meeting. I had the chance to sit in
the Chamber, alongside
councillors and watch the meeting
in action. It started with the
CabCam gave young people a chance to hop in and air their views
22
Eliza with CEO Ray Morgan and Councillor
Anne Murray
formality which was followed by a
slightly heated debate regarding
the Blue Badge parking issue,
which affects the disabled
community of Woking.
Most interesting was the final
decision, when councillors
naturally voted in agreement with
their party, except for one
Conservative member who voted
against the issue.
What became apparent from
watching the debate was how
people vote in the local elections
ultimately influences all of the
decisions that are then made in
the Council Chamber. I now have
a much better idea of how
important it is to vote and will
ensure that I have my say when I
reach my 18th birthday.
Overall, I found the position of
Leader for Youth an exciting one,
and an experience I would
recommend to others. It is
important to know who essentially
runs your area and how they do it
and I’m grateful to the Council for
giving me such an opportunity.
www.woking.gov.uk
Getting closer
to finding the
right formula
Back in March, the Council created crazy character, Professor Denner, to help find the right formula for
a new Woking website. With the assistance of hundreds of local people, the barmy brain box set about
identifying which elements should make up the website of the future. Now, after months of research, the
new site is under construction and is due to go live in the early part of 2008.
Professor Denner’s first step was
to encourage as many people as
possible to complete a
questionnaire about the existing
Woking website. Almost 600
people responded to his request,
giving a substantial amount of
information about what users like
and dislike about the site. The
survey showed that most people
(77%) find the website very or
quite easy to navigate and the vast
majority (95%) think the pages are
written in a language that is easy to
understand. However, a number of
respondents highlighted areas for
improvement including:
navigation, search facilities and
the appearance of the site.
Next, all survey respondents were
invited to take part in focus groups
where they could give more detailed
information about the different
elements of the site. Around 40
One of our web testers at The Shaw Trust
www.woking.gov.uk
people participated, providing useful
feedback about the homepage and
the structure of the existing site.
Armed with a significant amount of
information, Professor Denner was
starting to feel confident about the
way forward but felt that there was
a key area that still needed to be
judged – the accessibility of the
website. Clearly, the information
available at www.woking.gov.uk
needs to be accessible to people
with different abilities and, although
the Council’s existing website has
been developed with this in mind,
the new web project presented a
perfect opportunity to put the site
to the test.
The access issues have been
incorporated into the specification
for the new site along with the
comments raised throughout
Professor Denner’s research period.
This specification has now been
passed to the Council’s web
architect who is busily constructing
the new site. In the weeks leading
up to Christmas, a large amount of
work will be carried out to review
the new-look site and transfer
information across to it from the
existing pages.
All the work on the new site
should be completed early in
2008 when it will ‘go live’.
From this point onwards, users
will benefit from:
improved navigation
In June, a small team of Council
officers travelled to the offices of
national disability charity, The Shaw
Trust, in South Wales to watch a
team of disabled web testers put
the Woking site through its paces.
During the session, testers who
were visually impaired, colour blind,
dyslexic or unable to use a mouse
or standard keyboard scoured the
Woking pages looking for areas that
would pose problems for disabled
people. Council officers were
relieved to find that the existing site
is, on the whole, very accessible
but they also discovered that
there are issues that need to be
addressed in order to create a
better site for the future.
better search facilities
(including the opportunity to
view all information relating
to each household in the
Borough)
a cleaner, more attractive
interface
more news, as it happens
plus all of the elements that
users say they like about
the existing site.
So, why not visit the site
www.woking.gov.uk to see
what it looks like now, and
then compare it to the new site
from February onwards!
23
Winter | 2007/2008
Young explorers rise to
In the summer issue of the Woking Magazine, we featured a group of remarkable
young people who were about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime – a three-week
trek across the Sinai Desert in Egypt. In this article, we find out how they fared in this
hostile environment, with extreme temperatures, tough terrain, and cantankerous
camels to contend with.
definitely missing, and I decided that I wanted to do
something life changing”, says young explorer, Ben
Fenwick (18), “But I didn’t think the trek was going to
be half as difficult as it was!”
The motivation for the Youth Desert Expedition 2007
was to raise money for the Child Bereavement
Services at Woking and Sam Beare Hospices, which
support children and young people who have lost a
family member. The nine young recruits, some of
whom had themselves suffered a bereavement, were
keen to support such a worthy cause although they
admit they didn’t really appreciate what they were
letting themselves in for at the time. “My life before
the expedition seemed a bit empty, something was
24
Ben, like many of the participants, suffered
considerable discomfort in the desert. Temperatures
soared to around 50 degrees Celsius, the flies were
relentless and walking 10km a day across hilly, sandy
terrain was both painful and exhausting at times.
Although the young people were given the
opportunity to ride on the backs of camels for a few
hours in the evening, this was by no means the easy
option as William Stephenson (16) explains: “Riding a
camel is very uncomfortable. They smell and attract
the flies. But the real problem arises when the camel
decides he does not want you on his back and
suddenly dives to the ground and rolls over. One
moment I was sitting on a camel enjoying the local
scenery and the next moment it had collapsed to the
ground and was thrashing around on its side in the
dirt. I went flying!”
www.woking.gov.uk
desert challenge
But, accompanied by a
small group of
experienced adult leaders
and members of the
Bedouin community
(nomads who live in this
desert belt), the group
made steady progress
through the desert,
eventually reaching their
goal after 14 days of
walking. Crossing the finishing line was,
understandably, one of the highlights of the trip.
“Finishing the trek was an amazing achievement for
me“, says Danielle Grant (18), “The whole
experience has helped me to learn more about
myself and I am very proud of what we all managed
to achieve out there.”
For Lauren Thomas (14), who lost her father to
cancer last year, the trip has given her the chance to
channel her grief into a hugely positive experience
and that will stay with her forever.
All of the participants agree that the experience has
helped them to truly appreciate the comforts of
home. In the desert, iced water was a rare treat and
many of the group spent time fantasising about
seeing tarmac, sitting on a proper toilet and eating
cereal with ice cold milk!
Once the trek was over, the group spent four days in
Dahab where they helped to renovate the local youth
www.woking.gov.uk
centre and make
friends with the
Bedouin people.
On one occasion,
they challenged
the locals to a
friendly football
match which was
thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The efforts of these local young people have
generated almost £100,000 which will secure the
future of the Children’s Bereavement Service for the
next three years. This is a huge achievement and an
inspiration for others, including the main expedition
guide, Mark Gillet: “I have drawn a huge amount of
inspiration from this group of young people. I am not
sure that I could have completed this challenge at
their age – they have taught me a great deal.”
Many congratulations to the nine young explorers:
Danielle Grant, William Stephenson, Lauren Thomas,
Ben Fenwick, James Shannon, Barney Webster, LA
Dymore-Brown, Craig Ellis, Richard Chapman.
To find out more about the Woking and Sam
Beare Hospices, or to make a donation,
please contact Mary Lacey, Director of
Fundraising, on 01483 881750 or visit
www.wsbhospices.co.uk
25
Winter | 2007/2008
News from The Lightbox
Lightbox wows Woking
More than 2,000 visitors poured into the new Lightbox gallery and
museum when it opened in September and many declared it amazing
and better than they ever imagined.
The town’s new architectural addition was officially opened by the Mayor
of Woking, Cllr Bryan Cross, in front of more than 200 people, who had
won tickets in a public ballot. The Mayor cut a wide ribbon comprising
hundreds of handprints that had been collected from around the county
and declared the long-awaited gallery and museum open.
Children encouraged their parents to climb the stairs to experience the Animated Adventures exhibition, marveling at
the ‘Wave’ installation of thousands of handprints that fluttered overhead, while others spent time learning about the
town’s past through interactive displays in Woking’s Story.
Since the opening, the Lightbox has welcomed a constant stream of visitors who are keen to see what lies behind
the impressive wrought iron gates at the site’s entrance. The Animated Adventures exhibition, featuring Wallace
and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, will continue to draw the crowds until it moves on in the middle of January. After
that, there will be plenty to look forward to during 2008, as the What’s on pages (27 to 29) can testify.
From football to Frink
At the beginning of February, visitors to The
Lightbox will be able to enjoy a significant private
collection of sculpture and drawings loaned to the
gallery and museum by local businessman and
Woking Football Chairman, Chris Ingram.
The collection
spans 100 years of
art and highlights
important new
styles and
techniques in
sculpture and
painting employed
in the early 20th
century. In addition,
it includes one of
the largest number
of sculptures by
Dame Elisabeth
Frink held by a
private collector in
the UK.
Dame Elisabeth
Jean Frink, was an
26
English sculptor
and printmaker.
She studied at the
Guildford School of
Art (1946 to 1949)
and, with Bernard
Meadows, at the
Chelsea School of
Art (1949 to 1953).
She was linked
with the post-war
school of British
sculptors, including
Reg Butler, Bernard
Meadows and
Eduardo Paolozzi, though her work is distinguished
by her commitment to naturalistic forms and
themes. Frink’s range of subjects included men,
birds, dogs, horses and religious motifs.
Commenting on the sculptures, director Marilyn
Scott said: “We are extremely fortunate to be able
to show these wonderful pieces of such
importance. The Ingram collection is a unique
collection for the South East, as it will not only be
displayed in a new regional public venue, but it is
the first time that a Modern British Art collection of
national significance will be displayed in Surrey.”
www.woking.gov.uk
December 2007 to February 2008
For more information about local events,
visit www.windowonwoking.org.uk
Email: tourist@woking.gov.uk
What’s on
Telephone: 01483 720103
Local events in and around Woking Borough
It is recommended that you check with the venue to confirm details. Events can be, and sometimes are, rescheduled or cancelled.
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
Royal Academy of Dance
presents:
The Fonteyn Nureyev Young
Dancers Competition 2008
Peter Pan
The New Victoria Theatre
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society
(HADS) presents:
Sat 12 to Sun 13 Jan
Lady Windermere’s Fan
The 2006 Level One winner went on
to secure the title role in the hit, Billy
Elliot – The Musical, so join us to see
the dance stars of the future!
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Tickets: £15 per day (split into level
one and level two candidate
performances), £10 per level;
students £12 per day, £8 per level;
groups discount – five tickets for the
price of four.
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Fri 7 Dec to Sun 13 Jan, 2.30pm and
7.30pm (Sun 1.30pm and 5.30pm).
No performances on Monday (apart
from 31 Dec), Christmas Day or New
Year’s Day.
Wed 5 to Sat 8 Dec, 7.45pm
HADS is delighted to present Oscar
Wilde’s first classic comedy.
Hilarious!
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions)
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
Website: www.youngdancers.co.uk
The Agatha Christie Theatre
Company presents:
And Then There Were None
The New Victoria Theatre
STOMP
Mon 21 to Sat 26 Jan, 8pm (Wed and
Sat matinees, 2.30pm)
The New Victoria Theatre
Tues 14 to Sat 19 Jan (Tue to Thurs,
7.30pm; Fri 5.30pm and 9pm; Sat
4pm and 8pm)
Considered by many to be one of the
greatest mystery novels ever written,
Tickets: £10 to £24
(concessions available)
A unique combination of theatre,
dance, comedy and percussion.
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Tickets: £13 to £27
(concessions available)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
www.woking.gov.uk
This year’s swashbuckling
pantomime extravaganza stars the
legendary Henry Winkler as Captain
Hook and Clare Buckfield as
Peter Pan.
Tickets: From £11 to £24
(concessions available)
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
The Karen Clarke Theatre School
presents:
A Christmas Variety Show
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Thurs 13 to Sat 15 Dec, 7pm (Sat
matinee, 2pm)
Winter | 2007 27
Students will be performing a wide
range of songs, dance and drama
guaranteed to get you into the
Christmas spirit.
Phone: The Scout and Guide
box office on 01483 751847 or the
Ambassadors box office on
0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions)
Weds 12 to Sat 15 Mar, 7.30pm (Sat
matinee, 2.30pm)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
To celebrate its 40th year, KASJOG is
presenting The Gondoliers or the
King of Barataria.
Winston Churchill School
presents:
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Weds 30 Jan to Sat 2 Feb, 7.30pm
Come and enjoy the Winston
Churchill’s performance of this
classical musical.
Tickets: £9, £6 concessions
(Wednesday preview £6 or £3)
Phone: The Winston Churchill
School, main office, 01483 476861
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
South Pacific
The New Victoria Theatre
Tues 5 to Sat 9 Feb, 8pm (Wed,
Thurs and Sat matinees, 2.30pm)
This new production features classic
songs such as ‘Some Enchanted
Evening’ and ‘There is Nothing Like a
Dame’.
The Gondoliers by Gilbert
and Sullivan
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Phone: The Karen Clarke Theatre
School on 01483 773076 or the
Ambassadors box office on 0870 060
6645 (booking fee)
Oliver
Knaphill and St Johns Operatic
Group (KASJOG) presents:
The Chinese State Circus
The New Victoria Theatre
Wed 20 to Sun 24 Feb, 7.30pm (Wed
5pm, Thur to Sun matinees, 2.30pm)
Bursting with high-adrenalin acts and
daredevil stunts, this is electrifying
entertainment for the whole family.
Tickets: £11 to £25
(concessions available)
A charity gala night will be held on
Wednesday 12 March.
Tickets: Thurs £11 (£10 concessions),
Fri and Sat £12 (Sat matinee £7).
Phone: The KASJOG box office on
01483 473657 or The Ambassadors
box office on 0870 060 6645
(booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
The Sundowners (Youth Group of
Runnymede Drama Group)
presents:
When in Rome
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Lunchtime music recitals
Christchurch, Town Square, Woking
Every Monday, 12.40pm to 1.20pm
Thurs 21 to Sat 23 Feb, 7.45pm (Sat
matinee, 2.30pm)
Organ, instrumental or vocal recitals.
Tongue-in-cheek humour abounds in
this side-splitting musical comedy.
Tickets: No admission charge but
donations welcome.
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions)
Phone: www.christchurchwoking.org
Horsell Scouts and Guides
present:
Phone: The Sundowners’ box office
on 01784 242512 or The
Ambassadors box office on 0870 060
6645 (booking fee)
Woking and District Branch of
Guide Dogs for the Blind
presents:
Gangshow 2008 – 100 Years
of Scouting
Peer Productions presents:
Tickets: £13 to £30
(concessions available)
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Website:
www.theambassadors.com/woking
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Thurs 14 to Sat 16 Feb, 7pm (Sat
matinee 2.30pm)
A vibrant variety show, full of music
and laughter and performed by
talented young people in a traditional
style.
Tickets: £7.50 (£4 concessions).
Group discount of 50p per ticket for
10 or more.
28 Summer | 2007
Oklahoma!
Carol Service
St Peter’s Church, High Street,
Old Woking
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Thurs 28 Feb to Sat 1 Mar, 7.30pm
(Sat matinee, 2.30pm)
Oklahoma! is the classic tale of
cowboys and farmers finding love in
the American mid-west.
Tickets: £12.50 (£10 concessions)
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Fri 7 Dec, 7.30pm
With special guests the Mayor and
Mayoress of Woking.
Tickets: No admission charge but
donations welcome in aid of Guide
Dogs for the Blind. Coffee and mince
pies will be served after the service in
the church centre.
www.woking.gov.uk
Woking Choral Society
Concert
H. G. Wells Conference and
Events Centre
Sat 8 Dec, 7.30pm
The Choral Society will be performing
Bach’s Mass in B Minor, conducted
by Nicholas Steinitz.
Tickets: Available from the H. G.
Wells Box Office, Woking Visitor
Information Centre, Waterstones
Bookshop in Wolsey Place, the
Surrey Music Store and Brittens
Music in West Byfleet. Passport to
Leisure Scheme applies.
Website: www.thelightbox.org.uk
Woking Miniature Railway
Mizens Railway, Barrs Lane, Knaphill
Sun 9, 16 and 23 Dec, 1.30pm-3pm
Animated Adventures
Santa Specials.
The Lightbox
Tickets: £1.50 to £2
Sat 15 Sept 2007 to Sun 13 Jan 2008
Email: info@mizensrailway.co.uk
Cards for Good Causes
Charity Christmas Card Shop
Horsell Room (1st Floor),
Christchurch, Town Square
Phone: 01483 767852 or 488175
Website: www.wokingchoral.org.uk
The American Theatre Organ
Society presents:
Wurlitzer Concerts
Woking Leisure Centre
Sat 15 Dec, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Fri 19 Oct to Mon 17 Dec,
10am to 3pm. Cards for more than
25 national and local charities.
Phone: 01264 361555
Website: www.thelightbox.org.uk
Big Screen Steam
Life on Ice: Photographs by
Matthew Felton
Phone: 01923 720511
Sat 9 Feb, 3pm and 7.30pm
The Lightbox
The Big Screen Steam train pulls
back into the Rhoda McGaw Theatre.
Live expert commentary and
interesting insights into the history
behind each piece of footage are
provided by The British Film Institute
and Windjammer Films.
The Lightbox
Tickets: £4 (concessions available,
including Passport to Leisure)
Sat 8 Dec, 11am to 12pm and
2pm to 5pm
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee)
Come and meet Father Christmas in
his grotto at The Lightbox.
Paul Norton and Tracy Hall
present:
Tickets: £3.50 per child (includes a
present to take home).
The Psychic World of Paul
Norton and Tracy Hall
Phone: 01483 737800
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Website: www.thelightbox.org.uk
Festive Story Telling
The Lightbox
Sun 9 Dec, 2pm to 5pm
Fri 2 Nov 2007 to Thurs 3 Jan 2008
See the extraordinary frozen
landscapes and fascinating wildlife of
Antarctica and Alaska, captured by
Woking-born photographer Matthew
Felton. Free entry.
Phone: 01483 737800
Website: www.thelightbox.org.uk
Modern British Art
The Lightbox
Sun 24 Feb, 7.30pm
From February 2008
A spectacular psychic evening with
Paul Norton and Tracy Hall, two of
Britain’s most gifted mediums.
The first public exhibition of The
Lightbox’s Modern British Art
Collection. See sculptures by
Elisabeth Frink and Henry Moore and
paintings by Sir Terry Frost, Edward
Burra, William Roberts and Barbara
Hepworth. Free entry.
Listen to a selection of festive stories
and enchanting tales told by our
resident narrator. Suitable for children
aged 3+ - children must be
accompanied by an adult. Free entry.
Tickets: £10
Phone: 01483 737800
Website: www.paulnorton.org.uk
www.woking.gov.uk
Tickets: £5 adults, £4 children and
concessions, children under three free.
Phone: 01483 737800
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
Father Christmas
All exhibition visitors will receive a
free adventure pack, filled with fun
things to make and do.
Woking Borough Council
presents:
Featuring organists Jean Martyn and
John Mann.
Email: ianridley@atos-london.co.uk
This amazing hands-on exhibition for
all the family takes you behind the
scenes at the much loved Aardman
Animations, with original sets from the
Oscar-winning film ‘Wallace and
Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’.
Phone: The Ambassadors box office
on 0870 060 6645 (booking fee) for
tickets.
Phone: 01483 737800
Website: www.thelightbox.org.uk
Winter | 2007 29
Winter | 2007/2008
Why don’t you…
become a volunteer?
Have you ever thought about volunteering?
Perhaps you have, but felt that it might be too
time consuming, or simply decided that it
just wasn’t for you. Well, maybe you should
think again.
Volunteers can do anything! This can range from a
20-minute job, such as helping an elderly neighbour
with their shopping, to a more specialised voluntary
service, such as providing legal advice to a
local charity.
Volunteering can add a new dimenson to your life and
the lives of those for whom you volunteer. It offers
you a chance to become involved in a project or with
an organisation you really care about.
Volunteers make a massive contribution to the local
community, but volunteering can also make a huge
difference to your life.
Volunteering can help with:
building confidence and self-esteem
making new friends
making a difference to your local community
gaining new skills
broadening your horizons.
30
One young person who decided volunteering is for
her is Olivia Hatton, who has been volunteering at
the Marjorie Richardson Centre, a coffee shop for
older people, since 2006. “I really wanted to meet
new people and gain work experience, as well as
perfecting the art of tea making!” said Olivia, on
talking about why she started volunteering.
Olivia contacted Woking Association of Voluntary
Service (WAVS), who organised the work with the
Centre. Olivia continued: “It’s a great way to spend
my Saturday mornings and I always feel very
welcome. I’ve made new friends and improved my
social skills - I’m a lot more confident since I started
a year ago.”
Lynne Dossetter, Volunteer Centre Manager at WAVS,
added: “Being a volunteer myself, I can thoroughly
recommend volunteering and encourage anyone to
try it. We have over 100 local organisations in need
of volunteers. So, whatever your background, skills
or interests, why not drop in for a chat and we can
help you find a position that will suit you.”
If you can spare a few hours a week and want to help
you local community, then volunteering is for you.
For more information, please contact WAVS on
01483 751456 or visit
www.windowonwoking.org.uk/wavs for a full list
of opportunities.
www.woking.gov.uk