The Planet Reigate Podcast
39: The Reigate Summer Festival, Wrayfest, and remembering a well-known Redhill and Reigate shopkeeper... and more
Fri, 07 Jun 2024
Episode 39 for Saturday 9th JuneThe Reigate Summer Festival, Wrayfest, and remembering a well-known Redhill and Reigate shopkeeper... and more! 00:00What’s in this episode 21:10The Good Time Guide: Local places to go and things to do this weekend. 34:15GUEST: The Reigate Summer Festival is next weekend. One of the organisers Karen takes us on a walk-and-talk through the town telling us what acts will be where. 45:25The Planet Reigate area news1:06:30Memories of long-time Redhill and Reigate shopkeeper Jimmy Bridger1:14:00Planet Reigate area sport 1:19:30Planet Reigate Stars - thanking local heroes. 1:20:55Priory Bark: conversations with local dog-owners about their pets. This week, Ian tells us about Pepper his Siberian Husky. 1:23:10The Good Time Guide: Local things to do and places to go this coming week. 1;33:00GUEST: We are partnering with Wrayfest on 6th July at Wray Common. James tells us all all about it. 1:37:35A local commemoration of the D-Day landings. 1:38:50Planet Reigate area job vacancies. 1:39:50Planet Reigate area travel news: we give you a heads-up so you can avoid the hold-ups.1:42:20Planet Reigate area weather: local weather stats from ‘Professor Weather’ and the local forecast1:46:25 The 60-second Soundscape: before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know. This week from Earslwood.CREDITS:The seven-note Planet Reigate Theme is ©Peter StewartOther music www.Pond5.com:GTG - inspiringaudio Item ID: 116855857NEWS - ThomPie Item ID: 75456323STARS - jwsaudio Item ID: 073206386 PRIORY BARK - dturbide ID 066572138TRAVEL - FrauMuller Item ID: 102031400WEATHER - Sasha_Grey Item ID: 025133085SOUNDSCAPE PolkadotFlowersMusic Item ID: 136304431DRAGON fx https://soundbible.com/ ROCK - bright corporate - by ApexAudio ID 116423471ROCK - hard-driving - by four_track ID 092263391 Listen: https://linktr.ee/PlanetReigatePodcastWeb: www.ThePlanetReigatePodcast.comFacebook: www.Facebook.com/ThePlanetReigatePodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is the Planet Reigate Podcast.
Hello Planeteers, this is Podcast Pete with the show exclusively, uniquely and proudly about the hills, the high streets and the heaths of Reigate, Redhill and Merstham, Buckland, Bechworth and Brockham. And this is episode 39. This is how we're reflecting and celebrating our love of life around here this week.
My guests will be just a few days away from the Reigate Summer Festival, the inaugural event. Hear more about their plans in this week's show. And you can tell it's summer because of all sorts of other local outdoor events, including Rayfest in July. We have a sneak peek about their plans several weeks ahead of that particular event.
They've got live bands and family fun zone and a food village and a maker's market anyway. I'm pre-empting things. Hear more about that a little bit later on in the show. In the news this week, the story of the closure of Marks and Spencer's Red Hill. We have comment and reaction and the date that it will close next. A tech failure at East Surrey Hospital.
I'll tell you what went wrong and how you might be affected. And do you know of a small local site where more houses could be built? Well, there's somebody who would like to know about your local knowledge. I'll make sure you know the details a little bit later on. There's an update to the work at Merstham Rec and I'll let you know why there's a warning for dog walkers in Hookwood.
and odd signs which have been put up in Memorial Park in Redhill that you should be aware of. A man is trying to find a family who used to live in Hawley. I'll give you the details in case you know of that family and you may be able to help. And we remember the shopkeeper who worked in both Redhill and Reigate for many years, who's died at the grand old age of 96.
You may remember him, you may remember his shops, you may have used to go into his shops. I'll spark a few memories for you a little bit later on in the show. In sport, we feature Royal Earlswood FC, Merstham FC and Rygate Lacrosse. And we have the good time guide of events across the area over the next seven days. And job opportunities across the area this week.
Travel and weather and treasure together. Yeah, I'll give you the local roadworks heads up so you can avoid the hold-ups. And I'll tell you the cheapest local petrol in the area as well. Plus, I've got the local forecast and the recent weather stats from our very own Professor Weather. And Julie is here with another rare collectible or cut price bargain.
Hidden treasure from our local charity, the Children's Trust. Plus, Planet Reigate stars are from Woodhatch this week. We start a brand new feature.
priory bark yeah every few weeks here from local dog owners about their pets so it may be a lovely lab a dotty dalmatian or a shih tzu that's a bit of a rogue this week ian tells us about pepper his beautiful siberian husky and our 60 second soundscape before we go at the end of the show this week from earl's words this is the planet reigate podcast with peter stewart
And don't forget to subscribe to the show in your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. And we've got so much more in our archive show as well. In episode 29, Alex from the locally based group Include.org creating a world where no one is excluded because of communication disabilities. Yeah, Alex does some wonderful things over there at Include.
You may have seen the Include choir at various events locally. You may see them over the summer. They perform at all sorts of different events locally. And it'd be nice, wouldn't it, to hear a little bit more about what Include is all about. You'll be able to hear that in episode 29. And meet Dan, the man with the plan to help you and your business survive and thrive with RH Networking Group.
Hear our chat with Dan in episode 29. Hear those episodes on our page on your favourite podcast app. But first of all, let's bring you the Planet Reigate postbag on the Planet Reigate podcast.
Email hello at theplanetreigatepodcast.com Find out more at theplanetreigatepodcast.com Leave a text or voice message on WhatsApp 07917 874572 and leave a review on your favorite podcast app. Support us at buymeacoffee.com slash the Planet Reigate podcast.
Yeah, that buymeacoffee.com thing, what all that is about is that if you would like to tip me the price of a cup of coffee, just to say thank you for running the podcast, you can go to buymeacoffee.com slash the Planet Rygate podcast, and it's the price of a cup of coffee that you'll send me via phone.
It's really easy to do via phone, because your phone will be set up with all sorts of payments anyway, wouldn't it? If you think, yeah, yeah, Pete's worth three quid. I'll buy him a latte. You can do that. BuyMeACoffee.com slash ThePlanetRygatePodcast. And I also mentioned the WhatsApp number there as well. If you'd like to send me a voice message, then you can do that.
Be really nice to hear from you. Heard from Danny in the week. Although, actually, to be fair, Danny, you didn't actually call me. Did you? On my WhatsApp number. Danny as my personal number, because I've been talking to Danny. She's going to be appearing in a show in the next few weeks, just looking up on my scheduling board, which is beside me in the Planet Rygate studio.
Thanks very much indeed. If you got in touch any which way over the course of the last seven days or so, Acupuncture Surrey featured our chat with Nikki recently, and she said, very excited to share that I'm guest on the Planet Rygate podcast this week, talking about acupuncture and our community clinic in Merstham. And yeah, that was in episode 37, so a couple of weeks ago now.
She said, if you've got time, please do listen to the whole podcast. It's a great resource of local information. And she said, if you want more information about her, acupuncture-surrey.co.uk. The Copper Pot Club got in touch. In fact, they put out a social media post.
They said, my favourite place to hear what's happening locally also lets you know about the latest Copper Pot Club learning lunches and cookery classes. Thanks for the mention, Planet Rygate podcast. It's a gem of a podcast to add to your playlist. It's bound to be your weekly favourite too. Really appreciate that. Thanks very much indeed.
Had another message from Family Fit with Claire, who we mentioned recently. Thanks, Peter. I listened in. It was brilliant to hear about all things local. Keep up the good work. Kiss. Thanks very much indeed, particularly for the kiss. A kiddicle mass. Now, are you aware of kiddicle mass? It's on Sunday the 23rd of June at 10 o'clock. They meet at Memorial Park in Redhill.
It's a big family bike ride. Essentially, everyone is welcome and all kids will be supervised on their small local kind of bike ride. Bring fancy dress, bubbles, music, flags, refreshments available. As I say, it all starts at Memorial Park, Redhill and ends at Earlswood Infant School. And you can go along and you can, well, it's free entry.
It's not like a competition or anything, but they need to know how many people are going along. They can organise it and so on. Sunday, the 23rd of June. And if you'd like some more information, then just search for Earlswood and Redhill Kittical Mass. And if you go to Eco Earlswood, Rachel is the lady behind it. And she's asked me to go along and start it.
Now, I'm not entirely sure how I need to start it. Do I need to do keep fit exercises like they do at the start of Run Reigate? Do I need to do that? Do I need to drop a check? I need a checkered flag, don't I? I wonder if... Has Rachel got a checkered flag?
£6.49.
I'm getting down to £6.49. um 649 any advance on 649 rachel i will buy myself a checkered no that's to finish it isn't it a checkered flag is to finish what do you drop at the start of a race i don't know i'm gonna i'm gonna have to research that aren't i i know how you start a rice pudding race but that's a joke uh you don't know how you start a rice pudding race you say go Moving on.
Yeah, I'm going to be starting that. So if you want to get involved as well, make sure you're there. Memorial Park, 10 o'clock Sunday, the 23rd of June. Another message here. Hi, Peter. I stumbled across your podcast and I've been binge listening. That's what I like. People who are binging and becoming addicted to the Planet Reigate podcast. And the message here, this is from Thua. Yeah. Hi, Thua.
I was wondering if you could consider being a judge at our cake competition for our school in Hawley on Saturday, the 29th of June. Well, actually, I can't for a couple of reasons. First of all, because I'm on my holidays that particular weekend. But secondly, I may have mentioned it, I'm a celiac. Now, I will go a long way for the Planet Rygate podcast, but...
But exploding because I've eaten glutened cakes is probably a step too far, as you probably understand. However, I hope it goes well. And because I can't get there, let's give it a nice meaty plug. I can eat meat. Saturday, the 29th of June, between 12 and 12.30, it's the school annual summer fair. This year is extra special because it's the school's 60th anniversary.
We've organised a big event with barbecue, live band and pony rides. We're organising a 60th anniversary themed cake competition as well. The cake afterwards will be sold towards the fundraiser. We've so far raised enough funds for Chromebooks, playground markings, new bike sheds this year alone. We've also spent £2,500 to restock the school library with copies of books.
which are featured in 100 Books to Read Before Leaving Yattenden School Challenge. The books have been carefully curated and the challenge set up to encourage reading amongst the students. Well, as a journalist and so on, I can only applaud that. So that sounds absolutely wonderful that you're putting together all of those books for Yattenden School. Congratulations there.
And some publicity will be great as the community is welcome to attend particular past and future students as well. Yes. So if you're in the Yattenton school area of Hawley, please get down there Saturday, the 29th of June between 12. I said between 12 and 1230, didn't I? I actually met between 12 and three o'clock. I'm reading the invitation. They wanted me there.
between 12 and 12.30, but the whole shebang is between 12 and 3 o'clock. Yes, some publicity would be great. The community is welcome to attend, particularly past and future students as well. Thua, I've written to you separately, I've explained the situation, but I've given you a nice plug there as well, I hope.
Last week on the show, I mentioned about the history of the Reigate pageants, didn't I? And it was really excellent to read some of your feedback on that. I don't think I said last week, but I should have done, that much of that information came from Reigate and Redhill in bygone days. It's a book by Tony Powell, which I've been reading voraciously over the last several days.
And it was really great to have Tony's expertise in that, which I was able to
to share with you and yeah I got this message from Derek Chinnery who said we found an old horse drawn fire manual in the Reigate tunnels which was used in the pageant and is now residing in the fire brigade museum how about that so Derek thank you for adding to our wealth of knowledge on that one and Andy Fowler said my late father knew Cecile Hummel
Now, Cecile, I mentioned, organised one of those pageants back in the day. And Andy says I still have some of his old sound scripts that he produced for the pageants back in the 50s. His eulogy back in 2004 included this, quote,
When he moved to Reigate after the war, Les joined the Gramophone Circle and it was through this that he was recruited to provide the music for an open-air production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. As often happens, one thing led to another and Les found himself involved in the first of the pageants held in Reigate Priory in 1951.
of this he said quote two of us performed a minor miracle every night with a pile of 78 records a chinagraph pencil and a pair of very basic turntables unquote things got easier in subsequent pageants with the advent of recording tape although when les came to play these some 30 years later he had to keep stopping to clear the remains of long dead insects from the tape machine
Which is rather fun, isn't it? Yeah, imagine doing a pageant there with recorded music rather than a live band. And the only recorded music would be on a record, acetate, wax cylinder. Yeah, you didn't have CDs and MP3s and so on. So congrats. Andy, I really appreciate you getting in touch and passing on that memory of Les and his work with Cecile there as well.
We had a huge response to our feature last week on the idea of having a bridge to connect the Red Hill railway station to the shopping area by McDonald's to allow easier and safer access there as well. So thank you if you added to the comments on social media and also to the news item we ran about trade in the town as well. Robin Whitwell said...
Rather than one thing, I'd like to see a number of changes in Redhill. And he's listed 11 of these. So quickly, let's rattle through some of these. One, with the increase in demand for bus services, particularly due to the lower numbers learning to drive and the current £2 fare cap, we need to increase the size of the bus station in Redhill. Number two, more shelter at the bus station.
Yeah, there's not much there, is there? Number three, a remodelled entrance from the train bus station into the town that encouraged people to walk up to the shops. He says the walk into the town past McDonald's is not the most appealing, and I know we could improve this welcome to Red Hill. That's not a bad idea.
You need kind of an archway or some kind of pillar or a big sign, but a nice sign, not just a metal board. Yes, a nicely designed sign. Number four, more independent retailers. Number five, and oh, which could include companies like the Eco Shop in Woodhatch. Yeah, Keren from the Eco Shop in Woodhatch was my guest in the very first episode of the Planet Reigate podcast.
Keren, hello and welcome to you. Five, an improved railway station plaza without the proposed flats. leading more naturally to the crossing point of the dual carriageway. Number six, better cycling infrastructure. Seven, instead of just expanding the current Harlequin Theatre, a transformation into a whole arts and culture centre with an exhibition space.
Number eight, a new bus to stand lay-bys in the wide pavement by Marketfield Way. Number nine, the reinstatement of the Wilton Road northbound bus stop of the A23. Number 10, inclusion in TFL's Zone 7, excuse me, Zone 6, like they have at Tatnam Corner, East and West Yule and Stonely and so on.
And number 11, without wishing to be controversial, I know a lot has changed since I was at school, college. but it would be great if we could have a facility where people of all ages, not just the youths, could learn about opportunities to get involved in their community and learn a new skill. Well, there's certainly various things to discuss there, aren't there?
Robin, thank you for taking your time to put those in writing, those particular ideas, on various social media over the course of the week. Donna got in touch as well and she said... The Belfry have also confirmed they're in talks with national retailers about the M&S store when that goes. So we should also be seeing some new shops there as well. Yeah, it will take time.
These things do, but they will get there. Donna continues, I'd personally like to see more support from locals on recognising the positive developments that have happened over the year... and particularly with some recognition to the Belfry for how much they bring to the town. The car park is cheap, well-maintained and easy to drive around. The centre is almost full.
People need to stop suggesting they're empty because I think there are only two or three empty units that last count. And perhaps more importantly, they're always putting on community events and commemorating important days, which...
above and beyond their expectations as a shopping centre well you know me I love Reigate but I really am pretty fond of Redhill as well as I've said before my first house my first flat I should say let's not get above myself it was my first flat was in Redhill so I'm well aware of Redhill I've walked around it I know the area I've been to the shops there I was at the opening I
of the the belfry uh when it was opened i was reporting there i interviewed joanna lumley who cut the ribbon so i'm really fond of of the belfry anti-nash doing some brilliant things there because as donna was saying He doesn't actually have to. It's beyond Andy's remit, who is the guy in charge of the Belfry.
It's beyond his remit to open it up to things like the Harlequin, to put on various events there on the ground floor, to put the photographic exhibitions there, to put up the banners there, and to have all of those other kind of exhibitions and events there. He's going above and beyond because he sees it as a social space. And that, I think, is why so many shops are there in the Belfry.
So we really need to support the Belfry and the other shops in the town centre as well and the light. It's that ripple effect, isn't it? And certainly the car park is always clean. I'm not entirely sure about the piped music through the car park. It has to be said. Is it easy to drive around? Is it easy? I always love coming down that kind of spiral, yeah, when you come out in the car.
It's quite tight, isn't it? You've got to be careful at the end. You don't drive over that little bit of pavement. But, yeah, and I still remember when it was one-way system round when you came out of the belfry in the car. So I've always got to kind of remember that. No, no, it's two-way now. It's two-way now. And Pat says, Don and Matthews totally agree with you.
I'm fed up with so much criticism of new ideas and developments from the very same people who moan about the lack of facilities in the town or the comparison between Redhill and Reigate. They're totally different towns to each other. And that's a good thing because there's more choice for shopping. Redhill has always been a large commercial town.
There are some issues that need to be controlled, but there are a lot of people working on this, but they need the help and support of locals too. Without that support, nothing will change. And the new management of the Belfry is already showing signs of improvement, which will only benefit us all. Pat, really great to hear from you as well. Spoke about this in last week's show.
We've kept the conversation going on social media as well. And indeed, I should say that it's really good to hear from everyone with all sorts of views about all sorts of parts of the planet Reigate area.
The Good Time Guide. Things to do and places to go on the Planet Rygate podcast.
All sorts of stuff still to come on the Planet Rygate podcast, including, yeah, the Good Time Guide. All sorts of things happening across our area. And as you know, it's split into two parts. We do... Saturday and Sunday, first of all. A little bit later on in the show, we'll bring you the events for the rest of the week. And if you want to mention for your event, do get in touch.
You can fill out the form you'll find on theplanetrygatepodcast.com. Give us a couple of weeks' notice. And also, I'm always going to look a little bit more kindly on charities and non-profit events. And also, this is a bit cheeky, but you understand where I'm coming from. If you give some kind of, yeah, acknowledgement, you actually listen to the show, yeah?
So, you know, kind of drop a few hints in there that you like the show. And so I'm going to go, yeah, all right, okay, I'll help them out. I've only got a limited number of slots, only a limited amount of time. So chat me up. That's what I'm saying. Chat me up. It's been a while since I was chatted up. I could, yeah. Okay, reciprocity. That's what they call it, isn't it? Okay, here we go.
Moving on. Saturday, the 8th of June. We've got all sorts of things going on. Let's start off with the, well, it's a big 150th church anniversary. So congratulations to them, everyone, at Merstham Baptist Church on Weldon Way. They've got a free barbecue, face painting, children's activities, events, a prayer tent. Everyone welcome.
So much more going on between 1 and 4 at Mercedham Baptist Church. Do you want to know how to boost your gut health? Then you can go along to a lunch rich in gut-healthy goodness and find out all sorts of things. You get a five-course healthy gut-tasting menu. And also, you'll learn about the best foods for improving your gut health. The difference between probiotics and prebiotics.
And it's not just a vowel. Which foods harm your gut and which ones to avoid. The best and worst diets for your gut. And tips for healthier guts that you can easily do. I don't think I've said the word gut quite as often as I have in the last 30 seconds. It's 12 o'clock on Saturday, St John's Community Centre in Redhill. To book your spot, head over to thecopperpotclub.co.uk.
Merstam Movies is on Saturday. They're going to be showing Trip to Paradise with, I reckon that's, is that Julia Roberts and George Clooney? And it's rated 12A. It's almost like I've got it written down here. Adult tickets £4, children's £2. Still some tickets available. You can buy those tickets in person. at The Hub, Monday to Friday, 9.30 to 3.30. And it's a community cinema, OK?
So it's a unique experience, is what they say. There's no cushy cinema chairs. No-one's going to bring you food and drinks to where you're sitting down. So bring your own cushion, is what they suggest. Also, Rygate Caves Open Day is this coming Saturday. Check out rygatecaves.org.uk for opening times and prices. I think you usually have to reserve a time. Now, I've done one set of the caves.
Did that, I think, last year. I haven't done the Barrens Caves, I don't think ever. But I've done the main caves at Tunnel Road a couple of three times now, I think. Family Quiz Night on June the 8th, so that'll be Saturday then, 6.30 to 10.30 at St John's Community Centre, Church Road in Redhill.
It's a fundraising event to support a chosen charity, Wellcare, who support and strengthen local families. Food and drink included with each ticket. Merstam Horticultural Society has its 120th anniversary event on Saturday, so congratulations to them. And you can hear more about the Merstam Horticultural Society in episode 34 of the Planet Rygate podcast.
And they're celebrating by having an event at Canada Hall in Merstam. for a couple of hours and it's invitation only for current and past members to celebrate the anniversary with Jean Griffin who's a radio gardening expert I know Jean from you know where I wear my other hat or my other headphones as it happens so she's going to be the guest speaker there
Heather wrote to me and said, hello, Peter. I hope you're well. Heather, I am. Thank you. Hope you are too. We've just launched the Great Big Green Week in Redhill and Reigate, which is the 8th to the 16th of June. It's a week to celebrate nature and local action on climate change. We'd love any support in promoting the week and sharing the amazing events that we've got lined up.
Would you be able to share anything about it? ClimateActionRR.com So, climate action. So, I don't think it's a pirate impression. I think it's climate action, Reigate Red Hill. Or even Red Hill Reigate. I think that's probably what the two R's are. So, these are the kind of events. Saturday the 8th, the sustainability market at Reigate Methodist Church, 10 till 3.
Also, there's a nature walk on Red Hill Common. including a short talk on Gatwick's expansion plan, and then there's a social at the Garibaldi from Five. That's the kind of nature walk I like. Sunday the 9th, Mending and Upcycling Social. Social, S-E-W-C-I-A-L, at St John's Community Church Centre, 2 till 6. Thursday the 13th, People Planet Pint.
There's a sustainability meet-up at the Corso Lounge, 6 till 10pm. Friday the 14th, Restoring Nature Talk, hosted by Extinction Rebellion at the Reigate Society of Friends, 7.30pm to 9pm. Saturday the 15th, Great Big Green Quiz, hosted by Eco Earlswood at St John's Church Hall at 7.30pm. and Sunday the 16th, Reigate Area Conservation Volunteering at Reigate Heath at 10 o'clock.
If you want more details on any of those, then it's climateactionredhillreigate.com. That's me going, I don't have a lion in the studio. It's okay, I've just checked. Climate Action, Redhill and Reigate. Oh, I've just done this. They've written to me twice. Well, they're only going to get one mention, to be totally honest. And Sunday the 9th of June, Hartsfield Manor, Betchworth.
Yeah, that's a bit out of the way. It's not out of the way, it's hidden. It's well within the Planet Reigate area. But you kind of go down, you go past the hall and then you kind of bear left and you go up a little hill and it's up there. Hartsfield Manor at Betchworth, £4 entry, under 12s are free. Yeah, it's a family fun day, 12 till 4. It's all in aid of Stripey Stork.
01737 845300.
01737 845300. It's the family fun day at Hartfield Manor. If you're on a bit of a nose around Hartfield Manor, it's not somewhere you kind of usually pass by even, is it? All Saints at South Merstham have their summer fair and dog show. Sunday, 11.30 till 3, the dog show is at 12. Crossways Green at Merstham. Free entry for children and adults, £1. It's only summer, can't you?
All sorts of local events going on to take advantage of the summer sunshine, fingers crossed. This is free, ladies and gentlemen. Ah, yes, I thought that would make you prick up your ears. It's the Route 406 Heritage Day on Sunday. So come for a ride on heritage buses through Kingston, Yall, Epsom. Well, you know, so far, Kingston, Yall and Epsom. We need to watch out for the dragons.
But they then do come to Rygate and Red Hill. It's part of a programme of bringing buses out of the museum... To run around London again. Not around London, but around London. They're going to be running buses from the 1940s to the 1990s, from nine in the morning till five in the afternoon. They're going to be joined by other buses from private owners. It's completely free.
You can ride with us all day. Well, this sounds a lark, doesn't it? The special service is not part of Transport for London, but will run alongside the regular TFL Route 406, on which normal fares apply. Make sure you get on the right bus, won't you? Make sure you get on the right bus, because otherwise... So, this is the route. Kingston Cromwell Road at the train station.
and then Surbiton Hill, Tollworth Broadway and Station, Yule Village, Epsom Town Centre, Tatnam Corner, Tadworth Station, Reigate Station and Red Hill Station as well. That is the route. So that's another interesting thing to do there, isn't it? I'm loving this. That is really unusual. I haven't mentioned something like that before on the Planet Reigate podcast. So great to give that a mention.
And we've got more events coming up a little bit later on in the show. Let's have a quick... There's an event going on. There's a salsa night going on locally. Also, there's a charity dinner. There's an afternoon tea sing-song going on. And also there's theatre plays and there's beekeeping.
But boy, oh boy, there's so much more happening that you can fill your boots in across the Planet Reigate area.
See, touch, smell and try before you buy and speak to real people who can advise you. The Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill. Woodlands Lettings, connecting landlords with tenants for over 20 years. If you have a property to let, pop into our office on Station Road by the Belfry Main entrance for a coffee and a chat, or call 01737 372 797.
Hi, I'm Lucy of Lucy's Ladle in Earlswood. You may know me from my home delivery of soups, stews, salads and snacks across RH1, 2 and 6. I'm in my kitchen finalising plans for my special Midsummer Supper menu. There's a creamy cannellini bean, pea and basil hummus topped with caramelised spring onion and served with homemade seeded crackers.
Then a summer veg tagine with courgette, new potatoes and green beans. Or a Thai coconut curry with mixed peppers, aubergine and baby corn. To finish, I'm doing an apricot, fig and amaretto compote. Three courses, £45 for two people, delivered to your door in time for dinner on June 21st. To order, call me on 07983 651 678.
Still to come on the show, we've got the full story of the closure of Marks & Spencer's Red Hill. We've got comment and reaction and the date that it will close as well. Tell you about that tech failure at East Surrey Hospital recently. And also, we've got an update to the work at Merstham Rec.
Talking about Merstham, Merstham Football Club are featured a little bit later on as well, as are Royal Earlswood FC and Rygate Lacrosse. And don't forget, if... You'd like to support the Planet Reigate podcast, you can do that quickly and easily. You can buy me a coffee.
Go to buymeacoffee.com slash theplanetreigatepodcast and you can send me the cost of a cup of coffee to help me to continue with the Planet Reigate podcast. So we're going to be talking about the Reigate Summer Festival in a few moments' time. We've got a walk and talk up and down Reigate High Street, tell you what's going to be on where. Also, Reifest is going to be next month in July.
Details on that coming soon. Don't forget our brand new feature called Priory Bark, where I'm going to be introducing you to a local dog walker who's going to have a canine conversation with us about their four-legged friends. And also, before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know from Earlswood on the Planet Reigate podcast.
The Planet Reigate podcast. Great stories from Reigate.
I hear this and I think, is this Genesis and turn it on again? Sounds like it, doesn't it? It's not, though.
Good bit of music, though.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast with Peter Stewart.
And the Planet Reigate podcast is proud media partners with the Reigate Summer Festival, which is next weekend. Yeah, let's hear more now about their plans for that free music and arts event, which is taking over the town on Father's Day weekend. I've been along to meet up with one of the people behind it, Karen, and I met up with her in the town centre for the Planet Reigate podcast.
And I'm standing just at the entrance, or maybe it's the exit to the tunnel, depending on which way you go. And in a week's time, this is going to be the venue for one of the massive stages for the Reigate Summer Festival. And Karen is with me. You're one of the organisers, and you're also from Reigate College, where you do an awful lot of marketing. So this is your bag, isn't it?
The marketing, the publicity for the festival. Yeah.
Yeah, so basically where we are at the moment at the entrance to Tunnel Road is where the main tunnel stage is going to be. This stage is going to be hosted by New Music Nights and there's a whole weekend of bands that are lined up from Friday evening from 7pm until Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. One of the things that we were really keen to do was to make it a free and inclusive event.
So we were really keen to create a community event that was free, that people could just dip in and out of.
Okay, so we've come round to the... He didn't... It's a nice quiet afternoon here in Reigate. We've just come round the corner so we're outside Gales and we're coming down to that little area which is beside Cafe Nero by the old town hall, the kind of cobbled area here. I'm not sure they are cobbled actually, I think they're probably sets. However, you're going to have another stage here.
We are. So there's an extra stage that has now been added because we had so many acts that wanted to perform. We're calling it the Clock Tower Stage and it's a much smaller stage, mainly acoustic acts. We've got some big bands like St Bede's Slide Band, which will be fun, and they're playing to open the festival on the Saturday morning.
We've got some opera singers lined up, so there's going to be a bit of variety as well during the day.
Well, let's make our way further up the High Street to one of the other many venues, because it's not just those two. You've got other venues kind of dotted up and down the High Street, up to Lesbourne Road, haven't you, and the other end of the High Street as well?
It's mainly centred this year around the High Street. As we're walking along, we're sort of approaching Corso, and they are going to be basically hosting Sasserbog. So on Saturday afternoon between 3 and 4pm, there'll be a Sasser demo and... have a go session outside Reigate Methodist Church.
And then basically from 4.30 onwards on Saturday, people can then come into Corso Lounge and actually carry on with their salsa, watching and having a go if they'd like to give it a go.
You've got lots of businesses involved, either they're hosting or they're supporting you in other ways with a bit of advertising or marketing, that kind of thing. The whole town seems to be getting behind this.
Yeah, I mean, we've been absolutely bowled over by the level of support that we've had. Reigate Business Guild have been absolutely brilliant in terms of supporting what we were trying to do right from the beginning. And Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, they invited us to apply for a town vitality fund grant.
And if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't have been able to get the festival off the ground at all.
People will wander around, they'll go to the different stages, go to the different venues, hop in somewhere for a coffee or something a bit more substantial to eat, do some more shopping at some of our fantastic independent shops as well.
That's exactly it. So the Fringe Trail is all about involving the local businesses and bringing people into the town who will then make use of the local businesses. Here we are now at the Reigate Methodist Church, which is otherwise known as the Church on the High Street. And Reigate Methodist Church and Community Centre have been absolutely brilliant in terms of supporting the festival.
And basically we've got free use of the church and the community centre for the weekend.
They've got that great space out the back, haven't they?
It's an amazing facility and they have just been so supportive of what we're trying to do and obviously really hugely grateful for that. But it's fitting really that the community stage is going to be based inside the church and we've got lots of groups coming along to perform here. So we've got groups like Voice Rocks. Vocal Dimension Chorus.
We've got Reigate School of Ballet, Reigate School, Reigate College. We've got the Reigate and Redhill Music and Drama Festival. I mean, the list is long. And as I was saying, we've got Salsa outside the church as well on Saturday afternoon. So there's lots happening here.
Where shall we go? Shall we go towards the pilgrims? Shall we go back to the cage? Which way shall we go?
They're doing jazz in the afternoon.
Let's look towards pilgrims. It's the other side of the lights. But what's happening up there?
Pilgrims are hosting a jazz afternoon. I think they've got three different groups involved. And it sounds very cool, very relaxing.
So it's not just music and dance, but there's a few other things too.
Yeah, so because it's Surrey Artists Open Studios from the 1st to the 23rd of June, one of the things that we're doing as a college initiative is to set up an art exhibition in the community centre at the back of Reigate Methodist Church. There are so many really incredibly talented artists at the college, I mean, obviously in other schools as well.
We're putting an exhibition in, Rygate Community Centre, so that people can come and see the work that they've been producing.
And Dish is getting involved with some pottery work and there's also, as we're walking in this direction, Waterstones getting involved and the cinema too.
So Waterstones have signed up several local authors who are coming in for book signings. Yvonne, who's part of our team, has somehow amazingly managed to persuade every man to open up their doors. And we're having a Rygate Summer Festival takeover on the Saturday and Sunday morning from 10 until 12.
And Yvonne and her team will be showing a variety of films produced by local filmmakers from all sorts of different genres.
and it's free so you can just literally turn up father's day on the sunday so if you're sort of struggling trying to think of what to do with your dad on sunday morning and you haven't got then it's the perfect thing to do to go along to everyman and it's gone a little bit quieter we've come off the high street we're now down in cage yard and cage are big supporters of you as well yeah
Looking here, it's the perfect venue for outdoor music, isn't it?
They do a lot of live music here anyway, don't they? One of my mates plays here very often.
Yeah, they do. And so it's a great opportunity, hopefully, for them to piggyback what we're doing with the festival. So they've got the Happy Jacks lined up. on the Friday night and U Crocs on the Saturday night.
So what we're hoping is people come and listen to them and then carry on around the festival listening to some of the things going on on the tunnel stage, community stage and the cocktail stage.
Lots of businesses supporting the Reigate Summer Festival, but also you're from Reigate College. Some of your students as well getting involved.
Yeah, that's right. So we've got music students performing on the Friday evening as part of the student band night. And then on Saturday afternoon, we've got A-level music students and musical theatre students performing on the community stage. We've got art students exhibiting in the community centre.
And then there will be some student showreels that will be shown as part of the offer at Everyman Cinema on Saturday and Sunday morning.
And what about the marketing opportunities and helping out and some of the audio production and things like that? Are they getting involved too?
I have to be honest, I have roped in marketing colleagues past and present and we're really lucky that we've got Raluca involved who is the front person. I don't know if you've seen any of the films. She used to work in the marketing team. She was a student at the college and she's been absolutely brilliant giving up her time to front the videos that we're putting out.
And then we've got Mahmoud, who's our current videographer, who's brilliant. So anything college-related, he's involved in. We've roped a former colleague back who's helping me run the community stage as well. So it is a big kind of marketing Reigate College team effort, past and present.
Which is fantastic. Another example of people in and around the town getting involved in all different ways, shapes and forms. So finally, tell me when it's all happening and where people can get more information.
Yeah, so it's happening in a week's time. It starts on the 14th through to the 16th of June. We've got a website, reigatesummerfestival.co.uk and we've got lots that we're sharing on social media, on Instagram and Facebook at Reigate Summer Festival.
And the Planet Reigate podcasts are proud media partners with the Reigate Summer Festival, which is happening next weekend, as you know. And when you're in town and you're watching all of those different events and you're going in, not just music, of course, it's dance, it's pottery, it's film, it's book, it's all sorts of things going on.
Make sure that you support some of the local independent traders and some of the chains as well there in Reigate. So you can get something to eat or something to drink, maybe buy something, something for summer holidays, a new outfit, whatever it happens to be. Take advantage of being in town.
Now, Red Hill, you don't miss out either, because even though you can't, by sheer definition, have a Reigate Summer Festival in Red Hill, because that would just be confusing, you've got your own arts festival, which is happening, called Be Creative, between the 5th and the 12th of October. So... Red Hill, yours is even bigger. And it's coming a little bit later on in the year as well.
And we're going to be involved with that. And I'll bring you all sorts of information about what is happening with that arts festival a little bit later on as we approach the autumn. Oh, dear, oh, dear. We're not even really into summer yet. Just looking out the window of the Planet Reigate podcast studio. Got some blue sky up there, actually.
It hasn't rained for about 24 hours, which is surprising in itself. Got some sport to come. We've got those job opportunities as well. Local travel and weather and hidden treasure together. And I'm really looking forward to bringing you the very first instalment of our Priory Bark feature. Still to come a little bit later on.
And before we go, at the end of the show, a natural sound from a place you know from Earlswood this week. . But first of all, let's bring you the news sequence here on the Planet Ruggate podcast. Hello, I'm Peter Stewart.
And of course, the main news this week is that six weeks after starting their consultation, Marks & Spencer sadly announced their decision to close the store in Red Hill this week. Of course, first and foremost, our thoughts and best wishes are with the staff there who may lose their jobs or maybe be redeployed to other locations.
Now, M&S has been rationalising its store portfolio over the past few years. In layman's terms, what that means is they've been looking around and they've been weighing up the future of the store and of all of their buildings and where they actually want to be and the kinds of things they're going to be selling.
And which stores, not necessarily which ones aren't profitable, but which ones are less profitable or where they can save money by pulling out of some areas and maybe invest in other areas. There may even be possibility of more specific food stores or some big out-of-town stores, the likes of which we've seen elsewhere around the area, of course.
So that's been going on for the last couple of years. And in October 2022, so a good while ago, 18 months ago, they said that they were going to be restructuring the business to put more focus on its food-only stores. That's where an awful lot of the money is. And it's going to be closing 67 locations over the next five years, with a plan overall to close 110 sites overall.
And now it has been confirmed that Redhill is one of those. Now, the last day of trading, Saturday, the 17th of August, staff have been told that their roles will either be terminated completely or they're going to be relocated by the 31st of August.
Now, as I said last week, the announcement comes at a time when actually visitor numbers in the Belfry are on the up, up, up, up 20% so far in 2024, which is really fantastic. Some good work there because virtually all of the units are filled. And it's way ahead of all national comparisons.
And they've had, as I mentioned last week, four new independent stores have opened up in the last couple of months. And it was hoped that with M&S, they've got a long lease remaining there. And they've had some positive trading in Red Hill, especially over Christmas. And it was hoped, you know, everything was crossed there, that they would avoid the closure. But, as I say, it's not to be. Now...
What do the Belfry say? What's going to be the future of those units, those two floors at the Belfry? Well, they say that they're getting constant inquiries for new tenancies, most recently including a whole load of inquiries from national retail chains and leisure companies as well about that space. That was before M&S confirmed that they were going to be moving out.
Now, it will take a while for M&S not just to put down the shutters, which, as I say, happens on the 17th of August, but to actually take everything out. They've got a lot of stock to clear. They've got a lot of units to clear. All those food areas, you know, the fridges and the freezers and all of that stuff. They've probably got stuff. Of course, they've got stuff behind the scenes as well.
The kind of warehousing bit that we don't usually see. So that's going to take quite a bit to dismantle all of that from the building. And as I said last week, there's two floors. So another company that comes in may not want two floors.
They may only want one floor, in which case they've got to take out the escalator, because obviously that's going to be of a security concern if you've got an escalator between two completely different shops. Take out that. That's a mammoth job, isn't it? And then fill in the floor that'll be left with that huge void in.
Put in more lighting and security systems and sprinklers and all the rest of it. So... Boy, oh boy. I mean, I don't know. I'm no architect, as you may know. I'm struggling to know what I am. But I'm certainly not an architect or a builder. But, I don't know, Christmas? Seems a bit of a pinch to me.
Unless someone's going to be going in and maybe doing a pop-up, something, two floors ahead of Christmas. I don't know. But watch this space. The logistics of repurposing it is all going to take time. So... What does the Belfry say? M&S has been much loved by our shoppers for the last 33 years. We wish all of the M&S staff well and thank them for being part of the Belfry's history.
The Belfry's constantly evolved over the years as consumer habits have changed and it'll continue to evolve with new stores opening all the time. Although it will be disappointing to lose M&S... The bigger picture of the centre remains extremely positive, with more visitors using the centre and staying longer. We have strong inquiries on the retail space that will obviously now seek to progress.
And it continues, finally, the Belfry is busier than ever and the town itself is thriving with hybrid working practices established. and the opening of Redhill's new Rise Complex last year, including the light cinema and leisure, we are confident of welcoming new tenants in time to the centre and can't wait to share news when we are able to.
Now, obviously, all of this is quite concerning and upsetting. People getting in touch with loads of comments. Here are some of them. Joe said, simple answer is they make more money on their food than clothing and they pay a lot more in rental to have the clothing. I hope they move into another unit and have a bigger food section. They'd be missing a trick if they didn't.
Well, you'd like to think, wouldn't you? I mean, perhaps just take over one of the floors there at the Belfry and just make it a big food store? Just an idea. I know there are a few of those. There's that food-only store in Reigate, for example. And I know there's a food-only store...
I think I'm right in saying, you know, up the A3 at Tolworth Tower, in the bottom of the top, there's a... Did you know that? There's one there. So, you know, it is possible. I don't know. Just an idea. Sure, they thought about it. Marilyn says, why not shut... Ooh! Marilyn, I'm not going to read out your surname. Marilyn says, why not shut the Reigate one? After all, it is much smaller.
Oh, got a bit of rivalry here between Reigate and Red Hill, and which one could or should keep the Mox and Spencer's. But again, yeah, if you pulled out of Reigate, their food store, but made a bigger food-only store, well, maybe they could go somewhere else. Is there an out-of-town place that they could go?
What about some of those empty buildings on the Reigate kind of one-way system by the train station? There are some more empty units, aren't there, around kind of Battlebridge, Holmthorpe, around there? Is there some places? Anyway, I'm... I'm sure it's all been thought about. Demi says, hopefully the centre in the Belfry will become B&M or something more affordable than Marks and Spencer's.
Danielle says, one of the reasons I bought a house here was because of M&S being on my doorstep. Esther says, really sad news, maybe Waitrose coming in? There's a thought. That's interesting, isn't it? Waitrose. They do have stores in shopping centres, as we know. For example, the one over at Epsom.
Claire says, I'm sorry for any of the team members going through the consultation and to hear this news. It must be a really hard time for them. Absolutely. Our thoughts first and foremost go out to those people who are directly affected by Teresa and a comment from her, it's a real shame. They're so short-sighted about closing our store down.
They could have made the ground floor food and put everything else upstairs. It won't be the same. And Susan finally says, such a shame. It will be missed. I'll have to go to Reigate for food and Reigate won't cope. That is interesting, isn't it? If everyone in Redhill, Merstham and that neck of the woods were going to Reigate to pick up M&S food specifically, then that's going to be swamped.
The Reigate store is small and it always strikes me as a little kind of close and there aren't many windows there, are there? Even the ones at the front of the store, there aren't many of them. Yeah, it's difficult, isn't it? It's difficult indeed. But anyway, watch this space. Follow us on social media. We were one of the first to break the news this week and we'll keep you updated.
I've got links with the Belfry website. and with the people doing their communications, their PR and stuff. So we'll keep you updated just as quickly as we very possibly can. On the Planet Reigate podcast. Now, a technical failure at East Surrey Hospital has led to around 30,000 emergency department letters not being sent to GPs.
Yeah, East Surrey Hospital in Redhill is actually run by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. You and I know it as East Surrey Hospital, but obviously they've got other outlets and other surgeries and hospitals, so they come under that kind of banner. Said it was a technical issue with the electronic patient record system, which was discovered back in January.
NHS managers said they're working closely with GP practices to make sure all outstanding documents have been properly communicated so Apparently, as I say, it meant that emergency department patient discharge letters weren't automatically sent to patient GPs. Quote, as well as ensuring all outstanding documentation is being communicated appropriately.
And of course, it's not the first time there's been problems over at the hospital, because already this year, they've had two critical incidents after power failures. Do you remember that? One in February and another one in March. That March one was a major incident. Ambulances diverted to other places and some non-urgent operations and treatments were cancelled.
Still with the hospital and the SASH charity, that's Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. It's always a bit of a mouthful. So the SASH charity have said a new sensory trolley would help anxious children in East Surrey Hospital to feel calmer. It'll help to distract children with additional needs who are worried about being in an unfamiliar environment.
They say, can you help us raise the final money to provide it? And if you can, they thank you on behalf of the children's team. So sashcharity.enthuse.com for details about what the charity is doing and how they are helping provide more equipment and resources.
Also things like a kind of resting area, like a garden, maybe some benches, maybe to fit out an area for parents who are waiting there with sick children and so on. Had a meeting earlier on this last week with the guys down there at the SASH charity. They're doing some great work. So you'll be hearing more from them on the Planet Reigate podcast over the forthcoming weeks and months.
Now, do you know a bit of a brownfield site that you think is going to waste and you would prefer some buildings on that on a bit of waste ground rather than on a green field site? Well, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council say they're launching an appeal to help them find some land.
It's an opportunity for anyone to suggest sites, which will then be assessed to make sure they're suitable, available and achievable to create a potential area which could be used for new homes or economic development. So do you know somewhere where you don't mind buildings being put to save somewhere where you would mind buildings being put?
And if you can suggest a site, do it quick sticks and get in touch with Frygate and Banstead Borough Council. Well, the Merstham Rec, they've got some upgrading work which is going on there. It should be completed by January 2025. Now, most of that work is happening in the north of the park. The south area is going to be available throughout the summer, so that's good news.
And that refurb work includes a new pavilion, cafe, kiosk, toilets, changing room, play area, restrooms. with equipment for children of all ages and abilities. Also, and I love this idea, a parkour course as well. I'm a big fan of watching parkour. I think it's really absolutely fantastic. It really is the agility and innovation that goes on there. Absolutely brilliant.
There's going to be an outdoor gym and more footpaths, better accessibility for wheelchairs and buggies, and a picnic area as well community orchard new trees landscaping and improved drainage I tell you what isn't it nice to see a bit of money and a bit of work and a bit of love for our friends in Merstham so that is going out to Merstham Rec and that work is already underway
They're improving parts of Hawley as well. It's the car park. I mentioned this a few weeks ago. They're already excavating for new bedding plants and trees and greenery. This is in and around the Hawley Central car park. And the project will also deliver clearly marked pedestrian routes, larger parking bays for families and resurfacing of the access road as well.
So some areas are going to be closed for a little while on and off while they actually do that work. Electric vehicle charging points are going to be going in later on in the summer as well. Did you go to the Reigate Tunnel Beer Festival a few weekends ago? Fabulous event. Around about a thousand people were drinking craft ales and gin and contributing to worthy charities and good causes.
What could be better? What a great way. A record amount of money was taken, well into five figures they tell me, and it's all going to be distributed over the next few weeks. The two main charities, the local air ambulance for Surrey and also Prostate Cancer Charity, are going to get the bigger share and other smaller causes getting the rest as well.
So our friends over there say thank you to all the local businesses and individuals who sponsored the festival, all the volunteers who helped as well. Thanks to the Wilden Cave and Mine Society and Robert Albert for hosting the event and helping so much as well.
And they say planning is already starting for next year's festival, and they would welcome any fit and able-bodied volunteers to help behind the bar, serving and pulling pints, if you'd like to put your name down for that. There are worse places to help out than a beer festival, aren't there? Info at redhillredstonerotary.org.
robert at info at redhillredstonerotary.org for that one surrey fire and rescue service say that due to the general election announcement they're entering a pre-election period yeah so therefore their community risk management plan consultation which we mentioned a few weeks ago on the show has got a pause it's a legal requirement until the 5th
of july it'll then reopen for the remaining nine weeks so that'll be 12 weeks in total so you've got a while to think about it before you could actually uh yeah and go through until the 6th of september and as i say we mentioned that review a few weeks ago on the show This from Charlewood Parish Council, a warning for dog walkers using the withy at Hookwood Memorial Hall or around there.
They say the parish council has been made aware of some cases of dogs becoming unwell after being walked there. They've had three recent reports of dogs experiencing seizures. Unfortunately, they say we've got no evidence pointing to what might be causing the dogs to get unwell.
Some people have reported the area is sometimes used for substance abuse, and it is known, they say, that marijuana and other recreational substances are toxic to dogs and cats. There have also been reports of some people putting out poison to kill foxes, which obviously isn't going to do a whole lot of good for dogs and cats. However, rodenticides...
Lead and chocolate can also cause seizures in dogs. I don't think in my entire life I've ever said the word rodenticides before. But there it is. I've now said it twice in 30 seconds. They say there's no need to panic. If you do walk your dog in the withy, please be careful. Keep an eye on them. Make sure they're not eating or sniffing anything that they shouldn't. Word to the wise.
Also, this message as well. Someone thinks this is funny to create a fire risk on grass in public places in Memorial Park. Yeah, what someone has done apparently over the last week, 10 days, they may have gone now by the time you listen to this, but they've covered up the no fire signs with other signs that say it's a barbecue party area. Which is extraordinary, isn't it?
But also, they've mocked up the sign with the Ryker and Banstead Borough Council logo on to make it look official. Now, the issue has been reported to the council, so I'm sure they've taken down those notices and they're probably keeping a weather eye to make sure that similar ones don't go up again. But those signs say, Barbecue Party. There's a big picture of a barbecue there.
And underneath it says, Please Barbecue Safely. By order, Reigate and Banstead Council. So the layout, the design doesn't look official despite the use of that official logo. But yeah, it's a bit daft, isn't it? We could do without that kind of mayhem.
Now, we don't regularly do news from outside the planet Reigate areas for obvious reasons, as you know, because if we do start talking about other news, then we do stand the possibility of being swooped on by a fire-breathing dragon. We stick to RH1, 2 and 3.
But in line with our stated aims on our website, if there is something happening out there which affects us here, then we will give it a mention. We rarely do it, but, yeah, we can do. Now, as you know, the Harlequin Theatre is closed for the foreseeable because of that crumbly concrete rack. And I mentioned recently how the other local theatre just up the road, Dorking Halls,
was undergoing a refurb over the summer till September. You know, in case you were using that for your auditorium-based culture fix instead. But now news it's going to be closed not till September, but till December instead. Yeah, tests have confirmed the ceiling paint there contained lead. which, of course, is a health and safety risk if it's disturbed.
So they're going to close it till December, and they reckon the first live show to take place there will be the Christmas pantomime. Now, events planned for the autumn may be held at alternative venues and rescheduled. Where have you heard this before? I wouldn't be surprised if there was a phone call this week from Mull Valley District Council to Reigate and Banstead Borough Council saying...
How did you do that pantomime? Where's hiring out big tops? If I was Riker and Bandstead, I'd be booking up that big top pretty quickly, just in case Mole Valley get their hands on it instead. Mole Valley Council saying staff will contact customers individually to confirm alternative plans, rearrange bookings or arrange refunds as necessary.
And during the summer, the venue has organised events at other locations and in Meadow Bank Park. Richard says, I'm trying to get information for a family whose surname is Tribe. Charles Frederick Tribe, T-R-I-B-E, served in World War I and he's buried in France. He's got his name on the cross at the recreation ground in Hawley.
And Michael says, I found out quite a bit, but I'd love to know more names associated with this family. would really help and be greatly appreciated if you know anything. So there seems to be some kind of holy link with the tribe family. Get in touch with me and I'll put you in touch with Michael and together you can work out what information you've got that he would like.
News on socials this week that a gentleman by the name of Jimmy Bridger has passed away at the age just shy of 96 years of age. Well, there are lots of memories of Jimmy. Turns out he was the owner with his wife, Joan, of a sweet shop in Bell Street in Reigate. And before that, Lattie's Cafe and sweet shop in his younger days in Redhill. So if you're of a certain age...
then you may remember one or both of those particular shops. Apparently, he seemed a really popular man and always had time for everyone. And many children from the Priory School popped in to the sweet shop in Bell Street before and after school. If that was you, and you're spending a lot of time at the dentist nowadays, now you know.
One post on social saying this week, I remember going to Lattie's There seems to be a bit of confusion about what that shop in Redhill was called. Was it Latte's or Latte's as in coffee? I've seen it spelt two or three different ways, which is why I'm hedging my bets with how to say it. But I remember going to Latte's as a very small child with my parents.
The Polish World War II war veterans used to meet there after church on Sundays. And another comment said... And he let me help unpack the stock in the summer holidays. He brought many a smile to many people. A couple more. I remember going into Lattie's in Redhill on my way home from school and buying a bar of chocolate in the early 60s. Jim always knew my name and my best friends too.
And what bars of chocolate we'd buy. Such a friendly, nice man. So our condolences to Jimmy's family and hope that those messages will bring some comfort to them. Jimmy Bridger. who contributed much to the lives of people living in both Redhill and Reigate over the years. Now, earlier on in the week, I was down at Battlebridge Lane Athletics Track.
I was doing a recording for a feature in the show in a couple of weeks' time with Murray from the Reigate Priory Athletics Club. And as we were chatting before the interview, he mentioned about Jimmy. So I asked him if he would record a few words about his memories... of Jimmy Bridger.
I used to work at the Reigate Post Office in Bell Street when it fronted Bell Street opposite Bancroft Road before its demolition ultimately to lead to the Safeways development. I was a regular customer in Jimmy Bridger's sweet shop opposite and he was a very amiable sort of person, always smiling. He had a great rapport with the public. He knew so many people and he had such longevity in his shop
People used to go there with their parents as children. When they became parents themselves, their offspring also used to patronise the shop. On one particular occasion, when I was thinking of taking up running, to ask him, because preceding that, Ask Jeeves and all that and Googling, you would ask Jimmy. One of his customers was a coach for Rygate Priory Athletics Club.
We used to pick up a running magazine and Jimmy very kindly put me in touch with him which enabled me to get the information about Rygate Prairie Athletics Club, where they met, and I went along to one of their sessions and ultimately joined. You know, a local oracle. He was a very amiable bloke.
He must have run that shop for a number of years, and it was very sad to see that Jimmy had died a few days ago. But he was a legend. He was a legendary figure in Rygate. I think he must have been so well-known amongst so many people, you know, successive generations.
And in those days, going to your newsagents, going to the sweet shop, was something that you would do on a regular basis, not just because of the newspapers or the sweets, but the tobacco as well.
Yes.
Because you would go in there for your daily or your weekly fix of cigarettes or tobacco, where you'd roll your own.
So many kids went in for sweets, and it was an old-fashioned sweet shop. So jars on the wall, that kind of thing. Yes, all these different varieties of sweets and... You could probably pick and mix as well. I'm sure Jimmy would do anything.
I'm trying to think of some of them now. What were there? Come on, help me. We've got cola cubes and pineapple.
Yes.
Mint Imperials.
Yes. Palmer Violets. You've got a better recall than I have of all those. Sugar mice.
How about those? Yeah.
Oh, I think he did everything. Because I remember going in there at Easter. I mean, he used to have a great selection of Easter eggs as well. He did things seasonally. I mean, he was so attuned to what was going on. So at Easter, that would be a go-to place for a fantastic range of Easter eggs.
And I suppose in those days, Reigate, every town in the land was slightly different. There was much more of, I guess, a community feel. And you would go into a shop like that regularly... You would perhaps have a bit more time. People took their time. There wasn't so much pressure on you. You'd stop and have a chat while you got your tobacco or your toffee or something.
It was almost like a social going in. I mean, apart from whatever you went in, whatever you wanted to purchase, it was like a social. And of course, the abiding memory, of course, of Jimmy was that he always wore one of these coats like you see in hardware stores and that kind of thing. A long coat that went down to his knees.
I'm thinking of kind of... Overall type. Yeah, kind of Arkwright and open all hours or something like that.
Yes, exactly that.
Remind us where the shop was.
Oh yes, it was in Bell Street. So what is it now? It's at the tile shop and it's a couple of doors along from Wagamama's. It was next to the lighting shop. I'm pretty sure now that's the tile shop, yes. I don't know when it actually closed but it was a long-term fixture in Bell Street.
I thought you'd like to hear that. That was Murray from the Rygate Priory Athletics Club, and I met him down at the running track on Battlebridge Lane, which is why in the background you can probably hear some runners go past occasionally on that kind of cinder-type track. I thought you'd like to hear those memories.
Now, while I was speaking with Murray, we moved on a little bit to what the site was before Morrison's got there and before Safeway's got there, And I just thought for another couple of minutes, I thought I'd just share with you the memories of Murray, of Reigate, before Safeways slash Morrisons came to town. And this is what he told me.
Originally, the Mellish and Neill Brewery occupied a very big site.
Hensborough Yard yes indeed and there used to be rails embedded in that yard there used to be because it presumably had an internal distribution production line but it was I mean if you look at old pictures I do remember that it was a car park because it was an extensive area and the Bell Street Post Office got demolished to make access to it and it was very good for Rygate because what Safeway said before obviously Morrison's took it over
They would allow it to be used as a community car park as well as a free car park. So, you know, they were very good neighbourly to begin with. And it was a big boost for having such a large supermarket coming to Reigate.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast. I'm Peter Stewart. Thank you very much indeed for listening. Episode 39 still to come on the show. We've got our travel and weather together. We've got our Planet Reigate stars. We've got our hidden treasure. And also we've got Priory Bark as well, the very first edition of that still to come. Planet Reigate stars.
And before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know. This week featuring Earlswood Station right here on the Planet Reigate podcast.
Planet Reigate is the indoor pool at Donnings. and the water sports lake at Mercer's. And this is the Planet Reigate podcast.
And Henry from the Water Sports Park at Mercer's Aquasports is my guest in a few weeks on the Planet Reigate podcast. Bit of sports now, and I can tell you that. We've got a message in from the Royal Earlswood FC, and they have got new player recruitment going on over the next few weeks. Under-15s, Year 10 from September. They're looking for...
Some new players to add to their friendly, successful under-15s team. Training sessions are on. Over the next few days, the 12th of June from 6.30 till 7.30 is the next available date at the Monotype Sports and Social Club. If you want some more information, if you want to book your place there at the trials, 07368 219 141. And the name seems to be Kassin, C-A-S-E-Y-N-I.
07368 219 141.
RoyalEarlswoodFC.com. Also, from one sport to another, lacrosse. Rikate Lacrosse running fun weekly sessions this summer. Wednesday evening from 7 till 8.30. Free trial sessions for new players. £5 a session. £50 for the whole summer. All abilities welcome from complete beginners to experienced players. For more info... 30, you say? No.
For more information, send a DM to womensrygatelax at outlook.com. womensrygatelax at outlook.com. And back to football again. Merstam Football Club, summer holiday course. Yeah, summer holidays. You book your place now for boys and girls aged 4 to 14. Led by Jamie D'Cruz, the first team manager of Merstam FC, along with qualified coaches, including members of Merstam's first team squad.
So it's the 19th to the 23rd of August and the 27th to the 30th of August at Merstam Football Club Weldon Way in Merstam between 9 and 3. More information, info at merstamfc.com and tell them you heard about it on the Planet Reigate podcast. Thank you very much. and it'll mean that these shows are automatically downloaded.
And did you know that you don't actually have to use a podcast player to listen to the show? We're also on Spotify. We're on our website at theplanetrygatepodcast.com, where you can hear the last five episodes all on the front page. Really, really easy to find. Also on your smart speaker, and also on YouTube.
Someone contacted me in the week and said, Peter, are you doing transcriptions of the show? because I've got somebody who's deaf and they would like to follow the show and find out what is going on across the Planet Reigate area. And I said, well, actually, if you go to the YouTube site, again, just search for the Planet Reigate podcast, the transcription comes up automatically.
So that is the place to go if you want the words behind what we're actually saying here and what we're talking about and the information and the news and the weather and the travel and everything good like that. Now, have you ever seen a dog in a park and thought, what a beautiful animal? I wonder what breed it is. I wonder what their character or temperament is.
Well, we're starting a new occasional feature called Priory Bark in this week's episode of the Planet Rygate podcast, where we hear from local dog walkers about their pets. Yeah, the first episode of our canine conversation is with Ian about Pepper, his Siberian husky. And when I met Pepper, gosh, I mean... I virtually fell in love. A beautiful animal, a beautiful beast.
Absolutely, really, really fantastic. And also, there's much more in our archive shows as well. In episode 30, I told you the curious case of the night Kevin Keegan fell asleep in his car on Reigate Hill and was rudely interrupted. Now, if you don't know who Kevin Keegan is, let's just put it this way. That story made national headlines. Find out why in episode 30 of the Planet Reigate podcast.
Planet Reigate stars thanking local heroes who are out of this world.
There's so much division, isn't there? So much angst in the world, so much anger, so much confrontation. He says this and she says the other. which is why we like to have a little bit of oasis, a little bit of calm here at the end of the show with our 60-second soundscape.
And it's also why we like to fly the flag and sprinkle a little bit of stardust on those who have done good deeds across the planet Reigate area each week. This message in, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to the person who grabbed my greyhound near the co-op on the Western Parade. and handed her over to the police. Yeah, we get all sorts, all sorts of people helping.
She'd managed to scramble over the fence, probably chasing a squirrel, and she wasn't even sorry. But I am. She's fine, and the fence is going to be reinforced. So if recently you have grabbed a greyhound near the co-op, in Woodhatch, and handed her over to police. The owner of said greyhound would like to give you a Planet Reigate Star Award, and I'm going to give you a sprinkle of Stardust.
Priory Bark. Canine Conversations. On the Planet Reigate Podcast.
My name's Ian. Her name's Pepper, and she's two and a half... and she's a Siberian Husky. She's a good dog, apart from the fact that she runs off. She goes walkabout almost every week. She gets bored, crosses the field through the flats into the graveyard around there, and then she comes back thinking she's very clever. She is clever, yeah, but she's naughty. But she loves playing with other dogs.
She's gentle with all dogs. She doesn't bite. She's very good with children. When she molts, they pull her fur out of the back. She just stands there and lets them pull handfuls out. She likes to go for a walk three times a day. She likes to be chased by other dogs mostly. She likes them to jump up on her and rough her up. She doesn't care.
Come here.
She was rehomed from pets for homes. Two girls had her as an inside dog and she grew into a husky. They could never inside anymore. So I took her over. She wouldn't have made a good inside dog. As a puppy, she chewed everything in sight. And she wanted to go out and run. That's all she wants to do. She's been running since she got here. She's only just stopped when I put the lead on.
I'll let her off the lead and then I'll call her to come back. I can't go with her. I've got a tracker on her. I'll take her up to the park with Felons Cops. And she runs off into the woods or the other fields. A tracker measures her doing six, seven miles. And I do two or three miles chasing her. She just runs around in circles. She gets in the woods and chases anything that's in the woods.
Then she comes back, but only when she feels like it. She doesn't come back to command. She means hard work. Plenty of exercise and hard work. But I broke my leg and got
covid so i'm not very fit at the moment but she thinks i am she doesn't care ian and pepper our first edition of priory bark on the planet reigate podcast and uh yeah that's going to be an occasional feature so keep listening out for that on future editions of the areas only podcast just for rh1 2 and 3 we bring you all sorts of guests all sorts of news and weather and travel and our what's on guide which we call the good time guide
The Good Time Guide. Things to do and places to go on the Planet Reigate podcast.
Someone said to me in the week, Peter, I often listen to the Planet Rygate podcast and the Good Time Guide specifically and I'm doing other things and I always mean to go back and to write down the details of where all the events are in the Good Time Guide that I want to go to.
And then something else takes over and something happens and the kid wants fish fingers and I've got to walk the dog, dog again, I've got to go to work, I've got to clean the bathroom and I've got to do numerous other jobs as well and suddenly it gets to Wednesday and I think...
I was going to go to those things, and I don't... So she said, what I do now is I listen to the Planetary Eye Gate podcast, and each time you mention something, I stop the podcast there and then, and I look up the details there and then with the information you give me. And if something needs to be booked or something needs to be diarised, I do it then, and then I start...
the Good Time Guide again, and I go on to the next event. And she said, last week, I did that three or four times, which is really good to know. Thank you. However you listen, however you use the Planet Rygate podcast for the news and the information and the events and the what's-ons,
And the weather and the travel and the information and the fun and the competitions and the guests and all the rest of it. So as you're listening and spreading the word, I love you from the heart of... Sorry, I love you from the bottom of my heart. Okay, let's crack on. And I can tell you some more details of events which are happening right across the Planet Reigate area.
Because earlier on in the show, I told you various events that were happening... on Saturday and Sunday. Now, it is my pleasure to tell you about some events which are happening for the rest of the week across RH1, 2 and 3. So, Monday the 10th of June, Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies. And, yeah, they've got an audition for Monday, June the 10th, at the Theatre Bar.
So, if you would like to get in touch with your acting self... and would like to perform on the stage with our friends down at the Archway Theatre in Hawley, you need to be at the theatre bar there, just by the railway station, 745. They're looking for 16 actors. They're casting for a range of ages and roles. So if you want some more information, get in touch with the Archway Theatre and...
The Planet Reigate podcast is proud to be official media partner with the Archway Theatre in Hawley. For more information and booking details, archwaytheatre.com or phone 0333 666 3366. Great phone number, 0333 666 3366. if you would like to audition for a role in Lords and Ladies.
The Reverie at Buckland Park Lake have a lakeside book club going on, and the next one takes place on Monday the 10th, so why not go along, 7.30 to 9.30. They're going to be reading The House of Eve by Sadiqa Johnson. Charcuterie boards are going to be available for purchase, along with a full bar. Email manager at therevery.me to reserve your place. We've got a message here.
Hi, just reaching out to let you know about our new weekly salsa night launching at the Corso Lounge in Reigate on Monday. Classes will then run every Monday night. If you want any more information, then get in touch with Paul, who's the person behind it all. So this is salsa.com. It's Cuban, it's cross-body and bachata. Is that how you say it? The Corso Lounge in Reigate starts at 8 o'clock.
All levels are welcome. And Paul and Wendy are going to be your teachers. Salsabug.co.uk. And as I say, the launch night is the 10th of June. Not being told anything that's happening on Tuesday. So we're all going to be staying in on Tuesday, okay? On Wednesday. Then we've got some details here.
Charlotte and Georgie are organising a charity dinner to raise money for two organisations very close to their hearts. It's the MND and the Teenage Cancer Trust. So all this is happening, the third annual charity dinner. They say join us for an evening of elegance, entertainment and shopping as we come together to make a difference and raise money.
Tickets £65 each includes fizz on arrival, canapes and a two-course meal, amazing stalls for you to peruse and a fabulous raffle as well. Happening at Smallfield Place in Smallfield, Cogman's Lane, RH6. And 6 o'clock the doors open, dinner at 7.30. If you want some more details, 07738 735 727. Friday the 14th of June, good beer and great live music every Friday night.
And Sunday afternoons in June at the Red Cross Inn in Reigate. Bands every day as part of the Reigate Summer Festival as well. the 14th to the 16th of June and if you want some more information on the Reigate Summer Festival it is of course reigatesummerfestival.co.uk but our friends over at the Red Cross Inn say is live music every Friday night and Sunday afternoon throughout June.
We always look ahead to the following Saturday as well. Told you about the Reigate Summer Festival, of course, of which we are official media partners. And also I can tell you about the Archway Theatre in Hawley. They've got Midsummer Night's Dream, 15th and 16th of June and the 22nd and the 23rd and the 29th and 30th. And that is going to be staged in the beautiful gardens of Hawley.
of the Royal Botanical Gardens queue at Wakehurst, which is going to be absolutely fantastic, they say. Bring a picnic and wallow in the beauty of nature and the sparkling humour of this classic play, entitled A Midsummer Night's Dream. You may have heard of it by an up-and-coming... playwright called William Shakespeare, is that right?
A firm favourite, and especially suitable to open-air performances, this production is actually set in the late Victorian period, where the interest in fairy magic was especially popular. So, if you want some more information on that, I can tell you that... We are official media partners with the Archway Theatre in Hawley and the Planet Reigate podcast can tell you that.
For more information and booking details, go to archwaytheatre.com or phone 0333 666 3366. Have you ever thought about becoming a beekeeper? Or maybe you just find bees fascinating. Either way, this is definitely for you. It's a beekeeping taster day on the 15th of June.
You can join the Reigate Beekeepers Association for a taster day at their beautiful, well-equipped private training apiary near Holmwood. It starts at 9.30, finishes about 4 o'clock and a beekeeper will take you through the beekeeping year. The costs, the equipment needed, various practical demonstrations, honey tasting, mead tasting and you'll also get a chance to handle the bees as well.
And also you can learn a bit more about a long-term course where you can learn even more about beekeeping. And the cost for the day is £80. And any children can go from the age of 13. Refreshments, buffet ploughman's lunch, a jar of honey from their own bees, a beekeeper's hive tool as a souvenir.
And you can take along your camera and they'll make sure you leave with a selfie of you and the bees wearing a beekeeping suit. If you don't have a beekeeping suit, you can just dress as a fencer, is what I'm thinking, because they're pretty much the same, aren't they?
For more information and to apply, you can go to courses at reigatebeekeepers.org.uk or go to reigatebeekeepers.org.uk for more information. Charlwood community volunteers have a Skittles tournament on Saturday the 15th at Charlwood Recreation Ground. Yes, Skittles is a traditional lawn game. It's been played for centuries in rural villages throughout England.
So it's only fitting that it should be played in one of our very own medieval villages. £24 per team of six people. You need to pre-register via charlwoodcommunityevents at gmail.com. And they'll tell you all about it and how you pay and so on. There's going to be a licensed bar and barbecue. And yeah, live music. All games begin at two o'clock in the afternoon.
So there's the Reigate Summer Festival. There's also the Hawley Carnival as well. This year's theme is Medieval Hawley. Saturday the 15th of June, 12 to 5, Hawley Wreck. So maybe you'll be able to get down and get involved with that. And in a forthcoming show, we'll have a full report from the Reigate event and the Hawley event as well, right here on the Planet Reigate podcast.
This is the Planet Rygate podcast. I'm Peter Stewart.
great supporters of everything which is happening that's good and fun and entertaining and exciting and vibrant right across the planet Reigate area of RH1, 2 and 3 Reigate, Redhill and Merston Buckland, Betchworth and Brockham and of course that includes places like Earlswood and Whitebushes and South Park and Ray Common as well and that is why we are official sponsors and supporters of
of Rayfest happening on the 6th of July at Ray Common School. Live music, a food village, DJs, a petting zoo, inflatables, much, much more. Hear exactly what now with James, who I met at the school a couple of days ago for the Planet Rygate podcast.
I'm part of the Friends of Ray Common Committee, and what we did last year was we created this incredible event called the Rayfest. It was such a success that we are doing it again this summer, 6th July. We've got this massive playground here and the lovely field, and we're going to fill that with about 1,500 people. We've got a stage, a main stage. We have live bands. We've got live music.
We get the school involved, which is a really big part of the Rayfest, is to get many of the children performing. We've got choirs. We've got dancers. We've got cheerleading. We've got, like I say, live music, bands. Local vendors from the area come down, selling loads of great food. We have pizzas last year. We've got curries. We've got Joe's Diner this year, which we're really excited about.
Our makers market, so that's celebrating anybody who wants to sell anything, basically. Those kind of arts and crafts. Yeah, we've got, I think this year the Bats Hill Gin guys are coming down. Well, that's going to be a draw, isn't it? Exactly, yeah. And we've got jewellery makers, fashion, we've got all kinds of stuff going on there.
Then we have our kind of like fun zone, which is where we raise loads of money. And the classic games of Splat the Rats and Huck the Duck, you know, all that stuff for the kids. And they love that. We've got inflatables. We've got chill out zone, which is going to be really exciting. We've got crafting going on over there. We've got tug of war. I can't. There's so much stuff going on.
It's amazing. And you're going on and on and on, which is absolutely fantastic.
No, not at all. No, it's fantastic. The advantage of that, of course, is that if you're not into the music, perhaps you're into the crafts. Or if you're not into the crafts, you're into the food. And if you're not into either of those, then stay at home and be boring. But there's an awful lot going on. It looks really good, doesn't it? Because you've got so much land here.
You're really lucky as a school. Yeah, we're really lucky. The school's great. And not only just the people that come to the school, but the surrounding community is wonderful as well. So this is for everyone. It's not just for people that come to Raycommon, right? This is for everybody in the area. It's something for the community. that just happens to be on your land.
Yeah, and I think that's what's really great. And obviously we're raising money for the school and it's part of the PTA. Our bonfire night's always been a big one. That's a success every year. And again, the local community gets involved. And we really wanted to make the summer event as big as that. So that's what we're trying to do and get as many people down as we can.
What are you looking forward to as well for this particular event? The thing that I got really excited about last year was seeing some of the children perform on the stage I think it was like giving them an amazing place to sort of get involved I think making them a big part of it is really important for us and obviously and a big shout out to any parents we're looking for volunteers so
Thanks to all the parents that did it last year, but again, we need volunteers again this year to help out on all of the stalls, which is a really big part of this as well. A great team last year, so I really hope that we get the same people this year as well. So James, give us the details. When's it all happening? Saturday, July 6th. It starts at 12 o'clock. And goes until four in the afternoon.
And the prices? Everyone's £4. Nice and easy.
Okay, so you know where you are. You can come in. You can spend the whole afternoon here, which is going to be really, really good. Where can people get more information?
Well, tickets are on sale now. The best way to find us is to follow us on Instagram. And our Instagram is Raycommon. So if you search Raycommon on Instagram, you will find us there.
Yeah, so Ray Common Instagram, find that, and you'll find all the information, the other side of that, on social media. I'm really pleased and proud to be official media partners with Rayfest this year. So really good to meet up with James and to hear all about it.
Something else I wanted to tell you this week, and that is, doesn't obviously, for obvious reasons, as you'll work out, come under the Good Time Guide, but the Hawley branch... of the Royal British Legion are holding a service to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings this Sunday. It's going to be at 12 noon at the War Memorial on Brighton Road in Hawley.
The service is going to be going on. There's going to be music and readings. The music provided by the Red Hill Corps of Drums, who of course have been... Previous guests on the Planet Reigate podcast, readings by pupils of Oakwood School, an opportunity to lay wreaths and crosses and present standards. Schools, organisations and members of the public of all denominations are welcome to attend.
It's the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which I'm sure you know. and the Hawley branch of the Royal British Legion are holding a service at 12 noon at the War Memorial at Brighton Road, that's just by the wreck there, on Sunday 9th June.
Still to come on the Planet Reigate podcast.
We've got our travel and weather and treasure together and our 60-second soundscape as well before we go at the end of the show. First of all let me tell you about a few job opportunities. a grounds maintenance operative at Earlswood for around 22k and several more, all on the council's website. And a nursery assistant job is available.
This is for Portfield Farm Nursery and Forest School, based in a rural location near Smallfield, so you'll have to know how to drive. Full-time, nine to five, five days, but we'll consider part-time two or three days. Eight till six. Pay dependent on qualifications and experience. Training is available. More information.
You can get in touch with Liz Pettit at Portfield Farm, Nursery and Forest School. And tell Liz you heard about it on the Planet Reigate podcast. Planet Reigate area travel news. News of the area's roadworks will give you the heads up so you can avoid the holdups. Silverlea Gardens in Hawley through until the 26th of July. Norwood Hill Road in Charlewood through until the 12th of June.
In Reigate, opposite the Pheasant Pub through until June 16th, drainage improvement works going on there. Also, I can tell you about Norbury Road in Reigate through until June 11th. There's two-way signals going on there. Reigate Road in Buckland. Oh, I've just mentioned that. They get a second mention because two-way lights through until the 16th of June.
Plus, Merstham, Tainton Drive heads up, if you know that neck of the woods, through until the 22nd of July. Two-way lights there. A road closure is going to be happening. Common Road in Redhill to renew Watermain through until the 25th of this month. Through until the 14th of June, stop-go signs are on and off, stopping and going traffic on Philanthropic Road.
It's all for the railway companies who are doing some work there. Hatchlands Road in Redhill and also Linkfield Corner in Redhill. Things going on there, which will involve two-way traffic lights in operation through until the 10th of June. Plus, of course, Charlewood-Rushill Road is closed for essential gas repairs until June the 28th.
And some advance notice that national highways are closing various parts of the M23 between junctions 8 and 10 overnight, including lane closures between the hours of 9pm and 4am and 9pm and 5am for essential resurfacing work. So M23 junction 9 to 10, including the M23 junction northbound entry slip,
10th of June for five nights, 17th of June for three nights, Junction 10, 20th of June for two nights, 24th of June for four nights, 1st of July for four nights, 9th of July for three nights. Hope you're keeping an eye on these. M23, Junction 9, northbound entry slip, 8th of July for one night, M23, Junctions 9 to 8, lane closures, 12th of July for one night, 15th of July for five nights.
Questions were being asked later. Cheapest local petrol within five miles of the Old Town Hall at time of recording, £1.41.9 at Tesco Gatwick Extra, Reigate Road in Hookwood. And just hearing that no hidden treasure this week, incidentally, so sorry about that if you've been waiting for that. You know, sometimes things are on a bit of a hiatus as we enter into the summer holiday periods.
So maybe a few changes over the next few weeks. Give me a break. Literally, give me a break. If you want to give me a free holiday, that'd be good. OK, let's look at those weather stats then from Professor Weather. May was one of the warmest Mays that's ever been recorded in the planet Reigate area, mainly down to higher minimum temperatures. It was the fourth warmest.
But again, this was mainly down to the minimum temperatures being high and the lack of frosts. It wasn't overly hot, was it? No, not scorching temperatures. No surprise for the rain, the highest ever number of rain days and the second highest amount of rain as well. Yeah, the wettest, 74.4 millimetres of rain. And we had 17 days of rain in May, so 54% of the days it was wet.
So the summary then for May... from Professor Weather. The mean average temperature, 14.2. The average is usually 13.2. The mean maximum temperature, 19.7 Celsius. The average is 19. The mean minimum temperature, 9.2 Celsius in May 2024. The average, 8.1. Rain, 74.4 millimeters. Average, 50.5. And the rain days, as I say, 17. In May 2024, the average 11.2.
So looking at the rain we've had so far, this year confirms it is the wettest five months we've recorded at the start of the year. We've had 59.7% more rain than average in this period. Okay, let's look ahead to the weather then for the next few days. If you're listening to this on Friday, Friday the 7th, It's set to continue dry this morning. Plenty of sunshine this afternoon.
Clouds will increase from the west to become mostly cloudy, but it should stay largely dry. Saturday expected a start with partly cloudy skies and the chance of a shower at first, turning largely sunny later on. Sunday looks to see a mix of sunny spells and some cloud, but it should remain largely dry.
Patchy cloud on Monday with a few afternoon showers, those potentially heavy and thundery, and temperatures remaining below the seasonal average. And over the next few days, it looks like this. The warmest day, and this is really long-term stuff, so take this with a pinch of salt.
The warmest day over the next 25 days in the planet Reigate area is forecast to be Friday 14th June at about 18, which is 64. The warmest night, Saturday 15th June at 1355. And the average temperature over the next 25 days is... is 1457. The average for June is 1457. And that's your Planet Reigate area weather on the Planet Reigate podcast.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast.
Thanks so much indeed for the loan of your ears for episode 39 of the Planet Reigate podcast. Much appreciated. Episode 40 will be here in another seven days with so much more as well, including the very latest lineup for the Reigate Summer Festival and... More features and stories from places you love and people you know.
However, before we go at the end of the show, there's one more thing that we always bring you. It's those natural sounds. And this week it goes like this.
The 60 Second Soundscape. Local natural sounds uninterrupted.
Before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know. This week, the London-bound platform at Earlswood Station.
Platform 1 for the 1512 Tenslink service to Bedford via Redhill. Calling at Redhill, Purley, South Croydon, East Croydon, Norwood Junction... London Bridge, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, London St Pancras International, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, Flitwick and Bedford. This train is formed of 12 coaches.
Please turn your turnpike to the left.
The Planet Reigate podcast was produced and presented by Peter Stewart.