The Planet Reigate Podcast
46: The second annual CycloCross Reigate, the history of our local heathland … and more
Fri, 26 Jul 2024
Episode 46 “The second annual CycloCross Reigate, the history of our local heathland … and more”For Saturday 27th July 202400:00 - What’s in this episode 08:00 - The Good Time Guide: Local places to go and things to do this weekend. 13:00 - The Planet Reigate area news. Including, hear from the speakers at the council meeting over the Harlequin Theatre and a re-development of the Pilgrim Brewery site. 41:20 - REPORT: This coming week is ‘Heath Week’. Hear my report from Reigate Heath: the flora and fauna and archaeological finds. How it got to be a heath and some of the more unusual trees, birds and animals you may be able to spot there. 53:10 - Planet Reigate area sport. Including rounders, pickleball and badminton.54:50 – GUEST: The second annual Reigate Cyclo Cross event comes to Priory Park on August 9th with various races and several hundred riders on trails up through the woods. I’ve walked the course with event director Sean Lamberth. 1:07:10 - The Good Time Guide: Local things to do and places to go this coming week. 1:13:15 - Planet Reigate Stars - thanking local heroes. This week from Charlwood. 1:13:40 The 60-second Soundscape: Cormongers Lane.If you get value from The Planet Reigate Podcast, please give us value back in return; click here to support us with a small donation: www.buymeacoffee.com/theplanetreigatepodcast or share us with your colleagues. 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 SOUNDSCAPE PolkadotFlowersMusic Item ID: 136304431 Listen: https://linktr.ee/PlanetReigatePodcast Web: www.ThePlanetReigatePodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ThePlanetReigatePodcast X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/PlanetReigateEmail: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast.
Hello, Planeteers. This is Peter Stewart with this week's edition of the all-new, all-local Planet Reigate podcast. And this is how we're reflecting and celebrating our love of life around here this week. Well, the second annual Reigate cyclocross event comes to Priory Park in a couple of weeks with
Various races with several hundred riders on trails up through the woods there at the back of Priory Park. I've been to walk the course with event director Sean Lamberth. Hear our conversation a little bit later on. And this coming week is Heath Week. Hear my report from Reigate Heath, the flora and fauna and archaeological finds. How it got to be a heath in the first place.
Some of the more unusual trees, birds and animals you may be able to spot there as well. In the news this week, a discussion about the future of the Harlequin happened at a council meeting. If you couldn't go this week, we have some of what was said on the webcast later on in the show and your reaction to it as well. Pilgrim Brewery have been given the thumbs up for big changes at their Rygade HQ.
I'll tell you what's going to happen. Additional information regarding a potential new school, a wood hatch place. I'll outline what that is all about. Reaction to the various road closures in Reigate this week and some of the circuitous routes drivers were taking. Parents of children at Sandcross School have started a petition. I'll tell you what all that is about.
Work at the hospital may mean that if you visit this weekend... You could be slightly delayed. How your community group can get their hands on free money. Gatton Park is after volunteer gardeners. Details on the way. What is a memory box? I'll tell you. And how you can help create one for a local charity. Updates on Rygate's Rose Room Tea Shop. Earlswood's Joshua Tree Restaurant.
And Red Hill's Hangar 9 Cafe. How you could be the area's official poet laureate. And I thought you may want to know what pupils at Donata have been tasked with doing over the summer holidays. In sport, we feature rounders Pickleball and Badminton. Of course, we've got the good time guide of events across the area across the week ahead. Planet Reigate stars are several strangers in Charlewood.
And our 60-second soundscape before we go at the end of the show this week from Cormungers Lane.
This is the Planet Reigate podcast with Peter Stewart.
Yeah, starting off with the postbag and the correspondence that I've had in during the course of the week. This from the Kids' Club's family holiday scheme that I mentioned over the last couple of weeks, in fact. Have a listen, they said. It's a great way to keep up to date with what's going on across our area. Well, I hope your various events go well across the school summer holidays.
Also mentioned last week, a plug for Redhill Bowling Club. They had a Surrey County Bowls final there, didn't they, last Sunday? And they said, thanks so much for the plug. We welcome new players and visitors to come along. Open to all ages, not just for the retired. Wink emoji. Plenty of free parking and great facilities. and hope to see some new faces very soon.
It's up behind, I said last week, didn't I? It's up behind the sorting office in Redhill, just the other side of the railway. I say just the other side of the railway, I'm talking from my perspective of where I am, but of course you may be already, you get what I'm trying to say. Catherine bought me a coffee. She said, thank you so much indeed for supporting the letter writing group.
Well, I'm always pleased to do that, Catherine. And thank you very much indeed for supporting the Planet Reigate podcast. If you want to do that as well, you can do that via your mobile phone and you just go to the following email. Excuse me. You just go to the following website address.
And if you do it on your mobile phone, where you've probably got payment facilities already set up, you just tap a couple of buttons and you kind of buy me a virtual coffee, which is really fantastic.
Support us at buymeacoffee.com slash theplanetreigatepodcast.
Mentioned last week, didn't I, about the swimming pool that I thought was opposite the town hall in Reigate, because we were talking about Bancroft Road and Pool House there, and I was saying... It's funny that there were two swimming pools, to my knowledge, in Reigate, just a couple of hundred yards away from each other. No more information has come in about Paul House.
And yet I was expecting Spencer from WS Architecture and Planning to let me know a little bit about that. Because he actually works there in Paul House on Bancroft Road. To be quite honest, if he's working on Bancroft Road, he's probably had other issues to deal with this week regarding all the problems there with the road closure. But anyway, Stuart got in touch with me. He said,
He said, I learned to swim there in the 1970s before it was knocked down and replaced by Donnings. I remember it being freezing. An office block now stands where it was. Yeah, absolutely. I can picture that. Not the original, of course. It's a little bit before my time. Not much, but a little bit. And, of course, we look back at why Donnings was called Donnings.
in a previous episode of the Planet Rygate podcast. So search for that in your favourite podcast app. And if you can't find it and you're intrigued to know why Donnings is called Donnings, drop me a line and I'll let you know the details of what episode that was in. And a couple of weeks ago, episode 44, in fact, I spoke about the campaign to keep open the station pub in Nutfield.
Well, that prompted a lot of memories from people across the area. Julie said, fond memories of this place as a child and adult. I lived in Nutfield and spent many a night in there. Roy said, shame, enjoyed a few beers and some nice meals there over the decades. Ted, does anyone remember Jerry Gowling, who kept a pig in the garden of the station pub in Nutfield? And Jason replied, pig?
It was a Gloucester old spot called Bertie. after an inspector at Reigate that Gerry had a run-in with. Which sounds interesting. I don't know a bit more about what happened there. Karen said, I met Phil Collins in the station pub. Sue said, yeah, I remember the night Phil Collins was in there, and he broke the big bottle of coins for charity. He was very friendly and chatty with us locals.
Alan said, Paul Heaton played an early gig there with his band, Tools Down. Paul Heaton. Beautiful South, I'm thinking. And John said, I was a regular there before I was even old enough to drink beer. The dartboard was always in play. John, tusk, tusk, but we all did it, didn't we? My place where I kind of broke the law, should I be saying there? Yeah, I reckon.
was up at Walton-on-the-Hill, so not a million miles away, and the Checkers pub, and I want to say... I want to say the George... In Walton-on-the-Hill? Is that right, the George? But certainly the Chequers, yeah. So I was a little bit younger than my friends, who were also in the same year group, because I was born in August. The 16th. I know. It's just a couple of weeks away. I know.
OK, enough about me. Let's tell you what other people are going to be doing across the area, across the weekend, in our Planet Reigate Good Time Guide. Here we go.
Email... Hello at theplanetreigatepodcast.com The Good Time Guide. Things to do and places to go on the Planet Reigate podcast.
And please remember to subscribe to the show so you don't miss an episode. It might be called favourite in your podcast player of choice. And if you want to mention for your charity, your non-profit event, always look kindly on those. Let us know about it. You can fill out the form you'll find at theplanetreigatepodcast.com. Give us a couple of weeks notice and we'll get it sorted out for you.
Pop it in the script. Saturday, 27th July, a free Camelot-themed jam-packed weekend at Reigate Castle Grounds. And there's going to be walkabout characters, pop-up performances, unexpected surprises, your chance to explore the castle grounds in a new way, King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere. are celebrating their wedding anniversary and festivities in Camelot have begun.
Yeah, there's going to be some royal throne bearers, wandering druids, Merlin and his apprentices, some knight training and a hobby horse jousting tournament, which in itself sounds great fun. There's a tabletop sale for the lifeboats on Saturday between 12 and 5. Free entry, ample free parking, as there would be because it's just there, the Reigate Red Hill.
Sea cadets on Hooley Lane just at the end there. So, yeah, they've got plenty of space there, haven't they? Craft tables, jewellery boards, tombola and raffle, hand-turned wooden desirables, they say, refreshments, home-baked cakes, and also you can meet the RNLI's Stormy Stan as well. This is a little bit different. It's Gatwick Aviation Museum.
We'll claim Gatwick just as a one-off because it is rather unusual. And there's plenty of free parking here as well at the museum. Hot and cold refreshments available, tickets available on the day, no need to pre-book, adults £18. What's it all about? I haven't told you. Engine Run Day on Saturday. Gates open at 10.
Experience the incredible sight and sound as they fire up not one, but two iconic aircraft. So the English Electric Lightning and also the Avro Shackleton as well. Ticket prices include admission to the museum. Stay for the day and enjoy loads more. If you want more information, gamc.org.uk.
There's a charity fun day between 11 and 3, Weldon Way in Redhill, for Age Concern Mercedham Redhill Ryegate. Come along to our charity day, shop our stalls, participate in the Tombola, check out the children's games, grab a bite at the Sausage Sizzle.
Rygate first aid for babies classes Saturday 10 till 12 so if you're expecting a baby recently had one or about to wean your baby maybe you've got an adventurous toddler they're always difficult to keep an eye on aren't they or maybe you're a grandparent helping out with children and you're interested in doing a first aid class you can learn CPR recovery positions choking techniques and
And all about meningitis, anaphylaxis, minor and major head injuries, febrile seizures, broken bones and lots more in the two-hour class. Not scary, they say. Classes are perfect for pregnancy. Just £25 a person. It's all happening at the Coleman Redland Centre. For more information, get in touch with me. I'll put you in touch with them.
A brand new KidZone is launching this weekend at Belfry Square. Children can challenge each other to a game of tic-tac-toe. Is that what we usually call noughts and crosses? It is. I wonder why they've called it tic-tac-toe. It's rather American, isn't it? Go beak with our giant Connect Four or jump, skip and hop through our hopscotch grid.
Our kid zone is in a safe enclosed area in Belfry Square, in the Belfry, allowing parents to relax and watch the Olympics while their children play. Got some live music going on. Princess and the Peas, indie rock covers band. Yeah, so they're playing the music of things like Blondie, The Jam. Well, you got me already. The Cult, Joan Jett, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. What was that?
I Love Rock and Roll. Put another dime in the jukebox, baby. Yeah, Buzzcocks, Radiohead, Suzy Quatro, Devilgate Drive. Texas, Billy Joel, Primitives, ELO, Cranberries, Roxette, Transvision Vamp and many, many more. I'm loving that. It's all happening at the Cage Wine Bar. Well, you know where that is. And it's happening from 9 o'clock on Saturday night.
So we don't have anything being sent to us for Sunday. So if you've got something that you're organising for Saturday and you haven't let us know about it, Well, you've kind of missed out there, haven't you? Because you've missed out on me telling everyone else across the Planet Reigate area what it is you're doing. So in future, if you want to drop me a line, hello at theplanetreigatepodcast.com.
Our guest this week is Sean Lamberth who's from the Priory Park Cyclocross which is happening on the 9th of August. We'll hear from him as you might expect in our sports sequence a little bit later on. Plus I'm going to be telling you a little bit more about Reigate Heath because it's the start of Heath Week this coming week.
But first of all let's tell you about some other stories which are happening in the news at the moment. And the future of the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill. Now, it was closed in September, wasn't it, last year, when that crumbly concrete rack was found. And that meant that the pantomime, the theatre's biggest draw of the year, was moved to a big top in Memorial Park.
But its closure has meant a lot of other productions haven't been able to go ahead. Of course, there's the pop-up at the Belfry in one of the shop units, but... It doesn't really compensate completely for the theatre with several hundred seats and the other rooms there and so on for one-off shows and gigs, school performances, award ceremonies, lectures and so on. So what is happening?
It was all brought up at a council meeting on Tuesday night. Chris Waite from the newly formed Harlequin Support Group and president of the East Surrey Performing Arts Group, the biggest private user of the Harlequin, asked an initial question.
It should be noted that with the venue closed, it is having a huge effect on local groups who normally use the venue, as well as preventing the local community from attending the theatre to see shows, films or other events. In particular, many users are children and other young people and the closure means that events having to be cancelled, scaled down or moved to venues outside the borough.
This risks hollowing out both the participation in and audiences for the arts in our borough and it is therefore imperative that the theatre opens again as soon as possible. The main question is, given that the Harley Quinn Theatre has been closed since September 2023, we would like to understand the current situation and when the council intends
to reopen the Harlequin Theatre, which is the main arts and cultural centre of this borough. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr Waite.
Lots of people there. Now, the reply came from the council leader, Richard Biggs.
Since closure, teams from across the council have been working alongside many stakeholders and partners, including undertaking initial surveys to establish the facts and investigate the situation surrounding the rack. these inquiries are still ongoing.
However, given the significant levels of RAC and the unique implications and complexities this has for operating an auditorium or theatre, the venue is expected to remain closed for some time. We opened a pop-up space in the Belfry Shopping Centre we have continued to deliver an outdoor summer season and we moved the planned pantomime for 2023 into a big top in the Memorial Park.
Our main priority above all is safety to our users and our staff. And for that reason, the closure remains the safest option while all parties continue to work together. I and the council recognise how important the Harlequin is The Council recognises the value of the arts, the role that the Harlequin plays,
in the community and continues to explore options to provide alternative ways in which opportunities for engagement with the arts can take place.
And Mr Wade, I make an offer to you this evening as leader of the council that we diary a regular meeting so that I can update you as Harlequin support group, maybe on a monthly or six weekly basis so that I can keep you fully informed of where we're at and the progress. It will be slow, but we are going to keep working.
and I can assure you our support for the arts and culture in this borough is unbounded.
Do you have any idea at all when surveys or other works will be undertaken to find out the problem in the theatre, other than the fact that there's RAAC there, but the extent of it?
We have a meeting with the surveyors at the beginning of August. We will know then the extent. It is very intrusive, the survey that's got to be done. So there's a lot of work to go on. There's a lot of support work goes inside the building to support the structure and everything else. So we will know more probably at our first meeting in four or six weeks time.
I will be able to tell you the result of that meeting, but that's just at the beginning of August.
Council Leader Richard Biggs there. Now, later on, Councillor Andrew Proudfoot moved a motion on the same topic. It asked for the council to be committed to retain the Harlequin as a cultural centre to ensure a cultural and arts programme to continue until the Harlequin is reopened.
and to produce a report that sets out an indicative timescale for the Harlequin to be brought back into use and includes opportunities to improve on the existing facilities of the Harlequin Theatre as and when it is reopened. Here's some more of what he said.
Residents want our council to secure an indoor space for major choral works that require a large choir and orchestra and for operatic and drama groups that need a backstage set-up more elaborate than any church hall can provide.
Finally, we urge the management to investigate the big space of the Harlequin stage for photography and art exhibitions, for a literary festival in conjunction with a refurbished library next door, for trade fairs or even a Christmas market or a beer festival. The list is very long.
Let's increase the seating capacity of our theatre in a refurbished Harlequin so that bigger and more ambitious shows can agree to come here in the future. It is disappointing to note that this motion is being referred to council without the opportunity for democratic debate.
I would urge the council's executive to reverse its current reduced provision for the arts and set about providing residents with a cast iron commitment to bring back a better facility as quickly as possible. Please can we be assured that there will be carefully thought out interim measures and a substantial long term plan before our Harlequin Theatre is reopened. Thank you Mr Mack.
Now, as the motion is actually what a forthcoming report is going on to answer, it was deemed unnecessary to debate it actually on the night because obviously the report isn't out yet. And that's actually going to be published in time for the meeting on the 15th of August. Council Leader Richard Biggs then ending the meeting with this commitment. You heard it here.
I really appreciate and take on board the level of support that our theatre has, and I can assure you it will be properly discussed with the report at the Executive, which is also a public meeting. I know it's in the middle of the summer, but you are more than welcome to come.
i think what is important is to let you know our commitment to the arts and culture in this borough is without doubt more now than it has ever been and will continue to be and i want to grow it as leader of this council so i make that commitment tonight that one i can make and we will work as fast as we can with Aviva, with the surveyors, and everything else.
So, although the motion won't be debated, I really wanted, Mr Mayor, just to let everybody know our commitment to this tonight, and I wanted to wish everybody...
a good summer holiday and I hope that they take full advantage of all our play areas all the way across the borough including the ones that we've recently opened at West Vale Park and taken over so thank you very much for coming tonight I appreciate your concern I appreciate your support and I will continue to meet with Mr Waite to make sure that you're kept fully informed so thank you
So there obviously has been a reaction on socials. David said the public gallery was rammed tonight, all very encouraging. Yvonne replied, and all the seats in the overflow room were taken too. I was there for a while, but Laura said it's really disappointing. I feel more pessimistic after going to the meeting, to be honest.
One of the councillors advised me to email my MP, which I've done, but I don't hold out much hope. And Deborah wrote, as long as the outdoor theatre is not going to be in Memorial Park, the Pantomime was a nightmare with the noise for people that live around the park. We don't want it again.
We already have to put up with the fare, which is fine when it's on during the day, but the noise from the generator all night and the people working until 3am on the night they arrived and went is a joke. Please think of the residents around the park before you decide to put any theatres in Memorial Park.
So again, the 15th of August is the next council meeting that you can attend or you can listen online. Of course, I'll have a report from that meeting as well in that edition of the Planet Reigate podcast. And from Redhill to Reigate, because Pilgrim Brewery on West Street has been given permission to develop.
Yeah, it's going to cause the demolition of their existing space to build a new, larger one. So 666 square metres, as opposed to the existing building floor space of 404, together with alterations to the...
other store buildings there they say it is great news they say we've had our planning application for the redevelopment at its current site approved we'd like to say thank you to ws planning and architecture for their help it's the second time in two weeks that spencer and his colleagues have been given recognition for their help with what was a difficult process to our friends who supported the application and the councillors for agreeing unanimously
the Pilgrim Brewery can continue to be part of this town's thriving community. However, they do say that after that, which has been a bit of a struggle because it had to go back at least once, now comes, they say, the really hard part.
Quote, we'll need to raise substantial funds to turn the current brewery site into an efficient state-of-the-art brewing facility with a larger indoor space and a dedicated community and event space. We aim to launch a rewards-based crowdfunder shortly. to help fund some of the new equipment, but we'll need to raise a great deal more as well.
If you've got any ideas, they say please contact us directly at futureproofatpilgrim.co.uk. Yes, so as I say, the new building is going to incorporate new brewing facilities, a larger bar area on the ground floor. A new function room with offices on the first floor. Outdoor seating still going to stay. Sales is going to continue from part of the store building as well.
Because what they've got there is a little bit out of date. They say it's going to be more efficient in the future and give space to grow the business as well. And also, if you live nearby, they also say they're putting in some more sound insulation walls. The hours will stay through to 11 o'clock at night on Monday to Saturday till 10 o'clock on a Sunday.
Some restrictions to the frequency and hours outside. A consultation's been republished regarding land at Woodhatch Place, the home of Surrey County Council, of course, and the site of the proposed new school.
Indeed, the application states that it is additional information regarding, quote, the erection of a Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 storey building to provide a five-form entry junior school with two all-weather sports pitches,
a mugger pitch, a hard play area with a netball court and provision of car parking spaces and provision of a new internal access road with a new egress point onto Cockshot Hill with associated hard and soft landscaping and off-site highways works. While the update was seemingly published on the Surrey County Council website on the 18th of July, the consultation closes...
in uh on the 12th of august just a couple of weeks away and of course there is also work ongoing in parallel to that to explore school reorganization possibilities across the reigate area for more information get in touch with me i'll put you in touch uh with that particular report or a planning document if you want to see it and it got me thinking there's been that temporary fence across the front of reigate priory for months now hasn't there
What's going on? I mean, I thought it's a listed building, right? So it should be repaired as quickly as possible if there's something wrong with it. So I don't know what's going on there. Well, driving through the area has been a really big concern this week. Bancroft Road in Reigate, that's the one past the cinema, has been closed.
Likely to be closed probably for just one more week now, we understand. They had suggested it might be four weeks in total, but that has been scaled down. They've been able to get on with the work fast. faster than they originally thought so maybe could finish at the end of this coming week.
Access has been okay and you could still get into the multi-storey but it has meant that the road usually one way has been made two way as workers are at the Bell Street end of the road so Bancroft Road here it's usually one way of course be made two way so if you actually work down there you could go in
From the north and then turn around, do your work and then come back out the same way that you went in. So you get to Morrison's via Bell Street at the moment, but not Bancroft. Or as one person suggested this week, quote, you can drive through the high street, go left to the butchers on Park Lane, go through the park in behind Morrison's to access their car park that way.
Someone else suggested to get to Woodhatch from Rygate train station. Follow me on this one. Drive to Shaw's Corner, Blackborough Road, down a Lesborne Road, then turn left on Bell Street. They said that's the way I've been going before 8 a.m. and it's been absolutely fine. Plus this week, as I mentioned last week, Woodhatch Road has been closed.
And on Wednesday, the Bell Street car park was closed for the day as well. So it has been, well, someone saying on social media, Armageddon, someone else corrected that to Carmageddon, which I thought was quite clever. Now, this coming week, there's going to be roadworks with two-way traffic lights on the A23 Brighton Road by the junction with Woodroyd Avenue.
between Monday through till Friday, the 23rd of August. That's for Southern Gas Networks to carry out works. And that's going to impact users of local bus services. Also drivers from Hawley heading towards Hookwood, Crawley and Dorking. And for more information, you can go to one.network.
And also, I'm going to put it in here as well, as I mentioned last week, the Hawley Subway Works start on Monday through until Friday the 30th of August. Yeah, that's a pedestrian subway. They're going to close it all off because they're installing a new pumping system, drains and water catch pits. including at the entrance to the High Street car park to help take water away more quickly.
So the subway is going to be closed for five weeks. There's going to be a side pedestrian diversion route in place to help you during that time. Let's move on. We've been talking about quite a bit of development work, haven't we? What with the state of the Harlequin and also Pilgrim Brewery as well. Now, parents of Sandcross School...
have started a petition requesting the County Council review and improve road safety for all road users around Sandcross. It says many pupils at Sandcross School walk or wheel to school. We've started this petition to ask the Council to review and improve the safety of the current road and parking arrangements in the area. And that petition closes on August the 31st.
So possibly, maybe, perhaps, if those parents get their way, there could be changes maybe to the road layout or the road furniture, maybe some speed bumps or chicanes or whatever else. Maybe just some signs up or a restricted speed limit there. Have you got an interest in policing? Are you looking for a new way to make a difference in your community?
Well, Surrey Police are looking for people from all backgrounds and walks of life to volunteer, giving you the opportunity to learn new skills and get involved with many aspects of policing. Volunteering roles can include special constables, police support volunteers and cadet leaders, whatever your skills they say. There's a role for you. More information, surrey.police.uk.
You're looking for the volunteering link. Mentioned this last week because it was happening last week, it's happening this weekend as well. Work to install new doors at the main entrance and east entrance of East Surrey Hospital taking place. Yeah, so from 6am Saturday to 8pm Sunday coming, the east entrance at the hospital going to be closed.
Parents and visitors, excuse me, patients and visitors will be redirected. Do you run a group, a charity?
well surrey county council want to give away some cash yeah community projects can now apply for funding through surrey's your councillor community fund this is where a local councillor identifies a need directly within their community and have the authority to give that particular group or charity maybe a couple hundred pounds for something small that would really help really make a difference
So it's things like buying sports equipment for local clubs, maybe helping with the creation of a website, because then, of course, they've got better outreach to reach more people. Transport costs for community outings, maybe environmental testing of local rivers. There's an idea. And skills training for vulnerable groups. If you're interested in applying for the YCCF,
That is for the Your Councillor Community Fund. Go to YCCF at surreycc.gov.uk. Are you recently retired? Have you got some time on your hands? Would you like to do something positive in your community, something worthwhile? that they're after Monday drivers down at Age Concern. So Mondays it would be 9.30 to 10.45 in the morning and 2.10 to 3.10 in the afternoon or thereabouts.
Well, that sounds reasonably manageable, doesn't it? They say we provide a service for older members of the community to come to our centre. reducing their isolation and loneliness. We cover Merstham, Redhill and Reigate areas. Janine would love to hear from you at ageconcernmrr.org.uk. That's for Merstham, Redhill, Reigate. Janine at ageconcernmrr.org.uk.
And Marie Curie South East say they're the UK's leading end-of-life charity and they're looking for volunteers in Reigate and Merstham areas. to become companions to care or nursing home residents in their last year of life. They say it's a great opportunity to provide people in your community with practical and emotional support and have those kind of what's important to you conversations.
You'll need good listening skills, some knowledge of IT, full training's going to be given. 18s or over, Surrey Companion at maricurie.org.uk. Calling all green thumbs and nature lovers if you've ever fancied spending your days in a beautiful historic garden of Gatton Park. But you can join their friendly volunteer team and make a real difference and have loads of fun as well.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just want to get your hands dirty, they want to hear back from you. It could be cutting down brambles, clearing overgrown areas, sowing seeds, planting something for everyone. Maybe you live in a flat and you just don't have access to a garden anymore. And on Tuesdays afternoons, they run a plant propagation group to look after greenhouses and plant nurseries.
Be part of a super friendly team. You can go to Gatton Trust events for free. and enjoy the great outdoors. It doesn't matter if you're not particularly green-fingered because they can always give you a fork or a pair of secateurs or something. So if you want some more details on that, get in touch with me. I'll put you in touch with them. Belfry Shopping Centre.
Andy and the team over there say experience the thrill of the 2024 Paris Olympics there. Visit the centre between Friday 26th and Sunday the 11th to support Team GB athletes and watch them compete on the big screen. Can you help the critical care team at East Surrey Hospital? They're hoping to raise £1,500 to help the team provide memory boxes for children and adults who lose a loved one.
So these boxes help children and family members. You'll help the team gather handprints, locks of hair, a library of books and resources to support children with bereavement, provide soft toys... These soft toys, now I've heard about these before, they have a little pouch. So if you're particularly younger or maybe a little bit older, you can put something valuable in that pouch in the toy.
So it could be a lock of hair, it could be a little photo, it could be a pebble from a beach or something. You can hold that toy close to you because it's got that keepsake actually in it, if that makes sense, rather than just holding a picture close to you, which may not have the kind of same effect.
So if you're interested in the SASH charity, that's Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust charity, it's a bit of a mouthful. I reckon they should change their name, don't you? It's a bit of a mouthful. SASH charity is a bit odd. But anyway, that's who they are and that's who they're trying to help.
Patients and staff at East Surrey Hospital, get in touch with me and I'll get you in touch with them or you can contact them via Facebook. Fancy a cup of tea? Do you love the Rose Room on Church Street in Reigate? I've got some sad news. It's closed down. But I've got some good news. It's okay. They've only moved to a better business location. They're now up the High Street. 57 High Street.
57 has the numbers start, don't they, at the clock tower end. So 57, you're trying to work it out. It is... Just beyond Marks and Spencer's. It's next to Nando's. It's where the collective pop-up shop used to be. That's going to be the Roseroom Tea Rooms. So now you know. So you can go in there. They're going to be open in the next few days. Do you know Joshua Tree Pub and Indian Restaurant?
Usually they're on Common Road in Earlswood. It was originally the Railway Inn, don't you know, back in the 19th century, and the name comes from the start of the building of the London to Brighton Railway line. However, they're opening their street food hub in Redhill Town Centre.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9am to 5pm, they say please come and enjoy the nostalgic vibe of Indian street food. So if you like the Indian food when you sit down in the restaurant area,
on Common Road in Earlswood, and he'd love to take it away with you, then you can go along to their street food hub at the market at Redhill Town Centre, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 9 to 5, and you can buy it in a plastic pot, and you can take it home and have it at your leisure.
Also, I can tell you about the Hangar 9 Cafe, which we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, has opened up at Redhill Aerodrome. They say, we apologise for not offering breakfast at the moment. We have informed many customers who visited that the cafe is not fully open yet. I think I mentioned this, didn't I, a couple of three weeks ago.
For the time being, we offer paninis, sandwiches, pastries, cakes, hot drinks and cold drinks. But rest assured, they say, as soon as the cafe is fully open, and they reckon this side of October... We will expand our menu and improve many aspects, but please show understanding. It's a slow opening, isn't it? It's a soft opening, a soft launch. That's what they usually say.
So go along, find out where it is, support them in the meantime, and then you can go along come October and you can fill up with a fry-up, can't you? It's not a bad line, is it? Fill up with a fry-up. I could be a copywriter, couldn't I? I could write adverts. Fill up with a fry-up. I like that. Here we go. Calling all wordsmiths.
Rygate and Banstead Borough Council, 50 years old, to celebrate the milestone birthday. They're running a competition to find a poet laureate. Yeah, this sounds interesting. The winner will be announced on the 5th of September at our Poetry in the Castle event, they say, which is an animated alliteration and witty wordplay. evening featuring Paul Lyles and our good friend Woodsy.
Entrants have got to be 16 years or over. Poems must have a title, be no longer than 28 lines. They can't have been published, self-published, made public on any social media or featured in any other competition. And the winning poem will go on display around the borough with the successful Bard earning the right to promote themselves as the Reigate and Bandstead Borough Bard.
That sounds good, doesn't it? Submit your poem by 31st of August to arts at reigate-bandstead.gov.uk. OK, let me tell you about what has been happening at Donata School. If you've got a child that goes there, you will already know this.
But if you don't, you may want to take part just kind of in your own time or just kind of mull over what those kids at Donata have been given for their summer holidays. It is...
a summer holiday philosophy competition slaps forehead what okay it's to encourage their creativity and showcase their talent for critical thinking that sounds interesting actually doesn't it it's all to do with their hashtag warrior learning which is a different approach to learning that has been hugely successful down there i've spoken to them about that sounds really really interesting
So the task is that the kids have to, if they want to, choose from one of these four topics. And they've either got to write an article or a short essay or maybe produce a short film, which is interesting, or draw a mind map. And then the winner gets some book tokens. And this is just for the kids that go there. But I thought you might be interested.
2.
3.
Is it important to always win? Or number four, how do you know if you're dreaming or if you're awake? They're good talking topics around tonight's dinner table, aren't they? Bear those in mind. Yeah, if you're going on a long holiday road trip, maybe throw those out to the kids in the back. No, they won't thank you for it. What's that? Yeah, TikTok. OK, I appreciate that.
But I thought you'd like to know that anyway. There's some interesting things going on there at Donata. And don't forget, if you've got something which is happening across the Planet Reigate area, then get in touch with me. Tell me all about it.
Email hello at theplanetreigatepodcast.com.
Sean is going to be with us a little bit later on in our sports sequence to tell us all about the cyclocross event, which is coming to Priory Park in a couple of weeks' time. Plus, we've got the second part of the Good Time Guide, taking us from Monday through to next Saturday, Planet Rygade Stars and our 60-second soundscape too.
But first, did you know that this coming week is Heath Week across the country? Yeah, Monday 29th July through until Sunday. So here's the first in our occasional mini-series taking a look at Reigate Heath. 120 acres of it. It's a site of special scientific interest. It's owned by the council. It's got a really rich history and a wealth of wildlife. And it's a very sacred place.
I don't know whether you know this, but in the Bronze Age, which is 2,500 years BC, there were nine burial mounds placed around here. They're classed as ancient monuments. It's what's called a bowl-barrow cemetery. And those burial mounds are called tumuli. I don't know whether you've seen them, but they are still visible today, if you know where to look.
They're topped by large pine trees, which were actually put in place by the Victorians, as it happens. And finds from this time, from the Bronze Age, they found various remnants of Bronze Age man and woman living in these parts. Worked flints, hunting weapons, even two Neolithic axes were found on the heath in recent years.
And there's much evidence that the area was settled here in the medieval period as well. The entry in the Doomsday Book shows that Edward the Confessor held an estate here. It was part of Queen Edith's dowry and eventually passed to William the Conqueror.
And then William, or maybe his son William Rufus, granted the manor, along with many others to a name you'll know, William de Warren, on his elevation when he became the Earl of Surrey. We've spoken about William de Warren, of course, before. And there are various references to William de Warren around the Reigate area, as you know. I mean, he built the castle, didn't he? He established the town.
He built a hospital, which later became Reigate Priory. And in those days, Reigate Heath would have formed part of the wastes of the manor of Reigate. And the area was probably used by commoners to graze their cattle and other livestock.
Cattle, horses, pigs, geese, goats, all sorts of stock would have been driven across the heaths and through the lanes and the roads which ran out, fan out from Reigate Heath, resulting in the layout of the heath and its surroundings that we still see today. Heath pigs used to be kept in the woods near here.
Locally, a little bit further down Flangeford Road and over to the left-hand side if you're going south, that area of woodland was actually known as Wickens Wood after the family who kept them there. And if you go exploring in that neck of the woods, quite literally, you may be able to find some remnants of some of the old pig pens.
And all that grazing by various livestock resulted in the really sandy soil, which obviously is low fertility, could only support non-aggressive plants like heather, gorse and other typically heathland vegetation. And in the early 20th century, changing farming methods and urban development meant a loss of 85% of heathland in Surrey since the late 18th century.
And of the heathland that remains in Surrey... 25% has been lost to scrub. And that means that the heathland in Surrey is increasingly rare, very valuable habitat. And Reigate Heath itself is the largest example in East Surrey. It's a SSSI site, Site of Special Scientific Interest. And it's been that since 1955 because of its heathland habitats. and also the rarity of many plants.
And several different kinds of habitats can be found here. You think of it all as one large mass of heathland, but actually lowland heath, dry acid grassland, and recent secondary woodland, all of which support their own special characteristics and species as well.
If you know where to look, wildflowers that you could find in the Heathland area of Reigate Heath, harebells, and also the pretty rare dwarf gorse as well. And the wooded areas have typical species that you already know, bluebells, wood anemones, in the springtime of course. and various fungi later on in the year as well.
Three native species of heather can be found on the heath today, the common heather, the bell heather, and the cross-leaved heather as well. And until recently, the areas that those species cover were becoming increasingly small because of a growing pressure on them from...
overgrazing back in the past and also that meant that the number of trees and scrubland on the heath increased and that meant that the heather couldn't compete because there was less light coming through to them lower to the ground of course so to protect the heather closer to the ground and some of those other
grasses and so on I had to cut back all of this stuff which is it smells nice and it looks quite nice but all this kind of bracken has to be cut back and some of the invasive tree species as well have to be cut down controlled cut back to stop the heath reverting to scrub and thick woodland
That's all done by Reigate Area Conservation volunteers and also staff and volunteers with the golf club as well. Clearing the scrub, clearing the bracken to increase the amount of heather at ground level. Another part of the heath is the alder woodland. And near the eastern side, there are some marshy meadows as well.
They're the only examples of marshy meadows in Surrey that haven't been destroyed by modern agriculture. And those marshy areas support Yorkshire fog grass and sharp-flowered rush grass and meadow-sweet grass and wild angelica and marsh marigold. They've got some fantastic names, haven't they? There's also a large colony of southern marsh orchid on Reigate Heath, which I understand is pretty rare.
And there's also a stream. Do you know the stream that runs along the eastern side of Reigate Heath? Rare breeding ground and feeding ground for birds. Kingfisher, heron, you can see over there as well. Over recent years, the water table has fallen significantly. in the Rygate Heath area.
And most affected by that drop are the areas of Alder Carr that I just mentioned, that Alder woodland, because Alder is a tree that really loves wet conditions. The Alder trees are still here. The dry conditions mean that many other species have gone though. You can see how the
conditions have altered over the years because as the soil dries out it shrinks and that means that the alders are now kind of raised up on their own little kind of islands. I'm walking across Reigate Heath from the car park on Flangeford Road and you probably know if you park there the three pine trees grown together in a group. Some people call them the three graces. Have you heard that?
Do you use that term for those three pine trees? And the heath is also home to a rare blue atlas cedar tree. I've not found it, but I understand that it's a native tree to Morocco. Working my way through one of the lesser used paths. Bracken and Bramble's either side of me, Holly, and a helicopter overhead, as you can hear. It's a warm afternoon. Animal species which I haven't seen.
I'm looking out for common lizards, slow worms, maybe even the occasional grass snake as well. And also I'm told, I've never seen them, despite the number of times that I've walked here, sparrowhawk can sometimes be seen circling overhead. And then during the winter months, bright red and green crossbills can be seen. They particularly like the coniferous woodlands.
And also, if you come here at a certain time of day, you'll be able to see, fingers crossed, if you know where to look and the kind of place to stand, our smallest and largest species of bat. Yeah, the pipistrelle is the smallest and commonest bat in the whole of the UK. The ceratine bat is rarer.
It's found mainly in the south of England, but you can see both of them here on Reigate Heath, which is rather nice, isn't it? So hopefully that's given you a bit of background to Reigate Heath, some of the flora and fauna, a little bit of the history as well.
Keep listening to the Planet Reigate podcast over the next several weeks, because I'm going to be bringing you a bit more about the Heath, the sports that are played here, the
businesses that have been run here yeah and the two significant churches that are here on the heath as well two of them yeah two of them the worldwide celebrity that used to live here the story of the highwayman and also the story about the 300 foot deep well that used to be here on the heath and also why the skim is called the skim
From Reigate and Red Hill, Buckland, Betchworth and Brockham, great stories from places you love and people you know. This is the Planet Reigate podcast. 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.
Register as a team, a group of friends, or just come along by yourself. Find out more online or email them at info at play-rounders.co.uk. Well, also in our sports news this week, we've got a pickleball for mental well-being. It's every Monday, 2 till 3 in the afternoon over at Donnings. Fun, casual drop-in pickleball session for people experiencing mental health problems.
All abilities welcome and all the equipment is provided as well. So, yeah, this group is provided free by the mental health charity Sport In Mind for the benefit of local people. And you can get some more information, info at sportinmind.org. So that's Pickleball for Mental Wellbeing at Donnings. And that is happening on Mondays, two till three in the afternoon.
And also the same group running badminton.com.
for mental well-being as well mondays one till two also at donnings also provided by the same people and also the same details if you want to get some more information info at sport in mind.org now last week i said that the new paddle courts have been opened in reigate at the tennis club to clarify they're at the reigate lawn tennis club not at the reigate priory lawn tennis club
They're at the tennis club there on Manor Road. Now it's the second annual Rygate Cyclocross event coming to Priory Park in a couple of weeks. Various races, several hundred riders on trails up through the woods there at the back. I've been to walk the course with event director Sean Lambeth.
Well, it's a glorious July afternoon and you find me walking through the woods at Reigate's Priory Park, which is something I guess not a lot of people do in as much as usually stick to the main open green area with kids and dogs and kites and footballs and so on.
rather than walking through the woods and I'm a little bit out of out of breath because I've just been going up one of the big hills why have I been going up one of the big hills well Sean Lambeth is with me he is the race director of the cyclocross event which is happening here in Priory Park on the 9th of August we've just been walking some of the route haven't we Sean yeah we've just been up one of the steeper hills which uh
Cyclists tend to find a bit of a challenge after the seventh lap. Seventh lap? Boy, oh boy. It can be, yeah. Seventh, yeah. Most of the really, really strong ones will do it very, very quickly and they'll ride it. Some of the weak, well, say weak ones, there aren't weak, there's no weak cyclocross riders. They'll probably carry their bike.
split up there's a tree that came between us then so sean tell me about the course first of all so people can get in their mind's eye where these cyclists are going to be going
Okay, so the start area, which we like to call the start of the village area, where there's music and there's food and that sort of stuff, and where they all line up, is kind of in the middle of the park, opposite the main priory school, I would say, which is a bit up the hill. Then the course goes out towards Bell Street.
up the hill and then it picks up the tarmac path which we're on now all the way up to the top and then we dive in, in through the woods lots of off cambers and sticks and trees to avoid you will see in a second as we dive into the woods It's a fairly steep hill this. This is probably the easiest part of the course.
They should get lots of traction, and the fast ones will tend to use this as their getaway point, because when it comes into the woods, which we're coming up to now, basically it's very, very tricky. There's lots of very sharp turns, off camber, Which means your bike can slip away at any time, because we're going to cut through there. Cut through here, through the bracket? Yeah, normally.
Oh, there's a track there, is it? Yeah, we just cut through there. But luckily for us, we've been supported very well by Rygate and Baxter Council, who help us with the clearing and stuff just before the race. They've actually been amazing with the whole event, just really helping us out. They're really trying to encourage the sport in the borough, so...
I can imagine that actually you're going to get bracken. I mean, it's difficult to walk through, but you're going to get caught in your spokes and so on, isn't it? Right, okay.
This will be clear. Believe it or not, there's grass under there. They're picking up a bit of speed. They're coming into the woods now. Got a few sort of little obstacles they're going to worry about.
how much do you clear the track of of small tweaks and so on that could get caught in spokes or don't you worry is that part of the jeopardy there is jeopardy but no the week before we'll have like a raking crew right and we'll go through through the woods on the course we'll rake probably about a four meter course so there will be a few bits that are falling down in the meantime but it will look different than it is today today it looks a little bit like a
wooden floor, although it is quite clear. Where are we going?
We're going down here, aren't we? And also you've got to check for things like broken glass and stuff, haven't you?
Actually, this woods, I think people do tend to respect it. It's actually very tidy when you walk around. Most people do tend to pick up their rubbish and don't generally see a lot of...
rubbish so we're coming down to that main wide sandy track between the two kind of hills at the back of priory park that's right and you're heading then they'll be heading back down we're going to take a very very tight right here if you can imagine the speed we're actually heading down now they're picking up speed yeah what they call an off camber so it means you you will be turning but also but this is very slippery yeah because all the dead leaves yeah yeah this is um it's like beach beach mulch i would think
Now it's not too bad when it's dry. When it's a little bit damp, it gets very slippery. And a lot of bikes will sort of tend to drift, I think is the word, off to the left. And it's quite a tight turnaround. It's almost like a 180 turn, isn't it?
I remember going down to Guildford. They do a big cycle event in Guildford, don't they, actually, on the sets, or the cobbles, whatever you want to call them. And I was down there a few years ago, and it was wet weather. And there was really one dangerous corner. And they were just going over like ninepins.
This, as you can see... If you've got five riders together, it's probably a three-and-a-half-metre gap. They're coming through here.
So you're coming between the different trees.
Yeah, everything's marked out with course tape. They know exactly where they're going. These guys are very skilful. But even so, they've got to work their way around. There's a first tight bend, picks up a bit more speed.
I'm going over some tree trunks, which are almost embedded in the ground, to be fair. But it's a good foot-down step, isn't it?
It's an obstacle, and you'll find that on... such cross courses like that sometimes happen in fields they will put logs to make that sort of thing which we've actually got naturally yeah so there's there's lots of very tight bends so there's actually five up and downs in this bit alone so again we go around another tight bend up again or slippy
up around this one this is like it gets progressively bigger so you've come around a big 180 you've come around a short bend then you've gone around a longer bend you're picking up speed again what kind of speeds we're talking about on the faster through the woods they're probably doing 25 mile an hour, I think. Pretty quick. That's pretty tasty, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, some of the guys are on two wheels.
Pretty quick, yes. And you could, well, this is not grippy. No. Luckily, it doesn't hurt if you fall over on it. It's just like wood bark or mulch, isn't it? Yeah, it's mulchy, yeah, I'd say. I mean, it will be cleared, so all this, what I was saying before, this will be raked, so you won't have all the sticks and stuff.
And you can actually see, this is part of the course that was laid out from last, if you look carefully, you can actually see the arch. Oh, OK, yes, yeah. So there will be people overtaking. So how did you come up with this course? Is it just a matter of knowing the woods like the back of your hand?
So I teach, well, I coach junior cycle racing for Red Hill Raiders in Woodhatch, in the Surrey County Council car park on Sundays. And a lot of the younger kids were getting really... excited by the sort of new wave superstar cyclists so we've got like Tom Pidcock and Matthew van der Poel and sort of Europeans and they all came from cyclocross so they said what's cyclocross?
teach us cyclocross so we As it happens, my daughter goes to school at Priory and every morning I'd walk the dog through here and thought, this would make a really good cyclocross course. Surrey have been really good. They're in control of the tarmac path at the back. So they've come forward and said, look, They'll close it off for the duration of the race for us.
So Surrey County Council, Ryagate, and then some local sponsors as well. We've got Pilgrim doing the beer and prizes. We've got Maison de Velo, the bike shop. Schoolhouse, the massage, sports massage people. We've got a company called SOS Maintenance, which is like a local rescue DIY company. They're providing, like, the course tape, which is ridiculous.
But something like that, when you've got four kilometres of course tape, comes to a few quid. You know, we're not making a lot of money. It's literally going into the next race, you know. And people like that are really helping us, you know. And then we've got a new sponsor, which is... a company called Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance, and they're coming on board and helping.
Oh, it's that plan, isn't it? Over in Red Hill.
In Red Hill, yeah. Yeah, just up by Memorial Park. That's right. They've just jumped on board, which is really nice, really helpful for us. So it's all looking really good. Yeah, so it's a lot of goodwill, a lot of local goodwill. It's going to be a great event. We've got another cycle club from Shepparton called... I've got to get this right. This is Sicli Artiginali, which I've got that right.
Is that Italian?
yeah yeah it is italian but they are they are london cycle club it's a vintage bike club they're going to come down and they're going to put on a like a display of cycle racing not so much cyclocross but it's all built up so that's going to be there there's going to be beer there there's going to be belgian fritz and mayonnaise there because it's a cyclocross it's it's a belgian sport you know although it's summer you know there's always room for chips
And coffee, so, you know, and, you know, there's going to be lots of noise. Hopefully people will bring cowbells.
I was going to say, because you do that with Run Rygate and so on, you've got the cowbells, but also that's a cycling thing, really, isn't it? Yeah, it's a massive cycling thing.
Yeah, they make as much of Vuvuzela as anything. Symbols, I've seen everything. I've seen people turn up with drums, you know, like proper drum kit drums, you know, just anything they can.
Or if not, just your vocal chords, just a shout and a cheer and a holler. Or just shout, yeah. Yeah, yeah, excellent.
So the more noise you bring, the more the cyclists go to.
so let's have some stats so how many cyclists there could be up to 300 wow okay how many different races there will be an under 12s race which obviously everyone up to under 12 not so much the really little ones because but the the under 12s races is mainly on the grass area up front because they they can't really manage this course then there's the under 14s under 16s
And then there's under-14s, under-16s, women's race. So there's girls in what they call open race. So open race, anyone can enter. Girls, it's a girls race. Then there's the women's seniors. They all go in different durations. So the longest race, the senior race, is 50 minutes, I believe. But that's subject to change to the commissaires, according to...
environmental conditions i mean if it if it gets like really dark or starts raining or someone's way out in the lead like you know three laps ahead or something like that which you know can happen because we've had some national champions we've got some some people that race in the worlds come to this because it's we're really lucky in a way because it's a standalone trophy rather than a series and it's in between the end of the summer series and the beginning of the winter series
So it's kind of like a little bit of a fun thing for them. They haven't got to worry about getting points for the season. They can try new stuff out and no one's going to worry, you know. There's a lot of smiles. It should be a really happy event, you know. Excellent.
And how long does the whole event kind of last for? If people are thinking to themselves, I'm going to come down, I'm going to get myself a bit of this action out of the sights.
So the racing starts about four o'clock on the afternoon and the last race is due to finish at eight because after that it gets a little bit dark in the woods. Then at 8 o'clock, Pilgrim are then putting on an after-party in the brewery. So it should be a good night and a Friday night.
And where can people get more information, Sean?
Cyclocrossforrygate.com. There's loads of information on there. There's loads of frequently asked questions, that sort of stuff. There's some banners around the park as well. There's one outside. There's one at the tennis court. There's one at the tennis court with the QR code on it and stuff like that. So you can find out.
and again it's all free it's all quite a spectacular bring your camera bring your vocal cords or a saucepan and a wooden spoon or something like you used to do during Covid and come down and enjoy yourself absolutely yeah and it'll be good fun yeah you definitely will love it and it could inspire you to bring your bike next year as well and it's open to everyone really you know if you wanted to bring a tandem
you know you could race that i wouldn't recommend it but i'd give it a go i think but maybe that would be the limit i don't think i don't think a penny farthing would make it no i don't think it would great to meet up with sean and i'm really looking forward to that so that's at the 9th of august yeah starts in the afternoon late afternoon so you can perhaps go along there with the kids something to do during the summer holidays or even take part maybe see you down there
The Good Time Guide. Things to do and places to go on the Planet Rygate podcast.
Yeah, the Good Time Guide comes in two parts. Earlier we heard places to go and things to do this weekend. Now our Good Time Guide for the coming week from Monday. Lots of kids events, so let's rattle through these first of all, starting on Monday. Now these essentially will start this coming Monday, but I may give other dates for the future because they're over several weeks very often.
Monday 29th July at Merstham Library, How to Make a Detective Story, 11 to 12. On the 8th August there at Merstham Library, At the Beach Happy Hour, an hour of fun based on the theme At the Beach, so a quiz, a search, colouring in, reading a story. Junk Modelling on Monday 12th August, 2 till 3. Painting with Nature on the 20th, 10 to 11. And Friday the 30th, Make a Shaker, 2 till 3.
These are usually kind of looking at them various ages up to the age of 10. So be aware of that. And also they say don't forget to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge. Read six or more books over the summer. Earn rewards for every book you read. And get a medal and a certificate when you complete the challenge. More information. You can get in touch with them. Let's see the best way.
Probably Facebook. Merstam Library. That's quite straightforward, isn't it? There's a summer swim crash course, Monday the 29th through to Thursday the 1st of August, 9 to 11. And that's all happening at Donata School. And to email to book helloflipperclub, love it, at gmail.com.
Also, Summer Kids Club Extravaganza, 9 till 3.30 on 29th July through to 1st August, 5th to 8th August and 12th to 15th as well. It's all happening at Sandcross Primary School. Lunch included, 5 to 11 years old. They say travel with us around the world this summer. More information, you can get that from bookwhen.com slash globefitkidsclubs.
The Minds in Motion Holiday Camp, £35 a day, happening at Rygate Priory Junior School, 29th to 2nd August, 5th August to the 9th. More information there, mindsinmotionholidaycamp.co.uk. Our friends at Rygate Roses Netball have summer camp dates. Netball training for years 2 to 13, so that's ages 6 to 18. 29th of July, 10 to 2.30, and 28th of August, 10 to 2.30.
Those camps taking place at the Hawthorne School. More information, reigaterosesnetball at gmail.com. The Inspire Academy of Dance has some dance camps for Redhill, 29th July to 21st August, suitable for children three years plus. Dancing, singing, games and crafts, and the themes include Wonka, Trolls, Wish, Minions and Summer Fun. Inspireacademyofdance.co.uk Tuesday the 30th of August.
Re-Betchworth Forest School on the Tuesday the 30th. Two till four. And they say all sessions run by a qualified teacher and forest school leader open to children from Betchworth and surrounding villages. Children between five and ten years old. Find out more. Claire Caxton at hotmail.com. That's C-L-A-C-T-O-N.
a i r caxton c a x t o n hotmail.com or here we go website r e hyphen betchworth dot org and all that is supported by betchworth parish council thursday the first of august into a new month on thursday catherine whitehouse has written in she says the letter writing group writing letters for the charity from me to you meets on the first thursday of each month so it's Thank you very much.
Now, it's all happening at the Posadero Lounge in Redhill, half ten to twelve. Writing material is provided for free. Just buy a drink while you're there, which kind of makes sense, doesn't it? More information, cath underscore wh, that's c-a-t-h underscore wh at hotmail.com. The Reigate Comedy Night at the Market Stores in Reigate happening on Thursday. And yeah, these are the details.
12.50 in advance at the Market Stores. Doors open at 7.30. Did you know that the Market Stores was voted the South East's best comedy provider club for 23-24? Oh, that sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Didn't realise that. Comedy Beats presents Reigate Comedy Night at the market stores on Thursday from 7.30. And we always look ahead to the following Saturday as well.
Boogie Monsters back this summer at the Reigate Castle grounds. Bring your family and enjoy this fun and interactive pop and rock band for kids. Saturday the 3rd. 12 o'clock and 2.30 shows. So they've got two different shows there. I guess what you'll have to do is look up for the Harlequin Theatre website. You can probably book via there.
If not, get in touch with me and I'll put you in touch with them. Intermediates Crochet Workshop on Saturday the 3rd, 10.30 to 12.30. And that is happening at the Plough Inn in Earlswood. You can learn to crochet in the round and make an elephant. What? Hey, what? Excuse me.
You may leave the class able to make magic rings and make stitches into them and the knowledge to complete your elephant in confidence. All yarn included, along with hook, stitch marker and stuffing. And you can go on to make a whole zoo of animals and with a little imagination, use beads to weigh them and make doorstops as well.
Planet Reigate Stars. Thanking local heroes who are out of this world.
Quick one this week from Charles Wood. Robert says thanks to the person who's left a note on my car saying, did you know you've got a flat tyre? I am actually aware. But it's really nice to know that other people care.
The 60 Second Soundscape. Local natural sounds uninterrupted.
Before we go, at the end of the show, natural sounds from a place you know. And this week, Cormunkers Lane and the Wren, the Robin, the Blackbirds and the Lambs.
The Planet Reigate podcast was produced and presented by Peter Stewart.