Please send your items of community gossip to [email protected]

Horsell Garden Soiree

I searched for the word for a daytime soiree and only came up with matinee. I wanted to suggest that the Horsell Garden Safari is much more than a chance to look at other people's gardens – it is a social event.

Of course it rained. It was 15 June. It was Trooping the Colour. It was the King's Birthday Parade. It was the first day of the Horsell Garden Safari. So of course it rained.

I had just two visitors to my garden in the morning and only another 20 in the afternoon. Things, including the weather, bucked up somewhat on the Sunday.

Despite the apocalyptic start to the events on Saturday, about 400 schedules were sold, and with more revenue from the raffle, and teas and plant sales at some of the gardens, over £5,000 was raised for local charities: 60% to Woking & Sam Beare Hospice, 30% to Horsell Care and 10% to the village hall.

This very popular annual event is the result of the hard work of the safari organisers – nothing to do with the Friends of Woking Community Hospital as was erroneously reported in last week’s issue.

Florally my garden was having a rest. The blazes of azaleas and rhododendrons, irises, and the first lot of roses, were all over. But visitors seemed interested in this old garden and, of course, the dugout.

The shelter is in two parts: down the four concrete steps into the entrance which, since the original corrugated iron door rusted away, fills with leaves and rainwater and therefore could not be pumped out – the poor pump would choke on all that gunge. So it was bailed out, and the garden beds appreciated that muck.

The shelter itself, entered over an 18” high step, was flooded to that depth by ground water which was tolerably clean and could be pumped. We had arranged for this water to flow into a waterfall down the outside of the shelter and into the pond. Very attractive but, although we only switched on the pump when people were present to see the waterfall, we ran out of water and we now have a dry air raid shelter for the first time – since this time last year.

The table of Second World War memorabilia proved popular. One visitor noticed in my husband's wartime Soldier’s Service Book that he was born in Muree, Peshawar, in what was then India.

This led on to discussing his father having served in both world wars, and been highly decorated in the First which, in turn, led to our proud family heirloom: his hat with a bullet hole right through it gathered at Neuve Chapelle in December 1914.

There is a small shrub in my garden, any label long lost. I thought it looked a little like goat willow but I have never noticed any flowers on it. So this started a “name that plant” game of identification using clever apps on smart phones.

Several alternatives were suggested, but it would seem most likely that I have a mulberry bush, which pleases me. I looked it up and all the pictures show lush berries. My plant does not have those but now I know its name I'll talk to it and encourage it.

The birds have already taken my unripe cherries, unripe blackcurrants, unripe redcurrants and unripe raspberries – I wonder if they will enjoy mulberries? Perhaps they do and perhaps they have and perhaps that is why I've not noticed any mulberries.

The safari was a great social occasion with people meeting people for the first time and realising they are neighbours, and old friends greeting each other. Despite being told by my family that I “really shouldn't do it any more” I expect that I shall.

If one spring cleans ones home annually, why not the garden? It's not just money down the back of the sofa which is discovered but all sorts of plants which have cropped up mysteriously and will be harboured safely until I know or sure if they are friend or foe. Or mulberry bush.

Fancy Meeting You!

Although the council’s finances remain a PR negative, Woking continues to attract positive images both nationally and overseas.

In this vein, a Paris-based camera crew, led by Cyril Leuthy, visited  this town last week to follow the HG Wells trail under the guidance of Professor Peter Beck, a Woking resident and author of The War of the Worlds:  from HG Wells to Orson Welles, Jeff Wayne, Steven Spielberg and beyond (Bloomsbury, 2016).

Filming concentrated on Horsell Common, where Wells’ Martians landed and established their military HQ. On Tuesday 18 June Brian Sheriff, churchwarden at St Mary's in Horsell, arranged access to the church tower for them to gain an aerial view of the area.

Leuthy is producing a documentary on Wells’ The War of the Worlds for the Arte Channel, the European cultural TV channel targeted principally at France and Germany. He is approaching the topic from varying cultural perspectives; thus, the day before filming in Woking, he interviewed Andy Weir, whose bestselling book, The Martian (2014), inspired the 2015 film starring Matt Damon.

While viewing the statue of Wells unveiled in 2016 as part of the celebrations marking Woking’s role in his life and writing, the French filmmakers and Peter Beck saw a woman taking numerous photographs of the statue.

When asked about her interest, she revealed that Wells was her great grandfather. Having been unable to attend the 2016 celebrations attended by members of the Wells family, Jane Kjersten, a New Zealand resident, said that currently she is taking the opportunity to visit the Wellsian locations influential in her family’s history.

Perhaps, it was serendipity that, at Wells Plaza, Jane’s path crossed with that of the French film crew and Peter Beck. For Jane, it was synchronicity, one of those “moments when things aligned right at the right time for something wonderful to happen!

“It was incredible to be here and finally see the statue and the Martian (which is an incredible piece of art work!) with my own eyes and to take in the place where HG lived as a young writer.”

Unrecyclable?

I am still looking for a “proper” way to get rid of blister packs.

Because they are made of so many different components this is not a simple matter, unless you give up and just chuck them in the black – landfill – bin. Every now and then a reader comes up with news that Tesco or Superdrug or some other superstore will accept them. Then said store will say they have discontinued that service.

A reader has now sent me information from TerraCycle: “We are passionate about minimising the impact of beauty routine on the environment while maximising convenience for you. Did you know that most kerbside recycling programmes do not accept the complex materials that make up the packaging of your favourite beauty products? For Plastic Free Beauty Day, let’s remind ourselves of the importance of recycling beauty empties to help protect our planet.

“Our innovative Zero Waste Bags are the perfect solution for eco-conscious beauty enthusiasts looking to recycle tubes, wands, dispensers, plastic pencils, cosmetic cases, bottles and caps, and more! Order now and enjoy a convenient and easy way to recycle your beauty empties at home or work.”

That sounds promising. An illustration on their site shows blister packs being put into a zero waste bag. But said bags cost £25.

My reader writes: “Nice idea but I do feel a bit 'hmm' that we should pay to recycle items when the companies should provide better packaging for recycling etc.”

I have also come across https://www.zerocarbonguildford.org/terracycle, which is very interesting – and useful – if you live in Guildford, but then we have to pay to visit Guildford.

Yet all is not lost! I found: “Yes, there are TerraCycle drop-off points in Woking! You can find your nearest public drop-off point by entering your postcode on TerraCycle UK's interactive map.”

I find this reminiscent of the old Yellow Pages adverts: Let your Fingers do the Walking!

At least that sort of walking will not result in blisters but may, perhaps, possibly, doubtlessly, probably, be the route to getting rid of those blasted blister packs.

Still Caring

Horsell Care (HC) has just marked its 25th anniversary. Twenty-five years of helping and caring for local residents. Some of those original Horsell Carers were present at the AGM and anniversary lunch.

Tony Noel was amongst them. Over the years he has written articles on HC and is compiling a “proper” history.

At the time of the millennium local and central governments were keen for local voluntary groups to take up some of the burden of care in the community. Much as they are pleading for our help these days.

Back then, the three churches in the village said the millennium celebrations should be more than a chance for a party. Eventually a plan was formulated for three schemes to mark the special date: a party in the QE2 gardens, the renovation of the village hall, and the launch of a care scheme.

Work began in 1998 when a small group of enthusiastic people met at the Westgate Centre – now the site of The Lightbox – and agreed on a target “to make Horsell a better place for those not as fit or mobile as they used to be.”

A good idea, but how to put it into practice? The group visited local care schemes, researched, discussed, and then finalised their daily procedures.

Vicki Michelle, of 'Allo 'Allo, publicised HC at the1999 May Fayre, and there was a volunteer strength of 71 and growing confidence for a launch that September.

That confidence was not misplaced and HC is thriving today. There is a constant requirement for more recruits: most of the newer volunteers are either people who have just retired but quite a few are young parents and/or those who work from home. Some 651 jobs were completed in the current year. Most of the jobs concern taking people to hospital and doctor appointments, but also visiting and chatting, lunches and coffee mornings and, of course manning the telephone and organising the pick-ups.

The decrease in funding of the Bustler service has already had an impact, increasing the number of HR clients. The Bustler buses deliver or collect people from next to the Civic Offices near the specially erected waiting room.

There was also the buggy which ran round the town centre and linked with the Bustler buses but that extremely useful mode of transport is no more.

Several years ago Woking Lions gave Woking Community Transport (WCT) a donation towards the Buggy. In the last few years Woking Lions has also made donations to WCT resulting from Lions Martian Race across Horsell Common.

Horsell Care Helpline is 01483 730740.

By Ann Tilbury