Comedy Night at the Fiery Bird music venue tonight should be, well, fun. Get along to 32 Goldsworth Road, GU21 6JT, for what is billed as Woking’s hottest comedy club with four of the funniest comics on the UK comedy circuit! Over-18s only.

With Greg Houston compering the line up is Mark Maier, Thenjiwe and Junior Simpson. Email [email protected]

TIME. I disagree with Macbeth when he declared that “tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day”. Wrong! It fairly rushes by at this season. Christmas is creeping up although we have known it was going to creep up on us and we, at least I, are never wholly prepared.

Writing this page a week ago and heading it with today’s date came as a shock. The end of November! Already!

There is another thing which makes me notice the passing of the days: I take medication which is presented in a dated blister pack. And popping the pills from the foil marked with the day of the week is reminiscent of the prisoner scratching the days off on the wall of his cell.

And mentioning blister packs, I have been informed that Terracycle https://www. terracycle.com/en-GB/ which I gave, was not helpful but a reader has suggested “searching Google for ‘Aldi. Terracycle’ and that will go straight to how to get your free labels etcetera to send old blisters for recycling. The project is a joint one between Aldi and Terracycle – good for Aldi”.

Indeed, good for anyone who can make recycling easier. Aldi has other ideas about recycling too, so that’s a good page to visit.

HERE TODAY... When visiting a place you once knew – perhaps for family holidays when you were very young – you may exclaim that things have changed, things you loved, and yet you can’t remember what used to be there.

Things have changed around here, too. When people realise I have lived here all my life the comment is that I must have seen many changes. Indeed I have, but so often I can’t remember what was there before.

Public Slipper Baths where The Lightbox now is? My great grandmother’s house – which I never saw – subsumed by the Commercial Road car park and that in turn now shops in Commercial Way?

The Atalanta Ballroom? Albion and Cotteridge Hotels? All gone and in most cases it is difficult to pinpoint just where they used to be.

That is one good reason to walk around the area with a camera to record the Woking we know now for it will, all too soon, be a thing of the past – a photograph for David Rose’s Peeps into the Past page.

Iain Wakeford has, for many years now, guided his Heritage Walks around the

area. The last heritage walk for this year will take place on Sunday, December 10, and wind its way around Horsell – canal and common. Participants should meet at 2 pm on the bridge over the canal by the WWF Living Planet Centre, GU21 4LL. Iain’s Heritage Walks are free and open to anyone. There's no membership required, no need to book, just turn up and walk. All walks are circular, bringing participants back to the starting point and last up to two hours. There are frequent stops to explore features of historic interest, making the walks more like a gentle stroll than rambles. Walk details can be found on www.wokinghistory.org.

Iain's walk will likely include the Rive Ponds on Wheatsheaf Common, as featured on the front cover of Horsell’s Charity Calendar for 2024. The calendar is available for £8 from Horsell Church and many shops in the village. However, the pace of Iain’s walks may soon need to be increased, as he plans to publish as much as possible from his archives on Woking Town Centre Streets. This will include not only buildings like great-grandmother’s house but entire streets that have vanished, such as Percy Street, Clarence Avenue, Vale Farm Road, Bath Road, and Stanley Road.

On a different note, a green light has been given to a request for permission to build a seventeen-story high-rise block on the High Street. This area, highlighted for its historical significance, will see the construction of yet another high-rise, housing up to 329 people in rented accommodation. The new block plans include communal cooking stations, laundry, gym, and a cinema. The High Street project raises questions about the preservation of historical facades and the growing trend of high-rise developments in Woking.

Additionally, it was noted that the Centrium building near the railway station is facing problems. While the building has a unique ship-like appearance, issues have arisen, prompting concerns. The commentator suggests that if new buildings must be constructed, architects should prioritize imagination and empathy in their designs.

The community news also highlighted the Woking Repair Café, which offers free repairs to small electrical items, furniture, garden tools, clothes, and textiles. The café is scheduled to visit various locations around the borough, welcoming volunteers and visitors who need assistance with repairs. Another initiative, the Skill Mill, offers work opportunities for young people aged 16 to 18 with a history of offending. The model involves a four-day working week on various outdoor projects, providing training and education for the participants.

The article ends by mentioning the abundance of volunteering opportunities available and encourages readers to visit www.volunteerwoking.org.uk for more information.