Celebrating Surrey

• Giant insect puppets parading at The Butterfly Ball.
A live iron pour and the chance to create your own sculpture moulds.
• The best of local classical music and choirs to rock bands and DJs.
• Diverse dance performances including Bollywood, contemporary and integrated from StopGap.
• The chance to dress up in style with Surrey Arts Wardrobe.
• A display of circus skills and acrobatics from young people.
• A variety of delicious food and drink including local produce from the Surrey Hills.
• Opportunities to make your own artwork, and climb inside works of art.

For more information visit the Surrey County Council website.

NADFAS Media Award

Walton and Hersham DFAS decided in early 2009 to introduce digital presentation into the lectures and at the same time introduced "Opening Screens" which start with house notices , such as fire exits and requests to switch off mobile phones and follows with full information about the day's lecture , future lectures , Special Interest Days , Visits and Tours.  The whole presentation takes between 7 and 10 minutes and runs as a continuous loop for about an hour before the lecture starts.  We were delighted when "Opening Screens" were voted Highly Commended in the NADFAS Media Awards for 2009. 

Young Arts

Ashley Church of England Primary School in Walton on Thames was delighted to receive a grant of £350 from our Society to enhance the teaching of art at the school. For more information see Young Arts.

Church Recorders Outing August 2009

Diane Phillips, one of our recorders once again organised a very successful tour of the Surrey countryside visiting four lovely churches.

Our first visit was to St. Andrew’s at Gatton which is fitted with choir stalls, panels, glass and artefacts from Northern Europe. Simon Jenkins, in his book ‘England’s Thousand Best Churches’ says it is ‘not really a 19th c English Church, more a Flemish Collegiate Chapel of the 16th c’. We were fortunate to be shown round the Church by two members of the Congregation who happened to be Church Recorders.

We then moved on to two Norman churches, Wisley Church and St. Nicholas at Pyrford (shown above). Wisley Church has many traces of ancient wall paintings dating back to the 12th c, and an interesting tombstone to John Choat, died 1879 and his wife Hannah, died 1890, containing in the inscription the words ‘Her Children and her Children’s Children numbering 160, shall rise up and call her blessed’. We all agreed with the sentiment.

St Nicholas at Pyrford is one of the oldest churches in Surrey that stands as a complete building of one period; axe marks left by Norman masons can be seen on the chancel arch. A bell-turret and porch outside the north door are Tudor additions.

Our last visit was to All Saints at Ockham. We were shown round by a member of the congregation who supplied us with very welcome tea and biscuits. The 13th century east window is one of only two windows of seven stepped lancets in England and a delight to be seen on a sunny day. There is much of interest in this Church and we were fortunate to have such a knowledgeable guide who rounded off our visit with a climb to the top of the bell tower to hear the hour struck.

Our thanks must go to Diane for ensuring we had such a lovely day.

‘An Unexpected Reunion with your Past’

Most committee members and some spouses ventured into Notting Hill in August for our annual outing. The venue chosen was the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising. We saw a selection of toys, cleaning materials, food products, cigarette packets, postcards, magazines, and so much more....

As their publicity states:
“This history of consumer culture is revealed decade by decade in the ‘time tunnel’, from Victorian times to the present day. Discover the trends of daily life, the revolution in shopping habits, the groceries, sweets and household goods, the changes in taste and tempo, the advent of motoring, aviation, radio and television, the gradual emancipation of women and the effects of two world wars.”
There are over 12,000 original items on display - leading to a distinctly nostalgic day with all of us agreeing that we really should return.
Should you wish to discover more, log on to www.museumofbrands.com