By Rachael Leverton Rhubarb is a reasonably easy trouble-free plant to grow. It is also a handsome plant, with large leaves and striking red stems, and who doesn’t love a rhubarb crumble? The trick is to choose the right spot. Ideally it needs to be planted in full sun but if your garden is very […]
Quick pickling is the new big thing in the kitchen When I was a child, family get-togethers involved buffet lunches. One of the highlights were the big jars of ‘quick pickles’ that my father, aunts, and uncles had been taught to make by my grandmother. Quick pickles are vegetables pickled in a solution of vinegar,
27 November to 6 December ‘Light Up Elmbridge’; is a new online festival hosted centrally on the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre YouTube Channel as well as on other social media sites and media outlets to maximise the reach of the performances. Light Up Elmbridge aims to bring together the borough’s cultural sector in an exciting
Light Up Elmbridge Festival Read More »
The Royal Albert Hall, a venue that has seen every style of music performed beneath its iconic done, will turn 150 years in 2021. To celebrate the occasion, the 16th Elmbridge Literary Competition has chosen ‘Music’ as its theme. Music plays a big part in our lives. “What music do you like?” is the question
16th Elmbridge Literary Competition celebrates Royal Albert Hall’s 150th Anniversary Read More »
By local resident and contributor John Taylor Prince Albert, together with Henry Cole a member of the Society of Arts, approached the government in 1850, with the idea for the exhibition. A Royal Commission was established to investigate, and initial doubts from the authorities were soon replaced by enthusiasm. A self-financing event, The Great Exhibition,
The Great Exhibition Read More »
The Walton-on-Thames Business Improvement District (BID) moved a step closer to its launch with Elmbridge Borough Council approving £44,000 in advance funding to help the BID hit the ground running from day one of its launch on 1 March 2021. The BID was developed by businesses for businesses to help deliver new investment and footfall
Walton Business Improvement District countdown to launch Read More »
Did you know there was golf course at Ashley Park? Joseph Sassoon ,a wealthy local resident caught the ‘golf bug’ and decided to create a nine-hole course on land lying between Ashley Road, Station Avenue, Hersham Road and Stompond Lane. To bring this to fruition he called upon the services of his gardener, James Albert
Ashley Park Golf Club Read More »
There are many types of historic pond. Some pond types are far better researched than others. Fish ponds, for example, are often well documented. Marl pits, on the other hand, are incredibly common in some parts of the country, yet little is known about them. Analysis of the 2500 records including the term ‘pond’ in
Medieval Fish Ponds Read More »
During lockdown, lots of us have come to realise how important exercise is to look after our physical and mental health. Keeping healthy has never been more important. Elmbridge Borough Council is launching a public consultation from 15 September to 31 October to inform their new Physical Activity Strategy for 2021-2026. The strategy will aim
Getting Elmbridge Active Survey Read More »
Berberis thunbergii are deciduous shrubs which look particularly fabulous at this time year, producing highly coloured leaves, and often berries which last well into winter. These berries are actually edible and rich in vitamin C, though because they are very acidic, they are not widely consumed by people. They are an important food for many
The title is a bit cheeky. This is not a piece about flooding (we will follow up on this aspect of dredging at a later stage.). But it is indeed about the value and benefit of dredging it. Please read on. Malcolm Head was Dredging Master on the Thames for 44 years. You may have
The Value of Dredging: Treasures of the Thames Read More »
Over the past few weeks, it has been encouraging to see how businesses and communities across Elmbridge are recovering from the disruption caused by Coronavirus. I’ve recently been out in Molesey with local Conservative Councillors Steve Bax and Peter Szanto. This was part of a series of visits I’m making to local businesses and high
Taggs Island, in size 3.681 acres, is situated on the river above Molesey Lock, close to the Surrey bank, but connected to the Middlesex side by a long single track road bridge. Previous names include Walnut Tree Ait, and Kent’s Ait. Its official name comes from boat builder Thomas Tagg, who in 1872 built the
Legendary Islands of the River Thames Read More »
We know this photo of New Zealand Avenue was taken in 1959, because the film being advertised at the Regal cinema on the right, ‘Jet Storm’ starring Richard Attenborough, was released in that year. The Regal was opened in 1938 and was said to be one of the most modern in the country at the
New Zealand Avenue 1959 Read More »
In line with the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre’s campaign efforts, the Rose is joining the movement to safeguard the theatre industry’s future. SOLT and UK Theatre are working with the government following the submission of a paper to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) which outlines practical solutions
Rose Theatre Joins Call to Safeguard the Theatre Industry Read More »
A high street retail survey among Elmbridge residents, which had almost 1000 responses, has highlighted that we are missing clothes and shoe shops (70.3%) the most during lockdown, with department stores (44.5%) and book shops (32.4%) in second and third place. As shop owners across Elmbridge prepare to reopen, it seems the risk of contracting
We Were Missing Clothes and Shoe Shops Most! Read More »
By Dominic Raab, Local MP We reached an important milestone in this effort on 3 June, when Heathside Walton school received planning permission. Heathside Walton will be an excellent new state secondary school, with a capacity of 900 pupils, serving children in Walton and Molesey. The target date for opening the school is September 2022.
Addressing the Shortage of School Places in Elmbridge has Always Been a Top Priority Read More »
The Ashley Arms, also known locally as ‘the Little Ashley’, once stood on the far side of the Halfway Green on Station Avenue. It was never more than one of a pair of cottages constructed in the mid-19th century and probably began life as a small beer house in the 1860s. The land had been
The Ashley Arms – Inns and Taverns of Walton Read More »
At the end of February, the skies were beginning to clear from a rain filled winter and river levels across the UK were returning to normal levels after major flooding. The Thames was beginning to show signs of Spring with buds appearing on trees and wildlife looking for mates to begin the nesting period. In
Lockdown on the River Thames Read More »
By Jo Turner During lockdown I was furloughed, and my husband John had to work from home. We decided to use the time it usually took us to commute (an hour each way) to walk. We’d never really walked as a form of exercise before…we’d never really taken any form of exercise before, so this
Walking to Happiness Read More »
By Rachael Leverton I love a crevice. A little gap between the lawn and the path; a cracked paving slab, or a little hole in a wall. These are tiny pockets where magic can happen. Does the crack or crevice sit mainly in the sun or the shade? If it’s sunny, you have a choice
Gardening Matters – Cracks and Crevices Read More »
