Ninety years in the Stoughton Community

Manor Road Evangelical Church

In March 2022 Manor Road Evangelical Church is celebrating ninety years of service at 132, Manor Road, GU2 9NR.

In the early nineteen hundreds, a group of Christians were meeting in a hired hall in Ward Street. This worked well on Sunday mornings when things were relatively quiet in the town centre. Although for Alexander and Ethel Mersh and their 5 daughters, this entailed a walk of three and a half miles, from Pinks Hill in Wood Street, each Sunday (as there were no buses running on Sundays in those days). At the mid-week prayer meeting the Christians found concentrating difficult, due to the ‘grunts’ and ‘groans’ of the boxing club which was meeting in the adjacent room.

Alexander Mersh was a local builder, who was responsible for overseeing the building of a number of chapels on the west side of Surrey. When he discovered that the Congregational Church were moving out of their Hall in Manor Road to new purpose-built premises in Southway, he purchased these premises from them for the use of the small independent church that he was a part of. This was extremely convenient for many of those who were living in the Stoughton area.

Although a lot of adaptations have taken place in and around our premises we still maintain the vision of those earlier Christians to be a blessing to the Stoughton Community, and beyond.

Doreen, Alexander Mersh’s youngest daughter (who, incidentally, will be 97 on March 2nd) was pleased that the family could now travel the journey of less than 2 miles by pony and trap, which they parked safely at the back of the hall.

Doreen Mersh, who is 97 on March 2nd and who was a 7 year old when her father bought the premises at 132 Manor Road for the use of the church.

Because the Congregational Church (now known as the Westborough United Reformed Church) needed their chairs, the new residents purchased chairs for the princely sum of £25/3/8 (£25.18) and an organ and sundry other items for £6/12/6 (£6.63). But, as a clear demonstration of the unity of all those who are followers of Jesus Christ the former church left the majority of its Sunday school in the capable hands of the new church.

Annual Sunday School outing to Wittering on July 1st 1950. The children and a number of their parents visited the coast in 5 or 6 coaches. The maiden names of three of the girls were: 1st left Shirley Knight (of Percy Road), 2nd left Janet Balcombe (of the Round House in Grange Road). 2nd right is Shirley Blanche who we believe came from somewhere on the Bellfields Estate. In the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s many of the families could not afford annual holidays and this outing was there only opportunity for a day at the coast. The children were paid for by the church. The following 2 photos show what the building looked like from 1906, when it was built, through to the 1960’s when the new front was put on.
Photo taken outside the Manor Road Church hall in October 1943 of the wedding of Mr Mersh’s eldest daughter Eileen (who married George Brown) to her left are her parents Mrs Ethel and Mr Alexander Mersh and to their left are their daughters Ivy and Doreen (who is their youngest daughter).
Photo taken in June 1961 when Margaret Baverstock married David Millidge. Margaret was the granddaughter of Mr William Warren, whose funeral was the first service to be taken by MREC in their newly acquired buildings. To Margaret’s left are her parents Gertrude and Charles Baverstock (Gertrude was Mr Warren’s daughter).

Sadly the first service at the end of March conducted by MREC in their new premises, was the funeral thanksgiving service for the life of William Warren, who died suddenly at the age of just 51. William Warren was a part-time local colporteur, who did door to door visitation work to offer Bibles for sale and to hand out gospel leaflets, as well as being the proprietor of the Newsagents, which was a few doors down from MREC on the opposite side of the road.

Although a lot of adaptations have taken place in and around our premises we still maintain the vision of those earlier Christians to be a blessing to the Stoughton Community, and beyond.

You would be most welcome to join us on Sunday March 20th at 11.00am to be reminded of our service in the community and of God’s blessings to us. Whether you have former ties with the church, or not, you are welcome to join us and travel down memory lane with us.

For more information: Phone:
07498 211384 or 07914 322988

E-mail: AbrahamDebbarma@manorroad.church or JohnKnight@manorroad.church

www.manorroad.church
Manor Road Evangelical Church, 132 Manor Road, Stoughton, Guildford, Surrey GU2 9NR.


The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre launch ‘Like a Chat?’

A weekly social club based in the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre riverside café.

Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre were delighted to launch their weekly social club, Like a Chat?, on Thursday 9 June, featuring a special visit from George Verghis, Claire Dyson and Andrew McDonald, stars of best-selling crime novelist Hillary Bonner’s Dead Lies.

Like a Chat? runs from 10.00am to 12.30pm every Thursday in the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre café, so drop by for a chat, to read the paper, play a board game or a game of cards, or whatever else takes your fancy! This welcoming weekly session is a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and enjoy a change of scenery.

Like a Chat? is hosted by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre’s friendly volunteers and their riverside café will be open for drinks and snacks. The Yvonne Arnaud team are delighted to be able to offer a safe and welcoming place to meet, whether you are a regular playgoer or not!


Cycle or run? Two fabulous fundraising events for you to enjoy.

Kelly’s Storage Charity Events are once again organising the Kelly’s Clandon Park Run with George Abbott School’s PTA and the Kelly’s Cycle Challenge in aid of Challengers.

Kelly’s Storage Charity Events organising the Kelly’s Clandon Park Run with George Abbott School.

Kelly’s Storage Charity Events pay for and organise active sporting events which provide huge fundraising opportunities for local charities. They cover all costs so every pound donated and raised goes 100% to the charity.

They are once again organising their hugely popular Cycle Sportive on Sunday May 22nd near Alice Holt, Farnham. All money raised goes to Challengers, a local charity providing play & leisure opportunities for disabled children across Surrey & Hants.

The Kelly’s Cycle Challenge starts from HQ in a field on the doorstep of Alice Holt forest and follows quiet country roads for mile on mile of stunning Surrey & Hampshire scenery.

There are three distances to choose from plus a special 7 mile Family Forest Ride suitable for young cyclists. Whichever route is chosen, all riders can be sure of a truly scenic cycle.

“This is an event I’ll keep coming back to. Well organised; excellent logistics; a friendly and helpful event team; brilliant feed stations; and a lovely scenic, hilly course. It’s a superb charity to ride for and I love that the ‘entry fee’ is a suggested donation that goes straight to Challengers.” said Richard Humphreys a 74 miler!

The event is professionally organised and the routes fully supported with mobile mechanics, feed stations along the way with delicious food & friendly helpers and of course a buzzing HQ village with free parking.

If cycling isn’t for you, Kelly’s Storage also sponsor and provide equipment for the Kelly’s Clandon Park Run, established by George Abbott PTA, a registered charity established to raise money for the purchase of capital equipment to benefit the pupils of the school. Every year the Earl of Onslow kindly opens the gates to Clandon Park with its stunning fields and lake & invites 10k & 5k runners of all ages and abilities to come & enjoy! This year, for the first time, instead of starting & finishing at the school the entire event will take place in the Park on July 2nd. HQ will have a festival atmosphere with school bands playing, stalls from each department offering various activities & displays and of course there will be plenty of delicious refreshments on offer.

This is definitely a local event not to be missed! Kate Carriett, Headteacher, commented: ‘The Kelly’s Clandon Park Run is a real flagship event for the school. It really embeds us in the local community and, each year, enables us to make a real difference for our students.’

“This is an event I’ll keep coming back to.”

So why not sign up today to a Kelly’s Storage Charity Event! Cycle or run you can keep fit, have fun & help great causes. You can enter both events online today at charity.kellystorage.co.uk.

No transaction fees will be charged so rest assured 100% of your donation will go directly to the charity.


Comedian Joe Pasquale stars in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

…at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford

Hilarious mishaps and DIY disasters are bringing the house down, quite literally, as Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em comes to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford (5th – 9th April) with Joe Pasquale (New Faces, I’m a Celebrity, Spamalot, The Producers) as the lovable accident-prone Frank Spencer.

The stage adaptation of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is directed by the award-winning Guy Unsworth, based on the original TV series by Raymond Allen. Joe Pasquale will reprise the role of Frank Spencer, with Sarah Earnshaw as his long-suffering wife Betty. Betty has exciting news for Frank, but he’s preoccupied by possible newfound fame as a magician. With guests arriving for dinner and crossed wires all round, priceless misunderstandings are on the menu.

Comedian Joe Pasquale has delighted audiences with his live stand-up tours for over 30 years. Along the way, he’s voiced characters for Hollywood movies Garfield: A Tale of Two Kittens and Horton Hears a Who! and starred in The Muppets’ 25th Anniversary Show. Joe made his theatrical debut in 1999 in Larry Shue’s The Nerd, followed by the touring productions of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Mel Brooks’ The Producers.

Based on the 1970s classic TV comedy by Ray Allen, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is the ultimate feel-good night out, washed down with lashings of nostalgia and Mother’s prune wine.

Joe took part in The All New Monty: Who Bares Wins, he was crowned ‘King of the Jungle’ in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here in 2004, appeared on five Royal Variety Performances, hosted his own ITV special An Audience with Joe Pasquale, at times hosted The Paul O’Grady Show for Channel 4 and hosted the long-running television series The Price is Right for ITV. Other recent TV credits include a celebrity edition of Total Wipeout; Guinness World Records Smashed and Virgin One’s The Prisoner X.

Hilarious mishaps and DIY disasters are bringing the house down, quite literally, as Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em comes to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford (5th – 9th April) with Joe Pasquale.

Prior to playing Betty in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Sarah Earnshaw most recently starred as Connie in The Nightingales (Theatre Royal Bath & UK Tour) and Jennifer Lore in the UK Tour of Nativity – The Musical. Her other theatre credits include Travels With My Aunt (Chichester Festival), The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (West End and UK Tour) and the original London cast of Wicked.

For more information and to book tickets, visit: Yvonne-Arnaud.co.uk Alternatively, contact the Box Office on 01483 44 00 00 (Mon-Fri, 10am to 5pm).


The Hierarchy of Fat-loss

Christine Sciberras, Founder and Head Coach at Melita Fitness

When it comes to losing weight, or more specifically losing fat, exercise gets a lot of attention. It tends to be the first thing we do.

You’ll see it all over fitness magazine too: “5 exercises for fat loss” or “20 minutes to your bikini body”. As a personal trainer, you might be surprised to hear that exercise is not the first thing I recommend for women (or anyone really) wanting to lose fat. In fact it’s not even the second thing! So let me share with you my Hierarchy for Fat Loss.

The MOST important thing for fat loss is NUTRITION. It is absolutely fundamental because whichever way you look at it: you cannot out-exercise a poor diet.

Getting nutrition right is key: This means getting adequate portions of protein, fats, carbs and veg. It also means maintaining a calorie deficit. But not too much of a deficit that it causes us to overeat in 2, 5, 7 days’ time.

Think of it like this: if you only have one free hour, what should you do? The most effective thing that you can do, is sort out your nutrition for the next few days: plan your meals, get your food shop organised, or prep your food by, for example, cooking up a batch of protein and veggies.

How many of us do this consistently? Because in my experience, we are more likely to think a workout is more important. We carve out an extra hour and go to a class or run. But then we wing the nutrition bit, because we haven’t got enough time to prepare something nutritious. Well, that’s doing it backwards. Because let me say it again: you can’t ever out-exercise a bad diet.

The second most important aspect is SLEEP and recovery! Yes, sleep is more important than exercise. Why? Because lack of sleep messes up your hunger hormones causing you to want to eat more (and particularly making you want to eat more junk food). It also elevates your stress hormones, which makes it harder to lose weight!

So prioritising sleep is super important. This means having a regular bedtime routine: avoid phones in the evening, avoid eating late, limit caffeine in the afternoon and so on.

The most effective thing that you can do, is sort out your nutrition for the next few days.

It’s only at the third level, that we finally get to EXERCISE, once we have nailed nutrition and sleep. Because if you’re not rested and recovered, then your workout will be sub-optimal.

It’s not just any exercise. It’s about Lifting Heavy Stuff. Workouts should be 3-4 times a week and ideally around 45 minutes long. Any longer and you’re probably not working out hard enough. Any more frequent and you’re probably not recovered between workouts.

At the next level up, it’s about Activity Levels. This is non-exercise activity like walking, gardening, hoovering… 10,000 steps is a good target for most of us!

Finally, right at the top, is everything else. All the things that confuse and obfuscate fat loss. And that many of us don’t need to worry about. Things like meal timings, supplements, which superfood is ‘the best’ or which 5 exercises are ‘the best’. Yes, ironically these are often the things you read most about in magazines!

But for most of us, these things don’t really matter. And focusing on the lower levels Nutrition, Sleep and Lifting Heavy Stuff consistently is what is really required.

If you’ve struggled with achieving consistent fat-loss and would like some help, please get in touch: chris@melitafitness.co.uk


The Haven Café at the QE Park Centre

The Haven Café is a social enterprise café which opened in December 2020 at the QE Park Centre. The café is run on a ‘not for profit’ basis and focuses on employing, empowering and educating young adults who are currently unemployed, at risk of unemployment, or not in education or training.

Neat2Eat (the Community Interest Company that runs the café,) works in partnership with the Matrix Trust, to offer education, training, and apprenticeships (supported by Guildford College).

The Haven Café is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10.00am-3.00pm.

QE Park Baptist Church, who own and manage the QE Park Centre, will be working in partnership with the Haven Café to extend the café space two Tuesdays per month to create a Renew space. A Renew space is a quiet cafe style space that serves as a place of welcome and shared habits for good mental and emotional wellbeing. It is a space where every-one is valued and where you can share a hobby, suggest an activity, and make connections. It is also a space where people can encounter God’s love and develop healthy inner practices of prayer and meditation. The space will be open from 10.00am – 3.00pm on the following days: 18th January, 1st February, 15th February, 1st March, 15th March and 5th April.

Additional staff required

The café is looking for additional staff to support their extended hours and, in particular, for Saturday shifts.

This would initially be on a voluntary basis but could then move to paid hours.

If you or anyone you know might be interested, contact Mark Collins at mark@foodwisetlc.care for more details.

Church Office: 01483 235185
www.qeparkbaptist.org.uk


Back to school – back to you!

Christine Sciberras, Founder and Head Coach at Melita Fitness

By the time you read this, you’ll hopefully have finished buying and labelling shirts and PE kit, spent a fortune in WHSmith on ‘essentials’. And another fortune at the uniform shop! September is a bit like January: you leave behind the hangover of too much holiday food and booze. The juggling of child-care and work. The never-ending requests for snacks!

But many of us will also be thinking: I’ll finally get into a routine. I’ll claw some time back.

And while you do this, I want you to acknowledge that you have (probably) spent the best part of the last few weeks putting other people’s needs first. So it makes sense to use some of that time to think about your needs. And maybe those needs include prioritising your health and fitness.

So if this sounds like you, read on!

Do ONE thing

It’s an easy trap to fall into – we decide that everything has to change. So we resolve to drink more water, eat less toast, exercise 5 times per week, eat lots of vegetables, eat less meat, no biscuits, drink less wine, sleep more, and on and on!

But it’s easy to become overwhelmed with such an extensive list. So my advice is to Do One Thing… Choose one small, specific goal, make it THE thing and really go for it.

Focus on behaviours (I will eat vegetables) rather than outcomes (I will lose 2 pounds). You can directly influence your behaviours, but outcomes can be a little trickier. You’ll feel great when you accomplish each little goal. And each success will help bolster your resolve and guess what, yield more results!

Something is better than nothing

Are you guilty of ‘all or nothing’ thinking? It’s super common! We think,

“I blew my diet last night, so I’ll just restart it next Monday.”

 

“I can’t fit in my regular workout, so I won’t do any exercise.”

But the difference between doing something rather than doing nothing is huge. Any effort towards your goal is better than no effort.

Have patience

Realise that progress is never linear. Some people will see rapid gains only to hit resistance later. For others, initial progress may be slow but then they suddenly achieve rapid breakthroughs. The bottom line though is that making lasting changes takes time and consistency.

Get accountability and support

Whether it’s by working out with a friend or roping the whole family into healthy eating, you are more likely to be successful if you have a support structure in place.

Or join a group like ours, where myself and other like-minded women will encourage you to show up and to do your best. All while having a good time!

Start now!

Use the newly freed up time wisely. Allocate it to your needs and don’t let it get frittered away with endless chores. It’s OK to put yourself first, to be a little selfish. Because we can’t be our best if we’re not taking care of ourselves.

If you need any support in achieving your health and fitness goals, please get in touch.


Guildford in Bloom 2022

Guildford in Bloom Launches Annual Gardening Competition for Residents and Schools .

Best School in Bloom 2021 – Glenesk School.

The Guildford in Bloom Gardening Competition, which is open to residents and businesses in Guildford Borough launched on 14 February 2022 alongside the Schools in Bloom Competition which launched at the end of January 2022. The theme for this year is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, so judges are expecting to see lots of red, white and blue as well as purple, the theme colour for the Platinum celebrations.

Schools, conservations areas and community gardens will earn an extra few points if they have planted a tree for the Jubilee, and as always gardens that are eco-friendly, peat free, and take care of and encourage wildlife will score highly.

Cllr Paul Spooner, Chairman of Guildford in Bloom says:

“Guildford in Bloom are delighted to be able to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by encouraging residents, businesses, pubs and community groups to enter the competition and embrace the theme. So many people have embraced their gardens during the last two years and tried to grow their own vegetables as well and creating colourful spaces to relax and unwind – the importance of our outdoor spaces is growing.

We hope that our Guildford gardeners will rise to the challenge in the Queen’s special year. Any garden, big or small, private or a business can enter Guildford in Bloom. We’d love to see your photos and stories, please share them on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages by using the hashtag #GIB2022 and show us how you’ve interpreted this year’s theme.”

To take part, please go to www.guildfordinbloom.com to download the entry form, and once completed send that to info@guildfordinbloom.com no later than Sunday 19 June 2022.

Judging takes place between 27 June – 15 July 2022. You can keep up with the competition on the Guildford in Bloom social media pages – visit @guildfordnbloom on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook here
www.facebook.com/GuildfordInBloom The school competition is also underway and children across the borough will be designing and creating their gardens with the Platinum Jubilee theme, and keeping a journal, diary or scrapbook to record their progress. Entries for the Schools in Bloom Competition, sponsored by Edwins Garden Centre, need to be in by 22 May 2022 and judging will take place between 7 to 16 June 2022. Entry forms for this competition can also be downloaded from www.guildfordinbloom.com

The winner of #bloomingschools will receive £50 to spend on plants or gardening equipment for the school, together with other prizes.

The Platinum Jubilee will also be celebrated at the free Picnic in the Castle Grounds Event on 4 June 2022 – picnic goers will be encouraged to dress up in keeping with the theme and bring flags to wave while they enjoy entertainment from the Castle Bandstand provided by Guildford Fringe Festival. Picnic is sponsored by Tunsgate Quarter and Experience Guildford. More details on the Guildford in Bloom website.

www.guildfordinbloom.com


Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Fair at Queen Elizabeth Park Stoughton

Friday 3rd June, 12.00-5.00pm

Nearly 20 years ago now, the first residents started moving in to the new Queen Elizabeth Park estate in Stoughton. This estate was built on the site of the former Women’s Royal Army Corps barracks. As many will know, Queen Elizabeth II, then a teenage Princess, served in World War 2 as a driver and mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and worked at the Stoughton site.

So residents of Queen Elizabeth Park thought it was only right that we should commemorate the Queen’s 70th anniversary of acceding to the throne – her Platinum Jubilee. She is the first British monarch who has ever reigned for this long.

On Friday, 3rd June (Friday of the long Jubilee bank holiday weekend – 2nd to 5th June) Q E Park is holding a Community Fair, from 12 noon to 5 pm, to be held on our main Green, at Railton Road, GU2 9LX. We hope to feature: live music, bouncy castles, ice creams, cream teas, children’s fancy dress competition, a dog agility event, tombola, raffle, face painting, a baking contest and many other items. Bring a folding chair or a rug, and stay for the afternoon!

It will be free to attend, though there will be charges for some attractions. Any profit from the day will be donated to charity. Plenty of free parking around the event.

Local businesses can get involved by: sponsoring the event; taking advertising in our programme; donating raffle or other prizes. If interested please email: social@qepark.co.uk

More details will be published closer to the time, on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/QEParkGuildford and via leaflets and posters.


Mandira’s Kitchen Loves a Valentine’s Day Special

Evenings are still dark and there is nothing more romantic than a cosy night in! What is unromantic is spending all your time in the kitchen, so Mandira’s Kitchen are determined to keep romance alive and spicy – without time out in preparation.

Mandira’s Kitchen have put together a romantic Valentine’s Day Special Indian meal for two that can be delivered frozen to any UK Mainland address. It can be heated from frozen in just 4 minutes so there is no need to waste ages in the kitchen.

Bringing some spice to Valentine’s Day, Mandira’s Kitchen have prepared a set menu which includes: Starter platter with Vegetable and Lamb samosas and Cauliflower Tikkis, all served with MK Pineapple Chutney; a main course of Gulabi Pulao (fragrant basmati rice cooked with beetroot to give it a delicate pink hue), Gondhoraj Chicken/Paneer (delicate boneless chicken or paneer cooked with a very fragrant lemon, yoghurt and cashew sauce), Mushroom and Corn Bonanza (sweet corn and mushrooms cooked in a delicious fresh spinach sauce), Shah Jehani Dal (from the dining table of Emperor Shah Jehan, a mix of lentils cooked with spices and coconut milk) accompanied by fluffy Naan bread. The Sweet Endings come with Gujar Halwa (a mouthwatering carrot pudding) Masala Chai, Chilli Chocolates and spiced chocolate samosas.

Every meal includes two free gin and tonic cans, a Bollywood playlist, a Kama Sutra quiz and a movie suggestion. Mandira’s Kitchen has also teamed up with Albury Organic Vineyard and Silent Pool Distillers to give you the option of adding wine or gin to your order.

Mandira Sarkar, owner and founder of Mandira’s Kitchen is very keen to spread a little love at this special time of year with her delicious food and says: “You cannot love well if you have not dined well goes the old saying. So, our Valentine day menu woos your eyes and your tastebuds. Clearly all designed to recreate the perfect romantic meal at home.”

All items can be ordered online from www.mandiraskitchen.com and either collected from Mandira’s Kitchen at The Silent Pool Guildford or delivered to any UK Mainland address. Special allergy and dietary requirements can be catered for by telephoning 01483 940798.