Community group receives funds to support local wellbeing
As we head towards the end of 2021 as a local community wellbeing focused group, Eden People are very aware of how recent events have affected people’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
As a response to this, for local people we have been granted several funding amounts to help support our work in the community and as part of this we are able to bring new focus activities to people in the daytime and evening; these include our ‘body positive’ Body Blessing & Positive Postures sessions and our ‘calming & relaxing’ LifePeace Meditation space. Both are held locally in the QE Park Centre.
We would like to open opportunity for people to engage with us and others through some of the following activities:
- Body Blessing & Positive Postures Sessions
- Life Peace: Meditation / Contemplation space
- LifeWalks walking group
- Art & Creative workshops
- Dream Interpretation, Insight & Destiny, Encouragement & Healing.
All activities are offered for free or with a donation from participants. To find out more about Eden People and their current activities join the mailing list via their website:
Email:
edenpeople@edenpeople.org.uk
Text:
07866 247919
Find us on:
Twitter: @edenpeople
Facebook: Eden People
Eden People
Eden People are a local community wellbeing & spirituality group based in the Stoughton area of Guildford. They have over 20 years’ experience of facilitating & running wellbeing spaces & activities around Guildford.
This group look to support people’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health through a range of activities accessible to people of all ages, gender or ethnicity; with any, no or some belief or faith basis – everyone is welcome.
The group creates different wellbeing & spirituality activities to bring rest & peace to the body, mind & spirit, encourage participants to build self-worth and awareness of their uniqueness & identity.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
From the 1st – 5th of February the Blackeyed Theatre, in association with South Hill Park, bring their thrilling adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s dark psychological fantasy, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Doctor Henry Jekyll is a good man. Successful within his field and respected by his peers, he’s close to a neurological discovery that will change the face of medical science forever. However, his methods are less than ethical, and when a close friend and colleague threatens to expose and destroy his work, Jekyll is forced to experiment on himself, whereupon something goes very wrong… or very right. And suddenly Jekyll has a new friend, the brutal Edward Hyde.
One of the great classics of British literature brought to life on the stage, this adaptation of the iconic Gothic novella revives the compelling characters and riveting moral dilemmas of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Immerse yourself in the myth and mystery of 19th century London’s fog-bound streets where love, betrayal and murder lurk at every chilling twist and turn. Gripping, stylish and thought-provoking, this is unmissable theatre. Go on… treat your dark side!
For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk. Alternatively, contact the Box Office on 01483 440 000 (Mon-Fri, 10am to 5pm).
Local Community Café & Fairtrade Shop Supports Global Care
For well over 10 years, Emmanuel Church has run a Café and Fairtrade Shop serving the local community of Stoughton and the wider Guildford area.
Our focus is on providing a friendly, cosy place to meet whether you are on your own or with friends; a place to relax and catch up with yourself and others. With freshly cooked food, quality coffee and teas, and original fairtrade goods for sale – we open our doors Monday to Thursday, 9.15-2.15, during term-time for everyone to enjoy. If your time is limited, you can just pop in to pick up a drink and takeaway café food, as well as pre-order your Fairtrade goods from our dedicated ‘click and collect’ website.
Whilst we seek to serve those who live close by with a friendly smile and personal customer care, our vision has developed over the years to go beyond our own doors to support our global community and natural environment. Emmanuel Café not only stocks fairtrade coffee and teas, but ensures it provides biodegradable takeaway packs, and purchases ingredients from our Fairtrade Shop wherever possible. Emmanuel’s Fairtrade Shop is beginning to build on our range of environmentally friendly goods, starting with our ‘Refill station’ providing means to refill your existing plastic bottles with sustainable household cleaning products. The Fairtrade shop is run entirely by volunteers ensuring that all the profits from the shop can be reinvested into global development projects – supporting those in greatest need in our world.
So why think about buying from suppliers that help others? Well, Fairtrade seeks to live by its name – to ensure that people who produce the food and goods we buy receive a fair wage and fair treatment; to stop exploitation of both adult and child workers. Likewise, goods that aim to minimise waste and pollution, avoiding the detrimental impact on the world’s environment, help support the global efforts to look after our beautiful natural world. In visiting Emmanuel’s Café and Fairtrade Shop, you don’t just enjoy some time to chat and a great cappuccino, but every purchase goes towards making a better world.
Our focus is on providing a friendly, cosy place to meet, with freshly cooked food, quality coffee and teas, and original fairtrade goods for sale.
As the Autumn term begins on Monday 6th September, we are excited to be opening our doors again to provide a warm welcome for all our visitors and thank all those who shop with us in supporting our vision to care for our community locally and around the world.
Find us at:
Emmanuel Church Parish Centre, Shepherds Lane, Stoughton GU2 9SJ or visit our websites: www.emmanuelchurch.co.uk/cafe/ and fairtradeshop.emmanuelchurch.co.uk/ You can also find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/emmanuelcafefairtrade and Instagram www.instagram.com/emmanuelcafefairtrade/
Fountain Centre chosen as Charity of the Year 2022 by Tunsgate Quarter
The Fountain Centre team are delighted to announce that they have been appointed the official Charity of the Year by Guildford’s Tunsgate Quarter.
The partnership will see the Fountain Centre as the beneficiary of charity fundraising throughout the year and enable the Fountain Centre to participate in events and activities in Tunsgate Quarter which importantly will raise the profile of the charity and spread the word of the many support services provided for cancer patients and their families.
Fountain Centre Chairman Martin Read said: “This is a really big deal for the Fountain Centre and will go a long way to repair the funding shortfall of the last 2 years. We are so incredibly grateful to the team at Tunsgate Quarter for choosing us as their charity, and I know our fundraising team are really looking forward to working with them. It is especially valuable to us to be able to work with Tunsgate Quarter in the heart of Guildford as a way of spreading the word about the work the Fountain Centre does with cancer patients and their families. We are inspired by their plans for 2022 and look forward to community partnership working at its best.”
Claire Suggitt, General Manager of Tunsgate Quarter said: “We are thrilled to be supporting such an important and worthwhile local charity and are looking forward to building a special partnership with the Fountain Centre. We are privileged to operate our beautiful and aspirational shopping and dining destination in the heart of Guildford, and are delighted that all future events at the centre will be helping support such an important cause.”
Tunsgate Quarter’s support of the Fountain Centre started with all the centre’s Christmas festivities and will continue throughout 2022. Details of the work carried out by the Fountain Centre can be found at www.fountaincentre.org and you can find out more about Tunsgate Quarter here: www.tunsgatequarter.com
The Fountain Centre is an independent charity established in 1998 and based at St. Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The charity supports over 2500 cancer patients and their families as they go on their cancer journey with counselling, complimentary therapies, wellbeing, family service and more.
Tunsgate Quarter is situated between the historic cobbled High Street and medieval castle, Tunsgate Quarter is Guildford’s most stylish place to shop and eat. Set out over three levels, the retail line-up includes Loaf, OKA, The White Company, Design Vintage, Nespresso, Bobbi Brown, Clark’s, Seasalt Cornwall and David Clulow. Restaurants include the world-famous The Ivy, Vietnamese street food restaurant Pho, award-winning GAIL’s Bakery and Cosy Club and also premium gym GU1 Fitness Studios.
Tunsgate Quarter provides you with a safe shopping experience. They employ a number of overt security measures, but also operate a number of unseen, covert security measures for your protection.
The Fountain Centre is an independent charity established in 1998 and based at St. Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The charity supports over 2500 cancer patients and their families as they go on their cancer journey with counselling, complimentary therapies, wellbeing, family service and more.
Tunsgate Quarter is situated between the historic cobbled High Street and medieval castle, Tunsgate Quarter is Guildford’s most stylish place to shop and eat. Set out over three levels, the retail line-up includes Loaf, OKA, The White Company, Design Vintage, Nespresso, Bobbi Brown, Clark’s, Seasalt Cornwall and David Clulow. Restaurants include the world-famous The Ivy, Vietnamese street food restaurant Pho, award-winning GAIL’s Bakery and Cosy Club and also premium gym GU1 Fitness Studios.
Tunsgate Quarter provides you with a safe shopping experience. They employ a number of overt security measures, but also operate a number of unseen, covert security measures for your protection.
New name, new look, same family!
Clandon Park Garden Centre and Woking Garden Centre move to one name, Edwins Garden Centre, after adored grandfather.
As the owner of two family run garden centres in Surrey, Lee Wong and his family have undertaken an exciting new rebrand inspired by his grand-father’s love of everything outdoors and his fascination with plants.
The family has owned and managed Clandon Park Garden Centre for more than 18 years. In July 2019 they acquired, from Wyevale, their Woking site which was known as Woking Garden Centre. Following the rebrand the two centres will now be named Edwins Garden Centre. “We were delighted to acquire the Egley Road, Woking site. With two garden centres we decided to give one name across both,” said Lee.
“We are very much a family business with my wife and both sets of parents fully involved in the day to day running and management of the garden centre. We wanted a family name. It was not hard to settle on ‘Edwins’, after my wonderful grandfather, my mother’s father. He had a love of nature and a fascination with plants. He shared with me his amazement at the intricacies and complexity of plants, their beauty and extraordinary artistic detail. He was my inspiration into my life around plants and a wonderful man.”
About Edwins Garden Centre
Edwins Garden Centre is to be synonymous with quality plants. Plants encompass seeds and bulbs, outdoor plants, shrubs, trees, vegetables, fruits, herbs, houseplants and all that is required to be successful planting and growing in the garden and indoors.
Our aim is to offer the Surrey communities, and visitors to the area, an enjoyable and inspiring experience shopping for garden plants and all things gardening, with outdoor living and home accessories that extend life into the garden, whatever the weather!
Our new tag line, Plant. Grow. Be Amazed, is an encouragement for all to enjoy the health and well-being benefits of getting your hands dirty in the world of plants.”
For further information:
www.edwinsgardencentre.co.uk
Fountain Centre’s Celebration of Christmas Concert
The Fountain Centre team are delighted to be holding their traditional Carol Concert, hosted by patron and renowned Opera soprano Kathryn Harries and featuring special guests Surrey Hills Choir and St Edmunds Catholic Junior School Choir.
The Fountain Centre Carol Concert takes place at Holy Trinity Church at the top of Guildford High Street on Wednesday 8 December 2021 from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are already on sale from www.thelittleboxoffice.com/fountaincentre and cost £10 each (under 12’s go free).
Holy Trinity church has full disabled access, and the ticket price includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. There will be a cash bar and an opportunity to purchase Fountain Centre Christmas cards and other Fountain Centre branded goods making ideal gifts.
Fountain Centre Chairman Martin Read said: “We are so excited to be getting back to real events as its been so long since we have been able to meet all our supporters and patrons face to face. The lack of events has made fundraising very difficult but the demand for our services is as high as ever so the proceeds from this event will be put to good use. Our Christmas concert is always a joy so we are really looking forward to seeing everyone again in this lovely venue.”
Details of the work of the Fountain Centre can be found at www.fountaincentre.org along with details of this event and a link to tickets.
The Fountain Centre is an independent charity established in 1998 and based at St. Lukes Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The charity supports over 2500 cancer patients and their families as they go on their cancer journey with counselling, complimentary therapies, wellbeing, family service and more.
Christmas at Elm Nursery
Elm Nursery is a family run farm shop, children’s farm, plant nursery and cafe located in leafy Sutton Green.
This Christmas, Elm Nursery has everything you need for the festive period and for the big day. Order your free range turkey now, along with beef, lamb or game and all the trimmings. The shop has a large selection of fresh, seasonal vegetables to buy in store or to order for
Christmas dining. It really does offer stress free shopping and you will be supporting a local business too! A huge range of high quality, British grown Christmas trees will be ready to buy from the last weekend of November along with decorations and gifts.
The children’s farm at Elm Nursery is well worth a visit for animal lovers in the family! They have alpacas, goats, guinea pigs, free roaming chickens, pigs, Shetland ponies and a friendly donkey called Applejack. Food to feed the chickens is available to buy in the farm shop. It is an ideal venue for a low key morning or afternoon out for young and pre-school children, without the pressure of a day trip. Entrance to the farm is £4 per person and under 2’s are free.
From Sat 4th – Thurs 23rd December, there will be festive scenes on the farm. Father Christmas usually parks his sleigh for safekeeping until Christmas Eve. The sleigh is perfect for little helpers to sit in (and a fab family photo opportunity!). The farm is open every day from 10am – 3.30pm (last entry 3pm). No need to book.
Elm Farm Café has been newly refurbished and is open under new management for brunch, light lunches, home-made quiches, soups and cakes. Fresh coffee and other hot drinks are on the menu too. The café is open Tues – Sun, 9.00am – 3.30pm (closed Mondays) open every day during school holidays.
Sutton Green Road, Sutton Green, Guildford, Surrey, GU22 0ES.
Telephone: 01483 755559
Website: elmnursery.co.uk
Facebook: @elmnurseryfarm
Instagram: @elmnursery
Guildford Lions' 'Firework Fiesta' to go ahead this year.
After the cancellation of the fireworks in 2020 due to the lockdown restrictions it’s great to see that the Guildford Lions Firework Fiesta will be going ahead this year.
Guildford Lions are delighted to confirm our annual fireworks display WILL take place this year, on Saturday 6th November at Stoke Park, albeit with a number of changes.
To ensure the evening remains as safe as possible we have decided to make some radical changes which can be summarised as follows:
- Due to the current concerns and uncertainties it is with real regret we must confirm that there will not be any torchlight procession this year. Our concerns centre on the lack of available space for social distancing.
- The fireworks display on Stoke Park will still go ahead as the size of the park will allow people to socially distance if they so wish.
- To offset the loss of the torchlight procession we will be introducing live music for the first time. This will feature Blurasis an award winning band who cover songs by a host of artists including Blur, Oasis, Coldplay and many more.
- Peter Gordon will again be our MC.
- Again, for the first time the event will be an all ticket affair and contactless only. Gates will open at 5.00pm, the music will be at 6.00pm & 7.30pm with the fireworks at 8.30pm.
- Tickets will cost £10 per adult with children under 16, accompanied by their parents, free. Tickets will be available via www.seetickets.com – early bird ticket sales will be starting shortly priced at £8.00.
- There will be a full licensed bar, a real ale marquee and a gin bar by Pub of the Year The Star Inn, Godalming plus delicious hot food by Mandira’s Kitchen.
- Free parking will again be available at the Spectrum and The Guildford College with disabled parking available at the Guildford High School on London Road.
It will be wonderful to once again host such a wonderful community event and as ever ALL profits from the evening will be used to support our clubs welfare fund and also the Guildford Sea Scouts. For more information please visit our website www.guildfordlions.com or our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/GuildfordLionsClub/
Chai on the patio
Last year Stoughton Pages spoke to Mandira Sarkar, founder and inspiration behind Mandira’s Kitchen based at Silent Pool. We learnt about (and sampled a few of) the fantastic authentic Indian meals that they produce and sell frozen from their converted cowshed in the Surrey Hills. Alongside the meals the team at MK also offer hands on cookery lessons, spice tours and bespoke catering in between sampling the gin and wine from their neighbours!
Well, Mandira and her dedicated team haven’t been standing still whilst in lockdown and have been creating new experiences as well as new recipes and have now launched their ‘Chai On The Patio’ offering.
This new addition to Mandira’s Kitchen provides the most delicious spot to enjoy fabulous Indian street food. Beautifully positioned, they have five tables of six which can be booked for slots of one hour (or more) where you can catch up with family & friends over some delicious food and drink. Each 1 hour slot costs £20 and is fully redeemable against any purchases you make on your visit.
They have an exciting street food menu – which you can order at the time of your booking, plus you can always add more dishes when you get there.
Walk-ins are welcome, but booking is advisable especially for busy times and weekends. The menu is also designed to be a takeaway should you wish to enjoy elsewhere.
Masala chai is a tea beverage made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. Originating in India, the beverage is traditionally prepared as a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves.
Talking to Mandira she clearly has missed the freedom recently to visit home but we are fortunate that she is happy to recreate the taste of home here to share with us. “Summer seems to have passed us by but I still consider myself so lucky to be in beautiful Burpham during these uncertain times. We have the ancient Medieval town with every modern amenity within walking distance as well as the stunning Surrey hills on our doorstep too – the best of both worlds. Not being able to travel to India to see my family and eat at our favourite restaurants, I have tried to recreate many of my favourite dishes and here is one to share with you. Perfect with a cup of chai or a glass of wine or gin or beer…
Recipe: Mandira’s easy to make pakoras
Ingredients (makes 15 medium sized pakoras):
To make these delicious morsels you will need:
- 2 large red onions sliced
- A bag of baby spinach, chopped
- Approx. 2 heaped tablespoons of gram flour (besan)
- 1 heaped tablespoon of rice flour (optional – can substitute with self raising flour if you want)
- Salt to taste
- 1½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 level tsp chilli powder
- 1 finely sliced green chilli
- 1 tsp of coriander seeds, roughly ground – you need to be able to bite into these
- Oil (enough to cover your pan to the depth of an inch)
- Cold water (alternatively you can use beer)
Method:
- Tip all the ingredients, except the water (or beer) and oil into a large mixing bowl.
- Add about 3 tbsp water (or beer) to start with and gently try and bring together. The mixture should hold but not get too thick or doughy – the secret to light fluffy pakoras is not too much gram flour. If you find you need a little more binding then add gram flour and if it is too dry add a tiny bit more water (or beer).
- Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Heat oil – about an inch to cover the pan. A wok is usually good but a heavy bottom frying pan also does the job.
- Once the oil is smoking reduce the heat and then gently spoon a tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil. Careful to regulate the temperature, if it’s too hot it will remain raw inside and burn outside – too cold and you get greasy pakoras. Should take about 3 minutes on each side.
- Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot with ketchup or a mint and yoghurt sauce.
Mint and Yoghurt Sauce
Blend together 1 clove of garlic, half a cup of mint leaves, salt and ½ cup of Greek yoghurt. Serve chilled with pakoras.
About Mandira
Burpham resident, Mandira is the owner (general dogsbody) of Mandira’s Kitchen. MK are a wholly woman led business operating out of a 400 year old converted cowshed overlooking the beautiful Silent Pool. They create award winning Indian food offering authentic homestyle freezer meals, bespoke catering, Indian picnics, hands on cookery lesson and spice tours. Mandira’s Kitchen now offer an authentic street food cafe option on their patio which is a fabulous way to spend some time with friends and family.
Booking is now open for Surrey’s annual multi-arts festival
Guildford Fringe Festival will return from 2 – 25 July 2021 with a jam-packed line-up of cultural delights after last year’s event was sadly cancelled due to Covid-related restrictions. Booking is now open at GuildfordFringeFestival.com for more than 60 arts events, with further acts to be added to the programme.
Set up by Managing Director Nick Wyschna in 2013, Guildford’s largest independent multi-arts festival is an open-access celebration featuring theatre, comedy, poetry, music, visual arts, family-friendly shows, talks and free events.
Festival venues this year include Clandon Wood Nature Reserve, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, The Back Room of the Star Inn, The Keep Pub, The Guildhall and the historic town centre of Guildford.
Gag House Comedy Superstars kick off the Festival at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on 2 July delivering some of the UK’s best stand-up comedy, with headliner Rich Hall. The weeks to follow offer the chance for audiences to catch familiar faces, local talent, new writing and perennial classics.
Booking is now open at GuildfordFringeFestival.com for more than 60 arts events, with further acts to be added to the programme.
Highlights of this year’s Free Fringe include an al fresco performance of Opera on the Balcony outside the Guildhall, Guildford’s Rock Choir, Surrey Fringe Chorus and Colour with Guildford in Bloom.
Nick Wyschna, Managing Director of Guildford Fringe Festival, said: “It feels great to be talking about Guildford Fringe Festival once again after having to cancel it in 2020. It’s been a tough year but let’s focus on the positives. We were fortunate enough to be awarded a Cultural Recovery Grant from Arts Council England which gives us a blanket of security when it comes to planning. Throughout July, audiences can be immersed in theatrical energy whatever events they choose to come and see. The participating artists, producers and venues have had a tough year – come and celebrate with them and support the arts at the same time. As well as ACE, I would like to thank Chapters Financial, Guildford Borough Council, Experience Guildford, Guildford Arts and Churchmill Accountants for sponsoring this year’s Guildford Fringe Festival and for helping us put Guildford back on the map as a cultural hub.”
Visit GuildfordFringeFestival.com for the full line-up and to book tickets. The Box Office phone number is 01483 361101. During the Festival, the Fringe Team will be at The Star Inn, Quarry Street, 7 days a week, from 6-7pm, where they will run a Box Office for all Festival events and be happy to have a chat.