Good morning, Surrey. Simon here! This is Inspired Surrey. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell one new friend about Inspired Surrey this week. This email will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.

In today’s Inspired Surrey:

• Farnham Sustainability Festival 🌿

• Guildford Fire Station open day 🚒

• The World-Famous Monday Wordle 🧠

• What’s on Guide for this week 📅

Grab your favourite cuppa, and let’s get to it. ☕

🌿 Farnham Sustainability Festival 2025

📍 Gostrey Meadows | 🗓 Sunday 18th May | ⏰ 11am–4pm

What started as a humble little plant sale has grown into one of Farnham’s biggest feel-good days out, with over 3,000 people coming together to celebrate sustainable living, community, and good old-fashioned fun.

Expect a proper mix of music, food, hands-on activities, and stalls run by lovely local folk doing brilliant things for the planet.

Here’s what’s happening:

✨ Over 30 stalls full of local goodies
🎶 Live music to keep your feet tapping
🥗 Delish vegan food from Twist & Sprout
🍰 Cake Up and Smell the Coffee (we see what you did there)
🍻 A full-on festival bar – because, priorities
🧵 A chance to sew on vintage machines (yes, really)

And don’t miss the Farm Tent, hosted by the amazing team at Farnham Community Farm. They’ll be chatting about how to get involved in their veg-growing scheme (even if your houseplants usually die), and selling plants to take home. Every penny goes straight back into supporting their local food mission.

Whether you’re full-on eco warrior or just fancy a sunny day out with good food and even better vibes, this is the place to be.

Bring:

• A tote bag (or three)

• A reusable cup

• Your curiosity

• Your friends!

See you there?
📍 Gostrey Meadow, Farnham
🗓 Sunday 18th May
🕚 11am–4pm
🎉 Free entry, open to everyone

Want more info? You can find it here.

@InspiredSurrey 📸

📸 @surrey_snaps | 📍 Betchworth Church, Surrey

Tag @InspiredSurrey to get your photos included!

🚒 Guildford Fire Station Open Day

📍 Guildford Fire Station, Ladymead | 🗓 Saturday 17th May | ⏰ 10am–3pm
(A.N.D Hour: 10am–11am for quieter access)

Time to sound the sirens (in the best way possible) — Guildford Fire Station is throwing open its big red doors for their first Open Day of the year, and you're invited!

This is your chance to get up close with the incredible team at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service — the heroes behind the hoses — and enjoy a jam-packed day of fire-fighting fun.

Here’s what’s in store:

🚒 Climb aboard the fire engines (yes, grown-ups too — we won’t judge)
🔥 Watch live demos and learn what really happens during an emergency call-out
🧯 Pick up fire safety tips that might just save a life (seriously)
👩‍🚒 Chat to real-life firefighters and find out what it takes to join the crew
🎯 Loads of interactive activities for kids (and big kids)

Whether you’ve got a little one who’s obsessed with fire trucks or you’re just curious about what goes on behind the station doors, it’s a brilliant day out right in the heart of Guildford.

Oh, and it’s completely FREE.

So grab the family, pop on your comfiest trainers, and head down for a day that’s fun, educational, and a little bit awe-inspiring.

📍 Where? Guildford Fire Station, Ladymead (next to The Queensbury Coffee House if you need a pre-demo caffeine fix)
🗓 When? Saturday 17th May
🕙 Time? 10am–3pm
💡 Need a quieter moment? A.N.D Hour from 10am–11am is designed for those who prefer a calmer environment.

The Monday Wordle: Episode 32 🧠

It’s Monday, so you know what that means, Wordle time!

Click here to play.

We Are Now On Instagram 📸 

If you are on Instagram, please follow @inspiredsurrey if you can. It would be much appreciated. The account was only started recently, so we still barely have any friends/followers, I’d very much appreciate a follow!

Thank you so much to everyone who followed us! You’re the best! 😊

The Digest 🗞️😀

Surrey’s got a serious case of the squawks — and it turns out these noisy green invaders didn’t just flutter over on holiday: While local legends blame Jimi Hendrix or a rogue 1950s film set, the truth is parakeets were once cheap pets imported from India and Pakistan. Many were released when the novelty wore off, and the hardiest ones made Surrey their forever home (who wouldn’t?). Now they’re everywhere — bold, bright, and not exactly shy about it. 🌳🦜

Mark and Quentin Stacy, two brothers from Crawley who both faced prostate cancer in 2022, are swapping hospital gowns for gear sticks as they take on a 2,700-mile road trip in a 1958 Morris Minor Convertible: Their mission? Drive from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise £2,700 for Cancer Research UK — £1 for every mile. After receiving life-saving treatment at St Luke’s Cancer Centre in Guildford, the pair are determined to give back and raise awareness along the way. Get checked, cheer them on, and maybe give that donation page a little visit. 🚗💙

Good news for Guildford – after 18 months of extra patrols, high-vis jackets, and even Six Nations TV ads (yes, really), Surrey Police say anti-social behaviour in the town has dropped dramatically: The £273,000 Home Office-backed campaign saw youth-related crime and violence fall by a whopping 75%, thanks to more officers on the streets, smarter hotspot targeting, and dispersal orders for repeat troublemakers. While the funding’s dried up, the weekend police presence isn’t going anywhere — and Guildford’s looking safer, sounder, and a little less shouty. 🚓👍

What’s On This Week 📅

East Surrey

🎵 The Oxted Sessions: Austin Stambaugh
The Ginistry, Oxted, Tuesday 13th, 7:00pm | More info

🇿🇦 South African Inspired Sip & Paint
Bru & Bear, Reigate, Thursday 15th, 7:00pm | More info

🧵 Bletchingley Spring Arts & Crafts Fair
Bletchingley Village Hall, Bletchingley, Saturday 17th, 10:00am | More info

🎭 Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Epsom Playhouse, Epsom, Wednesday 14th-17th, 7:30pm | More info

🎸 Oxley-Meier Guitar Project
The Horton, Epsom, Thursday 15th, 8:00pm | More info

🧸 42nd Annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Abinger Steam, Dorking, Friday 16th, 4:00pm | More info

👶 Walk n’ Talk For Mums & Babies
Meadowbank, Dorking, Thursday 15th, 1:30pm | More info

West Surrey

🚶‍♀️ Mayors Charity Walk - 50 Years of Spelthorne
Lammas Park, Staines, Sunday 18th, 10:00am | More info

💃 Nikita Kuzmin - Midnight Dancer
G Live, Guildford, Wednesday 14th, 7:30pm | More info

🍎 Bramley Village Fete
Bramley Cricket Club, Guildford, Saturday 17th, 12:00pm | More info

🎙️ Luther Live
New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Tuesday 13th, 7:30pm | More info

🎤 Taylormania
New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Wednesday 14th, 7:30pm | More info

🖌️ Portuguese Tile Painting Workshop
Fired Frog Pottery Cafe, Woking, Wednesday 14th, 6:00pm | More info

🕰️ Sunbury Antiques Market
Kempton Racecourse, Sunbury, Tuesday 13th, 6:30am | More info

☕ Coffee Stop Recruitment Event
Golden Grove St Ann’s Hill, Chertsey, Wednesday 14th, 2:00pm | More info

Weather

Monday

23° 🌡️ 10° | ⛅ | What a lovely weekend of weather we’ve just had, and it’s going to keep improving. However, there are thunderstorm warnings for Monday afternoon, which means the potential of some flooding and disruption, the rest of the week looks great though, promise!

Tuesday - Thursday

22-23° 🌡️ 7° | ☀️ | Nothing but bright sunshine for the rest of the week, the temperature will bounce around the low-mid 20’s, a little cloudy on Tuesday but the rest of the week will be a cracker - enjoy it! Ps. Don’t forget your suncream! 🥵

Thank you! 👍

Thanks for reading Inspired Surrey today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone whose dog sleeps in bed with them.

📢 Want to advertise your business to over 4,000 Inspired Surrey readers? Let’s chat, reply to this email or reach us at [email protected].

📧 Did I miss something? Got an event or gig listing? Let me know, reply or email [email protected].

👉 Sometimes things change, so please always check the details for events and activities directly with the organiser to avoid disappointment.