Good morning, Surrey. Simon here! This is Inspired Surrey, the newsletter that makes you the most interesting person in the office kitchen.

We’ve hit 4,000 subscribers! Thank you for all the support! 🙌 We hate to ask, but if you could share this with your friends and family, that would be amazing. Help us keep growing please! 👍

In today’s Inspired Surrey:

• Don’t forget Remembrance Sunday this weekend 🌺

• Christmas launch at Crockford Bridge Farm 🎄

• The Rocky Horror Show is in Woking for a week 🎸

• What’s on this week 📅

Let’s get to it.

Remembering Together This Sunday 🌺

This Sunday, November 10th, is Remembrance Sunday - a time for all of us to pause, reflect, and honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

At 11:00 am, communities across Surrey and beyond will observe a two-minute silence, creating a powerful moment of unity.

Many of our local war memorials, churches, and community centres are hosting remembrance services, so there’s bound to be a gathering near you. And no worries if you're still planning, we’ve put together a list of where you can observe Remembrance Sunday right here in Surrey.

🌺 Remembrance Concert
St Andrew’s Garrison Church, Aldershot, Saturday 9th, 7:00pm | More info

🌺 County Remembrance Service
Guildford Cathedral, Guildford, Sunday 10th, 10:45am | More info

🌺 Requiem Eucharist for Remembrance Sunday
Guildford Cathedral, Guildford, Sunday 10th, 6:00pm | More info

🌺 Remembrance Sunday Parade
St Mary’s Church, Caterham, Sunday 10th, 10:15am | More info

So, set that reminder for 11:00 am, and join our community as we stand together in memory. 🌹

Weybridge Garden Centre’s Christmas Launch 🎄

I never know how early is too early to talk about Christmas! Actually, please can you all tell me!

Join the Weybridge Garden Centre, part of Blue Diamond Garden Centres, this Friday, November 8th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm for an evening of all things Christmas!

This is the garden centre at Crockford Bridge Farm FYI.

Here’s what’s waiting for you:

• Exclusive Discounts: Snap up savings on everything Christmas. This is the one night you can grab festive essentials at special prices, so get those lists ready!

• Festive Atmosphere: A twinkling winter wonderland filled with sparkling decorations, stunning displays, and Christmas magic at every turn. Perfect for some Instagram-worthy shots! Tag us! 📸✨

• Complimentary Treats: Enjoy a free drink and a mince pie on the house. Mingle, sip, and snack your way through the evening—because Christmas calories don't count, right? 😉

Immerse yourself in the sound of Christmas with an exclusive performance by the Treble Clef Choir. 🎤🎼

And the cherry on top? The big man in red—Santa himself—might just pop by for a visit.

Click here for more information.

Where Were We Wednesday! 📸

We were at The Tower at Leith Hill!

Not the most exciting reason as to why it’s there, it was a personal project, built in 1765 by Richard Hull from Leith Hill Place as 'a place for people to enjoy the glory of the English countryside'.

The top of Leith Hill Tower marks the highest point in south-east England at 1,029ft (313m). There are sweeping views from the top and on a clear day you can see the English Channel to the south and the clock face of Big Ben in Westminster to the north.

Tag @InspiredSurrey to get your photos included!

The Rocky Horror Show Comes to Woking! 🎸🎶

Get ready to do the Time Warp again!

Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical, The Rocky Horror Show, is coming to Woking’s New Victoria Theatre as part of its world tour.

With over 35 million fans worldwide, this classic tells the story of two squeaky-clean college kids, Brad and Janet, whose fateful car breakdown leads them to the mansion of the charismatic Dr. Frank-N-Furter - I think we all know the story though!

• Sing along to timeless hits like Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, and the iconic Time Warp.

• Featuring Stephen Webb as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Nathan Caton as the Narrator.

👉 Location: New Victoria Theatre, The Ambassadors, The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ
⏰ Dates: Monday, 11th November - Saturday, 16th November 2024
⏰ Times:

• Monday - Thursday at 8:00 pm

• Friday & Saturday at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm
  🎟️ Tickets: Available via the box office (opens 90 minutes before the show)
  🎭 Duration: 2 hours, including interval
  👥 Age Guidance: 12+ (Contains scenes of an adult nature)

Don’t miss this cult classic in one of the top theatres in the South East!

Click here to get your tickets.

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 🗞️😀

Pigeons and rainy days have given Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking quite the headache this year, with England’s largest vineyard seeing a 40% drop in grape harvest. Thousands of feathered freeloaders, unable to find berries in hedgerows, turned their attention to Denbies' vines, munching through 20% of the crop. Bad weather added to the woes, with mildew claiming another chunk. “It’s heartbreaking to see the harvest affected after a year of work,” shared CEO Chris White, who has plans to outsmart the birds next season with kites and mini-exploding bangers. Other vineyards across the region faced similar struggles, proving that in the world of winemaking, nature sometimes has the upper hand. 🍇🐦

Surrey’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) crisis continues to escalate, despite a recent £1 billion boost in funding: Local MP Monica Harding, representing Esher and Walton, called out the Government during Prime Minister’s Questions, demanding “proper” funding to address the needs of Surrey’s 1,800 SEND children—many of whom, have been forced out of school for lack of support. While the extra billion pounds is a start, Harding says it barely scratches the surface of the £4 billion shortfall required to ensure children aren’t left behind. Families, schools, and councils alike are at breaking point, waiting on meaningful change. 📚💼

Birdworld, one of Surrey’s most beloved attractions, is set for a major transformation: With multi-million-pound redevelopment plans recently approved, the 26-acre park near Farnham will soon boast the region's largest indoor play area and an impressive outdoor playground. The new play barn will feature imaginative birdhouses, slides, tunnels, and sensory playhouses—plus a dedicated toddler zone for the youngest visitors. The outdoor playground will blend with the natural landscape, featuring bird nest towers, bridges, and a magical "Spriglet Village" to spark kids' imaginations. Birdworld also plans to strengthen its commitment to endangered species, with expanded breeding programs and enhanced facilities for the over 1,000 birds it currently cares for! 🦜🌳

What’s On This Week 📅

❄️ Curated by Dapper & Suave Winter Pop-Up Market
Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking, Sunday 10th, 11:00am | More info

🎁 Christmas Craft & Food Fayre
The Old Barn Hall, Great Bookham, Saturday 9th, 10:00am | More info

♻️ Reigate Sustainability Market
Reigate High Street, Reigate, Saturday 9th, 10:00am | More info

👩 Caterham Mum2Mum Market
Caterham United Reformed Church, Caterham, Saturday 9th, 10:00am | More info

👩 Cobham Mum2Mum Market
Cobham Village Hall, Cobham, Sunday 10th, 10:00am | More info

🏡 Your Extra Space Open Day
Squire’s Garden Centre, Badshot Lea, Friday 8th-10th, 8:00am | More info

🇺🇸 Veterans Day
Brookwood American Cemetery, Woking, Sunday 10th, 2:00pm | More info

⚽ An Audience With Chelsea Legends
Epsom Playhouse, Epsom, Friday 8th, 7:00pm | More info

🌽 Ripley Farmers’ Market
Ripley Village Green, Ripley, Saturday 9th, 9:00am | More info

🎤 Neil Diamond It’s a Beautiful Noise Tribute
G Live, Guildford, Friday 8th, 7:30pm | More info

🚶‍♀️ Women’s Wellness Walk
Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Friday 8th, 11:00am | More info

Weather

Friday

11° 🌡️ 7° | ☁️ | Light clouds and light winds on Friday, a distinct lack of sunshine, but it is Friday, the weekend to look forward to, so it’s not the end of the world.

Saturday

11° 🌡️ 9° | ☁️ | Not the most exciting weekend of weather, misty and light winds all day.

Sunday

14° 🌡️ 8° | ☁️ | More of the same sadly, although a bit warmer. Misty, light winds, and clouds all day - sorry guys!

Thank you! 👍

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