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NewsIf you wish to add any news please click here.
The university will be holding the next meeting for local residents to raise issues and conerns of mutual interest on on Thursday 5th June at 6.30pm in the Meeting Zone in the John Galsworthy Building on the Penryhn Road campus.Click here for more details.
Carl Orff's classic work will be performed in the famous two-piano and percussion version at the Rose Theatre on Sunday 18th May by Kingston University Chorus, conducted by Dr. David Osbon, featuring soloists Kathryn Hide, Justin Lavender and Alex Ashworth. The evening's programme will also featuring a performance of Bernstein's 'Chichester Psalms', and Griffes' 'Poem' (solo flute by Catherine Dimmock, joint winner of Kingston University's 2008 Concerto Competition). Tickets are available from the Rose Theatre box office ()0871 230 1552) priced at £7, £5 (conc) and £2 (NUS). Booking fee applies. All other enquiries to l.voss@kingston.ac.uk (0208 547 8430)
The Annual General Meeting of the Spring Grove Residents' Association will be held in the Parish Hall. All local residents, longstanding or recently arrived in the area, are welcome to attend. There will be a number of guests including local politicians, a representative from the university and and Sgt Matthew Smith who leads the Grove Ward community police team. To ensure that everyone gets an opportunity to be heard, anyone wishing to put a question to the speakers or to place an item on the agenda, should notify Chairman Alan Leeds (10 Grove Close – 8287 5135) in writing by Thursday 24 April. As a limited amount of time is available, questions tabled in advance will be given priority by the Chairman.
The fifth Kingston Readers' Festival takes place from Wednesday April 23rd to Friday May 23rd. There are 42 talks, seminars and discussion groups. Most venues are within walking distance of the Spring Grove area. It's always brilliant - do support it! For more details click here.
The Spring Grove Fringe are presenting “LAst Tango in Whitby” a comedy by Mike Harding on Friday 16th May at 8pm and Saturday 17th May at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall. Watch out for posters nearer the date phone 8549 0313 from the beginning of May for more information.
The Spring Grove Fringe are hosting a quiz night in the Parish Hall raising money for the St John’s Church “Kitchen” appeal (for details of the appeal see the item about Music to Your Ears below). Tickets are £10 (including supper) and can be obtained from Pam Vaughan, 21a Grange Road, KT1 2QU (8549 0313) or Pat Lines (8546 8181). All are welcome to come and join in an evening of fun.
Kingston Primary Care Trust are nearing the end of their public consultation period on mental health services in the borough and on the future of the Springboard Resource Centre. To read more about it or to participate please visit www.kingstonpct.nhs.uk/home/consultations.
The recent Leap year leap raised £315 towards Residents' Association funds, up from £242 last year.
The line-up includes the three acts who played at St John’s Christmas Unsigned Concert in December – Revere, Andrew Morris and Annie-Grace Smith. The album also features local teenage band, fish!, plus acoustic players Launderette Poets, Gabby Young and Kat Flint and some brand new talent! Surbiton based songwriter and producer, Mike Greenway, has contributed 2 songs, recorded by Aurelie Konter and Dave Moon from Kingston University. We are asking for a donation of just £6 - or more if you wish – per CD. You can buy a copy at St John’s Church any Sunday or from Tony Hardy (14 Grove Lane, 07802 381130). All the artistes have donated their music free and production costs have been covered by a donation. Every penny from sales at St John’s will go to the Kitchen project* Links to the artistes featured can be found at www.myspace.com/foreverfifty3 or via emailing Tony at . Note that as a separate exercise, copies of the CD are also being sold at a special needs school, St Philip’s in Chessington, in aid of their Minibus Appeal.
The Spring Grove Fringe presents a specially written pantomime 'Queen Martha'on Friday 8th February at 8.00pm and Saturday 9th February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. For more details see the poster.
Kingston Philharmonia are holding a concert at All Saints Church in the Market Place on Saturday 16th February at 7.30pm. The orchestra will be conducted by Levon Parikian and will play:
Tickets are £10 each, £9 for concessions and £2 for children and are available on the door or from Hands Music in Kingston or Albert\'s Music Store in Twickenham
There will be a barn dance in the Parish Hall on Friday 29th February. Tickets will be £6 for adults and £3 for children and will include a hot supper. Full details will be available shortly. Watch this space!
The next open meeting for local residents will be on Wednesday 6 February at 6.30pm in the brand new Galsworthy Building in Penrhyn Road. This is an opportunity for residents to raise any issues or concerns directly with the university.
Following the success of the recent production "Comfort & Joy", the Spring Grove Fringe drama group have been able to send a cheque for £1,200 to the Shooting Star Children\'s Hospice (see the website for details its activities). Many thanks to all involved, whether cast, crew or supporters in the audience, and an especial thank you to the director of the production Pam Vaughan for her good humour, quiet authority and boundless energy.
Residents in our area are invited to meet the local police officers in the Safer Neighbourhood Team and informally discuss any police related community problems (eg noise, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, speeding traffic etc).
Here's a message from Kingston Council: Kingston Council is seeking the views of residents on two draft strategies setting out how the borough's trees and allotments will be managed and maintained in the future. Together with the new Green Spaces Strategy, these documents will form the basis of the Council's approach to caring for the Borough's green spaces for the next 10 years and beyond. Residents have until 28 December 2007 to have their say. Copies of both draft strategies can be downloaded from www.kingston.gov.uk/green_spaces_strategy - where an online feedback form is also available to submit comments or suggestions. The strategies can also be viewed at local libraries or at the Environmental Services Reception, Guildhall 2, High Street, Kingston upon Thames. The Council is responsible for an estimated 12,000 street trees: many more within parks, open spaces, school grounds and council housing estates. It is important that these trees are looked after for the benefit of all. The Council's Tree Strategy will set out the best ways to do this. Meanwhile, allotment gardening is gathering popularity after many years of modest interest. Kingston has a waiting list of 247 people for the existing 1,240 plots on 23 sites across the borough. The Allotment Strategy will give direction for the enhancement and development of allotments that responds to current demand. Councillor Liz Shard, Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability at Kingston Council, said: "Looking after the Borough\'s trees and allotments is something the Council takes very seriously. Trees create green corridors along the highway greatly improving the look and feel of the area. They also do a very important job in 'mopping up' Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere as well as providing important habitats for urban wildlife. Allotment gardening is a great way of producing fresh fruit and vegetables, having light and regular exercise, and getting out and making new friends with similar interests. The activities undertaken on allotments contribute to Kingston Council's strategic vision of environmental sustainability and social inclusion, so it is right that the Council supports them back. I would urge residents to get involved: to read the two draft strategies and to let the Council know what you think of them. You views will be taken into account."
Residents have been invited to a couple of events by the University.
In addition to the barn dance and Choir concert detailed below there will be a number of special events taking place in the Church before Christmas:
KINGSTON ORPHEUS CHOIR with the Bartholdy Chamber Orchestera will hold a Christmas concert in St John the Evangelist Church, Springfield Road, Kingston upon Thames on Saturday 8th December 2007. Music by Vivaldi, Haydn and Bach with guest soloists. Conductor Ben Palmer. Tickets £10, £8 (concessions) £5 (students). Pay at the door or contact 0208 336 1311
The university will be holding the next meeting for local residents to raise issues and conerns of mutual interest on on Wednesday 7th November at 6.30pm in the Senior Common Room at the Knights Park Campus. Click here for more details.
Kingston Philharmonia are holding a concert at All Saints Church in the Market Place on Saturday 20th October at 7.30pm. The orchestra will be conducted by Levon Parikian and will play:
Tickets are £10 each, £9 for concessions and £2 for children and are available on the door or from Hands Music in Kingston or Albert\'s Music Store in Twickenham
About 40 people attended the Residents' Association summer barbeque last month in Hugh Herland House - and yet again it was another perfect sunny day. Many thanks to all who donated raffle prizes, in particular to the newly refurbished Kelly Arms in Alfred Road (meal for two), Dynasty Fish and Chipss in Alfred Road (meal for two), Carol's Flower shop in Bloomfield Road (splendid bouquet), Tony Hardy, Mary and Gordon Bell, Joan and Karol Smal, Ali Bennett, McCluskey's Off-licence and others. Thanks you also to all who helped with the preparation, the food etc and special thanks to Noel Jones for his musical interludes!
Spring Grove Fringe presents this comedy with a delicious supper served during the interval. Tickets (including the meal) cost £12.50 and are available from Pam Vaughan on 8549 0313 or apply to Box Office, 21a Grange Road, Kingston KT1 2QU. There will be a Licensed bar.
All are welcome at this family service where children (and adults) will celebrate and give thanksgiving for the bounty of harvest time. Please feel free to bring a contribution of food (non-perishable) for those in need if you wish
Residents in our area are invited to meet the local police officers and informally discuss any police related community problems (eg noise, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, speeding traffic etc).
The first year students will be arriving at the University from September 14th. The university have sent the SGRA a copy of an article which will be appearing in the first edition of the university newspaper and a letter to residents who live near the Penrhyn Road site. The article is reproduced in full below. Key points from the letter are:
Copy of Article - Everyone loves good neighbours
There are few things worse in life than being woken up unexpectedly, particularly if you have to be up for a 9am lecture or for work the next morning. I’m sure you’d hate it if it happened to you a lot, yet virtually every day the university and Students’ Union receive complaints about people being woken up by people being noisy late at night.
It might not always be students, but when its people going in and out of Clayhill or climbing the gates at Middlemill at 3am, it’s difficult for us to claim otherwise.
It would be mad to suggest that everyone walks into town or home from town to wherever they live in silence, but it would be good to know that if it was you walking home that you might think twice about singing at the top of your voice as you walk along a residential street. It might seem funny to you, but trust me it’s not. And it will be especially unfunny if the Police are called and you are charged with a breach of the peace, or if you are identified to the University and they use their power to remove you from your course under the “bringing the University into disrepute” clause in the Student Code of Behaviour. And no, KUSU doesn’t think it’s a very fair clause – but it has been used in the past, and it will no doubt be used again.
So here are some things to consider when you are travelling home after going to a bar or club:
We don’t want to sound like killjoys, but noise is a serious issue, and one that the Police are particularly keen to deal with, as they get it in the neck from local residents for not charging people. Also the University aim to maintain good relationships with those local resident groups, and they have acted on complaints and removed students from their courses as a result of their behaviour at night. So think hard about it – is screaming your mates name across the road at 3am worth losing your University place for? Or getting an £80 spot fine from the Police?
It might not seem very fair but we are asking that you remember you are part of the local Kingston community, and that you should act responsibly as part of it – consider the needs of others, don’t dump your bottles and cans everywhere, and remember that stealing things from peoples gardens is a criminal offence, not a good laugh.
To conclude – like the posters say – when you are going home, think SSHH! And don’t say you weren’t warned of the consequences if you do get caught making too much noise late at night.
The SGRA are holding their late summer barbecue in the grounds of Hugh Herland. This enables the residents there and other senior citizens living in our area, as well as all residents and children, to become more involved in community activities. Tickets are only £1 per person, and this covers your barbecue lunch (meat or vegetarian burgers, sausages, salads and soft drinks) and you may bring your own alcoholic drinks if you wish. This is a real family event and we hope that you will come along with your children and have a fun afternoon.
Local resident, Rupert Cheek, is involved in a youth music project in Kingston. He was wondering if any visitors to the site would like to help? Please see www.concert4kingston.org.uk for more details.
Pine single bunk beds, 2 mattresses and ladder. Dismantled flat - easy to reassemble (really!) Good quality/condition and sturdy. Any reasonable offer accepted. Please contact Tony or Gill Hardy at 14 Grove Lane. Tel. 020 8549 7572 or 07802 381130.
Click here to read the Hogsmill newsletter. Items include information on a public consultation about improvements to the Lower Marsh Lane Thames Water site, a report of a sighting of a terrapin near the Blue Bridge, details of clean-up days and a photography competition.
The SGRA have been sent a copy of Kingston's planning document for the period to 2020. We have until 6th July to submit any representation. Full details are on the RBK website www.kingston.gov.uk/kplus20. If you would like to borrow the SGRA committee please email jackie@springgrovekingston.co.uk
Two members of the SGRA committee attended a meeting at the Kingston Recycling centre about recycling where we learned about what happens to the recycling once it leaves our doorsteps l>oking in particular at the issue of plastics. We will be organising a meeting at the Parish Hall later this year for a Councillor to explain some of the issues to residents. In the meantime PLEASE:
Click here to read the Hogsmill newsletter. Items include information on a public consultation about improvements to the Lower Marsh Lane Thames Water site, a report of a sighting of a terrapin near the Blue Bridge, details of clean-up days and a photography competition.
There is a rare opportunity to visit some of the gardens around Ham Common on Sunday 27th May from 2 to 5pm. Tickets are £5 (children free if accompanied by an adult)and can be purchased from the tent on Ham Common Rd at the corner of Ham Street and Ham Common. Click here for the poster.
The university are holding a big concert at St. John’s today, 26 May and would love it if lots of local residents were able to attend. (Apologies from the webmaster for the late notice) Tickets are only £2 and will include a champagne reception. The university Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (with professional soloists and musicians) are performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The music department puts on quite a few events in St. John’s, and a number of lunchtime concerts are planned. Watch this space for further details (and more notice in future!)
Congratulations to Grove Ward Councillor Bart Ricketts has been appointed Deputy Mayor of Kingston for 2007/8. Bart has always been very active in Council affairs and will do a great job as Deputy Mayor. You can read about his activities on his blog bartricketts.co.uk.
Springboard is currently being delivered to every household in the area. Click here for the the web version of the May 2007 issue.
There were presentations at the AGM on 26 April by the community police team, the university and the Grove Ward councillors. The main issue raised in the Q&A sessions was disturbances at night especially by students. Click here for the minutes.
More details nearer the time
Back by popular demand the Amazing Technicolour Music and Film quiz will be on Saturday 21st April in St John’s Church. The doors and bar will open from 7.30pm and the quiz starts at 8pm. Tickets, which are £12.50 including food, are available from Bill Price (Tel: 8287-4548) or Pat Lines (8546-8181). Tables will be for 6 to 8 people so come as a team or make up one on the night.
The Annual General Meeting of the Spring Grove Residents' Association will be held in the Parish Hall. All local residents, longstanding or recently arrived in the area, are welcome to attend. There will be a number of guests including local politicians, a representative from the university and a member of the Grove Ward community police team. To ensure that everyone gets an opportunity to be heard, anyone wishing to put a question to the speakers or to place an item on the agenda, should notify Chairman Alan Leeds (10 Grove Close – 8287 5135) in writing by Thursday 26 April. As a limited amount of time is available, questions tabled in advance will be given priority by the Chairman.
The following Committee Members have expressed their willingness to stand for re-election at the AGM: Gordon Bell, Phil Chapman, Mike Harris, Alan Leeds (Chairman), Natascha Logan, Amy Rieseborough, Deborah Robinson, Karol Smal (Treasurer) and Jackie Steinitz (Secretary). Patrick Rayner is stepping down from the committee. Many thanks to him for all the work he has done on behalf of our community in the past. Thank you also to Heather Forrester for all her help during the year. Paul Hemmings (Portland Road) has offered to stand for election, and if any resident wishes to join the committee or help with community activities please contact Jackie Steinitz on 8541 4482. There are normally about six committee meetings (lasting about 1½ hours) during the year together with several social events, so it is not an onerous task. In particular, we would welcome representatives from Glenthorne & Balmoral Roads, Herbert and Horace Roads.
The SGRA has received an email from Clifford Hart from Wokingham who asks if anyone remembers his grandparents, Alfred & Alice Hart, who lived at 3 Bloomfield Rd between about 1916-1930. Clifford’s father, Victor Hart, was born there in 1918. Alfred was a bandsman in the Lancashire Fusiliers and was gassed at Ypres in 1915. He had an association with Tommy Sopwith and the Sopwith factory. Alfred and Alice (click here for photo) may have run a shop off Clarence Road. Clifford has read and enjoyed Isobel Robinson’s book on the Spring Grove area. He asked if anyone knows anything specific about his grandparents or has any contemporary photos which might be of interest. If so he would be most grateful if you would email him on cliff-pauline.hart@tiscali.co.uk.
Come and see a showcase of the wide variety of dance on offer at Kingston University. You will experience everything from Belly Dancing, Capoeira and Latin to Street, Hip Hop and Contemporary. Plus guest performances from local dance academies! Click here for full details
Pat Lines and Jo Need will be running a drama workshop for children during the Easter holidays. The sessions will take place on the each afternoon from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th April inclusive in the Parish Hall with a performance on 14th April.The cost will be £5 per child per day. Please telephone either Pat (020-8546-8181)or Jo (020-8641-7761) by 31st March if you would like to take part.
Kingston Philharmonia are holding a concert at All Saints Church in the Market Place on Saturday 17th March at 7.30pm. The orchestra will play:
Tickets are £10 each, £8 for concessions and £1 for children and are available on the door or from Hands Music
Further to the item below dated 6th February the University have now sent the minutes of the meeting held on 31st January for local residents. Click here to see the notes and click here to see the powerpoint slides.
Following previous years' successes, the SGRA are holding a Valentine's Barn Dance. Jackie and Dominic and the Plan B dance band will provide the music, and Liz and John will be calling. This is an occasion where all the members of our community, families, the young and not so young can come together and enjoy themselves. A great evening out!! Tickets are £6 for adults, £3 for children (16 or under) and include a delicious hot supper. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks will be available at the licensed bar. Purchase your tickets beforehand from: Gordon Bell -15 Grove Lane (8548 8540), Patrick Rayner – 11 Springfield Rd (8241 5680), Karol Smal -9 Grove Lane (8549 8424) or McCluskey’s Off-Licence.
Springboard is being delivered to ever household in the area this weekend. Click here for the the web version of the February 2007 issue.
The Spring Grove Fringe presents 'The Three Musketeers' on Friday 2nd March at 8.00pm and Saturday 3rd March at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Based on the classic story by Alexandre Dumas, this SGF production offers swash and buckle, fun and an original musical score. Not a panto but hopefully a romp! Tickets are £8 adult, £4 child or family ticket (2+2) at £20, from Pam Vaughan on 020 8549 0313 or click here for an application form for tickets and send the completed form to Box Office, 21a Grange Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2QU. See you there!
Kingston University appreciates that living near a university has its challenges as well as benefits. The University is committed to being a good neighbour and to providing a number of channels of communication with local residents. Thank you to those who came to our recent open meeting on 31 January. The next one will be held on Wednesday 16 May at 6.30pm in C-SCAIPE at Penrhyn Road, and we hold them termly. We are, in addition, always pleased to be invited to the Spring Grove Residents’ Association meetings. We also publish a website for our neighbours to keep you up to date about the New University Project (www.kingston.ac.uk/nup). We also publish comprehensive contact details (which are available on the website and in our newsletter)so that if you want to get in touch you can reach the right person easily. One of the things you told us recently is that people would like to be added to the mailing list for various University publications. These include Communicate (a periodic newsletter updating local people about the New University Project) and the termly Events Calendar (listing University events which residents are welcome to attend). Please do email nup@kingston.ac.uk or telephone Deirdre Ferrier on 020 8547 8133 if you would like to find out more.
We will be including a write-up of the University meeting shortly. For now click here to see the powerpoint presentations given by Professor David Miles,Pro-Vice Chancellor (External Affairs and Business Development)on localissues and by Nicola Corrigan, the Univesity's Sustainability Facilitator, on sustainability and green issues at the University.
Hogsmill Action Group are organising a clean-up day on Saturday 3 March between Watersplash Cose and Villers road. Meet at Watersplash Close at 10.30am. Bags, gloves, litter pickers and other materials are all provided. HAG will also provide refreshments. On 29 April there will be an interpretation walk along the full length of the Hogsmill River accompanied by Toni Hogson, a local Medical Herablist and Richard Jolly, RBK Neighbourhood Servies Officer who is a qualified horticulturalist. The walk will last four hours stopping for a picnic lunch. Bring picnic and drink and meet at Charter Quay Bridge in Kingston at 10am.
Peddling Peace' will be an evening of live music with Plan B and support, bar, Middle Eastern food, raffle and a belly dancing display on Saturday 17th March, 7.30pm at the Parish Hall. Tickets are £15 each. Please contact Mimi Fagan 8549 2323 or Janie Churchyard 8390 3884. This is a fundraising event for the 2007 'Follow the Women' bikeride across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. FOLLOW THE WOMEN is an international organisation of ordinary women from many different countries who support the cause of peace and an end to violence in the Middle East. In a time when terror and cruelty are spreading around the globe, there has never been a greater need for the women of the world to work together for a more peaceful planet.
The university are holding a meeting as "a chance for neighbours of the University to hear about its plans, meet senior staff, ask questions and discuss issues of mutual interest". It will be on Wednesday 31st January at 6.30pm in the Debating Chamber, C-SCAIPE on the Penrhyn Road campus. Click here for more details.
The Grove Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team plan to hold a public meeting every three months during the year. The meetings are a chance for residents to meet the police team and to raise any issues of concern. The meetings will all be held in the Parish Hall on Grove Lane and will start at 7pm. The dates for the year are:
You may have read already on this site about the SNT - but for those who have not the information is copied below.
The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) )for Grove Ward has been operating since April 2006 and now comprises five officers; Sgt Matthew Smith, PC Matthew Cefai, PC Sharon Bailey, PCSO Greg Ward and PCSO Dan Harris who are based at Kingston Police Station. The objective of the SNT is local policing; to work in conjunction with the community to identify and tackle issues of concern in the neighbourhood. The team want to hear about any areas of concern - be it for example anti-social behaviour, graffiti, noisy neighbourhoods, yobs, vandalism -so please contact them if you have any concerns either by:
We recieved an email from a resident to say that, sadly, a cat was found dead on the Grove Lane road. It was a full tabby male, with a pink reflective collar. The body was taken to the vets, Henderson Keywood in Claremont Road, tel: 8399 6666. Click here for the News Archive for 2006 Click here for the News Archive for Jul-Dec 2005 |
