Glyn Hall, originally gifted by local benefactor Margaret Glyn, has served generations as a place for education, connection and community activities.
However, after more than 150 years, the building has reached the end of its usable life and has been closed.
Volunteer trustees have worked tirelessly to secure funding and develop plans for a replacement hall. They had already raised significant funds, including £85,000 from local sources, but had exhausted every avenue available to obtain the remaining money needed to regenerate the site.
The trustees are delighted to confirm that Epsom and Ewell Borough Council has approved funding totalling £315,000, inclusive of the previous £85,000 award, enabling the trust to implement its approved planning permission.
The trustees said they were extremely grateful to council members for approving the award and recognising the positive impact that restoring this historic community facility would have on local people.
The project will now enter its next phase, and the trust is seeking additional volunteers and trustees. It particularly wishes to hear from people with experience in construction, social media or project management.
Details of the trust’s forthcoming annual general meeting will be publicised shortly.
The project represents an excellent opportunity to return a much-needed community asset to public use.
Anyone able to help or support the trust should contact Matthew Anderson at mjranderson64@gmail.com.
Yours faithfully,
Matthew Anderson
Trustee Glyn Hall
Glyn Hall was erected around 1870 in Cheam Road, in the heart of Ewell Village. It was bequeathed by Margaret Glyn in 1946 for the use of Ewell residents.
In January 2024, the trustees obtained planning permission to demolish the existing wooden building and replace it with a new hall.
For further information, contact Matthew Anderson by email at mjranderson64@gmail.com or telephone 07801 785403.
Why more homeowners are taking drain problems seriously before they become emergencies
3 August 2026
Most people don’t think about their drains until something goes wrong. By then, the kitchen sink has stopped draining, the toilet is backing up, or an outside drain has overflowed after heavy rain. In many cases, these problems could have been avoided by spotting the early warning signs.
Across Surrey and South East England, drainage engineers continue to see the same causes of blocked drains. Wet wipes, cooking fat, tree roots and a lack of regular maintenance remain among the most common reasons for emergency call-outs.
Older properties can also develop cracked or displaced pipework, allowing tree roots to enter the drainage system over time.
The first signs are often easy to overlook. Slow-draining sinks, unpleasant smells, gurgling noises after flushing a toilet, or water collecting around outside drains can all indicate that a blockage is starting to form.
Dealing with these issues early can often prevent more expensive repairs later.
Many homeowners turn to chemical drain cleaners, but these rarely fix the underlying problem and may even damage older pipework.
A professional drain camera inspection can quickly identify whether the cause is grease build-up, tree roots, damaged pipework or another fault, allowing the correct solution to be carried out.
Modern drainage equipment, including high-pressure water jetting and drain camera inspections, allows many drainage problems to be resolved without unnecessary excavation, saving both time and disruption.
Drainage & Plumbing Ltd specialises exclusively in drainage services, including emergency drain unblocking, high-pressure water jetting, drain camera inspections, root removal, drain repairs and preventative maintenance.
The company provides fixed-price quotations, operates 24 hours a day and covers Surrey, South London, Sussex, Kent and surrounding areas.
The company’s advice is simple: don’t ignore the early warning signs. Acting early is usually quicker, less disruptive and far more cost-effective than waiting for a complete blockage or drainage emergency.
For more information about drainage services or to arrange an inspection, visit Drainage & Plumbing Ltd.
Sponsored article
Accident in Leatherhead led to prosecution
3 August 2026
An event structure company and its director have been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries. The worker sustained multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg. An HSE investigation found the dismantling work had not been properly planned or carried out safely.
iSkate Limited employee, Natalie McCreith, 38, a former outdoor sports instructor, had worked for the company for 14 years when she was seriously injured while working at Beaverbrook Hotel & Golf Course Leatherhead, Surrey, on 26 June 2024.
Ms McCreith underwent an 11-hour operation, spent three months in hospital and she is still recovering following the incident.
During the dismantling of a steel beam temporary structure, a ratchet strap was being used to lower a steel beam weighing over 100kg. The ratchet strap was not designed for lifting or lowering loads and failed, causing the beam to fall onto Ms McCreith. She sustained multiple fractures to her back, a punctured lung and a broken leg.
Neil Munn, director of iSkate Limited, was on site at the time and made the decision to use the ratchet strap, instructing workers where to stand. He continued with the method even after Ms McCreith raised concerns about whether it was safe.
In a victim personal statement, Ms McCreith said:
“Since the accident, my life has been completely turned upside down it’s now the polar opposite of what it once was. I will never live the life I once had or be in a body that isn’t screaming at me all day, I wish I could turn back time.
“My family spent the journey from Liverpool to London thinking I was dead, they have had to watch someone they love go through agonising pain and continue to do so. I am not the person I once was, I can’t be everything I once was and for them this Journey also continues.”
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that iSkate Limited had failed to ensure that the dismantling of the internal steel frame was properly planned and carried out safely.
HSE provides guidance on structural stability during alteration, demolition and dismantling which states that demolition or dismantling arrangements should be written down before the work begins. This safe system of work may be in the form of a safety method statement identifying the sequence required to prevent accidental collapse of the structure.
iSkate Limited, of Norfolk House, Station Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, by virtue of Regulation 20(1). The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £6,949 in costs at a hearing at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on 28 July 2026.
Neil Munn, director of iSkate Limited, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, by virtue of Regulation 16(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Regulation 20(1). He received a community order with 75 hours of unpaid work to be completed.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: “Demolition and dismantling is a high-hazard work activity, but if the work is properly planned it can be carried out safely. This accident has had a devastating effect on Ms McCreith and could easily have been prevented had the right work equipment been used.”
Health and Safety Executive
Phoito: iskate ratchet strap
Water voles thriving in Ewell’s Hogsmill
3 August 2026
Camera footage and fresh field signs suggest water voles are settling in and spreading along the Surrey chalk stream
Water voles are showing encouraging signs of recovery along the Hogsmill River, one year after 50 of the threatened mammals were released into the river and surrounding wetlands in Ewell, Surrey.
Camera traps have captured a continuous flow of images showing the water voles displaying natural behaviours, while recent surveys have found evidence of their presence both upstream and downstream of the original release site.
The field signs include burrows in the riverbanks, feeding remains, vegetation chewed at a characteristic 45-degree angle and distinctive “tic-tac-shaped” droppings found at water vole latrines. The findings suggest the animals are exploring the river and establishing themselves within their restored habitat.
Water voles were released into Chamber Mead wetlands and the adjacent Upper Hogsmill River on 30 July 2025 by the South East Rivers Trust and conservation charity Citizen Zoo.
The release marked the return of water voles to Surrey following an absence of more than 20 years and complemented an earlier reintroduction further downstream on the Hogsmill.
Laura Nee, Catchment Officer at the South East Rivers Trust, said: “It’s wonderful to see how excited local people are to have water voles living on their doorstep. Residents often stop to tell me about hearing the tell-tale ‘plop’ of something entering the water and wondering whether a vole is nearby.
“Although water voles can be difficult to spot, our monitoring with Citizen Zoo is giving us an encouraging picture of how they are settling in. Camera traps have captured a continuous flow of images showing the voles displaying natural behaviours, while recent surveys have found signs of their presence both upstream and downstream, including latrines, feeding remains and burrows in the riverbanks.
“A year after the reintroduction, it’s incredibly exciting to see evidence that the water voles are thriving and making the Hogsmill their home.”
Citizen Zoo is monitoring the population using four latrine rafts, two camera traps and a clay tracking raft positioned along this stretch of the catchment.
The equipment, combined with regular field surveys, helps conservationists understand where the water voles are living, how they are moving along the river and whether the population is successfully establishing.
Water voles were once widespread along the Hogsmill but disappeared from Surrey following decades of habitat loss and pressure from invasive American mink.
Their return was made possible by long-term work to restore the river and create suitable habitat, including the development of Chamber Mead wetlands by the South East Rivers Trust and Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.
The wetlands provide the dense vegetation, connected river habitat and suitable banks that water voles need for food, shelter and burrowing.
The July 2025 release formed part of the WET Hogsmill project, delivered by the South East Rivers Trust in partnership with Citizen Zoo and supported through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme.
The water voles were bred by Wildwood Trust, which specialises in conservation breeding and the recovery of native species.
The release also helped strengthen the population established further downstream, where Citizen Zoo released 101 water voles in 2022. Creating connected populations along the river can improve genetic diversity and support the species’ longer-term recovery.
Ongoing monitoring will help the South East Rivers Trust and Citizen Zoo track the population’s progress and guide future habitat conservation along the Hogsmill.
The Hogsmill is a rare chalk stream flowing through Epsom and Ewell and the Royal Borough of Kingston before joining the River Thames. Chalk streams are internationally important habitats, supported by clear, mineral-rich groundwater and characterised by distinctive plants and wildlife.
The WET Hogsmill project ran from September 2023 to 2025 and created or improved habitat for water voles, European eels and native trout. It was led by the South East Rivers Trust in partnership with Citizen Zoo and supported through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme.
The water vole reintroduction was also supported by Wildwood Trust, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and Thames Water.
Citizen Zoo is a social enterprise and conservation charity working to restore nature and reconnect people with the natural world through community-led rewilding and species recovery.
Eleven councillors walked out of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council after the Mayor ruled that her father could remain in the chamber and lead a debate on the future of … Read More
Nobody seriously disputes that developing Hook Road Arena as a centre for community sport, supported where necessary by housing, deserves proper investigation. The proposal enjoyed overwhelming support. Had almost any … Read More
The new East Surrey council is poised to confirm its first permanent chief executive in the latest step towards the authority’s creation next spring. East Surrey Shadow Authority, the body … Read More
Plans to install a communications kiosk including an advertising screen and defibrillator on Epsom High Street have been refused over concerns it would harm the character of the area. The … Read More
Plans to demolish and extend a hotel by adding a further 33 bedrooms and a 72-seater restaurant have been rejected after councillors labelled it an “ugly blot”. Premier Inn had … Read More
Surrey NHS trusts are investing tens of thousands of pounds into artificial intelligence tools across clinical and administrative settings, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal. AI is being … Read More
An Epsom charity which has supported thousands of people affected by mental health difficulties has celebrated its 20th anniversary. Members, volunteers, friends and supporters of Love Me Love My Mind … Read More
A Surrey train station that was once voted the county’s prettiest station by Surrey Live readers is now stewing in litter after the rail operator took away all the bins … Read More
A Green Party councillor has called for a “rethink” of oil extraction practices in the south of England after research suggested a possible link between drilling and a series of … Read More
A new partner is taking on Shared Lives in Surrey aiming to welcome more people into the service who can open their homes to adults with support needs and help … Read More
A single commissioner team will oversee the combined financial messes across Woking and Spelthorne as fears mount that their enormous unsupported debts and tangled property webs could spill over and … Read More
Private landlords have been hit with almost £75,000 in fines over the past two years by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. The figures were presented following questions over levels of … Read More
A family-run lavender business has celebrated 20 years after growing from a simple stall and tent into one of the area’s best-known attractions. Mayfield Lavender marked the milestone at its … Read More
Why procedure matters, even in little old Epsom and Ewell
3 August 2026
Nobody seriously disputes that developing Hook Road Arena as a centre for community sport, supported where necessary by housing, deserves proper investigation.
The proposal enjoyed overwhelming support. Had almost any councillor moved it at the meeting of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council on 21st July, it would have passed comfortably and probably without drama.
Yet the debate produced an adjournment, angry exchanges and the walkout of 11 councillors—including, it appears, at least one member of the ruling Residents’ Association group.
Why?
The answer cannot lie in opposition to the proposal itself. Most, if not all, of those who walked out supported giving Hook Road Arena strategic priority. Their protest concerned the process by which the decision was being made and, more particularly, the identity of the councillor who was permitted to present himself as its principal champion.
That distinction matters.
Procedure is not an inconvenience
There is a temptation, particularly where the desired outcome appears uncontroversial, to dismiss procedural objections as political gamesmanship.
Why worry about who proposed the motion if it was going to pass anyway? Why interrupt an important debate about desperately needed sports facilities with arguments about interests, declarations and who should occupy the chair?
The answer is that procedural rules are not decorative. They exist to preserve confidence in the decisions reached under them.
Substantive rules determine what a council may decide. Procedural rules determine how it must decide it, who may participate and whether the process can command public confidence.
A good outcome reached through a questionable process does not retrospectively cure that process. Nor can councillors embrace constitutional rules when those rules assist them, only to minimise or reinterpret them when their application becomes personally inconvenient.
Rules which operate only when the powerful find them useful are not rules at all. They become instruments of discretion—and discretion exercised in one’s own cause is precisely what rules governing conflicts of interest are intended to restrain.
The interest question
Cllr Neil Dallen is a director of Epsom Fireworks Display Ltd, which contracts with EEBC to hire Hook Road Arena for its annual display. He is also a trustee of the associated charitable trust.
Development could eventually end the fireworks at the Arena. The company’s precise financial arrangements remain unclear, as do any payments or expenses received by its directors.
This does not establish that Cllr Dallen possessed a disclosable pecuniary interest within the strict definition of the Localism Act. That depends upon facts which the company’s abbreviated accounts do not reveal. Though there is undoubtedly a related current contract with the Coucil and his company – which in itself – regardless of personal gain – is disclosable and prevents the councillor participating, absent a clear dispensation, on pain of a criminal penalty.
It is also true that Cllr Dallen was supporting a proposal which may ultimately operate against the continued use of the Arena by the fireworks company. That apparent paradox may weigh significantly against any suggestion of corrupt motivation at the meeting itself.
But the law on interests is preventive. If an interest falls within the statutory definition, a councillor cannot participate merely because he believes he is acting impartially, because his preferred outcome is publicly beneficial or because he is voting against the immediate interests of the connected organisation.
The test is not whether the councillor “feels” conflicted. It is whether the relevant facts satisfy the applicable rules.
The Mayor’s position
There was a second and arguably more obvious procedural issue which received surprisingly little attention.
The Mayor, Cllr Lucie McIntyre, is Cllr Dallen’s daughter. This is an undisputed and widely known fact, almost certainly familiar to every councillor in the chamber.
Yet the relationship was not formally disclosed at the meeting.
Being Cllr Dallen’s daughter did not automatically give the Mayor a disclosable pecuniary interest. However, she was being asked to rule on whether her father could remain in the chamber, speak, move the recommendation and participate in the vote.
Her father plainly had, at the very least, a reputational interest in that ruling. His conduct, consistency and integrity were being challenged publicly.
The question was therefore not whether the Mayor was capable of chairing impartially. It was whether public confidence would have been better protected by disclosing the relationship and allowing the Deputy Mayor to rule upon that discrete controversy.
Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done. That principle applies to modest local proceedings as surely as it applies to a courtroom.
The opposition focused its objections almost entirely on Cllr Dallen. It did not press the equally apparent question of whether his daughter should continue to chair the dispute about him.
Why?
Perhaps the relationship was so universally known that councillors did not consider a formal declaration necessary. Perhaps tempers and confusion prevented the point from being articulated. Perhaps they accepted that the Mayor was relying upon legal advice and did not wish to personalise their protest further.
But the omission also invites a less comfortable question: was the walkout motivated solely by concern for constitutional principle, or partly by anger at the spectacle of Cllr Dallen receiving public credit for a project which others believe he had previously frustrated?
From obstruction to championship?
EET has received consistent accounts from three councillors within Cllr Dallen’s own Residents’ Association group and two people closely connected with Epsom and Ewell Football Club.
They allege that proposals for Hook Road Arena were repeatedly pushed “from pillar to post” and between processes, contributing to delay. Cllr Dallen has also been quoted as saying: “I want the fireworks four more years.”
These remain allegations to which Cllr Dallen is entitled to respond and since Sunday when he was asked to EET has received no comment from him.
Was the walkout driven not merely by the disputed legal interest, but by a sense of hypocrisy? Did councillors object to seeing someone whom they believed had privately impeded progress now appearing publicly as the development’s leading promoter?
If so, the protest was about political ownership and credibility as well as legal compliance.
That would explain why councillors who supported the motion nevertheless refused to remain for it. They were not rejecting Hook Road Arena. They were rejecting the presentation of Cllr Dallen as its champion.
But that interpretation also carries a warning for the protesters. If their objection was truly one of principle, they should have applied that principle consistently—including to the Mayor’s position in the chair. Selective indignation is no more attractive from the opposition than selective compliance is from the administration.
The small scale is no excuse
It would be easy to regard this as a parochial quarrel in a council which will cease to exist in eight months.
That would be a mistake.
Respect for the rule of law is built from the bottom upwards. It begins with small decisions, modest offices and local institutions. It depends upon people following rules even when the consequences are inconvenient and even when ignoring them might produce the same substantive result more quickly.
The erosion usually starts harmlessly: a procedure is treated as unnecessary because everybody supports the outcome; an interest is dismissed because the individual believes himself honest; a relationship is left undeclared because everybody already knows about it; an awkward question is silenced because it is said to be outside the scope of the debate.
Each departure can be rationalised. Together, they create a culture in which rules become optional for those exercising power.
At national and international level, the same habit has graver consequences. Selective obedience breeds cynicism; cynicism produces contempt for institutions; and contempt for institutions opens the way to disorder, violence and, ultimately, conflict.
Epsom and Ewell is not on the verge of anarchy because of a disagreement over a fireworks display. But the principle is indivisible. We cannot demand fidelity to constitutional rules in Westminster, respect for courts nationally or adherence to international law abroad while treating procedural safeguards as dispensable in our own council chamber.
Rules matter most when they are inconvenient.
Hook Road Arena deserved to be made a strategic priority. It did not need Cllr Dallen to move the recommendation, and the proposal would have passed without his participation.
The Council could therefore have avoided the entire controversy at virtually no cost. Cllr Dallen could have withdrawn; another councillor could have proposed the recommendation; the Mayor could have disclosed the family relationship and allowed her deputy to determine the procedural objections.
The same substantive decision would have been reached, but through a process carrying far greater public confidence.
That is the point of procedure. It is not there to frustrate good decisions. It is there to ensure that good decisions are reached in a way that deserves respect.
Epsom and Ewell could retain its mayor, civic traditions and borough regalia after the borough council is abolished next year following a vote by councillors. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council … Read More
A bid to force greater councillor oversight of Epsom and Ewell’s Local Plan was defeated after an extraordinary council meeting descended into bitter accusations of dishonesty, procedural obstruction and democratic … Read More
Surrey County Council’s leader says he expects Andy Burnham to “turbocharge” initiatives that could see the county get its own elected mayor. Speaking at a meeting of the full council, … Read More
Opera will be coming to Surrey this summer as the touring company Wild Arts presents Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in Guildford and at Titsey Place. The production visits the … Read More
A new wetland capable of holding up to 600,000 litres of water has been created near Gatwick as part of efforts to make the Upper Mole catchment more resilient to … Read More
Faster and more effective ways to treat pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most life-threatening pathogens, could be on the cards thanks to a … Read More
Before the stadium tours, private jets and worldwide fame, five young rhythm-and-blues musicians performed on a temporary floor laid over the swimming pool at Epsom Baths Hall. More than six … Read More
Dear Editor, Very disappointed with Epsom and Ewell Council, this would have been a simple arrangement. I myself stayed in the borough of Bucha only a few weeks ago on … Read More
Epsom and Ewell recorded Surrey’s second-highest rate of upheld Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman complaints during 2025/26 — although officers and some councillors argued that the numbers were too … Read More
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s homelessness expenditure remains at its maximum risk rating despite additional staff, fraud investigations, government funding and the implementation of a homelessness action plan. The Council’s … Read More
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee has formally concluded that the process used for the confidential £500K Rainbow Leisure Centre urgent decision did not follow the Council’s … Read More
Nearly £4.92 million of infrastructure and community-project funding has been approved by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council despite a resident’s detailed appeal for the decision—or at least funding for a … Read More
A proposal for Epsom and Ewell Borough Council to support in principle a twinning arrangement with Bucha in Ukraine was defeated only after Strategy and Resources Committee Chair Councillor Neil … Read More
Readers bemoan Council’s feet-dragging on twinning Epsom with Bucha
3 August 2026
Dear Editor,
Very disappointed with Epsom and Ewell Council, this would have been a simple arrangement. I myself stayed in the borough of Bucha only a few weeks ago on my way to Odesa. I was only a few miles from the area occupied by the Russians, they were only stopped by the Ukrainians destroying the bridge. Imagine living in Epsom and enemy forces occupying Ewell killing people in the streets. Shame on the council members voting against this.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Gough
Dear Editor,
As a Ukrainian, I want to sincerely thank the people of Epsom and Ewell for everything they have done to support Ukraine over the past more than four years. Your kindness, generosity and the incredible humanitarian support you have provided have meant more than words can express.
Humanitarian aid has saved lives. But today, a statement of friendship and solidarity matters too. It tells Ukrainians that we have not been forgotten and that we are not standing alone.
The war has not become easier. Every day people continue to die, and cities continue to be attacked. We all hope this war ends in Ukraine, because if Russian aggression is not stopped here, its consequences will not stop at Ukraine’s borders.
Thank you for speaking up, for raising these issues, and for continuing to stand with Ukraine. It means more to us than you may ever know.
Six months after Epsom and Ewell Borough Council quietly authorised the use of its reserves to cover a dilapidations bill of up to £500,000 at the Rainbow Leisure Centre, the … Read More
Children aged five to 15 in England will be able to travel free on local buses throughout August as part of a Government summer cost-of-living support package. The free travel … Read More
A new centre designed to support people with sight and hearing loss across Surrey has officially opened in Ashtead, strengthening services for thousands of residents living with sensory impairments. The … Read More
Last night Councillors unanimously approved the council’s own application to replace ageing air-conditioning plant at Epsom Playhouse with a modern heat pump system, in a decision expected to cut the … Read More
Residents from across Surrey are invited to get involved to help shape the brand identities of the new East and West Surrey councils. These councils will need to create their own distinct brand identities, to help everyone recognise who is delivering local services from April 2027. The new … Read More
Surrey County Council’s Prison Social Care Team has been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission for the dignified support it provides to people in custody with care needs. The … Read More
Major financial decisions across Surrey must now be taken by the newly formed councils – despite the fact they will not take over for almost a year. Elections held in … Read More
Guildford Cathedral has been granted permission to install security cameras around its listed premises through a fund to protect places of worship from violent attacks. The cathedral will place 16 … Read More
Free bus travel for children across England this August
3 August 2026
Children aged five to 15 in England will be able to travel free on local buses throughout August as part of a Government summer cost-of-living support package.
The free travel offer will run from 1 August to 31 August and is intended to help families reduce the cost of summer holiday journeys to parks, museums, beaches, cinemas, theatres and other attractions.
The Department for Transport says the scheme will apply to local bus services in England. Families are already able to benefit from free travel for children under five across the main bus operators.
Roads Minister Simon Lightwood visited Bath on Thursday 9 July to meet local leaders and bus companies ahead of the scheme’s launch.
The measure forms part of the Government’s “Great British Summer Savings” scheme, which also includes temporary reductions aimed at cutting the cost of children’s meals, cinema and theatre tickets, and admission to family attractions such as theme parks, adventure centres and soft play venues.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“Great British Summer Savings means more people can be excited about getting out and about this summer, whether it’s seeing the Roman Baths, learning something new at the Science Museum, or falling asleep on the bus ride home after a day riding rollercoasters at Alton Towers.
“I know that the cost of living is a concern for households across the UK, which is why we’re cutting the cost of the day-to-day, with free bus travel for children this summer and the £3 bus fare cap helping more families make the most of the small plans that make life enjoyable.”
The Government says the free children’s travel offer comes alongside the extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027, and follows the first rail fare freeze in 30 years.
Ministers say they are also investing £3 billion nationally to improve bus services and support local leaders and operators in delivering more reliable services.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“I am so excited that Kids Go Free is back again. We know what a massive impact this has had for families in the West, helping kids explore the best of the West and putting money back in parents’ pockets.
“I am thrilled that the Government has seen how successful our scheme has been, and that Kids Go Free is going national for August. This will give West Country families the chance to explore even further.”
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:
“It’s fantastic to see free bus travel for children as the summer holidays get underway, supporting families to get out and explore the outstanding attractions and destinations across England in a stress-free and environmentally friendly way.
“Whether enjoying a trip to our stunning seaside destinations, beautiful countryside or our vibrant city attractions, there is so much to discover during the summer across England. I know our tourism and hospitality businesses will be very pleased to see you.”
Editor’s note:
The free bus travel scheme applies to children aged five to 15 in England during August 2026. It should be checked locally whether any particular operator or route is excluded before travel.
Surrey County Council is deploying CCTV cameras from a Chinese manufacturer which has been banned from government departments over national security concerns. Cameras made by Hikvision, a company partly owned … Read More
Guildford’s MP has reiterated calls for a third railway station to be built in the town, saying public transport infrastructure “must be delivered” alongside new house building. Zöe Franklin has … Read More
There was a lively atmosphere on Friday evening as the local running community gathered for the return of the Perch 2000 run. Hosted by the Oddballs Running Club, the event … Read More
Surrey Police recorded 1,551 thefts or unauthorised takings of motor vehicles in 2025, with charges or summonses recorded in 34 cases, according to Home Office figures analysed by the Liberal … Read More
Dalton says Surrey devolution letter was non-binding and rooted in Council’s 2025 vote Epsom & Ewell Borough Council leader Councillor Hannah Dalton has said her decision to sign a letter … Read More
Students from Nescot have helped restore a memorial bench dedicated to legendary jockey Pat Eddery at Epsom Downs Racecourse. The work gave young people on Nescot’s alternative provision programme, for … Read More
A satellite coating made from one of the world’s darkest materials could help tackle a growing threat to astronomy, according to new research led by astrophysicists at the University of … Read More
Helen Maguire marks two years as Epsom and Ewell’s MP today, having won the constituency for the Liberal Democrats at the General Election on 4 July 2024. Her victory, by … Read More
Revd. Jonathan Boucher was the Vicar of Epsom for 20 of the last 25 years of the mediaeval church, 1785–1805. Born in Blencago, Cumbria, into a family ruined by the … Read More
Rosebery School in Epsom has launched a new charitable foundation aimed at helping pupils pursue their ambitions regardless of their financial or personal circumstances. The Rosebery Foundation has been established … Read More
The Epsom and Ewell Town-Twinning Association has presented its annual Cyril Frazer Awards, sharing a total of £500 between three local recipients. The awards went to Nescot’s Performing Arts Department, … Read More
Dear Editor, Why no review? I read with interest your article of 2 June about the recent Local Plan consultation. Mr Brown’s contention that the consultation was unconstitutional was undoubtedly … Read More
For many adults, years of quietly struggling with focus, organisation, time management or restlessness can finally start to make sense once ADHD is recognised. Yet with NHS waiting lists for … Read More
Businesses and residents voice concerns over diversion routes as SGN and Surrey County Council prepare for large-scale works at the East Street/Hook Road/Upper High Street junction Central Epsom is facing … Read More
Tomorrow’s Epsom six race tips
3 August 2026
There’s more Flat action at Epsom Racecourse this Thursday with six races to get stuck into across the evening; five handicaps and a fillies’ maiden.
Read on for a preview of and tips for the Epsom card, brought to you by BOYLE Sports, who have all the horse racing odds.
First up is a mile and a half handicap for three-year-olds (18.05). Celestarak was a winner last time, while Darkest Red was only narrowly beaten. Zurna could be interesting, making his handicap debut for Julia and Shelley Birkett. Given that Darkest Red can go on any ground and looks favourably weighted here, he could be the one.
Race two is a seven-furlong two-year-old fillies’ maiden (18.40). Tiora Time and Chaise Longue are the only newcomers, but David Simcock’s Minnal brings the best form, having not been beaten too far at Doncaster on debut. Chaise Longue could be good on debut, though, forr her in-form trainer.
Race three is a seven-furlong handicap (19.15). This looks a competitive affair, with plenty of good recent form on show. Dandy Khan looks to be down to a competitive mark now for Kim Boyle, while Jersey Maverick is a course and distance winner who also should be able to win off today’s mark.
Next is a six-furlong handicap (19.50). King Of Chaos and Rage Of Thunder both won their latest starts, and both look hard pressed to reproduce that form today. Aberma Gold is a reasonably reliable sort who looks ready to go again, but Balon d’Or could be the one to beat here from a nice draw in two.
The penultimate race is an extended mile handicap (20.22). Play Me is a course and distance winner and won here last time, while Ritaal could be down to a winnable mark and has first-time blinkers to help here. Swiped is another in first-time headgear and might be worth thinking about.
We conclude with a 10-furlong three-year-olds’ handicap (20.52). The majority of the field are making their handicap debuts here, while the more experienced Sail On Sailor seeks a hat-trick. Sweep In Time is intriguing stepping up in trip for the first time here, a distance that ought to suit well. Living In Hope might be the one to cope with the undulations best, though.
