Epsom and Ewell Times

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ISSN 2753-2771

4th December 2025

Business News

Toyota prevention of future death report

Toyota prevention of future death report

A senior coroner has warned that more drivers could die because a Toyota braking system failed to stop a woman’s car before a deadly M25 crash. Lisa Bowen, 48, died … Read More

Council Environment

Surrey to get new recycling centre

Surrey to get new recycling centre

Bin lorries rumbling through Wentworth, Virginia Water and Chertsey could become a much more common occurrence after plans for a massive recycling plant on former green belt land just south … Read More

Rugby Sports

A Canterbury tale of woe for Epsom’s Rugby team

A Canterbury tale of woe for Epsom’s Rugby team

Canterbury II 30 Sutton & Epsom RFC 26. Saturday 29th November. The Pilgrims had belatedly progressed to Level 6 when their glass ceiling was removed by the RFU. After an … Read More

News

Surrey MP intervenes in local prison transgender issue

Surrey MP intervenes in local prison transgender issue

The Member of Parliament for Reigate has called for biologically male inmates to be excluded from the women’s estate at HMP Downview in Banstead. Rebecca Paul MP argued that the … Read More

Council Nature

Here’s some Spring cheer as Winter approaches Epsom and Ewell

Here’s some Spring cheer as Winter approaches Epsom and Ewell

Nonsuch Park has been awarded two top honours at the 2025 South & South East in Bloom Awards, taking Gold for both Heritage Park of the Year and Large Conservation … Read More

News Policing

Surrey Police Commissioner responds to morale report

Surrey Police Commissioner responds to morale report

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner has defended a reported drop in police officer morale, pointing to public and media criticism of the force. Only 57 per cent of officers believe … Read More

Community Environment Transport

Leatherhead ruined recycling road repair

Leatherhead ruined recycling road repair

A crumbling, pothole-ridden road that has been the source of countless insurance claims could be given a new lease of life. The North Leatherhead Access Road leading into the Surrey … Read More

Business Community Health

Nirvana comes to Epsom care home

Nirvana comes to Epsom care home

Sponsored article: Linden House Care Home in Epsom is proud to announce a new era under its new owners, Nirvana Care Group. Established in the 1980s, the home has long … Read More

Community Education News

Epsom celebrity visits his old college

Epsom celebrity visits his old college

Joe Wicks MBE, widely known as The Body Coach, recently visited his former college, Nescot (North East Surrey College of Technology), the place where his journey into fitness and education … Read More

News Transport

Surrey University balloon study of solar flares informs current air safety concerns

Surrey University balloon study of solar flares informs current air safety concerns

New balloon-mounted radiation probes developed by the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey have captured their first readings of a major solar storm, confirming that levels of cosmic … Read More

Environment Nature News

Surrey Hills expansion

Surrey Hills expansion

The Surrey Hills could be expanded for the first time since it was first designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty almost 70 years ago. The Surrey Hills National … Read More

Education Health News

Surrey Uni study may show way to reverse vision loss

Surrey Uni study may show way to reverse vision loss

New computer modelling could help scientists better understand how the retina regenerates, opening the door to new treatments for vision loss, according to a study from the University of Surrey.  … Read More

Council Finances

Surrey to sell off property in Epsom and elsewhere to fill budget gaps

Surrey to sell off property in Epsom and elsewhere to fill budget gaps

Surrey County Council is looking to bank a major cash boost by selling off a string of properties sitting idle across the county. The money is earmarked to help plug … Read More

News Transport

Tunnel vision for Heathrow’s 3rd runway?

Tunnel vision for Heathrow’s 3rd runway?

Heathrow Airport’s plan for a third runway – requiring a major re-routing and tunnelling of the M25 – has received Government backing as the preferred option for expansion. A competing … Read More

Council Planning

Epsom and Ewell’s first neighbourhood plan

Epsom and Ewell’s first neighbourhood plan

A leafy Surrey suburb is about to make its mark for the local community. Stoneleigh and Auriol are poised to be able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to planning developments … Read More

Council Finances

Surrey consults on next year’s budget

Surrey consults on next year’s budget

Surrey County Council has opened a public consultation on its draft budget for 2026/27, asking residents across the county


Nirvana comes to Epsom care home

Sponsored article: Linden House Care Home in Epsom is proud to announce a new era under its new owners, Nirvana Care Group. Established in the 1980s, the home has long served the local community, and the new leadership has already made significant investments to further elevate care standards across Surrey.

Phase 1 of a resident-led refurbishment is now complete, shaped by meaningful input from those who live at the home. Linden House has also invested in modern technologies and strengthened service partnerships to enhance safety, comfort, and wellbeing.

The transition has been warmly received by staff, with six former team members returning to support the refreshed vision. The home is also delighted to welcome back former manager Reshma Tupsy, reflecting Linden House’s strong sense of community and continuity. With a dedicated multicultural team and an in-house chef, residents enjoy personalised menus tailored to cultural and faith requirements, along with fully customised activity programmes.

Following the renewed leadership, upgraded facilities, and a focus on truly personalised care a small number of vacancies remain for families seeking warm, modern, and compassionate care.

For enquiries or to arrange a visit, contact Reshma on 01372 721 447


27th November 2025

Council Housing News

Epsom and Ewell homeless costs set to overshoot by £900k

Epsom and Ewell homeless costs set to overshoot by £900k

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is forecasting a substantial overspend on its homelessness budget this year, as reported to the BBC, with demand for help remaining “consistently high”. According to … Read More

Local History News Transport

British Railways’ 200 year celebration train coming to Epsom

British Railways’ 200 year celebration train coming to Epsom

Free exhibition train to steam into Tattenham Corner A free exhibition train celebrating 200 years of the modern railway will arrive at Tattenham Corner station next March as part of … Read More

Rugby Sports

Horsham hound Epsom’s huddle

Horsham hound Epsom’s huddle

Sutton & Epsom were beaten 36–29 by Horsham Saturday 22nd November in a hard-fought and entertaining afternoon at Rugby Lane. The fixture brought together two clubs whose paths diverged at … Read More

Arts Community Culture

Epsom’s Young Performers Light Up Picturehouse Showcase

Epsom’s Young Performers Light Up Picturehouse Showcase

It was an unusually busy Sunday morning at Epsom’s Picturehouse, with the main cinema hall filled to the very last seat. It is rare to see it so full at … Read More

Business Education

Is Epsom and Ewell ideal for remote working?

Is Epsom and Ewell ideal for remote working?

When remote work is supported well, it can raise job satisfaction, reduce commuting stress and give people meaningful control over their work life balance. However, the recent drive by some … Read More

Arts Culture

Epsom Choral Society maintains its good standing

Epsom Choral Society maintains its good standing

Epsom Choral Society’s performance of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on 22 November 2025 at St Martin’s Church was an evening defined by emotional depth, musical discipline, and an unwavering sense of communal purpose. … Read More

Arts Culture

Epsom gets a bit of French polish

Epsom gets a bit of French polish

Those who were fortunate enough to be in the audience for Epsom Chamber Choir’s concert at St Martin’s Church, Epsom, on Saturday 15 November were treated to a superb recital … Read More

Community Health

Sixty years of tea, chat and companionship in Epsom

Sixty years of tea, chat and companionship in Epsom

A charity supporting lonely and isolated older residents in Epsom and Ewell is marking its 60th anniversary. Re-engage volunteers run monthly free tea parties for people aged 75 and over, … Read More

Council Finances

Need to sell Council property spelt out for Spelthorne

Need to sell Council property spelt out for Spelthorne

Spelthorne Borough Council has been warned it must sell off its commercial property empire fast or risk losing tens of millions of pounds and plunging even deeper into financial crisis. … Read More

Arts Education Transport

Nescot students’ artwork brightens Ewell East Station

Nescot students’ artwork brightens Ewell East Station

Artwork by Nescot’s Level 3 Art and Digital Design students is now on display at Ewell East Station as part of Art@theStation, a national initiative bringing young artists’ work into … Read More

Community Health

QEF to Close After 90 Years as Epsom MP Seeks Answers

QEF to Close After 90 Years as Epsom MP Seeks Answers

The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF), the long-established disability charity based in Leatherhead, has announced it will enter administration after a 28-day wind-down period, bringing an end to … Read More

Environment News Volunteers

Epsom and Ewell Climate Action Network launches with community events and initiatives

Epsom and Ewell Climate Action Network launches with community events and initiatives

A new community movement is taking shape in the borough with the launch of the Epsom and Ewell Climate Action Network (eeCAN) – a local volunteer group working to empower … Read More


Epsom Choral Society maintains its good standing

Epsom Choral Society’s performance of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on 22 November 2025 at St Martin’s Church was an evening defined by emotional depth, musical discipline, and an unwavering sense of communal purpose. Under the assured direction of conductor Julian Collings, the choir and English Sinfonietta delivered a moving and meticulously shaped reading of one of the choral repertoire’s most profound sacred works.

The church’s warm acoustic proved especially well suited to Dvořák’s expansive, reverent writing; the opening lament, “Stabat mater dolorosa,” unfolded with a gentle solemnity that felt both intimate and monumental. The lower voices of the choir set a somber foundation, their tone grounded and resonant, while the sopranos floated above with clarity. Collings shaped the movement with confidence, never allowing the pacing to sag despite the movement’s extended emotional breadth.

The quartet of soloists—Lisa Swayne (soprano), Judy Louie Brown (mezzo-soprano), John Findon  (tenor), and Niall Anderson (bass)—brought a balanced and expressive presence to the performance. Swayne’s soprano was notable for its bright, ringing top notes, which soared effortlessly. Brown’s mezzo offered a warm, velvety counterpoint, particularly effective in the more introspective sections, where her phrasing carried a natural, speech-like flow.

Tenor John Findon delivered a compelling and lyrical performance, bringing both tenderness and urgency to his solos. His projection was clear, even in the church’s generous acoustic. Bass Niall Anderson provided a strong anchor, his tone rich and reassuring—especially striking in moments where Dvořák’s writing descends into darker, more meditative territory. Together, the four voices blended with admirable cohesion, never overshadowing the chorus but instead weaving in and out of the larger texture with sensitivity.

The English Sinfonietta supported the vocal forces with refinement and expressive nuance. The string section, in particular, brought a glowing warmth to the score, highlighting Dvořák’s gift for intertwining grief with deep spiritual hope. The woodwind solos were elegantly shaped. 

Collings maintained clear and communicative direction throughout, guiding transitions with fluid movement and drawing out the work’s emotional arc with thoughtful pacing. By the time the triumphant closing movement, “Quando corpus morietur,” arrived, the ensemble had built a compelling narrative of suffering transformed into hope, making the final “Amen” genuinely uplifting.

What stood out most across the performance, however, was the sense of collective commitment. Epsom Choral Society attracted a sizeable audience despite, the inclement weather, and there was a real sense of community between the choir and the audience. 

Jane Wilkinson


Epsom gets a bit of French polish

Those who were fortunate enough to be in the audience for Epsom Chamber Choir’s concert at St Martin’s Church, Epsom, on Saturday 15 November were treated to a superb recital of French choral music. The first half comprised mainly unaccompanied short pieces by 20th-century French composers, with one work by American composer Eric Whitacre. From the outset the choir’s exceptional quality was evident as their exhilarating sound reverberated around the superb acoustic of St Martin’s. Maurice Duruflé’s Quatre motets, based on plainsong melodies, were beautifully sung, conveying every nuance of this intimate music. Whitacre’s Sainte-Chapelle, inspired by a visit to the medieval Parisian chapel, mirrored in vivid choral writing the stunning stained-glass windows for which the building is famous, its dissonant cluster-chords and wide dynamic range skilfully negotiated under the clear direction of conductor Jack Apperley.

The sopranos and altos were then given a chance to shine with three pieces for upper voices only. The ethereal purity of the sopranos’ tone was especially apparent in Lili Boulanger’s Pie Jesu, accompanied by string quartet, harp and organ. The first half concluded with Pierre Villette’s Attende Domine, composed in 1983 for Worcester Cathedral Choir. Villette’s highly chromatic writing, with hints of Poulenc, Messiaen, Gregorian chant and jazz, presents real challenges even for accomplished choirs, but the confident voices of Epsom Chamber Choir proved more than equal to the task, bringing the opening half to a thrilling close.

After the interval the choir gave a moving account of Fauré’s ever-popular Requiem, accompanied by an excellent ensemble of violin, cello, harp and organ. This reduced instrumentation lent a special intimacy to the performance, well suited to the reflective character of much of the work, though perhaps less so for its more dynamic sections. Jack Apperley directed sensitively throughout, and soloists Caroline Burgess, Roger Miller and Nic Ash all sang with assurance and musicality. It is impossible to be unmoved by the ethereal beauty of Fauré’s masterpiece, nowhere more so than in the transcendent In Paradisum, its soaring melody and murmuring harp bringing the evening to a sublime conclusion.

John Bawden


Sixty years of tea, chat and companionship in Epsom

A charity supporting lonely and isolated older residents in Epsom and Ewell is marking its 60th anniversary.

Re-engage volunteers run monthly free tea parties for people aged 75 and over, alongside a call-befriending service for those who live alone.

“Almost part of my family”

Lesley Renwick, who has led the local group since 2005, said they had supported “hundreds of lonely older people who often don’t see or speak to anyone for long periods”. She added: “Our group is very friendly and they’ve almost become part of my family. It’s lovely seeing the older people enjoy themselves, simply having a chat and a cup of tea.”

Re-engage began in London in 1965 when a young lawyer, Trevor Lyttleton, and friends set out to support isolated older people. Epsom and Ewell was one of the earliest groups to follow. Today the charity has thousands of volunteers running hundreds of tea parties, activity groups and call-befriending sessions for around 6,500 older people nationwide.

‘It was worth the wait’

Phyllis, 91, has been attending the local tea parties since 2011. “I love them,” she said. “The volunteers make you so welcome. We all get to know each other and have a good old chat. I like the companionship. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. I had to wait two years to get into the group because it was so popular but it was well worth the wait.”

Pat, 86, whose husband died 14 years ago, said the gatherings helped lift the quiet moments at home. “There are times when I feel lonely but it helps going to the Re-engage tea parties. I’ve made some friends there and there’s always a lovely spread from the volunteers who are so kind. I get to hear everybody’s news and have a lovely time.”

Calls that make a difference

Jo Kearns, 48, lives in Epsom and volunteers as a Call Companion, making weekly calls to Irene, 79, who lives alone. “She gets very anxious about things. Her friends are dying so she can be a bit isolated but the phone calls seem to help. She’s happier by the time we’ve ended our chat,” she said. “I enjoy the volunteering because I like to help vulnerable people. It must be horrible to be alone and worried so I want to do whatever I can. In fact I’m thinking of taking on another older person after Christmas.”

‘Marvellous job’

Jenny Willott, CEO of Re-engage, said: “Our volunteers in Epsom and Ewell do a marvellous job, making sure some of our most vulnerable older people can find new friends and socialise. The fact they have been doing this for 60 years is astonishing.”

Interested in helping?

Volunteer opportunities supporting older people locally and remotely can be found on the Re-engage website.


20th November 2025

Football Sports

Late flash of composure seals Epsom & Ewell’s away win

Late flash of composure seals Epsom & Ewell’s away win

Sheerwater 3 – 4 Epsom and Ewell FC. Sunday 16th November – Combined Counties Premier League. Epsom & Ewell finally claimed their first league away win of the season with … Read More

Council Finances News

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council to stay put awaiting its demise

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council to stay put awaiting its demise

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee has formally abandoned the plan to relocate the Town Hall to East Street, voting on 11 November to remain in the … Read More

Council Council constitution

Epsom and Ewell Council transparency disputes revisited

Epsom and Ewell Council transparency disputes revisited

The Audit and Scrutiny Committee of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council met on 13th November, with long-running disputes about transparency once again overshadowing its agenda. Questions from the public and … Read More

Council Housing Planning

Epsom and Ewell housing targets in the crosshairs

Epsom and Ewell housing targets in the crosshairs

The borough of Epsom and Ewell is currently engaged in a critical juncture of its planning future. The Council’s Regulation 19 draft Local Plan is under examination by the Planning … Read More

Crime News Policing

Live facial recognition policing comes to Surrey

Live facial recognition policing comes to Surrey

Surrey Police have begun using live facial recognition (LFR) technology after securing two mobile LFR vans in a joint bid with Sussex Police. The first deployment took place this week … Read More

Council Health

Surrey to get a higher level of heart care

Surrey to get a higher level of heart care

Heart patients and the tiniest and most vulnerable babies across Surrey are set to benefit from major investment in local specialist services, following confirmation of a £3.2 million upgrade at … Read More

Arts Community

From Ukraine to Epsom: How Music and Kindness Struck the Right Note

From Ukraine to Epsom: How Music and Kindness Struck the Right Note

When the Ukraine National Opera arrived in the UK on tour in early 2022, none of its musicians could have imagined how the world, and their lives, were about to … Read More

Council Environment

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Green Guide

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Green Guide

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council is proud to launch its Green Your Home Guide to help residents take simple, everyday actions to contribute to a healthier environment and help combat … Read More

Council Crime Social care

Sara Sharif murder report on Surrey services

Sara Sharif murder report on Surrey services

Numerous safeguarding flaws over many years “cumulatively laid the foundations for the severe abuse” Sara Sharif experienced, a new independent report has revealed. The 10-year-old schoolgirl was found dead in … Read More

Education Nature News

Surrey’s Satellite bio-diversity project promoted at COP30 Brazil

Surrey’s Satellite bio-diversity project promoted at COP30 Brazil

Surrey’s Space4Nature project, which uses satellite data and community science to protect biodiversity across the county, is currently being showcased by the UK Government at the COP30 UK Pavilion in … Read More

News Transport

Conditional nod to southern rail link to Heathrow

Conditional nod to southern rail link to Heathrow

Spelthorne Borough Council has agreed to support a new rail link between Staines-upon-Thames and Heathrow Airport, but only on strict environmental and local benefit conditions. The proposed Heathrow Southern Rail … Read More

Health News

Epsom Hospital braces for strikes amid winter pressures

Epsom Hospital braces for strikes amid winter pressures

Further strike action by resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – is set to add strain to NHS services just as winter illnesses begin to rise. The British … Read More

Business News

Primark finally indicates a season to open in Epsom

Primark finally indicates a season to open in Epsom

The Ashley Centre in Epsom has confirmed that Primark is set to open its doors in Spring 2026, occupying a two-floor, 44,000 square foot retail unit. The arrival of this … Read More


13th November 2025

Community Council

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council gears up for – you know what

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council gears up for – you know what

It’s that time of year again – Christmas is coming to Epsom! Join us on Sunday 23 November for the Christmas lights switch-on in Epsom marketplace, led by the Mayor … Read More

Community Health

Epsom and Ewell 5th least obese 10 year olds in the UK

Epsom and Ewell 5th least obese 10 year olds in the UK

Year six schoolchildren in Surrey have some of the lowest obesity rates in the country, with Mole Valley leading the way. The figures were published as part of the Government’s … Read More

Football Sports

Epsom and Ewell bow out of FA Vase

Epsom and Ewell bow out of FA Vase

Eastbourne v Epsom and Ewell FC Saturday 8th November. The Salts succumbed to a wonder strike from Eastbourne midfielder Brett Paton early in the second half to bow out of … Read More

Local History

Bit of Epsom history for sale

Bit of Epsom history for sale

A distinctive slice of Epsom’s high street history has surfaced for sale — the original “Ladies at Lester Bowden” shop sign, once proudly displayed beneath the old walkway of the … Read More

News Policing

Leatherhead to be home to 500 Surrey Police Officers

Leatherhead to be home to 500 Surrey Police Officers

Surrey Police will get its new East Surrey headquarters after huge plans including hundreds of homes was approved. The force has been on the lookout for a new hub after … Read More

Rugby Sports

Batteresea stun Sutton & Epsom rugby

Batteresea stun Sutton & Epsom rugby

Battersea Ironsides 24 Sutton & Epsom 22. Saturday 8th November. This fixture has produced last-minute drama since the sides first met in league action two seasons ago. It is certainly … Read More

Council Transport

Vital Surrey bus reduced from hourly to three mornings a week

Vital Surrey bus reduced from hourly to three mornings a week

People who wait for buses are often left disappointed and that only looks set to continue after the company behind an axed service said it was “not likely” to return. … Read More

Council Transport

Epsom Station joins app helping visually impaired bus users

Epsom Station joins app helping visually impaired bus users

Epsom Station has become one of eight new locations added to a Surrey County Council (SCC) scheme that uses an innovative app to help blind and partially sighted people travel … Read More

Arts Culture

Blackhawk Quintet bring West Coast cool to Epsom

Blackhawk Quintet bring West Coast cool to Epsom

For an increasing number of informed regulars, Epsom Jazz Club has become a nearby haven of quality music attracting national and international talent down to our own corner of Surrey. … Read More

Council Environment News

Free trees for Epsom and Ewell residents

Free trees for Epsom and Ewell residents

Surrey residents are being invited to collect free trees later this month, as part of Surrey County Council’s drive to plant 1.2 million trees by 2030 – one for every … Read More

Community Health News

Epsom Hospital braces for flu spike

Epsom Hospital braces for flu spike

Hospitals serving Epsom, St Helier and St George’s are warning of a potentially severe flu season as national data reveals the number of deaths linked to the virus in England … Read More

Local History

Tracing the history of poor relief in Epsom and Ewell

Tracing the history of poor relief in Epsom and Ewell

Residents and researchers in the borough now have enhanced access to a fascinating trove of historic records that shed light on how our local community dealt with poverty, welfare and … Read More


Blackhawk Quintet bring West Coast cool to Epsom

For an increasing number of informed regulars, Epsom Jazz Club has become a nearby haven of quality music attracting national and international talent down to our own corner of Surrey.

For those not yet in the know, it’s worth broaching the growing roster of world-class musicians and singers who’ve walked through the doors at the Comrades Club venue.

It includes Tony Kofi, who blew his sax at Glastonbury this year in the long-running jazz funk outfit Cymande’s latest incarnation, trumpeter Andy Davies who with local guitar star Nigel Price brought along the rest of the amazing Ronnie Scott’s house band (EJC also has jazz lamps on the tables), and Alan Barnes – for whom the cliché ‘luminary’ is, in his case, actually warranted.

Past line-ups of award-winning players also include Hannah Horton, Allison Neale, Emma Rawicz, Karen Sharp and, in a genre that may be said to err sometimes on the side of seniority, the club has carefully promoted some up-and-coming artists, with exciting young vocalists on the bill like Ineza and Annie Majin.

Backdrop set, it is celebrated drummer Matt Skelton breaking new ground in October bringing his Blackhawk Quintet to Epsom – it’s been strictly quartets on the Comrades’ small stage to date – for an evening exploring the work of fellow sticksman Shelly Manne. The show focused on an intense week in the life and career of this West Coast “cool” jazz innovator, band leader, club owner and movie music composer, who in the 1950s and 60s was often pictured nattily dressed at his drums, in jacket and tie, a big smile on his face.

This five-piece is named (deliberately portmanteau, it seems) after a short residency of concerts at San Francisco’s Black Hawk club in the autumn of 1959, recorded with a view to releasing a single live album that became a series of four scintillating records, such was the quantity of quality material, followed by a fifth album in the early 1990s when the whole lot was re-released on CD.

Skelton’s men for the evening were Leon Greening – perhaps my favourite jazz pianist working in the country right now – Mark Crooks, whose tenor sax croons, glides and purrs like Lester Young, Stan Getz or indeed Manne’s tenorman on the Black Hawk records Richie Kamuca; hard-swinging young horn player Jim Davison (once lead trumpet in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, now leading his own bands and scooping awards); and Jeremy Brown, one of the go-to bassists on the UK scene who’s played at Epsom at least half a dozen times in various line-ups.

It’s a rare treat to hear five musicians on this stage, with two brass-blowing front men. The sound is full and punchy, hitting right to the fore during the energetic thematic heads, and adding that extra bit of variety as the players take their solo turns.

The band took the vocally enthusiastic crowd on a fabulous journey through the recorded sessions, from the mid-tempo bopper Pullin’ Strings to the smoothly striding Eclipse of Spain, via the hard bop of Benny Golson composition Step Lightly.

The night’s focus on the short series of Black Hawk gigs – with occasional forays into other Shelly Manne albums (the grooving, Latin-tinged The Breeze and I from Boss Sounds!) or pieces by his various collaborators including Henry Mancini (the exquisite ballad Dreamsville) – provided a satisfying coherence to the concert you don’t always get.

That satisfaction only deepened with the scholarly asides, stories and nuggets of background about Manne, the gigs and the man’s musical life that Skelton amused us with between numbers.

Oh, and did I mention the drums? Skelton beats them hands down.

Amanda Gregory

Epsom Jazz Club puts on concerts at the Comrades Club, 1 The Parade, Epsom KT18 5BT. The next evening will feature violinist Matt Holborn and his quartet on 27 November, starting 7:30 pm.

Photo by Steven McCormick of Steven McCormick Photography


6th November 2025

Horse racing Sports

Epsom’s Famous Turf Set for a Smoother Ride

Epsom’s Famous Turf Set for a Smoother Ride

Racehorses galloping down Epsom’s famous turf could soon enjoy a smoother start, after The Jockey Club won backing to re-route a battered path cutting across the six-furlong chute on the … Read More

Community Council

Bourne Hall is delighted to announce the return of its much-loved Christmas Lights Switch-On event, taking place on Saturday 29 November from 4pm until 7.30pm. This free, family-friendly celebration invites … Read More

Arts Community Culture

Music and dance for Ukraine at Epsom Methodist Church

Music and dance for Ukraine at Epsom Methodist Church

The 13th Ukraine Music Evening took place on Saturday 25th October at Epsom Methodist Church, organised by Lionel Blackman with the support of the Epsom Refugee Network and Surrey Stands … Read More

Community Faith

Epsom Methodist Church launches new Story Club and Warm Wednesdays

Epsom Methodist Church launches new Story Club and Warm Wednesdays

Epsom Methodist Church (EMC) is organising two exciting ventures for local people and families this autumn. First out of the blocks is a new Story Club for parents and toddlers … Read More

Council Council constitution News

Surrey resident’s views on County split ignored?

Surrey resident’s views on County split ignored?

The Government has been accused of ignoring Surrey residents’ views on how to dissolve and merge the county’s councils after it emerged there was a clear preference for three unitaries … Read More

Council Council constitution News

Government Casts Doubt on Surrey’s Mayoral Devolution Promise

Government Casts Doubt on Surrey’s Mayoral Devolution Promise

No promises have been made that Surrey will get full devolution and a directly elected mayor – despite it being the “entire purpose” of the lengthy and arduous process of … Read More

Crime News

Surrey prison drug smuggling drones might be investigated

Surrey prison drug smuggling drones might be investigated

Drones smuggling drugs into prison will be investigated in an inquest into a man who died in custody. The full inquest, which opens next month, will also look at his … Read More

Education News

Surrey Uni show AI systems based on the human brain’s save energy

Surrey Uni show AI systems based on the human brain’s save energy

Artificial intelligence (AI) could soon become more energy-efficient and faster, thanks to a new approach developed at the University of Surrey that takes direct inspiration from biological neural networks of … Read More

Council Finances News

Residents sigh of relief if Government bail out bankrupt Woking

Residents sigh of relief if Government bail out bankrupt Woking

The government’s whopping £500m bailout for debt-ridden Woking Borough Council may not be the last. The cash injection, announced as part of Surrey’s local government reorganisation on October 28, will … Read More

Council Elections

Some election detail on the new Surrey Councils

Some election detail on the new Surrey Councils

Election dates in Surrey, and how the seats will be split in the two new mega councils, have been confirmed as more details emerge of how everything will work following … Read More

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