Surrey Police appeal for witnesses following burglary on Kingston road
Image: Surrey Police
Were you in the Kingston Road area of Epsom on Monday afternoon (9 May)?
If so, you may be able to help them following the theft of a vehicle from an address on Kingston Road.
Suspects broke into the property sometime between 1.20 and 2 pm and carried out an untidy search of numerous drawers and cupboards before making off with a grey BMW which was parked on the driveway.
The suspects are believed to have headed off onto the A240.
Surrey Police would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have seen anything that could help with their enquiries.
If you have any information that may be able to help, please contact Surrey Police quoting PR/45220049025 via:
If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Witness appeal following collision in Ewell
Image: Surrey Police
Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious collision in Ewell this morning (Thursday, 12 May).
Officers were called to report a collision between a white Honda car and two pedestrians at around 8.25 am on the A24 Ewell By-Pass. The collision occurred on the southbound carriageway near the junction with Castle Avenue.
A child was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The driver of the vehicle involved remains at the scene and is assisting officers with their enquiries.
The southbound carriageway of the A24 Ewell By-Pass is currently closed between the junctions with Cheam Road and London Road (Organ Crossroads). It is likely to remain closed for the next few hours.
Surrey police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has any dashcam footage, to contact them straightaway quoting reference number P22098231. Please get in touch via:
If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Inside the U3A Open house
Epsom & Ewell Times enjoyed spending part of an afternoon at the U3A Open House at Bourne Hall in Ewell. U3A is a non-profit organisation that includes over 1000 charities, encouraging people who can no longer work to come together and learn for fun.
With activities such as chess, beer & wine tasting, racket sports, flower arranging and even belly dancing, spoilt-for-choice would be an understatement. With their youngest member being 49, and their eldest being 101, the only requirement to join (on top of the very fair £15/yr. membership fee) is not being in full-time employment.
The atmosphere in the hall was bustling as members (current and prospective alike) browsed the various stalls and chatted with organisers about their preferred activities. Member’s artwork was on display, examples of chess openings were proudly laid out on tables and an assortment of beers and wines (for display purposes only) were presented on the Beer & Wine tasting table. There was truly something for everyone.
U3A was initially called the University of The Third Age, the name refers to the phase of life that begins after you retire (The titular third age, the first being education, the second being work and family building) in which you are free to pursue artistic or intellectual interests that you enjoy. U3A looks to act as a guiding hand for people entering this age, to allow them to pursue lifelong hobbies they love or expose them to new ones that they didn’t have time to try before retirement.
Upon speaking with a green-fingered gardening group, I was informed that Epsom, last year, entered Britain in Bloom and took silver. This year, Ewell Village themselves have entered, and are working with the council, focusing on Bourne Hall Park, looking to add even more colour and beauty to the vibrant park.
They also informed me that Gertrude memorial Garden has been neglected for nearly 7 years, and they will be focusing on that too. Friends of Bourne Hall will be planting brand new plants in the garden, working alongside the council. The endeavour will take around 2 years. The project was started as a mix of Local Pride and Horticulture, the volunteers told me that they see this as a big project, members of the group told me that previous experience in project management roles is proving invaluable to the task.
For more information regarding the amazing work that U3A does for people in our community, and up and down the country, please visit their website.
Epsom’s House of Fraser store will be shutting it’s doors for good in a matter of weeks, according to a store employee. The department store has been synonymous with the Ashley Centre for years, and will no doubt be missed by Epsom’s shoppers.
The store was originally slated for closure in 2018 , when the company announced that the Epsom branch would close along with 30 other House of Fraser stores across the country. The fire of hope was brightened in 2020 when a short-term lease extended the lifespan of the store, but it now looks like the shop will be closing indefinitely.
Having already shut their flagship Oxford Street branch earlier this year, it looks like another House of Fraser store has bit the dust. It’s worth mentioning that there are still House of Fraser stores in London, as well as a branch in Guildford and Croydon.
According to SurreyLive, the Epsom store’s final day of trading will be Friday 24th of June, just over a month away.
The absence of House of Fraser from the Ashley Centre will undoubtedly leave a big retail hole in Epsom, leaving residents curious about what shop could step up to take its place in the shopping centre…
Surrey musical quartet to play Jubilee concert to fundraise for their local NHS
Epsom Music Charity will host an NHS Staff Benefit concert, featuring the Salieri Quartet, as part of local Jubilee celebrations on Friday 27 May at midday at the Epsom Playhouse in the presence of Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Mayor Elect of Epsom and Ewell.
The long established and experienced Salieri Quartet, whose members have played with orchestras across Europe and worked on West End shows, will treat the audience to a relaxing hour of classical favourites such as the Pachelbel Canon along with works from famous and familiar composers like Bach and Mozart to name but a few. The quartet will then ‘string out’ the entertainment by setting up in Market Square to entertain shoppers and businesses with a more contemporary programme, ranging from Beyoncé to Game of Thrones, and where donations will also be gratefully received!
Simon Littlefield, Chief Nurse of the Trust, who will be attending the event said: “A huge thank you to Epsom Music and the Salieri Quartet for dedicating their time to organise this event to support our charity; our people and the NHS. We are very grateful for the effort that has been put into this and would encourage people to come along and support this special day-time musical interlude.”
Jubilee Concert poster
Lionel Blackman, Trustee of Epsom Music, said: “Our charity supports the education and performance of all music throughout Epsom and Ewell. Many in the music community were sadly affected by Covid in one way or another, and now that events can once again take place, we wanted to take the opportunity to show our immense gratitude to our local NHS. We are honoured the Mayor Elect can attend, and we hope other people can show their support by getting a ticket and coming along!”
The concert will be for one hour and start at midday on Friday 27 May. A minimum donation of £10 per ticket is requested which can be made online at www.epsommusic.org and all funds raised will go to Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity.
A brand new coding school has opened in Epsom, teaching kids how to create programs, build robots and code video games.
Code Ninjas is a brilliant school whose Epsom branch has recently been set up by Lee Richards, a former English teacher and tech worker, that focuses on teaching young kids (aged 5-15) how to code and make their own video games. I was lucky enough to be invited to their grand opening at St. Martin’s Church on Saturday to check out their set-up and have a chat with some of the organisers, and I was far from disappointed.
While working from home at the start of the pandemic, Lee reflected on both his 9 years of teaching English and the time he spent working online game development in Sweden and thought to himself, is there a more effective way to teach? Can I merge these careers together? Armed with a Masters in Philosophy and a post-graduate degree in teaching, Lee decided to open Code Ninjas Epsom.
Lee Richards, Code Ninja Master of Epsom Dojo
In the basement of St Martin’s Church, walls adorned with detailed whiteboards and gaming paraphernalia surround 10 or so hard-working pre-teens, some are coding their own games, designing art assets to be used in said games, and some are using programmable toys. One thing they all have in common is they’re clearly having a blast. With computers spread out across the rooms, and “Code sensei’s” on hand to help the kids out, they couldn’t have been in better hands. Their whiteboards are covered in plans, designs and diagrams informing the kids’ coding decisions. Level names, level structure and other design plans are scattered over the board, between cute doodles of popular gaming characters.
The Ninjas, hard at work.
Much like a regular dojo, the kids track their coding progress through “belts”, with different colours awarded for different levels of proficiency.
“We’re agnostic about languages”, Lee tells me when I ask about which coding languages they focus on. “Most expect to be using Python”, (Python is commonly used for amateur video game development), Lee gets the kids started on C#, which is a more versatile language that is quite similar to Python but allows you to do more.
Even the mayor, Pete Donovan, was getting in on the fun, checking out the kids’ projects and congratulating the little Ninjas for getting their belts. Upon speaking with me, he cheerily recounts his brother’s youthful obsession with Sega games that used to keep him up at night.
Mayor Pete Donovan, checking out the handiwork of one of the ninjas.
Also on display at the church is an entire room dedicated to retro gaming, featuring consoles that are years older than me and decades older than the kids who were so gleefully using them. A ZX Spectrum, a Commodore 64, classic Nintendo consoles (NES and SNES) along with more modern consoles capable of 3D Graphics (Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1 and an original X-Box).
Coding, being so versatile and used for so many useful things, is commonly associated with the design and creation of video games. Through piquing the curiosity of the kids through their love of gaming, Lee is nurturing what could be a lifelong interest, or even career, for his Ninjas. It’s not just about careers for Lee, Lee believes that a digitally-literate generation of kids would be nothing but beneficial to humanity, and hopes to help forge these Ninjas into the digital pioneers of tomorrow.
Queen misses opening of Parliament – Derby in question?
Queen Elizabeth was represented by the Prince of Wales at today’s parliamentary ceremony, due to “episodic mobility problems” (according to Royal Doctors) preventing her from appearing in person. Her Majesty has only missed 2 of these events, both due to pregnancy. In these cases, the Lord Chancellor read her speech. Her Majesty has not missed a parliamentary opening ceremony for 60 years.
Prince Charles standing in as Queen’s counsel for the ceremony represents an enormous shift in the duties of the Prince of Wales. Another future King, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, was also in attendance, making his first appearance at the ceremony. Prince Charles carrying out the duties of the Head of State will surely attract media attention across the globe, as the longest ever serving Heir Apparent begins to share duties with his Mother.
The Queens absence raises questions around other events planned for year, Her Majesty celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this year, marking 70 years on the throne. Events are planned up and down the country. Perhaps the most famous of these events is the Epsom Derby, which the Queen is known to thoroughly enjoy, despite it being the only one of the 5 ‘Classic’ races she is yet to win.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Racing broadcaster Brough Scott said: “The thought of The Queen winning The Derby this year, of all the fairy-tale stories, that would be beyond it. It’s a wonderful thought.”
However, due to her mobility problems that have been plaguing her since last Autumn, is an appearance from Her Majesty at Epsom Derby going to be called into question? The Queen was absent from the Derby in 2021, due to the restrictions in place at the time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Queen feel’s she cannot attend this year either, it’s safe to say that the mood will be severely dampened.
Long serving Councillor Clive Smitheram dies at 76
Clive Smitheram, Councillor for West Ewell, passed away on April 25th aged 76. Clive’s health had been deteriorating in the last few months and last week was taken to Epsom Hospital for tests and was diagnosed with Sepsis.
Clive was a central figure in West Ewell having lived there for over 30 years with his wife Gill and family and although a proud Cornishman, Clive was someone who knew everyone locally and if he didn’t know someone, he knew someone who did! Clive was a former police officer, having served 31 years in the service and was a retired community safety officer. As an active resident, it led to Clive being elected as a Resident Association Councillor for West Ewell serving for over 20 years, Clive was a former Mayor of Epsom and Ewell in 2010- 2011.
Clive was always happy supporting and providing advice to the residents of West Ewell and had a very proactive approach to getting things done. Clive always believed that central politics should have no place in local issues and that councillors should be “local people dealing with local issues”. He believed this common-sense approach best served the community and its residents.
Clive served on many different committees during his time as a councillor, having been Chairman of Crime and Disorder, Licencing and Scrutiny, as well as an active member of the Planning Committee. Clive provided a wealth of experience and support to all colleagues and was a great mentor and listener, with a positive approach to problem-solving. Clive was an active member of All Saints Church in West Ewell and became a member of Epsom Rotary Club in 2011, becoming President in 2014. Clive was voted an honorary member in October 2020. In addition, Clive was a founder member of the town’s twinning association with Chantilly in Northern France and this year marks the 25th anniversary.
Lastly, we have lost a special person and good friend and our thoughts are with his wife Gill, his children Chris and Claire and his four grandchildren.
This obituary was written by Councillors Barry Nash and Monica Coleman, both representing West Ewell.
Police appeal for witnesses after assault on Waterloo Road, Epsom
Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on Waterloo Road in Epsom on Sunday, 8 May.
The assault took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, at about 12:30am, near to the junction with Station Approach. During the assault, the victim was knocked unconscious and sustained a number of injuries, including a broken leg, and a cut to the back of the head.
Surrey Police would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have seen anything that could help with their enquiries.
As part of their investigation, Surrey Police would like to speak to a couple seen in the area at the time. The man is described as being in his 20s, around 5ft 4 tall and of a slim build. He was seen wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. The woman is described as being of a slim build, around 5ft 2 tall, with dark shoulder-length hair. She was seen wearing a grey and white top.
If you have any information that may be able to help, please contact Surrey Police quoting PR/ 45220048617 via:
If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Council: Horton CPO debate shelved
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council were due to a debate on a CPO (Compulsory purchase order) regarding Horton Cemetery 5th May 2022. This CPO was formally requested by the charity Friends of Horton Cemetery, as the land has fallen into rough shape since being sold by the Department of Health 1983 to a private property company. Marked as 4th on the agenda for the Strategy and Resources Committee of the Council on 5th May 2022, the item was declared withdrawn by Chairman Cllr Colin Keane. We understand that the Council will revisit the matter later in the year.
This is not the first time that Horton Cemetery has been on the council’s agenda, at its 9 September 2021 meeting, the Council’s Licensing and Planning Policy Committee agreed to the Local Listing of Horton Cemetery, including the boundary railings and a war memorial built in 2004 outside the railings and facing onto Horton Lane.
The local charitable organisation, The Friends of Horton Cemetery (“the FHC”), are very active in preserving it’s historic and cultural significance. Their stated goal is to:
“Bring dignity and respect to the thousands of mental health patients, including war heroes, who died within the Epsom Cluster of asylums and are buried, forgotten and unmarked on a neglected piece of land in Surrey, England.Our ambitious plans include reclaiming the derelict site and transforming it into a beautiful, calming garden-arboretum, with a lasting memorial and ‘book of the dead’ containing the names and details of all known burials.”
The FHC were instrumental in securing the Local Listing. They have also tried repeatedly, without success, to engage with the private owner to seek a sale of the site to the Charity.
