Events 

Summer Lunch - Sunday 7 July

So what do we have for you to look forward to? If you’ve carefully read the January 2024 Newsletter, and if you've listened to the Chairman at the AGM, then you'll know.

On 7 July, it’s that most amazing, memorable and special event we have annually – the summer sister to its Winter Party brother we had in February: yes, the SCVA Summer Lunch, on a Sunday afternoon, at Piccards Manor. Need we say more?

Well, yes, we do, but not now. And no, tickets aren’t on sale just yet. Watch out for the next Newsletter and emails in your inbox. As and when, of course.

Past Events

Heathrow - From Stone Age to Jet Age - Tuesday 9 April at 7:30pm

Have you ever found that acronym LHR on your flight itinerary? Yes? Of course you have. In that case you don’t want to miss this truly fascinating and original talk brought to you by the St Catherine’s Village Association.

On Tuesday 9 April we have the privilege to have with us Nick Pollard who will present to us his talk

Heathrow – from Stone Age to Jet Age

and as usual it’s at the St Catherine’s Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue. 

Doors are open at 7:00pm and presentation take off time is 7:30pm (by which time you need to be seated – and remain seated, please). We are very much looking forward to this, expecting to hear things that not everyone knows perhaps (e.g. airport routines in Fred Flintstone’s era...). And questions like why Heathrow is where it is, how it developed and a great many more things. And what will the future bring? Will someone feel the need to go and lie in front of a bulldozer in connection with that third runway?

The speaker, Nick Pollard, is honorary curator of Spelthorne Museum in Staines. He is also the chairman of Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society. And his daytime job is in the aerospace industry – we understand that he’s involved in designing ejector seats (and no, they don’t have those on 777s – but perhaps some 737s might?).

Boarding passes will be issued for £5 each at the door and whilst we prefer £5 (or £10 or possibly even £20) notes, payment by card is also okay.

And finally: to welcome you warmly we invite you to make a beeline for our bar for a free glass of wine (or etcetera, you know what we mean).

See you there and chocks away!

57th Annual General Meeting on 26 March 2024 at 7:30pm

The 57th Annual General Meeting is to be held on 26 March 2024 at the St Catherine’s Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue at 7:30pm, doors open from 7:00pm. 

The Agenda shall be as follows:

1. Welcome

2. Apologies for absence

3. Minutes of the 56th Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 28 March 2023

4. Matters arising from the Minutes (not otherwise covered)

5. Chairman’s Report in respect of the year 2023

6. Treasurer’s Report in respect of the year 2023

7. Functional Reports:

   • Planning Matters

   • Membership

8. Election of Committee Members: the following persons are standing for election or re-election (as applicable): Amanda Burn, Lorimer Burn, Esther Dijkstra, Michiel Dominicus, Jane Fielding, Nigel Fielding, John Harrison and Alan Kingsley

9. Appointment of Auditor: David Vinestock is retiring. Marina Dominicus is willing to be appointed as Auditor.

10. The SCVA’s new website

11. Any other business

Following the formal business of the 57th Annual General Meeting we shall have the opportunity to discuss local matters of interest, this time with our councillor Tom Hunt (Angela Goodwin is unable to attend). To make the exchange potentially more worthwhile and effective, it would be helpful if you were to share with the Secretary (by reply email, by text, by phone or otherwise but in any case well in advance of course) any issues, questions or challenges which you think ought to come up on the night. These will then be edited and collated and passed on to Tom so he can come well prepared. Of course, ad hoc and spontaneous interjections made as we proceed are equally valid and welcome.

And....of course there will be a complimentary glass of wine (or similar) to welcome you!

The Committee looks forward to seeing you on 26 March 2024.

SCVA Winter Party 2024 - 3 February 2024 at 7:15pm

Yes... We know, we know, we know. It’s not even December yet (as we write...), leave alone past Christmas. But that means that you may still be paying attention.

So here's our big announcement about the SCVA's 2024 Winter Party. Ta-da!

It’s on Saturday 3 February 2024, in the St Catherine’s Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue, with doors open at 7:15pm and dinner served at 7:45pm. Our Winter Party will feature:

• Wonderful and lovingly prepared homemade food, including an innovative but classic vegetarian option.

• A well stocked bar with exquisitely selected red and white wines, by the bottle or the glass.

• Beers, ales and soft drinks, too.

• Exciting entertainment is on the cards: who else but the GSA Singers, our favourites year after year.

• And of course...that what you really come for: the chance to see and to chat with your local friends and neighbours.

And now the small print, printed large:

• You want to buy tickets! With a few save-the-date early birds having snatched away the first bunch of places, now is the time to book, by emailing to tickets@stcatherinesvillage.org.uk.

• To our delight (and no doubt yours too) we are able to keep 2024 ticket prices at 2023 levels. So that's £17pp for members and £20pp for non-members. Payment (upon confirmation by us of your booking) preferably by bank transfer.

• Ticket requests are handled in strict order of inbox arrival but please note that non-member ticket requests will be on a waiting list until just before the event as numbers are limited by the capacity of the St Catherine’s Village Hall.

• Please state whether you wish to have the vegetarian option and/or whether you have any serious health related dietary requirements we should know about.

• And last but not least... if you love food, you’ll also love the Winter Party Catering Team – so why not join?

We look forward to seeing you and, for now, wish you a Merry Christmas.

Guildford Street Names on 10 October 2023

Old Palace Road? Long Dyke? Trodds Lane? Hmmmmm.

Unless one is something of a local historian or an ultra-geographer, or one has stumbled across a particular local street names fact, what does one know about all those names of streets and roads (and squares, and lanes, and avenues (etcetera)) one sees on one’s everyday journeys?

No, of course we’re not talking about “Portsmouth Road” or “Farnham Road” or even (slightly less obvious to various casual observers) our “Onslow Street” and perhaps even “Guildown Road”.  No. All Guildford roads are equal but some Guildford roads are more equal than others, one might say.

To get to the bottom of this, we have for you this fascinating talk Guildford Street Names, presented by David Rose.

It's on 10 October 2023 and the revelations begin at 7:30pm in the St Catherine's Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue (doors open 7:00pm). Admission is £5 at the door (cash preferred but card okay) and there's the usual free glass of wine (or equivalent) to welcome you and to chase away early autumn’s evening chill.

David Rose is a well-known local history writer and public speaker. He has authored and co-authored over a dozen local history books focusing on Guildford and the surrounding area. He inaugurated and edited, for 13 years, the “From the Archives” column in the Surrey Advertiser, and now regularly writes for the Guildford Dragon online newspaper, including its “Through Time” local history feature.

In recent years David has presented his street names talk at a number of venues in and around Guildford and it has been extremely well received. We expect you to do the same!

We look forward to seeing you on 10 October – in unprecedented numbers. So come!

Summer Lunch on 9 July 2023

Tickets are on sale now! For our annual premier event, the SCVA’s 2023 Summer Lunch.

It’s on Sunday 9 July 2023, as always in the grounds of Piccards Manor, off Chestnut Avenue: the party that welcomes our British summer with a top experience, and brings the opportunity to let the sun shine on you and your local friends and neighbours whilst you are treated to good things.

What we’re all looking forward to:

• A lovely variety of delightful homemade food to indulge in, with a favourite vegetarian option

• A well stocked bar with great red and white wines by the bottle or the glass, plus beers, ales and soft drinks for those who insist

• Last year’s excellent Senior Street Sextet are happy to return to St Catherine’s to entertain us with their well chosen and melodious rhythmic performance

To book your tickets, check this out:

• Ticket prices are £15 for members and £18 for non-members

• Book your tickets via tickets@stcatherinesvillage.org or contact your favourite Committee Member

• In your booking please say whether you wish to have the vegetarian option (note that only those who specify this will be served this for a first helping). Please notify us of any health related dietary requirements we should know about

A Year in the Life of Greyfriars Vineyard on 2 May 2023

Tuesday 2 May 2023 at 7:30pm (doors open from just after 7:00pm), in the St Catherine’s Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue.

The Greyfriars team will be with us to tell us about their (well, I think “our” is also justified here) wonderful vineyard, the one on our doorstep, just off the A31. They will tell us about their history and how they go about their vineyard operations – how they manage to make one prize winning wine after another.

But listening makes thirsty and so we’ll have 4 Greyfriars wines presented to us for sampling and tasting – as I write this we expect 2 still and 2 sparkling. We’re going to choose a bunch (yes, pun intended) of contrasting grape varieties and with luck we might even get to try a wine that, as of today, hasn’t even been released yet.

And at the conclusion of the event there will be an opportunity to buy.

Tickets are only £10 per person. Attendance is by pre-booked ticket only and places are limited so hurry if you wish to partake in this special occasion. Do send an email to tickets@stcatherinesvillage.org and book your place without delay. No time to lose!

56th Annual General Meeting on 28 March 2023

The St Catherine's Village Association's 56th Annual General Meeting will be held on 28 March 2023 at 7:30pm, in the St Catherine’s Village Hall in Chestnut Avenue.

Winter Party on 11 February 2023 - SOLD OUT!