Grayshott.com sponsors and supporters gathered at Grayshott Social Club to hear about the exciting plans for the redevelopment of the village website in 2007. Funds amounting to several thousand pounds have been raised by generous sponsorship of the website and by the BIG directory advertising to provide for a professional redesign using online databases for the directory, events, and news incorporating user logins to allow easier & faster direct public access.

Grayshott.com webmaster Peter Hatch thanked all the sponsors for their valuable support over an enjoyable lunch provided by club steward Nick Butt.

Hopefully by now everyone will know that The Square in Headley Road is now under the ownership of the Grayshott Parish Council ( The Village ), consequently a small group has been formed from some of the organisations and others in our village, the brief for this " Square Group" is to look at revamping The Square to improve the aesthetic look at the same time taking into account practical issues and such gatherings as the traditional Grayshott Annual Carol Service etc.

The "Square Group"are very keen to get all villagers involved at an early stage and are therefore asking for idea's they may have over designs for a " new look " in making The Square an interesting focal point for this central area of the Village.

Colin Thompson from Grayshott Parish Council who is heading the group said, " The role of the group is to tap into local knowledge and expertise, harness enthusiasm and provide a forum for villagers to voice their views and importantly working together as a team. We will be asking Grayshott Primary School children to look at the project and come up with idea's from a young prospective and of cause we would like to extend this invitation to all residents and businesses in the Village".

The" Square Group" has been asked to put ideas forward and present them to the at the Village Annual Parish Assembly on Friday the 30th March 2007.

Those on the "Square Group" representing the village are; Colin Thompson, Parish Council--- Russell Cupitt, BIG--- Peter Hatch, PIG--- Jenny Gayler, Grayshott Garden Designer--- Phil Bates, The Grayshott Society--- and Peter White, Village Kitchen Caterers, representing residents and businesses in The Square. if you have any idea's to put to the "Square Group" please contact Colin Thompson on 607309 or email colin@thompsons-st-annes.co.uk

On December 5th our meeting took the form of our annual Christmas Lunch and members turned out in force on a wet and miserable day. Our Chairman welcomed members and gratefully accepted a donation by Peter White on behalf on the Men?s Luncheon Club. A delicious meal of chicken in a mustard cream sauce, vegetables and wine, followed by a choice of deserts was then served by the committee. Once all the very empty plates had been cleared Sybil Saunders returned to thank Phyllis Cherryman, who had once again proved her skills in the kitchen and present her with a basket of flowers to loud applause by the members who appreciated all the hard work that Phyllis had done to provide the delicious meal. Also thanked were the committee members who had helped with the lunch, the ladies who sell raffle tickets each week and Jo Edser, caretaker for the village hall who was introduced to the members.

Our entertainment for the afternoon was provided by The Chase Singers, a local, all female choir led by their conductor Robin Wells. In a varied programme the ladies performed songs from Cavalleria Rusticana, The Owl and The Pussycat and The Jumblies by Edward Lear, Little Polly Flinders, and two works by Benjamin Britten and other seasonal works. In between the songs we were treated to some amusing prose, read with great expression by members of the choir – these included A Child?s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Goodwill to Men, Give Us Your Money by Pam Ayres and a guilt ridden account of an ?Office Party?. Members were also given the opportunity to join in with some traditional carols.

After a most professional and entertaining performance the ladies of the choir were invited to join members for a cup of tea and mince pies.

The committee would like to send all members their best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and look forward to welcoming them back in 2007 when Joan Tubbs will be with us again, on January 2nd , to talk about the Isles of Scilly.

Anyone wishing to join should all 01428 643625 or 01428 605002 for details. Transport can be provided from Haslemere, Bordon and Headley Down

With the opening in Grayshott of bedding specialists 'Elizabeth Gordon', Buy In Grayshott (BIG) members believe that the village has strengthened its claim to the title 'best lifestyle retail centre' in the district.

Ken and Janis Davey, with experience in retailing, interiors and exhibitions, chose Crossways Road Grayshott to open their new 'bedding & boudoir boutique' because the street already offers other complementary 'lifestyle' showrooms which attract customers from a wide area. The cottage style of their Victorian terraced premises provides a perfect setting for their top-of-the-range bedding from Peru, Sweden, America, England and Scotland. With every room creating a dreamy bedroom atmosphere, there are accompanying ranges of accessories including pyjamas and dressing gowns - even Chinese furniture. Janis Davey said: "Grayshott is proving a perfect choice for our new venture. Everyone is so supportive and the whole area is really buzzing." Ken agreed: "We are delighted to be in such an appropriate location. Visitors to Crossways Road Grayshott have a feast of lifestyle shops to visit: interior designers, a contemporary art gallery, lights and stoves specialists, carpet showrooms, antiques, ladies fashions - it's growing all the time; and there's a bathroom showroom opening shortly." Crossways was so busy recently that the AA were called in to direct traffic, when the Picasso Exhibition was in full swing at Gallery One.

Lynda Davies of Blaze House Art is a fellow enthusiast: "We opened only 5 months ago and we've been rushed off our feet ever since. We are now attracting regular customers from as far away as London." Interior designers, Simmons Interiors, recently moved into larger premises in Crossways because of growing demand and are already planning further expansions. "It was the best move we ever made" said Philip Simmons, Managing Director. "Crossways Road has an ideal mix of lifestyle showrooms to enjoy."

Neighbour Chris Davis, proprietor of East House Carpets is delighted with the transformation of the road in recent times."Customers tell us what a pleasure it is to visit Grayshott, and spend an hour or two exploring the village's lifestyle shopping experience. And with free parking only a few paces away, it's a far cry from the hassle of crowded towns and faceless corporate shopping malls."

Dick Smith, co-ordinator of BIG, emphasised the trend: "More and more people are recognising the pleasure of shopping in a village environment. Grayshott has top quality goods available with exceptional value-for-money - ideal for those who like to shop in a gentler, more leisurely way."
More information from Dick Smith 01428 608666.

Shoppers in Grayshott last Thursday, were surprised to be stopped by a film crew and asked for their comments. The professional film team from Meridian Television spent the morning with two Buy In Grayshott business owners to interview them about their new puzzle 'Loopamania'.

Launched only ten days previously (and offered as a prize in last week's Post), the puzzle, claimed by its inventor to be "the hardest puzzle in the world" has caught the imagination of local people and media including: The Haslemere Herald, The Messenger, Bordon Post, Delta Radio and BBC Southern Counties Radio. The Sunday Times 'Style' Magazine, is planning to feature Loopamania in its Christmas edition.

The Meridian TV team, with Reporter Charles Lambert and Cameraman Russell Shrimplin, set up a temporary TV studio at Business Friends offices in Headley Road Grayshott. The puzzle's creator, Peter Harrison, was filmed explaining the background to Loopamania. Also interviewed was its sole distributor, Sarah Evans, Managing Director of the specialist mechanical puzzle website www.puzzlethis.co.uk based in Headley Down. Ms Evans commented "The Presenter was very charming and put us both at our ease straight away. We are very pleased that Meridian TV is as interested in our new puzzle as we are. The cameraman took endless patience to get all the details absolutely right. It was a great experience being a TV star for a few seconds."

Peter Harrison, whose puzzle consists of five silver rings each with its own coloured loop entwined with the others, was invited to solve the puzzle 'live' on camera, by separating the rings from each other, in order to prove that it really could be solved. Mr Harrison completed the feat in a little over two minutes.

Grayshott shoppers, asked for their comments, included Stuart McIntyre who said, " It looks too hard for me - but I shall get one for my son. He'll be much faster than me." Rita Moore said, "It looks pretty hard to me and, knowing Peter Harrison, I wouldnt expect it to be easy." Pensioner Mrs Pauline Figiel stated, "I can't see it too well as I'm partially sighted, but I reckon that one of the loops is longer than the others. I'm sure it's the red one." The presenter asked Santosh Lama, Manager of The Gurkha Durbar, why he thought it could be done so quickly. "Because it looked so easy, but now I'm not so sure" he replied.

After three hours of filming in Grayshott, studio editors reduced the coverage to about two minutes of screen time when the piece was shown in the North Hampshire area on Friday evening. Mr Harrison's success in separating the rings, appeared to take only ten seconds when transmission speed was increased significantly. A spokesman for Meridian said that the programme was expected to be shown in the South Hants area on Tuesday 5th or Wednesday 6th December depending on other priorities.

Local shops, Grayshott Pottery, Grayshott Books and Magical Rooms have reported steady sales of the puzzle since the launch and have had to reorder supplies in time for Christmas.

Peter took Loopamania to the Haslemere Christmas Market on Sunday, to test public reaction. "It was a great success," he said. "I could hardly keep pace with the orders."

More information from Sarah Evans, www.puzzlethis.co.uk 01428 715476 or from Peter Harrison 01428 606666.

Loopamania, launched last week as, "probably the world's hardest puzzle" by Buy In Grayshott (BIG) member Puzzle This, has caught the imagination of local people. Not only has the puzzle been featured in The Herald, Bordon Post (front page) and Messenger newspapers, but it's designer, Grayshott marketing consultant Peter Harrison, has been invited into local radio studios (Delta Radio and BBC Southern Counties) to justify his claim that the puzzle really is the hardest in the world. Peter claims that so far, no one else has been able to solve it. "I'm sure that others will soon be able to do it." he said, "It's just a question of a little time and patience." Puzzle This have also been approached by three Grayshott shops to make stocks available to them to satisfy demand and Loopamania is now available in Grayshott Pottery, Grayshott Books and Magical Rooms. Last week, after a BIG meeting, several members challenged Mr Harrison to demonstrate that the puzzle could be solved. After three tense minutes, he had disentangled the rings and he then reassembled them in a similar manner. "I really didn't think it could be done." commented Liam Duncan.

On Friday, Puzzle This Managing Director Sarah Evans, denied rumours that demand could outstrip supply. "It's certainly selling even faster than we expected, but we're confident that we can keep pace with demand. All our customers will receive their puzzles in good time for Christmas."

More information from Puzzle This 01428 715476 and www.puzzlethis.co.uk

Preparations are almost complete for the 'biggest and best' Christmas Market ever to be held in Grayshott. On the stroke of 4 o'clock next Saturday 25th November, Grayshott's much-envied Christmas lights will burst into brightness to mark the opening of the Market. Visitors will be welcomed into the grounds of the Fox & Pelican to enjoy a seasonal glass of mulled wine, hot chocolate or other tipple, with hot food on hand from Kaighin's Hog Roast, Kapadokya and a feast of other stalls.

The market, staged by Buy In Grayshott (BIG) members, Magical Rooms, with the enthusiastic support of many BIG members and other village groups will be the largest the village has seen.

Sponsor Julie Bevis of Magical Rooms said: "We've more to offer visitors this year than ever: gift ideas, seasonal food, Christmas crafts, lamps, candles, stoves, home-made preserves, decorations, KidzArt. There will be cards, knitwear, belts, jewellery, and plenty of stocking-fillers. It's a fabulous selection - and great fun too!"

The highlight of the afternoon will be a visit to Santa's own 'magical room' - Santa's Grotto. Here Santa and his helpers will be ready to welcome all the youngsters, to hear their dreams and Christmas wishes, and send each one onward to Christmas with a special complimentary gift.

John Bevis of Magical Rooms added: "Judging by the interest ant support shown by BIG and other members of our community, this is going to be a wonderful start to the Christmas season in Grayshott."

The Haslemere and District Committee have supported Macmillan Cancer Support for over 16 years. The ladies and gentlemen of the committee, who live in Haslemere and the surrounding areas, hold fundraising events throughout the year to raise funds to help improve the lives of local people affected by cancer. The committee also helps to create awareness of Macmillan and the services it provides for people affected by cancer and their families.

The committee's next event is set to be a wonderful Musical Evening with Fernhurst Choral Society featuring soloist Giles White. St Lukes Church, Grayshott, is the venue for the concert, which will be held on 18th November at 7.00pm. The event will be a great evening of fabulous music with a delicious light supper provided after the concert. Tickets are £15, including supper, to book please call Helen Turrell on 01252 714818.

The funds raised at the Musical Evening will help Macmillan to continue to be a source of support and a force for change, supporting people affected by cancer. For example, £144 could fund a Macmillan Nurse for one day, £50 could buy a liquidiser for someone who can't eat solid food and £10.60 could pay for one person to be helped by CancerLine. The funds raised will also help Macmillan to continue to listen to people affected by cancer and work together for better cancer care, whether it's campaigning for specialist benefits advice, lobbying for help for cancer patients who want to get back to work, or pushing for a new government cancer strategy, we take action to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Helen Turrell, Macmillan Community Fundraiser said, "With 4,600 people in Surrey diagnosed with cancer every year it is vital that Macmillan is able to continue to reach more and more people affected by cancer. It is thanks to supporters like the members of the Haslemere and District committee that Macmillan is able to provide valuable services to local people in Surrey affected by cancer".

For further information, please contact:
Helen Turrell - Macmillan Cancer Support Surrey Community Fundraiser
01252 714818
hturrelll@macmillan.org.uk

About Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. 1.2 million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.

For more information visit www.macmillan.org.uk or freephone 0800 500 800 for an information pack.

A successful "Ladies Day at Ascot" Race Night at Grayshott Social Club on Saturday evening raised a further £500 for the Grayshott Scout Group "Go Bald" fundraiser for Cancer Research.

Sally Smith, undergoing treatment for cancer, was joined at the club for the Race Night by her fellow Scout Group leaders sporting their new "low maintenance" hair styles. Eight races were screened in the club Function Room during a busy evening, which included a superb "Champagne" buffet produced by the club steward Nick Butt. The races were sponsored, with prizes, by local Grayshott business and members; Grayshott Pottery, Light Lines, Nigel Bewley, Penny Brooks, Matthew Clarke as well as the club.

Club Trustee Neville Woods, MC on the night, praised the efforts of all involved in organising the evening and those attending for helping to raise money for such a worthy charity.

Grayshott Social Club is a non-profit making establishment owned by the members for the benefit of the members and as such offers exceptional value as a meeting place for all manner of sociable occasions.

Saturday was the most amazing day and I am so proud to have been the inspiration for what my friends did to raise so much for such a worthwhile charity. I am also very humbled not only by what they did but also by the fantastic support given by everyone, from sponsors, to helpers on the day, and by all the people who approached me and wished me well with my continuing treatments.

Too many names to list here, but the one person I will mention is Jo Edser, whose idea this was in the first place and who worked tirelessly to ensure the whole event went without a hitch.

We were able to present a huge cheque for £8,000 to the representative for Cancer Research UK on the day, however, we have since realised that in fact with what we made from the sale of all the delicious homemade cakes that were donated to sell, and the monies collected in the buckets by the Beavers and Cubs, added to the very generous donation of profits from the Ascot Ladies Race night held at the Grayshott Social Club in the evening, we have exceeded that amount and when we do the final count, we think we will probably be able to hand over something in the region of £10,000! I think that is absolutely marvellous. I would like to say a very personal thank you to everyone who has donated to this cause. I am so grateful for your support.

If anyone hasn't yet sponsored my brave friends and wishes to do so, the website is open until 5th November where you can donate very easily using a credit or debit card. Alternatively, you can send a cheque to me (made payable to 1st Grayshott Scout Group) and I will put your name and address on a sponsor form. The link for the website is www.justgiving.grayshott-scout-group

Once again, a huge thank you!

Turnout at Grayshott's "Save the Royal Surrey" demonstration exceeded all expectations when an estimated 500 people joined the march at midday last Saturday.

Local MPs Jeremy Hunt from SW Surrey and James Arbuthnot representing NE Hampshire urged local people not to accept the proposed closures assuring them that everything possible would be done to fight the cuts at the highest levels.

The demonstrators then set off towards the A3. Motorists hooted in support as the quarter-mile column of banner-waving residents proceeded back to Grayshott peacefully in a confident and determined mood. Many of those attending had never taken part in a demonstration before. "It's madness even to think of closing such a vital emergency resource" said Liam Duncan. Vivien Harrison added: "There is widespread disbelief, anger and opposition throughout the district. How dare they close our hospital."

Earlier, MP Jeremy Hunt, had reminded the crowd of the 'Golden Hour' during which it was vital to get accident patients to casualty. "From villages like Grayshott it can already take emergency services almost an hour to attend an accident, cut out a passenger and convey them to the Royal Surrey. "If, as a result of the closures, the journey to another A&E takes longer, then lives will be lost" he said.

MP James Arbuthnot assured demonstrators that an even larger demonstration was planned for early next year. "This protest will be massive" he said.

Organiser, Dick Smith, was delighted with the turnout. "If our 500 supporters represent similar feeling in other towns and villages throughout Surrey, then hundreds of thousands of people must feel like us in Grayshott. The health bosses will have to recognise the enormous anger felt by all these people. These closures must not be allowed to proceed."

Grayshott residents decided this week that only a massive demonstration can save the Royal Surrey Hospital from closure.

Dick Smith, Coordinator of Buy In Grayshott (BIG) is asking local people to join a demonstration march starting from the Square at midday on Saturday 28th October: "We must show the health bosses that we will not tolerate the closure of this hospital with the loss of vital Accident & Emergency and Cancer services."

"Hundreds of thousands of local people owe their lives to the work and expertise of doctors and nurses at this marvellous hospital over the years. If it were to be closed now in a shameless cost-cutting exercise, it could take 70 minutes or more to reach the nearest A & E services. There is no doubt that lives will be lost."

"And if A & E goes, what next? Cancer treatment? Royal Surrey has a fantastic record on the treatment of cancer. It would be scandalous if we allowed these teams to be disbanded.

"So we urge you now to do everything you can to make your feelings known. Join us on the march on Saturday 28th at Noon. We plan to start from the Square, up Headley Road, along the A3 and back to the Square along Crossways. Prams, wheelchairs welcome - but most of all, you will make the difference."

Said Anna Figiel: "Several members of my family have received emergency treatment and non-emergency care at the Royal Surrey during recent months. Not only is this hospital a lifeline for those needing treatment, it's also easy for friends and family to visit patients. That's so important."

Liam Duncan added: "Many people who have never been on a demonstration in their lives, feel so strongly, that they're going to join in. We've got to get our message across - 'Don't close the Royal Surrey'." More information from Dick Smith 01428 608999.

There is a crisis at the Royal Surrey Hospital with the possibility of the Accident and Emergency being closed with other units and the entire hospital being closed.

A site I have recently visited does go a long way to explain the intricacies of the situation and I suggest you visit this site for initial information. The email address is www.rsag.co.uk.

A rally is to be held in Guildford on the 21st October at noon in the High Street.

The closure of the A&E at Guilford will mean much longer journies for residents of this area to an A&E with the obvious increase in detrimental affects. The closure of other vital services could increase the chances of the total closure of the hospital including the fantastic cancer services there.

Should we not get out there and do something to stop this happening?

Despite valliant efforts by the organisers, not a single extra seat could be found for dozens of would-be concert-goers at last Saturday's Mozart 'Requiem' event staged by Grayshott Concerts in association with Buy In Grayshott (BIG) at St Luke's Church. The concert, which sold out in July, featured the Occam Singers with the New London Sinfonia under David Gibson.

This is only Grayshott Concerts' fifth event, but all have played to capacity audiences. Organiser Vivien Harrison said: "It is very encouraging that these concerts are proving so popular in the village. We have had huge support from so many local people and organisations to make them possible. A BIG thank you to all our helpers. Saturday's event was our most ambitious yet and we couldn't have succeeded without their help."

The choir opened the Concert with an explosive performance of Handel's Coronation Anthem, 'Zadok the Priest', which was followed by a warm and vivacious rendition of Bach's Double Violin Concerto performed with exceptional sympathy by soloists Martin Smith and Gillian Findlay. In contrasting style, two excerpts from Karl Jenkins' 'Armed Man - A Mass for Peace' followed, expertly balanced by conductor David Gibson.

The second half, performed in the atmospheric glow of candlelight, produced a dramatic and, at times, electrifying account of Mozart's exciting and dynamic work, 'Requiem', composed partly in sketches, only days before his death in 1791 and completed by his pupil Sussmayr. The choir excelled with their precision and intonation supported by a finely judged accompaniment by the orchestra. The soloists, all with international reputations, showed their authority with outstanding performances from Soprano Sarah-Jane Davies (recent winner of 'Best Singer in Wales'), Mezzo Soprano Marianne Vidal, Tenor Edward Goater and an especially powerful performance from Nicholas Warden, Bass, who recently won third prize in the National Mozart Competition.

Dick Smith, Coordinator of BIG added: "This event, sponsored by Applegarth Farm Shop, was absolutely thrilling. It was a great reward to see so many delighted and smiling faces. We have received some ecstatic feedback from our audience. Their comments included: 'Superb, Very good, Brilliant, Wonderful, Excellent, Far exceeded our expectations, Fabulous, Lovely as always, Fantastic, Enjoyed every minute, Splendid, Outstanding, Absolutely lovely, Great, Very enjoyable, Extremely good, Perfect, Overpowering and Best yet!'"

Grayshott Concerts is planning an even more challenging event for Saturday 7th July next year ("07/07/07"), a complete open air performance of Rossini's opera 'The Barber of Seville' sung in English, staged in the grounds of Grayshott Primary School and sponsored by 'Fox & Pelican' (Fuller's) and Tony Purslow Ltd (Mercedes-Benz) with support from East Hampshire District Council. More information from Vivien Harrison 01428 609900.

View more photos in the Grayshott Concerts Gallery

The market town of Haslemere has won the National AMT Award 2006 this week for its outstanding loyalty card project called "Haslemere Rewards" created to attract customers to the areas predominantly independent shops. Haslemere's project directly rewards shoppers for buying locally and has fought off tough competition from 80 other entrants to win a prestigious national award. Announced at this weeks annual Action for Market Towns (AMT) convention in Evesham, the scheme has been recognised for its creativity, its innovation, its engagement of the business community and for its significance on a local and national level.

The scheme uses "chip" technology, which allows shoppers to use only one card in the 32 businesses that currently participate. Launched one year ago, the towns "smart card" loyalty scheme was developed and piloted by the town and its surrounding villages and costs around £5. The Haslemere Rewards card entitles shoppers to benefits in the shape of high discounts or points worth up to 10% from the participating outlets

For the retailer, Haslemere Rewards offers a flexible, tailored and branded scheme for each participating outlet.

Speaking after the announcement Phil Bates of Grayshott Pottery whose business has sold around 1,600 of the 4,500 cards currently in circulation said: "The scheme has enabled us to reward loyal customers and in return customers visit the Pottery on a more regular basis to make more purchases. This builds on that special relationship with customers, which is so important, especially for the smaller town and village retailers who are the life and blood of our local economy."

Phil went on to say, "I remember the day several months before the launch of the Reward Card, when Janet McWilliam, Arya Ingvorsen and myself sat down round a table at the Pottery to discuss the merits of introducing such a scheme, after a lengthy discussion it was agreed this was a unique and exiting opportunity for supporting retailers in the area, and the proof of the pudding we have seen, by winning this prestigious award, congratulations must go to all those that have put in so much effort and time which I know has been mega."

With the significant increase in Junior members this year, Grayshott Cricket Club moved their Youth Presentation Evening to the Village Hall but it was still full and standing. Youth Liaison Manager Graham Sampson began the evening with an overview of the progress made by the club this year with regard to Youth Cricket.

There was applause for the club in achieving Clubmark accreditation and being awarded Focus Club status, of which everyone at the club was understandably proud.

Membership doubled this season for the second year running to 120. Girls cricket had been introduced for the first time with great success as the club now had 20 girl members. The club increased the number of ECB qualified coaches to cope with the numbers of young cricketers.

In 2006 Grayshott played over 50 games of youth cricket, winning half of them, a big improvement on 2005. Although not winning any silverware the club had reached the final of the Haslemere sixes at Under 8, with an Under 10 team making the semi final. The Under 11 team reached the semi finals of the Frensham sixes and the U13 team reached the area final of the Ken Barrington Cup.

The club was also proud that two of its younger players, Ollie Pope and George Salter, had played County Cricket in 2006.

On display was the I'Anson Cup, won the previous week by Grayshott, with ten of their winning side former Grayshott youth players, a testament to the youth policy at Grayshott and something for the young cricketers to aim for in the future.

Peter Clapham, who has been instrumental with the development of youth cricket at Grayshott over so many years, presented some of the club trophies and is pictured below with Nick Rigden who was awarded the "Young Player of the Year" trophy kindly donated by Peter.

Grayshott music lovers were delighted last week when Grayshott Concerts announced that they will present an open-air performance of Rossini's Opera 'The Barber of Seville' sung in English, live, in full next year on Saturday 7th July 2007. The announcement follows the news that the volunteer run music group has attracted sufficient funding to stage one of the most popular operatic works ever composed.

Organiser Vivien Harrison said: "This is wonderful news for Grayshott. Not only will the event be sponsored by two local businesses, Grayshott's popular pub The Fox & Pelican (Fuller's) together with local Mercedes-Benz dealership Tony Purslow Ltd, but we have just learned that we have been awarded a significant grant from East Hampshire District Council." The grant was made by members of the North East Area Community Forum, at a meeting held in Grayshott last week.

Concert's Chairman, Dick Smith added: "The concerts, run in association with the 'Buy In Grayshott" (BIG) campaign, have proved hugely successful in the village. The immense support these events have received has given us the confidence to stage our most ambitious production ever. The cash boost will enable us to offer tickets at affordable prices so that anyone who wants to come can come along. It's never been attempted in Grayshott before. We're determined that this will be one of the most spectacular musical events Grayshott has ever seen." The opera will be staged in partnership with Opera Box in the grounds of Grayshott Primary School by kind permission of Headmaster Jon Hills.

Grayshott Concerts next event, sponsored by Applegarth Farm Shop, is a performance of Mozart's Requiem by candlelight, by the Occam Singers and the New London Sinfonia conducted by David Gibson at St Luke's Church on Saturday 7th October 2006. Tickets for this event were sold out in July but some returns may be available at Grayshott Books (01428 604798)..

More information from Vivien Harrison, 01428 609900.

Grayshott celebrated their 110th anniversary in style by winning the I'Anson Cup for the seventh time in the club's history.

Grayshott's side included 10 of their former youth players a great testament to their support for youth cricket over the years.

Pictured below is skipper Simon Whitley receiving the I'Anson Cup from Norman Disney, President of the I'Anson Cup Competition

Andy Wheble, Grayshott's opening batsman also broke both the club and league record by scoring 1,100 league runs, a tremendous feat

This season has been another excellent year for the club both on and off the pitch and the club's founder members would certainly have been proud of the developments made by the Club in recent years.

At the beginning of the year the Club achieved Clubmark accreditation which is Sport England's cross sport accreditation for sports clubs with junior sections in recognition of a quality club. Grayshott CC was the first village club in Hampshire to achieve this accreditation and was officially presented with its certificate at the Rose Bowl in August.

Before the start of the season the Club had also been awarded Focus club status. A Focus Club is one that has been identified by the ECB and Hampshire for a clear strategic reason, and one that is committed to long-term junior development.

Grayshott CC was also able to increase the number of qualified coaches during the winter and with what foresight as young cricketers swarmed to Grayshott.

In 2004 the Club had 30 Junior members, increasing to 60 in 2005 and this year doubling again to 120 Junior members. Particularly pleasing has been the response for girls cricket as the club now has 20 girls compared to none last year.

The whole initiative to promote cricket for girls and women has been particularly successful with a fantastic response from the first free coaching session offered at the end of April. The enthusiasm from both girls and women has been tremendous, so much so that the club organised several friendly matches for both teams.

The youth teams performances on the field improved upon last year, winning 22 of the 37 games played with the club running teams at Under 9 x 2, Under 11, Under 13, and Under 15.

Although not winning any silverware in 2006, the Under 13 team reached the regional final of the Ken Barrington Cup and an Under 8 team were runners up in the Haslemere sixes. Our Under 11s reached the semi final of the Frensham sixes and some of the squad were lucky enough to play at the Rose Bowl in August.

The Club, for the second year in succession, has provided after school coaching at Grayshott Primary School and has also developed a relationship with Woolmer Hill Secondary School.

Two of our Under 9 players, Ollie Pope and George Salter, were selected to play County Cricket and several of our players represented a league XI against West Surrey sides.

The club has such a strong youth ethos that it is not surprising all of the three Saturday adult teams have a large number of present and former Grayshott youth players within their teams.

This was demonstrated in the Regional final of the npower village Cup in May when Grayshott lost an exciting game in the penultimate over with a team comprising of all former Grayshott youth players. This sight has been quite a regular one this year.

Grayshott reached the final of both of their evening knock out finals this year in the Stevens and Medstead Cups, only to be beaten on both occasions.

The 2nd XI, who during June were bottom of Division 3, are now competing for promotion to Division 2 and at the time of writing had won nine successive games and were in third place with one game left.

The 3rd XI, who play in Division 5, have also had an excellent season finishing in their highest ever position.

Although the cricket season has almost finished, the cricket continues as Grayshott will again be entering two teams into the Alton Winter Indoor Cricket league this winter.

Winter Nets start in February 2007 at Amesbury School for both Adult and Junior members. The club has just purchased a bowling machine as a training aid for all of the cricketers at the club and will be in use at our Indoor Nets.

In 2006 the club has also been able to recognise some long serving stalwarts of the club. Earlier in the year Gerald Baker was one of the winners at the Haslemere Sports Personality Awards, with Gerald being awarded the "Special Services to Sport" award.

More recently Ken Williams received a NatWest OSCA in recognition of his outstanding service to cricket.

The Club's website continues to be popular with over 10,000 hits this year together with over 1,000 hits for its youth website.

If you would like to join Grayshott Cricket Club, please contact our Chairman Paul Roberts on 01428 714626.

Alternatively visit our website at www.grayshottcc.co.uk

Grayshott Social Club held an "Open Day" on Saturday September 9th to highlight its presence to the community of Grayshott. Sponsored by Matthew Clark & Carlsberg, both current members and visitors availed themselves of the chance to sample one of the many beers and lagers "on-the-house".

A bouncy castle kept the younger generation amused whist visitors were shown around the extensive facilities the club offers it members; the function room, which regularly hosts a variety of entertainment for members & their guests (it can additionally be hired by members for private parties); the snooker room containing two full sized snooker tables; the pool room & main bar area which is non-smoking; and the outside seating area. The main bar has a large plasma screen and the function room a television projector enabling the screening of popular sporting events, Premiership football, International Rugby, Golf, etc

Entertainment during the afternoon was provided by local Grayshott musician Vic Cracknell who performed a selection of classics from both yesteryear and more recently on guitar and keyboard. Vic will be running his successful "buskers" nights at the club on the second Tuesday of each month, the first being on Tuesday 10th of October from 8pm.

Grayshott Social Club celebrated its Centenary in 2005 and has always been a central point of the local Grayshott community. It is a non-profit making establishment owned by the members for the benefit of the members and as such offers exceptional value as a meeting place for all manner of sociable occasions.

If you were unable to visit the club during the Open Day please take the opportunity to pop in any time, the club is open all day from 11:30am, to acquaint yourself with "Hampshire Village of the Year's Best Kept Secret". The club premises are situated half-way down Hill Road on the left hand side and can be contacted on 01428 604041.

Grayshott Society Founded

Founder members of the Grayshott Society: Phil Bates, Chris Vardy and Amanda Haddon-Cave being congratulated by Ferris Cowper District Councillor for Grayshott and Leader of East Hants District Council.

A huge village wide mail drop has announced the arrival of the brand new "Grayshott Society". Over 1000 homes and businesses received the announcement delivered to their door, accompanied by a copy of Grayshott's superb Village Design Statement.

The idea came from three villagers from the famously attractive and award winning Hampshire Village of the Year 2002 and 2005. Co-founder and local businessman, Phil Bates said "The idea is to get everyone involved. Too often we see things happening we don't like and this is a chance to get involved, have a say and really influence how the village looks".

Amanda Haddon-Cave, another co-founder explained that the purpose of the society was "To protect and enhance Grayshott and the surrounding countryside, by encouraging the interest and support of residents and others. We want to explore all alternatives, not just looking at planning applications. We want to promote ideas to improve the appearance of the village and investigate how some of our more notorious eyesores can be removed, or at least toned down a bit".

After several weeks of preparation and consultation the newly formed Grayshott Society was launched with much enthusiasm and success. The positive response from village residents has been extremely supportive with donations and offers of help coming in from a lot of folk who can see the benefits of such an organisation as The Grayshott Society.

It is well known that Grayshott is an active village with a tradition of lively community events and a broad range of village groups. The founders of the society believe that these positive attributes must be preserved for the mutual benefit of those that live in the village now and for future generations. Their view is reinforced by the Parish Council led Village Design Statement, which has also highlighted the need to protect and enhance Grayshott's design heritage.

Chris Vardy, another founder member commented "I was involved heavily in the Village Design Statement project and I thought it was a real breakthrough by defining in words and pictures for the first time ever, the way we want Grayshott to look. That means buildings, the natural environment and also the preservation of our heritage. We also aim to promote wider interest in local history and local life and advise on and disseminate knowledge of the local geography, natural history, and architecture of the village".

Ferris Cowper Grayshott's District Councillor and Leader of East Hampshire District Council was delighted with the news and said "All over the district, councillors like me are increasingly frustrated at the difficulties we face in preserving what's best about our heritage. I think it's vital that Britain's villages do not just melt away under the pressure of road and house building. Organisations like the Grayshott Society are vital to mobilise residents and stand up to the unattractive face of development. Together with our active and involved community and our strong Parish Council, the formation of the Grayshott Society gives me immense optimism for the future."

The Grayshott Handbell Ringers practice in St Lukes Church Rooms on Wednesday Afternoons from 2.00 until 3.15 pm. They are looking for new members and if you are interested please come along and have a go or email Milda Laycock at milda.laycock@talk212.com or phone 01428 604127.

If any girl is interested in taking up the game come along to one of our practice sessions on a Tuesday night at Grayshott Sportsfield at 6.30pm.

For further information contact Graham Sampson Youth Liaison Manager at Grayshott Cricket Club on 01420 88616 or visit the club?s website at www.grayshottcc.co.uk

The Buy in Grayshott litter campaign which was previously headed by Peter Harrison of Client Finders has now been handed over to me, Andrew Clague, and I will be acting as the new team leader to organise the removal of litter from the commercial areas of the village, namely Headley Road, Car Parks, Village Greens & Crossways Road.

The entire process takes less than an hour to complete with enough volunteers, and is carried out every two months. Volunteers meet up at the Peter Leete Car Park at 10.00am on a Saturday and split into groups to cover the area.

Once finished they all enjoy a free beverage in the Fox & Pelican and I will even ensure a supply of chocolate digestive biscuits (they are my favourite - preferably plain!!!)

The next litter picking date is Saturday 22nd July (10am) and I very much hope that many of you might be able to assist BIG in their aim to keep our village tidy. We all stand to benefit from a cleaner village, so feel free to call me at any time to offer your assistance.

Andrew Clague

Tel: 01428 606395
Mob: 07788 420414
E-mail: andy@trustedpcman.co.uk

The commemorative trowel pictured above has recently gone missing from its case at St.Luke's Church in Grayshott and the restraining band on the case broken. The trowel is silver plate with possibly an ivory handle and bears an inscription commemorating the laying of the foundation stone of the church on 30 July 1898. The monetary value of the trowel is probably minimal but it has great special value to the church. The trowel carries an apha dot security Number and its loss has been reported to the police.

If anyone has any knowledge of its whereabouts please contact the church or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Just tell them what you know, not who you are.

Last week Dick Smith and Phil Bates represented Grayshott Village and BIG (Buy in Grayshott) at the South East Regional Conference Seminar for the Society for Local Council Clerks. The venue was the historic Bradfield School near Reading.

Dick and Phil gave a talk to over 100 delegates on Grayshott's success as winners of the "Calor Village of the Year" award. They gave a detailed account of the background of the village, its community spirit, events and future projects and ambitions, finishing with questions from the delegates.

As well, Dick and Phil gave advice to the delegates on how to prepare and enter the Calor village competition and just what it meant being a winner and what a huge boost it was to the village.

Grayshott is the most successful village in the UK having won the Best Village in Hampshire Award two times, and twice winners of The Southern Region Village of the Year for "Business in the Community" and the most prestigious award in winning the 2002 England & Wales Village of the Year for "Business in the Community".

Brian Challis, Calor Village of the Year County Coordinator thanked and congratulated Dick and Phil and said their enthusiasm for all aspects of village life inspires and motivates others and has obviously done likewise to all you delegates here today. Well done to them both.

St Luke's Church Grayshott was chosen as the first venue for the 2006 European Tour of The Elizabethan Madrigal Singers on Tuesday this week.

This talented and award-winning chamber choir from University of Wales Aberystwyth visited Grayshott as guests of Party In Grayshott and Grayshott Concerts in association with the Buy In Grayshott Campaign.

"We are delighted that this popular group chose Grayshott as the start of their tour." said organiser Vivien Harrison of Grayshott Concerts. "Their wide range of music, included Folk, Sacred, Madrigals and Jazz and appealed to all tastes. The group gave a spirited performance, singing unaccompanied in a challenging variety of languages which included Latin, Welsh and, in honour of their forthcoming visit to Reykjavic - in Icelandic.

Party In Grayshott's Peter Hatch said "This was a wonderful opportunity to hear the Elizabethan Madrigal Singers again, who last made a flying visit to Grayshott in 2005,"

The programme began with the delightful 16th century madrigal "Sing we and chant it" by Thomas Morley and finished with an energetic and stunning arrangement of the 20th century classic "Tea for Two". The greatest applause was for the Choir's encore masterpiece of Gnarls Barkley's chart-topping "Crazy" with a brilliant solo performance and arrangement by Robert Hatch, who grew up in Grayshott and who is now President of the group. Conductor Catrin Holland excelled throughout with her ability to blend the choir's obvious choral skills and dynamics.

After the event, many of the 120 guests attended a reception at the Grayshott Social Club.

Gerald Baker of Grayshott Cricket Club was one of the winners at the Sports Personality Awards Haslemere 2005.

The award presented at a ceremony held at Woolmer Hill School in April was for "Special Services to Sport Award"

Gerald's citation put forward by the club and read out at the Presentation Evening is as follows;

"Gerald Baker has been involved with Grayshott Cricket Club for over 42 years. He has and continues to give the club fantastic service and is a true clubman.

He first started playing for Grayshott in 1964 and has helped the club win numerous cups and league titles over the years. Gerald has played every year until last year when he decided to hang up his boots, aged 65, but you never know !

Off the field, Gerald is one of those people who always offers to help, whether it be at the ground, repairing our machinery, at a social event or offering sound advice to our younger members.

Without exception, all our club members admire and respect Gerald not only for his cricketing ability, but also for being a great clubman and a great friend.

Congratulations Gerald from everyone at Grayshott Cricket Club and a well deserved award.

Gerald is pictured here with his award together with Club Chairman Paul Roberts

MAGIC OF MOZART

Judging by the many kind comments we have received, the April concert can be counted a big success. But praise comes both ways. "The orchestra loves coming to Grayshott" says music director David Gibson. "The audience are so attentive and appreciative, and the atmosphere simply wonderful" Praise indeed from such a widely traveled and well renowned orchestra.

We would like to thank all those who took the trouble to complete the questionnaires, and have taken note of various helpful and constructive suggestions made. We will therefore reduce the length of the interval to 25 minutes, and if this works well - to 20 minutes for future concerts. While we obviously cannot increase toilet facilities at the Church we will make sure these are properly signed. In fact we are considerably better served than most churches, including Winchester Cathedral, but will also arrange for the public toilets on the green to be open. We hope that these will prove convenient, being only a very short distance from the Church. We have also taken note of the comments to improve the audibility and length of the "thank you" speeches.

ELIZABETHAN MADRIGAL SINGERS - TUESDAY 6TH JUNE 8 p.m.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to hear the award winning choir "The Elizabethan Madrigal Singers" from the University of Wales - Aberystwyth. The choir is on its way to a tour of Iceland, and will perform a varied programme sung in several languages. If you liked the Hampshire County Youth Choir, you are sure to like the Elizabethan Madrigal Singers. Entrance is FREE - just turn up and enjoy. The performance is expected to last about an hour, and will be followed by a reception at the Social Club in Hill Road. We look forward to seeing you there.

MOZART'S REQUIEM - SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER 7.30 p. m.

Plans are well advanced for this Concert on 7th October. We are delighted that the talented David Gibson will again be in charge of the performance, conducting the New London Sinfonia, and the Occam Singers in a programme of choral and orchestral works. The feature item is Mozart's Requiem but those who thrilled to the "Sinfonia Concertante" in April will be delighted by the return of violinist Martin Smith who, with his fellow London Mozart Player Gillian Strange, will perform Bach's Double Violin Concerto. Also included is Handel's famous Coronation Anthem Zadok the Priest.

Many of our regular audience have taken the opportunity to pre-reserve their seats for this concert, and by now will have received confirmation of seat numbers. Tickets will be available for collection from the Box Office at Grayshott Books from 1st June when supper tickets can be added if desired. Pre Concert suppers are available at both The Gurkha Durbar Nepalese Restaurant and The Kapadokya Turkish Restaurant. We would appreciate it if you will collect your concert tickets by 10th June, by which time tickets will have gone on general sale. We are expecting a huge demand, as we already have reservations for over two thirds of available seats.

We appreciate your support, and our aim is to continue to provide beautiful, classical music, performed by talented and professional musicians virtually "on the doorstep" of every Grayshott resident.


Vivien Harrison: 01428 609900 (office) 01428 714119 (home)

Simmons Interiors "Simply Summer" launch party was held on 25th May at their showroom in Crossways Road. It was a great success with over 200 guests visiting the showroom throughout the day, greeted by Simmons Interior design team. Afternoon guests enjoyed the homemade afternoon tea and pimms and got first opportunity to view and purchase home and garden furniture and accessories from their "Simply Summer" range.

As dusk decended, the party spilled out onto the road as corporate clients joined the party for an evening of champagne and canapes.

Grayshott is now covered by the Haslemere local fundraising committee of Cancer Research UK.

The Haslemere committee has now launched its own web site at cancerresearch-haslemere.org.uk Here you can see the recent news item of the presentation of the cheque for £750 towards Cancer Research by the Grayshott Ball organisers, who ran a very successful event which was also a great fund raiser for the charity.

The Haslemere Committee are now running a fundraising contest based on the football World Cup - similar to the one they did for the Rugby World Cup in 2003. The challenge: use your skill and judgment to predict the results of the games, the semi finalists, finalists and final scores. Entry is £5 a go, and half of the take will be paid in prizes - the rest to the charity. Paper forms are available from Grayshott Pottery, the Herons and at Grayshott Social Club, or on the Haslemere Local Committee web site.

For the web-confident there's an online form at cancerresearch-haslemere.org.uk/fwc.htm that allows you to make your choices and then pay online.

So pick up a form or go online and have a go to support Cancer Research

Tickets go on sale today in various shops around the village for the Grayshott Community Raffle organised by Party in Grayshott to raise funds for the their community events including the Village Jamboree on 24th June.

There are loads of fabulous prizes thanks to the generous donations from Grayshott businesses - the full updated list can be viewed here View List of Prizes

It is not too late to donate a prize to the growing list Donate a prize

The Raffle will be drawn on 25th June

Click here to visit the PIG webpage and galleries for latest information

With the weather warming up and summer finally approaching....., it is time to revamp the garden, revive the hammock, dust off the bbq, pull out the parasol and brighten up the home......

If you are looking for some fresh ideas to create that perfect summer home and garden, then visit "Simply Summer" the new collection of furniture and accessories for the home and garden by Simmons Interiors that will launch on 25th May 2006.

Simmons Interiors are holding a "Simply Summer" launch party at their new showrooms in Crossways Road, Grayshott on Thursday 25th May from 1pm - 5.30pm. Everyone is welcome to the launch. Traditional afternoon summer tea will be served including cucumber sandwiches, home-made cakes, strawberries and cream and of course Pimms! In addition, the Simmons interior design team will be available to answer any of your summer design questions and talk through the latest mood boards and summer themes. Afternoon tea will be followed by cocktails and canapés for corporate clients at 6 pm.

Numbers are limited so to reserve your place at the "Simply Summer" launch party, please call 01428 608436 or email info@simmonsinteriors.com

Simmons Interiors, Harlequin House, Crossways Road, Grayshott, Surrey, GU26 6HG
Opening Hours: Monday through Saturday 9.30am to 5:30pm


More information about the Simply Summer collection
"Simply Summer" is the new exclusive summer collection of furniture and accessories for the home and garden, including items from top traditional and contemporary designers. Every taste and summer flavour is embraced within the collection, funky hammocks to vibrant cushions, rattan garden chairs to slate top garden tables, zesty throws to natural linens, stone exterior candles to classical table linen, sophisticated summer dining to romantic floral fabrics.

Grayshott Gardeners will be warmly welcoming members of the public to join them at Grayshott Village Hall on Wednesday June 14th for an "Any Questions" Open Evening.

Whether you are a novice or experienced gardener there will be help and advice on hand to solve your gardening problems and queries.

Perhaps you have an area of your garden which needs some design ideas - if so, professional garden designers will be available to point you in the right direction so bring along a photo and approximate measurements of the area.

Maybe you have a plant suffering from a pest and disease problem or need some tips on dealing with drought or deer tolerant plants.

Whatever your gardening needs help will be on hand. There will also be some demonstrations on propagation and creating unusual hanging baskets.

Plants, books and garden sundries will be on sale and a garden themed tombola, and refreshments will make this an evening not to be missed.

The evening will run from 7.30 - 9.00pm and Grayshott Gardeners look forward to welcoming you to this free event. Further information on this and other Grayshott Gardeners events is available from either Vanessa Thompson on 01428 607309 or Olive Robinson on 01428 607512.

The Magic of Mozart
St Luke's Church, Grayshott
Saturday, 1st April 2006

Grayshott Concerts, in association with Buy in Grayshott Campaign, filled St Luke's Church to capacity on April 1 for the Magic of Mozart, featuring the New London Sinfonia, conducted by David Gibson, and Andrew Sparling (clarinet).

Gibson is the least demonstrative of conductors, but he has an acute ear for texture and balance.

He was helped immeasurably by the eager young players of his orchestra, who, although using modern instruments, seemed keenly aware of period style.

The strings, for example, produced a lean, knife-edged sound which allowed important wind solos to be clearly heard.

Tempi were generally lively, and in the Symphony No. 29 in particular, the music danced in a youthful, high-spirited manner.

The Clarinet Concerto was properly tinged with darkness, and Sparling produced a light, liquid tone with nicely varied articulation and dynamics.

What was inevitably missing, given that he was using a modern clarinet, were those deep, oily low notes that Mozart originally wrote for an instrument long obsolete, but now making a comeback.

A bonus was the first movement of the Sinfonia Concertante (K.364) played by the orchestra's leader, Martin Smith, and its principal viola, Sarah-Jane Bradley. Their enthusiasm was infections, and they were acutely sensitive to each others phrasing, both joining in the orchestral tuttis with a will. It would have been nice to have heard the whole thing, perhaps instead of the light-weight Overture to Mitridate.

Just one criticism. The programme carried the usual copious biographies, but told us not a word about the music. The only information we had was a brief introduction from the conductor to Mozart's youthful operatic Overture. We must assume that Grayshott is totally Mozart-literate.

Tom Muckley

Reproduced by kind permission of the Editor, Bordon Post - Wednesday April 19, 2006.

Grayshott Concerts next event on Saturday 7th October 2006 will feature Mozart's Requiem and Bach's Double Violin Concerto. More information from Organiser Vivien Harrison 01428 609900.

Phil Bates, Chairman of Grayshott Pottery and Managing Director Ed Snell take a bow with the gentlemen of the Temperance Seven Band when they gave an impromptu session in the pottery car park. One of the members of the band, Mike Deighan, is a Grayshott man and this prompted the Pottery to sponsor the Temperance Seven for the Haslemere Festival in May. The band, with their droll, syncopated jazz style, recently played to a sell out audience at Grayshott Club and were one of the hits of the 2004 Haslemere Festival. Tickets are selling fast for their Wispers School performance on 13 May at 7.30pm. Mr Bates said: "It is not only because of the local connection, through Mike, that we decided to sponsor the band at the Festival, but also because it's a good cross-border exercise helping our friends in Haslemere."

Phoenix Theatre Company's latest touring production made its debut last Saturday at Petersfield Library, playing to a capacity audience of children and their families.

Tom's Midnight Garden, written by Philippa Pearce and adapted for the stage by David Wood is touring to schools, theatres and arts centres all over Hampshire and neighbouring counties for 19 performances.

Tom's Midnight Garden is a delightful, well known classic play, set in the 50's where a young boy, Tom, makes nightly visits to a Victorian past, sharing adventures with a little girl, Hatty.

Youngsters Sam Dobson and Katie Allen, play the parts of Tom and Hatty in the play, alongside professional actors Anthony Allgood as Uncle Alan and Abel and Cindy Graves, who plays both Aunt Gwen and Aunt Grace. The production has been directed by Laura Dymock, who has directed and acted in many of the theatre company's past productions.

Sam, who attends Mill Chase Community Technology College, is studying drama in year 9 and performs in many of the school's plays. He is currently rehearsing for their summer production of Grease, in which he plays Sonny. Sam has recently auditioned for the National Youth Theatre in London.

Katie attends All Hallows School in Farnham. She is in Year 8 and has performed for many years with the children's drama group at the Phoenix and has been involved in the Youth theatre for the past two years. She has also helped to run a drama group for younger children in the school holidays.

Phoenix Director, Jane Dawes, says "The play went brilliantly at Petersfield Library. The Librarian gave a short introduction to the audience about the author and the book and other books by the same author were on display. The children in the audience were enthralled from start to finish, and many of the adults were wiping their eyes at the poignant, thought provoking end to this lovely story. The audience also had the opportunity to talk to the actors afterwards. It just goes to show that literature and live theatre are still very much appreciated in this technological age, even by the very young."

The next public performance is at the Studio@TPS in Petersfield on Saturday 29th April at 2 p.m. and the Company will be touring to a number of schools and other venues until July. It will be shown at the Phoenix Theatre on 30th June as part of the Bordon & Whitehill Arts Festival.

Any enquires or further details to:

Jane Dawes,
Director,
The Phoenix,
Station Road,
Bordon
GU35 OLR
Telephone 01420 472664
Email: info@phoenixarts.co.uk.

For details of public performances of Tom's Midnight Garden, or other work of the Phoenix Theatre Company, visit the website www.phoenixarts.co.uk

At the recent Buy in Grayshott (BIG) Best Dressed Shop Awards evening held in the Gurkha Durbar Restaurant, the top award went to Magical Rooms.

Phil Bates representing BIG said, "Magical Rooms have shown a real flair in presenting lively, colourful and imaginative displays which, coupled with showing their products to the full, created the ambience and interest that the smaller independent shop needs in attracting customers."

Julie and John Bevis who own Magical Rooms said, "We were delighted to have been chosen as winners for 2005, as there was such strong competition from other shops who have presented excellent window displays throughout 2005. It must have been very difficult for the judges to get an eventual winner.

The full list of winners is as follows:-

Best Dressed Shop in Grayshott Award went to Magical Rooms
Runners up were: Grayshott Books, Grayshott Pottery and Kaighin & Daughter

Best Floral Display Award went to The Fox & Pelican
Runners up were: Grayshott Pottery and Wings Woods

Cleanliness Award Category Winners were: Amity, Famous Chef Chinese Takeaway, Flower Vogue, Gurkha Durba and Wings Woods

Display Winners were: Grayshott Books

Best Shop Front Winner was Wings Woods

The Black Rock grill was successfully launched at Cafe Baa-Baa in Grayshott last Thursday night, 19th January. The invited guests all remarked on what a great experience it was and applauded Cafe Baa-Baa for a super dining experience.

Dick Smith, chairman of the Buy in Grayshott campaign, commented that it was yet another exciting development in Grayshott, and felt it would attract people from miles around, being the only Black Rock grill in the area. It was also pleasing to note that most of the meat used was supplied by the Village's high-class butcher, Kaighin & Daughter.

He went on to add what fun it was to allow your meat to cook in front of you and ensure it was done exactly how you wanted it, and was amazed that the Hot Rock stayed at a cooking temperature for well over an hour.

Tessa Armley, the proprietress, said how happy she was that everyone seemed to enjoy the experience and looked forward to welcoming customers to enjoy an exciting new menu at a well-established venue.

Cafe Baa-Baa is in Headley Road - Please call Tessa for more info or reservations 01428 605500

Now Christmas is behind us and we are into the New Year, Grayshott Concerts are making plans for two major concerts to be held at St Luke's Church during the year.

As you may well be aware, 2006 sees the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and in honour of this great genius, our programmes this year will feature some of his most beautiful and well-loved works.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome back David Gibson and the New London Sinfonia Orchestra on Saturday 1st April. This Concert, entitled "The Magic of Mozart", is devoted entirely to Mozart, the feature item being the famous Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major as enjoyed in the film "Out of Africa". Our clarinet soloist will be Andrew Sparling, a musician of international repute. Also included in the programme is an Overture and the delightful Symphony No 29. A simply fabulous selection of music we believe, and an evening not to be missed.

We are extremely fortunate to be able to invite musicians of the calibre of The New London Sinfonia Orchestra to Grayshott, and their Conductor and Director of Music, David Gibson, is inspirational and a very good friend to Grayshott Concerts.

Tickets will go on general sale at Grayshott Books from Saturday 28th January and are priced at £12.50 and £15.00. Delicious pre-concert suppers are offered at The Fox and Pelican at £12.50. A donation from the proceeds will be made towards the provision of floral hanging baskets and planters throughout Grayshott during the Spring and Summer.

Saturday 7th October will see our most ambitious Concert yet. By popular request we have invited back The Occam Singers who will perform Mozart's final work, the dramatic and moving "Requiem". Mozart died before completion of this composition, which was undertaken by his pupil Sussmayr.

Mozart, arguably the most gifted composer ever, died penniless and was reputed to have been buried in a pauper's grave. Such is the poignancy and tragedy of this wonderful work. Four professional vocal soloists will perform with the choir, and orchestration will again be provided by The New London Sinfonia Orchestra.

However, Mozart's Requiem is not the only stunning piece to be included in the programme. The orchestra will perform Bach's "Double Violin Concerto", with violin soloists Martin Smith and Alison Strange, both members of the London Mozart Players. Choral items will include Handel's Coronation Anthem "Zadok the Priest".

Tickets for this concert will be on general sale at Grayshott Books from 1st June, priced at £15.00 and £17.50. Our ever popular pre-concert suppers, at £12.50, are offered at either the Kapadokya Turkish Restaurant, or the Gurkha Durbar Nepalese Restaurant. (The Fox and Pelican have kindly offered to provide suppers for the Choir and Orchestra.)

A donation will be made from the proceeds to the Grayshott Village Lights Fund. It is planned to make extensions to the lighting in time for next Christmas. We also make a donation from every concert to St Luke's Church, to cover costs, and for the use of the venue. We are most grateful to all concerned at St Luke's for their continued support, enthusiasm and help with all our concerts.

We are anticipating a complete sell-out for both concerts, and look forward to sharing these evenings with you.

If you were patrons of our previous concerts, we would like to offer you priority booking before tickets for "Magic of Mozart" go on general sale. If you would like to make use of this facility, please email Vivien Harrison at vivien@clientfinders.co.uk or telephone on 01428 609900 (office hours) or 01428 714119 evenings and weekends, also indicating if you will require supper. We would ask you kindly to collect and pay for these from Grayshott Books by 4th February.

If you wish also to reserve your favourite seats for the October concert, "Requiem", at the same time, we will be delighted to hold these for you. We ask only that you collect and pay for these tickets by 7th June when they will have gone on general sale.

We are grateful for the continued support of Applegarth Farm Shop, our Main Sponsor of both these concerts.

A sharp frost and a light covering of snow did nothing to deter members of Grayshott's Skate Park Committee from meeting at the Sports Field on Wednesday 4th January 2006 to celebrate the completion of one of the longest running projects ever undertaken in the village.

The event marked the culmination of ten years work to build a Skate Park for the young people of Grayshott and surrounding areas.

"Even though I can see our youngsters enjoying the ramps in front of me, it's still difficult to believe it's finished at last!" said Liz Pennick, Chairman of the Grayshott Youth Group, who for over nine years has been the driving force behind raising funds and gaining public support for the facility. "We have needed this Park for so long - it's just wonderful to see the delight on the faces of the skateboarders, some of whom weren't even born when the idea was created."

"We couldn't have done it without the help of local people, businesses and other organisations who have helped us raise over £50.000 to build the Park" added Diana Lovelock. "We were struggling to get the money together and costs were rising faster than we expected. Then, the Parish Council stepped in with £3,500 and we were off!"

With the help of Grayshott District Councillor Ferris Cowper, the committee successfully bid for a Community Initiative Grant from East Hampshire District Council which added a further £15,000 to the funds. "The Youth Group have worked so hard, I'm delighted that the project is now complete", said Mr Cowper.

The Committee have also been awarded grants by Hampshire Playing Fields Association, Hampshire Police Authority, The Co-op, Awards for All, and the Local Network Fund.

"The Parish Council Chairman and his team have supported us at every stage," said Treasurer, Peter Harrison. "They have agreed to maintain and insure the Park in future years and have undertaken all the vital coordination with our contractors to make it all happen. It just wouldn't have been possible without their help."

Local skateboarders are impressed too. "It's amazing", "Just what we wanted", "Best skatepark for miles around" were just some of the comments from the first youngsters to put the park to the test.

The committee are planning a full public opening in the Spring.

More information from
Peter Harrison
Treasurer
Grayshott Youth Group
28A Headley Road
Grayshott
GU26 6LD

Email: Peter@clientfinders.co.uk
Tel: 01428 609900 or 01428 714119