August 2008 Archives

Runnymede Council is facing calls to provide a public swimming pool following the success of Britain's swimmers at the Beijing Olympics.

Critics say talented youngsters could be prevented from following in the footsteps of double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington (pictured) because there is no municipal pool.

Runnymede Art Society will be holding an art exhibition at the United Church in Egham High Street from Thursday September 18 to Sunday September 21 from 10am - 3pm.

Also on display will be works by children of Springtime Nursery, in Thorpe Road, and the Friendly Club for stroke victims, who meet weekly in the Hythe Centre in Thorpe Road. Both groups have produced artwork in conjunction with the art society.

Royal Holloway is sending its collection of Victorian paintings on a two-year tour of the United States.

The Egham-based university has 60 canvases, which were amassed by its founder Thomas Holloway in the late 1800s, and this will be the first time they have been exhibited overseas.

The exhibition entitled 'Paintings from the Reign of Victoria: The Royal Holloway Collection, London', will be on show at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 12, and then travel to other major American art museums until 2010.

More than 100 children flocked to a holiday club at St John's Church in Egham this week.

The Champions Challenge club saw children aged between five and 11 years old playing games, playing instruments and creating crafts at the church in Church Road from Tuesday to Friday.

Organiser Alison Berry said: "Think children's television combined with a church and you have the atmosphere of the holiday club.

A developer is proposing to build three detached homes on land between Clarence Street and North Street, Egham.

Gilbert Homes Ltd want to build the three three bedroom homes using land to the side of 8a and 9 Clarence Street, and the back gardens on 6 -11 North Street.

Cars would access the site from Clarence Street.

An Englefield Green police officer returned this week from a 977 mile John O'Groats to Lands End cycle ride for charity.

PCSO Carole Lawford, along with friend Gemma Stilwell, cycled for 19 days solid after setting off from John O'Groats on Tuesday August 5, and expects the trip to raise more than £1,800 for charity Water Aid, who help provide clean water and wells in Africa.

She said: "It was pretty tough, but I feel remarkably alive after it, if half a stone lighter.

Royal Holloway is sending its collection of Victorian paintings on a two-year tour of the United States.

The Egham-based university has 60 canvases, which were amassed by its founder Thomas Holloway in the late 1800s, and this will be the first time they have been exhibited overseas.

Firefighters from Egham doused a pile of burning rubbish in St Paul's Road, Egham Hythe, in the early hours of Friday morning.

The fire, which broke out on land behind St Paul's Church at about 1am, is not thought to be suspicious.

An Egham foster parent, volunteer ambulance driver and neighbourhood watch leader has been nominated for a local heroes award.

Ray Harrage's name has been put forward to win the Surrey Police local heroes good neighbour award for his tireless work setting up and running the neighbourhood watch for his road, Spring Rise.

Teachers and pupils at Magna Carta School are celebrating after receiving the best GCSE results in the school's history.

Sixty percent of students achieved five or more GCSE's between A* and C grades - compared with 54% last year and 21% of the overall results were either A or A*.