Several houses, and the campsite of the Thames Camping and Boating Association, occupy the upstream end which is accessed via the road also called The Creek. Below the middle weir, on the downstream part of the island, are the works of the Environment Agency and some more houses. Access to these homes is via a bridge owned by the Environment Agency.

The main weir at Sunbury stretches between the tail end of Wheatley’s Ait and Sunbury Lock Ait. This island was created in 1812 when a long channel was dug across the long bend of the river here. This was needed to accommodate the new lock built by the City of London, to improve the navigation of the river.

The lock was built towards the tail end of the lock cut, next to where the old lock-keeper’s house still stands. In 1856 the lock was rebuilt at the tail end of the cut, with a new lock keeper’s house on the island – at the same time the footbridge to the island was added. A second lock was added alongside the first one in 1927. The various sheds and outbuildings belonging to Wilson’s boatyard were added at the upstream end from the late 19th century onwards. Much later the clubhouse of the Middle Thames Yacht Club was added on the Sunbury side of the island, next to the lock.

Next is Rivermead Island, which is uninhabited. The downstream end was once a separate island, called Swan’s Rest , but the intervening channel has long since silted up. Sunbury Urban District Council acquired the island for recreational use in 1908, and in 1935 built an open-air swimming pool there. This amenity, fondly remembered by many in Sunbury, was closed in 1980 and no trace of it now remains. Rivermead Island is perhaps best known now as the site of the Sunbury Regatta each August. Access is by a footbridge across a small channel, alongside a ford for vehicles which has been the cause of much entertainment over the years!

Sunbury Court Island, once called Hayes Ait, is now named after the imposing house, owned since the 1920s by the Salvation Army, which stands on the adjacent mainland. Houses were first built on it in the 1920s, and access from the Lower Hampton Road is by a footbridge, which has a decorative former water tower at the entrance to the island.
Lastly, just downstream from Sunbury Court is the tiny Grand Junction Island, named after the nearby intake to the waterworks originally built by the Grand Junction Water Co. (part of the complex at Hampton).

Now owned by Thames Water, plots have been leased to people who over the years have built small houses for weekend and recreational use. It is also connected to the mainland by a small footbridge.

The Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society will be exhibiting many old photos of the regatta and the riverside on their stand at Sunbury Regatta on 10th August 2013.

The Angel’s pose is inquisitive and threatening, this edgy atmosphere is enhanced by his glistening wings, which on closer inspection are shards of jagged glass. The background to the angel is angular in pattern; an abstraction of a cityscape.

The glass within the panel has been treated using ancient paint techniques and innovative contemporary methods to modulate the flow of light through the mix of antique and machine-made glass. The combination of an artistic vision and honed technical skills have created a spectacular vision of a jeans wearing urban Angel.

Also on display is the cartoon and studies of the Angel’s face.

Since returning from Swansea David has taken a studio at Wimbledon Art Studios. He would welcome enquiries to design and fabricate unique panels of glass art for windows, screens, wall pieces etc.. His website can be viewed at www.lightglasssstudio.co.uk, his e-mail address is david@lightglassstudio.co.uk

Once again, it was standing room only as the guitarist/singer/songwriter who was with the renowned John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for fifteen years, produced another stunning performance. John Mayall is a notoriously demanding taskmaster, and to hold a job in his band down for that length of time is unheard of, and Mayall once called Buddy “the greatest Bluesbreaker of them all”. Buddy lived up to that reputation with a thoroughly entertaining two hours of virtuoso blues guitar and his own distinctive brand of contemporary original material.

Much of the show was devoted to his own songs, and Buddy is not content to stick with traditional blues themes – his songs range over an eclectic spectrum of subject matter, mostly social and political commentary, delivered with a sardonic and understated Texan wit that belies the depth of some of the messages. That’s not to say that he didn’t delve into the catalogue of blues standards with some carefully chosen pieces that showcased his effortless command of the genre.

Along with greats like B.B. King and Eric Clapton, Buddy doesn’t need to play a million notes a minute to make an impact – the lyricism of a few carefully chosen phrases can say as much as a frantic cascade of flying fingers, although there were plenty of effortless free-flowing solos to keep the guitar aficionados more than happy.

Ably supported by top local drummer, Darby Todd, who’s recently been working with Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, and bassist Pete Stroud, Buddy brought a quality of entertainment to Sunbury that was worthy of a much bigger stage, and we are grateful to promoter Brett Todd for bringing us a show of this stature.

Friday 10th May at Sunbury Cricket Club, Lower Hampton Road
Dave’s Not Here
£5 on the door

Our copy dates fell too early to bring you news of the debut gig at the Club for top soul/funk outfit Debbie Giles & Midnight Train in April, but the next Music Night after that is on 10th May when we feature our very own Sunbury Beat Era star Karl Green, resident of The Avenue and the original bass player with Herman’s Hermits, with his current band Dave’s Not Here. They are making a return visit to the Club playing a mix of rock from four decades, and it will be another highly entertaining evening. The Hermits were so big during Karl’s career with them that they had The Who supporting them during a US tour, and Karl has a bottomless fount of anecdotes of his carousing with Keith Moon, We’re fortunate that we have stars with a history like Karl’s to present at our local Club.

The first bridge was built for Samuel Dicker of Mount Felix, Walton, MP for Plymouth and a plantation owner in Jamaica. He obtained an Act of Parliament in 1747 to permit building the bridge & charging tolls, ranging form 1/2d for pedestrians to 2 shillings for a carriage and six horses. He had to agree building a huge central arch to satisfy barge owners, and the span of 130 feet was the largest in Britain for the next 50 years.

The Sunbury and Shepperton History Society will be publishing a book on the History of Walton Bridge at the end of June. The next Society talk is ‘Sunbury and Shepperton from Above’ at 8pm on Tues 21st January at Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton.

Their Future Today (TFT) was launched by Twirltour Travel director Lynn Stanier in 2005 when she visited Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami.
Seeing first- hand the suffering and deprivation of babies and small children orphaned and abandoned, Lynn felt compelled to fill a gap that aid was not reaching.

She raised funds to improve an understaffed and underfunded state run institution, persuading local Government to allow her to spend funds directly on basic needs for these otherwise forgotten children. TFT now employs nine additional housemothers, provides training in childcare, renovates buildings, supplies toys and playground equipment in addition to food and milk, medicine, vitamins and support.

There’s a growing number of babies many of them abandoned by mothers too poor to look after them.

The objectives of TFT have also changed. Wherever possible, the charity is striving to reunite children and parents, and has built two homes, resulting in 5 children being de-institutionalised and reunited with their mothers. TFT are in the process of introducing foster care (not a usual thing in Sri Lanka, so quite a challenge to get this solution accepted and understood) so that they have the chance to grow up in a family environment, instead of a lonely existence. TFT are also providing 1000 institutionalised and poorest children with school books, uniforms, shoes and even pens, to enable them to attend school.

Education means hope for better futures and ultimately less abandoned babies.

Sunbury Matters has donated this stunning painting “Ete en Manosque” by local artist Nicholas Beeston, a member of Chertsey Artists. It measures ???? and would be a beautiful acquisition for your art collection.

To have a chance at winning this unique painting, we are going to hold a “blind” auction and the winner will be the one who bids the highest amount. All you need to do is send an email to: lynn@theirfuturetoday.com, put TFT AUCTION in the subject line, and in the body of text put your name and address and the amount you wish to bid. All funds will go directly to supporting the on going needs of these orphaned children.

The winner will be notified on 30th April and published in the next issue.

If you wish to find out more or would like to volunteer with TFT please contact lynn@theirfuturetoday.com or if you would like to donate a single or regular amount then please go www.theirfuturetoday.com and click on ‘Donate Now’.

We are a soppy lot in Britain. I want a trip to the dog groomers to be a positive experience, and Grooming Gorgeous gives clients what they want. “We treat dogs like our own” say owners Dean and Emma, watched by their (very well groomed) Pomeranian Coco.

The salon offers a safe, warm, friendly and professional environment. They use natural products and staff are all fully qualified and experienced. To add to this, they are members of Pet Care Trust, which means that they are part of a national association that is committed to delivering the highest standards of animal welfare and customer care, an added reassurance to clients.

Services range from nail clipping, wash and drying, weekly brushing, to full groomings “We’ve even groomed a few dogs for the preliminary stages of Crufts” says Emma. Dogs can also get a “blueberry facial” which is a service used in Harrods pet spa no less! In addition to grooming, the salon provides a collection service, cat sitting, dog day care and walking if required.

Behind the scenes of this local Sunbury service there are of course lots of stories to tell. The largest dog who visits for grooming is a Newfoundland called (rather sweetly) Daisy and the smallest, a Chihuahua, aptly called “Mouse”.

Sunbury’s Grooming Gorgeous also sees its fair share of exotic visitors, with ex-pats returning from stints abroad with accompanying pets. There is the Shih Tzu from Iran, called Persia, a dog from India and also Dubai. The salon has had its own brush with fame, in the form of a cat which used to be owned by none other than Amy Winehouse.

Sunbury Matters was invited to visit the salon to see first hand the grooming process. What an afternoon! I was greeted by three very enthusiastic little furry things, including Coco, (who thinks she actually owns the salon!). There was a very furry young Shit-tzu who was there for doggy day care. Socialising with other dogs and being allowed to have the chance to rough and tumble is important in becoming a well adjusted dog. Shadow the Westie was in for a groom. They were all playing happily together as Emma finished grooming a very gorgeous Bichon Frise.

Emma’s assistant (and mother) Carole, got Shadow shampooed. As with humans, there is a range of shampoos depending on type and colour of coat. Carole applied diluted shampoo with a scrunchy to get deep down into the coat. She then gave Shadow the famous ‘blueberry facial’ which is a lotion deeply massaged into the face to give a lovely fragrance and glow (sounds like a trip to my beautician!) The team clearly have pride in their work and a great rapport and interaction with the dogs. “That’s the joy with this job” said Carole, “We get plenty of doggy kisses!” It’s just as well they are so happy in their work as the whole process takes 2-3 hours depending on the dog type and size. The dogs don’t seem bothered about all the preening, and to help matters they are allowed some down time between processes to play and release some energy.

Shadow was dried with the drier, and a snow of dog fur descended on me. Emma says she finds bits of fur all over her at the end of the day. But you can’t be bothered about anything like that, and certainly can’t be squeamish if you are a dog groomer. They have to deal with cleaning and grooming every bit of a dog!

Emma has always loved dogs. When she was little Carole had a Jack Russell who would occasionally hitch a lift in Emma’s pram. Emma herself decided to get into dog grooming when she and partner Dean acquired Coco and she couldn’t find anywhere she was happy with to get her groomed. She is City and Guilds qualified and is also doing her advanced certificate in Dog Styling.

The Salon grooms a wide range of dogs every day. They can also fit in the odd nail clipping and maybe a face tidy if time allows. Nothing is too much trouble and you can be sure your precious pet will be well cared for and pampered while it is visiting.

Grooming Gorgeous
14a Thames Street
Sunbury on Thames
TW16 5QP

Tel: 01932 988463

So Sunbury Matters spoke to David Hicks who is in charge of the project at Spelthorne Council to get an insight. David is enthusiastic about the plan, but admits that it is an inherited project, and recognises that it will not be welcome news to all. The fact is that the Borough has classified Sunbury Park as a ‘Wildlife Park’ not an amenities park (like Laleham Park for example). As such the focus is on biodiversity. The fact is that there is ample evidence that getting cattle to graze the land will be better for it and will encourage species.

David explains; “The site itself has experienced a number of years of inappropriate management as an amenity parkland. This has led to the grass sward being too tightly thatched for wildflowers to be able to germinate effectively and so we have seen a dramatic decline in the invertebrate population on the site. The reintroduction of cattle will in time reverse this by breaking up the thatching and creating a mosaic of differently grazed heights within the sward. The council acknowledges that there will be some user groups who currently visit the park who will be nervous about the cattle returning, particularly the dog walkers who will have restrictions placed on them when the livestock are on site. The current plan is to only graze the site during the summer months so the disturbance will be minimal”

New fencing and kissing gates will be introduced, and a water source made available. These in themselves are positives to all, and will stop our little furry friends from wandering into the car parks. The cattle in question are Belted Galloways, (pictured) which have a reputation as a placid easy going beast so residents should not be worried about cows running amok. The cattle they will be using will be are owned and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. There is some useful information about the benefits of grazing on this link: www.surreywildlifetrust.org/conservation/projects/3

The plan is to hold a public exhibition of a few cows in Sunbury Park in May at some point (dates not available yet) so that the public and get to see them and ask questions.

On 6th May 1813, Thomas Rosewell of Shepperton (a distant relative of mine), was tried for stealing lead on 2nd March from Shepperton House, the home of George Winch, in Chertsey Road. Rosewell had been employed as a labourer on renovations to the house, but aroused suspicion when he tried to sell 200 lb of lead to Thomas White of Laleham, described as a ‘hawker’ (pedlar). When White made enquiries, it was found that 400 lb of lead was missing from Mr. Winch’s house. Rosewell was arrested by Daniel North, Constable of Shepperton (at that time a post subject to annual election) and taken to the watch house (presumably the old lock-up by the Three Horseshoes pub). When the lead was checked against the house ‘it fitted in every respect’. Rosewell admitted his guilt, and aged only 19, was sentenced to be transported to Australia for 7 years. While he was in exile, Rosewell’s wife received Poor Relief of 5 shillings per week from the parish, but after the sentence was served (no early release then), he made the long journey back home.

Later the same year, on 27th October, William Bishop (aged 50) and Thomas Turner (26) were tried for stealing on 10th September, one sheep valued at 21 shillings from Thomas Wood, Lord of the Manor of Littleton. James Seers, of Halliford, testified that as he walked from Charlton towards Staines, through Littleton, he saw Bishop herd a flock of sheep into the corner of a field, truss the legs of one sheep, and pass it to Turner who put it in a wheelbarrow. Bishop then wheeled it off towards Sunbury. Daniel Neens, Mr Wood’s bailiff, testified that Turner was a shepherd employed by the Wood estate, but that he had no authority to dispose of any sheep, and that seven sheep in total were missing. Although Bishop argued in his defence that he had bought the sheep in good faith, and Turner that the sheep was his own and not Mr. Wood’s, both were found guilty and sentenced to death. Harsh as it may seem, this was the usual penalty in cases of stealing animals. Having received several testaments to their good character however, and because the witnesses had not come forward sooner to testify to the loss of the sheep, the jury recommended both men for mercy.

The next meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society is on Tuesday 16th April at Halliford School, when David Hassard will be speaking on ‘The Great Aircraft Factory at Kingston’. The talk starts at 8pm and all are welcome, £2 admission for non-members