Search Results

As usual, the village celebrated this Royal occasion and it began with a Royal Ball in the village hall on Saturday, 7th May 2023: A tractor parade... And then a big lunch at the Three Horseshoes on Sunday, 8th May: And ending with a cricket match on Saturday, 23rd May, 2023: The Captains: Neil Woods and Mike Spencer

Photographs courtesy Valérie Ferris

As usual the village turned out in force (all photographs courtesy Valérie Ferris):

From Thursley Parish Magazine October 2019 If you missed the well attended walk around Hammer Pond on Saturday 5th October here are some fascinating facts about this thriving industry. Why Thursley? Thursley Common possessed both iron ore for smelting and peat for fuel and the Hammer Pond could produce power for the hammer. The first reference to Thursley ironworks was in 1574 and it prospered throughout the 17th century. William Yalden was Thursley ironmaster with the industry bringing prosperity and employment to the local gentry – the Yaldens living at Heath Hall Farm and Bell and Smith living at Rake. By 1730 there was enough ore to support two forges and contracts with the Navy for Cannon and Shots. The ore was smelted and beaten into shape by water powered Hammers (the Surrey name for a forge) hence the connection with Hammer Pond. Demand for firebacks started to  replace guns and cannon and by late 1768 the industry was dead. This illustration of the Hammer Forge  shows – the hammer, for beating the iron against the anvil, whose shaft is  pivoted on posts and raised by knobs projecting from the drum, which was  connected to the water wheel by the shaft to produce the power for the hammer.

Reporting from Surrey Live: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/blank-ammunition-firing-off-common-4818630 Photographs from our archive:

Parish Mag Article May 2022 Thursley Exhibition was held annually in the hall from 1974 – 1984. It was an art and craft extravagance organised by Margie Crawfurd and Georgina Harvey, both residents of the village. Although it started small, as a vessel to allow local artists and craftsmen to display and sell their works, it grew into an important and widely acclaimed showcase for artists from all over the South of England. It reached national prominence in 1982 when it was covered by The Field, and this is an extract from their piece: Art and Craft Ascending The Rise and Rise of a Village Exhibition in Surrey. The Thursley Village Exhibition is now seven years old. It was started as a charity benefit and grew into an informal showcase for artists and craftsmen all over the south of England. Its stature is now such that it can shake hands on equal terms with established galleries. The setting is a Victorian hall in Thursley, a Surrey village which was once a centre of iron making and where one can still see the iron pits and hammer ponds. Nearly 200 paintings and sculptures by 50 artists as well as furniture, silver, glass, ceramics and bookbinding will be exhibited from 25 September – 3 October. Among the equestrian artists is Juliet Jeffrey who is showing a hunting scene from an unusual angle. “It was my own first view of the hunt, looking through the horses’ legs with the hounds bounding in. When they set off it becomes a blur with the flurry of hounds and horses coming and coming and it is this I have tried to capture”. Her other paintings depict Appleby Horse Fair, the big gypsy fair held every June, and one of her favourite subjects – pony sales at which the groups of ponies provide a very paintable series of patterns. Juliet Jeffrey has also illustrated several books including one of Gypsy Poems and Ballads. For some years she was married to Peter Ingram, one of the five gypsy waggon builders in the country and has painted a considerable oeuvre of gypsy life in a style which is an interesting blend of realism with abstract undertones. Paintings of people with their favourite horses and other animals, once the mainstay of the itinerant artist, is again becoming a popular art form. The resurgence of interest of this type of portraiture takes the equestrian artist Susie Whitcombe as far as Australia where she goes to paint animals, for some of the big livestock owners. Miss Whitcombe’s oil on canvas Summer Afternoon, Frensham, in this exhibition depicts three gleaming coated ponies reflected in the limpid waters of a large pond framed in trees and bushes (most likely Frensham Great or Little Pond – Ed). Earlier, in 1980, a press release from the exhibition organiser’s read: For the last six years the Thursley Exhibition has encouraged local artists to exhibit their work. During this period, the organisers have steadily improved the standard of work submitted, kept overheads down and prices low. This year in a bold step to raise the quality again, the organisers have invited a number of artists/craftsmen, who, whilst having local connections, exhibit widely. William Pye is one of our country’s leading sculptors. He will exhibit a stainless-steel work in the garden and his” Californian Bronzes” in the hall. John Donald is designing a collection of ten pieces of jewellery especially for this exhibition. Faith Shannon, from Puttenham, who has just been awarded an Arts Council grant, will exhibit a book she has bound, and her husband, Sandy Mackilligan, a piece of furniture. Lorne Mackean, whose bronzes are in the royal collection (seen in the forefront of the photographs below – Ed), has something at the foundry for us and George Taylor, one of Edward Barnsley’s protegees, will exhibit some wood carvings. From Thursley itself we have Peter Hanauer’s glass bowl, Salli Tomlinson’s “Companions”, as seen on television recently, and the work of the Thursley weavers. Among our favourites at the Royal Academy this summer were Joyce O’Shea, from Godalming, Christopher Harrison from Cranleigh and Cavendish Morton from the Isle of Wight. All will be showing at the exhibition. This is an opportunity to see an unusual exhibition in a particularly pleasant, informal and rural setting. It opens on Saturday 27th September for nine days.

Photographs and news report From Surrey Live: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-smouldered-1976-heathland-fires-11314109

The Prince of Wales was proclaimed King George V following his father's death on 6 May 1910, and his Coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 22 June From Wikipedia: 1911.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_George_V_and_Mary

From Wikipedia: Witley Military Camp, often simplified to Camp Witley, was a temporary army camp set up on Witley Common, Surrey, England during both the First and Second World Wars. The camp was about 40 mi (64 km) southwest of London. Camp Witley was one of three facilities in the Aldershot Command area established by the Canadian Army; the others being Bordon and Bramshott (nr. Liphook). Wilfred Owen penned a prelude to his ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ whilst stationed at the camp. Witley Camp was the headquarters of the Polish Resettlement Corps. From Surrey Museums.org.uk: Unearthing the Secrets of Witley Camp Godalming Museum was awarded £63,900 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to carry out an exciting new community archaeology project at Witley Camp in 2019. Once a bustling military camp home to 20,000 British and Canadian soldiers as well as a veterinary hospital, the area today has returned to woodland with little trace of any remains. To ensure the camp is not forgotten, volunteers from the local community were invited to join professional archaeologists from Surrey County Archaeological Unit to carry out landscape surveys and excavations, learning new skills, meeting new people and increasing awareness about the site. For the first time, the National Trust owned site was recorded thoroughly, ensuring specific areas of interest were identified and preserved for future generations. The results of these excavations are still being processed, but will be made public through pop-up banners, a new museum display, education materials and loan boxes, ensuring the camp and its important history is not forgotten. Perhaps the most famous soldier who passed through the camp was Wilfred Owen. He was stationed at the camp in the summer of 1916. Whilst at Witley, Owen wrote ‘A New Heaven’, which he later reworked to form his famous poem ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the three camps were rebuilt by the British for use by Canadian troops and to train the local Home Guard. Witley was involved with the disastrous Canadian Army landings at Dieppe and was used as a holding area in the lead up to D-Day. Between 1946 and 1949, the camps were taken over as the headquarters of the Polish Resettlement Corps, helping resettle around 150,000 Poles and their families in Britain. The site was again returned to common land with little above the surface to tell the incredible tale. Many thousands of lives were impacted by the camp, but as the last veterans of the Second World War pass away, this memory is fading. It is hoped that a new audio guide, focusing on the First World War, will increase awareness of this important site.

Bill Cooper's car parked outside Old Village Hall, about 1950.

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in March 2022 Part of the procession through the village en route to the cricket green With Michelle De Vries and her team currently busy planning fun and interesting activities for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, marking 70 years since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne, I thought it would be worth revisiting previous Jubilee’s for some inspiration. Indeed, it would appear that Thursley has never shied away from an opportunity to celebrate when a celebration is called for! Royal Jubilees are an occasion to celebrate the life and reign of a Monarch, and are significant events which are celebrated around the world. Though the concept of the jubilee began in biblical times, today the term is most closely associated with the Royal Family, and the ceremony and spectacle which the term symbolises. Royal Jubilees celebrate significant periods in monarchs' reigns and the national life. Few British monarchs have achieved reigns of 50 years, and Golden Jubilees are very rare. There are few records of how - if at all - Henry III, Edward III and James VI celebrated their 50-year milestones. The first British monarch to mark 50 years on the throne in a significant way was George III, followed by Queen Victoria. The Queen has had significant jubilee celebrations, in 1977 for her Silver, 2002 for her Golden, 2012 for her Diamond and 2017 for her Sapphire jubilee. The Silver Jubilee The climax of the national celebrations came in early June. On the evening of Monday 6 June, The Queen lit a bonfire beacon at Windsor which started a chain of beacons across the country. On Tuesday 7 June, vast crowds saw The Queen driven in the Gold State Coach to St Paul's Cathedral for a Service of Thanksgiving attended by heads of state from around the world and former prime ministers of the UK. An estimated 500 million people watched on television as the procession returned down The Mall. Back at Buckingham Palace, The Queen made several balcony appearances. Street parties and village parties started up all over the country: in London alone, 4,000 were reported to have been held. The final event of the central week of celebrations was a river progress down the Thames from Greenwich to Lambeth on Thursday 9 June, emulating the ceremonial barge trips of Elizabeth I. The journey ended with a firework display, and a procession of lighted carriages took The Queen back to Buckingham Palace for more balcony appearances to a cheering crowd. In Thursley, a whole host of events (for every age and predilections apparently) were planned under the watchful auspices of Norman Ratcliffe, then the village bobby, living in the police house on The Street. It all took place on Tuesday 7th June and I am guessing the following day must also have been a Bank Holiday as it was a busy old day, culminating in dancing until midnight! The programme of events from Norman was such: HORSE SHOW At 10am at Haybarn stables. Programme and entry form available from Thursley Stores, Thursley Post Office, the Police House and the Red Lion garage. OLD PEOPLE’S LUNCH At 12 noon in the Village Hall, a lunch and entertainment will be held for our senior citizens. PROCESSION At 2.30pm the procession will go from The Red Lion to the cricket field. Anyone is welcome to join in. Please come in fancy dress, on foot or horseback. You can organise a group float, decorate your cycle or car and just join in the fun. CRICKET MATCH At 3pm the Half Moon (one of three pubs in the village – Ed) will do battle against the Three Horseshoes, in a not too serious match. DOG DISPLAY At 5pm on the cricket field, there will be a display by Guardwell Security Dogs. CHILDRENS PARTY At 5.30pm all children of school age will be welcome to a party in the Village Hall. This will be tea and a magic show. DANCE AND CABARET The dance will be 8pm to 12 midnight on the cricket field. There will be a cabaret during the evening. Dancing will be to The Gold Top Roadshow. This is a show in its own right. There will be a bar. Wow! As I said, a full day and absolutely exhausting from the sounds of it! But I’ll bet a lot of fun was had. Golden Jubilee The central focus for the year was the Jubilee weekend in June 2002 which began with a classical music concert in the gardens at Buckingham Palace. There was a Jubilee Church Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor and a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral which followed a Ceremonial Procession from Buckingham Palace. Events culminated in a pop concert at Buckingham Palace with performers including Paul McCartney, Bryan Adams, Elton John and Shirley Bassey. The evening ended with a spectacular firework display and The Queen lighting the National Beacon, the last in a string of 2,006 beacons which had been lit in a chain across the Commonwealth. It was much more difficult to track down much information on the Golden Jubilee albeit it was in 2002, only twenty years ago. It was noted “that on Saturday the 1st June, there will be a Thursley Village party – a pig roast, jazz and fun for all the family in the Village Hall”. And so, it was to be. A fantastic whole village feast was prepared. Long tables were set up, bunting was hung and young and old enjoyed a day of sunshine, celebrations and commemorations for our dearly loved Queen. The Diamond Jubilee The Diamond Jubilee in 2012 celebrated the 60 years since the accession and was marked with a spectacular central weekend and a series of regional tours throughout the UK and Commonwealth. The central weekend began with The Queen’s visit to the Epsom Derby on the Saturday. On the Sunday, ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ were held across the UK: building on the already popular ‘Big Lunch’ initiative, people were encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant also took place on the Sunday, with up to 1,000 boats assembled on the Thames from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled in the Royal Barge which formed the centrepiece of the flotilla. On the Monday, a host of famous faces came together to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace for a concert organised by Take That singer and songwriter Gary Barlow for the BBC. Performers included Will.i.am, Stevie Wonder, Grace Jones and Kylie Minogue. Following the concert, The Queen lit the National Beacon: one of a network of 2,012 Beacons which were lit by communities and individuals throughout the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. In Thursley, as is tradition now, again a large marquee was erected in the garden of the village hall and a feast of pig roast was served to all villagers. Memories of the village Diamond Jubilee celebrations The Sapphire Jubilee 6 February 2017 marked 65 years since The Queen acceded to the throne, becoming the first British Monarch to mark their Sapphire Jubilee. To coincide with the occasion Buckingham Palace re-released a photograph of Her Majesty taken by David Bailey in 2014. In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947. And so, we look forward to our extended national celebrations this year for the Platinum Jubilee, from 2nd – 5th June, and in particular our own village celebrations. Never let it be said that Thursley doesn’t know how to celebrate and have a good time! And oh, how our fabulous, hard-working and admirable Queen is worthy of our celebrations. The earliest village Jubilee celebration found in our archives.

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in June 2023 I write this less than 48 hours after the brilliantly organised and wonderfully patriotic Coronation celebrations in Thursley. Congratulations to all involved. In our archives we have a most beautiful approved souvenir programme from the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, that I thought some of the contents were worth sharing. It was published on 2nd June 1953. It begins with a poem from the Poet Laureate of the day, Mr John Masefield. “Our Gracious Sovereign This Lady whom we crown was born When buds were green upon the thorn And earliest cowslips showed; When still unseen by mortal eye One cuckoo tolled his “Here am I”, And over little glints of sky, In rain-pools whence the trickles flowed, The small snipe clattered wing. The swallows were upon the road, Nought but the cherry-blossom snowed, The promise was on all fields sowed Of Earth’s beginning Spring. Now that we crown Her as our Queen May love keep all her pathways green, May sunlight bless her days; May the fair Spring of her beginning Ripen to all things worth the winning, The very surest of our praise That mortal men attempt. May this old land revive and be Again a star set in the sea, A Kingdom fit for such as She With glories yet undreamt”. Here is a family tree, useful to those of us that didn’t study English history (ask me anything about William Wallace!). By Arthur Bryant: “Our Queen who is crowned today is descended from Alfred – the lonely King who saved England by his courage and Christendom by his example, and, single-handed, recreated civilisation in a ruined land. She is the descendent of the great Norman who, though he conquered England, made her the first national kingdom of Europe. Of Edward I, father of our Parliament; of the first and wisest of the Tudors and she is the great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. As on this historic day she rides, radiant and crowned, in her golden coach through the ranks of her cheering peoples, she expresses the dedication of a vast part of the human family to the task of making earth a juster, kindlier and more gently place.” Souvenir coronation flag issued to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II. The portrait of the new Queen is surrounded by four flags, including that of Australia (the Red Ensign), superimposed on a Union Jack And finally, towards the end of the booklet, it lists the who, when and where details of the State Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. Amongst the many grand sounding visitors were: His Highnesses the Sultans of Lehej, Selangor, Johore, Perak, Zanzibar and Kelantan. Also invited were the Queen’s Honorary Physicians, Surgeons, Dental Surgeons and Chaplains. Recognisable names included The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill (Prime Minister), Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (aka “Monty”) and Vice-Admiral The Earl Mountbatten of Burma (our Kings favourite Uncle). The History Society has ordered the official programme from our Kings Coronation and hopefully it will be stored safely in our archives for future generations to read and remember. If you have any records, mementoes or memorabilia from this Coronation, or in fact from anything to do with Thursley or its people, and would be happy to donate it to our archives, please contact jackierickenberg@gmail.com or alisonhanbury@live.co.uk.