Leatherhead
& District Chamber of Commerce
Members’
Newsletter - May 2005
As I write this it doesn’t quite seem like spring – with grey skies, drizzle and temperatures more suited to March than May.
Nevertheless the town is looking very attractive, with our restaurants defying the weather and putting their continental-style tables and chairs outside.
Both “Vecchia Trattoria” and “Piazza Firenze” have played their part in revitalising the town and the new tapas bar “Estrellas” is now bringing a touch of Mediterranean glamour!
The Chamber is continuing to work on your behalf and is involved heavily in the “Leatherhead Tomorrow” project.
If
you would like to be involved in doing some work or just in completing a
questionnaire then please contact Sophie Lund, Project Co-ordinator, by
telephone on: 07834 482280 or send her an Email to: leatherhead.tomorrow@ntlworld.com.
Golfers please note that the Annual Charity Golf Day organised by the Rotary Club of Leatherhead takes place in June. Details of the event are to be found overleaf.
My best wishes to you all. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at the Chamber’s Summer Barbecue at the end of June.
John Howarth,
Chamber President
The Leatherhead & District Scene
This annual event is taking place on Saturday 25th June from 2.00 p.m., and will follow the same format as in previous years.
There will be seven duck races (six heats and a final) which will attract Tote betting, plus one mass duck race with anything up to 5,000 ducks. There will be six ducks in each of the Tote races, and each duck in each race will be named by its “owner” at a cost of only £5. The “owner” of each winning Tote duck will receive a prize. There will be no limit to the number of ducks a business “owns”, or to the number of races it sponsors … so why doesn’t your business sponsor one of the races and have the race promote your business name ? The cost is a snip at just £25 !
If you would like to become a sponsor or require further information,
please contact David Sharland on: 01372 274795
or Email: sharland@tory.org
Rotary Club of Leatherhead: Golf Day
Many of you will know that the Rotary Club of Leatherhead hold a Golf Day every year as a fundraising event for the charities they support. This year it will again be held at Effingham Golf Club, and is taking place on Friday 24th June.
For further details and entry forms, please contact Chris Pelley on telephone: 01372 450615.
Harry Potter Is Coming to Town …
For
those of you who are parents of avid ‘Harry’ fans, some exciting news for you
to take home with you this evening !
Corbett's Bookshop
7 The
Swan Centre
Leatherhead, Surrey
… will be opening at 11.30 p.m. on Friday 15th July ready to sell copies
of the next Harry Potter Novel – “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
– from 12.01 a.m. Saturday 16th July.
Anyone who pre-orders a copy at £16.99 will receive a Corbett's voucher
for £5.00 when they pay for and collect their book.
There will be “Prizes and
Surprises”, so come along in your best Hogwarts costume and see what you
could win. Costumes will be judged at
11.55 p.m. Friday 15th July, and a number of prizes will be awarded.
The winner will receive his or her copy of “Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince” first … and free !
[Peter Snell, Manager, Corbett’s
Bookshop, Tel: 01372 362988]
An electric atmosphere greeted the public and
guests at The Leatherhead Theatre for the finale of the Leatherhead Drama
Festival on Saturday, 7th of May.
The event was a sell-out, and the public were joined in a packed auditorium
by the award nominees, performers from the two-week festival and supporters
from the community.
The evening featured performances by the two
finalists from the adult week of the festival – Ashtead Players presenting Agnes
of God and Heath Players
with Plaza Suite, and the task
of deciding the winners fell to Colin Dolley from the Guild of Drama
Adjudicators.
Sir Michael Caine CBE, who lives locally and is
the Patron of the Festival, was also in the audience and presented the award
trophies which were created by the Fire
and Iron Gallery in Leatherhead, featuring scenes from Sir Michael’s
famous film, ‘The Italian Job’. The
Academy Award-winning actor enjoyed the evening and meeting the award winners
after their performances, and was riveted by the high standard of drama on
show.
The Winners of each section were:
Juniors
Best Junior Play: Centre Stage Theatre School – “Find Me”.
Runners-up: The Croft Drama Group – “17”.
Best Junior Actor: Jasper Loxton as ‘Moon’ in “The Real Inspector
Hound” - St John's School.
Best Junior Actress: Alice Bird as ‘Philomele’ in “The Love of
the Nightingale” - ECH Actors.
The Richard Houghton Junior Award
for “outstanding contribution to the Festival”: Therfield School - for
their “teamwork, energy and sustained West Country accents”.
Adults
Best Adult Play: Ashtead Players – “Agnes of God”.
Runners-up: The Heath Players – “Plaza Suite - Visitor from
Forest Hills”.
Best Adult Actor: Mike May as ‘Blunt’ in “A Question of
Attribution” - Fetcham Players.
Best Adult Actress: Amanda Fairbank Hynes as ‘Agnes’ in “Agnes of
God”.
The Richard Houghton Adult Award
for “outstanding contribution to the Festival”: Patricia Aspinall and The
Evergreen Theatre Company – “Taming of the Shrew”.
The winners of the Adult Award, Ashtead
Players, are available for
comment on their success - please contact Sue Hawksfield on: 01372 279614. The Junior Award winners, Centre Stage
Theatre School, are also available for comment - please contact Debbie
Warren on: 01306 743308/01306 877144.
For pictures of Michael Caine, the winning
plays and performances and of the award ceremony, please get in touch with Andy
Newbold, Acorn Images, on: 01372 383018 or Email: andy@acornimages.co.uk.
[Stephen Makin, The Leatherhead Theatre]
The Mystery of the Missing Flags !
Eight very distinctive St George’s Day flags are on the loose … and your help is needed in tracking them down ! Following the celebrations on April 23rd, the flags were found to be missing from their poles in Bridge Street and High Street, and there are no clues as to their whereabouts. Are there any super sleuths out there who can help recover them and save the cost of replacements ? They were specially purchased for the town following fundraising efforts, and it would be a great shame for those monies to have been wasted. If you have any information which will help to keep those flags flying, please contact the Chamber office.
Document Management is a filing cabinet on a computer. Documents (which can be paper, scanned into a file; E-mails with attachments; spreadsheets; drawings; word processor files; handwritten notes; etc.) can be indexed in any way you wish, in multiple files, given your labels and then be instantly retrieved. All businesses have a requirement to keep records for a minimum period, be it for 6 or for 20 years – or sometimes for the lifetime of an employee. For example, Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity Pay records have to be kept for 3 years after the end of the tax year to which they relate. Long-term retention is often needed in order to provide a defence against legal action.
Keeping papers in filing cabinets can cost money in office rent or deny you the income from letting the space to others. Legislation regarding how long some records must be kept and when they must be deleted can only increase in time. Document Management software can be used to dictate the route of a document through the organisation – for example, an Invoice from the post room to the person who ordered the goods, to authoriser, to accounts department.
Why have it?
To save money. Save on office space and people’s time. Never lose a document again. The file is never ‘out’. Answer queries instantly while the customer is on the ’phone. Provide a better service and project an efficient, professional image. Satisfy government, trade or professional bodies that you maintain a high standard of organisational control. Instead of piles of paper, take a notebook computer home or to business meetings. Scrap the photocopier. Distribute everything electronically and know if it has been actioned or not. Protect yourself against fire, flood or losing documents. (How many back-ups are there of your computer files versus copies of paper?)
Want to
know more?
Mossgrove Wells Limited are dealers in Document Management Software. Please telephone David Finnigan on: 01372 361186, send an E-mail to: david.finnigan@mossgrove-wells.co.uk, or visit our website at: www.documentmanagementsoftware.biz.
[David Finnigan, Mossgrove Wells Ltd]
The Chamber extends a warm welcome to our new Members ~ we hope they enjoy the benefits of Membership, and we look forward to meeting them at future Chamber events.
[See the “Spotlight” section and the Discount Voucher in this issue of your Newsletter.]
A resounding success, the Reception took place in The Salon at Fetcham Park House on Thursday, 19th of May, beginning with the arrival of almost eighty Members and guests of the Chamber from 7.30 p.m.
Chamber President John Howarth launched the event with a welcoming, informative and entertaining opening speech, which was answered by MVDC’s newly-elected Chairman of the Council, Councillor Neil Maltby. A lively and most enjoyable evening then ensued, with both Chamber Members and their guests taking full advantage of the opportunity to become acquainted, to network and to discuss local issues … and, of course, to enjoy the sumptuous buffet provided by Susan Ephgrave of Soulinnis and the fine choice of wines selected and provided by Mike Menni of Wing Cleaners. Our warm thanks to Mike and to Susan and her staff for their valued contribution to a wonderful evening.
Our thanks are also extended to Parallel Business Centres, owners of Fetcham Park House, for once again providing us with such an impressive venue, and also to FPH Centre Manager Ruth Cook and her staff for their professional assistance in preparation for the event and on the evening itself.
We very much look forward to welcoming you all again at our Autumn Social & Reception in September.
(An
opportunity to publicise your organisation to the Membership. Up to two profiles will be presented in each
Newsletter, and contributions are published in order of receipt. Your next Newsletter will be printed at the end of July 2005.)
The handmade DUX bed – a story of success
in design, functionality and comfort
Offering the latest in Swedish design and advanced technology in sleeping, DUX is one of the world’s leading suppliers of top quality, handmade beds. With nearly 100 DUXIANA showrooms all over the world, the DUX brand has for almost a century represented exclusivity, beauty, functionality, comfort and quality. Through its showrooms DUXIANA, DUX is one of Scandinavia’s leading distributors of bedroom furnishings, spring mattresses and other bedding products.
In July 2003, John O’Neill’s Leatherhead store joined the network of successful DUXIANA showrooms in London’s George Street, Winchester, Cambridge and Harrogate.
DUXIANA also offers high-quality bed linen from top designers GANT, PERI and Brignoli.
Handmade beds
More than 75 years ago DUX decided to create the world’s finest bed – and the idea for the bed to conform to the body, and not the other way around, was born. The result was a revolutionary new spring system. Today’s DUX bed may have evolved and been refined in numerous ways, but the principle remains the same. Each bed is built by hand, using the same method as in the past, which is why a genuine DUX bed can never be mass-produced.
While a conventional queen-size bed uses up to 900 springs, a queen-size DUX bed uses up to 3,600 springs. With this unique construction, the bed lets the hips and shoulders sink in while supporting the lower back. The bed is flexible enough to cradle the body in a natural position, whatever an individual’s size or weight.
The bedroom
Not only do we spend about a third of our lives in bed, we also spend a lot of our spare time in the bedroom. Today, the bedroom has become a place for reading, watching TV, listening to music and even working. As a result, a lot of people are now looking to invest in a bedroom of high quality and beauty.
Those who have tried one say that the difference between a DUX bed and any other bed is remarkable. Using the most advanced sleep technology available, a DUX bed offers more than just a good night’s sleep. Users all over the world say they now enjoy a truly blissful and restful sleep never experienced before. They wake up each morning feeling refreshed and fully rested.
A DUX bed is for life. Most DUX customers come back for more, but almost never to replace their own bed. They will, however, often buy a new bed for other family members. In fact, DUXIANA is confident enough about the quality of their beds and the superiority of their technology that they offer customers a limited 20-year warranty – a benefit largely unmatched by other bed manufacturers.
Please give John a call to find out more
or visit the showroom to try the beds for yourself
( 01372 374376
52
& 56 Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8DT
NEARING OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY ON 24 HIGH STREET
Chris
Leveritt, Chairman and Co-owner
On the 2nd
of June 2004, Vecchia Trattoria’s
doors were first opened to the dining public.
My Co-owner and Managing Director Richard Tokarczyk, a Venice-trained
chef who had successfully opened three Italian restaurants in the UK for other
owners, organised the kitchen and began his magic in the back. Prior to this restaurant project I was a
building contractor, but now I am running the front where I get to chat to
customers! I handle most of the finance
and administration along with my wife Susan, who is a qualified accountant.
We have a
good team – including some staff who joined us when we opened. One of these, Nick Gindre, a favourite with
our customers, is also a goalkeeper for Walton Football Club where he was voted
most valuable player this season. We are
in danger of losing him, however, as he is in discussions with a professional
football organisation. We also have
Maria, Katy, Allison, Lucie & Yvette who are longer-term and valued staff.
From the
beginning we have been well supported by many regular customers, and the
business has seen a healthy growth.
October and November were quiet, but the Christmas season was excellent,
and the general level in 2005 has increased.
Valentine’s Day and Mothering Sunday were big days, in addition to days
which have fallen before and after performances at the Leatherhead Theatre,
which is only a two-minute walk away.
A special
aspect of the business is that, with Richard and I both having construction
experience, we first built the restaurant from the ground up before starting to
run it … and we have just completed the modification of our front doors to
enable easier wheelchair access and a much more open aspect for the hot summer
days ahead.
Some people
have asked us why we opened our establishment on a street which is already
blessed with a good Italian restaurant. Our
response is the same as the landlord’s, who owned both restaurant properties –
that more quality restaurants will serve to increase the total number of dining
visitors to the High Street, making it a place
where people come to eat – another “restaurant alley”. Apparently it is working … as John Howarth
reported at a recent ‘LeatherheadAhead’ meeting … High Street visitor numbers
are up 20% in the last six months!
We are
delighted to have joined the Chamber of Commerce and the Leatherhead business
community, and are looking forward to many happy and successful years ahead.
As a get-acquainted
initiative, we are enclosing a voucher for each Member entitling them to a 20%
discount on a meal.
Vecchia Trattoria
an Italian Restaurant owned and run by Leatherhead Residents
24 High Street
Leatherhead
Surrey KT22 8AN
for reservations, please give us a call on: 01372 383290
|
Leatherhead Theatre Programme |
|
MAY Cinema The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (PG) 110 mins Sat
28th 2.00pm & 7.30pm, Mon 30th 7.30pm, Tue 31st
7.30pm JUNE Cinema The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (PG) 110 mins Wed 1st 7.30pm, Thur 2rd 2.00pm Kingdom of Heaven Ridley Scott’s epic adventure starring Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons and Orlando Bloom. COMING SOON – Dates and Times To be Confirmed The Interpreter Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in Sydney Polack’s gripping new thriller. COMING SOON – Dates and Times To be Confirmed Live Theatre Bedroom Farce Wed 1st 7.30pm, Thur 2nd 7.30pm, Fri 3rd 7.30pm, Sat 4th 7.30pm, Wed 8th 7.30pm, Thur 9th 2.00pm, Thur 9th 7.30pm, Fri 10th 7.30pm, Sat 11th 7.30pm. Tickets: £14 and £12 Oliver! Tue 14th 7.30pm, Wed 15th 7.30pm, Thur 16th 7.30pm, Fri 17th 7.30pm, Sat 18th 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Sun 19th 2.30pm. Tickets: £16 and £12 Summer Holiday Tue 28th 7.30pm, Wed 29th 7.30pm, Thur 30th 7.30pm. Tickets: Matinee £14/£11, Evening £16/£13 JULY Live Theatre The
London Welsh Male Voice Choir Sat
30th 7.30pm. Tickets: £15 |
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The
Leatherhead Theatre 7
Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey
KT22 8DN For advance
ticketing and further information: Please telephone the Box
Office on: 01372 365141 (Tuesday to Saturday – 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.) Visa, Amex, Mastercard, Delta and Switch cards are all accepted Alternatively, please visit The Theatre or Email us at: boxoffice@the-theatre.org www.the-theatre.org |