The forthcoming Coronation of Charles III casts a spotlight on the huge contribution made by volunteers to community life in the United Kingdom, with the additional Bank Holiday on May 8^th labelled as “The Big Help Out”.

This event will be celebrated in Hambledon where volunteers have, for many years, underpinned activities and organisations that are so much part of the fabric of village life that it would be easy to take them for granted.

We would do so at our peril. The community-run village shop is in urgent need of new volunteers to keep going. And the parish council, as elections approach, is asking for people to consider putting themselves forward  as candidates now for this vital role in the grass-roots democratic process.

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Camilla Edmiston, village coordinator for Oakhurst Cottage, writes: “Good news! Oakhurst Cottage is reopening for the new season on Thursday 13^th April 2023″.

This small cottage, owned by the National Trust and run by local volunteer guides, could be described as our Hambledon hidden gem – a cottage in the oak wood – hurst being a Saxon word for wood. It is situated on the edge of Hambledon cricket green. Perhaps you’ve walked past the cottage and wondered about its history.

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit this cottage, it was built in the late 16^th to early 17^th century. In Victorian times it was lived in by a local agricultural labourer and his family. In the 1950s it was bequeathed to the National Trust with sitting tenants. Then in the 1980’s, after the last tenants passed away, it was realised that, as it was unmodernised, it might be of interest to the visiting public. After negotiation, including with the Parish Council, it was agreed to open as a museum to showcase what it was like to live here in the 19^th century for the ordinary working people. It also has an interesting story about young child evacuees from London staying here during World War II.

Following the last couple of tumultuous years, first with the Covid pandemic and then with the structural problems identified in the property last year, it is great that we will have the cottage open for a full season. However, there are a few changes from previous arrangements. Currently, the plan is to open on Thursdays and Saturdays for two tours each afternoon at 2pm and 3.30pm, bookable in advance. These are guided tours for a maximum of 6 people – so a very intimate experience in this small timber-framed property – giving an insight into domestic life here. The cottage will open from April to October.

We are always looking for more volunteers to help with the guided tours. If you think this may interest you, and you would like an informal chat, please contact Camilla Edmiston (email [email protected]). She can talk you through what it involves and explain a little more about the fascinating history. You would work in pairs for each afternoon session. If you would like to volunteer, there is a National Trust application form to complete and then an induction.

To find out more, visit for the first time or just because your last visit was years ago, please book a visit online https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/oakhurst-cottage. Tickets will be on sale from mid-March. We look forward to greeting some of you at the cottage and enlightening you about this little local gem. Come visit!

A reminder that the Hambledon Cricket Club Annual General Meeting will take place this evening (Tuesday 21 February) starting at 8pm in the pavilion.

This is a great opportunity to have a say in how the club is run and I would encourage you come along. If you plan on doing so, please let us know via [email protected] so that we can make sure there are sufficient drinks and snacks! 

Regards,

Siôn 

Secretary, HCC

We wish you all a Happy Christmas, from the Village Web Team.

We will be posting some photos of the recent festive events that have taken place in Hambledon over the past few days, so please come back to this website after Christmas for a round-up of how our little village celebrated the season.

Our thanks to all the hard work that has been put in to hold the Christmas Carols at The Merry Harriers, the Christmas Quiz at the same venue, the Christmas Party at the Village Hall, the extremely successful return of Christmas Eve Carols outside the Village Shop, and the Carol Services at St Peter’s Church.

Another village event makes a comeback. Come along to Hambledon Village Shop at noon on Christmas Eve and join The Hambledon Village Shop Choir in the singing of some festive tunes, drink mulled wine and eat mince pies. The event is free and great fun.

Weather looks OK, mild and dry:

Simon and Naomi Willetts are looking for a property to rent in the village whilst investigations continue into the serious damp problem at their house. If you know of anything suitable, please contact Andrew Dunn (Hambledon church treasurer) on 07973748861, or by email to [email protected].

Join us for the annual Hambledon Village Christmas Party, where you can enjoy live music from The Likeness, a fully licensed bar, and delicious grazing boards.

Dance the night away to your favourite tunes, enjoy a drink or two with friends, and feast on an array of tasty snacks.

The party will take place at the Village Hall on Saturday December 17th, from 8:00 PM to midnight. Tickets are £20 per person and can be purchased on-line using this link https://ti.to/hambledon-festival/christmas-dance-2022.

The closure of Hambledon Road on the approach to the Hydestile Crossroads is expected to be lifted by early afternoon today (Wed Nov 30th).

However, road closure signs may remain in place because the responsibility for removing them rests with another contractor, not the road repairers! So the advice is to ignore the signs from this afternoon and passage should be possible.

On a separate issue: Readers of the December parish magazine may have noticed that two different start times have been given for the Midnight Communion at St Peter’s Church on Christmas Eve.  Continue reading →

Unfortunately an error appeared on page 10 of the December issue about the price increase for subscribers to the Parish Magazine. The start of the second paragraph correctly reads “Unfortunately, the annual subscription has gone up to £9.00” but there is an error later on in the reference to cheque payments where the price was incorrectly given as £8.00.   

Whether you pay online or by cheque, the annual subscription price for 2023 is definitely £9.00. Apologies for any confusion caused. 

After a two year break the traditional Village Christmas Party will be held at the Village Hall from 8pm on Saturday 17th December. Tickets are £20 each. There will be live music from The Likeness, grazing boards (included in the ticket price) and a licensed bar.

Tickets can be purchased on-line using this link https://ti.to/hambledon-festival/christmas-dance-2022.

Tickets for this event can be purchased on line using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/xmas-gathering-tickets-461750537287