News

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Fete – Dog show

Dog show:  Time to get training! For the Hambledon Village Fete DOG SHOW. Registration opens at 12.00 on the cricket green. Dog show starts at 14.30.   10x categories: Kids in control / Dog with waggiest tail / Dog looks most like owner / Agility course speed / Best young dog under 2 yrs / Best veteran over 10 yrs / Best sausage catcher / Best groomed / Best trick / Hambledon Champion

 https://hambledonfestival.co.uk

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A Fond Farewell – Arrangements for Derek Miller’s Funeral

Derek Miller’s many Hambledon friends will have been deeply saddened to hear that he died on May 24th at the age of 91.

He and his wife Cynthia were both much loved and respected, not least for the immense contribution that they made to community life in our village.

His daughter Janet Smith is happy for our website to share details of his funeral, to which all who knew him are very welcome.

It will take place at St Peter’s Church, Hambledon, on Wednesday June 24th. The service starts at 1.30pm followed by a burial in the churchyard at 2.30pm. Afterwards there will be refreshments at the Merry Harriers, an opportunity for his family and friends to chat and reflect on a long and active life.

With family, grandchildren and possibly even great grandchildren in attendance, and a large number of friends from Hambledon and beyond, car parking space will be at a premium. For those who can, it is worth considering arriving on foot and walking up Church Lane or the footpath through the kissing gate opposite the pub.

Derek and Cynthia moved south from their native Yorkshire in connection with his work and chose Hambledon as place to live in 1984, expecting to be a fairly temporary arrangement until his retirement. But they both grew to love our small, rural village and made it their home for the rest of their lives.

He said: “We never planned to stay here but it is such a lovely place with such lovely people that we never left”.

Derek became a Hambledon Parish Councillor and served for 16 years before stepping down in 2011. He was instrumental in putting together the council’s Parish Plan, a document that required widespread local consultation, and which set out achievable aims and ambitions of small councils. It remains a working document to this day, albeit in updated form.

For many years he edited the Hambledon Parish Magazine. He was a key member of the Hambledon Ramblers, and was in charge of arranging the longer walks. He was also a part of the small team that helped set up this Hambledon village website.

His wife Cynthia died in early 2022 at the age of 84 and was at the time the longest serving village community shop volunteer and a key member of the Wednesday Afternoon Group social gathering.

Both were active members of St Peter’s congregation and, for a long time, were regulars at the Merry Harriers with their close friends Ron and Ann Vickery, Ginge and Sue Blackman and Mic and Sylvia Coleman.

Derek and Cynthia met in their home city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, where both were working as school-leavers at the Royal Infirmary. They married after Derek’s two year’s of National Service in Japan and Singapore.

He will be greatly missed for his friendship, wise counsel and commitment to helping the village he and Cynthia settled in for a long and happy retirement.

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Surrey Artists Open Studios

Hambledon is home to two studios that are taking part in the annual Open Studios Event this year. Across Surrey there are over 140 studios opening their doors for two weeks.

Spread across the whole county the Studios are grouped into Trails to follow. In the South group there are trails covering the Surrey Sussex Borders. If you pop into the Number 15 Gallery in the Coalyard on Hambledon Road you can pick up a brochure and plan your visits – visit the SAOS website to see the artists, locations and opening times.

In Hambledon Georgie Gardiner is displaying her pottery at her studio in Hambledon Road, Hydestile.
Number 15 Gallery & Studio are open with seven artists’ work on display and available for purchase.

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Get Your Tickets: Hambledon Midsummer Festival – Jazz on the Green 2026!

Live music returns to Hambledon Cricket Green on the evening of Friday 19th June with an incredible double-bill line-up put together by musical maestro David Kirby. Mark your calendars, gather your friends, and secure your tickets for an evening of big band classics and high-energy jazz-funk.

The Line-Up

6:00pm – 7:30pm: Junction 4 Big Band (featuring vocalist Huw Lloyd)

Opening the evening is a powerful 17-piece ensemble of musicians from the Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire areas. They deliver a wide selection of big-band music, spanning from 1930s swing to modern chart hits—covering composers and artists from Glenn Miller and Count Basie to Nirvana, Pharrell Williams, and Steely Dan.

This year, they are joined by up-and-coming singer-songwriter and pianist Huw Lloyd. Originating from Wrexham, Huw has performed at many prestigious venues and describes his style as a blend of Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., and Jamie Cullum.

7:45pm – 9:30pm: Motet (featuring vocalist Debby Bracknell & percussionist Dave Lambert)

Closing the night is an 8-piece band known for original jazz-funk tunes combining rich horn arrangements with high-energy rhythms. Their intricate melodies and infectious grooves are rooted in funk, soul, and Latin traditions, featuring original tracks alongside creative, high-octane arrangements of iconic artists like Stevie Wonder, Yellowjackets, Steps Ahead, and Bob Berg.

For this performance, Motet’s core rhythm and horn sections are joined by two exceptional guests:

• Debby Bracknell: A leading jazz, soul, and session vocalist who has worked with Ariana Grande, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Shakatak.

• Dave Lambert: A premier percussionist whose career spans the jazz world to full orchestral ensembles.

Event Summary

• Event: Hambledon Jazz on the Green 2026

• Time: Friday 19th June – 6:00pm – 10:00pm

• Location: The Village Green

Tickets are selling now. Head over to our booking page to secure yours before they sell out!

https://ti.to/hambledon-festival/jazzonthegreen2026

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A Country Stroll that Leads to a Surprising Encounter -An Historic Steam Locomotive

Anyone walking along the bridleway across Burgate Farm will encounter a most unexpected feature  – one that pays tribute to a fascinating but largely unknown aspect of Hambledon’s history.

Approaching the Loxhill end of the path the walker will already have enjoyed beautiful Surrey Hills scenery, a tranquil landscape of rolling countryside, woodlands and fields. For those familiar with the area, that much would be expected.

What would not be expected is the steam locomotive, recently installed on a length of railway track, underneath spreading oak trees and against a backdrop of oilseed rape crops. In this sylvan setting, nothing could be more incongruous.

And yet, given the history of this location, it is entirely appropriate. The nearby barn buildings housed a large collection of narrow-gauge locomotives, locked away and hidden by the farm’s owner Peter Rampton.

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Volunteer at Oakhurst

Oakhurst, the National Trust property in Hambledon can only operate with a team of volunteer guides. We still need more tour guides, as two people facilitate each session. We are opening Thursday and Saturday afternoons, as well as Bank Holiday Mondays, with each tour lasting about an hour at 2pm and 3.30pm. Would this interest you?

If doing the guided tours is not for you, could we interest you in becoming one of our first Conservation Cleaners? This involves keeping the cottage presentable and maintaining good conservation and housekeeping standards. Of course training on specific conservation will be provided. Sadly, we did have to close on just a few occasions last year due to a lack of tour guides, so we really do need more volunteers. Plus if we were really successful in getting a significant increase in tour guides, in future years we could potentially open on more days in the season, as we used to do.

So if you are interested please visit the website to register  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteer or contact Camilla Edmiston [email protected] to arrange an informal chat.

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Taking Place Tonight: Please Join us for the Annual Parish Meeting, Thursday 23rd April from 7.30pm

The Parish Council warmly invites everyone in the village to the Annual Parish Meeting, taking place in the Village Hall on Thursday 23rd April. This informal evening is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that makes Hambledon special.

Representatives from a variety of local organisations will share short updates highlighting achievements, activities, and successes from the past 12 months. It’s a great chance to learn more about what’s happening in the village and discover new ways to get involved.

Doors open at 7.30pm and the meeting starts at 8pm, so come along early to enjoy a drink, and have a chat with neighbours before the meeting begins. Whether you’re new to the village or a long-time resident, everyone is welcome.

Following the Thursday evening, we’ll also be hosting our Annual Village Litter Pick, taking place on Saturday 25th April from 10am. This is a fantastic way to help keep our village looking its best and as a thank you to all volunteers, the morning will finish with a well-earned BBQ.

You’ll be able to sign up on Thursday night or in the village shop afterwards.