Many Hambledon residents are registered at either Chiddingfold Surgery or Witley and Milford Medical Partnership, even more now that the Guildford Rivers Practice in Milford is closing.

Those using Chiddingfold Surgery, or who are interested in community health and welfare services, may be interested in attending a Living Well event on August 7th. Please see the flyer below.

In the meantime, if you are still registered at the Guildford Rivers Practice at Hurst Farm Surgery, Chapel Lane, Milford, you should seek an alternative medical practitioner. Advice on what to do can be found at www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery.

Don’t forget to get your tickets for what’s sure to be a fantastic evening as the hilarious Pantaloons return to the Village Hall with their performance of Oscar Wilde’s classic.

Doors and bar open at 7pm and the performance starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets £15 for adults and £9 for under 16s available at the Village Shop or online at www.thepantaloons.co.uk

If you care about Hambledon and the many activities and organisations that make such a significant contribution to village life, then please come along on Thursday evening to the annual Parish Assembly.

Hosted by the Parish Council, this is a social occasion as well as an opportunity to hear brief reports from all village groups on how they have fared in the last 12 months.

These range from the village sports clubs, social activities such as Bridge, book club and cycling, through to the volunteer run shop, nursery school, village trust, community fund, website, parish magazine, church and parish council.

The report from St Peter’s church will be particularly pertinent this year as it seeks urgent help in order to maintain weekly services and a vicar living in the village, And, of course, to cater for Hambledon weddings, Christenings and funerals.

And the new owners of the Merry Harriers may even find the time to drop in to update on the recent major refurbishment of our village local. It has been a busy time for Alex Winch, Sam Fiddian-Green and their staff after a three-week closure and the pub is due to re-open tonight (Wednesday April 24) at 5pm for locals and in full tomorrow.

The Parish Assembly is an inclusive and informative occasion, beginning with wine, soft drinks and refreshments from 7.30pm at the Village Hall tomorrow evening (Thursday April 25^th) followed by presentations at 8pm. The event is usually concluded by 9.30pm.

All are welcome, and if you have moved to Hambledon in the last 12 months, you are especially so.

• As is customary, the Assembly is followed on Saturday morning (April 27) by the annual village clean-up, concluding with a parish council hosted barbecue on the green outside the shop at noon. Arrive anytime after 9am to be given bin bags, litter pickers and safety jackets and an allocated area to tidy. This is a fun, family occasion, so please sign up and come along.

Tickets for the Importance of Being Earnest at the Village Hall are now available at the Village Shop and also online at www.thepantaloons.co.uk £15 for adults and £9 for under 16s.

This is going to be a really great fun evening so don’t miss out!

Apologies from the village Hall team but, due to various factors, the next film due to be shown at the hall (The Holdovers) is cancelled but we will hopefully show it at some point later in the year. If you have bought tickets from the shop then refunds will be given at the shop and online sales refunded straight to bank accounts. Apologies for any inconvenience and disappointment!

Many people place great value on having a church and a vicar in our little village. For some, it is because they are regular worshipers, others maybe attend on special religious occasions such as celebrating Christmas or Easter. Some simply enjoy visiting St Peter’s in its beautiful rural setting on top of a hill overlooking the village, a place for quiet reflection. Others are glad that it is there for family weddings, Christenings and funerals.

And many appreciate its Ministry to the village, maybe in times of need, illness or bereavement and having a vicar living in the village to be a familiar and welcoming friend.

For all of these reasons, and more, the church and its outreach is important, whether you are a regular member of the congregation or not.

In modern times however, none of this can be taken for granted. Even small churches are expensive to maintain, as a building and as a ministry. Hambledon is no exception. Several years ago, local residents responded magnificently when its became clear there was a real risk that services could be curtailed and a resident vicar no longer afforable.

Some gave one-off donations, others set up standing orders or other methods of making regular contributions to safeguard the future of St Peter’s. Over the years some of those generous people are no longer with us or have moved away.

As many will know, Hambledon is in need of a new associate minister to be our village vicar. The stark warning is that recruitment cannot begin unless new fundraising takes place. A meeting is to be held at the Village Hall on Thursday April 11, starting at 7.30pm, when the Church will outline all the issues it faces and invite residents to consider if they can help financially.

Please come along, whether you are a church goer or not. And please read on for a detailed explanation of the current situation from Andrew Dunn, who is treasurer of St Peter’s.

On Saturday April 27th we will be showing ‘The Holdovers’ which has just been nominated for five Oscars and one of its stars (Da’Vine Joy Randolph ) won the Oscar for best supporting actress.

It tells the bittersweet story of a cantankerous teacher at an American boys boarding school who has to oversee the students left at school over the Christmas holidays and the relationships which develop.

Doors open at 7pm and the film starts at 7.30.

Tickets £5 online by clicking on the link below and will be available at the village shop very soon!

Click here to buy your tickets