Newsletter Extras - Heritage Day 2017

I’ve received many wonderful comments about Cobham Heritage Day this year which have been much appreciated. We were blessed with excellent weather until 3.30pm when the heavens opened for a short time but fortunately stopped by 4pm for the Duck Race which as usual was watched by a large crowd. My committee worked hard to bring the event together, and introduced some new ideas for 2017. The Leg O’Mutton Field had more entertainment than ever as well as excellent food on offer. There was a buzz around the field, with children enjoying Juggling Jake, stroking Shetland ponies or playing football. There were 90 classic cars on display and the central arena attracted good crowds for the Birds of Prey displays. The Community Garden was on show and well worth a visit. The Garden Club reported that the flower show was an overwhelming success and with over 200 entries there was a constant flow of visitors to the Garden Club Marquee. In between the Cobham Band added atmosphere to the events on the field and the bus rides were popular.

Back in Church Street we were very pleased to welcome the High Sheriff of Surrey, Robert Napier, who came in his uniform and opened the event for us. Robert very kindly put an excellent comment about Cobham Heritage Day on his High Sheriff Blog. The stalls in Church Street and the Churchyard were excellent and enjoyed good patronage. The barrel organ at the Downside Bridge end of Church Street provided an excellent musical link with the Leg O’Mutton Field. The Jazz Band proved as popular as ever. I’m grateful to our Pimms sellers and the CCHT Tombola, both of which made good contributions to Heritage Trust funds, but I’m not forgetting our many duck-ticket sellers and their vital contribution. The Fire Engine managed to spend some time with us which is always a delight for the children allowed to climb in it.

We had some excellent live entertainment in Church Gate House Garden with Maypole Dancing, the Freewheelers Dance Duets and the Susan Roberts Dance Academy all performing to good crowds. Punch and Judy was much enjoyed by the children, as were the fun games we introduced for small children.

The opportunity to see inside Cedar House was undoubtedly a star attraction and proved very popular. Donations were requested for Chatterbus and they did well. It’s good to support these local initiatives and spread the word about the local transport need and the success of Chatterbus. Cedar House is an important part of our heritage and with the Mill open as well the day showcased two important parts of our local history.

We hope you noticed us on Facebook and Twitter! We are so pleased to be communicating on social media as it helps to spread the word.

Much hard work goes into organising Cobham Heritage Day and I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped to make the event a success (some 110 people). In particular, I would like to thank my hard-working committee without whose dedication and commitment the day would not have happened. So special thanks go to the committee members Jane Halliwell, Karen Gabony, Sylvia Williams, Ian Nelson, Norah Bethell, David Tipping, Edna Tipping, Dave Burton, Sue Graves, Richard Stott, Maggie Brine and Justine James.

Elizabeth Kennedy - Chairman, Cobham Heritage Day Committee

Photos: Courtesy of Clive Friend