Clyde meets The Queen at Ascot.

Police Horse Clyde Is Retired

After a distinguished 17-year career policing the streets of Thames Valley and surrounding forces, police horse Clyde has begun his retirement.

Clyde is a 21-year-old, Thoroughbred-Clydesdale cross, dark bay gelding. He was purchased by Thames Valley Police in January 1994 from Broadstone Stud in North Oxfordshire and he is the longest-serving operational police horse in the country.

In June, Clyde received a Chief Constable’s commendation at Royal Ascot, which was presented by Her Majesty The Queen and Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police.

Sgt John Thurston, of the Thames Valley Police Mounted Section, said: “Clyde has worked at Royal Ascot for the past 18 years, the majority of this time as the sergeant’s lead horse on the nearside rails protecting the royal carriage procession up the course. As this [was] his final tour of duty, we felt it was an appropriate occasion to present him with a commendation.”

As well as his duties at Royal Ascot, Clyde has also been one of the lead horses for numerous state visits at Windsor and for leading the royal procession into the area at Windsor for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

One of his early operational commitments was to police the grounds of Windsor Castle when there was a mass protest against the Criminal Justice Act on the right to roam, when protesters ran towards the castle.

He was also involved in policing the environmental protests at Newbury by-pass, football matches at Reading, Oxford, High Wycombe, Luton, Southampton, Northampton, Cardiff, Swansea, Swindon and of particular note in 1996 at Portsmouth, where Clyde received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for dealing with extremely violent disorder at the match.”

Sgt Thurston added: “Despite having reached the age of 21, Clyde still believes he is four years old! This was proved in 2009 when the clerk to the course at Ascot gave permission for the police horses to canter up the course to the four-furlong mark after the final race on the last day of Royal Ascot. He managed to beat far younger horses and came a commendable third.”

Clyde will spend his retirement at a sanctuary for rescued and retired working horses run by The Horse Trust in Speen, Buckinghamshire.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen Officially Opens Windsor & Royal Borough Museum

Her Majesty The Queen has officially opened the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum in the Guildhall, Windsor.

The Queen - who as Princess Elizabeth opened the refurbished Grade I listed Guildhall in 1951 - was shown a selection of displays including the latest exhibit, Bronze Age jewellery discovered in the Royal Borough and recently acquired by the museum.

Children from Year 4 at The Queen Anne Royal Free First School in Windsor were on hand to demonstrate a typical class visit to the museum.

After unveiling a plaque to commemorate the event the Queen was presented with a posy by one of the Queen Anne School pupils.

The foundation stone of the Guildhall was laid on 5 September 1687 and the extension in which the museum is housed was completed in 1830. Markets were held there until 1901 when the ground floor was enclosed.

In September 2010 the Guildhall closed for refurbishment and reopened in March this year when the museum moved into the former Maidenhead Room. Since then the family-friendly museum, supported by the Friends of Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, has welcomed over 20,000 visitors.

The museum team and 45 volunteers ensure the doors remain open six days per week (Tuesday to Sunday). The collection comprises more than 6,300 objects including pre-historic tools, Bronze Age, Roman and Saxon artefacts, maps, textiles, books, paintings and prints, together with objects and ephemera from before Victorian times up to World War II, the 1950s and the present day.

Artist's impression of Walton Bridge.

Work Begins On £32 Million Walton Bridge

Work has started on the first major new road bridge over the Thames in more than 20 years. The first phase of construction is underway on the new crossing between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton. The work is due to be completed by the summer of 2013 and will replace two long-serving temporary bridges next to it.

The new bridge will provide improved access to several schools, major employers and shopping centres. The existing bridges will remain open until the new crossing is completed.

Last year Local Transport Minister Norman Baker described the new crossing, as an "important scheme" that would "aid economic growth".

Ian Lake, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: "This is another major step towards our goal of improving journeys and boosting growth.

"Good transport links are vital to Surrey’s economic growth so by investing in projects like Walton Bridge we are investing in the county’s future prosperity.

"Surrey’s roads carry nearly twice the national average traffic flow and this crossing will make a real difference to local residents, commuters and businesses as well as becoming an important new landmark on the river."

Around 34,000 vehicles use the current road bridge on week days.

Fastest Mens team: The Swinley Pub in 9 mins.20 secs: Matt Love, James Staddon, Luke Roberts and Ian Roberts.

Sun Shines On Sunninghill Wheelbarrow Race

The 16th New Year Fancy Dress Wheelbarrow Race took place in glorious sunshine, at noon on Monday January 2nd 2012.  The Race is organised by the Rotary Club of Ascot and the local community, and is sponsored by Ascot Racecourse, to raise vital funds for the Ascot District Day Centre.

A record number of entrants, 29 teams in all, competed for the coveted trophies for Fastest Time, Best Fancy Dress and Most Sponsorship Money Raised. The teams comprised groups of friends, neighbours, work colleagues, local organisations and dramatic societies such as the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus (promoting Annie Get Your Gun) and the Quince Players (promoting their forthcoming pantomime - Cinderella)

Rotarian David Mear of the organising committee said “Now that the dust has settled from the Race I am delighted to tell you that it has been a great success from all points of view.   With 29 teams actually starting of the 31 entered, compared with the previous best of 25 last year, it has been bigger and better than ever before.  Sponsorship has been good, particularly from the teams and with the forthcoming Auction in February we should hopefully come close to last year’s total of c £9,000.”

The aim of the race was for teams of four (men, women or mixed) to push a wheelbarrow with one of their number in it, around the one mile course.  Along the way there were six stopping points, including three pubs and three other ‘fuelling’ stations, where each member had to drink a ½ pint of beer, lager, soft drink or water.

RESULTS:  The Fastest Men's Team was The Swinley Pub (sporting football strips and pub-owner face masks); second fastest was Grecian 2012 (dressed in togas with a superb chariot); third fastest were the Hairy Hooligans (who looked frightening with hairy beards and horns).  There was a tie for the title of Fastest Women's Team with the St.Michael's Angels and the Ascot Fillies completing the course in 13 minutes 47 seconds.  The Best Fancy Dress Title went to Princess Leia's Buns with their Star Wars Theme, runners up were The Lady Agas of The  Slow Cookers  and the Sunningdale Savoy Chorus with Annie Get Your Gun.

Photo Courtesy Indira Flack

Dame Stella speaks at Hospice luncheon

Dame Stella Rimington DCB MA successful author, chair of the 2011 Man Booker Prize and former Director General of MI5 proved incredibly popular with the supporters of Princess Alice Hospice as the guest speaker at the Hospice’s 29th annual ‘Women of Our Time’ luncheon at Duchess’s Grandstand, Epsom Racecourse.

Veronica Eagles and Anne Flew, Co-Chair of The Friends of Princess Alice Hospice, welcomed 400 female guests including The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, Cllr Sheila Carlson , the Mayoress of Elmbridge, Cllr Mary Sheldon, Mrs Nicki Shaw, Princess Alice Hospice Chief Executive and charity Trustees, Mrs Jane Formby and Mrs Jane Hargrave. The event was once again presided over by Lady Toastmaster Jane Burridge, who gives her time freely and generously to the Hospice.

Veronica Eagles said: “The Women of Our Time’ event is a great day out and we know it will continue to be a popular event due to the high profile personalities such as Dame Stella who agree to support the charity and speak. The luncheon is just one of many events the Friends of Princess Alice Hospice organise throughout the year; the local community must do it all can to help the Hospice towards its yearly target of over £7 million, 75% of this target must be raised through voluntary donations and fundraising.”

To become a Friend of Princess Alice Hospice, to join the events mailing list or to find out more about the events arranged by the charity visit www.pah.org.uk or contact 01372 461869 or events@pah.org.uk

Our first issue from March 2003

LIVING WITHIN
reaches milestone

1 July 2011 - Readers in Ascot, Virginia Water and Windlesham began receiving the 100th issue of their edition of LIVING WITHIN today.

Launched in March 2003 as a bigger, better, brighter read, LIVING WITHIN has gone from strength to strength all thanks to you our readers and also to our very loyal advertisers who have made it possible for us to publish every month for more than eight years (although we did put out a joint July/August edition in our first year).

Our very first issue featured some interesting stories including news about the Ascot Charitable Trust, which was also in its infancy.

Many other businesses that traded back then have now gone including Helius, Easydine, Playrooms, Piers Collins Interiors, Eleven, Zenergy, The Frost Partnership (Virginia Water), Halifax Estate Agents (Ascot) and Goosebbumps. Back then Ascot High Street had one coffee shop (and one supermarket). Readers who look back to that first issue of LIVING WITHIN will see photographs of residents from Ascot and Virginia Water donning a red nose for Comic Relief.

We mentioned a woodland development in Broomhall Lane and carried news on our front cover of an arctic explorer from Sunninghill named Jim McNeill.

In our property section one commentator interestingly suggested that “talk of a property crash was wide of the mark.” The first of our regular property cartoons featured Bin Laden (who had just gone into hiding following US and UK attacks on Iraq). On our back page we carried the first of many photographs of Ascot’s Alan Carr (nobody knew him as a comedian back then). Ascot’s Alan, as you will no doubt be aware, went on to be awarded an MBE for his services to charity.

We also covered news from The Carphone Warehouse in Sunningdale having announced that it was taking its first orders for the 3G mobile network. The recommended price for a 3G phone was £400 but there was a six week waiting list.

If you would like to see some more of our first issue click on the link to view it online.