“The Odd Couple is a play by Neil Simon. Following its premiere on Broadway in 1965, the characters were revived in a successful 1968 film and 1970s television series, as well as other derivative works and spin-offs. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easy going Oscar Madison. Simon adapted the play in 1985 to feature a pair of female roommates (Florence Ungar and Olive Madison) in The Female Odd Couple.” - Wikipedia

There can’t be many people who don’t know of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple”. it is the quintessential US situational comedy written by one of America’s greatest comedy writers. In adapting the play for female protagonists and updating it to the 1980’s Simon had the opportunity to leave in what he had seen work and rework those bits that in 20yrs of performances he thought could be tightened up. What you are left with is a play that is both fresh and arguably better crafted than the original.

The Odd Couple – Female version will be prove to be an excellent nights’ entertainment for anyone.

Performance dates are: Thursday 6th, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th April. Tickets will be available £12 on the door or £10 in advance through www.sheppertonplayers.org.uk. Performances start at 8pm at the Riverside Arts Centre, 59, Thames Street, TW16 5QF.

The following notice has been received from Spelthorne Council with a request for publication:

Runnymede and Spelthorne Volunteer Awards - 30th May 2017

We would like to honour and recognise the wonderful work done by volunteers.  On 30th May 2017, from 6 to 8 pm, Voluntary Support North Surrey, Royal Holloway University of London, Runnymede Borough Council and Spelthorne Borough Council will be hosting a joint annual awards ceremony at the Royal Holloway, University of London.  We are delighted that CHEP will be sponsoring this event.

Please take the time to nominate one or more of your valued volunteers for these awards.  The award categories are:

• CHEP Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteering
• Inspirational Volunteer Award
• Individual Volunteer Achievement Award
• Voluntary Contribution to Older People’s Services Award
• Voluntary Contribution to Health Services Award
• Environmental Volunteer Award
• Young Volunteer Award (up to the age of 24)
• Best Volunteer Team Award
• Business Contribution to the Community Award

We have assembled knowledgeable representatives from our locality to form the judging panel.  This will include Phil Simcock, Community Action Volunteer Manager at Royal Holloway University of London, Arthur Birkby, Chairman of Voluntary Support North Surrey, and representatives from CHEP and the Borough Councils.

To make your nominations please use our online form.   On the form please provide details in 300 words or less about the person or team being nominated outlining the reasons why they have been outstanding as volunteers.  The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 19th April 2017.

If you need help in nominating someone or completing the form, please contact the Voluntary Support North Surrey office on 01932 571122.  Please feel free to forward this email to anyone in Runnymede and Spelthorne that may be interested in nominating a volunteer.  Your support in this matter is very much appreciated.

The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club falls on Friday 31^st March when the Club welcomes back the BARNES BLUES BAND who attracted a big audience the first time they played at the Club a while back. They are a band who do selected gigs, as they all have a variety of musical commitments, and we are guaranteed another stunning evening of high class blues and R&B from a group of seasoned professionals who have honed their skills in a variety of big name bands over the years.

The band is led by one of the great blues troubadours of the British club scene Papa George (guitar, vocals), and features Bobby Tench (guitar, vocals) whose illustrious background includes the Jeff Beck Group, Streetwalkers, Humble Pie, Van Morrison, Freddie King and Hummingbird, along with Peter Rees, formerly of Gary Moore’s band, on bass, and drummer Darby Todd, who you have seen at the Club performing with Buddy Whittington and Protect The Beat; and who plays regularly with Alan Price’s band and Hot Leg, the new band led by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness.

You can find out more at www.papageorge.co.uk, www.bobbytench.co.uk & www.darbytodd.com, and there are videos featuring all of them if you search under their individual names at www.youtube.com.

This will undoubtedly be an evening of absolutely first rate blues, and one not to be missed. Please note that the entry price for this event is £10.00 (it was inadvertently announced at £7.50 the first time it appeared on the Forthcoming Events listing). It was £10 the first time they came, and it would cost a good deal more if you went to one of the regular shows at The Bull’s Head, Barnes! Many apologies for any confusion. As usual, there will be food available. We look forward to seeing you there.

If you were unable to attend the PPG Open Meeting at Sunbury Health Centre on 27^th February you can keep up-to-date on the most recent developments at the Centre by reading the minutes here

The following Council press release has been received by LOSRA and is reproduced here:

Team Spelthorne is looking for young people aged 7-16 to participate in the annual Specsavers Surrey Youth Games. The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games is the largest annual youth festival with around 2000 young people experiencing a competitive, countywide sporting event.

Fifteen sports are on offer including hockey, cricket, judo, football, lacrosse, table tennis and boccia. In the lead up to the competition weekend, there are weekly coaching sessions which start in April. Thanks to sponsorship from local organisations, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Everyone Active and Shepperton Studios, Spelthorne Council is offering the coaching sessions free of charge. Participants will then be selected from the coaching sessions to represent Team Spelthorne at the Games on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford.

Cllr Maureen Attewell, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, said: “The Surrey Youth Games offers a fantastic opportunity for young people to experience different sports and make new friends. All the sessions are free, local and aimed at beginners, encouraging young people to give it a go and hopefully be inspired to join local sports clubs as a result.”

To be eligible for Team Spelthorne, you must either live or go to school in Spelthorne and if you already play a sport, you must be below county standard.

Please register online at www.spelthorne.gov.uk/surreyyouthgames to guarantee your place. Each sport has limited spaces and places are given on a first-come first-served basis. Please visit the website for a full list of sports, coaching timetable and eligibility criteria.

For more information contact Spelthorne Leisure Services on 01784 446433 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Leader of Spelthorne Council makes the following statement which will doubtless be of interest and great disappointment to all residents within the Borough:

“It is very disappointing to learn today [16^th March] that Surrey County Council has decided not to provide two full time crews for the planned new fire station at Ashford. As this will be replacing Staines and Sunbury fire stations – two of the busiest in Surrey - we believe it is essential that Spelthorne has two fire appliances, each crewed full-time, to protect the safety of residents. On behalf of all Spelthorne residents I call upon Surrey County Council to reconsider this decision as a matter of urgency.”

The following email has been forwarded to LOSRA from Spelthorne Council:

Friends of the Elderly - announced that their grant scheme has plenty of funds available.  If you have a service user who needs a one off grant to replace essential items such as basic furniture, flooring, and household appliances or cover the cost of small home repairs, the link below has details of how to apply.  They can also help with utility bills, household repairs and adaptations and mobility aids or getting online. Grants of up to £300 can be paid, but they will pay more in exceptional circumstances.

They also offer regular allowances that are paid monthly or twice a year to support older people whose income does not meet their basic cost of living. The Winter Comforts Fund helps towards the cost of keeping warm in the winter.

To qualify, a person must have reached state retirement age and be on a low income, live in England and Wales in private or rented accommodation.  Applicants should supply evidence that they are receiving Guaranteed Pension Credit (GPC) or have savings of less than £4000 and are on a low income

All applications must be completed by a third party agency – we cannot accept applications from individuals, their family or friends.

Examples of third party agents include local authorities, social services, housing associations, charities and community groups, health practitioners, Citizens Advice Bureau, or other support agencies.

http://www.fote.org.uk/our-services/grants/

As part of the regular programme of Music Nights at Sunbury Cricket Club, there was a special event on Friday 10th March held to raise money for the Mayor of Spelthorne’s Charities. (scroll down to see article of 27th February). This year’s Mayor is Sunbury East councillor Alfred Friday, and he was there with his wife Kaye to enjoy a high-energy show from an agglomeration of a dozen or more rock musicians from the local fraternity, who performed as The Chain Gang, in honour of the Mayor’s chain of office, giving their services free so that all the money raised went to the charities.

Over 130 people were there, and, with the proceeds of the raffle included, the amount raised was £1670, which will go to the Mayor’s three nominated charities for the year - Parkinson’s UK (Spelthorne Branch), One-To-One, which organises social activities for adults with learning disabilities, and Home Start Spelthorne, which supports struggling young families with children.

Music Night organiser Paul Watts said: “It’s great that we’ve got so many top class musicians both in Sunbury and from around the area who are prepared to give their time and energy for a project like this, and it’s equally gratifying that so many people from within the community came to support the event. It was a fun night, as well as being for a good cause.”

The Sunbury and Shepperton Arts Association (SSAA) will present a coffee concert at The Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames Street on Saturday, March 25th, at 10.15 for 11am start.

For full details, click here

This advance warning will be of interest to all residents living in roads close to the London Irish Hazelwood grounds off Green Street.

The 2017 London Irish Mini Festival, one of the biggest in Europe, will fall on St. George’s Day, 23rd April. Despite the best efforts of organisers to prevent inconvenience to local residents, there is little they can do about visiting parents and supporters who choose to disregard the travel and parking arrangements provided by London Irish Amateur RFC. Blocked streets and driveways are a real likelihood.

The busiest time for traffic will be 8am to 10.30am, peaking between 9 - 10am as teams arrive for a 10.am start.  The event has a staggered finish from approximately 2pm (age group dependent), with the last games finishing about 4pm.