Local people

More than hundred people could lose their jobs after workers at Bupa in Staines, Egham, and Ashford were told redundancies were being considered.

Workers at the healthcare company were told on Wednesday March 3 that a three-month consultation period had begun due to a need for the company to restructure their staff.

An evening of music is taking place on Saturday (6) at St Matthews Church, in Muncaster Close from 7.30pm.

The Ashford Baroque Ensemble is being joined by the Laudmaus choir, from Addlestone, for an evening which will include performances of Handel's Zadok the Priest and Montervedi's Beatus Vir.

Tickets cost £9 for adults, £7 for senior citizens and students and £5 for under 18s.

To purchase tickets, phone 01932 783343 or visit www.ashfordbaroque.org.uk

Residents in Spelthorne will face a 0% increase in council tax and staff will forgo any increase in pay or allowances as the budget for 2010/11 was announced on Thursday (24).

In a full council meeting held at the Civic Offices, in Knowle Green, Leader of Spelthorne council John Packman also declared that cuts were to be made to make savings in an effort to balance the budget.

Mr Packman stated that due to the economic downturn the council needed to help residents that were finding times tough.

A teenage boy suffering from a life threatening heart condition had one of his all-time wishes granted when he visited Surrey Police's headquarters on Friday February 19.

Callum Dyer, 15, from Feltham Hill Road, Ashford, was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease when he was born, which means he is unable to participate in most sports, or carry out vigorous exercise.

Two young sports fans sang in front of 80,000 people, royalty, and world class rugby players at the start of the Twickenham Centenary Celebrations on Saturday February 6.

Aidan Parsons and Tom Ollason, both 13 and students at Matthew Arnold School in Staines, sang with 50 other people at Twickenham Stadium before the England versus Wales match in the Six Nations competition.

Two Spelthorne residents have been given awards for giving more than 175 blood donations between them.

Susan Burgess, of Lammas Road, Staines, and Linda Bishop, of Queens Walk, Ashford, were given a crystal decanter for more than 100 donations and a a crystal plate for more than 75 respectively at a National Blood Service ceremony.

A disabled man whose life was turned upside down when his miniature horses were stolen from him has been reunited with his loving pets.

Daniel Nicholls, from Ashford, was shocked to hear his animals Tinkerbell and Bailey had been taken by heartless thieves just after Christmas from stables in Charlton Village.

A husband and father of two boys who died in a frozen lake was 'one of the most caring and loving people.'

Philip Hughes, 45, known as Beano to his friends, passed away at the World Professional Darts Championship when his body was found in an icy lake at Lakeside Country Club, in Frimley Green on Thursday January 7.

Mr Hughes, who grew up and lived in Ashford for nearly all of his life, has been described as popular, loving, caring, funny, and kind by his family.

Wife Cherie Hughes, 44, said: "He was such a caring person who would have done anything for anybody. We were the complete opposites but were soul mates."

Please see the January 21 edition of the Staines and Ashford/Egham News and Surrey Herald Shepperton and Sunbury edition for the full interview and pictures.

For most people the new year can be a depressing time, but not for one resident of a care home in Staines.

On New Year's Day great great grandmother Ellen Watson of Anchor Homes' Meadowside celebrated her 110th birthday, which saw family, friends, and other residents turn up for a celebratory party in the Knowle Park Avenue home.

A hopeful band will be launching their debut EP at a promotional gig in Staines in December.

On December 12, the Dirty Crawlers, whose four members are from Ashford, Staines, and Chertsey, will be performing at The Hobgoblin, in Church Street, to promote their first EP Bottleneck.