In partnership with
Good Morning Surrey,
November has arrived, the gloves are coming out and Surrey's weekend diary is filling up. Tomorrow, young performers take on Shakespeare at Leatherhead Theatre. Brave souls; I can barely remember why I walked into the kitchen.
The festival runs Thursday and Friday, with concession tickets from £11.50 before the restoration fee. A lovely chance to support local talent. Have you seen a school Shakespeare performance?
In today's edition
Guildford housing: £75 million development reaches a construction milestone.
Money matters: New mileage rates and £1.5 billion in national housing funding.
Community support: Free winter clothing, wellbeing walks and food rescue
What's on: Shakespeare, comedy, music, fireworks and weekend markets.
Eat & Drink: A Wonersh village pub and more Surrey countryside dining spots.
Let's Take a Look...
— Prince Khurram.
Ready to break up with cable news?
It started with the fear. Then the panic. Then you realized they needed you outraged more than informed.
Meet 1440’s Daily Digest: one daily newsletter covering 100+ sources, edited by hand. No algorithms. By humans. Just the facts, in a five-minute read. It's free, and 4+ million readers already start their day with it.
News
Guildford's £75m housing milestone
Photo: Russss, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative aerial view of Guildford. Image and licence.
A major rental housing development in Guildford has reached the topping-out stage, with 179 new homes expected to become available in 2028.
Investment: Approximately £75 million in the second phase.
New homes: 179 build-to-rent properties.
Completion: Expected in early 2028, with launch planned for mid-year.
Wider project: Both phases total 277 homes and more than £116 million in investment.
More housing is welcome news for a town where finding somewhere to live can be rather an expensive undertaking. The question now is what those rents will eventually look like.
Surrey innovation delivers £9m boost
Photo: Dominic Cleal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image. Image and licence.
Surrey's innovation funding programme has helped generate a reported £9 million in local economic activity. The latest recipient includes technology company Morpheus Fluid, which is developing advanced fluid simulation software.
Nearly £2 million has been distributed through the wider fund. The programme's reported economic impact is approximately £9 million. Morpheus Fluid has received grant support to bring its software towards market.
National headlines for Surrey
NHS gets £190m winter funding
The government has allocated another £190 million to NHS services across England for 2026–27. Surrey services could benefit, although no specific county allocation has been announced.
Click here: To read the national NHS funding announcement
Business mileage rises to 55p
The approved allowance for the first 10,000 qualifying business miles increased to 55p from April 2026 and has now been made permanent. The rate above that threshold rises from 25p to 35p in April 2027. These are tax rules, not compulsory employer payments, and ordinary commuting doesn't qualify.
County Updates
Hurst Pool's £1.45m refurbishment
Work is progressing at Hurst Pool in Molesey, where a £1.45 million refurbishment is expected to be completed in January 2027. Strip-out works have progressed. Drainage improvements are under way. The latest council update was issued on 30 October. Completion remains targeted for January. A little more patience required from local swimmers, although one hopes the finished pool will justify the wait.
Three new splash pad projects
Elmbridge is progressing three water-play projects, with work planned to begin in early November and completion targeted for March 2027. Hersham: Replacement of the existing splash pad. Cobham: A new splash pad. Molesey: Another new facility. Target: All three projects completed by March 2027. November may seem an unusual time to discuss splashing about outdoors, but at least the council is planning ahead.
Click here: To see the planned improvements and locations
Community Digest
Free wellbeing walks across Elmbridge — Free volunteer-led walks are available across four Elmbridge communities, including an inclusive Monday walk at Xcel. Check the current timetable and meeting points before setting off.
Community projects help rescue more surplus food — Elmbridge’s Community Climate Action Fund supports environmental projects with grants of up to £5,000, including equipment helping rescue an additional two tonnes of food each week. No new application round is confirmed.
Free winter coats and warm clothing available — Elmbridge Community Eco Hub is offering coats, hats, scarves and gloves free to those who need them, while stocks last. Items cannot be reserved; check the collection arrangements before visiting.
£5,000 donation supports The Hope Hub — Annington has donated £5,000 towards The Hope Hub’s frontline day services. The donor estimates this could support around 133 interventions, not direct payments to individuals.
Walton and Hersham community centres expand activities — Hersham community centre reopened in September and Walton launched later that month, providing local activities and opportunities for residents to connect.
Ripley emergency information hub needs volunteers — Ripley Parish Council is recruiting volunteers for a pilot emergency information hub, intended as a local information point during emergencies rather than a permanently staffed drop-in.
Events
Family & Kids
Museum Explorers, Beautiful Bears | 7 November (Info)
Location: Haslemere Museum, Haslemere
Description: Bear-themed activities for children on Saturday morning. Session time, age guidance and price: check with the museum before visiting.
Theatre
Shakespeare Schools Festival | 5–6 November (Info)
Location: Leatherhead Theatre, Leatherhead
Description: Young performers take on Shakespeare, 7pm both evenings. Price: £13.50 standard, £11.50 concession, £9 groups of 20+, plus £1.50 restoration fee.
Flanders & Swann and Hinge & Bracket | 7 November (Info)
Location: Pippbrook House, Dorking
Description: Classic British musical comedy, 7.30pm. Approximately two hours of clever songs and gentle nostalgia. Price: £17.
Comedy
Please #@!$ Off to Mars | 6 November (Info)
Location: Farnham Maltings, Farnham
Description: Andy Parsons brings his stand-up show to Surrey, 7.30pm. Ages 14+, approximately 110 minutes including interval. Price: £20 including booking fee.
Music
Taiko Drumming | 8 November (Info)
Location: Farnham Maltings, Farnham
Description: Japanese drumming from Taiko Meantime and Farnham Taiko, 5pm. A rather lively way to finish Sunday. Price: £21 adults, £13 under-18s, including fee.
Special
Onward and Sideways | 7–9 November (Info)
Location: Leatherhead Theatre, Leatherhead
Description: Cinema screening rated 15. Saturday 6pm, Sunday and Monday 3pm. Price: £6.50 plus £1.50 restoration fee.
Fireworks and Bonfire Evening | 7 November (Info)
Location: Haslemere Museum, Haslemere
Description: Doors 6.30pm, display 7.30pm, reserve date 12 November. Sold out, with a waiting list reported. Check for any returns.
Sunday Charity Meat Raffle | 8 November, expected (Info)
Location: The Cricketers Arms, Ockley
Description: Recurring Sunday meat raffle supporting the Air Ambulance. This Sunday's occurrence is not individually confirmed, so check with the pub.
Markets
Haslemere Farmers' Market | 7 November (Info)
Location: High Street, Haslemere
Description: Saturday farmers' market for local provisions and produce. Published opening times differ, so confirm with the organiser before travelling.
Cranleigh Country Market | 6 November, expected (Info)
Location: Cranleigh
Description: Regular Friday country market, normally 9.30–11am. This date follows the recurring schedule and hasn't been separately confirmed.
Eat & Drink
The Grantley Arms | Restaurant of the Week
Exterior of The Grantley Arms, Wonersh. Image: Tripadvisor.
Location: Wonersh, near Guildford
Fancy a relaxed meal away from town? The Grantley Arms in Wonersh is a village-pub option for catching up with friends or enjoying an unhurried weekend lunch.
Check the pub's current menu, food service hours and table availability before visiting; these details haven't been independently confirmed for this edition.
More Surrey pubs to explore
The Hurtwood Inn — Peaslake. Surrey Hills village pub; ideal after a countryside walk.
The Gomshall Mill — Gomshall. Country dining in the Tillingbourne Valley.
The Cricketers Arms — Ockley. Village pub with a recurring Sunday charity raffle.
The Seven Stars — Leigh. Village pub for lunch or dinner.
The Six Bells — Newdigate. Countryside pub for a weekend meal.
The Abinger Hatch — Abinger Common. Surrey Hills pub near local walking routes.
The Stephan Langton Inn — Friday Street. Country dining in the Surrey Hills.
The Queen's Head — East Clandon. Country pub near Guildford.
The Onslow Arms — West Clandon. Local pub close to Guildford.
The Duke of Wellington — East Horsley. Village dining in East Horsley.
The Anchor — Pyrford Lock. Waterside dining at Pyrford Lock.
The Jolly Farmer — Bramley. Bramley village pub for lunch or dinner.
The Plough Inn — Coldharbour. Surrey Hills pub in Coldharbour.
The Running Horses — Mickleham. Village pub close to Box Hill.
Directory
The Shoe Box (Info)
Location: Haslemere
Description: Shoe and leather repairs. Worth checking before replacing a perfectly decent pair of shoes.
R. A. Robertson & Sons (Info)
Location: Bramley and surrounding areas
Description: Local service business. Check current services, coverage and contact information before making an enquiry.
The Cycle Wizard (Info)
Location: Cranleigh
Description: Bicycle repairs and maintenance. Useful when your bike develops a mysterious rattle halfway through the weekend.
Cogs Bicycle Workshop (Info)
Location: Dorking
Description: Bicycle repairs and servicing. Worth knowing about before a planned ride becomes an unexpected walk.
Station Shoe Repairs (Info)
Location: Oxted
Description: Local footwear repair services for shoes and boots needing a little attention.
Cranleigh Cobblers (Info)
Location: Cranleigh
Description: Shoe repair services. Sometimes fixing what you've already got is the more sensible option.
And Finally
There's something about November that makes a quiet evening at home suddenly seem very appealing. A good dinner, the heating behaving itself and nobody suggesting a last-minute trip to the shops.
Still, it's worth getting out occasionally. Whether it's an evening at the theatre, a village market or a walk followed by lunch, Surrey has plenty to offer.
Just remember the coat. You know perfectly well you'll need it.
