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Good Morning Surrey!
It is that time of year when your calendar starts to look like a game of Tetris, with parents’ evenings, Easter trails and “just a quick drink” invites all trying to land in the same few weekends.
If you are already staring at a tangle of Easter plans - grandparents to fit in, trails to book, the question of how many chocolate events counts as “too many” – it might be worth choosing one local thing and getting it in the diary now. And if you have already nailed your Easter break, tell us where you are heading or share the story of a recent trip you think more Surrey readers ought to know about.
On a lighter note, Surrey’s countryside estate has now clocked up more than 75 miles of self-guided trails. Have you got a favourite stretch yet?
Now in today’s edition,
• Redhill’s new Community Diagnostics Centre, plus confirmed funding for East Surrey urgent care upgrades
• Two national infrastructure moves with local planning implications
• Growth Fund grants for Surrey firms, plus a pre-accelerator for new founders
• A schools waste grant and a last call for small community capital bids
• Easter trails, chocolate-themed days, and a few early-March one-offs
Let’s take a look.
— Prince Khurram
P.S. Our Monday Update leans more towards news, the Wednesday Midweek Brief balances news and events, and the Friday Weekender is lighter on news and fuller on events and Eat & Drink. We would really welcome your thoughts on this format and how we can improve The Surrey Digest for you.
News
Redhill diagnostics centre opens, urgent treatment centre funding confirmed
Source: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
A new Community Diagnostics Centre has opened in the Belfry shopping centre in Redhill, moving key tests into a high-street setting and aiming to speed up access while easing pressure on hospital departments over time. Alongside it, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has confirmed £8.6m of NHS England funding for a new two-storey Urgent Treatment Centre at East Surrey Hospital.
Community Diagnostics Centre location: Belfry shopping centre, Redhill
Tests include: CT scans, X-rays, ECGs, ultrasounds and respiratory checks
First patients were seen in late January
Urgent Treatment Centre funding confirmed: £8.6m
Build timeline: construction planned for summer 2026, opening targeted for the second half of 2027
National headlines for Surrey
Advanced nuclear framework – powering AI and heavy industry
The government’s new Advanced Nuclear Framework sets out how newer nuclear technologies could be brought forward from the mid-2030s, with an emphasis on projects that can demonstrate credible delivery. The broad aim is always-on, low-carbon power for energy-hungry sectors — including the data-centre and AI build-out that increasingly affects planning and infrastructure conversations in the South East.
Covers: small modular reactors, advanced modular reactors and microreactors
Proposed delivery horizon: from the mid-2030s
Focus: privately financed projects with credible cases
Intended use: reliable low-carbon power for high-demand sectors
Local lens: relevant to the wider M3/M25 growth and infrastructure corridor
Where should AI-era data centres go?
AECOM is calling for a “sovereign data centre framework” to keep more of the jobs, tax base and strategic control of digital infrastructure in the UK. In parallel, draft changes to the National Planning Policy Framework propose a new Policy E1, nudging local plans to allocate land for data centres where there is current or expected need, and to consider dedicated AI Growth Zones.
AECOM proposal: a UK “sovereign” framework for data centres
Draft planning change: new NPPF Policy E1 (consultation stage)
Expectation: local plans to allocate land where demand exists or is expected
Potential impact: where new clusters land — near business parks/motorway junctions, or further out
Status: early-stage, but direction of travel is toward formal allocation and zoning
Community Digest
Schools Waste Engagement Grants – up to £1,000 per primary
Surrey County Council has opened a Schools Waste Engagement Grant Scheme for primary schools, supporting projects that teach waste reduction and recycling through practical activities. Funding is split into an initial award and a follow-on payment once progress is evidenced.
Who: Surrey primary schools
Applications: 23 February to 25 March 2026
Funding: £500 starter grant + £500 on evidence of progress (up to £1,000 total)
Themes include: food waste, clothes, electricals, and recycling facilities
Delivery window: May 2026 to March 2027
🗓️ Events – Easter & Early March
Family trails and egg hunts
Easter at Wisley | Late March – mid-April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: RHS Garden Wisley
Description: Easter trail and seasonal family activities across the gardens.
Lindt GOLD BUNNY Hunt | 21 March – 12 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Hampton Court Palace
Description: A family-friendly hunt around the palace grounds as part of the Easter programme.
Knowle Park Easter Egg Hunt | Sat 4 April 2026, 15:00–16:30 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Knowle Park, Cranleigh
Description: A short, bookable Easter egg hunt session (afternoon slot).
Easter Egg Hunt | Fri 3 & Sun 5 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Gatton Park
Description: Easter egg hunt dates across the early April weekend.
Easter Eggsplorers at Hobbledown | Late March into April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Hobbledown, Epsom
Description: Easter holiday activities built around an “eggsplorers” theme.
Easter Rides & Egg Hunts | Selected dates over the Easter holidays (Info/Tickets)
Location: Shetland Pony Club
Description: Pony rides with egg hunts on selected holiday dates (check the schedule).
✨Chocolate & vineyard days
Denbies Chocolate Fair | One-day fair, week before Easter (Info/Tickets)
Location: Denbies Wine Estate
Description: A one-day chocolate fair to stock up before Easter.
Albury Vineyard Easter Trail | Fri 3, Sat 4 & Mon 6 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Albury Vineyard
Description: A vineyard-based Easter trail across three dates over the long weekend.
English Wine & Cheese Tasting | Sat 7 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: As listed on Surrey Hills events page
Description: A wine-and-cheese tasting session (venue and timings per listing).
🎭Theatre & Performances
Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts | 10–14 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Description: Stage thriller bringing Inspector Morse and Lewis to life in Oxford, with a new murder mystery for fans of the TV series and novels. Evening performances with selected matinees, including accessible and captioned options in the run.
Spitfire Girls | 24–28 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Description: Wartime drama about the women who kept Britain’s aircraft flying, blending live music, storytelling and World War II history. A good pick for anyone who likes period pieces with a strong ensemble feel.
Annie (RARE Productions youth musical) | 4 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Description: Youth-theatre take on the classic musical, following Annie from Miss Hannigan’s orphanage to a new life with Daddy Warbucks. Two performances make it workable around weekend plans for families with school-age children. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
K-Pop Party with ★HYPER★ – The Ultimate K-Pop Fan Experience | 9 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Description: High-energy K-pop show fronted by a virtual idol group, with live dancers, sing-along sections and crowd choreography based on fan favourites. Set up as a standing, dancing, fully interactive fan event, advised for ages 8 and over.
Macbeth | 21–25 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Description: Full-scale production of Shakespeare’s tragedy about ambition, power and guilt, useful both for classic theatre fans and households revising key texts. Evening shows with some matinee options during the week.
Diversity – Soul 2026 | 30–31 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: G Live, Guildford
Description: New touring show from Diversity, mixing their trademark street dance with a story about AI, humanity and what gives us a soul. One performance is flagged as BSL-interpreted, and VIP packages are available for fans who want a meet and greet.
Massaoke: Sing The Musicals | 28 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: G Live (Main Auditorium), Guildford
Description: Live band, giant lyrics screen and a full-room sing-along of West End and Broadway favourites, aimed squarely at groups of musical theatre fans. Expect a standing crowd and plenty of audience participation.
2:22 – A Ghost Story | 16–21 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Description: Modern supernatural thriller about a couple convinced their new home is haunted, with the audience invited to decide what they believe by the 2.22am climax. One-week stop on the touring production with evenings and selected matinees.
🎸 Music & Gigs
Candlelit tribute to classic pop | Sat 28 February (Info/Tickets)
Location: Guildford Cathedral
Description: A candlelit evening of music at Guildford Cathedral built around the hits of ABBA, with a full live band in a striking setting. The event listing confirms start time and links through to ticket options, with a reminder to arrive in good time to settle in.
Choristers concert in Bramley | Sat 28 February (Info)
Location: St Catherine’s School, Bramley
Description: Girl choristers linked to Guildford Cathedral are giving a concert at St Catherine’s School in Bramley. The February listings show it as a free admission evening, so it could be a good low cost outing if you enjoy choral music and want to support local performers.
Big band night at New Victoria Theatre | Tue 10 March (Tickets)
Location: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Description: An evening of rhythm and blues at New Victoria Theatre, with Jools Holland and his orchestra bringing their touring show to Woking. The venue site has the confirmed date and ticket options; check there for the final on the night start time before you book.
Opera double header farewell tour | 13 to 14 March
Location: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Description: Ellen Kent’s farewell tour brings two classic operas to Woking on consecutive nights. One option if you already know which you prefer, or a chance to finally see both close to home without trekking into London.
Evening of Radiohead at the Cathedral | Fri 13 and Sat 14 March (Info/Tickets)
Location: Guildford Cathedral
Description: A live band returns to Guildford Cathedral with an evening built around the music of Radiohead, spread across two nights. The event page sets out times, ticket tiers and how the two dates are structured so you can pick the one that suits.
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
🛍️ Markets
Guildford Farmers’ Market – Tue 3 March
Location: High Street, Guildford
Description:Guildford’s regular Tuesday farmers’ market returns to the High Street with local produce, street food and seasonal bits for the fridge or freezer. Good for topping up after half term or just browsing with a coffee if you are in town anyway.
Click here: To confirm times, stall mix and any last minute changes
Haslemere Farmers’ Market – Sat 7 March
Location: Haslemere town centre
Description: South West Surrey Farmers Market’s Haslemere date brings a mix of local producers into the town centre, with a shorter morning window that suits an early shop before the rest of the weekend gets going.
Click here: To check exact pitch location, opening times and trader list
Etsy Guildford Spring Market – Sat 7 and Sun 8 March
Location: Tunsgate Quarter, Guildford
Description: Etsy Guildford’s spring market takes over Tunsgate Quarter for a weekend of local makers, craft stalls and small creative businesses. It is a browse and buy event rather than a ticketed fair, so you can drop in for an hour between other errands.
Click here: To see event updates, opening times and a feel for the stallholders
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
🍽️ Eat & Drink
Denbies Chocolate Fair | One-day fair, week before Easter (Info/Tickets)
Location: Denbies Wine Estate
Description: The most straightforward “stock up for Easter” day in the diary.
English Wine & Cheese Tasting | Sat 7 March 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: As listed on Surrey Hills events page
Description: A food-first tasting session ahead of the Easter trail dates.
Easter Sunday Dining at Gorse Hill | Sun 5 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Gorse Hill, Woking
Description: A book-ahead option if you want Easter Sunday handled for you.
Hillfield Easter Sunday Feast | Sun 5 April 2026 (Info/Tickets)
Location: Pennyhill Park
Description: A second Easter Sunday dining option, pitched as a feast format.
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
📒 Directory
Surrey Plumbing Ltd (Details)
Location: Guildford & Woking (and surrounding villages)
Description: 24/7 emergency plumbing and heating engineers, from burst pipes to boiler breakdowns.
Transgas Services (Details)
Location: Across Surrey
Description: Gas-safe engineers offering boiler servicing, repairs and central-heating upgrades, including annual service plans.
Cell Care (Details)
Location: Epsom
Description: Phone and device repairs in central Epsom, including cracked screens and battery replacements.
Farnham Dry Cleaners (Details)
Location: Farnham
Description: Dry-cleaning, laundry and alterations, with specialist options and (in some areas) collection and delivery.
Enalion Beauty (Details)
Location: Knaphill
Description: Beauty salon offering facials, nails, waxing and other treatments.
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
And Finally,
If the idea of an urgent treatment centre in Redhill, more local diagnostics and miles of new paths feels like a lot of infrastructure chat for a Friday, there is always the simpler question: where will you actually walk, read or eat chocolate this weekend.
Between the new countryside estate trails, village-hall projects, Easter egg hunts and a surprising number of Surrey vineyards, there is a quiet pattern emerging of things being nudged closer to where people already are – in town centres, at the school gate, on the bus route. It is not always headline-worthy, but it does add up.
If you do end up at one of the Easter events or on a newly waymarked path, let us know which spots feel like they deserve a little more attention in a future Weekender.
Have a good weekend, Surrey.
Thank for reading. Let’s chat on Monday.
