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Good Morning Surrey,
There is something rather particular about a Surrey Friday at the end of half-term. The shoes by the door suggest several expeditions have already taken place, the calendar is beginning to look faintly over-governed, and somewhere, with admirable confidence, a road closure is preparing to complicate everyone’s evening. Still, this is also the point at which the county does what it often does rather well. It offers choices. A walk, a market, a theatre seat, a museum, a garden, a glass of something local, or simply the noble act of staying close to home and not joining a queue by choice.
If you are travelling near Wisley tonight, check before you leave, because optimism is not always stronger than traffic management. And if you have a half-term survivor’s tip, a quiet place, a good café, or a route that did not involve muttering at a roundabout, send it our way.
Now, in today’s edition
Overnight works around M25 Junction 10 and the A3 continue into Friday night
Energy bills, Bank Rate and tenancy rules get a practical Surrey read
Half-term events continue, from farms and museums to theatre and guided walks
Wine Week, markets, eating out and local services for the weekend list
Let’s take a look.
— Prince Khurram
P.S. Our Monday Update leans more towards news, 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
M25 Junction 10 and A3 Wisley works continue overnight
National Highways has confirmed overnight works around M25 Junction 10 and the A3 at Wisley from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May 2026. Friday’s works are listed for 11pm–6am, with changes possible at short notice.
The A3 northbound inside lane is affected.
The Junction 10 entry slip to the A3 southbound is also included.
Check before late journeys, particularly if you are returning from London or travelling across towards Guildford.
A little planning here may spare a long detour at an unhelpful hour.
National headlines for Surrey
Summer savings package could help with August days out
The Chancellor has announced a summer cost-of-living package including a temporary VAT cut on summer attractions and children’s meals, plus free bus travel for under-16s in England during August. For Surrey families, that could make school-holiday planning slightly less punishing, which is not the same as cheap, but we take our victories where we find them.
Inflation has fallen, but the pressure has not vanished
The ONS says CPI inflation fell to 2.8% in April 2026, down from 3.3% in March. That helps the national mood a little, although July’s energy cap rise means Surrey households should not declare victory over the budget just yet.
Click here: To read the latest UK inflation bulletin
MESSAGE FROM HIRE5 MENSWEAR GUILDFORD
County Updates
Surrey Fire and Rescue welcomes new recruits
Surrey Fire and Rescue has welcomed 15 full-time firefighters and eight control room operators. New staff are joining stations including Banstead, Camberley, Chertsey, Farnham, Godstone, Guildford, Painshill, Salfords and Walton, giving this a genuinely countywide footprint.
The update adds frontline and control room capacity.
Stations across Surrey are included, not just one local patch.
The timing is useful heading into warmer months, when fire and wildfire readiness becomes more visible.
A public-service update with less fanfare than it deserves, which is often how public-service updates arrive.
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Events
Family & Kids
Dino and Princess Week | 23–31 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Bocketts Farm, Leatherhead
Description: A half-term family pick with dinosaurs and princesses running through Saturday. Sensible for children who enjoy a theme, and adults who have accepted that farm shoes are no longer optional.
May Half Term Activities | 23–31 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Brooklands Museum, Weybridge
Description: Half-term activities run 10am–5pm, making this a strong weather-resilient choice. Good for machinery, history and anyone who prefers their day out with a roof nearby.
Flyaway Katie | Sat 30 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: The Horton, Epsom
Description: Family theatre at 11.30am on Saturday. A calmer option for younger audiences, and pleasingly indoors if the weather decides to behave like a committee.
Rabbits Out of the Hat | Fri 29 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Farnham Maltings, Farnham
Description: A Friday evening family theatre option at 7pm. Good for Waverley households looking for something after tea that is not just negotiating pyjamas.
May Half Term Activities | 28–31 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Watts Gallery, Compton
Description: Half-term activities include the William Morris Wombat Trail. A gentler cultural pick, which is useful when everyone needs an outing but not necessarily a full drum-and-trumpet expedition.
Sports & Fitness
Saturday Qigong | Sat 30 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Surrey Hills, near Guildford
Description: A Saturday morning qigong class from 10am–11am. Price: £15. A quiet reset for those who prefer their weekend fitness without whistles, mud or someone shouting split times.
Outdoors
Guildford Story Guided Walk | Sat 30 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Tunsgate Arch, Guildford
Description: A free guided walk at 11am on Saturday. A neat low-cost way to look at Guildford with fresh eyes, rather than simply muttering about parking and walking briskly past everything.
A Celebration of Roses | 30 May–30 June (Info/Tickets)
Location: Polesden Lacey, near Dorking
Description: A seasonal garden event running from around 30 May to 30 June. Best for a slower weekend turn, particularly if your idea of civilisation includes flowers, paths and a tea stop.
Theatre & Performances
Fawlty Towers - The Play | Fri 29 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Description: The Woking run continues through Saturday 30 May, with a Friday performance at 7.30pm. Price: From £20.80. Useful if your household enjoys carefully organised chaos, ideally happening on a stage rather than in your kitchen.
Comedy
Comedy Cottage | Fri 29 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: Belfry Centre, Redhill
Description: Friday comedy from 8pm–11pm, with Susan Murray and support. A grown-up evening option, assuming everyone has remembered where they put the babysitter’s number.
Music & Gigs
Skids | Fri 29 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: The Boileroom, Guildford
Description: Friday night gig from 7pm–11pm. A strong Guildford pick if you would like the weekend to begin with volume rather than a dishwasher cycle.
Chali 2na | Sat 30 May (Info/Tickets)
Location: The Boileroom, Guildford
Description: Saturday night music from 7pm–11pm. One for the diary if your weekend plans require bass, not bunting.
Markets
Farnham Record Fair | Sun 31 May (Info)
Location: Farnham Maltings, Farnham
Description: A specialist Sunday fair running 10am–3.30pm, with free entry. Good for browsing, crate-digging and maintaining the optimistic belief that there is still room on the shelf.
Guildford North Street Market | Fri 29 and Sat 30 May (Info)
Location: North Street, Guildford
Description: The weekly market runs Friday and Saturday, 8.30am–5pm. Handy for town-centre errands, with the usual North Street mixture of purpose, weather and people moving at different speeds.
Surrey Villages Art and Craft Fair | Sun 31 May (Info)
Location: Shere Village Hall, Shere
Description: A Sunday art and craft fair in Shere Village Hall. A good village pick if you want local makers, indoor browsing and the kind of mooch that can become lunch.
Eat and Drink
Denbies Wine Estate | 30 May–7 June (Info)
Location: Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking
Description: Surrey Hills Wine Week runs from 30 May–7 June 2026, with Denbies listed as a key local venue. A civilised reminder that Surrey is not only roads, house prices and parking discussions.
The Ivy Guildford | 23–31 May (Info)
Location: Guildford
Description: The half-term “Kids Dine on Us” offer runs 23–31 May. The verified terms say one complimentary children’s meal per adult main, with terms applying. Useful, but read the small print before making promises.
Hogs Back Brewery Tap | Weekend opening (Info)
Location: Tongham
Description: The brewery tap and beer garden page confirms opening times and food information. A casual drinks option, and best framed as one for the adults.
Quick Local Hits
Walkies & Wine | Albury Vineyard, Albury (Event details & registration)
Description: Dog-friendly open day on Bank Holiday Monday, running 11am to 5pm. Free entry is listed, with registration requested, which feels fair if you are bringing both a dog and views on rosé.
The Plucky Pheasant | Newlands Corner (Menus/Info)
Description: Independent licensed café at Newlands Corner with published summer hours. Useful for a bank-holiday walk, especially if the group contains someone who claims they “only need a coffee” and then orders lunch.
Sorrel | Dorking (Guide/Info)
Description: MICHELIN one-star Modern British restaurant on South Street in Dorking. One for special occasions, careful booking and the agreeable fiction that you were always this organised.
Directory
RJ Plumbing & Heating | Boiler servicing and repairs (Info)
Location: Covers Guildford, Woking and Weybridge
Description: Boiler servicing and repairs across the stated areas. Useful for the household moment when a small noise begins to sound rather expensive.
St George’s Heating and Plumbing | Plumbing and heating services (Info)
Location: Surrey
Description: Plumbing and heating services, including emergency plumbing information. A practical one to keep nearby before a small leak becomes a family conference.
Swift Stitch | Tailoring and clothing repairs (Info)
Location: Guildford
Description: Tailoring, clothing repairs and dry-cleaning services. Useful for the suit, dress or hem that has waited patiently until the morning it is needed.
Guildford Couriers Ltd | Courier services (Info)
Location: Guildford and surrounding areas
Description: Same-day and overnight courier service in and around Guildford. Useful when “I’ll drop it over later” has become a rather hopeful statement.
Surrey Appliances | Appliance repairs (Info)
Location: Surrey
Description: Appliance repair service covering washing machines, dishwashers, ovens and fridge freezers. The sort of listing nobody needs until, suddenly, everyone very much does.
Surrey Hills Removals | Removals and storage (Info)
Location: Surrey Hills
Description: Removals and storage services. Useful for moves, clear-outs and the annual discovery that lofts contain considerably more than they ought to.
And Finally,
As the week draws to its close, it is worth remembering that a good Surrey weekend does not have to announce itself with trumpets. Sometimes it is a measured walk, a tolerable cup of coffee, a market stall you did not expect to enjoy, or the rare and beautiful moment when nobody asks what time you are leaving.
So, whether you are heading to a show, a vineyard, a village hall or merely the end of the garden with quiet determination, may the traffic be kind, the weather be reasonable, and the family group chat remain, for once, mercifully restrained.
Have a good weekend, Surrey.
Thank for reading. Let’s chat on Monday.
