Where did the months go? I can’t believe we’re already at the end of the year. Well, we’ve made it to the December 2022 edition of the Tandridge Independent, and my team and I are once again bringing you news of lots of local events and Christmas fun. Our community is full of seasonal festivities this month, and we will be endeavouring to visit as many of them as we can. If you see us on your Tandridge travels, please pop by and say hello!
So, what’s inside?
Safiyyah Choudry, our new work experience and journalism student, has written her first article for us this month, about East Surrey MP Claire Coutinho’s new role in the Department for Education. There’s also a story about the talented Isaac Bird, a 12-year-old Tandridge schoolboy, who I got to meet just as he has started performing in a production of classic Christmas favourite The Snowman at Peacock Theatre in the West End.
We’re also excited about introducing you to our new columnist Deborah Smith, from Menagerie Interiors. She will be writing a monthly column crammed with interior design advice, giving you an insight into her knowledge of home decor and styling. River-Blue also got back behind his microphone, interviewing Oxted’s Sam Centenera from Bakes By Sam, and getting some tips on how to create beautiful flower cupcakes, while Sue and Maryanne from Tutor Your Child talk about how we’ve made it to the end of the first school term of the new academic year.
And if you’ve just spent several hours untangling your Christmas lights, you might want to find out how head gardener Neil Miller, and the rest of his team deal with decorating the 200 trees that are put up around Hever Castle during the festive period…!
It was fantastic to meet so many of our readers at the Soper Hall Christmas Fair in Caterham Valley, and thank you to all of you who entered our competition to win either one of Bakes By Sam’s incredible cupcake bouquets, or a fantastic value voucher towards your Christmas meats from The Outwood Butchers – we hope the winners loved their prizes!
Season’s greetings!
And that’s it for 2022! We’re all taking a break over Christmas for a much needed break, so there won’t be an edition of your favourite community newspaper in January, but please make sure you pick up your copy again in February. If you have a story you think we should feature, or you want to tell us about an event you, or a group you’re part of, is participating in, please get in touch: newsdesk@tandridgeindependent.com.
The Tandridge Independent team would like to thank all our readers for your support this year. Have a wonderful festive break – and we’ll see you in 2023!
