Letter from the editor – May 2026

The Caterham Independent Newspaper has teamed up with Blue Turtle Business Services to offer support and help to both employees and employers alike during these difficult times as we slowly start getting back to life as we knew it.
This is your opportunity to send us your questions which we will try and answer via this new monthly column.
With over 35 years’ experience in business support BTBS offer a range of services to get your business back on track along with coaching and career advice for individuals.

Dear Steve
I work in an office environment but have been working from home since lockdown started. This has worked well, and my productivity has been great. My boss has now told me that he is expecting us go back to the office on a full-time basis from the end of August. The office is cramped with very few facilities. Whilst I miss my work colleagues, I am getting really stressed about going back to the office. What can I do?
Tony. Caterham

Recently I visited Tandridge Heights Care Home (owned by Barchester Homes) in Oxted, Surrey and met with their General Manager Victoria Oladosu and Customer Relationship Manager, Stacey Gardiner. The establishment has capacity for 75 residents and is currently welcoming new residents too.

We sat (socially distanced) in their beautiful garden and I was intrigued to find out about their incredible, unique and novel events which are carried out weekly for the residents.
It was extremely obvious that the team are dedicated to ensuring that the residents mental health is maintained positively and that their interests and ideas are listened to and made a reality. Later on in the year I hope to be able to have a tour of the home but for now it was great to be able to sit in the garden.

Having been unable to hold a number of fund-raising events of late, Caterham Rotary’s Additional Meeting Group came up with the novel idea of holding a virtual charity cheese tasting online which took place recently.

The Caterham Women’s Institute are “keeping up with the kids” by using technology to ensure meetings can still go ahead at this time.

Zoom meetings are now the “new normal” for this inspiring WI group, with meetings and speakers booked for September and October.

On September the 10th, Jeff Rozzelar will be speaking about `Eva Paron`, and on October the 8th Joanna Hyder will be talking about `Not Just Travel`. Both events will be extremely interesting with anticipated good attendance from members of the Caterham WI.

To listen go to the website www.ridgeradio.co.uk and click ‘Listen Live’ or download our free Apple or Android Mobile Apps, it allows you to hear us anywhere in the country.
At home, if you have an Alexa enabled device you can listen by asking ‘Alexa Install Ridge Radio’.

If you are a local Charity and have an interesting story to tell, or a Local Band or Artist, please contact us to come in and share your music and interesting stories.
E-mail: info@ridgeradio.co.uk or andy@ridgeradio.co.uk

This month we would like to introduce you to Richard Hay, better known as DJ Ricardo, our September Presenter in the Spotlight.
Tune in for his Soul & Reggae Show Tuesday evenings 7:00pm to 9:00pm
We asked him the following questions:

Since non-essential shops reopened on Monday 15 June, businesses are adjusting their operations to comply with COVID-19 safety measures and social distancing.
For some retailers, their industry presents unique challenges navigating a “new normal” way of running previous tried and tested procedures.

Owner of Caterham Valley’s bridal boutique, Helena Fortley, Sally Brady said of her largest obstacle: “It’s the unknown. I know it’s difficult for everybody but it’s the not knowing.”
Weddings and civil partnerships in England have been allowed to take place from Saturday 4 July with a maximum of 30 guests.

Currently, only six people may attend an outside reception or two households if held inside.
From Saturday 1 August, 30 guests will be permitted at a reception.
The appointment only shop has seen more than one hundred weddings cancelled this year, however Brady said the impact of lockdown did not stop the arrival of customers’ dresses being delivered to the compact space.

Ridge Radio broadcasts from Soper Hall in Caterham Valley, we have 45 volunteer presenters who broadcasting 24/7 over the internet.
To listen go to the website www.ridgeradio.co.uk and click ‘Listen Live’ or download our free Apple or Android Mobile Apps, it allows you to hear us anywhere in the country. At home, if you have an Alexa enabled device you can listen by asking ‘Alexa Install Ridge Radio’.

If you are a local Charity and have an interesting story to tell, or a Local Band or Artist, please contact us to come in and share your music and interesting stories.
E-mail: info@ridgeradio.co.uk

This month we would like to introduce you to Dan Cottrell, our August Presenter in the Spotlight.He presents a regular Sunday night music show with Alex Campbell another one of our presenters.Sunday Night Live 8:00pm to 10:00pm, we asked him the following questions:

Children screaming, “SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!” and running to the gates throwing their books in the air is the stereotypical image of the last day of the academic year in July. Six weeks of freedom from the structure of the school day, forty-two days of laying in, playing hide and seek, kicking a ball in the garden, catching up with friends and visiting the seaside (here or abroad).

And then came 2020.
Most of our children have not been to school since the middle of March and even those who went back, did not receive the same education as they would normally have had. Although schools have done their best with online resources, without doubt, our children have missed out on a great deal of important learning. For this reason, I am asking the question: Should children study during the summer holidays this year?

Last year, around this time, I put an advert on Facebook for summer lessons and received a terribly negative response from one lady, who felt that children worked hard enough and should be playing outside. Whilst I could not agree more regarding the playing outside, is this what children these days are really doing? Or are they locked away in their bedroom playing Fortnite or Roblox whilst their parents desperately try to remove the dreaded device?

Welcome to the August edition of The Caterham & District Independent.

There's been a lot going on this month as we have eased out of lockdown and I have to start this month’s letter with the exciting news of our new venture: The Caterham Independent News Hour on Ridge Radio! I took to the airwaves for my first show and was pleasantly surprised to receive so many messages of sAupport and encouragement. By the time you read this I will have had another few shows under my belt and I’d Alove you to tune in and listen! Simply visit ridgeradio.com and click the ‘Listen Live’ button between 9 and 10am, to hear me discussing local news stories, topics and ideas and if you would like a specific local issue addressed please email me at caterham@ridgeradio.com.