Peter Stewart

Yeah, after the success of 2023's week-long Arts Takeover, it's back for 2024. More sessions and more opportunities to take part in the arts locally. Now, the week is designed to showcase the huge personal and communal benefits... that art and creativity offer.

So you're able to take part in all sorts of workshops, comedy writing, poetry, learning DJ skills, the traditional art pottery and photography session. There is a slight cost for some of these, somewhere between £5 and £20. There are also performances to enjoy throughout the week around Redhill Town Centre.

Yeah, Redhill has not been forgotten, even though there is a little bit of a challenge in actually putting this on without the harlequin and so on. So the dates you need, the 5th to the 12th of October.

I thought you'd like to kind of put some dates in your diary, which is why I'm going to tell you about all of the events which are coming up between the 5th and the 12th of October with the Redhill Arts Takeover right now. Here we go. So then let's start off on Saturday, Saturday the 5th at 10 o'clock.

There's going to be an art exhibition featuring self-portraits by various artists from Daisy, which is an umbrella organisation which celebrates and promotes the work of deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists. It's happening at the Belfry from 10 a.m. And from 10.15, same place. On Saturday the 5th, KCA cheerleading performance. They're going to be there.

Now, KCA enter around five competitions a year and perform at many local events. So you'll be able to see them perform and also ask any questions and see whether your youngster wants to get involved in that as well. There's a stand-up comedy writing workshop for 18 years and over on Saturday the 5th of October, 12.30 to 4.30, and this is at Christ Central on London Road.

Back to the Belfry, between 1 and 2, the Include Choir is going to be performing, and also at the Belfry, between 2 and 3, the Rygate School of Ballet are going to be putting on a performance. And then between three and four, Unison and the Missing People's Choir are going to be singing their hearts out. And then also at the Belfry, Red Hill goes to Bollywood.

It's a performance with audience interaction, which is going to be going on there. That's what's going to be happening on the Saturday. Let's move on to Monday the 7th. Art for Relaxation is going to be something which is going on between 10 and half eleven tonight. at the Garibaldi Community Pub.

At 10 o'clock at Christ Central on that day, the concertina sketchbook and mark making between 10 and half 12. You'll use paint, inks, pens and collage to produce a number of pages using a theme or making a zen doodle shape that you see in work which is going to be shown to you. At 3.45 between then and 5 o'clock at the Belfry, Messy Arts for Kids, aged 8+.

On Tuesday the 8th, storytelling's going to be happening at the Garibaldi Community Pub. Storytelling with a twist, and especially for adults, is what we're told. On the 9th, at Memorial Park, Glow-in-the-Dark Paint Workshop with the Brockham Arts Club. So that's going to be happening between 7.30 at night and 10.30 at night. Well, it's got to be at night if it's glowing the dark, isn't it?

25 spaces available for that. Let's move on to Thursday. Thursday the 10th of October at St Matthew's Church, free lunchtime concert. So go along and listen to Reigate Grammar School soloists over lunch. It's all part of St Matthew's Church regular Thursday concerts. Let's stick with Thursday and an African drumming workshop at the Belfry between 6.30 at night and 8 o'clock at night.

20 spaces available and £8 for those tickets. There's an open mic music with Simon Bull for the 18s and over at the Junction Pub on the High Street. 75 places for that. Come and jam. Simon Bull hosting his popular open mic in the heart of Redhill.com. Any musicians wanting to play should sign up at arts at reigate-banstead.gov.uk.

And then at 8 o'clock at the United Reform Church at Shaw's Corner, there's a unison choir with their open choir practice. So that's the 10th. Let's move on to Saturday the 12th. Photography Walk with Reigate Photographic Society. So I think I featured them in, I think it was episode 5 of the Planet Reigate podcast.

So they are doing a walk between 10 and half 11 and it's all going to be starting off from Memorial Park. 15 spaces are available for that crochet in the park is going to be happening again a memorial park crochet for beginners and more experienced people as well between 10 and midday on Saturday the 12th there's a DJ taster session happening at the Belfry. between 11 and 1 on the 12th.

There's an adult painting class also at the shopping centre between 2 and half past 3. And dance for all with all dance abilities at Donnings between 3 and 3.45 on Saturday the 12th, as I say, between 3 and 3.45. And it's another event which is happening just for the Arts Takeover in Redhill.

And of course, you can hear more about what is happening, where it's happening, what time it's happening and book your places. If you go to reigate-banstead.gov.uk and you have a little search around for the Arts Takeover event. As I always say, for more information, get in touch with me and I'll put you in touch with them.

Let's turn our attention to sport now. Local football roundup from our friend Stuart Holmes who's compiled this for us. Three local teams were in the Emirates FA Cup. First qualifying round action last weekend and there were wins for Merstham who won 2-1 at Stenningtown. Also for South Park who won 1-0 at Bracknelltown.

Redhill lost 3-1 away to Hastings and Hawleytown lost at home 3-1 to Camberleytown. And this week's draw for the Emirates FA Cup second qualifying round, Merstham will play away to National League Southside Tunbridge Angels. Now, that's a pretty tough draw for Merstham against a team which are currently unbeaten in their league. And once again, our thanks to Stuart for compiling that for us.

Well, Spencer says two things. First of all, there's going to be a food bank donation collection at South Park FC Whitehall Lane from three to half five on Sunday the 8th. And he also tells this story, quote, 10 years ago, he says, I started the push locally so our daughters and young girls could have somewhere to go and play football.

I had this idea that one day I'd love to have a women's first team. The problem is that at 18, girls leave the area to go to university. But Just down the road at Reigate School, Zoe was building her own dream of a women's football club. But now Zoe and Reigate Women have become South Park Reigate FC Women's First Team.