What's On

The seventh Sunbury Open Gardens Day will be held on Sunday 28th June in aid of the Shooting Star Hospice for children in Hampton and St. Mary's Church.

The event was enjoyed by over 600 people last year and six new gardens will be open to visitors this year.

The Zodiac Musical Society begins a three-day run of its very own musical ZodiacX Factor on Thirsday May 21 at the Riverside Arts Centre, Thames Street.

Performances on all three nights begin at 7.45 and there's a matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets for the evening cost £10 and £8 for the matinee. Box office, 01932 220167

The spring round of Spelthorne Council area forums has been cancelled.

The meetings between residents and councillors arranged for March 19 at Matthew Arnold School in Staines, March 31 in Stanwell village hall, April 8 at the Salvation Army Centre in Ashford and April 28 at St Paul's College in Sunbury have been axed due to lack of interest.

The council is considering ways to boost attendance and a recommendation will be presented to the executive committee at its meeting on Wednesday, March 18.

The Sunbury Regatta annual meeting will be held on Sunday March 29 at The Kempton Cricket Club, Staines Road East, Sunbury, at 1.30pm and is open to all.

The inaugural Spelthorne Junior Chess Championships will be held on Saturday, March 14 at Staines Prep School in Gresham Road, Staines.

There are three age categories - under 9s, under 11s and under 14s - and entrants must either live in Spelthorne or attend a school in the borough.

The deadline for entries is Tuesday March 10 and forms can be obtained by calling 01932 563497.

Free swimming at public pools in Spelthorne will be available to youngsters aged 16 and under and anyone over 60 from April 1.

The initiative is being promoted by the borough authority in partnership with Runnymede Council and Sport and Leisure Management Ltd, which manages the two council-owned leisure centre pools in Spelthorne.

Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury is opening its doors for free on Wednesday, February 25 at 8.30am for people to watch leading trainer Nicky Henderson give his Cheltenham Festival contenders some final preperations before next month's showpiece event.

Among horses to be given a spin are Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular a
nd World Hurdle contender Punchestowns.

Egham and Staines Conservation Volunteers has postponed plans to clear scrub from the TP26 linear park in Lower Sunbury on Sunday, March 22.

For more information call 01784 254904.

Alfred Hitchcock's film The Lodger will be played on a screen in St Mary's Church, Church Street, Lower Sunbury, on Saturday, February 21 at 7.30pm to raise money for roof repairs.

Tickets, which cost £8 and include refreshments, are available by calling 01932 232068.

The next meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society takes place on Tuesday, February 24, at Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton, at 8pm.

Matthew Piggott will give a talk about searching for family history.

Tickets for non-members cost £1 in the door.