Category Archives: Villagers

Recent shed break-ins

As you may be aware there were a number of sheds and out buildings broken into this week. It appears that garden tools and machinery are the main items being targeted.

At the recent meeting with Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for TVP, the advice was to mark any equipment with a suitable marker with your name and address. It may not stop the burglaries but it will make it easier for stolen goods to be returned if found and make the resale of them more difficult. Another good way to prove your ownership of any items would be to make sure that the equipment is registered with the manufacturer for warranty.

Security measures are also important but it is evident that locks etc are not a deterrent to a determined burglar using angle grinders and bolt cutters to gain entry.

It may seem futile, but please report any incident to the police. They probably won’t be able to do too much to alleviate the problem but they definitely won’t if they don’t know about it.

The parish council is looking into setting up a village WhatsApp group so in the future incidents such as these can be communicated quickly around the village.

Liza Hopkinson’s funeral

The funeral of Liza Hopkinson will take place at St. Etheldreda’s Church on Thursday 4th December at 12 noon. All are welcome – no mourning attire as Liza liked life to be colourful. There will be drinks and nibbles in the Red Lion afterwards.

No flowers please, but donations to Green Pastures Nursing Home can be made in Church or via https://elizabethlizahopkinson.muchloved.com/

Crime Prevention and Neighbourhood Watch Evening – 24 Nov

A date for your diary!

In view of the spate of break-ins recently, Horley Parish Council have arranged for a presentation/meeting with the Police and Crime Commission.

This will take place as follows:

Venue: The Old School Rooms, Church Lane, (next to the Church) Horley OX15 6BJ

Date: 24 November 2025

Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

This meeting is open to ALL and is an opportunity to discuss concerns/remedies with the Police.

David Beck

Horley (Oxfordshire) Parish Clerk

It’s time to sign up for this year’s Village Lottery

The Village Lottery is a major source of funding for the Michael Hardinge Trust, which provides educational support to children and young people in the village as well as maintaining the Old School Hall as an important village asset. 

The new lottery year starts on Saturday 8th November. If you played in 2024/25 we will be in touch with you shortly, but if you didn’t, it’s not too late to join in this year – see below for details:

Harvest Festival Auction at the Red Lion this Friday (3rd October)

The Red Lion Harvest Festival Auction is on Friday 3rd October starting at 7pm.

All proceeds to Katharine House Hospice. Everyone is welcome to to this village celebration. Please drop off any donations at the pub during the day on Friday.

Reminder: Ironstone Chamber Music Festival 12th – 13th September 2025

Tickets are still available for the Ironstone Chamber Music Festival in Horley on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September. Tickets to the Friday concert are half price if you use the code FRIDAY.

This cherished festival has been running for fifteen years and is organised by the village to bring outstanding professional music to our doorstep. Acclaimed violinist Lucy Gould and cellist Kate Gould will come to Horley, accompanied by special guest stars, for a weekend of glorious chamber music in St Etheldreda’s Church. 

The programme this year includes celebrated works and lesser-known discoveries by Mozart, Beethoven, Fanny Mendelssohn, Rossini, Dvořák, and more. The concerts will be at 6:30pm on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September. Tickets can be bought on the website ironstonefestival.com or via the box office on 07511 841 979.

Don’t forget to apply for Educational Grants from the Michael Hardinge Trust

As the new academic year approaches, now is the time to apply for educational grants. The Michael Hardinge Trust makes grants available to all children and young people in Horley at various stages in their education. Two kinds of grants are available:

  • Universal grants – a fixed sum paid to every child on request at up to four stages of their education: rising fives about to start school (£100); at the start of secondary education (£300); at the start of A Levels, college training apprenticeships etc (£500); at the start of further education/university (£1000).
  • Discretionary grants – awarded at the discretion of the trustees in response to a written request by a village resident or a local school or educational institute in relation to a specific educational project or activity.

Universal grants are due at the start of the educational year and must be applied for no later than three months after the first day of the relevant year. If you have an eligible child or you are a young person but haven’t yet applied, now is the time to do so.

To apply for a grant, please write to Jane Williams (the trustee responsible for co-ordinating grants) at jag.williams@btinternet.com giving your details and the reason for the grant.

For more details and the full grants policy, see: MHT Grants Policy

 

 

 

Missing black cat

Message from Julie:

Please would everyone be kind enough to check their sheds and garages for our missing cat. He is very inquisitive and we know he travels all around the village. We have not seen him for 2 days which is very unlike him and we are concerned he is shut in somewhere.

If anyone has any information please could they call me on 07849929661

Julie, Hillside Farm

Missing black cat

Message from Julie:

Please would everyone be kind enough to check their sheds and garages for our missing cat. He is very inquisitive and we know he travels all around the village. We have not seen him for 2 days which is very unlike him and we are concerned he is shut in somewhere.

If anyone has any information please could they call me on 07849929661

Julie, Hillside Farm