With summer holidays fast approaching, individuals are often more exposed to travel booking frauds when looking for last minute package deals / cheap flights. Whether paying upfront for a family holiday or simply booking a flight, payments are transferred only to discover that the holiday / airline ticket does not exist and was sold to you by a bogus travel company. Fraudsters will often lure in potential customers with low prices and ‘one time only’ offers that are simply too good to pass up, requesting payment by the preferred method of direct bank transfer.
 
Avoid
Paying for a holiday / airline tickets / accommodation via direct bank transfer. No reputable company will ever request payment via this method.
Responding to unsolicited calls, texts or emails offering holidays at incredibly low prices.
 
Protect Yourself

• Whenever possible, pay for your holiday by credit card as it offers increased protection.
• Always remember to look for the ‘https’ and locked padlock icon in the address bar before entering your payment details.
• Never feel pressured to make a booking for fear that you will miss out on this ‘low price’ opportunity. If you have never used the company before, take your time to do some online research to ensure they are reputable.
• Should you make a flight or hotel booking through a travel company, feel free to separately check with the hotel / particular airline that your booking does indeed exist.

Many congratulations are due to Toby Roland-Jones who has been called up to the England squad and makes his debut for the Test match against Pakistan at Lords on Thursday.

Toby is a fomer Sunbury Colt and played through all the age groups; and was a 1st XI player until he joined Middlesex. He is a true product of Sunbury CC and we are all very proud of him and of those who contributed to his development.

Toby has been in superb form this summer and showed what he is capable of just last week, taking 3-34 as Middlesex skittled county champions Yorkshire for 167 to record an unlikely win. That came after he had picked up another three wickets in the first innings and smashed 79 not out to help set up the victory. In total, he has taken 30 first class wickets, at 29.03, this season and averages 53.33 with the bat - albeit that figure is boosted by three not out scores in his six innings.

Our uncapped paceman is one of five seam options in the 12-man squad, joining Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Chris Woakes and Jake Ball. We wish Toby every success and very much hope he is in the XI on Thursday.

What is the Local Committee?

Your Local Committee makes important decisions about the area in which we live. It is where our local councillors meet to discuss and decide on many of the issues that matter to us, as residents, or those who work or study in our area. See: http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/get-involved/your-local-area/spelthorne-local-area/your-local-committee-for-spelthorne

What does the Local Committee do?

The Local Committee can make decisions about:

• activities for young people;
• funding for community groups and activities;
• roads and road maintenance;
• making a request for highways improvements;
• road safety;
• driving speed limits;
• parking restrictions;
• library opening hours;
• public rights of way - byways and footpaths

It also monitors how well public services like libraries and social care are benefiting local people. The Committee has a special role in making sure that local schools are performing well or taking the necessary steps to improve.

Local councillors put the community's interests at the heart of every decision they make and they value the opinions of local people. The more councillors listen to residents, the more confident we can be that issues have been considered from various angles and that the wider community is likely to benefit as a result. That is why we actively encourage local residents to interact with councillors and their local committee to make sure that their voices and opinions are heard.

How can you take part?

At the Committee's meetings you can raise issues, ask questions or petition your councillors about changes you would like them to make in our neighbourhood. You can read how to do this in the Rules of the Local Committee section below.

When does the Committee meet?

The Local Committee generally meets once every three months. This can vary but is usually around June, September, December and March. (having said that the next meeting is scheduled for 18th July!)

View details of the date, time, venue and the topics under discussion at your Local Committee meeting.

Alternatively, please contact the Community Partnerships Team for more information.

There will be no trains running between Teddington and Strawberry Hill and Shepperton, in either direction, from 16th to 30th July.

Replacement buses will run throughout this time. Trains from London Waterloo will terminate at Teddington and Strawberry Hill. Teddington Station will be busier than usual as it will be a rail replacement bus and train interchange during this time.

Buses to Teddington will leave from the bus stop in Green Street close to the junction with Sunbury Cross; and to Shepperton, from the bus stop in Green Street opposite St. Ignatius Church.

For full details, click here

The next Music Night at Sunbury Cricket Club falls on Friday 8th July when the Club welcomes back The Jackie Lynton Band for a long overdue return visit. It’s a couple of years since he played here and the Club has acquired a lot of new regular visitors since then who may not have seen his highly individual show.

Jackie, a native of Shepperton, is one of the legendary characters of the British rock landscape. He has been around since his residency at Soho’s 2is coffee bar in the late 50s, recording and performing with a host of top names over the years. He toured the USA with the Savoy Brown Blues Band, and since then has established a reputation not only as a great rock performer but also a highly skilled entertainer, who has written TV comedy scripts for major stars as well as hits like “Again And Again” for Status Quo, with whom he often guests on stage.

His band includes another ex-Sunbury resident, Colin Pattenden, former bass player with Manfred’s Mann’s Earth Band, and Nashville Teens drummer Adrian “Spud” Metcalfe, with Chris Bryant and Mike Windus on guitars. Another hugely entertaining evening of finely-honed rock ‘n’ roll and hilarious near-the-knuckle banter is guaranteed. Jackie has a bottomless fount of anecdotes and risqué stories.

You can find out more information and read his extraordinary biog and life story at www.jackielynton.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

Friends of St Mary's invite you to a fun evening with the very talented Riverside Youth Theatre presenting 'Riverside Live' - a Revue, on Saturday 2nd July, 7.30pm in the Church.

£9 members & pre-booked, £10 on the door.

Box Office :01932 785035 & 78580.

At the AGM on 22nd June a question was put to the Chairman regarding LOSRA's position on the inclusion of Spelthorne within the fare Zone 6 and with it, the facility for commuters to use the Oyster card at rail stations within the Borough.

We have not taken a proactive position on this issue as the 'Zone 6 campaign' group already exists. (scroll down to see article of 14th June). If you wish to attend the meeting on 7th July please be sure to register your interest by clicking on the link provided.

For those who were unable to attend the AGM you may read the Chairman's report by clicking here.

Sunbury Health Centre offers an exciting opportunity as they plan to get ‘Arty’! Many of you will know about Sunbury Health Centre on Green Street in Sunbury and the drive the Practice and the Patient Participation Group (PPG) have been making over the past year or so to improve facilities and services. Their combined efforts are slowly beginning to pay off and there are many interesting changes and developments that have been made and planned for over the next few years. Patients are kept informed of changes through the Practice and PPG websites and three PPG Open Meetings a year.

One small step that is nearing completion is the re-furbishment of the Waiting Room. Once a poorly decorated room full of old and tired notice boards and mis-matched chairs, the area is now light, bright and professionally decorated. (The chairs are still a jumble of styles but the Practice and the PPG are working on that!). What’s needed now is a changing display of local artwork to fill the new white walls. The project will promote local artists, provide a therapeutic visual treat and may even raise some funds for future projects.

It is anticipated that work will be displayed for four months at a time. There will be no charge for displaying work but it is expected that artists will make a donation to the Practice for any work sold.

Interest is invited from individual artists and photographers as well as local art groups, organisations and schools. For further information on this exciting project, please contact the
PPG Chair, Neil Huntingford - Tel: 07973 124085 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..