Epsom

My mother was born in Switzerland originally, Swiss mother, father from Grimsby, someone who is of the world, very cultured, can speak many languages, pick up languages so easily, and really believed in the power of travel and broad horizons.

All of which is to say, I was born in Epsom.

In 1978, and I spent the first four years of my life in that leafy enclave of Surrey.

And then aged four, my dad got a job in Northern Ireland, which is where his mother had come from.

I'm hugely honoured to be able to introduce Helen Maguire, BEM MP.

She's represented Epsom and Yule in the House of Commons since July 2024.

A particular irony, that's why I went to school as well, so...

Not a constituent now, but before entering politics, she trained at the Royal Military Academy Stamhouse and served as a captain in the Royal Military Police, deploying to Bosnia with NATO's Stabilization Force and later to Iraq, where her work included helping to rebuild the Iraqi police service and providing counterinsurgency policing support alongside frontline troops.

When this was happening, everybody was singing it and doing the acts and so on.

So it became a thing that everybody in Epsom had to come and see all these charity shows to watch the two boys making a fool of themselves.

I'd love to hear the bow drawn down, which always brings a smile to my face.

Thank you.

Well, really, it's my husband, David, who's a medic, but also he was a very accomplished violinist.

You know, we all miss him so much because he was incredibly intelligent and funny and very well read.

But he played in a quartet when we went to Epsom till the end.

But near the end of his illness, we'd obviously heard Maxim Vengerov on the radio.

It is free, but donations are incredibly welcome.

And Epsom at the Hook Road Arena, Hook Road, Epsom Fireworks on the 7th.

This has been going since 1971.

My goodness, that's a long time.

I know, it is, isn't it? For the past 11 years, the award-winning UK champion Illusion Fireworks have delivered both annual displays.

It's run by volunteers.

The event donates all profits through the Epsom Fireworks Charitable Trust to youth charities across Epsom and Yule.

whether returning or visiting for the first time you can expect another spectacular display uh they're delighted to confirm there'll be a low noise children's show at 6 30 well played to them for that with the main display at 7 30. in addition to the two displays there'll be a bonfire straight after the main display throughout the evening the funfair will be in operation on a paper ride basis More details at epsomfireworks.com. Standard entry is £12 if you buy now.

Redevelopment of Seawater Estate set to restart.

Concerned about bullying and harassment at Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust.

And Runnymede Borough Council losing its battle with fly tippers.

One of the worst fallouts from Woking Borough Council's bankruptcy is set to reach its long overdue conclusion, allowing a fractured community to finally heal.

We will then get the rest of the project delivered by private partners, something we can't do ourselves as a council because we're unable to access any more funding.

We will have delivered against all the planning requirements of the current phases and we can finish Shearwater.

Staff have raised concerns about bullying and harassment at the NHS Trust that runs Epsom Hospital with the Care Quality Commission, saying the Trust's leadership required improvement after an inspection in May.

The Care Quality Commission found shortfalls at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Trust during its inspection, the report of which was released this week.

And that was Kevin Blake seriously involved with the Joseph O'Brien Yard, who have had an absolutely brilliant year, undoubtedly.

But he came up and they asked him after the horse had worn one of the handicaps, they said, do you agree with Gianni Marta that this place now is the place to have winners? And it's kind of overshadowing even the Derby at Epsom.

20 years ago, I made statements that for trainers to survive, flat trainers needed to try and have a winner at Royal Ascot and national home trainers needed to have a winner at Chatham.

yeah

And they're easier to win.

And not so many horses don't stay.

But we've gone from Tessio's time that the winning post at Epsom dictated the way racing was going for the next few years.

It was like the market at Smithfield in London dictated trade.

And so are the jockeys.

And sometimes the jockeys, because you may have the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, he's got one in Gloucester, but he's got another one in... windsor than epsom or something in surrey so how does he ride a horse two different horses on the same day they literally put him in a helicopter and move him from one site to the other there are like whole helicopter landing areas for the modern horse racing i find that amazing that you're like combining helicopter technology with horse racing Going back to

Gaius then.

So

That's what we tend to do is go back to when you're when you're real little and you're at home and to paint the picture of where are you? Who's in the house? And where are the books?

So I'm in Epsom in Surrey, where I spent the first four years of my life.

And I'm with my mother and I'm on a window seat.

And she is teaching me how to read and write.

He spent periods in residential and approved schools and his behaviour became increasingly difficult to manage as he grew older.

By 1961 he had been admitted to St Ebba's Hospital at Epsom following threats and violent incidents involving members of his family.

Further psychiatric admissions followed during 1962 when his medical history included drug overdoses, hallucinations and episodes of violence.

After his admission to Broadmoor, Dr. Udwin described Doyle as initially suspicious, withdrawn and difficult to interview.

Udwin concluded that Doyle's early behaviour and disorder had developed into a severe psychotic illness.

Despite this assessment, he believed Doyle was becoming less likely to abscond or act violently and could probably be managed in an ordinary psychiatric hospital rather than a maximum security institution such as Broadmoor.

Dr. Udwin consequently recommended that Doyle be transferred from Broadmoor, identifying Horton Hospital at Epsom as a possible destination.

Houghton was one of five large psychiatric hospitals or institutions collectively known as the Epsom Cluster.