Worcester Park Christmas evening tonight!

Yes indeed! Tonight Central Road will ring to the sound of a marching band, carol singers, laughing children and quietly exasperated parents!

It should be a great chance to have some fun in Worcester Park and get some Christmas shopping done so do head down and make the most of the occasion. There's some rain forecast for this afternoon but hopefully it will have passed through by the evening, though you can always keep an eye on how it's doing here.

A special prize will be on offer to the first person who spots me in the crowd, though if you do see me that will mean that my evening will have gone pear-shaped as I'm supposed to be at a party up in London... you never know though.

On a more mundane note the event means that parking restrictions are in place on Central Road and that the side roads will be busier with traffic and the chances of parking in or around Brinkster Central will be virtually zero..

Have fun and let me know how it goes!

That was the Worcester Park Christmas Evening - 2012

So did you have fun then at Worcester Park's Christmas evening? We heard Christmas carols, won cuddly toys on the tombola, drank mulled wine from Cheam Rotary club, got a goodie bag from Sean Hanna, chatted to Mis from The Vin Bin, didn't get a balloon animal of any shape or size (we left that to the little kids) and saw lots more besides.

Those who complained about previous Christmas festivities being overwhelmed by fairground rides had their wish come true and proceedings were dominated by local groups and businesses! I hope it worked out well for them and they put on a good show (did I mention the mulled wine?)

Mrs Brinkster was due to go out for the evening so we didn't make it any further up the road to see the Christmas shop or the pop-up shop so if you didn't make or, or did but can't remember much I've put together a short video!

Party time

Gemma's just sent me a lovely email which should be of interest to all Brinkley Roadians

Hi there Mr Brinkley Road
I live in Brinkley Road and have entered our road into the sainsburys competition to win a christmas party in our street I was wondering if you could put it up on your blog for people to vote. Was unsure on how to do it if I could do it myself. I think this would be really cool for worcester park and with your help may even make the shortlist. Here is the link http://sainsburysperfectchristmas.co.uk/Street/kt4-brinkley-rd
It ends tomorrow

Thankyou for such a fantastic blog
Gemma ...
Brinkley Road

If you haven't seen the adverts here's what Gemma's talking about


I think it'd be great for somewhere in Worcester Park to win this so do get voting here:
http://sainsburysperfectchristmas.co.uk/Street/kt4-brinkley-rd
and remember to spam your Facebook and Twitter friends ;)

Christmas fun

We had a really nice time at the Worcester Park Christmas Evening last Friday night and the little Brinksters loved it, as their volcanic reaction to being told it was time to go home indicated, but I've seen on the Worcester Park blog that some people weren't enamoured with the stalls and rides and some people considered the games and rides as 'dodgy'.


To show that the grass isn't always greener I thought I'd pass on a couple of, admittedly blurry, photos I took in the West End's Leicester Square last night where the featured Christmas entertainment for the throngs is.... you guessed it.... games and rides. There's the old "get an impossibly small hoop round an unfeasibly large block" game, throw [insert name of object] and knock down [insert name of other objects], assorted sizes of cuddly toys as prizes and basically the same things that we had last Friday, if on a somewhat larger scale (in a larger space).

I'm of the opinion that's it's always best to try and find joy in the little things so if people couldn't enjoy last Friday night perhaps it's more a reflection on them than necessarily on the evening as a whole but anyway, next year will be great because they'll all be volunteering to help out won't they?? ;)

We all ready for the snow? I notice the grit box at the top of Brinkley Road's been topped up so we're sorted!

Tonight's the night!

Celebrities!? Big name acts!? Nope.. none of those. We're Worcester Park not some desperate-to-be-noticed town centre... we don't need THAT kind of superficial frippery!

Yes indeedy. Tonight is the Worcester Park Traders Association Christmas event on Central Road and I'm celebrating the day by being off work sick. Hopefully Superdrug will be one of the shops staying open late so that I can get a top-up if needed and assuming the (purely over-the-counter) drugs work I'll be out there with the crowds. It's normally the Brinkster Clan's cue to descend upon the stands like a horde of locusts and strip them bare of plastic, usually illuminated and frequently terminally fragile prizes, all in the name of religious celebration obviously.

If I'm really organised I'll get my phone charged up and tweet my way through the evening so if you're hip and connected then you might be able to track me down from my tweets. If not you should be able to have a chuckle at some of the photos when I put them up... eventually.

For more info I'd recommend you take a look at the Worcester Park Blog's entry on the subject and it's forecast to be cold so wrap up warm!

It's done

If you want to see some photos of last night's Christmas festivities on Central Road I'd recommend you head over to the Worcester Park Blog's post on the event. I did take a bunch of pictures but his cover almost exactly the same things as mine and weren't taken whilst trying to herd three small Brinksters around ;)

Although I got a post and some twitters out I was hoping to squeeze a couple more posts in during the evening but I rapidly, and only too happily, became the carthorse for the little Brinksters assorted 'winnings' and it's difficult to blog no-handed with a mobile phone.

For me the spirit of the evening was summed up by Terry Dobbs, the organiser and owner of the One Stop Party Shop, who said "It's not about the takings, it's about giving something back" and with this event Terry and those who participate in the Worcester Park Traders Association gave us something to enjoy!

Kudos to the lady who went as if to peek up the bagpipers kilt, causing him to go wildly out of tune!

Whom to believe?

As the countdown to the Worcester Park Traders Association Late Night Event creeps down below the 10 hour mark the excitement mounts, certainly in the Brinkster household, towards what should be a great evening of fun and shopping. Assuming the technology works I'm hoping to blog live throughout the Brinkster Clan visit to the event so if you're not able to be there then I'll get some photos and the like up on here for you and via Flickr (and keep an eye on the Twitter feed on the left as well).

With all such events it's proven a time to be stereotypically British and indulge in the kind of detailed weather-related speculation that's normally more appropriate to, say, an RAF sortie.

Unfortunately the two main sources of weather forecasts seem diametrically opposed in their predictions of whether it'll be raining tonight with Metcheck having changed their mind since yesterday and now saying there'll be 3mm of heavy sleet while BBC Weather, and by inference the Met Office, believe that the light rain will have cleared up by 6pm. I'll be keeping an eye on the Met Office Rainfall Radar (see below) for something more accurate than the contradications above.


See you on Central Road this evening!

Looking better!

The unpredictable priests of meteorological prognostication have relented in their poor predictions for tomorrow's weather and Metcheck now forecasts a maximum of 0.1mm through the course of the evening, which even the most rain-averse shouldn't have a problem with. Do stock your pockets full of cash and come along to Central Road tomorrow night prepared to part with it and enjoy an evening of Christmas fun with fellow Worcester Park-ies and our local traders.

Moving on, I notice that Cafe Piccolo now has part of the shop open as a cafe serving coffee, snacks and the like for those who don't want a full meal. The staggering part is that it was open when I went to work this morning and according to the sign on the door it opens at 6am!!! The lovely Costa doesn't open its doors until 7am I believe and I'm usually on a train by then so it's tempting to go into Cafe Piccolo on the way to the station just because I can :)

This post was brought to you by the letter "p".

Going balmy

As I'm sure you're aware it's the Worcester Park Traders Association Christmas Late Night Event on Friday and the meteorological prognosticators have decreed that today and tomorrow shall be balmy, relative to the cold of the last few days that is, but that the price of that will most likely be rain on... you guessed it... Friday. The Metcheck forecast last night made fairly uninspiring reading but I notice that the latest update has heavy rain during Thursday night until dawn but only showers throughout the day.

To me that just means that some of the in-store hospitality on Friday may become even more appealing if the rain does make an appearance with Dawsons Aerials doing seasonal foods and an opportunity to discuss what'll be needed for the digital switchover, Hendy's Jewellers offering mince pies and drinks, Central Plumbing providing "Champagne and the works" and many more as detailed on the Worcester Park Blog entry here.

Come what may I know the Brinkster Clan will be out in force, and for those in need of further entertainment here's another picture of The Worcester Park Blogger and myself out on Central Road

Lots of news!

The details have been announced for the annual event which enables all local residents to unashamedly revel in their Worcester-Parkiness:*

Worcester Park Traders Association
Christmas Late Night
28th November 2008 - 6pm to 9pm
Late night shopping, stalls, rides,
bouncy castle, refreshments, bands and more...
Includes a visit from Father Christmas HIMSELF!!
For more information contact the WPTA on 020 8337 6007

Those of you who are local readers may glimpse posters up and down Central Road that the Worcester Park Blogger and myself have put together to assist Terry and the Traders Association and I have the personal word of Michael Fish that the weather on the evening is going to be great.

In other exciting news Mrs Brinkster just sent me a picture of the new Christmas lights on Central Road which are being put up this very morning. I'll get my first glimpse when I go home this evening.

In case you were wondering I cropped out the 20 health & safety people with clipboards, dayglo jackets and hard hats on the ground below.

I occasionally hear the question "What do our Councillors ever do"? Well the local Guardian think they've found at least one thing and reports that a Worcester Park Councillor is under investigation for alleged bullying after approaching a Cheam shopkeeper for displaying a poster against the rebuilding of the Elizabeth Hall sheltered housing complex. You can see the full article if you clickon the image below:

A Sutton Council spokeswoman said: "We've received two complaints about Coun Gordon-Bullock and we are looking into them".

Lastly the Hamptons public enquiry notice has dropped through the door so if you haven't seen it and want to know what happens next then click on the image below.


* My intro from last year, which I still like so I recycled it.

They think it's all over.....

It is now....... After two manic days in the office The Brinkster is now off work (I hesitate to say 'on holiday') until the new year!!

Monday dawned with a delightfully predictable supply of trains into Worcester Park and I had a trouble-free journey through to Waterloo, at which point I discovered that the Waterloo & City line was closed so everyone piled down to the bus stop to catch the "Commuters' Sightseeing Tour of London". Ah well. Can't have it all.

We've had a few carol singers down Brinkley Road and have ignored a few more (if they must come when we're putting the little Brinksters to bed) and I was out with Miss Brinkster when the Rotary Association came down the road with Santa last Friday, whom the other Brinksters thought was great. Other than that there's been little to report as I've been either stuck at work or out and about on the rounds of Christmas socialising so haven't caught up with any Worcester Park gossip for the last week.

Hopefully having a few days off now means I can catch up on the rumour mill, go and buy some Christmas presents from Broadway Bargains and order Christmas lunch from the Ryan Gate.

..............or maybe not...........

Reflections - Guest blogger

Friday night's Worcester Park Traders Association Christmas evening was a tad damp, as those who were out in out can testify. I think the adult-eye view might be to say that it was a washout but as "Christmas is for the kids" I thought I'd hand over to a guest blogger for the first time. Please welcome the blogging debut of the 7-year old Brinkster Junior to give his reflections on the evening's activities:

"I liked the games best, because they're so fun and because I won a gun and a Christmas present. I played a dart game and a one where I had to throw footballs and I liked the football game best.

I went on a spinning teacup ride, the big wheel and a turning-round duck ride and they were fun because they made me feel excited.
All of the rides were exciting so it's hard to choose a favourite.
I had a really great time."

Didn't mention the rain once. Mission accomplished I'd say!

Photos

I'll do a proper post soon but for now here are a few photos from last night's Worcester Park Traders Association Christmas evening on Central Road.

The Big Day is here!!

The big day has arrived, though somewhat damply, and the collective loins of Worcester Park are being girded to enjoy The Worcester Park Traders Association Christmas evening on Central Road, so I'm sure various members of the Brinkster Clan will mark the event by coming home clutching all kinds of cheaply made, though delightfully illuminated, frippery. If you're going to be there I'm sure you'll have a good time and if the weather holds out I might be able to get some good photos, although the weather forecast itself isn't looking too great and if needed we'll plaster ourselves in stormproof clothing and make the best of it.... and I can't think of a more frightening white knuckle ride than the big wheel they've had outside Costcutter previously in howling gale and torrential rain.