(Information courtesy of the Southern Railway website)
NO TRAINS TO VICTORIA
Because of engineering work in the Victoria area, from today until 2 January 2023 there will be no services to or from London Victoria. Trains that usually run to or from London Victoria will be amended to run to or from London Bridge instead. Trains that usually run to or from London Bridge will run to an amended festive timetable in order to accommodate the diverted services.
There will be no Gatwick Express trains running so you are advised to use Southern or Thameslink services to London Bridge
Please check before you travel
NEW YEARS EVE
If you are travelling to London for the New Year celebrations, please make sure to check your journey. On some routes, the last trains will depart before midnight.
Due to engineering works there will be no trains to or from London Victoria.
Please see below for the last departures from:
London Bridge to:
Brighton (and stations to Worthing) : 00:07
East Grinstead : 23:22
Gatwick Airport (via Redhill) : 00:15
Horsham : 23:43
London St Pancras to :
Brighton : 23:00 – Thameslink service
Haywards Heath : 00:54 – Thameslink service
For the most up to date information and to plan your journey to or from your local station, visit National Rail.
INDUSTRIAL ACTION will also be affecting services over the coming weeks. More information on what this will mean to your journey can be on the Southern and Thameslink websites.
28 December to 2 January – Major engineering works will affect London Victoria and an amended festive timetable will run on other routes 3 & 4, 6 & 7 January – RMT strike day – Limited service, only travel if absolutely necessary. 5 January – ASLEF strike day – No Trains 8 January – first services will begin much later than normal, with no services before 7am
There is also an RMT overtime ban until 2 January. Southern and Thameslink plan to run the normal planned service on any other day during this period, however there may be short-notice cancellations and amendments
Please make sure you check your entire journey before you travel at National Rail Enquiries.
Every year Susy Radio likes to offer the opportunity for a church, a choir or a school to be part of Christmas Day.
We look to record at the weekend (as we are volunteers with day jobs) and put together a service of carols and/or lessons for the Christmas Day broadcast.
This year we were welcomed by St Michael’s Church, Betchworth who combined choirs with St Mary The Virgin at Buckland under the musical director, Martin Hall and Organist, Richard Calver. The service was led by the Reverend Neil Vigers.
The Choir made up of 18 Sopranos, 6 Altos, 5 Tenors and 5 Basses who performed traditional carols such as “Oh come all ye faithful” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” with the congregation, and a beautiful variation on “A Bleak Midwinter” Words by Christina Rossetti and Music by Harold Darke (1888 – 1976) and a truly wonderful piece entitled “Myn Lyking” Music by R.R. Terry and words from the 15th Century.
St Michael`s church itself being a megastar of the big screen being the first church seen in Four “Weddings and a Funeral” provided a great acoustic to record if a little tricky with the choir due to the location of the organ, but with an accomplished organist Richard Calver balanced well in the mix
Technically there were 16 mics around the church, 5 mics (3 radio mics) covering “Once in Royal Davids City” which was processed around the aisles of the church, 6 mics on the choir, 1 on the organ and 2 on overhead booms covering the congregation plus reader lectern mic and radio clip mic on the Reverend Vigers.
Obviously you cannot see the procession of the choir on the radio so it is very important to pick all aspects up on the mics as an even sound starting from the opening note of the solo and lasting until conclusion of the 5th verse as the choir mics and congregational mics plus two floor mics take the role as the Choir approach the choir stalls at the alter. You can see this in the pictures.
It is always a pleasure to work with the local community and provide this opportunity, belay any nerves they have making them feel at ease so they give the best they can, remembering these are not professional choirs, these are supporters of the church and sing because they want to, and what a sound.
The parishioners of Betchworth and Buckland joining in on the congregational carols were magnificent in praise for raising not only the Christmas Spirit but the roof!
The Service of Nine lessons and Carols was recorded at St Michael`s Church, Betchworth on Sunday 18th December.
Engineered by Neil Munday with technical assistance from Steve Hall, the equipment was supplied free of charge by Susy Radio supporter “Outdoor Sound Company”.
The Broadcast at 1pm on Christmas Day was edited and introduced by Neil Munday with thanks to programme Director Geoff Rogers.
The event took place Wednesday 14th December 1022 at St Matthews Church, Redhill.
Proceedings were opened by Nick Hewer (previously seen on the TV programmes ‘Countdown’ and ‘The Apprentice’) and president of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
Nick handed over to Michael More-Molyneux DL, HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey.
The Award was ‘The Queens Award for Voluntary Service’, an equivalent of an MBE for a group and was presented by Michael More-Molyneux DL and received by two younger members of the ‘Include Project’, Sophia and Ellie.
SUSY Radio’s Neil Munday was there, and spoke with some of those attending:
Alix Lewer, CEO of the ‘Include Project’
Michael More-Molyneux DL, HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
Edited highlights of the main speeches and the presentation
Nick Hewer Photo: Neil MundayMichael More-Molyneux DL, HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey Photo: Neil MundayAlix Lewer, CEO ‘Include.org’ Photo: Neil MundaySophia (in the black top) and Ellie (in the blue’ Include Choir’ top Photo: Neil Munday
