Read all about it! Our glorious winning entry, inspired by a mysterious cigarette case and the 2022 runners-up are available to read. Since 2017, a creative, cultural revolution has happened across Reigate and Banstead. Our youngsters have written and written and written. Their stories have been ghoulish and scary, funny, witty and sad. They have…
Author: Kay Hymas
A Mysterious cigarette case, a conker chef and ghosts in the park. The 2022 winning stories are…
/ The 2022 round of Reigate and Banstead Writes received almost 300 stories and finally we have our winners. Lizzie and The Cigarette Case by Mary Jones, a pupil from St. Bede’s school is this year’s winner with her evocative WWII story about a mysterious cigarette case The runners-up include a story about Martin the…
The Snow Queen at the Courtyard Theatre
An odyssey through a frozen wonderland… The Snow Queen brings her icy magic to Chipstead, just in time to banish the post-holiday blues. The Snow Queen and her evil ice-chips lead 14-year old Gerda (Alice Grant) on an epic quest to rescue her half-brother Kay (Louis Higham) who has hitched his sledge to that belonging…
Magical Cinderella at the Harlequin.
The Harlequin’s production is the cream of the crop. A kind and sparkly Fairy Godmother, pumpkin’s turning into carriages, a beautiful heroine and her handsome Prince Charming. The Harlequin’s 2022 production does not stray too far from the well-loved, original story. There is an array of singing and dancing, Blur fans are in for a…
Madness. They call it Madness.
Madness entertain post racing crowd at Sandown Park,
Started A Story? Make Sure You Enter It!
Budding authors in school years 5 – 8 have until 30th November to submit their magical 1,000 word story. RB Writes has one golden rule: stories must clearly be about the area- or use local landmarks as inspiration. The Belfry Centre, Priory Park, Mercers and Earlswood Lakes, Banstead Common and Reigate Hill have featured as…
Hangmen by Martin McDonagh
Courtyard Theatre, Chipstead Hangmen, the first play by Martin McDounagh to be set in England, brims with dark humour and horror and gives a whole new meaning to the ‘Swinging Sixties’. The curtain opens on a bleak scene, made more claustrophobic as only the far right of the stage is used. It is 1963 and…
The comforting and lawless world of the Mr Men.
Children’s Books. The Mr Men may be 50 somethings but they have stood the test of time, delighting and entertaining generations of children. The Mr Men provided the visual and wordy landscape of my early childhood – the vivid illustrations from Roger Hargreaves remain so etched on my mind’s eye, that to this day I…
Just in time for Half-Term!
RB Writes – the creative writing competition for young people returns for the 5th fantastical year. The 2022 round opens Thursday 13th October and young writers have until 30th November to submit their story. Once again, the borough’s young people are asked to pick up their pens or fire up a laptop and write a…
‘Down The Hatch’. Well Worth The Walk!
The Hatch, Hatchlands Road, Redhill. Is there a more perfectly placed RH pub than the Hatch? Opposite the War Memorial on Shaw’s Corner and eminently walkable from Redhill, Reigate and beyond. The announcement back in May that it would become the first Pilgrim Brewery Free House was no surprise. Its former incarnation attracted ‘regulars’ who…
