12 October 2026

Monday 12 October 2026 · Issue 070
Surbiton Daily
your town, every morning

Afternoon. Four bus routes have been off Surbiton Hill Road since the early hours of Sunday, and nobody has said what happened. Half-term starts a week today at Hollyfield and Surbiton High, a week before the borough's community schools. Then Kingston Market, a £1.5 million phone call, the roads and the week.

Surbiton Hill Road: buses diverted since Sunday

Since ten past midnight on Sunday, TfL has had the 406, 418, K1 and K4 off Surbiton Hill Road in both directions, for what it calls an emergency services incident. The 406 and 418 go round by Surbiton Crescent, Claremont Road and St Mark's Hill and skip the Maplehurst Close and Hollyfield School stops; the K1 and K4 go via Penrhyn Road and Surbiton Road and miss the stops between Fairfield South and Surbiton station. All four were still diverted at twenty past eleven this morning.

TfL says no more than that, and its notice currently runs to early Thursday. I can find nothing from the council, the police or the fire brigade, and the council's roadworks list, last fully updated on 2 October, has no entry for the road. If you know what happened, or whether cars can get through, reply and tell me.

Half-term: check which week

Hollyfield and Surbiton High break up this Friday and are off for two weeks, Monday 19 to Friday 30 October. The council's community schools, Grand Avenue for example, finish on Friday 23 October and return on Monday 2 November. Tolworth Girls' is off from 26 October and back on Wednesday 4 November. Academies and faith schools set their own dates, so check your school's calendar before booking anything.

Kingston Market closed this week

Kingston's market is closed until the end of Sunday 18 October. A council inspection on Friday, after the fire on 6 October that destroyed several stalls, found more safety problems, and the damaged stalls are to be demolished. Shops around the edge of the market that the fire didn't touch are open as normal, and traders pay no pitch fees while it's shut. A fundraiser for the fishmonger whose stall was destroyed has passed £12,000.

£1.5 million for Rachel from Surbiton

Global says Kate Garraway gave £1.5 million to a civil servant called Rachel from Surbiton on Friday's Cash Call, which it calls the biggest prize in UK radio history. She'd like to move to the coast. The prize resets to £500,000 for this Friday's draw.

Roads

Portsmouth Road: the lights outside Marlowe House go up today until 20 October; the set near Uxbridge Road runs to tomorrow.

Villiers Road: the K1 and K4 have been off Villiers Road in Kingston since Friday evening too, for a problem with the temporary traffic signals there; that diversion overlaps the one above.

The week

Today: children's chess club, ages 6 to 18, at Surbiton Library from half three. Cloudy with patchy rain spreading through the day, breezy and very mild, 17.

Tuesday: Full Council at the Guildhall at 7.30, webcast, with the constitution changes on who decides planning applications and the roadworks-officer motion on the agenda. Folk trio The Wilderness Yet at the cornerHOUSE, 7.45, £18. Dry first thing, then a band of rain, heavy in places, late morning to mid-afternoon; windy and very mild, 21.

Wednesday: Page to Stage at the cornerHOUSE, new plays read script in hand, 7.30, £10 to £12, and again on Thursday. Regency dancing with Mrs Bennet's Ballroom at St Mark's hall, 8 to 10, £6. Mostly dry and windy, 19.

Thursday: the weekly community pantry at Surbiton Library, 2 to 5 or until the shelves empty: cupboard basics, free, card donations welcome. Elsie Franklin at the Lamb, 8, free. Dry and windy, 21.

Friday: poetry at the cornerHOUSE, doors 7 for 7.30, £6 with a cheese buffet. Rain through the morning, drier and brighter later as the wind eases, 15.

Saturday: the farmers' market on Maple Road, 9 to 1, and at half ten a free coffee concert by Kingston Grammar School at St Andrew's. Edith Gardens, the nature reserve off Raeburn Avenue, has a free open day from 10 to 2 to show off its restoration, with pond-dipping and tea; book on Eventbrite. Corinthian-Casuals host Wallingford & Crowmarsh in the Premier Challenge Cup at 3, £10, £6 concessions, under-13s £1. In the evening, Thames Concerts has Kryštof Kohout and Edward Leung at St Andrew's, 7.30, £22 on the door, free for under-16s and students, and the cornerHOUSE stages SEEGER, Randy Noojin's solo show about Pete Seeger, 7.30, £20; Kris, who suggested the visit, says under-25s get in for £5. Cooler, 14.

Sunday: St Andrew's installs its new vicar at 6. The lines through Twickenham are shut all day, so the afternoon and evening Waterloo to Kingston via Hounslow trains don't run; South Western lists no changes at Surbiton or Berrylands. Also 14.

Coming up: Bargain World, the discount shop taking the old Poundland on Victoria Road, is reported to be opening on Monday 19 October. Bamanoosh on Ewell Road's licence application asks for live music indoors from 7 to 11 nightly as well as alcohol; comments to licensing@kingston.gov.uk by 28 October.

Back tomorrow.

Mike

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