Now that mum is finally home from hospital we've had a non-stop flow of visitors, among them a visit from Surrey Fire & Rescue.

They came to do a free Safe and Well visit, arriving by fire engine. Three of them came in to talk with us and check the house for hazards. They immediately spotted the wired-in smoke alarm in the hallway and were pleased with that, asking if it had been tested.

I sheepishly replied that I doubted it, but the fact that it has been set off recently from some cooking sort of counts. Nonetheless they tested that one and the one on the landing above.

When I took them into mum's makeshift bedroom downstairs she was dozing so I woke her with the words "Mummy, the strippers are here!"

That got a little smile from her and a mild look of shock from the firefighters. As mum is currently unable to walk they made a note that if a call goes out for this address they won't just treat it as a fire but as someone trapped in a fire; such a sensible thing, imagine the time and lives saved if there was a way of knowing if people were in the buildings they are called to.

They quickly put in another smoke alarm in the room that she sleeps in “just in case”.

They discussed escape routes and delicately hinted at de-cluttering, something which is much needed as we've had to fit a bed and an armchair in to the dinning room. As they said, the more flammable things in a room the easier it is for a fire to spread, and faster too.

Finally we talked about Lions Message in a Bottle, the bottle found in the fridge. I knew mum had one, and I knew it wasn't filled in because when she was given it many years ago she didn't have any illnesses or allergies to list.

It's a clever idea, an A4 piece of paper where you put information that would be useful to first responders, allergies, medications, illnesses, emergency contacts etc.

You put it, in the small bottle provided, in the door of your fridge with a sticker on the outside of the fridge and another around the front door so they know to look.

On a recent Monday evening, Martians Explorer Scout Unit visited the White Rose Nature Reserve at the end of Coniston Road to support an evening of Himalayan balsam pulling. They were assisting the Woking Biodiversity Group to contain the invasive species.

Often called the “touch-me-not balsam”, this invasive plant is becoming an environmental hazard and commercial issue in many parts of the UK. It became popular initially due to its pretty pink flowers and deep green leaves, however it is taking over areas of damp meadowland and streams.

Some 25 Martians came equipped with sturdy boots, thick trousers, long-sleeved tops and sturdy gardening gloves. After a couple of hours they had cleared the designated area.

Thanking the Explorers, Kate Lloyd, of Woking Environment Group, mentioned it was through enthusiastic volunteers that WEAct could complete so many local projects, from hedgehog and owl support to monitoring stream water quality, the Woking Repair Cafe and Climate Action Group.

They are always open to new volunteers with ideas on climate or nature improvement and can be contacted at [email protected].