Recently, I went along to Pyrford Village Hall to see The Good Old Days – a traditional music hall show put together by Steve Dorsett and Pyrford Little Theatre, with The Fat Spanner Open Mic Band playing the music live.

The show was a joy from start to finish, with all those classic sing-along songs and some hilarious sketches in between. I loved how the cast walked through the audience, encouraging us all to join in with songs like Right Said Fred, My Old Man’s a Dustman and Where Did You Get That Hat? – the latter involving the cast placing hats randomly on audience members’ heads as they sang.

There were laughter and smiles all round. Radio Woking’s Rob Day, performing as a vicar delivering a sermon laced with Cockney rhyming slang, was one of the highlights. It was also a real treat to hear Ian Wishart performing his lockdown creation The Pyrford Song.

All money raised supported the vital work of Woking & Sam Beare Hospice, which added to the feel-good factor of the night.

Elsewhere, I have been seeking out Christmas events as we head into the festive season. I went to Tesco’s Christmas Market in Aldershot – one of a series of markets popping up in Tesco car parks across the UK throughout November and December.

I saw it was coming to Aldershot, so we headed over to feel a bit more festive. There was a queue to get in and, sadly, by the time we reached the front the much-hyped goodie bags had run out. We did, however, get to sample a range of festive treats and immerse ourselves in Christmas music and a cheerful atmosphere, which brought some warmth to a chilly car park on a Saturday morning.

The markets also include a free Santa’s Grotto, which can be booked online for younger visitors.

Christmas light switch-ons across the area always bring back memories of Lara, who loved this time of year.

Back in 2014, Lara and I were chatting on social media and were yet to meet in person. She saw a poster in her hometown of Epsom advertising the upcoming Christmas light switch-on, but with no mention of who would be doing the honours.

She sent a tongue-in-cheek tweet to the organisers saying she would be available — and, to her amazement, she was offered the gig alongside the Mayor, Santa and Lara’s niece, who all took to the stage to flick the switch and light up Epsom. That night was also the first time I met Lara in person, and we went on to have six happy years together until her untimely passing from Covid complications in 2020.

Epsom Market Place will always hold special memories for me, harking back to that November night 11 years ago.

Listen to my shows on Radio Woking (Sunday 9 am to noon, Wednesday 7am to 9 am), Surrey Hills Community Radio (every second Monday at 9 pm) and Life on the Edge (every first Monday at 10 am). Send a voice note via www.speakpipe.com/jonandrews or email [email protected]