Surrey is a large county (not far from London). One of the most affluent areas in England, it’s home to many commuters who can’t afford to live in London (or prefer not to) and like to remain in one of the most wooded areas. We’ve lost nearly all our native forests (and it was only a petition by 38 Degrees that stopped David Cameron’s government selling the rest off to industry. It shows money talks, as nobody is chopping down the trees here, unlike some areas nationwide.
Surrey obviously has its commuter towns (fans of The Good Life will remember Jerry Leadbetter’s awful ‘London Bridge’ commute back to his Surbiton home. While neighbours Tom and Barbara Good (played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal) gave it all up for a simple life growing their own food, and seemed to have far more fun!
Surrey is home to some unique features, like the oldest working windmill and Box Hill. It even has a ‘secret beach’ (it’s a lake with sand, so looks like a beach even if it isn’t one). However it’s not dog-friendly (and not safe for dogs anyway, due to issues with blue-green algae).
One good thing about affluent areas is that with extra time on their hands, people often come up with good ideas. One is Zero Carbon Guildford which is helping to reduce carbon emissions by 60% for the average person. Ideas include a community fridge (that distributes almost-out-of-date food to stop it going to landfill), a Leaky Homes Project (provides thermal imaging to show residents where heat loss is occuring), A Library of Free Things (free loan of tools, coolboxes, camping equipment, gazebos) and community recycling boxes.
