If you know someone interested in local history or pubs - or both - our club member Richard Holmes has written the perfect present for them. His Pubs, Inns and Taverns of Surbiton and Malden covers all the pubs of the area, including many that have now disappeared. Richard has also written similar books on the pubs of Kingston; Richmond; and Epsom, Ewell & Cheam.

The books are available from Kingston Museum, the Regency Bookshop in Surbiton and direct from Richard via eBay at £ 12.50.

Richard has kindly offered to sell copies of the book to club members for £ 10 provided they can be picked up at a mutually convenient time at the club to avoid postage costs. Contact Richard if you wish to take up this offer.

A topical example of the material in Richard's book is the photograph below of our club's current post match watering hole (that's the link to chess if you were wondering!) when it was the Ritz Cinema and not part of a very large pub chain! It went from cinema to bingo hall to pub according to Richard's research. The parking on Victoria Road looks like it was challenging even back in the day!