St Mary's Church, Long Ditton
Events at St Mary's
Babes and Tots, our hugely popular weekly gathering of little ones and carers runs every Friday morning during term time
with singing, outdoor play and crafting. 9.30-11.30. Coffee makers particularly welcome!
Our choir (and junior choir) are happy to welcome new members. Please contact our Director of Music Julia Bowyer via choir@stmaryslongditton.org.uk
Saturday 24th January 2026. Our annual Burns Night celebration. We gather to enjoy a traditional meal and the poetry of both Burns and others. Tickets always sell quickly and will be available in November.
Wednesday 11th February, 2026. Roger Morgan-Grenville is a former soldier who has a passion for nature – and was a founding member of the conservation charity Curlew Action. Roger now has a second career as an author. Roger will share his most recent title: The Restless Coast: A journey around the edge of Britain (Icon Books) – although may also give us strong statistics about beekeeping.
Wednesday 11th March, 2026. Nigel Jackman, chairman of the Richmond Park Bird and Wildlife Groups, will give an illustrated presentation to share his passion for the rich variety of birds and butterflies of Richmond Park, one of London's largest and best places for wildlife. Many of the species occur elsewhere locally, so come along to be better informed about how to recognise them.
15th April 2026 To mark the anniversary of the sinking of Titanic – on the very day! – we are delighted to host the launch of a new novel about the famous ship, The Lost Passenger (Penguin Random House) by Frances Quinn. Her book tells the story of someone who chose to change their destiny on the night the ship sank. The book will be available to order from Regency Bookshop, and Frances will kindly sign copies.
Most BookBox events are accompanied by a recommended book to share (although you can enjoy without). Copies of most of the titles are either available, or can be ordered, from our friendly local independent bookshop, The Regency Bookshop in Surbiton and they also often have tickets (and there is a discount if you buy both ticket and book from them).
How to book: For church services, just turn up! Tickets for BookBox cost £10 per person. They are available from us in church after services, or from Eventbrite via our website. If you find access difficult, or prefer to speak to someone in person, you can call Diana Jemmett 020 8398 1184 or Joanne Hall on 020 8398 5637.
At each evening we serve home-made refreshments. You can just turn up on the day, but it’s helpful if you book – so our wonderful social committee can prepare ahead.
Get involved: We are always delighted to welcome those who would like to help: our social team runs a monthly Friendship Lunch on the first Friday; magazine distributors support their local roads; our technical team helps with recording or events; our gardening team keep the church grounds looking lovely (and learn about gardening at the same time). Full training and comradeship are always on offer!
For information/programme suggestions please contact office@stmaryslongditton.org.uk
Children's author Nicholas Allan with Thunderbirds Creator, Mary Turner. Thank you to Regency Bookshop in Surbiton for all their support with Bookbox this year.
Join us for a gentle 2 mile Sunday Stroll on 12:30 the 11th of January - Everyone is Welcome! We'd love to have you with us on this gentle stroll within beautiful Richmond Park. It's a short one this time - 2 miles (or 4 miles if you wish to do a lap of honour!) - and the route is fairly flat with no hills!We'll walk at a gentle pace, covering the 2 miles in around 50 minutes and everyone's welcome, as are children and dogs. Please meet us at the Coffee Kiosk in Pembroke Lodge Car Park, Richmond Park, TW10 5HX at 12:30 on Sunday 11th January. There is no need to book your place, please just turn up and say hello! We want to bring people together in nature, and to have the opportunity of meeting new friends. We plan to offer a gentle walk once a month, and you are invited. You will need warm clothing, a waterproof jacket (just in case) and some sturdy walking shoes/boots. For more information, call or message Felix 07977 112920. Please car share whenever possible. Please note that the car park can get very busy if it's a nice day, so leave 10 or 15 minutes to find a space. See you there! Kind regards, Felix Deer: 020 3912 8029, 07977 112920.
