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Leatherhead has a large range of leisure facilities including:
[edit] Christian Churches
[edit] Clubs and activities
Leatherhead Football Club
The Royal Oak, Kingston Road
[edit] Social clubs
- Constitutional Club (Former Conservative Club)
- Leatherhead and District Social Club, C&IU Affiliate.
- Leatherhead Royal British Legion Club, C&IU Affiliate.
- NLCA or North Leatherhead Community Association
[edit] Hotels
[edit] Education
[edit] State education
[edit] Private education
[edit] Transport
The entrance to the station
Leatherhead is served by Leatherhead railway station. Over the years, however, Leatherhead has had four railway stations, two of which were only temporary and survived for about eight years from the railway's first opening in 1859. The current and only surviving station was designed by C. H. Driver in fine gothic revival style. It opened in 1867 to serve the London Brighton and South Coast Railway line to Dorking. The remains of the second London and South Western Railway Station can still be seen on the Leatherhead one way system. It was built as a separate terminus, but became a through station when the line to Effingham Junction and Guildford was opened in 1885. It was closed in July 1927. The lines were electrified by the Southern Railway in 1925.
Services included trains northwards to London Waterloo, London Victoria, and Wimbledon where it connects with the London Underground and Tramlink, and south to Dorking, Horsham, Guildford, and the south coast.
At one point it was planned to link Leatherhead with Chessington South Railway Station. But this was put on hold due to a protection order on Ashtead Common. In 2005 plans were put in place for a tunnel.
- The main London to Worthing road, the A24, also runs though the town, and makes up part of its large bypass.
- The M25 motorway lies to the north of the town, with Leatherhead being accessible and known as Junction 9.
'Mint Taxis & Minibuses of Leatherhead' provide Taxis for the local area: 01372 806741
A Taxi Rank is located at the train station and can be found at the entrance to platform 2.
Leatherhead is situated between London's two major airports, 30–40 minutes' drive from each, via the M25 motorway.
[edit] Emergency services
Leatherhead is served by these emergency services:
[edit] Famous residents
- Donald Campbell, Bluebird pilot and fastest man on water
- Michael Caine, who is patron to the Leatherhead Drama Festival[4]
- Kevin Williams, the "Home Doctor"
- Ben Dover, adult film maker and star
- Jonny Bairstow, professional skateboarder, grew up in Leatherhead.
- Ed Murray, professional bmx biker, started career in Leatherhead.
- Ray Alan - ventriloquist best known for Lord Charles
- Francis Rossi, front man of Status Quo went to School in Leatherhead.
- Bobby G, singer Bucks Fizz, winners Eurovision Song Contest 1981. Born in Epsom, lived, raised, schooled and worked in Leatherhead.
- Max Bygraves, singer, host Family Fortunes.
- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer.
- Badri Patarkatsishvili, Georgian businessman, died at Downside Manor, his Leatherhead mansion in February 2008 with heart attack.
- Lord Richard Rogers, architect who went to school at St Johns Leatherhead.
- Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, World War II.
- Mel Giedroyc author and half of the comedy duo Mel and Sue.
- John's Children are a band from Leatherhead
- Jeremy Bates, British Tennis Star, Former British Davis Cup Captain/Coach.
- Adam Falkner, drummer with various acts such as Mark Owen, Amy Mcdonald and James Malfoy-Sparks.
- Matt Kottman, pioneering pastor of Calvary Chapel
- Ratters, Entrepreneurial host of a Power Ranger and a Hamster run Bistro
[edit] Town's claims to fame
- The High Street was once voted amongst the worst in the United Kingdom, on a BBC TV show. [3]
- Leatherhead is mentioned in the original H. G. Wells book The War of the Worlds. Day Ten (roughly) is when Leatherhead (where the narrator sent his wife for safety) is destroyed by a Martian attack, killing everyone. Fortunately, his wife makes it out before the attack and they are reunited after the Martians' destruction. Chapter 10, "In the Storm", begins with the words "Leatherhead is about twelve miles from Maybury Hill."
- In the 1974-75 season Leatherhead F.C., or The Tanners, were drawn against Leicester City F.C. at home in the FA Cup Fourth Round Proper, but the game was switched to Filbert Street. The BBC's Match of the Day cameras and over 32,000 people saw a dramatic match, in which the Tanners went two goals up, and then saw a goalbound shot that would have made it 3-0 cleared off the line. Leicester City's fitness and class eventually told as the top-flight team fought back to win 3–2 in the second half. Leicester City went on to play Arsenal F.C. in the next round.
- In 1980 The Head, a local punk band, released the infamous single "Nothing To Do In A Town Like Leatherhead". This is now highly sought after and is a collectors item. The single is valued at over £60 by 'The Rare Record Price Guide 2008' (Diamond Publishing Group Rev Ed 4 Oct 2006). Band members are Greg Wilson, Kevin Abbott, Terry Bennett and Colin Wales.
- The film I Want Candy (released 23 March 2007) has the tagline "Two lads from Leatherhead are making a movie...and it's all gone pear-shaped".
- Leatherhead was the home for the Central Electricity Research Laboratory (CERL), the main research lab for the CEGB; the other principal facilities were at Marchwood and Berkeley.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
(Source: Wikipedia) |
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