EDITOR'S NOTE
Week two of the school holidays, and a fair bit has changed since we last wrote. Popeyes has finally opened its doors on White Lion Walk, and the Yvonne Arnaud's main house turns over to Dolly Parton for a week. One note of caution: watch your step on the Lower High Street, where fencing's gone up after Saturday's brickwork scare.
FEATURED THIS WEEK
9 to 5 The Musical — Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Tue 28 July to Sat 1 August
Dolly Parton's score, three downtrodden office workers, one very satisfying revenge plot against their chauvinist boss. Tickets from £20. Book at yvonne-arnaud.co.uk →
BEST FOR KIDS
Drama Camp: Epic Myths & Mighty Legends, Yvonne Arnaud's River Room, Mon 27–Wed 29 July, ages 7–11. Three days of storytelling and stagecraft with the theatre's creative learning team — book the full run or single days.
NEW THIS WEEK
Popeyes has opened at White Lion Walk, in the old JD Sports unit — Louisiana fried chicken, open till 4am most nights, the chain's first Surrey restaurant.
HEADS UP
A section of brickwork fell from above Caffè Nero on the Lower High Street on Saturday afternoon, narrowly missing pedestrians. Protective fencing is up while a structural engineer assesses the building, so expect a narrowed pavement there this week. The council says there's no evidence of a wider problem on the street.
👨👩👧 Things To Do
Kids & Family
Drama Camp: Epic Myths & Mighty Legends — Yvonne Arnaud, Mon 27–Wed 29 July, 7–11yrs. See Best for Kids above.
Summer holiday activities — Watts Gallery Artists' Village, running to Sun 31 August. Free with garden/gallery admission, alongside the Beyond Strawberry Thief exhibition.
Bandstand concert — Castle Grounds, Sun 2 August, 2–4pm. Free brass and concert bands most summer Sundays; bring a picnic rug.
Adults · Date Night
9 to 5 The Musical — Yvonne Arnaud, Tue 28 July–Sat 1 Aug. See Featured above. Tickets →
Old Mervs — The Boileroom, Thu 30 July. Tickets →
Big Truck: Laurie from Soft Play & Sam from Ladybird — The Boileroom, Fri 31 July. Sharp, podcast-adjacent comedy from two of the funnier voices on the circuit right now. Tickets →
Weekend Events
John Otway — The Boileroom, Sat 1 August. The self-styled "rock 'n' roll's greatest failure" is still touring, still gloriously ridiculous. Tickets →
North Downs 50 Ultra Challenge — Loseley Park, Sat 1 August, from 6:45am. A 50-mile ultramarathon starts and finishes at the park — expect runners on footpaths around Compton and the Downs from first light.
Looking ahead: Loseley Park's open-air season keeps going with 80s v 90s Live (Fri 7 Aug) and Musicals Under the Stars (Sat 8 Aug); Buzzcocks play the Boileroom on 5 August.
🏙️ What's New in Guildford
Popeyes has opened. The Louisiana fried chicken chain is now trading at White Lion Walk, in the former JD Sports unit — its first Surrey restaurant, open until 4am most nights (takeaway window only from 11pm).
A tug-of-war for the Electric Theatre. The council has agreed the next phase of its search for a new operator, launching a formal Expressions of Interest process. Two familiar local names have already put themselves forward for the lease: Guildford Fringe's Nick Wyschna, and The Boileroom. A decision is expected later this year.
🚧 Useful Guildford Updates
Roads — no new closure this week. Last weekend's A3 northbound closure at Dennis Roundabout was the big one. The 24/7 lane closure on the roundabout's west side stays in place regardless, with a pedestrian diversion via Woodenbridge footbridge, and continues until December while National Highways finishes the bridge repairs and resurfacing.
High Street — fencing remains up. Protective fencing is still around the section of Caffè Nero on the Lower High Street where brickwork fell on Saturday. The pavement is narrowed there but the shop stays open; a structural assessment is ongoing.
Trains — a clear week, at time of writing. Nothing significant is flagged for Guildford's lines this coming week. Check gwr.com before travelling →
Planning — quiet again. Mostly tree work and householder extensions across both the validated and decided lists this fortnight. One nice one: plans have gone in for two covered padel courts at Guildford Lido. And the North Street bingo hall conversion (23 North Street) was formally decided this week — approved, as flagged here last week.
COMING UP THIS WEEK
Mon 27 Jul: Drama Camp starts, Yvonne Arnaud
Tue 28 Jul: 9 to 5 The Musical opens, Yvonne Arnaud
Thu 30 Jul: Old Mervs, The Boileroom
Fri 31 Jul: Big Truck, The Boileroom
Sat 1 Aug: John Otway, The Boileroom · North Downs 50 Ultra Challenge, Loseley Park · 9 to 5's final night
Sun 2 Aug: Bandstand concert, Castle Grounds, 2–4pm
HIDDEN GEM OF THE WEEK
Guildford Lido. Opened in June 1933, part-funded by the Mayor's Work Fund to give unemployed residents paid work during the Depression, it's one of the last surviving 1930s outdoor pools in the country — 50 metres, unheated, and still going strong after a 90th-anniversary refurbishment. Get there early on a hot day; it fills up fast and there's no faster way to feel like you're on holiday without leaving town.
Guildford Lido © guildford.org.uk
WEATHER THIS WEEK
Warm and mostly dry continues — highs in the low-to-mid 20s (around 23–26°C most days), overnight lows in the low teens, with only a slim chance of a shower midweek. Good news for the Lido, Loseley's open-air season and anyone on the North Downs 50 route on Saturday.
👀 WORTH KNOWING
A new mural at Friary Passage. Ukrainian residents and two of Guildford's Ukrainian schools have worked with street artist Roo and the council to bring a new mural to life in the passage — a small, warm addition to the town centre worth a detour to see.
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