August 2026 — looking to the future with plenty of events coming up

Sep 1

4 min read

Originally shared in our August 2026 email newsletter. You can sign up to receive our monthly updates here.

The classic swansong of the summer; when the summer-fruiting raspberries give way to the autumn-fruiting raspberries. RHS says they are ‘generally smaller, less vigorous plants’, but we still think they’re pretty neat.

Hello again! Good to see you. Hope you’ve been away somewhere nice this year. Us? It’s been a quiet one for a change, just a tour of the borough’s best freezer aisles in between stints of event-wrangling for September.

Missing the summer holidays already? Us too. But between reflecting on becoming very familiar with the small print on the back of choc ice boxes, we’ve still found the time to throw together some fun and games to make the most of the season’s fading light.

Call this month’s issue what you want: a mini newsletter, a deluxe diary edition, or a even hasty and/or slapdash attempt at keeping a deadline. Point is, expect a refreshingly brief tour through the next couple months of TCB shenanigans to pad your calendar with anecdote-worthy weekends (and maybe some mid-week mischief too). Short but sweet — and unlike a choc ice, you can’t spill down your front. Or eat, for that matter.

Shall we get to the dates now?

What’s the latest for Celebrate Surbiton?

Shows, stalls, events and more on the way

*Come make the most of the last few long evenings down at Surbiton Station this September.*

If you check your notes from last month, then you’ll remember we announced Celebrate Surbiton, a… well, celebration of its titular suburb, Surbiton, every Thursday evening in September outside the art-deco masterpiece that is its station. Now a month wiser, we’re ready to start spilling the beans on what will be going down on this temporary town square.

The alfresco basics are well and truly covered, from the variety of live music acts we have lined up to the steadfast Surbiton Flyer team swooping in with a bar just in case soundcheck leaves something to be desired.

*Not to worry: technical problems have been at an all-time low since we found a second hi-viz vest for our sound techs.*

Hungry for more? That’s what our food vendors are for — local legends well-versed in keeping peckishness at bay while you’re soaking in the last of that world-famous Surbiton sun. Expect the likes of the properly cool Surrey Ices, banging burgers from Seething staple Beef Bros, and Korean classics courtesy of Nimtoh, to name a few.

But you know us by now: TCB may as well (but probably shouldn’t) stand for Terrific Celebrations of the ‘Burbs. Of course there’s more! There’ll be live portraits to document the occasion(s) from Tara of Tolworth Roundabout mural fame, or off-canvas options provided by face-painting extraordinaire Sim Kay. To top it off, The Community Forge will be on hand with souvenirs to arm you with physical proof for when some incredulous colleague doubts your ability to squeeze in all of the above on a school night. At a taxi rank. Outside a train station.

The first of four celebrations kicks off this coming Thursday, 3rd September, from 4:30pm to the wee hours (8pm-sharp). Tell your friends, your neighbours, even your incredulous colleagues — the more, the merrier!

Thanks to Surbiton Town Centre Partnership, SWR, and Friends of Surbiton Station for helping to bring this all together, and remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest info on this (and all our other) events.

Lots more dates for your diary

Seething Village Fete, Surbiton Festival, and more!

Only a week or two until the annual Seething Village Fete on Saturday 12 September — a TCB staple and well-worth a visit, whether it’s your first time or you already have a decade of attendences under your belt.

We’ll keep this bit brief: a quick roundup of all the dates we could think of for the next couple of months. Any extra bits and bobs will be up on our socials first, so be sure to check FB or Instagram if you find your weekend wide open and need some inspiration.

One final word on the upcoming village fete: alongside the usual local crafters, artists, live demos, talks, face painting, and all-round family fun, this year will incorporate local honey traders and some mead tasting. That’s right, it’s the Seething staple and a mini HoneyFest all rolled into one! We’re positively buzzing. 🐝

Chessington Lunch Service, 3 & 17 September Link 1, Link 2	Celebrate Surbiton, Thursdays in September Link
Seething Village Fete, Saturday 12 September Link	Knit Wits: Haus of SIBLING, until 26 September Link
Surbiton Ski Sunday, Sunday 11 October Link	The King’s Soup, Sunday 11 October Link

Teddy Bear Hunt & Picnic, Sunday 27 September

11am to 1pm, Tolworth Broadway (more info to come!)

All done!

A pretty efficient issue this month, at least by the standards of this newsletter.

The usual essay-length rambling should be back in full-force come this time next month, or perhaps even longer as we rollover our surplus word count from today… might be best to block out an afternoon, just in case. Don’t worry: we’re in this together.

See you around Surbs,

— The Community Brain team