Almería and Sunbury-on-Thames: Difference between pages

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{{infobox UK place|
{{redirect|Almeria}}
|country = England
[[Image:Escudo ciudad de Almería.svg|thumb|right|200px]]
|official_name= Sunbury-on-Thames
<!-- Infobox begins -->{{Infobox City
|official_name = Almería, Andalusia, Spain
|latitude= 51.43
|nickname =
|longitude= -0.43
|motto =
|population = 27,415 (2001)
|image_skyline =
|shire_district= [[Spelthorne]]
|imagesize =
|shire_county= [[Surrey]]
|image_caption =
|region= South East England
|image_flag = Bandera_de_Almería.svg
|post_town= SUNBURY-ON-THAMES
|postcode_district= TW16
|image_seal = Escudo_ciudad_de_Almería.svg
|postcode_area= TW
|image_map = Almeria, Spain location.png
|mapsize =
|dial_code= 01932
|os_grid_reference= TQ105695
|map_caption =
|constituency_westminster= [[Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency)|Spelthorne]]
|subdivision_type = [[List of municipalities in Almería|Municipality]]
}}
|subdivision_name = [[Almería (province)|Almería]]
'''Sunbury-on-Thames''' (also known as '''Scumbury''') Has the shittist school in the world is a [[London commuter belt]] town<ref>"One of those pleasant villages lyingon the Thames, near [[Hampton Court]], Rev. [[Gilbert White]] descibed it, in ''The Natural History of Selborne'', letter xii, 4 November 1767.</ref> in the [[Surrey]] borough of [[Spelthorne]] in [[England]]. It is located 16 miles (25 km) southwest of central [[London]] and bordered by [[Feltham]] and [[Hampton, London|Hampton]], flanked on the south by the [[River Thames]].
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = [[Luis Rogelio Rodríguez-Comendador Pérez]] ([[People's Party (Spain)|PP]])
|established_title =
|established_date =
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 295
|area_total_sq_mi = 113.9
|area_land_km2 =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_percent =
|area_urban_km2 =
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km2 =
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|population_as_of = 2007
|population_note =
|population_total = 189798
|population_metro =
|population_urban =
|population_density_km2 = 615.9
|population_density_sq_mi = 1595.3
|timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset = +1
|timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|latd=36 |latm=50 |lats= |latNS=N
|longd=2 |longm=27 |longs= |longEW=W
|elevation_m = 23
|elevation_ft = 76
|website =
|footnotes =
}} <!-- Infobox ends -->
'''Almería''' is the capital of the [[Almería (province)|province of Almería]], [[Spain]]. It is located in southeastern Spain on the [[Mediterranean Sea]].


==History==
==History==
The earliest evidence of occupation in Sunbury is provided by the discovery of Bronze Age [[funerary urn]]s dating from the [[10th century BC]]. It is mentioned in the Sunbury Charter in AD [[962]]. Many years later the arrival of [[Huguenot]] refugees gave the name to French Street.


Sunbury was in the [[Middlesex]] Domesday map in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Suneberie''. Its Domesday assets were: 7 [[hide (unit)|hide]]s. It had 5 [[plough]]s, [[meadow]] for 6 [[plough]]s, cattle pasture. It rendered £6.<ref>[http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm Surrey Domesday Book]</ref>
The name "Almería" المراية stems from ''Al-Mariyat'': "The Mirror", in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], comparing it to the "The Mirror of the Sea".


The riverside St Mary's [[Anglican]] Church and the Ferry House nearby are mentioned in the book ''[[Oliver Twist]]'' by [[Charles Dickens]]. Other literary references include the difficulty of rowing up Sunbury backwater in "[[Three men in a boat]]" by [[Jerome K. Jerome]], and Sunbury Cross under a pall of smoke during "[[The War of the Worlds]]" by [[H.G.Wells]].
The city was founded by [[Abd ar-Rahman III]] of [[Caliph of Cordoba|Cordoba]], in 955, as a principal harbor in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defenses.


Sunbury was once the residence of [[Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke|Admiral Hawke]] who blockaded Rochefort in 1757 and in 1758 he directed the blockade of Brest for six months.
Its [[Moorish]] castle, ''[[Alcazaba]]'', is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of [[Andalusia]] after the [[Alhambra]].


In 1889 a group of music hall stars met in the Magpie hotel in Lower Sunbury to form the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]]. The pub itself was named after the horse that one of the entertainers owned, whilst the Grand Order was named because the Magpie (a trotting pony) had been described as a drowned water rat. The Three Fishes in Green Street is one of the oldest pubs in Surrey, thought to date back to the 16th Century.
In this period, the port city of Almería reached its historical peak, continuing, after the fragmentation of the [[Caliph of Cordoba|Caliphate of Cordoba]], under powerful local Muslim ''[[taifa]]'' emirs like [[Jairan]], the first independent Emir of [[Taifa of almeria|Almería]] and [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]] and [[Almotacin]] the poet emir, both fearless warriors but also patrons of the arts. A silk industry, based upon plantings of mulberry trees in the hot dry landscape supported Almería in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable prize. Contested by the emirs of [[Granada]] and [[Valencia (taifa)|Valencia]], Almería suffered many sieges, and one especially fierce when Christians, called to the [[Second Crusade]] by [[Pope Eugene III]], were also encouraged to fall upon the Muslim 'infidel' on a more familiar coast.


Sunbury-on-Thames was historically part of [[Middlesex]], forming the [[Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District]] from 1894.<ref name=vision_urban>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10216394&c_id=10001043 Sunbury UD] ([http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10216394&c_id=10001043 historic map])</ref> In 1965, the majority of Middlesex was absorbed into [[Greater London]]. However, the Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District was instead transferred to [[Surrey]].<ref name=vision_urban/> The Royal Mail did not adopt the change in 1965 and the [[Postal counties of the United Kingdom|postal county]] remained Middlesex; although [[Postal counties of the United Kingdom|postal counties]] are no longer officially in use.<ref name=guide>Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004)</ref> In 1974 the urban district was abolished and it has since formed part of the borough of [[Spelthorne]].<ref>Arnold-Baker, C., ''Local Government Act 1972'', (1973)</ref>
On that occasion [[Alfonso VII]], at the head of mixed forces of Catalans, Genoese, Pisans and Franks led a crusade against the rich city, and Almería was occupied in October 1147. Within a decade it had passed to the control of the puritanical [[Almoravid]] emirs, and though its glorious culture was diminished, not until the late 15th century did it fall permanently into Christian hands, surrendered to the [[Catholic Monarchs]], [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand]] and [[Isabella I of Castile|Isabella]], [[December 26]] [[1489]].


==The town today==
''See: [[List of Almería Kings]]''
Geographically, Sunbury comprises two areas. The area adjacent to the river is commonly known as ''[[Lower Sunbury]]'', or Sunbury Village, and has a quaint, almost rural, atmosphere, while the area around and to the north of Sunbury Cross, where the [[M3 motorway|M3]] begins, is properly known as ''[[Sunbury Common]]''. It is more urban and is home to a number of large companies including Chubb and BP, as well as a mixture of national and local traders including a 1960s shopping centre and a large [[Tesco]] Extra superstore.
Marking the western border of Sunbury is the [[Queen Mary Reservoir]] which was constructed in 1925. This is also home to a sailing club and is regularly used by local schools and youth organisations to teach water sports skills.
Lower Sunbury has become increasingly popular with young first time buyers looking to start families. The mixture of Victorian terraces and 1930s semi detached houses in the leafy village offers a favourable and more affordable alternative to London. Lower Sunbury is usually defined as the area south of Sunbury Cross (Junction 1 on the M3). A conservation area within Sunbury village has been recognised to cover Thames Street and this reflects its historic buildings, many pubs, restaurants and a beautiful stretch of river bank leading up to the Church.


Sunbury is a largely suburban town with a number of high-rise office buildings and industrial estates clustered around the [[M3 motorway|M3]] and the A308 (Staines Road West) and A316 (Country Way) trunk roads. Sunbury was previously the home of [[BP]]'s Engineering and Research Centre, located to the north of Sunbury on the site of Meadhurst House, formerly owned by the [[Cadbury]] family. The site is now Sunbury Business Park and is home to a large number of BP's business units. A number of other companies, including [[Chubb Locks|Chubb]], also have a presence.
The 16th century was for Almería a century of natural and human catastrophes, for there were at least four [[earthquakes]]&mdash; of which the one in 1522 was especially violent&mdash; devastating the city. The people who had remained Muslim were expelled from Almería after the [[Alpujarras|War of Las Alpujarras]] in 1568 and scattered across Spain. Landings and attacks by [[Berber people|Berber]] [[pirate]]s were also frequent in that century, and continued until the early 18th century. In that time, huge iron mines were discovered and French and British companies came to settle in the area, bringing renewed prosperity and bringing Almería back to a relative importance within Spain.


The Avenue, Sunbury, has been the home of the [[London Irish]] [[rugby football|Rugby]] Club since 1932 although since 2001 its premiership team has played at the [[Madejski Stadium]] in [[Reading, Berkshire]]. However hundreds of minis, youngsters and adults turn out for the club each weekend in Sunbury during the rugby season. A few hundred metres to the east of Sunbury Cross is [[Kempton Park Racecourse]].
During the [[Spanish Civil War]] the city was shelled by the German navy. It and [[Málaga]] were the last Andalusian cities to surrender to [[Francisco Franco]]'s "National Spain" forces. In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and its intensive agriculture, with plants grown year-round in massive 'invernaderos' - plastic-covered intensive farms.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Lirun.jpg|thumb|London Irish]] -->


Sunbury Court, in Lower Sunbury, is the home of the High Council of the [[Salvation Army]].
After Franco's death and the approval of the new Spanish Constitution, the people of southern Spain were called into referendum to approve an autonomous status for the region. The province of Almeria voted in favour of it and join the newly created autonomous region of [[Andalusia]].{{Dubious}}


Lower Sunbury is the home of the Sunbury Millennium Embroidery. [http://www.sunburyembroidery.co.uk] The embroidery was conceived and designed in the 1990s and completed in 2000. Since July 2006 its permanent home is the purpose built Sunbury Millennium Embroidery Gallery, within the well-tended Walled Garden adjoining Sunbury Park. With the opening of a café within the gallery building, which architecturally resembles a boat, this has rapidly become a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, just across the road from a picturesque stretch of the Thames. The Walled Garden also hosts annual concerts and plays in the summer months.
==Demographics==
In July of each year, Lower Sunbury is the start of the colourful traditional ceremony of [[Swan Upping]], where two livery companies carry out marking of the swans on the upper reaches of the [[River Thames]]. In August, the traditional [[Sunbury Amateur Regatta]] takes place on the stretch of the river around [[Rivermead Island]].


==Education==
{{Demography 7col|400px|
The town has Three primary schools, [[Chennestone Primary School]], [[St Ignatius RC Primary School]] and [[ Spring Field primary school]]
1999|2000|2001|2002|2003|2004|2005|2007|
169,027|168,945|170,994|173,338|176,727|177,681|181,702|189,798}}
<small>Source: [http://www.ine.es INE (Spain)]</small>


===Secondary Schools===
==People and culture==
*St. Paul's Catholic College, Volunatary aided
*Sunbury Manor School, Community school specializing in specific learning difficulties
*The Bishop Wand Church of England Secondary School, Voluntary aided


==Local leisure, and entertainment==
[[Image:Almeria Puerta de Purchena fcm.jpg|thumb|Puerta de Purchena]]
*[[London Irish]] [[rugby football|Rugby]] Club
Famous natives of Almería include [[Nicolás Salmerón]], who in 1873 was the third president of the [[First Spanish Republic]], and several musicians, like the popular folk singer [[Manolo Escobar]], reputed Flamenco guitar player [[José Tomás "Tomatito"]] and Grammy Award winner [[David Bisbal]], record-breaker album seller in America and Spain.
*[[Sunbury Hockey Club]]
Although administratively annexed to the Autonomous Community of Andalucia, in Southern Spain, some people of the province have shown a clear desire for regional autonomy in different referendums. The island effect produced by the geographical situation has made several customs, accents and history different from the rest of the Autonomous Region of Andalucia.
*[[Kempton Park Racecourse]]
Almería hosted the [[Mediterranean Games]] in 2005.
*[[Kempton Park Steam Engines]] at the Kempton Park waterworks
*[[River Thames]] Boat Trips
*The Riverside Arts Centre.
*[[862 (Sunbury) Air Training Corps]]


==Economy==
==Notable people==


[[Joe Gormley]] - Trade Union leader,
Almería has an international airport, named [[Almería Airport|Almería International Airport]].


[[Adam Faith]] - singer and actor,
Almería has the largest [[naturism|naturist]] [[beach]] in [[Europe]] (also surrounded by [[naturism|naturist]] accommodations) called '''El Playazo''' despite current attempts to reduce the [[naturism|naturist]] extent of it.
A great part of Almería's economy is based on agriculture, which is located mainly in the west part of the region. There we can find a sea of plastics, which are in fact green houses which produce tons of fruit and vegetables, more than 70% of the product is exported to the rest of Europe.


[[Dickie Valentine]] - singer,
==Transportation==
Almeria is communicated by land sea and air.


[[Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke|Admiral Edward 1st Baron Hawke]],
By land, to Almeria can be reached by the A-7 Mediterranean Highway, which connects the Mediterranean area and Spanish A-92 that unites it with the rest of Andalusia.


[[Karl Green]] (bassist for [[Herman's Hermits]]),
By sea, the port of Almeria has lines to Melilla, Algeria and Morocco, also being scale of tourist cruises in the Mediterranean. Likewise also owns a marina with moorings for pleasure boats. Currently the port of Almeria is being expanded with new docks also transform into a container port which make large-scale international shipping and thereby increase its freight traffic. It normally cover lines with the following destinations:


Nick Thorpe (bassist for [[Curiosity Killed the Cat]]),
[[Trasmediterranea]]: Ghazaouet (Algeria), [[Oran]] (Algeria), Nador ([[Morocco]]). and [[Melilla]].
Comarit - Nador.
Comanav - Nador.


Ben Homewood (of ''[[The Bill]]'' fame),
By air, Almeria has Almeria International Airport which is the fourth largest in Andalusia and with domestic and international flights, mainly [[Amsterdam]], [[Madrid]], [[Barcelona]], [[Melilla]], [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Birmingham]], [[Brussels]], [[Vienna]] and cities Swiss, German and EU level. The airlines working with the Mediterranean city are as follows:


[[Kerry Norton]] (''Bad Girls'', actress and singer),
[[Air Berlin]], [[Air Nostrum]], [[Air Europa]], [[Ryanair]], [[Easyjet]], [[Jet2]], [[Condor]], [[Spanair]], [[Austrian Airlines]], [[Monarch Airlines]], [[First Choice Airways]], [[Thomas Cook]]
[[Diana Dors]] - actress,


Harlon Haveland (Actor),
==Geography and Climate==


Captain Joseph Reid (adventurer),
Almería is the driest region in Europe as well as one of the warmest with an average annual [[temperature]] of 19 degrees [[Celsius]] and has some 330 days of sun per year on average. Due to its arid landscape, numerous [[spaghetti western]]s were filmed in Almería. According to Christopher Frayling, the author of ''Once Upon A Time in Italy: The Films of [[Sergio Leone]]'', some of the sets are still there.<ref>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4780340</ref>
These sets are located in the desert of [[Tabernas]]. The town and region were also used by [[David Lean]] in ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962), [[John Milius]] in ''[[The Wind and the Lion]]'' (1975), and others.
One of Almería's most famous natural spots is the [[Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park]]. This park is of volcanic origin, and is the largest and most ecologically significant marine-terrestrial space in the European Western [[Mediterranean Sea]].
With one of the most beautiful and ecologically rich coasts of the western Mediterranean and an area of 380 square kilometres it is one of Spain’s natural jewels. The Cabo de Gata Natural Park runs through the municipal areas of [[Níjar]], Almería and [[Carboneras]]. Its villages, previously dedicated to [[fishing]], have become [[tourism]] spots for those interested in nature.
One of the greatest draws of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is its beaches. During the winter the weather is comfortable and fairly dry and daily temperatures are usually between 15-20°C (59-68°F). Nightly temperatures during the winter rarely fall below 10°C (50°F). During the summer it rarely drops below 30°C (86°F). Temperatures during the heat of the day can exceed 35°C (95°F). 40°C (104°F) can be reached during most summers. Nightly temperatures during the summer are usually between 22-26°C (72-80°F). The highest recorded temperature was 44.2°C (112.0°F) on the 30.7.1981 and the lowest recorded was -1.2°C (29.8°F) on the 13.2.1983.


[[Mal Evans]] ( [[The Beatles|Beatles]] roadie),


David Nash - [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]]county cricketer - (current),


[[Gordon Hill]] - [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[England national football team|England]] footballer.


==Nearest places==
<!--Infobox begins-->
*[[Hampton, London|Hampton]]
*[[Hanworth]]
*[[Feltham]]
*[[Shepperton]]
*[[Walton-on-Thames]]
*[[Ashford, Surrey|Ashford, Middlesex]]
*[[Staines]]
*[[Teddington]]
*[[Twickenham]]
*[[Heathrow]]
==Transport==
===Road===
*A316, becomes the start of the [[M3 motorway]].
*A308, directions towards [[Staines]] and [[Kingston-upon-Thames]].
*A244, directions towards [[Hounslow]] and [[Walton-on-Thames]].


===Rail===
{{Infobox Weather
* [[Sunbury railway station|Sunbury]]
|metric_first= Yes
* [[Kempton Park railway station|Kempton Park]]
|single_line=yes <!--Entering Yes will display metric and imperial units on same line.--!>
|location=Almeria Airport
|Jan_Hi_°C =17 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C =26 <!--REC temps are optional; use sparely-->
|Feb_Hi_°C =18 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C =27
|Mar_Hi_°C =20 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C =32
|Apr_Hi_°C =22 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C =35
|May_Hi_°C =24 |May_REC_Hi_°C =37
|Jun_Hi_°C =27 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C =41
|Jul_Hi_°C =31 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C =44
|Aug_Hi_°C =31 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C =44
|Sep_Hi_°C =28 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C =40
|Oct_Hi_°C =24 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C =35
|Nov_Hi_°C =21 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C =31
|Dec_Hi_°C =18 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C =29
|Year_Hi_°C =23 |Year_REC_Hi_°C =44
|Jan_Lo_°C =9 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C =3
|Feb_Lo_°C =11 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C =-1
|Mar_Lo_°C =13 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C =5
|Apr_Lo_°C =15 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C =7
|May_Lo_°C =17 |May_REC_Lo_°C =10
|Jun_Lo_°C =19 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C =14
|Jul_Lo_°C =22 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C =16
|Aug_Lo_°C =23 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C =16
|Sep_Lo_°C =20 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C =12
|Oct_Lo_°C =17 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C =10
|Nov_Lo_°C =13 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C =7
|Dec_Lo_°C =10 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C =4
|Year_Lo_°C =15 |Year_REC_Lo_°C =-1
|Jan_Precip_inch =0.7
|Feb_Precip_inch =0.3
|Mar_Precip_inch =0.4
|Apr_Precip_inch =0.8
|May_Precip_inch =0.2
|Jun_Precip_inch =0.1
|Jul_Precip_inch =0
|Aug_Precip_inch =0
|Sep_Precip_inch =0.3
|Oct_Precip_inch =1
|Nov_Precip_inch =1.1
|Dec_Precip_inch =0.8
|Year_Precip_inch =5.7
|source=<ref>weatherbase.com</ref>
|publisher= |language=}}{{fact|date=August 2008}}
<!--Infobox ends-->


== Sister cities ==
===Air===
*[[London Heathrow Airport]] is 5 miles away.


==Emergency services==
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Melilla]], [[Spain]]
Sunbury is served by these emergency sevices:
* {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Navojoa]], [[Mexico]]
*[[Surrey Police]] (it was within the boundary of the [[Metropolitan Police]] district until 2000.)
*[[South East Coast Ambulance Service]] as of 1 July 2006, formed from the former [[Surrey Ambulance Service]], [[Sussex]], and [[Kent]] Ambulance services.
*[[Surrey Fire & Rescue Service]].


==Crystal Cave==
==References==
{{Reflist}}

In 2000, a team of geologists found a [http://www.exn.ca/Stories/2000/06/12/54.asp cave filled with giant gypsum crystals] in an abandoned silver mine near Almería. The cavity, which measures 1.8x1.7 meters, would be the largest [[geode]] ever found. The entrance of the cave has been blocked by five tons of rocks, and is under police protection (to prevent looters from entering). According to geological models, the cave was formed during the [[Messinian salinity crisis]] 6 million years ago, when the Mediterranean sea evaporated and left thick layers of salt sediments ([[evaporites]]). The cave is currently not accessible to tourists.

{{commons|Category:Almería}}

==Photographs==

<gallery>
Image:2007-12-18-04645 Spain Almeria Alcazaba.jpg|Alcazaba - Inner Courtyard
Image:2007-12-18-04706-02 Spain Almeria.jpg|Almeria - from Alcazaba
Image:2007-12-18-04668 Spain Almeria Alcazaba.jpg|Almeria - from Alcazaba
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Solar Almeria Platform]]


==External links==
==External links==
*http://www.sunburyonline.net


[[Category:Towns in Surrey]]
* [http://www.search-almeria.com/almeria-page1.php Search Almeria Spain information in English & Spanish]
[[Category:Spelthorne]]
* [http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Destinos/TipoII/Datos+Generales/A/BH/0/almeria?language=en TourSpain Almeria]
[[Category:River Thames]]
* {{Es icon}} [http://www.a2000.es/almeria/otros/princip.htm Ayuntamiento de Almería]
* {{Es icon}} [http://www.hernandezrabal.com/espana/andalucia/almeria/almeriac.htm Almería, Historia y Turismo]
* [http://www.maps.data-spain.com Maps of Almería]
* {{Es icon}} [http://www.udalmeriasad.com Almería Football Club]
* [http://www.almeria2005.es/cgi-bin/Almeria2005_ING.asp?idTraduccion=1510 "Almería's History"]
* [http://www.property-net-almeria.com/ Directory of maps and properties for sale in Almería]
* [http://www.sunnyproperties.co.uk/ Infomation about Almeria, and Spanish properties for sale in Almería]
* [http://www.almeriaclips.com Almeriaclips - Videos musicales rodados en Almería - Music videos shot in Almería]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib3jqhW04mw Fiesta, [[Fiesta (The Pogues song)|song]] from [[The Pogues]] dedicated to Almería]
* {{Es icon}} [http://www.aytoalmeria.es Almería] - Diputación Provincial de Almería
* [http://www.viva-almeria.com/almeria_city_p5.php Viva Almeria] community information & photos
{{Municipalities in Almería}}
{{Costas}}

[[Category:955 establishments]]
[[Category:Municipalities in Almería]]
[[Category:Almería province]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Spain]]
[[Category:Muslim history]]


[[ar:المرية]]
[[fr:Sunbury-on-Thames]]
[[an:Almería]]
[[nl:Sunbury-on-Thames]]
[[ast:Almería]]
[[ca:Almeria]]
[[da:Almería]]
[[de:Almería]]
[[et:Almería]]
[[el:Αλμερία]]
[[es:Almería]]
[[eo:Almerio]]
[[ext:Almeria]]
[[eu:Almeria]]
[[fr:Almería]]
[[gl:Almería]]
[[hr:Almería (grad)]]
[[id:Almeria]]
[[ie:Almería]]
[[it:Almería]]
[[ht:Almería (Almería)]]
[[lad:Almeria]]
[[lt:Almerija]]
[[nl:Almería (stad)]]
[[ja:アルメリア]]
[[no:Almería]]
[[oc:Almeria]]
[[pl:Almería]]
[[pt:Almeria]]
[[ro:Almería]]
[[ru:Альмерия]]
[[sl:Almeria (mesto)]]
[[sr:Алмерија]]
[[fi:Almería]]
[[sv:Almería]]
[[tr:Almería]]
[[uk:Альмерія]]
[[zh:阿尔梅里亚]]

Revision as of 09:34, 11 October 2008

Sunbury-on-Thames
PopulationExpression error: "27,415 (2001)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceTQ105695
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSUNBURY-ON-THAMES
Postcode districtTW16
Dialling code01932
PoliceSurrey
FireSurrey
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Surrey

Sunbury-on-Thames (also known as Scumbury) Has the shittist school in the world is a London commuter belt town[1] in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England. It is located 16 miles (25 km) southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.

History

The earliest evidence of occupation in Sunbury is provided by the discovery of Bronze Age funerary urns dating from the 10th century BC. It is mentioned in the Sunbury Charter in AD 962. Many years later the arrival of Huguenot refugees gave the name to French Street.

Sunbury was in the Middlesex Domesday map in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Suneberie. Its Domesday assets were: 7 hides. It had 5 ploughs, meadow for 6 ploughs, cattle pasture. It rendered £6.[2]

The riverside St Mary's Anglican Church and the Ferry House nearby are mentioned in the book Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Other literary references include the difficulty of rowing up Sunbury backwater in "Three men in a boat" by Jerome K. Jerome, and Sunbury Cross under a pall of smoke during "The War of the Worlds" by H.G.Wells.

Sunbury was once the residence of Admiral Hawke who blockaded Rochefort in 1757 and in 1758 he directed the blockade of Brest for six months.

In 1889 a group of music hall stars met in the Magpie hotel in Lower Sunbury to form the Grand Order of Water Rats. The pub itself was named after the horse that one of the entertainers owned, whilst the Grand Order was named because the Magpie (a trotting pony) had been described as a drowned water rat. The Three Fishes in Green Street is one of the oldest pubs in Surrey, thought to date back to the 16th Century.

Sunbury-on-Thames was historically part of Middlesex, forming the Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District from 1894.[3] In 1965, the majority of Middlesex was absorbed into Greater London. However, the Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District was instead transferred to Surrey.[3] The Royal Mail did not adopt the change in 1965 and the postal county remained Middlesex; although postal counties are no longer officially in use.[4] In 1974 the urban district was abolished and it has since formed part of the borough of Spelthorne.[5]

The town today

Geographically, Sunbury comprises two areas. The area adjacent to the river is commonly known as Lower Sunbury, or Sunbury Village, and has a quaint, almost rural, atmosphere, while the area around and to the north of Sunbury Cross, where the M3 begins, is properly known as Sunbury Common. It is more urban and is home to a number of large companies including Chubb and BP, as well as a mixture of national and local traders including a 1960s shopping centre and a large Tesco Extra superstore. Marking the western border of Sunbury is the Queen Mary Reservoir which was constructed in 1925. This is also home to a sailing club and is regularly used by local schools and youth organisations to teach water sports skills. Lower Sunbury has become increasingly popular with young first time buyers looking to start families. The mixture of Victorian terraces and 1930s semi detached houses in the leafy village offers a favourable and more affordable alternative to London. Lower Sunbury is usually defined as the area south of Sunbury Cross (Junction 1 on the M3). A conservation area within Sunbury village has been recognised to cover Thames Street and this reflects its historic buildings, many pubs, restaurants and a beautiful stretch of river bank leading up to the Church.

Sunbury is a largely suburban town with a number of high-rise office buildings and industrial estates clustered around the M3 and the A308 (Staines Road West) and A316 (Country Way) trunk roads. Sunbury was previously the home of BP's Engineering and Research Centre, located to the north of Sunbury on the site of Meadhurst House, formerly owned by the Cadbury family. The site is now Sunbury Business Park and is home to a large number of BP's business units. A number of other companies, including Chubb, also have a presence.

The Avenue, Sunbury, has been the home of the London Irish Rugby Club since 1932 although since 2001 its premiership team has played at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire. However hundreds of minis, youngsters and adults turn out for the club each weekend in Sunbury during the rugby season. A few hundred metres to the east of Sunbury Cross is Kempton Park Racecourse.

Sunbury Court, in Lower Sunbury, is the home of the High Council of the Salvation Army.

Lower Sunbury is the home of the Sunbury Millennium Embroidery. [1] The embroidery was conceived and designed in the 1990s and completed in 2000. Since July 2006 its permanent home is the purpose built Sunbury Millennium Embroidery Gallery, within the well-tended Walled Garden adjoining Sunbury Park. With the opening of a café within the gallery building, which architecturally resembles a boat, this has rapidly become a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, just across the road from a picturesque stretch of the Thames. The Walled Garden also hosts annual concerts and plays in the summer months. In July of each year, Lower Sunbury is the start of the colourful traditional ceremony of Swan Upping, where two livery companies carry out marking of the swans on the upper reaches of the River Thames. In August, the traditional Sunbury Amateur Regatta takes place on the stretch of the river around Rivermead Island.

Education

The town has Three primary schools, Chennestone Primary School, St Ignatius RC Primary School and Spring Field primary school

Secondary Schools

  • St. Paul's Catholic College, Volunatary aided
  • Sunbury Manor School, Community school specializing in specific learning difficulties
  • The Bishop Wand Church of England Secondary School, Voluntary aided

Local leisure, and entertainment

Notable people

Joe Gormley - Trade Union leader,

Adam Faith - singer and actor,

Dickie Valentine - singer,

Admiral Edward 1st Baron Hawke,

Karl Green (bassist for Herman's Hermits),

Nick Thorpe (bassist for Curiosity Killed the Cat),

Ben Homewood (of The Bill fame),

Kerry Norton (Bad Girls, actress and singer),

Diana Dors - actress,

Harlon Haveland (Actor),

Captain Joseph Reid (adventurer),

Mal Evans ( Beatles roadie),

David Nash - Middlesexcounty cricketer - (current),

Gordon Hill - Manchester United and England footballer.

Nearest places

Transport

Road

Rail

Air

Emergency services

Sunbury is served by these emergency sevices:

References

  1. ^ "One of those pleasant villages lyingon the Thames, near Hampton Court, Rev. Gilbert White descibed it, in The Natural History of Selborne, letter xii, 4 November 1767.
  2. ^ Surrey Domesday Book
  3. ^ a b Vision of Britain - Sunbury UD (historic map)
  4. ^ Royal Mail, Address Management Guide, (2004)
  5. ^ Arnold-Baker, C., Local Government Act 1972, (1973)

External links

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