Woking

Woking is a large town in England, in the west of Surrey. It is about 30 minutes by train from London. Woking was formed around the station built there over 150 years ago to act as a junction between trains to the south coast and the necropolis railway to Brookwood Cemetery. Later, Woking was home to the first crematorium in the United Kingdom (St Johns) and the first mosque in the UK (on Oriental Road). It was also the location for Brookwood Cemetery, which was developed by the London Necropolis Company as an overflow burial ground for London's dead.

It is now a dormitory town for commuters into London and Heathrow airport, and gives its name to a local government district with borough status.

Facilities

Woking has a modern shopping centre called The Peacocks, linked to an older shopping area called Wolseley Place.

The main road for evening entertainment is Chertsey Road which boasts a number of bars and restaurants.

There is a cinema and theatre within The Peacocks complex.

Woking has a leisure centre and indoor leisure pool, on the outskirts of town within Woking Park.

Politics

Politically, Woking is thought of as a traditional "Conservative" constituency and is felt to be a Safe Seat.

Football

Woking has a non-league football club Woking F.C., known as the Cardinals (or "Cards").

Trivia

It was also home to H.G. Wells, who had the Martians in The War of the Worlds land in the town, and to Dame Ethel Smythe.

Celebrity chef Delia Smith was born in Woking in 1941, singer/songwriter Paul Weller (of The Jam and The Style Council) in 1958.

The Basingstoke Canal passes through Woking.

Woking is the home of the McLaren Formula One team.

There is a statue of a (Wellsian) Martian in the town centre.

External links

• Woking FC
• Woking