In the 21st Century Guildford is a bustling
English town, with an attractive High Street made of granite setts
(frequently referred to as cobbled), numerous shops and department
stores. There is a Tourist Information Office and several hotels
including the historic Angel Hotel which long served as a coaching stop
on the main London to Portsmouth stage coach route. In addition there is
a bus station, a free town centre shuttle bus and a 'Park and Ride'
service from the north and south of the town.
There is a small museum in the town centre and a nationally successful
sports centre, The Spectrum, in Stoke Park, which is home to the
Guildford Flames ice hockey team. The University of Surrey is situated
to the north-west of the town centre, about ten minutes' walk from
Guildford main line train station. Guildford Cathedral is adjacent to
the university's main campus and the Royal Surrey County Hospital is
nearby.
Guildford has the most visited Art Gallery in Surrey - Guildford House
Gallery with over 120,000 visitors per annum. The Gallery is situated in
the High Street, in a 17th Century Grade I Listed Town House and is run
by Guildford Borough. It is open Tuesdays to Saturdays and admission is
free. Its own art collection includes works of Guildford and the
surrounding area, and work by Guildford Artists, most notably John
Russell R.A.
Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre is a national prize winning
sports centre that includes a variety of pools (for leisure and for
serious swimming), ten pin bowling, a small inflatable laser tag arena
called Ice Station Zero (However there is a full sized Laser Quest in
the town centre), an ice rink (discos every Friday and Saturday night)
and an athletics track, as well as general halls used for indoor sports
including gymnastics and trampolining.
The town's principal commercial theatre is the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
which often shows productions before (and after) they have spent time in
London's West End. The Electric Theatre opened in 1997 to host
performances by musicians and amateur drama groups.
Guildford has an Odeon cinema multiplex.
A wide variety of cuisines are available in the many restaurants in
Guildford. Additionally, there are numerous pubs and bars and several
nightclubs.
Each summer Guildford hosts the Ambient Picnic in Shalford Park by
the River Wey. Stoke Park is the venue for both the Guilfest music
festival during the summer and the Surrey County Show (agricultural and
general) on the last bank holiday Monday in May.
It is also home to the local radio station, 96.4 The Eagle.
It is a market town with the market being held on Fridays and Saturdays.
A farmers' market is usually held on the first Tuesday of each month.