The managing editor at BBC Surrey in Guildford, Sara David has lived in the county for more than 20 years. Although she never quite manages to switch off from work completely, she enjoys making the most of the local area when it gets to the weekend

My perfect weekend in Surrey involves a number of walks in the Surrey Hills with my little black dog trotting amicably alongside me. There’s only one small problem with this idyllic image – I don’t actually have a dog…

So in the meantime I do the walks anyway – making a mental note of exactly where my mutt and I will amble in the future (and hoping that no one notices me throwing imaginary sticks for an imaginary dog!).

Talking of the Surrey Hills, I always feel incredibly guilty as I drive through them and see all those poor cyclists who insist on torturing themselves as they power up seemingly impossible inclines. I’m usually on my way to have a lovely cream tea at the Dabbling Duck in Shere, which really doesn’t take a huge amount of effort.

I have a love/hate relationship with Box Hill but always enjoy the challenge of getting to the top as quickly as possible to see that amazing view. The problem is that there is always someone at least 30 years older than me, at least 30m ahead of me – and who seems to be getting there without hyperventilating. By the time I get back to the bottom, I’m always gasping for a drink from Ryka’s café and vowing to get fit.

On the slide…

Very close to Box Hill is Bocketts Farm, which was always a real weekend favourite with my two sons when they were younger. I was delighted to take my young nephew there recently and to see that, along with all the animals, the big indoor slide is still in place – and of course I couldn’t resist a few turns for old times’ sake.

With two teenage boys, most weekends involve travelling to a field in a far-flung place for a sporting fixture. The advantage of this is that I really do feel that I’ve visited every square inch of the county at one time or another – even if it has been in a mild panic as we are three minutes away from kick-off and still not sure if we are heading in the right direction.

At BBC Surrey, we are a seven-day a week radio station and by its very nature news is unpredictable so I never completely switch off from work at the weekend, but an afternoon spent window shopping in Guildford is always a relaxing way to while away a couple of hours.

Then, if the weather’s fine, there are few things better than a slow bike ride along the Thames from Walton past Hampton Court Palace. As my main concern when I got my bike was the size of the basket, speed is never the aim of the game. Which is handy really – I’ve got to think how the little dog will keep up… *This article is part of a well-managed campaign to persuade Mr D that a puppy needs to come and live at our house...

***

Tune into BBC Surrey on 104 or 104.6FM or by visiting their website at bbc.co.uk/surrey