Nene Living December 2016

FESTIVE FLAIR: Fashions to get you party-ready

NENE LIVING C OV E R I N G

P E T E R B O R O U G H , O U N D L E A N D T H E

N E N E VA L L E Y

Season’s greetings!

DECEMBER 2016 £1.50 12

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Nene Living

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE December 2016 So here it is…

It’s my first Christmas with Nene Living, and a good time, therefore, to offer a few words of appreciation for all who help make the magazine such a success. We’ve had two of our biggestever issues this year, and that’s thanks to the hard work of the ad sales team led by Bridget Steele and – crucially – all those local people, businesses and organisations that trust us to convey their important marketing messages to you, our readers, every month. They advertise with us because they know they’ll get a good response… so if you’re one of those who has taken the time to pick up the phone, go online, attend an event or visit a business after spotting something of interest within the pages of this magazine, thank you!

Getting every issue onto the doorsteps and into the hands of each of you is down to a loyal and dedicated team of distributors – give them a wave as they pass your window this winter, for they’ll be out there in all weathers.

Thank you one and all!

And then, of course, there’s my own talented writing, design and publishing team.

Together we endeavour to create editorial pages that are interesting, informative and entertaining. We share your passion for the place that we call home and – as was proven last month when a wrongly-worded and poorly proof-read mention of one of our favourite local hostelries, The Chequered Skipper, found its way into print – we take it very personally when anything within our area is portrayed in a less-than-positive manner. Thanks, then, to those readers who were quick to point out our error (which we corrected online immediately!) and a big pat on the back to publican Ian Campbell who so kindly told me: “I completely understand that these things happen… and found some humour in the accidental error.”

Ian’s closing comment to me summed up all that I, and the entire team, feel about this magazine: “Nene Living is a great publication which celebrates the best from our area.”

On that note, all that remains is for me to wish you, and your loved ones, a healthy and happy Christmas…

Gillian Bendall Editor

INCORPORATING

NENE VALLEY LIVING

5 Upfront

34 That’s a wrap!

7, 9, 10 News & Notes

38 Have yourself a healthy Xmas

Ideas to get you in the festive mood

Last-minute gift ideas

Helping you make the most of Nene living

Tips to help you stay healthy and safe this festive season

24 Christmas at the Bazaar 40 Health & Beauty Festive and other shopping with Oundle’s cool, calm and collected Barbara Katavich

The latest on looking good and feeling great

13 Nene People

Philip Amps on how he developed a taste for the wine industry

15 Season’s eatings!

Christmas catering made easy with some tasty suggestions from local experts

22 Food & Drink

Eat out, eat in, eat well…

43 Passing time 27 Festive flair!

Get ready to party with these seasonal fashion ideas

31 A family, valued

Meet Tom and Nic Ray, the inspirational couple behind headline-making movie Starfish

Editor Gillian Bendall neneliving@hotmail.com Write to Nene Living, PO Box 208, Stamford PE9 9FY www.neneliving.co.uk Advertisement Manager Bridget Steele 01733 707538 bridget.neneliving@ntlworld.com Head of Design Steven Handley steve@locallivingdesign.co.uk Designer Sarah Compton inkdesign@virginmedia.com Advertising Copy Rachel Beecroft 01780 765320 rachel@locallivingdesign.co.uk Publisher Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 Email: localliving@btopenworld.com Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY www.locallivingltd.co.uk Printed by Warners of Bourne

IT’S A WHOLE NEW GET IN TOUCH: neneliving.co.uk TREATMENT EXPERIENCE

Keeping an eye on the city’s timepieces

49 Winter walk

Happy birthday to the first ever trig pillar!

53 Out & About

Must-do and mustn’t-miss dates for December

COVER: Christmas in Oundle by Tim Sandall; www.timsandall.com

SUBSCRIBE TO NENE LIVING For £20 (UK only) you can subscribe to Nene Living for 12 issues. Please send your name, address and a cheque made out to Local Living Ltd to: NVL Subscriptions, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY Or you can subscribe online – go to www.bestlocalliving.co.uk

@neneliving

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UPFRONT UPFRONT

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – but if you’re not yet feeling the festive spirit,here are a few mood-lifting ideas that might help.We hope to see you out and about this December…

Father Christmas returns to the 18th-century Grade II Listed Mill House at Sacrewell this year. Tickets are available for the 3, 4, 10 and 11 of December and then every day from 17 December until Christmas Eve. Entry includes a visit to Father Christmas and, at weekends, his reindeer as well as admission to the visitor centre for the day and access to other Christmas activities taking place across the site such as wooden reindeer making, marshmallow toasting and a Christmas craft room. Toddler Experiences are available on 8, 9, 15 and 16 December with activities aimed at children of pre-school age, including a free tractor ride. For full details of prices, times and how to book, visit www.sacrewell.org.uk.

Start (or finish!) your Christmas shopping with a trip to the Angel Christmas Fair which takes place on 2, 3 and 4 December at and in aid of Thorpe Hall Hospice. Under the expert guidance of Lady Victoria Leatham of Burghley House, the historic mansion house will undergo a seasonal transformation and host around 50 stalls of luxury and seasonal gifts from cashmere and high quality jewellery to wreaths and Christmas trees. This brand new event in the Thorpe Hall calendar will be launched on the Friday evening with an invitation-only private shopping event with champagne and canapés.

On Saturday and Sunday the Angel Fair will be open to shoppers who can enjoy the seasonal atmosphere, buy gifts and food for Christmas and relax in the restaurant. See www.sueryder. org/get-involved/events/all-events/2016/ december/angel-fair for details.

Jacobean Wadenhoe House hosts Prelude to Christmas on 3 December, with music from Oundle Brass and London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields choir.

Make the most of the fairytale setting and enjoy some festive fare – choose from canapés and a drink for £12.95, a three-course dinner for £29.95 (both prices are per person) or opt for dinner, an overnight stay and breakfast for £135 per couple. The fun starts at 6.30pm. www.wadenhoe.com

Benefield Christmas Tree Festival is a magical annual event featuring 50 Christmas trees all beautifully decorated by various schools, church groups, families and other organisations and displayed above the pews of St Mary’s Church.

There’ll be live entertainment, a baked goods table, raffle, tombola and children’s crafts and after the festival, many of the trees are donated to the local food bank along with food donations received on the day. It all takes place at St Mary’s Church, Lower Benefield (just off the A427 on the Brigstock Road) on 11 December from 10am-5pm.

Oundle’s town centre is the pretty-as-a-picture setting for an annual Christmas Market on 3 December – expect a wonderful array of food, gifts and goodies as well as carols, a brass band and, at 5.30pm, the all-important switching on of the town’s festive lights. All the town’s fabulous independent shops, hostelries and eateries will be open, with the fun starting at 12 noon.

The most famous festive tale of all time is brought to life in a brilliantly entertaining version when The Core at Corby Cube presents A Christmas Carol. Wealthy miser Ebenezer Scrooge is all set to greet Christmas Day with his traditional ‘bah humbug’… but the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future have other ideas. Featuring some of the best-loved Dickensian characters including Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit and his son Tiny Tim, this heart-warming hour-long adaptation of the timeless classic is ideal for ages six and above. It’s on from 8 to 31 December, with ticket prices from £9-13.50. www.thecorecorby.com

The Ruby Dolls present Rubies in the Snow, a highly entertaining and gently subversive Christmas cabaret at Oundle’s Stahl Theatre on 13 December.

The soundtrack will be an eclectic mix of Christmas favourites as well as a few more unconventional choices… a night of Yuletide fun is guaranteed!

Tickets are £12 for adults, £10 concessions. For more info call 01832 273930, www.stahltheatre.co.uk

Take a break from the Christmas shopping and enjoy a lunchtime of traditional carols and readings on 22 December at Peterborough Cathedral. Participants in this special Business and Shoppers’ Carol Service (1pm start) will be served mulled wine and mince pies kindly provided by The Central England Co-operative Ltd – feel free to wear your Christmas jumper!

And finally… join in the Christmas celebrations at Peterborough Cathedral. On Christmas Eve there’s a Service of Readings at 4pm, Carols at 8pm and, at 11.30pm, Midnight Eucharist. The Evensong Festival and Procession is at 3.30pm on Christmas Day.

NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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NEWS & NOTES Helping you make the most of Nene living

Book sales will support village hall

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HE fourth charity book written by Jill Bernhardi, The Village Awakes, records village customs and a way of life which could be in danger of disappearing – and sales of it will raise funds for the village hall at Woodnewton.

The book features concise biographies of remarkable people associated with villages, including Nicolai Poliakiff – aka Coco the Clown – whom the author met in 1945. Nicolai was buried in the graveyard at Woodnewton, and there is a plaque to his memory on the village hall, which was built with the help of some money raised by Clowns International.

Illustrated by the designer/illustrator Anna Stasinska, the book is now on sale direct from the author, with all proceeds to be donated toward the upkeep of the village hall at Woodnewton.

• For a copy, send a cheque for £10 (which includes p&p) to Jill Bernhardi, Dept WNT, 4 Croft Gardens, Old Dalby, Leicestershire LE14 3LE.

What do you like about the local environment in Peterborough? What change do you want to see happen?

How can the city and surrounding areas be improved?

Independent charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) wants to hear your views. “This is a really great opportunity for residents to let us know their views on how their local environment can be improved,” explains PECT’s Communities Team Manager Karen Igho. “It’s really important for us to hear from people in Peterborough about what matters to them. Together we can work towards achieving improvements for local residents, wildlife and the environment.”

• To take part in the survey visit www.pect.org.uk/ Proud2BPeterborough

COMPETITION - Win a craft course at Christmas!

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HIS festive season you have the chance to win a fabulous traditional craft course at the beautiful Stanwick Lakes nature reserve – the ideal Christmas present to yourself, or to give to a family member. Discover your hidden talent on any of the following one-day courses: blacksmithing, basket making, woodcarving or pottery, and enjoy crafting something unique within an attractive oak barn setting.

The public courses have grown out of a Heritage Lottery-funded project, ‘Trading Places,’ run by environmental charity Rockingham Forest Trust, which has involved skilled trainers in teaching local unemployed youngsters traditional crafts to provide them with new experiences and skills.

Trading Places’ full range includes two- and three-day tuition in skills such as shoe-making and rustic furniture. Despite being relatively new the public courses are proving popular, attracting people from as far afield as Kent, Somerset and Ireland. All the 2017 courses are listed on the Trading Places website.

To enter the competition simply visit www. tradingplacescrafts.org.uk/shop/ and find the answer to the following question within the text: how many courses in total will be taking place in 2017? Then email your answer to tradingplaces@rftrust.org.uk to enter the prize draw, which will take place on 16 December.

Entries are limited to one per email address.

The lucky winner will receive a letter allowing them to book a one-day course of their choice and a gift voucher in case the course is a present. Courses take place in the spring and autumn of 2017.

➧ NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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WADENHOE

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Call: 01832 720777 Email: reception@wadenhoe.com www.wadenhoe.com, PE8 5SR

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NEWS & NOTES A N I M A L A D V O C AT E S

Home for Christmas…

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ANT to make a difference to your local environment? Want to volunteer with a project that is creating a long-lasting impact for the area and its residents?

Then don’t miss joining in with some special tree planting days this month!

Independent charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) has just begun another tree planting season with its Forest for Peterborough project. Around 6,000 trees are due to be planted throughout the city and surrounding areas between October 2016 and March 2017 and volunteers are invited to drop in to tree planting events at Sacrewell Farm on 3 and 10 December.

“Since the project launched in 2010, Forest for Peterborough has planted an amazing 93,609 trees across the city,” explains Project Officer Simon Belham.

“We are so grateful for the support of our volunteers each year and the hard work they put in to improve the local environment for the benefit of residents and wildlife.”

Forest for Peterborough is aiming to plant over 180,000 trees in and around the city and surrounding countryside by 2030. The target is to plant one tree for every person in the city in order to improve tree coverage, improve our green spaces, and the quality of air we breathe.

• If you’d like to get involved, please register your attendance with Simon via email at simon.belham@ pect.org.uk or call 07715 372432. Confirm on the day, because events may be cancelled due to poor weather conditions, or finish early due to all trees being planted. Volunteers are asked to wear appropriate clothing for outdoor work and sturdy footwear. All equipment will be supplied and no prior skills are required.

HINKING of adopting a pet, but concerned about looking just before Christmas? Or are you waiting for January because you think there will be more homeless pets looking for that special someone after Christmas?

Depending on your Christmas arrangements, December might actually be the best time to look for a new pet. At Wood Green The Animals Charity, every year we notice a drop in the number of people looking to rehome a pet in December but we have just as many animals each year looking for loving homes.

If you are having a quiet Christmas at home but are waiting for January before offering a pet a new home, please consider having a look at our website now!

Christmas is a great time for pet owners as there are so many great toys, treats, and environment-enriching products available. It can be as much fun shopping for a gift for your pet as it is for your family.

Of course, the greatest gift we can all give our pets is a little more of our time and attention. For dogs, extra walks, play time, or some reward-based training will be a wonderful gift to make their tails wag. For small animals, cutting a few holes in a cardboard box or finding a new, safe and interesting object for them to chew or explore in their accommodation will make their Christmas Day extra special. Your cat might like you to play with him and a toy, or just a little extra time sitting on your lap would be the ‘purrfect’ Christmas present. Horses and ponies might love to go for a walk and have a nibble of extra grass, and your pet goat may really enjoy some new enrichment for its enclosure, or a grooming session.

• For more information about rehoming and to view our animals looking for homes now, please visit our website: www.woodgreen.org.uk Wood Green The Animals Charity offers a low-fee advice service for dogs and cats. If you would like behaviour or training advice for your pet call 01480 830014 ext 1281

Art in the Heart… and online

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ETERBOROUGH’S Art in the Heart gallery now has an online shop for those who’d like to browse and buy from the comfort of their own home. Featuring everything from jewellery to greetings cards, original paintings and bronze sculptures, the online marketplace complements Art in the Heart’s new Westgate Arcade city centre store.

• www.artintheheart.co.uk/ marketplace If you give – or receive – a camera for Christmas, how about signing yourself or your loved ones up for a photo training course in the new year? Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) and Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) member Richard Houghton offers a number of courses to suit all ages and abilities at his studio in Farcet, and is recruiting for 2017 now. Course titles include ‘Introduction to Digital Cameras’, ‘Wedding Photography Skills’ and ‘Video Production’, and there’s also a Photous Academy Club where previous course participants can further develop their skills.

• 07786 036563; www.photousphotography.co.uk

➧ NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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NEWS & NOTES Tax-Free Childcare

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AX-Free Childcare is a new government initiative which is due to be slowly rolled out from early 2017, and will replace the existing Childcare Voucher Scheme which closes to new entrants from April 2018. Kerry Hilliard of Stephenson Smart Chartered Accountants explains how it will provide working parents with another option for tax savings on their childcare direct through the government, and will also be available to self-employed workers who are unable to benefit from the existing scheme.

The proposed scheme will only be open to some working parents (where both parents are working, or single parents) where the parent is not already getting support through the existing Childcare Voucher scheme. To be eligible, parents must be earning less than £100,000 annually, working a minimum of 16 hours per week and not be receiving support through Tax Credits.

For eligible families, Tax-Free Childcare offers to cover 20 per cent of childcare costs for children up to the age of 12.

You’ll be able to open an online account, where you can pay in to cover the cost of childcare with a registered provider. This will be done through the government website, www.gov.uk. The government will top up the account with 20 per cent of childcare costs up to a total of £10,000 - the equivalent of up to £2,000 support per child per year. For every 80p you or someone else pays in, the government will pay an extra 20p.

Parents will be able to use the vouchers with any Ofsted-regulated childcare provider in England and the equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, just as they can with the current Childcare Vouchers.

• For more information contact Stephenson Smart on 01733 343275 or visit www.stephensonsmart.com

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Consultation starts on potential new 2,500-home garden village

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ARKFLEET Homes has held public exhibitions to explain the thinking behind its plans for a possible garden village at Sibson, near Peterborough.

The government is currently looking for appropriate sites for a new generation of garden villages across the country. In response, Huntingdonshire District Council has submitted an Expression of Interest to the government to explore a new garden village of 2,500 homes, plus employment land, a school, health services and shops at Sibson Aerodrome. The council has been working with the owners of the land and Larkfleet Homes which is the prospective developer.

The Expression of Interest means that the potential opportunities that a garden village might create need to be explored further. It is not a commitment to develop the site.

Daryl Kirkland, Group Land Director at Larkfleet Homes, said: “We are excited about the opportunity at Sibson. The creation of a brand new village gives us the chance to build the infrastructure and community services that so often cannot be provided in smaller developments.

“A key feature of our plans for Sibson

is to create housing that meets the needs of local people and can be reserved for them. We would include starter homes for young people who often can’t afford to live in the villages they were born in, and bungalows or smaller houses for older people who don’t need the family home any more but want to continue to live in the neighbourhood.

“We share the government’s view that garden villages could make a significant contribution to solving the country’s housing crisis, providing attractive and accessible places for people to live and work. The creation of new settlements offers the opportunity to build infrastructure and services from the start and create sustainable, vibrant communities.”

The government will announce which sites it has chosen as potential locations for garden villages and, if Sibson is selected, the council and Larkfleet Homes will work closely with local people and businesses to develop the proposals in more detail. They would then decide whether to submit a formal planning application, potentially in late 2017.

• For more information, see www.sibsongardenvillage.com

The closing down sale is still on at Peterborough’s prestigious jewellery business Charles Bright, with co-owner Roger Aron reporting that there’s plenty of stock remaining for those doing their Christmas shopping.

The Exchange Street store will close due to retirement once all stock has been sold. As was reported in last month’s Nene Living, Charles Bright has been in business for more than 90 years. Roger reports that he and business partner Kevin Roberts have been heartened by all the good wishes they’ve received.

F you’re looking for a new artistic challenge in the new year, how about learning to sculpt? Kathleen Deane will be offering a ‘Dances with Clay’ taster course as well as one-to-one tuition, and says: “I had a great opportunity to take over the art class in Woodnewton over the summer break, which became a sculpture adventure. Our group had a great time, all abilities taking on their own projects and seeing them to fruition. We mainly sculpted heads (as seen in the picture) though we had a great dragon too!”

Kathleen says she always had a keen eye for anatomy and structure, but adds: “Having taken up sculpting in my late 40s, it saddens me that I never indulged my passion sooner. Being self-taught, I was doing lots of practicing!”

For the new year’s courses, she says she is: “Happy for folk to come along with their own ideas or what it is that they would like to accomplish, and I’ll be there to give support and guidance. Come prepared in old clothes – all tools, armatures and clay are provided.”

• For more details, email: danceswithclay@ymail.com

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

OUNDLE CARPETS & CURTAINS the elegant way to choose

The Winter Sale Starts Saturday 7th January FANTASTIC REDUCTIONS IN ALL OUR RANGE OF CARPETS, VINYL & WOOD FLOORING Lano Pembridge Twist, 4 colours 4m wide Normal price £16.20 per square metre SALE PRICE £8.00 per square metre Wool Twist, 4 colours 5m wide Normal price £17.70 per square metre SALE PRICE £10.00 per square metre 100% Wool Natural Weaves, 4m & 5m Normal price £28.95 per square metre SALE PRICE £14.00 per square metre

FANTASTIC REDUCTIONS IN ALL OUR RANGES OF CURTAINS, FABRICS, BLINDS AND ALL CURTAIN RAILS. Ready Made Curtains up to 50% off normal price Fabric from stock in plain, tonal & pattern fabrics, all with a Massive 50% saving on normal prices

80% Wool Twist, assorted colours, 4m & 5m Normal price £27.60 per square metre SALE PRICE £12.00 per square metre

Roller Blinds from stock SAVE 25% on normal price

Axminster & Wilton, 90cm/1.80cm/3.65cm widths Normal price £65.00 per square metre SALE PRICE £14.00 per square metre

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01832 275009 (carpets) 01832 273078 (curtains) Units 4/6 Eastwood Road, Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4DF www.oundlecarpetsandcurtains.co.uk 11

After 90 years Charles Bright is closing down!

Everything is up to 60% off and must be cleared

This is an event that is never to be repeated!

Everything must go! s unti Now open Sunday

l Christmas

Opening hours Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 5pm Sunday 10.30am – 4.30pm RI NGS | E A RR INGS | NECKLETS P ENDANTS | BRACELETS | BAN GLES B ROOCHE S | PEARL J EWELLERY M E N ’S J EWELLERY

10 Exchange Street, St John’s Square, Peterborough, PE1 1PW

www.charlesbright.co.uk 12

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NENE PEOPLE

Philip Amps The fourth generation of the popular Amps family business in Oundle tells Sue Dobson how he developed a taste for the wine industry

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HILIP Amps was in his last term at school when his father, Michael, suggested he might like to join the family business. A keen rugby and hockey player who went on to play at county and regional level, Philip had rather fancied spending three years at university playing sport, but instead did a Sainsbury’s management training course. “At the end of it, I was advised not to go into retail,” he laughs.

Philip’s great-grandfather opened J Amps, ‘family grocer, wine and spirits merchants’ on Oundle’s Market Place in 1901. His youngest son, Percy, took over the business in 1928, to be followed by Percy’s son, Michael, who expanded and revamped the premises in the 1960s and ‘70s to create a successful supermarket selling high-class products.

“The shop had been trading in wines and spirits since 1901, but it wasn’t a major part of the business,” Philip explains. “My father thought that would change in future years and urged me to learn more about wine. So I went off and did some serious courses and exams, got immersed in the subject and knew it was something I would both enjoy as a hobby and be good at selling.”

Buying habits did indeed change and before long the wines and spirits side of the business was outgrowing the space available in the supermarket. So Philip persuaded his father that a separate wine shop would make good business sense. They purchased and converted a derelict building behind 6 Market Place and Amps Fine Wines opened in April 1993. Later that year they closed the grocery business “to concentrate on being the best independent wine merchant in the region”.

Philip and Oundle Wharf shop manager Danielle Freer approve the wines they stock A plethora of awards and trophies indicate just how well they succeeded in their aim.

“We’ve won awards from every one of the world’s major wine-producing countries,” Philip says proudly.

“We don’t sell anything we don’t like. We jokingly say that if you don’t like it, bring it back and we’ll drink it for you; but seriously, we want every bottle bought to be enjoyed”

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Focusing on wines from small producers worldwide, Philip and his team have tasted and approved every wine they stock. “We don’t sell anything we don’t like. We jokingly say that if you don’t like it, bring it back and we’ll drink it for you; but seriously, we

want every bottle bought to be enjoyed.”

He’s a firm believer that wine is for drinking, not talking about, and that taste is all about what you like, not what a media pundit says you should like. They hold regular tastings “to get to know our customers’ palates”.

They know the people who produce the wines, too. “The smaller, individual growers we work with produce wines with personality and individuality,” Philip explains. “They are artisan wine makers who often come up with quirks of brilliance.”

In 1997 Philip was accepted onto the prestigious Champagne Academy Course in France, “learning everything about Grandes Marques Champagnes, from soil to bottle”, passing the final exam with distinction. “I loved every minute, it was one of the most valuable and memorable experiences of my life,” he says. In 2016 he was elected Chairman of the Champagne Academy, a role that has included organising educational black tie dinners for up to 150 members of the wine industry at smart locations around Britain.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT A new Amps Fine Wines shop opened at Oundle Wharf in July this year. “With a restaurant, brewery and bakery on site, we were a natural fit,” Philip explains. “It’s made us more visible – we’re rather hidden away behind the Market Place – and given us the opportunity to try something different. Displaying wines by style rather than by country, and having a tasting machine with eight different wines to try, has encouraged people to be more explorative and we’ve had good feedback on that.”

There’s space now in the original shop to hold more tastings and events, with plans afoot for pop-up restaurants with local chefs. Regular Skype chats with producers around the world, “so customers can both taste the wines and talk to the people who make them”, have proved very popular.

The wholesale side of the business is thriving, too, as Amps supplies hotels, restaurants, garden centres, golf courses and village shops for miles around.

As Philip will happily tell you: “I’m very fortunate that my hobby is also my business.”

NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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Perfect for your Christmas celebrations with family, friends or work colleagues Bookings being taken now!

Please make your reservation in advance.

Open 6 days a week Tuesday – Lunch: closed, Dinner: 4.30pm – 11pm Wednesday to Sunday – Lunch: 12 noon – 2pm, Dinner: 4.30pm – 11pm. Closed on Mondays.

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Season’s eatings!

Christmas catering doesn’t have to be a chore…

Rebecca Downey asked some local experts for their tried, trusted and tastiest suggestions

The PickledVillage

SevenWells Butchers

Founded by Camille Ortega McLean, The Pickled Village is Bulwick’s fine food shop selling an internationally inspired, British-made range of chutneys, preserves, marmalades, curds and dressings – all with a twist.

Camille knows her onions when it comes to pickles and preserves, having founded two successful brands and created dozens of award-winning recipes such as The Christmas Cracker (a feisty fruity chutney with a scotch bonnet chilli kick) and The Cuban Mojito Breakfast (a lime marmalade with mint and rum). The Pickled Shop is the online offshoot recently launched by daughter Camilla, featuring a selection of goodie boxes tailored for different occasions such as Chin Up, Best of British, Birthday Hurrah and Hey Hot Stuff. The gift boxes come in three sizes with the smallest starting at £30; a thoughtful personalised alternative to sending flowers. www.thepickledshop.com Use this delicious fruity suet mincemeat for mince pies with a hot surprise…

Seven Wells Farm based in Stoke Doyle is home to Robert and Sally Knight who run the Seven Wells Family Butchers in Oundle, which prides itself on high quality, flavoursome, traditionally-reared local farm produce. The provenance of each animal is assured, with beef coming from their own herd, spring lamb from Fotheringhay, pork and chicken from Suffolk, local wild venison and turkeys from Aldwincle, cockerels from Titchmarsh and geese from Bilston. As well as hams, pies, sausages, cheeses and smoked salmon, Sally (below), a keen cook, offers a range of home-made meals to order, such as steak and Guinness pie, and chicken and ham pie. For the ultimate cheat, she will even prepare meals in your own dishes! www. sevenwells.co.uk Why not try this simple but delicious casserole dish as a Christmas Eve supper…

MINCE PIES WITH A CHILLI KICK (Makes about 2kg) • 250g soft dark brown sugar • 250ml medium dry cider • 750 g cooking apples, peeled, halved and quartered • 11/2tsp mixed spice • 11/2tsp ground cinnamon • 500g dried mixed fruit • Half a jar of The Hot Blooded Breakfast (from The Pickled Village) • 75g blanched almonds, • Zest & juice of 1/2 lemon • 6tbsp brandy (rum is good too)

• 3 tbsp Farringtons rapeseed oil • 1.5kg Seven Wells braising steak, diced • 3 large onions, chopped • 6 garlic cloves, crushed • 300ml beef stock • 50g plain flour • 300ml dry white wine • 3tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 1tbsp light muscovado sugar • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 500g chestnut mushrooms, halved • 3tbsp Dijon mustard • 3tbsp creamed Stokes horseradish sauce • 3-4tbsp double cream

Place the cider and the sugar in a large saucepan and heat gently.

Add the roughly chopped apples to the saucepan and stir well. Add the remaining ingredients, apart from brandy (or rum). Simmer for around 30 minutes until the mixture is soft and pulpy. Meanwhile wash and sterilise the jars. Remove the mincemeat mixture from the heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the brandy (or rum) and transfer to sterilised jars. Once the jars are filled and the lids well screwed on, invert them to improve the heat seal. Turn the jars the right way up once they are cool. This mincemeat can be used immediately after cooking if you wish, but improves with age and keeps well for a year or more.

Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a casserole over a high heat. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and fry until browned all over.

Remove the meat from the casserole and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the onions and garlic and fry, stirring well, until softened. Stir in the beef stock. In a bowl, whisk the flour with a little of the wine until smooth, then gradually pour in the remaining wine, whisking until combined to a batter with the consistency of double cream. Return the browned beef to the casserole, then pour over the wine and flour mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened, then add the Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Season as required. Cover the casserole with the lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring from time to time (or you could cook the casserole in a low oven). After 2 hours, add the mushrooms, return the mixture to the boil, then cover again, reduce the heat and simmer for a further half hour, or until the meat is tender. Mix the mustard, horseradish and double cream in a bowl until well combined. Just before serving, stir it into the casserole. Serve with mash and steamed vegetables.

HORSERADISH AND MUSTARD BEEF CASSEROLE Serves 6. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 21/2 hours

NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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The Rustic Caterer

Hambleton Bakery The shop at Oundle Wharf is Hambleton Bakery’s sixth outlet in the region. Julian Carter and Tim Hart, who made the bread for Hambleton Hall and Hart’s Hotel, Nottingham, set up the bakery in 2008. The bakery uses unadulterated organic flour and traditional processes, which maximise the vitamins and mineral content in bread. The result is top quality healthy breads such as sourdough, date and walnut, Borodinsky rye and spelt bread (an unchanged recipe from Roman times) as well as loaves for those with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. Delicious cakes, buns and tarts make excellent teatime treats, desserts and gifts. www.hambletonbakery.co.uk To delight your little ones this Christmas or to hang from your tree, try this Finnish-inspired recipe.

The Rustic Caterer was created in 2013 from a love of food and a passion for quality ingredients.

Anna Sheffield, Emma Alderson and Fiona Love are three local ladies who enjoy nothing more than creating new recipes and adding unique twists to loved classics. The Rustic Caterer’s ethos focuses on the idea that a meal should be a relaxed, sociable event using wholesome, seasonal and scrumptious ingredients. Specialising in Mediterranean-inspired, hearty, rustic food, the ladies are always on the lookout for quality produce, which they source locally where possible. Based in Nassington, the business caters for weddings, private dinner parties and corporate events, providing everything from canapés and buffets to sit down meals. www.therusticcaterer.co.uk This Christmas, why not try this simple canapé idea, perfect for an impromptu Christmas party? It’s easy to prepare, looks beautiful and will delight and surprise your guests.

STILTON, WALNUT AND POMEGRANATE CROSTINI WITH TITCHWINCLE HONEY • 1 x thin sourdough baton or ciabatta baguette • Olive oil • 150g Stilton • 1 x pomegranate • 100g walnut halves • 2tbsp good quality honey (such as Titchwincle honey) • 2tbsp pomegranate molasses • Dried rosemary • Seasoning Preheat oven to 180°C. Slice the bread into thin slices, brush each slice with olive oil, sprinkle with dried rosemary and season. Grill the bread slices in the oven until golden and crisp, turning midway through cooking. Slice the Stilton into thin slivers. Deseed the pomegranate (the easiest way to do this is by cutting it in half, hold it over a bowl and repeatedly bash with a heavy spoon until the seeds fall out). Mix the seeds with the molasses (this will make them sticky and stop them from rolling off the crostinis). Arrange the slivers of Stilton on the sourdough slices, with a walnut half on top. Sprinkle the sticky pomegranate seeds on top of the crostinis and drizzle with the honey. Enjoy!

TIP: if you are pushed for time, you can also use good quality, ready-made crostini bases.

Amps FineWines FINNISH GINGERBREAD (Makes 50) • 250g butter • 200g sugar • 100ml black treacle • 100ml golden syrup • 1/4 tsp ground cloves • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 11/2tsp ground ginger • 1tsp ground nutmeg • 10g salt • 45g cocoa powder • 100g eggs • 450g plain flour • 5g baking powder Bring the butter, sugar, treacle, syrup, salt and cocoa to the boil. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and whisk with a hand blender or electric whisk. Whisk in the eggs.

Fold in the flour and baking powder. Chill in the fridge until stiff. Roll out to 5mm thick. Scatter with granulated sugar and gently press the sugar into the surface. Cut out into star shapes, scatter with sugar with every re-roll. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 8-9 minutes large stars, or 5-8 minutes small stars.

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Amps Fine Wines is a fourth-generation independent wine merchant with two shops, in Oundle’s Market Place and Wharf. Passionate about wines of style, quality and value, Amps also offers a friendly knowledgeable service and hosts several pop-up restaurant and tasting events. Wine connoisseurs can join the Corkscrew Wine Club for a whole host of exclusive events, members-only discounts and fabulous mixed cases or sign up to the newsletter to get the latest information and offers. www.ampsfinewines.co.uk Red or white with the turkey? That’s the big Christmas question for many people. The choice is yours: a rich Chardonnay (white) won’t overpower the delicate flavour of the meat but will still handle all of the trimmings, while a Bordeaux is a traditional red partner as the meat softens the wine, creating deliciously mellow flavours. This festive season, Amps suggests you try: Chardonnay Tributo Caliterra 2015, Chile. Christmas offer price: £8.99 (save £3.76).

Chateau du Pavillon Canon Fronsac 2011, France. Christmas offer price: £15 (save £5.50).

Looking for an alternative to the Bucks Fizz or Snowball this season? Treat your Christmas party guests to this regal cocktail: KING & TONIC • 50ml Kings Ginger - Christmas offer price: £19.50 (save £2) • 100ml Tonic Water • 10ml Angostura Bitters • Lemon slice to garnish • Simply combine the ingredients above and pour over ice.

• Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Prévost

Riverford

Prévost’s tagline ‘flavour without boundaries’ aptly describes the experience from inventive chef, Lee Clarke, at Peterborough’s exciting fine dining establishment. The restaurant, in the city’s historic Priestgate mews, is celebrating its listing in the 2017 Michelin Guide which is a fantastic culinary feat considering it only launched in the spring of this year. Diners can expect locally-sourced ingredients and bold flavours, creating texture and taste on one’s palette. The beef is from a butcher in Stilton, wild mushrooms are foraged in nearby woods, and herbs and vegetables are picked straight from the allotment or restaurant garden. Though quintessentially British, the menu is constantly changing and Lee aims to take your taste buds on a journey of discovery. www.prevostpeterborough.co.uk Tired of turkey and the usual festive fare? Why not give Lee’s alternative Christmas dinner a go – venison is healthy meat that can be found and sourced locally. It is delicious with sharp buttery lentils and earthy beetroot.

Riverford believes in good food, good farming and good business. Everything it grows and makes is 100 per cent organic. From the farm at Sacrewell the firm delivers veg and fruit boxes and other organic produce to homes across the region. Not only is organic better for birds, bees and wildlife but it also guarantees the highest standards of animal welfare for meat and dairy products. Riverford works over the long term with a small group of like-minded local farmers and producers, which means their food is completely traceable. By their own admission the Riverford team are ‘veg nerds’ who think organic food tastes much better – they trial, taste and test and are completely obsessive about growing only the tastiest varieties. www.riverford.co.uk This seasonal dish wouldn’t look out of place alongside turkey, chicken or sausages and may just convert the sprout-haters. Make vegetables the star of the show this Christmas with Riverford’s recipe:

POACHED LOIN OF VENISON, LENTILS AND BEETROOT Serves 4 Venison: • 4 x 220g venison loins • 1 litre of chicken or game stock • 250ml red wine Butter Bring wine and stock to the boil, add venison loins so they are completely covered and remove from the heat. Let the loins poach for 7-8 minutes then remove from the stock and in a red-hot pan sear each side for 1 minute, adding a little butter to help with browning. Then set the loins aside to rest.

Lentils: • 250g green lentils (soak in water for 12 hours before cooking) • 500ml chicken or game stock • 100g streaky bacon trimmings or pieces • 8 cloves garlic, peeled • 1 onion, peeled and finely diced • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced • 2 sticks of celery finely diced • Fresh herbs – a sprig of thyme and rosemary, 1 bay leaf • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Parsley, finely chopped • A splash of sherry vinegar • 50g butter

Lightly sweat down the bacon, garlic, onion, carrot and celery until soft.

Add lentils, stock and fresh herbs and slowly boil. When the lentils become soft to the bite, take the pan off the heat and add the butter and sherry vinegar to taste. Finish with the finely chopped parsley before serving.

BAKED SPROUTS WITH A STUFFING CRUST Serves 4–6 • 750g sprouts • 3 tablespoons duck fat or butter • 1tsp caster sugar • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 100g smoked streaky bacon, chopped • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 1 tbsp chopped sage leaves • 1tsp thyme leaves • 150g soft breadcrumbs • Finely grated zest of 1 orange • 1tbsp chopped parsley • 100g peeled, vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped • 200ml chicken stock Preheat the oven to 160°C. Peel and trim the sprouts and cut into quarters lengthways. Toss in an ovenproof dish with 1 tbsp of the duck fat and the sugar and season well. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until just tender. While the sprouts are cooking, brown the bacon in a frying pan in the remaining duck fat, then add the garlic, sage and thyme. Cook for 1 more minute, remove from the heat and stir through the breadcrumbs, orange zest and parsley.

Season. Stir the chestnuts into the sprouts. Pour over the chicken stock. Top with the stuffing mixture and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden.

Beetroot: Bring some beetroot to the boil until soft. Peel and dice, then toss in a light rapeseed oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Any trimmings can be blended with a little fresh orange juice to make a great puree. You can finish the plate with fresh rocket if you wish.

➧ NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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The Cherry House Few restaurants can boast two decades of continuous ownership, but The Cherry House at Werrington is unique in many ways. Chef and patron, Andrew Corrick, formerly head chef at The Park Lane Hotel in Mayfair, offers visitors fine British dining with a respectful nod to classic French cuisine in the setting of a 400-year-old English country cottage. The building was allegedly used by Oliver Cromwell as he plotted the King’s downfall; the name itself derives from the original Cherry House which formed part of Werrington’s Cherry Farm. The kitchen today uses locallyproduced ingredients and ethically-sourced fish. An ever-evolving menu, the table d’hôte changes fortnightly and the Sunday lunch menu monthly.

The Cherry House places great emphasis on traditional hospitality, excellent service and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. www.cherryhouserestaurant.co.uk Try The Cherry House’s alternative to a Christmas pudding this season: MR GIBBONS’ STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM Serves: 8-10 PUDDING: 75g soft butter 175g dark muscovado sugar 11/2tbsp golden syrup 11/2tbsp black treacle 2 eggs 1tsp vanilla extract 200g pitted dried dates 2tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting) BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE: 125g dark muscovado sugar 125g butter 250ml double cream VANILLA ICE CREAM: 1 plump vanilla pod 300ml full fat milk 300ml double cream 100g caster sugar 4 egg yolks Preheat oven to 180°C. Using one third of the butter, grease 8-10 mini loaf tins, dust with flour. Blend remaining butter and sugar in a mixer. Put syrup, treacle, eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl, mix. Slowly add to the butter and sugar, continue mixing. Turn mixer to low, add the flour, mix evenly. Place dates in a saucepan with 300ml water, bring to boil. Remove from heat, liquidise. While still hot, add bicarbonate of soda, mix. Combine with egg mixture, fold in lightly, place into tins two thirds full. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes. Loosen with a knife, turn upside down, tap out.

SAUCE: Melt butter and sugar in a pan, mix. Add cream, bring to the boil, simmer until thickened slightly.

ICE CREAM: Split vanilla pod, scrape the seeds out. Place seeds and pod in a pan with the milk and cream, bring to the boil, remove from heat to infuse. In a bowl mix the sugar and egg yolk, whisk until pale and fluffy, put the vanilla cream back on the heat until about to boil, pour onto egg mix, whisking all the time. Return to heat and whisk until thickening, remove, sieve into a bowl. Transfer mix into an ice cream machine, churn.

To serve, reheat pudding, place in a bowl with the sauce and a ball of ice cream on top, decorating with vanilla pod and a sprig of mint. Dust with icing sugar.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Vina Morande (Chile).

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Salerno’s Salerno’s, the family-run Italian restaurant, café and deli on Oundle’s West Street, prides itself on using the finest ingredients which are sourced locally as much as possible (the meat comes from Seven Wells Butchers). Proprietor Gerry Salerno runs the business with his son, Stefan, and daughter, Gabriella. When it comes to Christmas, Gerry says: “Italians celebrate with a big feast on Christmas Eve, usually along the lines of pasta such as tortellini or cappelletti stuffed with a meat or fish accompanied by a rich flavoured broth”. But the stuzzichini (Italian nibbles) on the menu at Salerno’s such as ‘grissini’ (breadsticks wrapped in parma ham) or ‘gnocchi fritti’ (potato dumplings with sea salt and rosemary) would make excellent party titbits.

Italian sweet bread panettone is fast becoming a Christmas staple in the UK, so why not make something of it, as Gaby suggests here: PANETTONE BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING • 50g softened butter • 250g panettone (approximately 5 medium wedges) • 2 eggs • 142ml double cream • 225ml milk • 1tsp vanilla extract • 2tbsp caster sugar • Icing sugar, for sprinkling • Whipped cream, to serve Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease a shallow baking dish with butter. Cut the panettone into wedges, leaving the crusts on. Butter the wedges lightly with the rest of the butter. Cut the wedges in half and arrange them in the dish, buttered side up. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar and pour evenly over the panettone. Put the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water around it to a depth of about 2.5cm. Bake for 35 minutes until the pudding is just set – it should be yellow inside and nicely browned on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve with spoonfuls of whipped cream.

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Christmas Goodies available from December

For more details contact Richard Houghton T: 0778 603 6563 E: richard@photousphotography.co.uk The Old School, Main Street, Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DB

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The world’s most intelligent food processor Blends, chops, sautés, mixes, cooks, steams, whisks, weighs, self-cleans and much more Colour touchscreen displays digital recipes – just add ingredients!

• Great for food sensitivities • Saves you space, money and time • Excellent after sales service •

Our Christmas range will include a selection of delicious goodies, Christmas Puddings, Mince Pies, Fruit & Savoury Tarts, Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Brownies, Stilton & Celery Scones, Rutland Pippins, all made with the finest ingredients and full of flavour.

Join the cooking revolution today!

Shops: Exton Bakery,

See the Thermomix® in action –

Market Harborough, Oakham,

contact Independent Thermomix advisor, Tina McEwen to arrange a demonstration

tinathermocooking@gmail.com 07721 499525

Oundle, Stamford & West Bridgford

www.hambletonbakery.co.uk 19

Free local delivery

CHRISTMAS TREES AT WEST LODGE PLANTS A large selection of cut and potted trees including our own field and pot grown varieties.

A choice of stands in a variety of materials Wreaths Decorations An expansive range of gardening gifts Come and see our wide selection or visit us on Facebook and www.westlodgeplants.co.uk OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 9.30am - 5pm LATE NIGHT OPENING Thursday 8th and 15th December until 6.30pm Like us on Facebook

West Lodge Plants

Email: westlodgeplants@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01536 764255 West Lodge Plants, Back Lane, Desborough, Northants, NN14 2SH. (Follow the brown tourist signs to West Lodge Rural Centre).

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FOOD & DRINK The ‘intelligent’ new kitchen essential

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HERMOMIX claims to be the world’s most intelligent food processor – and for good reason. It does the job of many different kitchen appliances all in one, saving you time and valuable counter space. Thermomix makes fast and easy, healthy and creative cooking available to everyone.

It blends, chops, sautés, mixes, cooks, steams, whisks, weighs, selfcleans and much more!

Recipe books come pre-loaded on chips that attach to the machine, and a colour touchscreen displays each stage of the method, telling you which ingredients to add when, weighing them as you go along, as well as setting up the process being used.

Thermomix is perfect for those with no confidence in the kitchen, and it is also used by top chefs and is seen on popular cooking shows. The recipe chips and operating system do much of the thinking for you, but you can also use the appliance creatively without them.

Anyone concerned about additives and

Festive offers from the farm allergies has the reassurance of knowing exactly which raw ingredients go into their food. Thermomix turns basic, economical store cupboard ingredients into top quality, homecooked meals, saving money on ready meals or eating out.

Thermomix is gaining ground in the UK market, with a local network that offers excellent after sales service, demonstrations, cooking classes and a lively online community sharing ideas and tips.

• If you’d like to know more, email Christina McEwen at tinathermocooking@gmail.com; 07721 499525.

Roast carrots with honey and fennel crushed fennel seeds into the scored pork skin (with the salt) to make fantastic, aniseed crackling.

Ingredients • 1kg carrots, peeled • 2–3tbsp olive or rapeseed oil • 11/2tsp fennel seeds • 4tbsp honey • A good pinch of salt

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HIS is a simple side dish that works particularly well with roast pork – both honey and fennel are great partners for the pig. If you are a fennel fan, rub

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• Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

• Cut the carrots into long wedges or roll-cut them into angular pieces. If they are small and slender, leave them whole or cut them in half lengthways.

• Toss with the oil, fennel seeds, honey and salt.

• Spread the carrots in a single

layer over a roasting pan lined with baking paper.

• Roast for around 30 minutes until cooked through and caramelising in places – check after 20 minutes and turn over to ensure even roasting.

• Serve hot or warm.

Variations • Add a few sprigs of thyme to the roasting tray.

• Swap carrots for beetroot or celeriac – or use a combination of root veg.

• Instead of fennel seeds, try cumin seeds or lightly bashed coriander seeds.

T

HE Christmas season is the busiest time of the year for Willow Brook Farm Shop – and that’s no surprise.

Conveniently situated between Stamford and Peterborough, the business guarantees excellent produce along with a friendly Farm Shop welcome!

Rosemary Morton explains why people come back year after year: “Our field-tofork ethic is as important at Christmas as it is at any time of the year and our customers value this. Provenance is at our heart – people want to know what they’re buying and where it came from, and our expert butchers are always pleased to help. Our suppliers are local where possible and we’re incredibly proud of our own home-reared beef.”

But it’s not just meat on offer here – there are seasonal vegetables, accompaniments and other artisan products too. Food hampers make great gifts and if you have a foodie in the family then there are even pork pie-making evenings available as a gift package.

In the run-up to Christmas make the most of Willow Brook’s festive offers: if you place your order before 1 December, you win the chance to get it for free! The website has the details along with other offers on Christmas meat packs, recipes and information on pick-up days.

Rosemary adds: “If you’ve haven’t been before, come along, have a look at what we have to offer and stop for some tea and cake in our Granary Tea Room. You won’t be disappointed.”

• www.willowbrookfarmshop.co.uk

Fine dining without the formality led by Lee Clarke, presenting Peterborough's most exciting new fine dining experience.

Expect meticulously sourced ingredients, and bold flavours as Lee guides your palate on an exploration of taste, texture and brilliant food.

3 course, 5 course and 9 course options.

Vegetarians and special diets catered for.

Open Wednesday to Saturdays.

Lunch Noon till 2pm and Dinner 6pm till 9pm

20 Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1JA T: 01733 313623 E: prevostpeterborough.co.uk

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Christmas at the Bazaar Rebecca Downey discovers how Oundle businesswoman Barbara Katavich stays calm and focused amid the festive mayhem PHOTOGRAPHY: ELLI DEAN

I

F, like me, you are doing your utmost to ignore the countdown to Christmas and perhaps hoping, à la Margo Leadbetter, that someone will deliver ‘Christmas in a box’, then you should pay a visit to The Bazaar on Oundle’s West Street. The business, which opened in September 2012, has expanded to incorporate Asha’s Attire, The Male Room, Chapel Interiors and Coffee at The Chapel, creating a shopping experience over two floors which will enable you to tick off several people on your list and allow you time to relax with a rewarding coffee in an ambience of festive calm.

Owner and businesswoman Barbara Katavich exudes an aura of serene sophistication, and a browse around Asha’s reflects this state of mind. Originally from New Zealand where she studied fashion design and modelling, Barbara moved to the UK where she was accepted at the Lucie Clayton Agency in London, which no doubt honed her sense of aesthetics and style. During several moves around the UK and eventually taking up residence in the Far East, Barbara quickly got used to setting up home in various locations, sourcing furniture and local items. Her well-practised skill at doing this meant that other ex-pats began commissioning her to do the same for them.

Eventually returning to the UK, Barbara took on the role of buyer for several shops but when a space in Oundle became available, she seized the opportunity to fill a gap in the market, using her international contacts in Scandinavia, the Far East and the UK as well as her eye for unique and desirable pieces. “The furniture and interior accessories are sourced from locations as diverse as India, Belgium, France and Holland. If at all possible we endeavour to meet our suppliers and set up a working relationship with them. We have people in the Far East on constant look-out for that unique item,” says Barbara.

It’s testament to her sense of style that customers often remark that they would happily live in the shop! The range of stock

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Serene and sophisticated: Barbara Katavich

Furniture and accessories are sourced from diverse locations

The Bazaar offers a range of festive gifts and decorative items

Luxury fashion at a reasonable price

Barbara and Tony opened The Male Room earlier this year

The Male Room stocks clothing, accessories and gifts for discerning men

Beautiful items, decoratively displayed

their individual sense of style’. The velvety, is constantly changing, which Barbara says is ultra-matt finish of chalk paint has become a key to the business’ success. Clothing is ‘on popular look, providing a contemporary twist trend’ in terms of the current season’s colours to traditional pieces of furniture with its palette and shapes but customers desire an individual of vibrant colours and techniques using dry stylish look that suits them, so Asha’s Attire brushing, wax, glaze, découpage, stencilling only stocks a few items of each garment during and gilding. Alongside this, Barbara sells the a particular season. Labels such as Sandwich, tools and brushes required for these techniques Suzy D and Braintree offer luxury fashion at a and runs a range of furniture-painting and reasonable price, the latter priding itself on its lampshade-making courses, capturing the trend organic credentials, using the softest and most for upcycling and homespun sustainable fabrics such as crafts. Courses can be arranged hemp, bamboo and cotton. on a one-to-one basis or for When it comes to interiors, groups of four to six and Barbara understands that Barbara is always looking to customers want unique acquire new skills and ventures, investment pieces that they so workshop suggestions are will keep for years, and welcome. not something that will be Barbara feels lucky to have considered out of date two found like-minded individuals to seasons down the line. But work in the boutique complex. her acquisitions are not “Our employees seem to love always sourced far afield – the working at Asha’s and add their business is an advocate of own personality to the shop,” local talent too. For example, she says. “We are a team in currently on offer are Staff add their own personality every way and everyone has a coasters and platters from to the business... say in how the business is run.” a Northamptonshire-based Asked how she manages to convey such an artisan, which are proving very popular with air of calm control and elegance while running a local shoppers. burgeoning business Barbara laughs, saying: “A Barbara, along with her partner, Tony Bonner, calm exterior – if only you knew – ask Tony!” set up The Male Room in response to requests It is clear that the success of Asha’s lies in for male clothing. It was important to them that they find exactly the right brand to complement Barbara and Tony’s relationship and their ability to listen to their customers’ and employees’ the clothes in Asha’s Attire. Earlier this year, desires and requests. they discovered Casual Friday, a Danish label So while the frenetic pace of the season which encompasses cool, creative, innovative may cause blind panic among you, fear not: style for sartorially discerning men of all ages Barbara had the skill and foresight to stock – exactly the pitch they were after. And so The a range of Christmas gifts, clothing, stocking Male Room was launched in September this fillers, decorations and homewares that you year, also stocking quality gifts and accessories. would be hard pushed to find elsewhere in the Barbara and Tony have hopes to expand this region. Plus there are gift card vouchers for area further but plans are being kept under the undecided and Christmas tableware and wraps… watch this space. decorative displays to inspire the jaded. All In addition to homewares, upstairs Chapel items are thoughtfully presented, enabling the Interiors is a stockist and distributor for customer to touch, try and discuss with the Annie Sloan chalk paints – no mean feat as helpful staff or just sit back and delight in the the brand is very selective about the retailers atmosphere of the converted chapel with a it uses to distribute its products, putting mince pie and a well-deserved cup of tea. applicants through a rigorous process involving • The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. a presentation and interview, supporting www.ashas.net independent shops that are ‘hand-picked for NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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Festive flair Get ready to party with these great seasonal fashion ideas from stylist Sally Stillingfleet.

She spent a day with models Victoria Magnall and Claudia Bayley at the magnificent Wadenhoe House to highlight some of the luxury fabrics and winter colours in stores now PHOTOGRAPHY: ELLI DEAN

Left: Victoria wears green lace Coast dress, £119, John Lewis and shoes from Office Right: Claudia wears black French Connection jumpsuit, £90, John Lewis with YSL heels, £250, Arch NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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➧

Festive flair

Claudia wears grey sequinned Coast top, £79, John Lewis and Silvian Heech skirt, £75, Energy

Victoria wears silver silk Modern Rarity dress, £200, with necklace from a selection, both John Lewis

Victoria wears burgundy French Connection dress, £90, John Lewis, with Anya Hindmarch gold clutch, £200, Arch

Victoria wears grey sequinned dress, £69.98, Diversity Boutique with faux leather French Connection jacket, £97, Energy and Lotus shoes, £59.99, Marcia May Shoes

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

Victoria wears silver silk Modern Rarity dress, £200, with necklace from a selection, both John Lewis. Claudia wears Glamorous pink cami, £22, and culottes, £35, with YaYa silk kimono, £75, all Energy.

Victoria wears green lace Coast dress, £119, John Lewis and shoes from Office

Stockists Arch, 43 St Peter’s Street, Stamford. 01780 764746; Energy, Ironmonger Street, Stamford. 01780 765633; Marcia May Shoes, 41 St. Mary’s Street, Stamford.

01780 766608; John Lewis, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough. 01733 344644; Office, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough. 01733 894779; Diversity Boutique, 2 St Oysths Lane, Oundle. 01832 270330.

Many thanks to Laura Thomson-Dunne for the fabulous party make-up. 07399 591343; website: ltdbeauty.co.uk.

Also to to Sacha from Gerards Hair and Beauty, a newly qualified Level 3 Hairdresser who has had a run of competition wins to add to her qualifications. Currently there is an introductory offer for the two new members to the Gerards team – £25 for a cut and blow dry or £60 for a colour, cut and blow dry. 01780 753002; email: Sachawood@hotmail.com Historic Wadenhoe House near Oundle was the fabulous location for our festive fashion shoot. Whether you’re visiting for a wedding, business or pleasure, a warm and personal welcome is guaranteed.

Find out more on 01832 720777; www.wadenhoe.com Photography by Elli Dean 07932 055548; www.ellideanphotography.co.uk NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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Funky Lil’ Feet Children’s Shoe Shop

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Large range of Joules clothing

Full width fittings and half sizes

Gift vouchers available for Christmas

Call: 01832 734 500

www.funkylilfeet.co.uk 30

A family, valued Catherine Varney meets Tom and Nic Ray, the inspirational couple behind headline-making movie Starfish

E

VEN amid all the excitement of Christmas, it’s been impossible to miss the buzz surrounding a certain new British film. Written and directed by local producer Bill Clark and filmed around Rutland Water, Starfish tells the true story of Tom and Nic Ray. Living in a quaint cottage in the village of Hambleton with two-year-old daughter Grace, and with Nic eight months pregnant with son Freddy, their ‘perfect world’ was shattered when Tom succumbed to the devastating effects of sepsis in December 1999. The film follows their lives as the tragedy unfolds and how they cope with the physical and emotional repercussions of this terrifying ordeal.

Tom and Nic weren’t always Rutlanders – they met at Exeter University in 1980 but whilst they shared the same social circle, they didn’t date as students. Tom explained: “I had a girlfriend at the time and due to my upbringing, felt very much that I ought to be loyal to her. Yet Nic had such a presence and such a special feeling about her that I knew if we spent any time together at all I would be hooked. So I not only avoided her, I actually ended up acting quite

strangely around her.” Nic laughs as she recalls she had no idea what was going on; despite finding Tom attractive and compelling, she knew he had a girlfriend so didn’t pursue it any further.

It wasn’t until many years later, after Tom’s short marriage had ended, that he plucked up the courage to write a letter to Nic and asked if she remembered him. “It came completely out of the blue” Nic recalls, “but I was pleasantly surprised. Tom drove up to Leicester to meet me where I was then living as I had set up a successful video production business, mentored by none other than Bill Clark. Little did I know then what role Bill would come to play in our lives further down the line.”

That first meeting, they both agree, was intense and Tom immediately came to the conclusion that Nic was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. One lazy Sunday afternoon in 1996, a drive around Rutland Water ended with them spotting a ‘For Sale’ sign in Hambleton and deciding this was where their futures lay. “We were in the first flush of romance and I remember everything feeling so incredibly exciting,” Tom told me.

“We were so happy and didn’t have a care in the world.”

Daughter Grace was born in 1997, they married in 1998 and with Nic pregnant with baby number two, their happiness seemed cemented. “I had been a house-husband for a couple of years as Nic’s business was thriving and it made sense for her to be the main breadwinner. I had a really close relationship with Grace and loved taking her to Langham playgroup; as the only dad there, the other mums made a real fuss of me! But Nic planned to take a year off with Freddy so I was due to go back to work and get back to script-writing and doing voice-overs.”

In fact, it was the day before Nic started maternity leave that tragedy struck. What they initially thought was a nasty case of food poisoning rapidly became something clearly far more serious. Tom had a raging temperature, very cold hands and feet and was very distant and drowsy. The local GP prescribed antisickness drugs over the phone but it soon became obvious that more serious care was needed and Nic dialled 999. She told me: “The problem with sepsis is that it spreads so quickly,

NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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WHAT IS SEPSIS? • Sepsis (aka blood poisoning or septicaemia) affects 150,000 people in the UK every year, and kills 44,000 - more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined.

Starfish was 10 years in the making and began with Nic having a coffee and catch-up with Bill Clark. Local residents were invited to appear in the film – you may spot someone you know in the dinner party scene or the fun run! – and clothing for the cast and crew were supplied by local business Lands’ End. Nic has a cameo role as a mum outside the newsagents with her son, while Tom acted as a ‘body double’ for actor Tom Riley when he was filmed in the hospital bed.

• For every hour of delay, a patient’s chance of dying increases by eight per cent. If treated promptly with fluids and antibiotics, major organ damage can be prevented and the patient has a far greater chance of survival. Earlier recognition could save 14,000 lives each year in the UK.

A family, valued time really is of the essence and every minute counts. The doctors and paramedics were just treating symptoms; they had no idea what it actually was so Tom was getting sicker and sicker and I felt completely powerless. With better awareness of the illness, the outcome would have been very different: if antibiotics are administered quickly enough, it can prevent any major organ damage. Every year, over 44,000 people die of sepsis in the UK alone, yet this number could be dramatically reduced.”

Unfortunately for Tom, he wasn’t one of the lucky few to come through it unscathed.

Less than 24 hours after falling ill, Nic was told that he had just a one in 10 chance of survival.

Whilst Tom did pull through, it was at huge physical and mental cost – he eventually lost both lower arms and legs plus much of the tissue on the lower part of his face. Nic went into labour with Freddy whilst enduring endless requests to consent to further amputations to save Tom’s life.

For his part, Tom remembers very little about the whole experience. “I woke up after a fourmonth coma and genuinely had no idea what had happened to me. And even when I was told

by Nic or the doctors and nurses, my memory was so badly affected that by the end of the day, I had to be told all over again. I would go to bed at night in hospital and wonder why I had such catastrophic injuries. My imagination went into overdrive and I ended up inventing many different scenarios to explain to myself how I had come to be. But by far the saddest realisation of all was that Grace, who I had been so close to, was now scared to look at me.”

Some very dark days followed for both Tom and Nic, who struggled to overcome the magnitude of his disability, and this is touched upon sympathetically in the film, with outstanding performances by Joanne Froggatt and Tom Riley. But ultimately, their story is one of triumph over tragedy and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Both credit the area they now call home with being key to their recovery. Tom told me: “We have a great many friends around here and it feels incredibly safe. People recognise me on the street and it gives me comfort to know that they understand our background and story. I have worked in the call centre at Lands’ End for the past 12 years which has restored my self-

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

• It occurs when a bacterial infection enters the body and the immune system over-reacts, attacking its own tissues and major organs. In Tom’s case, it transpires that a simple nick to his gum at a dental appointment enabled the poison from a niggling chest infection to enter his bloodstream.

• Early signs may include a high or low body temperature, chills, nausea or vomiting, confusion or disorientation, slurred speech, severe muscle pain due to a lack of oxygen and mottled or discoloured skin. If you suspect sepsis in an adult or child, do not delay: seek medical attention immediately.

confidence immeasurably; to my colleagues there, I am simply Tom and they accept me for who I am.”

For Nic, her salvation was painting (having completed a part-time degree in Fine Art) and running. “The endorphins from exercise played a huge part in improving my overall mental wellbeing, plus it gave me the chance to escape my responsibilities at home for a short time every day.” For Tom, he found peace sitting in some of his favourite places surrounded by the beauty of Rutland Water. “Hambleton represented an oasis of calm; it is isolated and by its very nature, it enabled me to get away from my darkest thoughts and feelings.”

These days, plans are in place for tentative steps towards new career paths to begin the next phase of their lives. Tom, using his previous experience in drama and voice-overs, plans to pursue his dream to be a motivational speaker, and Nic to develop her painting.

Both have co-written a new book about the film, which is due out in the new year, and are working tirelessly to raise awareness of sepsis.

As Tom so eloquently explains their new focus and priorities, it is clear he is finally in a position

to use his life-changing ordeal to really make a difference.

“I feel very strongly about being able to share my experience with others to help them cope with change. How to adapt to different situations and compromise with others, adjusting your expectations to suit your new circumstances, whether that be through divorce, illness or anything else that life throws at you,” he said. “So much of life is about acquisition; it would be great to spread the message that actually it should be about what we can live without, rather than what we think we need. Because after all, the only important value in life is the strength of the relationship you have with your family and those you love the most.”

• Visit www.starfish.film for cinema screenings and to book tickets • Visit www.sepsistrust.org to find out more about the charity’s work and to donate to this very worthwhile cause • Visit www.thisistomray.co.uk to find out more about Tom’s motivational speaking and his work for The Sepsis Trust

Do you have a spare room in your home?

Are you caring, nurturing and supportive?

Become a Host Family for an international pupil at a local boarding school Attractive daily rates Occasional weekend and half terms only Contact Imogen to find out more on imogen@pippasguardians.co.uk or call 01684 252757

www.pippasguardians.co.uk

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That’s a wrap!

Hand-made reversible pinny

by Gillian Dolby £25, The Dolby Gallery

Fox motif oven gloves £20, Stu-Pots

Still struggling for inspiration?

Here are some ideas to help get your festive shopping finished… all available in a store near you now!

Dunoon fine bone china mug £15.50, Stu-Pots GoPro Hero £289.99, John Lewis

Girls Only Secret Message £19, Jollys Toys

Topi reindeer designer toilet paper £3.99, Stu-Pots

Liv Signature rain jacket £99.99, Rutland Cycling

Graffiti jigsaw purse £46, Grafffiti red and black purse £45, Giannia Conti mens’ tan wallet £45, all Designer Leathers

Monopoly The Mega Edition £25.99, John Lewis

Pass the Parcel Snowman and Brussel Sprout £8.99 each, Stu-Pots

Gianni Conti crossbody handbag £189, Designer Leathers

Mount! By Jilly Cooper £20, Oundle Bookshop Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty £3.50 per tin, Jollys Toys

Ceramic dish £25, Art in the Heart

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

Lipgloss set £20, Next

Large Lewis bear £25, John Lewis

Ladybird books, £6.99 each, Oundle Bookshop

Barbour wax cotton TraveExplorer holdall £149, John Lewis

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari £25, Oundle Bookshop

Woven pom pom cushion with feather pad £32, Hilly Horton Home

Planet jigsaw, £12, Marks & Spencer

Guitar and Cycle socks £6.99 per pair, Romejo’s

Sterling silver money clip £45, Harpurs of Oundle

Oundle II limited edition print by Gillian Dolby £75 unframed, £150 framed, The Dolby Gallery The Hairy Bikers’ 12 Days of Christmas £22, Oundle Bookshop

Sandwich cardigan jacket £139 and Sandwich leather shoes £99, Asha’s Attire

Sandwich leather bag £129, Asha’s Attire

Hush jumper £79, John Lewis

STOCKISTS Art in the Heart, 13 Westgate Arcade, Peterborough PE1 1PY. 07910 118148. www.artintheheart.co.uk; Asha’s Attire, The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. 01832 275605. www.ashas.net; Designer Leathers, 8 Queen Street, Peterborough PE1 1PA. 01733 348917. www.designerleathers.co.uk; The Dolby Gallery, 30 West Street, Oundle PE8 4EF. 01832 273801. www dolby-gallery.com; Harpur’s of Oundle, 5a West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. 01832 274050. www.harpurjewellery.com; Hilly Horton Home, 36a Goss Court, High Street, Thrapston NN14 4JH. 07530 404511; Jolly’s Toys, 28a High Street, Thrapston NN14 4JH. 01832 358915. www.jollystoys. co.uk; Oundle Bookshop, 13 Market Place, Oundle PE8 4BA. 01832 273523. www.colemans-online.co.uk/oundlebookshop.html; Romejo’s, 14 Market Place, Oundle PE8 4BQ. 01832 272165. www.romejos.co.uk; Rutland Cycling, Top Lodge Fineshade Woods, NN17 3BB. 01780 440899; and Ham Lane, Orton Meadows, Peterborough PE2 5UU. 01733 371013. www.rutlandcycling.com; Stu-Pots, 36 Market Place, Oundle PRE8 4BE. 01832 275414. John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Next, all Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL. www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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Clinical Reflexology

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Have yourself a healthy 3

It may be the season to be jolly, but this is also a time of year that can be risky for our health.However, the experts behind our city’s Healthy Peterborough campaign say you can still enjoy all the festivities of the season without too much impact on your wellbeing and waistline – just follow these 12 tips to avoid your health slipping down the snow-covered slope…

1

KNOW YOUR BOOZE LIMITS

For some of us, the festive season is a time of excess drinking and partying. It’s good to relax and socialise, but drinking too much too quickly on any single occasion can increase your risk of misjudging risky situations, of accidents resulting in injury and causing death in some cases, and of losing self-control, leading to errors such as having unprotected sex.

To reduce your health risks: • Limit how much you drink • Drink more slowly • Drink with food • Alternate with water or non-alcoholic drinks In the long-term, drinking more than 14 units a week (about six pints of average strength beer or 10 small glasses of low strength wine) can also lead to a wide range of health problems including cancer, stroke and heart attack. So at the end of the festive season, why not consider signing up for Dry January and taking a month off alcohol?

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

DON’T LET THE TURKEY KNOCK THE STUFFING OUT OF YOU

December is one of the most common months for people to get food poisoning. Allow at least 48 hours to defrost a large turkey. Plan your cooking time in advance, allowing extra time if cooking the bird with stuffing. When you cut into the thickest part of the turkey, none of the meat should be pink and juices should be clear.

Tips to avoid poisoning are to wash your hands often, and wash worktops before and after preparing foods. Avoid crosscontamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs (including any juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces.

Wash your veg and cook foods at the proper temperature. Refrigerate promptly and do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours.

2

MAKE CHRISTMAS DINNER HEALTHIER

Many of us will put on pounds during this Christmas season – we can eat 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone, which is about three times as many calories as we need in a day. But you can make this Christmas a healthy one and still enjoy delicious food.

Christmas dinner can provide a healthier plate of food with just a few small changes. Removing the turkey skin before serving will reduce the fat intake. Cutting potatoes and parsnips bigger before roasting will reduce the fat they absorb. Fill one third of your plate with vegetables and avoid putting any butter or fat on these. If you still have room for dessert then serve Christmas pudding with low fat-custard or try fruit salad instead. Resist the urge for large portions or second helpings.

OVERINDULGE ON THE SNACKS 4 DON’T It would be rather Scrooge-like to suggest that you don’t eat any treats over the festive period. But rather than mindlessly popping whatever is in front of you in your mouth, spend a moment thinking about whether you really want it, or are just eating it because it’s there.

Wake up to breakfast for a healthy start to the festive season. Eating a healthy breakfast gives us energy and can help to cut down on morning snacking. Try adding seasonal fruits, like satsumas or dried cranberries, to wholegrain cereal or porridge for a festive start to your five-a-day.

If you don’t want to ‘shake your belly like a bowl full of jelly’ it’s best to bypass the chocolate boxes and instead look for the healthier treats such as fruit and vegetable sticks, or unsalted nuts.

Let’s be honest – some of us get through the entire Christmas period eating no more fruit than the satsuma in the Christmas stocking! But it’s still important to get your five-a-day, to help you stay in good health throughout the party season. Ensure that your Christmas shopping list enables you to fill up the fruit bowl and keep it within sight.

Xmas 5

HAPPY HYDRATION

We need six to eight glasses of fluid every day to stay hydrated. Many soft drinks can be high in sugar – this adds to our calorie intake which can lead to weight gain. Plain or sparkling water are healthy choices; add a slice of citrus fruit for natural flavour. If you’re hosting, make big pitchers of water readily available everywhere.

6

‘TIS THE SEASON… TO EXERCISE SOME WILLPOWER

7

THE ONLY WHITE POWDER YOU WANT IS SNOW

The party season can be a time when you feel put under pressure to try illegal drugs. The reality is that most people don’t take drugs, so if you refuse you’re in the majority. Try to understand who is offering you the drugs and why – friends should understand if you say no, people you don’t know very well may expect something in return.

Since May 2016, it’s illegal to supply drugs that used to be known as ‘legal highs’. These drugs are often tested on you; they come with little or no research into their effects, and in some cases can be as harmful as drugs which have been classed as ‘illegal’ for a long time.

More information is available on the ‘Ask Frank’ website, www.talktofrank.com

OFF THE EXCESS AND BLOW AWAY THE COBWEBS 9 BURN

If you practise unsafe sex you may find yourself with the unwanted present of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or pregnancy. STIs and pregnancy rates increase post-Christmas.

Using a condom is the best way to stay safe. Be prepared and carry a condom – it means you’re looking after your sexual health. If you haven’t used a condom or it slips off during sex, you should get tested for STIs or use emergency contraception, available up to 72 hours later.

You can get free condoms, emergency contraception, or get checked and treated for STIs at the Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health (iCaSH) clinic at Kings Chambers, 39-41 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1JL. The service is free and confidential, even if you are under 16. You can also get free online chlamydia testing at www.freetestme.com

Aim to include some physical activity in your day to help burn off some of the additional calories eaten over Christmas, such as a post-dinner walk with the family. Still aim to do your 150 minutes of physical activity each week – remember that this can be as easy as half an hour a day of brisk walking, which makes a real difference to your health.

Ice-skating is a good form of cardio exercise that improves balance and co-ordination. A few lengths of a pool is a great low-impact exercise which works all the muscles, burns lots of calories and is good for stress-busting.

10 Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health. It can be a tough one to go ‘cold turkey’ and quit in the festive season. But you don’t need to do it alone as the local Stop Smoking Service (call 0800 376 56 55) is here to support you all the way, including helping you access medications like Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Champix on NHS prescription.

These medications will increase your chances of successfully stopping and really help when you are out and about with friends and family this Christmas and at times when you would normally have a cigarette.

When you socialise more you may smoke more. Avoid this by taking a limited amount of cigarettes out with you or place them high on top of a cupboard so you have to get steps to reach them.

Christmas is expensive. Can you really afford to spend, say, £60 a week on cigarettes too?

With a little willpower and a lot of free help from trained specialist advisors, you can have a fresh start to the new year.

8

KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE

12

KEEP COLDS AT BAY

The flu vaccine can prevent you from catching flu – so if you are over 65, are pregnant, or have a long-term condition that means you’re entitled to a free NHS flu vaccine, it’s worth taking this up through your GP surgery or a local pharmacy. Aside from that, the best way to protect yourself from colds and flu is to have a healthy lifestyle – eat a healthy diet, take regular exercise and drink plenty of warm drinks in the winter.

11

BE JOLLY, NOT STRESSED

Jolly is the last thing many of us feel, thanks to overspending, cooking, cleaning, endless ‘to do’ lists and visitors we could do without. But do try to keep a sense of humour and proportion.

Is it really the end of the world if the carrots are overcooked or if the mantelpiece is a bit dusty?

Remember, Christmas is just one day out of 365 and it isn’t worth stressing over.

KEEP WARM, KEEP WELL

If you are an older person, a young child or have an ongoing health problem, cold winter weather can be bad for your health. Getting too cold can increase the risk of chest infections, raise the blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. To stay warm and well: • Check that your boiler is working properly, before a cold snap hits.

• Heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F).

• Keep the bedroom window closed at night – breathing cold air can increase the risk of chest infections.

• Eat well – food is a vital source of energy, which helps to keep your body warm.

• Stay active indoors – don’t sit still for more than an hour or so.

• Wear several layers of light clothes – they’ll trap warm air better than one bulky layer.

• Learn how to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating and keep up with bills at www.gov.uk/phe/keep-warm.

FOR MORE ON THE 12 TIPS OF CHRISTMAS VISIT WWW.HEALTHYPETERBOROUGH.ORG.UK NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Bridget Steele has the latest tips on looking good and feeling great

Hydrotherapy at And So Beautiful And So Beautiful’s new salon in Woodnewton will focus on relaxation – so much so that it will offer hydrotherapy sessions and special relaxation areas.

Combined with heat, the water and air jets of a Jacuzzi will knead your muscle groups and joints to help them relax, resulting in profound physical, emotional and psychological benefits and wellbeing.

Hydrotherapy can help problems such as osteoporosis, arthritis and rheumatism. It can also be an effective way to treat sore muscles and joints. When running at full intensity, the jets provide something akin to a deep-tissue massage. Relaxing in a Jacuzzi can help heal sports injuries, as the heat can soothe muscle spasms and speed up recovery time.

After a relaxing session in the Jacuzzi, you won’t be surprised to learn that The Sleep Council has endorsed the fact that it can help create healthy sleep habits. Raising your body temperature by soaking, and then allowing it to naturally return to a normal temperature, creates a gentle transition that improves sleep.

After bathing in the Jacuzzi you will be able to have a lovely warm shower and then retire to the Relaxation Room and thoroughly chill out. Another little addition is the option to have light lunches or afternoon teas – a perfect indulgence.

• For more information contact Rebecca on 07905 926902; www.andsobeautiful.co.uk

Christmas wrapped up at Elysia Christmas with all its fun and excitement can be a stresful time, but the team at Elysia have a wealth of experience and knowledge to ease you through. Why leave it until the New Year – now is the time to change your life!

• Party season results – you want to look and feel your best. Boost your confidence and look amazing in your LBD. If your arms, tummy or thighs are letting you down EXILIS ELITE and LIPOFIRM PRO offer permanent fat removal, inch loss and skin tightening.

Aesthetic skin treatments will treat lines and wrinkles, sagging jowls, acne and rosacea and loose skin around the eye area too.

• Relax and unwind with some specialised massage therapy to give you some ‘me time’ – Hot Stone, lava shell and deep tissue are just a few of the treatments on offer. Pamper Parties are perfect for a catch-up with friends whilst enjoying amazing treatments.

Elysia has a dedicated area where all can relax and enjoy a glass of something, and the salon can even arrange lunch or supper.

• Sparkle – don’t forget the finishing touches.

Gel nails, LVL Lashes, brows and makeup will all get you party-ready and in the festive mood. Or if you’re still looking for gift ideas, Elysia offers Christmas presents and vouchers too.

• Elysia Health and Beauty, Tansor, Oundle PE8 5HP. 01832 226328 or 07879 620196; www.elysiahealthandbeauty.com

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Elysia has an enticing range of Christmas beauty gifts from £10, including Mii Designer Brow duo £21.95, Mii Precious gem gift set for illuminating skin and dazzling lips £25.95 and Mii Dazzling Lip Glitz £14.50

These Spongellé Body wash buffers are priced at £10 for one, £18.95 for a set of three

Gratitude is the gateway to happiness How can you feel even happier?

It may seem a strange question to ask, but it’s a valid one.

Local Holistic Practitioner and Human Software Engineering (HSE) coach, Nina Heaton, sheds light on her experiences of how to make small changes. “Sometimes when you may feel disruptive emotions like rejection, hurt, feeling stressed for long periods or simply overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things to do – especially at this time of year – out of habit it’s likely you shut down and try to stop ‘feeling’, blocking the heart centre. It’s common to numb everything out for fear of being overwhelmed even more. One of the problems with this is we block all the positive stuff flowing in and out too, like love, self-compassion and empathy.”

Nina explains: “In my experience, one of the things that opens the heart and ignites that warm glow once again is being thankful and grateful. We may do this briefly from time to time, but it has a bigger impact if we do it more frequently.

My top tip is to write down five things every day that you are truly thankful and grateful for, and truly mean it. It just takes one minute: no need to over-think it. Much of the time it is the simple things like seeing the colours in nature, hearing a child’s infectious laughter or smelling freshly-baked bread. When we start to notice these things again, it warms the heart, it opens the heart! You may start to feel that spark of happiness turning into a very uplifting joyful feeling, and it really opens your eyes when you read back the lists you have made.

“The topics that may have led you to shutting down your heart centre are easily resolved with HSE – there’s no need to carry them around with you any more. This exercise is a very good start to feeling even happier. Write your list right now! It only takes one minute. Gratitude really is the gateway to happiness.”

• 01733 236476; www.ninaheaton.co.uk

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HERITAGE

Passing time Kem Mehmed of Peterborough Civic Society keeps an eye on the city’s timepieces If you want to know the time ask a p’liceman, The proper Greenwich time, ask a p’liceman, Ev’ry member of the force, has a watch and chain of course, If you want to know the time ask a p’liceman. …so goes the popular 19th-century music hall refrain. Should you be in the centre of Peterborough and should you wish to know the time, you would probably find it quicker to just look around you – and if you could not see a clock, then a short walk in any direction would probably bring one into view. Of course, most of us carry a watch, phone or tablet and have no need of a public clock or a policeman! But our streets would be so much poorer without their clocks.

There are, by my reckoning, 19 clocks in public places in the city centre including one that has no face or hands! This faceless clock is in the Cathedral’s north aisle. There are in fact three clock mechanisms here which were used to activate the striking arm. The oldest part dates from 1450 and the other parts of the clock date from 1686 and 1836. When this composite clock was in use in 1950 it was claimed to be the oldest working mechanism in the world. The hours and half-hours still ring out over the city centre from the ‘City Bell’, the last surviving bell from a set cast in 1709 by Henry Penn of this city.

Probably the oldest surviving working clock is on the Guildhall, 1671.

The hours are shown in Roman numerals with a helpful showing of Arabic numerals for the minutes at the quarters. These look like additions to the

Faceless workings in the Cathedral

The city’s oldest surviving working clock?

original design. The vast majority of our clocks use the Roman numerals or simple strokes at the hours/ five-minute divisions.

Only three show the hours in Arabic numerals.

The clock on the Town Hall was originally affixed to a jeweller’s shop not far from its present position. When Narrow Bridge Street was widened, to allow the building of the Town Hall, it was moved to the Carnegie Library in Broadway where the remote mechanism could be seen on the first floor landing.

In the years before 1840 there were different local times in use all over the United Kingdom, but in November 1840 the Great Western Railway adopted Railway Time. This was brought about largely by advances in the electric telegraph apparatus which enabled instant communication between stations. By 1855, 95 per cent of towns and cities had adopted GMT, but it was not until 1880 that a unified standard time for the whole of Great Britain finally achieved legal status. At this time there were two railway stations in Peterborough but neither of them had a clock displaying to the surrounding streets. Our modernised station has a clock in the ticket hall, which can be seen from the front entrance but not from a distance. A few hundred metres along Bourges Boulevard there is a modern clock face on the gable wall of a converted railway warehouse, now the home of Buckles Solicitors.

The bus station has one over its rail counterpart in having a proper clock with ‘proper numbers’! This might be one of those clocks locals refer

The Town Hall clock was originally affixed to a nearby jeweller’s shop NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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HERITAGE

Passing time to when they use the phrase “Let’s meet under the clock.” It’s a famous line from a movie starring Judy Garland, entitled imaginatively The Clock, and referring to the clock at the Astor Hotel, New York. Peterborough’s other candidates for this phrase are the Guildhall and the glass-cased clock in Queensgate.

Younger members of my family tell me they often used this as a rendezvous when it was located in ‘Boots Square’. It had those essential ingredients: under cover, visibility from and to approaches and… a clock! Since its relocation to the adjacent mall it may not be so popular a meeting place. This clock was built in 1806 by Handley & Moore of London and was relocated from a coach house at Braxted Park in Essex.

It was installed in 1990 in Queensgate at an opening ceremony by the Rt Reverend William Westwood, our ‘Bishop Bill’.

Earlier in the 20th century, in 1921, the then Bishop dedicated a large clock to the 31 employees of the Peterborough Co-operative Society who died in WWI. This impressive

Let’s meet under... the Guildhall clock!

Above: Counting the shopping hours, the Queensgate clock Left: Dedicated to staff who died in WWI

structure projects over the Park Road elevation of the department store.

D’Arcy, Family Jewellers in Westgate has a projecting clock of pleasing elements showing a face to both sides for maximum impact. The shop front below is one of the best of its type in Peterborough. It was made by Sages of Walton, renowned joinery manufacturers who also tried their hand at aircraft construction during and just after WW1.

This family jewellers has a clock with a face to both sides

What of the other clocks in the city centre?

• Lido – clock sits high on the tower over the entrance and has the tricky job of showing the correct time on four faces.

• ASDA, Rivergate – modern installation on the cupola with a face to Bourges Boulevard and the south mall.

• Midgate House entrance – the canopy has recently been remodelled and a replacement for the clock which was in the old canopy has been agreed with the owners, on a Civic Society suggestion.

• Farrow’s Corner, SnappySnaps – a rather plain replica clock which is always correct twice a day.

• NatWest Bank, Cathedral Square – this relatively modest clock is obviously an integral part of an elaborate elevation which pays homage to Elizabethan Kirby Hall. Just below the clockface is the inscription, TEMPVS FVGIT. • McDonald’s, Cathedral Square – a simple, minimalist design consisting of two hands and twelve short strips of steel fixed directly to the stonework above the entrance. Very tasteful.

• Walters, Park Road – this is easily missed, which is a shame as it serves to advertise the business.

• St Mary’s Church, New Road – a fine landmark tower announcing the entrance to the city centre from Boongate. The face is somewhat small for the tower and eccentrically placed to the right of centre, perhaps to facilitate running two clocks off one mechanism?

• Street Advert Panels – there are two of these well designed structures, both incorporating a clock on two sides in Lower Bridge Street and Long Causeway.

Clocks do come and go. Not so long ago we were saddened to see Marks and Spencer

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

Above: A tasteful timepiece at McDonald’s Below: St John’s Church once had an enormous clock face on its tower Above: Useful when stuck in traffic, the Asda clock faces Bourges Boulevard Left: The Lido clock has four faces

vacating Bridge Street. More pain was felt when the clock went to the breaker’s yard. M&S tell us that it will provide spare parts for its clocks elsewhere in the UK. I can recall a visit to the City Planning offices in Norwich Union House, back in the ‘70s, and being stared at by the enormous clock face, which must have been at least two metres in diameter, fixed to the tower of St John’s Church.

It can be seen on early photographs. There was a face on the opposite (east) side of the tower as well. The clock faces were removed in 1983 but I am not sure whether the clock mechanism

remains in place.

One other building on which you might have expected to see a clock is the Old Customs House, where the cupola provides a perfect location. Instead this houses a lamp to guide river traffic to the mooring where the tolls could be paid.

• Please get in touch if you have discovered a public clock I have missed or if you would like to know more about the Peterborough Civic Society. Contact details are on our website: www.peterboroughcivicsociety.org.uk

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LOCAL WALK

Happy 80th birthday to the trig pillar (and a decent walk into the bargain)

This walk takes you across rolling countryside and past the country’s first trig point – a reminder, says Nicholas Rudd-Jones, that our patch really is at the heart of England

WALK DATA Distance: 13km (8 miles) Typical time: 3 hours Start & Finish: Black Horse, Main Street, Cold Ashby NN6 6EL Terrain: Quite a few contours Getting there: 5 minutes south of the A14.

Take the Junction 1 exit along the A5199.

I

N early 1936 a group of Ordnance Survey surveyors gathered around a white concrete pillar in a field in Cold Ashby and began the retriangulation of Great Britain. That trig pillar is still standing 80 years on, along with thousands more around the country.

Trig pillars are now instantly recognised by any walker, and have inspired many a ‘trigbagger’.

They’re quintessentially British, and even made it onto Bill Bryson’s list of favourite British items in his 2015 book The Road to Little Dribbling.

But what were they for? Now largely redundant, back in 1936 they formed a state-of-the-art network built to re-map Britain, dreamt up

by Brigadier Martin Hotine. Responsible for the design, planning and implementation of the retriangulation, Hotine also designed the iconic trig pillar to provide a solid base for the theodolites used by the survey teams to improve the accuracy of their readings. Some 6,500 were built in total and the OS surveying teams spent 26 years in all gathering measurements across Britain to create a highly accurate map of the country, but time and technologies have moved on enormously to the point where the traditional trig pillar is now obsolete.

The Cold Ashby trig is marked on the map as a triangle, halfway along the Stanford Road (the first part of the walk) on the left; it is down a (private) farm track with metal gates, about a hundred yards on the left. If there is no crop you will probably be able to spy it from the road.

There is an inscription on the side that reads: ORDNANCE SURVEY COLD ASHBY The first observations for the retriangulation of Great Britain were made at this trigonometrical station

by Sergeant G. F. Mullinger, Royal Engineers on 18th April 1936.

Why was Cold Ashby the first? Probably because it is pretty much in the centre of the country, almost on the imaginary North/South dividing line that connects the Severn to the Wash and along the Jurassic limestone ridge that is an ancient trackway that dates back to pre-history.

Trig Pillar No. 1

Getting the trigbagger ‘bug’ If you wish to become a ‘trigbagger’, take a look at the website www.trigpointing.co.uk. There are some really stunning pictures of ‘prettified’ trig points to be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/in-pictures-36036561 , of which the OS naturally doesn’t approve. For me, trig points bring back mixed memories of family holidays being forced to climb up steep hills then sit on a damp trig at the top of the hill to prove one had made it and get a damp bottom in the process.

Here’s another one if you’re hooked. The country’s lowest trig point is one metre below sea level, on the north bank of the Little Ouse River, just NW of Little Ouse village, 12 miles NE of Ely; reach It from Brandon Creek. More details at www.trigpointing.co.uk NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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LOCAL WALK

THE ROUTE 2

1

Set out west along the village street, taking the first road bearing right (Stanford Road) and continuing east past the golf course on your left, then the gated track with the trig pillar halfway down it.

Shortly after the road kinks, you will see a footpath sign ahead of you which you take W (not the footpath on the left); the sign says ‘Bridleway to Elkington, Jurassic Way’; follow the track that skirts around Honey Hill and eventually descends to the hamlet of Elkington, via several metal field gates on the way.

Turn left at the house called ‘Portly Banks’ and follow the road S to its end; then continue through a gate along this stone track, passing Winwick Lodge and then reaching Winwick hamlet.

Turn left here just before the hamlet along a well-defined track to White House Farm; after which you bear left along a footpath to cross the main road onto a track that continues to head NE to Thornby Grange and then reaches a minor road At the minor road bear left and follow the road back into Cold Ashby and past the church to the pub, where you began.

If you would like to try out more walks in the Cold Ashby area, take a look at www. spanglefish.com/thecoldashbyrambler

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©Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/16

POINTS OF INTEREST Cold Ashby is mentioned in the Domesday Book and has a delightful church dating from the 12th century.

Of particular note is the Lynch Gate, which was constructed in 1883.

The Jurassic Way, 88 miles in total, follows the Jurassic limestone ridge from Banbury to Stamford passing through Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire.

Honey Hill is an exquisite downland with great views west. There is some evidence that it was a Mesolithic site; it is certainly a very auspicious spot.

The Grand Union Canal flows a very short distance west of Elkington and probably merits a quick detour. It dates back to the late 18th century and was the main transport artery for the country until the arrival of trains 40 years later.

Winwick has a fine 16th-century brick manor house.

REFRESHMENTS Black Horse, Main Street, NN6 6EL. 01604 743246.

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NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

• Walking World is a brilliant online walking resource, featuring nearly 7,000 walks across the country.

For unlimited access and OS downloads for only £15 per year, go to www.walkingworld.com

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OUT & ABOUT Must-do and mustn’t-miss dates for December Victoria Hall, Oundle. http://stamfordhandmade. myfreesites.net; www.facebook.com/ stamfordhandmade

Thursday 1 December Peterborough Big Band With music from the 1930s to the present, this concert features a number of guest vocalists.

8pm. £5. Dragonfly Hotel, Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough PE3 6GA. Thursday 1 December to Sunday 8 January Dick Whittington With everything you expect from a Key Theatre Pantomime, this is an allsinging, all-dancing story of Dick Whittington – the poor boy who finds fame and fortune with his feline friend. £10-£18.50. The Key Theatre, Embankment Road, Peterborough, PE1 1EF. 01733 207239; www.vivacitypeterborough.com/ whatson/theatre/dickwhittington/ Saturday 3 December Music in the Cottage The Meena Lee Quartet play soft jazz from the 1920s to the 1950s with Songs From The Great American Songbook, numbers made famous

by Billie Holliday, Nat King Cole, Julie London and Ella Fitzgerald.

7pm. £5. Clare Cottage, 12 Woodgate, PE6 7ED. 01733 253330; www.clarecottage.org/ pages/dec-events

Sunday 4 December Concert of Christmas Music by the City of Peterborough Concert Band Join the City of Peterborough Concert Band for a seasonal concert, with proceeds going to EACH and Little Miracles local charities.

3pm. £5, free for accompanied under 16s. St Andrews Church, Ledbury Road, Netherton, Peterborough PE3 9RF. Hilary Lewis 01733 265877; email: petconcertband@ gmail.com. Tickets from Peterborough Visitor Information Centre, 41 Bridge Street, Peterborough. 01733 453336 or on the door.

Saturday 10 December Stamford Handmade Your chance to buy a unique Christmas gift hand made by a local crafter. 10am-4pm.

Tuesday 6 December Belinda Bauer: The Beautiful Dead Hear about the highly anticipated and extraordinary new crime novel from Belinda Bauer, twice winner of Crime Novelist of the Year.

The Beautiful Dead is Belinda’s seventh book. With her career as a TV crime reporter flagging and increasing pressures at home, Eve Singer will do anything to satisfy her ghoulish audience. Her career is built on the bones of the dead; her one aim to secure that perfect shot of the body bag. And luckily for Eve, there is a serial killer at work in London…

The killer needs death too. He sees beauty in death and revels in watching his victims take their final breath. For the killer, the line

Friday 16 December The Peterborough Cathedral Christmas Concert Peterborough Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir and Festival Chorus, with Cambridge-based brass ensemble Prime Brass, present a programme of seasonal music.

7.30pm. £25, £20. £15 (U18s half price) available via www.peterboroughcathedral.org.uk or Oundle

Box Office 01832 274734, Peterborough Information Centre 01733 452336 or Stamford Arts Centre 01780 763203.

Sunday 18 December Christmas Magic Peterborough Male Voice Choir, Peterborough Voices and Peterborough Youth Choir with special guests Peterborough Festival Orchestra are ‘at home’ at the much-loved Broadway Theatre.

3pm and 7.30pm. £16.

Friday 2 and Saturday 3 December Christmas Movies at the Cathedral Experience much-loved Christmas movies in the spectacular setting of Peterborough Cathedral.

Enjoy the party atmosphere with popcorn, treats and drinks on sale, and maybe an appearance from some characters from the movies!

On Friday there are screenings of The Muppet Christmas Carol (6.30pm for a 7.00pm start) and Elf (8.30pm for a 9pm start), whilst on Saturday you can enjoy a double bill featuring The Snowman and Frozen (5pm for 5.30pm start).

Friday: £6 adults, £4 children, £18 family* per film, or £10 adults, £6 children, £30 family* for both movies. Saturday: £6 adults, £4 children, £18 family* for both movies. *Family ticket applies to 2 adults and up to 3 children.

Book online via www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk or Oundle Box Office 01832 274734, Peterborough Information Centre 01733 452336, or on the door.

03336 663366. www. peterboroughmvchoir.org.uk Monday 19 to Friday 23 December Cinderella: Oundle Pantomime All the fun and magic of

professional pantomime comes once again to Oundle’s Stahl Theatre. £15.50. For times and tickets, see www. tellingtalestheatre.com or pop into the Stahl on West Street, Oundle.

between artist and executioner is irrevocably blurred. He even advertises his macabre public performances, inviting the public to see his ‘show’. When he contacts Eve and offers her access to his plans, she welcomes the chance to be first with the news from every gory scene. Until she realises that the killer has two obsessions. One is public murder.

And the other one is her…

7.45–8.45pm. St Peter’s Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL. Tickets £8 (£6), £1 off early bird tickets bought before 29 November, from Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle.

01832 274734; www.oundlefestival.org.uk

NENE LIVING DECEMBER 2016

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