Nene Living October 2017

INDEPENDENT THINKING: the retail stores that thrive

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

Autumn’s arrived!

OCTOBER 2017 £1.50 10

9 771740 052017

GET IN TOUCH: neneliving.co.uk

@neneliving

Nene Living

2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE October 2017

A

UTHOR Samuel Butler’s assertion that “what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits” in October is certainly true – I love seeing all those roadside stalls offering brightly-coloured, home-grown pumpkins and squashes for sale as I meander around the Nene countryside! Autumn is known as the ‘mellow’ season for good reason too: a time to take stock, prepare for the colder months ahead and – dare I mention it? – perhaps even start planning for Christmas. There’ll be a lot of to-do lists composed in my household over the coming weeks!

Within the Nene Living community we’re fortunate to have some fabulously unique and individual businesses, particularly in the retail sector – Oundle and Thrapston, especially, are shopping hot-spots that I enjoy visiting regularly.

But working on this month’s issue has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the independent retailers who have set up shop in and around our city’s Westgate Arcade, too. There are some inspirational stories behind their stores, they all share a passion for the people they serve, and they most definitely deserve our support – see p27 for more.

‘Celebrating what’s best about living locally’ is something of a mantra within our editorial team, and with that in mind we’re pleased to feature this month the lovely local illustrator Katie Cardew, Elton’s community-minded David Burton and husband-and-wife artists Jerome and Liz Hunt. David, whose story is told on p13, was suggested as a possible interviewee by one of our regular readers who felt his good works deserved to be recognised.

Do get in touch if there are people, places, events or organisations that you’d like to read more about – we’d love to hear from you!

Gillian Bendall Editor INCORPORATING

NENE VALLEY LIVING

5 Upfront: Autumn’s arrived!

38 Health & Beauty

The latest tips on looking good and feeling great

Treats for you, your family and your home – all inspired by the sights, scents and flavours that abound this month

7, 9, 10 News & Notes

Helping you make the most of living locally

13 Nene People: David Burton

Meet the local man with community in his heart

41 Active for Life 22 Nene People: Katie Cardew

A chat with the artist whose colourful illustrations are about so much more than ‘colouring in’

25 Interiors

The latest trends in kitchen and bathroom designs

How to get back to what you love doing, and half-term fun for young adventurers

43 Seeing the light

Discover how two local artists interpret what they see in very different ways

27 Independent thinking

47 Heritage

There’s plenty of help available to enable a senior loved one to live a fulfilled lifestyle

33 New knits

49 Burghley Sculpture Exhibition

20 You & Yours

36 Food & Drink

17 Living life to the full

Wills and LPAs: advice from the experts at Hegarty Solicitors

The stories behind the success of our city’s smaller retail stores – and why they deserve our support

Give your wardrobe a fashion update for autumn

Eat in, eat out or learn to cook from scratch… we’ve got it all covered!

Editor Gillian Bendall Email 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 localliving@btopenworld.com Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY www.locallivingltd.co.uk Printed by Warners of Bourne

GET IN TOUCH: neneliving.co.uk

How Whitworth Mill is being turned into a new arts hub for our city

October’s your last chance to see the 2017 exploration of natural materials and forms

51 Out & About

Events this month you won’t want to miss

Cover: Autumn fruits by Tim Sandall. www.timsandall.com

@neneliving

Nene Living

Subscribe to Nene Living For £25 (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: NL Subscriptions, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY Or you can subscribe online – go to www.bestlocalliving.co.uk NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

3

4

UPFRONT Autumn’s arrived – and that means there’s a whole new choice of seasonal colours,accessories and activities for you to enjoy. Allow Mother Nature to be your inspiration as you shop or cook for coldweather comfort,indulge all your senses with favours that evoke the sights,scents and flavours of fall,or embrace the coming of Hallowe’en and plan for some not-too-scary family fun this October!

Hand-made metal leaves by Jeni at Juniper House, from £10, Hilly Horton Home

Pumpkin felt bucket, £5, John Lewis

Barbour vintage plaid scarf, £34.95, John Lewis Twilight lantern, £19.50, M&S Salted Caramel vodka, from £4, Hotel Chocolat

Warm orange and rust frosted glass bead and leather necklace by local jewellery maker Kate Noakes, £28, and bracelet, £25, both Hilly Horton Home

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, paperback £6.99, Oundle Bookshop Left: Write Your Own Mystery and Ghost Stories (age 8 upwards), £8.99, Jollys Toys

Tree House Hideaway filled with woodland finger puppets (age 12 months and up), £25, Jollys Toys

Little Monster and the Spooky Party, paperback £6.99, Oundle Bookshop

Liberty preserves selection, £12.50, John Lewis

The Modern Preserver: Chutneys, pickles, jams and more, hardback £20, Oundle Bookshop

STOCKISTS Hilly Horton Home, 36a Goss Court, Thrapston NN14 4JH. 01832 358894. www.hillyhorton.co.uk; Jollys 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/oundle-bookshop.html; Hotel Chocolat, John Lewis, M&S all Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL. www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk.

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

5

Y W RT O PA N EN S S K A NG A M I T X K G O IN BO BE

The Fox at Folksworth C A S U A L D I N I N G 7 D AY S A W E E K Family friendly seasonal food I Selection of real ales and beers I Children's menu I Specials board Bar menu I Sun room I Functions catered for and outside catering Marquee available for larger events

We are also taking bookings for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Eve.

T H E F OX AT F O L K S W O RT H 34 Manor Road, Folksworth, Peterborough PE7 3SU t 01733 242867 w bookings@clarkesrestaurant.co.uk

NEWS & NOTES Helping you make the most of Nene living

Wood’s working for local craftsman

F

P

LANNING a Hallowe’en party? Then make your way to Pumpkin Day at Riverford’s organic farm at Sacrewell, Peterborough, on Saturday 28 October between 11am and 4pm. The event is open to all, and as well as choosing your pumpkin from the fields, you’ll be able to carve it ready for your seasonal celebration.

Tickets, which are only available in advance, cost £3 and each child’s ticket includes a pumpkin to carve. Children under three go free. To buy your tickets call 01803 227227 or see www.riverford.co.uk

OTHERINGHAY Furnishings is a new venture in bespoke furniture rejuvenation and ‘upcycling’, founded by local man Darren Fountain who has a selfprofessed passion for DIY, design and all things wooden.

A former member of the Armed Forces and more recently a retired police officer, Darren says: “Having always been in my element tinkering around in my ‘man cave’, I decided to follow an ambition to start my own business doing something that I really enjoy.” With that in mind he set up a workshop and showroom near his home, where he now creates works of individual character.

Over the past year Darren has completed several woodwork courses and chalk painting design/technique workshops, along with a traditional French Polishing course. “I use the best materials available to me – Annie Sloan paints and waxes are my preferred media to create bespoke finishes,” he says. “There is absolutely no substitute for quality.”

• Darren is available for commissioned work, upon consultation, from his workshop (which is on a working farm, so visits are by appointment only) in Tansor, near Oundle. He is holding an open weekend in Fotheringhay Village Hall (Main Street, Fotheringhay PE8 5HZ) on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October, 10am-4pm. www.fotheringhayfurnishings.co.uk

The Military Wives Choirs Photo: Geoff Pugh Photography Ltd

Military Wives head to Peterborough

T

HE celebrated Military Wives Choirs – made up of wives and partners of Armed Forces personnel as well as women from the wider military community – will perform at Peterborough Cathedral on Saturday December 9 as part of a 12-date tour celebrating the festive season.

• Tickets for the Home For Christmas Tour are priced from £27.50 and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.militarywiveschoirs.co.uk

➧ NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

7

Specialist in the manufacture, installation and care of natural stone.

With our experience in materials such as Marble, Granite, Neolith and Quartz, we are able to create stunning kitchen worktops, bath surrounds, vanity units, staircases, fireplaces, flooring and wall coverings.

We offer a personal and knowledgeable service with highly skilled craftsmen and pride ourselves on the quality of service, the quality of materials used and the workmanship of your finished product.

We offer a full supply, template, manufacture and installation service Open Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm, Saturday 8am – 3pm Unit 14-15 Wainman Road, Woodston, Peterborough, PE2 7BU Tel: 01733 687414 or 01733 370941 sales@olympic-marble.co.uk www.olympic-marble.co.uk

t Es

Loc

Est

al Comp

an

1981 - 36 Years

y

25 large room settings in our showroom

!

• Contemporary, modern, traditional & handmade bespoke kitchens • Affordable, quality kitchens and the latest designs on display • Over 60 appliances on show The best quality, best value & best service from a company fitting kitchens since 1981

Your local appointed Sheraton dealer.

T H E A R E A’ S L A R G E S T I N D E P E N D E N T K I T C H E N S H O W R O O M The Maltings, Barnack Road, Stamford, PE9 2NA T: 01780 756514 or 755855 E: sales@qksstamford.co.uk www.qksstamford.co.uk

NEWS & NOTES Organising a celebratory get-together for friends, family or workmates this Christmas? Lakeside Kitchen & Bar at Ferry Meadows has two fabulous party packages on offer – exclusive venue hire, DJ and three-course meal for a minimum of 40 people costs £49.50 per person; shared venue hire, DJ and three-course meal for a minimum of eight people is £35 per person.

• 01733 233218; www.lakesidekitchenandbar.com/ christmasparties

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

Gerbils: an ideal pet pairing

G

REAT pets that sometimes get overlooked, gerbils are fascinating little creatures to watch as they burrow in their bedding. As they like to dig and tunnel, gerbils do need a large home, but it’s easy to adapt a large plastic storage box or a glass tank for them. Shortcut shredded paper can be a cheap and great alternative to other bedding.

Enrichment can be easy to provide for gerbils, using things you can find around your home such as kitchen and toilet roll tubes, as well as cardboard and cereal boxes. You can even forage from your garden – apple and willow tree branches and twigs are great for them to gnaw on and help keep their teeth in good health. Hay is also important for them and they will love to make nests out of it in their tunnels.

Gerbils are easy to clean out and maintain, as depending on the size of the tank or enclosure they may only need cleaning out every three to four weeks.

Gerbils are sociable animals who like to live in pairs or small groups, and can live for between three and five years. They require minimal vet care and are less prone to medical issues than other rodents. Once they are confident, they can become easy to handle.

If you are interested in giving some gerbils their forever home, you can contact the Small Animals Team on 0300 303 9333 (option 6) or email smalls.rehoming@woodgreen.org.uk.

Wood Green The Animals Charity offers a free advice service for dogs and cats. If you would like behaviour or training advice for your pet call 01480 830014 ext 1281.

The stage is yours...

Y

ANKEE Candle has opened in Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre, creating 10 new jobs. The business is a leading manufacturer of scented candles and home fragrances, and new Yankee Candle collections available at the city store include the ‘Perfect Christmas’ range which features four new festive fragrances: The Perfect Tree, Spiced White Cocoa, Crackling Wood Fire and Christmas Magic.

A

‘play without performers’ promises to challenge its audience’s perceptions of socialisation, tolerance, autonomy and exposure when it comes to Peterborough later this month. Strangers and Others is an immersive piece of theatre created by Hanna Gillgren and Heidi Rustgaard (above) of H2 DANCE, who aim to explore how we co-exist, and create understanding and empathy between social groups and cultures. The audience are invited to don headphones through which they’ll receive instructions to lead them through a series of choreographed meetings with permission to look, touch, assume and judge, while the humour inherent in most of the company’s work is never far away. Each performance will be different as – alone in their own headphonecontrolled world yet moving within a group of strangers – each individual is free to choose how to respond.

“We wanted to explore socialisation, tolerance, autonomy and exposure and freedom of choice” said Heidi. “To see how a group of strangers follow the social codes and play their part,” added Hanna.

• Strangers and Others is on Thursday 26 October at 3pm, 5pm and 7.45pm at the Key Theatre. For more information see www.vivacity-peterborough.com

Revamped community centre is a site for everyone

I

N just five months since taking over the management of the Nene Valley Community Centre, the Peterborough Football and Sports Development Foundation (PFSDF) has transformed the facility. The centre has numerous rooms and facilities available to hire for personal, recreational or event use, including a large hall that can seat 80 people.

Members of the community are able to book the floodlit Multi Use Game Area which offers three tennis courts or one small-sided football pitch. The site also has changing rooms with shower facilities which can be hired additionally to the MUGA if required, or completely separately.

The site is already home to many clubs and organisations and trustee Wendy Newey is keen for more to get involved. She says: “We want this to become a facility for the whole community.

The football pitches and the artificial surface are a major part of what we do, but we want to offer more than that.”

PFSDF is already exploring the possibility of adding a community youth vegetable patch and is working with Peterborough Environment City Trust to plant around 700 new trees on the site. Nene Park Trust has designed a wildlife area on the site with wildflowers and bug hotels, which Nene Valley Primary School will create, and there are ongoing talks with the English Cricket Board about adding an artificial cricket wicket on site.

• www.nenevalleycc.org NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

➧ 9

NEWS & NOTES Church researches its role in the community

E

New home for Angel Fair

F

OR the last two days of next month the grounds of Elton Hall in Peterborough will be transformed into a winter ‘wonderland’, hosting a wide variety of high-end Christmas stalls to inspire and complete your seasonal shopping list.

The Angel Fair 2017 will take place on 29 and 30 November in the grounds of Elton Hall, the Gothic house built in the 12th century and owned by the Proby family since 1660.

Organised by Lady Victoria Leatham for the second year running, the event promises to be the place to buy everything you need for the festive period, including gifts from international sellers ranging from luxury jewellery to stocking fillers, children’s toys and decorations. There’ll also be numerous foods to feast on, from French paté to pork pies, and bottles of something special to wash it all down with.

All profits from the Angel Fair will be split between three charities: The British Heart Foundation, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice.

• Admission will be £5 per person, children under 12 get in free. For more information visit www.theangelfair.co.uk

Ask us HR

A

SK us HR Ltd is a small, boutique consultancy based in Stamford offering expert and personalised HR support and advice.

People are at the heart of all they do; be that engaging and motivating your workforce, guiding employees to be the best they can be or dealing with challenging situations in a fair and reasonable way. Sometimes it’s as simple as helping you make the right decisions or ensuring you have the relevant policies and procedures in place.

Flexible, pragmatic and candid, Ask us HR always tailors its work to the specifics of the HR challenges you face and always has your best interests at heart. Whether you seek a one-off piece of work, an outsourced HR department or on-going support for your in-house team, you can be assured of a

10

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

VER wondered what role the local church plays in your community? Not just services, but in all kinds of other ways too?

One of our region’s best-known parish churches decided to find out – by asking people living nearby to recall significant events in their lives that had taken place there. And the results have been fascinating.

The Reverend Jackie Bullen, vicar of St Botolph’s, Longthorpe, says: “We’ve been amazed and delighted at the huge response.

It’s only been possible to delve back around 80 years into the church’s approximately 780-year history, but the wealth of stories we received has been incredible.”

The project grew and grew and has ended up filling an entire wall. The plan is now to create a booklet, forming a permanent record of photographs and stories for future generations.

“Too often people regard churches as just part of the landscape within a town or village, but this research shows how much they stand at the centre of communities, fulfilling a unique role which can so easily be overlooked,” says Jackie, who was appointed vicar in April. “We need to look to the future together and we can do that best if we understand where we’ve come from. I hope this project has encouraged people to look at the part the church has played in their lives.

“I think it’s something other churches should do. It’s great to see people’s honesty in this project, even raising things they haven’t liked – but overall the feedback has been very positive.

It shows this church must have been seen as a welcoming church. Happily, the majority of the photos show people doing things together, which again reflects on the huge role it has historically played in the community.”

• The church is seeking to increase the role music plays in worship and to this end is looking for a new Director of Music, able to lead the choir as well as play the organ. Anyone interested should call Rev Jackie on 01733 263016.

It’s been a successful summer for QKS Ltd. The Stamford-based firm has won the 2017 BUILD Excellence Award for Home Improvements and was also chosen to feature in Solidor’s new Solidor Style Wall campaign, which aims to showcase ‘outstanding’ projects from its installers. QKS is the second to appear in Solidor’s advertising, with a “stunning” Flint 2 Composite door in Golden Sand.

people policies, facilitating a change in culture collaborative and straightforward approach and values, introducing a new appraisal delivered with integrity. system, designing and delivering an employee Kate Saunders is a CIPD qualified engagement programme, team professional. She has a successful building events, management training, track record as a business partner or designing a well-being programme. in multiple industries including What could be particularly useful to financial services and travel. a small business is that they also offer Alicia Coates has 20-plus years a range of retained HR department HR experience and Chartered packages to suit the size and type of MCIPD status. Her approach to business. providing HR solutions is always This includes: pragmatic and effective.

Kate Saunders • An HR ‘health check’ followed by a They offer HR Support, for proactive HR service from either Kate example: employee relations advice or Alicia, including attendance on site. such as discipline and grievance, • Telephone/email/skype contact absence management, managing between 9am and 5pm, Monday to poor performance, managing Friday included. redundancy, mediation, and personal counselling. Also, they • Get in touch with Kate on 07879 offer support with HR Projects 622046 or Alicia on 07866 723125 such as developing a contract Alicia Coates to find out more. of employment and appropriate

11

We are here to help

Business | Crime | Conveyancing | Dispute Resolution Employment | Matrimonial | Wills & Probate

18 Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1JN www.mcp-law.co.uk I 01733 865880 Also at Kings Lynn, Thetford and Wisbech

CARING, QUALITY HEALTHCARE FOR YOUR PET PROFESSIONAL FRIENDLY SUPPORT AND TREATMENT

Comprehensive small animal service including intricate, but worthwhile and valid surgeries: Plus management of difficult eye cases, both local and referred from further afield.

Vision and eye services

NEW PUPPY PACK DEAL General health and wellbeing • • • • • •

Diagnostics – including ECG, Ultrasound, Digital X-Ray and Endoscopy Surgery including more complex orthopedic and soft tissue procedures Dentistry, Neutering and Micro chipping Routine vaccinations for your cat, dog and rabbit BVA Hip and Elbow Scoring (very competitive rates) Nurse advice and puppy classes

• Veterinary Ophthalmology – for the best in eye care and treatment • Eye examinations (including BVA exams for hereditary conditions) and referrals • Ocular/Eye surgery including cataract & corneal surgery • Other procedures such as complex eyelid surgery, foreign body removal, glaucoma evaluation and treatment, ERG

New clients are awarded a FREE initial consultation

56 Napier Place, Orton Wistow, Peterborough, PE2 6XN. Tel: 01733 230000 Also our surgery at Stamford.

Please call 01780 764333

www.clearridgevets.co.uk 12

NENE PEOPLE

David Burton Sue Dobson meets a man with community in his heart

On behalf of the Freemasons, David recently presented The Nene Valley Care Trust – a local charity which works to help young people – with a cheque for £1,000

D

AVID Burton is an Elton man through and through – he even lives in the house he was born in, “so I’m somewhat of a dinosaur” he smiles. Involved in village life since he did a paper round for his mother at the age of seven, he’s run the youth club, sung in the church choir, played cricket for Elton and darts for The Black Horse pub, was a member of the parish council for 21 years (14 of those as Chairman) and is about to notch up 40 years as Chairman of the Village Hall (Highgate Hall) Committee. A Freemason, David is an Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire.

His parents moved to Elton in 1932, where his mother ran a grocery shop (one of four shops in the village back then), his uncle was the village baker and his father was a bricklayer working for Oundle Brewery. “Elton was a farming community when I was growing up,” he says. “It’s hard to imagine now, but there were milking herds on Chapel Lane and Middle Street.

“All Saints Church was at the heart of village life and it was natural for me to get involved in every aspect, from chorister to bell-ringer to joining the Parochial Church Council.” As village youth leader he represented the youth club on the village hall committee, going on to become its chairman in 1978 and with an enthusiastic team seeing Highgate Hall through a £120,000 Millennium Project revamp in 2000 that makes it a much-used venue today.

“The youth club was very popular and the weekly disco was a highlight. We had so many requests to play at weddings and parties that for 10 years we ran a mobile disco transported in my estate car. We went all over the place.

Diversion Disco funded the youth club. It was all part of the community activity and a lot of fun.”

While David was training to be an accountant with Bully Davey in Oundle, his father died and, unable to complete the course, he worked as a senior clerk, dealing with the tax affairs of local farmers and other small businesses. It was while working in Oundle that he met his hairdresser wife Judy who, together with their daughter Charlotte, runs the Curl Hair Studio in Elton. He has a son, Jonathan, and four grandchildren.

From Oundle he moved on to be office manager of Sheltons, which at the time was Peterborough’s only department store (“before Queensgate landed in the city centre”) rising to become its General Manager. He’s still within the Shelton family business, as General Manager of Armor Shutters and Manor Windows in Stanground.

With his focus on community activity, belief in ‘giving back’ and impressive organisational skills, perhaps it’s not too surprising that David would be attracted to the Freemasons, or indeed that he would take on such an important role in the organisation.

“I was introduced to Freemasonry by two good friends 33 years ago and I’ve been an active member in Peterborough ever since. Its history interested me – it descended indirectly

from the craft of the medieval stonemasons – and it does such a lot for deserving causes.

In fact it’s thought to be the second largest charitable organisation in the country, after the Lottery, giving away £33million last year.

Donations come from members, their family and friends – we don’t do collections from the public – and go to support individual members and their families in need, local charities and global emergencies.”

As this year is the tercentenary of the formation of the first Grand Lodge of English Freemasons in London in 1717, it has been an important milestone for Freemasonry. In June, David organised a celebratory event in Peterborough, when representatives of all 93 Lodges in the Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire Province paraded in full regalia, bearing their colourful and historic banners, from the Town Hall to the Cathedral, where a special service of Evensong was held.

It was the first time since 1922 that all the Province’s Lodges (which together have some 3,500 members) had paraded together.

“Over the years I’ve enjoyed meeting so many like-minded people, from all walks of life, most of whom volunteer in their own communities. Close and lasting friendships are quickly formed. Freemasonry and community action go hand in hand,” says David.

• For more information on Freemasonry, visit www.northants-huntsmasons.org.uk and http://ugle.org.uk

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

13

Visit The Largest Independent Lighting Showroom in Cambridgeshire 10 Saville Road, Westwood, Peterborough, PE3 7PR (next door to The Party Place)

Free car park

14

T: 01733 264391 E: sales@tlsw.co.uk

W: wwwthelampshadewarehouse.co.uk Opening times Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 4pm

15

Accredited Mental Health First Aid Training

Train to be a Mental Health First Aider on this 2-day internationally recognised course, accredited by Mental Health First Aid(MHFA) England. The course is designed to raise the awareness of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding issues such as depression, suicide, anxiety, phobias, psychosis and bipolar disorders.

You will learn the skills and knowledge to enable you to: • • • • •

Spot the early signs of a mental health issue Feel confident helping someone experiencing a mental health issue Provide help on a first aid basis Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others Aid faster recovery by helping to stop a mental health issue from getting worse • Guide someone towards the right support

Want to t u r n you r DS L R c am e ra of f auto?

Fe d u p of t r y in g to m ake s e n s e of t h e ma n u a l?

Be g in n e r s Ph otog raphy On e -Day Mas te rcla s s S TA M F O R D

Classes are friendly & relaxed - Tutor with 20 years experience No confusing technical jargon - Mix of theory and practical

The workshop includes: ISO settings • aperture settings • shutter speeds • white balance camera modes • depth of field • on- board flash • light readings • file formats

I

£75.00 per pers o n

I

N e x t a v a i l a b l e d a t e s : S u n 2 4 t h S e p t e m b e r, S u n 1 s t O c t o b e r, Sat 21st October & Sun 26th November Please visit our website www.dslrlearning.co.uk or email info@dslrlearning.co.uk to book.

Dates: 19/20 Oct & 16/17 Nov 2017 Venue: Greetham Hotel, Golf and Conference Centre, Wood Lane, Greetham, Oakham LE15 7SN Cost: £295 including refreshments, all materials, MHFA Workbook, Manual & Certificate

To book a place please contact Cathy Lawson, MHFA Instructor T: 07771 550541 E: cathy@maestrowellbeing.com

C u s t o m e r r e v i e w : Fr o m s t a r t t o f i n i s h i t w a s E X C E L L E N T !

Fa n t a s t i c i n s t r u c t o r, n o n - i n t i m i d a t i n g a n d r e l a x e d s e s s i o n t h a t w a s v e r y w e l l s t r u c t u r e d . L e a r n t s o m u c h . Fo r t h e f i r s t t i m e i n t h r e e years I feel confident to take my camera off auto. I had no idea my camera could do such clever stuff! Paula Joanne (6th March 2017)

PAPER & CRAFT CLASS *Create beautiful cards and craft projects *Suitable for all levels *Classes held once a month *All materials and equipment provided

CASTOR The Cedar Centre, 3rd Thursday 10 – 12 STILTON Church Hall Meeting Room, 2nd Monday 10 – 12 WANSFORD The Christie Hall, 1st Wednesday 10 – 12, 3rd Tuesday 2 – 4 ORTON WATERVILLE Village Hall, 1st Tuesday 10 – 12, 2 – 4 For more information and bookings

Please contact MAGGIE on 07788919899 Email:mightymaggieartycrafty@gmail.com 16

FAMILY MATTERS

Living life to the full

There’s plenty of help available locally to enable a senior loved one to continue daily activities and live a fulfilled lifestyle, whether at home or in a residential care home Home Instead staff enable clients to continue to live normal lives, including going to church, shopping or even the theatre

W

HEN, for one reason or another, elements of daily life become a struggle for a partner, mum or dad, it’s time to look at options that will make things easier.

Staying within the comforts of home in a community of friends and neighbours is almost always preferable. Timely home adaptations, from handrails to stairlifts, can go a long way to making this possible.

There’s a wide range of well-designed helpful products on the market, from kitchen gadgets for arthritic hands to electronic armchairs that lift the sitter to a standing position. For someone concerned about falling, an emergency call button device is well worth considering. Cross Keys Homes in Peterborough offers a LifeLine personal alarm system providing an effective way of summoning help. It takes the form of either a pendant or wristband. When pressed, the button connects the wearer with a 24hour control centre, through the LifeLine base unit, which is connected through the phone line. Trained operators will instantly know who you are and where you’re calling from. They’ll assess the situation and decide what type of help you need, be it a family member, a friend, or the emergency services.

LifeLine can also offer additional telecare products that offer even more independence and security. For example, bed sensors that alert the

control centre if you have been out of bed for too long, a smoke detector, and a falls sensor that can call for help as soon as possible.

The basic LifeLine base unit with one pendant costs £5.28 per week, including VAT. For more information, go to www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk/ lifeline or call 01733 396439.

TAKE THE LIFT When going up and down stairs becomes a challenge, an ideal solution is a stairlift. There are models suited to straight, curved and even multiple flights of stairs. They operate on low power and are economical to run – and will even work in a power cut! Westwood Stairlifts, based in Seaton, Rutland, can supply and fit a range of brands. It offers new and reconditioned stairlifts and has a rental scheme too.

Steve Norman, Technical and Office Manager at Westwood Stairlifts, says: “Many customers tell us, after we have installed, that they wish they had decided to have a stairlift fitted sooner, with a recent customer saying it helped them get up and about as they were not tiring themselves out climbing the stairs.

“Stairs are dangerous places, so having a stairlift fitted takes away that worry and can improve your quality of life.”

➧

The garden at Barchester’s Tixover Grange care home

Simply having a companionable visitor can make a huge difference to someone who lives on their own. Photo courtesy Bluebird Care NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

17

FAMILY MATTERS

Living life to the full

The light, bright sitting room at Barchester’s Longueville Court

A HELPING HAND Home care allows a person, either on their own or with a loved one, to stay at home, even when they require 24-hour care and support.

A variety of services can be paid for out of a carer’s allowance or attendance allowance payments, as well as from other grants.

Agencies providing care for people in their own homes in the area include Home Instead and Bluebird Care (Peterborough & Rutland).

Leisa MacKenzie, owner and Director at Bluebird Care, explains that her team caters for a wide range of needs. “It could be as simple as ‘being there’ for someone when they take a daily shower as they’ve lost confidence after a fall,” she says.

“An ideal situation for an individual is to look at what support they might need to continue the lifestyle they enjoy. As and when things change, the service provider can adjust what is provided, maintaining continuity in the support.”

Leisa explains that customers decide on the style of care and support they need and care

For Sheila, getting up in the morning can take a long time. However, with the help of her two regular Bluebird Care helpers, she can be up and showered much more swiftly, ready to face the day happy.

Bluebird carers visit Sheila, who is wheelchair-bound, twice daily, helping her to get up in the morning and supporting her to bed at night. In addition, they help her with household chores such as ironing and washing up.

“Nothing seems too much trouble. They are patient and I always feel safe,” says Sheila. “I’m independent and I like doing my own thing. I really wouldn’t like people doing everything for me, but I do fall a lot so I always feel more secure knowing that my Bluebird carers are coming.”

18

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

professionals are chosen to match their needs and personalities. “We are there to make a difference,” she says. “It could be about taking someone to the cinema, daily social interaction, companionship on a shopping trip, or being there first thing in the morning or at bedtime; we can also provide night care, full-time care and live-in companionship.”

There’s a ‘home from home’ feel to the bathroom décor at Barchester’s Werrington Lodge

FRIENDLY HOME HELP Phil Kennedy of Home Instead says: “Most of what we do is home help and companionship and this can include meals and monitoring medication. We like it to be a personal service, getting to know our clients through a companionship route, as this leads to much better outcomes for all.”

He continues: “Our minimum visit is an hour, but it’s usually an hour-and-a-half. We can do more companionable things in that time – we can do the ‘extra bits’ that people really appreciate, including cooking meals, changing beds and washing bed linen.

“We have made a difference to an awful lot of people and the quality of life that those people enjoy. We help both the person receiving the care and support, and also relatives – sons and daughters for example, may be finding caring for older relatives rather stressful and we are able to take the pressure off them.”

For more information...

• www.barchester.com has downloadable guides on topics including choosing a care home and paying for care • Find care homes via the Care Quality Commission: cqc.org.uk, www.carehome.co.uk and www.housingcare.org • Try the Centre for Ageing Better (www.ageing-better.org.uk) if you’re looking into home adaptations

HOME CARE TO CARE HOME Research is a keyword when deciding on a care home. It’s a good idea to draw up a shortlist then visit each one. Talk to the manager and have a good look around to get a sense of the ethos of the establishment. It should feel like a caring place where residents are treated as individuals, rather than a list of care needs.

Ask about food quality, choice and portion size. Is there somewhere you can sit with a loved one other than their room? As well as entertainment and meaningful activities to suit all tastes, make sure there’s plenty to engage on a one-to-one basis too – not everyone likes group activities.

As for the room, it should be light and airy and fairly spacious with a pleasant outlook. The home itself should be accessible for you and your family and your relative’s friends to visit.

At local Barchester care homes family and friends are encouraged to take part in activities and home events. Tixover House is part of a retirement community and has views out over rolling Rutland countryside. As well as residential care, this recently refurbished home offers nursing, short-term, respite, and dementia care. Longueville Court in Peterborough has 101 rooms with a versatile interior to provide top quality nursing and residential care. Werrington Lodge residential care home is located near to the lakes on the north-east side of the city. With 82 rooms, it too provides expert care for people with dementia.

In Hampton Vale, Peterborough, Avery House Care Home offers residential and dementia care in a modern care home located within landscaped gardens. The privately-owned home provides residential, respite, palliative and dementia care.

Eighty-six bedrooms are set across four floors and each floor has two living rooms and its own dining room, allowing residents to socialise.

Bedrooms are en suite with a wet room-style shower. The home has an activities programme and an on-site hairdressing salon too.

The Cross Keys alert alarm can be worn as a pendant or around the wrist

• Contact Home Instead on 01733 333342, www.homeinstead.co.uk/peterborough • Bluebird Care is on 01733 459907, www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/peterboroughrutland • For more on Avery House Care Home see www.brighterkind.com/avery-house • Contact Westwood Stairlifts on 0800 246 1016, www.westwoodstairlifts.co.uk

19

YOU & YOURS Where there’s a will…

If you die without taking care of certain legal issues, your loved ones could face months or even years of additional stress

I

T’S an uncomfortable fact, but some day we’re all going to die – and it’s important to plan for that event while we’re able to make sensible decisions about what happens to our family and property once we’re no longer around to take care of them ourselves.

Jo Wild from Hegarty Solicitors, based in Peterborough, Stamford and Oakham, says making a Will is extremely important and ensures that your estate is distributed in accordance with your wishes.

She told us: “It is possible to make a Will yourself without instructing a solicitor but we would recommend you do consult a solicitor, particularly if you have a young, step- or second family. This will make sure that all the options are explained and that your wishes are followed in your Will to prevent problems arising after your death.”

If you choose to appoint a solicitor to make a Will the following tips will help you prepare for the appointment…

Who will receive your assets?

In addition, please consider who you wish to receive your assets after you die – for example, your spouse, family or friends.

Think about funeral wishes It is sensible to give some thought to any funeral wishes you may have – for example burial or cremation – and bring with you any funeral Bond that you have in place.

Make a list of assets It is advisable to prepare a list of your assets together with values, in particular any specific items you wish to include in your Will. You will also need to bring with you an existing Will if you already have one, or a copy. Bring the full names and addresses of the people you wish to refer to in your Will.

Decide on executors and guardians It is also necessary to give some thought to who you wish to appoint to be your Executors, who will carry out your wishes as set out in your Will. It is advisable to check with them first to make sure they are happy to take on this responsibility. Similarly, give some thought as to who you would wish to appoint as Guardians to care for your children if you die before they become legal adults and, again, check with them.

Jo Wild has defended Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) after Denzil Lush, the former Senior Judge of the Court of Protection, warned they may leave elderly people open to abuse

A

N LPA is a powerful legal document that allows a person to appoint trusted individuals to make important decisions about care and finances on their behalf, in the event of a loss of mental capacity through an accident or illness such as dementia.

In the foreword to a new book on the subject, Senior Judge Lush raised concerns about the ‘lack of transparency’ in how appointed attorneys manage older people’s finances and went on to criticise the Ministry of Justice as being ‘disingenuous’ in its promotion of the legal document.

However, Jo – a member of national organisation Solicitors for the Elderly – says LPAs are effective safeguards when created responsibly. “Senior Judge Lush’s comments have given rise to fears that LPAs are a direct avenue for financial abuse. However, his comments must be put into context, as his 20-year career at the Court of Protection will have presented him with the very worst cases of financial abuse,” she says.

“An LPA can be a positive and effective legal tool, which ensures your wishes are respected should you ever lose capacity.

20

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

Senior Judge Lush’s comments should highlight the clear need for professional advice when considering powerful legal documents of this nature.”

Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) is an independent, national organisation of over 1,500 lawyers – solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives – who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers.

Its top tips to ensure your Lasting Power of Attorney is effective, legally robust and safe are: • Plan early. While you have capacity, it’s vital that you get your affairs in order and choose the best people to manage your affairs, in case of an accident or illness.

• Choose carefully. Think carefully who you want to appoint as your attorney and have an open conversation with them so they understand your wishes and what their responsibilities will include. Consider appointing more than one person as your attorney so the responsibility is shared.

• Consider appointing a professional. A family member might not always be the best person – you could appoint a professional such as a

solicitor who can act as a neutral third party and make unbiased decisions that are in your best interests. Bear in mind this inevitably involves legal costs should the professional attorney carry out work.

• Think about different circumstances.

Consider how you would like your attorney to manage your property and financial affairs in different situations. For example, are you happy for your property to be sold to pay for your care costs?

• Address the difficult questions. If you have specific wishes around your care plans, medical treatment, or end of life wishes, make sure your choices are clear in your document.

• Seek professional advice. Shop-bought and online LPA kits may be suitable for those with very straightforward financial situations or with considerable legal experience, but for most people, seeking professional legal advice is the best way of ensuring that an LPA is effective, legally robust and safe.

• Keep your plans current. Make sure you keep your LPA updated if your circumstances change.

• To speak to Jo Wild call 01780 752066, email jo.wild@hegarty.co.uk, or contact the wills team in Hegarty’s Peterborough office on 01733 346333. www.hegarty.co.uk

P G Jewellers

3 8 C ow g ate, Pe te rb orou g h , PE1 1 NA

For Gentlemen who need nothing, have everything BUT!!

Silver Dog Whistle £55

Tigers Eye (Protective) Pendent, Hand Made in Gold £335

Blue John Embossed Ring £445

Only one of each item

Selection of Freemasons Jewellery

www.pg-jewellery-bygones.com

Ask us HR Ltd is a small consultancy offering expert HR advice to local businesses

We tailor our work to the specifics of the HR challenges you face; whether it be a one-off piece of advice or on-going support; we always have the best interests of your Company at heart.

If you would like a free informal chat call either Alicia on 07866 723125 or Kate on 07879 622046.

www.askushr.co.uk 21

NENE PEOPLE

Katie Cardew

Gillian Bendall chats to the artist whose colourful illustrations are about so much more than ‘colouring in’...

Katie’s portfolio includes many lovely illustrations of other people’s homes and families… but so far, none of her own!

Trade events have helped put Katie – and her illustrations – on the map!

Country scenes (below) and canine characters (right) are always popular

K

ATIE and I first met when she came bounding into our tiny local pub behind a full-of-life black Labrador puppy. Two-month-old Tarka slipped her lead and took off on a tour of the premises, followed by a gaggle of giggling children, whilst Katie chatted excitedly about her new home – we’d both recently moved into nearby cottages – and hopes for a career in the countryside.

Fast-forward four years, and Katie’s is a star that has most definitely risen… the head of Katie Cardew Illustrations has over 700 private and commercial commissions to her credit – with clients including the likes of Waitrose Magazine, Harrogate International Festival and Estée Lauder – and owns a successful commercial enterprise that produces prints, wallpapers, notebooks, lampshades, homewares, tea towels, aprons, bags and greetings cards, all in her colourful and fun, ‘wonky’ style.

A self-professed ‘borderline bonkers colourer-inner’, Katie attended Bourne Grammar and then studied Fine Art at A-Level at the Kings School in Peterborough before going on to study English at University in Newcastle. “I began to develop my style in sixth form and specialised in illustration,” she explains, “and at Uni I kept up illustration in my spare time. I then worked in London and, while I enjoyed a fun two years, I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative job so I moved home to

22

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

concentrate on full-time commercial illustration.”

It was a decision that quickly paid off. “I thought I would be back in London with a more conventional job within a couple of months, but lo and behold, I am still going strong today!” Katie says.

She began by taking on house and family commissions for friends and family, a bespoke illustration business that grew largely by word of mouth in those early days. Alongside those commissions Katie developed a range of prints and cards, all in her inimitable style. “The local support I received has been brilliant – I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my customers helping me spread the word,” she says.

Katie now lives in Kings Cliffe with partner Jamie, their two-year-old daughter Agnes, Tarka and four chickens. “We wanted to bring Agnes up in a rural setting,” she says. “My family either live in the village or a short distance away, and of course this beautiful area is a wonderful inspiration for my illustrations.”

Katie’s catalogue now features some famous UK and world landmarks alongside her local architectural favourites, following the launch of two new collections earlier this year. The London Collection features St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Liberty London and many more, as well as an extremely popular London map, available in A3, A2 and even A1 size.

Katie finds inspiration in the countryside around her Kings Cliffe home, but this year launched two collections featuring landmarks from further afield. Her stand at this year’s Burghley Horse Trials was “a complete success and had us up until midnight every night re-stocking as we kept selling out,” she says

BIG SUCCESS IN THE SMALL AWARDS

There was huge excitement when Katie was named this year’s ‘Digital Star’ at the Small Awards, which recognise small businesses that operate only through digital channels and do not have their own ‘physical’ shop. Katie was chosen for her strong use of digital channels to engage with customers, including Instagram, Facebook, her blog and website, as well as for her innovation in web design and functionality and the growth of her audience.

The Small Awards are aimed at businesses throughout the United Kingdom and each entry was considered by an impressive panel of judges including the Rt Hon Sir Vincent Cable, Ed Vaizey MP, former Apprentice winner Mark Wright and representatives from the Guardian, Channel 4 News, ITV News and the Sunday Times.

Katie, who was presented with her award by TV favourite by Sue Perkins, says: “It was a fabulous sparkling evening, and to top it off I won something I wouldn’t have dreamed of in a million years – I feel very proud to be recognised as a successful businesswoman in my field, and it’s such a lovely boost to my small business.

“To have achieved this award whilst being the mother of a toddler makes it all the more special: the hard work and late nights definitely paid off!”

And the brand new World Collection features iconic buildings from around the globe, including the Taj Mahal, Brighton Pavilion, Chrysler Building, Eiffel Tower, St Basils’ Cathedral, the Blue Mosque and more, plus a gorgeous world map. Both collections also feature on cards and notebooks.

“I really love the maps,” she says. “The new World and London maps were certainly a challenge – a year in the making – but so worth it. I’m as proud as punch with them, and think they epitomise everything I love to draw: buildings, people and animals! I even have the World map up my home, which is unusual for me as often, after looking at my work all day, I don’t want to look at it at home!

“My passion is architectural drawing so I like to try to find new streets and new buildings to inspire me. The illustrations have to appeal to the general public so they sell, and I like to represent well-known buildings in a new and creative way. I’m so proud of the London map – it encapsulates everything our beautiful city is famous for, and hopefully its charms and quirks too. It was a huge time commitment for me, but something I feel was very worth it, and so far it’s had a fantastic reception.”

Business is booming, but Katie retains control of as much of the production process as possible. “Although some of our products are produced by small UK manufacturers, we try to do as much as we can in-

house,” she says. “All the prints are printed, hand-cut and signed to order in our small studio. Our focus is on quality rather than quantity.

“Following an exhibition at a trade show we are now stocked in some lovely independent shops throughout London and the UK, and have some very exciting new projects up our sleeve, including a couple of commercial commissions – one for a Scottish estate and the other for a large national retailer.”

With a portfolio of so many lovely illustrations of other people’s homes and families, I wonder whether Katie has created anything to record her own life’s journey… a self-portrait perhaps? “No, I haven’t,” she says. “I keep meaning to as we have lived in three houses since I began the business, but with so much work booked in, it’s hard to squeeze in anything extra.

“My mum hints every Christmas that it would be lovely to have a family illustration and although I agree, my family is pretty huge and the Christmas run-up is bonkers busy… maybe this year!“ • For more on Katie and her work, take a look at www.kcillustrations. co.uk; www.facebook.com/katiecardewillustrations; or Instagram: katiecardewillustrations NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

23

ESTABLISHED KITCHEN STUDIO SELLING BESPOKE GERMAN AND ENGLISH KITCHENS HIGH QUALITY BESPOKE FITTED KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES • Handless Kitchen Specialist • Painted Shaker Kitchen Specialists • Full Working Display Kitchens • Full Project Management

The areas main KBSA member

The areas largest Siemens dealer

WATERLAND HOUSE, 81 WEST STREET, OUNDLE, PETERBOROUGH PE8 4EJ www.kuchenkraft.co.uk

E M A I L : I N F O @ K U C H E N K R A F T. C O . U K T E L : 0 1 8 3 2 2 7 0 3 0 0

Curtains, Blinds, Shutters & Awnings A local, family-run business with excellent service values

• ROMAN BLINDS • VENETIAN, ROLLER & VERTICAL BLINDS • WALLCOVERINGS • WOODEN SHUTTERS • AWNINGS • CONSERVATORY BLIND SPECIALIST (perfect fit system) • CUSTOM MADE CURTAINS (pencil, pinch, eyelets, valances, pelmet boards, swags & tails)

Book a free home visit to measure and discuss your requirements and receive a no-obligation quotation.

Harlequin, Prestigious, Blendworth, Villa Nova and many more!

Showroom at: 30 Phorpres Close, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8FZ - Email: sales@jandsinteriors.uk.com www.jandsinteriors.uk.com Opening times: Mon - Fri 10 - 4, Sat 10 - 1; Closed Sun. Free parking - Telephone: 01733 558864 - (Behind Dobbies Garden World)

24

INTERIORS

Fitted in style

Guy Bolsover of Küchen Kraft in Oundle talks to Sue Dobson about the latest trends in kitchen and bathroom designs

S

LEEK, stylish and contemporary, hidden handles and doors and drawers that open with a touch, island cooking stations with discreet cooker hoods in the hob, steam ovens, three-in-one boiling water taps – if, like me, you haven’t been into a showroom recently, you may not be aware of just how impressive and innovative the newest kitchens are. Talking to Guy Bolsover at Küchen Kraft in Oundle was a revelation!

An independent, family-owned business run

by Guy and his wife Donna and now in its 14th year, Küchen Kraft specialises in bespoke fitted kitchens and bathrooms. “We are the leading supplier of contemporary German handleless kitchens in the region,” Guy says proudly.

Classic Shaker styles in beautiful natural or painted wood have a timeless quality, and being so versatile are very popular. “We can also offer a good quality wood grain effect, which is a cost-effective way of getting the look.”

In terms of colours, “the market is moving from shiny gloss finishes to matt. Greys, ivories and sage greens are still very strong for the traditional painted wood kitchens, while in the contemporary ranges, white, concrete and graphite feature strongly.”

When it comes to worktops, Guy recommends Silestone quartz, available in a multitude of colours, which is durable and low maintenance.

“It looks and feels like granite but it isn’t porous, and it is very stain resistant,” he explains.

“Alternatively, Corian resin worksurfaces can be moulded into any shape, so sinks can be fitted flush with no visible joins. Also, alongside the trend for the industrial look in kitchens,

concrete has become a popular choice.”

Utilising two different materials within the kitchen design is currently very much in vogue – think concrete surfaces in traditional wood kitchens – as is mixing natural and painted wood and using more than one colour on cabinetry.

Two shades of grey looks smart.

Functionality is as important as the look of the kitchen. The latest cabinets make good use of every inch of storage space and ensure the contents of cupboards and drawers are accessible. As the largest Siemen’s IQ specialist in the region, Guy sells top quality built-in appliances, including integrated models that sit behind cupboard fronts.

There are 15 display kitchens in the Küchen Kraft showroom, the majority of them working “so you can touch and feel everything before you buy”. They include streamlined and contemporary handleless ranges, the latest Shaker cabinetry and island units, a complete kitchen hidden behind a pocket door system, even a media wall for open plan rooms.

The sheer variety of designs, colours, styles, storage options, work surfaces and integrated equipment can be a bit overwhelming, but with his in-depth knowledge and experience, Guy makes sense of it all and happily offers advice.

This goes for important things like plumbing, tiling, electrics and building work, too.

His free design service includes a home visit to conduct a complete kitchen survey, then photo-realistic designs of the proposed kitchen are created, together with quotes and options.

Importantly, Guy project manages the entire installation, down to the last detail. As a Kbsa

(Kitchen Bathroom Specialists Association) approved member, Küchen Kraft guarantees quality, high standards and professional service.

“We retain our own team of fitters who have been with us for ten years and our tiler and plasterer have worked for us since day one.

They are real craftsmen, always praised by our customers.”

It says a lot that over 80 per cent of Guy’s kitchen business comes from recommendations. “In the case of bathrooms, it’s 100 per cent,” he says.

“We started doing bathrooms nine years ago because we had so many requests from people who were pleased with the kitchens we’d fitted for them. It’s a growing part of our business now.”

So what are the latest bathroom trends?

“Modular furniture, hung rather than fitted, and the biggest tiles possible – they give a more spacious look to the room. There’s a move to replacing baths with showers – the minimalistic ‘wet room’ look with Nuance shower boards and all-glass shower screens. Dual showers, with a drencher or ‘rainshower’ head, are very popular as are mirrors with illumination, radios and television screens.”

Hard sell is not something you’ll get at Küchen Kraft. “We like to build a relationship with our customers, spending time with them so they get the kitchen or bathroom that suits them perfectly.”

• Küchen Kraft, 81 West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ; 01832 270300. www.kuchenkraft.co.uk

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

25

Tasting Days: Queensgate Mall on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and 14th October.

elsa rose

Affordable stylish ‘On trend’ handbags and jewellery.

Wide range of gifts, soaps and smellies.

Westgate Arcade, Peterborough. Tel: 07470 747674 Instagram @elsa_rose_uk www.facebook.com/elsaroseuk

OPEN providing MON-SAT 10-6 & SUN 11-4

Award winning, family run business customers with delicious, tender cuts of meat, expertly prepared and hand crafted by our team of butchers. Our meat is raised, butchered and prepared on the farm - from sausage rolls to prime tenderloin.

RECYCLE

WITH

STYLE

BAC K TO L I F E 6 W E S TG AT E A R C A D E PETERBOROUGH

PETERBOROUGH 3 Westgate Arcade, PE1 1PY Tel: 01733 562939 www.grasmere-farm.co.uk

Follow me on Instagram b2lvintageclothing

Afro & European Unisex Hair Salon Hair Extensions & Wig Specialist

7 Westgate Arcade, Peterborough Tel: 01733 561287

Express Watch Repairs Ltd Diva Jewellery

Batteries and straps fitted while you wait (all makes) Watch, clock & jewellery repairs – free estimates Specialists in second hand watches including servicing Rolex, Omega, Breitling etc bought and sold 9ct yellow and white Gold and Silver 21 Westgate Arcade, Peterborough Tel: 01733 310309 - ESTABLISHED 1982 -

26

Proud based in ly s Westga ide Arcade te fo 30 years r

Independent thinking Built in the 1930s to provide a vital link between the ancient streets of Cumbergate and Westgate, it was the city’s first indoor shopping centre. Today Westgate Arcade is a bustling shopping destination that’s home to a number of innovative retailers and is a stylish complement to the flagship Queensgate Shopping Centre.

Here, we look at some of the independent stores that thrive both within the arcade and close by, making every shopping trip a little more special… ➧ NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

27

Independent thinking ART IN THE HEART

BACK TO LIFE

London-born Shaf Saeed moved to Peterborough late last year. He’d spent 17 years in the fitness industry “but always had a side passion for fashion”, and chose Westgate Arcade as the setting for his vintage clothing and accessories store, Back to Life, which opened just three months ago.

“I’ve been self-employed most of my working life but never owned or run a shop so this was a whole new experience for me,” he says. “My love of vintage shops in places like London gave me all the inspiration I needed to take the plunge and build my shop – it has very much the Camden or Brick Lane feel to it, which was exactly my goal.”

Shaf says the area’s something of a hotspot for ‘40s-style events, so he aims to stock clothes and accessories from that period, as well as appealing to ‘steam punk’ fans and the local youngsters “who like to mix old with new”.

He also has a great range of sportswear from the US – authentic Varsity jackets, plus basketball and baseball shorts – and a fabulous range of hand-made 100 per cent wool, new (but retro-style) bowler hats.

• Westgate Arcade. 07958 498404.

Credited with putting art on the map in Peterborough’s city centre, Dawn BirchJames, founder and CEO of Art in the Heart gallery and gift shop, says she loves “the bespoke feel of Westgate Arcade. It shouts out to the shoppers that there is something down here which is much more unique, one-off.”

Also – and so important for the owner of a small business – she says: “There is an enormous amount of camaraderie amongst shop owners here. We are all very friendly and supportive of each other and we actually do want each other to do well.”

Formerly a familiar face on Bridge Street, Art in the Heart started out as a flagship store for the Mary Portas dwindling high street agenda. But Dawn says: “I had always intended to make Art in the Heart more of a national brand drawing on art communities, so I launched the Art in the Heart Marketplace, our online shop (www.artintheheart.co.uk/marketplace), which invites any UK artist or maker to have an online store front with us – they just have to fit into what our customer loves and that is the one-off, the bespoke, the art-led, handcrafted and sometimes quirky piece.” The shop’s move to Westgate Arcade gave Dawn an added opportunity: “We were no longer regeneration on the high street. We were about the connectivity between the shopper and the artist’s narrative, their beautiful work, their studio or workshop. We could really hone our brand.”

Today, packed inside the Art in the Heart shop you’ll find the work of 50-60 artists and makers and, in the coming weeks, unusual Christmas ranges: baubles, candles, quirky bits and pieces which you won’t find anywhere else.

• Westgate Arcade. 07910 118148. www.artintheheart.co.uk WORKED UP AN APPETITE? Specialist sandwich bar Swivels (01733 314234, www.swivelsbar.co.uk) serves up a range of choice fillings and offers a delivery service so you can order and eat without leaving your office. If a foodie gift is on your shopping list, The Choc Box (01733 342007) is every confectionery-lover’s dream – prepare for a walk down memory lane as you eye up sweets in the jar ready to be weighed, just like the old days.

NIRO Niro’s been the number one choice for super-stylish clothing for years now, and its dominance of the high-end menswear market shows every sign of continuing.

The Cumbergate store promises exclusive fashions, first-class service and a unique concept – Paul (above) and his team sell genuine designer labels and search out new, cutting-edge brands from around the world.

Among them and new for autumn is the American Field Parka jacket, an updated version of the oh-so-desirable 1988 original from CP Company, which comes complete with a compass viewer at the wrist and hood-mounted goggles. The jacket retails at £799.99 and Niro was allocated only three – according to team member (and our model, right) Gianni, there was a waiting list – so if you want to try one for yourself, get down there quick!

• Niro, Cumbergate, Peterborough PE1 1YR. 01733 564077. www.nirofashion.com

28

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

DESIGNER LEATHERS A family-run business founded in 1987 by Ivor and Pat Lewis, Designer Leathers is today run by their son Joel (above) and his wife Aimee. Originally a supplier of quality leather and sheepskin jackets – the shop’s first floor has around 500 on show and a full alteration service is available! – today the store also features an impressive range of handbags and accessories and is particularly proud of its status as a Radley ‘select store’.

Pet ‘cavapoo’ Oscar may put in an appearance as you browse shelves full of highend leather labels – there’s everything from backpacks and briefcases to slouch bags and purses. “Our styles have never been better,” says Joel. “The quality of Italian leather we sell is great, and leather is far more affordable than it used to be – the jackets are great investment pieces.”

• 8 Queen St, Peterborough PE1 1PA. 01733 348917. www.designerleathers.co.uk

PULSE GRASMERE FARM At the Westgate end of the Arcade, Grasmere Farm serves up a tastebudtempting variety of meats and meat products plus a mouthwatering breakfast and lunch menu that’s the perfect pick-meup for city shop and office workers.

Famous for its 21-day dry aged Lincoln red beef and locally-reared pork – Grasmere has a farm and butchery in Deeping St James – the business was established in 1969 and remains family-run.

Shop Manager Daniel Wegwermer (above) says: “On the raw side, our most popular items are our home-made sausages, with up to 18 different flavours to choose from.

On the cooked side, our best-sellers are definitely our delicious warm sausage rolls.“ So what makes Westgate Arcade the right setting for Grasmere Farm? “I personally like the diversity of this city and, in Westgate Arcade, the varied, eclectic range of customers,” he says.

Daniel starts taking orders for Christmas at the beginning of October; get yours in now and tick that box on your to-do list!

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 562939. www.grasmere-farm.co.uk

The appetite for body art knows no bounds, it seems, and if you’re into tattooing, piercing or other adornments, Pulse is well worth a visit.

Established in 2004, the business proclaims: “We are experienced in every genre and style of tattoo… there isn’t a piercing we haven’t done!” Pop in to discuss your ideas and, if you change your mind later, sleep easy in the knowledge that Pulse offers the latest in laser tattoo removal at its sister studios in Northampton and Banbury.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 343134. www.pulse-tattoo.co.uk Beauty is big business, and Westgate Arcade has plenty of independent specialists to help you stay looking at your best.

BB’s Beauty & Brows (07901 770365, www.bbsbeautyandbrows.com) offers a whole range of specialised beauty treatments, along with hair styling and make-up treatments. It specialises in the ancient art of ‘threading’ and offers a fabulous ‘high definition’ brow service which promises to transform even the most unruly, sparse or over-plucked brows into perfect arches. Fabulous nail extensions, art, manicures and OPI products are all available from the expert technicians at Nail Design (01733 342733). And if you want to avoid those bad hair days, Giorgio (01733 555960) is one of Peterborough’s premier barbers.

STYLE Stylish as its name suggests, this bright and welcoming shop started life 10 years ago when owner Sandra Marshall was inspired by the small accessory boutiques she saw when she was on holiday in France.

Manager Amanda Dinatale (right) joined the business eight-and-a-half years ago and says Style offers a wide range of products from costume jewellery to the beautifully-made and timeless Trollbeads and – exclusively in the city – Vendula bags, which are all inspired by London shops and buildings. “As far as best-sellers go, we do a wide range of occasion jewellery which does well for the wedding and prom season,” says Amanda, “and our scarves are always popular.”

All purchases are wrapped in tissue and presented in a gift bag so they also make great gifts – Amanda reports that Peterborough’s savvy shoppers began their Christmas buying in September... better get on with yours soon!

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 349177. www.style-accessories.co.uk

ELSA ROSE A new name within fashion in the UK, Elsa Rose opened its first store in Westgate Arcade in December last year. The brand stocks only the latest trends in handbags, and also offers a wide range of luscious make-up and gifts for all occasions.

• Westgate Arcade. 07470 747674.

CLUES A pioneer in the young fashion shopping experience, Clues offers first class customer service with some of the best niche, classic and current brands – from SikSilk to The Gym King, Pretty Green to G-Star.

Clues’ buying team travels the world to source new brands and store manager Gary Leftley tells us sales are increasing as the leadup to the festive season begins, with (and here’s a hint for those of you who don’t quite know what’s on-trend in meanswear right now!) khaki and camouflage colours proving particularly popular.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 703546. www.cluesfashion.co.uk

FLAWLESS BY REN Renata Lewinson started her business – a hair salon like no other! – in December 2016, four years after the death of her mother Christine Ann Wilson from bowel cancer. Flawless by Ren is a specialist in hand-made European hair wigs, ponytails and hairpieces for those affected by thinning hair and hair loss caused by alopecia or the effects of chemotherapy treatment. “My inspiration was my late mother; she really struggled to find a salon she felt comfortable in and who could support her needs after losing her hair,” says Renata (left).

The Flawless by Ren creative team are dedicated to producing bespoke and ready-made human hair wigs that are individually cut to any style whilst on the client, in exactly the same way that natural hair would be styled.

Renata says that Westgate Arcade is a happy home for her business. “I love the crowds of different people and the fun relationship we have together as independent retailers.“ • Westgate Arcade. 01733 561287.

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

29

➧

Independent thinking MAYSONS Home to designer labels including Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Paul Smith and many more, Maysons is constantly evolving its brand profile to ensure it offers the most relevant and creative fashions for both men and women.

The Westgate Arcade store is one of three in the business, and prides itself on having a great reputation for customer service.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 342347. www.vohoclothing.com

THE OCULIST The place to see and be seen, The Oculist is an independent boutique opticians that celebrates its 10th birthday in November and provides the latest in cutting-edge niche engineered eyewear, exceptional eye care and a highquality choice of contact lenses.

Owner and optometrist director Gerry Sondh has created a casual, friendly-feeling store that nevertheless offers the very highest standards of customer service, the likes of which are rarely seen on the high street – his investment in state-ofthe-art technology puts the experience of having an eye examination on a par with being a private-clinic patient. And, once your prescription is determined, dispensing opticians Rob Gilbert (who’s also the Westgate Arcade shop manager) and Hannah Castle will help you choose from the 1000plus frames and sunglasses that are in stock – designer names on the shelves here include Ray-Ban, Prada, Dior, Tom Ford, Adidas and Roberto Cavalli.

So successful is The Oculist that Gerry has recently opened a second store, Glimpse, in Birmingham in partnership with an old Uni friend. But the Peterborough store remains a firm focus for his attention – his next plan is to create a customer lounge upstairs: “the personal shopper experience at Harvey Nichols is what I’m aiming for,” he says.

Gerry loves the collection of quirky independent businesses that surround his own and says: “This arcade should be the independent hub of the city. The big brands in Peterborough are great, but the independents are necessary to give the city a soul.”

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 555621. www.theoculist.com

30

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

P KAI HAIR

STEPHEN DIGGLE GOLDSMITHS

Kai Wan, Director of P.Kai Hair Peterborough, is an award-winning stylist as well as a well-respected photographer in the hairdressing industry.

His Westgate Arcade salon provides bespoke hairdressing services as well as a retail area where clients can purchase luxury, salonapproved products “I started the P.Kai Hair salon almost 15 years ago and opened this branch nine years ago,” he says. “After running a successful ‘out of town’ salon, we decided we would like a branch in the city centre… we love the individual and independent vibe that Westgate Arcade offers; with the boutique stores and passionate, often family-run retailers it provides an intimate setting for our clients and a good support network with our neighbours.”

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 358825. www.pkai.co.uk

A family-run business with shops in Peterborough and the historic town of Oakham, Stephen Diggle Goldsmiths offers beautiful jewellery at realistic prices, combined with exceptional service.

Specialising in diamonds and platinum, the team has a combined 100 years’ experience.

The store offers a remodelling and repair service, sells pre-owned as well as new jewellery, and skilled staff are on hand to help customers create one-of-a-kind, unique pieces that are sure to become the heirlooms of the future.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 345757.

FUSION FLAIR

Discover the latest in costume jewellery, accessories, ethnic homeware and gifts, at prices to suit every budget.

• Westgate Arcade.

07935 011186.

THE RIGHT TIME

Looking for a new timepiece? The Right Time is a watch and clock specialist carrying classic brands such as Citizen, Rotary, Seiko, Sekonda, Casio as well as DKNY, FCUK, and Diesel • Westgate Arcade. 01733 555499.

Make time to pop in and see Adriano Mifsud, Filomena Mifsud and Carmine Mangieri at Express Watch Repairs

EXPRESS WATCH REPAIRS Taking the hassle out of fixing straps and batteries, the team at Express Watch Repairs get to work while you wait. And if you’re after something new and statement-making, there’s an exceptional collection of 9ct yellow and white gold and silver jewellery on offer here too. Established in 1982, the business has been in Westgate Arcade for 30 years and is a renowned specialist in second-hand watches, their sale and servicing – if you’re after a Rolex, Omega or Breitling, this is the place to go.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 310309.

NEED A QUICK FIX? Fast Stitch (01733 562320) will take care of all your clothing repair and alteration needs, with services including zip replacements, alterations for dresses, skirts, jeans, trousers, jackets, coats, curtains, bedding and leathers, plus a full fitting service. Or seek out Phone Trader, close to the Westgate entrance to the arcade, for all those niggling mobile repairs or new-case needs.

IMPRESSION HOLIDAYS Hassle-free holidays and days out are the specialist subject for family-run Impression Holidays. No more arguments about which direction to take or where best to park – book a break by coach and you’ll arrive at your destination ready to have fun!

There’s an impressive range of events and destinations lined up for autumn and winter, including Norfolk’s popular Thursford Christmas Spectacular, and Katherine Jenkins at the Royal Albert Hall – and all holidays of three days or more include a home collection service from areas including Peterborough, the Deepings, Stamford, Bourne, March, Ramsey, Huntingdon, St Ives and Sawtry.

• Westgate Arcade. 01733 267025. www.impressionholidays.com

31

White Vanilla Ltd 1 Market Place, Oundle, PE8 4BA Tel: 01832 274107

Open Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00pm

32

www.whitevanilla.co.uk

FASHION

NEW KNITS

Sally Stillingfleet shops casual knits in new shapes, colours and the softest yarns PHOTOGRAPHY: ELLI DEAN

K

NITWEAR pieces help bridge the seasons and will give your wardrobe a textural update. The most on-trend wardrobe staples have new and unusual features including lurex, bows, beautiful bell sleeves and ties… this autumn, there really is a sweater for everyone!

Top: Holly wears rust slash neck French Connection sweater £80; Ella Grace wears multicoloured French Connection sweater £80; both girls’ jeans from a selection; all John Lewis Above: Ella Grace wears oatmeal sweater £49, Asha’s Attire Right: Ella Grace wears Oasis navy logo T-shirt £30, beneath classic Oasis navy cardigan £25, John Lewis and Oasis. Holly wears navy cowl neck swing-shaped sweater £69, White Vanilla

➧ NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

33

FASHION

NEW KNITS Holly wears Kin grey sweater £49; Ella Grace wears pale grey bow detail Ted Baker sweater £110, both John Lewis

Holly wears soft pink lurex Modern Rarity sweater £80, John Lewis; Ella Grace wears pale pink sweater with bell sleeves £49, Asha’s Attire

Ella Grace wears cornflower blue Modern Rarity sweater £75; Holly wears cream pure cashmere Modern Rarity sweater £190, both John Lewis

STOCKISTS Asha’s Attire, The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. 01832 275605/275259. www.ashas.net; John Lewis, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL. 01733 344644; www.johnlewis.com; White Vanilla, 1 Market Place, Oundle PE8 4BA. 01832 274107. www.whitevanilla.co.uk; Oasis, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL. 01733 563207. www.oasis-stores.com.

THANKS TO models Holly Beecroft and Ella Grace Bayley; Lorraine, Personal Stylist at John Lewis; and photographer Elli Dean, 07932 055548, www.ellideanphotography.co.uk.

34

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

Holly wears black sweater with pearl detail £49, Asha’s Attire

Autumn at Asha’s

Continental clothes, accessories and gifts for the discerning male

Unique furniture, Annie Sloan Paint, ceramics, lighting, soft furnishings, interior accessories, cards and gifts

The Nail Salon at Asha’s Now Open

Sandwich, Thought, Mama b, Dansk jewellery, Italian Knitwear, leather goods and accessories

Tea & Coffee, selection of Cakes and Afternoon Tea, the perfect place to take a break

The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle, PE8 4EJ (01832) 275 605 or 275 259 www.ashas.net

35

FOOD & DRINK First-year success for pizza favourite The Pizza Parlour & Music Café in Peterborough’s Cowgate celebrated its first anniversary in September – in a city centre now awash with restaurant chains, the business is fiercely independent and familyowned.

Despite some erroneous publicity, The Pizza Parlour & Music Café has the only authentic pizza oven in the city, fired by wood. Some may have gasfired ovens, some may say does it matter? Well Head Chef Andrew Tedder says that the wood-fired oven imparts greater flavour and helps retain nutrients; reaching in excess of 500 degrees it results in a quickly-cooked, traditional crisp base.

The restaurant has built a strong and enviable customer base over the last 12 months; the relaxed, fun ambiance the team has created features live music several nights each week, and the restaurant converts into a wine and cocktail bar after 10pm at weekends.

• 5 Cowgate, Peterborough PE1 1LR. 01733 902233. www.thepizzaparlourpeterborough.co.uk

Squash, lemon & almond muffins Makes 12 Preparation 20 minutes, cooking time 40 minutes. You’ll need a muffin tin lined with paper muffin cases.

C

ookSmart with Rachel, a new cookery venture in Oundle, offers tailored cookery tuition in a fun, relaxed way, in either the CookSmart kitchen or your own. Sessions – which can be individual or in groups for those preferring a more sociable experience – are tailored around what a client wants to learn and all ingredients are provided, making each experience unique and hassle-free.

Rachel says: “I’ve always been a keen cook and I love sharing tips and recipes with others. Like everyone, I have lots of demands on my time, so whether I’m catering for large gatherings, children’s parties, dinner parties for friends or colleagues, making preserves or treats as gifts, or simply cooking for my family, it’s all about getting the most out of the time I have available.”

An advocate of ‘from scratch’ cooking, Rachel is convinced that staying healthy has to start with knowing what’s in your food. “The best way to know, surely, is to make it yourself.” She worked in healthcare education and science education fields for several years and has a first degree and PhD in biology, so has a good understanding of nutrition. She has a keen interest in making ‘naughty healthy’ food such as her no-addedsugar muffins and desserts.

• For more information, find @ cooksmartwithrachel on Facebook, email cook.smart@outlook.com, or call 07913 514702.

Riverford Pumpkin Day

Saturday 28th October, 11am – 4pm

Ingredients: • 300g squash, peeled & diced weight • 125g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature • 125g light brown soft sugar • 3 eggs, beaten together • 1tsp almond essence • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons • 125g self raising flour • 150g ground almonds • 1tbsp clear runny honey • 12 whole blanched almonds, toasted in a dry frying pan until lightly golden • Steam or boil the diced squash for 15 minutes, until very soft.

Drain and leave to cool, then mash with a potato masher.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C. • Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl (an electric hand-held mixer makes life easier), until pale, light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.

• Stir in the almond essence, lemon zest and mashed squash.

Add the flour and ground almonds and fold in gently.

• Spoon roughly equal quantities of the mixture into your muffin cases.

• Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180°C and cook for approx 20 minutes until golden.

• Leave to cool.

• Gently warm the honey in a small pan. Brush a little over the top of each muffin and top with an almond.

far m stringing, tractor rides, Pumpkin car ving, chilli ents & more ties, organic refres hm walks, children ’s activi

Riverford on Sacrewell Farm, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, PE8 6HJ 01780 789700 riverford.co.uk/pumpkinday 36

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

11B Townsend Road Wittering, Peterborough, PE8 6AB Tel:01780 78 22 59

Opening Hours

Monday - Thursday 4:30pm to 9:00pm Friday & Saturday 11:30am to 2:00pm 4:30pm to 9:00pm Sunday Closed

The Mad Turk

8

Reservations – 01780 238001 Takeaways 01780 238282

8/9 St Paul’s Street, Stamford, PE9 2BE www.themadturk.co.uk 37

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

Discover meditation The Drolma Buddhist Centre has two October courses coming up. On Saturday 21 there’ll be a Meditation Retreat Workshop Day for £20 including a light lunch at its Peterborough site, and on Saturday 28 there’s a Meditation and Mindfulness morning at Fletton House in Oundle, which will cost £15 per person.

• For further details contact Drolma Buddhist Centre, 260 Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough PE1 3PG. 01733 755444. www.meditateinpeterborough.org.uk

Indulge yourself Elysia Health and Beauty is owned and run by Lisa Claypole, and specialises in prescriptive and corrective skincare, working with Caci, Environ and ZO Obagi in a trusted, personal and discreet environment to offer the very best and latest technologies for face and body.

Lisa researches the latest and most effective treatments available, such as Lipofirm Pro – Elysia was one of the first salons in the country to offer this treatment which brings impressive results in inch loss, cellulite reduction and skin tightening.

Lisa is about to introduce the latest in laser treatments to the salon, suitable for all ages and body types. Treatments can be combined to suit clients and packages are available at highly competitive prices. A proven portfolio of results is available.

The team at Elysia also offers massage, plus standard Jessica hand and nail treatments including Geleration Nails and the advanced LCN sculptured nail system. Lash, brow, waxing and aesthetics are also popular treatments.

An open afternoon is planned on Wednesday 8 November where you’ll be able to find out about treatments, watch demonstrations of Elysia’s state-of-the-art equipment, have a personal skin analysis, ask questions in a relaxed environment and get a sneak preview of this year’s Christmas beauty goodies.

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

Seasonal offer at The Cosmetic Clinic

Beautiful lashes

If your skin needs a pick-me-up after the summer holidays, The Cosmetic Clinic Peterborough has a fabulous skin brightening offer for October and November, comprising three separate treatments during different appointments.

The first comprises a microdermabrasion treatment followed by a second treatment of the extremely popular ZO Obagi red carpet facial. The third treatment is a Mesoestetic lighter peel which the therapist will choose for your specific skin type. The complete package is £100, which is a saving of £90 and the clinic promises a truly pampering experience that will leave your skin smooth, clear and glowing

by December.

• The Peterborough Cosmetic Clinic, 226 Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough PE1 3PB. 01733 310090. www.ukcosmeticclinic.co.uk

Nailed it!

Oundle emporium Asha’s has launched The Nail Salon at Asha’s, with Chantelle offering manicures, pedicures, nail extensions and gel nail treatments.

• Asha’s, The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle, PE8 4EJ. 01832 275605 or 275259. www.ashas.net

38

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

Lash extensions have been popular for some time and there are many different options relating to colour, type, length, thickness and price to choose from. When I was invited along to Pure Health and Beauty in Glapthorn to have a set I was a little sceptical as I didn’t want anything false-looking or high-maintenance. But I needn’t have worried. My therapist, Robyn, suggested I just had very natural looking lashes and all I had to do was lie down and close my eyes whilst she carefully individually glued Lash Perfect lashes on to my own.

Robyn patiently worked on them for over an hour, explaining: “they should last two to three weeks, you don’t need to wear mascara and there is a little comb that clients are given to tease them into shape.”

On finishing I was handed a mirror and was really surprised to see what a difference the lashes made – my eyes look bigger and brighter and whilst there are plenty of lashes, they look natural and wider.

Because of the sheer time a treatment like this takes, I don’t think it would be a regular one for me, but for a special occasion or holiday I can really see the benefit.

Pure is running a promotion throughout October – get a free eyebrow shape and tint (usually £18) when you book full set of lash extensions for £60, or a free eyebrow wax (£10) or tint (£8) when you book a half set of eyelash extensions for £38.50.

• Pure Health and Beauty, The Old Stables, Church Farm, Glapthorn PE8 5BE. 01832 272310 or text 07807 879459.

Set in beautiful, discreet and tranquil surroundings, ELYSIA is the salon for those in the know, priding ourselves on expert service and treatments.

At ELYSIA we aim to offer the most effective face, body and beauty solutions. Proven technology with impressive results. Tailor made, bespoke treatment plans just for you.

Results driven solutions by level 4 aesthetic practitioners.

Call Elysia today to book your consultation

39

Free eyebrow shape & tint (normally £18) when you book a full set of lash extensions for £60.

And also free eyebrow wax (normally £10) or tint (normally £8)

when you book a half set of eyelash extensions for £38.50 Valid until 31st October 2017

To book your appointment or for further information please ring 01832 272310, text 07807 879459, or Email: jayne@purebeautyglapthorn.co.uk The Old Stables, Church Farm, Glapthorne, Nr Oundle PE8 5BE 40

ACTIVE FOR LIFE Get back to what you love doing…

It’s that heart stopping moment: you bend, twist, lunge or lift and feel an all-too-familiar pain return. Be it an old injury that’s come back to haunt you or a new injury that catches you when you least expect it – it’s a feeling we all desperately want to avoid

F

ORTUNATELY, most injuries are minor – accompanied by a little pain and discomfort that lasts a day or so. Others can be debilitating. Back pain, in particular, can see sufferers’ entire lives change as they look for ways to manage their discomfort and avoid scenarios that make it worse; forcing changes to their social lives, families and careers.

“One of the greatest issues I see with patients,” says Dr Hany Elmadbouh, Founder and Lead Consultant at the Avicenna Clinic in Peterborough, “is the amount of time that has passed before they receive treatment. Some of this is because of waiting lists. Other times it is due to their own delays in seeking a referral in the first place.

“What perhaps started as a relatively minor niggle a few weeks previously can quickly escalate to complete immobility.

“I recently treated a patient who was in complete agony. Having felt a slight niggle in the weeks leading up to his injury, he had been feeling the tell-tale signs of a previous injury, a bulged disk he had suffered from eight years previous. Without significant discomfort, he simply went about his life as normal, making the slightest and unconscious changes to his normal movement. So, when he was rendered completely immobile, having bent down to pick up his shampoo in the shower, it was a big shock.

“Luckily, following a referral from his osteopath, I was able to see him very quickly.

We carried out a diagnostic MRI scan. He was a text book case of someone who was in a pain cycle. Unable to stand up straight or carry out normal movement, the only way his condition was going to improve was if we could reduce

his pain significantly enough for him to resume normal movement again.

“We performed a selective nerve root injection as a first course of treatment, after which he could be referred to a spinal surgeon if it did not work. And I’m pleased to say that the procedure was successful enough that he has staved off the need for any surgery for the time being.

“There were two factors in play with this case that serve as a good example for the level of success we saw.

“First – due to his busy schedule he sought treatment quickly and didn’t allow the pain cycle to fully take hold. Secondly, the treatment we were able to deliver off the back of a very clear diagnosis – courtesy of the MRI scan – meant that we were both alleviating the symptoms and enabling him to get back to his usual movement patterns.

“My advice to patients suffering from any sort of pain is to seek treatment as quickly as you can. The improvement in results you will see and reduction in longer-term associated issues are not to be underestimated.”

Avicenna Clinic, which recently opened the doors to its flagship purpose-renovated building in Peterborough city centre, is an independent, consultant-led private healthcare practice offering personalised health care to self-pay and insured patients.

Patients attending the clinic can often make a same-day appointment, see a consultant, begin diagnostics and receive a treatment plan all in a single visit. The difference that makes to their mindset, sense of wellbeing and longer-term prognosis can’t be underestimated.

• To find out more or book an appointment, call the Avicenna Clinic on 0330 202 0597 or visit www.avicennaclinic.com

Half-term fun for young adventurers

W

ITH October half-term around the corner, and following its successful Summer Club, Rockblok at Whitwell will be running the Rockblok Half Term Adventure Club from Monday 23 October until Friday 27 October for children aged eight and over. If you’re looking for one day of childcare, juggling work with school-holiday fun or need to book consecutive days for your child, the Rockblok team can help.

Rockblok instructors will guide adventurers in hands-on activities from rock climbing and high ropes to exploring, trying out mini watercraft and building dens, shelters and campfires.

There’ll also be painting, treasure maps and much more.

Supervisors, co-ordinators and instructors are DBS checked and have the appropriate first aid qualifications along with a wealth of experience in providing supervision and activities for young people. There’s also a shared desire within the team to make this an exciting and memorable experience for children. Bring friends or come along and make new ones!

• The club will run Monday 23 to Friday 27 October, 8.30am–5pm. Rockblok is in the Whitwell Leisure Park, next to Rutland Cycling, on the north shore of Rutland Water. The club costs £30 per day, with a 15 per cent discount for three days or more.

Booking is essential – contact Rockblok on 01780 460060 or visit www.rockblok.com for information.

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

41

42

THE ARTS

Seeing the light Sue Dobson discovers how two local artists interpret what they see in very different ways

A

Oils and cards feature in Jerome’s portfolio

Jerome is fascinated by light and enjoys finding new ways to represent it in his paintings

His paintings “reflect the everyday”...

RTISTS Liz and Jerome Hunt met at secondary school at the age of 12, began dating while in the sixth form and they’ve been together ever since.

Jerome paints distinctive still lifes, landscapes and cityscapes in vibrant oils; Liz is a textile artist, drawing on memories, feelings and emotions to distil the essence of landscapes into her exquisitely detailed images.

In a feast of colour and productivity, the garden that stretches back from their Orton Longueville home meanders through a series of ‘rooms’ where flowers scent the air and vegetables spring from raised beds against a backdrop of abundantly fruiting trees. At the bottom of the garden, paints and brushes fit neatly among the screen-printing equipment in Jerome’s Tardis-like studio.

For years the studio sheltered under a magnificent walnut tree. When this started showing signs of distress, giving cause for anxiety about its safety, and a tree surgeon recommended its removal, Jerome saw the possibility of creating a new studio space in its place.

“I taught adults for many years, and it’s something I enjoy doing, so my plan is to offer small-group courses, demonstrations and tuition there, focusing on the development of traditional skills in painting and printmaking,” he explains. Liz, meanwhile, translated the tree into a work of textile art, surrounding its outline with whorls of hand stitching, using warm shades to reflect its life cycle – memories of the colours the tree had offered them throughout its long life.

Whether painting outdoors or in the studio, Jerome is fascinated by light and exploring ways to represent it in oils. “Light and shadow, reflections and transparency, all have their challenges,” he says.

As a student he enjoyed painting out of doors, loving the immediacy of the approach, though at the time it was deeply unfashionable.

“Conceptual art was in the ascendancy then.

My neo-Impressionistic style of painting was viewed as rather conservative and out of step with the times.”

So taking part in Paint Out Plein Air art competitions at Norwich and Wells-next-theSea last year felt rather like a homecoming.

He found it a rewarding experience to work alongside and engage with other professional artists, “but my proudest moment was receiving the Judges’ Commendation Award from David Curtis, one of my all-time heroes, at Paint Out Norwich 2016.” This year he was one of a select group of artists invited to paint at the prestigious Royal Norfolk Show.

While Jerome’s paintings are “a series of observations that reflect the everyday”, from vibrant vegetables, tasty fruit tarts and vases of flowers to boats at Brancaster, Peterborough

Liz created The Ancient Tree in memory of her father

The beautiful colours and clarity of light on the Isle of Skye inspired this piece NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

43

➧

Seeing the light Jerome achieved his ambition to be a fully professional artist a decade ago

A vase of flowers comes to life when captured in oil

by Jerome

street scenes and reflections in a Venetian canal, Liz captures images and scenes in her mind’s eye, collating and refining them so they slowly emerge into a ‘memory of place’. “There is rarely a literal translation of the observed scene in my work,” she says.

She’s passionate about history, whether recording the silence and resonance of ancient landscapes or delving into the lives of the people who once lived in them.

The archaeological finds at Must Farm near Whittlesey, which are offering an unprecedented insight into life in the late Bronze Age, captured her imagination and details from discoveries there have been translated into fascinating collages.

When we met, Liz was researching material for an upcoming exhibition in the Visitor Centre at Peterborough Cathedral, enjoying exploring the cathedral’s long history and heritage, which she will translate in her very personal style.

“The places I record all have memories,” she says. “I craft these mementoes in repeated slow stitching, hand and machine embroidery, folding in ‘shibori’ style and adding embellishments to indicate collected or discovered objects. Design, composition and narrative are all very important to me.”

Liz’s interpretation of Millais’ Ophelia, commissioned for a summer exhibition

TEACHING CAREERS

With his Anglo-French parentage, Jerome was expected to have a career in languages, but his interest was in art and after school both he and Liz headed for art colleges in London. Liz graduated with a degree in fine art (painting), Jerome in fine art painting and printmaking, and together they went on to gain teaching qualifications in art and design in Birmingham.

“It seems hard to imagine now, but in the mid-seventies there were a hundred applications for every vacant teaching position,” Liz remembers. “Getting a job wasn’t easy at that time, so I was delighted when I was offered a post at John Mansfield School in Peterborough.” By the time she retired from teaching in 2008, Liz had risen to be Head of Art and Design at Arthur Mellows Village College.

Jerome spent his first three years in Peterborough as Craft Centre Manager at The Cresset, heading up the art studio and screenprinting workshop there, before settling into teaching at Ken Stimpson School in Werrington, where he became Head of Art in the early 1980s. His career then took an unexpected turn.

“I became involved with the development of SATS at Middlesex Polytechnic and subsequently became an advisory teacher for Cambridgeshire. The IT skills I developed while on secondment were in demand when I returned to Ken Stimpson and I was appointed Head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) there.”

Art, however, was always his great love and he continued to paint and exhibit both nationally and locally, with the ambition to turn fully professional – a goal he achieved 10 years ago.

The garage at their home may have been transformed into a framing workshop – he frames his own and Liz’s work – but that doesn’t indicate a lack of interest in cars. Far from it! Jerome lovingly restores ‘future classic” cars, his current pride and joy being a maroon Morris Minor rebuilt to display standard in classic car exhibitions. He is also a musician, playing saxophone in popular local bands.

Skilled in garment construction and pattern cutting, Liz has produced individual costumes for local schools, theatre and dance companies and her interpretation of Millais’ Ophelia, commissioned for a summer exhibition at Art in the Heart last year, was a talking point among visitors.

Liz’s mother was a talented dressmaker, her grandmother a tailoress who did hand couture work for court circles, but it’s the long childhood walks across Dartmoor with her godmother that she remembers most. “She instilled a love of the landscape in me, the joy of cloud watching and making discoveries. We always came back with a precious ‘find’.”

• See work by Liz Hunt, Lynne Collins and Faye Gagel-Panchal in the mixed media Exquisite Heritage–Cathedral exhibition at the Peterborough Cathedral Visitor Centre, PE1 1XS from 1 to 31 October. www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk

44

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

Unique finds at Must Farm proved that the spinners and weavers of the Bronze Age chose nettles as one of their fibre plants. Liz says such similarity to her activities in creating textiles throughout her teaching days inspired this embroidered and braided piece of work

When it’s time to look seriously good for your special day - we can help.

Homefield Grange specialises in helping you glow inside and out with its specialised Wedding Preparation Packages. Come and chill out and get some time for yourself before your big day and be pampered, shaped and preened - you’ll never look so good!

Choose from one of our Bridal Bundles - we’ll be happy to advise you on which one will best suit your needs and get you the results you want. Give our friendly professionals a ring on 01536 712219, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm daily.

“Stay Calm”

“Gorgeous Darling”

Decleor Vitamin Recharge Glow Facial Decleor Full Body Salt Scrub Full Body Aromatherapy Massage G5 Lymphatic Cellulite Treatment for perfect, smooth looking thighs

Decleor Back Salt Scrub Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage Decleor Vitamin Recharge Glow Facial Full Body Brush

Bridal Package £335

Bridal Package £235

Enjoy a 2 course detox lunch during your treatment day with us and curl up in a fluffy gown and slippers with our cleansing Herbal Teas. Get ready to glow!

10% discount off all our laser hair removal courses when booking a Bridal Package

01536 712219 I enquiries@homefieldgrange.co.uk Homefield Grange, Manor Road, Rushton, Nr Kettering, Northants, NN14 1RH

www.homefieldgrangeretreat.co.uk

45

See how we are applying emerging evidence and deep industry knowledge in the successful management of low back pain here: www.prestonshealth.co.uk/ our-specialities/low-back-pain Call today on 01733 565911 or visit us at www.prestonshealth.co.uk

OUR NEW BESPOKE CLINIC NOW OPEN AT DAVID LLOYD HEALTH CLUB IN THORPE WOOD, PETERBOROUGH AND ALSO WITHIN OUNDLE GP SURGERY

Private Psychological Therapy Service

Johan Truter

Chartered Clinical Psychologist Specialised in treating the following areas: • Low self esteem and loss of confidence • • Anxiety, panic and stress • • Depression, low mood and despair • • Phobias, obsessions and ruminations • • Autistic Spectrum Disorders •

www.psychologistuk.co.uk

For further information please contact

01780 758556

Orion House, 14 Barn Hill, Stamford, PE9 2AE

The East Of England Autumn

WEDDING SHOW

Goody Bag for the first 250 Brides Over 80 Exhibitors Free Glass of Bubbly Catwalk Shows Free Parking Free Bridal Directory

SUNDAY 22ND OCTOBER

10.30am – 3.00pm - The East of England Showground, Peterborough Tel: 07738 912092 / 01775 765385 for details www.cupidsweddingshows.com

The Regions Greatest Wedding Show!

46

Free Prize Draw Admission: £4.00 Everything you need to plan your special day

Top left: Mill southern aspect, c1890 Left: The mill in 2015 Right and top right: a tunnel allowed barges entry to the mill

HERITAGE

New life for historic city mill Kem Mehmed of Peterborough Civic Society reports on the transformation of Whitworth Mill into a new arts and cultural hub for our city

A

HUGE site on the south bank of the Nene in the centre of Peterborough is being transformed. You may have grown tired of hearing this over the last twenty or so years, but the grand plans are taking shape and building work is well advanced on new offices for the City Council. Planning permission has been granted for a major redevelopment which includes four apartment blocks, a multi-storey car park and riverside promenade. The next stage will see the old corn mill building totally renovated and converted into a community arts and cultural hub for the city.

This building, along with two others nearby, dates from 1848. At about the same time the engine sheds, warehouses, a hotel and East Station were constructed, making this a very busy part of the city. Trade in timber, corn and general goods by cart, train and barge converged on this site. Today all but the mill, engine shed and warehouse have gone.

The corn mill was built by Earl Fitzwilliam and had, at the start, 10 pairs of grinding stones powered by a steam engine. The stones were soon updated to steel rollers which were far more efficient. In 1856 the mill was operated by Michael Cadge and Samuel Coleman and they continued to run things until 1936 when the business was taken on by Whitworth Brothers The Cadge & Colman name was retained until 1987 – most locals of a certain age still

refer to the mill by that name. It was one of the first commercial enterprises to be converted to electric lighting in 1886, a few years before the first Peterborough power station was built a quarter of a mile upstream on the north side of the Nene. We could call the mill by a number of names: Milton Mill, Cadge & Colman Mill or Whitworth Mill. It would seem that the most recent is the one to be used from now on.

The surviving mill building is made up of two separate parts. The five-storey block on the south side is the original mill part. The half closest to the river, which is of the same shape and size, was built onto it and was mainly warehouse. It is itself in two parts with a tunnel allowing barges to enter as far as the mill half of the structure. Some but not all grain was transported to the mill by barge until the mid1960s.

The whole building is in solid brickwork with a mixture of cast iron columns supporting floor beams in cast iron and timber. The double pitched roofs have retained their original trusses. There are five floor levels plus an attic and cellars. The warehouse half was built over the river on foundations some 20 feet deep.

There are window openings on both the river and south elevations, almost all of which have been bricked up. The intention is to unblock these and to reinstate windows appropriate to the period.

Early photos show two grand wings

displaying pedimented elevations on the railway side of the mill. These were probably office or staff welfare rooms but no trace of them remains on the ground. They made way for the extensive expansion and incremental ‘modernising’ which Whitworths carried out from the 1940s until trading ceased and the premises reverted to the Milton Estates. In the post-war era, a number of grain silos were erected to the east of the mill. Cadge & Colman ceased trading in 1987 although Whitworths continued to use the site for storage purposes.

The grain silos were demolished in December 2016.

Peterborough City Council purchased the mill in 2016. Funding for its refurbishment and conversion into an arts hub is partially in place and work on submitting a full planning application is almost complete as we go to press. This is being prepared by Vivacity, the cultural and leisure arm of the City Council.

The sensitive conversion will include the removal of two floors to create double-height spaces suitable for studio and exhibition use, plus the reinstatement of pitched roofs over the mill and warehouse.

Access on foot and by bicycle will be along a new tree-lined promenade to be laid out as part of the master plan for the Fletton Quays area. All we need now is a smart bridge to link with the other leisure and cultural assets on the Embankment!

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

47

RRP: £300

RRP: £240

RRP: £240

RRP: £680

Offer ends 30/11/17

sales@thegroundcarecentre.co.uk

48

DAY OUT

Burghley Sculpture Garden Michael Shaw, curator, describes this year’s visually startling sculpture exhibition

Robert Fung, From Far Away Great Changes Come as Forms You Thought You Knew

Lucy Strachan, Grassfall

N

Marjan Wouda, Fatkin The Mole

Jenny Pickford, Stargazer Allium

ATURALLY Sculpture is an adventurous exploration of natural materials and forms at Burghley Sculpture Garden. Massive sculptures abound, including a life-size tank and a humongous Trojan Horse. These are complemented by wondrous kinetic wind sculptures that depict the flight of birds and movement of fish.

Various floral tributes bloom, including a swathe of waist-high snowdrops and a triffid-like allium. Fauna emerges in the guise of a groovy mole, giant spider’s web, oversize crab claw and a surprisingly elephantine sculpture.

Natural forms result from man-made materials including electrical cables, iron, stainless steel, highly reflective plastics and even fake grass!

The humour in Lucy Strachan’s Grassfall is deadpan and on first viewing prompts a double-take and wry smile. Cascading over the top of the wall comes not a torrent of water, but fake grass, its tufted artificiality channelled into rivulets and drips of liquid green. The elephant in the room, or shall we say garden, belongs to artist Jim Unsworth. Another Surprise for Fabricius Lucinus is by no means shy – it bursts out like a ‘Jack in the Box’. Half tame, half wild. His muscular sculpture is both striking, dynamic and jocular. Other intrigues include Jenny Pickford’s triffid-like Stargazer Allium. The sculpture’s title also alludes to the experience it induces which, given its scale, means one must look up to the flower head. Doing so fully enlivens the glass flowers as their translucency and coloration is revealed and intensified by sunlight.

Some sculptors have taken materials from the natural world and transformed them into man-made objects of an immense scale. A life-size American tank has been sliced, spliced and slotted back together through a process of digital manipulation and computer-controlled cutting of plywood. The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of An Army Tank by

Jim Unsworth, Another Surprise for Fabricius Luscinus

Peter Mountain, The Deconstruction, and Reconstruction of An Army Tank

Peter Mountain is enriched by attentive detailing all over, be it the mud flaps, tracks or turret. The blackened charring of the tracks heightens the sense of a sculpture on manoeuvres.

The war footing continues at a gargantuan scale with Robert Fung, his sculpture clad in a veneer of oak slab offcuts. Of course, the notion of cladding to finalise appearance is central to the conceptual undertow of his convincing Trojan horse. Potentially a gift to the city of Troy, Fung’s From Far Away Great Changes Come As Forms You Thought You Knew is replete with a trap door, mane of sticks and tail of brushwood. It has even been assaulted by a flurry of arrows!

Way below the aerial, another sculpture has literally tunnelled up into view. Fatkin the Mole, by Marjan Wouda, pierces the earth and proudly surveys his work, with his powerful broad legs and feet splayed in a ‘tadah’ pose. The sculpture relates to an abandoned mine, where Fatkin was the nickname of the last working miner. The mole’s normally velvety surface has been impregnated with the tools of the colliery trade – look closely and you can see bits of rope, cogs and chains. Its final intrigue: coal dust impregnated into the mole’s skin. Fatkin the Mole is a somewhat cheeky sculpture, but dig deeper and layers of meaning can be excavated.

Overall, Naturally Sculpture reveals how sculptors can modulate the form of materials to depict nature and natural phenomena, as well as transforming natural materials into man-made forms. This dialogue between three-dimensional form and the natural world may remind us of the beauties and fragilities of nature, as well as our dependence upon it. So, why not come to Burghley and take a walk on the wild side to find your own pathway between nature and sculpture?

• The Sculpture Garden at Burghley is open daily from 11-5, and the exhibition continues until the end of October.

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

49

OUT & ABOUT So much to do,see and enjoy this October...

T

HE Autumn Food & Country Fair which takes place at The East of England Arena and Events Centre on Sunday October 8 is almost 40 years old and mixes family fun, outdoor pursuits and country living, all in one fantastic day.

As well as the usual fur, feathers, food and fun, this year will see guest appearances at intervals throughout the day

by TV’s PAW Patrol favourites, Chase and Marshall. Other attractions lined up to delight this year’s visitors include the East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club display team, a companion dog show, exhibitions of rare breed cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, trade stands, classic car and vintage tractor displays, a fun fair and The Supreme London Championships Small Livestock Show, billed as the rabbit world’s equivalent of Crufts.

Parking is free and gates open at 8am. Discounted advance tickets are on sale now priced adult £8, senior citizen £6, child (aged 5-16) £4, family £20 (2 adults, 2 children).

• For more details see www.autumnfoodandcountryfair.co.uk

Monday 2 to Saturday 14 October Welland Valley Art Society Autumn Exhibition Members of Welland Valley Art Society look forward to sharing their work with the public – expect a mix of original paintings, prints and sculpture to suit all tastes.

Free entry. Stamford Arts Centre, 22 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DL.

Friday 6 October From The Jam: The Gift 35th Anniversary Tour From the Jam, featuring original band member Bruce Foxton, will perform The Gift in its entirety for this one-off, never to be repeated concert, celebrating the album’s 35th anniversary.

7.30pm. £23.50 The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8DX. 01733 265705. www.cresset.co.uk

Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 October At the Musicals Flower Festival Enjoy themed flower displays, stalls and a tombola in the beautiful surroundings of the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. This event is organised by the Onwards Group and all proceeds will be donated to the hospice.

10am-4pm. £4. Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, Thorpe Road, Peterborough PE3 6LW. Sunday 8 October Denial The true story of Deborah Lipstadt’s legal battle for historical truth against the notorious Holocaust denier David Irving, who accused her of libel when she denounced him in her acclaimed book, Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. With the burden of proof in English defamation law falling upon the defendant, it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred. With a screenplay by David Hare, this is gripping courtroom drama at its best.

7.45pm. £6, under 18s £3. Oundle Cinema, The Stahl Theatre, west Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. Tickets from Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle PE8 4ED, 01832 274734, www.oundlecinema.org.uk

O

UNDLE Festival of Literature presents Claire Fuller: Swimming Lessons on Thursday 5 October at St Peter’s Church, Oundle.

Ingrid Coleman writes letters to her husband, Gil, about the truth of their marriage, but instead of giving them to him, she hides them in the thousands of books he has collected over the years. When Ingrid has written her final letter she disappears from a Dorset beach, presumed drowned, leaving behind her beautiful but dilapidated house, her husband, and daughters Flora and Nan. Twelve years later, Gil thinks he sees Ingrid from a bookshop window, but this unlikely sighting is chalked up to senility.

Flora returns home to care for her father and to try to finally discover what happened to Ingrid – not realising that what she’s looking for is hidden in the books that surround her.

Claire will be in conversation with local journalist Fiona Cumberpatch from 7.45-8.45pm. Tickets £8 (£6), £1 off early bird tickets bought before 29 September, available from the Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle or online – log on to www.oundlefestival.org.uk

Wednesday 11 October Charity fashion show This time last year Nene Living featured staff from the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in a fashion photoshoot – this month some of them will join other familiar local faces in a fundraising event showcasing the autumn/winter collections from some of Stamford’s favourite local independent retailers.

Fashions on the catwalk at Stamford Arts Centre

will include choices from Arch Label Agency, Attic, Energy, Gagliardi and Marcia May Shoes, and there’ll be fizz from Adnams plus canapés prepared by The Fine Food Store.

Tickets, priced £20, are available from The Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DL, 01780 763203 and Energy, 9 Ironmonger Street, Stamford PE9 1PL, 01780 765633.

T

HE only charity swim in the city, Rotaryswim Peterborough is a chance for those who want to swim to raise money for their own good cause and to help organisers Werrington Rotary to help others. The event is free to enter and all participants receive a medal, photograph and certificate. It is being held on Sunday 29 October at Jack Hunt Pool, off Bradwell Road, Netherton. Swimmers are asked to raise sponsorship; half is returned to their own charity and has the benefit of being subject to Gift Aid, the other half is retained by the Rotary Club to assist it in its projects to help others.

The event is sponsored by Convert Training and Nene Construction Management Services and participants swim for 25 or 55 minutes between 9am and 1pm. Information and entry forms are available by post – send an SAE to 15 Greenacres, Werrington, Peterborough. PE4 6LH or e-mail: secretary@rotarypeterborough-werrington.org.uk

➧ NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

51

OUT & ABOUT So much to do,see and enjoy this October...

Thursday 12 October Sleeping Beauty by Vienna Festival Ballet Following the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty and with a musical score

by Tchaikovsky, this ballet is a firm family favourite, and one that’s always sure to enchant audiences of all ages.

7pm. £24, over 60s £21.50, under 16s £17.50.

The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8DX. 01733 265705. www.cresset.co.uk

Thursday 12 October My Darling Clementine For what began life as something of a side project for Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish, My Darling Clementine is now very much part of the country and Americana landscape. Four criticallyacclaimed albums, over 400 shows across Europe and North America and numerous accolades have placed the band at the forefront of the burgeoning Americana scene.

7.30pm. £12.

The Met Lounge, Bridge Street, Peterborough PE1 1HA. Tickets available from the venue and at www.mydarling clementinemusic.co.uk

52

NENE LIVING OCTOBER 2017

Sunday October 15 Gillian Blair The City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra features award-winning British saxophonist Gillian Blair in a concert, sponsored by V&A Vigar&Co, which starts with Humperdink’s Overture to Hansel and Gretel and concludes with Czech composer Dvorak’s New World Symphony.

3pm. £13.50, concessions £11.50. The Queen Katherine Academy Hall (formerly The Voyager), Mountsteven Avenue, Peterborough PE4 6HX. Tickets available from the Visitor Information Centre in Bridge Street, the orchestra website at www. cpso.org.uk or on the day.

Thursday 19 October The Young Offenders A comedy about best friends, Conor and Jock, two inner-city teenagers from Cork who cycle 160km on stolen bikes pursued by police to find a missing bale of cocaine worth millions.

7.45pm. £6, under 18s £3.

Oundle Cinema, The Stahl

P

Theatre, West Street, Oundle PE8 4EJ. Tickets from Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle PE8 4ED, 01832 274734, www.oundlecinema.org.uk Sunday 22 October DSLR Camera Workshop If you would like the confidence to switch your camera off ‘auto mode’ and explore the true potential of those many additional features, then this is the workshop for you.

Tutor James Brown has a wealth of experience as a professional photographer and has taught over 2,000 people by breaking down the subject of photography into simple and easy to understand segments.

During the first half of the workshop you will explore the functions of a DSLR camera, how they work and when to use them, as well as learning the basics of photography. After lunch, you will go outside and take photographs using the techniques you have learnt.

10.30am. £50.

ETERBOROUGH Opera invites you to A Masked Ball – Verdi’s tale of forbidden love, political conspiracies, fortune telling, betrayal and tragedy.

A Masked Ball will be performed (in English) at Queen Victoria Hall, Oundle on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 October at 7.30pm, St Thomas a Becket Church, Ramsey on Saturday 4 November at 7.30pm, and the Key Studio, Peterborough on Sunday 5 November at 4pm.

The performances in Oundle will be accompanied by an orchestra; those in Ramsey and Peterborough will be accompanied by piano. Tickets range from £5-£14 and are available from the Key Theatre Box Office, Key Theatre, Embankment Road, Peterborough PE1 1EF, 01733 207239, www. vivacity-peterborough.com; and Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle PE8 4ED, 01832 274734, www. oundleboxoffice.com. For more on Peterborough Opera go to www.peterboroughopera.co.uk

Stibbington Centre, Church Lane, Stibbington, Peterborough PE8 6LP. 01780 782386 or email: cees.stibbington@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Thursday 26 October Dr Hook starring Dennis Locorriere From the very beginnings of Dr Hook to the height of their success, Dennis Locorriere was the unmistakable voice of the band’s biggest hits and

best-loved songs. Their Timeless tour has been extended by popular demand – don’t miss the chance to see it!

7.30pm. £33.50. The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8DX. 01733 265705. www.cresset.co.uk Friday 27 to Sunday 29 October MAD Art Exhibition The Maxey Art Group and Deepings Art Club joint annual exhibition features high quality artwork and cards by local artists.

Free entry. Friday and Saturday 10am- 5pm, Sunday 10am- 2pm.

Maxey Village Hall, Maxey, PE6 9EJ.

BOOK NOW FOR…

I

N a music career spanning more than 30 years, accomplished R&B and soul singer Alexander O’Neal had 14 Top 40 chart singles in the UK – you’re sure to know If You Were Here Tonight, Fake, Criticize, The Lovers, (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me, and many others. In 1985 O’Neal released his self-titled debut album and also scored his first R&B Top 10 single with Saturday Love, a duet with Cherrelle from her High Priority album. And in 1987 he released Hearsay – the album that lends itself to the title of the UK tour of 2017, 30 years of Hearsay.

With his heart firmly in the music industry and a loyalty to the thousands that still buy his records, O’Neal’s passion to keep his sound alive is everpresent. This year sees the release of his first studio album for 15 years, and fans are in for a treat when they hear how one of the greatest voices of all time has matured into a sensational soul and blues sound.

Alexander O’Neal appears at The Broadway, 46 Broadway, Peterborough on Saturday 9 December.

The concert is seated and tickets range from £20 to £35. They’re on sale from The Visitor Information Centre on Bridge Street, 01733 452336 or at The Broadway, http://thebroadway.today

Website IDEA1 is a great place to find out what’s going on in Peterborough: www.idea1.org.uk.

BULL HOTEL Westgate • Peterborough • PE1 1RB

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year Celebrate the Festive Season in style in the surroundings of the 4* Bull Hotel. From Christmas Parties to Afternoon Teas and Festive Lunches, our warm, welcoming atmosphere allows you, your colleagues, family and friends to celebrate in style.

To make a reservation or for more information call 01733 561364 events@bull-hotel-peterborough.com www.peelhotels.co.uk

53

RIDGEWAY GARAGE DOORS Local family run business specialising in the supply and installation of manual & automatic garage doors.

• Steel, Timber and Glass Reinforced Plastic Doors Also available Security Shutters, Spare Parts & Repair Service

We pride ourselves on great customer service 54

Tel: 01733 772934 Email: info@ ridgewaygaragedoors. co.uk

AGA ENGINEER

HEALTH

Stamford Roofing Company Ltd Creating opportunities for change Strawsons Farmhouse

• Professional Aga specialist regular servicing and maintenance • Over 15 years experience

Telephone 07931 624325 email: hollywright18@yahoo.co.uk

Email: martinsagaservice@hotmail.co.uk www.aga-servicing-leicestershire.co.uk

Holly Wright MCFHP MAFHP FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER

ARCHITECTURE

HEALTH

Live Life in Balance

‘To help you live the best life you can!’

4 aspects of life create vitality – a good healthy diet; a positive attitude; regular exercise and a good night’s sleep.

At Live Life in Balance, we can help you achieve all 4!

Pip Fairhall

Nutritional Therapist and Life Coach

W: www.livelifeinbalance.co.uk E: pfairhall@livelifeinbalance.co.uk T: 07557 344402

COOKERY TUITION

01733 236476

E B R AT I N Mob: 07930 529905 Hi Claudia hopefully this will all E L work for the small advert at the back of

the magazine Email: info@stamfordroofing.co.uk www.stamfordroofing.co.uk YE E A R Srejig Obviously your art person may T R A D things, our colours are in the logo Stamford Roofing Company Ltd, info if it can be added to the list under ourITEC additional logo is IA IIHHT

www.ninaheaton.co.uk

20 Chatsworth Road, Stamford Lincs, PE9 2UN

IHBC FHT Member

Grp fibreglass roof contractors, estate agent maintenance

UPHOLSTERY

WELL-BEING

We are Also celebrating 40yrs of trade if your art person can thinks up something nice for the advert We are also on Facebook so that logo will need adding.

Looking through your latest edition I like the layout and style of the hunter Steven limited advert and the wright feet advert

UPHOLSTERY

Workshops & Courses Craig

Would you like to learn professional upholstery techniques?

Why not join one of our popular workshops or courses held regularly throughout the year. (maximum of 3 students) 01733 380107/07500316238 www.sarahwoodupholstery.co.uk

ORGANIC SKINCARE HOLISTIC THERAPIES Using NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES aromatherapy based range of natural ethical skincare products Contact KAY today for more details: kay@riverneneholistics.co.uk 07960 500852

Quote Discount Code: NL17 to get 10% off your first treatment

TO PLACE AN ADVERT IN NEXT MONTHS MAGAZINE CALL BRIDGET ON 01733 707538

‘Healthy cooking doesn’t have to be hard cooking.’

Introductory offer: 15% off bookings received in October Tailored cookery tuition for individuals or groups*. Gift vouchers available

HEALTH

Tel/Fax: 01780 754498 Mobile: 07930 529905 Email: info@stamfordroofing.co.uk Web: www.stamfordroofing.co.uk

HOME SOLUTIONS

CookSmart with Rachel

*all ingredients provided

* Holistic Therapies * Matrix Energetics Commercial / Domestic / Difficult Access Commercial & Domestic * Resolve Stress with HSE Flat Roofs / Glass Roofs / Slating & Tiling / Flat Roofs/Glass Roofs/Slating Maintenance Contracts& Tiling * Well-being Workshops GRP Fibreglass Roof Contractors/Difficult Access * Art/prints -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Maintenance Contracts/Estate Agent Maintenance * Gift Vouchers Contact us on: Tel/Fax: 01780 754498 G

Call: 07735 304452 or 0116 2813219

Main Street Great Casterton Stamford Lincs PE9 4AP

C

HOME VISITS FOR:* Removal of Corns and Calluses * Ingrowning Toenails * Toenails clipped * Fungal Nail Treatments * Specialising in the Diabetic and Neurovascular patient * competitive rates

• Legitimate Aga spare parts for

T: 07913 514702 E: cook.smart@outlook.com @cooksmartwithrachel

WELL-BEING

NINA HEATON

MARTIN WELSH Independent Aga Engineer

• make-ahead/freezable dinner parties and celebrations • breads, preserves, cakes, baby food, dietary requirements • time-saving meals

ROOFING

l l

Kitchen fitting l Bathroom fitting Loft Boarding; Hatch/Ladder Fitting l Painting & Decorating l All aspects of DIY

Competitive pricing and efficient service guaranteed 07468410916 01733 743195 martinshomesolutions@gmail.com

PADDLE BOARDING

Fungal Nail Infection?

ARE YOUR TOENAILS:

Discoloured? Thickened? Crumbling?

One quick & single procedure Revolutionary, safe & pain-free treatment No need to be embarrassed any longer Annette Robinson (Chiropodist/Podiatrist)

DIRECTORY

Tel: 01832-272200 Mob: 0790 516 7944 www.injuries-clinic-oundle.co.uk

Start treatment now, ready for next summer

Standup paddle boarding The ultimate way to unwind BOOK NOW CALL: 07902 799 876 enquiries@riverspiritsup.co.uk WWW.RIVERSPIRITSUP.CO.UK

HEALTH

PICK YOUR OWN

HYPNO-SLIMMING

HILL FARM, CHESTERTON, OUNDLE ROAD, PETERBOROUGH PE7 3UA

Amazing new easy way to lose weight • Are you unhappy with your weight • Tried all types of diets • Clothes don’t fit • Dislike the way you look in the mirror • Uncomfortable with your size • Can’t shift that extra weight • No motivation The Hypno-Slimming Programme can help you includes Free Hypnotic Gastric Band worth £150 Quit smoking in just 1 hour with hypnosis

Telephone 01733 768839 Peterborough Hypnotherapy Clinic, 26 Priestgate, Peterborough City Centre.

Free initial consultation www.curativehypnotherapy.com

OPEN JUNE - OCT

FARM SHOP AND PICK YOUR OWN Strawberries. Raspberries. Gooseberries. Plums.

Black & Redcurrants. Blackberries. Tayberries.

Seasonable vegetables. Locally produced beef & lamb.

Refreshments available.

Facilities for Disabled Visitors. Picnic Area.

Children's Play Area. Caravan Club C.L. Site

Tue-Fri 9am - 6pm Sat/Sun 9am - 5pm Closed Mondays except bank holidays Please ring for up to date crop information or to order ready picked produce

TEL & FAX 01733 233270 www.hillfarmpyo.co.uk

55

56