Nene Valley Living June 2014

Electric Cars

Learn to cook with Clarkes

NENE VALLEY LIVING

Dine in/ Dine out

Art Print Special Offer

Labels for Less Pre-loved style

F O O D / FA S H I O N / H E A LT H & B E A U T Y / H O M E & G A R D E N / L I F E S T Y L E

Artists at work Step into their studios...

Stride Out New local walk It’s only rock’n’roll...

True music fans JUNE 2014 £1.50 06

9 771740 052017

WEBSITE! www.nenevalleyliving.co.uk GET IN TOUCH: NVLJUNECOVER.indd 1

Nene Valley Living 21/05/2014 10:45

A PLACE OF RELAXATION...

A PLACE OF RECREATION...

A PLACE CALLED

Auburn Hill Whatever your idea of the perfect space, you’ll find it at Auburn Hill.

Every build is completely bespoke, as is our service to you. You choose your materials, and your preferred way of working with us, and we’ll do the rest.

To request a design consultation, visit www.ahorangeries.co.uk or call us on 01780 400 500. Alternatively, why not visit our Ketton Showhome.

Ketton Design House, Ground Floor, 63 High Street, Ketton, Rutland, PE9 3TE, Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm, Weekends by appointment only.

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NENE VALLEY LIVING

This Issue JUNE 2014 w w w. n e n e v a l l e y l i v i n g . c o . u k

I

hope you’ll enjoy our new look Nene Valley Living this month.

We decided it was time for a spring clean, and our designer Steve has come up with a great new design. The issue is packed with ideas for summer activities and outings.

We’re celebrating the start of Peterborough Artists Open Studios with a peek into the studios of three of the area’s participating talents (see page 24 and 25). I’d really recommend taking some time to pop in on a few studios. It’s always a great event and there are artists working in all mediums and styles. The open studios are clearly marked with red banners and you can be assured of a very warm welcome and no pressure to buy.

Open Studios is one of my favourite happenings in the local calendar. Another is open gardens and there is a bumper crop of these taking place this year. For details, see page 7, with more on our diary page. If you prefer to stride out on a walk, rather than stroll or meander, we have a lovely route for you on page 39.

Finally, check out talented singer songwriter David Ford, appearing at the Key Studio Theatre on Monday June 9. Tickets £15. Box office: 01733 207239 Have a great month.

F ion a Cu mberpatch Editor

Nene Valley Living

5 7 8

Editor’s selection

Best buys for June

Agenda

Get Scandi style

Agenda

Spotlight on Sicily

11 Agenda

Oundle Festival highlights

13 Agenda

Learn to dance

14 Food news

The Banyan Tree reviewed

16 Labels for Less Fashion from Circles, Yaxley

20 Learning from a master chef

Testing Clarkes Cookery School

22 Summer dining

A recipe from The Crown, Elton

24 Work in progress Peterborough artists prepare for open studios

27 Health and beauty notes

All the latest from health and beauty businesses

28 Control your weight Fitzwilliam Hospital can help

31 Electric cars The eco way to travel

34 Stepping out Diehard music fans

39 Local walk

A new path to Burghley Park

43 Project Oundle

Meet town centre manager Paula Prince

45 Diary dates

The pick of events for June

Editor Fiona Cumberpatch fiona@bestlocalliving.co.uk Write to Nene Valley Living, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY www.nenevalleyliving.co.uk Advertisement Manager Bridget Steele 01733 707538 bridget.neneliving@ntlworld.com Advertisement Director Helen Walton 01780 754801 helen.stamford@btopenworld.com Head of Design Steven Handley steve@locallivingdesign.co.uk Senior Designer Nik Ellis nik@locallivingdesign.co.uk Advertising Copy Rachel Beecroft 01780 765320 rachel@locallivingdesign.co.uk Publisher Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 Email: localliving@btopenworld.com Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 9FY www.locallivingltd.co.uk Printed by Warners of Bourne Cover photo: Lesley Anne Churchill. Styling: Fiona Cumberpatch. Plate: Snow Designs and Interiors, Stamford.

SUBSCRIBE TO NENE VALLEY LIVING

For £20 (UK only) you can subscribe to Nene Valley Living for 12 issues. Please send your name, address and a cheque made out to Local Living Ltd to: NVL Subscriptions, PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY Or you can subscribe online – go to www.bestlocalliving.co.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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21/05/2014 10:49

INDEPENDENT ARCHAEOLOGY CONSULTANTS:

THE COMPANY BACKGROUND

Independent Archaeology Consultants was founded in Peterborough in 2014. We are a team of experienced archaeologists with more than 20 years of experience from commercial archaeology.

Visit The Barn for all your garden needs

YOU CAN TURN TO US FOR THE FOLLOWING ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES: • Consultancy and Advice • Desk Based Assessments • Watching Briefs • Evaluations • Excavations • Surveying • Historic Building Recording SERVICE FOR DEVELOPERS AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY • We can provide you with a quote FREE OF CHARGE! This makes it easy for you to compare our low prices with other archaeological units.

• You can contact us before, during or after your development project.

We are always available to assist you.

• Trees, Conifers & Shrubs • Perennials & Alpines • Bedding & Seasonal Plants • Fruit, Veg & Herbs • Roses & Climbers • Grasses & Ferns The Barn Garden Centre, Barnwell Road, Oundle. PE8 5PB 01832 273310 - www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk Find us on facebook

Great Plants, Great Choice, Great Value

• Because we are small we are also flexible and can keep our overhead costs down to a minimum.

• We understand that TIME IS MONEY! The earlier we get involved in your development project the more can costs be cut through common planning and use of the same equipment.

• We use the latest GIS-techniques in the field in order to speed up the archaeological recording.

• All staff is fully insured and possesses CSCS-cards and First Aid-training.

Address: Independent Archaeology Consultants 79 Broadway, PETERBOROUGH, PE1 4DA Phone: 07733240156 E mail: contact@independentarchaeology.co.uk Web: www.independentarchaeology.co.uk

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Editor’s selection

Sweet drops stretch bracelet, £12, Accessorize, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough

S FOR K O O B D N A GIFTS JUNE F O H T N O M THE

Floral satchel, £35, Accessorize, Queensgate Centre, Peterborough

B

eautiful, bright paintings by local artist Charron PugsleyHill, who is part of this month’s Peterborough Artists Open Studios.

Charron is offering NVL readers prints at a special price of £35 (usual price £45). Visit www.charronpugsleyhill. com and use the code NVL10 at the checkout.

Updike, by Adam Begley, £25, Deckle Edge, available from The Oundle Bookshop, 13 Market Place, Oundle PE8 4BA Tel: 01832 273523.

Acclaimed biography of one of America’s greatest authors

by Oundle based writer Adam Begley

Tea cups skirt, £40, Cath Kidston www.cathkidston.co.uk

Edward Bawden’s Kew Gardens, £20, V & A Publishing, from The Oundle Bookshop, details as before. A light hearted history of Kew, illustrated with delightful lino cuts and posters by Edward Bawden.

Fisherman’s light, from a selection at George at Asda, Brotherhood Retail Park, Peterborough

Hector the hare tea pot, £25, by Polebrook artist Sam Purcell. www.sampurcelldesigns.co.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Timeless, quality beautifully designed dresses from Denmark.

Professional Home Care Service A friendly & flexible home based care service tailored around each individual, to provide: • Companionship • Light Housekeeping • Local Transportation and Shopping • Meal Preparation

• Personal Care • Convalescence Support • Specialist Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care

Our CAREGivers are carefully vetted, fully trained, insured and undergo an enhanced CRB check

Contact us on 01733 333342 Providing care services in: • Peterborough • Oundle • The Deepings

www.nordicdresses.co.uk

www.homeinstead.co.uk/oundle

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NEWS, REVIEWS, EVENTS

Get Scandi style Denmark is well known for its design excellence and this extends beyond the timeless furniture of iconic names such as Arne Jacobsen to homewares and clothing too. Anne Reynolds has just set up a new internet business selling gorgeous Danishdesigned dresses at www.nordicdresses.co.uk The dresses are produced in limited numbers, and are manufactured in Europe to high standards, using top quality fabrics and handmade details. “It is a good idea to sign up for my newsletter, as there will be discounts and constantly updated news of new styles,” says Anne. “If people have questions, or want to request a specific size that I might not usually stock, I encourage them to email me as my aim is to make this a very personal shop.” Anne plans to add new brands all the time, and as she is the only UK supplier of the dresses, you won’t risk bumping into anyone else wearing the same outfit!

• You can view the whole range and sign up for the newsletter at www.nordicdresses.co.uk

Don’t miss!

A summer concert by the City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra on June 14, 7.30pm at The Voyager Academy, Walton. It features works by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens and Holst. The soloist is James Halsey.

Conductor, Steve Bingham. Tickets £12.50 and £10.50, available from www.cpso.org.uk and on the door.

Saturday Night at the Movies, a special concert on July 5 from the award winning Peterborough Male Voice Choir, Peterborough Voices and Peterborough Youth Choir. A salute to Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, it takes place in the Broadway Theatre, new home to the city’s successful choirs for the 2014 summer season. The choirs will be performing with a 46 piece orchestra. 7.30pm. Tickets £15 from Peterborough Visitor Information Centre, by phone on 0333 666 3366 or online at www.peterboroughmvchoir.org.uk

Open Gardens in June

Recommended reads



Peter Boizot, founder of Pizza Express and ‘Mr Peterborough’ to many, has published an autobiography detailing his colourful and successful life.

Mr Pizza and All That Jazz spills the beans on how he introduced pizza to Britain, set up the Soho Jazz Festival, rescued his home town’s football club and became its chairman. The former King’s School pupil made a fortune but spent it all: he stood for Parliament twice, renovated Peterborough’s theatre, and raised millions to stop Venice from flooding. “I think my work has benefited all of my passions which is a fine footprint to leave behind,” says Peter. A great sentiment, and a book worth reading.

Mr Pizza and All That Jazz. £10.99 paperback. £15.99 hardback. Available to order from any bookshop or directly from the publisher www.fast-print.net/bookshop



Jo Cundy, widow of the late Bishop Ian Cundy who died in post as Bishop of Peterborough in 2009 has written a memoire, Letting Go of Ian. It is about her faith journey with Bishop Ian following his diagnosis of terminal cancer and onward through her bereavement. “It is about life, love and loss, of journeying with God and of sharing the things we learn as we walk through the tough times in life,” explains Jo. Letting Go of Ian, price £7.99, published

by Lion Hudson. On sale at Peterborough Cathedral Bookshop or via www.lionhudson. com/monarch

As simple pleasures go, wandering around open gardens in a pretty village and sampling a cream tea in the church or village hall, ranks with the best. Three local villages are holding Open Garden events in June: Woodnewton, Elton and Nassington.

• Nassington’s weekend takes place on June 14 and 15, around 20 gardens will be open, 12 -6pm. Teas. Adults £5, children free.

• Woodnewton’s event takes place on June 21 and 22, 12 noon – 5pm, and includes a flower festival in the church. There will be eight to ten gardens open, some on the beautiful Willowbrook border. Village plant stall, and Pimm’s, cakes and cream teas available in the village hall and at the church. You can also tour the allotments, spot chickens and gnomes and children can enjoy a butterfly trail through the gardens (there is also a great village playground). Tickets are £5 (over 16s). Free parking and tickets available at the village hall PE8 5EE. • Elton Garden Trail is on Sunday June 29. For full details, see Diary Dates on page 45.

Just Dogs Live

A major dog show is coming to Peterborough Arena and the East of England Showground in a refreshed and revamped show which is estimated to attract 7,000 visitors over three days, July 4 -6 inclusive. The newly formatted event will include the East of Championship Dog Show, Dog Agility competitions, and Flyball Tournaments. There will be displays, specialist trade stands, expert vetinary advice, and the Companion Dog Show, open to all pure and cross bred dogs and judged by Peterborough-based canine celebrity Mugly, officially ‘the world’s ugliest dog.’

• Tickets can be purchased on the gate and cost £7 adults, £6 seniors, children 5-16, £4, family ticket £17 and £2 per dog (donated to dog charities).

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NEWS, REVIEWS, EVENTS

ASK THE EXPERT Ian Donmall of Stephenson Smart Financial Services Ltd gives advice on budgeting for savings, parents and the retired.

Spotlight on Sicily I

f you are still searching for ideas for your summer holiday, why not consider the beautiful island of Sicily? For 2014 Oundle Travel are offering a selection of handpicked hotels for the summer season: three recommended properties are as follows :

and is a low rise open plan style hotel in a fabulous location. The hotel has an open air restaurant and offers a complimentary shuttle bus to Cefalu town.

From £1422 per person, ten nights, Bed and Breakfast. July 2014.

The Algila Ortigia Hotel, Syracusa Located in the centre of the baroque jewel of Ortigia and only a stone’s throw from the seafront, the Algila is a beautifully, sympathetically restored ‘palazzo’ from the 1700s. Coupled with modern day comforts and attentive service, this charming hotel makes a wonderful base with all the attractions of this lovely peninsula at your fingertips. Syracusa is an ideal gateway to exploring the delightful towns of East Sicily and its unspoilt coastline.

From £977 per person, 7 Nights, Bed and Breakfast. September 2014.

The Villa Carlotta, Taormina Stylish and elegant, Taormina is undoubtedly Sicily’s premier resort and justifiably so. Perched high up in the most dramatic of locations with incredible views across the Mediterranean with Mount Etna as a backdrop. The old town has a selection of trattorias, bars and cafes, and a fine array of boutiques. The Villa Carlotta is a short walk from Taormina’s beautiful centre, this palatial yet intimate boutique style villa evokes the grandeur of Sicily’s rich history and offers a friendly yet discreet service.

From £1274 per person. Seven nights, Bed and Breakfast. June 2014.

All holiday include return schedule flights and private car transfers to your chosen hotel.

• For more information, price and up to date availability contact Oundle Travel Tel: 01832 273600

The Hotel Le Calette, Cefalu Cefalu is blessed with a long sandy beach, and an enchanting old town against a stunning mountain backdrop with plenty of Sicilian character. Le Calette is set amidst lush gardens

Stephenson Smart moves to new Lynchwood office Peterborough accountants Stephenson Smart has united its three business operations previously sited in different locations around Peterborough with a move to newly refurbished office premises at Lynchwood, Peterborough.

The move brings together under one roof Stephenson Smart Chartered Accountants, Stephenson Smart Payroll Services, and Stephenson Smart partner Ivan Stephenson Smart Financial Services Ltd. Walker (left) and clients Ivan Walker, partner at Stephenson Smart, said that the move to the 6,200 square foot office not only provides enough space for the three operations, but offers room for future expansion plans. “We now have a building that provides the team with a great working environment so we can focus on the work to hand, which is to deliver the best accountancy and financial services to our clients,” he said.

• Tel: 01733 343275 www.stephensonsmart.com

8

I

n his March budget, the Chancellor presented a number of new opportunities and tax saving measures for savers, for parents and the retired (or retiring).

INDIVIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (ISAS) Tax free ISAs are to be simplified by merging the existing vash and stocks ISAs from July 1 2014, with the annual contribution limit being increased at that date to £15,000 per year.

TAX ON SAVINGS From April 6 2015 the maximum amount of an eligible individual’s savings income that can qualify for the starting rate of tax for savings will be increased to £5,000 and this starting rate will be reduced from 10 per cent to nil. The starting rate is not available if taxable non savings income exceeds the starting rate limit which will be £12,880 for 2013/14 and £15,500 for 2015/16.

NEW TAX-FREE CHILDCARE SCHEME A new scheme will be launched in autumn 2015 offering tax relief of 20 per cent of the total cost of childcare (up to maximum of £10,000 cost per child). The scheme will therefore be worth a maximum of £2,000 per child and all children who are under 12 during the first year of the scheme will be eligible.

JUNIOR ISA AND CHILD TRUST FUND (CTF) From July 1 2014, £4,000 per tax year can be paid into a child’s junior ISA and in the future parents will be able to transfer existing CTF savings into a junior ISA. PENSION CHANGES A range of measures have been announced bringing greater flexibility to accessing pension funds later in life, allowing individuals to choose what they want to do with their private pension fund on reaching retirement age and how quickly they want to draw on their funds. It should be noted that it is planned to increase the minimum retirement age for members of private pension schemes to 57 years in 2028 when the state pension age rises to 67 years.

• For further information and advice on pensions, savings and investments, call Stephenson Smart Financial Services Ltd on 01733 572200. Stephenson Smart Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Wo o s t e r Annie Sloan Painting Workshops Introductory Workshop shows you how to create distressing and ageing techniques £75.00 including lunch Tuesday 17th June Advanced Workshop is all about Decorative Effects to add that “How did they do that” to your piece of furniture £85.00 including lunch - Friday 27th June OPENING HOURS: TUESDAY - SATURDAY 9.00AM - 5.00PM

OPEN DAYS: Friday 13th & Saturday 14th June

nds i l B n a m Ro 0 from £12

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brics a f l l a f f o days n e p o on

Prices to suit all budgets. Please call 01536 373747 or 07884 430321 The Barn, 6 Sudborough Road, Brigstock, Northants, NN14 3HP

www.woosterinteriors.co.uk

Lampshade workshop Create your own bespoke lampshade Complete a 30cm drum lamp shade for use as a pedant or table lampshade £45.00 including refreshments Saturday 7th June

It’s new, it’s exciting and it’s at Asha’s

Asha’s, The Bazaar, West Street, Oundle, PE8 4EJ Telephone 01832 275605 Email: barbara@ashas.net - www.ashas.net 10

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Oundle International Festival celebrates 30 years NEWS, REVIEWS, EVENTS

O

undle International Festival is celebrating 30 successful years this summer by bringing together a delightful mix of classical music, opera and open air theatre. Known originally as the go-to destination for organ recitals, the festival organisers have diversified over the years to work with world leading performers in all musical genres. With such an in-depth knowledge of the vital ingredients necessary to put together a wonderful festival, it’s no surprise that the 30th anniversary will be better than ever. The 2014 line up sees familiar faces returning to Oundle, as well as new performers on the threshold of a professional career.

Whether it be chamber music or organ recitals, 1920s jazzy classical, brass bands, choral music or opera, there will be music to suit everyone’s taste. Headlining the festival is internationally renowned classical trumpeter Alison Balsom. A truly mesmerising trumpet player, she is set to thrill audiences in the beautiful setting of Oundle School chapel, accompanied by the organist of Eton College, David Goode. Performing later that same evening will be the Festival Chorus, singing the electrifying Carmina Burana (music made famous by the Old Spice adverts!).

The Choir of King’s College, London will be in residence during the Festival, to lead a meandering Bach walk through picturesque Northamptonshire villages, stopping at churches in Pilton and Stoke Doyle for music and food along the way. The Choir will also perform Rachmaninov’s Vespers at Oundle School Chapel.

The Calefax Reed Quintet will recreate the gaiety of The Roaring Twenties with the music of Weill and Gershwin in collaboration with mezzo soprano Cora Burggraaf.

Chamber music treats will include the Aronowitz Ensemble, while early music fans can hear the Early Opera Company give a semi-staged performance of Handel’s Acis and Galatea.

There will be lunchtime recitals with some up and coming young artists and where better to watch Buster Keaton’s silent comedy The General accompanied by a soundtrack improvised by the virtuoso organist Richard Hills than amidst the splendour of Peterborough Cathedral? Also taking place at the cathedral will be evensong with the Choir of King’s College London and a recital by Henry Fairs of the Birmingham Conservatoire.

If classical music isn’t your choice, what about an interactive screening of Sing-A-Long Dirty Dancing at the Stahl Theatre? Or join the crowds thronging to the Party at the Wharf.

The Oundle Food Festival launches the fortnight with a street market on July 5. There is a lineup of 70 stalls, with street theatre and the fringe festival adding to the carnival atmosphere on the day. Master Baker Dan Lepard returns by popular demand and there will be a host of cookery demonstrations and masterclasses in The Small Bread Company’s cookery school, plus childrens’ activities at Barnwell Country Park.

• For tickets and more info, visit www.oundlefestival.org.uk Box office: 01832 274734 4 New St, Oundle PE8 4ED.

Wooster Interiors open days Wooster Interiors, Brigstock, offers the expertise and craftsmanship that is needed to produce a beautiful roman blind, pair of curtains or whole room scheme. Susie Wooster and her team pride themselves on offering something to suit everyone’s budget. With Roman blinds costing from £120, there is a huge selection of fabrics to choose from.

“We have one of the best fabric collections in Northamptonshire. We have over 30 fabric houses and all the leading brands from Colefax and Fowler to Osborne and Little as well as Clarke and Clarke,” says Susie Wooster.

She prides herself on attention to detail and listening to what her customers want. “With many years’ experience in soft furnishings we have the confidence to deliver perfect, top quality furnishings. We now have an in house interior designer for customers who want to pull together a whole room or house scheme,” continues Susie. “We can coordinate projects and also take on contract work for hotels. We also do new build packages for those who have a whole house to plan, at an affordable price.”

Also available are rugs, lighting, footstools, chairs and bespoke lampshades.

• Wooster Interiors is holding open days on June 13 and 14. Pop in to browse and enjoy some refreshments.

The Barn, 6 Sudborough Rd, Brigstock, NN14 3HP Tel: 01536 373747

Business lunches at The Cherry House Fine dining restaurant The Cherry House at Werrington has launched a new menu for weekday lunchtimes. The Business Hour lunch menu offers diners two courses for £14 or three courses for £18.50. Chef Patron Andrew Corrick explained the reasoning behind the new offering: “Many of our customers are business folk who have busy schedules so this more concise menu is designed to tempt them away from their desk, yet enable them to be back at the coalface within a reasonable timescale. We also believe this menu will be an attractive proposition for those who don’t need to worry about the time taken over lunch but who may not want to sit down to three courses during the middle of the day.”

The menu offers three starters, three mains and three desserts, plus vegetarian options and is served Tuesday – Friday from 12 until 2pm. Reservations are essential.

• The Cherry House, 125 Church St, Werrington Village PE4 6QF Tel: 01733 571721 www.cherryhouserestaurant.co.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Circles of Yaxley Chapel Studio Chapel Street Yaxley Peterborough PE7 3LN

Ladies High Class Fashion Agency

Tel: (01733) 242539 Est. over 20 years

A wonderful range of New Seasons garments now in stock at a fraction of the original cost Discover the secret of saving £££'s From Casual Wear to Special Occasions and Ball Gowns Good quality fashionable clothes always welcome and sold on your behalf.

Labels from Designers to well known High Street - all under one roof!

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Call: 07709 337647 Securing your property in style!

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BULL HOTEL Westgate Peterborough PE1 1RB

Proudly Presents...

SUNDAY 15TH JUNE 2014

Father’s Day Lunch

Downturn

Abbey

Murder Mystery and 3 Course dinner saturday 28th June 2014 Arrive from 7.00pm, dinner served at 7.30pm.

Gather in the Broadway Suite to celebrate his Lordship’s birthday where proceedings have taken a turn for the worse.

A skeleton has been found in the garden on this, the anniversary of his fiancé’s disappearance.

Who may be lying beneath the sprouts?

Who may be lying through their teeth?

3 course meal All fathers receive a gift

£19.95 per adult £13.00 per child (under 10 years) TO MAKE A RESERVATION OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 01733 561364

events@bull-hotel-peterborough.com www.peelhotels.co.uk

£32.50 per person To mAke A reServATion for more informATion conTAcT uS on 01733 561364 events@bull-hotel-peterborough.com www.peelhotels.co.uk

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NEWS, REVIEWS, EVENTS •

OUR HERITAGE

•

The second in our series of columns by Kem Mehmed of Peterborough Civic Society looks at the Bridge House Murals Bridge House, overlooking the Nene at Town Bridge was demolished in 2012 and with it went two unique and significant works of art. The Peterborough Civic Society didn’t object to the demolition provided that its art works were saved. They considered that the creation of public access to the river frontage as part of a replacement Fletton Quays development to be, on balance, a more important objective than saving the building.

Nothing has yet been built on the site, but what of the two art works?

The Ayres Bas Relief The larger of these is an incised basrelief sculpture which covered the entire frontage of the main block on the Town Bridge side. This was a well known scene to Peterborians especially Posh supporters! Bridge House was designed by architect Howard V Lobb, built in 1955 in a Scandinavian modern style for Mitchell Engineering Ltd, who moved to Peterborough after their London office was bombed in 1940. An unusual feature of the building, apart from the mural, was the drawing office with massive windows overlooking the river and reflective metal, waveshaped ceiling panels designed to diffuse light uniformly.

The sculpture was designed and carried out by Arthur J Ayres. Carved in situ on 51 Portland stone panels, it depicts mythical and historical figures from science and engineering.

The Vergette tiled mural The pre-demolition assessment of the building uncovered a 140 glazed tile mural in what had been the reception of Bridge House.

It depicts a perspective design of typically industrial shapes. The artist, Nicholas Vergette, was a local man born in 1923 in Market Deeping. He went to Chelsea School of Art after the war. In 1958 he accepted a visiting professorship at the School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. From 1959 onwards, he held teaching positions at Southern Ilinois University at Carbondale.

Where are the murals now?

The Ayres sculpture was removed panel by panel separated by sheets of polystyrene, stacked on pallets and shrink wrapped in plastic sheeting.

They are now in secure storage.

The tiled mural was also carefully removed by ceramic specialists Jackfield Conservation Studio Ltd and taken to their Ironbridge workshops for repair and mounting onto stable backboards. It has now been returned to Peterborough and a new home for it will be sought.

The Peterborough Civic Society would like to see both the murals returned for the public to enjoy.

An appropriate location, especially for the Ayres Mural, would be on the South Bank, ideally visible from the Town Bridge.

Can we wait for the transformation there to take place? Perhaps it could be offered to the first new development elsewhere in the city centre which has a prestigious public space in its design.

• If you would like to find out more about the Civic Society, visit www. peterboroughcivicsociety.org.uk or come to a monthly talk or day out, details on the website.

Peterborough Cathedral’s new Director of Music Steven Grahl has been appointed as Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral. He will take up his post in September. He is currently Assistant Organist at New College Oxford, Organist and Director of Music at St Marylebone Parish Church, London and Principal Conductor of the Guildford Chamber Choir. The very Reverend Charles Taylor, Dean of Peterborough, said: “Steven is a man of energy and vision and we look forward to working with him.”

Don’t miss!

Thrapston Scarecrow Festival, June 14 – 28. Open to all residents of the town, including businesses and local groups, winners will be announced at The Charter Fair on June 28. Trail maps available from June 14.

Learn to dance!

Do you always wish you had learnt to dance so you could enjoy yourself more when the music starts? Well, now is your chance. Janina Mossman runs the Nene School of Dancing with the goal of getting you to a higher level in as short a time as possible! Janina has been teaching for 40 years. She has been an examiner with the International Dancing Teachers Association for the last 21 years, and travels all around the country in this role.

“The BBC’s ‘Strictly’ has played a big part in promoting dancing,” says Janina. “Over 100 children attend classes on Saturdays at the Parkway Sports and Social Club, Peterborough, and students really enjoy the ballroom and Latin side of dancing as well as freestyle and R&R.” Learning to dance keeps you fit, your mind active and it’s also a great opportunity to meet people and have some fun while learning a new skill. Couples are welcome to attend together.

Adds Janina: “I offer a full programme of events for my pupils to practice, with tea dances, socials and themed nights. It is a most rewarding and enjoyable experience. If you enjoy music then you will enjoy dancing!”

• For more info, call Janina Mossman on 01778 590655 or email janina@neneschoolofdancing.co.uk NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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21/05/2014 10:56

FOOD & DRINK

Food News Reviews and news from around the region

NENE VALLEY LIVING RECOMMENDS

The Banyan Tree

From the Riverford Kitchen Tomato, wild rice and preserved lemon salad

Serves four Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes Wild rice is nutritionally better than ordinary rice and has a lovely nutty flavour.

Ingredients • 75g wild rice • 450g tomatoes (5-6) cut into wedges • 1 large salad onion, finely sliced • 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed and discarded, rind rinsed and finely diced

• 2 tbspns good olive oil • Juice half lemon • 6 pitted green olives, finely chopped • 2 tbspn each finely chopped parsley, coriander and mint • 1 tsp paprika • 75g mixed salad leaves

Method Rinse the rice and put in a saucepan. Add three times the volume of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, then leave to drain. Combine the rest of the ingredients, bar the salad leaves, in a bowl. Put the salad leaves in the bottom of a serving bowl. Pile up the rest of the salad.

Perfect for a light summer lunch.

HAVE YOU TRIED…

TAMU is a dessert parlour which serves a specialised crepe and waffle menu, along with ice creams, cheese cakes, cakes, sundaes, milk shakes, frozen yoghurt and hot cookie dough creations, as well as freshly ground coffee. Savoury dishes are also available. Red velvet cheesecake, anyone?

Open 12 – 10pm, Tuesday – Sunday 29 Broadway, Peterborough PE1 1SD Tel: 01733 311269

eat well

with Riverford

get a free cook book with your vegbox

try a seasonal organic vegbox today with free delivery 14

PETERBOROUGH is certainly not short of Indian restaurants, but The Banyan Tree really stands out. I met up with Dinesh Odedra who owns The Banyan Tree restaurants in Westgate and Werrington. He said: “the cuisine we serve represents a cross section of the major regions of India but is predominantly what is termed ‘Mughlai’ cuisine. This is primarily served in northern India and the food is prepared using traditional methods which is unashamedly Indian without a ‘twist of the West,’ and uses fresh whole spices with no artificial colours or flavourings.”

Dinesh showed me round the restaurant. It has been renovated recently.

The Colonial style bar area has been opened up and decorated in soft green with stunning photos of streets and characters of Mumbai. The restaurant also has an upstairs area and is equally suitable for larger parties or small groups.

We looked through our menus, and there was not a Chicken Tikka Masala in sight. There were some delicious sounding options, with a great choice of fish and vegetarian dishes too.

I chose Bhel Puri for a starter. It is a west coast speciality from Mumbai, a cold dish consisting of savoury puffed rice, puri, vermicelli, potato and chick peas combined with a tangy tamarind chutney. It was a great appetiser.

We also tucked into Goan fish curry with coconut and red chilli, and a dish called Murgh Chettinad which is a southern Indian spicy chicken with roasted red chilli, grated coconut and fully flavoured whole spices. We also sampled a couple of regional dishes such as the Murg Makhani, which is tender chicken in a velvety butter sauce, ad a Bhuna Ghost, succulent lamb tossed in a spicy onion and tomato masala with a ginger julienne and fresh coriander.

The home made breads were especially impressive and we tried a Roomali Roti, which is a thin folded bread, and then a speciality tandoori bread with lightly puffed layers called a Lachha paratha. Head chef Keshy Keshvala has a passion for authentic Indian food and this is certainly reflected in the menus and flavours.

The restaurant is open seven days a week and the Werrington restaurant also operates a delivery service. On Sundays, the restaurants serve authentic Southern Indian food from 12 noon to 5pm, where you can get a real insight into traditional Indian regional cooking.

Bridget Steele • Bookings are advisable, especially in the evenings. For more information, contact: The Banyan Tree, 51 Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1QA. Tel: 01733 342800 or Church Street, Werrington, Tel: 01733 570111. www.thebanyantree.co.uk

free

cook book* (worth £16.99)

*Free book on your 2nd delivery when you place a regular vegbox order. New customers only.

call 01780 789700 or visit www.riverford.co.uk/FFB14

NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Country Pub, Fine Food, Wonderful Wines & Award Winning Ales Al a Carte Menu Available 7 days per week, Lunchtimes and Evenings.

2 courses for £10 available Monday to Saturday Lunchtimes and Sunday Evenings.

PENSIONERS LUNCH MENU Available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Main Courses £5.50, Starters & Pudding’s £3

22 Main Street, Woodnewton, Nr Oundle, PE8 5EB

Tel: 01780 470944 www.whiteswanwoodnewton.co.uk

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FASHION

Labels for less

Circles of Yaxley is a treasure trove of preloved quality clothes, shoes, hats, handbags and jewellery. To celebrate owner Sue Allbright’s 25 years in business, we went along to see what she had in store Fashion: Sally Stillingfleet Photos: Elli Dean Models: Isabella and Shirley

Isabella wears white linen Max Mara shirt, £15, under All Saints grey slouchy top, £48, Marc Aurel gilet, £38 and grey Oui jeans, £28, with a black Bessie handbag, £28

Right: Shirley wears Creenstone pale pink jacket, £65, and white flared NYDJ (Not Your Daughters Jeans), £40. Floral Ellie Tahini knit, £45, Fiorelli tote bag, £45, tan wedge Dune sandals £25. Necklace from a selection

Isabella wears Joules striped sun dress, £30 and Moschino wedges, £80 Shirley wears Pause Café printed dress, £60, with Vivienne Westwood shoes, £45, clutch bag, £15

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Shirley (right) wears a brand new Linea Raffaelli hot pink strapless dress and bolero, £220, with matching fascinator, £35 and Dune pink heels £38 Isabella wears taupe Lipsey cocktail dress, £45, beaded clutch, £12, Amanda Caroline fascinator, £60 and Next silk heels, £18

Shirley wears yellow three quarter length Autograph coat, £28. All other clothes as before.

• Circles of Yaxley, Chapel St, Yaxley PE7 3LN Tel: 01733 242539 NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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21/05/2014 10:58

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FASHION

Pre-loved S fashion Running a small independent fashion business for over two decades is no mean feat. Sue Allbright explains how it’s done. Words: Fiona Cumberpatch Photos: Elli Dean

A Victoria Beckham cocktail dress

Pretty dresses for summer parties

“Women come from all over the country to buy Sue’s pre-owned clothes, many of which are designer labels, and available for a fraction of the original price.”

ITTING at her desk in The Old Chapel, Yaxley, Sue Allbright is surrounded by shoes, hats, handbags and rails and rails of frocks. It’s like stepping into a giant dressing up box. “I am not sure how many hats we currently have in stock,” says Sue. “There are 21 in that display alone!”

Women come from all over the country to buy Sue’s pre-owned clothes, many of which are designer labels, and available for a fraction of the original price. “I have customers from Devon, Scotland, Liverpool and some do make a special trip to see me,” says Sue. “One client comes at the start of each season and spends around £400. Most people spend an average of £70 £80: it’s surprising how much you get for your money in here!”

Sue had no intention of a career in fashion. It was only when a friend who owned a sheepskin and leather factory asked if she’d like to sell some of his stock that she thought she would give it a go. “It was just a hobby,” says Sue. “But I liked it and I was successful at it.” Another friend owned a dress agency at Higham Ferrers and offered to show Sue how it worked. She went into business, and the rest is history. She has been in her current premises at The Old Chapel in Yaxley village for 19 years.

“It’s not an easy way to make a living,” says Sue. “There is a huge amount of paperwork, you have to be very organised and keep track of every item. But I am very lucky in that I have wonderful clients who bring stock to me. There are ten ladies who bring in around 100 items each season, all designer names such as Vera Wang, Nicole Farhi, Missoni, Yves St Laurent. They just love clothes and change their wardrobes every season.”

Sue stocks sizes from 6 to size 20, and when she holds fashion shows, she takes care to use models of all ages and dress sizes. “There is something for everyone here,” she says. “I have a lovely team of helpers, too, so if anyone does want help in putting an outfit together, we are always on hand. Many people tend to shop in their comfort zone, always buying the same sort of thing, but we are able to show them how to be more adventurous.”

When we visited, Sue had just taken delivery of a Victoria Beckham green silk cocktail dress.

“I tend to like things that are different,” she says, holding up the short, bubble shaped garment with a wry grin. On our six foot model Isabella, the dress looks striking and costs £185 (a bargain compared to the original price of over £1000!).

However, there are plenty of less outlandish garments to choose from, with rails of white shirts, useful jersey tops, knitwear, scarves, jeans, skirts, and dresses for every day or occasion wear. Sue recommends spending a couple of hours sorting through the stock and her top tip is to come to the shop with an open mind.

It’s a few months since she last had a day off, but despite the busy pace, she loves what she does. “I enjoy meeting people and making them happy,” says Sue, “and I never get bored with fashion.”

• Sue doesn’t take cards, so if you plan a visit, take cash or a cheque book.

Circles, The Old Chapel, Chapel St, Yaxley PE7 3LN Tel: 01733 242539. Closed Sunday and Monday.

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FOOD & DRINK

LEARNING FROM A MASTER CHEF PHOTOS: TIM BURKE

Clarkes is Peterborough’s top dining spot and now its creator Lee Clarke is offering to share his skills through a cookery school. Tim Burke signed up

A

FTER a stellar career in the big city, chef and Peterborough boy Lee Clarke has come back to his roots to bring fine dining with flair into the city centre. His St John’s Square restaurant has been an instant hit with food lovers – and now they can get even closer to the action with the launch of a series of relaxed and fun cookery school events.

Sessions will run on Sunday evenings and Monday mornings, each culminating with a meal that you’ll have had a hand in preparing yourself. I was lucky enough to take part in a trial run for the Sunday evening class and found it not just a fascinating insight into a high-end restaurant kitchen, and a first -rate meal, but a superbly relaxed way to close the weekend.

The tone was set as we entered the private Chef’s Table room to the sound of corks being pulled from a deliciously fruity Chilean merlot.

Once sorted out with a glass and an apron, it was into the kitchen to meet Dorothy – the restaurant’s 2 1/2 year old mother yeast. Bread was the loose focus of the session and having paired up, we were soon mixing dough. Lee has the steely approach of a chef used to running a busy kitchen but there’s a pleasingly laid-back approach to his instruction.

“Don’t worry ,” he reassures us as we nervously stir together the yeast, flour, butter and salt. “It’s a fallacy that chef’s weigh everything exactly. There’s always a lot of guesswork.”

As our dough is put to rise in a warm spot (which it does, spectacularly), we create our starters. This smoked eel dish had been on Clarke’s spring menu, but there was no demanding cooking required from us. Rather, we get a master class from Lee in putting together a supremely pretty plate from top class ingredients. Following his lead we started with a swoosh of beetroot puree, then embroidered with roasted red and golden beetroot, eel from the Queen’s own supplier, delicate crab meat, finely sliced turnip and radish, creamed horseradish, sorrel leaves and dressing. Finally there were little grace notes of fennel pollen and a fine powder of dried bacon.

“It’s all about creating layers of flavour so the palate doesn’t get bored” explains Lee. The dish tasted fantastic.

Glasses replenished we went back to the kitchen to attend to our bread dough and had great fun creating focaccia with olive oil sea salt and rosemary and a whole range of rolls,

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plaits and mini-loaves. Lee then presented the star of the event, his signature dish of Venison Wellington: beautiful loins with a farce of St George’s mushrooms with a little bit of date for sweetness, wrapped in pancake and then puff pastry (the pancake prevents the pastry getting soggy).

The hard work had been done for us – all we had to do was help prep the asparagus and other veg which we would then blanch in a bubbling pot with a hefty chunk of butter included. Lee tells this not only nicely glazes them but helps retain their flavour too.

Again the dish went down a storm. The wine was taking effect and the atmosphere was that of a relaxed supper party with friends – only most of the work was done by a chef with a listing in the Michelin Guide. The chat flows over our venison and Lee regales us tales from the kitchens he’s worked in - not least those of the Savoy, the Roux Brothers and Marco Pierre

White. Sadly most of them are not repeatable here!

We finish with a creamy rhubarb fool with a shortbread-style biscuit, before heading off home to show family and friends our beautiful bread creations. “This has been a whole new spin on a night out,” says one of my new found friends. “The food tastes even better when you feel you you’ve earned it!”

The new series of classes starts on 24 May and run for 12 weeks. The Sunday sessions run from 5.30pm to around 9.30pm and cost £85.

The Monday classes are a little more focussed on skills and techniques and run from 9am to 2pm and cost £65 including a glass of wine and lunch. You can do just one or if you choose all 12, you’ll come away with a whole new armoury of skills from salt-baking to sous-vide.

• For full details visit www.clarkespeterborough.co.uk Tel: 01733 892681

NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Free Marquee Hi re Conditions apply

LUNCHTIME SPECIALS £8.95 - Tue – Sat Early Doors Buy ONE meal & get another HALF PRICE Tue – Sat (table clear by 8pm but only if required)

THE RED LION Warmington Tel: 01832 280362 A Great Country Pub • Real Home Produced Food • Homemade Desserts • Quality Real Ales • Candles, Fresh Flowers & Linen Napkins Cafe Clarkes at the Key Theatre

The Famous Red Lion Sunday Lunch Serving at 12.00 noon, 1.00pm and 2.30pm (booking essential)

New Garden Room Restaurant Open

Closed Mondays theredlionwarmington@gmail.com www.theredlionwarmington.co.uk

Modern British dining, friendly service and a very warm welcome The perfect place to enjoy delicious food with a great view.

Buy one, get one free offer when you dine with us from Tuesday to Thursday.

Tuesday to Saturday lunch 12 noon to 2.30pm Dinner 5pm - 10.00pm Sunday 12 noon to 6pm

Cafe Clarkes Key Theatre, Embankment Road, Peterborough PE1 1EF

Tel: 01733 561465 www.cafeclarkes.co.uk 21

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FOOD & DRINK

Summer dining Marcus Lamb of The Crown Inn, Elton, shares his recipe for summer dining

G

IVEN that summer is upon us, I thought I’d share a seasonal supper party dish with you. Frankly, I love hake. I cooked it a lot in France where it’s known as ‘saumon blanc’ or white salmon, because of its meaty texture and subtle flavour. It really is a much underrated white fish and when you add the tang of the clams and the sharpness of the chilli, you get something really special to eat. Enjoy!

Yours, in the the kitchen, Marcus

Roasted fillet of hake on a clam and red chilli linguine You will need: • 1 kilo fresh small clams steeped in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes to rinse (you can use frozen but cooking time will vary) • Four fresh hake steaks, about 7oz each in weight, seasoned

• Half an onion, finely chopped • 1 long red chilli finely chopped • 400g cooked and cooled linguine (cooked until just tender then cooled in cold running water) • A good handful fresh parsley • 200 ml of dry white wine (Muscadet is perfect both at the cooking and eating stages!)

• 3 large cloves finely chopped garlic • Sea salt and black pepper Method • Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a large sauté pan before putting in your fillets skin side down. Fry them until the skin is crisp and golden, then turn over and fry for a further minute. Next pop them on to a baking tray and set to one side. In another pan, heat some more olive oil then add the onions, garlic

and chilli and sweat them on a gentle heat for about five minutes, until just soft.

• Keeping the gentle heat on, add the clams and wine and cover with a lid. After a couple of minutes you should see the clams starting to open (if using frozen ones this might take a while longer). Now it’s time to put the hake in the oven. It will need five minutes maximum.

• Next, add the linguine to the pan with the clams in and stir away, getting the ingredients evenly mixed before putting the lid on. Once the linguine has warmed through, add the parsley, and season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve on to four dinner plates. Pop a fillet of hake – by now beautifully cooked – on top of each and voila, you’re finished! Enjoy with great company and the rest of the Muscadet.

54 Station Rd, Nassington, nr Peterborough, Northamptonshire PE8 6QB

Visit the Queens Head Inn for a great meal sometime soon!

This award winning country Inn has character in abundance as well as an AA rosette for culinary excellence & the menu features traditional pub classics & contemporary British dishes reflecting the seasons. We love a great steak and anyone else who does must come and try our selection of premium steaks including Wagyu & Black Angus which we grill to perfection over coals & results in a mouth watering & succulent steak which once tasted will never be forgotten.

We hope to see you soon & bookings are advised.

Tel:01780 784006

Twitter @queensheadnass Facebook queensheadnassington Web: www.queensheadnassington.co.uk 22

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The inaugural Footprints Memory Walk in 2013 was launched by the then Deputy Mayor of Peterborough, Coun Mohammed Nadeem.

Walk and remember

Bereaved people across the area have the chance to remember their loved ones at a special event in their honour.

Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care are aiming to build on the success of their first-ever Footprints Memory Walk when they stage a second sponsored walk in Ferry Meadows on Saturday, August 30.

Last year scores of people took part in the first-ever walk and helped to raise more than £5,000 to fund Cruse’s bereavement support services in the Peterborough area.

The organisers hope this year’s event, supported again by Anglia Co-operative Funerals at Stanground, will be even bigger and better – and want to attract walkers from the Peterborough, Stamford, Huntingdon and Fenland areas.

There will be a choice of two walks – one of 5km suitable for wheelchair users, mobility scooters and pushchairs and one covering 10km to Wansford station, with the chance to take a train ride back.

Dr Ian Cash, Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care administrator, said: “This year’s walk will be even more of a family occasion.

“There will be hot food available, entertainment including singers, a comedian and dance groups, a raffle and we will be releasing doves to launch it all.

“It’s a lovely way of remembering people close to you who you have lost and to share your bereavement journey with others. There will also be the chance to post special messages on a dedicated memory tree.”

Adults and children under 12 who would like to take part should register by e-mail at admin@peterboroughcruse.net. All registration fees will go to cover the cost of staging the event.

Dr Cash added: “When you register you get a pack containing a sponsorship form and we hope walkers will aim to get at least 10 people to sponsor them, with the money going to Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care.

Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care

“Last year our services were used by 325 people and it costs on average £110 per client to provide this support.”

Email: admin@peterboroughcruse.net

If you would like to take part in the walk, find out more information about it, or get details about becoming a trained volunteer with Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care, call them on 07503 256972 or e-mail admin@peterboroughcruse.net.

Telephone: 07503 256972

Website: www.cruse.org.uk sponsored by

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ART & CRAFT

Work in progress

This month, as Peterborough artists invite the public to meet them and view their work in a studio setting, we talk to three very different practitioners about what they do and how they do it.

Words: Fiona Cumberpatch Portraits: Lesley Anne Churchill

P

ETERBOROUGH Artists Open Studios (PAOS) has become a welcome fixture in the local calendar. It’s an event which shows a different face of Peterborough and the surrounding villages, and it reveals just how many talented artists we have in disciplines as varied as mosaics, photography, digital art, sculpture, stone carving and painting. This year, PAOS takes place over three weekends, June 28/29, July 5/ 6 and July 12/13. Around 70 artists will be taking part in 34 different locations. Some of the artists open their homes and gardens, others show in venues such as village churches or city restaurants. A preview event in Cathedral Square, Peterborough on June 7 and 8 sees 20 artists demonstrating their work, and handing out copies of the 2014 brochure, which tells the public who will be taking part and offers a map of the studios, making it easy to plan a day of appreciating local art (this is also available online at www.paos.org.uk).

Garth Bayley Describe your work It’s big, bold and full of movement.

I cover sports, people, building and landscape in an expressionistic style.

Most is inspired by my every day experiences. I work mainly in oils which means a six month drying time before I can sell on most items. On the paper based work, I love working in other mediums such as charcoal and pastels.

How do your ideas take shape?

I often get my best ideas lying in the bath! It’s a time of total immersion with no distractions. I then do rough sketches on odd bits of paper. I sometimes use my tablet to mark out these ideas. When working outdoors, I just arrive and get stuck in and see where the painting takes me. I start with a quick study in a thin wash to get my compositional aspects looking right and then fill in larger areas with a brush, before building layers with my palette knife.

How much time do you spend painting outside?

My practice is based in the country and sometimes I will work on a project

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outside instead of in the studio. Maybe it’s the sun shining on you that makes all the difference but there’s nothing better than going out and painting ‘en plein air.’ I’ve even been known to pack up my easel and stand in the snow! I definitely produce better work painting direct from life. One of the joys of painting outside is interacting with the public.

Last time I was on Cathedral Square I had lots of

children coming to see what I was doing. It’s joyous to hear their comments, from ‘what’s that?’ to ‘wow!’

Obviously grown up conversation is also great and people come and show you pictures of their own art or ask for advice. It adds to the whole experience.

• Garth is showing with other artists at St John the Baptist Church, Church Lane, Stibbington PE8 6LP on June 28/29 and July 5/6.

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Pam Orme Tell us about your work I make ceramic ornaments and vessels with a woodland theme, mainly mushrooms. I love nature and you’ll often find me outside at the weekends in parks or in the countryside. I am forever foraging for leaves and mushrooms, and I love beachcombing too.

Where do you work?

For the last three years I’ve been lucky enough to have a studio in my garden. It was built for me by my neighbour. I have a kiln there, and a desk and plenty of storage space. I come out to my studio and I get lost in what I’m doing. I do listen to the radio or my iPod, but I quite like the silence, too, just listening to bird song.

Have you always been a potter?

No, and it’s still very much a hobby and not a business. I commuted to London for 22 years from my home in Uffington, and I worked for the government. I started making ceramics as a way of winding down. I took evening classes at Casterton Community College through my working life, and then when I retired five years ago I got in touch with Rob Bibby at Woodnewton Pottery and started attending his classes. I still go: Rob has taught me a lot.

How do you start a design?

Nothing is planned. It comes out how it’s meant to be. I do study mushroom books. I need a botanical knowledge of how they grow and I try to be very faithful although I do take artistic licence with the colours. I always start with

the cup of the mushroom, then add a stalk and stick it in with slip. I add a clay roll around the top and make marks to create the gills. Working with clay is unpredictable: you’ve no idea what it will look like, because so much depends on the temperature, the clay etc. It can be

exhilarating or depressing but one thing is for sure, it really gets under your skin.

• Pam is exhibiting with other artists on the weekend of June 28/29 in Tansor Church, Main St, Tansor, PE8 5HS 11am – 4.30

Mahemuda Arsalani How do you describe your work?

Using glass and ceramic tiles, my mosaic work is inspired by the infinite colours, patterns and forms of nature. I also love to explore Islamic design and Arabic calligraphy. As a Muslim, I can’t portray anything with a soul in my art, so I use plants and pattern instead.

How and where do you like to work?

I work from a home studio in Bretton. I don’t spend a lot of time planning, I may do a rough doodle, but then I go with the flow.

Making a mosaic is a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle. I select the colours and tiles that I want to use, and try it out as I go along, placing them on a base of MDF or plywood, shaping them with my tools, then gluing them in place. The ultimate test comes when you grout the design. The grouting can subtly change the colour of certain tiles, so the finished piece always has an element of surprise.

Once I am working, the hours fly past. I am an addict! You need time and space for what I do, and I am lucky to have a dedicated space so that I don’t have to keep packing everything away.

How did you get started in mosaic art?

I’d always liked art, and I’d tried painting, but it was when I was living and teaching in Borneo for nine years that I met a French lady who introduced me to mosaics. I knew at once that it was what I had been looking for. The same person told me how to source the materials on the internet, and as soon as I got my tiles, glue and wood, I was hooked. I came to Peterborough in 2009, and was introduced to the open studios and it has opened a lot of doors for me. I work part time, but I try to spend as much time making mosaics as I can. I make large pieces, but I also create functional items such as clocks, mirrors and coasters.

• Mahemuda (Muni) will be exhibiting her work with other artists at Embe restaurant, 2 Burghley Rd, Peterborough PE1 2QB, 12 -5pm on all three weekends of open studios.

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T: 01733 555540 26

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Health & Beauty Notes Stay healthy and beautiful this summer. By Bridget Steele

The Wright Feet for summer Many of us neglect our feet through the winter months, and dry, cracked heels don’t look pretty in summer sandals. A hard skin build up can also contribute to corns occurring and if these are not removed they can be very painful.

Fungal nail can also be a headache for men and women. They look unsightly, thick and discoloured, but they can be treated.

It’s best to refrain from using nail polish if fungal nail is present it is important to allow the nails to breathe. A non-acetone nail varnish remover will also help as it is not so harsh.

Many people suffer from verrucas. A verruca is a virus and they can linger for a long time. We very often get them when we are run down and just because one person has them in the house doesn’t mean everyone will catch them. It is important to start treatment early.

All of the above conditions can be treated

by Holly Wright in your own home. Free foot health checks with all visits.

• Contact Holly Wright at Wright Feet on 07931 624325 or e-mail hollywright18@ yahoo.co.uk3d

Treatments in a tranquil setting And So Beautiful, owned by Rebecca Squires, is a salon based in Orton Waterville village. The treatment rooms are in a log cabin and offer a great range of exceptional value treatments using high quality products.

Rebecca offers the ever popular Caci Ultimate treatments and as an established Decleor salon, combines a Caci treatment with the relaxing benefits of a Decleor facial. She will treat clients to two hours of pampering that include a back, neck and shoulder massage, followed by cleansing and toning and facial massage with Decleor products before moving on to the Caci elements for the facial lifting, microdermabrasion, hydrotone mask before finishing off with a Decleor moisture.

This two hour ultimate anti ageing treatment is offered on a course of ten treatments (recommended to maximise results) at £490 (30% off usual prices). The body toning Caci ECM Roller course is a popular choice and Rebecca offers a course of ten half hour treatments for £200, saving £100.

• For more information contact: And so Beautiful.

Tel: 07905 926902 or book treatments online at www. andsobeautiful.co.uk

Lose inches with Lipomed

Peterborough Medi-spa The Beautiful Truth on Cowgate, is offering a brand new non surgical alternative to liposuction with 3D Lipomed Ultrasound Cavitation. This painless and non-invasive treatment works by Ultrasound waves breaking down the fat cell membrane leaving the contents to be disposed of via the bodies lymphatic system and liver.

“This treatment is excellent for targeting larger areas such as the abdomen or thighs and can result in inch loss from the first treatment session. The treatment itself is not uncomfortable and a course of treatments could lead to a loss of several inches depending Dan Whiter, personal trainer on the area treated and My Saturday mornings have changed. I now start my day at 8am with an hour’s circuit training is suitable in Nassington village hall, run by instructor Dan Whiter. Dan’s £5 drop in circuits have proved for men and popular, and he is fast building a reputation as a personal trainer too. After a 16 year career in women,” the infantry, including a stint as an instructor at Sandhurst, Dan offers a disciplined approach says Annalisa to fitness, but you won’t feel as if you’re at boot camp (he doesn’t shout!). “When I meet Philips, clients, we have a consultation and I ask them what they want to achieve,” says Dan. “Do they director at wish to lose weight, change the symmetry of their body, improve strength and endurance, or The Beautiful their flexibility and posture? Perhaps they wish to prepare for a challenge such as a marathon, Truth “We’ve or maybe they just want to improve their overall health.” Dan is keen to point out that it been offering does not matter if you were good at sport at school, or if you haven’t exercised for years, an this treatment achievable fitness plan can be made for anyone. “One of my clients is 90,” he says. “Another since February and are seeing some excellent hadn’t exercised at all for 20 years. She now runs three times a week.” Exercises are designed results. The most we have had is a three inch to suit individuals. “Some people despise running, others will love going out on the trails. We reduction of waist measurement in a single exercise when you like to, where you want to and how you want to,” says Dan. treatment session.”

Fiona Cumberpatch The Beautiful Truth offers single sessions for £80 or a course of 8 treatments for £400.

One to one personal training is £40 per session. Discounts are available for multiple sessions.

• For more information www.beautiful-truth.

Other services include a comprehensive fitness assessment and session plan (£100). co.uk or 01733 555540 to book a free of Nutritional analysis and advice is also available. charge consultation.

• For more info, call Dan on 07760 992345 or email danwhiter1yorks@yahoo.co.uk

TRIED & T ESTED

BY NENE V ALLEY LIV ING

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HEALTH

Manage your Weight The Fitzwilliam Hospital is one of Cambridgeshire’s leading private hospitals, with an excellent reputation for delivering high quality healthcare treatments and services

T

HE Fitzwilliam has been offering bariatric programmes and weight loss procedures successfully for many years, and offers a range of surgical and non-surgical treatments backed up by a very thorough on-going programme.

Background People become overweight because they are consuming more calories than they use up through exercise and everyday life.

These extra calories are stored in our body as fat so they can be used up later - but people who consume more calories than they use up each day will gradually put on weight. As our lifestyles have become less active and fewer people do physically demanding jobs, being overweight has become more common.

Many overweight people will find it difficult to exercise or even to move around normally - which will further reduce the amount of calories they use up. And many people with weight problems find it difficult to control their appetite - the normal mechanisms which will tell them they are ‘full’ after a meal may malfunction and they may continue to eat.

In the long term, increased weight can damage your health contributing to everything from infertility to type II diabetes. It can also affect people’s selfconfidence and self-esteem. Many people are advised to lose weight by their GP but find this difficult, even if they diet or try to exercise more. If they become seriously overweight then, over time, this will increase the risk that they suffer from diseases linked to weight.

Weight Loss Surgery Weight loss surgery can help many people but it is not recommended for every one. It is a lifelong - and often life-changing - decision and is not designed for people who are just a few pounds overweight or who want to look better for their summer holiday! Your GP may recommend you try to adjust your diet and exercise and possibly try a drug which can help with weight loss.

Weight loss surgery helps you to lose weight by either cutting your intake of food or preventing some of what you eat being absorbed. It is normally used in patients who are significantly overweight (with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 or over) and who have tried other methods to lose weight without enough success. Mr Tsang, a Peterboroughbased consultant with a specialist interest in this area, says: “Weight loss surgery should be looked at as a last resort; and to be effective, it still needs to be combined with an effective weight loss programme.”

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There are four main procedures offered at the Fitzwilliam: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding In this procedure a constricting ring is placed around the stomach and may be secured with stitches. This slows the passage of food through the upper part of the stomach and can create a sensation of fullness, even if only a small amount of food has been eaten.

This type of procedure is known as restrictive because it reduces the amount of food you eat, thereby decreasing calorie intake. Gastric banding using keyhole surgery techniques (laparoscopic) and is a less invasive procedure than some other weight loss surgery. It results in on average 40% of excess weight lost.

Sleeve Gastrectomy This is a more radical restrictive technique and involves removing part of the stomach. A sleeve-shaped portion of the stomach is left which reduces the patient’s capacity to eat food.

But the part removed also contains cells which secrete a hormone which is thought to produce a feeling of hunger - so removal may also make you feel less hungry.

Obviously, this procedure can’t be reversed and your surgeon will consider very carefully whether you are suitable for it and how much stomach to remove. A sleeve gastronomy will sharply reduce your calorie intake - you can eat normally but will want much smaller portions and can lead to on average 50-60% of excess weight lost.

Gastric bypass This procedure involves food bypassing parts of your intestine which means that less is absorbed from it - thereby reducing calorie

intake. In addition, the size of the stomach is reduced creating a full feeling. So your food intake is both restricted and the amount of calories you can extract from it is reduced because it is not passing through the entire length of your intestine. This means that a bypass can be a very effective way to lose weight. This results in on average 75-85% of excess weight lost, because it reduces the amount you can absorb as well as being restrictive. Mr Tsang commented: “It also tends to have an almost immediate influence on hormone, sugar and diabetes, for reasons we don’t yet full understand, which are potentially very beneficial.”

Gastric balloon - a non-surgical approach Some patients may not want to undergo surgery - but still want something to help them to lose weight.

A gastric balloon, usually inserted into the stomach for six months, can be used to ‘kick start’ weight loss while you also change your lifestyle and eating habits.

This procedure involves inserting a deflated balloon into your stomach and filling it with saline. This creates a feeling of fullness and helps you to eat less. The procedure only takes 15 minutes and you don’t need an anaesthetic, just a mild sedative. This will not result in the same weight loss as the other procedures, but may be the preferred prelude to one of the above procedures which will then have a greater chance of a positive outcome.

Getting started at the Fitzwilliam Just call to make an appointment or get a referral via your GP. Initially you will speak with the specialist bariatric nurse, to review your medical history and start to consider options. The full assessment process will then be conducted by a multi-disciplinary team that includes a surgeon, bariatric nurse, dietician and anaesthetist.

The Fitzwilliam has three consultants with specialist skills in bariatrics: Mr Alfred Choy MA MB BChir FRCS Mr Andrew Tsang MBBS, BSc, MRCS (Eng), MD, FRCS (Gen Surg) Mr Farrukh Bajwa MB BS • A useful source of further information is BOSPA (British Obesity Surgery Patients Association) http://bospa.waxwing.co.uk • Fitzwilliam Hospital, Milton Way, South Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 9AQ Tel: 01733 842304 www. fitzwilliamhospital.co.uk

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Get Ready for Summer

Do you have lumps and bumps on the surface of your skin?

Our consultants are here to offer help and advice for both health and aesthetic reasons.

Non-surgical procedures Our Consultant Plastic Surgeons offer a full range of non-surgical cosmetic procedures: •

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20/05/2014 16:26

MOTORING

How Green is our Valley?

Imagine our fairly tranquil patch of the UK even quieter, with the rumble of engines on the roads largely replaced by quiet electric motors. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford dreamed of cars being powered this way 100 years ago, but the technology wasn’t available then. Now that it is, a number of local organisations and firms are charging ahead with efforts to promote green personal transport in our area.

Jonathan Craymer reports

W

HEN I was a lad, as the saying goes, the sight of cars belching out black fumes and probably a lot of nasty invisible pollutants too, was quite ECO DRIVING common. I remember my dad Even if you don’t own an pointedly holding his nose electric vehicle, it’s st ill possible as we passed the worst lifetime than equivalent petrol cars. to drive in an envir on m en ta l fri en offenders. We’ve come To help even the playing field, a number of countries are dly way, reducing your fuel consumption a long way since then, subsidising the cost of new all-electric vehicles. In the UK the and emissions, as well as making yo cleaning up the internal Government is offering a £5,000 rebate. So if you buy say a u safer.

Experts suggest try ing to drive as sm combustion engine with BMW i3 priced at £29,950, with the subsidy you’ll actually pay oothly as possible, avoidin stricter MoTs, catalytic £24,950. g heavy accelerat ion and braking by plannin converters and superHowever for my money there are three somewhat bigger g ahead and reac ting early.

If driving a manua efficient engines built problems. Firstly there’s the limited range offered. Most will l car, always try to be in the right gear so to minimise the amount only do about 80 miles when fully charged, which would the engine isn’t ov er of carbon emissions. But certainly put many buyers (like my wife) off. revving, nor is it lab ouring. the trouble with engines Then there’s the length of time it takes to recharge. Forget the Use cruise contro l burning any kind of fuel, it’s five minutes or so it takes to fill a conventional car with fuel. Plug wh enever possible. physically impossible to make into a purpose made 32 amp charging station, and typically it takes them 100% clean. three hours. Even longer if you use a domestic 13 amp charger – 8 to 9 Enter the electric car. No fumes hours! There are faster 50 kW chargers able to do the job in half an hour, or hydrocarbon emissions, and virtually but at £20,000 each, they’re less common. zero mechanical noise, offering the prospect of The third problem is the battery and how you pay for it. With the BMW i3 it’s not much quieter roads. Sounds great doesn’t it? an option – it’s included in the price, but you get a seven-year warranty. However on Renault (Zoe/ Well that’s the theory anyway. But though we Kangoo) and Nissan LEAF (the name apparently stands for “Leading Environmentally Friendly seem to be getting there bit by bit, the dream Family Car) models you pay around £5,000 up front or rent the battery at £70 a month (including of quiet, ultra clean transport for all still seems VAT). Many consumers hate having to make such decisions (I’m one of them!), so this may be yet a little way off. another thing to scratch your head over.

We’ve had hybrid vehicles, with both petrol RCI, the Renault-owned finance arm for Renault & Nissan will in addition, allow a driver to lease engines and electric motors, for a while - but the entire vehicle. For example a LEAF Tekna (top of the range leather upholstery model) requires we’re now starting to see quite a few cars a deposit of £3,455, after which you pay £219 a month for three years. At the end of that period running only on electricity, such as the BMW i3, you can either pay a further £8,914 to own the vehicle outright, or just give it back owing nothing Nissan LEAF, Renault Zoe and Kangoo van. further. However if they manage to sell the car for more than this amount, you’re allowed to put Unfortunately electric cars cost a bit more that towards your next deposit. than those they’re replacing. According to a All this talk of battery rentals and leasing may sound a bit confusing – but something we’ll recent study by the US Congressional Budget probably need to get used to if this technology is here to stay.

Office, today’s electric models will set owners On the other hand there’s a real sense amongst electric vehicle supporters that we really do back around $12,000 (£7,217) more during their need to start somewhere.

›

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MOTORING RE-CHARGING The other big question is, where can I charge my electric car? In addition to plugging it in at home, work etc (read on a bit further on regarding Government grants), there’s a growing network of charging points. At the last count there were over 6000 across the UK and the numbers are increasing constantly. In the Peterborough area there are almost 30.

These include six points recently installed in the Queensgate Shopping Centre, and a number put into four car parks by Peterborough City Council at a cost of over £28,000. Carol Wakelin, Environmental Co-ordinator at Queensgate says: “At the time of our recent £10m refurbishment I suggested we install chargers, as it seemed the right way to go.

Admittedly they’re only used on average about once a week, but we consider this an investment in a greener future for the city.”

The Peterborough branch of Dobbies Garden Centres installed four charging points when it opened in 2011. Manager Tony Cuthbert says only half a dozen owners use them regularly.

“Most work within a mile or so of here. They plug in and walk to their offices. A lot of people like the idea of this technology, but having to plan their journeys carefully and the initial cost of vehicles may be putting some off,” he feels.

Making the commitment Peterborough-based electrical installation specialist KA Wing installs BMW-branded charging units locally (part of a national scheme organised by BMW), and decided to buy a small fleet of the German manufacturer’s i3’s for its own use. Managing director David Lee explains: “We felt duty-bound to reduce our carbon footprint and actually these make great company cars. They’re very tax efficient as there’s no CO2-related benefit in kind tax.”

Technical director Simon Howitt adds: “80% of

our journeys are 20 miles or less. And if drivers need to recharge, the built-in satnav cleverly tells them where the nearest points are.”

It’s worth mentioning that KA Wing is happy to advise on Government grants for those wanting to get individual charging units fitted.

The grants may cover the whole cost, which is approximately £1,000.

DRIVING THE BMW I3 I tried driving the i3, which BMW claims is the first electric vehicle to be built from the ground up, and am happy to report it was simplicity itself. Efforts have been made to make the switch-on sequence feel the same as on a petrol car. There’s a ‘start’ button, a four-position ‘drive’ switch and a further switch to release the ‘handbrake’. Then a gentle touch on the accelerator and you’re moving off. At that point it does, to be honest, feel a bit weird, as there’s almost no noise, and a distinct sensation until you get used to it, that perhaps the car is running away down a slope – only of course it isn’t.

Acceleration is fantastic, with 62 miles per hour coming up in just 7 seconds, though Nathan Owen, Sycamore’s i Product Genius warned me that driving aggressively considerably shortens battery life. Another thing to get used to is having to use the brake pedal less. Just lift off and you’ll slow down or even come to a complete standstill.

As standard this vehicle does about 80 miles on one charge, and there’s an optional range extender pack which includes a 650cc BMW motorcycle engine designed to (if you’ll pardon the expression) kick in to maintain the battery’s charge, giving up to 180 miles total range.

Darran Foot, Electric Vehicle Relationship Manager at the Nissan dealership within Smith Motor Group, Peterborough says: “It’s

HERE ARE SOME OTHER ECO-DRIVING TI PS • Check tyre pressu res regularly • Remove unnece ssary kit from your car (including those he avy golf clubs!)

• Take off roof rack s, luggage boxes, etc when not needed to redu ce air resistance • Turn off engine if you have to wait a long time • Only use air-con when you need to • Plan your route or use navigation al/ advisory aids to av oid congestion.

a case of chicken and egg with the electric vehicle market. We’ve got to get people buying vehicles, to get the Government and organisations installing charging points.

People will just have to change their mindset and accept you don’t have the same range as petrol cars. But Nissan’s research shows most journeys are actually 25 miles or less.”

Are we about to see a new generation of vehicle batteries offering a much greater range? “The lithium-ion technology used hasn’t changed much in the last 10 years, so I don’t think so,” he says. “For my money the best development is the growth in the numbers of 50 kW chargers, which can see most models on their way within half an hour fully charged.

We’re told that around 90% of motorway service stations now have them.” www.sycamorebmw.co.uk www.smithsnissan.co.uk www.smithsmotorgroup.co.uk/renault/ www.kawingltd.com/ www.queensgate-shopping.co.uk/ www.dobbies.com/find-a-garden-centre/ peterborough/

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ACTIVITIES

Stepping out!

Looking for ways to boost your social life, listen to the kind of music you secretly love, and perhaps pick up some new dance steps along the way?

The Nene valley is alive with clubs and organisations catering for specialist tastes in music and dance Words and pictures: Jonathan Craymer

W

ANDER past Wansford’s Christie Hall on a Monday night and you’d be forgiven for thinking someone was dusting off their collection of ‘30s swing band records, as the silky vocals of Ella Fitzgerald or the snaking clarinet of Benny Goodman waft into the evening air.

Peep through the window and you’ll think you’ve stepped back in time.

Inside is a Lindy Hop class run by Paul Claydon, who first came across the infectious dance steps 14 years ago. Since then Paul, whose day job is helping to look after nature reserves on behalf of Huntingdon District Council, and wife Fae, devote most of their evenings to running three or more Lindy Hop classes a week – with Paul also helping out on special events overseas and even films.

This retro dance craze reputedly originated in the Savoy Ballroom, Chicago in 1927. Legend has it that one of the leading proponents of the as yet unnamed dance craze, Shorty George Snowden, was asked by a reporter what it was called. The papers of the time day were full of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s flight or “Hop” across the Atlantic – so Shorty apparently dubbed it “the Lindy Hop.” “I’d enrolled for a six-week course in rock ‘n’ roll dancing including modern jive, organised by the Rotaract club,” recalls Paul. “Then I saw a couple doing the Lindy Hop and I was hooked. Two years later I realised I had a real passion for this dancing and started running classes. We include anyone from 18 to over 70.

The average age is 30 to 50 and we welcome absolute beginners.”

Paul and some of his dancers appeared in the film ‘Sylvia’ in 2003 with Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig, and has even helped entertain a US ambassador visiting WWII code breaking centre Bletchley Park, which wanted to put on some authentic period entertainment.

“There’s been a huge revival in everything to do with the Second World War and vintage,” adds Paul. “As a craze it’s really taken off. The dancing is fun and the music is lively and timeless.”

Paul and Fae’s classes are also held at Godmanchester on a Tuesday evening (though this class is in the process of moving) and St Neots on Thursdays.

Sessions cost £5. Not surprisingly Paul, 49, met Fae at a dance in Cambridge 15 years ago. Does he play any music himself? “No. My expression is through dancing, which keeps me extremely fit. During January I did 20 consecutive evenings, lasting from three to six hours a night.”

“There’s been a huge revival in everything to do with the Second World War and vintage... the dancing is fun and the music is lively and timeless.”

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ACTIVITIES

It’s only rock’n’roll….

Meanwhile over in Yaxley’s Royal British Legion hall on Broadway, also of a Monday night, you’ll likely catch the pulsing rhythms of the rock and roll era, with the likes of Elvis, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane and Cliff accompanying yet more amazing whirligig action on the dance floor.

This is the Just for Kicks Rock and Roll Club, run by a dedicated committee consisting of Annette Goldsmith and husband Martin, two Steves, plus Gerry and Ken. There’s a membership of 50-60 regulars who meet once a week, dancing to 45s spun by DJ ‘Steady as a Rock’, and every three or four months there’s a live band – as is the case this particular night.

“I’ve been into rock and roll since I was 13 or 14,” says Martin, 45, resplendent in studded leather jacket and impressive 50s slicked-back hair, who by day works as transport manager for a delivery firm. “We’ve made a lot of new friends coming here. Without this our lives would be boring. We used to sit at home most nights watching telly.

Then one of Annette’s cousins told us about the club. People travel miles to come here – tonight people have come from Stevenage and Norfolk. We’ll also travel to see artists but we always want to dance, even if it’s in a theatre. Rock and roll gives me a real buzz. It’s exciting music – it was exciting in the 50s and it’s exciting that people still want to listen to it.”

“We don’t have official lessons but there are people here who’ll take anybody on the dance floor and show them how to do it,” explains Annette, 43, who works in a Peterborough plumbers merchants. “Within 15 to 20 minutes you’ll be on the dance floor doing the basic steps,” grins Martin.

The age range here is very wide from teenagers, to those in their late 60s or 70s. Another committee member Steve Gale says: “There are four rock ‘n’ roll clubs within 25 or 30 miles of Peterborough. We try to work together so as not to clash, and meet on different nights.” He works in IT for a charity in the city, where he’ll often listen to the likes of Chuck Berry on his headphones as he works.

Gerard Homan, left, with performer Sean Taylor

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“Rock and roll gives me a real buzz. It’s exciting music – it was exciting in the 50s and it’s exciting that people still want to listen to it.”

Got the blues?

Back on the other side of Peterborough, Castor’s village hall can often be heard echoing to authentic-sounding blues riffs, courtesy of Shakedown Blues, the brainchild of village resident Gerard Homan, who’s been hooked on the music since the mid-60s. He dreamed of bringing blues artists to the city back then, but Shakedown didn’t really get going locally until 2005 when Gerard managed to get a US artist called Travis “Moonchild” Haddix to play in the village, with a scratch local band accompanying him. Since then there’s been a string of artists mainly from areas like New Orleans, flown in to play for one night only as the saying goes. Posters of previous gigs adorn the walls whenever Shakedown puts on a show at the hall, bearing names like Mud Morganfield (Muddy Waters’ son), the late Johnnie Bassett, Robert Penn and many more.

“Sometimes it makes money, sometimes not. The green taxes on flights cut into the margins,” says Gerard. “We fly them over usually on non-refundable tickets to cut costs.

One time there was a huge loss because an artist mixed up the dates and wanted another air ticket, and we couldn’t get the money back from the airline. We lost £1000 that time.”

Gerard accommodates the artists in his own home, to further reduce costs – and this has led to some interesting experiences. “I found one artist, who I won’t name, agitatedly wandering around the ground floor early in the morning, asking for the doors to be unlocked. It seems he’d once been in prison, and couldn’t bear to be locked in!”

Gerard is assisted by other villagers Ian Sheldon, who acts as setter-up and sound engineer, and Martin Chillcott, who MCs. The most recent gig, featuring London-based artist Sean Taylor, saw the hall again packed to the gills. Gerard grins as he remembers being offered a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix, who would do pub gigs for just £10. “I wasn’t sure whether to book him as he was unknown, but I was told he’d got a record coming out the next week. I listened to the disc, Hey Joe, which as we all know launched Hendrix, and thought it sounded promising - but by then his manager said the cost had gone up as he was now a recording artist. To £15!” www.rug-cutters.co.uk www.rnr54club.com/just-for-kicks-rocknroll-club-in-yaxley.html www.shakedownblues.co.uk

NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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20/05/2014 16:27

LOCAL WALK

Wothorpe, Burghley Park & Pilsgate Burghley Park’s creation of a footpath between Pilsgate and the main visitor entrance of Burghley has really opened up the possibility of a circular walk starting in Stamford and taking in Burghley Park WALK DATA Distance: 6.5 miles Typical time: 2.5 hours (Barnack ‘loop’ makes the walk 9 miles in total, 3.5 hours) Map: Explorer 234 Start & Finish: Station Rd Car Park, Stamford Terrain: Easy going

POINTS OF INTEREST Burghley Park is known to most, but the southerly parts of the park which the footpath traverses have particular interest. The path crosses the Winners’ Avenue, which is part of the cross-country course and has a marker celebrating each winner of Burghley. There are also great views down towards Burghley throughout this stretch of the park.

The path through Burghley runs for a large part along the course of Ermine Street, the Roman Road that ran from London(Londinium) to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) and York (Eboracum).

The next stop south on Ermine St was Water Newton (Durobrivae), on a crossing of the River Nene. A strongly defended settlement with earth and stone ramparts and ditches, access to the town was by three strong gateways. It was one of the wealthiest settlements in Britain and one of the centres of a prosperous pottery trade.

To the north, Ermine St crosses the Welland by the Stamford Junior School (where the Boudicea inscription is), and then goes along Roman Bank to Great Casterton, where extensive remains are still very evident opposite Casterton Business College.

Originally a fort, this settlement of around 8,000 square metres, which had stone walls after 320 AD, is situated in a bend of the River Gwash. It was a settlement with a mansio, a bath house, a Basilica and a temple. The housing was built from quality stone or was timber-framed, and the town had paved streets, a busy commercial area housing ore-smelting and the pottery trade, and related buildings, granaries, shops and warehouses. There was a cemetery to the south of the town.

The Winners’ Avenue

Barnack Windmill. The tower mill at Barnack was built around 1797 and was in use up to 1914.

It is built of Barnack stone. It is now a private home. The mill still holds the original machinery inside.

NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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LOCAL WALK

6 1

2 5 3

4

©Crown copyright 2014 Ordnance Survey Media 052/14

PITSTOPS The Orangery at Burghley.

The Orangery Restaurant is open daily from 10am until 5pm, closed on occasion for private events on Friday. We especially recommend the teas, available from 2.30-3.30pm.

The Millstone Inn at Barnack Tel: 01780 740296 (if you are taking the Barnack loop) gets a very good rating both for food and service, and has all the traditional feel you would wish for from a local.

Numerous cafes and hostelries in Stamford.

40

THE ROUTE

1 2 3

Head south up Wothorpe Rd until it reaches the Kettering Rd; cross over, join a public footpath, then take the left footpath running straight up the hill to Wothorpe.

Turn left on reaching First Drift (making sure you look back for the great view), cross the Old Great North Rd and follow the footpath up to the golf club, where you turn left.

Follow the private road past the golf club, then follow the footpath signs through Burghley Park, all the time heading east and slightly south. The path goes across a stream, through a wood alongside a field and eventually reaches the road.

Turn left past the Barnack Windmill into Pilsgate village; walk through the village and on the other side you will see the new footpath just inside the hedge on the left of the road.

Follow this round until you reach the visitor entrance to Burghley Park; walk up the drive to the car park, then turn right along the avenue of trees, and right again to take you back into Stamford.

At the exit, cross the road into Water Street and cross the Welland again at Albert pedestrian bridge; walk up to the end of Albert Rd, then cross Wharf Rd into St George’s St; walk along St Mary’s St and down Castle St, then turn into Castle Dyke and cross the meadows back to the car park Barnack ‘loop’. At Point 4, turn right instead of left, and head through Hills and Holes and Barnack Village. The route then returns along the disused railway line to Hudd’s Mill. Take the road past Morrison’s back into town.

4 5 6

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LOCAL PEOPLE

“I’m a great believer in community and people power and I’m passionate about Oundle.”

Project Oundle As Oundle’s first town centre manager, Paula Prince faces a challenging yet stimulating task. Sue Dobson met her

B

UBBLING with energy and enthusiasm, Paula Prince has been a resident of Oundle for over 30 years and during that time she’s been involved with local schools as a governor, chaired committees and worked in the library, run her own business, organised the town’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, served as community events manager for the Oundle Festival of Literature for 10 years and more recently has been devoting considerable energy to the Fringe Festival. Last year she was appointed Oundle’s first Town Centre Manager.

“Essentially my job entails helping businesses, arranging events, promoting the town and encouraging tourism,” Paula explained. She wasn’t long into the role when it was announced that the inaugural Women’s Cycling Tour would be starting from Oundle. “The cycle race hijacked my life!” she exclaimed when we met, just before the four event-packed days surrounding the Grand Départ were about to unfold. “I’ve lived and breathed it for months!”

Hard work it may have been, but she was thrilled by it. “We were making history. It was so exciting to have the top female cyclists of the world here in Oundle, plus there was all the great publicity for the town with coverage by national newspapers and radio and television crews from the UK and Europe.” She’s determined that there’ll be legacy from the race, including the women’s wellness days and sporting events.

United effort “I’d like to see all the sports groups joining up to promote themselves. All the Festivals are joined now, which is proving very productive with everyone working together and not clashing on dates. Linking the Food Festival, the Fringe and the International Festival under the banner of Festival Fortnight in July is a successful concept. It’s nice to have everyone involved, publicity can be much better focused and what’s more it is attracting people to the area for short break stays.”

She is very keen to encourage more visitors to the town, believing that this is an unsung part of the county with much to offer. “Through

the Women’s Tour I met people around Northamptonshire who didn’t even know we exist. So I brought them here, arranged walks, and now they are promoting the town.”

There are wonderful tales and quirky facts to be told about Oundle, from how Drummingwell Lane got its name to the poet John Clare working as a potboy at the Rose and Crown.

“The talks and walks during Festivals have always been well attended but this year we’ve got funding for regular scheduled history and heritage walks, which I’m pleased about.”

Losing the Tourist Information Centre was a blow to the town, but ever the communicator Paula has set up information points in shops and cafés and worked on the oundle.info, the lively and informative website from Oundle Town Council that’s both a town guide and community hub.

Business matters Paula’s eyes are firmly focused on encouraging and helping the town’s businesses. Early initiatives have included arranging courses on using social media to reach target audiences, reviewing the importance of window displays and adjusting the layout of the weekly market

to increase footfall.

“A study by the local Portas group showed how, by making a few changes, more stalls could be included. We don’t want to lose our popular stalwart traders but the addition of a few new faces will keep the market fresh and interesting. The Town Council bought some gazebos and is offering local businesses the opportunity to borrow a stall for the day.

“I’d love to get some of the schools to do a market stall, to see what it’s like to run a business that way,” she muses, then adds, “actually, I’m looking to do a lot more markets, for example a flower market and perhaps one that would be relevant to the interests of teenagers and young adults. What we need is better public transport into town, especially on market days. I shall continue to do battle on that front.”

Dedicated and determined, Paula is the ideal ambassador for the town. “I’m very happy when I have a project. I like talking and really appreciate people. I’m a great believer in community and people power and I’m passionate about Oundle. I love living here and want to help it remain a wonderful place to live.”

• www.oundle.info NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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Nassington

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DIARY DATES

JUNE

What’s On The pick of June’s events. Compiled by Yasmin Bradley Until Sunday 1 June 2014 Green Festival A week of great events all over the city organised by Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) to get you walking, cycling and using the bus.

Mostly free. www.pect.org.uk. 01733 568 408. info@pect.org.uk.

Wednesday 4 June iPhones and iPads for Beginners 2.30-4.30pm Bring your fully-charged iphone or ipad and learn how to get the best from your new technology. £4.00. Advanced booking.Peterborough Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough PE1 1RX. 01733 864 280. www.vivacity-peterborough.com.

Saturday 7 June Bavarian Beer and Music Festival 4-11.30pm German lagers in authentic Steins; hog roast and German specialities; live bands and Bavarian fancy dress at a great village pub.

Kings Head, Kings Cliffe Road, Apethorpe, PE8 5DG. 01780 470627 Sunday 8 June Easy Sunday Music: Frumenty Folk 3 - 4pm (flexible) Evocative traditional music - including Frumenty’s original haunting composition describing Mary Queen of Scots’ imprisonment in Fotheringhay - as you wander round the exquisite Gothic setting.

Free. Fotheringhay Church, Main Street, Fotheringhay, PE8 5HZ. xbu120@yahoo.com. www.facebook.com/Frumenty Saturday 14 June Village Organ Recitals: 7.30pm John Dillistone, Director of Music, All Saints Huntington plays Gibbons, Bach and Balbastre. £10.00 at the door. All Saints’ Church, Overend, Elton, PE8 6RU. xbu120@yahoo.com John Renbourn & Wizz Jones at Warmington Church 7.30pm Two acoustic guitar legends for the price of one. £15 (in advance); £17 (on door). St Mary’s Church, 39 Church Street, Warmington, PE8 6TE. 07887 854951/ 01832 280828. jcs12@hotmail.co.uk.

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 June St Botolph’s Day Festival on the Green Stalls, children’s games, donkey rides, steam train rides; supervised putting, rowing, cycling and fencing; teddy bear’s picnic, fairground rides, and live music!

Free. Botolph Green, Peterborough PE2 7DD. www.botolphgreen.net Twitter: @botolphfestival.

Saturday 21 June Poetry in the Park 10am - 2pm Former Peterborough poet laureate, Keely Mills helps inspire your poetry writing following a walk around Ferry Meadows. £12. (18+ only). Booking essential. 01733 234193.

Nene Park, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5UU. Saturday, 21 June - Sunday, 22 June Peterborough Heritage Festival Various Costumed re-enactors, local history societies, falconry, and a new food fayre! (Fringe: Saturday 14 – Sunday 29 June).

Free. Peterborough City Centre and Peterborough Museum. 01733 864663. www.vivacity-peterborough.com/museums-andheritage/. museum@vivacity-peterborough.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY

by an early owner in aid of Thorpe Hall.

Refreshments, stalls and entertainment. £4 (£1) Walcot Hall, Walcot Road, Southorpe, PE9 3EU. 01733 225991. suzanne.ostler@ suerydercare.org. www.thorpehall.org Elton Garden Trail 12 noon - 5pm Nationally renowned with I-Spy trail clues; plants to buy, country dancing; a photography competition and teas. £5 - accompanied children free. Elton Village.

PE8 6RU. 01832 280097.

Sunday 29 June The Villages of Rockingham Forest Bike Ride 9am - 50 mile cycle route 10am -25 mile cycle route A choice of three routes to suit everyone either through Northamptonshire’s picturesque villages or a 31/2 mile route around Ferry Meadows.

Entry from £12; family - £25; child - £10 (12+).

The Coach Park, Ferry Meadows Country Park, Ham Lane, Peterborough, PE2 5UU. www. bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/view-event. aspx?ps=1001891. mtugwell@sky.com 01733 234025.

Open Gardens at Walcot Hall 2 - 6pm A rose garden and an arboretum created NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2014

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elli dean PHOTOGRAPHY

Beautiful family, children & baby portraits I love taking portrait shots, and I do it in my own unique style: with a relaxed approach and a lot of fun and play. My studio is packed with toys and props to keep children happy, and parents can relax with coffee & yummy cakes!

My photoshoots’ experience is more of a fun family time, but you also end up with great photos - all taken with complete attention to detail, lighting and composition. The results are beautiful, timeless shots.

Visit my website to see more of my work:

rutlandphotographer.co.uk Call or email to book your studio or location shoot: 07932 055548 or email Elli at: yael.dean@gmail.com I offer various attractive price options and products, all designed to give you plenty of choice. You can decide what option to go for before booking your session - this way you will always know in advance what you pay.

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CHANGES NEEDED or e-mail me on If changes are required, please email them to info@stangroundgazette.co.uk immediately. Please state clearly any text/image changes you require. danwhiter1yorks@yahoo.co.uk Discounts available - callPlease for details note that only one set of changes can by made using the free design service. Further changes will incur costs. © Copyright info Please note that all artwork or visual proofs remain the property of the Stanground Gazette. Any breach of the above statement may lead to legal action. For further information or to enquire about purchasing copyright of this advert for use in other publications, please contact the editor, Lorraine Clark, on 01733 243591 Please note: This proof is provided in low resolution so images may appear grainy. A high resolution file will be used in the publication. This is not a colour correct proof and any colours shown may not be reproduced exactly in the final magazine due to the printing process.

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Individual programmes. otherwisetraining and written consent received. Please check• this proof carefully, including all text and contact details, as we cannot be held responsible for errrors after this Goods in transit insurance of up to £50,000.

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• NVL June.indd 47

Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Services to Oundle, Thrapston and the surrounding areas

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