Nassington Newsletter June 2023

BEAUTIFUL NASSINGON

Editors Message

What a relief it is to have lighter evenings and gradually warmer days. This time of year it is so much easier to get outside and motivate ourselves to do some exercise, interact more with our neighbours or to just go for a walk and appreciate the fabulous place that we live in. It is a time to appreciate all the positive things we have and that are going on around us. In fact a date definitely to be booked into your calendar is Sunday 11th June at 10am, when there is a “Nassington Nature Walk” being held – see page 16 for further details. The walk is part of an on-going initiative to cherish and enhance Nassington’s wonderful nature. This has previously included digging a wildlife pond at the allotments, putting a new hedge at the entrance to Parkway, creating a wildlife plan for the churchyard, leaving some verges to grow wilder and even an organised bat walk!

We are very fortunate to be living within such a vibrant and active community, but as always these activities would not be able to take place without the regular support and commitment of each and every one of you. Take a look at the “What’s On” page and make the decision that you will support or go to at least one of the activites listed this month……… you never know you might find a new pastime to enjoy and make new friends to do it with !

Wishing you all a month filled with sunshine and happiness. The Newsletter Team

June fixtures

Nassington Cricket Club

Tales from …Nassington Station 1879-2023.

PART TWO

1912 - Disaster Strikes.

At the start there had been a platform and station building on both sides of the track. As time went by services became more frequent, running throughout the day in both directions and some sort of shelter, after all, was needed. Mail was delivered, packages and parcels that had been ordered by those who could afford them, either directly in the shop or through the new medium of the mail order catalogue, arrived each week. People from Yarwell and further away, from Woodnewton perhaps, would come in their ponies and traps to catch their trains in the early days, or cycle over and leave them for safekeeping until they came home at the end of their journey.

All seems to have ticked along quite nicely thank you very much, until the fire of 9th October 1912. Given that the station had undergone something of an upgrade to the platforms in 1905 this must have been particularly galling. According to the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury the station caught alight, probably as a result of renovation work while workmen burnt off old paint ready for renewal. A problem was first noticed about 2pm and word was sent by the then stationmaster, Henry Essen, to Elton Hall for the attention of Colonel Proby. Many private estates had their own fire engines at this point to deal with problems that might spring up on their property and Elton was close by. Within ten minutes the men and horses had the Shand and Mason Fire Engine on its way, arriving twenty minutes later on the scene. The Elton Estate agent, Captain Maddock, was on hand to keep an eye on proceedings, as well as Colonel Proby himself, keen to see how his new piece of equipment would perform when finally put to the test. Well it would seem, for by 5pm the fire was out and Kings Cliffe Fire Brigade, when they finally arrived, had nothing left to do. Sadly, though, the down platform and buildings were destroyed, leaving the other to double as the ticket office in future years.

‘ The 10:30 to Stampant…’

The damage was estimated as having cost £1,000. No one lost their life thankfully but, if anyone lost their job, it was not been recorded for posterity.

It was also possible to catch an express boat train to Harwich from Peterborough East Station and then across to the Continent but, unsurprisingly, the most popular trains were those running on Saturdays. East Station brought you in to the bottom end of Bridge Street and the shops. Woolworths for the pick and mix perhaps, Brierley’s for your Christmas decorations, or Dolcis for some new shoes. Once your shopping was done you could nip into Woodcock’s Tea Shop for some light refreshments before heading off home. Elaine Quincey remembers this as a particular treat for at Woodcock’s there was silver service, a distant memory these days for many of us in our self service era. David Teall told me about how his parents would regularly use the train to go to the Odeon cinema in Peterborough on Broadway. The building still exists, now an 80s themed nightclub, visitors able to dance the night away to Duran Duran or Madonna, so not all that bad. As a child he and his siblings were also taken to the Embassy Theatre on the opposite side of the road, at Christmas to see the annual pantomime, the rail journey there and back part of the treat. Thinking about it I too went there myself once, not by train sadly, to a concert in the 1970s when it still had its stage but was more often used as a cinema. Cliff Richard if I remember correctly. Enough said. If you preferred a more exciting Saturday afternoon’s entertainment you could make your way to the London Road Stadium to see the Posh being beaten at football on a fortnightly basis. If your tastes were more local the station platform offered a good vantage point to watch the village team huff and puff there way about the ground that used to be close by. Not the most level of pitches I am given to understand by both Bill and Len Chambers who variously mentioned slopes and ditches you needed to negotiate, but a pitch nonetheless. A chance for a kick-about with your mates and some victories along the way. Lance Lock remembered that, in the early 1920s, Mr Marks had taken over as stationmaster.

There seem to have been five passenger trains running at this point along with one mail train. As many as forty people might be waiting on the platform to board alongside him on a Saturday, so a pretty busy service all things told. He remembered the chaps playing football too, in the field below, and how the stationmaster’s son John used to enjoy watching as they negotiated all the hazards. He would get himself so worked up at the thrill of it all from his vantage point on the up platform that, from sheer excitement, he would regularly kick the metal advertising boards that used to line the station, making everyone jump out of their skin. Happy days.

Although most children frequented the local school, as is still the case for those of primary age, some used the steam train for their education too. In those pre 11+ days, only those children regarded as ‘bright enough’ were given the chance to win a scholarship to a local grammar school. My own mother Jean Palenski (née Black) was certainly one of those who won a place at the Peterborough County School for Girls along with various others in the village. She told me often about the little boaters they were expected to wear, about the delights of learning such rarefied subjects as Latin and Physics, of the ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor shoes’ and the elocution lessons. She also mentioned the journey each morning to and fro by train. She would head down to the station during term time, meeting up with her pals en route and head up to the platform to wait for the train where her special friend, Betty West, would be waiting. They must have looked very smart in their yellow trimmed brown uniforms, satchels full of books and homework and pockets full of sweets. After much giggling and scuffing of shoes they would eventually clamber into their carriage, vying for a window seat no doubt with much pushing and shoving until, blowing his whistle and waving his flag, the stationmaster sent them on their way. Off for another day of edukashun.

Sunday services were more restricted back then, of course, a respite for the stationmaster and his family. A day of relative rest once a week at least between the passengers and the goods and the mail and the trains. Not until 1994 could shops choose to open for Sunday trading, offering us all the dubious ‘pleasure’ of trundling round the local supermarket with a trolley or stocking up at the DIY store. Lucky us. By then of course Nassington Station had gone. Not so lucky us.

Many local people were employed by the railway full time too, as porters or platelayers, signalmen, labourers, firemen or engine drivers. There had once been a signal box at Nassington but, by the late 1930s, the nearest signal box was at Wansford. Harold Black recalled going to keep his pal Jack Woodward company there on occasion when he worked the night shift in his capacity as a signalman. In those heady days of pre Health and Safety rules and regulations they would, he said, set the alarm clock to ensure they woke in time to change the signals for the night trains passing through. As far as we know there were no accidents on the line despite this haphazard system, more thanks to luck than judgement I fear.

1923 saw the first ‘regeneration’ as the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSR) took over from LNWR. Alec Jackson’s father worked for the company. Friday was the regular payday, and, similarly regularly, his mother would tut and grumble that the wages of £1-10s a week would hardly stretch to cover the bills. The working day was a long one, from 07:00 until 17:00 daily and until 12:00 on a Saturday, with an occasional requirement of a Sunday shift for maintenance or re-laying work. This, at least, boosted the pay a little for those trying hard to make ends meet. Railway staff would have received discounted train fares of course, which rather beggars the question, were the trains primarily frequented by railway staff?

And so life continued to the soundtrack of chugging trains arriving and departing through the day. The one hauling the weekly heavy load from the Peterborough Brickworks was noticeable by its seemingly asthmatic wheezy progress through the village.

It was not an uncommon sight to see people going in search of lumps of coal that might have dropped along the trackside, quite a few at a time on occasion. Given the price of fuel these days it was an understandable undertaking and quite a good haul could be found it you timed it right.

The trains were often seen before being heard and, for little boys and girls of the time, the thrill of spotting an incoming train must have led to hours of overexcitement. Antoni Palenski, living in Northfield Lane before the houses in Eastfield Crescent were built, had a cracking view over the allotments and fields to the railway. Most mornings he could tell his mother, yet again, that he had spotted the ’10:30 to Stampant’ as it puffed its way merrily across the river viaduct towards its ultimate destination, after a change or two, in Stamford.

And there we leave it until next month when you can read the final instalment of our tale….

Karen Palenski

LicensingAct2003

Notice of Application for variation of a Premises Licence

(Section 34)

Notice is hereby given that Completehotels Ltd has applied to North Northamptonshire Council for the variation of a Premises Licence in respect of

The Queens Head Inn, 54 Station Rd, Nassington, PE8 6QB, and intends to vary the following licensable activities; to allow the sale of alcohol by the garden area

The Licensing register may be inspected at the Licensing Authority, at North Northamptonshire Council, Thrapston Offices, Cedar Drive, Thrapston NN14 4LZ during normal office hours. Any representation by a Responsible Authority or Interested Party must be made in writing to the Regulatory Services Licensing Administration Team at the above address by the 26th of June 2023.

It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is not exceeding £5,000.

Paul Smyth - Director

Vicar: Rev Jane Tailby

01780 782271

E-mail jdtailby@aol.com

Every Sunday: 5.00 p.m. Zoom service

Log-in details from Rev Jane (jdtailby@aol.com)

Every Wednesday: 10.00 a.m. Morning Prayer – Wansford

Every Thursday: 9.30 a.m. Holy Communion BCP – Nassington

I am writing this in the middle of May, as the hedgerows are now fully green, the may blossom is out and the cow parsley adorns the road verges. I love this time of year when there seems to be an explosion of white and green across our landscapes. We will still be enjoying this freshness in June, I know. Also, at the end of May, in the church, our Easter season draws to an end with the celebrations of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, often still called Whit Sunday in our church calendar. In the church we have different colours to represent our different church seasons: Easter and Christmas are joyfully white, special celebrations of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit are red, the more reflective preparation seasons of Advent and Lent are purple, and for everything else, it is green. It always seems to me to be particularly appropriate that this “green season” begins after Easter-time as we enjoy the greening of our countryside. Green indicates growth, and in church one focus is reflecting on what we have learnt and experienced through the festival seasons and how that can help us to grow. It’s also an opportunity to give thanks for what has helped us in the past and to plan for the future. We are particularly grateful to those in our church community who help that growth and change – those who care for our church building, decorate and clean, who facilitate our worship, those who support us financially, and who make sure that the church is available for those who come to us for a baptism, a wedding or a funeral.

This is indeed a time to say thank you to them and to note that their efforts, though often unseen are so important to our life together. More widely, maybe this is a time to consider who and what helps us to grow as individuals and families, and to make sure they know that we appreciate all they do. And we enjoy our wonderful countryside as well!

With every blessing, Revd. Jane

4th June

8.15am Holy Communion BCP Nassington

9.30am All Age Communion Nassington

9.30am Holy Communion Thornaugh

9.30am Holy Communion Woodnewton 11am Holy Communion Apethorpe

11th June

9.30am Holy Communion Nassington

9.30am Holy Communion Wansford

11am Holy Communion Yarwell

6pm Evensong followed by APCM Woodnewton

18th June

9.30am Holy Communion Thornhaugh

9.30am Holy Communion Woodnewton

11am Holy Communion Apethorpe

3pm Methodist Service Yarwell

8.30am Holy Communion BCP Woodnewton

4pm Family Service & Crafts Nassington

28th June

8.30am Holy Communion Wansford

9.30am Holy Communion Nassington

9.30am Holy Communion Wansford

11am Holy Communion Yarwell

JUNE SERVICES IN THE WATERSMETE BENEFICE

Nassington Nature Walk

Sunday 11th June 10am – 12.30pm

All welcome, meet at the Cricket Pavilion, no need to book, dogs on leads please

Join

We’ll be taking in the river and popping into the Blueberry Farm to hear what the Mee family is doing to attract more wildlife. Local nature enthusiasts will be on hand to help us identify what we see. The walk will be at an easy pace, but there will be some uneven ground and the odd style

Any questions, please contact Fran at: francesmhurst@gmail.com. Otherwise bring your binoculars (not essential) and your walking boots and see you then!

Wildlife Jobs for June

Encouraging Birds

Most garden birds, even the seed-eating finches, tend to feed their young on insects at this time of year. You may notice birds taking caterpillars or insect larvae off to the nest, before returning to boost their own energy levels from the bird table or feeder. In hot weather, avoid putting out dry food such as stale bread, as this can hasten dehydration. Always chop nuts or use a feeder, as whole nuts can choke baby birds.

Encouraging Hedgehogs

There are a number of ways you can give hedgehogs a home in your garden.

Making sure they have lots of thick dense undergrowth and a variety of lengths of grass to hide and nest in is always good. You can also make your garden a hot spot for the slugs, snails and bugs that hedgehogs like to munch on. You can also try to provide hedgehogs with supplementary food and water. This is particularly useful during periods of drought when natural insect foods may be harder to come by.

Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread. They can't digest them - it upsets their stomachs. A particular favourite is hedgehog food, complete cat biscuits or meaty cat or dog food.

Hedgehogs like to move from garden to garden and it’s useful to help give them openings between boundaries. If your garden is contained by a fence or wall, try to make them a small opening on either side, so that they can easily wander from neighbour to neighbour.

Parish Council News – June 2023

Contacting the Parish Council: (Direct links to all email contacts are on the village website)

Public meetings 2nd Weds each month:

Next meeting Wednesday 14th June 7.30pm

Contact the clerk 01780 435084 or clerk@nassington.org.uk. www.nassington..org..uk facebook.com/Nassington. Tweet nasspc

Playing field

The council has commissioned some enhancements to some existing play equipment (including more hardwearing surface under the zip slide) and is looking at options to replace some of the pieces that are showing signs of high usage over the year. At the moment, the plans don’t include replacement of the vintage equipment, but we are looking at up-to-date options for the much loved trim trail.

Concerns have been raised about potential knock-on effects of dams being built in the brook by the outdoor gym. We would ask parents and carers to ensure that if children are playing in the water making barriers and dams etc these are altered before you leave the park so that they do not cause backing up of the water.

Nature recovery

In keeping with many initiatives around the parish, and around the country, there is to be a lighter touch regime to the grass cutting at the churchyard to help nature recovery, support pollinating insects, encourage the spread of native wild flowers, and natural habitats for other wildlife.

A similar approach may be seen at some of the greens and verges around the village/parish

NASSINGTON LADIES GROUP

Once again it pains me to report that all our plans for May bit the dust. Elton Hall is not opening until this month so our visit was not possible –several other ideas did not work out due to both Nassington and Yarwell village halls being booked on our usual Wednesday night. The final throw of the dice – a walk with a meal at Elton failed to get a good enough response, so it was decided to forget May and look forward to this month.

The other victim of this saga was the fashion show – advance ticket sales were slow and general enquiries revealed that potential attendance even with pay at the door latecomers would not meet the required number to warrant the organiser making the journey from Yorkshire. So again reluctantly we decided the only course of action was to cancel– maybe the timing was not right or perhaps folk have got a bit tired of the same format. We will have the opportunity of booking another show in the autumn but will canvass opinion before making that decision.

This month our planned event is an outing to the Rutland Vineyard near Oakham on Wednesday 21st – start time 6pm and the cost will be £20 per person. Karen will be emailing out further details. Numbers are limited so make sure you book your place quickly if you want to go. This promises to be something a little bit different and a welcome change from our normal get-togethers.

Wendy Spencer

What’s on in June Nassington

Weekly

Mondays 10-12.30pm - The Biscuit Tin at The Village Hall

Fridays at 11am - The Walking Group meet outside The Black Horse pub

Fridays 5.30-pm Cricket Clubhouse open

See separate listing of all cricket club matches

See separate listing of all Church Services

Monthly

2nd Wednesday of the month (14th) 7.30pm - Parish Council meeting at The Village Hall

Last Thursday of the month – 10.30am ladies coffee morning at The Village Hall

Youth Club at The Church adjourned until the Autumn

Specific dates

Thursday 1st 7.30pm – Palmy Ukulele Band playing at The Cricket Club

Saturday 3rd Nene Valley Race starting from Fortheringhay see their FB page for more details

Sunday 11th 10-12.30pm – Village Nature Walk meet at the Cricket Club

Saturday 17th - Georgia Van Etten performing at Prebendal Manor

Sunday 18th - 4pm – Family Service and Crafts at The Church

Wednesday 21st – 6pm Nassington Ladies Group. Visit to Rutland Vineyard

Saturday 24th 8.30-10am – Men’s Breakfast Club at The Queens Head

Events to look forward to

Sunday 20th July 2pm – Alan Gynn Memorial Match at The Cricket Club

If you have an event you would like advertised in the newsletter then please let us know.

Nassington & Yarwell Garden Society

Plans are underway for what will be the 141st show, being held on bank holiday Monday 28th August at the playing field in Nassington. I agreed to take on the role of Chair of the committee at our AGM at the end of October 2022 and I am really pleased to confirm that Karen Lloyd, Wendy Spencer, Harriet Reardon, Molly Holmes, Sally Parkins and Ambrose Bennett have all agreed to continue plus we have two new members in George Jenkinson and Alan Rodger. Without these wonderful people committing their time and effort there simply would not be a village show.

Our purpose is simple – to organise and operate the annual Nassington & Yarwell village show for the benefit of the local community.

Our aims are to:

• maintain the tradition of the show but also be open to adding new and relevant content over time

• provide a safe environment for all who attend the show

• to cover the costs incurred with running the show as a minimum, any profit generated to be held on account, ideally with the following 2 shows “in the bank” to help ensure longevity of this great tradition – any balance exceeding this to be eligible for local community support and/or charitable donation

• maintaining links with the local community in order to successfully deliver on our purpose.

The show is a really great event that is an important part of our local history. Please put the date in your diary, make contact with me or any members of the committee if you are interested in helping on the day and please watch out for updates over the summer as we finalise plans for our 2023 village show.

Best regards,

Jon Pinder Chairman

Childrens’ Suduko

Base

250g plain chocolate digestive

100g butter

For the filling

250g Mascarpone cheese

300ml double cream

100g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest and juice from 2 oranges

Grease an 8 inch (20cm) round loose bottomed or spring-form baking tin and then line the base with a circle of baking or parchment paper

Measure out the chocolate biscuits in a large mixing bowl, bash them with a rolling pin until they are a nice fine crumb.

Measure the butter and put it in a pan or microwavable bowl. Heat it gently until it has fully melted. Once the butter has melted, make sure the biscuits are in a bowl if they’re not already, then pour the butter in. Stir it together until all the biscuit crumbs are coated. Tip the biscuit base mixture into your prepared baking tin. Then, using the back of a metal spoon or spatula press the crumbs down firmly into the tin. Chill the base in the fridge for around 20 minutes while you work on the filling.

Add the double cream, mascarpone cheese. icing sugar, vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks are formed, fold in orange juice and zest, place on top of the chilled biscuit base and place back in the fridge until ready to serve.

Heart Safe Communities UK

Thanks to those who attended our CPR / Use of Defibrillator training sessions in the Village Hall Nassington on 29th April. We were delighted to see many new faces who care enough about others to spare an hour to learn what to do in the event of cardiac arrest.

Having now trained over 100 people in Nassington, we know that together with others who carry out training elsewhere; the village has a significant and growing number of people who are potential life savers. Our dream would be for everyone to have attend a 1 hour training / refresher session somewhere once a year. Imagine how incredible that would be, a community where everyone was a potential lifesaver, all within 100 metres of a defibrillator. Nassington could be the place to show what’s possible when everyone commits to helping achieve.

All it takes is 1 hour of your time. Our next training day in Nassington will be on Saturday 24th June. Sessions commence at 09:00, 10:15, 11:30 and 12:45. They start and finish on time with a 15 minute gap between to allow for cleaning and set up for the next group. Other training days can be found on the HSCUK website. We welcome everyone including family groups who wish to learn together. Bookings can be made now via the HSCUK website. You can go straight to the booking page by following this link https:// hscuk.org.uk/training/ or by scanning the QR code below. Booking is simple and very quick. Those booking will receive an immediate automated acknowledgement confirming all they need to know. If you don’t receive this check you spam / junk folder as we know the system works. HSCUK receives immediate notification of all bookings; so all participants need to do is make a note in their diary and arrive on time for the chosen session on the day.

We know from extensive feedback over a long period now that all participants gain something from these sessions whether they be training for the first time or a refresher.

If you would like to support us in any way or have any questions about training or anything else connected with what we are doing or the charity you can email info@hscuk.org.uk We love to hear from people and are happy to answer any questions. In addition to this there is an extensive list of FAQ’s on our website that you might find interesting. Just go to https://hscuk.org.uk and follow the link from the main menu.

Please take a moment to be properly informed as we know from experience how misunderstandings grow. It’s vital to ask the right people, the right question at the right time.

Ex Cellar Wine Live Sessions presents

Georgia Van Etten

The Prebendal Manor, Nassington

Saturday 17th June 2023

(evening indoor all-weather performance)

About Georgia Van Etten

"My debut album, 'Deep Black Water' feels like a true culmination of my work as an artist. It authentically reflects the rawness and honesty of life and moulds this with soulful, carefully layered music. My sound is difficult to box into one genre, and I'm proud of that. It is born from my rich experience with music, and marries the country and folk influences of my childhood with my vast vocal experience in classical, soul and jazz. The songs you hear are my own, as is the production, so this album is truly a little piece of me". - Georgia

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, van Etten packed one tiny suitcase six years ago and headed for the U.K. Impressively, she has played the likes of Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Porretta Soul Festival (Italy), Falls Festival (Australia), Ealing Blues Festival (UK) and headlined London Omeara.

Her debut EP ‘Live at the Pool Studio’ had extensive BBC Radio 2 play with Jamie Cullum remarking “This really blew me away when I first heard it” and Blues & Soul Magazine UK declaring “Put simply, this is a damn fine EP”. The EP also sparked attention surrounding van Etten’s unique mouth trumpet impression with a clip going viral on media giant UNILAD SOUND.

This is one of only two live performances by Georgia this year and comes on the back of a successful tour to promote her debut album 'Deep Black Water' which gained a feature in NME, music video on MTV, heavy rotation on SiriusXM North Americana (US), BBC Radio 2 play and a feature session on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends. Use the QR code to take you to ExCellar.co.uk where you can book tickets for this unique performance.

Locally made cheese Whyte Wytch is now in stock at Nassington Stores.

Alison is a passionate enthusiast in British, locally produced artisan food. After long experience in the dairy industry she trained in cheese making in France, prior to setting out to produce Whyte Wytch – a special and unique, English, unpasteurised, soft bloomy white rind cheese, the first in Cambridgeshire! Initially Alison made Whyte Wytch in her own home, but now the cheese is produced in a small, purpose dairy on Sacrewell, Thornaugh. Whyte Wytch, is a luxury hand-made artisan cheese with a complex fruity flavour with a creamy texture when eaten at room temperature.

Alison hopes that you love the artisan cheese as much as she does and accompany her on her journey.

The Milk Bassingthorpe Milk is collected fresh from the morning's milking and turned into delicious Whyte Wytch cheese. An all female team, Anne, Rachael and Julie, manage this beautiful herd of Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. The milk is of the highest quality and the milk from the Brown Swiss cows in particular, adds to the lovely flavour of the milk which flows through to the cheese. For most of the year the cows graze on lush Lincolnshire pastures with close attention being given to nutrition and the cows' well being. The artisan method and the change in the cows' milk through the seasons, means that each batch of cheese is, interestingly, subtly different. Bassingthopre sell pasturised milk locally too.

The Make Process

Fresh Milk to Curd & Whey Alison and the fresh milk from a local herd of Holsteins and Brown Swiss....arrive together at the dairy before 7 a.m. The warm milk is pumped into the cheese vat, then the cheese making process starts in earnest - starter culture from France is added and the milk is heated to around 33°C. The starter culture contains microorganisms which convert the lactose in the milk to lactic acid and help to develop the flavour of the cheese. The acidity is necessary for ripening and maturing the cheese. Alison uses a particular mix of starter culture to give Whyte Wytch the flavour and texture she is seeking. After a few hours, when a certain level of acidity has been reached, rennet is added. Rennet is an enzyme which helps to coagulate the milk to form the curd.

Cutting the Curd to Moulding The rennet destabilises the proteins in the milk to form a soft gel. This stage is tested by dripping some milk into clear water. The gel becomes progressively firmer until it reaches a point when it is ready to cut. Alison uses cheese wires to cut the curd into small pieces to release the liquid whey. The curd and whey are stirred and then rested, during which time the acidity is measured until it is at the desired level for the curds to be moulded. The whey is then scooped off the surface of the curd into a separate container. The curd is transferred to perforated moulds to shape the cheese and allow excess moisture to drain away.

Turning to Maturing Over the next few hours, Alison hand turns the cheeses several times, releasing any excess moisture. The cheeses are then covered and left until the following morning. Early the following day the moulds are removed and the cheeses are transferred to wire racks in the hastening room. The temperature here encourages the proliferation of the microorganisms responsible for the white bloomy rind. After two to three days in the hastener, the cheeses are ready for hand salting and moving to the maturing room for ripening. (Cheese samples are sent to the Lab for testing to check that there are no undesirable microorganisms). Two weeks later when the cheeses have developed a lovely white rind, they are wrapped in cheese paper before completing their final maturation in a colder temperature. The make process takes 3-4 weeks and then the cheese is ready to eat and enjoy!

We also offer Cheese Making Courses, gift vouchers and hampers

Come and Visit

Serves 2

Preparation time 15 mins

Cooking time 15 to 20 mins

300g Penne

125g mascarpone

1 tsp french mustard

3-4 spring onions

250g chorizo chopped

200g Whyte Wytch

Salt & freshly ground pepper

• Cook the pasta in a large pan with a drop of olive oil and 1/2 tspn salt. Follow the timing instructions on the packet.

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/reg 6. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Add the mascarpone and mustard and stir until well mixed.

• Add in the Chorizo, spring onions, Whyte Wytch (chopped into 1cm cubes), and season.

• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until sizzling and golden.

ENJOY

WHO LET THE MEN OUT?

A chance for all men from our local villages to meet and socialise over a tasty breakfast

(Apethorpe, Woodnewton, Nassington, Yarwell, Wansford and Thornhaugh)

Saturday 24 th June 2023

8.30am – 10.00am

Queens Head, Nassington PE8 6QB

Full English breakfast and guest speaker Ed Daniels

‘running a power station, the future for renewables’

RSVP to help cater with approximate numbers or for any queries please contact mensbreakfast@btconnect.com

For more details please see the article in the local village magazines.

RSVP to help cater with approximate numbers or for any queries please contact Ian Scott mensbreakfast@btconnect.com

MEN’S Breakfast Group

Our last meeting required a quick move to a new venue due to closure of The Willow and Brook, Apethorpe and were pleased to be able to return the Queens Head at Nassington and we are also able to confirm our next meeting on 24th June will remain at Queens Head. Some 28 attended the meeting on 29th April and enjoyed hearing all about the salt industry from guest speaker Philip Mapson and make a £60 donation towards his chosen charity The Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

On 24th June we will learn about running a power plant and renewable energies from Ed Daniels.

Mens Breakfast is open to all men from our villages and its popularity is still growing, so why not come and join in the fun and come along to meet new friends and learn what is going on in our neighbouring villages?

Just email the organiser, Ian Scott to reserve a place on mensbreakfast@btconnect.com or see the advertisement in this edition.

POEM BY BILL TAYLOR

ADDICTED

It’s late at night and you’re at home, With your laptop and your phone Checking emails, you’re wide awake, Another call is all it takes.

You cannot sleep, deadlines to keep, Thinking hard, pondering deep, The schedules tight, the timelines agreed, Another break is all you need.

You’re wide awake, working on your stuff, Cardiac arrest calls but you haven’t done enough, You have to face it, you’re behaving like a berk, No saving grace yet, you’re addicted to work.

The warning signs, which you don’t heed, Chest tightness and that stomach bleed, Palpitations, lavish dinners and all that wine, Yet you go on insisting that you feel fine.

You’re hearing voices that you can’t explain, That ringing in your ears is driving you insane, The only consolation that pulls you through Is that at least, this winter, you’ve not had flu.

You’re closer to a heart attack, yet you’re still being a berk, You’ve just got to face it – you’re addicted to work.

GRIFFINS

SOLID FUEL MERCHANTS

The Old Station Yard , Nassington

Suppliers of:

Coal & Smokeless Fuels

Cash & Carry Pre-packs

Calor Gas, P’Boro Fuels

Gas

Coal Bunkers, Charcoal

Office: 12 Church Hill, Castor 01733 380470

Coal Yard : Nassington

Tel : 01780 782540

Gardening Tips from Nassington & Yarwell Garden Society

To provide quick, easy to grow seasonal flower and foliage colour, and for ease of planning and setting out, bedding plants are usually chosen from the following:

Frost-tender half-hardy annuals (HHA) such as cosmos, nemesia, marigolds and tobacco plants, complete their life-cycle in one season. If grown from seed they are generally sown indoors and grown on.

Hardy annuals (HA) can be sown outdoors directly into the soil in spring where they are to flower. They withstand frosty conditions without protection. Alyssum, Calendula (pot marigold), Iberis (candytuft) and Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant).

Hardy biennials (or short-lived perennials grown as biennials) (B) which complete their life-cycle in two seasons include plants such as Alcea (hollyhock), Dianthus (sweet William), Erysimum (wallflower) and Myosotis (forget-me-not). Ornamental brassicas (kale and cabbage) are ideal for winter displays.

Half-hardy perennials (HHP) live for several years, usually flowering from the second season. Frost-tender, and often discarded at the end of the season, yet they can be overwintered if given frost protection. Examples include: Bellis (daisy), begonia, Pelargonium (geranium) and lobelia. Note: some perennials, such as Bellis (daisy), busy Lizzies and Viola (pansy) are grown as annuals or biennials.

Half-hardy or tender sub-tropical plants such as banana plants, cannas and palms often form a focal point or centre piece for bedding schemes. Succulents can be useful for creating patterns

Nassington Stores and Post Office

49 Station Road, Nassington, PE8 6QB

Store: Monday– Friday 7am-6:30pm, Saturday 7am-6:30pm, Sunday 8am-1pm

Post Office: Monday-Friday: 9am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm

Wednesday: 9am-1pm, Saturday: 9am-12.30pm

 Post Office Services - banking services, bill payments and foreign exchange

 Fresh bread from Kingscliffe Bakery and cakes from Fatherson Bakery.

 Tobacco, Beers, Wine and Spirits

 General grocery and Soft drinks

 Pet food, Cards and Stationery

 Toiletries, over-the-counter medicines

 Household and D.I.Y. Necessities

 Fresh Coffee

All major debit/credit cards accepted

Nassington Key Contacts