April 2019

Issue 54 April 2019

Raising awareness of what’s on & where to find things locally

www.onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and surrounding villages

April

Welcome To the April issue As we write this Jacqui is preparing for the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Running for Parkinson's UK is something very close to our hearts. Jacqui's mum was diagnosed with Parkinson's over 18 years ago and has battled with the brain disease ever since. So far her sponsorship total has surpassed £1,000 and exceeded all expectations. This money will go towards funding more groundbreaking research with the aim of finding a cure.

Now, who else is pleased to see lighter mornings and evenings return? It's also been great to see the weather start picking up over the last couple of weeks. I'm sure it won't be long before we're all back out in the garden with the BBQ in full swing moaning that we're too hot!

Hopefully the weather continues to warm up through April as the Easter half term and bank holiday weekend approaches. The Cricketers at Weston are hosting an Easter egg hunt for families to get involved in, there are more details on the What's On page. Personally, we're just looking forward to the toasted Hot Cross Buns on Sunday afternoon.

This month's front cover is the Wind in The Willows characters created by Sylvan Skills at Radwell Meadows on the Garden Greenway. The installation features your favourite characters from the classic children’s stories, including Toad, Badger and Mole, all sculpted from willow and other natural materials.

We were very excited to hear that Baldock will be having it’s very own Street Food Festival!

You'll find the High Street filled with foods vendors from 4-9pm on 5th April.

On a closing note, the team responsible for organising the fantastic Baldock Beer Festival, are looking for volunteers. If you fancy giving a little back to the community and having a bit of fun in the process, check out the Baldock Beer Festival Facebook page. . Until next month

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

Disclaimer All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however On Our Doorstep Baldock cannot take any responsibility for the content of adverts or services provided by the advertisers. Reproduction on whole or in part of this publication without prior permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited.

APRIL

2019

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By The Communi....F the Communi This year is flying by, it doesn't seem that long ago that we were talking to the Baldock Beer fes val commi ee about their first Oktober est, but here we are ready for the 12th annual Beer fes val. It will kickstart the May Baldock fes val fortnight on Friday 3rd May . We caught up with Tara Geere, chair of the Independent Baldock Beer Fes val Charitable Trust, who along with the rest of the Beer fes val commi ee and an army of volunteers run our wellestablished community event.

'It's hard to believe we our coming up for our 12th year, fingers crossed we will have the same weather as last year. Our themed glasses this year celebrate the fact that it is 50 years since the Apollo moon landing. As you know last year we sold an astounding volume of drinks last year. We es mated an amazing 14,920 alcoholic drinks were served, alongside all the so drinks. In order that we save on our use of single use plas c glasses and be more environmentally friendly, we will be selling semi-rigid plas c glasses this

year. People need to be aware that there will be a small charge, but as we know people collect our glasses they will have our logo on!

With the help of all the volunteers who gave up their me to serve behind the bar at both the 2018 May event and the Oktoberfest, we have been able to donate just under £13,000 pounds in the 2018 financial year, bringing our grand total to £69,188 given out over the last 11 years. It was lovely to see a range of local causes benefi ng and hear some lovely feedback, especially on the work we did with Baldock Rotary to extend the Christmas lights. We are hoping everyone will be ge ng their applica ons in to get to Tapps garden centre for their hanging baskets by the end of the month so replicate some colour in the summer months too!

As always, we have to say a massive thank our army of volunteers and supporters, including North Herts.

CAMRA who support us with s llage, and some of the local brewers and cider

the local brewers and cider makers and the folks from Baldock Tesco's. All the bread for our last couple of events has been was donated by them, free of charge. Which obviously helps to increase the money we can raise.

We will be using contactless payments again this year a er our pilot using worldpay technology in May last year. As we have said many mes before not bad for a group of friends, who were challenged to run an event as part of the main two-week Baldock fes val.

We will be selling ckets for our second Oktoberfest event at the May event, 5pm-11pm Friday 3rd May, 12noon 11pm Saturday 4th May and 12noon to 8pm on Sunday 5th May 2019 and really hope to see you all there. We have a great line up of music and will be extending our children's entertainment this year as well as being joined by Herts FM radio who will be broadcas ng live from the event. Please come and support us and help raise money for our great community.

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Baldock Beats Was We've made a great start on our first campaign – to collect and recycle crisp packets through the Walkers/ Terracycle ini a ve, collec ng in the box at the Community Centre. Thank you to all contributors. When the box is full we'll be sending those on and star ng again!

The scheme will allow us to donate some money to a charity of our choosing. So, please take your empty crisp packets along to the Community Centre, they will be so welcome.

Hope you have been enjoying our Facebook page @baldockbeatswaste Our first public mee ng will be held on April 4that Tapps Garden Centre at 7.30

She Did It!

and everyone is welcome. We hope to have news of more recycling ini a ves and to share lots of ideas about how we can improve reducing, reusing, replacing and recycling in Baldock. There will be a vote on which charity to support with the proceeds from the crisp packet venture.

Please come along and hear our plans for a li er pick in the town and other exci ng ideas. We are joining with the Baldock WI in their li erpick on Sunday April 14thas part of the Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean 2019. So if you would like to come along too please let us know through email at baldockbeatswaste@gmail.com or come along too Tapps on 4th April.

Our Jacqui ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday 24th of March, in a me of 2 hours 2 minutes, not too shabby for her first run of that distance.

We would like to thank everyone that supported her and helped her raise £1165 to date, all in aid of Parkinsons UK. Her sponsorship page is s ll live at www.justgiving.com/runjaxrun

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2019

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Happy Birthday

Dave Thomas ‘The Welsh Man’ 24th April

PETE BUNNING

Lots of Love Natalie, Charlie & George JOE COTTERELL

Happy 11th Birthday Joe lots of love Mum, Dad & Meg

Happy th

9

11

TODAY

13th April

JAMIE GENTLE

.

Birthday

Jamie with love from Mum & Dad XXX

9

Happy Birthday! 1st April To our darling Louis.

Happy 9th birthday.

All our love Mummy and Daddy XX 8

APRIL

2019

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, BALDOCK BRANCH The Royal Bri sh Legion exists to promote camaraderie, look a er the interests of the serving military, veterans, widows and their families, but also to ensure that Remembrance of those who made the ul mate sacrifice is maintained.

The Baldock branch of the RBL con nues to meet at the Orange Tree, usually on the third Monday of each month, star ng at 7.30 pm. Our mee ngs allow us to hear the latest news from the Legion, discuss ac vi es and to socialise with people of a like nature. Our secretary has also organised a full calendar of events for the year, including speakers for the mee ngs, the annual Poppy dinner with the Sandy Ukulele Group, and the D+14 Barbecue with musical entertainment . Various fund-

raising events are also on the agenda to add to the Poppy Appeal total for the year, and of course we organise the Remembrance Sunday parade in November.

As part of our remit we also provide support to the extended armed forces family, for those s ll serving, re red, their families, as well the youngsters of the Cadet Forces. Where possible, we also a end the funerals of veterans with the branch standard, if requested by the family.

A common misconcep on about the Legion is that it is only open to former servicemen & women. Not so. The only pre-requisite to becoming a member is the desire to support members and former members of the Armed Forces. The annual subscrip on, currently £17.00 gives you the camaraderie of the Legion, access to support, inclusion in ac vi es , as well the Legion magazine five mes a year, packed with interes ng ar cles. Your membership card also gains you entry to RBL clubs world-wide.

Naturally branch members are involved in the Poppy Appeal, either collec ng during Remembrance de in November, or suppor ng Poppy events. Many members are keen to help with collec ng, but we do not ask collectors to do more than they can manage. We have had a really good response to the 2018 Poppy Appeal, which was the centenary of the 1918 Armis ce, and the running total is now over £19,000, a record for Baldock. We thank all collectors, supporters, the shops that had collec ng pots, and of course , those who donated so magnificently.

If you are interested to see what we get up to, you are welcome to visit us on a branch night, where you will be made most welcome. For further informa on visit our Facebook page on www.facebook.com/rblbaldock or ring the Secretary - Janice Middleton on 01462 640010.

01462 892041 APRIL

2019

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Fears in the Workplace Economic mes are tough, what with the unrest of Brexit, zero-hour contracts or talk of redundancy around the watercooler, the fear culture at work can make you feel flat, anxious and uninspired.

Fear is an emo on that provokes an ins nctual response – the fight of flight syndrome. Great if you're being chased by a big animal in ancient mes, but in the 21st century workplace, fear can make work feel miserable, be it fear of being wrong, of failing, of being judged or of not being good enough. However, if you want to be successful you have to be prepared to be a li le scared, it's the only way to achieve anything, when you take risks at work you have to expect a

few things: fear, self doubt, comparison, anxiety and uncertainty. Instead of le ng fear stop you expect it to be there. Acknowledge it, know exactly what fear is going to say and ignore it.

Say “I see you, I hear you, but I'll do this anyway” Challenge your thinking If you're feeling scared, take a reality check, is your fear real? Or is it false evidence appearing real? Is it true your boss is dismissive only to you? It could be that you're over-catastrophising your current situa on. Decide to put on a posi ve front with everyone you come in contact with, Act “as if” you were confident and successful and observe what happens and how colleagues respond differently to you.

Start to believe in yourself by building confidence and self belief away from the work place by se ng a goal for yourself each year which should not involve your career, it should be something that requires effort and discipline but that isn't impossible, ie training for a marathon, learning a language, star ng a new hobby, op ons are endless. You will soon start to no ce your confidence and self belief rising and feeling more posi ve in your decision making.

If you are struggling to challenge your thinking try hypnotherapy as it deals with problems at the subconscious level to help solve a problem at the conscious level, and will help to achieve posi ve a tude about yourself.

Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk

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APRIL

2019

Tesco Offers Surplus Food to Community Groups Chari es and community groups across the UK are being invited to sign up to receive surplus food from their local Tesco store.

Tesco already have a longstanding partnership with the UK's largest chari es ' Fare share ' and ' The Trussell Trust ' that are leading the fight against hunger and food poverty in the UK. Joining forces, one weekend each year in December, is dedicated to raising as many long life food items through Tesco stores up and down the country that are then donated and distributed to local food banks.

Last December Baldock Extra, with the

help of our customers raised the equivalent of 4,594.3 meals over 3 days, through their Na onal Food Collec on.

Elaine Hewe , the community champion at Baldock Tesco said " Unfortunately more and more families are having to rely on food banks. Our colleagues and customers are always so generous, they always make it such a success. It really is heartwarming" In 2015, this rela onship was taken a step further with the introduc on of the Tesco 'Community Food Connec on' they have teamed up with over 7,000 community groups that take away surplus food from Tesco stores. The equivalent of 300,000 meals each week.

Andy Wilmot the fresh stock control manager helped launch the programme at Baldock, told us "Over the previous 4 weeks we have donated 53.33 kilos of surplus food to our charity partners. It would not be possible to do this without will and dedica on of our colleagues."

Some of the local chari es that have benefited from this ini a ve are, The Howard Social Centre and the food bank, in Letchworth, The academy of

Bedfordshire in Sto old, The Salva on Army, Jackie's drop-in and Briar Patch in Baldock.

Kelly Pa erson the duty manager added " It has been very rewarding being able to support our community in this way. It has helped us to form strong rela onships with groups we were previously unaware of" If you know of a charity, group or organisa on that you think may benefit from Tesco Community Food Connec on you can register online by visi ng www.tesco.com/community-foodconnec on.

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2019

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APRIL

2019

30 Year Anniversary April Already!

Baldock Library recently celebrated the 30th Anniversary of having moved to their current premises in Simpson Drive.

Members of the community were invited to join staff, both past and present, local Councillors and members of Baldock Rotary club to celebrate the occasion in typical birthday style with tea and cake.

Herts County Councillor Terry Douris, Execu ve Member, Educa on, Libraries & Localism commented that Baldock Library is a vibrant hub of the community and offered a broad array of ac vi es and services for all ages. A number of improvements had been undertaken to the children's area, the reference and study area, IT facili es and outside signage demonstra ng the commitment to the library by Herts CC.

Debra Turner, the Library Manager, thanked the groups and partnerships who had supported the library anniversary event, and having introduced the library team she spoke about the future programme of events that the library would be introducing.

She then commented about the extremely crea ve cake that had been made for the occasion and sponsored

by Baldock Rotary Club. The cake, appropriate for the occasion, featured three very a rac ve books each having a confec onary model of the lead characters, Peter Rabbit, Harry Po er and Winnie the Pooh.

Keith Bri er, President of Baldock Rotary Club, spoke about the role that the Rotary Club plays in suppor ng community ac vi es, events and projects and how pleased he was that the club was able to make its contribu on to the Library's special day.

At that point, although it seemed a shame to do so, Terry and Debra cut the cake which was thoroughly enjoyed by the a ending guests.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

Spring is well and truly here. Our walled garden is looking fantas c, with vegetables making lots of promises for this year's harvest!

You can follow our blog on: h ps://hartsfieldoutdoorlearning.wordpre ss.com/ Ms Marshani has been busy preparing an area for a Mini Meadow which will soon start to take shape.

Other news: The Nature Ci zens Club took part in a skype call with some Reindeer Herders in the Arc c Circle earlier this month with the aim of the conversa on to look at the effects of global warming on their environment. However the real stars of the show were the reindeers and their calves! The children were besides themselves with excitement seeing them on the big screen! A wonderful experience for all those involved.

Red Nose Day: On Friday 15th March, we hosted Red Nose Day here at school where the children were all invited to come into school wearing Red in return for a dona on to Comic Relief. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of families, raising a staggering £810!

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2019

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APRIL

2019

WESTON

MARCHING ON

AWARENESS MONTH

WELCOME TO

I'm not a big fan of all these special awareness days and months. Interna onal woman's day… meh! Interna onal Mans Day. Pah! Bring your dog to work day. Boo! Dogs should go to work with you every day. For me, having these types of events somehow lessens the impact of the things that we really should have our focus drawn to. Stress awareness, mental health. these are the things we don't shout about enough. These are the things that effect every single one of us, every single day.

Here's a cheery sta s c for you; 10% of children and young people (age 516) have a clinically diagnosable mental health issue If that didn't chill you to the bones, here's another; Suicide is the most common cause of death for people aged 5-19 (boys and girls) This was in a study undertaken by the Mental Health Founda on in 2018. Scary isn't it.

I'm wri ng about this because it is Stress Awareness Month and because I happen to have just been on a short course for work about mental health. Those two statements alone horrified me. I guess I've never really thought about these things, and perhaps I should, perhaps we all should. This is where these awareness days, weeks, months can really make a difference to some one's life. I just googled awareness days and the u er rubbish astounded me. There are some really important days that we should absolutely know about, but do we really have to have Na onal Ravioli day (I kid you not) and Jazz Apprecia on month? There's prac cally an awareness day for everything, every day. Na onal Sta onary Day… sorry? What?

Stress is a funny thing, it can push and

pull you in so many direc ons. What seems an insurmountable problem one day can be a breeze the next. Stress can literally make or break you. I prefer to find the laughter if I can, but some mes you can't. Some mes you need to walk away, refocus and re-fix then start again.

Those that know me, know that I am in the refocus, re-fix stage of a par cularly stressy event, but as I really am all about finding the funny, and like to keep these ramblings light hearted, I thought I'd share with you an example of a recent stress inducing event that I just had to laugh at.

I had to fit a dog flap. Easy peasy I thought. I should never be allowed to think. If I were a professional flap fi er, then it would have been, but I'm not, so it wasn't. Not even close.

As those of you occasional DIYers will know, the tools that you acquire over the years and put away for safe keeping go missing. You thought you knew where you put it. In your decora ng box under the stairs, right? No. It's not in the lo , nor the tool box in the shed. No, you lent it to someone two years ago, and forgot about it. The drill always needs charging, not so bad if you've been planning the job for six weeks, but no good for impromptu drilling expedi ons. Tape measure? Don't make me laugh.

Anyway, I borrowed a Jigsaw (no, it wasn't a thousand piece one, shout out to Potsy for the bad joke -twice, just in case I didn't get it the first me), charged my drill, dug deep for drill bits and readied myself with two cups of coffee before I begun. Hey! I maybe a Bri sh workman, but I'm also a woman so I can get by with just the two coffees whilst I study the job in hand. I read the instruc ons too.

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Placing the template in the desired posi on, I steadied my nerve and begun to drill. During the drilling of the fourth hole I realised that the drill wasn't going anywhere, and I was in fact trying to drill though a bit of metal. Bugger! Start again. Now, the tension was rising at this point, this is my back door! I'm thinking that it's quite possible that I may have to purchase a new back door by the me I'm done. Oh well! Start as you mean to go on, and fortune favours the brave and all that. I cracked on.

Picking up the jigsaw (not the thousand piece one Potsy-see what did there?) I determinedly set about producing a bloody big hole in my back door. I did get slightly carried away and forgot I had to stop jig sawing when I got to the end of the line. Err, oops! A new door was looking more likely, I was star ng to wonder if Amazon did them.

I now had a nice perfectly formed if a li le large, air vent. The dogs where looking at me as if I'd gone mad, and I wasn't endowed with confidence when they wanted me to open the door to let them out into the garden. I was now covered in bits of back door, it looked like I'd been snowed on. I'd scratched my arm and broken three nails, this was not looking good. On I went, I'd done the damage and now had to make it look good. One thing… Plas c screws!

Plas c bloody screws, what good are they to man or beast? Don't over ghten said the instruc ons, ok Nicky, don't use the electric screw driver (which by the way, wasn't charged) you need to screw these six-inch plas c screws by hand. All well and good un l you twist that last twist and the head of the screw pings off and hits you in the bloody eye. Its ok, I had a spare. Screw, not eye. I do have a spare eye as well, but I like having two, it balances my face.

Anyway, I got there in the end, and with the help of some sealant I completed the job, which doesn't look too bad, and went down the rugby club to watch my Legends win (proper Bri sh workman me), chuffed in the knowledge that I wouldn't be needing a new back door a er all.

Keep smiling, if nothing else, it makes people wonder what you're up to.

Nicky

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APRIL MOVIES APRIL 5th - SHAZAM !

Unlike most foster children, Billy Batson couldn’t care less about finding a family. He just wants to turn eighteen and finally become an adult. He’s used to protecting himself by staying emotionally distant from everybody. But that changes when he meets an wizard who introduces him to one very powerful word. Just by saying SHAZAM!, Billy is transformed into a magical flying adult superhero. But gaining this power means inheriting their enemies too.

APRIL 8th - WONDER PARK June, an optimistic, imaginative girl, discovers an incredible amusement park called Wonderland hidden in the woods. The park is full of fantastical rides and talking, funny animals - only the park is in disarray. June soon discovers the park came from her imagination and she's the only one who can fix it, so she bands together with the animals to save this magical place and bring back the wonder in Wonderland. Written by Wulf97

APRIL 11th - HELLBOY Hellboy is back, and he’s on fire. This action packed story sees the legendary half-demon superhero called to the English countryside to battle a trio of rampaging giants.

There he discovers The Blood Queen, Nimue, a resurrected ancient sorceress thirsting to avenge a past betrayal. Suddenly caught in a clash between the supernatural and the human, Hellboy is now hell-bent on stopping Nimue without triggering the end of the world.

APRIL 22nd - WILD ROSE Jessie Buckley plays Rose-Lynn, a brazen young lass from Glasgow who is fixated on going to Nashville to become a country singer. When she gets up on stage at a local pub and lets loose, time melts away, and so does every trace of her Scottishness.Yet Rose-Lynn is also a spectacular screw-up. “Wild Rose,” is a happy-sad drama of starstruck fever that lifts you up and sweeps you along, touching you down in a puddle of well-earned tears.

APRIL 19th - DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE

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The script centers on two policemen, one an old-timer (Gibson), the other his volatile younger partner (Vaughn), who find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics become the media's cause du jour. Low on cash and with no other options, these two embittered soldiers descend into the criminal underworld to gain their just due, but instead find far more than they wanted awaiting them in the shadows. - IMDB

APRIL 29th - AVENGERS - END GAME After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers -- Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner -- must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos -- the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.

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APRIL

2019

Call Jacqui 07973 788418

Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

Dancing On Ice Stars Baldock Dancers teach Ballroom to ITV's Dancing on Ice Stars Brian & Alex Lee & Dawn Perro , from Clothall Common, were paid a visit

by Brian McFadden (Westlife) and his Dancing on Ice partner, Alex Murphy. Brian needed to work on his posture and lines, and so sought advice from Lee & Dawn. They joined in with one of their dance classes with students from both Style Dance School & Footsteps School of Dance. An exert from the class was shown on ITV's Dancing on Ice on Sunday 24th February.

“We mainly worked on his posture and hands” said Lee, who was shown on ITV telling Brian off for having his fingers splayed when dancing with Lee's mum, Deborah Price. There was lots of laughter a er his instruc on to “Stop groping my mothers shoulder blade!”, but it worked! Dawn said “ we had lots of fun having Brian and Alex join us for one of our dance lessons, and we were delighted that they got through to next weeks semi-finals”.

Lee & Dawn run Style Dance School and teach Ballroom & La n and Street dance classes at St Christophers School in Letchworth for kids on Mondays, and adults classes at Oval Community Centre in Stevenage on Wednesdays. For more informa on call Lee on 07578718949

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APRIL

2019

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n O s ’ t a h W Positive Moving Class

DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

Every Wednesday Afternoon 2pm -3.30pm, Holy Trinity Church, London Road. Improving mobility in older People The cost Is £4 followed by tea & biscuits for more info contact 01462- 678804

Letchworth Parkrun A free 5km run every Saturday at 9am, Grange Recreation Ground, SG6 4PN. Very welcoming for new runners - see www.parkrun.org.uk/letchworth for details

Community Choir Every Wednesdays - at Baldock Community Centre 7pm 9pm for more info contact Ruth on 07916798655

Baldock Country Market Every Friday morning until Christmas - The Victoria pub Sun Street Baldock 9.30am - 12pm

Monkey Music Classes Every Friday various classes running from 9.30 at the Baldock Community Centre contact Katherine Mayes on 01462 -626735

5k Fun Run Every Saturday at 9am - Two lap course on Norton Common Letchworth for more information contact North Herts Road Runners www.nhrr.org.uk

Baldock Health Walk Every Friday at 11am meeting point Tesco Extra car park Baldock for more info contact Stephanie Flint 01438 369216

The Royal British Legion Baldock Branch Third Monday of every month - The Orange Tree Norton Road -7:30pm

Street Food Heroes Friday 5th April at 4pm - 9pm High Street Baldock

Baldock & Clothall WI Thursday 11 April at 7.30 pm, United Reform Church in Baldock. Visitors are always welcome. £3 on the door. baldockclothallwi@hotmail.co.uk or phone Lucy 01462 742609

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Available for short breaks and longer holidays all year round.

Record Store Day Saturday 13th April - Stylus Lounge High Street Baldock

Baldock and Clothall WI Sunday 14th April as part of the great British tidy up.

Meeting in The Orange Tree carpark at 9.30am and we meet back there after for refreshments

Family Fun Easter Special Thursday 18th April 10am -11am Baldock Community Centre - event ran by creation station for more info contact www.thecreationstation.co.uk

Easter Egg Hunt

20

Sunday 21st April - The Cricketers,Weston at 11am

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If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th March 2019

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APRIL

2019

Tel: 01462 491035 / 07985315632

Losing a Pet !

The unexpected can happen any me and for sure losing a pet or having it stolen can be really dreadful. As a veterinary prac ce we see every week adverts of lost or found pets that can not be reunited with their beloved owners.

How can this be minimized? Be prepared and follow the rule of the three C's: Collar An engraved collar or tag repor ng the owner's contact number is for sure the quickest way to find the owner of a lost dog. The law requires also name and address of the owner. A collar with a tag is a good idea for outdoor cats as well, just make sure the collar has a safety clip that will prevent strangula on if it gets stuck to a tree brunch.

Chip The microchip is a small implant (as small as a rice grain) that is inserted under the skin of your pet, usually at the base of the neck. The procedure is carried with a needle implanter and normally does not require any seda on. The microchip, when read with a microchip scanner, will

provide an unique number that must be logged on a database with your details. If your dog gets lost or stolen the authori es can read the microchip number, contact you and easily reunite you.

Make sure your pet's microchip is logged in one of the 12 different databases! If you are about to buy a dog ask for a proof of microchipping that might be the record from the previous vet or a passport. Having a dog microchipped and registered in an approved database is compulsory and you can be fined if you don't do so. The microchip is not required by law for cats and rabbits

(unless you need a pet passport to travel abroad) but it's strongly recommended as, if your pet gets lost or is wounded and unable to come back home, a vet or pets protec on associa on can get in touch with you.

Change As soon as you get a new pet or you move into a new house or you change your phone number remember to update the details in the microchip database and on the collar. It's very common to find stray dogs and cats (some mes injured) whose owner's details are not up to date and can not be reunited to them. To update the details contact online or by phone or by post the company that holds the database in which your pet is registered.

If you don't remember the name of the company or of the database ask your veterinary prac ce to find it out or on the website h ps://www.check-achip.co.uk/. The microchip database might charge for changing the details, but if your details are outdated or wrong you can incur in a fine!

‘Help your pets stay in shape for 2019'

APRIL

2019

21

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

St Johns

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

April 2019 A strange start to the gardening season this year it started mild then became hot and sweltering, record temperatures for February and it seemed that every plant was looking to break dormancy, bloom, fruit and about go berserk. The weather then reverted to normal, or just a tad below average temperature and normality gained control again. I have never witnessed anything like it. As I am writing this, we have some extreme winds and a string of named Atlantic storms rushing towards the British Isles. I dislike strong winds and get very concerned. We are in a very open area at the Garden Centre right in the centre of what is known as the windy city (east of Baldock and Clothall Common) we get no end of severe and expensive damage, it cost a lot of money and time in repairs last year. Sitting looking out of the windows of our Tea room, I can see four sheds on the allotments opposite shaking and rocking, likely to go over any minute. There are supports and posts all wobbling about, crop protection and polytunnel covers, and even some ground covers are trying to get away blowing around like big flags, probably to fly away over the fields towards Wallington or Sandon villages.

Renting an allotment, especially last year was arduous work as was all outside work on gardens, farms or horticultural units, this time last year we had the beast from the east, we all chuckled when we watched and listened to the weather forecasters, and news readers, prophesizing extreme cold and deep snow. We all got bitten on the bum with that one as it turned out much worse than they had forecast, here we had a few days when we had to close as our water pipes froze we even had the locks on our gates and doors effectively glued shut by the cold so we couldn't get in.

As soon as the extreme cold cleared and we got to plant up whatever we had it turned slowly hotter and drier with weather records in the other direction, it was then incredibly dry and blisteringly hot for months.

Watering any plants was mostly a waste of time as it got too hot for the plants to make use of it. We are still suffering the effect of this now as good seed potatoes, and onion sets have been difficult to source. We took a decision not to offer onion sets this year as we could foresee growing problems for our customers from total failure to disease problems and false skins, there's nothing more annoying than finding a false skin inside your onions when it comes to cooking time.

If you locate some excellent onion sets make sure they are firm with even colour with good skin retention. Do not be tempted to purchase the sets that are starting to grow or have green shoots in the miss guided view that you will get a head start. Be aware this is wrong as they will bolt very early in the season and will not form onions of any quality. The same warning stands for shallots and garlic. Now a word of advice when planting any of the above make sure that they are covered with soil so that the nose, that's the pointy bit, the top of the set is about a centimetre below the soil surface and well firmed in. The reason for this is that as the green shoots appear from the ground, blackbirds, rooks and crows will pull them out and throw them to one side looking for the worms and grubs underneath.

In the eighties, we were growing dried flowers in our field between us and Hartsfield School. We would spend all day planting tens of thousands of Helichrysum plants with a tractor and semi-automatic planter only to find when we arrived the next morning that several thousand had been pulled out by the crows overnight, we had to collect them up and plant them all again by hand. Eventually, we had to cover acres of them with fleece to keep the birds off. One problem we had that you hopefully won't have is that we arrived early one morning to find a big old Badger ripping our fleece apart to get at the grubs worms, he eventually ran off across Clothall road and into Bakers Close football pitch.

April is time to be planting and sowing just about everything you want. We need to be feeding our shrubs, perennials and trees. Whichever way you decide to go organic or inorganic, please get as much information as you can so that you can make informed decisions on when, how and what you use. At the Garden Centre, we get to hear all sorts of miss advice and horror stories and the same old myths. The Royal Horticultural Society is probably the best place to start then the National Allotment society and further essential reading is the Health and Safety Executive web site, where you will find not only sound advice, but it will cover the current legal position. If in doubt call in, and I will point you to the best route to gain the information you need. Please don't start doing something willy nilly, please educate yourself first because you may find what Granddad used to do is no longer legal and in fact, may not have ever worked as he described or you remember.

It has always been my way of thinking that you must enjoy the growing of flowers, fruit and vegetables or you won't enjoy the results. If you have no pride in your growing, your results will be poor, hard work learning and skill will always show up in the end product with beautiful flowers and tasty fruit and vegetables, having said that everything you produce needs to have the same level of respect when cooked or arranged for viewing.

As a young boy, I was taught that pride in the product would be as good as a seasoning, as salt and pepper.

Enjoy your gardening, Cheers Graham.

Happy gardening Cheers Graham.

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2019

23

Merry Go Round Merry Go Round has had a busy start to the Spring Term. Our Pre-school children have been ge ng to know each other and have also had the opportunity to explore colours and shapes using various media and materials.

Our Nursery children have been learning about arc c weather which led to them having a very popular Disney Frozen week, as well as being given the opportunity to develop their mathema cal skills by holding a number week.

All the children enjoyed celebra ng Chinese New Year, where they got to make dragons, explored coloured rice.

We also celebrated World Book day when the children were invited to bring in their favourite books to share at story mes.

24

APRIL

2019

HAVE

YOUR

SAY!

Neighbourhood Plan Exhibi on May 3rd 7-9pm, May 4th 10am12pm Baldock is going to grow over the next two decades. We can influence how this happens, and help to keep Baldock beau ful, through the community-led neighbourhood plan.

Following two years of work, and extensive discussions with local people and groups, the Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall Planning Group has completed a first dra of the Neighbourhood Plan. They would like to share it with as many residents and businesses as possible to seek comments and feedback. There will be two Exhibi ons at the Community Centre and a Stall at the Baldock Street Fair in May. A dra of the plan will be available on the website at www.bbplan.co.uk. Please come and support the work of the planning group.

Following this consulta on the commi ee will review the comments and prepare a final dra of the Neighbourhood Plan, which will then be sent for independent examina on prior to a public referendum.

Full details of how to comment will be publicised nearer the me, so look out for further ar cles in the press, posters around the town and updates on our website, Baldock, Bygrave and Clothall Planning Commi ee

Ashwell At Home Open Gardens and a Fun Day Out for All! Sunday 12th May – 11am to 5pm

The picturesque village of Ashwell welcomes visitors to its popular annual event 'Ashwell at Home', where you can enjoy a wide range of things to see and do, with entertainment for all the family.

In addi on to the tradi onal programme each year Ashwell at Home focuses on a special theme – for 2019 we will be celebra ng 'crea vity' in its many and varied forms.

Ashwell at Home takes place throughout the village in a number of indoor and outdoor venues. Parking is in the centre of the village.

What's On? Ÿ 17 open gardens

Morris Men and Tudor dancing Children's ac vi es including a treasure hunt and a magic show Ÿ Crea ve workshops for adults and children including print workshop and experimental archaeology. Ÿ Musical concerts and live music. Ÿ Walks and Talks including renowned local sculptor John Mills talking about his life and work Ÿ Arts and Cra s with a visit to a tradi onal jeweller's workshop, basket making and spinning displays Ÿ And many other a rac ons including classic cars, exhibi on of vintage wedding dresses, village cricket match and fun fair, plant stall A wide range of refreshments will be available throughout the day at the Parish Rooms, Victorian Café at the URC Hall and the village school.

Tickets are £7 per adult on the day or £6 for advance ckets. Under 18's free when accompanied by an adult.

For more informa on, to purchase advance ckets and to view the published programme, visit www.ashwellathome.org.uk Ÿ Ÿ

Fairy & Cruise Charity Work

Fairy and Cruise are the two Shetland ponies that you may have spo ed around town, with Fairy’s owner Treena Mckelvie and her daughter Caitlin .

Together they have raised money for He es Helpers Hedgehog Rescue and the Garden House Hospice.

The ponies visited Provedence Court, Baldock in March to provide the residents with some ‘Pony Therapy’ for the residents, they were beau fully behaved as usual and it was smiles all round.

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2019

25

LAST CALL!!

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2019

5 minutes with... ... Brian Davies from *How did you become an electrician?

My dad worked in a foundry a er the war & couldn't stress enough how important it was to get a trade, so that's what I did when I le school. *What made you decide to set up the business?

I was working hard for another company making them a lot of money & decided that I could do all of this myself. *Are your team mostly local lads?

Yes! We have 3 guys from Letchworth, 3 from Baldock including myself & one guy from Po on. I have grown up working with most of these guys, trust is everything in this business. *What range of electrical work do BD cover?

We cover every aspect of electrical work, ranging from domes c to industrial/commercial & machinery. Something not many companies offer. We are very lucky to have vast experience across the board with our guys. *What makes BD Electrical different from other companies.

Again with such good experience in all sectors of the electrical industry I think it sets us apart as we take on many different types of electrical jobs, especially industrial work which not many companies cover! *How important is it to have electrical work carried out by a qualified electrician?

It's impera ve that you use a qualified electrician for your own safety & for people around you in the work place or at home.

We have uncovered some highly dangerous D.I.Y jobs over the years some which have resulted in fires.

*What has been your most memorable job?

Well it's hard to narrow down one job, but the na onal theatre in London was one of them and another would have to be the imperial war museum at Duxford. *How did the nick name (Percy) come about?

At school one of the older respected boys one day told me I look like a Percy! So the name stuck. *How have things changed so you became an electrical?

Tremendously I have gone from using hand tools to electric tools and then of course we have health and safety and all of the regula ons that are now required. *Is there s ll a demand for electricians?

Yes indeed there is a huge demand for all trades in the construc on industry not just electricians. There is a real shortage of school leavers wan ng to learn a trade. There is a lot of paper work involved when comple ng a jobs which seems to put them off, but I think that the same for most jobs these days. For me, to have a trade is very important, you can use it in any country where ever your life might take you. *What advice would you give to someone wan ng to become an electrician?

My advice would be to get an appren ceship with a small electrical firm, I feel you would get more one to one experience and not lost within a large company. *What's the best piece of advice you ever received?

This is very cliche but very true!

"Let the shipwrecks of others be your guide”

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2019

27

Dear On-Our-Doorstep, It's Sandra from Slimming World here and I just wanted to let you know how delighted I was recently to catch up with Lyn and Brian Wrigglesworth, who between them have lost a fabulous 4 stones and are enjoying many Health Benefits!

Sandra: How were you feeling before you joined / what was your reason for wan ng to lose weight?

Brian: We both felt heavy, lethargic and red with joint aches and pains Sandra: Why did you choose Slimming World?

Lyn: I was suffering from knee pain and was not happy with my fi ness, weight and appearance!

Brian: Several events came together! My mum died in Feb 2018. I turned 60 in April. Work commitments were challenging, as well as managing major projects, I was also, on call out of hours, weekends and Bank Holidays and this caused stress which turned to comfort ea ng (and drinking!). The cardiologist suggested I had become a man of a certain age and weight with a sedentary lifestyle. This cumulated in chest pains and having a stent inserted.

Sandra: What were your first impressions / experiences of a ending group?

Lyn: I had a ended other groups previously but had never really felt a real connec on, and Brian had never a ended a group at all and was very scep cal.

However on our first visit we were blown away with how welcome we were

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made, the fact that everyone was so friendly, suppor ve, and full of great advice.

However on our first visit we were blown away with how welcome we were made, the fact that everyone was so friendly, suppor ve, and full of great advice.

Sandra: What do you love about group?

How has staying to group helped you succeed?

Brian: From day one we were greeted like friends. The group members share their experiences which are both inspiring and mo va ng. We all share ps, help each other on our weight loss journeys, pick people up if they have slipped. No-one is ever judged, just offered fantas c help, advice and support. We have lost 4st between us since October, and can honestly say that we would never have achieved this so quickly had we not a ended group sessions or without the unwavering

enthusiasm and guidance of Sandra.

Sandra: What are your favourite meals?

Lyn: Absolute favourite meals are Chicken and Vegetable Chow Mein, King Prawns in Arrabia a sauce and a slow cooker favourite is Campfire stew.

Sandra: Have you no ced any specific health benefits?

Lyn: I feel so much be er . . . a new lease of life infact! Most importantly my joints don't hurt as much. I feel like a new woman!

Brian: I fell healthier, fi er, more body confident and generally feel a hundred mes be er about myself.

From a physical fitness point of view, I have now done several 30+ mile bike rides this year and have set myself a challenge of 2,500 - 3,000 miles cycling this year (and am on target).

Sandra: What is the biggest posi ve impact on your life both individually and as a couple?

Lyn: When I look to the future I feel at ease now health wise. We are taking care of ourselves and the years ahead look exci ng and full.

Brian: with the changes brought about by losing weight with Slimming World I have no chest pains, have been discharged by Cardiology, fell posi ve about the future and think we look a fine couple now.

Sandra: Thank you so much guys, I absolutely love having you in group and I think it is fair to say that if you bump into friends now they would indeed need to 'TAKE 2!"

Sandra

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Slimming Wld Recipe Supplied by

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Spring Lamb with Pea and Mint Consommé This is a great entertaining dish for spring and early summer. Don't worry about the consommé; it's really simple and is made from a chicken stock cube, but it adds a totally different slant to lamb.

Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

4 x 175g racks of lamb, all fat removed Salt and pepper 6 vine tomatoes, halved 1 tbsp freshly chopped basil 400ml chicken stock made with 2 stock cubes 25g fresh or frozen peas 2 tbsp small fresh mint leaves 4 sprigs of mint, to garnish

Method 1.Season the lamb with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes (or 20–25 minutes if you like it medium to well done).

Remove from the oven and rest for about 2–3 minutes before cutting into slices.

2.Meanwhile, sprinkle the tomatoes with chopped basil and a little seasoning, and grill for about 5 minutes until softened and tender.

3.Boil the chicken stock for several minutes, whisking well. Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes, then add the mint and check the seasoning.

4.Put the grilled tomatoes into 4 deep pasta bowls and arrange the neatly sliced lamb on top. Pour the pea and mint consommé over the lamb and serve garnished with a sprig of mint.

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Eggciting Times at Weston Way It is a very exci ng me at the nursery this term. We par cipated in World Book Day on Thursday 7th March. The children and staff all dressed up as characters from their favourite books. Everyone made such a great effort and we saw some very imagina ve characters and costumes. The children took part in an Usborne Book fundraiser by ge ng sponsored for listening to as many books as they could in a week. There was also a compe on to see who could read a book in the most unusual place. We will let you know the winning place at a later date!

We took part in a recycling ba eries scheme and were amazed at the amount of ba eries we collected in a month.

30

Well done to everyone who par cipated.

Our 5 duck eggs were delivered from Norfolk yesterday and today we have seen our first duckling hatch! The children and staff were so excited this morning to see our first ducking taking a well-deserved rest a er the ordeal of hatching. We are crossing our fingers that the other 4 eggs provide us with 4 healthy ducklings over the next couple of days.

All the children have planted potatoes this week in our growing area and carrots and onions will go in next week.

During the Easter holiday we will be hos ng an Easter Egg Hunt in the nursery garden. It will be on Wednesday 17th April from 10.0011.30am. Tickets are £3 each for children and adults come free. Tickets are available from the school office.

(3 more ducklings have hatched while I have been wri ng this ar cle!)

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The Life 'Make-Over' Life happens. And for some of us, a major life makeover can happen without our permission. Some of us are recently displaced from our career, recovering from a divorce, or suffering from depression from a major life change. Others may be just be looking to get back to their emotional centre and reduce their stressors. Have you wondered about what may help you achieve a truly balanced life? Focusing on Wellness necessitates good self-stewardship, for ourselves and for those we care about.

What is wellness?

Wellness is an active process of becoming mindful of and making choices towards a healthy and ful illing life. It is more than being free from illness, it's about allowing you to become the best kind of person that your potentials and circumstances will allow.

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or in irmity.” – The World Health Organisation.

Irrespective of a person's age, size, shape or perceived attractiveness, it is wellness that is the cornerstone of quality of life. It determines how we ultimately look, feel, interact with others and thrive in life and work.

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The right choices Making the right choices can be challenging. Although we know what is good for us and how we can do — and be — better, we may not act on it, or if we do we may in due course, slide back to familiar ways. Human behaviour — what we do, how we do it and whether we will succeed — is in luenced by many factors, 2 of which are of relevance

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Embarking on a wellness journey is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to make you a healthier and happier human being, plus discovering your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development. We offer a range of services from counselling, acupuncture to re lexology, foot health and more. All important factors that can contribute to your overall state of wellness. Let us help you on your journey to a fully balanced life. What could be better for a life makeover than feeling better, looking vibrant and enjoying the bene its of increased wellness? Schedule your personal assessment and begin your healthiest life yet starting today!

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TAKING TURNS Have fun moving into health with a new community dance theatre project .

Taking Turns is a new community dance theatre project aimed at the over 50s inspired by the growing recogni on that social dancing is one of the best prescrip ons you can be given for a healthy and happy body and mind.

Local dance prac oner Jane Turner, who as project leader with over 30 years experience as choreographer, dancer and teacher, is inspired by ”the joy, energy and sense of community that crea ve dance ac vi es can bring”.

Understanding the enduring benefits for self and society of regular movement ac vi es, the Taking Turns project has resulted from consulta ons with Baldock's Amber Health, who seek local movement workshops that could provide next step opportuni es for pa ents needing to gain strength, confidence and fitness post treatment.

Feel invigorated, make new friends whilst building mobility, well being, and confidence. Enjoy moving to music, playing with props, different dance styles, expanding your crea vity and learning medita on techniques.

Introductory session FREE Tuesdays 7-8.30pm star ng 26th February 2019 therea er Drop-in £10 (£7 concessions) Half a term 5 sessions £40 (£30 concessions) at the Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre at The Old Town Hall For more informa on contact Jane on 07801 352300 jane@janeturner.net

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YoungMinds Crisis Messenger The YoungMinds crisis messenger service provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text YM to 85258.

We aim to connect every texter to a trained volunteer in less than 5 minutes to provide support in a crisis. They will listen to you and help you think through how you’re feeling, and will aim to help you take the next steps towards feeling be er.

Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.

This service is powered by our trusted partner, Crisis Text Line.

How does it work?

The trained volunteer will introduce themselves, reflect on what you’ve said, and invite you to share how you’re feeling. You’ll text each other, only sharing what you feel comfortable with. By asking ques ons, listening to you and responding with support, they will help you think through your feelings un l you both feel you are now in a calm, safe place. You might be signposted to other services, so that you can con nue to get support.

Our crisis messenger service could help with urgent issues such as: Ÿ Suicidal thoughts Ÿ Self-harm Ÿ Abuse or assault Ÿ Bullying Ÿ Rela onship breakdown You can text us free and anonymously – although if the volunteer believes you are at immediate risk of harm, they may share your details with people who can provide support.

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‘WE GUARANTEE TO BEAT* your existing home insurance renewal quote in the SG postcode.’ For most people their home is the biggest investment they will ever make and the things they keep in it are their most prized possessions.

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Hay Fever 2019 Hay fever is caused by an allergy to pollen. The symptoms of hay fever are caused when a person has an allergic reac on to pollen. Common hay fever symptoms are: Ÿ a runny, itchy and/or blocked nose Ÿ sneezing Ÿ itchy eyes Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproduc ve cycle. Pollen contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

How to treat hay fever Many hay fever symptoms can be controlled with over-thecounter medica on at your local pharmacy.

Steroid nasal sprays help to prevent or reduce inflamma on in the lining of the nose and some can help to relieve watery eyes.

An histamines help to relieve a runny nose, sneezing, itching and watery eyes. Some types of an histamines make you drowsy and are best taken before bed. Newer an histamines are less likely to make you drowsy and are a common choice for children and people with milder or occasional symptoms of hay fever.

Decongestant nasal sprays and tablets are used to unblock the nose. They should never be taken for more than a few days at a me.

Eye drops can be used to treat itchy or watery eyes.

If none of the above treatments are effec ve for you, please book an appointment with your GP to discuss other treatments.

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Do you need to make a Will or revise your existing Will?

We offer a FREE initial appointment to discuss your circumstances, offering advice on Wills including ringfencing your home from care and guidance regarding inheritance Tax Nill Rate Bands.

HOME VISITS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS OF BALDOCK. SATURDAY MORNING appointments available on the following dates* 6th APRIL 2019 FREE WILL SERVICE for the over 55's through the Cancer Research Free Will Scheme For more information please contact:FISH HILL CHAMBERS, 2-3 FISH HILL, ROYSTON, HERTS, SG8 9JY Tel: 01763 241 121 t.pilcher@walkerspartnership.co.uk

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April Gallery

Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Local frog enjoying pondlife in Baldock Margaret Hughes

Baldock & Clothall WI ladies having fun at Radwell Meadows

Snowdrops in Radwell - Judy Bartlett

Swans on Radwell lake Matthew Bartlett

Queen of the road, Mrs Cooper.

(Hartseld’s lollypop lady) Margaret Dellar

LaurenceBrowne testdriving the ‘new green car’

Joshua age 7 from St Mary's infant school, went as a soldier and his adjective was "heroic" As all our service men and women are

Ted and Milly being taken for drive - Carolyn Rutherford

Thinking about Brexit Sarojini Ellis

Local wildlife enjoying lunch - Emily Herbert Linda Parcell

Beautiful shot Roger Elias

The new Weston debrillator funded by Roni and Michael Hearn KTS Year 8 Netball Squad

Weston Early Years - Turrets and Tiaras

Rob the landlord of the Orange Tree awards the 6 nations wooden sh to Scotland after an epic game between England and Scotland - Tara Geere

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Sporting Success

Baldock in Blm Calling all gardeners, as we reported last month to build on the great success of last year's ini a ve to get more flowers in Baldock High Street and White Horse Street, the Baldock Fes val Commi ee, Baldock Beer fes val and Baldock Events Forum are joining up with Tapp's Garden Centre to provide an opportunity to extend this across the whole of Baldock.

The idea is to add some real colour and brightness to the streets of Baldock, enhancing pride in our lovely town and ge ng as many people and businesses involved as possible. Who knows we might even be in for a chance with the Britain in Bloom na onal compe on!!

We are asking businesses and residents to consider installing hanging baskets outside their homes and business premises for the benefit of everyone. Graham Tapp, of Tapps Garden Centre has offered to provide the baskets, brackets, soil and plants at a reduced price and

we are also looking for sponsors. The beer fes val will be supplying the charity shops, BAAHC (Town hall) and community centre with theirs.

If you wish to install a hanging basket, please order via Tapps Garden centre on the form overleaf or just pop into Tapps Garden centre, Wallington Road, SG7 6RS by the end of the month.

Planted small baskets with brackets will be £25 and large baskets again with brackets will be £35. The baskets will be ready for collec on around the 17th May 2019.

We do hope that you will express an interest in this ini a ve and join us in our efforts to make Baldock a more wonderful place to live and grow up in.

For sponsorship enquiries please contact: Stuart Ma hews 07782285546 or To order a basket please contact: Tapps Garden centre on 01462 896302

St Mary's Junior School in Baldock, have had a very successful spor ng school year. They have par cipated in several events and added to their trophy haul. They have achieved individual and team success in cross country, twice boys district football winners, B team district football champions and year 4 boys, football champions.

The girls football team in par cular, have had a very special year. They have won back to back District tournaments. The first, in October 2018, resulted in the girls taking part in the Her ordshire ESFA compe on in Wa ord. Having won the District Compe on without conceding a goal they took this form to the county finals. They scored 13 goals and conceded just two.

The team reached the finals and played Manor Lodge from Radle . The final finished St Mary's 6 - 0 Manor Lodge with St Mary's progressing to the Regional finals in March 2019 where they will represent Her ordshire.

Another District compe on took place in February and once again the girls reached the final, this me against Lordship Farm from Letchworth. Despite going 1-0 down, the girls worked hard and came back to win the trophy 2 goals to 1. This win means that along with the boys, St Mary's girls will represent our district in another county compe on, The Wix Cup. The girls will have a busy few days with this event coming just two days a er the ESFA SE England Regional 7-a-side finals.

The team have also received good luck messages from To enham Ladies, Chelsea and Manchester City in the run up to the Regional Finals.

Ivel Springs Conservation Day 14th April - Lots to do!

Enjoy the Spring air with us!

And make a difference to your local environment.

Everyone welcome. All equipment provided. Stay as long or as short as you like.

Tea and Coffee and biscuits for all volunteers.

Engage with your local nature reserve and your local community, what a great way to spend your Sunday Friends of Baldock Green Spaces

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ALL SHEDS AND MORE OF LETCHWORTH

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BALDOCK

Did you know that the Baldock Surgery has a Pa ent Par cipa on Group? It has had one for a decade or so and now all GP prac ces are required to have one. Anyone who is a registered pa ent with the Baldock prac ce, or someone who is a carer for one, can be a member. The prac ce currently has 12,880 pa ents registered with it. Just over 80% of pa ents registered with the prac ce are residents of Baldock and the rest in the surrounding area.

The PPG fosters good rela ons between the GP prac ce and pa ents by communica ng pa ent experience, interests and concerns and providing feedback to the prac ce on its service and proposed new developments. It works with the prac ce to improve services and facili es for pa ents and to act as a sounding board for prac ce staff on issues affec ng pa ents.

In recent years it has supported carers' events at the prac ce, and worked with the prac ce to improve the quality of the wai ng area and the appointments

booking and telephone service .In parallel with the prac ce the PPG responded to the consulta on on the District Plan highligh ng concerns over the likely impact on the quality of the service, on air quality and accident risks arising from increases in road traffic and the need for a health impact assessment of the Plan. It has helped the prac ce with pa ent surveys which helps the prac ce determine what is it doing well and what it can do be er. It is also a channel for dissemina ng informa on about services such as health checks and cancer screening.

More recently senior pupils from the Templar school also became members thanks to the Chair who was also a primary school head.

But in the last twelve months or so there has been a falling off in the number of ac ve PPG members and we need to refresh, re-energise and regenerate its membership, and as part of that widen its role. The challenges Baldock faces with the massive increase in the number of homes to be built here and in the surrounding area, needs to engage and involve us all including the PPG to ensure that all services are expanded in a mely and appropriate way for exis ng and new residents without the exis ng service suffering .

So we need not just more ac ve we members but from as wide a range as can get. Perhaps you are a parent governor or are involved in a pre-school parents group or a local charity or other support group as well as being registered at the prac ce?

These kinds of connec ons and perspec ves would be invaluable.

This is not about coming to commi ee mee ngs and that kind of thing (there is a bit of that- for a small group ) but being part of a local network for health for people in Baldock and being informed by all the other aspects of life in our Town.

The PPG needs to look out more and widen the conversa on.

If you would like to hear more and discuss being part of the PPG please get in touch with Dr Bhavilk Shah at the prac ce who will also be able to put you in touch with a member of the PPG. baldocksurgery.recep on@nhs.net Tele: 01462 892458

Ÿ Conservatory Blinds Ÿ Vertical & Roller Ÿ Romans & Curtains Ÿ Venetians & Shutters Ÿ Awnings & Canopies Ÿ Velux & Pinoleum Ÿ Measuring & Fitting

Service Ÿ Visit our Showroom or

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Useful numbers

Courtlands Riding Stables & Pony Club Centre Always fancied horse riding but don’t know where to start?

Advice

Why not come down and have a chat and see what we have to offer Our friendly staff and clients are always around Saturdays and Sundays 9am -12pm

Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice Samaritans

03444 111444 0300 300 8136 116 123

A safe and relaxing environment for the whole family

Councils North Hertfordshire District

01462 474000

Pony club rallies and activities

Doctors

Indoor & outdoor riding facilities

01462 892458

Baldock Surgery

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities

Full livery and schooling

www.courtlandsridingstables.co.uk

01438 355121

Courtlands Riding Stables, Old Chanrty Lane, Todds Green, Stevenage, Herts, Sg1 2JE

0800 111 999 0800 7838838

Gas Emergency Electric power cut

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police 01707 354000

Police

Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Brandles

MARTIN BALL PLASTERING

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189

Travel Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

01462 892172 01462 896322

Play Groups 07709 618434 01462 896322

Magic Moments Merry Go Round

Plumbers Maben PE James

07949 120911 07816 586777

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Repairs Warrens Windows

01438 906300 01462 261401

Florist 07747 195325

Blooms of Baldock

Barbers 01462 895002

Micks of Baldock

Locksmith 07737885528

Lock and Glaze

Airport Taxi Greenacre Transfers

07555 707848

Mobile Hairdresser 07973 788418

Hair by Jacqui

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Contact Phil Allen on 01462 834411 or 07909 716631 or email allentrees@btinternet.com

AND VIEW THE FULL RANGE OF OUR PRODUCTS

Come along and view our full range of products on display in our new show room.

Kindlelight’s friendly staff will be on hand to assist with any queries. Everyone is welcome.

Ample parking and refreshments available.