August 2017

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

Issue 36 August/September

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

Welcome To the August issue of On Our Doorstep.

As July comes to an end all the local schools have been very busy, with an array of exciting activities taking place. Knights Templar School kept up their tradition of Enrichment Week that was crammed full of events and activities including a whole school walk of the 13.5 mile long Letchworth Greenway. St Marys held their own ‘Dodge Ball’ event and raised a large sum of money. It’s an end of an era for all the year 6's as they will all be heading off to secondary school come September. The Hartsfield year 6 students celebrated the end of term with a disco and an active (and very muddy) afternoon at OCR! After 7 good years at Hartsfield our youngest will be moving on to Knights Templar in September.

As the outdoor cinema event at the Cricketers, Weston was such a success, they have already organised another one for August, more details on page 16.

The Baldock Events Forum took over the running of the Baldock Cycle Challenge for the first time last month. As always it was great to see so many cyclists in the High Street setting off for the 57 mile ride. Their next big town event may seem a long way off but it'll come around before we know it - the Christmas Market! If you would like to get involved, whether you're a local business or an enthusiastic volunteer be sure to get in touch.

Balstock is back in September with all the usual frivolities! The annual event has the town buzzing with live music and acts across multiple

venues in Baldock. The weekend grows in popularity year on year and 2017 will be no different. There is something for everyone in terms of performances and the atmosphere appeals to friends, families and music lovers of all ages. This year's festival is in dedication to Elaine LaRoche, mother and treasurer of Balstock RIP x A few members of our fantastic delivery team are heading off to university in September and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work delivering and wish them the best of luck. This does however mean that we have a couple of spaces and are on the lookout for new team members, if you would like the chance to join get in touch with Jacqui on the details below.

Enjoy the summer

Paul & Jacqui

info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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News from Sandon JMI School The pupils and staff have had another posi ve and produc ve year of learning. We hope all members of our school community have a relaxing summer holiday.

July was a very busy month for all of us. We had Arts Week where all of the children took part in an African drumming workshop. We also performed our annual Summer Concert. This saw the children singing beau fully and playing a variety of instruments including the piano, the flute, ukuleles and guitars. The concert has always been a wonderful way to show children the benefits of learning to play an instrument. During Arts Week our Year 4 children visited Knights Templar School to play their trombones alongside children from other local schools.

July also saw many spor ng events, with children going out into the wider community and compe ng against other schools. We celebrated our many spor ng achievements during our Celebra on Assembly and the report wri en for us by Mrs Reynolds chronicled over 30 spor ng events our pupils have a ended in the past year. The Moon Award for spor ng excellence and the Long Shield for spor ng poten al were awarded. Well done to the worthy winners: Ella Buky, Archie Rolfe, Tom Hall and

Belle Marshall. Baldock Rotary came to school to give children in Year 3 and 4 cer ficates for par cipa on in their annual wri ng compe on and there was an extra special men on for Emily Levy who reached the district final. Hillary and Anna Gallo came into school to present our Friendship Awards. We pride ourselves on being a friendly and caring school and the winners of the award this year were Adam Eversden and Betsy Gibbons.

On July 17th it was our privilege to welcome many villagers into school for a delicious a ernoon tea. Year 5 helped set the tables and courteously greeted and seated our guests. Huge thanks to our dedicated FOSS volunteers who made this event possible.

Thank you to Year 3 and 4 for providing the entertainment.

We will be back with more school news next month. Wishing a safe and happy summer holiday.

Emma McGill - Head teacher

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The children at Weston Way Nursery School are coming to the end of their year with us. During the year they all take part in our gardening club within the nursery session. This year they have planted, tended and harvested the following vegetables; potatoes, carrots, broad beans, onions and an assortment of culinary herbs.

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It is so rewarding to hear the children talking about the growing process using a wide range of vocabulary gained from first-hand experiences. We were thrilled to hear this week we had been successful yet again (5th year running) in the Baldock Hor cultural Society Show. We won first prize in 4 categories and second prize for our carrots. I asked the children why they thought we had not received first prize for the carrots, “It's because we had to dig them up too soon because of the show!”

The children are looking forward to having the harvested vegetables for their snack during the last week of the term.

Jane Mille - Headteacher

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AUGUST

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Foodie Make-Over for The Ashwell Show New and Improved Food and Drink Stalls join Family A rac ons for this year's Ashwell Show If you're looking for a fun day out for all the family, then this year's Ashwell Show, on Bank Holiday Monday August 28th, has everything you need. Alongside great a rac ons, this year there are new food and drink stalls to tantalise visitors' taste buds, including gourmet toas es, delicious pulled meat, Sri Lankan cuisine, Lebanese treats, wood-ďŹ red pizzas, and bu ermilk chicken.

Yum! And for drinks-o-clock me there will be a vintage cocktail bar and the ever-popular beer tent.

Centre stage this year is hilarious crowd-pleaser The Lamb Na onal which will see sheep race around the main ring to an entertaining commentary. There's also the chance to go to circus school, watch the ferret race, and take in all the classic Ashwell Show favourites, including: local horse show with clear-round jumping, dog agility display and dog compe ons, birds of prey demonstra on, vintage cars, tractors, cra tent, free cra demonstra ons, and shopping stands.

For families there's hours of fun with the Ladder 87 Company who will be ge ng everyone involved in their family-friendly ac vi es, a free Punch & Judy Show, free face pain ng, children's cra tent, mini farm, pony rides, sand the chance to hold snakes and rep les.

Prices remain the same great value at ÂŁ8 for adults, ÂŁ4 for concessions and children aged 5-15, under 5s are free. Advance ckets available at a 20% discount from www.ashwellshow.co.uk.

Gates open 8.30am to 5pm, main ring a rac ons start from 1pm and the horse events start at 9am.

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AUGUST

2017

Schools Out For Summer As you read this, the summer holidays have begun! The end of term was a fran c few weeks of spor ng, academic and cultural ac vi es and events and children, staff and parents were relieved when we got to the end of term.

As an update to my last ar cle, Hartsfield did win the District Athle cs Compe on and our team represented the school with pride. We have just achieved the Silver School Games award in recogni on of our spor ng provision and so we are smiling from ear to ear!

The summer holidays will see some works on the school grounds and members of staff will be in and around the school building. Unfortunately, in recent weeks local youths have been on the school grounds and have damaged school property.

During term me we do check the grounds each morning, par cularly the Early Years outdoor area, to ensure there is no damage or debris however we would ask that during the weekends and holidays anyone seeing people in the school grounds in the evenings or over the weekend to contact the police please. We are already in touch with our local PCSO team who will be including the footpath alongside the rear of the school as part of their patrol route.

Finally you may have seen a new recent addi on to the Hartsfield team. Mrs Cooper is our new Lollypop person and will be patrolling the crossing outside the school at the beginning and end of each day. Her appointment was in response to several dangerous incidents in the area, parent feedback and to maintain the safety of our families.

I have now completed my first year as Head teacher and, as I wrote in my recent newsle er, I was proud to be Head of Hartsfield last September, I am even prouder now.

I wish our families and the Baldock community a happy, safe and fun summer.

Philippa Smith - Head Teacher

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Rotary Young Writers Competition Sandon JMI School At an exci ng prize-giving assembly at Sandon JMI School, President Mike Williams of Baldock Rotary Club presented cer ficates to students of the school who had entered their stories based on the theme "Reflec on" in the Rotary Young Writer Compe on. All the scripts had been of a high standard and prizes were presented to the winner and two runners-up of the club round of the compe on.

Emily Levy's story won both the Baldock Club round of the compe on and the Junior round of the District Compe on so she received a trophy from Rotary District 1260 (Beds, Bucks and Herts) and, as her winning script had par cipated in the na onal compe on, she also received an addi onal cer ficate signed by the President of Rotary Interna onal in Britain and Ireland. The school were awarded a cheque from Baldock Rotary Club.

Also in the picture is Rotarian John Hammond, District Organiser of The Young Writer Compe on and Emma McGill, Head Teacher of Sandon JMI School.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

Aug & Sept

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Treatment options - Take your pet to the vet if you Dog/Cats vs. Grass Seeds! think they are being aggravated by a grass seed.

So the warmer months are here and as you take your fluffy companions for lovely long walks there are dangers lurking all around! One in particular....... grass seeds!

Grass seeds are shaped in such a way that it can be difficult for one to escape from the body once it has made its way inside. Their pointed head and arrow-shaped fibres enable them to cling on to fur, and their awn makes travelling backwards extremely difficult. They can become lodged almost anywhere on or in a dog/cat, from their eyes and ears to the pads on their feet, and can move around inside the body. The seeds are sources of infection that cause inflammation and painful swelling, which can then develop into an abscess... They tend to require removal, as they can't usually be broken down.

Signs and symptoms - Ears: Your dog/cats may scratch their ears, rub their head along the floor, shake it and walk at a tilted angle. The ear might also be sore to touch and the dog/cat may hold their head to one side. Infections can develop at the site, in extreme cases the ear drum could rupture and the dog might even go deaf or lose their balance permanently. They could die if the seed travels from this area into the brain.

Feet: Signs of a seed in the feet are swelling, redness and a weeping hole. The dog/cat will try to lick or chew the affected place, and limp or hold their leg up. In extreme cases a seed can travel from the feet up through the leg, all the way up to the chest or joints.

Eyes: The eye will seem swollen, inflamed and red, and may also be watery. Ulcers can appear, and the dog/cat might rub at the site because of the irritation. Seeds can even enter the eye itself. Long-term problems can result in blindness, and the eye may even be removed depending on the severity. .

There are a number of treatment options that may be available. Depending on how deeply embedded the seed is, it may be possible for the vet to extract it without too much discomfort from the pet. Otherwise, anaesthesia or sedatives may be required so the area the seed is present in can be explored. They are often removed using tweezers if present in the skin, ears or eyes. Further treatment and medication may be necessary if the seed has caused damage to the eye.

If a grass seed is thought to be the source of discomfort but it cannot be found, surgery may be necessary to remove it. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicine may be administered to combat any infection and inflammation where the seed has been lodged.

Prevention is better than cure It can be very difficult to prevent grass seeds, but there are some measures you can take. Try to stay away from walking your dog in fields with long grass as much as possible, and stick to areas where it has been cut short.

This includes making sure you cut the grass in your own garden regularly.

Excessive hair around the paws, ears and arm pits needs to be trimmed on a regular basis as it can pick up grass seeds more easily. Make sure your dog is regularly groomed.

Make sure to check your dog's body thoroughly for grass seeds after every walk, and take note of anything that looks unusual or any different behaviour your dog may be exhibiting. If you think they may have a grass seed stuck somewhere in their body, or they are displaying some strange behaviour, take them to the vet.

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AUGUST

2017

Ultimate Dodgeball Children and staff from St Mary's Junior School in Baldock have been battling it out in an Ultimate Dodgeball Tournament for the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The school have raised an astonishing amount of £3369.97.

The initiative, organised by the BHF, aims to promote the importance of maintaining a healthy heart through regular exercise whilst raising vital funds for its fight for every heartbeat. The sponsored tournament has seen 239 children aged between 7 and 11, and 30 staff members duck, dive and dodge in the fast paced game, showcasing the skills they have been working on over the past few weeks.

PE Teacher, Scott Hagland, at St Mary's Junior School said: “The Ultimate Dodgeball Tournament was a huge success. Over the last few weeks we have been having lots of fun preparing for the big day. I'm still not sure who enjoyed it the most out of the children and adults! The Ultimate Dodgeball scheme has really helped us encourage healthy habits, whilst creating a more active ethos. It's a fantastic event for the school, children and adults.”

Events Project Manager at the BHF, Beck Bayram, says: “We really want to encourage as many schools and youth

groups as possible to get involved in our physical activity initiatives. Ultimate Dodgeball is a fantastic and fun way to get children more active. It also helps the BHF to raise vital funds to support its life saving research into coronary heart disease, the UK's single biggest killer.”

Tens of thousands of children take part in the Ultimate Dodgeball tournament initiative each year. It raises money to not only support the vital work of the BHF, but also the participating schools, as they get to keep 20% of the money raised as well as a dodgeball pack worth £30 to help them get their pupils more active.

8th-10th September

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Close to 200 keen cyclists descended on Baldock's High Street on Sunday 23rd July, to take on the Baldock Cycle Challenge.

The Challenge is a 57 mile ride through Baldock and the surrounding villages, split into two loops. The first is the south loop, kicking off in the High Street, the route sends riders through Weston to Hall's Green and then up to Rushden, Sandon and Therfield, before heading back into town via Wallington. The second loop brings participants through the North of the area, heading out to Ashwell and as far as Bassingbourne before turning back through Hinxworth and Newnham.

The event attracted participants of all ages. The youngest rider of the day being 10 and the most senior was Ray Parry, 83. Ray made it a family affair by completing both loops with his son Darryl and grandson Jake (pictured left).

Baldock has hosted the event now for several years, but this was the first year that Baldock Events Forum organised the ride. A large team of volunteers headed up by Richard Harbon and Jim McNally were on hand throughout the town and the 7 checkpoints along the route. Rebecca Thomas was one of the fantastic volunteers who went the extra mile making over 200 cupcakes as a treat for riders once they had completed the challenge. Carrie Dunne from the BEF took care of the registration process and congratulating participants with their certificates as they came through the finish point on Baldock High Street.

The Baldock Events Forum would like to thank all the event sponsors for 2017: Paul's Bikes, EBS New Media, Knights Sport Fitness and Sports Therapy 4U, who pitched up on the day to provide their sport massage service . A special thanks to Darryl Shields of DTS Cycle Services who was also on hand to help with any problems with the bikes, and Tesco Extra Baldock for providing all the bottled water for the riders and snack bags for the team of marshals.

The next big event for the Forum to organise is the Baldock Christmas Fair in December. If you would like to get involved, either helping in the organisation or would like to have a stall at the event, please get in touch by email info@baldockeventsforum.co.uk 16

AUGUST

2017

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Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th August 1pm-10.30pm, at The Coach & Horses Stotfold. Live music, BBQ & free entry

‘The Jungle Book’ Family Open Air Cinema Thursday 17th August at 12:00 - 14:30 at The Cricketers, Weston. We’ll have the barbecue ready from 12 (with burgers & hot dogs £5) or you can pre-order your very own picnic lunch box (pizza slice, brownie, grapes & fruit shoot £6.50). To pre-order your picnic lunch box please email info@thecricketersweston.co.uk.

Baldock Allotments Open Day Saturday 19 August 12noon – 3pm at Tapps Garden Centre, Wallington Road, Baldock.

Help BALGA celebrate National Allotments Week and discover more about growing your own fruit and veg in Baldock. Refreshments available in Tapps.

For more information visit www.balga-online.co.uk

Old White Horse Beer Festival!

Friday 25th August - 12:00- 22:00pm. The once legendary festival returns with a bang this August Bank Holiday Weekend! With 24 real Ales, Hog Roast and Live Music running over the whole weekend, what else could you ask for?

Ashwell Country Show Monday 28th August - 8.30am - 5pm, vintage Cars, Tractors, children's entertainer, craft demonstrations, craft tent, amazing Reptiles, Punch & Judy show, Horse Show, food stalls, gift stalls, home accessories fun for all the family.

Balstock 2017 Hertfordshires Biggest Free Music Festival Friday 8th, Saturday 8th & Sunday 10th September.

North Hertfordshire's ferociously independent free music festival Balstock is back for it's 12th year, steam-rollin into town with around 200 acts in 12 venues over 3 days.

August

Starlight Walk - Garden House Hospice Saturday 30th September, Baldock Road, Letchworth, SG6 2ER. This wonderful night time walk, is open to ladies and gentlemen (minimum age 10 years when walking with a participating adult). Walkers will complete a 6 mile route-starting at 9.00pm from the North Herts Leisure Centre in Letchworth. Price £15.00 per Person *Please note that places are limited so please register early to avoid disappointment

Classic Ibiza Knebworth Saturday 19th August 18:00pm, Knebworth House, Knebworth. This will be Hertfordshire’s biggest dance party of the Summer full of iconic Ibiza anthems. A chillout set in the first half will be followed by a half hour interval with DJ Goldierocks playing the latest Ibiza tunes. Tickets, FAQs and times can be found on our website www.classicibiza.co.uk/ If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 15th Sept 2017.

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What is Chinese Cupping?

Chinese Cupping is an ancient method of healing. Did you no ce it in the Olympics? Or maybe you have seen someone with the trademark circles le on their skin? It is favoured by millions of people benefi ng both athletes to office workers. Cupping is performed using a pump and plas c cups. A par al vacuum is created in cups placed on the skin, this draws up the underlying ssues.

When the cup is le in place on the skin for a few minutes, increased blood flow is achieved and localized healing takes place (the famous circle marks!).

How will Cupping benefit you?

Do you have back pain? Are you red of aching every me you stand up? Or do you just want to “get the most out of your body” and feel good? Then you should certainly give cupping a try!

Massage cupping can help alleviate pain, decrease swelling, increase range of mo on and speed up healing processes.

Cupping has also been found to affect the body up to four inches into the ssues, causing ssues to release toxins, ac vate the lympha c system and reduce muscle tension.

Cupping is a perfect way to get rid of those aches, pains and improve your overall health, widely used by both sports performers and sedentary workers for its magical healing effects!

BY MATTHEW DURRANT

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23 Whitehorse Street, Baldock SG7 6QB

After 75 years & Countless Knots Popular Scout Leaders, Mick and Deb Dilley have decided to hand over the reins at the 2nd Baldock Scout Group a er an amazing 75 years' service as warranted leaders.

Mick joined the group has a Cub and then went on to Scouts and then Senior Scouts. On his eighteen birthday in 1961 he was awarded his Leader's Warrant and he has been with the Group ever since achieving an incredible 56 years of adult service. A er his marriage to Deb she also became a member of the Group and has held a warrant for the last 29 years.

They have devoted a life me of service to the 2nd Baldock Scout Group encourage by the values of Scou ng and their loyalty to Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity and St Augus ne. They leave behind many happy memories and take great pride in the achievements of their Scouts who have gained the highest awards in Scou ng such as the Queen's Scout Award and have represented the County at the 16th World Jamboree in Australia.

They provided outdoor adventures at their farm and highlights have included visits to Lochearnhead, a Her ordshire County Scout Centre, and adventures abroad to the Lech Valley in Austria and the Georges du Tarn in France.

Mick and Deb took pride in the Group's involvement with the local community on occasion such as the Baldock Fes val, Balstock and the annual Remembrance Day Service and Parade.

They were very proud to receive the Silver Acorn, one of Scou ng's highest honours, awarded for specially dis nguished service over a period of not less than twenty years.

Over a hundred past and present members of the 2nd Baldock Scout Group a ended a strawberry cream tea in their honour and they will be remembered with gra tude and affec on by many genera ons of Scouts.

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

August 2017.

To start this month I wanted to congratulate everyone who put entries into our local spring shows, the quality of the plants, flowers and produce has been legendary considering the conditions we have all had to put up with, extremes of cold, wind, drought, and heat, well done to you all.

It seems that all that entered any of the classes had a great time, even those who were not lucky enough to win this time were talking about the excitement of digging and preparing the plot, their secret suppliers of seeds, fertilisers and composts their own very special mixes, temperatures for propagation, transplant techniques, etc., etc., etc. It seems it is also a world of small time espionage and counter espionage with alleged dirty doings, theft and accidental interference, such are the stories I have heard as I have been walking around post judging. In the days when I was a Steward at fruit shows in Kent all sorts of devious stuff went on, the stalks being pulled out of cherries, bird poop accidentally dropped on apples or pears, lemon juice being put onto strawberries so they turned pale, of course I never got involved in any of this and I have no idea if any of it worked but we were instructed to look out for it. If you get a chance to look around a horticultural show, please do, even if its just the once, drop into our world for an hour or so, talk to exhibitors get involved in their stories, perhaps have a go enter something.

At last we have had some rain, quite a lot for this time of the year, It will have saved many of the garden crops for those who don’t have access to anything other than metered water, the allotment holders across the road from me don’t have a very good supply at the moment but will have very soon and have suffered some very dry times, having said that, they have some especially good looking crops considering the weather they had to contend with, most of them are canny hardened growers who have lots of tricks up their sleeves to cope with dry times, now the allotment association (BALGA) have a sign out on the Wallington road roundabout proclaiming they have some available plots, so not only could you enter some local shows but you could grow your show winners on your own plot, best of all imagine being able to cook and eat all that lovely produce.

At the end of July through August and into September our gardens should be at their best, hanging baskets if not made up to early will last though till October as should planters, shrubs of all types will be flowering and then have a leaf colour change, looking best of all if planted close enough and in the correct position will be the hardy perennials, I thought I would give you a suggestion list for what is looking good now and will look good through the next few months, if you use this list to add plants to your garden you will have colour all summer.

Hydrangea - various varieties coloured from white to purple, Lily - good for height various colours, Gerbera or Garvinea - as they are now called subtle pastel pink through to yellow, Torenia - dark blue through to purple, Coleus Variegated leaf of all colours, Penta - Dark pink to white, Begonias - for baskets, pots, planters and bedding, a multitude of colours dark red through to white, Dwarf sun flowers mixed yellows, Dianthus every colour you can think of, Echinacia -for height all sizes and colours, Rudbeckia - for height mixed colours, Japanese anemone - pastel colours good leaf definition at front of borders, Heuchera- for leaf colour and definition throughout the year good at the front / middle of planting tall white flower spikes looks good from now on, Penstemon - various height tubular flowers of many colours, Gaura white through to red, different shaded tall stems holding flowers from half way to the top, flowers from July onwards, Hemerocalis tall sword like leaf big orange to yellow flowers similar to Lilly, Gladioli - sword like leaf multitude of long flower spikes of all colours, Crocosmia - tall sword like leaf, yellow to orange flower spikes.

One of the questions I get asked most is about growing wisteria, firstly lets start with pruning, the end of July into early August is the time of the year to take control of your wayward wisteria. Now most of them get a bit aggressive in their first two or three years after planting, this is when you can get some framework established so just direct it to where you want it to go, you will get laterals (side shoots) just wandering off all over the place, we don't want these to take over so cut them back, there are two trains of thought on what you should do with them. 1, Cut them in half in mid august, 2, Cut them back to six buds late July. I have no preference, but was always taught to use system number one I think that was because we had far too much work on in the walled veg garden and rose garden in July.

So you have your framework sorted and it's going where you want it, you now have the laterals cut back, what happens next is that the buds remaining on the laterals will ripen in the long autumn sunshine. Another two trains of thought say that you do or don't feed them at this time of year, but what ever you do don't feed them any nitrogen fertiliser lots of P and K, Mg if you want even an iron feed won't go amiss here in North Herts due to the chalk soil.

Back to pruning, In February you need to take a think about what you want out of your wisteria if you want a nice tight shape, then prune the laterals back to two buds otherwise leave them at four or six buds, now if you have an older vine, you may have to thin it a bit, look at its shape and decide which parts of the mainframe to cut out, do this first there is no point in trimming laterals that are coming out on the shortened main frame. There is another co -existing thought that you can prune the main framework in the summer, now if you decide to do your major work in July / August do not feed it at all or it will go bonkers with growth and look like a hedgehog with lots of short stumpy upright growths in a fruit tree these would be called water shoots, not what we want, what we want is to obtain a slow growing vine very open so that you get lots of light into it and also it needs to be open so that the flower trusses are out on view and not hidden from view by lots of foliage. Now I have to say that having done all of this work it wont gurantee that you will get any flowers, I once worked a very rich gentleman who paid all sorts of specialists to come and advise on his very old wisteria and still it never flowered, some flower in the first year after planting, most take a few years and some never do.

If you are around and about in the countryside over the next few weeks, watch the hedgerow berries starting to colour up they are looking good but not as good as last year, Farmers will be out harvesting and then ploughing, If you have never had anything to do with agriculture then it’s a good chance to see and understand the end of their years work. Hope you all have a successful crop harvest, cheers Graham.

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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Power Clean - IOS & Android Op mize your phone, clean and clear junk files from your phone now. It promises to improve the speed, performance and storage of your smart phone.

SeeSaw - NetMums - IOS & Android Find over 140,000 local family ac vi es on SeeSaw by Netmums. From clubs and classes to events and places to go, SeeSaw finds fun ac vi es for families, babies, kids and teenagers, in every UK city.

Seeing AI - IOS An awesome AI by Microso to help the visuallyimpaired, the app will make sense of what you are poin ng the camera at and narrate it. Be it a person, colour, or a piece of text. credit phonearena.com The Snail - - IOS The Snail is an advanced audio analysis and instrument tuning applica on for iPhone. As an analogue of the human cochlea where the different frequencies are split-up and analysed, The Snail for FaceSwap - IOS Face swap apps may be the thing of yesterday, but this new app from Microso lets you take a photo of your mug, then puts you in the scene of whatever target photo you choose (as long as there is a person in it).

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AUGUST

2017

Dell Latitude 7480 - A Smooth Portable Windows Experience As a 'Mac' user for the last few years, I was interested to see whether a Windows Laptop could come close to my experience using a Macbook Pro, so when I received the Dell La tude 7480 for review, I was eager to see if it could meet my expecta ons.

A first glance the Dell looked and felt very high quality, the aluminium of my exis ng laptop was replaced by a so touch ma black finish. with ma screen. I was pleased to see the keyboard was backlit which made opera on in dark areas much easier and it seems crammed with every kind of poin ng device op on I have ever seen!

The Dell was installed with Windows 10 and this ran up very quickly, ably assisted by a 256GB SSD Drive which prac cally removes loading mes, 8gb of memory and an incredibly fast Intel i7 processor. The colour produc on of the 14 inch screen was extremely impressive and the 1920 x 1080 resolu on seemed plenty for the screen area.

The setup process was really simple, something I assume most Windows 10 PC's now benefit from. The super fast drive and processor obviously help with this and I was up and running in a couple of minutes.

The laptop was very happy running on ba ery alone for significant amounts of me and even with fairly heavy use, lasted well. The charging connector is also lit in blue to make finding it in the dark very easy.

Connec vity wise, the Dell 7480 is packed with different sockets on each side of the device, with power socket, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, Full Sized HDMI, 3 x USB-3 , smart card reader, headphone jack, Simcard slot, Micro SD reader and Ethernet connector, plenty in fact to please any business person.

Along with the standard sized backlit keyboard, the laptop also had a mouse 's ck' in the centre of the keyboard, a touch pad and two sets of mouse bu ons, 2 below the touch pad and 3 above just below the space bar. I found it quite surprising to find almost every itera on of naviga on hardware on one laptop, but it was nice to have the op ons to choose from.

I spent quite a lot of me running fairly heavy duty so ware on the Dell La tude 7480, from Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe A er Effects CC to Adobe Premiere CC and a couple of other video editors. Video edi ng is really processor and memory intensive, it requires the ability to copy and edit very large files. The Dell seemed to handle this will ease, I was able to plug in an external monitor via the HDMI port and edit large 4K

video files without any no ceable lag.

The La tude 7480 is aimed squarely at the business market and appeared to cope amiably with pre y much any task I threw at it.

As with Dell products, you can customise your order when purchasing from them. Prices start at £999, the model I tested out was in the region of £1360.

If you are looking for a very high performance laptop with excellent ba ery life and screen, you shouldn't go far wrong with the 7480.

Ma Porter, The Gadget Man - h ps://gman.ga/ma gman

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2017

23

From KTS Towers to the

Dreaming Spires of Cambridge University Rowan Gray reports from an incredible day out at Cambridge University where he witnessed the very best academia has to offer We arrived by minibus, parking in the yard of one of the many residences. We were greeted by two students, one of whom was days away from the gradua on, having studied the natural sciences; the other was studying philosophy in their second year, and was kind enough to show us her room followed by the shared kitchen.

“Most students eat out,” she smiled, “so this is barely used.”

Which was just as well, as the room was snug enough with three people in it.

We made our way to the library, which was set parallel to the student halls. It was magnificent, and had a great Hogwartslike feel due to the ancient books and medieval design.

We then met the college’s punt (a kind of flat boat) club and took a stroll by the river to visit the chapel. We were amazed to see some students actually climbing on the roof. The architecture was glorious. Did you know the King’s College Chapel has the largest fan vault in the world? Neither did I, nor did I know what that meant, un l I looked it up. It’s the magnificent stone arched roof.

A er this, we were shown the college bar and splendid dinner hall. This was closely followed by saying farewell to our tour guides and being passed on to a Classics academic. She explained how to apply to Cambridge, as well as answering numerous ques ons.

By this point, the group had done an awful lot of walking and the convoy needed to refuel. The kitchen served fresh modern and modest food in the grand and glorious dining hall. It was like dining in a castle - King’s College being aptly named.

We ventured out into the city, speed walking to keep to our schedule, to Cambridge’s own legal deposit library. A legal deposit library is a library that keeps a copy of every published book in the UK. And that really does mean every published book since the 15th century. Today, the library has over 8 million items. Eight million!

At the newly built James Dyson Building, we were told about the courses offered in engineering, and how they are taught.

We were then shown the materials lab - filled with great beams of wood and metal, the electrics and so ware lab populated by robots and a magne c accelerator gun, followed by the mechanical engineering (wind tunnels and engines), the tech lab (with more robots, only locomo ve, hopping ones), and a general projects lab. The whole effect was stunning.

I found my experience at Cambridge informa ve and inspiring. It's definitely persuaded me to apply. That is, if I get that triple A* of course!

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2017

25

Conservatory Blinds Conservatory blinds don't have be conserva ve when it comes to style.

Due e® Cellular, Pleated or Perfect Fit Blinds are available in a wide range of elegant pa erns, rich and tac le textured weaves and a complete range of transparencies – so you can find your own perfect balance of light, privacy and stunning design.

“Ge ng the right light in room is important as it can really change the way you feel and how a room looks. In rooms like conservatories where the heat, cold and light need to be balanced, the right shading can really help enhance the comfort and enjoyment of the room."

Motorised conservatory roof blinds are even more prac cal and easy to use. Motorisa on lets you control your roof blinds and increase your comfort and privacy from your smart phone, tablet or remote control. Create your favourite scenes and set the exact posi on you want your blinds so you can make the most of your conservatory day or night.

Due e® energy saving blinds are the perfect solu on for your conservatory, providing welcome climate control as well as fi ng beau fully into the architecture of the conservatory and looking amazing. They can bring your conservatory to life, transforming the space into a room that you will enjoy all year round. The unique honeycomb structure of Due e® blinds is brilliantly designed to trap air inside and provide valuable insula on, and the Due e® fabrics have a special coa ng which adds to their effec veness by reflec ng as much as 78% of the heat away from the outside, yet cleverly keeping it in when you need to stay warm. Your conservatory will become more enjoyable to use all year round, thanks to Due e® blinds.

Pleated Blinds The Pleated blind's concer na design ensures that they can be opened and closed with ease for instant control of light, shade, temperature and privacy. Both slim & discreet, when not in use you can s ll enjoy the view from the conservatory because you hardly no ce they are there.

Perfect for any shape or size of window, this precise ght fit ensures that when they are closed, the amount of light and heat escaping is significantly reduced when compared with poorly fi ed blinds.

Pleated blinds are also available with SPC fabrics with solar reflec ve coa ngs. This helps to reflect the sun's rays from the glass – ensuring your conservatory stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Perfect Fit For the ul mate in style, choose Louvolite Perfect Fit® a unique fi ng system developed by Louvolite that requires no drilling or screwing during installa on. Stylish and contemporary in appearance, Perfect Fit complement your pleated blinds for that extra finishing touch.

The system is unique because the window blind fits neatly into a stylish frame, which moves together with the windows and doors when they are opened and closed giving you the perfect combina on of shade and ven la on.

Call into our showroom to view all the ranges of conservatory blinds available. Every conservatory and window is professionally measured and expertly made to measure, so even the most unusual shapes, slopes and individual sizes can be successfully tackled.

FINESSE, 41 High Street. Baldock. Herts. SG7 6BG. Tel. 01462 896046 26

AUGUST

2017

SUMMER MOVIES

MC P umbing and Heating

AUGUST 19th - THE HITMANS BODYGUARD The world's top protection agent is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hit men. The bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their journey from England to the Hague, they encounter highspeed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator who is out for blood.

AUGUST 25th - ROUGH NIGHT Jess (Scarlett Johansson) is an engaged politician who reunites with three of her college friends for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. Best friend Alice has the weekend scheduled to the half hour, until Frankie scores some cocaine off a busboy in the bathroom and everything soon takes a hilariously dark turn when a male stripper accidentally dies at their beach house. Amid the craziness the women ultimately find themselves.

We are Gas Safe Registered and use Kamco products and machines for our Power Flushing We are based in Baldock and offer a reliable service For all your plumbing needs contact Mark who will be happy to help you mark@mc-plumbingandheating.com www.mc-plumbingandheating.com

AUGUST 25th - AMERICAN MADE Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), a TWA commercial airline pilot and hustler, is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the burgeoning communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellin cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House.

SEPTEMBER 8th - WIND RIVER An FBI agent teams up with a tracker after an American Indian girl is found dead in a Native American reservation.

Nothing you haven't seen before but its chilly winter conditions and alive setting effectively performs as a character itself grabbing the audience's attention. The mystery seems psychological until the ending where the film changes gear and falls into some genre traps like venturing into Tarantino territory.

Credit Will Jeffery

SEPTEMBER 15th - VICTORIA & ABDUL Abdul Karim arrives from India to participate in Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. The young clerk is surprised to find favor with the queen herself. As Victoria questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her household and inner circle try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, joyfully reclaiming her humanity.

SEPTEMBER 29th - KINGSMAN: Golden Circle With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.

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2017

SlimmingSandra World Recipe Lloyd Supplied by

Tuna Steaks on Nicoise Salad Celebrate the arrival of warm, lazy days and long, light evenings.

Ingredients 3 large eggs 150g green beans 125g baby spinach ½ cucumber, cut into small cubes 150g cherry tomatoes, halved 4 tuna steaks Low-calorie cooking spray Freshly ground black pepper 100g jar anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped For the dressing: Ÿ 1 garlic clove, crushed Ÿ 100ml fat-free vinaigrette Ÿ Finely grated zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon Ÿ 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Method 1. Boil the eggs for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Remove with a slotted spoon (keep the water for cooking the beans), cool under cold running water and set aside.

2. Boil the green beans for 3-4 minutes, then refresh under cold running water and set aside.

3. Preheat your grill or barbecue to hot. Mix together the dressing ingredients and set aside. Put the green beans, spinach, cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl and toss well.

4. Spray the tuna with low-calorie cooking spray and grill or barbecue for 6-8 minutes, turning once. Twist some black pepper over each steak.

5. Meanwhile, peel and quarter the eggs, then add to the salad along with the anchovies. Drizzle over the dressing. Divide the tuna and salad between 4 plates and serve.

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HAIR AND BEAUTY WORKSHOPS £15 per person - A fun, educational evening to learn how best to care for your hair & skin.

JESSICA GELeration PACKAGE £15 per person Express 30 min GELeration manicures Perfect for hen dos, teen party's or girly get togethers - minimum of 5 people

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AUGUST

2017

29

August Tag Rugby Camp At Letchworth RFC The camp offers the opportunity to have fun, be active, improve rugby skills and make new friends. It is aimed at children aged 6 to 12 with no previous rugby experience necessary. Tag Rugby is a non-contact sport that will help your child develop their rugby skills, improve confidence and puts the FUN back in the fundamentals. The three days will be full of enjoyable games, all under the watchful eyes of DBS checked, RFU qualified coaches. Competent swimmers aged 8 and over will also be taken swimming including limitless water slides at North Herts Leisure Centre.

The cost is £75 per player for the 3 days. To find out more or to book a place contact Richard Sell t: 07919 216806 or e: richardsell@btinternet.com .

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2017

WESTON

Tesco Sweet Donation to Keep the Bees Buzzing Hungry bees struggling to feed themselves are being given a sweetener thanks to t h e Te s c o E x t ra st o re i n Baldock.

They are joining forces with local bee keepers as part of 'The sugar collec on scheme' the ini a ve has been set up by the Tesco Baldock Community Champion, Elaine Hewe .

Who tells us "Every week damaged bags of sugar have to be discarded, due to the bags being split, as they are no longer fit for human consump on. We are now giving it to local bee keepers free of charge" As well as being an iconic part of the Bri sh countryside. Did you know that a third of the world's food source is pollinated by bees? They are responsible for almost every fruit and vegetable that we eat.

Poor summers and loss of habitat have contributed to bees struggling to get enough stores into their hives to feed their colonies throughout the Autumn and Winter months. To give them a helping hand, bee keepers o en have to buy sugar, which they then dissolve in water to make a thick syrup or fondant. The solu on is then fed to the bees as an energy food supplement.

Ordnance Survey reports that since 2010, in the UK alone the popula on of honeybees has dwindled by 45% partly as a result of fewer wild flowers and widespread use of pes cides.

Store manager Leigh Haynes added "It's great that we can provide the sugar, which in the past had been thrown away, to support our local community of bee keepers."

If you would like to get in touch with Tesco about a community project email Elaine at community@baldocka esco.co.uk. To fi n d o u t m o r e a b o u t b e e s a n d b e e ke e p i n g v i s i t facebook.com/NHBKA Photo of the Tesco Baldock community champion Elaine Hewe , handing over the week's sugar collec on to the vice chair of North Herts Bee Keepers Associa on, Suze Phillips

01462 892041 AUGUST

2017

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

If so, please take advantage of our reduced rate wills offer.

Please note that reduced rate wills will be available every week day from 8.00am until 6.00pm, and on Tuesday evenings until 8.00pm,by appointment only.

Also on the Saturday mornings of 9th & 23rd SEPTEMBER 2017, again by appointment only Reduced rates are:Double Wills - £250.00 plus VAT Single Will - £130.00 plus VAT HOME VISITS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS OF BALDOCK. For more information please contact:FISH HILL CHAMBERS, 2-3 FISH HILL, ROYSTON, HERTS, SG8 9JY

Tel: 01763 241121 t.donnellan@walkerspartnership.co.uk

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Relaxed Childbirth Programme World Breastfeeding Week is held annually between the 1st – 7th of August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

We all want the best for our babies and it starts during pregnancy but often the joy of bringing a new born into the world can induce fears and worries because of a previous difficult pregnancy or birth, or a first time Mother needing a little help and support, you will find a hypnotherapy Relaxed Childbirth Programme will guide you through the whole process in a friendly relaxed and enjoyable way. A Hypnosis programme can take you up to and throughout labour and right through to your new family life. You can manage the birth yourself using self hypnosis and pain management techniques that you've learnt by a qualified hypnotherapist and who often use personalised cd's that you can listen to at home and in the hospital.

Many midwives fully support the use of hypnosis-supported births because Mums are more relaxed, calmer, more aware of what is going on around them.

Hypnosis is completely safe and drug free, but can also can be used alongside other interventions, including medication.

Kim Holloway

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October AUGUST

2017

33

Did you know?

The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living, on the Hitchin Road, first started as an isola on hospital over a century ago. Later used as both a maternity and then geriatric unit, local residents have over these years been closely connected to what was then Rosehill Co age hospital.

Babies were born there, feverish children were nursed back to health there, and older people considered it their home.

The Letchworth Centre, a registered charity, today con nues its historic connec on with health – for over 33 years providing a great range of approaches which support mental and physical wellbeing.

Every one of its 84 classes each week addresses issues of stress and anxiety – issues which are so prevalent in today's world.

Mindfulness - the word on everyone's lips these days - plays a par cularly strong role in the programme, which includes a special 8 week course for 7-11 year olds as well.

See their website www.letchworthcentre.org or telephone 01462 678804 to find out more about their autumn classes and series of lunch me talks (this term includes sessions on hormones and women's health as well as anxiety and depression).

G N I V O M E R A E W

ting will be reloca ted e w ly u J t s 1 From the 3 rpose built offices loca to our new pu in Baldock. t us please contac s ie ir u q n e ll a For ffice number on our new o

01462 411823

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3 2 8 1 1 4 2 6 4 1 0

bsite or visit our we

.co.uk

ildshop at www.thebu

Ingredients For the Meringue 4 egg whites 225g caster sugar 3tbs corn oor 1tsp vinegar 1/4tsp vanilla essence For the Meringue Pavlova 400g fresh strawberries & blueberries 200ml double cream 200ml fat-free natural yoghurt 2 tbs caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2.

2. Put your egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk them at a medium speed until they start to form nice rm peaks.

3. With your mixer still running, gradually add the sugar one spoon at a time. Turn the mixer up to the highest setting and whisk for 7-8 minutes more until the meringue is white, glossy and very stiff. Add the corn oor and vinegar and whisk for a further 2 minutes. If it feels grainy, whisk for a little bit longer, being careful not to let the meringue collapse.

4. Line the baking tray with baking paper. Spoon on the meringue mixture and shape into a circle about 30cm in diameter. Put the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Cover with baking paper and cook for a further 50 minutes until the meringues look slightly golden.

Halve or quarter the large strawberries and leave the smaller ones whole. Mix them with the blueberries. Whip the cream with the sugar until it forms soft peaks, then stir in the yoghurt and fold in the vanilla seeds. Spoon the cream mixture on top of the meringue and smooth it out. Sprinkle on your berries evenly around the cream mixture.

Summer pavlova

The Shirt Monkeys Well, it's nearly August as I write this and The Shirt Monkeys are run o their li le feet with orders and deliveries for Knight Templar School uniform. If you have been to one of our pop-up shops, either at the school or at the town hall, or if I have been out to visit you so that your li le guys can try on uniform, we thank you very much for your custom.

Likewise if you have used our website to order online, we hope you found it a simple and convenient experience. At present, of course, we don't have a shop for you to visit (perhaps in the future!), but if you are confused about sizes, do give us a ring and we'll see what we can do to help.

All this is very new to us - but we are receiving fantas c feedback and hope you are all very happy with your orders.

A er the closure of the Letchworth uniform shop, being KTS parents ourselves, we decided there was a need for a local, friendly and reliable service with an online presence. Since star ng we have had so much support from the local community and for that we thank you all. We are hoping to expand our services to work in partnership with other schools in the area in the new school year. Hopefully this will make the service even more convenient for parents with children at mul ple schools.

We are hoping to do our ďŹ nal pop-up shop on the 17th August.

Please see our website and Facebook page for details. Un l then enjoy your holidays one and all, and don't leave your ordering too late!

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GARDEN CONSTRUCTION & FENCING Complete Patio Design Landscaping Decking Gazebo’s Fencing & Gates Turfing & Seeding Walls Hedging Driveways Ponds Block Paving Rockeries Gardening Lawn Mowing Tree Pruning

End to a Successful Season Baldock Templars U9's had a great end to a very successful season at Fit 4 OCR in Baldock. A er winning an array of trophies which included winning the 'Stamford Bridge' Tournament at the home of Chelsea FC, together with the Isle of Wight and Bun ngford tournaments.

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So to cap the season off they went for a dirty mud run which of course was watched by their suppor ve parents as always. The boys enjoyed their a ernoon with Fit 4 OCR in Baldock so much so that the staff have welcomed them back for some pre-season training.

Well done boys, fantas c season and we are all looking forward to the next one.

AUGUST

2017

37

CALLING ALL BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS We are always on the look out for our next front cover.

If you have a image that you would like to see featured on the front of the next issue, please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

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T :01462 895 333 M:07518 537 164

Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice

03444 111444 0300 300 8136

Churches St Marys the Virgin Baptist church Roman Catholic Methodist Christchurch United Reformed Church

01462 892838 01462 893203 01462 893127 01462 895052 01462 232005 01462 619350

Councils North Hertfordshire District

Doctors Baldock Surgery

01462 474000 01462 892458

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut

0800 111999 0800 7838838

Hospitals Lister Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 EMERGENCY HEALTH

01438 314333 01707 328111 111

Library Baldock Library

0300 123 4049

Police Police

01707 354000

Public Houses Engine The Cock The Old White Horse The Orange Tree The Victoria The White Lion

01462 896111 01462 892366 01462 893168 01462 892341 01462 893153 01462 893134

Schools Knights Templar Hartsď€ eld St Johns St Marys Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892189

Travel Taxi - A2B Taxis Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

Vacuum Cleaners

01462 228765 08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vacuum Bags

Lighting

repairs

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round

Cookers, Washing machines, Dryers, Dishwashers, Lighting, Refridgeration & Electrics

Carpet Shapooers

Vacuum sales & repairs

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

stevenagespares@yahoo.com Spare parts for household appliances Spare parts for household appliances

Dyson, Henry, Hoover & much more Vacuum Spares

Appliance Spares

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Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

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Plumbers A.P Hughes

07949 120911

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Reapairs Warrens Windows

01438 906300 01462 261401

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.

AUGUST

2017

39