August 2018

Issue 47 August 2018

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

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

Welcome And hello heatwave! July really stepped up the weather game, regularly hitting highs above 30 degrees! Being British that obviously meant lots of complaining and even more sunburn. Some parts of the UK hadn't seen rain for over 50 days but when it finally came pouring down we didn't know what to do with ourselves! No BBQs, no Sunday afternoons in pub gardens, and apparently you shouldn't open all the windows in your house to gale force winds.

At least the great weather kick-started the kids Summer holidays. Knights Templar's Enrichment Week definitely saw the benefit of the sunshine with trips to the outdoor swimming pool, Cambridge museums and the Greenway Challenge. Our youngest completed the 13 mile walk (fuelled with endless snacks) and managed to raise over £250 for the Teenager Cancer charity.

Congrats to everyone who sat exams this summer, we're crossing our fingers you get the grades you hope for ready to enter your next step in life. We attended the GSCE and A Level Art and Photography exhibition at KTS and were once again blown away by the standard of work this year's students had on display. We've seen first hand the blood, sweat, tears and hours that go into producing those portfolios and final pieces so well done to all of you.

The Baldock Cycle Challenge was huge success again this year! Always impressive to see such an array of participants of all ages and abilities. Have a nose on

page 34 for more about the day and there’s even a couple of photos on the Gallery page.

Sam from Sport Therapy 4U has been busy over the summer organising the ‘Baldock Rat Run’, a 5K fun run with all the profits going to the Garden House Hospice.

The event takes place on Sunday September 9th, there’ll be a charity raffle, face painting, bouncy castle and face painting. For more information go to www.baldock5k.com.

The Ashwell show is fast approaching and excitement is building around this year's attractions. Think everything from falconry to vintage cars and circus skills school to the Essex Dog Display team. It may sound cliche but there really is something for everyone and above all its a great day out in the sun (hopefully).

Until next month, look after yourselves

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

Jacqui Calver 07973 788418

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Nurture Your Little One with Monkey Music Classes

American researchers have revealed that pre-school teachers who have had a musical training can significantly increase their pupil's language skills. Maria Runfola says; “…music is one way that children can learn rhythm and rhyme of text, be exposed to new vocabulary and learn to discriminate a variety of sounds...children need appropriate music ac vity to s mulate their neural ac vity …to help their emergent literacy skill”.

At Monkey Music our specially trained teachers know that early exposure to music sharpens up a whole host of skills, but it is always good to be reminded that language development is at the heart of everything we do. Through all of our songs and ac vi es, your child will be picking up on different sounds which they will put in their 'sound bank' for use later on -

never underes mate how much your child is benefi ng from our 'age specific' classes whilst he watches and listens to what is going on around him!

Everybody at Monkey Music understands how music is fundamental to early development. Our weekly classes are hosted by specially trained teachers who love music because of the joy it brings to the children they teach. The progressive and award-winning curricula is tailored for babies of 3-months rising 4 years or age within age-specific classes. It is truly inspira onal to watch each child develop and grow together.

At Monkey Music we passionately believe that it is important for babies and young children to be immersed in making music within a fun, exci ng and structured environment. By the me your child enters primary school they will have a wealth of musical knowledge and life skills, started to read music, and have the perfect grounding for going on to learn an instrument at school. Besides the educa onal element, expect giggles and laughter, (grown-ups too!) as the li le ones are mesmerised by gorgeous puppets, hand cra ed props, fascina ng sounds and absorbing ac vi es, specialist small hands percussion, magical bubbles and much more!

Visit: www.monkeymusic.co.uk or Tel: 01462 626735 to book your FREE TASTER CLASS or OPEN DAY in September

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Are You Suffering with Shoulder Pain

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Why have I got shoulder pain?

The shoulder is an extremely mobile joint that sacrifices stability for mobility which is why it is o en injured. Shoulder pain can be a result of damage to any of the muscles, ligaments, car lage, menisci, Bursae and bones of the area.

Due to the complexity of the structure, your pain might not just be from trauma, it may be from a progressive over or under use issue that isn't allowing your shoulder to func on correctly.

Common injuries of the shoulder: The most common injuries of the shoulder are; inflamma on of the bursae (bursi s) or tendons (tendini s or tendinosis) impingement as well as instability and frozen shoulder (adhesive capsuli s). There can some mes be other causes of shoulder pain such as disease or other condi ons so if you are concerned, it is important to get your symptom checked out by your GP first.

What can I do?

Whether your pain is acute or chronic, it Is important to get a thorough assessment of your injury. This will involve assessing the structure with a series of special tests to determine what structure has been damaged. Once this has been established, a combina on of specialised treatment will be administered.

But what specialist treatment will I get?

Depending on the outcome of your assessment, a sports therapist may us manual techniques to loosen adherent ssues and use electrotherapy and exercise to encourage strength to weaker structures that will promote healing of your injury. Dry needling may be used within this process. Laser therapy or cryotherapy may be administered to decrease inflamma on but ul mately, a specific rehabilita on protocol will be prescribed to ensure your injury doesn't return!

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St. Johns Dragons Den Year 6 at St. John's Catholic Primary enjoyed a profitable close to the summer term as they ran an Enterprise business project.

Working in groups, the children put together plans to make, market and sell a product. They carried out market research, pitched their ideas to Ms Hanou, the Head Teacher, to persuade her to invest in their company, produced and marketed their product and during the last week of term sold the products to the rest of the school community.

Once the ini al investment was returned to the school, all profits were given to Cafod's Refugee Campaign, which we have been finding out about in English and RE. There were prizes on offer for the teams who have used different talents.

The project not only developed the children's skills but encouraged them to work together to benefit others. It is important that the children understand how they can help others in prac cal ways.

The prize for innova on went to Super Sta onery who used recycled ns to create their pots. The Crea vity award went to the Ollivander's Wands whilst the most me given up at home was awarded to PomPom Power. The most profitable team was the Poppers team who made Popcorn and prize for the tas est product was given to the Cracking Cupcakes team.

Year 6 raised an amazing £170 for Cafod's Refugee appeal which was a fi ng way for the year group to say farewell to the community at St John's Catholic Primary. We wish them all the very best as they move to their new schools in the Autumn!

Primary

Secondary

Maths

English

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Happy 1st Birthday

Primrose Hall

Love you so much, Mummy & Daddy xxx

HENRY

3RD AUGUST

’

Happy Birthday Henry Howell We love you lots Mummy & Daddy

Freya O’Ferrall 20th August

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

GARY MABBITT

Happy Birthday to my wonderful son on his 26th birthday Loads of love from Mum xx

Robyn Edwards 15 on 27th August 10

AUGUST

2018

The Creative's Guide To Starting A Business

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How to turn your talent into a career - Harriet kelsall 9781472141095 | 19th SEPTEMBER 2018 | £14.99 An indispensable book for anyone with a crea ve passion for making beau ful items and who want to turn their crea vity into a career.

Do you have a passion for making beau ful objects? Do you feel dissa sfied by your current job or lifestyle? Are you wondering whether you can take the next step and turn your crea vity into your profession?

Wri en by Harriet Kelsall, a highly successful crea ve businesswoman and mentor to crea ve start-ups, this inspira onal guide offers easy-to-follow advice from talented and accomplished industry experts, including Keith Brymer Jones (BBC 2's The Great Bri sh Po ery Throw Down), Richard Weston (BBC 2's Britain's Next Big Thing), Anna Scholz and many more.

There are prac cal exercises that will help you sell your crea ons, choose the right me to start your business, and guide you through as you do so, as well as guidance on wri ng a business plan, iden fying and reaching customers, researching your compe on, pricing products and tes ng the market, and promo ng your business successfully.

Packed with interviews, encouraging real life case studies and ps from successful entrepreneurs who turned their passion into their own successful, crea ve business, this prac cal guide will take you through the very first steps of defining crea ve and financial success to ul mately establishing a rewarding start-up.

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a p p s Our pick of this month’s must have downloads Ba le Royale IRL - IOS A graphic design app that lets you make awesome stylized logos and banners by combining a photo with one of its many different text styles. Quite handy for desigrs and social media managers.

Storyz - IOS Turn any old photo into a moving version of itself.

You can get certain elements of your photos to "melt away" in a liquid mo on, or embed videos inside parts of your pictures.

IGTV - IOS & Android Instagram recently launched a full-length video feature. What sets it apart is that, unlike other video pla orms, it is made for ver cal videos, which are easy to watch on mobile.

Clearing: Call Uk Universi es - IOS Welcome to the largest Clearing directory, so you can find the right degree course in seconds, and then chat with Universi es who have available spaces via our Clearing chat and call feature, it really is that easy.

Care.com - Caregiver - IOS and Android This app allows you to find or offer services as a caregiver - babysi ng, pet si ng, elderly care, tutoring or housekeeping, or . You can build a profile, apply for interviews, and even get paid straight through the app.

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Crusading Knights at this Year's Ashwell Show Ashwell Show, August Bank Holiday Monday (August 27th) The Spectacular Knights of the Crusades will be centre stage with their energe c, crowd-pleasing show that's steeped in history and high in adrenalin, with pyrotechnics, and audience par cipa on a-plenty.

This year the Ashwell Show will play host to a forest school – for li le ones there will be a mud kitchen and mud pain ng, and for older children there will be the chance to make a headdress, clay creatures, s ck men or a bow and arrow!

All the Ashwell Show favourites will be there too, including: the horse show, dog show, birds of prey demonstra on, vintage cars, tractors, cra tent, cra demonstra ons, and shopping stands. For families there's hours of fun with free face pain ng, free children's cra tent, children's entertainer, Punch & Judy Show, mini farm, pony rides, and a rep le tent.

When it comes to food, there's a huge menu on offer, plus a Prosecco bar and beer tent.

Entry prices: adults £9, concessions and under 18s £5, under 5s free. Free parking. Advance ckets available at a 20% discount from www.ashwellshow.co.uk. Gates open 8.30am to 5pm.

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Chipolo Card, the Wallet Friendly Bluetooth Tracker The Chipolo Card is a bluetooth tracking device designed to help track personal items. It has a unique low profile design which lends itself to slo ng into your wallet with a speaker that is loud enough to be heard however deep it becomes buried in your money and receipts. Be er s ll, if you do lose your wallet and team of other Chipolo users can help you find it again!

The Card's dimensions of 36mm x 68mm x 2.15mm make it perfect to slide into a wallet and tucked deep down in mine to keep it unobtrusive and nice and safe.

Out of the box, the Chipolo can be paired with either your iOS or Android device, this is very simple using the dedicated phone app and within an instant my device was working. The devices are paired using low power Bluetooth virtually guaranteeing a long ba ery life of at least a year. You can also assign a ringtone to the device which will help you recognise it in a noisy room.

The app constantly communicates with the Chipolo over low-power Bluetooth and saves the posi on to your account.

You can also share your Chipolo with other users where the item is precious or might be something available to more than one person.

Now, ge ng to the ni y gri y of losing personal items. Being easily distracted, I am constantly looking for my keys or wallet and with this in mind, the Chipolo's have been amazing! I have a habit of leaving my wallet in my bag and then spending half an hour trying to remember where it is! Problem solved!

Now all I need to do it press the RING bu on on my phones Chipolo Widget and immediately I can hear it ring.

So, armed with by trusty Chipolo and smart phone, no more losing my wallet around the house. There are also some nice li le touches too, you can also use the Chipolo to trigger the camera on your smartphone to take selfies.

Posi on the phone, get comfortable with your friends, double click the bu on on the tracker and hey presto!

Instant Selfie.

But, what about REALLY losing something, away from home? Well, I have experienced this too, whilst the Chipolo app happily provides tracking for your own devices, it also monitors for devices that have been lost by other users on the network. So, should you lose your item and searching for it using the app proves fruitless, you can then mark the item as LOST. Should another Chipolo user happen to pass within range of the tracker, it no fies the owner that it has been found and provides feedback to the person that found it! It's a great use of 'crowd' networking or as Chipolo call it "Community Search".

The Chipolo Card gives you a device that fits easily into your wallet or purse, being 2.15mm . It has a 200 range from your smart device, the speaker is 95dB. The ba ery will last a year and the device is water-resistant.

Priced at around £25, I think they are great value, look out for the new 'FRUIT' edi ons.

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Happy Birthday Grandma Lou Lots of Love Summer Wishing you a Classic Birthday

Chris Hoeg

65 Today

Lots of Love Deb x x

12th

August

Happy Birthday Janet Chapman 11

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August

Happy Birthday Mum/Nanny!

Lots of Love Gemma, Kieran & Lorelai

Happy 2nd Birthday

Lollipop Lots of Love Mummy & Daddy

Happy Birthday

Doreen Travers 19th August 16

AUGUST

2018

Fear of Wasps and Bees Summer is here and whilst most of us enjoy being outside making most of the warm weather for some it is a nightmare and can't wait for the cooler seasons when there are no wasps or bees around.

When a person has a phobia or fear of something they expect catastrophic outcomes from being exposed to an item or situa on that actually poses li le or no danger. It does not ma er what the phobia is the result is usually that a person goes of their way to avoid the thing they are afraid of. This can cause serious inconvenient in life especially this me of year when it is a fear of wasps and bees.

Luckily you can overcome the irra onal fear of wasps and bees by confron ng

them, changing the way you think about them, learning how other people act around them or talking to a hypnotherapist about your situa on.

Phobia and fears respond well to hypnotherapy as it involves mental recondi oning, the technique teaches to analyse and discover for themselves the harmful though pa erns they wish to change, they will learn ins nc vely to experience calm awareness in response to wasps and bees (despite the fact that your natural reac on had previously been total panic)!

It is helpful to iden fy nega ve thoughts around your fear of wasps or bees, how many mes have been stung if ever? Are you assuming that you already know the outcome of an encounter “If I see a wasp or bee I will panic and get stung” (fortune telling thinking)!

Or are you over generalizing because one specific incident of being stung you are projec ng it on future encounters “last me I saw a wasp or bee it stung me. I know if I see one again it s ng me” Or do you catastrophise and imaging that an encounter will be devasta ng “If I see a wasp or bee then there is probably a nest or hive nearby they will all a ack me.

What if I'm allergic? I might die!!

All these nega ve thoughts can be changed at a subconscious level using hypnotherapy enabling you to en joy summer and being outdoors without all the nega ve thoughts buzzing around in your head.

Kim Holloway www.total-therapy.co.uk

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Gastric & Intestinal Problems

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July already! This term is once again filled with lots of end of year events, school trips, music concerts and spor ng events. As I write this, our athle cs team of 40 children are celebra ng reaching the finals of the District Sports compe on a er several weeks of selec on and training. The children are always so proud to wear the Hartsfield kit and represent the school and we are lucky in North Herts to have numerous opportuni es through the year for children to compete across a wide range of sports.

Our Walled Garden is looking fantas c following lots of hard work from Miss Marschani (the Year 1 teacher) and two parent volunteers (Nicky & Billy) and not forge ng lots of very enthusias c children! We now have strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes and lots of rhubarb growing quite profusely! They have clearly loved all the rain and sunshine we have had!

You can follow our blog on: h ps://hartsfieldoutdoorlearning.woodpress.com/ And finally, we are delighted to report that 4 boys from our Year 5 classes took part in a Maths Challenge Final at Robertson House in Stevenage on Friday last week. This followed their success in an earlier round. Finals day arrived and they found themselves up against 19 other schools! Tough compe on – but they excelled themselves and won! They made us very proud here at school and their parents were (and probably s ll are) beaming with pride!

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Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

St Johns

Tapps, The Baldock Garden Centre

August 2018 July has just gone by in a flash. We are now into the sweltering summer months of August, and September. July is when we horticulturalists traditionally stop rushing around producing plants for our retail customers and start looking around for the new ideas and inspirations for next season.

The Baldock area is very different to much of the rest of the county in that we are busy selling for two to three weeks longer than the rest of the county.

In most places, the bedding trade has stopped. The season has ended for everyone else; we will still be retailing vast amounts of bedding and hanging basket plants. You may ask why? Baldock lies in a large hollow below the Weston hills and the Clothall common to Windmill hill ridge, cold air that can cause frosts runs off into this dip.

The Baldock area collects all this air keeping it colder at the start of the season and prone to late frosts; consequently, customers start and finish buying a bit later in the season probably without even thinking about it.

Our bedding plant season starts in mid-April and continues to the end of July. School Holidays take over, and lots of plants accidentally die while the annual two-week vacation takes place. For replacement, we have to have our bedding growing in very much larger pots, two to three litres so that when our customers get back, they can fill the gaps with equally sized plants to those that had died. Gap filling will continue until about the end of September depending on how hot and dry it has been, we then have a pause of about two weeks as the worn out parents take a breather to recover from the school holidays. Mid-October will see the start of the winter bedding and basket season, a very different plant requirement indeed. They need to put up with unpleasantly low temperatures and winds that are two overcoats colder. Winter bedding will carry on through until the first week in November. Plant sales then stop for Christmas. We start spring bedding second week in January, continuing through to the beginning of May when the summer bedding will sell alongside for a few weeks when it all begins again. It is vital that we explore every possibility and every plant that we can find. There are many shows for retail and trade then you get the specialist R H S, shows, our favourite show to visit is Hampton Court Palace. It is very difficult keeping on top of current trends. Traditionally our industry follows the trends set by Clothing and household designers, there is about a two year lead time on what we would want to be stocking relative to the home market. Strangely Christmas has only a one year lead time, so if we go and visit the home decor shows we will know next years Christmas and then the year afters garden trends. We have two excellent home design shops in Baldock, so a good look through their window display helps us second guess what we should be doing the year after. Perennial production is not quite so easy to follow as we are growing the plants ahead of the trend, so that is down to discussions with the big growers and importers.

Dutch and Belgium growers have a very big influence on the bulb and perennial plant trends, having said that we won't be quite so pally with the Belgium growers seeing how the football world cup went. As we move into the month we should start reaping our rewards for the hard work we have put into the garden through the year, it has been one of the toughest I can remember the year started very wet, very cold, windy wet and wetter, it seemed it would never dry up it just rained. We had a very small window of opportunity to get anything planted as it then started to dry out and cook and then we had temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees centigrade for weeks, as some of the results at local flower shows prove, even the very best of our local growers had nothing to stage at the shows, having said that, those who did get something to show for their hard work and entered into various classes came away with cups, trophies and certificates. Just about everyone was disappointed with the quality. according to the television, the weather forecasters say the hot spell is looking to break in the last week of July if it does then the later crops will be good. My top fruit is looking good for this time of the year as is everybody else's perhaps a bit small but they will catch up with some wet, berries have been good, strawberries have been very sweet, my cherries got taken by the birds, I'm not too disappointed with that as the trees are getting on a bit and have terminal bacterial canker, the crop is not very nice so why shouldn't the birds have them.

I have spent the early summer building a rainwater harvesting system when finished it will hold 49000 litres of soft rainwater that we will mix with our borehole water, this has taken a great deal of my time but time well spent as it will allow me to grow more fruit and veg for the tea room, I've not grown much for the last three years as building has taken preference, especially repairing all the storm damage from the last few years.

Next season I am planning, if all goes well, to set up a large vegetable area and use it to expand our teaching area, to hopefully include some of the boys from Brandle's school who have been involved with us and around the town on various projects this year. If you look down Whitehorse street you will see the hanging baskets the boys have made here at the Garden Centre and funded by Volkerfitzpatrick and donated to some of the shops and offices, we are hoping this will catch on so we can get some more funding and brighten up a bit more of the town next year. If you know anyone or any companies that would be interested in joining in next year please let me know, especially if any funding is available.

Enjoy your Gardening, Cheers Graham.

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Due to our own success we are still expanding and have positions available for dog walkers and boarders

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Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe in the Heatwave All pets can suffer badly in the intense heat as we can ourselves.

Very rapid and shallow breathing Lethargic behaviour Saliva ng Open mouth breathing Ac ng disorientated Seizures If you see any of the above signs from your pets please contact your Veterinary Prac ce Immediately as in some cases this can be fatal, so act quickly If you are worried and want informa on then please call us on 01462 895579 for our Baldock branch or 01763 242221 for our Royston branch Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Follow a few simple rules and make life easier for them.

Make sure there is plenty of shade and fresh water available Ÿ Put ice cubes in their water bowls Ÿ Have damp towels for your pets to lie on Ÿ Avoid sunburn and apply cream to your pets ear ps Ÿ Only take your pets for a walk when it is cooler, test the pavement with your hands first, if it's too hot for you, it's too hot for them Ÿ Use cold treats from the fridge for added moisture Ÿ If they are indoors keep fans running to get cool air flowing Keep your eye out in case your pet is overhea ng, the symptoms to look out for include Ÿ

‘Keep Your Pets Cool in the Sun’

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AUGUST MOVIES AUGUST 3rd - ANT-MAN & the WASP From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes a new chapter featuring heroes with the ability to shrink. Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.

AUGUST 10th - THE DARKEST MINDS When teenagers mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are seen as a threat by the government and sent to detainment camps.

Sixteen-year-old Ruby soon escapes from her captors and joins other runaways who are seeking a safe haven.

Banded together and on the run, they soon combine their collective powers to fight the adults who tried to take away their future.

AUGUST 17th - CHRISTOPHER ROBIN In the heartwarming live action adventure "Disney's Christopher Robin," the young boy who loved embarking on adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie the Poo and his band of spirited and loveable stuffed animal friends, has grown up and lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside.

AUGUST 17th - EQUALISER 2 Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. The movie follows Washington’s “high-level paid government assassin” as he seeks revenge for his friend’s murder. His journey takes him around the world, particularly to Turkey to save a young girl who was kidnapped from her American mother, as detailed in the opening sequence of the trailer. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed.

AUGUST 20th - BLACKkkLANSMAN From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Dept. Stallworth bravely sets out to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. He recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman and they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

AUGUST 22nd - SPY WHO DUMPED ME Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world.

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“Service above Self” It is probably not widely known that Baldock Rotary will be celebra ng its 65th Anniversary later this year. Over the period, since 1953, the club has undertaken numerous ac vi es which have been for the benefit of the Baldock Community. The Rotary mo o of “Service above Self” is very much in evidence when you consider the current Community ac vi es that are provided for the people of Baldock, namely, Annual Jazz Concert, Open Gardens, providing and installing defibrillators throughout the Town, Baldock Christmas Lights, the Christmas Community Concert and most importantly Santa's Sleigh which travels the streets of Baldock and surrounding villages and brings many a smile to children and adults alike and helps to brighten up those long dark winter nights, providing Christmas cheer.

The membership of Baldock Rotary comprises men and women who value their me together and are interested in “giving something back”. They meet regularly in a relaxed environment which fosters friendship and, aside from the Community ac vi es referred to above, there is an ac ve social element whereby members and their partners meet, visit restaurants, the theatre and local places of interest, as well as holding a summer barbecue.

Baldock Rotary would like to a ract new members, so if you are the type of person who is in a posi on to “give something back” to the Community, we would love to hear from you. As referenced above our ac vi es and aims can be summarised as; Fundraising for local chari es Support for the local Community Aid for interna onal disasters Make new friends and have fun at our organised events If you are interested in any aspect of what Rotary has to offer please contact us on our website, address below, or contact our Membership Secretary, John Street, tel. no. 01462-624040, email john.street1@gmail.com The photograph shows Rotary members and partners at a recent visit to the Hitchin Bri sh Schools Museum.

Rotarian - Paul Lucke

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Get your tickets early to avoid disappointment available from Baldock Community Centre

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Slimming World Recipe Sandra Lloyd Supplied by

Greek Style Lamb with Orzo Pasta Orzo is a rice shaped pasta, it has a texture similar to risotto rice.

Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

1kg lean lamb leg steaks, all visible fat removed, cut into 4cm pieces 2 onions, peeled, halved and sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 2 tsp dried oregano 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp ground cinnamon 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped 1 litre boiling hot lamb or chicken stock 300g dried orzo pasta

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4.

2. Spread the lamb pieces over the base of a large, wide casserole dish. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon and stir well.

3. Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.

4. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, and add the carrots, celery and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hours, until the lamb is very tender.

5. Remove the cinnamon sticks, and stir in the orzo.

Cover again, then cook for a further 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened

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Surprise someone special with a FREE Birthday message in the NEXT issue Email us the details at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk and we will do the rest.

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.

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Baldock Christmas Lights Update We know it's a way off and talking about Christmas in July and August is likely to get some raised eyebrows, however we want to share some good news with the residents of Baldock.

Baldock Rotary club have supplied and maintained the Christmas lights in Baldock for as long as anyone can remember. With Father Christmas on the Rotary sleigh riding around the streets, a firm favourite in everyone's diary. Money raised through your generosity has helped to support the upkeep for the lights and other projects the Rotary support.

This year the Baldock Beer fes val guys, supported by their colleagues from the main fes val, have joined together to donate money to the Rotary club. The money will be used to update the electrics that have been there for several decades and replace some of the lights. A planned switch is planned at the Baldock Christmas fair on Saturday 1st December (put that into your diaries folks).

Alongside the donated funds for updated lights, local businessman Stuart Ma hews of SRM security is also sponsoring the main Christmas tree lights. He promises to make them brighter than ever and has spoken to other businesses about more sponsorship. So, watch out for new lights to make us feel in the fes ve spirit later in the year.

Tara Geere (chair of the Baldock Beer Fes val) Maureen Maddren (Baldock Fes val) and Stuart Ma hews (SRM security) can be seen here handing over part of the dona on to Keith Bri er (president of Baldock Rotary club).

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Baldock Cycle Challenge Hits Another High Note The Baldock Cycle Challenge fought off compe on from the Wimbledon Men's Final and the World Cup Final on Sunday as 153 cyclists, aged between 12 and 84, took to the streets of Her ordshire for an idyllic ride through country lanes and byways to take part in the second Baldock Cycle Challenge organised by the Baldock Events Forum.

Last year, we were pleased to have three genera ons of the Parry family cycling around the Baldock area; this year they were joined by another three genera onal family, when Grandfather Brian Snelling, daughter Claire Murphy and Grandson William, joined the Parrys in Baldock for the start of the challenge.

The event was sponsored by local companies, Sports Therapy 4U, DTS Mobile Cycle Maintenance and Paul's Bikes of Hitchin and par cular thanks goes to NHDC's Community Development Officer for Baldock, Ashley Hawkins for all his help.

All the riders really enjoyed themselves in the sunshine, and the BEF cupcake at the end of the ride, although when asked what it was like on the ride, the answer normally came as one word – HOT! The next Baldock Events Forum Community event in Baldock is the Christmas Fair on Saturday 1 December. Yes it does seem a long way away, but planning has been going on quietly behind the scenes for a couple of months already. Put the date in your diary and we look forward to seeing you then!

Jim McNally, Chair Baldock Events Forum

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Work in Progress School and I never made good bedfellows. My problem, I think, was the size of the class, I just hated all the regiment and authority, I'm sure a few of you can understand that. I was so naughty, they had enough of me some me during my 4th year. I think this is year 10 in new money. I ended up in naughty school, with a touch of college and eventually walked away with an O 'Level English grade D. I know write! (see what I did there) It's Shocking that a writer with such imagina on and flare as myself (insert mocking laughter) isn't educated to degree level.

Well, I've decided to rec fy this and come September, I will study for my GCSE English.

I've been working in Further Educa on for a very long me, but in a back-room capacity. If I look at my place of work as a person, I was working for the brain. A lot of the important, clever stuff goes on in the brain, but you don't interact so much with the tutors and students, the heart. This is where it all happens, all the exci ng stuff.

About 18 months ago, I took the opportunity to change jobs, and I now work with the lungs. I am surrounded by dedica on and inspira on, maybe a li le frustra on too. At this me of year teaching staff all over the country are planning for the new start in September, breathing life into what could be dull

and uninteres ng subjects. The moment teaching ends for the year, our tutors retreat to the confines of the office where the conversa ons are centred around 'how can we make this be er?', and 'what more can we do?', 'pass the Gin' (they are funny too).

I am in the privileged posi on of being a front face in our maths and English department, this means that I get to talk to our adult students. What inspiring people they are. We have students from all walks of life, from road sweepers to bankers, lorry drivers to dinner ladies, all wan ng to enrol on to courses because they never got their maths or English and would like to give it a go.

Many want to help their kids through their GCSE's. The syllabus has changed drama cally since they were at school, 1+1 s ll equals 2, but now, Jonny must go and buy a Granny Smith from Tesco and then pop to Sainsburys to get a Golden Delicious. It's exhaus ng! If that were me I'd have eaten the Granny Smith on my way to Sainsburys, changed my mind half way there and gone to the pub.

Others, people would like to change profession, these are my real inspira on.

I was talking to a poten al student a while ago and she told me what she wanted to do with her life, she was around my age and said that she had always wanted to be a Psychologist. She never had the opportunity because life

got in the way, as it always does, but the me was right for her now. 50+ and her me to do what she wants to do is happening for her now. So, she's enrolled herself on an Access course as well as GCSE maths and English with North Herts College. She has a bit of a journey ahead of her, but she was a very determined lady and I have no doubts that she will get there.

I hear so many stories of people giving it a go, not le ng a silly thing like age get in their way. So many amazing teachers that support and nurture, push and pull, never le ng go. These wonderful people have helped me to see that I can also do this, I can be anything I want to be.

So, this me next year, I'll be wai ng nervously for my results. like a teenager, but without the acne (there must be some perks to growing old right?).

Just a par ng thought for all you guys out there wai ng for the big results days. I hope you do as well as you want to, but remember, this is just the beginning, you have me. Because really, where educa on is concerned, life is never too short.

Nicky Hughes

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

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n O s ’ t a h W Baldock Police Surgeries

DEPARTING FROM BALDOCK

Every Wednesday 10-11am at the Community Centre

Positive Moving Class 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

Baldock Floral Society - Flower Arranging Demonstration Thursday 2nd August at 7.30pm - Baldock Community Centre - Jane Ellis - 'Summer Time' Sales Table of Flower Arranging Sundries and Plants Raffle of Arrangements Refreshments - Visitors £6

Baldock Allotments' Open Day Saturday 18 August 12 – 3pm at Tapps Garden Centre to find out more about growing your own fruit and veg and renting an allotment in Baldock as part of National Allotments Week. For more information visit www.baglaonline.co.uk

Baldock & Letchworth Blues, Folk & Roots Club Sunday 22nd August doors open 8pm start - The Orange Tree Norton Road

Standalone Farm - Dog & Duck Show 13th August - 17th August. An entertaining sheepdog and duck herding show fun for all the family

Black Nose Foundation - Charity Launch day Saturday 18th August - 9:30am-4pm at Staffy B’s

Lazy Sunday Festival Sunday 26th August 12am, Fox and Duck Stotfold - Old Skool & Jungle festival - Family fun from bouncy castles to rodeo bull to giant chess under 18's free £11 for adults

Ashwell Show, August Bank Holiday Monday (August 27th) All the Ashwell Show favourites will be there, incl: the horse show, dog show, birds of prey demonstration, vintage cars, tractors, craft tent, craft demonstrations, and shopping stands. For more info please see page 13

Tandem Skydive - Garden House Hospice Sunday 9th September - North London skydiving centre in Cambridgeshire, you will need to raise at least £500, for more details contact Danni Swinburne 01462-679540 or email danielle.swinburne@ghhospicecare.org.uk

19th Ashwell Book Weekend Saturday 6th & 7th Oct 10.0am – 5.00pm, St.Mary's Church, Ashwell. Come and browse and buy from the hundreds of books on offer at bargain prices. Tea, coffee and home-made cakes available. Entry £1. Children under 16 free.

If you would like to have your event included FREE in the next issue please email us at info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk by 16th September.

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August Gallery

Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk

New tenant @ Weston Woods -Amy

Off Weston way! Horse eld Debs Knight

Ivel springs, Radwell lake .

-Daren Armes

Radwell Village Matthew Bartlett

Sunset over Baldock Helena Richard-Dean

Part of the Baldock harvest, ‘On Our Doorstep’ - James Dearman Hitchin Lavender Farm - Sarojini Ellis

St.John’s dudes, at the Baldock Bike Challenge - Marina Alvarez

Hartseld’s Anual Camp Out - Helen Lock

Willian Village Pond - Sarojini Ellis

Crop eld behind Tapps Sharon Nicholson

Orange sky over the Church - by 14 year old Jess Lloyd

Hartseld Camp out - Marie Baker

We managed 3 on the steps!

Ted, Buster and Charlie - Carolyn Rutherford

And we’re off, the Baldock Cycle Challenge -Ross Watts cheering on his brother Chris

Fuchsia Festival blooms in Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Caldecote over last weekend?

M AY

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