December 2020

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

Issue 74 December 2020

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

Welcome

to the December Issue The town is looking lovely and festive already thanks to the Rotary Club's Christmas lights going up around the town. The town Christmas tree is going up on... and we're hoping to have a virtual switch on this year to encourage everyone to stay at home.

It's been quite the year so we're all welcoming the merry and bright distraction of Christmas. Our household has had a tough couple of months, after feeling a bit under the weather we tested positive for Covid. You hear lots of stories of it not being “that bad” but we went to bed every night wondering what we'd be facing the next day, very scary. For Jacqui it took a turn for the worst very quickly. As the fittest and healthiest person in the family who usually can't sit still, just two days in she could barely move or stay awake for more than 15 minutes at a time. Two weeks later she found herself in the Lister suffering with breathing difficulties. The Lister staff have been nothing short of amazing. Now diagnosed with long term Covid it looks like her recovery will be taking far longer than most. There's been a few relapses and a couple more trips to hospital along the way but Jacqui's making great progress and hopefully continues on an upward trajectory.

Fingers crossed these vaccines work so we can start to return to some normality in 2021. It might be a quiet Christmas this year but we can't wait to see what everyone and that cheeky little elf on the shelf gets up to this year.

Keep an eye on our Facebook and other social media pages through December for some special treats and surprises!

Looking forward to the high street reopening in December so we can shop local and stock up on gifts and goodies. Graham Tapp and his teams are on hand to help you pick the perfect Christmas tree for your home.

This year has flown by. A huge thank you to all our advertisers and of course our delivery team who kept us going through the highs and lows, the lockdowns and the long Summer days.

From everyone at On Our Doorstep we'd like to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

See you in 2021!

Paul & Jacqui info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk or 07973 788418

Disclaimer All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however On Our Doorstep Baldock cannot take any responsibility for the content of adverts or services provided by the advertisers.

Reproduction on whole or in part of this publication without prior permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited.

DECEMBER

2020

3

Baldock Bird life The migrants that winged their way from Africa in the Spring are long gone, while Chiffchaff and Blackcap overwinter in small numbers, the chances of seeing them in Baldock are slim, although I have had Blackcap in my garden even in the coldest of winters. The birdlife changed as Autumn approached, with the Baldock to Wallington road serving up typical autumn fare in spectacular fashion.

Firstly a male Marsh Harrier se led in, hun ng for small rodents amongst the

cereal crops. It departed once the crops were harvested. This was joined by two Merlin, a Peregrine and several Hobby.

With plenty of small birds in the fields, pigeons of various descrip on, and young Grey Partridge, there was plenty of food to go around. The Hobby has long departed, spending winter in Africa, but the Peregrine and Merlin can s ll be seen, although they travel as far as Sandon, so are not always present along the road. A female Hen Harrier was noted on several

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occasions, but alas, not recently.

As in the Spring, Wheatear and Whinchat passed through, along with Stonechat. Now winter nears, small flocks of Golden Plover o en se le in the fields, usually heard before being seen, as was the case a while ago, when I heard their clear sounding whistle type call, before a flock of 60 dropped down in to a newly ploughed field.

More recently a flock of over 100 was noted. Radwell Mill is always worth a look, with Kingfisher and Li le Egret seen regularly, but the star a rac on has been a female Goosander. Classed as a sea duck, they can be seen on rivers and lakes during the cold season, it found the small lake there to its liking, but stayed only for a day or two.

If you see people with Binoculars walking around St. Mary's church over the next few days, it's because a Black Redstart has taken up residence on the tower just above the clock. I was alerted by another Baldock birdwatcher of its presence yesterday (14th November), and not surprisingly, is a rac ng a en on form fellow birders in and around Her ordshire.

Several people asked me what I was looking at when I went to see it, but could not be as helpful as I wanted to be due to the restric ons we are under. As winter gets underway look out for Redwing and Fieldfare, they arrive from colder climates and are o en noted in gardens during cold spells.

Terry Brown

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BOOSTING YOUR BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM TO DEFEND YOURSELF Your immune system is your body's main line of defence when it comes to figh ng infec ons, germs, and viruses.

The immune system is made up of many organs, cells, and chemicals. The cells of your immune system are white blood cells, which are constantly circula ng throughout your body on the lookout for any invaders!

Taking just 30 minutes of exercise a day helps to enhance your circula on which in turn will increase the rate at which your white blood cells circulate around your body, thus increasing their rate of detec on and clearance of any

intrusions! Think of it as mobilising your personal army to defend yourself!

Easy ways to increase your daily exercise include; parking at the furthest point from the shops, ge ng off the bus/tube a stop earlier, using stairs instead of the li , using your upstairs bathroom instead of the downstairs loo or walking the kids to school.

The human body consists of a staggering 37.2 trillion cells. The health of these cells, and your body, is in part dependent on what you eat. Everything we consume is broken down into molecules, to build, maintain and repair our cells.

To maintain good health, you need a varied diet of carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals to ensure you are ge ng everything your body needs to func on effec vely.

Some vitamins and minerals have been shown to play important roles in suppor ng our immune system. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and zinc. Good sources of immune boos ng nutrients include oranges, lemons, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya, broccoli, spinach, red peppers, ginger, garlic, turmeric, natural yoghurt, almonds, sunflower seeds, poultry and shellfish.

This year more than ever it is important to look a er your immune system so that, if needed, your immune system is well equipped to look a er you!

Look a er yourself – your body is a product of how much you move and what you give it to survive on.

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DECEMBER

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1st Baldock

Cub Scouts In a year when rou nes have been thrown out of the window, we're proud that Scout groups in Baldock and across the country are con nuing to deliver great programs for their young people. We help develop the values, self-confidence, and belief in others which will help scouts go on to become confident, ac ve ci zens. We offer children and teens a place to belong, where they can develop the skills to succeed, and feel op mis c about the future.

First Baldock Cubs Scouts, both Knights and Templars Packs have had a great me this term. We were all delighted to actually meet up again at last. We planned to stay outside all the me to be safe and to enable the required distancing. So, ac vi es had to carry on a er dark, which made everything even more fun and even more challenging.

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We went up to our district site at Wymondley Wood for fire ligh ng skills, with great success . We brushed up on our road safety and went to the park for wide games. We discussed democracy then had fun as all the Cubs had a go at ligh ng their own sparklers, safely disposed of in a wai ng bucket of water.

Remembrance is always a special me for Scouts. It's a moment for us to reflect on the sacrifices made, to learn from history and to remember those who gave their lives. We thought of others when we painted poppies on stones before visi ng the war memorial on the High Street.

Many Cubs joined in safely and proudly with remembrance Sunday events.

Cub Scouts con nue to do their best as we manage mee ngs on Zoom again this month.

1st Baldock Cub Scout Leader.

Baldock Christmas Fayre As we are all aware this year isn't quite what we expected it to be in many ways and lots of events were unable to go ahead as planned, the Baldock Christmas Fayre is no excep on. We, on the Christmas Fayre Commi ee , are absolutely gu ed a er the massive success of last year's event which was a ended by over 5000 people. We were hoping to carry on riding the wave of success and make this year's event even bigger and be er, unfortunately fate had other ideas for us!!

But in true Baldock style we refuse to be beaten and community spirit is as strong as ever, if not stronger. So this year's event will be en rely virtual, including the stalls. This is the first me any of us on the commi ee have run anything like this, and we are hoping it will be a success, our small,

local businesses need our support more than ever before.

There are alot of people that have signed up already to adver se their goods, but the beauty of an online event means we are not governed by space or the number of stalls available so we are able to have as many virtual stalls as we like so if you haven't already given us your details please get in touch with us via our Facebook page “Baldock Christmas Fayre” or call me (Katy) on 07771614528 and we can get you signed up. There is no charge for this service, but we would encourage any successful stall holders to make a dona on to the Garden House Hospice, or any other charity that is close to your heart.

The event will be going live as soon as possible (we hope to have it up and running by Dec 1st at the latest) and will con nue to run it right up un l Christmas eve and we will be plugging it on all the local Facebook sites mul ple mes a day. The idea is that all the stalls will be on one page and poten al customers can flick through photos/click on links to business pages/contact stall holders directly.

Please do your best to support our lovely, local businesses and be sure to come and have a browse through our many, many stalls – there really will be something for everyone!!

Thanks in advance Katy, Stuart, Tara and Ali The Baldock Christmas Fayre Commi ee

By now you will have seen the Rotary in Baldock have been out and about pu ng up the Christmas lights.

The Christmas lights will be switched on ‘virtually’and streamed live via the Baldock Christmas Fayre Facebook page (Baldock Virtual Christmas Fayre 2020) please tune in and watch from 5:40pm on Saturday 5th December for the switch on at 6:00pm .

We have been asked to remind people of the following The Baldock Christmas Fayre Commi ee request that members of the public do not a end the switch on in person. If members of the public do try to a end, the commi ee may have to cancel the virtual switch to ensure the safety of those involved and comply with current guidelines and restric ons.

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'A Big Success for the Community' The second Rotary wood near Ivel Springs, has taken a big step forward with the successful plan ng of the first 300 saplings, and what a great success it was for the community spirit that exists in Baldock. On each day more than 100 'planters' of all ages from across the community rolled up their sleeves, ignored, not to say enjoyed the mud in some cases, and volunteered their me across a weekend in late October.

Thank you all for what you have achieved.

Other thanks go to Rotary members, par cularly Rob Hemmings and Michael Muir, also a District Councillor, who have managed and masterminded the project since the land, a disused 2+ acres field between Norton Road, The Equestrian Centre and the Football Club ground, was made available to the Rotary club by NHDC. For those who missed out on par cipa ng in this great community venture there is another chance to volunteer on Saturday, 12th and Sunday, 13th December, when a further 480 saplings will be planted.

So, if you fancy some healthy preChristmas exercise in the fresh air, please call Bob Hemmings on 01462 895366 for further informa on.

In due course, this will be a superb community facility providing a vibrant fascina ng green corridor beside Ivel Springs containing a woodland walk and wildflower glade. “In me it will become a great community amenity for; children playing, picnicking, dog walking or just a gentle stroll in the country”, said Andrew Mills of the NHDC On a separate Rotary ma er, the COVID restric ons have devastated the fundraising ac vi es of the club which in turn will affect the club's ability to make the generous dona ons it usually makes to deserving charitable causes.

Christmas, Santa and the sleigh is the biggest of the club's fundraising ac vi es and this year the Rotary club will con nue its tradi on of bringing Santa and the sleigh around the streets of Baldock, Ashwell and Weston, a er the current lockdown comes to an end. It will not be

possible to make house to house collec ons so a 'Just Giving' page has been created. JustGiving.com/RotaryBaldock, which can also be found with the QR code below. This will also be on the side of the sleigh.

Your contribu ons will be greatly appreciated and will enable the Rotary club to con nue to make dona ons to local charitable causes and beyond.

Baldock Rotary Club wishes everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and fingers crossed for a more prosperous year in 2022.

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DECEMBER

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A Posh French Plug-in DS 7 Crossback E-Tense

By Tim Barnes-Clay - Follow on Instagram @tbarnsclay At first sight, the DS 7 Crossback shows off conserva ve rather than cool characteris cs.

On the move, body lean is kept to a minimum, even though the steering is spongy and dead. Don't let me rain on the parade too much, though. The French motor has a sublime ride quality.

This car isn't all about the zero to 62mph sprint; it's far happier as a laidback cruiser. But it can s ll pull stunningly, with the plug-in hybrid Etense version of the DS 7 doing 0-62mph in just under six seconds. This is down to its 1.6-litre petrol engine and twin electric motor (plus ba ery) combo.

The car's silky eight-speed auto 'box and four-wheel drive make for effortless driving, and you can even motor about in silence for up to 31 miles on pure electricity. Driving the car like this is best reserved for urban commu ng – and it'll save you loads of fuel, as long as you plug in and charge the DS 7 regularly.

The E-Tense 4x4 Ultra Pres ge, driven here, is likely to be the model to please the masses. This car gets 19-inch alloys,

a gloss black grille, and LED lights. In the cabin, leather abounds, while a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment screen hogs the limelight. Playing second fiddle to the big display is a classic analogue clock, perched above the igni on bu on.

The infotainment system itself is intui ve and responsive, and is supported by a bunch of touch-sensi ve switches for the cabin controls. But more remarkable in this car segment is the adding of an infrared night vision camera that projects a vivid picture onto the driver's display. It picks out pedestrians and animals ahead of you, and, as I found out driving around rural England's unlit backroads, it works! The only drawback is that the innova ve driver aid is an op on cos ng £1400.

Room in the cabin is suitable for fiveup, and it's a very comfortable car fore and a . What's more, the boot is generously propor oned with 555 litres of cargo capacity.

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HAVE A MINDFUL CHRISTMAS Christmas can be a stressful at the best of mes and this year could be quite challenging with all the restric ons that are in place, with so much to remember to do and buy, it can o en feel like we're not enjoying it as much as we could.

O en without realising it all this stress can also be passed onto children.

Mindfulness is a great technique to ins l in children with sugges ons that it can help children to focus as well as to take be er no ce of their own thoughts and be more aware of what is happening around them.

Here are some easy mindfulness exercises for kids and parents to prac se1. Visualise your safe place – to

feel grounded - Where are your favourite soothing places in nature? You can visit them any me in your mind, it may be a scene from a favourite book or a place you have been. You could write a journey to your calm safe place, describing with all your senses how it feels to be there.

2. Balloon belly Breathing – to soothe – Lie down somewhere comfy and imagine there is a balloon in your tummy. As you breathe in imagine the balloon slowly inflates. As breathe out the balloon effortlessly deflates, your child can rest their favoure toity on their tummy and let them goa along for a calming ride.

3. Sound medita on – to fuel curiosity – Snuggle down somewhere safe, close your eyes and listen to all the sounds around you. What can you hear? The clink of coffee cups, snippets of conversa ons, sounds from nature?

4. Get Crea ve – to express yourself – Let your feelings out with a spot of art. You can journal, colour, make a model from recycling, paint. Enjoy immersing yourself in the act of being crea ve – no hard work, just fun 5. Hug it out – to feel connected – Cuddles are like food for the soul, helping us feel safe and calm.

Enjoy building your mindfulness muscles by giving a loving hug your full a en on. Can you feel your heart bea ng, wrapped up in care?

Tell yourself or your child you are safe, you are loved, you are held.

Try some media on, ask them to imagine that they are on a magical sleigh in a winter wonderland scene. They need to think abut the speed of the sleigh, the temperature, who they are with, and what they can see.

Also don't forget to ask them to think about what they can hear.

Sounds are o en just as important to child's understanding and interpreta on of something as what they can see. Connec ng children with sound and its rela onship to thoughts is central to mindfulness and to becoming happier relaxed young people.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy 2021.

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2020

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Enjoy winter with your Pets

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Winter Tips For Your Pets

With the night's drawing in quicker and the days ge ng colder, it is a clear sign that winter is creeping around the corner. Winter can bring more risks for your pets, so here are a few to ps to help keep them safe over the next few months.

The fes ve period brings lots celebra ons which we can all enjoy!

Fireworks, Christmas decora ons and over indulging on delicious food, but beware that these all pose a fairly serious risk to your pets. Toxicity is very common this me of year, with fes ve treats having many ingredients that our pets cannot eat, like chocolate, currants, onions, garlic, grapes, alcohol and even some sweets, all of which can be toxic.

Christmas decora ons can also look temp ng for our pets also and so they should not be le alone where these are accessible. Inges on of Christmas decora ons can cause intes nal obstruc ons and in some cases perfora on, symptoms to look out for are lethargy, vomi ng and straining when going to the toilet. If you know or even suspect that your cat or dog has managed to eat something they

shouldn't, you must get in contact with your Vet straight away, who can then advise you on what to do next.

As the days get shorter and the darkness quickly sets in, the addi on of a high-vis jacket, LED collar for your dogs and a quick release reflec ve collar for your cats will make them easier to spot for you and others in the dark. With it ge ng colder it might be worth it, especially in our more senior pets, making them wear a coat. And with our smaller pets that might normally be kept outdoors, bringing them in over the winter will ensure they stay warm.

Frosty mornings and icy nights bring many dangers for our pets. Just like in the summer when the pavement is too hot, it can also be too cold for our pets paws causing ice burns, be mindful of gri ed walkways as this will only increase the risk of damage. To protect our pets paws, you can purchase shoes for them, they may look a li le silly, but they are incredibly prac cal this me of year.

Defros ng our cars in the morning is a breeze with an freeze now, but beware it's incredibly toxic if ingested, and

unfortunately is made all the more temp ng as it has a sweet taste. Be careful when using it, trying not to spill it and storing it away from your pets.

Symptoms to look out for are normally dribbling and seizures, if you suspect that your pet may have ingested an freeze you must contact your Vet straight away who will advise you on what to do next.

Fireworks can be scary and unse ling for many of our pets, simple addi ons can ease the feelings of fright. Such as, pheromone diffusers, drawing the curtains, playing the television or radio louder than normal, lots of posi ve reinforcement and an enclosed place they can feel safe like a crate or hooded bed. If your cat goes out, try and encourage them to stay in when its dark, and if you keep rabbits and guinea pigs outside, it is worth bringing them in over night or even over the en re winter months. If you find that your pet is par cularly distressed even with these on board, contact you Vets who may be able to prescribe gentle medicinal seda ves to ease them through par cularly stressful mes.

Remember to stay vigilante with your pets preventa ve flea and worm treatment, even though the colder weather is se ng in, it does not mean that the risk is any less than normal, this includes both you and your pets!

Preventa ve treatment can be ordered over the phone through one of our recep onists, who can also help with any queries you may have.

Telephone us on 01763 242221 (Royston) and 01462 895579 (Baldock)

Happy New Year

Deadline for the New Year issue is 10/12/2020 DECEMBER

2020

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Weston Primary & Nursery School Best Bespoke As our first term of the academic year draws to a close and despite Covid-19 restric ons, we have been very busy. We have tried our hardest to make school, business as usual, following our social distancing rules, washing our hands o en and keeping within our bubbles.

We have been learning about the Ndebele people in South Africa and the Ndebele ar st Esther Mahlangu, who paints beau ful geometric artwork without the use of a ruler. We have spent me designing our own tradi onal Ndebele houses and wind pipes, decora ng them in the style of Esther Mahlangu.

Our value for this half term is compassion, a value so very important at this current me. Not only are we suppor ng ourselves, our friends, our families and our immediate communi es, but the wider community also. We collected food for the foodbank in Letchworth, we have raised money for Children in Need and the Poppy Appeal.

Although Christmas in school will be a li le different this year. All classes will be learning how to sign a Christmas Carol to share with parents via our on-line

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learning pla orm, we will also be holding a Zoom service for the children in school led by Rev'd Fiona. A Christmas tree will be erected at the front of school and decorated li le differently this year.

Our school tours have halted due to the regula ons, however once restric ons are li ed we look forward to sharing our school with you. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page to view some of the exci ng things we do in school. For more informa on please call the office 01462 790317 or email admin@weston.herts.sch.uk Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

Gallery Experience Huge congratula ons to Hayley and her team at Gallery 1066 Balodck, who have been awarded; Best Bespoke Gallery Experience East of England Following their nomina on acceptance, they were added to the shortlist and became subject to LUX Life's rigorous internal ve ng procedure. The extensive research and judging process is driven by merit and centred around an in-depth evalua on of skills and services on offer.

Awardees had to demonstrate exper se within their field, dedica on to customer service and a commitment to promo ng excellence.

WINNER

Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

I thought as a change I would write about what we might find in our gardens rather than what we could grow. Hunt around, especially getting down and intimate with the soil, in the muck and have some fun looking.

If you have a magnifying glass or even better a microscope, you can see some unbelievable things. I have a cheap microscope that works with my laptop and a projector to throw the picture onto a 2.4metre by 4.8-metre cinema screen in our shop. Some times the things we see magnified thousands of times makes us think we shouldn't have looked, a bit like watching the film Alien from behind the sofa.

Back to the garden, most times of the day you can find all sorts of insects if you look around on the ground or your plants.

As a child, I used to hunt around the farm looking for whatever I could find, my favourite places were the dung heaps, and log piles both of these places were full of the most beautiful worms and creepy crawlies. I realise that most gardens don't have these things, but you can still find some fantastic creatures.

It is essential to identify what you see as a lot of weird-looking things are our friends and do good work in the garden and countryside.

Not all insects are ugly or terrifying, take ladybirds, for example, most people don't realise that the black and orange larvae they find on the leaves of their favourite plants will grow up to be the beautiful Ladybirds that we all love. On the other hand, that very same red-black spotted insects can be vicious and will bite, very rare for this to happen. Still, in 1976 I was in Yorkshire when there was a vast swarm of Ladybirds, clouds of them, being unable to find enough aphids to feed on they turned to eating humans and our pets, I got eaten alive. To this day, I cannot remember another time that I got to be lunch for a Bloom of Ladybirds.

Earwigs are another Jeckel and Hyde insect as they have a terrible reputation, being accused of the most awful crime; they are supposed to crawl into your ear canal and

feed off your brain, lay eggs and raise offspring within your head. To me they are sort of a garden friend as they eat aphids, but, they do also shred flowers and young leaves, so not a good friend.

I do have a small list of the good and evil in the garden for you to start with, the bad ones are. Aphids, including greenfly and blackfly, Lilly beetle, make a complete mess of your Lilly's, Vine weevil grubs will eat the roots of a wide range of plants, the adults will eat notches out of the edges of leaves. Slugs and Snails, what can I say apart from the best place for snails is on a plate, yum yum.

My favourite god guys in the garden are Black ground beetles; these are the equivalent of the SAS they are fearless in the attack, they go in and do their best to destroy vine weevil grubs and lots of other harmful soil living insects. Hoverflies, their larvae eat aphids, and the adults are excellent pollinators. Parasitoid wasps these little wasps are relentless at searching out their prey when they find it they lay their eggs inside, the larvae hatch and feed on the doner and then emerge leaving an empty shell, sorry to mention this again; like John Hurt in Alien.

Common wasps are in my book on the good guy's side, toward the end of the season they can damage fruit and sting a few people. They do, however, search out caterpillars in vast numbers feeding them to their nest, they never attack humans without provocation although it seems like they do. Springtails are small insects that are found in enormous numbers and jump about all over the place when disturbed. The main job they do is breakdown organic matter they are often seen in the compost bin, whilst good outside they can be an absolute menace in your houseplant pots. Lacewing adults are ferocious feeders of aphids. Bumblebees are beautiful and fantastic pollinators.

Centipedes and Millipedes, most people seem to think they are the same and do the same things, I'm afraid that's not right Centipedes are hunters of prey and search out lots of harmful pests in the garden. If I were a small insect in the garden, I

would be anxious about these a bit like Kevin Bacon in Tremours. Millipedes are bigger but only eat decaying organic material. The way to tell the difference between the two is that Centipede has one pair of legs per body segment and Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment.

Ants are one of the most misunderstood insects. They get an awful name because they are very often found on our favourite plants, mostly fruit plants where they are often accused of messing up and making the plants sticky. Aphids excrete the sweet sticky substance that will be found on the leaves and branches, the ants love this stuff and climb after it in preference to most other things. Ants also clear up dead insects and organic matter, generally doing the garden housekeeping. Ants, unfortunately, get into trouble by infesting plant pots causing vast open voids within the root area. Only in extreme circumstances will this cause any real concern to the plant living in the pot, mostly due to inadequate amounts of soil around the roots; they do not cause damage to the roots.

Lastly, the best of the lot is the Devils coach horse. This black fearsome-looking voracious predator will stand its ground with just about everything. If you find one, it will turn its tail up scorpion style, and if you persist in annoying it, it will release a foul-smelling liquid, admire from a distance but leave it alone it is our best friend in the garden.

I could go on and on, but I've run out of room for this month.

I suggest buying some reference books, and a good spyglass, better still use the camera on your phone to photograph what you find you will then be able to enjoy the garden later indoors in the warm.

If you find anything interesting, perhaps you could bring the photos along to the garden centre for us to see.

Good Hunting, and a Merry Christmas.

Cheers Graham.

Graham DECEMBER

2020

21

Chiropodist

Karen Perry 'Custom Fit Supportive Orthotics’ Home Visits or Baldock Surgery

ACCSLtd

Window Cleaning 20 years experience Reliable and efficient Fully Insured & Uniformed staff

01462 629302 07970 406926 152 Hitchin Road, Stotfold

IAN SIMPSON Carpentry and Joinery All aspects of carpentry work undertaken Kitchen, Bedrooms, Doors, Windows 25 years experience Free estimates Please call 01462 851695 or 07967162448 E-mail ij_simpson@hotmail.com

22

DECEMBER

2020

We Remember I have been doing a li le binge watching in order to get myself prepared for the new series of The Crown. I love the way it mixes fact with complete fantasy as it sees us through the decades of our Royal family and poli cal leaders.

The episode that concentrates on the Aberfan tragedy is always the one that stops me in my tracks and makes me think. I was just over a year old when it happened, so I was understandably oblivious to it at the me. For those who don't know, and I doubt there are many of you, 116 children and 28 adults perished when a er days of heavy rain, the spoil from the nearby coal mine turned to slurry, slid down the mountain and engulfed the village junior school.

On the day of the anniversary my Welsh friends will always post a memoriam on FB to mark the day and I will always stop for a few minutes and contemplate the sheer horror of it all. I don't know why this par cular disaster moves me more than others, perhaps it's the children. 116 innocents, with the rest of their lives ahead, cut short because it cost too much to do something about and nobody who was anybody cared enough. I found a wonderful piece on this wri en by Ceri Jackson, it's called Aberfan - the mistake that cost a village its children. Its beau fully wri en and gave me some insight into how this was allowed to

happen. Make no mistake, it was allowed to happen. Give it a read if you have some me.

We have also marked Armis ce day again, and despite the constraints upon us, many people turned out to pay their respects to those that fought for our freedoms. Others passed the moment in their own homes, in their own way, but what ever we were doing, we all stopped at 11 O'clock, bowed our heads and paid homage. It is as it should be. This year was a li le marred by some stupid protestor poli cising this closely held ceremony by placing a faux reef at the cenotaph. Whilst I understand the outrage, I just wish the media had not given it the breathing space the campaigners wanted. It should have been removed and burnt with no men on.

There are things that we hold dear. We hold them in our hearts and woe be de those who seek to taint them or take them away.

On a lighter note, its proper Autumn and I love it. It is my favourite me of the year. I am not a fan of the cold though and the hea ng has been on for a while now. More so now that I am at home most of the me. So, when my hea ng stopped working last week you can imagine what a terrible shock that was to the old bones. I managed three days of twiddling knobs and ďŹ ddling with slidey

things whilst wrapped in blankets before I gave up and called the Council.

The boiler is rela vely new, last year, I think. The thermostat was replaced at the same me, so I was a bit put out by it all.

Well, a thoroughly nice young man that didn't call me love or darling arrived the same day. He set about twiddling knobs and ďŹ ddling with slidey things and declared that it was the thermostat that was set too low. Rubbish, I declared as the radiators warmed up nicely, I haven't touched it, its always set round about twenty. Half an hour later, the radiators returned to stony cold, and do what I could, I could not make it warm again. So, pu ng on my very best miserable old woman voice (not quite Karen, but close) I called the Council again. The next day another very nice young man who didn't call me love rocked up to take a peek. I told him what had happened the previous evening and explained that I had even turned it right up to thirty in an eort to make it toasty. He repeated what the previous nice young man had said, my thermostat was set too low. No way said I; and was very insistent that I had turned it up to thirty. There is obviously something terribly adri with the system.

He then politely with a straight face and pity in his eyes, pointed at the thermostat. I do not know how he held himself together when he showed me that I had turned it down to zero. My only excuse is that my old one went clockwise to turn up, this one is an clockwise. Oh! And its dark in my hallway.

Its nothing to do with my age, or the menopause or the fact that my eyes are giving up. Its completely the fault of the manufacturer who can't tell le from right. I shall be speaking to the manager.

Nicky

DECEMBER

2020

23

ROGERSONS REMOVALS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Welcomes its newest member!

Graham Tapp

FETCH HIS PIPE AND SLIPPERS

23rd of December All my love Lorraine

Rubin Beckwith

19th December

8

Lots of love Nana & Grandad xxx Happy 50th Birthday Judy

Lots of love from Matt and all the family xx HAPPY BIRTHDAY

24th DECEMBER

Lots of love from Mummy, Daddy and Samuel x

6

GEORGE 24

DECEMBER

DECEMBER 2020

2015

25

5 minutes with... ... Sam & Lucy Thompson from *About The Pink Ginger Company?

Sisters, Sam & Lucy Thompson opened The Pink Ginger Company this October. This quirky lifestyle, homeware and gi shop situated within The Arbury at 8 Whitehorse Street, Baldock, is one of three businesses now within this beau ful building. Whilst Arbury@Home delivers restaurant quality food to their customers, Tash's Treats is now open as a deligh ul cake & teashop with The Pink Ginger Company situated at the front of The Arbury. *What made you decide to open now and why Baldock?

Baldock means a lot to Sam & Lucy as they grew up in the area and both went to The Knights Templar before moving to London in their twen es. However, both have returned in the last ten years with Lucy and her partner running The Bushel & Strike in Ashwell before opening The Arbury just over a year ago. Whilst 2020 has been hard it has also been a year of reflec on. When a emp ng to put the world to rights one evening this summer, over a drink in Lucy's garden, the plan for the shop began to take shape. So, when an opportunity arose at The Arbury they jumped at it and The Pink Ginger Company opened its doors. *How would you describe The Pink Ginger Company ?

Combine country style with elegant details and a bit of kitsch. Think French flea markets and English country manor houses with a modern twist. A colourful selec on of pillar and dinner candles with an array of candles cks and

holders, storage baskets, trinket dishes, cake stands, cake slices, chopping boards, cheese knives, so furnishings and mirrors to name a few of the things available for the home.

Beau ful velvet makeup bags and purses in too many colours and sizes to men on. So scarves, animal print and suede clutch bags, naturally fragranced hand creams and soaps with scented candles to match. Accessories for both you and your home. *Do you have any favourite items?

Anything Christmas related, but the golden heron and peacock are greatly loved at The Arbury. As well as being perfect for displaying the winter scarves in the shop they look stunning adorning any wall at home. Enamel cocktail trays in vivid parrot and toucan designs add a splash of colour and the original brick moulds provide unique storage solu ons. Perfect for pens and pencils or toiletries. *How do you make The Pink Ginger Company stand out?

The customers are the most important part of their business so making the shopping experience as easy and enjoyable as possible is essen al. As well as in store, everything is available to shop online including Gi Vouchers. The sisters offer free personal local delivery within 5 miles of the store, click & collect and, up to 24th December, will offer same day local delivery on items ordered before 12 noon Tuesday to Saturday. Gi wrapping is also available leading up to Christmas.

LIFESTYLE, HOMEWARE & GIFTS

www.thepinkgingercompany.co.uk The Pink Ginger Company at The Arbury 8 Whitehorse Street, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6QN Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5.30pm Tel: 07704 064677 hello@thepinkgingercompany.co.uk

thepinkgingercompany FREE local delivery within 5 miles of the shop

Same day local delivery on orders before 12 noon - Tuesday to Saturday

DECEMBER

2020

25

Compliant with Government guidance on managing the risk of Covid-19

DECEMBER

2020

27

baked by

BLONDIES

Gorgeous Brownies Delivered to Your Door email orders to bakedbyblondies@gmail.com

D TIMMS & SON BUILDING SERVICES

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Driveways Patios Fencing

For all enquiries please contact us: DavidTimms@VirginMedia.com

07901602227/ 07759106803 01462 895506

FROM AS LITTLE AS

All Boiler Maintenance, Serving & Repairs

28

DECEMBER

2020

£20

Slimming Wld Recipe Supplied by

Salmon pate

Sandra Lloyd

This delicious starter can be made a day in advance - just cover and chill, then stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop before serving.

Ingredients Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

200g skinless salmon fillet 120g pack smoked salmon (or use smoked salmon trimmings) 3 tbsp fat free natural yogurt 1 tsp lemon juice Small handful of fresh dill, plus sprigs to garnish (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method 1.Put the salmon fillet in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until just cooked through. Drain well.

2.Meanwhile, put the smoked salmon, yogurt, lemon juice and dill in a food processor. Flake in the cooked salmon fillet, season to taste and whizz until roughly combined.

3.Spoon the paté into a shallow bowl, garnish with dill sprigs, if using, then cover, cool and chill for at least 1 hour.

4.Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and serve with crispbreads or your favourite crudités.

CALL US FOR LEAFLET DISTRIBUTION 07973788418

£30 per 1000 DECEMBER

2020

29

30

DECEMBER

2020

TIME FLIES

Oakley Free Range Turkeys

'They' say that me flies when you're having fun and it really does! The children have se led in beau fully and we are proud of our li le chums who have already achieved so much since star ng with us in September.

Reared & prepared for Christmas Day at Dairy Farm, Bygrave Road Baldock, SG7 5DS Orders to mjoakleyfarming@gmail.com or ring Jenny 07803591714

Their communica on, independence and social skills are amazing and their seeing their happy li le faces as they run in each morning has reassured us of the worries we had about waving “bye bye” to their parents or carers at the entrance door.

Pumpkin carving, a Halloween dress up day, cooking and imagina ve play – these are a few of the experiences we have been enjoying. With parents access no longer permi ed we have had to get crea ve with means of providing an insight into the environment and have increased our facebook posts. Please have a look by searching for 'Magic Moments Pre-school Baldock' and like our page.

We have also had to be crea ve with our fundraising events and will be organising a socially distanced walkthrough gro o for our superstars at the end of term.

magicmomentspreschool2020@gmail.com www.magicmomentspreschool.co.uk

LAWN CUTTING HEDGE CUTTING LANDSCAPING PATIOS

ASHWELL

WESTON DECEMBER

2020

31

4 Sun Street, Baldock. Sg7 6QA 2c St Francis Way, Shefford. Sg17 5DZ

Happy Birthday

MATT GEERE 30th December

Lots of love all the family Happy Birthday

JOE HERMITAGE 30th December

Best wishes Tara & family HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY

Shelley Robson Love from Laura and Violet Happy 2nd Birthday

TEDDY-Lee 18th December

Lots of love nanny and granddad Chapman xx

Dna Jacquet 21st December

Best wishes from your favourite hairdresser 32

DECEMBER

2020

CAT Cat S62 Pro Work Phone from Bullitt Next Generation Thermal Imaging Smartphone When reviewing Gadgets, you might think that I have tried lots of phones.

This was true at the beginning, but I have found that most current smartphones can be very similar and difficult to separate or provide anything original, it was great when Bulli Mobile contacted me and asked if I wanted to review the Cat S62 Pro which did indeed bring something new to the party.

CAT (or Caterpillar) are otherwise famous for being the world's leading manufacturer of construc on and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomo ves, they also produce some find workwear and now they also provide 'work-phones'.

The Cat S62 Pro is unique in a myriad of ways, but first off, it is military-grade to Mil-Spec 810H: Dustproof and dropproof to 1.8m, vibra on, sand, salt mist and pressure-resistant, it also features IP68 & IP69 water resistance. It's very rugged, and the addi on of the added protec on adds to the weight which comes in at 248g, it's also quite thick at 11.9mm, so it is pre y bulky.

It runs Android 10 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with Octa-core CPU and Adreno 512 GPU, a very capable, power- efficient mid-range system.

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The phone sports a 5.7" IPS screen with a resolu on of 1080 x 2160 pixels, it has a 4000mAh ba ery, 6Gb of memory and 128Gb of storage. The easily removable Sim Slot can accommodate TWO sim cards, or one sim card and an addi onal MicroSD card. There is no headphone socket, but charging is provided by USB Type C, so headphones can be plugged in via an adapter or via Bluetooth.

On the rubberised rear of the phone is the excellent fingerprint sensor (which always worked!) and a 12mp camera with Sony sensor. On the front is an 8mp selfie camera. Power and volume are controlled by side-mounted bu ons and on the other side is a programmable bu on which can be assigned to a varietyof uses. The base mounted speaker was pre y loud too.

SHEDS SUMMER HOUSES GARDEN OFFICES WORKSHOPS POTTING SHEDS PLAYHOUSE LOG CABIN RE-ROOFING RE-FELTING SHED BASES FENCING GATES TAKE DOWN & DISPOSE OF OLD SHEDS

email allshedsandmore@yahoo.com Saunders Close, Green Lane, Letchworth

However, the showstopper is the inbuilt THERMAL SENSOR, powered by the highest resolu on FLIR lepton available today, the FLIR Lepton 3.5 professional-grade sensor, which brings a huge 4x increase in the number of thermal pixels. Combined with FLIR's VividIR technology, the Cat S62 Pro delivers enhanced image quality, sharper image and higher thermal resolu on than the compe on.

There is a mul tude of uses for a thermal sensor on this phone, plumber s can diagnose cold or hot spots in central hea ng using the FLIR app and swiping down the screen with show the image in real mode, meaning you can pinpoint issues accurately. You can check the temperature of bathwater, diagnose car engines, check the temperature of brake pads on cars, find draughts in houses, track down the cat in your dark garden, check for water leaks under the floor, blockages in pipes, even check your temperature, then uses are endless, the sensor is so sensi ve, it was able to show my heat signal from standing on the floor for a few seconds.

It is truly amazing and packed with other useful apps and shortcut aimed squarely at the 'work' market.

Priced at a very reasonable £599, this is a phone for the workman, but also for people that want a durable Gorilla Glass 6 armed phone which is going survive knocks and bangs without trips to be repaired.

Enjoy yout Christmas and see you next year!

Keep Staying Safe

Matt

WWW.THEGADGETMAN.ORG.UK

R.H GARDEN DESIGN The Garden Specialists Some of our many services offered include:

rich.humphreys@btinternet.com T: 01462 612033 M: 07738 246568

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Regular maintenance Garden Make-overs Jungles tamed Patios Fencing Turng Planting Articial grass Decking Driveways Pressure washing of patios and drives

DECEMBER

2020

33

FABULOUS GLAMPERVAN Just pick up and go – The motorhome is fully equipped ready for you to start your holiday.

Available for short breaks and longer holidays all year round.

www.fabulousglampervan.co.uk I richmonds-coaches.co.uk

34

DECEMBER

2020

email: enquiries@fabulousglampervan.co.uk

Tel: 01462 491035 / 07985315632

Screen this month’s new releases

CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES 2

holidate Out Now

Out Now

A Tired of being alone on the holidays, two strangers agree to a platonic plus one all year long.

Rather than to scramble for a date for Christmas and New Year's Eve they don't have to impress anyone there won't be any misunder standings at the end of the night.

Most importantly they don't have to sit at home gorging themselves on chocolate. Of course even the can best plans can still go astray.

On Netflix

Picking up two years after the original movie. Unhappy over their mums new relationship, a now teenager Kate and jack run away from home and land up at the North Pole. And are reunited with Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) when a mysterious trouble maker is plotting to cancel Christmas.

On Netflix

Certificate N/A

Certificate N/A

Running Time 103 mins

Running Time 145 mins

‘Now open Tuesday to Saturdays 10am - 1pm Bookings now being taken for sewers and bridal alterations.

One at a time in the front of the shop for repairs and alterations please.’

Please phone 07938509672 for more details and to book

www.sewingbs.co.uk

just another christmas ANGELAS CHRISTMAS Out Now

Out Now

After taking a very nasty fall on Christmas Eve, grinchy Jorge blacks out and wakes up one year later, with no memory of the year that has passed. He soon realizes that he’s doomed to keep waking up on Christmas Eve after Christmas Eve, having to deal with the aftermath of what his other self has done the other 364 days of the year, he starts to learn valuable lessons about what's important in life.

On Netflix

It's Christmas Eve in Limerick, Ireland and Angela is almost 6 years old. Her widowed mom is struggling to get her four kids ready for church. It's very cold in St. Joseph's Catholic Church and The little girl can't help but notice that baby Jesus must be freezing lying in the nativity scene. It worries her so much, she secretly vows to make sure he's warm. And her best intentions lead to an adventure she never expected.

On Netflix

Certificate N/A

Certificate N/A

Running Time 131 mins

Running Time 30 mins

Answer-phone on both numbers & will return all calls

DECEMBER

2020

35

December Gallery

Please send your local snaps new or old to our facebook page or email info@onourdoorstepbaldock.co.uk Members of the work party, planting the new woodland area in Baldock

Hannah, swinging through lockdown in Weston woods.

Baldock Rotary putting up this years Christmas lights with help from Redlift Hire Team

Royal British Legion Baldock socially distanced wreath laying ceremony.

One of the Weston herd ď€ nishing off the leftover pumpkins from The Patch

Shelly Robson’s little lad enjoying some autumn fun

MOGA Team at the Orange Tree quiz night

Remembering the war horses - Annette

Brave men carrying out repairs to the spire - John Hammond

Autumn walk in the woods...

Mark Allen 2020

Caroline Kirby and her lovely These lovely Chooks!

Autumnal setting at Weston Woods - Cath Mcleod.

Useful numbers Advice Citizen’s Advice Bureau Trading Standards Advice Samaritans

03444 111444 0300 300 8136 116 123

Councils North Hertfordshire District

01462 474000

Doctors Baldock Surgery

01462 892458

Dentist Victoria Place Dental Surgery

01763 313869

Emergency Utilities Gas Emergency Electric power cut

0800 111 999 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

Schools Knights Templar Hartseld St Johns St Marys Infants St Marys Juniors Brandles

01462 620700 01462 895267 01462 892478 01462 892347 01462 892156 01462 892189

Travel Arriva Buses National Rail Enquires National Bus line

08701 201088 03457 484950 0870 6082608

Vets Baldock Veterinary Centre

01462 895579

Nurseries Weston Way Nursery Merry Go Round Peanuts Preschool

01462 892172 01462 896322 07736 124327

Play Groups Magic Moments Merry Go Round

07709 618434 01462 896322

Plumbers Maben PE James

07949 120911 07816 586777

Window & Door repairs JML Windows Repairs Warrens Windows

01438 906300 01462 261401

Florist Blooms of Baldock

07747 195325

Locksmith Lock and Glaze

07737885528

Mobile Hair Dresser Hair By Jacqui

07973 788418

Funeral Directors Shires - CPJ Field Baldock

01462 491149

DECEMBER

2020

37

38

DECEMBER

2020